In Memoriam

This is a most solemn day for America. Today, we memorialize our soldiers who died in all of our nation’s battles. But, strangely, we do not memorialize our wars.

In today’s NY Times, there is a particularly moving OpEd by Owen West, a Reserve Marine. It is a must read and I exhort the Editors of the Times not to ignore it.

It starts with this quote from Lincoln’s 2nd inaugural address: “Neither party expected for the war, the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with or even before the conflict itself should cease.” Eleven percent of the adult American citizenry at that time, were soldiers and one out of seven died in the war. Those are awesome figures, especially if viewed from the perspective of our present population (300,000,000). Is it any wonder that Abe Lincoln of that day, like George Bush today, was reviled by The NY Times?

Owen West goes on to say, that the political acrimony which keeps polarizing and vitiating our understanding of the conflict in Iraq, is not only seriously hampering our efforts, it is befuddling our population about how crucially significant this mission really is. Whereas the Civil War started with the secession of the southern states from the Union, the issue of slavery eventually rose to take its rightful place as the quintessential core of the conflict. And whereas this war in Iraq (and Afghanistan) was ostensibly started to deal mortal blows to individuals like Osama and later to Saddam Hussein, we now realize that we are gravely threatened by a particularly determined and militant sector of Islam. And let’s not deceive ourselves, until fundamental political, cultural and religious changes occur in Islam, this war we are waging “against terror” will continue unabated, indefinitely.

All of us, West, East, North and South, have distanced ourselves too far from those natural human instincts with which we were originally endowed. And tragically, we are finding that our “collective intelligence” is simply not up to the task of separating ourselves from the animosities we keep generating, in such never ending profusion.

In Memoriam

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Have a Ghiacciato!

Martini Ghiacciato al Arcangelo Gabriele

>I< This photo was taken prior to placement in the freezer

Left click on it to enlarge it

Ghiacciato, Italian for “frozen” is pronounced ~ Gya-CHA-toe ~ the G is hard and the accent is on the CHA.

A Martini requires an olive and a Gibson a small cocktail onion. But a Ghiacciato demands three onions and three olives speared separately on small cocktail sabers. My own divinely inspired name for this cocktail, is Martini Ghiacciato al Arcangelo Gabriele. You can find it nowhere but in the privacy and intimacy of your own home ~ and this is how it is made:

Pour 7 ozs of your finest gin into a measuring cup and add 2 ozs of Martini Rossi Extra Dry Vermouth. Now, gently impale three onions and three olives onto their respective sabers and place a pair into each glass. Fill the half-liter stainless steel decanter with ice cubes. Then, after pouring an ounce or two of the mixture into each glass to wet the olives and onions, pour the contents of both glasses and what is left in the cup into the decanter. Cap it and after shaking it well, place the decanter and the two glasses in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator.

If you are having a home cooked evening repast with your beloved spouse, or in her stead a befriended femme fatale, make certain your mixed drink has been in the freezer for at least an hour. When ready to dine, take the frosted glasses out of the freezer and holding the ice-clad decanter with a towel, shake it a few times and pour about an ounce of the slushy cocktail into each glass. Clink your toast and sip a palate moistening bit at a time. As your dinner proceeds, munch on an olive or an onion, but keep what remains on each saber immersed in the drink. If poured, sipped and nibbled judiciously, the remainder of your elixir will sustain both of you in a protracted state of bliss, throughout your entire meal. Salute! (Sa-LOO-teh, as they say in Italy)

If this posting is being read by a woman, please reverse the genders of each noun and pronoun to make it gender proper. I would be delighted to accept the invitation of any woman reader, except Maureen Dowdy of the NY Times. But should I be imprudent enough to accept an invitation from her, you may rest assured I'll be wearing a steel reinforced jock strop.

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Be a blogger!

Pondering his new laptop

To blog or not to blog, that is the question!

Whether ‘tis nobler to phrase our thoughts

Or let them drift unmorphed, into oblivion

My dear Family and Friends,

What will it take to get you to start your own blogs?

In ever increasing numbers, people here in the United States and all over the world are now happily blogging away. They are discovering that keeping a cyber-journal is a dramatically effective way to communicate with themselves as well as with others. They are also finding it clarifies their thinking and their use of language(s). With access to dictionaries, thesauri and encyclopedias only a key stroke away, composing a blog can facilitate filling those myriad gaps in our education. What a remarkable learning tool it is for the young; and what a nearly fail-safe way it provides for the elderly, to stem the tide of cerebral entropy.

Although blogs are public websites, they can be as personal and as intimate as a hand inscribed diary. Not surprisingly, some bloggers have several cyber-journals, depending on the content they want each to contain and the readers they want each to reach. The programs are awesomely comprehensive and yet quite easy to learn.The most popular ones are free.

Imagine how much more William Shakespeare would have bequeathed to us, had there been an internet and had he been able to acquire and use a computer!

