When someone dies – my condolences to you!

When someone dies – my condolences to you!

My condolences to you! While I’m sorry to hear this, his or hers suffering is over, only the living will continue to suffer.

The living ones need your support and understanding. They may experience guilt they did not do enough. They may also experience rage toward the medical staff for not doing enough, or anyone else that possibly could be involved.

The trauma may continue for the next couple of months with periodic flair-ups after that.

Grieving is expected to last for, at least, 6 months…

So please, help them with your gift of listening –  and respond (help) afterwards. 

God’s presence as a mechanic at Advance Auto Repair in Gainesville, FL. 32641

Unforgettable Trip – With God’s presence as a mechanic at Advance Auto Repair in Gainesville, FL. 32641

Jack and I took a trip to Alabama in January 2015 to visit his mother, who had just lost her husband of 17 years of cancer. We couldn't make to the funeral.   

We left Florida on Friday January 2^nd, 2015 at 7PM. We drove on Interstate (I- 95) from Lake Worth to Jacksonville (going north). In Jacksonville we took I-10 going west to Lake City, FL, and then, we took I-75 going to Atlanta, GA. and from there we reached Alabama. We took this route because we were avoiding going through Montgomery. Once you enter Montgomery, it is not as easy to get out. Our Destination was Ethelsville, AL.

We left Florida and the temperature was 76 degrees Fahrenheit. As we approached Daytona Beach, the temperature decreased at least 20 degrees. The visibility was clear, until the out-side air condensation mixed with oil-and-pollution created a blurry windshield. We turned the wipers on, to realize that we did not have any fluid. We stopped at a rest area and cleaned the windshield with Windex, but the smog had penetrated into the glass, for some reason. Once we passed that area of approximately 20 miles, the windshield became clear, as if nothing had ever happened. We had passed into a zone of high concentration of chemicals. I don’t see any other explanation. I don’t know what made it get clear either.

By 4:00AM we arrived in Atlanta. , it started to rain. Actually, it started to pour water from the sky, and we were happy to be there in a short time. The roads were not crowded. But all of a sudden the driver side windshield wiper started to fail, leaving dry pieces of rubber on the glass. It was impossible to see, and we slowed down the car to 40 miles per hour and turned the emergency lights on, and we took the first exit into some area of Atlanta. We drove extremely slowly, and we stopped at a gas station but no one had wipers. There Jack asked where he could find a Walmart and by 5:30AM we got the correct pair. It had instructions and Jack replaced them. We watched a “How to install a complete Windshield wipers’ video, on Google using my cell phone, and immediately, the battery went dead.  It was 34 Degrees, and our heater was not working properly either. We never used heather in Florida, so it was never turned on before. Until then, the temperature inside the car was good, but at this time, it was impossible to be outside. We kept the doors open while Jack was coming back and forth, putting the pieces together.  It was very cold, and the wind and the rain made it almost unbearable to do the job. I still don’t know how Jack replaced it in weather like that, without any gloves or raincoat.

By 6:00AM we were out of Atlanta and heading towards Birmingham. The windshield wipers on all the time and Jack took charge of the steering wheel. By 11AM on Saturday we made it there. We spend the entire week eating, visiting family members, sleeping, reading and watching TV. It was very cold in Alabama, and the temperature went down to 11 Degrees.

We have a Jaguar X model 2003 with 124K miles. It has been a very good car most of the time, but somehow expensive to repair. We had spent at least $4K in repairs in 2013-2014, including oil changes and tires, brakes, etc.  We will keep this car forever. On this particular trip I sensed that both incidents happened while I was driving. The first one being the fog and oil mist, where I complained not being able to see the Interstate, and the second one being the time when the windshield wiper went bad. We both drive one full tank (supposedly) and change places at the gas station. I didn’t get to finish one whole tank, and we got into problems. Needless to say, Jack drove most of the time. I could not sleep in the car, although I was very tired, I kept myself awake, imagining that if I fall sleep Jack would do it to, and we would get into an accident. So, I kept my eyes on the road, as if our lives depended on it. I have a tendency of talking with my car. Not the way we talk with an animal, but I say, come on, let’s make it, or things like that.  I never talked about my feeling that the car goes bad when I drive. I did not have to.

On our way back, it was 18 Degrees when we left Alabama, and by the time we were eating lunch outside of Valdosta, GA on I-75, the temperature was 39 Degrees. It was comfortable inside the car, and the sun made it very warm. It was my turn to drive. I drove pass Valdosta around 150 miles and when we were 2 miles shy of the intersection with I-10, (Lake City, FL), the temperature reaches the red light alarm. I changed lanes and stopped on the highway I-75 around 3:25 PM on Friday, January 9^th, 2015.

Luckily we had some Anti-Freeze in the trunk along with Octane booster and other car stuff. We waited a few minutes for the car to get colder and we opened the small tank to complete it. We realized that some liquid had escaped when I had stopped. I guess, the temperature had reached its limit, and it busted something underneath.

