Civic Responsibilities

Last week, I received a package of election materials in the mail.  They were not from the United States.  Regular elections there will not occur before 2012, although that is a real shame, given some of the mind-blowing wretches who were voted into office in 2010.  I fervently wish that some, among them the Governor of Wisconsin, would slink off into the parallel universe they inhabit that bears little resemblance to the Real World.

No, these materials were sent to me by the Préfecture in Lausanne.

Being in the throes of a writing project when the unexpected package arrived, I set it aside until the weekend.  It was somewhat daunting, to say the least.  The thick package of materials included three different voting lists, with a total of 71 candidates.  Fortuitously for me, Catherine Nelson-Pollard came to my rescue with a well-timed blog post about local elections in Vaud and I realized what a lovely privilege I have.

Switzerland is unique among Western countries in that it practices direct democracy.  Any Swiss citizen has the right to challenge any Swiss law at any time.  As was made clear to me by the mailing, paper ballots are used.  Voting here occurs approximately four times a year on various issues.  The issues may include Referendums, where policies are directly voted upon by the people and elections, where public officials are selected.  In fact, the materials I received are for elections in my commune (municipality), for our Mayor (syndic) and Municipal Council (conseil communal).

All Swiss citizens 18 and over are eligible to vote.  In recent years, some Swiss cantons, Geneva and Vaud among them, have also granted foreigners the right to vote in communal elections provided they meet certain conditions.  In addition to being 18 years old, the voting requirements for foreigners in Vaud, where I live, are the following:

- They have lived continuously and legally in Switzerland for at least the past ten years;

- They have lived continuously and legally in Vaud for at least the past three years;

- They are currently legal residents of a commune in Vaud and have declared that residence to Swiss authorities.

After nearly 17 years of living here, with recent changes to the voting law insofar as it relates to foreign residents, I finally tick all the boxes so that I am considered eligible to vote here.   This right is limited to communal elections only.  Unless I become a Swiss national, I cannot vote in cantonal or federal elections, nor may I vote on a referendum. 

Unlike the United States, where two political parties dominate, even though political philosophies within each may cover a wide spectrum, here there are seven.  Ranging from the “left” to the “right” of the political spectrum, they are: Parti POP-Gauche en movement-La Gauche; the Parti Verts et Ouverts; the Parti Socialiste; the Parti Indépendant (PIN); the Parti Vert’Libéral; the Parti PLR-Les Libéraux-Radicaux and the Parti Union Démocratique du Centre.  One can see where things get confused.  The one thing that one can pretty much count on is that when one votes for a member of a particular political party, that individual believes in and is representative of that party's philosophy.  So research is required before these elections, which are scheduled for 13 March. 

I have three different lists.  One list contains only one name so it appears fairly simple.  The second contains six names, of which I may vote for five, or I may write in up to five other eligible candidates.  The third contains a list of 64 names.  I may vote for a maximum of 55 of these, or I may write in up to 55 names of other eligible individuals.  Where required, supplemental run-off elections will be scheduled in April.

In 1964, when I left the United States to work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco, I was 20 years old.  The voting age in the US was 21 at that time, so I was not eligible to vote that year.  Because I did not live in the United States again until 1970, the first US Presidential election in which I was able to vote occurred in 1972, when I was 28 years old.  That was a long time to wait.  But I proudly cast an anti-war vote for Senator George McGovern.  I am still proud of that vote.

The voting age in the US has long since been lowered to 18.  For me, the right to vote has always been one that I have exercised at every opportunity.  Whether I have liked the options or not, there has always been a clear choice for me.  Having received this privilege, even limited as it is, here in Switzerland, I will do my best to exercise it responsibly.

Milestones

It's official!  Prince Tyger will attend pre-school in the Fall.  Papa Big T and Sweet Momma H have had to visit several pre-schools in the area, make formal applications and then schedule "play dates" at each of the options they were considering.  In other words, the Tyger literally had to "audition" for a place.  Evidently, places at pre-schools - these were all private options - are at a premium.  According to what his parents have described, the selection process is almost every bit as daunting - and as expensive - as for entry into university.

While they hadn't expected to hear from any of their selections until mid-March, he was accepted almost immediately by one.  According to the proud parents, the head of admissions at that school told them that Prince Tyger had "impressed them all" and that he was "way beyond" his age group.  Of course, Proud Grandmom has always believed that - what dotingly proud grandparent has not!  But it is always delightful to have one's belief confirmed by an independent and theoretically neutral third party.

One example cited by the observers was that, while the other toddlers were simply playing with dolls, Prince Tyger kept turning the doll around and around in order to find out where its noise mechanism was located.  The Tyger has always been fascinated by inner workings, and literally becomes engrossed in operational "hows."

In fact, he is so fascinated by innards that he often discards the externals.  For instance, Sweet Momma H described his treatment of his "Sleep Sheep" - a stuffed toy sheep that makes soothing sounds such as rain, ocean and whale heartbeats. Prince Tyger has removed its internal noise mechanism and carries it around.  The fact that it resembles a walkie-talkie likely helps.  He never plays with the stuffed animal itself.  He also likes to rig tow lines.

Evidently, Prince Tyger passed every "test" with flying colors and proved himself more than ready for "school."  One of the principal tests dealt with his acceptance of being separated from his parents to join the play group.  He passed this one too, at least for the "audition."

It remains to be seen whether that will always be the case.  Like Princess Butterfly, he is growing up way too fast!  

Meditation on a rural churchyard

I had lived in my little haven here for three years, but it was HWMBO who discovered our local cemetery nearby during his visit last fall.  I must have passed by it countless times on my way into town.  But I usually use the lower path that follows the stream bordering the park of the local château.  I hadn't really noticed what there was on the road higher up close to the school.

It hadn't occurred to me that a cemetery would be located right next to an elementary school, also a soccer field and a boules pitch.  I had been fortunate in never having to wonder where it was.   But HWMBO was surprised that I hadn't noticed it before.  So we both had to go and wander through.  At the time, however, I hadn't brought my camera with me.  Today was the kind of gloomy day to put me into a melancholic mood, so I decided to revisit the cemetery, this time with my camera.

