Domestic tranquility

St. Augustine

2012-01-10T19:31:00.009-06:00

A quick break to the sunny south -- and it was indeed sunny. Glorious weather, amazing beaches (especially for January), and finally an understanding of why people like Florida. It's not just a swamp.

We stayed in Atlantic Beach, near Jacksonville, at a funky little hotel, the Palms Retro. Each room has a theme, with murals, music and books that match. We stayed in the Beach room, with a mural of a Woody beach wagon -- ever wonder why old timers call station wagons beach wagons? That's why. Accommodating managers who stayed up late to let us check in past the usual 7 PM checkin deadline. However, the nicest part was the lovely courtyard, with fountain, tables and umbrellas and hibiscus in bloom. Take that, Minnesota!

Off the next day to St. Augustine, which touts itself as the oldest city in America -- that is, if you leave out the southwest Pueblos and other city-building Indians. Anyway, St. Augustine was an interesting place, trying hard to market its historical significance. Lots of schlock -- Gator Bob's, people dressed up as Spaniards, and too many venues with "olde" in the title. However, the story of St. Augustine should not be dismissed. Burned to the ground by the Brits in the 1790s, the city has little left of its Spanish origins except a remarkable fort and a few houses.

Equally interesting is the role of Henry Flagler, the Standard Oil magnate, who built several St. Augustine hotels in the late 19th century so that his friends could join him for the winter season. The hotels have been converted to other uses; one has a new life as a dormitory at Flagler College. These are not your usual student lodgings.

Cedar Street, a block from the college, is home to several bed and breakfast establishments that were all lit up through January and that looked very festive. We stayed at Journey's End, a B & B run by Tim and John, with devoted assistance from Raleigh, their dog. They are friendly and helpful hosts, providing not only excellent served breakfasts but snacks, drinks and useful recommendations for restaurants and sightseeing.

And the beaches around St. Augustine are pretty special.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T11:31:00.003-06:00

Kind of a somber Turkey Day in some ways, but nice meal with boys and a couple of friends here in the city of lakes. But there are so many people suffering, and the yahoos get all the press and attention in their efforts to promote the "I got mine, you get yours" motif. Makes it hard to gloat over abundance.

And the narrative never changes -- a 19th century painting by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris (1863-1930) shows the begging Indians taking bounty from the well-dressed colonists, when, in reality, it was quite the other way around.

Who Knew? Ramsey County Courthouse

2011-07-16T12:51:00.013-05:00

Sometimes the most mundane transactions have a wonderful, and unanticipated, benefit. For example, yesterday afternoon, in an effort to avoid a $200 fine for failing to show proof of insurance, OLGS and I drove to the Ramsey County court building in downtown St. Paul. Everything augered in my favor: there was on street parking right across from the entrance; the security guard didn't yell at me when I forgot to remove my cell phone from my purse; and there was no line in the traffic violations bureau.

All good. But the most amazing benefit was the building itself. This Art Deco treasure was built in 1932, during the depths of the great depression. It is full of marble, granite, onyx, dozens of different types of wood and stone, bronze, parquet and gold leaf. Although the exterior is not as jazzy, it contains several reliefs depicting workers going about their business -- police officers, mail men, and a newspaper boy, among others. This focus on labor would never fly in the Minnesota of 2011. But then, we would never build a civic monument so exuberant, either.

What a wonderful discovery. And I got out of the fine, too.

Hacked!

2011-07-10T18:46:00.003-05:00

Here at Domestic Tranquility we're feeling a bit out of things. My email was hacked, releasing a flood of Viagra-related messages on unwitting friends, relations and strangers whose presence in my contacts list was long forgotten.

I am trying to regard this as a blessing in disguise. I will tighten up security, get a new email account, change all the services linked to the old email, etc., etc. I'm trying to avoid telling myself that I should have done this years ago. Beating yourself up does no good in this heat.

Touring Vicksburg National Military Park

2011-06-29T07:08:00.005-05:00

The Wisconsin teachers group had a full day at the Vicksburg National Military Park: the orientation video at 8:00 a.m.; demonstration of musketry and artillery fire (black powder but no live fire); tour of the Union and Confederate defenses, and many photo opportunities at the various Wisconsin regimental monuments. In some ways, the highlight of the day was an evening stroll through the park where a small group of teachers met some Vicksburgers on their walk. The dialogue went something like this:

V-burgers: "Good evening."
W-teachers: "Good evening."
V-burgers: "You're not from around here. Where are you from?"
W-teachers: "Wisconsin."
V-burgers: "Why did you come to Vicksburg."
W-teachers: "We're teachers, learning Civil War & Reconstruction history."
V-burgers: "Teachers? Wisconsin? Were you involved in that collective bargaining thing?"
W-teachers: "Yes."
V-burgers: "We're on your side. We're praying for you."
W-teachers: "Thank you."

Arrival in Vicksburg

2011-06-27T16:59:00.004-05:00

Partly Cloudy

97°/74°

The Wisconsin teachers group arrived in Memphis on time, indeed, ahead of time, ate breakfast at the "Arcade Restaurant" across from the Amtrak station, got our bus for Mississippi, and after a stop at the Smith-Robertson Museum of African-American history & culture in Jackson, we motored onto Vicksburg. The *Vicksburg Daily News* says the temperature is 97 degrees F, which I do believe. Time for a quick dip in the motel pool, and then off to a catfish & hush-puppies dinner catered by "Rowdy's Family Restaurant" and an evening lecture at the Vicksburg National Military Park by one of the National Park Service historians. Stay cool and stay hydrated !

--OLGS, guest blogger

Peter Lorre, Hungarian Actor

2011-06-26T19:57:00.004-05:00

Want a somewhat obscure movie that is actually pretty good? Try Rope of Sand, made in 1949, starring Burt Lancaster, Paul Henried, Claude Rains and Peter Lorre. Lorre, born Laszlo Lowenstein in a part of Slovakia that was in Hungary when he was born, specialized in playing sleazy or villianous characters whose moral weaknesses usually put a spanner in the works for the hero. However in Rope of Sand, his role is more that of a narrator or chorus, but still with his trademark Hungarian-German accent.

Guest Blogging a trip to the "Gibraltar of the West"

2011-06-26T17:35:00.005-05:00

Hello, readers of Domestic Tranquility. With the permission of DomTran herself, I am guest-blogging this week as I accompany a group of elementary, middle, and high school teachers from Wisconsin to Vicksburg, Mississippi. I'm writing this afternoon from Union Station, Chicago, where the group and I await the departure of Amtrak's overnight "City of New Orleans." Our plan is to arrive in Memphis tomorrow morning, find our chartered motor coach and head for Jackson, then Vicksburg. During the Civil War, the Confederate fortress at Vicksburg denied control of the Mississippi to the US. It was nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the West" in 1862-63, in part reflecting its strategic importance and in part reflecting its forbidding heights. The accompanying photo (taken in 1905) is of a place in the Vicksburg defenses called "Stockade Redan" where on May 22, 1863, the 8th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry was ordered to charge and take the Confederate strongpoint. Too bad for the Union that it couldn't be taken. General Sherman's army corps, of which the 8th Wisconsin was a part, suffered 3,200 killed and wounded trying to take Stockade Redan. After the failure of the final charge of the 8th and its brother regiments, Sherman called a halt to further attacks, saying that trying to take the position was "murder." Instead, his superior, General Grant, settled in for a siege of the Confederate army and the city it guarded. In his disappointment and rage, Sherman called for the US Navy gunboats to "rain down shells by the thousand on the city." Twenty-two thousand shells later, on July 4th, the Confederates surrendered. And tomorrow, the teachers of Wisconsin visit the site.
--OLGS, guest blogger

Attack on Labor in Wisconsin

2011-04-09T12:07:00.004-05:00

Here at Domestic Tranquility we are depressed. We live in a bubble, where everyone more or less agrees with us. However, there are clearly lots of folks who are eaten up with envy and hate and use that to hurt those who are not like them. They even live in Wisconsin, home of Progressivism and LaFollette. They see teachers, nurses, state bureaucrats and others as unfairly profiting from the largesse of the taxpayers, when the benefits that state workers receive should be the benefits everyone receives. And despite the propaganda that would have you believe that state workers are paid more than employees in the private sector, public employees overall make less than those who work for corporations.

So the labor-haters side with the fat cats who just got a big tax cut in return for supporting Governor Walker, even though this is not in their best interests.

The Republicans are masterful at framing issues so that ordinary working people side with the rich and powerful. Why can't the Dems do this?

And, of course, when they are laid off because of the trickle-down effect of the massive budget cutting that is occurring everywhere, they may have a different tune. But then it will be too late.

On Wisconsin

2011-02-26T11:22:00.007-06:00

OLGS has gone back to Madison to be part of the state employees protest. The whole thing is so sad and bitter, especially for him. He was -- I can't say that he is now -- so proud to be part of the University of Wisconsin system. Just a few tidbits:

1. His family is tied very tightly to the university. His father, sister, aunt, uncle, brothers-in-law, countless cousins and asssorted in-laws are all graduates of the UW. Some have been major supporters and boosters over the years.

2. He was named Teacher of the Year for the entire university system, an honor that goes to only one faculty member each year, becuase of his devotion to students and his creativity in teaching them.

3. He is (or was) a firm believer in what was known as the Wisconsin Idea -- the notion that the university served the state, and vice versa. He even had his students do projects of specific use to various state departments and had them make presentations in the Capitol about their work.

4. He is perfectly willing (I do not agree with him -- truth in advertising) to sacrifice his pay and benefits in the service of the greater good during a temporary crisis. I disagree because I feel that Gov. Walker has manufactured the crisis to get his way and that having faculty members pay more for health care and pension is simply a drop in the bucket, and a ploy by the gov. to mask his real intention -- gutting the public employee unions.

What OLGS is not willing to do is give up his collective bargaining rights -- rights that were hard won and late in coming but that are a staple of the Wisconsin tradition. But the gov. and his henchpersons wouldn't understand that.

What is gratifying to OLGS and many thousands of his fellow Wisconsin employees is the support they have received. Messages of solidarity have come from other states and countries as well as from students, police officers, neighbors and even Republicans. What touched OLGS the most was a sign held by a student at UW-Eau Claire: We Love Our Professors. In nearly 30 years of teaching, OLGS had never heard this.

Beat the yahoos. Show your support. Go to Madison.

Attack on Domestic Tranquility

2011-02-12T12:59:00.009-06:00

The peace at our little household, sliding downhill to a genteel retirement surrounded by aging cats, rambunctious flower beds and traffic noise from I-94, has been shattered. The governor of the state of Wisconsin, Scott Walker, has declared war on state employees (of whom OLGS is one among more than 45,000). Not only is he going to require state employees to pay the full amount allowed (but up to now, not required) by law for pension and health care, but he is banging the drum for privatizing their pensions. And he is railroading this through next week, giving those affected little time to respond and the majority Republicans in the state assembly little time to think (if they do, which I doubt).

In addition to affecting professors and public defenders, who seldom vote Republican, the new approach will also affect folks like prison guards, of whom Wisconsin has many and who do vote Republican. It also severely affects part-time employees who are on limited contracts; their access to health care will be eliminated as of March 1. The LTE in OLGS's department makes $13 per hour, has four children and an unemployed spouse. What will happen to them? Where are the governor's anticipated savings if this family goes on welfare and uses Medicaid?

This is grandstanding of the worst type. I secretly expect that the gov simply wants to make a name for himself, a la Sarah and Michelle. Even if he's not successful -- and he probably will be -- he will have marked out his territory as the driver of a tank rolling to crush the greedy state employees and their unions. George Bush was also very good at this, drawing a line in the sand to make his point and then moving on to something else.

This travesty even made the New York Times, which is ever alert to possible train wrecks. And you gotta love the gov's assertion that he is prepared to call in the National Guard to fill in for state workers who decide to rally in Madison or go fishing. Think about your basic 19-year old Guardsman teaching OLGS's class on the prelude to the Civil War or a class on Romantic poetry. Of course, the gov would say that we shouldn't be providing such classes as state expense. He has an answer for everything.

That Hamilton Woman

2011-02-06T13:34:00.014-06:00

Vivien Leigh, playing the same role she played in Gone with the Wind and many other films -- bad girl with a cute smile and knowing eyes. Fiddle-dee-dee. Anyway, the movie, released in 1941, sets Scarlet -- sorry, Lady Hamilton -- against the backdrop of the Napoleonic wars. Really, however, it's about resistence to dictators, wherever they are, and the need to fight on, despite all odds. Unsurprisingly, this was one of Churchill's favorite movies.

The real Lady Hamilton, painted by George Romney

Vivien and real life husband Laurence Olivier smoke up the screen in retelling the adulterous affair between Lady Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson, the admiral who finally beat Napoleon's navy at Trafalgar. This film followed Korda's Thief of Bagdhad and was filmed on a limited budget. It did not, however, prevent Vivien from wearing amazing dresses.

Vivien Leigh as Lady Hamilton

OLGS returns

2011-02-06T12:15:00.020-06:00

OLGS has returned from two weeks in Hungary and Romania. He thinks this is the last subsidized trip, given that the governor of Wisconsin is now on the warpath against state employees, who will be giving up somehwere between 5-10% of their pay -- permanently. For that reason, OLGS is a Pittsburgh fan.

