Antero Kaw

This photo was taken in 1989; it is the most recent photo we have. If you have seen this person (adding 24 years to the photo's age) please let me know. His family would like to contact him. Antero - so MANY care about you. Please, you must quit smoking cigarettes. I had a heart attack in 1998 because of smoking. My older sister....I watched her die from lung cancer that spread to the brain. TOO many people care about you in this world. Anita, Godfrey, me, Nando and our adopted daughter, Laxmi also would like to meet you as Uncle Antero. I don't know what sent you to such a dark place, but you must feel the LIGHT around you and come BACK to all those who care about you and love you. Even one former Royden student (whom I contacted, hoping he might have your address) was really concerned about you and said you were one of the "really good guys" at Royden. EVERY problem in this world can be worked out, Antero. Please have faith that there are many angels around you. Thank you

"You're MY Everything" -

I Dedicate this beautiful love song to my husband, my lover, my best friend, Nando. This is "You're My Everything" by a Singaporean (now in London) composer named Jay Shotam. I grew up listening to his music and when he was part of the group "October Cherries". These were GOLDEN TIMES that hugged each of us in lyrics, melody and musical genius. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT7J07fmbF4 Here are the lyrics: You’re my everything The sun that shines above you Makes the blue birds sing The stars that twinkle Way up in the sky Tell me I’m in love When I kiss your lips I feel the rolling thunder To my fingertips And all the while My head is in a spin Deep within’, my love You’re my everything And nothing really matters But the love you bring You’re my everything To see you in the morning With those big brown eyes You’re my everything Forever and a day I need you close to me You’re my everything You never have to worry Never fear for I am near You’re my everything I live upon the land And see the sky within I swim within the ocean Sweet and warm There’s no storm, my love When I hold you tight There’s nothing that can harm you In the lonely night And all the while My head is in a spin Deep within, my love

Not so nice.....

A really dear friend of ours (also happened to be our Veterinarian) died in his sleep 2 years ago from heart attack.  He didn't drink (to excess) didn't do drugs - he was just an angelic guy who also would help those in need (spaying/neutering cats/dogs for free or low $$ for those who could not afford).

We knew his wife really well - it was a romance one could've written a book upon.  He was divorced, so was she - they met about 7 years ago (yet they were high school sweethearts) - she became (over the years) a 1940's type Band Swing singer - she happened to go to a charitable event and they REMET - turned out they had ballroom dancing in common - they married and would've lived "happily ever after" but he had a heart condition and died in his sleep (how saw we felt for his wife).

When someone asked me "Oh, wasn't he the drug addict vet? " I felt true rage - they didn't know him at all, nor did they know his wife.  I ALSO have a heart condition (had a MASSIVE heart attack in 1998) and I sure as heck don't want someone to say  "Oh yeah, wasn't she a drug addict or SOMETHING?"

We still miss him and still pray for his wife - they were GOOD people!  She is still alive and we wish her rainbows and LOVE in the future.  

PERFECT Relaxation.....

Please tell me if you can think of a being as RELAXED as this little guy is.....we should ALL RELAX this way:

NO CARES, NO WORRIES and 100% TRUST that we are in good hands!
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The Da Vinci Code

I haven't read "for leisure" in a very long time.  Oh, I READ, but always handbooks or textbooks of late.  It's been SO LONG since I read a book just "for fun". 

One day last week at the building where I work there were boxes and boxes of beautiful books.  Book were very expensive growing up in Sri Lanka.  The fellow assured me "Help yourself!  I'm throwing these all out anyway!"  THROWING BOOKS AWAY????  I knelt down and started going through the boxes.  Mind you, the majority of the books were about nursing or mathematics (never my field!!).  But came across a book by Nicholas Sparks called "The Wedding" (knew our daughter would like that - she devours all books he's written).   Then came across one called "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown.  Had heard about this book (later made into a movie) and heard it was great, so - what the heck, for FREE, I decided to take it home.

I do notice that in USA books of "fiction" are not held in as high esteem as "non-fiction" - the trouble with that "prejudice" is that many, many works of fiction contain facts and if one "dismisses" them as "works of fiction" (ergo non-significant) one can miss out on some very interesting facts!  Don't you find it ABSURD that after all the authors who have passed before (Plato, Aristotle, Hugo, Dickens, Shakespeare) that somehow we MUST classify books as either "fiction" or "non-fiction" - so many fall in-between!!  How boring to classify books in only TWO sections.

