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09/02/22 08:41 AM #97    

Jeannette Koffman (Wager)

I've ordered the Adventures of Arron Bloom...thank you for the recommendation.
Until I was ten, my family lived in South St Louis. My brothers, 10 & 13 years older than me, sold newspapers on Gravois Ave when they were kids at a time when kids were turned loose to go wherever as long as they were home for dinner. From kindergarten thru 3rd grade (when we moved to Webster Groves) I walked alone, crossing both Gravois & Grand Avenue (crossing guards at both) to get to Rose Fanning School...hard to believe my parents were comfortable with that!! My cousin would take me dowtown on the streetcar every year to the Veiled Prophet parade. My mother had season tickets every summer for the Muny. The Zoo, of course, was an annual event and the Rose Fanning end-of-year celebration was a neighborhood parade then boarding buses for a day at Forest Park Highlands. We moved around freely never really worrying about safety in those days.
The idea of a 12 year old boy moving around that city trying to solve a murder is totally believable and intriguing...mysteries are my favorite thing!

09/02/22 08:41 AM #98    

Jeannette Koffman (Wager)

I've ordered the Adventures of Arron Bloom...thank you for the recommendation.
Until I was ten, my family lived in South St Louis. My brothers, 10 & 13 years older than me, sold newspapers on Gravois Ave when they were kids at a time when kids were turned loose to go wherever as long as they were home for dinner. From kindergarten thru 3rd grade (when we moved to Webster Groves) I walked alone, crossing both Gravois & Grand Avenue (crossing guards at both) to get to Rose Fanning School...hard to believe my parents were comfortable with that!! My cousin would take me dowtown on the streetcar every year to the Veiled Prophet parade. My mother had season tickets every summer for the Muny. The Zoo, of course, was an annual event and the Rose Fanning end-of-year celebration was a neighborhood parade then boarding buses for a day at Forest Park Highlands. We moved around freely never really worrying about safety in those days.
The idea of a 12 year old boy moving around that city trying to solve a murder is totally believable and intriguing...mysteries are my favorite thing!

09/03/22 01:39 PM #99    

John Ross Pope

De acuerdo a su solicitud, la información de contacto de John Purcell es: fluidos1@swbell.net. Saludos


09/04/22 10:09 AM #100    

Susan Reheis (Laccarino)

Jerre,

 

Please note my message about Linda Smith.  Edit/Delete appears again when I post a message. This is why I was concerned about my remembrance of Pete Merrill not being acceptable for whatever reason.  Will you check to see why this is happening.  Thank you so much.

Sue Reheis Iaccarino


09/05/22 03:47 PM #101    

Susan Reheis (Laccarino)

Hi, again, Jerre,

If you look at my message inquiring about Linda Smith, you'll see the words edit/delete on top of it plus a place for a photo.  No one else has this on a message posted.  I simply don't understand it.    Sue I.


09/10/22 04:33 PM #102    

David Gibson

Draw, Pardner!

When the action heroes, pirates, ghosts, witches, and other costumed children come around and say "trick or treat" on Halloween, Anne gives each of them a little set of pens or pencils and a small paper tablet, tied up with a ribbon.  No tooth decay.  The kids really, really like them.  We have heard people remark that trick-or-treaters who came by their houses talked about nothing else.  Some mothers have texted that their child was at a party on Halloween--do we happen to have any pencils and tablets left this year?

I remember a few things from my first years in grade school at Bristol:   Number Two pencils, the pencil sharpener, lined paper, Eberhard Faber erasers, colored crayons, Manila paper,  and watercolor paint sets.

The only thing I could ever do with the watercolors was make a mess.

I remember that we were told that the "lead" in the pencils was really graphite--real lead was poisonous, they said, and children chewed  on the old lead pencils and got sick.  I'm not sure that that really happened in recent history.  The note below tells us that graphite pencils, called "crayons", have been around since 1564.

I cannot remember the last time I used a Number Two pencil.  I bought a  set of different pencils and pieces of graphite for a drawing class in 1966 (my nudes looked like graffiti), and we used mechanical pencils during most of my corporate career.

Here's a chuckle:  Earlier this year, a neighbor told us that his older brother, a WGHS grad who started college this year, had never seen a crank pencil sharpener and did not know how to use one!

I imagine that Charles Kettering's invention of the electric starter saved him a lot of grief.  For those who do not know this, earlier cars were started with a crank.

Read on.

"Henry David Thoreau Conceived Pencil Numbering"

"This bright-yellow tool might never have existed if not for a stroke of luck.  According to legend, its creation stems from a discovery made in England in 1564.  During a storm, a large deposit of graphite (the “lead” now inside pencils) was unearthed clinging to the roots of a fallen tree, and locals realized that the material could make dark-gray sketch marks on paper.  By the following year, Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner had sketched the first known depiction of a wooden pencil (a plug of graphite in a wooden tube), and by 1662, a similar product was being mass-produced in Nuremberg, Germany.

"A 1795 innovation led to a modern makeover for the pencil, when French chemist Nicolas-Jacques Conté developed a new technique for producing the actual material used to write.  With supplies of high-quality plumbago (then a term for English graphite) cut off due to war between Revolutionary France and Britain, Conté combined a mixture of clay and lower-quality graphite — and found it so successful that a similar formula is still used in pencils today.  These “Conté crayons” not only served as a solution to the graphite shortage but led to further experimentation within the world of pencils. 

"Another surprising development in the history of the pencil took place in the United States in the 1840s.  While working at his father’s pencil factory, transcendentalist writer, and philosopher Henry David Thoreau — best known as the author of Walden, a landmark series of essays on self-reliance — helped conceive of a new numbering system to describe the lightness and darkness, as well as the hardness and softness, of a pencil’s graphite.  Labeled from numbers one to four, this new notation system took off nationwide, and the now-beloved No. 2 pencil became most popular due to the perfect balance of those qualities."

I cannot remember in what year, or in whose class, we studied Thoreau.

 
 
 

09/20/22 01:10 PM #103    

David Gibson

About the Redwood:

Lost Tables" is a website about restaurants that once served customers in the St. Louis area.  I am old, and I remember many of them.
 
Here's one that is not on their list.  "The Redwood" was a drive-up place with car hops that was located on the south side of Clayton Rd. just east of Brentwood Blvd.  There was a bowling alley near by.  As I recall, they had another location on Lindbergh.  I used to go there with high school friends.  What I recall about them were the tasty and aromatic sauces available on their hamburgers--chili, spaghetti, and maybe others.
 
Do any of you remember them?

10/06/22 05:24 PM #104    

John Ross Pope

The Pandemic Diary, Chapter 24, September 2022

The “Here and Now – Life in the Quarantine” diaries began in March 2020 and over the past thirty months, in 23 chapters, related and recorded how suddenly life had turned totally upside down / inside out.

Now it is October 3, 2022 and today the Chilean government has declared that is no longer necessary for population to use face masks.  After 912 days of mandatory use anywhere outside of one’s own house, emancipation has arrived, no more face masks! I cannot believe it.

85% of the population is fully vaccinated, number of infected is low and controlled. We paid the price and sacrificed and now have our liberty. But it is a scary feeling walking down the street uncovered, trying to re-recognize people not by just their eyes; it is like leaving home without your cel phone.

So we begin to readjust our reality?

I got sucked into the black hole of trying to understand the concept of infinity, stimulated by Netflix’s production “A Trip to Infinity”.  Mind blowing to say the least -- fantasy vs reality: when you struggle to differentiate between what is real and what isn’t.

 

Natalie Lue of Baggagreclaim talks about reconciliation issues in one’s life – knowing what is real and what is “fake” and understanding and confronting the fantasy dilemma this produces in us.

 

When one is faced (constantly) with making fantasy (an idea with no basis in reality and is basically your imagination unrestricted by reality) and reality (the state of things as they exist -- what you see, hear, and experience) consistent with one another so that you can accept the truth of what is happening, what you feel, do, or are being, you opt for resultant illusions (false idea or belief, or a deceptive appearance or impression).

 

This basically suspends you in No Man’s Land while opening you up to problems in the real world.

 

And Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody plays in our head:

 

Is this the real life

Is this just fantasy?

Caught in a landside,

No escape from reality

Open your eyes

Look up to the skies and see,

I'm just a poor boy,

I need no sympathy,

Because I'm easy come, easy go,

Little high, little low,

Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me…

 

Here we sit at the end of the world, kilometers below the equator, light years away from all the northern hemisphere confusion:

  • Hurricane Ian demolishes half of Florida and the money keeps rolling in, while Puerto Rico just tries to survive.
  • The climate issue is a joke: floods, draught, famine, plague, fire – Pachamama on the warpath
  • Totalitarianism; religious conflicts; Donny T and Putin; global starvation; recession; Labor vs the Conservatives; Democrats vs Republicans; right, center, left; abortion, immigration; polio; Bolsonaro vs Lula; Ukrane…

 

When I look to the “north” it is like trying to understand “A Trip to Infinity”. No matter how many times I concentrate on what is being said I still cannot process the information and escape to a “no news is good news” comportment. Thank God for the Disney channel!

 

But enough is enough.  Time to reflect and to get down and to record for prosperity some newly appreciated nitty-gritty -- which I might have already shared in previous separate correspondences and  if so, the next series of diatribes again can be appreciated of just skipped over).

 

Tikkun Olam:

 

Some ancient rabbis believed that when God created the universe that He placed His divine light into special celestial containers. But it turned out that Creation did not go quite according to His plan, and an accident occurred.  The vessels were broken and the universe became filled with sparks of divine light and shards of broken vessels.  The rabbis so believed that the task of Creation would not be complete until all of the sparks were gathered together.  This is what is called Tikkun Olan or Repair of the World.

 

In modern times, mainly amongst the post-Hashanah movements, Tikkun Olan came to refer to the pursuit of social justice or the establishment of Godly qualities throughout the world: the moral, spiritual, and material welfare of society at large.

 

Stoics:

 

It was a life of difficulty. Born into slavery, at one point his master broke his leg, leaving him disabled. Eventually freed, he spent the next 25 years pursuing his calling – only for his career to be outlawed by the dictator in charge. He fled abroad, an exile and in poverty.