Please! Don't tarry! Send me your blogsite ASAP

Dom Gabriele

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Dear Dom, You are right! Oh what I would have given to tap my immortal words into the glorious infinitude of cyberspace. Thoughts tend to be intricately intertwined with feelings. Before they can be expressed precisely, they must first be separated from passion and then very honestly examined. How fascinating that process is! ~ Bard of Avonx

Dear Dom, Would that all the great writers like Milton, Francis Bacon, and yes even the more modern men like Churchill, Mahatma Ghandi, etc. were able to Blog. What a trove of stimulating education we would now possess. I hope to join you in cyberspace as time permits. In the meantime continue Blogging ~ Tony Correoso

Surgical Reprieve

Ectropion Surgery Deferred

After an assiduous course of eyelid hygiene and nighttime application of an ophthalmic ointment, the inflammation in my left eye subsided and the swelling receded substantially. As of now, my lower lid no longer droops as it did before. The burning and grittiness I felt are also gone. Hallelujah!

Actually, although I dare not disparage the therapy I just described, I do believe that my eye turned around dramatically, when I began taking long, hard, swan’s-eye looks at Leda (Check Correggio’s painting of her in the post below)

Eyelid hygiene should be done regularly, whether we have an affliction or not. I am impressed with a product called Eye-Scrub. It is a plastic sealed gauze pad that is saturated with a soothing, soapy, non-burning, ooze. I recommend that before retiring, you rub both eyes with it and then rinse them with warm water. Women will find these pads very useful when cleansing their eyes of makeup. Most drugstores carry this product. But sorry, guys, I don't know where you can find that sensual portrait of Leda.

>I< Incidentally, if you have never done so on our previous postings, try left clicking on the photo above. You will be amazed by the clarity of the magnification. Then, to return to this post, left click on the left pointing "Back" arrow at the upper left corner of your screen.

Comments: mailto:domgab85@aol.com xxx

Hi Dom, I'm glad to learn about your surgical reprieve. Maybe ogling Leda had a curative effect. The story about the Emperor Penguins was very informative. I hope Al Gore's Inconvenient Truth doesn't change things for those marvelous birds ~ Tony Correoso Tcorre12@aol.com

Da Vinci's Leda Code

Leda and the Swan ~ her secret is bared

( I updated this post, which first appeared here in November 2004 )

Leda, spouse of King Tyndareus of ancient Sparta, bore him two mortal children, Castor and Clytemnestra. The latter grew up to become the wife of King Agamemnon, who commanded the Greek forces in the Trojan War. Upon his return from Troy, Clytemnestra, with the assistance of her lover, killed him while he was bathing. After Leda bore her first two children, her marital fidelity lapsed. She allowed Zeus, Lord of the Sky, to come to her in the guise of a Swan. And together, they produced two immortal babies, Pollux and Helen. The latter was later to figure in the Trojan War.

It is an established mythological fact that Helen, the most beautiful woman ever created, is immortal. She is the daughter of Zeus! But where and how does she spend her time? My guess is that she keeps incorporating herself into the persona of various women with whom she knows she can resonate. She could be reposing in Britney Spears or perhaps also in Hillary Clinton. Indeed, I have reason to suspect that she visits at my house and tarries happily with Lenore, my beloved wife. And now that the youthful and vivacious Dr. Barbara Fuchs has moved to Heritage Hills, this ubiquitous goddess may even decide to blend with her. (A preeminent educator, Barbara is now with the Putnam Valley School System. Google makes several extended references to her)

The first major painter to depict Leda with her lusting Swan was Leonardo Da Vinci. So awesomely beautiful was his painting, it was immediately purchased by a French aristocrat. But so disturbingly erotic was its effect upon him, his wife tore it from the wall and burned it. Although we can never know what Leonardo’s painting really looked like, Da Sesto did copy it just before it was sold. However, for this post, I chose the more sensual painting by Correggio (1531).

In our misguided efforts to keep mythological goddesses and gods out of our everyday lives, do we not deprive ourselves of a unique source of fascinating melodrama? Why must we settle for the banality of TV Soap Opera?

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Dom, As you know, I am Zeus's wife, and as you are already aware, there isn't a woman my husband looks at that he doesn't try to copulate with. I remember the night well when he came home from visiting with Leda. He was covered with white feathers, and he refused to explain. I am the goddess of marriage and the protector of married women, but Zeus defeats me at every turn. Helen should never have happened. While I will keep trying to make Zeus stay home, don't expect too much. He's too much! ~ Hera, Queen of Gods

Dom, You surprised me when you described Zeus as being over-sexed and that he appeared to women in different guises. I thought you were about to blow my cover. I too live on mountains and like Zeus, I love hurling thunderbolts. I am unfindable when you search for me and I am indestructible. But why, you may ask, do I walk up and down these hills with such a tall walking stick? Who am I, really? ~ Osama

The Emperor Penguin!

