The Silva's are still around and as busy as usual. Sorry I haven't posted for a while. Been working hard and had little time to keep the page up to date. Things are slowing down now as the holidays are creeping up.

My sons are avidly active with karate, music and soccer. So Susi, my wife, is kept on her toes ;-)

I have been traveling a bit with my firm and spent some time in Berlin, lovely. I"ll get into that later next week. I still love my new Andriod phone and recommend a Google phone to any phone hunter.

So, here's the update. I should start posting regularly again soon.

Chris

Just Another Bar

Bitter white smoke dances around the ears of an older, tired woman. Her life is written in the dark lines on her face. A smiling man sits next to her with reddened cheeks, rheumy eyes and the ugly grin of false humor. In a darkened corner, where the light doesn’t quite penetrate, a young couple cuddle, him with a hard-on and her with a teasing, sadistic smile.

There’s a smell to the place, sweet like aged-spilt beer and too many smokes. But at the same time there’s service with a smile, and what’s your pleasure.
I have a comfy spot, not too light, just right. I start to feel good when my first round hits the table; quicker than shit. The busty waitress assures me I can pay later, she’ll be around again soon. I feel it now, the zone, where Hemingway was, an international barfly, with hang-outs in Venice, Miami and more. I get it. You can throw the dice and everyone’s your friend as long the green's good and the nights long.

There’s music playing too, and in another corner the popular games, just sit down and discuss your favorite player and the highlights of that last dandy-of-a-game and swoop-da-doop, you’re in, enjoying peanuts, beer nuts and chips with the gang. The shoulder claps and camaraderie abound. Happy Ernest again!

But something else is lurking under the smiles, sports and bosom. It’s waiting, mixing with the smoke, gathering when least expected and taking advantage of the moment. Growing with each, I could have done that, ramping-up on every distant delicious memory. The ones when smiley at the bar was lean, sweet sixteen and so damn clean. This is the ghost of the sad souls, those, who deep down, know they’re lost. Who’ve given up, who know life’s tough. Not just TV tough, but honey I want a divorce and our son is gay and HIV positive tough. Those are evil things moving with the smoke exhaled within the smug faked laughter.

I lean back now and notice I‘ve not even touched my beer, it’s still full, but the bar, the bar is overflowing with missed dreams, forgotten loves and forlorn relationships.

Blinking away the busy smoke, I have another look and see the older woman, now just a worried skull, a shade, and I quickly realize the ghosts are getting jiggy with their business. I get up quickly; those damn smoky swirls think they can lull me! The sports fan to my left asks, “Hey man, come on relax, I’ll get the next round.” Moving fast now, I throw my jacket over my shoulder just as he starts to get up. He simply shrugs and settles down again, accepting his fate, realizing that I’m just another goal missed or a pass not received. I feel a pang of loss and it becomes obvious to me then, too obvious.

To him I’m just another- almost.

GITMO - Should We Close It?

I'm not sure I'm sold on the idea of closing the Guantanamo facility.

One. Our prisons are overflowing already, where would we put the prisoners?
Two. Do we want these prisoners in the general population with others? They could very quickly set up a fundamentalist entity in our prisons that could easily manage operation on the outside through visits and other channels. The security at most of our prisons is good but we've seen that mobsters can run their organization even while behind bars.
Three. Who is going to pay for it all?

What do you think?

The Easter Bunny was here!

Hi all, my boys woke up this morning to a lovely Easter day. And most importantly, the Easter Bunny had made his rounds.

Enjoy the photos.

Apologies Abound

Well, they’re at it again, apologizing. First up today, we have Denmark’s chancellor apologizing for some private run Danish Newspaper’s cartoon running some humorous sketches about Islam. And then we have US President Obama apologizing for just about anything that America may have done wrong over the last forty years.

Come on! Why the apology binge? Is the Chancellor of Denmark somehow responsible for one of the many newspapers in his country? Should Obama be apologizing for anything? Are we arrogant? If so, why should Obama have to apologize? I know he is the voice of America right now, but do we want our voice to be one of apology?

I think it’s time we stop apologizing and start doing something! Make things happen, stop apologizing for things out of our control!

Political correctness has a new face; the apology.

San Francisco's Tenderloin

A hazy morning just before six. The clean-up crew starts washing away the greasy residue left over from last nights gritty revelry. Police horns leave jagged echoes preparing for daylight, and the dollar toting tourist are headed to Union Square.
*
Fog laden San Francisco, rolling hills and the home of the original forty-niners. Frisco, the Hobart, Embarcadero and Fisherman’s Wharf. But there are other corners to this busy metropolis, dark seedy blocks, where the homeless eek out a rough existence between predators and prey. It’s a rugged playground for those at the bottom of the totem pole. Dingy Market Street’s Tenderloin district is an uncompromising magnet to the dregs and homeless of San Francisco.
*
Daylight: Market Street bustles with activity bordering on civil, but at night, the sleaze and scum come out to play. Junkies and hookers ply for business with zeal. Empathy thrown to the wind as the homeless squirm somewhere in between. It’s not uncommon for a foreign tourist to get lost and become a victim in the deep shadows of Market street. Police patrols and neighborhood watch have done their to best maintain clarity in this blemish on the city by the bay.

San Francisco has much to offer, it’s lovely city by the bay. Wonderful architecture, parks and a hip, up-beat flair. Often called the most European city in the US, San Francisco’s a city everyone who visits the west coast should see.

Just during your next visit, stay clear of the Tenderloin district.

Mars And Methane

The idea of life on Mars was slipping. Over the last few years there have been many missions, Phoenix and Viking to name a couple, where the results were negative. Yet now we seem to see the indication of large plumes of Methane. Methane is an organic molecule that tends come out of living things or organic matter. So my hopes are up. We know there's ice and was lots of water, now we have methane.

Could we discover life on Mars? I think we need to get a manned mission underway asap!

CS

Looking In The Mirror

As I look into the mirror I can tell that the holidays were good. I’ve eaten and drank too much and am in desperate need of a resolution. So, here I go again. Sport, diet and no alcohol for the next couple of months with hopes to take off a few kilos. I do this every year and it works. I get busy and feel good again after a few short weeks.

The real problem is maintaining this standard and continuing to lose weight and getting even healthier. Another few months and I would be lean again, not just less round. My blood pressure would go down for good and I would feel great. So why don’t I ever do this? Why do I always fall back into the trap? I put blame, like everyone else, on time. I never have enough time. What a lie; I could easily continue the regime. It’s only a short, tough forty-five minutes a day. I’m weak! Yes, it’s sad, I’m a non-disciplined wimp! But not this year, no, this year I plan to go all the way. Not just a quick fix but the full Monty!

So cross your fingers everyone and wish me luck. I’m on my way to a healthy- long life.

Chris