Jack filled up the tank with anti-freeze and we get back on I-75, with me still driving.  We just got 400 feet down the road, the temperature gauge goes red again, and we stopped one more time. Once the car got cold we idle half a mile and got closer to the intersection. There were some men working on the road, cutting trees and doing some landscaping half a mile away, and I walked towards them, while Jack was waiting for the car to get cold again.  Meanwhile the Interstate was busy, with trucks changing lanes to stay away from our vehicle. We were scared to stay in front of the car while with an open hood. I asked one of the working men if they had water. No! I asked where the next rest area was, and he said 2 miles away on I-10 West. They did not have water. We wanted water to complete the tank. We were decided to idle for 2 miles and get to the rest area and get some water. As we went along one mile south, we see another man working, and it was time again to stop the car. He said they had water where his crew was working, and we walked over there, abandoning the car on the Highway. There we filled up our anti-freeze container with water and as we were returning to the car, I asked them what could cause the car engine to go hot. He said it was lack of water, or a rose got busted or the Water Pump.

We decide to get on the road and the temperature problem remained. We got into the rest area, west bound on I-10 mile 291, but we did not need any more water. It did not have any busted rose. We then concluded that we needed a water pump. At the resting area we both need to recharge our telephones. Jack found a plug behind the Soda Machine and placed the cell phone on top of it. We waited! I read the manual, and opened it into the overheat section. One interesting thing it said, which made us more relaxed, was that if you are driving with high speed, and you stop suddenly, it can cause the engine to overheat. In this case, you have to turn the car off until it cools down. It also tells you to turn on the AC on a recycling mode. We did just that, and let the car running for at least 10 minutes and the temperature was normal. Jack gets the phone from the plug, and asked a worker where the next exit was, so we could make a U-Turn. 

On the road we go, I am driving still. We see that there is another resting area on the East bound. We also see a sign Exit 292 in 2 miles. 

As we get into the exit lane, the engine started all over again. We had driven 2 miles, and we are now 4 miles away from the east bound rest area, on mile 296 on I-10. We are stuck! After it cooled off again, this time, we exchanged places, and Jack said we would make these four miles to the next rest area because we could not stay where we were, and we would idle the car until we get there.  We had agreed that we needed towing service, and we started calling to triple A. Meanwhile the car gets cold again and Jack gets the car at the rest area in one only maneuver. My phone went dead again, for it had so many messages, and too many Facebook updates, along with other updates not necessary. I connect myself with the soda machine plug, and Jack was talking with Triple A, and getting his membership up-dated. I was talking to a mechanic in Lake City, 20 miles away from the exit who asked me for $120 dollars for towing. The mechanic said that he was not contracted by Triple A. I told him that I would contact him in a few minutes. It was 4:40 PM and they would close at 5:00PM and reopen on Monday. I forgot to ask if he could change a water pump on a jaguar, or if he had the part. I just wanted the car out of the road. Triple A. service desk located a mechanic in Lake City, but they were not Jaguar specialist. Jack was not sure if he wanted the car to be towed to Lake City, considering that it was a small town with 12K people, it may not have a jaguar mechanic. We did not see many jaguars in that area. Jack was thinking more like Jacksonville, but the Triple A lady said that they all close at 5:00 PM on Friday. The towing truck was on its way to rescue us. We just did not know to “where”.

Jack located a Mechanic in Gainesville Florida who was open 24 hours. When he placed the call, the mechanic said that they would close at 5:30 that evening and reopen on Monday. Jack tells him his situation and what the problem was. The mechanic gave him a number of another mechanic ( Advance Auto Repairs 352-372-3294) who could work on the car, but he was going to contact him (himself) now and see if he was willing to let a guy stay late to fix our car and, if the part was available. They exchanged numbers, and Jack’s telephone went dead. He run to the Soda Machine to recharge it. There he received the call that the part was available and the mechanic was going to stay there over time for us.

Jack then called the place and spoke with a Lady. She was very attentions on the phone and placed the call on hold while she would get a technician to listen to the problem.

On the line came Lorne, who identify himself and wanted to know what the problem was. He listened to Jack’s explanation and agreed that it could be the pump. He assured Jack that he would be waiting for us to get there, and the part will be there.

Jack decided then that he was going to take the car to Gainesville. FL.

We were one hour away from Gainesville, or 65 miles. We then decided that we would tow the car to Gainesville because it was closer to home, and because there was a mechanic willing to work on it tonight.

The Towing man – Adam, was happier that we had a longer distance to tow. He called his dispatcher and re-routed the trip. We were going to Gainesville, 42 miles away. Inside the truck we listened to Adam and his conclusion that it must have been the water pump. When we got into Gainesville, Adam finds a different direction to get to our destination. He claimed to have lived in Gainesville and knew exactly where we were heading to. It made us less tense, but it went away when he did not make the same turn as the GPS had instructed. He claimed that the GPS was sending him to a longer distance. He called the mechanic and said where he was. It took less than 3 minutes for him to get us to our destination. Advance Auto Repair. Address: 1224 East University Avenue, Gainesville, FL 3264Phone:(352) 372-3294

 Once we arrived, we were scared. We saw a place with more than 15 cars on the parking lot. The name on the side of the building was not clear. There was a convenient store across street, where the towing driver parked the truck, and demanded his fees in cash before he could release the car. He asked me to stay inside the truck while he was going to unload the car. Meanwhile, Jack was inside the store trying to get money, but the machine only released $200 each time. While there, Jack was approached by some loiters who asked him for money. I was inside the truck, with my phone on the charger. I thought about Jack, and where he was. I left the truck and went to the store, and Jack was outside with his money in his pocket.