These sketchy biographical details are almost all that we know of the life of the philosopher Epictetus, born around AD55. While some of them are contested – we can't be sure if he was born a slave, or simply became a slave young – it's clear that he didn't have it easy. Nor was his world one that was placid and predictable, either: if he came to Rome from his birthplace in modern-day Turkey sometime around AD65, as some believe, then he would have had a turbulent childhood. He may have witnessed both the fire that torched two-thirds of the city and lived through a single year so politically turbulent it saw four different emperors, two murdered and one who killed himself. 

And yet Epictetus had everything he needed. After all, he said – according, at least, to a student who painstakingly wrote down his teachings – that "it is not events that disturb people, it is their judgments concerning them". 

This idea is one of the pillars of the philosophical school known as Stoicism, founded by the philosopher Zeno in Athens during the upheaval, crises and violence of 4th Century BC. It's also one of many teachings from the school that we can still learn from – which may be why we see its echoes in so much psychologyself-help literature and even religion today.

Whether it's war or a pandemic, our health or finances, no matter how challenging our lives might feel, the Stoics tell us, we still can thrive. They should know: Stoicism was a school that was "built for hard times", writes Kare Anderson, seeking to give people a guide to the good life even when the world around them was unpredictable and troubled. Here are some of the main takeaways the Stoics can offer for uncertain times: recognize what you can (and can't) control

As Epictetus said, for Stoics, it isn't the thing itself that causes turmoil. It's how you think about it. And few things cause more distress than fighting against circumstances outside of our control, or getting attached to an outcome that isn't in our power.

The first hurdle – one so important that Epictetus called it "our chief task in life" – is to identify what is outside of your control to begin with, aspects the Stoics call "externals". Luckily, the Stoics made this rather simple: it's everything other than your own thoughts, choices and actions. Take health, for example. You may choose to eat five-a-day and exercise (your choices), but that doesn't mean you won't ever suffer any health issues (an external). And if you think it does, you're not just deluding yourself. You're setting yourself up for real disappointment.

 

Because it's so easy for us to mistake what we can and can't control, Epictetus recommended undertaking this mental habit: "In the case of particular things that delight you, or benefit you, or to which you have grown attached, remind yourself of what they are. Start with things of little value. If it is a ceramic cup you like, for instance, say, 'I am fond of a ceramic cup. When it breaks, then you won't be as disconcerted," he advised. "When giving your wife or child a kiss, repeat to yourself, 'I am kissing a mortal'. Then you won't be distraught if they are taken from you." (Famously, he also said that, when kissing your child, you should tell yourself "Tomorrow, you may be dead" – advice seen as rather morbid in his time, and in ours).

Controversially, the Stoics went even further. While we might prefer to be healthy, or for our loved one to live, such externals aren't "good" or "bad" on their own. Indeed, they argued, pursuing them can sometimes bring us to worse circumstances. Sure, they admitted, striving for these things was part of being human. But if you came to understand that any particular external wasn't meant for you, you had to accept it and let it go.

"It's something like going on an ocean voyage," Epictetus said. "What can I do? Pick the captain, the boat, the date, and the best time to sail. But then a storm hits. Well, it's no longer my business; I have done everything I could. It's somebody else's problem now – namely the captain's."

Because you can't control these externals, Stoics went on, there's also no use feeling distraught over them. After all, none of these "indifferents" are really necessary to our happiness – all that matters is, ultimately, how we conduct ourselves in the fact of them.

If this sounds familiar today, it's because it's been echoed in various mantras and forms of self-help for years – whether Byron Katie's (not uncontroversial) teachings on "loving what is" or simply the modern cliché "it is what it is".

You always choose how to respond

Which brings us to a second key tenet of Stoicism. Accepting circumstances outside of your control doesn't mean being passive, because you're always in control of something crucial: yourself.

"If you are doing your proper duty, let it not matter to you whether you are cold or warm, whether you are sleepy or well-slept, whether men speak badly or well of you, even whether you are on the point of death or doing something else: because even this, the act in which we die, is one of the acts of life, and so here too it suffices to 'make the best move you can'," wrote Marcus Aurelius, the famous Roman emperor-philosopher, in his diaries known as the Meditations.

 

In particular, the Stoics recommended meeting every challenge with justice, self-control, and reason. While they understood that these were natural human emotions that were likely to arise, they had little time for "passions" like anger or grief, seeing these as signs of getting too attached to an outcome out of your control.

Seneca, another of Stoicism's best-known advocates, had particularly cutting words for the Roman senator Cicero, who "had neither peace in prosperity nor patience in adversity". At one low point, Seneca wrote, Cicero wrote a letter in which he bewailed his past, whined about the present, and despaired of the future.

"Cicero called himself a semi-prisoner, but really and truly the wise man will never go so far as to use such an abject term," Seneca admonished. "He will never be a semi-prisoner, but will always enjoy freedom which is solid and complete, at liberty to be his own master and higher than all others." 

See every challenge as a learning opportunity – and a test

Not only is it possible to remain calm in the face of a dire situation, but those challenges are exactly how we learn to be calm, so much so that they should be welcomed – an idea that lives on in the modern-day aphorism "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

It may even be a sign of the gods' favour, suggested Seneca: after all, the gods want "good men" to be as outstanding as they can possibly be, so it makes sense that they send trials to those people in particular.

Such challenges also allow us to better understand life in general. "To be lucky all the time and to go through life without mental distress is to remain ignorant of half of the natural world," Seneca wrote.

 

Then there's the unpredictability of how everything may turn out: we need to remember that even the worst circumstances, Seneca and other Stoics believed, may somehow be good for us in the end.

Remember that change (and loss) are constants.

It seems impossible to not be disturbed by externals like the death of a loved one. But the Stoics were in favour of radically embracing reality. And reality, they taught, means constant change, loss, and hardship. 

"Is someone afraid of change? Well, what can ever come to be without change?" asked Marcus Aurelius. "Can you yourself take your bath, if the wood that heats it is not changed? Can you be fed, unless what you eat changes? Can any other of the benefits of life be achieved without change? Do you not see then that for you to be changed is equal, and equally necessary to the nature of the Whole?"

Rehearse for the worst

As much as they advocated accepting reality, far from resigning themselves to tough situations, the Stoics liked to prepare for them. They particularly guarded against falling into the all-too-human trap of "that would never happen to me". Humans, after all, tend to be rosy when thinking about the future: we won't be touched by natural disaster, disease or war, while a business venture or romantic relationship will of course go well. 

But if you've ever seen it happen to anyone else, it absolutely can happen to you, Seneca warned. "Should it surprise me if the perils which have always roamed around me should someday reach me?"

And yet many people refuse to think about, or plan for, such outcomes. "A great number of people plan a sea voyage with no thought of a storm," he wrote. "It is too late for the mind to equip itself to endure dangers once they are already there. 'I didn't think it would happen' and 'Would you ever have believed it would turn out so?' Why ever not? Know, then, that every condition can change, and whatever happens to anyone can happen to you too."

 

According to the Stoics, these kinds of blinkers set us up for huge disappointment. By running through the worst potential outcomes, we feel more emotionally prepared to meet them when they arrive. Of course, we're likely to then prepare practically, too – likely to make things a little easier if disaster does indeed occur. An exercise still adopted in board offices and government buildings around the world today, it's often called a "premortem". 

In ancient times, it had more of a ring to it: it was a premeditatio malorum (premeditation of evils).

But don't spin your wheels worrying

Plan for the future, yes, but don't get stuck there. Be confident in your own ability to meet any circumstance thrown at you – the same way you always have. "Do not let the future trouble you. You will come to it, if that is what you must, possessed of the same reason that you apply now to the present," wrote Marcus Aurelius. 

Instead, focus on the present moment. That includes practising gratitude for what we have right now, not focusing on what we would like to have (or avoid) in the future.

Keep it to the simple facts

He also warned against adding any additional assumptions to anything you see. "Do not elaborate to yourself beyond what your initial impressions report," he wrote. "I see that my little boy is ill. That is what I see: I do not see that he is in danger."

Consider it an ancient warning against catastrophizing, one of the "distortions" cognitive behavioral therapist’s help patients guard against.

Help others, and ask for help – but protect yourself emotionally

Like the Platonists, the Stoics held that our main goal in life is to excel at being human. And human nature is, they believed, social – so much so that justice (which, in ancient philosophy, goes beyond the concept of "fairness" to include our obligations to other people and to our communities) was one of the foremost virtues.

Helping others was, therefore, important. But so was guarding against adopting someone else's grief or anger as passionately as if it were your own. By all means, sympathize with someone who is upset, wrote Epictetus. "But do not commiserate with your whole heart and soul."

 

Have no shame about asking for help, either, wrote Marcus Aurelius: sometimes, it's the only way that you can fulfil your life's "main task" – playing your part to contribute in the best way you can.

Don't distract yourself from difficult feelings

Despite their disdain for "the passions" like grief and their advice for not getting sucked in by them, the Stoics understood very well that, for most of us, these feelings would still arise. And, in the same way that modern speakers like Brené Brown advise against "numbing" negative emotions, the Stoics argued that we shouldn't try to "cheat" feelings like sadness or anger. Taking a vacation, or throwing yourself into work, drives them away only temporarily. When they return, they're likely to come back even stronger.

"It is better to conquer our grief than to deceive it," Seneca wrote. But how? Today, psychotherapists might suggest "feeling the feelings", processing them and talking about them. Tara Brach, a well-known clinical psychologist and mindfulness guide, suggests the "sacred pause" – taking a moment to simply stop and tune into our emotions, even in the midst of a fit of anger or sorrow. For Seneca, the solution to simply study philosophy.  

Take the long view and remember that this, too, shall pass

One exercise Marcus Aurelius suggested was to imagine you are looking down on the Earth, seeing everything as it happens. Then imagine the long timeline of history: the people who lived long before you, and those who will live after. (It's like the ancient version of the Grand Canyon visualisation that some therapists recommend).

"Think of the whole of existence, of which you are the tiniest part; think of the whole of time in which you have been assigned a brief and fleeting moment; think of destiny – what fraction of that are you?"

After all: "Every ocean is a drop in the Universe," he wrote.

