I joined the club

I joined the club

By David Verveer

Finally it is official, I now belong to the group of people who went to visit a psychiatrist, true, aged 67 year old, I am late for our modern society, as regular visits to a brain doctor starts today, most times with first day at high school, when adolescent youths starts showing signs of independence from their parents, through growing hair, staying out late, or worse, trying out forbidden stuff, like cigarettes or God forbid, drugs.

Today, people who have no psychotic problem of some sort are either people who are totally un-informed or their psychotic problem is that they do not realize they are just like us, modern human beings, filled with un-explainable bull shit, which the professional name “psychological disturbances”.

Gone good old days, hating postmen”, the medical term is today “a postman complex” due to an traumatic experience in your early youth, when a postman accidentally broke your spectacles, pushing the front door in your face. Until now I was primitive, as I hated Germans, because they killed my father, made me to go into hiding from the ripe age of 3 years and one day old, etc., my new psychiatrist advisor told me I am suffering from a (excuse me not using the correct term, as this would be breaking the hypocrite oath, or what ever, between patient and doctor) complex, today, when I learned what complex I have, and realize that I have been irrational and harmful to my own mental constitution, instead of holding everything inside, I should have provided the psychiatrists, the fees which were truly theirs, but when I was young, nobody knew to deal with traumas, we all tried to recover from the war and tried to built up a new life with the pieces we had, there was no time and no money to deal with our psycho. Nobody, especially Jewish people in Western Europe survived those horrible days without damaging their psychological well being, but I don’t think, the psychiatrists of those days would have coped with our problems.

Only now I realize how terrible cruel we (the society) reacted to those people who could not cope with the traumatic experiences they suffered in their war days, and showed it with irrational behavior, impatience with children, or selfish actions, unfair at the moment, but understandable, realizing what those people had suffered. People, desperately looking for un-available treatment and guidance, were called by us, psychos, madmen or simply fools. I was seven years old, my mother had accepted the job of director of an Jewish old age home,which functioned as a reception home for people, returning from the concentration camps, and old lady, suffering from the last stage of diabetes, started eating paper, we found it funny, she died some days later. The children of these ex-camp people were terribly cruel, stole food etc., today I know why, at that time, they made me terribly angry and frightened. I do not what happened to them, but if they are still living, I am sure they need mental treatment, more than I do.

My intention for this essay was to make jokes about me going to the Psycho-doctor, but all jokes I attempted to write, came over, not funny and rather stupid, as in actual fact, our mental health is not something to make fun about. We do not know enough about how our brain operates, what types of self defense we have installed in order to overcome traumas, and how we control our behavior, even when inside, conscious or un-conscious storms are blowing, which without our inner defense would show our loss of control, including my trying to make fun of everything, by writing my silly comments.

Is it not un-explainable, how cruel is the Israeli society is, by not providing automatically the few poor survivors of the Holocaust, with a pension, allowing to end their days, without the need to worry from where to get money for medicines, roof on their head and food on the table? Don’t we realize that their days are counted, as they are all over the 65 years old? We have enough money to pay a generous pension to an ex-president rapist and sexual sadist, but payment to our own survivors, (at least 20 people could live comfortable on katsav’s pension) is still being discussed at the various committees of the Knesset, waiting until all survivors to die out from natural causes. Showing the television audience in a short reportage, suffering old people, doesn’t help as much as getting the politicians and the officials, responsible for the financial distribution of our wealth, to act immediately and free those funds to those surviving poor human beings, who arrived to this situation, due to being Jews.

