When your heart skips a beat ! (#2)

It was quite a few years ago. Gladys and I sat in our living room, when then 18 or 19 year old Steven came home, grinning all over his fresh young face, both hands behind his back.
"Which do you want"? He asked with a sly grin. 
Gladys said: "The Right", I said: "The Left"...
His hands shot forward and his right held a piece of parchment, which said:

      " This is to certify that Steven Christian Reitter, on this day,
               took his first sky dive from a height of  xxx meters"

This happened many years ago and I no longer remember the actual wording of this document.

I do remember, however, that I felt a cold shiver run down my back and that my heart skipped a beat.

That's the Truth (4)

If at first you don't succeed, 
sky diving is not for you.

Heat wave

maybe we cannot call it a "heat wave", but it is unusually warm hereabouts:
Salzburg: + 16 C
Vienna    + 13 C
Innsbruck +13C
Bleiburg   + 14C and raining

So, it's easy to imagine that skiing is not on the top of the agenda.

Christmas Eve, came and went  quietly. We had Christin's Son, Axel, his wife: Paola, their daughters Flora and Emilia and an American friend of Flora from Boston, visaiting us. Fortunately we got our "guest suite"
ready on time, where, by using one cot we were able to accommodate the whole troupe of 5 nicely.

It is now 1PM local time, or 7AM Central Canadian time. Time to get up, switch on the Christmas lights, ( I hope people in Canada are smart enough not to use candles ), have a leisurely breakfast and start unwrapping all the wonderful presents.

I hope that good old Santa Claus was generous to all of you. 

Best wishes to One and All

from

Bertstravels

That's the Truth (3)

Before you criticize somebody, you should walk a mile in their shoes.
That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

That's the Truth (2)

Always remember that you are unique !

Just like everyone else.

Will you allow me one more ??

Once again I am forced to give some thought to the "Apostolic Exhortation" published recently by Pope Francis as the "Evangelii Gaudium."
There were some comments posted on the Internet, suggesting that with some of his remarks, Francis revealed himself as a "Marxist Communist", that he was leaning far to the Left of the political spectrum.
What else did anybody expect ?
Of course, as an "evangelizing Catholic"  he must speak in favour of the poor and downtrodden and must urge society to arrange itself in a manner, as to eliminate poverty.
I cannot criticize him for that.
Let me examine his Evangelium from this perspective:

In para 51 Francis writes: 

                         "The Culture of Prosperity deadens us" - 
                            
If the Culture of Prosperity really deadens us, it behooves us to find a different culture. What then is the opposite of  Prosperity ? 
( I assume that the Pontiff did not refer to the "Prosperity Gospel", but used the word in its dictionary sense: 

Prosperity: noun: success, riches, plenty, ease, fortune, boom, luxury, well being...

So, if the Culture of Prosperity deadens us, must we turn away from such deadly culture and embrace the opposite ?
The dictionary tells us that the opposite of prosperity is: 
poverty, want,  failure, depression, shortage and destitution.

Surely, the Pope could not possibly have such a turn-around in mind for us. So what is he talking about ?

                               "We are thrilled if the market offers us something new to purchase !"

What, pray tell, is wrong with having something New to purchase ? Maybe it is something which makes our lives a bit better ? Could it also be that the person who produced this "Something-New-To-Purchase" is very happy that we purchased it, since he now is able to feed his family ?
Had we never had something  "New To Purchase,"  we would find ourselves in front of a log fire, chipping away at the wheel. ( which was one of the first "Something New to Purchase".)

But then, in paragraph 57 Francis gets serious: 

         "Not to share one's wealth with the poor is to steal from them
                                and take away their livelyhood."

How do we share our wealth with the Poor ?
Do we throw everything into a pot and divvy it up "from each according to his abilities to each according to his needs" ?.... 
sounds frighteningly familiar, you say ?

The Exhortation continues:      
                       It is not our own goods we hold, but theirs.

Why is it, that something I obtained with my own honest labour all of a sudden belongs to "Them"?