Judging by the fresh flowers that were placed at several of the gravesites, I was not the first to stop by this morning.

There were even several bouquets gracing the wall where urns have been placed for those who chose cremation rather than burial.

While the older gravestones were quite modest,

others reflected a modern style.

Some sites were decorated with symbols of Spring and Summer.

Others blended into sculpted foliage.

Throughout there was a feeling of peace as I wandered, reflecting on those who lay there, as well as those they had left behind.

On the way home, it was timely to see yet another reminder that our presence here on Earth is ephemeral

and whimsical - or so it can seem sometimes.

Winemaking as comedy

Last week, TSR 1 began airing a comedy series filmed in the canton of Vaud, where I reside.  The series, called colloquially, if ungrammatically, "T'es pas la seule" ("You're not the only one"), has been filmed in the region around Begnins which is not far from my own little town.  Begnins is located a little farther from the lake than I am, but its elevation provides a stunningly panoramic view of Lake Geneva and the Alps, as can be seen at its official site here.  As with most of this agricultural region, it is also a wine-producing area.

The series theme revolves around three sisters, one of whom struggles to recast herself as a wine producer after inheriting a wine estate from an eccentric aunt.  As a former city dweller, Eve's previous experience with wine has been only with the finished product.  It is thus no surprise that this new undertaking comes with complications.  Her husband suffers from professional burn-out and her two children enliven the scene.   Her jet-setting top-model sister returns to "help" and Eve is further encumbered, among other things, by a stubborn cleaning woman, jealous neighbors, an unexpected heir who challenges her right to the property, as well as the occasional spectral return of her opinionated late aunt.

The young women are all quite easy on the eyes, as can be seen in this trailer. 

The series is produced by Rita Productions, a Geneva-based film company that also produces documentaries.  It prides itself on presenting unexpected readings of modern society.  The second episode in the series will air at 8 pm this evening.  I'm still trying to decide whether I like it, but it is always fun to see this beautiful area on the little screen.

Communicating Cousins

In these days of marvelous telecommunications, long distance obstacles can be surmounted to a certain extent.  Thus, during my recent visit to the US, we tried to see whether Princess Butterfly and Prince Tyger would actually speak to each other during a Skype call.

At first, even Baby Prince Attani got to see the TV for a few seconds.  He usually doesn't get to watch TV at all, so you can see how alert to the taste of forbidden fruit he was here.

Of course, while the Big Ones spoke for a few moments, Prince Tyger tuned out entirely.

But he joined right in so long as Princess Butterfly entertained him, as here

and here.

Afterwards, Prince Tyger entertained the Big Ones

with excited recaps.

He believes that Princess Butterfly is his very own TV star.

Printer Daze

I first had the problems in February 2010.  I arose one morning to find that my formerly trustworthy little printer was flashing an incomprehensible error message.  As is my usual technique for dealing with such issues, I simply turned the printer off, rebooted the PC and then turned the printer back on.  Et voilà!  I was right back in business.

A few days later, it happened again as I was trying to print out my Swiss tax forms.  Swiss taxes are due by 15 March.  I tried my reboot technique but this time, the printer would not work at all.  So I segued into Plan B.  That consisted of turning off printer and computer and unplugging and replugging all connections to ensure that nothing had worked itself loose.  After switching both machines back on, no problem.  The Swiss tax forms and supporting documentation printed out like a charm.  I breathed a great sigh of relief.  The Swiss version of the IRS would not show up on my doorstep demanding immediate surrender of my visa as well as my deportation.  Of course, that left the IRS itself to satisfy.  But I could print those forms out during my visit to the US.  HWMBO's printer always works.  It wouldn't dare not to.

Then the error messages began happening again.  Neither Plan A nor Plan B did the trick.  So, it was time for Plan C: calling the guru himself.  HWMBO offered a couple of suggestions beyond what I had already tried.  Nothing worked.  So I did without.  I imposed on friends when I absolutely needed something scanned or printed.  Or, when I was working, I would take care of my few needs at the office.

My little printer sat quietly in my office for several months, apparently resting up during its disgrace to make me look like an idiot.  Because when HWMBO arrived last fall, the first thing that he did was to turn the blasted printer on.  And it worked!  Not only that, but it functioned perfectly during the two months that he was here.  It was working just fine when we left to spend the year-end holidays in the US.

Then I returned to Switzerland.  At first, everything seemed in working order.  But on my second day here, an error message from the printer greeted me once again.  When I tried my reboot technique (Plan A), a different error message showed up.  With Plan B, an entirely different error message appeared.  At last, I resorted to Plan C.  After many frustrating attempts to get the printer to respond under HWMBO's Skype tutelage, he suggested that perhaps I should just get a new printer.  This wasn't the first time that he had suggested this solution; it was simply the first time that I was receptive.

Now I really hate to get something new unless the old one is clearly broken and can't be fixed.  I firmly believed that the printer, which we had gotten in 2006, should have a few good years left.  So I decided to let it sit for a time.  Even then, the light wouldn't even turn on.  So I gave up and gave in.  Over the weekend, HWMBO and I discussed printers.

Yesterday, I set off for our local discount retailer, MediaMarkt, which had advertised an HP (Hewlett Packard) all-in-one printer for CHF 79.  It seemed that it would be perfect for my needs, and at a good price.  But evidently it was such a good deal that the model was no longer available.  I checked through everything that was on offer in approximately the same price range - from CHF 70-CHF 129.  These included three Canon and two Epson models.  I then stopped at the Fust store nearby to see what models and prices they had.   They had the HP model we had settled on, but at CHF 99.

Having waited this long, I decided to research all models on the web and to discuss the matter further with HWMBO.  He preferred that I go with the HP model because he has one, likes their problem-solving interface and could guide me through my problems more easily from 3,000 miles away, as he must.