If the bleak beauty of a real Transylvanian village attracts you, be warned: they have no snowplows.

Is it business or is it class? You decide.

2011-01-16T21:52:00.005-06:00

Another trip to central Massachusetts, this time via Air Tran. Very convenient at both airports, with the departing flight leaving MSP from the Humphrey Terminal (I refuse to call it Terminal 2, which is its new official name). Once at Logan, a short walk to the gate at the United terminal, where you can get a surprisingly good slice of pizza. And the stop in Milwaukee is easy off, easy on.

Because I was feeling sorry for myself, I upgraded to business class on the return flight. Don't bother, unless you really want the larger seat. On the Boston leg, they handed out free drinks and instead of just peanuts, passengers received a choice of chips, peanuts, or pretzels. On the MIL to MSP leg, there was nothing except the free drinks. I was hoping for at least rubber chicken.

South Pacific

2010-12-19T11:30:00.011-06:00

Did you know that the 1958 musical, South Pacific, starred a Hungarian-American? Mitzi Gaynor is allegedly of Hungarian descent, and has referred to herself as a "Hungarian Virgo". Her performance in the film made her an icon, and to this day she appears in events celebrating the film.

There are some great songs in the film. But what is really interesting is the race-relations sermon that is part of the story. Stationed on a South Pacific island as a nurse during WWII, Mitzi falls in love with a French resident of the island. However, Mitzi's Arkansas upbringing makes her reject him when she learns that he was previously married to a Polynesian woman and has two children by her--children that Mitzi cannot accept. And Mitzi's difficulty is not that Frenchy had another woman (who died, of course), but that Mom and the children are "colored". However, as is inevitable in musicals, Mitzi comes to her senses and love triumphs over prejudice.

The filmmakers did not do all their homework, however. The group of Sea Bees who make up the chorus of the musical includes a black sailor. The film was made after Harry Truman integrated the Armed Services in 1948. However, it is supposed to be about WWII, when there were no integrated units. So having a black sailor is incongruous. However, given the theme of the story, it's probably OK -- if integration is good enough for the Navy, it should be good enough for the girl from Arkansas.

Snow-- the morning after

2010-12-12T08:24:00.004-06:00

Update from the kitchen window: 17 inches fell at MSP before stopping last evening. Snow removal guys came to plow us out last night with a very loud snow blower. Sound is magnified at 3 AM, which is when they showed up. They abandoned ship, and snow blower about 30 minutes later, leaving us with a partially plowed driveway.

OLGS is out trying to make do with our much lighter snow blower, although he's leaving the driveway in the hope that the snow guys will return with heavier equipment. He's just going to do the sidewalk. Always the good neighbor.

This is the biggest snowstorm we've had since moving to our Mpls. house. Makes me feel like a real Minnesotan.

Too cold to snow?

2010-12-11T08:40:00.013-06:00

View from the kitchen window
When people from New England, where they get lots of snow, ask me how I like the snow in Minnesota, I always tell them that it's too cold and dry to snow much. The difference between here and there is that when it does snow, the snow remains on the ground until April. In contrast, the 10 inch snows that regularly occur in Massachusetts disappear within a week or two.

My tune has changed. Right now it's snowing again, and we are on track to have the snowiest December in many years. The Twin Cities are shut down in expectation of 12 inches or more. It's blowing and drifting, as they say on the road conditions report. This is probably snow scam -- weather people are never happier than when a disaster is looming. But there are five inches on the ground at 9 AM with no sign of stopping anytime soon.

What's going on? Looks like global warming to me. It is now warm enough to snow, and snow hard. Kinda exciting, and reminds me of my childhood in snowy Central Mass.

Who ever thought there would be an upside to climate change?

F.I.S.T.

2010-11-28T10:17:00.007-06:00

Want an obscure Sly Stallone movie? Try F.I.S.T., starring Rocky as a thinly disguised Jimmy Hoffa, who, in this movie, is a Hungarian-American, or hunky, named Johnny Kovak. This is a legit entry into the Hungarian movie pantheon because it was written by Joe Eszterhas, a Hungarian immigrant and Cleveland reporter who went on to write the screenplays for more famous films, such as Basic Instinct.

The reason we watched this otherwise forgettable movie was the presence in the cast -- and credited, too -- of Rev. Alphonse Skerl, pastor of Holy Trinity Roman Catholic (Hungarian) church in East Chicago, Indiana. OLGS has met Father Skerl, who was very helpful when OLGS visited the parish in search of records for his current project studying Hungarian immigrants to the U.S.

Father Skerl appears in F.I.S.T. (Federation of Interstate Truckers) at least three times as the family priest. However, the time period of the movie being primarily pre-Vatican II, the good father speaks Latin rather than Hungarian during Mass. OLGS reports that Father Skerl still speaks Hungarian, despite his being in the U.S. since 1956.

People watch movies for the strangest reasons.

Thief of Bagdhad

2010-11-26T12:37:00.013-06:00

A deviation from the plan of watching the films of Pressburger-Powell, the Archers. The Thief of Bagdhad, released in 1940, was produced by Alexander Korda, who left what is now Hungary in 1919. After working in the film industry in Vienna, Berlin and Hollywood, he began producing movies in England. His first, The Private Life of Henry VIII, was a big hit and has been credited with turning the moribund British film industry around.

The designers of the 1992 Disney film Aladdin watched the Thief of Bagdhad very carefully. The thief is cute and cunning, the Princess'father is a fat, dithering fool who nevertheless loves his daughter deeply, and Jaffar has very long fingers. The genie is not as benign as Robin Williams, and the Prince and the thief are two different characters, but both differences seem inconsequential. Chases through the market, playing hide and seek with the guards and stealing food were shamelessly copied by the 1992 version, and a good thing, too. They are funny.

Hungarian Exodus to Hollywood

2010-11-21T14:47:00.017-06:00

Now that winter, more specifically ice and snow, are settling in, it's time to devise a way to amuse myself but still feel productive. Those Puritan genes are coming to the surface.

Emeric Pressburger

So, to support OLGS in his ongoing efforts to master all things Hungarian, I have resolved to watch films involving Hungarian emigres in Hollywood. The list is vast, with a seemingly endless supply of directors, screenwriters, producers, actors, musicians and others becoming part of the US film scene from the silent film era to post-1956. And the US was not the only landing spot for Hungarians who turned out to have remarkable talent for all aspects of film-making; many of them headed for England, adding to the richness of British movies.

I am starting my odyssey with the films of Emeric Pressburger, who on his own and with Michael Powell wrote, directed and produced movies in England from the 1930s to the 1960s in England. Probably the most famous result of the Powell-Pressburger collaboration was the 1948 film, The Red Shoes, based on the tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

A lot has been written about The Red Shoes, which was recently restored and re-released by the Criterion Collection. I'm not equipped to judge it as a ballet movie, but it had its charms, nevertheless. A couple of interesting things to watch: the behavior and recreation of the corps de ballet, the set designers and others foreshadows later beatniks. Lots of late night drinking and partying, something that I didn't think dancers did much of, not that I know many dancers, but...

The other thing is the color. Everything has a sunset glow, and the colors are intense. Really intense. OLGS noted that perhaps they hadn't quite gotten technicolor right. Or it could be the remastering. For whatever reason, it's kind of hard on the eyes, although the dancing is nice. Credit Moira Shearer for that.

Snow!

2010-11-13T15:48:00.005-06:00

First snow of the season. Wet, heavy, heart-attack snow. Tree-damaging snow. Hazardous to electrical wires snow. Snow-emergency snow. Snow that requires the first use of our newly hired plowing service ("I don't start plowing until the snow stops." Makes sense, but what if there are twelve inches?) Snow that is so close to water it will all turn to ice once it melts, rendering me a shut-in until March. Cookie-baking snow. Stay in and watch movies snow. Soup making snow. Snow that keeps the cat Mitzi inside for the rest of the winter. Snow that brought Joe College Grad home in search of "boots" (a pair of suede Nike skater shoes -- "They're great, Mom. I've used them for two winters, and they don't smell when they get wet.")

It's beautiful.

Remembrance of Things Past

2010-11-04T19:04:00.004-05:00

Although the arrival was not timed, I appreciated the appearance of the Kramer movie, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World with an amzing cast. Classic 60s caper comedy, with:

Spencer Tracy
Milton Berle
Sid Caesar
Edie Adams
Ethel Merman
Jonathan Winters
Mickey Rooney
Buddy Hackett
Phil Silvers
Dorothy Provine
Dick Shawn
Terry-Thomas

And this is just the main cast. The secondary players include the likes of Don Knotts, Jimmy Durante and Jim Backus.

The reason I was so glad it showed up now -- having been languishing in the Netflix queue for years, it seems, is that this is one of the movies my dad took me to see. This, along with "The Shaggy Dog", are iconic events in my childhood.

Be careful what you take to your kids to see. They may manufacture a memory out of it 50 years later.

Funeral planning

2010-10-24T12:02:00.004-05:00

What do you do after a death in the family? There are so many details to attend to. Some family members care about the details, others do not. But the details have to be attended to by someone.

You can leave much of this in the hands of the funeral director, who will, for a price, take care of almost everything. The professionals will find a minister, let you use their facilities, provide refreshments, etc., etc. They will not, at least in Massachusetts, sell you a marker, as per state law. Instead, they will refer you to a favored place. I assume they get a kickback, but someone has to do it.

We were referred to Empire Granite, serving Worcester since 1896. And the facilities had not been changed since then. However, the salesperson (did I mention that it is definitely a family business?) quickly figured out that we did not want two granite hearts or entwined flowers and pointed us at something that everyone could agree on. Folks in his business have to be good at reading people, and he was.

But, as with everything, a visit to a new kind of salesroom is also a lesson. For example, did you know why joint headstones have the other spouse's name and birth date already engraved? It always seemed tacky to me. However, if you don't do this, you will probably have to take the marker down when the next person dies, and in the case of Empire Granite, send it back to Vermont where the work is actually done. Most folks, including me, don't want this additional expense. Hence the premature listing of the other spouse. Apparently just entering the death year is something that can be done without removing the stone entirely. And now you know.

Another thing that someone has to do is plan the memorial service. What hymns, if the dear departed liked to sing hymns, which was true of my father? I can't stand Fairest Lord Jesus, which he apparently liked -- who knew? So my mother and I compromised on some other warhorses that we both liked.

And then the readings and speakers. That was easier. A few Psalms (although they had to be from the King James -- find a Unitarian minister who can do that!), something my dad had written, some reminiscences from a former colleague -- and we were done. Then off to the social hour, pie and ice cream, my dad's two favorite foods.

Still in the hopper -- find a few musicians to lend gravitas to the occasion. We have a piano player -- no organ, which is too bad. Gotta get the program printed. Hope that someone sends flowers, even thought the obit says no flowers! Need to arrange some photos, especially the cute ones from the 20s and 30s for folks to look at while they are eating pie. I'm sure there are other things to do, but if we don't, the event will still happen.

I'm thinking of writing up my insights into funeral planning. Oops--guess I've already done that. The big lesson in all this is that you have lots of different people to please. In this case, my mother, my brother, my uncle (who is performing the role of master of ceremonies at the memorial service) and I had to agree. So far it's worked out fine but there is still time for something unresolvable to arise. We'll see.

End of an Era

2010-10-18T23:30:00.004-05:00

My dad died on October 15. It was a remarkable journey in some ways, but a frustrating one in many others, especially for my mother, who took care of him long after he was unable to care for himself. My brother and I have so many conflicting thoughts about this: how does one measure quality of life? What constitutes heroic measures? When is enough enough? Why does Medicare pay for hospice and not a nursing home?

However, there is nothing we can do to answer these questions right now. Time to plan a memorial service. Talked my mother out of a sappy hymn, replaced it with some old warhorses with strong chords and less sectarian lyrics. At this stage, little things mean a lot.

We're back

2010-08-21T19:31:00.008-05:00

Domestic Tranquility is back online. So many challenging, enjoyable and stressful events of the past few months, it's hard to know where to begin. Middle age is not for sissies -- actually, when one qualifies for membership in AARP, is middle age the right term?

The short list:

Many, many trips to Boston and Worcester to visit the folks. Logan Airport is still under construction. Dad is quite demented, with a 24/7 caregiver. Mom has been soldiering on, but broke her hip a month ago and has been in and out of hospital and nursing home

Middle son graduated from the University of Minnesota with a major in History and a minor in Environmental Studies. OLGS and I are very proud of him.

Chinese exchange student Kevin graduated from St. Paul Prep and returned to Shanghai. We hope he comes back -- we haven't heard whether he will be going to St. Thomas University in St. Paul.

OLGS and I made our annual pilgrimage to Washington County, Maine. Still desolate, poor and without cell phone towers. Big secret: go to the IGA parking lot in Eastport and you might get lucky. It worked for us. We stayed in three very different places: Micmac Farm, a B & B in Machiasport that was the house built by my great, great, great grandfather in 1786 (he lived a long time and had many children); a room over a tavern in Lubec, Cohill's Inn; and a B & B in a beautiful Victorian house filled with antiques -- Kilby House in Eastport. All nice, and each one was different. We braved the new ICE passport regulations and drove into Canada to visit the summer home of FDR on Campobello. Apparently we were not the first folks to do this -- the customs officials had a pre-printed flyer for people without required identification trying to enter the US. Another big secret-- they can't keep you out.