Why does the Pope fortify the differenciation between "Us" and "Them" ?
Who are "Us" and who are "Them" ?
Is there a dividing line, the parts forever changing, melting into each other at the borders ?
Should we not consider all of "Us" as "Us" and see to it that each of "Us"  enjoys varying degrees of prosperity ? Surely that is what every reasonable man, including Francis, would want to see.
If "Us" really stole from "Them" and if the goods we hold really do not belong to "Us" but to "Them", then how do we remedy this misalignment ?

There are many more such statements in this Evangelium, expressing this thinking, so that some people actually have come to the conclusion that the Pope is a "Marxist". An accusation which, during a recent interview, he denied.
If not a Marxist, then what is he ? Maybe he is a left leaning Socialist ?
Christ surely appears to have been a Socialist but do not forget what God is supposed to have said to one of the Prophets: "Enjoy the day according to your means."

Compare, I urge you, the statements of Francis with those of Marx:

"Communism is a higher class of Socialism."
"From each according to his ability to each according to his needs."
"The Theory of Communism can be summed up in one sentence:  "Abolish All Private Property."

And then, Marx said something, which makes the Pontiff insist that he is not one of them.:

"The first requisite for the happiness of the people is the abolition of religion"

Hey, Francis, don't get too chummy with Karl.

And now, in my opinion and interpretation, comes a real scorcher, a true barn burner if I ever read one:

In paragraph 192 Francis moves away from the pure Marxist theories and.......  would you believe it...?
moves right onto the turf of Ayn Rand, a dyed in the wool Capitalist:

Here he says:
".......... we are not simply talking about ensuring nourishment or a dignified sustenance for all people, but also their general temporal welfare and prosperity. This means education, access to health care and above all employment, for it is through  free, creative labour, that human beings express and enhance the dignity of their lives. A just wage enables them to have adequate access to all the other goods which are destined for our common use."

Ayn Rand's Philosophy of Objectivism demands a society in which, through free, creative labour, everybody has the opportunity to achieve their reasonable goals. The accent is on "Free and Creative Labour"..
Not through Government hand outs, subsidies, etc....  but through FREE AND CREATIVE LABOUR..
with ample consideration for those who are not able to fend for themselves.

So you accuse me of being a dreamer, since the time of true Capitalism has gone and passed us by ?
Well, if I am a dreamer, so is Pope Francis, 

in the most humble opinion of
.
Bertstravels.

That's the Truth (1)

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day !
Teach him how to fish,
he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.

Vienna - Transportation : Then and Now

A long line of "Fiakers" awaits customers behind St. Stephens Cathedral.

A long line of "Streetcars" ready for passengers.

The 5 Esses

The 5 Esses of Florida:
Seagull, SunSet and Sailing Ship

Secret Meeting

We have to stop meeting this way !

HOLY LAUNDRY

In a remote Village, high up in the Karawanken,
a church and behind it laundry hung to dry in the sun.

A Broken Promise

Yes, I know, I promised you and myself to stop writing about this silly "Evangelii Gaudium".."But I cannot help myself. It just about challenges a man to comment on its audacity and frivolous arguments.

Franciscus, in paragraph 56 speaks of
                                         
                                           "wide spread corruption and self serving tax evasion."...

Surely this is a most typical case of the kettle calling the pot black.

How can the Pope speak of the corruption of others, when his own institution, the R.C. Church has one scandal after the other washing over its spiritual and financial shores?
The transfer of Priests found to have sexually molested children entrusted to them, to other parishes speaks of a spiritual corruption not only of the perpetrator, but also of the highest echelon and finally of the entire institution. The former Pope, Benedict XVI, by "Apostolic Letter" issued instructions  that matters of "child abuse" were not to be reported to the Authorities, but were to be dealt with in private, subject to "pontifical secret" (see this Blog, entry 12th Sept.2013).
If this is not corruption of the Highest Order, I truly do not know what is..
It is surely akin to a Bank President, issuing a direction that an embezzling Branch Manager is not to be reported to the Police, but is to be transferred to another branch.
Spiritual corruption within the Catholic Church is indeed rampant.
But what about financial corruption ?
The Financial Times, in its issue of December 6th 2013 reports the arrest on June 28 of Monsignor Nunzio Scarano, (nick named "Monsignore Cinquecento" alluding to the fact that the Monsignore habitually carried 500 Euro bank notes.)
Scarano was caught with two other men attempting to transport 20 Million Euros by private plane from Switzerland to Italy. All three declared themselves innocent of any wrong doing, and, as befits a democratic state must be thought of as innocent until proven guilty.
The trio Scarano et al was charged with Fraud and Corruption, in matters also involving sacral financial institutions like: Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan and UniCredit, all working with the Vatican Bank, who, by the way in a hypocritical move that seeks its equal, calls itself  "The Institute for Religious Work."