"The whole of present time is a pin-prick of eternity."

Amanda Ruggeri,senior journalist for BBC Future.

SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES

ADDRESS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 20 September 2022

 

Mr. President,

 

Excellencies,

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

Our world is in big trouble.

Divides are growing deeper.

Inequalities are growing wider.

Challenges are spreading farther.

But as we come together in a world teeming with turmoil, an image of promise and hope comes to my mind.

This ship is the Brave Commander.  It sailed the Black Sea with the UN flag flying high and proud.

On the one hand, what you see is a vessel like any other plying the seas.

But look closer.

At its essence, this ship is a symbol of what the world can accomplish when we act together.

It is loaded with Ukrainian grain destined for the people of the Horn of Africa, millions of whom are on the edge of famine.

It navigated through a war zone — guided by the very parties to the conflict – as

part of an unprecedented comprehensive initiative to get more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia.

To bring desperately needed relief to those in need.

To calm commodity markets, secure future harvests, and lower prices for consumers everywhere.

Ukraine and the Russian Federation – with the support of Türkiye – came together to make it happen — despite the enormous complexities, the naysayers, and even the hell of war.

Some might call it a miracle on the sea.

In truth, it is multilateral diplomacy in action.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative has opened the pathway for the safe navigation of dozens of ships filled with much needed food supplies.

But each ship is also carrying one of today’s rarest commodities: Hope.

 

Excellencies,

We need hope …. and more.

We need action.

To ease the global food crisis, we now must urgently address the global fertilizer market crunch.

This year, the world has enough food; the problem is distribution.

But if the fertilizer market is not stabilized, next year’s problem might be food supply itself.

We already have reports of farmers in West Africa and beyond cultivating fewer crops because of the price and availability of fertilizers.

It is essential to continue removing all remaining obstacles to the export of Russian fertilizers and their ingredients, including ammonia.  These products are not subject to sanctions – and we are making progress in eliminating indirect effects.

Another major concern is the impact of high gas prices on the production of nitrogen fertilizers. This must also be addressed seriously.

Without action now, the global fertilizer shortage will quickly morph into a global food shortage.

 

Excellencies,

We need action across the board.

Let’s have no illusions.

We are in rough seas.

A winter of global discontent is on the horizon.

A cost-of-living crisis is raging.

Trust is crumbling.

Inequalities are exploding.

Our planet is burning.

People are hurting – with the most vulnerable suffering the most.

The United Nations Charter and the ideals it represents are in jeopardy.

We have a duty to act.

And yet we are gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction.

The international community is not ready or willing to tackle the big dramatic challenges of our age.

These crises threaten the very future of humanity and the fate of our planet.

Crises like the war in Ukraine and the multiplication of conflicts around the globe.

Crises like the climate emergency and biodiversity loss.

Crises like the dire financial situation of developing countries and the fate of the Sustainable Development Goals.

And crises like the lack of guardrails around promising new technologies to heal disease, connect people and expand opportunity.

In just the time since I became Secretary-General, a tool has been developed to edit genes.

Neurotechnology – connecting technology with the human nervous system – has progressed from idea to proof of concept.

Cryptocurrencies and other blockchain technologies are widespread.

But across a host of new technologies, there is a forest of red flags.

Social media platforms based on a business model that monetizes outrage, anger and negativity are causing untold damage to communities and societies.

Hate speech, misinformation and abuse – targeted especially at women and vulnerable groups – are proliferating.

Our data is being bought and sold to influence our behaviour – while spyware and surveillance are out of control – all, with no regard for privacy.

Artificial intelligence is compromising the integrity of information systems, the media, and indeed democracy itself.

Quantum computing could destroy cybersecurity and increase the risk of malfunctions to complex systems.

We don’t have the beginnings of a global architecture to deal with any of this.

 

Excellencies,

Progress on all these issues and more is being held hostage to geopolitical tensions.

Our world is in peril – and paralyzed.

Geopolitical divides are:

Undermining the work of the Security Council.

Undermining international law

Undermining trust and people’s faith in democratic institutions.

Undermining all forms of international cooperation.

We cannot go on like this.

Even the various groupings set up outside the multilateral system by some members of the international community have fallen into the trap of geopolitical divides, like the G-20.

At one stage, international relations seemed to be moving toward a G-2 world; now we risk ending up with G-nothing.

No cooperation.  No dialogue.  No collective problem solving.

But the reality is that we live in a world where the logic of cooperation and dialogue is the only path forward.

No power or group alone can call the shots.

No major global challenge can be solved by a coalition of the willing.

We need a coalition of the world.

 

Excellencies,

Today, I want to outline three areas where the coalition of the world must urgently overcome divisions and act together.

It starts with the core mission of the United Nations – achieving and sustaining peace.

Much of the world’s attention remains focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The war has unleashed widespread destruction with massive violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.  The latest reports on burial sites in Izyum are extremely disturbing.

The fighting has claimed thousands of lives.  Millions have been displaced.  Billions across the world are affected.

We are seeing the threat of dangerous divisions between West and South.

The risks to global peace and security are immense.

We must keep working for peace in line with the United Nations Charter and international law.

At the same time, conflicts and humanitarian crises are spreading – often far from the spotlight.

The funding gap for our Global Humanitarian Appeal stands at $32 billion – the widest ever.

Upheaval abounds.

In Afghanistan, the economy is in ruins, over half of all Afghans face extreme levels of hunger, while human rights – particularly the rights of women and girls —  are being trampled.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, armed groups in the east are terrorizing civilians and inflaming regional tensions.

In Ethiopia, fighting has resumed underscoring the need for the parties to immediately cease hostilities and return to the peace table.

In Haiti, gangs are destroying the very building blocks of society.

In the Horn of Africa, an unprecedented drought is threatening the lives and livelihoods of 22 million people.

In Libya, divisions continue to jeopardize the country.

In Iraq, ongoing tensions threaten stability.

In Israel and Palestine, cycles of violence under the occupation continue as prospects for peace based on a two-state solution grow ever more distant.

In Myanmar, the appalling humanitarian, human rights and security situation is deteriorating by the day.

In the Sahel, alarming levels of insecurity and terrorist activity amidst rising humanitarian needs continues to grow.

In Syria, violence and hardship still prevail.

The list goes on.

Meanwhile nuclear saber-rattling and threats to the safety of nuclear plants are adding to global instability.

The review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty failed to reach consensus and a nuclear deal with Iran remains elusive.

But there are some glimmers of hope.

In Yemen, the nationwide truce is fragile but holding.  In Colombia, the peace process is taking root.

We need much more concerted action everywhere anchored in respect for international law and the protection of human rights.

In a splintering world, we need to create mechanisms of dialogue to heal divides.

That is why I outlined elements of a new Agenda for Peace in my report on Our Common Agenda.

We are committed to make the most of every diplomatic tool for the pacific settlement of disputes, as set out in the United Nations Charter: negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and judicial settlement.

Women’s leadership and participation must be front and centre.

And we must also prioritize prevention and peacebuilding.

That means strengthening strategic foresight, anticipating flashpoints that could erupt into violence, and tackling emerging threats posed by cyber warfare and lethal autonomous weapons.

It means expanding the role of regional groups, strengthening peacekeeping, intensifying disarmament and non-proliferation, preventing and countering terrorism, and ensuring accountability.

And it means recognizing human rights as pivotal for prevention.

My Call to Action on Human Rights highlights the centrality of human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.

In all we do, we must recognize that human rights are the path to resolving tensions, ending conflict and forging lasting peace.

 

Excellencies,

There is another battle we must end – our suicidal war against nature.

The climate crisis is the defining issue of our time.

It must be the first priority of every government and multilateral organization.

And yet climate action is being put on the back burner – despite overwhelming public support around the world.

Global greenhouse gas emissions need to be slashed by 45 percent by 2030 to have any hope of reaching net zero by 2050.

And yet emissions are going up at record levels – on course to a 14 percent increase this decade.

We have a rendezvous with climate disaster.

I recently saw it with my own eyes in Pakistan – where one-third of the country is submerged by a monsoon on steroids.

We see it everywhere.

Planet earth is a victim of scorched earth policies.

The past year has brought us Europe’s worst heatwave since the Middle Ages.

Megadrought in China, the United States and beyond.

Famine stalking the Horn of Africa.

One million species at risk of extinction.

No region is untouched.

And we ain’t seen nothing yet.

The hottest summers of today may be the coolest summers of tomorrow.

Once-in-a-lifetime climate shocks may soon become once a year events.

And with every climate disaster, we know that women and girls are the most affected.

The climate crisis is a case study in moral and economic injustice.

The G20 emits 80 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

But the poorest and most vulnerable – those who contributed least to this crisis – are bearing its most brutal impacts.

Meanwhile, the fossil fuel industry is feasting on hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and windfall profits while household budgets shrink and our planet burns.

 

Excellencies,

Let’s tell it like it is.

Our world is addicted to fossil fuels.  It’s time for an intervention.

We need to hold fossil fuel companies and their enablers to account.

That includes the banks, private equity, asset managers and other financial institutions that continue to invest and underwrite carbon pollution.

And it includes the massive public relations machine raking in billions to shield the fossil fuel industry from scrutiny.

Just as they did for the tobacco industry decades before, lobbyists and spin doctors  have spewed harmful misinformation.

Fossil fuel interests need to spend less time averting a PR disaster – and more time averting a planetary one.

Of course, fossil fuels cannot be shut down overnight.

A just transition means leaving no person or country behind.

But it is high time to put fossil fuel producers, investors and enablers on notice.

Polluters must pay.

Today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies.

Those funds should be re-directed in two ways:  to countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis; and to people struggling with rising food and energy prices.

As we head to the COP 27 UN Climate Conference in Egypt, I appeal to all leaders to realize the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Lift your climate ambition.  Listen to your people’s calls for change.  Invest in solutions that lead to sustainable economic growth.

Let me point to three.

First, renewable energy.

It generates three times more jobs, is already cheaper than fossil fuels and is the pathway to energy security, stable prices and new industries.

Developing countries need help to make this shift, including through international coalitions to support just energy transitions in key emerging economies.