I am of course not talking about my own situation, even though, the irresponsible and unfair pension laws invented by Netanyahu, fighting the Histadruth pension funds, made my life (and many others) after retirement, insecure.

in memoriam

In memoriam

By David Verveer

Two days ago, Mr. Buzaglo passed away, he will thoroughly missed by all people, who think that the law applies to everyone in the same way, irrelevant if they belong to the upper class, the crime underworld, or simply citizens of our nation. When our General Procurer. Meny Mazuth decided that poor Mr. Katzav will not get the same punishment as did our famous rapist Benny Selah, who is accused of doing precisely the same thing as our ex-president Mr. Katsav did, raping (unwilling partners) females. Nobody, tries even to argue that raping employees is different than breaking in and raping victims, the only difference is that raping employees, is punishable even more than breaking in and raping victims, but poor Benny Selah, who is obvious ill and unbalanced, will never get a treatment such as the one, Mr. Katsav received.

King David raped Bat-Sheba and got away with it, as he, just like Mr. Katsav, was above the law, and now, Mazuth confirmed clearly that the Buzaglo principle is dead and that we have 2 kinds of people, those who can do whatever they want and stay unpunished, and those who will get maximum punishment.

But how come that a mediocre politician, known for his weakness in exploiting females for his obscure sexual desires, like a Middle Eastern sheik in thousand nights, was elected for the highest position in the Israeli society, as result of a group of corrupted politicians, who, in order to block one more victory for the left, voted against Shimon Peres, who thanks the dire lesson which the nation learned with Katsav, finally elected a person, who by all means deserves to be president, and will do good for our nation, worldwide.

Something is wrong in our society, if people like Katsav get elected, and I do not mean because his origin (Persian), but because the person never showed any way in deserving to be more than others, not because his orates, nor his writings, his deeds or intelligence, he was and will remain a small time crock, perhaps good enough to be Mayor of the Israeli town of Los Angeles (kiriath Malachi), but certainly not more than that.

I don’t understand, when reporters tell us that his peculiarities were public knowledge, we do not have an efficient brake system that will prevent placing such a person in such an elevated position. Look what a damage he did to our image, our president is a bloody rapist, wondering if he is the only one crooked in our upper crust, or is this the gateway for upper class criminals to get away from punishment.

And you know what is even worse, not only remains unpunished for his crimes, he will live his further live is richness, with a full president pension, with staff paid by us, the tax payers (I hope not female, because I understand that he will remain above the law).

As I said in the beginning, Mr. Buzaglo, you will be thoroughly missed by everybody who thought the law was equal for all citizens, another elution of the Zionist dream died this week, what is next?

Kosher or not kosher, that is the question

Kosher or not kosher, that is the question

By David Verveer

I realize that one of the most important causes of survival of the Jewish nation in the last 2.000 years, was our observance of religious customs, of which the dietary laws are of course the main issue. At the time, kosher laws were thought out, they made enormous sense. By classifying animals in groups, explaining what conditions each group had, and forbidding to consume animals which do not belong to any group, they ((our forefathers) saved us from terrible plagues etc. For example, for not allowing us to eat pork, most probable saved us from extinction, as pig meat, without refrigeration and in poor hygienic conditions spoils much faster than cow or chicken meat.

But I am not intending to defend kosher laws, as everybody has to decide for himself, what he wants to eat. For example my daughter, her husband and children are vegetarians (out principle). This of course does not mean, they are angry if we eat meat, and when they come on a visit, we prepare for them special vegetarian dishes, no problems there. But the religious establishment here in Israel, thinks they have to prevent me to eat not kosher, and that I find objectionable. What I put in my mouth is my concern and my responsibility only and accounted for in my personal account with God, and that has nothing to do with any Rabbi, or hypocrite such as Mr Guydamak, trying to buy the not kosher food chain of Tiv Taam, in order to convert it into a kosher (and more expensive) food chain.

I must admit that the attempted coup by Guydamak angered me, as this was an attack on tolerance and freedom of religion, which free-thinking Israelis fought for, for so many years. We do not want to pay for religious parasites, dressed in clothing unsuitable for our hot climate, with a hat and an unhygienic beard, standing in the way of the butchers, cutting open slaughtered animals, in order to get his permission, (bribe) that the meat is kosher.