“Jack where are we”? I said while looking at people’s face.

“I don’t know”.    

 The car is at this point off the towing truck.  A gentleman approached me and told me to drive the car into a spot he had opened for us. Jack paid the towing company and I showed Jack where he was supposed to park the car. The total paid was $240 plus $10 tip. ($4 per mile).  At this time Adam is preparing his documents, and we are outside, by the car waiting for the mechanic - Lorne. There were many people walking on streets. It was a busy area. It was 7:15 PM. We only had a Junior whopper from Burger King in Valdosta.

We say hello to the mechanic, and he send us inside the office. There we meet his wife who was glad we made it there. She asked for documentation to do her paper work, and Jack complied. In a few minutes we both went back to where the mechanic was, and he says:

“Look over here” He said: “You don’t need a pump. I have it here, but the problem is the tension pulley and the belt that is connected to the outside of the pump.” We saw it together.  One minute later he says that his wife has located the pulley and the belt, and they were ordering it.

At this time we had no idea what to think anymore. We were scared. We were in a different area. It was Friday night. We had not eaten.

I said nothing! I was watching, and Jack talked with the mechanic. The mechanic explained that he had seen that type of problem with Jaguars before, and he had recently replaced the same part. Jack felt good about him, for some reason. It was cold. We both went inside to wait for the part to arrive.

About half an hour later the mechanic approached us.

“We have bad news! We received the part, but my wife ordered a different pulley. She ordered the one that goes on the passenger side of the car, and it is not connected to the pump. She is now trying to find the right part.”

At this time our energy went away. I felt frustrated. I asked Jack what was going on here. Jack told me to stay calm. He sensed something different with the man, and that he was telling the truth. “I just felt that I can trust him, Milton”.

“OK Jack, if you say it so. I feel better then.”

We went inside and the wife said… “It was going too smoothly to be true, but I will try to find the right part for you here”.

We exchanged looks, and Jack said… “When it rains it pours.”

Inside, Jack called his sister and reported where we were. He gave the phone number and the mailing address.  He just said – It is bad!

I decided to have a cigarette outside, therefore I walked to the street to get familiar with the area and see if there were any hotels we could spend the night. The area was busy with people walking everywhere. There were at least five different car parts’ stores nearby. For a moment I thought about entering one of them, but I soon gave up the idea. I was certain that we would go to a hotel. Not so sure if we would stay until Monday or Tuesday waiting for the car to be fixed. While walking I was approached by a gentleman who seemed to be very polite. He said Hello and gave me a hug, and told me that he had just got out of prison… and before he could finish, I said:

“I am sorry, but I have no money with me. My friend has money, but I don’t. I just have a card.”

He walked away from me in direction to another store nearby. I then decided to go back to the mechanic. It was cold to be outside smoking. I put my cigarette out, but it was still on my hands. I did not want to put on the street. I walked in and made sure it was out. The mechanic was walking on my direction, and Jack was on the phone with his father.

He looked at me and said:

“I just found a part that has a different part number but seems to be the exact part I need. I am just going to try and see if it will do the job”.

“I will keep my finger crossed.” I said while placing my cigarette in the trashcan. He went towards the car and I went inside where Jack was charging his phone.

Jacks face was like mine, filled with fear. We talked about hotels and if we would leave our car here or if we would idle the car to the nearest hotel. We concluded that we would take the car with us.  We never mentioned, but our car door locks was malfunctioning.

“Jack, I just heard that he found a part that could work, He is trying to see if it does. Don’t go there now. Please. Let him do the work first.”

Jack looked at me and his face changed – he got a glimpse of hope.

“Go Jack, go there.” I said to Jack … “He told me while you were talking with your father, but I did not want to tell you right away because I wanted to pray a little.”

“I have been praying since we got here”. Jack said.

We both went outside together, and as we got there, the mechanic had a smile on his face. He said… “Crank it now!”

Jack turned the ignition to see the car starting. The mechanic opened the anti-freeze tank and placed water, showing us:

“Look over here” He said. “If there is no bubbles coming out it is a good sign”.

Then he said that by the sound of the car, we needed to replace the coils of the cylinders, which makes the car hesitate when we drive.  Just by listening to the engine, he diagnosed a problem we are having for the last couple of years. Our car has some hesitation when it changes gears. We had two different places looking at it, and both places did some cleaning that resolved it for a short while. The problem was back in no time.

The Mechanic advised us to order the coils – all six of them – and replace them all. Do not replace one and leave the other.

“Your car is ready to go. You will not have problems with this.”

“Wow, Thank you, it is working.” Said Jack.

By now we knew that his name was Lorne and that he operates the shop with his wife.  Looking at some reviews I found one that says it all.

“Lorne and his wife run a family business in an underserved side of our town. They primarily serve the African American community here in Gainesville, but provide the same honest, thoughtful service to anyone who goes to their shop. Lorne rehabilitates ex-convicts at his shop, giving them an opportunity to learn skills and get a new lease on life. This being said, I have never once felt uncomfortable at his shop. He works on any make and model, but specializes in British and Japanese cars. Lovely people, super friendly, I cannot recommend them enough!!

