Q&A to all Eddier1 questions about anything....right here.

[Eddier1]

Thanks Suki for telling me what you think about Hitler. But one correction I want to make, and here I activate my major in History, which I have too along with majors in Philosophy and World Lit.. To wit, Germany did have an Empire like England later had, and now America is trying to have. That Empire was known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which included Germany as the 'brains' behind it all. The Kaisers of Germany were like the Tsars of Russia, and it was a huge militaristic empire that was only broken up by the First World War. It was the Weimar Republic that Hitler excoriated more than any other thing that was German. He was from Austria, as you probably know, and made Austria one of the stars of his Third Reich. I'm surprised, however, that you think that Hitler was a clever man, and by ende a 'saavy' leader.

Upps, I see that you had a Puerto Rican upbringing with corporal punishment that was traditional also. But in your case it was quite mild. Lucky you. No, my Father never brought me to an actual "woodshed", since we were urban dwellers, but he hit lots harder than your Mom did. To this day, I have a prothesis, an implant in my lower lip where he had delivered a resounding blow to the jaw. It loosened my bottom teeth so that I could even move them around with my fingers, but the worst was that it wounded the membranes of my lower jaw so severely that the membranes failed to heal normally and so a Doctor had to implant a prothesis around which the membranes could grow. To this day, I can feel with my tongue the prothesis below the membrane tissue. That's a souvenir of my Puerto Rican upbringing.

BTW, Stan was strange when he mentioned the so-called levels of the middle class bourgeoisie. He seemed almost ashamed and indeed reluctant to discuss that. My acquaintance with the divisions are that the bourgeoisie comprises the rich as the highest level, and the very well payed executive and staff at the center level, and the well payed office employees at the bottom level. The proletariat are of course a different class entirely, as you know. My analysis of that division among the bourgeoisie led me to the knowledge that what typifies one as a bourgeois is the LIFE STYLE OF THE BOURGEOIS and not the pay scale or special bonuses that are sprinkled at all levels in that division. But if you wish, I will get into describing that life style at another time. It takes lots of orientation to perceive it, and it helps to read the novels of Balzac which includes his most famous one of "Pere Goriot" as well as all the other ones that he wrote. It was the French bourgeoisie that brought the life style into prominence in the world. Curious isn't it that Francois Noel Babeuf, the first authentic communist in the world was a Frenchman too? But according to one of the laws of nature that Isaac Newton discovered: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. How true that is.

If the time permits, we may be able to discuss this farther. And if you haven't read the novels, perhaps reading at least Pere Goriot would be very useful for you understanding what the bourgeois style of life is all about.

One thing more about GingerAlex, she says she speaks many languages, and also mentions Sweden lots as a place she is familiar with. The nightclubs and eating habits, etc..I was wondering if her 'case' isn't more serious than I thought, as if it ever could be. Since if she is residing in Sweden as Jennifer Lamotte, claiming to be a Puertorriquena, it is possible she may part of an International Terrorist organization, like the one the German federal police tried to break up in Germany according to the most recent time-line. Many of the terrorists included Germans and many other nationalities like Arabs and who knows Latin Americans by descent like GingerAlex also. If an International Terrorist organization is operating out of Sweden and targeting Puerto Rico that is very, very bad news. The weirdness of her posts are not so weird as you may think. It may be an International well-planned terrorist operation against the U.S.'s weakest link, the colony or unincorporated territory of Puerto Rico. On this!, I will meditate, to be sure.

[Suki]

Eddie,
I never said I thought Hitler was a savvy leader. I thought the man a mediocre student and a bad artist. Lol. But he was clever in knowing how to manipulate the German military machine and make it serve his 'propositos'.

The news about your prostesis.....Ay, Eddie. You're killing me. Polio, and prostesis, hunger, deprivation. Hospital stays. And knowing your character, I have no doubt as a youngster you would get in hot water with your father. But, to hit you so hard as to cause membrane damage...hmmm, I wonder what caused him to perder los estribos with you? My husband also got punched in the jaw by his dad. It knocked him out. But it was because he had taken off for a long time to go exploring with some other little boys his age and they made a makeshift raft and got lost in some rio near the beach for hours. His mother was frantic and they called the cops, and when he showed up dirty and hungry late at night from his boyish adventures....his father was livid and worried to death about him and he just lost it. Later he felt so bad and apologized.

His mother did more of the disciplining. And he was punished a lot. She finally thought him incorrigible when he got expelled from eighth grade for too much fighting and disruptive behavior in school. I know why he was. But that is all I am gonna say. But she made him finish all the way through college. Fear of disappointing her was strong in him. She was a traditional boricua from Utuado. Who moved to Santurce.