Second, helping countries adapt to worsening climate shocks.

Resilience-building in developing countries is a smart investment – in reliable supply chains, regional stability and orderly migration.

Last year in Glasgow, developed countries agreed to double adaptation funding by 2025.  This must be delivered in full, as a starting point.

At minimum, adaptation must make up half of all climate finance.

Multilateral Development Banks must step up and deliver.  Major economies are their shareholders and must make it happen.

Third, addressing loss and damage from disasters.

It is high time to move beyond endless discussions.  Vulnerable countries need meaningful action.

Loss and damage are happening now, hurting people and economies now, and must be addressed now — starting at COP 27.

This is a fundamental question of climate justice, international solidarity and trust.

At the same time, we must make sure that every person, community and nation has access to effective early warning systems within the next five years.

We also must address the biodiversity crisis by making the December UN Biodiversity Conference a success.

The world must agree on a post-2020 global biodiversity framework – one that sets ambitious targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, provides adequate financing and eliminates harmful subsidies that destroy ecosystems on which we all depend.

I also urge you to intensify efforts to finalize an international legally binding agreement to conserve and sustainably use marine biological diversity.  We must protect the ocean now and for the future.

 

Excellencies,

The climate crisis is coming on top of other heavy weather.

A once-in-a-generation global cost-of-living crisis is unfolding, turbocharged by the war in Ukraine.

Some 94 countries – home to 1.6 billion people – many in Africa — face a perfect storm: economic and social fallout from the pandemic, soaring food and energy prices, crushing debt burdens, spiraling inflation, and a lack of access to finance.

These cascading crises are feeding on each other, compounding inequalities, creating devastating hardship, delaying the energy transition, and threatening global financial meltdown.

Social unrest is inevitable – with conflict not far behind.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

A world without extreme poverty, want or hunger is not an impossible dream. It is within reach.

That is the world envisaged by the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

But it is not the world we have chosen.

Because of our decisions, sustainable development everywhere is at risk.

The SDGs are issuing an SOS.

Even the most fundamental goals – on poverty, hunger and education – are going into reverse.

More people are poor.  More people are hungry.  More people are being denied health care and education.

Gender equality is going backwards and women’s lives are getting worse, from poverty, to choices around sexual and reproductive health, to their personal security.

 

Excellencies,

Developing countries are getting hit from all sides.

We need concerted action.

Today, I am calling for the launch of an SDG Stimulus – led by the G-20 — to massively boost sustainable development for developing countries.

The upcoming G20 Summit in Bali is the place to start.

This SDG stimulus has four components:

First, Multilateral Development Banks – the World Bank and regional counterparts – must increase concessional funding to developing countries linked to investments in the Sustainable Development Goals.

The banks themselves need more finance, immediately.

They then need to lift their borrowing conditions and increase their appetite for risk, so the funds reach all countries in need.

Developing countries, particularly Small Island Developing States, face too many obstacles in accessing the finance they need to invest in their people and their future.

Second, debt relief.

The Debt Service Suspension Initiative should be extended – and enhanced.

We also need an effective mechanism of debt relief for developing countries – including middle-income countries – in debt distress.

Creditors should consider debt reduction mechanisms such as debt-climate adaptation swaps.

These could have saved lives and livelihoods in Pakistan, which is drowning not only in floodwater, but in debt.

Lending criteria should go beyond Gross Domestic Product and include all the dimensions of vulnerability that affect developing countries.

Third, an expansion of liquidity.

I urge the International Monetary Fund and major central banks to expand their liquidity facilities and currency lines immediately and significantly.

Special Drawing Rights play an important role in enabling developing countries to invest in recovery and the SDGs.

But they were distributed according to existing quotas, benefitting those who need them least.  We have been waiting for redistribution for 19 months; the amounts we hear about are minimal.

A new allocation of Special Drawing Rights must be handled differently based on justice and solidarity with developing countries.

Fourth, I call on governments to empower specialized funds like Gavi, the Global Fund and the Green Climate Fund.

G20 economies should underwrite an expansion of these funds as additional financing for the SDGs.

 

Excellencies,

Let me be clear: the SDG Stimulus I am proposing is only an interim measure.

Today’s global financial system was created by rich countries to serve their interests.  It expands and entrenches inequalities.  It requires deep structural reform.

My report on Our Common Agenda proposes a New Global Deal to rebalance power and resources between developed and developing countries.

African countries, in particular, are under-represented in global institutions.

I hope Member States will seize the opportunity to turn these ideas into concrete solutions, including at the Summit of the Future in 2024.

 

Excellencies,

The divergence between developed and developing countries – between North and South – between the privileged and the rest – is becoming more dangerous by the day.

It is at the root of the geopolitical tensions and lack of trust that poison every area of global cooperation, from vaccines to sanctions to trade.

But by acting as one, we can nurture fragile shoots of hope.

The hope found in climate and peace activists around the world calling out for change and demanding better of their leaders.

The hope found in young people, working every day for a better, more peaceful future.

The hope found in the women and girls of the world, leading and fighting for those still being denied their basic human rights.

The hope found throughout civil society seeking ways to build more just and equal communities and countries.

The hope found in science and academia, racing to stay ahead of deadly diseases and end the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hope found in humanitarian heroes rushing to deliver lifesaving aid around the globe.

The United Nations stands with them all.

We know lofty ideals must be made real in people’s lives.

So let’s develop common solutions to common problems — grounded in goodwill, trust, and the rights shared by every human being.

Let’s work as one, as a coalition of the world, as United Nations.

 

Thank you

 

Prime Minister Liz Truss -- Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Mr. Speaker, in the hours since last night’s shocking news, we have witnessed the most heartfelt outpouring of grief at the loss of Her Late Majesty the Queen.

Crowds have gathered.

Flags have been lowered to half-mast.

Tributes have been sent from every continent around the world.

On the death of her father King George VI, Winston Churchill said the news had:

….”stilled the clatter and traffic of twentieth-century life in many lands.”

Now, 70 years later, in the tumult of the 21st century, life has paused again.

Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known.

She was the rock on which modern Britain was built.

She came to the throne – at just 25 – in a country that was emerging from the shadow of war.

She bequeaths a modern, dynamic nation that has grown and flourished under her reign.

The United Kingdom is the great country it is today because of her.

The Commonwealth is the family of nations it is today because of her.

She was devoted to the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

She served 15 countries as Head of State and she loved them all.

Her words of wisdom gave us strength in the most testing times.

During the darkest moments of the pandemic, she gave us hope that we would meet again.

She knew this generation of Britons would be as strong as any.

As we meet today, we remember the pledge she made on her 21st birthday to dedicate her life to service.

The whole House will agree: never has a promise been so completely fulfilled.

Her devotion to duty remains an example to us all.

She carried out thousands of engagements.

She took a red box every day.

She gave Her Assent to countless pieces of legislation,

and was at the heart of our national life for seven decades.

As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she drew on her deep faith.

She was the nation’s greatest diplomat.

Her visits to post-apartheid South Africa and to the Republic of Ireland showed a unique ability to transcend difference and heal division.

In total she visited well over 100 countries.

She met more people than any other Monarch in our history.

She gave counsel to Prime Ministers and Ministers across government.

I have personally greatly valued her wise advice.

Only last October, I witnessed first-hand how she charmed the world’s leading investors at Windsor Castle.

She was always so proud of Britain and always embodied the spirit of our great country.

She remained determined to carry out her duties even at the age of 96.

It was just three days ago at Balmoral that she invited me to form a government and become her 15th Prime Minister.

Again she generously shared with me her deep experience of government, even in those last days.

Everyone who met her will remember the moment.

They will speak of it for the rest of their lives.

Even for those who never met her, Her Late Majesty’s image is an icon for what Britain stands for as a nation - on our coins, on our stamps and in portraits around the world.

Her legacy will endure through the countless people she met,

the global history she witnessed,

and the lives that she touched.

She was loved and admired by people across the United Kingdom and across the world.

One of the reasons for that affection was her sheer humanity.

She re-invented the monarchy for the modern age.

She was a champion of freedom and democracy around the world.

She was dignified but not distant.

She was willing to have fun, whether on a mission with 007 or having tea with Paddington Bear.

She brought the monarchy into people’s lives and into people’s homes.

During her first televised Christmas message in 1957, she said:

“Today we need a special kind of courage…so we can show the world that we are not afraid of the future.”

We need that courage now.

In an instant, yesterday, our lives changed forever.

Today we show the world we do not fear what lies ahead.

We send our deepest sympathy to all members of the Royal Family.

We pay tribute to our late Queen, and we offer loyal service to our new King.

His Majesty King Charles III bears an awesome responsibility that he now carries for all of us.

I was grateful to speak to His Majesty last night and offer my condolences

Even as he mourns, his sense of duty and service is clear.

He has already made a profound contribution through his work on conservation, education, and his tireless diplomacy.

We owe him our loyalty and devotion.

The British people, the Commonwealth, and all of us in this House…

…will support him as he takes our country forward to a new era of hope and progress…

…our New Carolean age.

The Crown endures.

Our nation endures.

And in that spirit, I say: God save The King.

Well gang, here ends Chapter 24 and the good, bad, and the ugly reflections from my micro-cosmos in the down and under. I truly do hope that Chapter 25 might be less dark, but this obviously will depend on decisions taken by those who must know what they are doing. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 


10/06/22 05:25 PM #105    

John Ross Pope

The Pandemic Diary, Chapter 24, September 2022

The “Here and Now – Life in the Quarantine” diaries began in March 2020 and over the past thirty months, in 23 chapters, related and recorded how suddenly life had turned totally upside down / inside out.

Now it is October 3, 2022 and today the Chilean government has declared that is no longer necessary for population to use face masks.  After 912 days of mandatory use anywhere outside of one’s own house, emancipation has arrived, no more face masks! I cannot believe it.

85% of the population is fully vaccinated, number of infected is low and controlled. We paid the price and sacrificed and now have our liberty. But it is a scary feeling walking down the street uncovered, trying to re-recognize people not by just their eyes; it is like leaving home without your cel phone.

So we begin to readjust our reality?