Read "The Da Vinci Code" cover to cover (rather, DEVOURED it!).  Suddenly, I looked up each and every mention - the group "Opus Dei" exists in Europe and USA and there have been some contraversies about this group.  The group "Priory of Sion" also appears to exist.

Then there was the mention of Leonardo Da Vinci's painting "The Last Supper" which I studied in depth after reading this book - and YES the individual at Jesus' right side is most definitely a FEMALE (not one of the 12 male Apostles). 

So much of the book made common sense - in Christianity (specifically, the Catholic Church) - women are barred from being priests; in Islam it is same, in Orthodox Judaiam (although I'm happy to see that in Reformed Judaism women can become rabbis).....women are barred from most participations.  Hinduism is different - it sees God as both male and female (the yin, the yang that makes up life as we know it....one cannot have male without female).

Some of the book replicated real life - the Catholic Church does NOT want females to gain power within and would go to any length to destroy a belief that Jesus was possibly married and that his wife (Mary Magdalene, whom the "Church" has conveniently called a "prostitute" to belittle her) was possibly pregnant with his child when "The Last Supper" occurred.  I cannot truly say, as an outsider looking in.  But I will say that the book made a lot of sense.  

Anyway - it was and is a most interesting theory, part of which (at least the "Opus Dei" organization) is NON-FICTION.   Shop Amazon Home

How sad in Boston today....

We could not believe our ears - surely no-one would explode bombs in a harmless marathon?  But someone (or more than one) did.  Two people died in this tragedy and as we hear it now - some 87 were injured.

This is not comprehensible - it is mean, cruel and unacceptable.  May Boston P.D. find these culprits (and they WILL!!  There were plenty of cameras!) and make them pay with every implication of the law.

There was a blind marathon runner who (upon hearing the sounds, explosion) became totally confused.  Thankfully, an NPR reporter guided him to safety.

Why?  What sick mind thought to explode bombs in a marathon???

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The BUMBLESNOT.......

Somehow I came across this page on Facebook - of a family who adopted a handicapped puggie named Bumbsnot (mind you, he is so cute.....I would have never called him a "snot" anything - but the family who adopted him loves him very, very much).  They've set up an online store that helps rescue Pugs and I encourage you to help this family help rescue other pugs.  Mind you, it is very difficult to care for Bumblesnot.  His hind legs are paralyzed, so they've devised a wheel/cart device so he can "walk".  He also cannot urinate normally - they have to squeeze his bladder....but this family LOVES him with all their hearts.

I just fell in love with him and admire the family who adopted him from a shelter although he is very "high maintenance" - you can see it in his eyes that he KNOWS he is loved and cared for.  Again - I encourage you all to go check out his website on Facebook...just look up The Bumblesnot.

Here are some photos to motivate you to also fall in love with him and help this family help other Rescue Pugs.  God bless you sweet Bumble....you are LOVED!!!!

All Nations Have Their Dirty Little Secrets......

All nations have there "dirty little secrets" - the "fat cats" at the top of N. Korean govt. made MILLIONS selling opium and methamphetamines to China while close to 1 million North Koreans died of starvation. It doesn't matter if the country is capatalist, socialist or communist - it's always the "fat cats" at the top and their billions while the ordinary citizens struggle. http://www.rfa.org/english/news/korea/drug-06212011112301.html

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Falkland Islands......take a HINT, Argentina!!!!!

Argentina is at it again!!  Trying to stir up trouble claiming that the people of the Falkland Islands (which they refer to as "Las Malvinas") WANT to belong to Argentina instead of U.K.

So last month (March 2013) there was a referendum BY THE PEOPLE who live in the Falklands as to which country they choose to give their loyalty. 

Of 1,518 votes cast during the two-day poll, 1,513 came out in favour of maintaining the islands' current political status (belonging to U.K., NOT Argentina!), representing 99.8 per cent of the vote. One ballot paper was rejected and one remained unaccounted for after the count on Monday night. That left three people who desire either immediate independence from Britain or a transfer of sovereignty, presumably to Argentina, which claims the islands as its own. I have a suggestion.  Those 3 should move to Argentina.  