Before leaving to purchase the HP model, I informed my printer that it was going to be replaced unless it shaped up.  Unimpressed, it still refused even to flicker.  But at Fust today, I discovered that, while my printer model was still available, its price had increased by CHF 20!   When I expressed dismay at this overnight increase, I was informed that Fust "always" changes its prices after the 21st of the month and that the increased price was still a sale price in comparison to the regular amount.  I decided - unhappily - that I had to do something to break this losing cycle, so I gulped and bought the printer after all.

Upon returning home, before opening and removing the new printer from its box, I gave my recalcitrant old printer one final chance.  Would you believe it - the blasted thing started right up!  I was so excited that I went ahead and executed a Wizard file to reconfigure it.  I hadn't been able to do this earlier because the computer and the printer were refusing to communicate at all.  Lo and behold, in spite of a couple error messages popping up, the reconfiguration seemed to work!  For the first time since December, the printer actually printed a test page.  After four tries, I was even able to scan a document successfully.  Before I could start to believe again, however, the error messages began again and the machine was unusable.

That printer is now stashed in the box the new printer used to occupy.  I'll keep it in my basement storage until HWMBO comes again.  I amazed myself by setting up and configuring the new printer successfully and without problems.  After what I had undergone with the old one, it was a snap.

And now I have a functioning printer!  At long - long - last!

From the Middle East to the US Mid West ...

The mostly peaceful uprisings of populations fed up with inequality, corruption, cronyism and repression of basic human rights continue their ripple effects across the Middle East.  They have spread east and west from Tunisia, the initial spark that has been the most effective.

First, there were the seemingly successful uprisings in Cairo and elsewhere throughout Egypt, that most US media outlets no longer follow closely.  Many in Egypt are wary of their "success" so long as Mubarak's chief cheerleader and "former" torture guru, Suleiman, remains in power.  We should be wary too.  Libya, Yemen and Bahrain have followed suit.  In Libya, long-entrenched dictator al-Gaddafi has vowed to remain in power until "the last man standing."  I, for one, have no reason to doubt his resolution.  Some sources report uprising-related deaths there amount to 300 so far. To date, Yemen's uprising has not been so bloody.  Nor has Bahrain's, which Robert Fisk describes as "more a civil rights movement than a mass of republican rebels ...."  At least, so far. 

While Algeria and uprisings there have been in the news lately, yesterday was the first day that significant demonstrations were also reported to occur in my beloved Morocco.  Of course, being the fairly Westernized and more liberal society that Morocco represents, those protests also have been peaceful.  It is not simply repressive Arab regimes that are feeling the effects. Even China is worried.

But what the media have been slower to report have been the uprisings that have been gaining strength in the US state of Wisconsin, where there is a patently overt attempt by the radical right wing to prohibit collective bargaining, primarily that in unions representing public workforces where women are traditionally in the majority.   Even the captain of the Super Bowl winning team, Wisconsin's Green Bay Packers, has joined in support of the protesters.   The crowds, small at first, are gaining strength and support.  In fact, the Wisconsin protesters are also being supported by pizza from well-wishers in Cairo, Egypt, among concerned citizens in at least 11 other countries and by fellow US citizens in at least 38 out of 50 states.  Is the US really to be next?

So long as short-sighted politicians - of either party - continue to pander to the lowest and most uninformed, I sincerely hope so.  Too much has already been ceded to the selfish Haves in the top two percent, while the Have-Nots have been forced to grovel, cower and beg for the slightest crumb - even in the once shining ideal known as the USA.  Too many forget that public employees are also taxpayers.  Further, those public employees perform services for all.  If each one of us had to pay for such services individually, they would cost us far more.  Too many of us would not be able to afford them when we need them and those of us who are not in the upper two percent of the US population would continue our drift into the burgeoning underclass - literally a crime for such a rich country.

Collective bargaining is indeed a Last Stand for public employees.  If they lose, we ALL will.

Bilingualism and Alzheimer's

As a former teacher of French at the secondary level, I have always been in favor of teaching languages in addition to English in US public schools.  It is arguable that English itself might be better off taught as a foreign language to American students.  Too many seem not even to have a firm grammatical grasp of our supposed national language even after having been taught for twelve or more years.  But that is not my issue here.

There are many good reasons for students to learn at least one language in addition to English.  These rationales range from increasing cultural knowledge, sensitivity and empathy to improving one's chances in the ever more competitive global marketplace, provided that one has skills and training to complement one's linguistic achievements.  Having lived in a multicultural, multilingual European society for nearly 17 years, I believe that many young Americans will be quite startled to discover that not only are educational systems in Europe superb, but they are every bit as good as our own.  In some cases, they are superior.  Most pertinent to the topic here, many if not most students educated in continental European systems are fluent in English in addition to their native language.  Many are fluent in three or more languages.  Being bilingual is not exceptional at all here; being monolingual is.

My view that any other system may be superior to that of the USA borders on heresy for some.    While I hate to burst their bubble, our insular view of our own systems - especially those of health, education and social welfare - as superior to those of all others, without regard to the facts, has not served us well.  That insularity prevents us from addressing the dysfunctionalities of our systems in any practical, logical or meaningful fashion.  So we lurch from bad to worse, while politicians without backbones pander to the lowest instincts of the least informed among us.  Sad to say, there are even English-only movements afoot in this 21st century.

But now, there is another rationale for bilingualism that is very practical.  We are rapidly becoming a population weighted more heavily with seniors like me.  We live longer than most in previous generations.  Our impact on overburdened health systems is already disquieting.  One of the most dreaded and devastating diseases to which we are prone is the insidious Alzheimer's that inexorably eats away at our brain cells to leave us literally rattling around in otherwise healthy physical shells.

While there is still much to be discovered about this disease, one heartening bit of news for those of us who have learned and use other languages regularly is that recent studies indicate that bilingualism can ward off an early onset of Alzheimer's.   The studies also indicate that bilingual children are better at prioritizing tasks and multitasking.