Then to the beautiful country wedding of my nephew. Great food, amazing cakes baked by the bride, and the groom and his entourage wore kilts. There was a bagpiper. Fortunately, it wasn't too hot -- the piper was in full regalia. College friends of the groom camped out in tents by the river, a settlement quickly termed Hooverville by my sister in law. After the ceremony was over, the food eaten and the band gone, the young people hung out on the riverbank. Us oldsters didn't really want to know what was going on.

New York, New York

2010-02-01T22:08:00.012-06:00

We've been back for a couple of weeks, but there is still a slight glow left over from our recent trip to NYC. Here's the executive summary:

Journeyed via Midwest Airlines to LGA. OLGS got us in a gypsy cab that quickly took us to our hotel in lower Manhattan, with a view of Ground Zero and the New Jersey skyline.

Then off to Avery Fisher Hall to hear the New York Philharmonic, surrounded by lots of the matinee set -- elderly ladies in fur coats, a few dragging long-suffering husbands behind them.

Stroll to Cafe Luxemburg on W. 70th Street. A nice bistro; the cool bit was that the wait staff, all uniformly young and beautiful, were getting instructions about the menu for the dinner hour. I wonder how much of that they actually remember. Then back downtown.

Saturday AM, off to the Whitney Museum to meet OLGS's cousin Blanche and her husband and son for brunch. I had the blintzes, to which husband Charles, who is 18 years my senior and a doctor, said, "You must be on Lipitor. No way you could eat that stuff without it." I mumbled something about good genes and continued stuffing my face.

Took the bus uptown to Columbia, across 110th street, to visit the statue of great Hungarian Louis Kossuth on Riverside Drive. Took pictures of OLGS standing in front Tom's Restaurant, famous among Columbia students long before it became a fixture in Seinfeld.

Then cab to the Ethel Barrymore theater to see new play by David Mamet, "Race". Theater packed, play OK but a little forced. Audience tittered at slightly funny bits to relieve tension caused by talking about uncomfortable subjects.

Then strolled around Times Square, visited a deli, primarily for a bathroom stop but also for cheesecake, then hopped a bus downtown. This is the way to see New York if you don't walk. Bus crawled down Broadway, past innumerable shops with trendy clothing, interior decorating boutiques, bookstores, etc. Who buys all this stuff?

By the time we got to Fulton, it was dark. We hopped off the bus, briefly stopped in our hotel room, and then cabbed to Chelsea to visit some friends. Nice dinner in a restaurant featuring local food. We were by far the oldest people there.

Sunday--Church at Trinity Church -- Washington slept here... Sermon had something to do with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and how he would be appalled by life in 2010. At least that's what I think it was about. Then brunch at another bistro. When we came out, it was pouring. We cabbed up to a movie theater, the Angelika, where we saw a film about the last year of Tolstoy's life with the incomparable Helen Mirren. You could hear the subway rumbling under the theater. I liked the movie, OLGS did not.

When we came out of the theater, it had stopped raining. Off to the Strand bookstore (18 MILES OF BOOKS). I bought a paperback to read on the plane, OLGS bought hundreds of dollars worth of books on Hungarian history and Hungarian emigration to the US. "It's all deductible," says he. Back to the hotel to get our bags, and then a cab to LGA. Pouring again. OLGS talked cab talk with the driver, who seemed to be pleased to have a former NYC cabbie in his backseat. Then onto Midwest Airlines, and thence home via Milwaukee.

And if I had several million dollars, I'd move there in a heartbeat.

Here is New York

2010-01-16T07:57:00.004-06:00

OLGS and I went to NYC to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary -- wow! I was insufferable at work on Thursday. "Sorry -- I can't make that meeting. I'm going to New York, you know." "Sorry -- can't take you home Friday night -- I'll be in New York." I couldn't help myself.

And here we are. Still the greatest city in the world.

New Year's Wish

2010-01-01T16:43:00.006-06:00

It is now cold in Minnesota, and the natives are walking around all puffed up -- and it's not just those down jackets. Rather, it's pride in their ability to endure. When reporters describe the panic visited upon Washington by two or three inches of snow, Minnesotans smile knowingly and suggest that if they were in charge of snow removal in our nation's capital -- and probably much else -- things would be at least different, if not better. And they may be right.

But we are too tolerant, if such as thing is possible. Terminally nice Minnesotans meet idiocy with shrugs of the shoulders or a muttered, "That's different". That may be as exercised as they get. So if someone seems like an OK guy, like Governor Pawlenty, or a great mom, like Representative Michelle Bachmann, we forgive their nutso ideas.

My wish for 2010: that Minnesotans rediscover their progressive roots and start recognizing the need to care for people they may not like, who may be unworthy and who may even cost them a little money. These are small prices to pay for rediscovering their once celebrated dedication to the common good. That's a nutso idea I can support.

Happy New Year.

Waiting

2009-12-20T09:18:00.006-06:00

Christmas is the season of anticipation, whatever your persuasion. You could be cranky, like Garrison Keillor, railing against Unitarians and Jews as killers of Christmas, but still looking forward to singing the old carols. You could be beside yourself with anticipation, like a six year old who still clings to Santa Claus as the bringer of all good things. You could be old and disinclined to celebrate, but awaiting a visit from your son and his wonderful wife on Christmas Day. You could be a secular Jew who looks forward to the eggnog and fireplace and celebratory atmosphere. You could be a homeless person who hopes to find a good meal for a change at the Union Gospel Mission.

Or you could be me, waiting for Joe College to return safely from India so that we can all decorate the tree, fight about the distribution of the ornaments, and fulfill the old family tradition of going to the movies on Christmas day. Can't wait.

Pie pumpkin

2009-10-24T14:10:00.010-05:00

OLGS and I share a membership in a CSA farm. We get a huge bag of veggies every week. The last couple of deliveries have included small pumpkins. Last year I used all the pumpkins for decoration, including the one labeled "pie pumpkin". This year, because Kevin, our Chinese students, said he loves pumpkin pie (and I don't think my cooking always hits the mark, although he is too polite to say so), I resolved to use the pie pumpkin.

A revelation--it's not that hard. Just cut the pumpkin up, take out the guts, and steam it for a while. Then peel off the shell. It is sweet, rich and flavorful and tastes nothing like an insipid butternut squash or something else along those lines. I can see why it's called pie pumpkin.

Never again will I use a pie pumpkin for a jack o lantern. Sometimes you just have to learn from your mistakes.

And then we can have pie for breakfast.

Fall update at domtran

2009-10-10T10:27:00.014-05:00

So many things going on, and I save them up for publication on Domtran rather than posting them as they occur on Facebook, like many of my pals. I guess I'm old fashioned.

Anyway, here are the current matters that contribute to domestic tranquility here in the city of lakes (aka Mineapolis):

-Joe College is having a great time in India. See photo.
-Household cats hate each other. See Mitzi's Journal.
-Love being back at Findlaw. Former colleagues think I'm nuts.
-Chinese student, Kevin, scored high on his TOEFL test. Today: SATs. He wants to go to NYU. When asked why, he responded, "I can't get into Columbia." Of course, I couldn't get in now, either. Weren't the 70s wonderful?
-Ceramic tile installed in kitchen. Looks gorgeous. Now we'll have to fix everything else to match.
-The First Snow. Looks lovely. However, one has to wonder why anyone lives here.
-Gophers playing down the street. Parking now impossible on our street on game days. Much anguish and chit-chat on the neighborhood listserv. And we can hear the play-by-play even with the windows closed, so no need to shell out $100 for a ticket.

Family resemblance

2009-09-24T20:58:00.003-05:00

OLGS's cousin Herb came to visit. Herb has the energy of a man half his age, and he's 74 next birthday. He was full of sage advice about academic careers, law school admissions and much more. He knows everyone in the academy and has great stories.

He doesn't look much like OLGS--after all, they are only second cousins. Herb is short and voluble and has a thick head of white hair. OLGS, in contrast is way over 6 feet and quiet and has almost no hair. But as they sat at the kitchen table plotting career moves, there was a fleeting moment when they looked like brothers. Funny how that works.

Back to school

2009-09-06T11:17:00.004-05:00

It's that time again. No more vacation, no more lounging around on the patio, no more lying in bed until hunger calls. It's back to school. Even for those of us not on the academic calendar, this seems like the time for change. So I up and quit my job at Globe University and am heading back to the lawyers at Findlaw. Many reasons to do this, but the most important one: it's a better fit for me. The cynicism and manipulation of the law match my personality better than the earnestness of Globe. I feel like I've been sitting on my hands, or in this case biting my tongue, for many months. Let's see how long I last this time.

I feel incredibly fortunate that I have a choice and can afford to indulge myself. Few people in this economy get that opportunity. In other news, Joe College grad went back to teaching first grade, this time in Minneapolis, Joe College starts school in India, and Joe High School Grad starts his career as a gopher at the U of M. And OLGS begins his 27th year of teaching undergraduates. I feel like the odd person out--the only person in the family not seeking or providing mental and spiritual improvement. Oh, well. Someone around here has to work.

From "Kek Duna" to "Father of the Waters"

2009-08-24T18:07:00.009-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

DomTran and I are safely returned to Minnesota after a long day's travel. I am proud to say that I managed, in Hungarian, to convince our taxi driver that he had taken us to the wrong airport and that he had to take us to the correct one if we wished to make our flight to Amsterdam and there make connections to Minneapolis. The mystery was why the hotel staff at the very elegant "Lanchid19" hotel told the driver the wrong airport, "Ferihegy 1."

DomTran was dubious about my insistence that the driver had made a mistake, but felt a bit relieved when we left the pre-war Ferihegy 1 (pictured above) and saw the new jetport at the second one, Ferihegy 2, pictured below.

In one day, we left the "Kek Duna" (Blue Danube) for what President Lincoln called "the Father of the Waters" when referring to the Mississippi River. We are glad to be home after a memorable vacation.

Budapest sightseeing

2009-08-22T01:59:00.003-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

We are staying at the Lanchid Hotel, right next to the Chain Bridge across the Danube,and center stage for the Thursday night fireworks celebrating St. Istvan Day. The fireworks were sensational and the crowd or a million people or more on both the Buda and Pest sides of the river were appreciative.

Yesterday (Friday), Domtran and I did a tour of the city and had a leisurely dinner at a Buda sidewalk cafe. Today we plan to visit more sites, before returning to the U.S. tomorrow (Sunday the 23rd).

Bratislava...Adventures at the Hotel Kjyiev

2009-08-20T12:12:00.005-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

DomTran and I left Vienna Sudbahnhof on the 14:28 for Bratislava. We arrived right on time less than hour later. The trip reminded us of the commuter train from South Station Boston to Worcester, but a little shorter in distance and duration. We took a taxi to our hotel, the "Kiev," which I booked for us on the Internet. DomTran and I knew that the hotel was an old, unrefurbished 1970s communist hotel; we had also read quite a few reviews, most of which noted the shabby carpets and fixtures, but some praising the good breakfast, included with the room.

The "Kiev" is old-fashioned in giving guests a key rather than a card for locking and unlocking the door. The key (shown against the doorlock) weighs about a pound or two and it makes sense to deposit it at the front desk when out and about. Our main critique of the "Kiev" is that only one of the two ancient elevators was in service and as we stayed on a high floor (# 14), we had some lengthy waits. The view, shown at the top, is quite lovely of a European capital that relatively few Americans visit.

By the way, DomTran took care that we always knew the whereabouts of the key. Guests at the "Kiev" are warned of the many possible fines that await them for abuse of property at the hotel. A lost key costs 50 Euros. We were also careful not to vomit in the bathroom, bedroom, or indeed anywhere in the hotel because of the steep fine schedule (see below).

DomTran and I are in Budapest tonight for the Hungarian National Day celebrating St. Istvan and the establishment of the old Hungarian kingdom in the Carpathian basin. We had quite a full afternoon, but must leave now for the Danube-side fireworks. Details tomorrow.

Nein Bruno; more Jugendstihl; from True Maria to Red Vienna

2009-08-19T02:44:00.007-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

Well, we did not make it to the late show of "Bruno" the other night. But yesterday (Tuesday) morning, we did set out for the Secession building and saw the 1902 Klimt frieze honoring Beethoven's 9th Symphony. Here's how the *Guardian* arts reporter described it when it was on tour in Liverpool last year. We also liked the sculpture of Marc Antony outside the Secession building, pictured above.

In the afternoon, we explored our neighborhood around the hotel and discovered the Maria Treu church from the mid-18th century.

It rivals KarlsKirche in Baroque gold-leaf and other features. Outside the church is one of the many "plague columns" as a thanksgiving to mark the end of an epidemic, this one the deadly 1713 outbreak. DomTran seems healthy aside the plague column.

Finally, in the evening, we went off to explore one of the "Red Vienna" neighborhoods, built by the Social Democrats in the 1920s. Here is a photo of your correspondent at EngelsPlatz.