I got sucked into the black hole of trying to understand the concept of infinity, stimulated by Netflix’s production “A Trip to Infinity”.  Mind blowing to say the least -- fantasy vs reality: when you struggle to differentiate between what is real and what isn’t.

 

Natalie Lue of Baggagreclaim talks about reconciliation issues in one’s life – knowing what is real and what is “fake” and understanding and confronting the fantasy dilemma this produces in us.

 

When one is faced (constantly) with making fantasy (an idea with no basis in reality and is basically your imagination unrestricted by reality) and reality (the state of things as they exist -- what you see, hear, and experience) consistent with one another so that you can accept the truth of what is happening, what you feel, do, or are being, you opt for resultant illusions (false idea or belief, or a deceptive appearance or impression).

 

This basically suspends you in No Man’s Land while opening you up to problems in the real world.

 

And Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody plays in our head:

 

Is this the real life

Is this just fantasy?

Caught in a landside,

No escape from reality

Open your eyes

Look up to the skies and see,

I'm just a poor boy,

I need no sympathy,

Because I'm easy come, easy go,

Little high, little low,

Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me…

 

Here we sit at the end of the world, kilometers below the equator, light years away from all the northern hemisphere confusion:

  • Hurricane Ian demolishes half of Florida and the money keeps rolling in, while Puerto Rico just tries to survive.
  • The climate issue is a joke: floods, draught, famine, plague, fire – Pachamama on the warpath
  • Totalitarianism; religious conflicts; Donny T and Putin; global starvation; recession; Labor vs the Conservatives; Democrats vs Republicans; right, center, left; abortion, immigration; polio; Bolsonaro vs Lula; Ukrane…

 

When I look to the “north” it is like trying to understand “A Trip to Infinity”. No matter how many times I concentrate on what is being said I still cannot process the information and escape to a “no news is good news” comportment. Thank God for the Disney channel!

 

But enough is enough.  Time to reflect and to get down and to record for prosperity some newly appreciated nitty-gritty -- which I might have already shared in previous separate correspondences and  if so, the next series of diatribes again can be appreciated of just skipped over).

 

Tikkun Olam:

 

Some ancient rabbis believed that when God created the universe that He placed His divine light into special celestial containers. But it turned out that Creation did not go quite according to His plan, and an accident occurred.  The vessels were broken and the universe became filled with sparks of divine light and shards of broken vessels.  The rabbis so believed that the task of Creation would not be complete until all of the sparks were gathered together.  This is what is called Tikkun Olan or Repair of the World.

 

In modern times, mainly amongst the post-Hashanah movements, Tikkun Olan came to refer to the pursuit of social justice or the establishment of Godly qualities throughout the world: the moral, spiritual, and material welfare of society at large.

 

Stoics:

 

It was a life of difficulty. Born into slavery, at one point his master broke his leg, leaving him disabled. Eventually freed, he spent the next 25 years pursuing his calling – only for his career to be outlawed by the dictator in charge. He fled abroad, an exile and in poverty.

These sketchy biographical details are almost all that we know of the life of the philosopher Epictetus, born around AD55. While some of them are contested – we can't be sure if he was born a slave, or simply became a slave young – it's clear that he didn't have it easy. Nor was his world one that was placid and predictable, either: if he came to Rome from his birthplace in modern-day Turkey sometime around AD65, as some believe, then he would have had a turbulent childhood. He may have witnessed both the fire that torched two-thirds of the city and lived through a single year so politically turbulent it saw four different emperors, two murdered and one who killed himself. 

And yet Epictetus had everything he needed. After all, he said – according, at least, to a student who painstakingly wrote down his teachings – that "it is not events that disturb people, it is their judgments concerning them". 

This idea is one of the pillars of the philosophical school known as Stoicism, founded by the philosopher Zeno in Athens during the upheaval, crises and violence of 4th Century BC. It's also one of many teachings from the school that we can still learn from – which may be why we see its echoes in so much psychologyself-help literature and even religion today.

Whether it's war or a pandemic, our health or finances, no matter how challenging our lives might feel, the Stoics tell us, we still can thrive. They should know: Stoicism was a school that was "built for hard times", writes Kare Anderson, seeking to give people a guide to the good life even when the world around them was unpredictable and troubled. Here are some of the main takeaways the Stoics can offer for uncertain times: recognize what you can (and can't) control

As Epictetus said, for Stoics, it isn't the thing itself that causes turmoil. It's how you think about it. And few things cause more distress than fighting against circumstances outside of our control, or getting attached to an outcome that isn't in our power.

The first hurdle – one so important that Epictetus called it "our chief task in life" – is to identify what is outside of your control to begin with, aspects the Stoics call "externals". Luckily, the Stoics made this rather simple: it's everything other than your own thoughts, choices and actions. Take health, for example. You may choose to eat five-a-day and exercise (your choices), but that doesn't mean you won't ever suffer any health issues (an external). And if you think it does, you're not just deluding yourself. You're setting yourself up for real disappointment.

 

Because it's so easy for us to mistake what we can and can't control, Epictetus recommended undertaking this mental habit: "In the case of particular things that delight you, or benefit you, or to which you have grown attached, remind yourself of what they are. Start with things of little value. If it is a ceramic cup you like, for instance, say, 'I am fond of a ceramic cup. When it breaks, then you won't be as disconcerted," he advised. "When giving your wife or child a kiss, repeat to yourself, 'I am kissing a mortal'. Then you won't be distraught if they are taken from you." (Famously, he also said that, when kissing your child, you should tell yourself "Tomorrow, you may be dead" – advice seen as rather morbid in his time, and in ours).

Controversially, the Stoics went even further. While we might prefer to be healthy, or for our loved one to live, such externals aren't "good" or "bad" on their own. Indeed, they argued, pursuing them can sometimes bring us to worse circumstances. Sure, they admitted, striving for these things was part of being human. But if you came to understand that any particular external wasn't meant for you, you had to accept it and let it go.

"It's something like going on an ocean voyage," Epictetus said. "What can I do? Pick the captain, the boat, the date, and the best time to sail. But then a storm hits. Well, it's no longer my business; I have done everything I could. It's somebody else's problem now – namely the captain's."

Because you can't control these externals, Stoics went on, there's also no use feeling distraught over them. After all, none of these "indifferents" are really necessary to our happiness – all that matters is, ultimately, how we conduct ourselves in the fact of them.

If this sounds familiar today, it's because it's been echoed in various mantras and forms of self-help for years – whether Byron Katie's (not uncontroversial) teachings on "loving what is" or simply the modern cliché "it is what it is".

You always choose how to respond

Which brings us to a second key tenet of Stoicism. Accepting circumstances outside of your control doesn't mean being passive, because you're always in control of something crucial: yourself.

"If you are doing your proper duty, let it not matter to you whether you are cold or warm, whether you are sleepy or well-slept, whether men speak badly or well of you, even whether you are on the point of death or doing something else: because even this, the act in which we die, is one of the acts of life, and so here too it suffices to 'make the best move you can'," wrote Marcus Aurelius, the famous Roman emperor-philosopher, in his diaries known as the Meditations.

 

In particular, the Stoics recommended meeting every challenge with justice, self-control, and reason. While they understood that these were natural human emotions that were likely to arise, they had little time for "passions" like anger or grief, seeing these as signs of getting too attached to an outcome out of your control.

Seneca, another of Stoicism's best-known advocates, had particularly cutting words for the Roman senator Cicero, who "had neither peace in prosperity nor patience in adversity". At one low point, Seneca wrote, Cicero wrote a letter in which he bewailed his past, whined about the present, and despaired of the future.

"Cicero called himself a semi-prisoner, but really and truly the wise man will never go so far as to use such an abject term," Seneca admonished. "He will never be a semi-prisoner, but will always enjoy freedom which is solid and complete, at liberty to be his own master and higher than all others." 

See every challenge as a learning opportunity – and a test

Not only is it possible to remain calm in the face of a dire situation, but those challenges are exactly how we learn to be calm, so much so that they should be welcomed – an idea that lives on in the modern-day aphorism "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger".

It may even be a sign of the gods' favour, suggested Seneca: after all, the gods want "good men" to be as outstanding as they can possibly be, so it makes sense that they send trials to those people in particular.

Such challenges also allow us to better understand life in general. "To be lucky all the time and to go through life without mental distress is to remain ignorant of half of the natural world," Seneca wrote.

 

Then there's the unpredictability of how everything may turn out: we need to remember that even the worst circumstances, Seneca and other Stoics believed, may somehow be good for us in the end.

Remember that change (and loss) are constants.

It seems impossible to not be disturbed by externals like the death of a loved one. But the Stoics were in favour of radically embracing reality. And reality, they taught, means constant change, loss, and hardship. 

"Is someone afraid of change? Well, what can ever come to be without change?" asked Marcus Aurelius. "Can you yourself take your bath, if the wood that heats it is not changed? Can you be fed, unless what you eat changes? Can any other of the benefits of life be achieved without change? Do you not see then that for you to be changed is equal, and equally necessary to the nature of the Whole?"

Rehearse for the worst

As much as they advocated accepting reality, far from resigning themselves to tough situations, the Stoics liked to prepare for them. They particularly guarded against falling into the all-too-human trap of "that would never happen to me". Humans, after all, tend to be rosy when thinking about the future: we won't be touched by natural disaster, disease or war, while a business venture or romantic relationship will of course go well. 

But if you've ever seen it happen to anyone else, it absolutely can happen to you, Seneca warned. "Should it surprise me if the perils which have always roamed around me should someday reach me?"

And yet many people refuse to think about, or plan for, such outcomes. "A great number of people plan a sea voyage with no thought of a storm," he wrote. "It is too late for the mind to equip itself to endure dangers once they are already there. 'I didn't think it would happen' and 'Would you ever have believed it would turn out so?' Why ever not? Know, then, that every condition can change, and whatever happens to anyone can happen to you too."

 

According to the Stoics, these kinds of blinkers set us up for huge disappointment. By running through the worst potential outcomes, we feel more emotionally prepared to meet them when they arrive. Of course, we're likely to then prepare practically, too – likely to make things a little easier if disaster does indeed occur. An exercise still adopted in board offices and government buildings around the world today, it's often called a "premortem". 