Ellen Bialystok, a psychologist at York University in Toronto, whose research was recently published in the journal Neurology, concludes:

"Being bilingual has certain cognitive benefits and boosts the performance of the brain, especially one of the most important areas known as the executive control system.  We know that this system deteriorates with age but we have found that at every stage of life it functions better in bilinguals. They perform at a higher level. It won't stop them getting Alzheimer's disease, but they can cope with the disease for longer."

Judith Kroll, a psychologist at Penn State University, also conducted research that supports the idea that speaking more than one language keeps the brain in shape and bolsters mental function. Her research found that bilingual speakers could outperform monolinguals in mental tasks such as editing out irrelevant information and focusing on important details.

"We would probably refer to most of these cognitive advantages as multi-tasking.  Bilinguals seem to be better at this type of perspective-taking.  The received wisdom was that bilingualism created confusion, especially in children. The belief was that people who could speak two or more languages had difficulty using either. The bottom line is that bilingualism is good for you."

I am heartened to see that the studies reinforce what I have experienced and witnessed in my own life.  Learning more than one language does not result in confusion.  It results in additional capacity to cope with life.  For one thing, it breaks down the rigidity of one linguistic code and opens the mind to another, thus opening that mind to new perceptions and experiences as well as enhancing communication possibilities, needed now more than ever.  The new linguistic code(s) can also help to prevent the mind from stagnation.

I am also happy to see my own grandchildren delighting in the antics of Dora the Explorer and already counting and singing in Spanish.  I hope that this is only the beginning for them.  I would love for them to learn French, Arabic, Chinese and whatever other languages their little hearts desire.  There is so much that is lovely to experience in the world, so long as we open our minds to it.  

Look-alikes

In general, a "look-alike" (sosie, fr.) is a person who closely resembles another.  Look-alikes are especially notable when a person bears a close physical resemblance to a celebrity.  Because Prince Tyger is nothing less than a celebrity to me, it is fun to see that his baby brother, Prince Attani, is growing more and more to look like Prince Tyger did at approximately the same age.

Here, for example, is Prince Tyger when he was a little older than three months, happily playing on the floor with his mobile.

Little Prince Attani, here at just three months, is a bit smaller than Big Bro at the same age, but he has the same big eyes and the same shock of black hair.  Like his Big Bro, he is very interested in the world about him.  Unfortunately, he is not quite as safe playing on the floor as Big Bro used to be.

That is because Big Bro likes to run around the room with his toys.  Sometimes Prince Tyger forgets about Baby Bro altogether.  This worries Sweet Momma H, who doesn't want Prince Attani to end up as a domestic casualty even before he is four months old!  And Prince Attani doesn't want that either!

So he doesn't get to play on the floor as much as Prince Tyger did.  Prince Tyger used to spend a LOT of time on the floor.

And he loved it.

Little Prince Attani generally has moments of floor time when Daddy Big T has taken Prince Tyger away somewhere else - like to swimming or soccer lessions. 

And he loves his floor time too!

But it's a good thing that Proud Grandmom has labelled the photos.  It is sometimes difficult to tell which of the two they depict!

Fondue and fendant - a no-no?

Although the late November-early December 2010 period roared in like a lion, with unprecedented levels of snow lakeside here in la Suisse, the weather has since not lived up to that early promise.  In fact, in all but high glacier areas, the ski season, indeed the season for all winter sports, has been quite dismal for stations in this area, I'm sorry to say.

Even though the weather where I am is so lovely that I can hardly complain, and fortunately, we did have a nice rain yesterday to increase the ground water table somewhat, there is still a distinct nip in the air to remind us that we have not - yet - seen the last of winter.  That means that the weather still provides a very nice excuse to enjoy one of the local staples of cooler weather: la fondue au fromage (cheese fondue) - not that some of us need an excuse for having fondue any time whatsoever.

Generally, a meal with fondue begins with a light green salad, which may or may not be accompanied or followed by local specialties such as the paper-thin dried meat from Grisons (la viande séchée des Grisons), that literally melts in one's mouth, pâté de campagne and crisp gherkins (cornichons).  One generally eats fondue by dipping pieces of crusty bread into the melted cheese with long forks made especially for this purpose.  Small boiled potatoes, the aforementioned viande des Grisons and gherkins can also be included and dipped into the melted cheese as well.  The beverage of choice is usually a white wine, served liberally, with fendant being preferred in la Suisse romande (French-speaking Switzerland).

Few of those who have never travelled in Switzerland know fendant, with its light fresh taste.  And that is just the way that we who do know it want things to stay.  Fendant is one of the most popular white wines from the Valais wine-producing region.  The wine is so popular in-country that it is basically consumed by those of us who live here.  There isn't much, if any, left for export, which is actually true for all Swiss wines.  But a good fondue, accompanied by a good fendant - and I have yet to try a fendant that is not good - can approach the sublime.

So it was with interest that I read the results of a recent study done by researchers at the University of Zurich demonstrating that it is better for the digestion to drink black tea with fondue than it is to drink an equivalent amount of fendant.   Further, a glass of water may serve as a better digestif than does a glass of kirsch.  Each of the study participants was subjected to a breath test every 15 minutes.  These tests measured the presence in the breath of a carbon isotope that exists in the fondue mixture.  This isotope shows how fast the meal passes through the small intestine.   The results of the study showed that alcohol considerably slowed down the digestive process.  More than half of the fondue remained in the stomachs of those who drank wine and kirsch, compared to those who drank tea and water.  These results were recently published in the British Medical Journal.

The encouraging thing for those of us who love our wine is that the study did not find any basis for a determination that drinking wine with fondue had a negative effect on the subjective well-being of any of the participants.  They were no more subject to gastric upsets or bloating than those who drank tea and water.  One who is otherwise in good health can continue to drink whatever one wants with fondue without worrying about eventual problems with digestion.

So, I will be quite happy to continue imbibing fendant with my fondue.  I can't quite imagine approaching the sublime with black tea.