“Your car is ready to go. You will not have problems with this.” Said Lorne again.

Jack was perplexed. How could we ever get our car on the road on Friday night after having mechanical problems? How could we have it fixed while on the road? How did we find this place? How did we find this gentleman with such a serene face and attitude? He walks on his lot with a serene face, and he talks to you with all honesty. Only later on I understood the experience Jack had with him, and I could then understand why Jack decided to have it towed 65 miles to Gainesville, with so many other cities closer.

We went inside to pay the bill and it was $195. Jack gave them a $60 tip while I was not looking. She refused to take the tip, but Jack insisted by saying that we are happy they fixed it. She said no again and Jack insisted that she have dinner on us. I only saw a folded $20, but I knew Jack would give more.

We left our phone inside the store, and we returned five minutes later to get it.

The rest of our trip was fantastic. The temperature outside was 43 Degrees and it was only 8:23 PM. The heather started working when we left the shop. It made us more astonished. 

Jack then told me that his father had called because his sister must have told him. When we were on the road Jack gets a call from yet, another sister who heard about our mishap. She was fascinated by the story Jack told. Jack promised to never judge a book by its cover ever again. They talked for a while and she asked for the address to send them a thank you card on our behalf.

We were happy to be on the road. Imagine staying 3 days in Gainesville waiting for a part to be ordered from a Jaguar dealer. How much would it cost for hotels, food and car repairs? Or staying in Lake City FL, where they do not have any place open during the weekends.

We were blessed, and we found a place that was blessed as we were.  We did not complain about anything because it could have been worse. We could have had an accident or something major. We were content and we felt the presence of the divine in our lives.  We arrived home at 12:30 AM on Saturday January 10^th 2015.

We conclude that it was neither my driving nor my speed that caused the part to go bad. It was an old part and it went through cold and hot in a short period of time. As far as the other problems, it was time to replace the wipers. They were past due.

I have not proof red this post, but I will, eventually.

Glad to be here – Milton Laene Araujo 

Get a grip of yourself - by Milton L. Araujo: Algo bom pra ler!

Get a grip of yourself - by Milton L. Araujo: Algo bom pra ler!

Algo bom pra ler!

Algo puro -

Ao criar o homem à sua imagem, o próprio Deus inscreveu no coração humano o desejo

de O ver. Mesmo que, muitas vezes, tal desejo seja ignorado, Deus não cessa de atrair o

homem a Si, para que viva e encontre n’Ele aquela plenitude de verdade e de felicidade,

que ele procura sem descanso. Por natureza e por vocação, o homem é um ser religioso,

capaz de entrar em comunhão com Deus. É este vínculo íntimo e vital com Deus que

confere ao homem a sua dignidade fundamental.

Ao conhecer Deus só com a luz da razão, o homem experimenta muitas dificuldades. Além disso, não pode entrar só pelas suas próprias forças na intimidade do mistério divino. Por isso é que Deus o quis iluminar com a sua Revelação não apenas sobre verdades que excedem o seu entendimento, mas também sobre verdades religiosas e morais que, apesar de serem por si acessíveis à razão, podem deste modo ser conhecidas por todos, sem dificuldade, com firme certeza e sem mistura de erro.

Deus escolhe Abrão chamando-o a deixar a sua terra para fazer dele “o pai duma multidão de povos” (Gn 17,5), e promete abençoar nele “todas as nações da terra” (Gn12,3). Os descendentes de Abraão serão o povo eleito, os depositários das promessas divinas feitas aos patriarcas. Deus forma Israel como seu povo salvando-o da escravidão do Egipto; conclui com ele a Aliança do Sinai, e dá-lhe a sua Lei, por meio de Moisés.

Os profetas anunciam uma redenção radical do povo e uma salvação que incluirá todas

as nações numa Aliança nova e eterna, que será gravada nos corações. Do povo de Israel, da descendência do rei David, nascerá o Messias: Jesus.

A Revelacao de Deus É realizada no seu Verbo encarnado, Jesus Cristo, mediador e plenitude da

Revelação. Sendo o Filho Unigénito de Deus feito homem, Ele é a Palavra perfeita e definitiva do Pai. Com o envio do Filho e o dom do Espírito, a Revelação está,finalmente, completada, ainda que a fé da Igreja deva recolher todo o seu significado ao longo dos séculos.

Deus «quer que todos os homens sejam salvos e cheguem ao conhecimento da verdade»

(1 Tm 2,4), isto é, de Jesus Cristo. Por isso, é necessário que Cristo seja anunciado a

todos os homens, segundo o seu mandamento: «Ide e ensinai todos os povos» (Mt 28,

19). É o que se realiza com a Tradição Apostólica. A Tradição Apostólica é a transmissão da mensagem de Cristo, realizada desde as origens do cristianismo, mediante a pregação, o testemunho, as instituições, o culto, os escritos inspirados. Os Apóstolos transmitiram aos seus sucessores, os Bispos, e, através deles, a todas as gerações até ao fim dos tempos, tudo o que receberam de Cristo e

aprenderam do Espírito Santo.