PLEASE educate me about Germany and all that. I don't really know much about military histories at all. I truly don't. My father was in the Air Force as a young man. He entered as a private and left as a private. Mostly a negative experience Eddie. A lot of racism, and Old ignorant Southern Boys as petty officers who loved hating Puerto Ricans from the East Coast...my father looked very WHITE Eddie. People in the Air Force would talk the worst things about Puerto Ricans and Blacks in front of him. Thinking they could get away with it, that he wasn't one of 'them'. And he would curse them and tell them off. He never brown nosed or sucked up to anyone. And he became more and more leftist in the military of all places. This is in the 1950's of course. He was fascinated with war stories though. As a little girl though I must confess I did not demonstrate much interest in all that combat, and stories of Kamikazes and stuff. To me, it just was some kind of male bonding thing I could not relate to. Lol. But now, I see it as very interesting for it has to do with strategy and tactics. And I see its interest in a historical sense. I really wish you would fill in the gap of my education about that too. I meant an Imperial type of history estilo....colonies in Africa, and in America type of dominance...for Germany. Sure I knew Austria was part of the old Military Weimar territory. Beowolf and that ingrained since Roman times military interest that the Germans always displayed. Los godos, los visigodos, los alemanes....always military minded. And good at engineering later on. The volky I got achichonada in, an invention of Hitler "the People's Car"....and lol. The emblem is of a wolf and a castle and a river or moat surrounding it. That ancient Wolf tribe symbol part of the German elite. I think the Schloss "Castle" in German...hmmm. You have sparked an interest there.

You are right about GingerAlex. She is very strange. Might be more than what I initially thought. Statehooder says she likes the 'socialist' Swedish lifestyle. But rejects traditional Puerto Rican things. BTW, I read your statement of hating Rap, Hard Rock, etc. I AGREE WITH YOU 100% that music really sucks.

In terms of Burguesia....you think as a low level office employee it is the lifestyle that defines it all? How about the years when I studied and scrubbed toilets for a living at a Plastic Surgery Hospital?---where I befriended an Afro-American woman from the deep south with 6 kids divorced...and she is still a great friend. Or the times I worked as a cashier as a department store employee? Or my husband cleaned offices and garages and delivered papers?...and worked as a factory worker and almost hit the manager there? Or many of the PROLETARIAT jobs I have worked over the years? Or working in a milk store? Or until my feet ached bussing tables? Does that count? Eddie, I have no 'image' to uphold of etc. etc. I was taught, to do what I had to to pay my bills and work. And just because I read 'intellectual' things, did not make me special. If you are looking for someone on this forum to be like Ruben Berrios with some prestigious education and track record...or some sign of burguesia. I aint the person. Put on the label....if that is what makes sense

You can think what you want to about my lifestyle. I like writing about pleasant things. Like in meditation. Positive timages. And frills. That is my style. My reality.

If you want to write some more about Germany and your endeavors in WWII, I would be honored to read it all. It is great history.

[Eddier1]

[quote]Originally posted by Suki
[b]Eddie,
I never said I thought Hitler was a savvy leader. I thought the man a mediocre student and a bad artist. Lol. But he was clever in knowing how to manipulate the German military machine and make it serve his 'propositos'."

Did not you say the following: "Hitler, though, was efficient, organized and since he was Commander and Chief, and he ruled fascist style."

That's what I mean by saying a savvy leader. And the word although jargon does apply to what you said about him, so in a sense, what you said means that he was saavy and of course clever. But was he really all these things that you think, and was Germany only a truncated empire when an Austro-Hungarian one. No, I think the evidence shows that Germany did have an imperialist interest quite extensive in Africa like Belgion and the Dutch did. Moreover, why did the so-called allied colonializing powers like England and France, and later the U.S., single out the German Empire early in the 20th century as an enemy against their special interests in the world? The first World War was the result of that by the so-called allies, and of course, they blamed Hitler, THE POLITICAL IDIOT, for causing the second World War when he did not. It was already in the hopper, since the conditions were established in the Peace Treaty with Germany after the first World War.

My-oh-my, why did you take personally what I said about the divisions of the middle class Bourgeoisie? I told you it was the product of an objective analysis that I did on the Division, which led me to the conclusion that what makes one a bourgeois (not you personally as the only one) is the Bourgeois Life Style, and not the pay scales nor perks which the proletarians never see or get.