In ancient times, it had more of a ring to it: it was a premeditatio malorum (premeditation of evils).

But don't spin your wheels worrying

Plan for the future, yes, but don't get stuck there. Be confident in your own ability to meet any circumstance thrown at you – the same way you always have. "Do not let the future trouble you. You will come to it, if that is what you must, possessed of the same reason that you apply now to the present," wrote Marcus Aurelius. 

Instead, focus on the present moment. That includes practising gratitude for what we have right now, not focusing on what we would like to have (or avoid) in the future.

Keep it to the simple facts

He also warned against adding any additional assumptions to anything you see. "Do not elaborate to yourself beyond what your initial impressions report," he wrote. "I see that my little boy is ill. That is what I see: I do not see that he is in danger."

Consider it an ancient warning against catastrophizing, one of the "distortions" cognitive behavioral therapist’s help patients guard against.

Help others, and ask for help – but protect yourself emotionally

Like the Platonists, the Stoics held that our main goal in life is to excel at being human. And human nature is, they believed, social – so much so that justice (which, in ancient philosophy, goes beyond the concept of "fairness" to include our obligations to other people and to our communities) was one of the foremost virtues.

Helping others was, therefore, important. But so was guarding against adopting someone else's grief or anger as passionately as if it were your own. By all means, sympathize with someone who is upset, wrote Epictetus. "But do not commiserate with your whole heart and soul."

 

Have no shame about asking for help, either, wrote Marcus Aurelius: sometimes, it's the only way that you can fulfil your life's "main task" – playing your part to contribute in the best way you can.

Don't distract yourself from difficult feelings

Despite their disdain for "the passions" like grief and their advice for not getting sucked in by them, the Stoics understood very well that, for most of us, these feelings would still arise. And, in the same way that modern speakers like Brené Brown advise against "numbing" negative emotions, the Stoics argued that we shouldn't try to "cheat" feelings like sadness or anger. Taking a vacation, or throwing yourself into work, drives them away only temporarily. When they return, they're likely to come back even stronger.

"It is better to conquer our grief than to deceive it," Seneca wrote. But how? Today, psychotherapists might suggest "feeling the feelings", processing them and talking about them. Tara Brach, a well-known clinical psychologist and mindfulness guide, suggests the "sacred pause" – taking a moment to simply stop and tune into our emotions, even in the midst of a fit of anger or sorrow. For Seneca, the solution to simply study philosophy.  

Take the long view and remember that this, too, shall pass

One exercise Marcus Aurelius suggested was to imagine you are looking down on the Earth, seeing everything as it happens. Then imagine the long timeline of history: the people who lived long before you, and those who will live after. (It's like the ancient version of the Grand Canyon visualisation that some therapists recommend).

"Think of the whole of existence, of which you are the tiniest part; think of the whole of time in which you have been assigned a brief and fleeting moment; think of destiny – what fraction of that are you?"

After all: "Every ocean is a drop in the Universe," he wrote.

"The whole of present time is a pin-prick of eternity."

Amanda Ruggeri,senior journalist for BBC Future.

SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES

ADDRESS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, 20 September 2022

 

Mr. President,

 

Excellencies,

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

Our world is in big trouble.

Divides are growing deeper.

Inequalities are growing wider.

Challenges are spreading farther.

But as we come together in a world teeming with turmoil, an image of promise and hope comes to my mind.

This ship is the Brave Commander.  It sailed the Black Sea with the UN flag flying high and proud.

On the one hand, what you see is a vessel like any other plying the seas.

But look closer.

At its essence, this ship is a symbol of what the world can accomplish when we act together.

It is loaded with Ukrainian grain destined for the people of the Horn of Africa, millions of whom are on the edge of famine.

It navigated through a war zone — guided by the very parties to the conflict – as

part of an unprecedented comprehensive initiative to get more food and fertilizer out of Ukraine and Russia.

To bring desperately needed relief to those in need.

To calm commodity markets, secure future harvests, and lower prices for consumers everywhere.

Ukraine and the Russian Federation – with the support of Türkiye – came together to make it happen — despite the enormous complexities, the naysayers, and even the hell of war.

Some might call it a miracle on the sea.

In truth, it is multilateral diplomacy in action.

The Black Sea Grain Initiative has opened the pathway for the safe navigation of dozens of ships filled with much needed food supplies.

But each ship is also carrying one of today’s rarest commodities: Hope.

 

Excellencies,

We need hope …. and more.

We need action.

To ease the global food crisis, we now must urgently address the global fertilizer market crunch.

This year, the world has enough food; the problem is distribution.

But if the fertilizer market is not stabilized, next year’s problem might be food supply itself.

We already have reports of farmers in West Africa and beyond cultivating fewer crops because of the price and availability of fertilizers.

It is essential to continue removing all remaining obstacles to the export of Russian fertilizers and their ingredients, including ammonia.  These products are not subject to sanctions – and we are making progress in eliminating indirect effects.

Another major concern is the impact of high gas prices on the production of nitrogen fertilizers. This must also be addressed seriously.

Without action now, the global fertilizer shortage will quickly morph into a global food shortage.

 

Excellencies,

We need action across the board.

Let’s have no illusions.

We are in rough seas.

A winter of global discontent is on the horizon.

A cost-of-living crisis is raging.

Trust is crumbling.

Inequalities are exploding.

Our planet is burning.

People are hurting – with the most vulnerable suffering the most.

The United Nations Charter and the ideals it represents are in jeopardy.

We have a duty to act.

And yet we are gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction.

The international community is not ready or willing to tackle the big dramatic challenges of our age.

These crises threaten the very future of humanity and the fate of our planet.

Crises like the war in Ukraine and the multiplication of conflicts around the globe.

Crises like the climate emergency and biodiversity loss.

Crises like the dire financial situation of developing countries and the fate of the Sustainable Development Goals.

And crises like the lack of guardrails around promising new technologies to heal disease, connect people and expand opportunity.

In just the time since I became Secretary-General, a tool has been developed to edit genes.

Neurotechnology – connecting technology with the human nervous system – has progressed from idea to proof of concept.

Cryptocurrencies and other blockchain technologies are widespread.

But across a host of new technologies, there is a forest of red flags.

Social media platforms based on a business model that monetizes outrage, anger and negativity are causing untold damage to communities and societies.

Hate speech, misinformation and abuse – targeted especially at women and vulnerable groups – are proliferating.

Our data is being bought and sold to influence our behaviour – while spyware and surveillance are out of control – all, with no regard for privacy.

Artificial intelligence is compromising the integrity of information systems, the media, and indeed democracy itself.

Quantum computing could destroy cybersecurity and increase the risk of malfunctions to complex systems.

We don’t have the beginnings of a global architecture to deal with any of this.

 

Excellencies,

Progress on all these issues and more is being held hostage to geopolitical tensions.

Our world is in peril – and paralyzed.

Geopolitical divides are:

Undermining the work of the Security Council.

Undermining international law

Undermining trust and people’s faith in democratic institutions.

Undermining all forms of international cooperation.

We cannot go on like this.

Even the various groupings set up outside the multilateral system by some members of the international community have fallen into the trap of geopolitical divides, like the G-20.

At one stage, international relations seemed to be moving toward a G-2 world; now we risk ending up with G-nothing.

No cooperation.  No dialogue.  No collective problem solving.

But the reality is that we live in a world where the logic of cooperation and dialogue is the only path forward.

No power or group alone can call the shots.

No major global challenge can be solved by a coalition of the willing.

We need a coalition of the world.

 

Excellencies,

Today, I want to outline three areas where the coalition of the world must urgently overcome divisions and act together.

It starts with the core mission of the United Nations – achieving and sustaining peace.

Much of the world’s attention remains focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The war has unleashed widespread destruction with massive violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.  The latest reports on burial sites in Izyum are extremely disturbing.

The fighting has claimed thousands of lives.  Millions have been displaced.  Billions across the world are affected.

We are seeing the threat of dangerous divisions between West and South.

The risks to global peace and security are immense.

We must keep working for peace in line with the United Nations Charter and international law.

At the same time, conflicts and humanitarian crises are spreading – often far from the spotlight.

The funding gap for our Global Humanitarian Appeal stands at $32 billion – the widest ever.

Upheaval abounds.

In Afghanistan, the economy is in ruins, over half of all Afghans face extreme levels of hunger, while human rights – particularly the rights of women and girls —  are being trampled.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, armed groups in the east are terrorizing civilians and inflaming regional tensions.

In Ethiopia, fighting has resumed underscoring the need for the parties to immediately cease hostilities and return to the peace table.

In Haiti, gangs are destroying the very building blocks of society.

In the Horn of Africa, an unprecedented drought is threatening the lives and livelihoods of 22 million people.

In Libya, divisions continue to jeopardize the country.

In Iraq, ongoing tensions threaten stability.

In Israel and Palestine, cycles of violence under the occupation continue as prospects for peace based on a two-state solution grow ever more distant.

In Myanmar, the appalling humanitarian, human rights and security situation is deteriorating by the day.

In the Sahel, alarming levels of insecurity and terrorist activity amidst rising humanitarian needs continues to grow.

In Syria, violence and hardship still prevail.

The list goes on.

Meanwhile nuclear saber-rattling and threats to the safety of nuclear plants are adding to global instability.

The review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty failed to reach consensus and a nuclear deal with Iran remains elusive.

But there are some glimmers of hope.

In Yemen, the nationwide truce is fragile but holding.  In Colombia, the peace process is taking root.

We need much more concerted action everywhere anchored in respect for international law and the protection of human rights.

In a splintering world, we need to create mechanisms of dialogue to heal divides.

That is why I outlined elements of a new Agenda for Peace in my report on Our Common Agenda.

We are committed to make the most of every diplomatic tool for the pacific settlement of disputes, as set out in the United Nations Charter: negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and judicial settlement.

Women’s leadership and participation must be front and centre.

And we must also prioritize prevention and peacebuilding.

That means strengthening strategic foresight, anticipating flashpoints that could erupt into violence, and tackling emerging threats posed by cyber warfare and lethal autonomous weapons.

It means expanding the role of regional groups, strengthening peacekeeping, intensifying disarmament and non-proliferation, preventing and countering terrorism, and ensuring accountability.