Os cristãos veneram o Antigo Testamento como verdadeira Palavra de Deus: todos os

seus escritos são divinamente inspirados e conservam um valor permanente. Eles dão

testemunho da divina pedagogia do amor salvífico de Deus. Foram escritos sobretudo

para preparar o advento de Cristo Salvador do universo.

 

O Novo Testamento, cujo objecto central é Jesus Cristo, entrega-nos a verdade definitiva da Revelação divina. Nele, os quatro Evangelhos de Mateus, Marcos, Lucas e João, enquanto são o principal testemunho da vida e da doutrina de Jesus, constituem o coração de todas as Escrituras e ocupam um lugar único na Igreja. O Antigo Testamento prepara o Novo e o Novo dá cumprimento ao Antigo: os dois iluminam-se mutuamente.

 

Embora a fé supere a razão, não poderá nunca existir contradição entre a fé e a ciência

porque ambas têm origem em Deus. É o mesmo Deus que dá ao homem seja a luz da

razão seja a luz da fé.

Igreja, embora formada por pessoas de diferentes línguas, culturas e ritos, professa,

unânime e a uma só voz, a única fé, recebida dum só Senhor e transmitida pela única

Tradição Apostólica. Professa um só Deus – Pai, Filho e Espírito Santo – e manifesta

uma única via de salvação. Portanto, nós acreditamos, num só coração e numa só alma,

tudo o que está contido na Palavra de Deus, transmitida ou escrita, e nos é proposto pela

Igreja como divinamente revelado.

 

A afirmação «Creio em Deus» é a mais importante, a fonte das outras verdades

respeitantes ao homem, ao mundo e à nossa vida de crentes n’Ele.

 

O mistério central da fé e da vida cristã é o mistério da Santíssima Trindade. Os cristãos

são baptizados no nome do Pai e do Filho e do Espírito Santo.

 

Jesus Cristo revela-nos que Deus é «Pai», não só enquanto é Criador do universo e do

homem, mas sobretudo porque, no seu seio, gera eternamente o Filho, que é o seu

Verbo, «resplendor da sua glória, e imagem da sua substância» (Heb1, 3). E a terceira Pessoa da Santíssima Trindade. Ele é Deus, uno e igual ao Pai e ao Filho.Ele «procede do Pai» (Jo 15, 26), o qual, princípio sem princípio, é a origem de toda a vida trinitária. E procede também do Filho (Filioque), pelo dom eterno que o Pai faz de Si ao Filho. Enviado pelo Pai e pelo Filho encarnado, o Espírito Santo conduz a Igreja

«ao conhecimento da Verdade total» (Jo 16, 13).

O Pai, o Filho e o Espírito Santo são o princípio único e indivisível do mundo, ainda

que a obra da criação do mundo seja particularmente atribuída ao Pai.

 

A fé dá-nos a certeza de que Deus não permitiria o mal se do próprio mal não extraísse

o bem. Deus realizou admiravelmente isso mesmo na morte e ressurreição de Cristo:

com efeito, do maior mal moral, a morte do Seu Filho, Ele retirou os bens maiores, a

glorificação de Cristo e a nossa redenção.

 

A Sagrada Escritura diz: «No princípio Deus criou o céu e a terra» (Gn 1,1). A Igreja,

na sua profissão de fé, proclama que Deus é o criador de todas as coisas visíveis e

invisíveis: de todos os seres espirituais e materiais, isto é, dos anjos e do mundo visível,

e em particular do homem.

 

Afirmar que o homem é criado à imagem de Deus significa que ele é capaz de conhecer

e amar, na liberdade, o próprio Criador. É a única criatura, nesta terra, que Deus quis

por si mesma e que chamou a partilhar a sua vida divina, no conhecimento e no amor.

Enquanto criado à imagem de Deus, o homem tem a dignidade de pessoa: não é uma

coisa mas alguém, capaz de se conhecer a si mesmo, de se dar livremente e de entrar em

comunhão com Deus e com as outras pessoas.

 

Deus criou tudo para o homem, mas o homem foi criado para conhecer, servir e amar a

Deus, para Lhe oferecer neste mundo toda a criação em acção de graças e para ser

elevado à vida com Deus no céu. Só no mistério do Verbo encarnado se esclarece

verdadeiramente o mistério do homem, predestinado a reproduzir a imagem do Filho de

Deus feito homem, que é a perfeita «imagem de Deus invisível» (Col 1, 15).

 

 

 

 

That’s all for now.... E assim acaba por enquanto...

Going NiftyThrifty by Milton Laene Araujo

 

Going Nifty Thrifty

Thrift Store is a shop that sells used articles, especially clothing, as to benefit a charitable organization.

Charity shops are often popular with people who are frugal.

In the United States, people shop at a charity store because they prefer buying second-hand goods as this uses fewer natural resources and would appear to do less damage to the environment.

Goods are usually collected locally, and reusing second-hand items is a form of recycling, and thus reduces the amount of waste going to landfill sites.

The health risk of buying used clothing is unknown, but by washing purchased items in hot water is just one of several ways to eliminate the risk of contracting infectious diseases.