In case you may think that all of this is a "sign of the times" let me remind you of Roberto Calvi. the late chairman of the collapsed Banco Ambrosio, a Bank of which the Vatican Bank (the Institute for Religious work) was the major shareholder. Calvi was found in 1982 hanged from London's Black Friar bridge.
Who ordered his death? The Mafia? Or somebody who did not like to be "the major shareholder" of a collapsed Bank? There are other examples, too numerous to mention, of the total spiritual collapse of this institution.

As I mentioned above, this Exhortation also speaks of "self serving tax evasion."
While for total lack of evidence, I do not accuse the Catholic Church of "Tax Evasion", I most certainly and without fear of contradiction, accuse them of "Tax Avoidance".... And for the .coffers of the state, charged with looking after the affairs of ALL its citizens, it really makes no difference if these hundreds of millions of Euros are evaded or avoided.
How does it come about that the Vatican pays little or no taxes?
It's the Concordats, my dear, the Concordats:
A  Concordat is an agreement between the Vatican and the secular Government of a country, to regulate the affairs of the Church within said Country, including the payment, or non-payment of taxes.. Since the Vatican also is a "Country" it makes such a Concordat an "international agreement" which can only be broken by mutual consent. 

The Concordat in many countries, including Italy, stipulates that no taxes or only a fraction of the regular tax are payable on any property part of which is used for non-commercial purposes.
So, the Vatican boys are smart boys, you know! 
They bought, for instance, a luxury Hotel in downtown Rome or anywhere else, they quickly built a little chapel, or in a shopping plaza they erected in an out of the way corner a  little niche with a statue of Holy Mary and "abra-cadabra" the tax collector went home empty handed.
It is estimated that through such immoral, unethical, underhanded manipulations the country of Italy looses up to two billion Euros per year. The City of Rome alone goes without an estimated 25.5 Million annual Euros.
Some of the most beautiful hotels, Shopping facilities and other properties are owned by the Vatican in the choicest downtown areas of Rome and enjoy a tax free operation.

AND THIS MAN HAS THE AUDACITY TO SPEAK OF "WIDE SPREAD CORRUPTION AND SELF SERVING TAX EVASION:

There is probably no Institution more corrupt and avoids/evades more taxes than the Holy See.

Insanity on a Grand Scale

This really takes the cake:
During the "Perchten Run" (see below) in the Province of  East Tirol, there were 56 injuries. Not just a scratch here or there, no, the Tiroleans don't fool around when it comes to 'quaint' customs: There were bone fractures (upper thigh), serious concussions, serious cuts and lacerations and so forth. Fifty six cases which had to be treated in hospitals. The chief of one of the hospitals is quoted as having said that this was no worse than in previous years.  "We know what is coming and we prepare for it".
And now, in my humble opinion, comes the truly unbelievable: The Prosecuting Attorney of the Province says that there is no possibility of a law suit because everybody knows what goes on during such an "ancient custom" and anybody who goes out onto the street during such a "Perchten Run" takes his chances and, so he intimated, is the maker of his own misfortune.
It is truly difficult to believe, that in a civilized country, the State Attorney, the supposed protector of the Citizenry interprets such mayhem, such an exhibition of sheer brutality, as "just an old custom against which the law will not act."
He, unfortunately, is not alone in this incredible show of ill-placed tolerance. I've not read, nor heard  a single word of protest in the media.
It seems that hereabouts you may well go onto the streets, to buy a cup of coffee in the neighbourhood coffee-shop, or to visit a friend, and, if you chose the wrong time and place you may get hospitalized due to a 'quaint custom' occasioned beating and it will have been your own fault.  The law will do nothing and everybody feels that this is Okay, although you did not ask for a broken bone nor for a serious concussion.
And those very same people call Halloween a "Silly American Custom".