And it means recognizing human rights as pivotal for prevention.

My Call to Action on Human Rights highlights the centrality of human rights, refugee and humanitarian law.

In all we do, we must recognize that human rights are the path to resolving tensions, ending conflict and forging lasting peace.

 

Excellencies,

There is another battle we must end – our suicidal war against nature.

The climate crisis is the defining issue of our time.

It must be the first priority of every government and multilateral organization.

And yet climate action is being put on the back burner – despite overwhelming public support around the world.

Global greenhouse gas emissions need to be slashed by 45 percent by 2030 to have any hope of reaching net zero by 2050.

And yet emissions are going up at record levels – on course to a 14 percent increase this decade.

We have a rendezvous with climate disaster.

I recently saw it with my own eyes in Pakistan – where one-third of the country is submerged by a monsoon on steroids.

We see it everywhere.

Planet earth is a victim of scorched earth policies.

The past year has brought us Europe’s worst heatwave since the Middle Ages.

Megadrought in China, the United States and beyond.

Famine stalking the Horn of Africa.

One million species at risk of extinction.

No region is untouched.

And we ain’t seen nothing yet.

The hottest summers of today may be the coolest summers of tomorrow.

Once-in-a-lifetime climate shocks may soon become once a year events.

And with every climate disaster, we know that women and girls are the most affected.

The climate crisis is a case study in moral and economic injustice.

The G20 emits 80 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

But the poorest and most vulnerable – those who contributed least to this crisis – are bearing its most brutal impacts.

Meanwhile, the fossil fuel industry is feasting on hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies and windfall profits while household budgets shrink and our planet burns.

 

Excellencies,

Let’s tell it like it is.

Our world is addicted to fossil fuels.  It’s time for an intervention.

We need to hold fossil fuel companies and their enablers to account.

That includes the banks, private equity, asset managers and other financial institutions that continue to invest and underwrite carbon pollution.

And it includes the massive public relations machine raking in billions to shield the fossil fuel industry from scrutiny.

Just as they did for the tobacco industry decades before, lobbyists and spin doctors  have spewed harmful misinformation.

Fossil fuel interests need to spend less time averting a PR disaster – and more time averting a planetary one.

Of course, fossil fuels cannot be shut down overnight.

A just transition means leaving no person or country behind.

But it is high time to put fossil fuel producers, investors and enablers on notice.

Polluters must pay.

Today, I am calling on all developed economies to tax the windfall profits of fossil fuel companies.

Those funds should be re-directed in two ways:  to countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis; and to people struggling with rising food and energy prices.

As we head to the COP 27 UN Climate Conference in Egypt, I appeal to all leaders to realize the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Lift your climate ambition.  Listen to your people’s calls for change.  Invest in solutions that lead to sustainable economic growth.

Let me point to three.

First, renewable energy.

It generates three times more jobs, is already cheaper than fossil fuels and is the pathway to energy security, stable prices and new industries.

Developing countries need help to make this shift, including through international coalitions to support just energy transitions in key emerging economies.

Second, helping countries adapt to worsening climate shocks.

Resilience-building in developing countries is a smart investment – in reliable supply chains, regional stability and orderly migration.

Last year in Glasgow, developed countries agreed to double adaptation funding by 2025.  This must be delivered in full, as a starting point.

At minimum, adaptation must make up half of all climate finance.

Multilateral Development Banks must step up and deliver.  Major economies are their shareholders and must make it happen.

Third, addressing loss and damage from disasters.

It is high time to move beyond endless discussions.  Vulnerable countries need meaningful action.

Loss and damage are happening now, hurting people and economies now, and must be addressed now — starting at COP 27.

This is a fundamental question of climate justice, international solidarity and trust.

At the same time, we must make sure that every person, community and nation has access to effective early warning systems within the next five years.

We also must address the biodiversity crisis by making the December UN Biodiversity Conference a success.

The world must agree on a post-2020 global biodiversity framework – one that sets ambitious targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, provides adequate financing and eliminates harmful subsidies that destroy ecosystems on which we all depend.

I also urge you to intensify efforts to finalize an international legally binding agreement to conserve and sustainably use marine biological diversity.  We must protect the ocean now and for the future.

 

Excellencies,

The climate crisis is coming on top of other heavy weather.

A once-in-a-generation global cost-of-living crisis is unfolding, turbocharged by the war in Ukraine.

Some 94 countries – home to 1.6 billion people – many in Africa — face a perfect storm: economic and social fallout from the pandemic, soaring food and energy prices, crushing debt burdens, spiraling inflation, and a lack of access to finance.

These cascading crises are feeding on each other, compounding inequalities, creating devastating hardship, delaying the energy transition, and threatening global financial meltdown.

Social unrest is inevitable – with conflict not far behind.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

A world without extreme poverty, want or hunger is not an impossible dream. It is within reach.

That is the world envisaged by the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

But it is not the world we have chosen.

Because of our decisions, sustainable development everywhere is at risk.

The SDGs are issuing an SOS.

Even the most fundamental goals – on poverty, hunger and education – are going into reverse.

More people are poor.  More people are hungry.  More people are being denied health care and education.

Gender equality is going backwards and women’s lives are getting worse, from poverty, to choices around sexual and reproductive health, to their personal security.

 

Excellencies,

Developing countries are getting hit from all sides.

We need concerted action.

Today, I am calling for the launch of an SDG Stimulus – led by the G-20 — to massively boost sustainable development for developing countries.

The upcoming G20 Summit in Bali is the place to start.

This SDG stimulus has four components:

First, Multilateral Development Banks – the World Bank and regional counterparts – must increase concessional funding to developing countries linked to investments in the Sustainable Development Goals.

The banks themselves need more finance, immediately.

They then need to lift their borrowing conditions and increase their appetite for risk, so the funds reach all countries in need.

Developing countries, particularly Small Island Developing States, face too many obstacles in accessing the finance they need to invest in their people and their future.

Second, debt relief.

The Debt Service Suspension Initiative should be extended – and enhanced.

We also need an effective mechanism of debt relief for developing countries – including middle-income countries – in debt distress.

Creditors should consider debt reduction mechanisms such as debt-climate adaptation swaps.

These could have saved lives and livelihoods in Pakistan, which is drowning not only in floodwater, but in debt.

Lending criteria should go beyond Gross Domestic Product and include all the dimensions of vulnerability that affect developing countries.

Third, an expansion of liquidity.

I urge the International Monetary Fund and major central banks to expand their liquidity facilities and currency lines immediately and significantly.

Special Drawing Rights play an important role in enabling developing countries to invest in recovery and the SDGs.

But they were distributed according to existing quotas, benefitting those who need them least.  We have been waiting for redistribution for 19 months; the amounts we hear about are minimal.

A new allocation of Special Drawing Rights must be handled differently based on justice and solidarity with developing countries.

Fourth, I call on governments to empower specialized funds like Gavi, the Global Fund and the Green Climate Fund.

G20 economies should underwrite an expansion of these funds as additional financing for the SDGs.

 

Excellencies,

Let me be clear: the SDG Stimulus I am proposing is only an interim measure.

Today’s global financial system was created by rich countries to serve their interests.  It expands and entrenches inequalities.  It requires deep structural reform.

My report on Our Common Agenda proposes a New Global Deal to rebalance power and resources between developed and developing countries.

African countries, in particular, are under-represented in global institutions.

I hope Member States will seize the opportunity to turn these ideas into concrete solutions, including at the Summit of the Future in 2024.

 

Excellencies,

The divergence between developed and developing countries – between North and South – between the privileged and the rest – is becoming more dangerous by the day.

It is at the root of the geopolitical tensions and lack of trust that poison every area of global cooperation, from vaccines to sanctions to trade.

But by acting as one, we can nurture fragile shoots of hope.

The hope found in climate and peace activists around the world calling out for change and demanding better of their leaders.

The hope found in young people, working every day for a better, more peaceful future.

The hope found in the women and girls of the world, leading and fighting for those still being denied their basic human rights.

The hope found throughout civil society seeking ways to build more just and equal communities and countries.

The hope found in science and academia, racing to stay ahead of deadly diseases and end the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hope found in humanitarian heroes rushing to deliver lifesaving aid around the globe.

The United Nations stands with them all.

We know lofty ideals must be made real in people’s lives.

So let’s develop common solutions to common problems — grounded in goodwill, trust, and the rights shared by every human being.

Let’s work as one, as a coalition of the world, as United Nations.

 

Thank you

 

Prime Minister Liz Truss -- Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Mr. Speaker, in the hours since last night’s shocking news, we have witnessed the most heartfelt outpouring of grief at the loss of Her Late Majesty the Queen.

Crowds have gathered.

Flags have been lowered to half-mast.

Tributes have been sent from every continent around the world.

On the death of her father King George VI, Winston Churchill said the news had:

….”stilled the clatter and traffic of twentieth-century life in many lands.”

Now, 70 years later, in the tumult of the 21st century, life has paused again.

Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known.

She was the rock on which modern Britain was built.

She came to the throne – at just 25 – in a country that was emerging from the shadow of war.

She bequeaths a modern, dynamic nation that has grown and flourished under her reign.

The United Kingdom is the great country it is today because of her.

The Commonwealth is the family of nations it is today because of her.

She was devoted to the Union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

She served 15 countries as Head of State and she loved them all.

Her words of wisdom gave us strength in the most testing times.

During the darkest moments of the pandemic, she gave us hope that we would meet again.

She knew this generation of Britons would be as strong as any.

As we meet today, we remember the pledge she made on her 21st birthday to dedicate her life to service.

The whole House will agree: never has a promise been so completely fulfilled.

Her devotion to duty remains an example to us all.

She carried out thousands of engagements.

She took a red box every day.

She gave Her Assent to countless pieces of legislation,

and was at the heart of our national life for seven decades.

As Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she drew on her deep faith.

She was the nation’s greatest diplomat.

Her visits to post-apartheid South Africa and to the Republic of Ireland showed a unique ability to transcend difference and heal division.

In total she visited well over 100 countries.

She met more people than any other Monarch in our history.

She gave counsel to Prime Ministers and Ministers across government.