Nowadays everyone shops at Thrift Stores because they carry everything people use, or even imagine it existed. It is like visiting a museum with articles for sale with very low price. Not only that, but Thrift Stores carry collectables.

At first, in order to purchase an antique people would refer to antique stores, and it accommodated rich folks. Yet, most articles were used once in the past. The same concept is used for Thrift Stores, however, it is donation and one never knows what can be on display.

My first visit to a thrift store happened in 1987 in Queen, NY at the Steinway Blvd.  At that time New Yorkers used to place their used products in the garbage. The city collected these articles once a week and discarded them in a field.  Most immigrants decorated their entire house with products from the garbage, or from the streets.  I was surprised to see a store with used products. People were still placing their trash on the streets. I remember collecting a TV from the garbage, to find out that it was in perfect condition. The news that New York had a day to collect these types of discards became important for most immigrants, who occupied the streets in search of treasures.  

Today, most cities have a day when used furniture or broken appliances etc. are placed in the street for collection. It is still common to find good appliances during these collecting days. However, the majority of the people are familiar with Thrift stores and they donate their used products to these facilities.

It is common to donate used articles to thrift stores. They offer a receipt up to $250, which can be used as a tax deduction. At the same time people feel that second hand products are good for the environment.

Thrift stores are famous today because they carry treasures! You find articles that were manufactured in the United States during the 50’s and 60’s, and they are all vintage products. Off course, most small decorating-products were made in China, but you can find rare products manufactured all over the world.

I love to collect books, and preferably first edition. I have found many signed first editions on Thrift Stores. I also have sold some books on E-bay. Second hand books are a gem for any book collector.

My dishes in the kitchen are a complete collection Windsor Ware made in England. They are beautiful and it was manufactured first class in England. Their price varies today, but anyone who appreciates china will know that you only find these items in antique stores.  It’s probable was imported by someone not frugal.  My entire dish collection, besides Windsor, is completed with Corning Ware. These white bowls, have a design with vegetables such as artichoke, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions, and they come with their glass cover. On the outside there is a description in French of the use of each dish. I have every dish named L’Echalote, every size ever made, along with cooking pan and refrigerator jars called Coning Ware 1 ¾ cup.

I never found it all in one place, but whenever I visited a thrift store I was concentrated on books while Jack was purchasing dishes and housewares. Housewares from the 50’s and 60’s are Jack’s passion. He finds pots and pans made with iron by Le Creusset  or Dansk, or anything that has enamel.  He collects them, and forms complete set by going in search of these particular items.

Nowadays it is easy to find antique store owners visiting thrift stores daily. They purchase what they know can be sold and they stay all day inside the store waiting for the item to be placed on the shelf. They usually know one another, and they camp at the store and always find something valuable. Others are owners of thrift stores overseas. They come in and purchase lots of merchandise and ship to their country.

It is beautiful to watch people little by little gaining more trust in second hand products. We find all types of people shopping for second hand products, and they have their agenda, as I also have mine. I know what books I am looking for, their cover, size etc. I glance at the shelf and look for it. I do not re-sale them anymore, therefore I only buy what I know I will read it. At times I get tired of my books (the ones I have read), and I sell them in a yard sale for $.25 cents each. I keep only those rare one’s such as the first edition of “A Boy’s will by Robert Frost”, which is valued around $3500 dollars. However, I learned that mine is not a first edition because it should have a misspelled word on page 13. I kept it anyway.

Jack and I prefer American Products to have at the house. We know that they will be a rarity in the future because they are not being manufactured anymore.  Jack’s Pyrex collection is complete, with every item in the reference book. He has all colors, all sets, all shapes. One type of refrigerator jars with covers; he has at least 20 sets with tops, in different colors. He found one here, another one over there, and little by little he completed his collection. Jack also collects McCoy pots. We have many of these pots around the house, and they are very expensive at antique stores. One fruit hanging pot goes for $150 each.

If a movie Industry decides to make a movie taking place in the fifty’s we have all the housewares to display in any kitchen.

For this reason, I would recommend all of my readers to donate their used articles to a charitable organization, instead of discarding them. Most charitable organizations have the objective of Providing Social Services for Individuals & Families daily; Transitional Housing program provides Substance Abuse/Mental Health Counseling, Life Skills Training & Anger Management; Angel Tree Program provides Christmas assistance to local underprivileged children & families, Holiday Gifts to Nursing Homes, Detention Homes, Hospitals, & Correctional Facilities; Other programs include After School Care, Summer Camp, Music Programs, Group Sports & so much more.

If you are not a collector, you should become one. You will be surprised by what is sold in these stores.

Remember one thing: We are all humans, and we do not have to destroy anything we don’t want. We can donate it and make someone else happy. We can help these organizations by purchasing their goods, and donating it back again eventually.  

Yours truly,

Milton Laene Araujo

Privacidade

Prefiro Seguranca... a privacidade!

 

Tudo o que se escreve no computador, palavra por palavra, fica armazenado num banco de datas, em varias centrais, com programas diferentes. Se voce tiver buscando trabalho, por exemplo, seu patrao poderia participar de uma agencia que investiga cada usuario em redes sociais,e saber seus costumes, e dali ate decidir se vai ou nao admiti-lo. Todos que usam a rede do internet para se comunicarem, pesquizar etc, estao sendo rastreados a cada minuto e as palavras arquivadas. A sua privacidade acabou de existir uma vez que a internet foi criada.