Little Pelé Rising Redux

There's still a lot to learn about soccer - and a lot more practice is required.  It's not easy when you're a little guy in a what seems like a big gym.

But Prince Tyger is doing pretty well for the most part.  Of course, like the rest of the class, he tunes in and out.

The coach asks for a show of hands to see who is listening.  No hands are raised.  But Prince Tyger and his friend Princess G are paying attention to something.

The Tyger practices kicking the ball between his coach's legs and is - more or less - successful.  It seems that there are lots of legs, big and little, all around.

He keeps at it.

With Daddy Big T's encouragement, he tries again but is a bit confused by another ball in play.  So a little princess comes right along to help out - with an almost professional kick.  She makes it look easy.

Still, both boys - Big and Little - are very proud of themselves.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Little Pelé Rising

Soccer (or "football" as it is universally called outside the US) is referred to as the ballet of the masses.  One of the most legendary heroes of the game is the great Brazilian star Pelé, voted Football Player of the Century in 1999.  Pelé began his life in poverty, playing football when he could.  He couldn't even afford to buy a football of his own.  He had to practice his techniques either using a sock stuffed with newspaper and tied with a string or using a grapefruit.  He ultimately surmounted all adversities to become a Brazilian national hero and a global living legend.  Although he is now retired, he still works tirelessly as an international spokesperson for soccer/football.

Our little Prince Tyger is far from Brazilian slums and does not have to use a newspaper-filled sock or a grapefruit for his practices.  In fact, he and several other two-year-olds - each equipped with a ball and a parent - attend soccer "practice" on a weekly basis.  The result: chaos worthy of small but adorable Keystone Kops.  Here is the Tyger in a rare motionless moment.

In fact, very few of my still shots are worth keeping, so I switched to video to capture at least some of the action.  The harried instructor is surrounded by pandemonium from the moment the class begins.  His little charges are enchanted by all the movement and often need reminding that they are supposed to heed the instructor.  That is why the parents are there - to keep the little ones focused - a thankless task at best.  Here, the little ones are supposed to place the ball on top of their heads, walk around like the instructor and eventually set the ball down.  Prince Tyger chooses to go his own way and do things in his own time, of course, but is still reassured to see Daddy Big T nearby.

Prince Tyger is also fascinated by the doors in the practice gym and loves it when the balls are headed in their direction.  Each new door is a challenge for him - where may it lead?  So Big T has to fetch him back to the action.  The Tyger then gets "into" things for a few moments, checking to ensure that Proud Grandmom is properly appreciating his moves.

In the meantime, small ones fly gleefully about the playing surface and a good time is had by all.

How to Remove a Dictator

Well, we have seen quite graphically how NOT to remove one.  That example occurred in 2003, with the unleashing of "shock and awe" - more shocking and awful than anything else.  Yes, the dictator in question was toppled.  But his country, Iraq, has since become a disaster area, being propped up by foreign military while basic services that used to function still don't, historical treasures of mankind have been looted apace, and bloated contractors have grown even richer with untold millions.  All this and yet eight years later, we still have not been able to put Humpty back together again after pouring billions into the effort.  More than 100,000 Iraqis have paid the ultimate price and hundreds of thousands remain refugees.  Iraq, with a long secular tradition, has now virtually become a Shia theocracy, more similar to Iran than to more open Sunni traditions.   By all reasonable measures, Iraq did not turn out well for the people who have to live there now.  "Shock and awe" simply are not ways to promote democracy and democratic ideals.  They never have been.  Genuine efforts have been made in recent years to improve the situation in Iraq, but the outlook remains dire for the foreseeable future.

More recently, and more encouragingly in both Tunisia and Egypt, we have all witnessed genuinely popular uprisings of, by and for the people in those countries.  Both of those uprisings resulted in the removal of long-term repressive leadership: Ben Ali in Tunisia and Mubarak in Egypt.    Both removals were accomplished for the most part peaceably, with a minimum of bloodshed and destruction, but with a LOT of determination, perseverance and courage on the part of those who protested. 

Dawn broke today with Mubarak gone from Cairo, having finally acceded to protesters' demands that he step down.  Several sources have photographic depictions of events, such as the slideshow here.  Others, such as Tariq Ali, prefer to express their joy in written form.  He writes:

"A joyous night in Cairo. What bliss to be alive, to be an Egyptian and an Arab. In Tahrir Square they're chanting, 'Egypt is free' and 'We won!'"

But Ali also mentions some sobering considerations, especially problems with Mubarak's successor, and wonders about the true extent, scope and nature of the change.

"Omar Suleiman, an old western favourite, was selected as vice-president by Washington, endorsed by the EU, to supervise an "orderly transition". Suleiman was always viewed by the people as a brutal and corrupt torturer, a man who not only gives orders, but participates in the process. A WikiLeaks document had a former US ambassador praising him for not being 'squeamish'. The new vice president had warned the protesting crowds last Tuesday that if they did not demobilise themselves voluntarily, the army was standing by: a coup might be the only option left. It was, but against the dictator they had backed for 30 years. It was the only way to stabilise the country. There could be no return to 'normality'."

Notable scholar Juan Cole posits three major scenarios for post-Mubarak Egypt: 

1. The old elite of officers and businessmen around Mubarak survives him to remain more or less in power, and further protests over time are repressed.

2. There are new presidential and parliamentary elections, but the Mubarak cronies take advantage of their experience in organizing and the wealth they have gained from their crony status to dominate these institutions, while the officer corps remains a power behind the scenes.

3. There is a genuine social and political revolution, wherein substantial amounts of wealth and power are redistributed to new actors.

What will happen now will depend largely on whichever of the three scenarios comes to pass.  While either of the first two scenarios is likely to occur because of the power and control still remaining in the hands of Mubarak allies (viz. Suleiman in power now, for example), those of us who truly believe in democracy and freedom should be rooting for the last.

Encore en Suisse!

