The war to end all wars!

November 11, 2008

Veterans' Day in the U.S., Armistice Day in Europe. The day that commemorates those millions of men and women who gave their lives for a cause in the war that was to end all wars!

War is something I'll never understand. A long-held, pet theory of mine is physically, humans evolved from four-legged creatures to sophisticated explorers and creators and connoisseurs of art and literature but mentally we have ways to go. Once we are fully evolved mentally as well, we sill stop fighting, we'll all become just and rational.

My friend Lou who was a WW II veteran passed away last year at the age of 86. This was due to some medical screw up. He had won a purple heart which as a pacifist he threw away later.

Lou was an exceptionally talented man. He drew the most hilarious cartoons and wrote great stuff almost till the last day of his life. How many poets, how many writers and how many other kinds of artists we lose in wars! And how many other wonderful folks. War: What a waste! I know there are those who see it differently, but I'll keep dreaming that one day there won't be any wars.

The bad thing about being able to see your gym from you bedroom is you can't wait to get there. Call me crazy! Maybe it's the newness of this situation as opposed to having my old gym seven traffic lights away, that was there at 5 a.m. this morning (of course, my old gym opened only at 6). I don't mind if I can keep this up.

Planning to go see Madagscar 2 Africa tonight. Should be fun.

Read a nice essay by Andrew Leonard on Salon.com Nov 10, 2008) and also sent him a nice note. Here is the essay: http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/?last_story=/tech/htww/2008/11/10/john_leonard/

And here is my comment:

Sorry about your loss

Hi, Andrew,

I stumbled upon your essay quite accidentally and I'm glad I did (I'm not a regular visitor here; too bad there are only so many hours in a day). It was a moving tribute to your father and in turn to the saner side of America. This redemptive election made us feel hopeful again about many things in life. How wonderful it'd have been if your father had lived to see the day Adlai Stevenson's defeat was finally avenged.

As a foreign student, who moved here in the early 1970's, to behold Nixon (having seen only the likes of Rock Hudson, Elvis Presley, Bobby and Jack Kenendy till then, it was hard for me to believe that Nixon was also American) in the White House was very difficult. Later, it was even harder to learn that a smart and decent guy like Stevenson had lost the election years ago. For a minute I wodnered if I were really in the U.S.
On 11/4/08, suddenly and iexplicably, the world wasn't so topsy turvy anymore. Too bad your dad passed away without seeing this.

Yes, writers write!

Got to go! Dad wants dinner. He hasto go for dialysis.