 Nao adianta se irritar com o governo por autorizar certa attitude, porque na verdade nao foi o governo que criou estes programas. O proprio criador de um software para proteger um virus cria tambem um virus que o tal software nao limpa de seu computador, para poder vender uma nova versao mais atualizada, fazendo com isso o cliente ser duradouro.  Isso nao vem ao caso sobre a conversa sobre privacidade, mas observando com os olhos de um criador de software e facil de entender.

A partir do momento em que voce entrou numa website, voce e convidado a participar de varias ofertas que estao por todos os lados, e a primeira coisa que te pedem e o seu endereco eletronico. As vezes ate criam sociedades com membros atravez de ofertas gratiz para voce completar o questionario.

Mesmo que voce nao preencha nenhum questionario, so o fato do computador estar ligado na internet, ele deixa seu numero, ou Protocolo de Internet, IP. Na verdade ninguem pode se conectar na internet sem ter um numero de IP.  Este Numero Identifica a maquina, ou o computador, e com isso o local aonde esta connectado. Ninguem precisa saber o seu numero de IP, porque pertence a maquina, e ela mesma entrega em cada uma de suas visitas a qualquer pagina. Portanto, e bom saber que  os habitos da maquina nao sao faceis de modificar. Embora nao se tenha nenhuma ideia qual usuario estava naquele momento, se tem a historia daquele IP se for necessario. Isso ajuda na investigacao, seja ela qual for.

O Seu Email e lido por alguem?

Nao! Ninguem na verdade quer saber o que voce faz e como voce vive! Todo mundo esta ocupado com a sua propria vida, mas o veiculo qual voce criou o seu endereco eletronico (Email), existe e pode arquivar aquilo que passar por ele, e ate enviar dados para outras centrais. Porem, se voce tiver sendo investigado por um crime voce poderia ser observado. Estes softwares que separam aquilo o que querem ja existem.  Um advogado de defesa podera provar em sua defesa se voce tiver um alibi que coloque voce longe do local do crime, e muitas vezes esta privacidade sendo publicada ajuda. Ao mesmo tempo um prosecutor  ira buscar algo que lhe faca parte do crime.

O Seu E-mal podera ser observado se voce usar muitas palavras chaves que poderiam causar danos em propriedades ou em pessoas (Tudo). Ai, o separador de palavras verifica, descobre e da um alerta. Logo alguem ve o paragrapho, ou a mensagem e ignora ou mantem em observacao.

O seu E-mail podera ser interceptado se voce for alguma pessoa de interesse em algum crime ou ato que poderia causar danos.  Se voce se manifesta contra alguma causa, voce podera ser observado por um grupo que se interesse por esta causa, e nao tem nada haver com governo, policia, nada, mas individuos que tem interesse em voce.

E muito importante deixar abaixo de cada um de seus Email o seguinte:

 * * AVISO LEGAL: Esta mensagem, inclusive seus anexos, pode conter informações confidenciais e deve ser resguardado o devido sigilo de seu conteúdo. Caso a tenha recebido indevidamente, por favor apague-a imediatamente e comunique o remetente. Qualquer forma de utilização, reprodução, retransmissão, alteração, distribuição e/ou divulgação de conteúdo desta mensagem ou de parte dele, sem a autorização expressa de seu remetente, é estritamente proibida. Obrigado pela sua colaboração. * *

Ai, voce tornou este Email privado – pois voce nao quer que seja repartido –

Uma esposa pode comprar uma aplicacao de internet (programa), qual ela conecta ao celular do marido e cria um codigo e recebe em seu celular todas as mensagens e telefonemas que ele da e recebe. Se isto esta disponivel para uma esposa desconfiada, porque nao estar disponivel em outras areas?

Um Trabalhador na area de IT (Information Technology) de qualquer empresa tem em suas maos os dados de todas as pessoas que ali estao coligadas. Para ele e fracil ignorar tal informacao devido ao seu trabalho, mas as informacoes existem, infelizmente em varios locais. E se for de interesse de um grupo, eles compram tal informacao infringindo uma lei de privacidade.

Algo se torna publico uma vez publicado, e “internet” significa publicar algo que sera transportado passando por varios pontos da net ate chegar ao seu destino.

Privacidade é a habilidade de uma pessoa em controlar a exposição e a disponibilidade de informações acerca de si. Relaciona-se com a capacidade de existir na sociedade de forma anônima (inclusive pelo disfarce de um pseudônimo ou por um identidade falsa).

Túlio Vianna, professor de Direito da UFMG, divide o direito à privacidade em 3 outros direitos que, em conjunto, caracterizam a privacidade:

1. Direito de não ser monitorado, entendido como direito de não ser visto, ouvido, etc.
2. Direito de não ser registrado, entendido como direito de não ter imagens gravadas, conversas gravadas, etc.
3. Direito de não ser reconhecido, entendido como direito de não ter imagens e conversas anteriormente gravadas publicadas na Internet em outros meios de comunicação.