I have personally greatly valued her wise advice.

Only last October, I witnessed first-hand how she charmed the world’s leading investors at Windsor Castle.

She was always so proud of Britain and always embodied the spirit of our great country.

She remained determined to carry out her duties even at the age of 96.

It was just three days ago at Balmoral that she invited me to form a government and become her 15th Prime Minister.

Again she generously shared with me her deep experience of government, even in those last days.

Everyone who met her will remember the moment.

They will speak of it for the rest of their lives.

Even for those who never met her, Her Late Majesty’s image is an icon for what Britain stands for as a nation - on our coins, on our stamps and in portraits around the world.

Her legacy will endure through the countless people she met,

the global history she witnessed,

and the lives that she touched.

She was loved and admired by people across the United Kingdom and across the world.

One of the reasons for that affection was her sheer humanity.

She re-invented the monarchy for the modern age.

She was a champion of freedom and democracy around the world.

She was dignified but not distant.

She was willing to have fun, whether on a mission with 007 or having tea with Paddington Bear.

She brought the monarchy into people’s lives and into people’s homes.

During her first televised Christmas message in 1957, she said:

“Today we need a special kind of courage…so we can show the world that we are not afraid of the future.”

We need that courage now.

In an instant, yesterday, our lives changed forever.

Today we show the world we do not fear what lies ahead.

We send our deepest sympathy to all members of the Royal Family.

We pay tribute to our late Queen, and we offer loyal service to our new King.

His Majesty King Charles III bears an awesome responsibility that he now carries for all of us.

I was grateful to speak to His Majesty last night and offer my condolences

Even as he mourns, his sense of duty and service is clear.

He has already made a profound contribution through his work on conservation, education, and his tireless diplomacy.

We owe him our loyalty and devotion.

The British people, the Commonwealth, and all of us in this House…

…will support him as he takes our country forward to a new era of hope and progress…

…our New Carolean age.

The Crown endures.

Our nation endures.

And in that spirit, I say: God save The King.

Well gang, here ends Chapter 24 and the good, bad, and the ugly reflections from my micro-cosmos in the down and under. I truly do hope that Chapter 25 might be less dark, but this obviously will depend on decisions taken by those who must know what they are doing. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

 

 

 

 

 


03/02/23 07:48 PM #106    

Mike Huston

Does anyone remember the name of the bakery in Old Orchard or know the name of the owner?


03/03/23 10:01 AM #107    

Linda Bemis (Hofman)

Mike, Hi, the name of the bakery was Schattgen's...I am sorry I can not remember the owner's name.  Our Bemis family considered Danishes from that sweet-smelling place a Sunday treat.  Linda


03/03/23 03:23 PM #108    

Susan Toft (Everson)

Hi Mike.  It was Schattgen's Bakery.  It was owned by William Schattgen and his brother.  My brother-in-law was Bill Schattgen Jr. , Webster class1952. My sister was class of 1954.  


03/04/23 11:01 AM #109    

Linda Weaver (Mann)

Was that the one that had Hungarian pull-aparts?  My mother used to buy them and we loved them๐Ÿ˜


03/05/23 12:21 PM #110    

Susan Toft (Everson)

Yes.  And the best jelly donats ever.  


03/05/23 12:23 PM #111    

Susan Toft (Everson)

Should be donuts. ๐Ÿ˜Š


03/05/23 02:31 PM #112    

Linda Bemis (Hofman)

 

Some more Old Orchard history, a connection with Ulysses S. Grant.  I will try to be succinct, but grab a beer or some coffee (where can we get that jelly donut?!) and bear with me.... (We have some much better historians in the Class of '62!)

Those of us especially in Avery, Lockwood and nearby elementary schools remember Old Orchard's long (brick?) commercial block with Schattgen's at one end, the dime store in the middle, and Velvet Freeze at the far end. At the Velvet Freeze if you turned left off Big Bend, you walked downhill on Spring Avenue. Immediately on your left, after you passed the parking lot behind the Velvet Freeze, was a stub of a street called Log Cabin Lane which had no houses/buildings on it. Behind all that you saw 5 or 6 acres of grassy land. The multistory Bethesda Senior Living Center now occupies much of that land. But for decades I've wondered a bit about that Log Cabin Lane.

Sometime in the last 30-40 years, the National Park Service established the Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site, out adjacent to the August Busch headquarters.  The site encompasses "Whitehaven," a sizeable farm including a modest two-story country home of Grant's era. Whitehaven belonged to a Colonel Dent, and Grant upon returning from his early military stint in Mexico married the Colonel's daughter Julia.  The Whitehaven home has been restored, and furnished sparsely to represent the period. You can visit the home, but to me the greater attraction is the medium-sized museum the Park Service has built, with very good displays depicting Grant's life from beginning to end.

In short order Grant began building at Whitehaven a separate two-story fairly primitive log cabin in which he, Julia and their first 2 children would live.  It took Grant 2 years to build it, with only a little help, and actually Ulysses and Julia only lived in it for 6 months or less. They named the cabin "Hardscrabble," reflecting the feeling of Julia, who was a genteel, loving individual.   But Ulysses and his family moved away soon after, first to Galena, Illinois and then to all the places Grant's military and political careers led him. 

Years later after Grant left the Presidency, he and Julia landed in New York City.  They were in bad financial straits...no government pension for a President at that time.  Grant mortgaged "Hardscrabble" to Williiam Vanderbilt in exchange for a much-needed $150,000. As many of you may know, Grant and Julia enjoyed post-Presidency travel in Europe for 2 years, and Grant then wrote his exquisite Memoir of his early life and war years, finishing the memoir just a few days before his death from cancer.

Decades later, in 1891, a real estate developer and builder named Edward Joy purchased Hardscrabble, to protect Grant's log cabin from deterioration and looting.  (Mr. Joy and his family built a number of very nice homes in the Joy Avenue area behind Holy Redeemer Church, around the turn of the century.)  Joy had Hardscrabble carefully disassembled and then reconstructed in Old Orchard...hence our Log Cabin Lane.

However in 1903 Mr. Joy sold Hardscrabble to a St. Louis coffee roaster company president, Mr. Blanke, who had the cabin disassembled and rebuilt for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.  The cabin was situated alongside what is today the St. Louis Art Museum.

Shortly after the World's Fair closed, when the cabin needed a place to go, August Busch had Hardscrabble disassembled once more and rebuilt at the Busch complex.  We can now see it, restored, at "Grant's Farm" within the Busch complex.  So Hardscrabble returned to a place no farther than a mile from where Ulysses first constructed it.

...My retelling of this story comes from a couple sources, but especially from a study that you can read at mohistory.org.   Query "Welcome to Hardscrabble."  A curator/grad student, bless him, contributed this account in 2020.  I hope I can track him down to thank him....     Linda

 

 

 

 

 


03/05/23 03:47 PM #113    

Mike Huston

Thanks Susan and Linda for providing the name of the Old Orchard bakery and everyone's tasty memories. I remember the Hot Crossed Buns around Easter with fruit on the inside and the icing cross on top and of course the jelly donuts.

If we had gone to Armin's Bakery on Clayton Road across from St. Mary's Hospital I might have seen my "Wife for Life" behind the counter at her family's bakery when we were both kids. As it turned out I didn't meet Chrys until our college years. Perfectly timed as usual.

Thanks for the interesting story about Grant's log home in our "backyard" Linda. I became even more interested in history when I started looking into my family genealogy.


03/05/23 10:53 PM #114    

Linda Bemis (Hofman)

Yes, Mike.  I remember well your parents Sam and Guida.  No doubt you have a fascinating family tree!  Linda


03/06/23 10:27 AM #115    

Linda Weaver (Mann)

Fascinating, Linda. And thank you. Susan, I don't suppose you have the recipe for the pull aparts!


03/07/23 10:25 AM #116    

Mike Huston

It seems that this "Forum" could easily handle a discussion of food we enjoyed while growing up in the St. Louis area or while going to Webster Groves High School. Linda Weaver Mann asked about a recipie for Hungarian Pull-Apart Cake. I have found several recipes online that you may want to try Linda. I am certain that each bakery had their own version that was a carefully guarded secret.

My absolute favorite St. Louis specialty was Gooey Butter Cake even before I met my wife and her German Baker family. Armin's Bakery also had Blueberry Jelly Donuts that were a new delight to me. Until then I thought all jelly donuts were filled with Strawberry jam.

Does anyone remember 19-cent hamburgers at Sandy's, A&W Root Beer in large frosted glass mugs, or chili and a slice of swiss cheese on the smoky hamburgers at the Redwood on Brentwood Blvd.?

Sala's was a favorite restaurant (Italian) for my family. We always ate in the noisy cafiteria section where you pushed your tray along the serving line. It wasn't until the evening before I enlisted in the Navy on my 23rd birthday that we ate in the dining room with its white tablecloths and waiters. That was a special evening indeed. As a parent and grandparent, I can now understand the emotions that my parents must have felt but did not display. Sala's was a warm and familiar place for that.


03/07/23 10:38 AM #117    

Susan Toft (Everson)

Thanks Mike. This has been an enjoyable thread.  I do not have the recipe for pull apart, but I think I have the recipe for the wonderful Schattgen's sugar cookies.  My sister gave it to me. I will ask her if she has the pull apart recipe.  


08/05/23 01:56 PM #118    

John Ross Pope

QUESTION:  If WGHS is a PUBLIC SCHOOL why does the city not pay for the renovation of the stadium or make beter use of the instalations at 40 acres?


08/19/23 02:04 PM #119    

Mike Huston


08/21/23 10:18 AM #120    

Cynthia Hinkley (Reinking)

This cartoon is wonderful and made me laugh outloud.  I usually vote for laughing rather than crying at something so appropriate.  Cindy Reinking, AKA in 1962, Cynthia Hinkley


10/06/23 06:48 PM #121    

Mike Huston

Wheel of Fortuen and Webster - My wife Chrys and I enjoy watching Wheel of Fortune most every evening during supper. If anyone else watches regularly they will notice that a Webster Letterman's Jacket is hanging on the hall lockers behind the contestants. It is also appropriate that this week is Teacher's Week on the show. (10.02.23)


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