Of course, you worked at labor jobs, and I never said you didn't, but your main work is at a level with people who do live the bourgeois life style, and you know what it is, and even reside for many years in Colorado which is a state that has transformed rural life into a paradise for the bourgeoisie.

I don't want you to get personal about what I said, and I even asked you to read French literature on the bourgeois life style, because that is were it came from, as mundane as fine French bread or their exquisite cusine.

Later....same time same internet address, if you wish.

[Suki]

I learned something new from you AGAIN...you never disappoint me. Maybe that is why I like reading your posts so faithfully. Please elaborate on what the reasoning behind the rise of Hitler was all about. I really liked the line of questioning and reasoning you were digging into there.

As the the Ski bunny paradise of Colorado. lol. I only went skiing once in Colorado at age 13---and did not like it at all. It was with a series of Native Americans mom was working with one an ex-olympian who had too many hot toddies and hit the slopes with me to 'teach me the ropes', I did not go to the beginner slope or anything. The drunk dude done took me to the big mountain with no skill at skiing whatsover, and pushed me down the hill....I picked up speed at a vertiginoso rate and did not know how to stop and screamed to the top of my lungs in panic as the dude whizzed by me and left me by myself. I spotted a big bale of hay and headed to that hoping the horrendous speed I was going at would stop if I hit the hay. I hit the hay allright. Hard. And the skis flew off and I lost my breath. And I swore right there, I aint gonna ever try this crazy sport ever again. Anyway, in terms of living here Eddie. This state has a lot of poor people as do all the states. And if you want the burgueses they is in Aspen, Boulder, Vail, and in the suburbs like Highlands Ranch. My neighborhoods were all raja tabla neighborhoods lleno de mexicanos indocumentados, negros, y blancos with used baseball caps and dirt under the fingernails. Lol. I am being facetious (but it is truthful), I was probably an anomaly there too, some puertorriquena with my interests in the middle of the milieu I just described. I have realized not to take anything you say about that to me personally.

I want to work in my field. Write and do political work as well. And raise a family. A balance of activities. I would like the read what you stated about the french definition of the burgues life.

I will be going to Mexico tomorrow. Lots to do today to prepare. PLEASE take care of your health beautiful Eddie. I could say so much about what I have learned and gained and such....and let mi corazon write you the prettiest words and letters to you. But, I would rather hear your renditions of the circumstances surrounding the rise of the Political Idiot Hitler. I forgot the detail of Hitler having only one descended testicle....lol. Oh, my I forgot to mention that the man had male insecurity problems. No....lol. I love your analysis of the circumstances of WWII. I still remember you mentioning titanium being the reason for the Viet Nam war. I hope you realize I remember everything you say about history with great attention.

If you write something. I will reply today late at night if I can. But I would love something earlier in the day.

May I give you a big kiss de despedida? For being such a dear and caring about mi familia.

Beso grande para ti,

Suki.

[Suki]

eddie,
Would you like a detailed description of the train? In which so many things have happened for my husband and I? I can write about it to the tiniest detail so you feel like you are there with me? And you see what I see? I will describe it to you. Te gustaria? It has some spectacular scenery. And don't deny you like scenery and landscapes...you do. I can tell.

If you want we can take the train ride right here together...dear Eddier1....esta bien? Just say yes or no.

And you can keep it like a postcard (un recordatorio)....since I can't send you a real one. I will send you one by writing with great care with descriptives? Que te parece hombre?

You have travelled so much and have finally settled down over there where you live. How about taking a train ride with me right here? Hoy por la noche? Si o no?

C ya soon.....
Sukita

[Eddier1]

Originally posted by Suki
eddie,
Would you like a detailed description of the train? In which so many things have happened for my husband and I? I can write about it to the tiniest detail so you feel like you are there with me? And you see what I see? I will describe it to you. Te gustaria? It has some spectacular scenery. And don't deny you like scenery and landscapes...you do. I can tell.

If you want we can take the train ride right here together...dear Eddier1....esta bien? Just say yes or no.

And you can keep it like a postcard (un recordatorio)....since I can't send you a real one. I will send you one by writing with great care with descriptives? Que te parece hombre?

You have travelled so much and have finally settled down over there where you live. How about taking a train ride with me right here? Hoy por la noche? Si o no?

C ya soon.....
Sukita

Just finished dinner, and didn't expect to see your posts so early. But that's fine, and about the trains (not Spain's, egad! what a terroristic disaster) I got a bit chary when you started the post. I felt the possiblity of losing my supper over that. Hmmm.. But as to train travel, two which I took were my favorites, the first was the Orient Express which connected into the TransSiberian railroad and took me all the way across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, all the way to the Vladovostok port on the North Pacific Ocean. The other great railtrip was out of Montreal all the way across the North American continent of Canada, and ending in Vancouver, B.C..