An absolutely “must see” documentary

( It will make you ponder the human condition )

With the perpetually frozen waste at the South Pole in need of an infusion of life, the creator decided to inoculate that frigid region with a special and very durable colony of feathered creatures, Emperor Penguins. These are aquatic birds that cannot fly. They prefer to swim in icy waters and walk or belly flop on the snow and ice.

This fantastic documentary illustrates how at the beginning of each Antarctic winter, these birds join in a slow march from the water's edge to a solid surfaced breeding ground. The distance some have to travel could be as much as 70 miles. But mind you, this migration takes place during six months of polar darkness at temperatures lower than 50 degrees below zero and while the winds howl at speeds greater than 100 mph. And what do they do when they arrive at their destination? They pair off, they copulate and they bring forth a chick (or two).

What follows, is also astonishing. The mother passes off the hatched chick to the father to tend and protect while she returns to their swimming grounds, where she dives into the water and quickly gulps all the fish she can swallow (penguins can dive more than 1700 feet and remain submerged for as long as 15 minutes). Finally, engorged with food, she starts her march back to the rookery. When she locates her mate and offspring, she slowly regurgitates the contents of her gizzard into the little one's gaping and peeping mouth. Temporarily relieved of his paternal duty, the starving father, having had no sustenance for four months, begins his own return to their habitat. Following waveringly in his wake, the mother and their growing chick waddle after him.

The devotion, the dedication, the tenderness and the (sans lust) love that these aquatic birds exhibit are beyond belief. By comparison, the faults and shortcomings of the human race are glaringly conspicuous. The penguin's serenity and equanimity, its balance, its determination and its incandescent clarity of goal and role are in sharp contrast to the human being's unrelenting violence and self-destructive dissonance? But what is it that a species really needs, to survive and be at peace with itself? It would appear, from viewing this documentary, that perhaps greater reliance on instinct than "intelligence" may be the answer.

Please Note: This fascinating film describes a specific colony of Emperor Penguins, whose abode lies along one of the coldest coasts of Antarctica. There are about 17 species of penguins and they are distributed widely along the southernmost tips of Africa, South America, Australia, New Zealand and even the Galapagos Islands. Although all penguins may look alike, each species has its own distinctive physical and behavioral characteristics.

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Aversa ~ RIP

May 3, 2006

Alphonse R. Aversa, MD
Mt Kisco Medical Group
90 South Bedford
Mt Kisco, NY 10549

Dear Al,

It was with great sadness that Lenore and I read your father’s obituary. We hasten to convey to you and your family, our heartfelt condolences.

My own father, who died many years ago also had a pharmaceutical background. He was the son of a pharmacist in a small town in Abruzzi. But unlike your father, mine had a mischievous streak in his system. Unbeknownst to his parents, he used to make small bombs in his father’s pharmacy. He loved exploding those bombs in the local river and when he did so, he never failed to bring home a rich harvest of fish. He also had a penchant for purloining fruit from the town priest’s orchard and he became the object of many a sermon, in and out of church. But eventually he met my mother here in New York and when they had me, he straightened out.

Interestingly, your father, who was 10 years my junior, served in the European Theater of Operations during World War II, at about the same time I was there. What a pity that our paths never crossed. But I’ll always be grateful that the fates arranged for my wife and me to meet you and be under your care.

Be assured, as has always been the case, your father continues to be in good hands.

Coraggio,

Dom and Lenore

Readers, please note: A funeral mass is scheduled to be held on Friday at 10:00 AM, at the Holy Innocents Church in Pleasantville, New York, where Rocco was a communicant and a Trustee.

Senilitas

Ectropion ~ I have it

Overview: (From website of St. Luke's Hospital, NY)

Patients with ectropion have a sagging lower eyelid that leaves the eye exposed and dry. It is caused by a lack of tone of the delicate muscles that hold the lid taut against the eye. Excessive tearing is common with ectropion, but wiping the tears away only causes the lid to sag more. Ectropion is most common among people over the age of 60.

Signs and Symptoms:

Irritation, burning, gritty sandy feeling, excessive tearing and a red, irritated eyelid.

Treatment:

The irritation can be temporarily relieved with artificial tears and ointments to lubricate the eye, however, surgery to tighten the lid is usually necessary to correct the problem. (The arrow points approximately to where the surgical "tuck" is taken in)

During my recent eye checkup, I prevailed upon Dr. Michael Cohen, Mount Kisco Medical Group's ophthalmologist, to perform a "system restore." Later this month, with his surgical skill and my waning recuperative reserve, we will endeavor to repair my dysfunctional eyelid. Closing note: Dr. Cohen's staff is quite impressive. One cannot help but notice that his receptionists, his aides and his assistants are an efficient, well-trained and exceptionally gracious group of people.

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Hi Dom, Sorry to learn of your Ectropion. I am sure your surgery will be uneventful. Michael Cohen is also my ophthalmologist and I am pleased with his efficiency and competence. Your blog is very educational to all who read it ~ Tony Correoso