Now, "don't this just take the cake?"

so asks Bertstravels

Perchten Laufen - an old custom

When I was a kid in Braunau am Inn, Austria, lo those many years ago, St.Nicklaus, accompanied by a hellish figure, called Krampus, came to your home ( on the invitation of your parents) on the evening of the 6th day of December.
St. Nicklaus brought small presents, like a little bag of walnuts, maybe an orange or two and surely one or two ginger bread figures in the shape of St.Nicklaus, with a very colourful picture of himself glued to the surface. Krampus would stay in the background,  now and then rattling his chain which was used to fasten  his suit of fur and, depending on the age of the children in the house, he would use his switch, gently banging it against the floor, and in a low voice ask if you had been good all year long.
Modern parents would not even think about traumatising their children in this way. But, heck, I did not become traumatised, grew up a reasonably sane person, although I must have been a little scared, hanging on and hiding behind my mothers skirt.
In spite of this, each year we awaited with eager anticipation the coming of Nickolaus und Krampus.
St. Nick was dressed in a Bishop's white robe with gold embroidery and a bishop's hat, carrying the appropriate staff. He simply was an all-round "good guy".
Krampus was dressed in black fur pants and and black fur jacket, wore a black mask covering his face, with a long tongue sticking out of his mouth between big white teeth. 

I think that I remember this duo only three times: Once when I was maybe 5 years old and once at age 6.
The last time, at age 7 I recognized the voice of Krampus as  belonging to my brother Sigurd, who was 8 years my senior. So when he asked me in this artificial low voice if I had been good, I collected all my nerve and said: "Ja, mein Bruder Sigurd".
The general wave of laughter on the part of my parents and sisters ( I was the youngest of four by 6 years)
confirmed me in my bravery.

Today, this quaint custom has been replaced by the "Perchten Run"  There are, indeed, Perchten clubs in many communities. They hire themselves out to run in an orderly manner through a community's main street.
rattling their chains and making underworld noises. Each "Perchte" trying to outdo the other in sheer ugliness and energy.

Oh well, times, they are achanging.

Have all of you been good all year long ?
So asks
Bertstravels.

PERCHTEN LAUFEN on the 6th December

 

 

 

 

 

More about the EVANGELII GAUDIUM

Now - pay close attention,- comes paragraphs  53+ in which Francis really goes on the attack.
 53.) Just as the commandment "Thou shalt not kill"                                   sets a clear limit in order to safeguard the value of                             human life, today we also have to say "Though                                 shalt not" to an economy of exclusion and                                         inequality. Such an economy kills.

We have previously discussed who are the biggest creators of inequality and will not repeat this argument. The Pontiff offers not one iota of proof regarding his claim that "such an economy kills."
The economy existing under a true Free Market Democracy has on the contrary contributed to longer and healthier life spans of its people. Every statistical analysis of demographic research shows this to be factual.

Then this "exhortation" really reaches the bottom of demagoguery by posing the following question:
                    
                 
"How can it be that it is not a news item when an                                elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is                              news when the stock market loses two points? 

A death, occurring in the above described circumstances is, in fact, usually reported, sometimes at great length, in the local media.
When, however, a person so dies in Vienna, it is not reported in Madrid, since it is obviously less news worthy there  than a 2 point drop in the stock market which influences many hundreds of thousands of people from Vienna to Madrid and beyond, including many small investors who attempt to supplement their pension by a little income from a conservative investment in the stock market.

This "Evangelium" should have asked:
  "Why is it possible for a homeless person to die from                           exposure when hundreds of Churches, Monasteries                           and Nunneries stand largely empty, rarely used, and                         could have provided temporary shelter until a lasting                         solution could be found.

The Pontiff goes on in paragraph 54:

"In this context, some people continue to defend the                          trickle-down theories which assume that economic                            growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably                          succeed in bringing about greater justice and                                      inclusiveness in the world. This opinion, which has                            never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude                        and naive trust in the goodness of those yielding                                economic power and in the sacralized workings of the                      prevailing economic system.