I am sure that in Mizra, (the main not kosher meat supplier for the “Tiv Taam” food chain), the only person to decide if the meat is fit for consumption, is the highly qualified vet, trained in testing meats, investigating if it is clean, disease free and fresh.

I don’t eat kosher, (for personal reasons), but will never cause anybody else unwillingly to eat not kosher food. And like me there are around 2 million people in Israel, who prefer not to contribute to the welfare of a small group of religious zealots, who, with the use of a type of witchcraft, decide what is consumed on my table. Further more, I very much object to the salt treatment of meat, which was perfect before we discovered electricity, but today causes serious environmental problems for safely disposal, besides it spoiling the meat quality. True, before the refrigeration era, blood rich meat would spoil fast, but today, salt bathing meat is like lighting fire by rubbing stones.

There are many peculiar rules in the kosher laws, why for example are we not allowed to eat catfish or eel, the reason for this, was of course, that those fish did not exist in the Middle East, and do not have scales (a requirement for fish). However, the Rabbinical council is now examining those species, and found minuscule small scales, and it might be that in the far future, smoked eel will be kosher, depending of course, if the above mentioned council belongs to the correct branch of Judaism, (at least Ashkenazim, preferable Hasidim).

Sea fruit is also not allowed, but funny enough, Locust (a creature related to the crustaceans) are allowed, providing they are slaughtered in the correct way, and received the suitable blessing. I am not sure yet, if all preparation methods are acceptable, such as barbecuing them, but surely, raw, like fish, would be questionable.

But returning to the subject of my argument, please let me live my life, don’t try to protect me, and allow me to make up my own mind on what I eat, or what I do in my kitchen. I am sure that if and when our religious leaders were bothering more with today, instead of glorifying the past, they would realize that our kosher laws could be adjusted and corrected, based on science and knowledge of our day. I wonder what is the real religious value of eating imitation shrimps (made from kosher fish), or eating smoked crackers, which surprisingly have a similar taste as baked bacon. What about crab cakes made from fish? Who are you kidding?

You realize that if everybody stopped eating pork, there would be no reason what so ever to raze those nice animals, and in a few years they would disappear, except in southern Europe were they are used to discover truffles. I am sure that is not what the good lord intended to happen to one of his creations, but on the other hand, I am not too sure about it, as look what he did to those kind dinosaurs? Is dinosaur meat kosher?

Guilty like hell

Guilty like Hell!

By David Verveer

In the last week, the Palestinians in Gaza started to kill each other, without any assistance from Israel. And they are professional killers, they throw people of roof tops, kill them, in the street, irrelevantly if they are young children, women or elderly people. The killing goes without any planning, some according family connections to somebody, some because they happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and of course many who tried to defend their posts in the Palestinian Government, police and administration.

The Gaza region is a small strip near the Mediterranean Sea, with Israel bordering on two sides, Egypt on one side and the sea on the fourth’s side. It had until a few days back a peculiar Government shared by El Fatah and the extreme Hamas. The government was never recognized by the World powers, as the Hamas is a terrorist organization.

In the Gaza strip live more than 11/2 million people, with more than half living in terrible conditions in the refugee camps, mostly around Gaza city. They are refugees since 1948, and kept in these terrible conditions, as pressure group against the Israelis. Two years ago, under international pressure, Israel removed the flourishing Israeli Gaza’ settlements without fight (risking nearly a civil war in Israel). Instead of taking over the settlements with the export orientated green gardens, and green houses, as was suggested by some philanthropic agencies, the Palestinians refused their offer for help, causing several thousand laborers to lose their only livelihood, working in the settlements, letting the villages going to waste.

But besides the Hamas and El Fatah there are also the Islamic extremists, who for the fun dispatch daily rockets on the neighboring Israeli town of Sderoth.