Para Túlio Vianna: "O direito à privacidade, concebido como uma tríade de direitos - direito de não ser monitorado, direito de não ser registrado e direito de não ser reconhecido (direito de não ter registros pessoais publicados) - transcende, pois, nas sociedades informacionais, os limites de mero direito de interesse privado para se tornar um dos fundamentos do Estado Democrático de Direito" (VIANNA, Túlio. Transparência pública, opacidade privada. p. 116)

Como poderiamos  nao ser monitorados, se existimos num mundo de technologia, aonde nossa informacao passa por varios postos? E... seres humanos guardam os dados e conservam de acordo com a sua consciencia.

Uma vez que registramos com uma web site, estamos concordando com as normas da site, que descreve que usara sua informacao para dados internos, e tal.

Quantas coisas publicadas de pessoas famosas sem que elas saibam ou queiram?  Quantas mentiras andam por todos os lados, e quantas defamacoes?O que e publico e o que nao e publico?

Todos os documentos escritos por qualquer orgao governamental e publico. Todos os crimes julgados por cortes pelo mundo inteiro e publico. Se foi gasto com dinheiro publico, e publico.

Privacidade – quando expostas depende como o publico recebera tal informacao. Isso se diferencia em varios lugares e tambem com o passar de tempo.

Privacidade -  intersecta com seguranca e protecao de informacao. Quase todos os paises do mundo criaram leis que limitam a privacidade, como por exemplo as regras do imposto de renda, qual normalmente requer informacoes sobre salarios. Em alguns paises, leis de privacidade entram em conflito com leis de liberdade de expressao, e algumas leis requerem que sejam expostas informacoes que poderiam ser consideradas privadas em outros paises ou culturas. A privacidade pode ser voluntariamente sacrificada, normalmente em troca de observaveis beneficios, e na maioria das vezes especificando o perigo e as perdas, porem esta e uma visao estrategica das relacoes entre humanos. Para mim revelar a privacidade poderia ser tambem um sacrificio voluntario quais os participantes se inscrevem como se tivessem se increvendo por um bau da felicidade ou outra competicao. Neste mundo de negocios, as pessoas dao de graca informacoes pessoais (que seriam para propositos de marketing) para poder concorrer ao sorteios. As informacoes pessoais que geralmente sao obtidas atravez de sorteios acabam sendo roubadas e usadas gerando roubos de identidades.

Muitas culturas reconhecem privacidade como a habilidade de cada individuo manter certas partes de sua informacao longe do conhecimento de toda a sociedade.

Agora estamos todos ligados pela internet. Voce podera ser visto e ouvido se tiver num local publico e ate mesmo privado, se o local for ocupado pelo publico em geral, com excessao de banheiros, prova-roupas, etc.  Havera usos de cameras ligadas diretamente a rede da internet em todos os lugares, ate em sua casa pra voce ver o lado de fora de casa. Havera monitoriamento sim, quando for necessario, e sera observado por orgaos centrais goernamentais que observarao as demais centrais em seu comando por motivos de seguranca.

Antigamente se rastreava um criminoso atravez dos gastos efetuados pelo cartao de credito. Num instante a policia era enviada aonde o cartao foi usado. Hoje, com ajuda de cameras pode ver exatamente quem estava usando o cartao naquele momento. Pode se observar desde o momento em que o individuo saiu de casa, suas atividades... Nao existe mais privacidade, porem existe mais survilhances que ajudam com a seguranca, mais olhos para observar, em nome de seguranca. Hoje em dia, num quartinho pequeno a seguranca observa cada individuo que entrou na loja atravez de seu computador, e se tiver ligado ao caixa, sabera a informacao completa se a pessoa usou cartao, seja debito ou credito.

Privacidade e liberdade de expressao tambem se confundem, pois geralmente usamos a liberdade de expressao para expressar coisas dos outros, que muitas vezes seriam privadas.

Para finalizar, e importante saber que a moral da historia e que nao existe mais privacidade como nos imaginavamos. Estamos pedindo  mais seguranca, e o preco e a privacidade. Estamos pedindo protecao de informacao, e o preco e a liberdade de expressao.Quem nao deve nao teme! Se voce for uma pessoa de negocios, seja – aja como uma pessoa de negocios. Se voce esta sendo acusado por um crime, logo descobrirao o que estava no seu computador, e tudo estara na internet. Se voce for defamado, ha leis que lhe protegem, e voce ganha dinheiro de quem o  defamou. Mas saiba que voce esta sendo observado. Isso nao e tao ruim. Nao podera haver leis que protejam a privacidade quando a privacidade entra em conflito com seguranca. Lembre-se que informacao escrita sobre voce nao e nada. Logo seu DNA estara num banco central, e a sua informacao estara avaliavel num piscar de olhos para quem tiver investigando voce. Nao entre em sites que prometem dizer quem esta investigando voce, pois estas sites sao mesteres em pegar a sua informacao completa prometendo resultado, e voce acaba ficando com nada. Cuide de suas palavras e quando for falar sobre mortes, nao escreva armas, quando falar de guerra nao escreva os nomes dos equipamentos, enfim, qualquer palavra que for escrita podera acionar interesse em voce.