The opinion that everybody, including the poor, in a free market system,  benefits from such a freedom has "never been confirmed by the facts"....  
Where have you been, Francis ?
In which pile of sand did you hide your head?
Living standards of every class of a free society have constantly improved, while every society in which the state exercised exclusive economic power has either disintegrated, (UdSSR)
or has introduced  ever increasing free market conditions (China)
The poverty in many other countries where dictators reign, and true Free Market does not exist,  is truly beyond description (Many African Nations) 

When Francis speaks of Roman Catholicism he is likely dead on.
But when he condemns the Free Market under a Democracy and advocates more controls exercised by Governments he is out of his depth. 

He is, however, clever: The subtelty of his message, his urgings for Governments to move to his side of the political spectrum, the Left, is unmistakable throughout.

If you want to know more about the 
Evangelii Gaudium
go, read it, it's on the Internet
because Bertstravels has grown a little sick of it.

About the "EVANGELII GAUDIUM

It could be translated as: "The Message of Joy" and was published by Pope John Francis as the first "Apostolic Exhortation" of his reign.

In this wide ranging document's first number of paragraphs the Pope deals with the need to Joyfully anticipate salvation by accepting Christ's offer thereof: 
                "All creation shares in the joy of Salvation."
                "Sing for Joy O Heavens, and exult, O Earth."
He then speaks at length of the essential duty of Christians to "Evangelize", to "Go Forth" and preach the Gospel. In Fact, the urging to "Go Forth" is repeated so often in this text, that one might assume it to be the core message. Such an assumption would be wrong, however.
I shall not analyse and comment on this Evangelium in detail. Let more learned people do this. I will, however, quote certain passages which caught my interest and attention and I will comment on those in approximate order of their appearance.

Through the Prophet Zephania we hear God urge the people:
            "My Child, treat yourself well, according to your means...
              do not deprive yourself of the day's enjoyment."
What exactly does this mean ? Treat yourself well, according to your means?  Does this indicate that God not only knew (The All Knowing) but in fact accepted the fact that there were the Rich and the Poor?
This would be most interesting, particularly in light of the later condemnation of Capitalism.

In para. 7 Francis accuses 
                  "our technological society of having succeeded in                               multiplying "Occasions of Pleasure"  but having failed                      "to engender Joy".
If "Joy" means the acceptance of Christ's offer of salvation then it is unreasonable to expect "technology" to create "Joy".

To those who practice evangelism, the spreading of God's message, the heart of their message will always be the same:

                    "God, who revealed his immense love in the                                        crucified and risen Christ."

Think about it for a moment: God's 'immense' love is shown to mankind by having his Son tortured, crucified and killed, so that the sins of mankind may be forgiven!
Forgiven by whom? Forgiven by God, of course. In other words, God decided (that may be the wrong word, since it presupposes that He weighed several possibilities) anyway, He decided that in order for mankind to be forgiven of its sinful ways, his Son would have to die a cruel and gruesome death.
Could He not just have forgiven the sins of mankind without this unthinkably cruel sacrifice? 

In paragraphs 9 to 13 this Apostolic Exhortation, urges all  believers  by threat and by offering rewards to Go Forth and preach the word of God.

In Paragraph 16 Franciscus calls for a decentralization of the Papal Office and Power.

               "   .....in this sense I am conscious of the need   (16)
                           to promote a sound decentralization."

I find it difficult to believe that the Synod of Bishops will relinquish any of its power and influence, and the Pope, like it or not, will have to remain in charge, since he, after all, is the only one who is infallible in matters of Faith and Doctrine.

                      "Inequality is increasingly evident"

One of the Great Inequalities surely must be between the Pomp of the Papacy in specific and the Roman Catholic Church in general, when juxtaposed to the simple lives of the impoverished parishioners who, through mandatory church taxes and only semi-voluntary weekly contributions, contribute to Papal wealth. 
A further inequality certainly is the tax-excempt status for all of the vast holdings of the Catholic Church. There is no other individual or  organisation which enjoys such an eternal tax holiday.

                               "Violence is on the rise"

Compared to the violence in which the Roman Catholic church was involved, actively or passively, over the centuries, we now live in a peaceful time.