This afternoon, we leave Austria for Slovakia. Bratislava is only 35 miles away, where we will post later tonight or tomorrow.

A visit to the Leopold Museum

2009-08-17T12:20:00.011-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

It is hot in Vienna today. DomTran and I spent as much of the day as possible out of the heat in the air-conditioned galleries of the Leopold Museum, located in the Museum Quarter, near the old Hofburg Palace grounds. I mistakenly thought the museum was named for some Leopold Hapsburg king or prince or other, but instead, it is named for a Dr. Leopold, a Vienna eye-doctor who collected 20th century Austrian Art. The permanent collection is especially strong in the work of the impressionist painter Egon Schiele. His works in his early 20s, between 1910 and 1914, included a number of haunting self-portraits, including the one above. He died of the Spanish flu in 1918, just a few days after his wife (and model) died of the same epidemic. His last act as an artist was to sketch a portait of his wife as she lay dying. His last act as a human being was to ask a photographer friend to take his portrait as he expired. That's it below, the artist dead at just age 28.

A more cheery traveling exhibit is some Jugendstihl works by the artist Josef Maria Auchentaller. He was Austrian-born but moved to Munich in the 1890s to join the "Jugend" magazine group. He returned to Vienna and joined the "Secession" group and helped edit their magazine. He and his wife took up another line of work, hotel-keeping, on the Adriatic coast after 1904 and the poster shown below literally promoted his family business. He and his wife Emma were chased out of Italy after that country and Austria-Hungary went to war in 1915, but after the peace, they returned to the Italian coast and resumed their hotel business until World War II. He died in his bed, unphotographed, at age 84.

Tonight, we plan to go see "Bruno" the film, thinking we might as well see it for its Vienna scenes and listen for how the locals react. Details tomorrow.

Sight-seeing in Vienna

2009-08-17T01:12:00.006-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

DomTran and I did a thorough bus tour of Vienna yesterday. Actually, we did three bus tours for one price: the first was of the 19th century Ringstrasse, the second of the Prater (think *Third Man*--Ferris Wheel scene) and the Danube; and the last tour was of the Hapsburg summer palace, Schonbrunn. We also strolled from the Opera to St. Stephan's Platz and had tortes and iced drinks at "Cafe Mozart" near the Opera. That's DomTran pondering the many choices on the summer menu at "Cafe Mozart." Very appropriate for a hot day in Vienna.

Mozart Requiem at Karlskirche

2009-08-16T01:11:00.004-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

DomTran arrived safely in Vienna yesterday afternoon, and after a short nap, we set off for a night of music at the Karlskirche. The program was Mozart's *Requiem* and we enjoyed the music and the setting. Charles VI had the church built after a plague in 1713 and spared no expense, judging by the amount of gold leaf widely applied. The top photo is of the altar and high backdrop. The bottom photo is of the ceiling, some fifty meters high.

Next stop Vienna... for DomTran and OLGS

2009-08-13T15:09:00.004-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

I complete my four weeks of language class at the U. of Debrecen tomorrow, Friday the 14th, and immediately set off for Vienna (Bécsi in Hungarian) to meet Domestic Tranquility herself. We plan a leisurely trip along the Danube with five days in Vienna, one in Bratislava, and four in Budapest, before returning to the Twin Cities.

The laptop is fixed, sort of, so we will be able to blog together, and just in time to celebrate the Haydn bicentennial in Vienna.

A Bécsi következő (next stop, Vienna).

They come back

2009-08-05T21:15:00.003-05:00

Although OLGS is enjoying the fleshpots of eastern Hungary, our house does not lack for summer camp elements right here in ol' Minneapolis. There's Joe College grad, who says he has a housesitting gig, and Joe College, who is supposed to be leaving for India in three weeks, and Joe High School grad, who starts at the U of M shortly and is engaged with his parents in a lengthy discussion of dorm vs. apartment. The fact that both parents have nixed the apartment idea means little to him. He keeps trying. His persistence speaks well -- he will probably go far, but not into an apartment right now.

Light blogging until I go to "MediaMarkt"

2009-08-04T23:41:00.003-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

My laptop computer is not accepting a charge from the electrical adapter. For whatever reason, the laptop refuses to recognize the adapter (original equipment) as a genuine Dell product.

So I will have to go to MediaMarkt and see if someone there can help fix the problem. Until then, I will only blog irregularly...

A day trip to Oradea, Romania (formerly Hungarian “Nagyvarad”)

2009-08-03T12:01:00.022-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

The diakok (students) of the Debrecen Summer Institute boarded two buses early Saturday morning. Destination: the Romania border city of Oradea, or in Hungarian, “Nagyvarad” (aka Great Castle). Oradea is about 35 miles east of Debrecen, but there is still a border checkpoint and non-EU visitors, such as your correspondent, must show a passport. It’s even more of a hassle to return to Hungary from Romania, as the Hungarian border guards search some vehicles for contraband cigarettes. It took up an hour each direction to cross the frontier. The accompanying photo shows the line, about half-way through our wait. If/when Romania becomes a full member of the EU, the border control will be disestablished.

There are remains of a large castle built in the 13th century *after* Genkhiz Khan and his soldiers sacked the city, not that such a fortress would have stopped the Great Khan. The castle was rebuilt in the 16th century against the Turks, again unsuccessfully as the Sultan occupied the city from 1660 to 1693. The Hapsburgs built a third castle on the same site in the mid-18th century, presumably against the Russians, but maybe still the Turks. Anyway, the surviving barracks are now largely empty except, oddly, the Department of Art & Design at the University of Oradea takes up one building. The large windows probably make for good studio space.

The glory of the city is its judgendstihl/art nouveau architecture.

Some of the work rivals what I saw in Prague last year on UWEC’s Central European Travel Seminar. Some of the buildings are also in terrible condition. We asked our guides why this was as we walked around the city. Their answer, as best as I understood it, was that the Romanians were too incompetent to realize the development potential of the city to international tourism. We heard the same refrain from the Hungarian representatives to the City Council. They greeted us at City Hall and talked at some length about their minority status. Too bad most of the students tuned out, due to the heat, fatigue, or hang-overs from the previous night’s “buli."

My personal favorite building was not art nouveau, but rather a simple late 18th century church known as the “Moon Church.” The steeple has a gizmo (not the technical name) that rotates to show the phase of the moon. I checked that night and the gizmo, made in 1795, is still accurate.

Travel weekend; photos forthcoming

2009-08-03T01:09:00.003-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

I went traveling over the weekend to former Hungarian cities, one in Romania just over the border, and one in Slovakia, just over the border. Both have wonderful late Hapsburg art nouveau/jugenstihl/secessionist architecture. I'll make a longer post when I have time to organize my photos, but now I must prepare for language class. Rather: Prepare for language class ! (as we are studying the imperative today).

Tamás Vásáry and the "Zoltán Kodály World Youth Orchestra" play Debrecen

2009-07-30T16:34:00.007-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

Tonight, the University of Debrecen and the City of Debrecen and the Ministry of Culture hosted conductor Tamás Vásáry and a student group he founded called the "Zoltán Kodály World Youth Orchestra," in honor of an earlier Hungarian composer. Here is Tamás Vásáry's home page.

The students met their conductor twelve days ago and planned a program of two Kodály pieces, one an excerpt from an opera "Háry János" that includes a folk song taught to Magyar language students in the summer program. Very timely.

Next, the conductor escorted to the stage the pianist Tamás Erdi to play the Ferenc/Franz Liszt "A-dur zongoraverseny." At this point in my report to readers of *Domestic Tranquility* I have to note that at Hungarian concerts, no printed progams are distributed. Instead, somebody gives a mini-lecture at the beginning and announces the pieces to be performed, so I might well have gotten it wrong and it was actually Liszt's Sonata in B Minor. Mr. Erdi has made a recording of this piece, available on the "Hungaraton" label, but unfortunately, not available in the U.S.

After intermission, the youth orchestra played the "Csajkovszkij" (English: Tchaikovsky) Fifth Symphony. I expect that maestro Vásáry has conducted this piece numerous times, but he put such energy into his conducting and brought such a response from the student musicians that the large audience applauded and applauded for ten minutes until finally the orchestra played an encore, fittingly, of one of Brahams's "Hungarian Dances."

Quite a night for Debrecen to honor its most famous living artist.

Magyar Film Klub, Part II: "Merry-Go-Round" 1956

2009-07-29T23:26:00.003-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

Last night, the Magyar Film Klub screened a 1956 movie, "Körhinta" ("Merry-Go-Round"). The Internet Movie Database has a short summary.

The film is set in the fall and winter of 1953-54, somewhere in the Hortobagy countryside near Debrecen. The opening scene took place in the fall, harvest carnival time in Debrecen, although I could not recognize the locale.

The Hungarians are very proud that "Körhinta" took second place at Cannes in 1956, although I must say that the film has not worn nearly as well as last week's "Somewhere in Europe." Our student group laughed aloud at the klunky Romeo-and-Juliet storyline. Also, rather than swoon at the leading man, Imre Soós, our crowd hooted when, lovelorn, he knit his forehead and his eyebrows overlapped! One interesting detail: the Juliet character, played by the actress Mari Töröcsik, has a family surname in the film of "Pataki." I never made the connection between that surname and the former governor of New York.

Update: new photos from new camera

2009-07-29T09:37:00.010-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

Well, the new Nikon "CoolPix" digital camera from MediaMarkt is easy to use. I'm posting the first photos I snapped, taken of the "Furdo Strand" today. I particularly like the smashed-in window over the letter "H" on the big sign. It's where the docent/security guard assigned me for my changing space yesterday.

It's almost 5:00 p.m. in Debrecen, "Akcio" (sale or discount) time, so I've convinced several of my classmates to go for an afternoon swim.

Visszontlatasra!

A swim at the Strand

2009-07-29T00:07:00.007-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger

One tram stop away from the University of Debrecen is a group of run-down thermal "furdok" (bath spas). The one most popular with the students is the "Strand" which has a forbidding concrete exterior. The photo, taken from the spa's website in winter, incredibly, makes it seem warm and inviting, compared to its actual shabby fortress-like appearance. With my new camera, purchased at MediaMarkt, I will take a picture of the Strand on a future update to this post.

The Strand shows the same suspicion of people that seems endemic in post-Communist Central Europe, that is, people will try to take advantage of you if you are not careful. Exhibit "A" is the ticket sales. The Strand has a very good deal with reduced admission of 500 forints ($2.50) after 5:00 p.m. until closing at 8:00 p.m. The ticket booth is in bullet-proof glass with one of the ubiquitous non-functional microphones to communicate (or shout through the glass)with the bored ticket-seller inside. Upon payment of 500 forints, the ticket recipient walks five meters to the entrance and has the ticket checked by the next official. The Strand can't be too careful about people who might want to bypass the ticket booth! The same mentality is even evident at the University: a diner at the college cafeteria has to present a ticket to a student monitor. Otherwise, who knows? Any bum off the street might come in and dine on cafeteria food.

Back to the Strand-- once inside, I found three pools outside: the thermal pool, very warm at 99 degrees F; a kiddie pool with a rickety-looking waterslide; and the "Aquaticum" which was a wonderful, clean, low-chlorine pool, half-roped for laps and half open. I entered the Aquaticum and began my laps, thinking I would swim ten laps, the same as the former Joe High School swam competitively for Minneapolis South High. On my eighth of ten laps, an official shouted something at me in Magyar. To my delight, and his, I actually understood it: move to the right-hand lane, the open part on the other side of the pool. Got it, did it. Then after I finished my laps, I realized that the Debrecen "Orkakok" (Orcas) were training set aside for lap-swimming.

I resolve to go purchase some goggles this afternoon and visit the Strand again.

A visit to a palinka factory

2009-07-27T10:14:00.004-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

The Debrecen summer program took an overnight weekend excursion. Three buses full of students set out early Saturday morning for Kceskemet, a country town southwest of Debrecen and southeast of Budapest. We visited three folk-art museums, but the highlight for most students was a Saturday night visit to the Zwack family distillery, makers for more than a century of "Barack" palinka. No, the family did not anticipate the election of an American president by that name. "Barack" means "apricot" in Hungarian and the Zwacks annually turn out thousands of gallons of apricot brandy.

Sunday was a long day, with a side-trip to Budapest and an evening stop at a winery in the "Bulls Blood" region on the way back. The alcohol-soaked theme continues tonight with a Debrecen-region palinka tasting, but I have too much homework, so I will hit the books, not the bottle.

Alas, my old Kodak digital camera went kaput just a few photos into the trip. I'll continue blog-posting but without my own photos.

A visit to the Nagy Templom

2009-07-24T05:48:00.005-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

I went with my classmates to view the inside of the main Calvinist church, the "Nagy Templom" or literally the Great Church. Inside, it very spare. The walls are whitewashed and the windows are plain. Above the Isten Asztal ("Lord's Table" or altar) there is some beautifully carved wood for the pulpit and also for the organ loft. However, there is no crucifix or other religious display to distract the worshipper from making a direct connection to God. Very impressive and very Reform, unlike, say, St. Giles in Edinburgh which was very Presbyterian but not very reformed, at least when we visited in 2006.