Port Stanley is a small place – the entire Falklands enjoy a population of only 2,900 permanent and guest residents.  But obviously 99.8 % want to be part of the United Kingdom.

Today Margaret Thatcher died at age 87 as a result of a stroke.  She was probably U.K.'s strongest Prime Minister since Winston Churchill.  I am saddened she is gone; it was a loss for the world.  I felt VERY badly that Argentina's newspapers had the audacity to report "she died, having had dementia....probably as a result of too many gin and tonics".  That was unkind.  Then again, the Argentines have no love for her - she called their bluff on the Falkland Islands war in the 1980's and won! 

With THIS TECHNOLOGY..........

With this technology.....we will bring America to its knees! (and don't let the photo fool you.....behind his back he is hiding a cassette AND an 8-Track Player!!)

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"Crossing the Line" - the lonliest human on the planet.....

Watched an excellent British documentary by Daniel Gordon called "Crossing the Line" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0473181/  about a U.S. Army soldier named James Dresnok who at barely age 20 defected from South Korea (where he was posted) to North Korea in 1962.  I watched it twice because sometimes one misses things the first time around.

Why did he defect - actually to escape being court martialed for forging a signature on a "leave pass".  But his past was very troubled.  He never finished High School and apparently was abandoned by his father to a "home" (orphanage type place) in Virginia at a young age.  To escape that life he joined the Army at age 17.

After he defected - there were sad twists and turns.  Three other American soldiers also "defected" to North Korea. Of course there were the usual months of "interrogation" (probably torture as well, but the North Korean censors would have never allowed that to be said).  In 1965 all four Americans decided they really didn't want to live in North Korea after all....so they went to the Russian Embassy to try to defect to the then Soviet Union....the Russians not only turned them down, but also reported them to the North Korean authorities.  One has to assume that they were treated very badly after that incident, but again, not much was said on that subject. 

James married a woman from Romania (and how she ended up in North Korea was not explained very well); they had two very handsome sons.  She died of lung cancer.  James went on to make propaganda films for the North Koreans often portraying a cruel American Imperialist named Arthur.  He became fluent in Korean. 

But the sad twists kept turning up.  Firstly, he smokes cigarettes like a chimney and drinks like a fish - the doctors tell him he will die of either smoking or drinking, but he continues to smoke and drink.  He remarried a woman of Korean and Togolese heritage and has (around the time of the film he was in his late 60's) a very young son by her.....the son appears to be a toddler.  Selfishly, he continues to smoke and drink - not thinking who will care for his little son (or even his wife) when he dies.  North Korea is an extremely homogeneous state.....anyone who doesn't look Korean is avoided.  His wife (being half-African) does not look Korean, nor does his youngest son, nor do his two older sons by the Romanian wife.  The eldest son goes to University of Foreign Studies in Pyongyang.  He speaks English fluently, but with a definite Korean accent.  He looks European.  He says he considers himself Korean (but later adds that he would not wish to marry a Korean).

There is a scene in a Pyongyang bowling alley that is especially sad.  You realize at that point that he and his family have NO FRIENDS - no Koreans go out with them.  They can only go out as a family.  It is not only that their looks betray them as not being "Korean" but the North Koreans must have terribly resented that during the famine years in the 1990's while North Korean children were starving of hunger - James and his family were living in a Pyongyang apartments with a monthly stipend, eating well, drinking Jack Daniels (James was). 

It is clear that James is going to die soon as he will not quit smoking or drinking.  He will leave behind four individuals who (without a "film star" status) will probably end up being treated quite badly because of the way they look.  Also, although James is a Party Member.....once he dies, he may be spoken of in a not-so-nice way.  There is a North Korean tradition that if one member of the family does something against the State, the "sin" is not forgiven for three generations.  We learned from other documentaries that the "sin" might be opening a newspaper that had a photo of Kim Il-Sung or Kim Jong-il or current leader Kim Jong-un.....and if that newspaper with the photo is placed down on the ground.....it is considered "disrespecting" the Great Father.  It is enough of a crime to be arrested for (and three generations of the arrested person's family will PAY for that crime as well).

You can come to your own conclusions after watching the film.  But, to me it was very sad and open-ended.

       
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