In paragraph 51 this Apostolic Exhortation states that

         "it is not the task of the Pope to offer a detailed and complete 
          analysis of contemporary reality, but I do exhort all the                     communities  to an ever watchful scrutiny of the signs of the             times. This is, in fact, a grave responsibility, since certain                  present realities, unless effectively dealt with, are capable of           setting off processes of dehumanization which would then be           hard to reverse.
This "Apostolic Exhortation" the goes on urging us to know God's Plan and to distinguish Good from  Evil and to choose "movements of the spirit of Good and reject those of the Spirit of Evil."
At no time does the Pontif warn us that the search for Good and Evil is fraught with danger.
Just consider the search for Evil which caused the Inquisition, the burning of innocent women, accused by 'Evil-Seekers'  of witchcraft and so many other crimes against humanity in the name of seeking the Good and eradicating the Evil.
Pope Francis truly relinquishes his leadership swhen he claims that it is not his job to offer  an "analysis of contemporary reality"but rather urges "all communities to an ever watchful scutiny".
It is precisely such vague statements which give rise to any kind of interpretation which can then be used to serve the ends of personal search for power.


                    "A number of diseases are spreading" (52)

Medical science has never been as advanced as it is now, particularly in the Western World, where the fruits of Free Enterprise and Democracy have given the impetus and the means to find cures for diseases, which in the past were unforgiving killers. 
How easy it would be for the Almighty to stop these maladies and bring about a disease free, healthy world.  A blink of an eye or a wave of his hand should do it. (if I may be permitted to anthropomorphise the Almighty for a moment)
In blaming technology or society at large we are pointing the accusing finger at the wrong guy.



                                           *****************************************
There is much more to come... you just have to wait for the next Blog written by

Bertstravels.

Remember Monika ?

I've been wondering whatever happened to Monika Rathgeber ? Haven't heard from good old Moni in quite a while.
You don't remember Monika ? 
Well, let me refresh your memory: She is the Lady employed by the Provincial Government of Salzburg in the Finance Department. She is the one who gambled with tax payers money, She's the one who, it is said, forged a letter from the building department, giving her access to some huge amounts of Euros, which she promptly placed into some high risk investments, thereby causing a loss to the Province of some 340 Million Euros. Handwriting experts testified that the letter was a forgery. It was clear that this forgery could only have come from Monika's office.
So much for the back ground.
Now Monika has written a book: "Am System zerbrochen" (destroyed by the System)
(I have not yet read the book and am only quoting from an article in today's "Kurier")
During a news conference, introducing her book, Monika is quoted as follows:
"Yes, I have made some mistakes: I should have communicated better and made more notes".
Isn't this just lovely. What should she have communicated ? That she forged signatures, whole documents, gambled with taxpayers money in High Risk Investments ? 
Other than those admitted "mistakes" she would have done everything else the same? Committed forgeries on a grand scale? Yes! Because everything she did was "done to keep harm from my country."
And here is a quaint quote:
"For me it is unimaginable how the Power Apparatus can operate against an individual."
I suppose that Al Capone could have said the same.
No, I am not comparing Monika to Al, only to the extent that the "Power Apparatus" (Government) will direct its might against an accused criminal.

If you want, you may obtain one of the 5000 copies printed for €17,90.

An intrepid reporter asked:  "How do you see your future?
 Her answer: "I would like to continue my work in the financial area, however, I have not yet made a decision.  The fact that at the moment there is a law suit pending, does not simplify the job search.

Let me issue a word of  caution : So far, Ms Rathgeber has only been accused of these crimes and misdemeanors. Various testimonies during  Court proceedings may prove Monika innocent of all charges.

What do you think?

Bertstravels has difficulties spelling the words: "Aleged" 

65 : 35 in Switzerland

65.3% of the voters in yesterdays Swiss plebiscite rejected the proposition to limit top salaries to 12 times that of the lowest paid employee. This means that an astonishing 34.7% would have liked to see such a limit.