Having been pronounced fit for travel at my appointment on Tuesday, I began my transatlantic journey Wednesday evening.  There was a dusting of snow by departure time, so we were briefly held up (approximately 15 minutes) while de-icing took place.  The cloud cover in Baltimore was so thick that I couldn't see the lights for my usual last glimpse of the area. 

My only complaint is with the one free checked bag policy that my airline has implemented over the past year.  Previously, I was allowed two free bags at 23 kilos apiece.  As I found out to my detriment, had I paid for an extra bag at the time that I checked in on-line, it would have cost me much less for another 23 kilos of weight than the surcharge that I had to pay at the counter because my "free" bag was three+ kilos overweight.  Ah well, live and learn!

The flight was not full.  That was great for me and the rest of the passengers in "steerage," but perhaps not so good for the airline's bottom line.  We had unaccustomed and much appreciated luxury as a result.  I had two window seats to myself and was able to relax quite comfortably for the longest leg of the trip.  Even my headphones worked  - this has not always been the case - but the "moving map" that I always enjoy was on the fritz.  I really wanted to sleep so didn't watch more than one film among those offered.  I selected "Secretariat," which turned out to be not bad at all.  Having been a fan of the US Triple Crown races, indeed almost anything to do with horses since I can remember, I remember the great events of 1973, when the great Secretariat won all three of those races, setting track records in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes that have never been broken.  Although his Preakness race time was not considered the official one, his unofficial time has since been equalled.  Secretariat (aka "Big Red") ended a 25-year dearth of Triple Crown winners.  In fact, he was the first of three Triple Crown winners of the 1970s, the other two being Seattle Slew - the only horse ever to win the Triple Crown without having lost a race beforehand - and Affirmed.  Since then, however, this feat has not been duplicated.    In 2007, HWMBO and I visited Claiborne Farm in Kentucky, where Secretariat is buried.

What I hadn't realized in those pre-Google days was that Penny Tweedy, referred to generally in the press at the time by her maiden name "Penny Chenery," was a housewife with four children who returned to manage the failing family breeding and racing business after her father fell ill in 1968.  It was her astute management that turned the situation around.  It was also the luck of a coin toss that determined that she would ultimately receive the young colt, later to be known as Secretariat.  That situation and the attendant male attitudes of the late 60s-early 70s were portrayed fairly accurately in the film, although the film implied that her father had bred Secretariat, when Ms Tweedy had actually done that.   Otherwise, the film was pretty good.  All that it had to do, for the most part, was to duplicate the events themselves, which were exceptionally thrilling.  I remember them well - especially the 31-length victory in the Belmont!  Even Disney would have trouble selling such a fictional scenario.  But this was real!

Our arrival in London, although timely, was not auspicious.  We were greeted by a real pea-souper, with cold rain beating down.  This continued all day, but didn't seem to be affecting flight schedules unduly.  My own continuing flight to Geneva boarded on time, although we actually left about 40 minutes late.  The pilot made up the flight time en route for the most part, so we arrived only 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time.

The visibility got clearer as we approached Switzerland.  I was able to see splotches of snow in the Jura.  The white crowns of the Alps, including the spectacularly beautiful Mont Blanc, were glorious sights to see.  As I had hoped, the flight trajectory took us along the Lake Geneva coastline as we approached Cointrin airport, so that I was able to view the lakeside towns, and even spot the notable topography and layout of the residential development where I live. 

Best of all, when I arrived at the airport, not only had my overweight bag arrived safely and intact, but I had a small - and totally unexpected - welcoming "committee" to spare me having to pay the not insignificant taxi fare to my destination!

So now I'm back - still a bit jet-lagged.  I woke at 4:30 this am, then returned to bed around 10 am and slept like a log until 2:30 pm.  Everything in the apartment appears to be working well; the car started up nicely; and I now have some groceries.  Hopefully, I'll be getting back to normal - more or less anyway - soon.  I miss HWMBO, but am looking forward to seeing him in May and we have Skype in the meantime.

Right now, all is well with my world.  I am also closely following the very gratifying events in Egypt right now!  I'm celebrating right along with the Egyptians!  I just hope that this "stepping down" isn't a ruse on Mubarak's part.

The Turmoil in Egypt Continues ...

as does official US tone-deafness, at least from what we are hearing.  Let us sincerely hope that more informed decision-making is going on behind the scenes.

One wonders exactly what the US Administration was thinking in sending someone with such close business ties to the Mubarak administration that his objectivity is suspect to "negotiate" a "transition" with TPTB in Egypt.  This practically negates a long and admirable diplomatic career, especially when this envoy then makes the following statement: 

"President Mubarak's continued leadership is critical: it's his opportunity to write his own legacy ..."

One literally gasps in disbelief.  The reaction among the protesters and those who support democratic movements can at best be described as shocked astonishment, as explained more fully here. 

Yesterday was the scene of the largest protest march ever against Mubarak's 30-year dictatorship.  Robert Fisk of the Independent (UK) describes the event, complete with video, here.

"The soldiers of Egypt's Third Army must have been outnumbered 40,000 to one and they sat meekly on their tanks and armoured personnel carriers, smiling nervously as old men and youths and young women sat around their tank tracks, sleeping on the armour, heads on the great steel wheels; a military force turned to impotence by an army of dissent. Many said they had come because they were frightened; because they feared the world was losing interest in their struggle, because Mubarak had not yet left his palace, because the crowds had grown smaller in recent days, because some of the camera crews had left for other tragedies and other dictatorships, because the smell of betrayal was in the air. If the Republic of Tahrir dries up, then the national awakening is over. But yesterday proved that the revolution is alive."

Because so much of what we see on US media is filtered, or presented by pundits with agendas, or by self-styled experts with biases, it is interesting to see what informed academic experts on the Middle East such as Juan Cole, or what Egyptians themselves who are on the spot have to say.  In addition to live Twitter feeds and live streaming of events, Al Jazeera English provides a live blog.  The Guardian (UK, again) identifies other blogs that its staff believe provide some of the best information and insights (Juan Cole's "Informed Comment," among them) about the situation in Egypt, such as The Arabist and Jadaliyya.