Magyar Film Club: "Somewhere in Europe"

2009-07-23T03:41:00.005-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

Last night, the Debrecen Summer Program sponsored the "Magyar Film Club" and showed a 1947 film, *Valahol Europaban* ("Somewhere in Europe). There is a nice review at www.moviehabt.com. I was charmed by the film, especially the 25 orphan children who played their own lives as actors. I also was pleased how much of the Hungarian I could understand, with the help of the English sub-titles for context.

The only drawback was the late start. The Magyar Film Club did not schedule the screening until 10:00 p.m., and even then, the film was preceded by a 40-minute introduction-lecture by the MFC host. We did not finish watching the film until about 12:30 a.m., and I am dragging a bit in language class this morning.

Update on Kalvin Janos's 500th birthday

2009-07-22T06:31:00.001-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger.

The Magyar Post Office has issued a stamp honoring Calvin's anniversary. The artist seems to have captured the subject's uncertainty about the fate of humanity as determined, make that pre-destined, by an almighty God. See for yourself. It only costs 200 forints (about one dollar).

Rain--just in time

2009-07-21T22:16:00.007-05:00

It finally rained in Minneapolis. Our water deficit in the City of Lakes is many inches for the year. The lawn kicks up a dust cloud when the lawnmower is foolishly applied to it.

The nice folks at the U of M have mapped the drought and show it hovering around the Twin Cities. Fortunately some of the major agricultural sections of the state are only "abnormally dry", whereas here in the Land of 10,000 swamps, we are in a "severe" drought. Gotta love that scientific lingo.

Kalvin Janos, born 500 years ago

2009-07-21T09:28:00.005-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger:

In the United States, the big anniversary this year is the birth of Abraham Lincoln, 200 years ago in 1809. Elsewhere, and some places in the U.S., people are celebrating the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth. In Debrecen, known for many centuries as "The Calvinist Rome," this year marks the 500th anniversary of the birth of "Kalvin Janos," or John Calvin.

There is a big exhibit on Calvin's life and writing at the Reform (Calvinist) seminary, located just off Calvin Square. It is amazing to think about the speed with which ideas traveled across Europe during the Protestant Reformation, thanks to the printing press and to travelers carrying texts and letters. By 1538, the reform seminary was established in Debrecen, just two years after Calvin published his main critique of the established church. I only had time yesterday to glance at the exhibit and resolve to return to the Reform Seminary Library to study it in more depth, this time with my Hungarian-English dictionary in hand so I can better translate the labels.

First day of Language Classes

2009-07-20T21:14:00.006-05:00

First Day of Language Classes
by OLGS, guest blogger

I awoke to good news in learning my placement in the Debrecen Summer School: I am in Level 13 (out of 23), quite a promotion from last summer when I placed in Level 5. My class is small, consisting of eight students. We are quite a mix: Rolph of the Netherlands, Norbert of Poland, Sarah and Camille, both of France, Fabiana of Italy, Tibor of England, and Robin, once of Campbelltown, Kintyre, Scotland, but now of Perth Australia. We meet for language class for three 90-minute sessions each day. Today's classes were review and grammar drill. The language is quickly coming back to me. We have a morning teacher, Rita (pronounced the English way), and an afternoon teacher, Kati (pronounced as a crow would say: "Caw-Tee"), who divide the teaching between them. Last year, I had a single teacher, Dr. Csaba for all the classes, but I learned today that is unusual. Kati declared herself today as "kegyetlen" which I think means she is the mean grammar policewoman, while Rita gets to do the fun things in the morning.

Tonight, the University Rector hosted a reception for us in the courtyard of the main academic building. Very good food, lots to drink, and a pop group that covered Michael Jackson songs.

2009-07-19T09:18:00.006-05:00

Return to Hungarian Language Camp
by OLGS, guest blogger

Hello, loyal readers of "Domestic Tranquility":

DomTran has graciously allowed me to write guest posts to the blog as I am once again taking the Hungarian language course at the University of Debrecen.

I arrived yesterday afternoon after a long journey from Minnesota, with stops in Newark, Milan, and Budapest, before reaching the university campus.

This morning, I took my written and oral language placement test. The written part was difficult, despite my cramming on the planes and trains en route to Debrecen. I recalled the conjugations of the three key verbs in Hungarian ("van" "megy" and "jon") ok and most of the directional suffixes (e.g., Minneapolis-*from* go I Newark-*to* go I, Newark-*from* go I Milan-*to*...and so forth), but half-way through the test, I realized that I was being asked about the conditional tense. Wait a minute, I thought, last summer we barely covered the future and past tenses, never mind the conditional. The examiner who reviewed my test gently comforted me on my overall low score. I learn tomorrow morning my placement and meet my fellow students.

Rain, rain

2009-07-11T21:50:00.012-05:00

Apparently my grandfather frequently commented on the tendency of Washington County, Maine, to be foggy, rainy and generally unpleasant, if you want to go to the beach. And it is all those things, as our recent week spent on Kenebec Bay proved. But you really don't want to go to the beach in Washington County. The water temp is generally in the low to mid 60s, so who really cares about the beach?

Roque Bluffs State Park is still one of the loveliest beaches, whether or not you go in the water. OLGS did for about 30 seconds.

One afternoon, when it looked as the the fog might burn off, we went for a quick walk. When we arrived, it was impossible to see more than 50 feet off shore. Within five minutes, the fog lifted, and all the little islands appeared. Then the fog returned.

As we were picking our way down the beach, a girl with a clipboard and a lanyard appeared out of the murk. She was taking a survey about why we visited Roque Bluffs, where we came from and how long we were staying. When I suggested that she had the best summer job in the world, she waved her hand toward the fog and admitted that it was not alway glorious. But she appreciated our Minnesota nice ways--apparently not all visitors to the beach welcome her questions.

Joe High School Changes His Name

2009-06-07T16:29:00.007-05:00

Another--and my last--South High graduation. South High has been part of this family's life since 1997. No more. A new era begins. He is no longer Joe high School.

It was a well choreographed event, and a good thing that was, as another school--Edison High--was waiting to get in exactly two hours after for their own festivities. And the precision was despite the inevitable disasters. The class treasurer fainted. The honor song drum didn't show up on time. The principal neglected to introduce the superintendent. None of this took away from the charm of the event. The Pop Singers, an excellent acappella group, sang. The band/orchestra, in which Joe College played four years ago, was probably great, but we couldn't hear them because there were no mikes.

And Joe HS, who had wanted to skip commencement, seemed to be glad he attended. I sure was. But, predictably, he neglected to pick up his cap and grown on time, so did not have the fancy hood for honors grads. Oh well--it's the diploma that counts.

Who's the killer?

2009-06-02T21:48:00.004-05:00

News reports say that many anti-abortion groups are backing away from the murder of Dr. Tiller, the abortion provider in Wichita who was gunned down in church. If you're in the anti camp, it makes a lot of sense to back away. The shots fired in the culture wars are becoming less frequent -- people become weary of battle, even those who are the most fervent fighters. And the actions of a crazy like Scott Roeder only reduce the credibility of the anti-abortion movement even further.

Still--there are those who are saying that Dr. Tiller brought it on himself by providing late-term abortions. They are getting attention because of the journalism-school mentality that asserts that there are always two sides to an issue. And there may be, but why give credibility to the kooks by suggesting that their hysteria is on a par with a reasoned complex opposition to abortion? This is like saying that Africans enslaved themselves or that people with aids deserved their fate. You get the analogy.

And has anyone noticed the irony that this devil incarnate was gunned down in church? Guess I'm behind in my study of church history. Last I checked, Lutherans were not devil worshippers. That in itself should give the yahoos pause--Christianity is not incompatable with being an abortion provider. As I recall, Jesus was particularly interested in inviting those whom society had rejected into his circle--money lenders, prostitutes, etc. Wonder what he'd say about abortion providers.

Enough irony. Where's the outrage? Muslims shooting, immigrants demanding rights--folks get mad and everyone thinks they are justified in doing something silly and violent. Respectable church going doctors getting gunned down in church? The anger is surprisingly muted, to say the least. It's as if people are not sure where they should stand on this and don't want to draw attention to themselves and their side of the argument by having the wrong opinion--so they have none.

And it's a cliche--but why are most of the anti-abortion leaders, spokespersons and shooters men? It can't have anything to do with the cracks in the facade of patriarchy, could it? Nah...

Our nation's capital

2009-05-10T13:45:00.006-05:00

Another trip, this time to Washington DC for a family event. The event was lovely, but we had time to do a little touristy stuff as well, so we demanded a ride to museum row, aka the Mall. We were dropped off in front of the Smithsonian castle, which is adjacent to the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Freer Gallery of Art. The Sackler is an underground museum, with a stunning selection of Asian art on permament exhibition. A temporary display featured gifts to the Russian empire from Iran and Turkey. If you have a yen to see lots of emeralds, rubies, and tapestries woven from silver and gold thread, take a trip to the Sackler before September, when the exhibit ends. The Freer is a more traditional building and houses a much larger and diverse collection from all parts of Asia.

These museums are free--and there's not even a donation jar or a exhortation to pay something--even $.10, as one of the Joes did when he went to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Operating these institutions (the collections were almost all donated, but operations are underwritten in part by the government) is one of the best uses of your tax dollars I can think of.

There's a vacancy

2009-04-05T13:44:00.004-05:00

Joe High School will become, like his older brother, a Gopher. The University of Minnesota, accepting him before Christmas, is his destination next fall. His other picks were either too much of a stretch (ie, he didn't get in), or a fleeting fancy (ie, he couldn't remember why he applied). The U of M, being right down the street and a place where he has already taken classes and worked, makes sense. However, I do wish he had had more real choices. Staying at home, even if you live in a dorm, can make you feel as if there's not much urgency to the matter. We'll see how it goes.

College Crap Shoot

2009-03-26T21:56:00.005-05:00

College admissions time is here. Joe High School has been admitted to two, turned down by one and waitlisted by one. One of the two admissions he doesn't want and has already turned them down. He applied to six places, so he's waiting for the last two. It's an odd process, and I'm glad that this is the last time I'll have to watch it unfold.

One of the remaining institutions, to deter over-eager students, announces in very large letters on its admissions website: "We will be sending out letters on April 1." In other words, don't call us, we'll call you.

The italian model

2009-03-11T21:30:00.006-05:00

Joe College Grad just got a new job -- if all goes well, he will be teaching first grade next year in a Minneapolis charter school. It means a significant pay cut for him -- 50% at least. And he leaves la-la land for the sub-arctic climate of the Northstar state. Joe is really excited, despite the forthcoming change in his financial and environmental circumstances. It's nice to be wanted. They recruited him -- even better.

Ah, to be young and able to indulge your best self. Kind of inspiring. But unlike young Italian men, he will not be able to live in the parental house -- although I will probably cook for him from time to time. Mangia!

Update

2009-03-07T10:20:00.013-06:00

When life seems dull and boring, make a list. Postings to domtran have been MIA in the past few weeks because there has not been much to say. Wrong, wrong....

--New kitten in the family (see Mitzi's Journal)

--Joe College Grad coming to Mpls today for an interview with a Mpls charter school on Monday. They paid for his ticket, so they must be interested

--OLGS slipped on the ice and tore three tendons. Surgery, bed rest, heavy drugs and a leg immobilizer. He's on the mend, but can't drive, can't cut his toenails, and can't even start PT for another two weeks. He's teaching his classes online, with some students trying to take advantage of the situation

--Joe College got picked up for driving his new car with bad tail lights. He now only drives it during the day (rather than have the lights fixed. I agree with him)

--Geese and ducks appearing on the Mississippi flyway

--Potholes appearing everywhere. Mud season is approaching

--Hungarian-speaking Transylvanians come to town, allowing OLGS to practice his language skills. One young man looks amazingly like Joe College grad -- throwbacks everywhere.
--

The end of the food experiment

2009-02-16T19:50:00.005-06:00

Joe High School, who has been a vegetarian for nine years, became a vegan after the New Year. He ate power bars and drank soy milk. This lasted almost a month, until today. I believe the seed of change, so to speak, was planted by an innocent question I asked, which was whether he could eat honey on a vegan diet. I was having difficulty finding whole grain bread that didn't have honey. Even though it is an animal product, honey was apparently OK for Joe. Last week I mentioned that there are farms that raise animals humanely, and that we could probably find their products here in the land of 10,000 steakhouses.

Last night he indicated that he might be willing to consider such food -- milk, cheese and butter produced by pasture raised, grass-fed cows. Today, off we went to the food co-op. There we found cheese produced on an Iowa farm where they milk the cows by hand and pluck the thistles out of the pasture so that the beasts do not suffer if they mistake the leaves for something yummy.

This food is not cheap. In fact, it's extremely expensive. And Joe felt guilty for blackmailing us, as he put it. So he paid for 25% of the grocery bill. We now have some wonderful food for all to eat, and Joe is back in the land of the living.

I like it because it's local. I don't like it because it represents a way of eating that most people in the world cannot afford. Joe celebrated when we returned home with a slice of chocolate cake (butter, eggs, etc.) from the co-op bakery. And he's looking at chevre in a whole new way--it's hard to mistreat goats. They won't stand for it.