This proposition, tabled by the "Young Socialists" would likely have had the following result:

As posed earlier in this Blog, top salaries would have been capped somewhere around 180,000.
(Assuming an income of the lowest paid worker of, say,  15,000.)
So, please follow me on this scenario:
Company "XYZ Enterprises" employed an "Executive Vice President, in Charge of Everything" and for this highly responsible position, the company paid him  300,000 per annum.
In a tax bracket of say 50%, the state would have syphoned off  150,000.
Now with a top earning limit of 180,000, again assuming a 50% tax, the state would have to be satisfied with  90,000, loosing  60,000 in tax money.
XYZ Enterprises would have an increased bottom line by 120,000, (having to pay in wages only 180,000 instead of 300,000) which, most likely, it would have paid out in increased Dividends to its shareholders, thereby making investors, who are most likely already richer than the above mentioned "Executive Vice President In Charge Of Everything" even richer.
This highly competent EVPiCoE would probably not be all too happy about his loss of well deserved income and would  look for employment somewhere else. Neighbouring Lichtenstein, Austria Germany and Italy come to mind. It is also not far fetched to consider that "XYZ Enterprises" might seriously have considered re-locating its base of operation to one of these countries, since, to stay competitive, it would have to attract the best in their field, and, if the Market says 300,000 is the rate, then you cannot attract "the best" with 180,000.
The re-location of the entire company (and XYZ Enterprises would surely not be the only one) would have a devastating effect on the country.

"Not a problem", would the "Young Socialists" say, "we will simply pass laws that these increases in the bottom line may not be paid out to share holders as dividends, but must be distributed among the rest of the staff, and furthermore we would pass another law, prohibiting the EVPiCoE from leaving XYZ Enterprises and then we would pass a further law, making it illegal for XYZ Enterprises to re-locate their company in another country and additionally we would pass another law and then another one and then one more.
Finally "We, the Young Socialists" would control everything...
...and then we would re-name the country: "The Democratic Socialist Republic of the Alps." 

I am exaggerating, you say? Maybe!...

Consider this, however: Where controlling countries, like Russia, China, Cuba give more Economic Freedom to ABC Company Ltd., the Young Socialists of Switzerland would opt for more strangling controls.
Thank the Good Swiss Franc, over 65% of the Swiss were smart enough to see through this grab for political and economic power.

That's  the way

Bertstravels sees it, anyway.
.

Hurray for the Swiss

Just heard on the News that the Swiss did NOT accept the proposition to cap Salaries.
More later.

They call this Democracy !!

The Swiss, most admirable people, like to think of themselves as the most democratic of all democratic people. It seems that they conduct a plebiscite every other Sunday. This may be a slight exaggeration, but, as I said, it seems so. Today is a Plebiscite Sunday and the question, which the voters of Switzerland are asked to answer is this:

"Should any employee of a company be paid a salary higher than 12 times that, paid to the lowest paid member of the staff of this same company ?"

There are many who will say "No" to this question and if, indeed, the majority so vote, then what is deemed "excessive" salaries will be a thing of the past.

So, if you employ a cleaner, whose job it is to keep the parking lot free of debris, and you pay him , say $15,000 per year, the President of this same company, whose job it is to manage a multi million dollar firm, employing hundreds of men and women must not earn more than $180,000 per annum.

Nestles, the large producer of foods has already announced that if this actually were to become legislation,

they "would have to examine their future in this country", since it would negatively effect a great number of their upper echelon staff.

In my humble opinion, the Swiss, should they approve of such restrictive legislation, will have made the first step into an economic dictatorship, which would have none, but negative impact upon their business climate.

I am all in favour of the Government controlling wages of Civil Servants, which are paid with Taxes, but an overall control of private industry is, to say the least, undemocratic lunacy.

 

Welcome to the Great Zimbabwe

"Great Zimbabwe" is a ruin in what is today
south/central Zimbabwe.
It is situated near the town of Masvingo,
near the Chimanimani Mountains

It was likely built by ancestors of todays Shona people
and was the capital of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe.
Archeologists place these structures as between
the 11th and 14th Century.

The white Government of Southern Rhodesia, it is said,
placed pressure upon archeologists
to suggest that Arab Traders were the builders
and not the native, black population.

Here is a long shot of the Inner Court.
The entire area housed up to 20,000 people.

The Great Zimbabwe

This human figure (my wife Gladys )
shows the height of this wall. Surely a formidable
defencive structure in its time.

On top of this wall runs a snake like pattern,
said to be a fertility symbol.
Does it make a lot of sense to weaken a defensive
wall by the addition of a symbol of any kind ?

The end of this Inner Wall shows clearly
that no binding agent of any kind was used.
Only a good fit from stone to stone
and gravity made this a solid structure.

