Howard Bloom. New York City. Thanksgiving. Metrojet. Claverack. Howard Bloom Saves The Universe. Anne Frank. Jason Rezaian. Nancy Wiard. Penn Station. Chad Dougatz. Metrojet.
It is mid-afternoon and I am beginning this as I am closing in on New York City, on the train. I’m down this afternoon for Howard Bloom’s Podcast [Howard Bloom Saves the Universe, look it up on iTunes or howardbloom.libsyn.com/.
I have a breakfast in the morning and then I am scurrying back north for the long weekend. Trains were getting hard to get yesterday – every other one seems to be sold out.
Depending on when I get finished with breakfast, I may take an earlier train. I’m eager to be back at the cottage, priming for Thanksgiving. I have a few side dishes to make for the feast I am attending.
It’s cold today and it is going down to a mere 14 degrees tonight in Claverack. Yikes! I am wearing my winter jacket and have pulled out my favorite scarf.
But my hardships are minimal. I could be a refugee somewhere in Europe as the cold settles in on the Continent while, at the same time, finding themselves feared by the countries to which they have been fleeing.
Earlier today, in a Facebook posting, I saw that Anne Frank had applied to come to America but was denied. We weren’t very open to Jews before the war. If that visa had been granted we may have been denied her diary but she’d be 77 if she had lived.
That fact saddened me.
People are wrestling with what to do about refugees. Some of most liberal friends are now feeling fearful of accepting them. I have been seeing the postings on Facebook. There is great support for and there is great fear of refugees, both views understandable in the light of current events.
Jason Rezaian, a journalist for the Washington Post and who headed their Tehran bureau is headed for prison for an unspecified period of time. Holding both Iranian and US citizenship, he seemed a natural for the posting. The Iranians have convicted him of espionage.
He has languished in prison since July 2014.
Now, I am sitting just outside the studio while Howard is doing his podcast, discussing with Chad Dougatz, the host, the roots of Islamic terrorism.
Terrorism, the bane of our time… Just moments ago, my phone buzzed with a notice that the US has issued a global travel alert due to increased threats of terrorism.
My friend, Nancy Wiard, is traveling to the European Christmas markets. She sent me a message today from Amsterdam, which is close to Belgium whose major city, Brussels, home for the European Union, is under lockdown.
Multiple operations are underway in Brussels as I type.
It is believed that the bomb that took down the Russian Metrojet was placed under the seat of a fifteen year old girl, seat 31A.
I didn’t get to finish last night. Today is a beautiful, slightly chill, afternoon on the train heading north. I’m seated on the river side of the car and I’m watching the Hudson slide by as I move north.
As I headed toward the train this morning, Penn, not unexpectedly was overflowing with people heading out for Thanksgiving. It, too, had more than its usual contingent of police and soldiers. In the fourteen plus years since 9/11, I have yet to accept their presence as the new normal.
But, it is, and during Thanksgiving the city is on a higher alert level. More police, more soldiers, more…
Yes, the world is a grim place. The Turks have shot down a Russian warplane which kept, according to them, violating its airspace. Let’s just ratchet up the tensions, why don’t we…
However, I also read an article in the NY Times this morning about the positive health affects of being grateful, so I am attempting to settle myself into my “attitude of gratitude” mode. It will be a healthier place for me.
It is two days from Thanksgiving and tomorrow I will be prepping my contributions to our annual feast of gratitude and I will do my best to remember all the many things for which I am grateful.
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Tags: Anne Frank, Attitude of Gratitude, Howard Bloom, Howard Bloom Saves the Universe, IS, Mat Tombers, Mathew Tombers, Syria, Thanksgiving
This entry was posted on November 24, 2015 at 6:36 pm and is filed under 9/11, Airstrikes, Columbia County, European Refugee Crisis, Iran, Mat Tombers, Mathew Tombers, Mideast, Paris Attacks, Political Commentary, Social Commentary, Syrian Refugee Crisis, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Letter from the Vineyard 
Letter From New York 11 24 15 That attitude of gratitude…
Howard Bloom. New York City. Thanksgiving. Metrojet. Claverack. Howard Bloom Saves The Universe. Anne Frank. Jason Rezaian. Nancy Wiard. Penn Station. Chad Dougatz. Metrojet.