The president we need, not the president we deserve

2009-02-08T10:08:00.004-06:00

Rather than the junk novels that I usually read, I've taken up President Obama's youthful autobiography, Dreams from my Father. It is a remarkable book, full of nuance and analysis. But what gives me hope is that there is none of the black vs. white, us vs. them, evil vs. good garbage that infested us for the past eight years. It's well-written, and he wrote it all by himself, something that our previous guy would have been incapable of doing.

Preaching to the choir? Probably, but some things bear repeating. Read the book.

A new day

2009-01-24T09:27:00.014-06:00

It happened. Former Occupant has fled back to Texas and President Obama is now in charge. Doesn't that have a lovely ring? Especially since he's using his bully pulpit to change some stuff that cried out for change. And, not surprisingly, he's being smart. He knows that he doesn't have a long honeymoon period, so he's using it now.

While all the preparations for his inauguration were underway, OLGS, Joe College and Joe High School and I journeyed to Los Angeles. It was -22 when we left Minneapolis and 80 when we arrived in LA. That was the good bit. Then it took us two hours to reach our hotel in Pasadena. The traffic and the smog were unbelievelable. I do not know how people live like this. But clearly they do, perhaps mesmerized by the beautiful weather.

In addition to visiting Joe College Grad at his house in East LA (the only non-Spanish speaking person within 10 miles, I suspect), we did a number of touristy things. Visits to the Getty Museum and the Huntington Library reinforced my belief that the desire to construct a monument with your name on it is one of the benefits of unrestricted capitalism. These are amazing collections and amazing places.

And then we returned on the red-eye, in time for the swearing-in of President Obamna. As such ceremonies go, it wasn't that grand an occasion. That's good, as what's important is the work of rebuilding.

The Joes at the Getty Museum, January 2009

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T17:08:00.004-06:00

It can only get better. I'm looking at working until I'm 80 because my 401Ks have bit the dust (who thought that was a good idea, anyway?) Tuition at the University of Minnesota is pushing $11,000 a year -- something that a single mom making $40,000 a year can not afford. Everytime I cross the Mississippi, I hold my breath, waiting for the bridge to collapse because we just couldn't afford the one million dollars required to shore it up.

The public sector has taken some awful hits in the past eight years. The notion of public good seems to have disappeared. The notion that the government is responsible for domestic tranquility, whatever that means, seems to have disappeared. The concept that we are all in this together seems to have disappeared.

Maybe Barak can reconstitute our commitment to each other. Maybe he can direct funds toward bridge projects. Maybe he can ensure that all children have a true opportunityto learn. But he can't do it by himself, and the wolves are out there ready to pounce on January 21. Let's hope that we support his efforts with the same fervor that we had before the election. Otherwise 2009 will be even more depressing than 2008.

New Car

2009-01-01T08:56:00.013-06:00

Joe College bought a car. Or rather, he acquired a car -- it's a long story. He and OLGS drove a car to Chicago for a friend who had purchased it on EBay. The friend, an excellent mechanic who had kept his 1992 Toyota Corolla running, insisted that Joe College would be doing a favor by taking the old car off his hands. His wife and kids, he said, cringed when they had to ride in it. And one can see why.

It is now parked in front of the house, but, as OLGS pointed out, on the other side of the street so that it isn't associated with us. It has lots of rust and a wonderful jerry-rigged taillight that is an invitation to any aggressive police officer. The Volvos and new Hondas also parked in our neighborhood are looking down their hoods, or noses.

Joe College is in hog heaven over his first car, at least the first that he actually owns himself. Tomorrow he goes to the DMV to make it his officially. And it gets 32 MPG highway and burns only a little oil (less in the winter, according to our friend). And the price was right -- free, with a beautiful rug from Afghanistan thrown in to pacify yours truly.

I'm happy for Joe. I remember my first car -- a 1960's slantback Volvo that I bought with help from my dad. It was blue (just like Joe's new car), and when I see one on the street (which still occasionally happens), I feel a twinge. There's nothing like first love.

Christmas letter 2008

2008-12-19T06:34:00.015-06:00

The year is turning and each goes by faster than the last. That's the benefit and the hazard of growing older -- you don't get bored, but you can feel time slipping away. Joe High School is applying to college -- it seems like only yesterday he was in his stroller, shaking his rattle at candidate Bill Clinton's wife Hillary.

As for the other Joes, Joe College is plugging away at the University of Minnesota and living at home. He has taken up home brewing, and our basement is now Newcastle West. Joe College Grad is still living in LA, working in business and figuring out what comes next.

Like so many Americans, I have once again changed jobs. In July I abandoned the lawyers for a similar web writing position at a private career college. Who knew that such places existed? It's been an eye-opener, and a rather uplifting one.

OLGS continues to teach, commute to Wisconsin and get in some European travel. This past summer he went to eastern Europe and along the way took a crash course in Hungarian, an ancestral language. He's going back this summer.

My parents are elderly, but still living independently and fighting the good fight. My dad now has not only seen the Red Sox win the World Series in his lifetime, but also had the profound pleasure of voting out the Current Occupant. It was an amazing election, one that gave me hope for us as a country. Of course, it was also a testament to the power of money in US politics. One can't have everything....

Christmas letters should be short and sweet, so domtran wishes you a 2009 filled with challenging experiences, interesting people and good books.

Snow again

2008-12-07T10:35:00.012-06:00

Here we go again -- just when you think global warming has eliminated Minnesota winters, the snow and sub zero cold arrives (not always together). And any thoughts about staying here after we retire evaporate.

But it is a great conversation starter -- almost as good as former Gov. Jesse Ventura, or the current senatorial recount or our 6th Dictrict congresswoman, Michele Bachmann.

Pilgrims vs Puritans

2008-11-28T13:39:00.007-06:00

Okay, you turkey addicts. The big American face stuffing event is over. Now it's time to learn something, to wit:

There was a difference between the Puritans and the Pilgrims. Here are just a few examples:

Puritans (as we know them today) had nothing to do with the original Thanksgiving. They weren't even here yet...

Pilgrims and Puritans are not interchangeable...

Pilgrims were more egalitarian in belief and organization...

Puritans were Anglicans who wanted to change the established church. There were lots of them in England, including Oliver Cromwell, who overthrew a king and established his own Commonwealth that lasted for 20 years and whose enduring legacy was the trashing of statuary in English churches...

Pilgrims were not going to wait for the English church to reform itself to their way of thinking. Their adventure to North America was a permanent enterprise based on the belief that the English church was beyond redemption...

Pilgrims established Plymouth colony...

Puritans established the much larger Massachusetts Bay colony...

The two colonies did not merge until the 1680s, sixty years after the Pilgrims arrived and forty years after the Great Migration, when the greatest influx of Puritans into New England occured...

Puritans were more likely to be among the propertied or mercantile class in England, although there are numerous exceptions to this...

And here's the rub--both groups were Puritans, radical Protestants who believed the English church to be corrupt and its message in need of serious reform. The two groups disagreed about how to achieve their vision of a Godly commonwealth...

Does any of this matter today? That's for another post. Suffice it to say that eventually the Puritans became Separatists, and later, Congregationalists. So even though the initial band of Pilgrims was much smaller, their influence over time was much greater. And this is just what the Puritan leader, John Winthrop, feared. A very forward thinking man...

But back in the day, at the time of the first turkey feast, the two groups were very different, and one of them had not yet made the perilous journey to North America.

Nuff said.

PS--Yours truly is descended from both groups. So they did mix...

Hillary story, part deux

2008-11-18T19:34:00.007-06:00

A quick trip to Washington to attend the confirmation hearing of the sister of OLGS to be an appellate judge in the District of Columbia. Because Congress oversees the district, judicial appointments are made through the same nomination/confirmation process that applies to federal judicial appointments.

It was a remarkable event in many ways. However, there was unusual rock star quality because of the presence of Senator Hillary Clinton, who introduced sis to the committee (a sub-committee of the Homeland Security Committee--still in the hands of Sen. Lieberman, who was not present). Senator Clinton, who may be our next Secretary of State, demonstrated why she almost became president. Even for something as ordinary and probably routine as introducing a friend to her Senate colleagues, Senator Clinton was prepared, charming and articulate. Barak would be well-advised to make use of the talents of this remarkable woman as he tries to do something about our national mess.

And, despite the efforts of a Republican senator who initially objected to sis as too partisan (read too Democratic, even though she was nominated by Current Occupant), it looks like she will be confirmed. More later.

And the other thing about the trip? I discovered the joys of Midwest Express and their leg room and chocolate chip cookies. Now that NWA is no longer a hometown airline, I'm switching. They fly everywhere I want to go.

Yes we can, yes we did

2008-11-05T20:25:00.005-06:00

It seems so churlish to even mention the disapointments in yesterday's election. But when we have come so far it's hard to accept that we still must keep walking.

Here's the thing: in the true blue state of Minnesota, Michelle Bachmann won convincingly, despite amazing gaffes and big dollars pumped into her opponent's campaign. There is something in the water in the MN 6th congressional district. This is the woman who suggested that we need to investigate members of Congress to make sure they don't hold anti-American views. Although Joe McCarthy is six feet under, he has a worthy heir in Michelle.

Here's the second thing: Senator Slimy (aka Norm Coleman) has a lead over Democratic rival Al Franken of less than 500 votes. An automatic recount will take place. But Norm, ever the guy with an eye for the main chance, proclaimed himself the victor this morning and suggested that Mr. Franken was being unhelpful by not declining the recount (it's automatic unless the underdog declines). Norm's vote totals got smaller and smaller during the day, making his proclamation rather hollow and suggesting the very real possibility that Al Franken was indeed the winner.

But these things pale against the memory of Jesse Jackson weeping in Grant Park. The sight of the old civil rights fighter wiping away tears should remind us that the victory of Barak Obama was not only the election of a president who may put us on the right track again. It is a symbol of so much more.

Hold your breath

2008-11-04T17:01:00.010-06:00

A long dry spell for domestic tranquility. But it's about to come to an end. Baring a disaster which will make most of our alleged problems incredibly small, Barak Obama will become president. Or rather, he will be elected president. There's still a lot that could happen, and we have a history of taking matters into our own hands with catastrophic results. But let's not think about that now. As Scarlet O'Hara said, I'll think about that tomorrow. Tonight, I'm going to enjoy.

It's like 1972, but better. And for those of you who don't remember, that's the year that George McGovern lost mightily to Richard Nixon, who then resigned some months later rather than face certain impeachment. I had the great privilege of casting my vote for McGovern in Massachusetts, which was the only state to actually go for him. Hence the motto:

Don't blame me, I'm from Massachusetts.

Sarah Palin's Accent

2008-10-08T22:50:00.007-05:00

Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live

In case you haven't noticed, the GOP Vice-presidential candidate sounds as if she stepped right off the screen, or at least one particular movie screen. Anyone else notice that she sounds like a character in the movie Fargo? I couldn't understand it. She's not from around here, thank God, so why does she sounds like she's from Wilmar or Moorhead or Sauk Center?

There has been lots of speculation about why she sounds the way she does. It's been called an Idaho accent, an Alaska accent, an eastern accent (wow) and almost everything else. And linguists and folks specializing in American dialects weighed in on the topic. But the most sensible explanation appeared in the Star Tribune a few days ago.

Here's what appeared in the Strib (apparently borrowed from Slate magazine), front page but below the fold: a number of Minnesotans were relocated to Sarah's neck of the woods during the depression. The governor-to-be grew up amidst the children and grandchildren of these displaced Minnesotans, who were sent to Alaska because they were used to harsh climates. Apparently in the isolation of their new home, they clung to the long o, the strong s and the tendency to say things that are easily parodied by the likes of Tina Fey, such as ''you betcha" and "ya know" and "darn right".

Sarah now has a much-needed excuse for her uber-folksiness. She can't help herself. But at this point I suspect that Tina Fey would be just as good a vice-president, at least based on her mastery of this distinctive accent.

Presidential debates: history doesn't always matter

2008-09-27T09:28:00.006-05:00

CBS News Photo

We are a modern family. OLGS and I have offices across the hall from each other. Today, we each sit at our PCs, reading the polls, the post-mortem debate analysis and scanning the election district maps for any additional signs of solidification. We call out comments to each other. The conventional wisdom apears to be that Barack won simply by not losing, going up against a congressional veteran successfully. I agree--and given the setup, that's about as good as he could expect.

Clearly, he was much more relaxed than McCain, for all the Arizona senator's vaunted experience. He could pronounce difficult names of leaders in far-off countries. He was very good at framing the economy as a national security issue--McCain finds it difficult to resist the temptation to frame national security as an ideological matter, rather than a practical one with real consequences for real people. And then there's the Eisenhower reference. Poor ol' John made this lovely speech about Eisenhower, a president I barely remember, and I was actually alive. And to make matters worse, the speech was not in reference to the general's years in the White House, but to his leadership in WWII--and the number of people who remember the famous invasion is dwindling very rapidly. The people who resonate to that reference are probably already supporting Senator McCain. And those--the vast majority--who didn't, are just going to see Mac as old, out of touch and someone who, as BO says, just doesn't get it.