One hopes that the Administration is paying close attention!  Unfortunately, we have not seen much evidence of this so far.

Playing with Daddy

While little Prince Attani learns about the world and spends lots of time with Sweet Momma H, "Big" Bro Prince Tyger gets to spend a LOT of time with Daddy Big T.  Of course, the Tyger doesn't enjoy this at all, as can be seen here.

Here they are - just two guys - transforming the infamous dump truck from last summer into a tow truck.  The dump truck is still one of Prince Tyger's favorite toys.

And here Prince Tyger attempts to "drive" his car, all the while making sure that Daddy is right there looking on.

But what is great fun for the Tyger is going outdoors for a walk with Big T, even when there is still snow on the ground.

After all, those piles of snow present challenges for a two-year-old to master.  And Prince Tyger LOVES challenges.  As far as he is concerned, they are adventures with a capital "A."

"My Left Hand"

There is a film made in 1989, based on the autobiography of Christy Brown, an Irish author, painter and poet born into a working class family with severe cerebral palsy, who could only move his left foot and still managed to accomplish great things.   The film, "My Left Foot," won an Academy Award for Best Actor for Daniel Day-Lewis, who played the role of Christy Brown.

Thankfully, our little Prince Attani was born without such an affliction.  Even more thankfully, he just keeps growing and learning every day.  His energetic antics keep the Big Ones thoroughly entertained.

But he has a real fixation with his left hand, as can be seen here.  He makes a little fist and sticks it upright - then becomes distracted by it.

He gurgles and laughs to his heart's delight - and the delight of the Big Ones.  But his fascination with his left hand continues.

And then, all of a sudden, he discovers that he has a right hand!  And it works too!

O brave new world, that has such wonders in it!

Gala Performance

Little Prince Attani is a charmer, although he can't quite believe how excited the adults around him get when he "talks" or turns over by himself.

Having flipped over just before Proud Grandmom turned on the video, he appears loath to duplicate the feat, despite much urging by Sweet Momma H.

He wants very much to please.  He's just not quite sure what the Big Ones want.

And then - at long last - just as the Big Ones are ready to give up, he does it.  And he does himself proud!

It's too bad that Proud Grandmom was not quite prepared.  It happened so quickly and without much fanfare.  But she is very happy that she was able to record the moment one way or another.

Tahrir, the New Tiananmen?

I have travelled to Egypt twice, each time being thoroughly awestruck by its history and civilization and the wonderful cultural witnesses to those times.  I also have many Egyptian friends.  Today's Egyptian people are its current wonders.  Their activities in recent days have shown exceptional courage and dedication to change - even to the extent of putting their lives on the line.

Having been inspired by events in Tunisia, Egyptian citizens, male and female, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian - indeed citizens from all walks of life - have come together to protest the autocratic regime that has ruled them for 30 years.  They want the leader of this regime, Hosni Mubarak, to leave.  He, on the other hand, has attempted to placate the protesters with the meaningless pledge that he will not run for office again.  He says that he "wants to go," but cannot because the country will descend into chaos.

Chaos, however, has been caused primarily by pro-Mubarak supporters, whose behavior has resembled that of thugs.  Until yesterday, the protesters, although numerous, were peaceful.  Yesterday, they were attacked in Tahrir Square in Cairo by pro-Mubarak forces.  Who are these "pro-Mubarak forces?"  According to one recorder of events, Ahdaf Soueif:

"So who are these people? In support of the president, they throw Molotov bottles and plant pots from the tops of buildings onto the heads of women and children. To establish stability and order, they break heads with rocks and legs with bicycle chains. To have their say in the debate they slash faces with knives. Who are they? Well, every time one of them is captured his ID says he's a member of the security forces. ..."

Another individual, Robert Fisk, who is actually on site, reports as follows:

"'This is Mubarak's work,' one wounded stone-thrower said to me. 'He has managed to turn Egyptian against Egyptian for just nine more months of power. He is mad. Are you in the West mad, too?' I can't remember how I replied to this question. But how could I forget watching – just a few hours earlier – as the Middle East 'expert' Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts, was asked if Mubarak was a dictator. No, he said, he was 'a monarch-type figure'.

The face of this monarch was carried on giant posters, a printed provocation, to the barricades. Newly distributed by officers of the National Democratic Party – they must have taken a while to produce after the party's headquarters was reduced to a smouldering shell after Friday's battles – many were held in the air by men carrying cudgels and police batons. There is no doubt about this because I had driven into Cairo from the desert as they formed up outside the foreign ministry and the state radio building on the east bank of the Nile. There were loudspeaker songs and calls for Mubarak's eternal life (a very long presidency indeed) and many were sitting on brand-new motorcycles, as if they had been inspired by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's thugs after the 2009 Iranian elections. Come to think of it, Mubarak and Ahmadinejad do actually have the same respect for elections."

The EU is demanding that Mubarak begin an immediate "democratic transition" and respect the rights of journalists, several of whom have been beaten severely by pro-Mubarak forces, such that they have required hospitalization.  Two US Senators have sponsored a resolution urging Mubarak to transition out immediately.  It appears that US President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are also urging him to leave.  Up to now, these demands and appeals appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

Will Tahrir Square become Egypt's Tiananmen Square?  The protesters remember that lesson well.  If they give in now, they will likely be subject to severe repercussions.  They have simply gone too far and risked too much to give in now.  Right now, we who value liberty, freedom of speech, expression, assembly and the freedom to choose our leadership in free and fair elections should all be Egyptians!

Is Phil's forecast accurate?

So Spring is on its way?  Yessirree, according to Punxsutawney Phil.  Today is Groundhog Day in the US.