Without any doubt, the World opinion has long lost it objective interest in what happens in this troubled corner of the world, and without any hesitance blames Israel for all the problems, illustrated clearly when I wrote an article on the growth of Radical Islamic terrorism in Western Europe, a intelligent writer wrote, that in his opinion, it all was caused by the Zionist aggression of 1948. What is the connection with the Radical Islamic terrorism is absolutely unclear, but admit, the European reader of news flashes on the happenings in Gaza, is to lazy to read the entire article, reading the word Palestinian, he already formed the opinion, that those terrible Jews in Israel, again did something bad to those poor and innocent people, the Palestinians.

It took around 2.000 years to get the Catholic Church finally to admit that the Jews did not kill Jesus, and we expect that in another 1.000 years until they will admit that Jesus was a Jew himself, but the same goes for Israel and the Arabs; first of all, most Arabs and Jews are from the same tribe, according the DNA tests, the only difference between them is the religion. The local people partly fled to the Diaspora, while others were forcefully converted to the Islam. We, the Israeli do not hate Arabs, and want them to live in comfort aside the Jewish nation, and the Israeli iron fist is the only possible method to prevent the Radical terrorists to take over, as is demonstrated so clearly in the turmoil of Gaza.

A funny fact is, that the World (except perhaps some Americans) connect the Iraq war and Iran problems also with Israel, and think that everybody unhappy with the West, does that because the existence of the Jews and their treatment of the Arabs. The history repeats itself, weren’t the Jews blamed for the plagues in the middle Ages?

I don’t know what is going to happen in Gaza, and if we will get involved eventually, as something has to burst and shatter, just as in Lebanon, with the Syrian killings and Palestinian uprising in the refugee camps (also from 1948). Israel absorbed from that period 5 million Jews, turned them in to full blood citizens and provide them with work, home and livelihood, 11/2 million Palestinians (using the pessimistic and propaganda numbers), were never accepted in the Arab lands, never got any civil rights, as this would reduce the threat to the Jewish state.

In Western Europe, with minorities of Islamic people, loses control and suffer from terrorism, riots etc., and try to deal with the problem by issuing racist type of laws. But still, look who is boycotted by the British Academy, of course, Israel, for their treatment of poor Palestine. Every day when I awake, I say my prayer; “thank God” you made me a Jew, guilty like hell.

commander haim bunt vc

Commander Haim Bunt VC

By David Verveer

Professor Doctor (Med) Joseph Bunt, with his wife Flora (nee Solomon) and their three siblings, Hanna, age 5, Haim age 3 and baby Benjamin arrived in England in the winter of 1920 from Germany, where living conditions for Jews became extremely unpleasant, due to the rising anti Semitism, blaming the Jews for the defeat in the First World War and all other problems facing the Germans during the period between the two world wars.

Professor Joseph Bunt was a distinguished and leading expert and pioneer in PBL (problem based learning) , a new trend in discovering the way our brain functions and possible causes of dysfunctions and abnormalities influencing the natural learning process. The Liverpool University Medical School approached Professor Bunt and offered him a research position, and as Professor Bunt correctly worried for the future of the Jews in Germany and the future of his children, he accepted the offer with both hands, and packed his bags and moved his family to Liverpool.

Liverpool at that time had a relatively large community of Jews, many of them, immigrants like the Bunts. For those families with money, Brownlow Hill, situated between Lime Street and Paddington, was the perfect place to set up home and make a living. There was a huge proportion of the street dedicated to Jewish families; although they lived quite happily alongside English families.

The majority of Jews arrived in Liverpool around 1900 to escape the Pogroms and persecution in places such as Russia and Poland, the Jewish community in Liverpool stretches way back to the 1700s. The Jewish Community has helped to shape the future of Liverpool, and played a large part in its success building libraries and businesses, taking several of the Lord Mayor positions throughout the years - and even helping to develop Liverpool's renowned musical heritage with Brian Epstein managing the Beatles amongst others

The Jewish community goes much further back than the beginning of the 1900s, there is a misconception that the Jewish people only arrived in Liverpool round about 1900 when there were Pogroms in Russia and Poland and thousands of them decided to emigrate to America. That's when the majority of Jewish families settled in Liverpool, they had to go through the UK and the boats brought them over, they came through by train to Liverpool with the plan to get on the boat to America and although a lot of them actually did go to America, hundreds of them decided to stay in Liverpool! Because they arrived by train, immediately behind Lime Street Station was the neighborhood where they decide to settle, in the Brownlow Hill, Coppras Hill, Pembroke Place, Crown Street area."