And then, he referenced Henry Kissinger and Ronald Reagan--I'm not going to do the stats, but I suspect that there is a significant number of voters who weren't alive during the Reagan years, and if they were not going to vote for BO before, they might now, feeling the need to throw their lot in with someone who has a similar frame of reference. I feel sorry for John. He's trying, but I think his time has passed. As a historian, I'm quite comfortable in saying that historical references are useful only in certain times and places. Last night was not one of those. And OLGS, based on his grunts and cackles from across the hall, agrees with me.

Economic depression, 21st century style

2008-09-24T21:42:00.011-05:00

My resolution--not to get down in the mud with the Republicans--has gone south, so to speak. McCain and the Bushies have used the probably manufactured financial crisis to sandbag the Democrats. This may be a tad conspiratorial, but boy, did these guys get religion fast. Quicker than you can say "I believe", the guys who brought you unfettered capitalism for the last eight years have had an epiphany--the times cry out for government intervention, according to the president and his minions.

This is pretty remarkable. First of all, the notion that there will be absolutely no mortages or car loans--the stick used by the president this evening--is absurd. There will be fewer car loans and mortgages, because people will be hurting and folks who can't pay their mortgages anyway probably won't be borrowing more . However, banks do need to make money, and the way they make money is by lending it--in times like these to folks and businesses with gold-plated credit ratings. And the people with the impossible mortgages won't be doing their part to keep this consumer-based economy afloat.

What is interesting is that the sense of the country seems to be--so what? We probably wouldn't have gotten a loan anyway. So while the Dems may have been thown a curve, the notion that we are giving Bush and his friends a blank check doesn't seem to sit well with even the so-called conservative base.

And here's the delicious thing: I heard Newt Gingrich on the radio the other day. He was saying, "Wait a minute" in that professorial way of his. And, he made sense. I never thought I'd see that day. And the other cheery thing--we haven't heard from the Gov. of Alaska for a few hours. Every cloud does have a silver lining.

Joe College and the SAT

2008-09-20T11:20:00.004-05:00

Can't keep my own resolutions to talk exclusively about Sarah Palin, but there's nothing much to say. And pollsters agree with me--the bounce that Mac received by selecting her as the Veep candidate seems to have evaporated. So let's talk about college admissions instead.

Joe High School figured out that his GPA matters. Surprise, surprise. He also acknowledged that even though he is smart, there might be kids out there just as smart and that taking a look at the SAT prep book could help. So MIT and Cal Tech are probably out of reach for him, but I don't think he's terribly disappointed. What does seem improbable and kind of discouraging is that all the lesser (slightly) schools report that 95% of their students are in the top 5% of their classes and have combined SATs of over 2200. That's scary, and, I trust, not true. Otherwise, they would have no students. We'll see.

Lies by Sarah Palin

2008-09-14T12:33:00.008-05:00

Domestic Tranquility is going to stop talking about young adult men and middle age. By comparison to the threat we face, these are piddling concerns. And I love my boys, and I embrace middle age. So, folks, let's instead talk about Sarah Palin.

We're not going to analyze why Mac picked her for the Veep position. We're not going to hash over why he passed over numerous other Republican women who would not shame us or him. Instead, we're going to focus on the facts as I see 'em:

-Fact: Gov. Palin is a woman.
That does not mean that fans of Hilary Clinton should vote for McCain because of Palin's presence on the GOP ticket as the VP candidate. Their shared chromosomes are the only similarity.

-Fact: Gov. Palin has been nominated for vice president.
People should not vote for McCain just because of Sarah Palin. Her chances of becomming president, despite Mac's age and health, are pretty slim. McCain is running for and wants to be president. Sarah Palin is a cute sleight of hand trick to distract you from McCain's failings as a candidate.

-Fact: Gov. Palin says she opposes earmark spending and during her acceptance speech proclaimed that she was an advocate of ending abuses of earmarks.
People who hope to end earmark spending should not vote for McCain because of Gov. Palin's assertions--as late as this year she requested $197 in earmarks from the earmark king, Alaska GOP Sen. Ted Stevens.

-Fact: Gov. Palin says that Barack Obama never authored a major piece of legislation. "Not even in the state senate" quoth the gov.
Don't vote for McCain just because the governor says that the Democrat has not authored any legislation. She's asking us to ignore the Lugar-Obama bill on non-proliferation, or the ethics reform package or the Illinois campaign finance bill, lobbying reform bill and federal campaign finance reform bills.

Although it's tempting to make fun of the governor of Alaska, this is serious stuff. The GOP is trying out their version of the big lie. We know that it works (remember Germany during the 1930s). Don't be fooled into believing something just because it's repeated early and often.

St. Paul--more of the same at the RNC

2008-09-01T11:10:00.014-05:00

The Huffington Post has a piece on third world police tactics in St. Paul--busting down doors, arresting people for no reason and generally violating constitutional protections that the Bushies follow only when politically expedient. Here's the thing: why should we be surprised?

These guys have been violating the law and the Constitution since the 2000 election. They have established all types of illegal procedures that are supposed to keep America safe, and then whipped up our fears to make us look away from their illegalities. They manufacture the crisis, create fear, and then propose the illegal solution that we don't scrutinize too much because we are scared. And those few who do are labeled as unpatriotic and worse.

We've been here before. Anyone heard of Joe McCarthy, the senator from Wisconsin? Old Joe was very successful at creating a crisis--Commies under the bed--and then coming up with a solution--put 'em away using manufactured evidence and secret tribunals. Although folks were getting tired of him, as they are of Bush, Cheney and the gang, it took a government lawyer, Joe Welch, to put an end to his tactics and restore sanity, however briefly.

When will someone ask, as Welch did, "Have you no decency...?" And even if someone did ask, would we listen? Let's see if the Dems can make us pay attention and put aside our fear.

Good luck, St. Paul

Update on Goose Poop--RNC, Listen Up!

2008-08-31T09:32:00.009-05:00

Received a comment on this August 8 post with hints on deterring geese. Apparently someone else read these suggestions, as the geese disappeared within days. Now if we could only try the same techniques on the RNC...

Police state in Minnesota

2008-08-30T10:11:00.012-05:00

RNC is coming to town. Even if I didn't listen to the radio, read the paper or surf the web, I would know that something's up. Last evening while we were trying to enjoy our patio, the flowers and the waning summer, there were dozens of helicopters overhead, scoping out downtown St. Paul and all roads leading to it. There probably weren't dozens, but plenty. And some were black.

Apparently, the St. Paul PD has really cleaned up. The RNC has given them $50 million to buy new equipment, gas masks, bomb-sniffing dogs, and storm trooper boots. Probably a couple of helicopters, too, which it can use later on to track down those who dare litter the spiffed-up streets of St. Paul. Wouldn't it be nice if we could devote just a fraction of this time, effort and money to solving homelessness or improving the rapidly fading St. Paul public schools? Think what $50 million could do in either case.

There are protests scheduled, and OLGS and Joe College plan to attend, although Joe C. insists he will stay on the periphery, as he has an aversion to tear gas. I'm sure the SPPD is using their $50 million to refresh their cannisters.

Goose poop

2008-08-08T08:25:00.004-05:00

Across the road from my place of employment is a field with a small pond. About four weeks ago, I noticed a small gaggle of geese--six adults and four extremly cute little goslings. This has morphed into a flock of 50 adults. The babies have either grown up or gone to greener pastures or larger bodies of water. The geese strut in the road, cruise the parking lot, and leave goose manure everywhere. They were cute; now they're a nuisance, although watching 20 or so honking avians coming in for a landing in the tiny pond is amazing. They circle lower and lower, finally gliding in at water level.

Watch where you step.

Open Windows in the Twin Cities

2008-08-05T07:03:00.008-05:00

Empire Builder at rest at the St. Paul Amtrak Station

I live in a urban pocket, where you can smell the paper mill, Summit Brewery and the french fry factory when the wind is right. This is a reminder of the reality of modern living: food, drink and toilet paper do not just magically appear on your grocer's shelves. They are manufactured somewhere, and for some of these commodities, that somewhere is St. Paul, MN. It's a smelly reminder of the great 19th century city we once were.

I technically live in Minneapolis, but on the far eastern edge. This morning, in the sticky cool of summer, in addition to smelling the odors of commerce, I heard the Empire Builder pull in, on time for once, bearing its cargo of passengers and mail from Seattle. It's a long train, and it honks and rings and toots as it pulls in, seemingly for about two miles. It gives those of us who live within hearing distance another opportunity for nostalgia.

Why can't I believe?

2008-08-04T20:51:00.008-05:00

The price of high test gas to fill up our fancy German car has declined to 3.89 a gallon. I should be thrilled, and grateful to George and Co. for his tenacity in driving down oil prices. I'm being silly, but don't you think that come October, the party of God will be taking credit for this, should it last?

And, to be even more cynical, don't you think it's possible that this whole thing has been manipulated and that in October gas prices will be even lower so that we will have exactly the response I just described? Because we have such a short collective memory, we won't remember why they were so high in the first place and will make poor ol' John McCain a winner on the strength of it.

Nah, you think. That couldn't happen. But wait, cast your mind back eight years to get a whiff of the amazing ability of the Bushies and their kind to manipulate not just an election, but the zeitgeist.

Final Exam

2008-08-01T23:51:00.002-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger—

I completed my two weeks of Magyarul language camp and the Summer Program invited me to take the final exam for the intensive course. The test was a mixture of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short essays. I used the full two hours allotted, even as my younger classmates decamped after half an hour or forty-five minutes. Maybe it was easy for them, but not for me. The main thing in Hungarian is to make sure verb, noun, adjective, and adverbs have the correct matching suffixes. That means every word in a sentence has to be checked against every other word for harmony.

The results are now posted: I scored a 76 out of 100 possible points. At the Yale of President Bush’s day, that would have been a “Gentleman’s ‘C’,” but here at the U of Debrecen, the grading curve is such that I earned ‘“honours” for my exam, as you can see on my “Tanúsítávany” above.

New exhibit at the Debrecen “Modém”

2008-08-01T15:20:00.006-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger--

I visited Debrecen’s Museum of Modern Art ( A Modém) to see an exhibit titled “SzocReal,” or Socialist Realism art in Hungary from 1949 through 1956. There were a lot of paintings showing toiling peasants and workers, but always with a smile on their faces as their toil was contributing to the new Hungary. Even the ticket-checker on the tram was smiling and the passengers smiled back.

The crowning achievement of the exhibit was the reconstruction of the Budapest Stalin statue (see above). Originally unveiled in 1950 in central Budapest (see below), the statue was pulled down in October 1956 and the head of the dead dictator served as a support for a traffic sign (see below). Red Army forces collected the broken pieces and in some obscure warehouse the pieces have rusted for the past fifty-two years. Incredibly, the curators of the Modém collected the scattered pieces, welded the ten-meter-high monster back together, polished it to a deep bronze, and now it smiles over the exhibit-goers inside the courtyard of the Modém.

Kossuth Lajos and Debrecen

2008-07-30T14:01:00.005-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger--

Even bigger than the statues of Protestant cattle-herders and theologians is the giant statue in honor of Louis Kossuth (Kossuth Lajos, as the Magyars say it). He helped lead the 1848 “Springtime of Peoples” in Europe against the absolute rule of the Hapsburg Dynasty. For a while, he and his fellow revolutionaries succeeded. At first, they sought Hungarian autonomy within the Hapsburg Empire, but when that was not forthcoming, Kossuth proclaimed Hungary independent of Austria in Debrecen's second St. Andrew’s Church (the first one burned in 1803). The new Hungary claimed its sovereignty extended to the full borders of the historic kingdom of Hungary, that is to say, more than half of the Hapsburg lands.

In response, the Hapsburgs called for help from the Romanovs and soon enough, 350,000 Russian soldiers invaded Magyarorszag and chased Kossuth all the way from Debrecen to New York. Nonetheless, the Hungarians still revere him as a champion of their nation. The picture at the top was taken a few days ago; the one at the bottom with the flag draped over the base of the statute was taken today.

Debrecen’s defiant Protestant past

2008-07-29T07:31:00.005-05:00

By OLGS, guest blogger--

I went on a Sunday walk with some other Magyar language students. The town is filled with monuments to Calvinist theologians, and I think the ones not famous enough to merit an eponymouos tram stop still get a marker. Some are statues, some are plaques. Nearly all have a braided and beribboned Hungarian tri-color wreath laying in honor at the base. The statue of Istvan Bocksai (above) commemorates a great Protestant cowboy-rancher-warrior-noble. He and other Debrecen landholders had grown wealthy in supplying livestock to the armies of the Hapsburgs, and if I read this correctly, to the Ottoman Turks. The Hapsburgs did not like this and attempted to put him and his church, St. Andrews, out of business. Bocksai led a raid in 1604 all the way to Vienna and forced the Hapsburgs to recognize his rule in Debrecen and the place of the Calvinist church.

Another statue nearby Bocksai's commemorates some clergy and lay people from St. Andrews who were arrested during the Catholic Reformation that followed the expulsion of the Turks from Hungary later in the 17th century. The Hapsburg rulers seized some Debrecen Calvinists, dragged them to nearby Eperjes(*), and broke them on the wheel as an object lesson to other Protestants. Ouch!