It is mid-afternoon and I am beginning this as I am closing in on New York City, on the train. I’m down this afternoon for Howard Bloom’s Podcast [Howard Bloom Saves the Universe, look it up on iTunes or howardbloom.libsyn.com/.
I have a breakfast in the morning and then I am scurrying back north for the long weekend. Trains were getting hard to get yesterday – every other one seems to be sold out.
Depending on when I get finished with breakfast, I may take an earlier train. I’m eager to be back at the cottage, priming for Thanksgiving. I have a few side dishes to make for the feast I am attending.
It’s cold today and it is going down to a mere 14 degrees tonight in Claverack. Yikes! I am wearing my winter jacket and have pulled out my favorite scarf.
But my hardships are minimal. I could be a refugee somewhere in Europe as the cold settles in on the Continent while, at the same time, finding themselves feared by the countries to which they have been fleeing.
Earlier today, in a Facebook posting, I saw that Anne Frank had applied to come to America but was denied. We weren’t very open to Jews before the war. If that visa had been granted we may have been denied her diary but she’d be 77 if she had lived.
That fact saddened me.
People are wrestling with what to do about refugees. Some of most liberal friends are now feeling fearful of accepting them. I have been seeing the postings on Facebook. There is great support for and there is great fear of refugees, both views understandable in the light of current events.
Jason Rezaian, a journalist for the Washington Post and who headed their Tehran bureau is headed for prison for an unspecified period of time. Holding both Iranian and US citizenship, he seemed a natural for the posting. The Iranians have convicted him of espionage.
He has languished in prison since July 2014.
Now, I am sitting just outside the studio while Howard is doing his podcast, discussing with Chad Dougatz, the host, the roots of Islamic terrorism.
Terrorism, the bane of our time… Just moments ago, my phone buzzed with a notice that the US has issued a global travel alert due to increased threats of terrorism.
My friend, Nancy Wiard, is traveling to the European Christmas markets. She sent me a message today from Amsterdam, which is close to Belgium whose major city, Brussels, home for the European Union, is under lockdown.
Multiple operations are underway in Brussels as I type.
It is believed that the bomb that took down the Russian Metrojet was placed under the seat of a fifteen year old girl, seat 31A.
I didn’t get to finish last night. Today is a beautiful, slightly chill, afternoon on the train heading north. I’m seated on the river side of the car and I’m watching the Hudson slide by as I move north.
As I headed toward the train this morning, Penn, not unexpectedly was overflowing with people heading out for Thanksgiving. It, too, had more than its usual contingent of police and soldiers. In the fourteen plus years since 9/11, I have yet to accept their presence as the new normal.
But, it is, and during Thanksgiving the city is on a higher alert level. More police, more soldiers, more…
Yes, the world is a grim place. The Turks have shot down a Russian warplane which kept, according to them, violating its airspace. Let’s just ratchet up the tensions, why don’t we…
However, I also read an article in the NY Times this morning about the positive health affects of being grateful, so I am attempting to settle myself into my “attitude of gratitude” mode. It will be a healthier place for me.
It is two days from Thanksgiving and tomorrow I will be prepping my contributions to our annual feast of gratitude and I will do my best to remember all the many things for which I am grateful.
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Like this:
Related
Tags: Anne Frank, Attitude of Gratitude, Howard Bloom, Howard Bloom Saves the Universe, IS, Mat Tombers, Mathew Tombers, Syria, Thanksgiving
This entry was posted on November 24, 2015 at 6:36 pm and is filed under 9/11, Airstrikes, Columbia County, European Refugee Crisis, Iran, Mat Tombers, Mathew Tombers, Mideast, Paris Attacks, Political Commentary, Social Commentary, Syrian Refugee Crisis, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.