The earliest Synagogue was a little house in Cumberland and Stanley street round about the 1740 or 1750s. They were a mixture of hawkers and peddlers, but then there came quite established people, they were merchants who came from Hamburg or came from London and who saw great opportunities as Liverpool seaport was expanding and they contributed very extensively to the well being and wealth of Liverpool."

The families that came over were fairly poor, they couldn't speak English, and the first thing they realized was that they had the opportunity to send their children who were born in Russia, to schools. So this generation became very educated, and they became doctors, lawyers, solicitors, architects, businessmen, and they did very well and they thrived.

There's something in the makeup of Jewish people that they believe that if the city that they've lived in and thrived in has been good to them they want to give something back to that city, so Jewish people gave back by taking part in local politics, for example there were seven Lord Mayor's from the Jewish community in Liverpool, many benefactors for example the Lewis family which goes back well before the 1900s, they were the founders of the Lewis' store and are a family that has given back a lot to the city.

Every university student who has studied in Liverpool will know the Harold Cohen library - well that was the Lewis and Cohen family who donated money for institutions to be built. In entertainment - Frankie Vaughan is synonymous with Liverpool and the Jewish community, the Beatles I think will always owe a lot of their success to having a Jewish manager Brian Epstein who was from a Jewish business family in Liverpool.

Princes Road Synagogue

One man who remembers when the trans-migrants came from Russia ready to go, they weren't staying in Liverpool so they were put up in lodgings over night near the Oceanic Hotel and places like that by the shipping companies while they had to wait for the ship going off to the States. He recalls going down there when he was a young kid, and they would come and do street entertainment while they were waiting for the ship to take them to America, they would play the accordions which they managed to bring with them, and he used to delight in it and remembers very clearly the atmosphere that they produced during the very little time they spent in Liverpool, just in the two or three days before they were shipped on elsewhere."

Liverpool opened its arms to the new settlers…

Remarkable is the social acceptance of Jews, there was very little anti-Semitism, in fact John Wesley the Methodist preacher mentioned in his diaries how well the townspeople of Liverpool get on with the Jewish community, although it was only a small community then.

"There was an interesting established community even before the major immigration from the pogroms going back to the 1740s, who had produced some very interesting characters, including the Quack doctor, Dr Samuel Solomon who became exceeding rich from his sale of the very cleverly named tonic called 'The Balm of Gilead' with it's biblical overtones, and there were all sorts of other interesting characters like that.

Another indication of the social acceptance of Jews in Liverpool is that well before they were allowed to stand for parliament or municipal officers they were accepted to become members of the Athenaeum, a very high cultural society, an indication of the city's cosmopolitan tolerance, that Jewish communities and other communities have been more welcome here than other locations you can think of in England and elsewhere.

Haim Bunt, who was called James, went to the King David Primary school and continued the King David Jewish high school , which he finished with high grades, that enabled him (with the finances of his rich father) to enroll Eton on a literary scholarship, (this was near the end of the European conflict of the second world war, in the year 1945).

Even-though, talented, James was not the scholarly type and soon his scandalous behavior with friends of the opposite sex, caused him to be expelled. James was not religious, nor interested in Jewish way of life, and even his best friends did not know that James was from a good Jewish family. Not that he lied about his religion, he simply never mentioned it, and thought it irrelevant, specially, now when anti-Semitism started to show its ugly head in England.