The final memorial I saw was the most interesting, the so-called Calvinist shrub. Also during the Catholic Reformation in Hungary, the Protestants planted a small shrub near St. Andrews. The Catholics mocked this plant and said it would soon die, as would worship at St. Andrews. The Protestants answered that so long as the shrub lived, so would Calvinism. You can see for yourself the results below.

(*) Note: Eperjes, today known as Presov in nearby Slovakia, is the home of the three Joes' paternal great-great-grandmother. She had nothing to do with the Reformation or Counter-Reformation.

Washington County, Maine

2008-07-27T20:58:00.012-05:00

Before OLGS took off for Hungary and the fleshpots of the spa life, we went down east with my parents. Much revisiting the past--trips to graveyards, a few childhood friends (my parents', not mine), and a few relatives. Washington County is still dirt poor. Still bleak. Still unpopulated. Still beautiful.

We had quite a bit of fog, which was not the case last summer. Our real estate lady informed us that fog is very common in July. As long as you're not driving in the dark on an unfamiliar road, it's quite lovely, keeping everything silent.

We rented a house in Roque Bluffs, which has undergone quite a bit of development, at least for this part of the world. It was perched on a cliff, so there were no beachcombing trips. However, we were close to Roque Bluffs State Park, which has a lovely beach (see above), with hardly anyone on it. At the back of the beach is a big hedge of rugosa roses. The smell is intoxicating.

OLGS spends a day “taking the waters…”

2008-07-26T13:58:00.006-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger--

Today, Saturday the 26th, the Summer School at Debrecen offered campers a choice: visit a national park and see “wild nature” or go to a spa and “take the waters.” I chose the latter. Here is what the advertisement, translated into English, for the Hajdúszoboszló Spa promised prospective visitors:

“The excellent medicinal effect of the thermal water is due to its components (ionide, bromide, common salt, hydrogen-carbonate, bitumen and the adhering oestrogen, trace elements present in form of titanium, copper, zinc, silver, barium, vanadium and lead, etc.). When used with proper expertise, this ‘medicine chest’ of nature, can be a remedy for numerous illnesses, or can ease suffering and ailments. The pools filled with water of various temperatures, combined with balneotherapy and physiotherapy, can heal partially or completely the following diseases: disorders of surgical, neurological, internal and dermal origin, and further, locomotor dieseases, parpoplexy and conditions after orthopedic operations, paralysis, chronic neurotic pains, leg ulcers, gynaecological inflammations, infertility, prostrate gland problems, eczema, psoriasis, scoliosis, various sclerosis problems, etc. ... etc.”

Hmmm…”medicine chest of nature”? Remedy for “prostate gland problems” and “chronic neurotic pains”? Why not try a good dose of barium and vanadium and lead, I thought. So along with about twenty other Debrecen campers, 10,000 or so Hungarians, and a lot of Slovaks and Poles in the baths, I spent a full day (8-4:30) at the spa. I did all thirteen baths, drank the water, did the sauna and the cold-water plunge, and if I had thought to bring 6,000 forints with me (about $45) I could have received the “proper expertise” of a Hungarian masseuse. Did it work? I don’t know, but I do know after spending eight or so hours in the water, I have never had such soft (and wrinkled) feet and fingers in my life. If you get the chance, my advice is do “take the waters.”

"Ab saggittae ungarorum, libera nos Domine"-

2008-07-23T06:05:00.003-05:00

OLGS guest posting from Debrecen Summer Institute, continued

I’m in the middle of Day Three of Magyarul (Hungarian) language studies at the Nyari Egyetem http://www.nyariegyetem.hu/ based at the University of Debrecen. I have three ninety-minute classes per day with homework and vocabulary study interspersed. Our instructor, Dr. Meszaros Csaba, is very patient, but he does push us along to master conjugations and sentence formation. He is teaching us the playful side of Magyarul with the different ways we can put together a sentence. His admonition is always “legy ovatos” or be careful with word order so that you convey the meaning you want with the words you choose.

Between the two morning classes and the late afternoon class, there is an optional series of history lectures. I attended the first one yesterday on the history of the Magyar nomads arriving in the Carpathian Basin (see imagined 19th century versionn of this event) and their subsequent conversion to Christianity. We even learned a phrase in Latin and then received the English translation at yesterday’s lecture:

Latin: "Ab saggittae ungarorum, libera nos Domine"-

English: “God save us from the Hungarian arrows!”

This was the cry of the Germanic tribes every time the Magyars came raiding, burning, and plundering. It is now said in jest, I think, if I understood the lecturer correctly…

first day of classes at Hungarian Language Camp

2008-07-21T14:29:00.004-05:00

Guest post by OLGS

I found my placement at Hungarian language camp: “Advanced Beginner.” Yes, there is something lacking in that translation, but it made sense when I met my teacher, Csabor, and my talented classmates. We all had some familiarity with the language and Csabor started us off by skipping the first three chapters of the textbook and commencing with Chapter Four. There are six of us in the Advanced Beginner class: three Americans, including myself, one Croatian, one Italian, and one Russian. Five of the students are twenty-somethings, I’m the old man. English is the language we are permitted to use only when we first admit our befuddlement in Hungarian.

At mid-day, we had a welcoming ceremony from the rector of the University, the vice-president, the dean of arts and sciences, and the mayor of Debrecen. All welcomed us in Hungarian with a little English aside. We also heard a brass quintet play several numbers. Afterward, we got a tour of the old main building of the University of Debrecen, which has been a “Reformed” (Calvinist) stronghold since the 1540s. As shown above in the photo, there are numerous plaques around the main courtyard-lobby with the names of Calvinist theologian-professors from the 17th through the 20th centuries. I studied those names and had an ah-ha moment: I knew some of those names from the rides up and down the tramline. Ah-ha. Wezpremy Utca (Street) is named for Dr. Professor Wezprenyi (d. 1784); Medgyessi Setany (Esplanade) is named for Dr. Professor Medgyessi (d. 1888). That also helps make sense of the tram stop further down the line: Kalvin Ter (Square), presumably in honor of John Calvin (d. 1564). Wow, that’s a devoted city to name its public places and tram stops after theologians.

Hungarian adventure for OLGS

2008-07-20T12:38:00.004-05:00

Guest post by OLGS--

Hello from Debrecen, Hungary, where I am taking a two-week course in Hungarian language and culture. I arrived yesterday after a lengthy flight and railroad passage. The University of Debrecen has been offering summer school in the language since 1927 and when Joe College-on-Leave and I visited the Hungarian-speaking part of Romania in 2005, our hosts urged me to work on learning the language by attending a course at Debrecen. So here I am.

Today I took my placement test and did ok. I find out my placement tomorrow morning, as do the other 200 or so summer campers here. Then it is off to language class from nine to noon, history lessons in the afternoon, language lab before dinner, folk-singing after dinner, and finally, Beer-Twenty at 20:00.

I am staying in one of the college dorms. I am glad I asked for a single room because, although very comfortable, it would be cramped with one or two more roommates. My room has a bathroom with shower & toilet and even cable TV. All the channels from Europe and the US are dubbed in Hungarian, at least as far as I could tell on one spin around the dial. Like most college dorms, this one is not air-conditioned, so this afternoon, I went on a shopping trip to the Hungarian version of BestBuy to find a fan. “MediaMarkt” is the store and I got a German make called “Das HausMeister 8400.” It required some assembly, as did the one I bought at Target last week for our home in Minneapolis. Alas, I don’t have Joe High School to do the assembly, but I managed to fumble through the Euro instructions (thank God for old French lessons) and got the thing put together and working. My room is much more comfortable now.

I have met some nice people already from Canada, Denmark, Germany, and France. There are quite a few Americans here, too. I’ll post some stories about my classmates as I proceed through the class. I explored quite a bit of the city of Debrecen today by tram and on foot. The tram is very dependable and runs every four minutes from the railway station to the University. The generic photo above shows you a tram stop scene in town.

That’s all for today. I’ll try to keep up a regular travel posting as a guest on Domestic Tranquility, the International Edition.

In the twinkling of an eye

2008-06-28T12:26:00.007-05:00

**********************************
July 17th update...see below at end of post
**********************************
Something terrible has happened. A good friend of Joe-College-on-Leave (Joe COL), Joseph Sodd III, was murdered last week while riding his moped home late at night. Joe was a high-school classmate of my Joe for three years, leaving South High in his fourth to follow his dream of becoming a dancer. He went to the Perpitch School for the Arts here and went on to dance school in Seattle. He was home for summer vacation.

I can't imagine what his family has experienced. What I did see is the amazing network of college juniors who descended on Minneapolis after Joe died. From all over the country they returned to the city to mourn and celebrate. By the time Joe's death was reported in the Star-Tribune, my Joe already knew about it at the meditation center north of Chicago where he was helping in the kitchen. These young people are connected to each other in remarkable ways, in part because of cell phones but also because they seem to understand the importance of being together, especially in terrible times.
******************************
July 17 update, by OLGS. Louise and I were away for a bit. Minneapolis Police have not made an arrest in the case. The Police are still seeking information about the murder. The phone number is 612-692-TIPS (8477)
********************************************

Pizza Dude (aka Joe H.S.) Delivers !

2008-06-16T09:56:00.005-05:00

by OLGS, guest blogger

A very nice Father's Day in Minneapolis. Louise and I did some yard work and other outdoor chores on a cool, but sunny day. Joe College Graduate and Joe College on Leave called in to talk. Last night was Game Five of the NBA Finals. The three Joes and I spent many years watching the great Kevin Garnett play for the Timberwolves in Minneapolis, shown above in a file photo. Finally, he's getting a chance for an NBA title with Boston, but alas, it did not happen last night. Pizza Dude Joe High School did make up for the disappointment by bringing home a large "Veggie Delight" in time for the 4th quarter. What a taste treat--Thanks, Joe! Kevin and the Celtics get another chance at closing out the Lakers in Game Six on Tuesday night.

School lunch

2008-06-14T11:40:00.005-05:00

Got a notice the other day that Joe High School's lunch account will expire. Given that I'm a gal of a certain age, the notion of an online lunch account, where no sordid money ever changes hands, is quite wonderful. The lunch account manager just sends you an email when there is no more money in the account, you transfer money from your checking account, and bing, it's done. Ain't modern technology grand?

All very interesting. What's even more amazing is that Joe High School now actually eats lunch (or did until Tuesday, the last day of school in the benighted Midwest). When I made lunch for him or he made his own lunch, it was seldom eaten and the dead PB & J sandwiches turned up in his backpack months later with interesting turquoise blue mold on them. When I gave him cash to buy lunch, it was usually spent on candy or potato chips because, he said, school lunch was incredibly bad. Now he eats lunch. I can tell because there's a report that one can access online. Because of the beef tacos consumed (he's a vegetarian) I suspect that he's also feeding a dozen or so close personal friends from his lunch account. Whatever.

Senator Obama yesterday at “The Place where the Pike are Caught”

2008-06-13T16:30:00.008-05:00

By OLGS, guest blogger

The presumed Democratic nominee for president keeps showing up at places of interest to me—last week at the “X” in St. Paul, yesterday in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. I heard his speech on C-SPAN radio as I happened to be driving to the Stockbridge-Munsee Indian Reservation in Shawano County, not that far from Kaukauna.

The senator gave a speech on his plan for a middle class tax cut. As I understood him, he planned to propose a $500 tax credit for wage-earners in a household who are not dependents. Let’s see…Joe College Graduate, working in Los Angeles would get $500. Louise and I would get a combined $1,000. Not bad. Joe College-on-leave and Joe High School (aka "Pizza Dude") both earn wages, but we still claim them as dependents. The people in Kaukauna seemed to like the plan, as measured by the audible applause.

Whoever introduced Sen. Obama did not tell him or the audience about the history of Kaukauna. The French were the first to write of it in the *Jesuit Relations* in the 17th century as the place on the Fox River where the Sauk Indians, the Outagamie (“Fox”) Indians, and the Menominee Indians went to catch sturgeon and also pike, hence the name in Menominee: okakaning meaning "the place where the pike are caught." Father Claude Allouez reported in 1670 that:

we passed the portage called by the natives Kekalin, our sailors dragging the canoe among rapids; while I walked on the River-bank, where I found apple-trees and vine-stocks in great numbers.

Kaukauna is the fall-line on the Fox River below Green Bay and above Lake Winnebago. The Stockbridge, Munsee, and Brothertown Indians moved there from New York State after 1822 and set up their first village in Wisconsin, with the permission of the Menominees. In 1831, the Menominees formally ceded Kaukauna to the United States in a treaty. In a separate treaty, the Stockbridges and Munsees ceded their claim to Kaukauna to the U.S. and took reserved lands about 40 miles away on the east side of Lake Winnebago. Thus, Senator Obama was speaking yesterday in lands once in possession of the Menominee Indians, and for about a decade, in joint possession of the Menominees and the Stockbridges and Munsees.

I like to think that Sen. Obama might have been interested to learn some of this history. The Stockbridges, Munsees, and Brothertown tribes were all composed of mixed Indian-European-African people. Had Senator Obama’s ancestors from Europe visited, or his ancestors from Africa visited, they might have found Kaukauna in the 1820s one of the few places in Wisconsin, or for that matter, the U.S., to welcome a European and a free African at the same time.