A grain silo ?
Not likely. Its centre is not hollow.
The entire structure is a solid work of stone.
Since it had no apparant practical use,
it must have had symbolic purpose.
What did it symbolise? Since it was higher than the wall,
it was clearly visible to anybody approaching.
Was it just a "bragging tool" ?
A message saying to a peaceful visitor:
"You are coming to a very special place"
Or was it meant to tell an approaching foe:
"Don't even try ! If we can build something like this,
we can beat the hell out of you too."

Anyway, here is a peaceful visitor,
who was duly impressed and had
Lunch amidst the "Great Zimbabwe"

SOME BIRDS

Scarlet Tanager
an American song bird
(not to be confused with Ella Fitzgerald)
recently re-classified into the Cardinal family.

Red headed wood pecker
This tri-coloured bird is found in Southern Canada
and the Eastern Central United States.

Red winged blackbird
lives in North and Central America,
breeds from Alaska to Newfoundland,
South to Florida, Mexico and Guatemala

FRANZ BRANDL ( some of his work )

"Dialog  ended"
this work commemorates one of many
failed discussions between
the Slovenian and the German speaking
populations in and around Bleiburg.

 

 

 

 

Musings

I started this Blog, egged on by my daughter, Lianne, on the 19th day of June 2008. Just about 2000 days ago.
During this time I posted 1100 entries and had, by the built in counter, exactly 27971 views. That is almost 14 views per day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year.
There were, of course, stretches of time during which I posted nothing, just like now, when I note that I last posted anything on the 4th day of November. Before that there was a hiatus of 5 weeks, during which time I was in Canada.
The strange thing about this is, that, once started, such a Blog becomes almost an obligation. I feel a sense of betrayal of my faithful viewers and readers and I imagine them opening this site and finding the same pictures and the same comments. I think that it would be the very same if I were to open a book, to read from it a little every night, only to find the same page staring at me. Very soon I wouldn't bother opening this book anymore. I would just put it aside, because it no longer gives me any joy.
The disappointment about it for me also is, that none of my viewers wrote a comment on the Blog, nor wrote me an e-mail urging me to continue ... come on Lianne, Scio, Anton, don't let me hang there, thinking that you don't care, because it wasn't challenging enough. For a little while I got e-mails when I talked about my opinions concerning Religion, The Bible and Roman Catholicism... some people wrote whom I did not know.
How did they get my e-mail?? and don't they know how easy it is to put a comment directly on the Blog?
Maybe I have to start talking about the above again. It is a subject about which I could go on for quite a little while.
                                          **********************************

A few days ago I was asked to contribute a show I had done about three years ago about Franz Brandl, a local artist painter. Franz died at the age of 84 last year. He had become a friend of ours and I felt his loss more than I cared to admit. 
One day, during my photographing him at his work and many of his completed paintings, we talked about "the Creative Process". He told me something quite interesting: 
He said:
                       "I just get the urge to paint... paint something.. then I                          sit down in front of my easel and start.When I feel                            that it's ready, I get a very unreal feeling and I                                    inevitably ask myself: 'did I really do that?'
                        If I do not get this urge, but paint something because I think I ought to, I am never very satisfied with the outcome. I have to feel "the Urge" to create something with which I am             happy."

Now Franz Brandl is dead and the local Art Gallery is putting on a "Franz Brandl Retrospective" to celebrate what would have been his 85th birthday.
The show, I was asked to contribute and which I had done about two years before his death,  is to be shown during this exhibition via a 'beamer' on a large screen. In the meantime I had photographed many more of his paintings and I enlarged and improved this show. I hope I can do justice to Franz's memory.

On the Trampolin

My grand daughter and her
exchange student friend from Bern
are having some fun on the Trampolin

 

 

BLEIBURG VS LENDORF

A nice cross from the Bleiburg right striker

The keeper got this one

Refereee ! Are you blind ??? 

...more disandat

Lake grass

The deck in the morning fog.

early visitor

which is bluer, the sky or the lake ?

disandat in Algonquin

a young Loon gets ready
for the long flight to Florida.
I'd like to come too !

The A.P deck
with 3 meter board and sail boats.

waiting for the adventure