With the help of friend of his parents, James enrolled at the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. The Woolwich Military Academy and the Sandhurst Military College were closed during the Second World War. The Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst was reopened in 1947.

Getting accepted at Sandhurst is quite a feat, specially for Jews, who are a rarity in this selected group of gentlemen, but James, who had changed in the mean time, his family name from Bunt to Bond, had no problem to fit in this society. He proved to be extremely suitable in intelligence, speaking several languages without any trace of accent, and a remarkable memory which enabled him to get out all problems placed before him, thus it was no surprise when after two years, he graduated and joined the Army as Intelligence Officer.

We are now talking about the Cold War Years. The golden years for espionage, intrigue and spy romance, and getting a spy debriefing his adventures to an intelligence officer with writing talents is a fantastic recipe for spy stories. Indeed, the author Ian Flemming, an intelligence officer, who had also served abroad, was appointed the debriefing officer of James Bond, and recorded his tales, which became the raw material for his James Bond books and films.

After getting seriously wounded during a failed action in Hungary, James retired from services and bought himself into an import and export business , and due to the publication of Ian Flemming's James Bond books, he changed his name back to Haim Bunt.

Today, Haim Bunt, (James Bond) is 90 years old, retired and lives in a luxury retirement village in Florida, together with his wife for 20 years, Batya (nee Cohen). When I asked him, during the meeting last month, what are his thoughts on Israel and Zionism, he told me that he contributes to all Zionist causes, but is not interested in living in Israel (too risky), but had visited the country several times. When Batya left to bring a new round of drinks, he told me in confidence, that he liked specially the Israeli girls, he had seen during his visit.

When I asked him, if he saw all James Bond films, he told me that they were too much romanticized, that espionage is rather boring work, where patience is not only a virtue but also a necessity. When I asked him, if there were still untold stories, he laughed and told me, that the best stories remained untold, due to signing the secrecy act of Her Majesties Services.

the philanthropic menace

The philanthropic menace

By David Verveer

One of the most peculiar phenomena of our modern Israeli society is, that we consider the philanthropic behavior of one of our Israeli, ex Russian Oligarchs, Mr. Gaydamac, when he financed and organized a convalesces holiday camp in a Tel Aviv’ park for the emotional hard-hit population of Sderoth, a small town on the Gaza border, that suffers from an “on and off” bombardment of rockets, over the last seven years. The organization and financing of this project is entire philanthropic, and Mr. Gaydamac appears to do all this, simply out of compassion for the real plight of those innocent citizens.

But now, something funny happens, caused by our twisted way of thinking, we argue:

1 - why is he doing this,

2 - it is not his duty to do such things,

3 - the Government should do this,

4 - what does he want to gain out of this,

5 - the origin of his riches are un-clear, isn’t the French police looking for him? And the funniest of all:

6 - he will be running for public office (President, Mayor of Jerusalem, Prime Minister, Chief Rabi (it can be that I got carried away, and the last position is a result of my imagination).

But let us look at it, without letting our emotions replace common sense. First of all, do his actions help those needy people? Of course, they do!

Did his spontaneous help actuate finally some of the rusty Governmental organizations who should have been on the spot, helping the Sderoth people, and not wait until Mr. Gaydamac shows them, how to provide some relaxation, after spending such a long time of terror, while we in the center of the country enjoyed our usual tranquility.

I couldn’t care less if his money has a slight smell of corruption to it, so long it is used for philanthropic means, instead of going to a group of sleaze lawyers, who are keeping those money laundering cases for many years in court, in order to ensure their fat fees. I prefer 1000 Sderoth people for one week in a holyday camp, than allowing this corporation lawyers earning their first (or second) yacht on the Riviera.

And if we elect our political leaders based on (not too cheap) popularity, I wished that they follow Gaydamac’s lead, and invest indirect in humanitarian causes, instead of getting inflated salaries, with additional funds, in order to serve their voters.