About wanting more about German history and the causes of the second World War, I really don't think that it is necessary for me to do that, because there are so many good books of history that speak to that issue. One great one, on this Literature and Film forum that I would recommend is by William Schriber who wrote the momumental history entitled THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH. I don't really have anything to add to that, since I agree with his history book on the causes involved in leading to the second World War. Of course, this is a forum and not a textbook, so I can say here that I think that Hitler was a Political Idiot, but he couldn't in his book without being called opinionated or biased. Yet, I don't claim credit for the phrase, since I heard it first from Germans who were anti-fascists, and/or the truly 'good Germans'. And I agreed with them, too.

Another thing I would like to recommend, if you haven't seen it already, that the best effort to get the 'good Germans' off-the-hook when only doing their duty, was the film starring Marlon Brando entitled THE YOUNG LIONS. And finally let me recommend to you in films about the plight of the Jews to steer clear of any Hollywood productions, like that of Spielberg, the technocrap director, who is overrated, and go to all the documentaries, in black and white, and some later in color, in order to get the real picture of the persecution of the Jews.

Okay, I will try to read anything you post later tonight, after 11P.M. as usual. Till then I remain,
Eddie R.

[Suki]

One of my husband's dreams Eddie is to ride on the Orient Express. And the Trans Siberian as well. I heard there is the biggest most impressive lake in the world there, please correct me if my memory fails me....it is called Bikal. He dreams of going there and taking a train from Russia to China.

Anyway, I will give it my very best description EL Chepe just for you. It is short train ride. From Chihuahua City to Los Mochis, Sinaloa (about 13 to 15 hours in duration). They call it El Chepe but it stands for Chihuahua Pacifico since the ride ends on the Pacific Ocean. It starts from the Sierra. The Chihuahuan sierra is quite pleasant. It is semi-desert but it has pines, junipers and huge lakes and cascades. It looks a lot like Lake Tahoe or Nevada at the beginning. But it is unique. It really is. The sky looks a very soft powder blue. Clouds are scattered and rare. And the rocks between the trees are gray, and charcoal black and interspersed with malachite and granite, and it reflects light in a way in which it sparkles enough to cause you to look twice at it, but instead it is a rock that makes you think that rocks can be beautiful too. And lichens grow on the rocks in lime green and dark green moss colors, giving it more dimension. The dirt has either a yellowish brown color to it, or sometimes a clay-like red
and the air is filled with a piney smell, and a hushed sort of cement mixed with fresh ground corn and gives you the same feeling of one gets from touching a perfectly round felt hat.

The towns are small with horses, and tin troughs for horses to drink from, and squawking chickens, and the women dress in either the colorful full skirts in primary colors of the Taramaura Indians with leather sandals, long black braids, and delicate beaded jewelry. They weave, don't look anyone in the eyes and work silently and efficiently on their baskets and beadwork. They are tribal and very fleet. The Taramaura are famous for their serious faces, lack of talking to anyone not Taramaura, and tremendous dedication to racing and footraces of all sorts. They are stocky, fleet and strong. With deep brown copper skin, deep black eyes and very quick step. If they move they do it with grace and with speed. The train is a study in Old Fashioned design and detail. It is extremely well kept. It is a deep forest green in color with gold accents. The entire style of a train looks like trains one only imagines in toy shops. Not in real life. But the interior is comfortable and airy. The conductor is very dignified and speaks formally in Spanish. His English and French and German is peppered with grammatical errors which he does not really care to improve on. He wears a round conductor's hat (but is not a conductor) and a matching dark green suit with a little black bow tie. There is a dining car, with a vase and little green curtains, in the vase are daisies. The entire train again feels like it belongs in another era.
Maybe the early 1930's but the perfect film version. Not the reality.