Because the weather hereabouts is rainy and cold, Phil did not see his shadow this morning.  Neither did Staten Island Chuck.  According to tradition, if the groundhog does not see his shadow, Spring will arrive early.  That is welcome news to those dealing with heavy snowfalls or otherwise subject to winter weather advisories right now.   The prediction means that we can look forward to less of this.

Still, there are doubters.  The Guardian (UK) wondered about this and conducted an analysis of groundhog predictions dating from 1999.  Here are the bases for its analysis.

"... We have taken snow cover in North America for February of every year to 1999, but this alone does not tell us if the groundhog was right about winter ending. To work this out we need to know how snowy a given February was relative to an average February. We calculated the mean average snowfall for a February in North America using data from the last 10 years, then we subtracted this average from the snowcover for the particular year. This gives us an indication of the severity of the winter for that year relative to the other years."

Although the "study" recognizes that there is scope for further investigation, its conclusion is that groundhogs have predicted the weather accurately only three times in the last ten years.

You can see the full data used in the Guardian's analysis here.   Have fun and we'll all see together whether the "predictions" of Phil and Chuck come true in 2011.

Winds of Change

World-changing events during December 2010 and January 2011 began in Tunisia.  Their effects are now being felt across much of North Africa and the Middle East.  Can we hope that the time of the autocratic ruler in the Arab World, or throughout most of it, is finished?  Let us fervently hope so.

The little country of Tunisia, the "roaring mouse" of recent events, received its independence in 1957 as part of the break-up of the former extensive French colonial empire.  The French were only its most recent conquerors, however.  Its indigenous people were an agricultural people who utilized farming methods that had originated in the Fertile Crescent regions and arrived in northwest Africa (the Maghreb) via the Nile Valley.  They were ancestors of Berber tribes whose descendants today live in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, Mali and Niger.

Tunisia's first identifiable foreign occupiers were Phoenicians who settled its coastal areas around the 10th century BC.  They founded the city of Carthage, which became the predominant civilization in the Western Mediterranean, until it was conquered by Rome in 149 BC.  The Romans controlled most of what is modern Tunisia from then until the area was conquered by the Vandals in the 5th century AD.   It was reconquered by Rome in the 6th century AD.  But, around the end of the 7th century and the beginning of the 8th century AD, the region was conquered by Arab Muslims, who continued their sweep westward to encompass current-day Algeria and Morocco and definitively established Islam as the dominant religion.  In the late 16th century, Tunisia's coast was among the pirate strongholds known as the Barbary States.   Around the same time, Tunisia, like the rest of North Africa, fell under the domination of the Turkish Ottoman Empire.  From that time until the 19th-century French invasion, even under its Turkish governors, the Beys, Tunisia was virtually independent.  But France invaded Tunisia in 1881, using the pretext of a Tunisian incursion into Algeria, which the French had already invaded and conquered in 1830, using as pretext a slight to the French consul in Algiers.  Post-Napoleonic 19th-century France was certainly not averse to using specious pretexts to expand its influence and control, just as in the 21st century, powerful nations continue to "justify" their invasions of others on equally specious pretexts.

Tunisia's struggle for independence was led by Habib Bourguiba, who then became its first first President.  After being virtually unchallenged in that role for 30 years, Bourguiba was ousted in a bloodless coup in November 1987 by being declared unfit to rule by his doctors.  His Prime Minister Zine El Abedine Ben Ali assumed the Presidency and ruled until what the West is calling the Jasmine Revolution, a continuing series of street revolutions that constitute the most dramatic wave of social and political unrest in Tunisia in three decades.  As result, Ben Ali stepped down and left the country.  A caretaker government has been created, with elections scheduled to take place within 60 days.  The situation will remain unresolved until then, at least.

Tunisia's seemingly successful protests against corruption in government, autocracy and looting of public assets have sparked similar protests in other Arab countries.  They have been compared to the Velvet Revolution in the former Czechoslovakia because they have created a domino effect in the Arab bloc, much as the Velvet Revolution did in the Communist bloc.  Most prominently in the press these days are the demonstrations in Egypt, which are being covered most comprehensively by non-US networks and print media.  Here, for example, is a link to Al Jazeera English, which provides live on-line streaming of events as they occur.

Unlike the actions in the Communist bloc, which were universally cheered on and hailed with great glee by the leadership of Western nations, these actions that so far have shown basically peaceful demonstrations in support of political rights and against corruption by too-long entrenched powers are, at best, being very cautiously welcomed by the Western powers.  Those of us who are unhappy with leaders who profess to believe in democratic rights only when the voting results ensure the comfortable status quo for the ruling classes that has been carefully maintained over the years are equally unhappy with these cautious pronouncements.  It's understandable that our Western leaders - not just those here in the US - are nervous.  After all, it is our combined policies - too often short-sighted, unfair and imbalanced generally - and funding that have helped to prop up and keep the corrupt ones in power.  And everyone knows it.  At least, everyone outside the United States knows it.  We here have been so dumbed-down in our knowledge and understanding of international events that too many here haven't even the slightest idea of how our actions resonate badly and are perceived abroad.

Fortunately, there are sources that do attempt to let the people involved speak for themselves instead of being interpreted by essentially no-nothing US pundits or those with a particular political agenda.  Al Jazeera's coverage is one.  There are admirable others.  One such is the Guardian (UK).  Here, for example, is an interactive link from the Guardian that shows the very thoughtful responses and unanimous support of the peaceful demonstrations and movements for change by several writers, both male and female, throughout the Arab world.  If that link is somewhat challenging (arguably some of the click-on balloons make it difficult to read the actual words of the writer in question), here is another.   These responses are well worth reading.  They provide unfiltered views of those who have all too often been poorly - and unfairly - portrayed in US media, in particular.

These winds of change should not be considered frightening.  They should be welcomed wholeheartedly.  Let us all take heart from the courage that is being shown by the millions who are in the streets.  If their actions do ultimately result in the kinds of beneficial changes that will make these societies more open and more equitable for all their citizens, then we will all be winners.  How could we not?  This is not naivety.  It is common sense.