Mr. Gaydamac shows us, how utterly stupid, public opinion can be, only because he provides the money (without strains attached) in his own name, and does not hide behind an organization, with costly administration and management, buildings, etc. who gobbles up most of the funds required. I go even further, a normal NGO (Non Governmental (non Profit) Organization will not be able to perform at such short notice, nor has it the funds to do what our hero; Mr. Gaydamac did for the poor people of Sderoth..

Our parents would have called us “kleiner menchen” which means: people with limited brain-power, which describes precisely our behavior.

how to lose 40 pounds in one week

How to lose 40 pounds in one week

By David Verveer

First of all I have to admit that the title of this post is absolutely (on purpose) misleading, meant only in order to get your attention, as I have no idea nor expertise on diets or losing weight.

True,my wife is totally emerged in diets, and eats according the time span left before meeting again with the dietetic expert. The results of those meetings with this Lady are like getting the results of the elections, we gained 20 or lost 30 (gram). Gaining weight means a harsher diet, while losing weight means that we have a month of relaxation. Why do I say “we”, because even though, I never participate in the diet, not that I don’t need it, but I don’t like punishment, life is too short, and I love just those things, which are forbidden in those cruel diets, such as: fried in oil, fat meat, etc. The reason I say “we” is that, without agreeing to it, I became a passive dieter, just like somebody who doesn’t smoke, living near a chain smoker. Because our children left home many years ago, we remained cooking only for two, thus generally I get my portion of cooked vegetables, but I am not complaining.

Than you have the daily ritual of burning calories, my wife does it on the stationary bike, every day she spends a half hour on cycling to nowhere, in reality a terrible waste of energy, if we would be energy conscious, we should have connected the bike to an electricity generator (like we had during the second world war), and use this energy in order to cook our diet meal, but this is nature friendly ecology, and not green technology, following the doctrine of prophet Gore.

But now comes the weekend, having friends coming to share our humble meal. Of course, the wives all are dieting, but when eating out, or having guests for diner, all rules of dieting are thrown in the wind. New recipes, just shown on the TV are tried out, days in advance; different courses are discussed with the husband, who has to express his opinion, irrelevant if he has one on the matter. Of course, he is involved and guilty if something did not succeed according the wife’s expectation. Why didn’t you tell me, that you can not combine fried chicken wings with cauliflower (this is only an example, without any knowledge on the matter). You should have warned me, do I have to everything myself; they are your guests as well!

Generally, our friends eat only 20% of the quantity prepared, because my wife thinks that our guests eat because they are hungry, and the rest of the week, I have to finish eating the leftovers (including all these experiments learned from the TV chefs, and I eat them, because I don’t throw out food in principle. My wife does not help me on this matter, as she is on a diet (as explained before).

But when my grand children come over it is even worth. The love junk food, which they get in big variation, and quantities they can not finish in a life time, causing me having to eat snitzel (factory made and dry like hell), sausages, etc. instead of a good juice fat steaks.

Of course, we like to go out and eat in a restaurant, and during the week, my wife reads all the reports of culinary experts, who sacrificed their weak constitution, by trying the various restaurants. I have learned that those reports are generally not very objective, but still, we try them, especially if they have reduced prices for meals during a given period of time, including discounts if you have credit points from the Credit Card Company or member of a society.

You will ask, of course, where does the diet goes, eating in the restaurant, I can assure you, the meals will include huge green salads, sufficient to feed one cow, but that does not mean, we are giving up on the third course, the pudding, cake, crème and other sweets, rich in calories. But of course, nobody keeps a diet when eating out.

What I am trying to say, that living today is a on going duel with the diet, one day you give in, the other day you pay, with the general result, over a certain time limit, you managed remaining at the same weight, more or less, and losing 40 pounds in one week is a total fantasy, good for advertisements for vitamins and homeopathic medicines, which are one of the best ways to make some crooks very rich, but will not help us in our fight with our body weight. Bon appetite.