The train is slow and steady and winds through the hills and tunnels of the sierra in a steady speed. One sees many things, broken down old rusted railroad cars abandoned many decades ago. Some rusted old train wrecks, from the 19th century, overcome by the rains and rusting away. The glitter of water and if it is a drought year....the pine smell is stronger and more powerful than the smell of slightly burning wood that is so common for cooking in small rural towns near the train stops. There once was abundant deer in the hills but not anymore. Hungry people had eliminated them. What remained were elegant eagles and hawks flying slowly and gracefully over the broken red earth hills, with pieces of jagged pines and trees with budding light green leaves, looking for careless mice or rabbits thin and looking for tender greens to munch on and assuage their hunger with....what was that, just a piece of bright red in the palettes of sage green charcoal gray, powder blue sky, and red clay....and the tunnel comes to turn off your picture just when you thought the red color could be cataloged as a plant. The sound of the wheels of the trains and its swaying and sighing through the tracks as it makes its way through the hard hills...soon you see bigger divides and larger widths and swathes of canyons in which the trees are farther away and the height of the track is elevated, the canyons start multiplying in depth and number and they become this unexpected planet, of infinite canyons on top of canyons as far as the eye could see, dozens, become hundreds and you arrive at Divisadero. The train stops. Many Mexican women try to sell you delicious looking things, barbecued gorditas, bean and chile burritos to go, melon juice in rich yellow and red colors. The tomatoes are very red, the lettuce very green the onion is very onion. And the women are serious in their work and send the younger folks out to get your attention...the view looks like someone opened the veins of the world and those veins, multiplied so much that one one feels like one is looking at the stars in the sky instead of the canyons that don't look like they have an ending. Left right or front or back. All canyons, like forever. There is quiet in it. A tremendous silence to it all. Every shuffle of feet, and breath you take sounds loud and out of place in such a place. The sun is soft and weak, and yet bright. You cover your eyes with your hand to see the details of the mountains better. Your breath feels out of place. Again the Taramaura move with grace and fast. Never looking at anyone directly. The train has an emblem ChePe. A red clay circle with a foot with a sandal on the foot. It looks like something the Greek god Mercury would draw, but without the wings on the sandals. And you look at the fleet feet of the Taramaura and you realize, they wear the leather straps the same as the train emblem. And their feet move so fast when they move. It looks like they fly when they decide to move....to the left or the right. That is where the symbol on the train comes from. Interesting.

Back on the train after the wistle blows. The landscape starts to change, less dry, and more color, almost suddenly...surprisingly. In such a short time. There are large leaves in dark green now. The muted palette starts getting primary and unexpected color becomes expected color. Fuschia, and lavender purple, and deep blue and bright yellows and flame reds, and oranges....a cascade jutting out of hard canyon wall....what is that? A banana plant huge and strong....coming straight out of hard boulder rock, the humid and more pungent smell of rotting leaves and mulchy plant life replacing the dusty and less imposing smell of pine and burning wood and light clay and and dusty yellow earth and its secretive ways.

The green color variations get more complex. Large leaved plants fight with viney and smaller but equally aggressive little plants, the flowers are bigger and more abundant...the water is closer to the surface of everything. The sun starts to set, the sky is not powder blue anymore it is a darkish blue, and pinkish purple near the horizon. The breeze gets soft and humid and you expect a soft rain....not sure if it will come. You hope it does...The green train keeps swaying, back and forth in gentle motions...making you feel like you are going somewhere but not with speed just with security. The sun turns an unexpected deep orange color, the air gets slightly cloudy here, less pinpoint clarity than in the sierra...you feel the next town coming even though you can't see it. You feel its arrival before it appears....It turns into night. The insects basking in the strong light all day long, whirr and flitter around in noisy circles...the train station appears....more commercial buildings. Many old cinder block constructed buildings with faded painted political slogans from the last elections of the PRI or the PAN in primary colors....ads painted in cheap paint announcing a pharmacy or a soft drink, abandoned tires and plastics litter the ground....mixed with a tang of salt for the first time....you feel the ocean is near. You smell that distinct scent of salt water in the air. It mixes with the whirring insects. And the earthy and baking corn smell that Mexico has so in its air.

You pull into the train station, the floor is tile and cement...little black insects everywhere...along with a soft breeze and soft hushed voices....dirt parking lot, old creaking taxis, filled with glued on Virgens stuck to red plastic dashboards, and pink, garish plastic carnations...white metal old and scraped, Mexican taxi drivers ALWAYS men only busily opening and slamming doors. The dirt is gray and black with a tiny bit of yellow on top of it...the trees tropical and bright, but with none of the expected green on the ground....the air is filled with the whirring black insects....few and far between lampposts....to light the road, it is dark, and salty the air and the noises are continuous but subtle and not insistent. After all this is a city that is small and semi asleep for the night. Did the train show you many planets in such a short time...it did.

For you beautiful Eddie. I hope you liked it.

Suki

I wish I had more time to polish it and perfect it and add to it. But I don't. Sleep well tonight Eddie, and may you feel light as a feather in mind and body. Til we meet again soon....