Jeannot, We love Bruges. He’s always traveling…one of the best traveled people I know….and sure they will be going back, they loved it. And of course drive or take train through back and forth to France. I copied your recommendations and emailed them to him. Thank you.

There may be no heads on the beach, but there were 9 headless bodies this weekend in TJ and a total of 23 dead.

Common sense…that’s for sure. This weekend walking the ocean at the northern most tip of Monterey Peninnsula where there is a lighthouse, very rocky coast, and has been many shipwrecks. The tide was extremely high and more violent than I’ve seen in a lifetime of living on the sea. Yet….tourists have scrambled to the outermost rocks, slippery and wet, and in danger of being hit by rogue waves with their little children and dogs in tow….in danger of being crashed down onto the rocks and in that violent surf. Yet walk in a local store and people on line are talking about dangerous Mumbai….seems to me the vacationers here are putting themselves in greater danger. Five Americans killed in Mumbai….20 Americans drown every day in the US. People often mistake dramatic as more dangerous.

Jeannot, I heard from my son this AM. [He lives in Amsterdam now, but from 1991 in France before transferred for his work.] He and his girlfriend just returned from a week in Liege and Spa, Belgium. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spa,_Belgium They loved it. Walked the famous 400+ steps, went to the beautiful chuches and stayed in a luxe spa on the top of a mountain overlooking the fairytale valley in Spa….he said the food and everything was wonderful. They lit a candle for my brother at Saint-Barthélémy. http://www.viamichelin.co.uk/viamichelin/gbr/tpl/mag5/art20080315/htm/to… He said Amsterdam is wall to wall with Christmas shoppers….too crowded for his tastes. They often take high-speed trains, but drove his BMW that rarely leaves the garage and had car problems in route, dropped it at a BMW place and got a very nice BMW loaner….but when returned to pick up the car it was worse and with a new problem. He said in the US you can get them to fix it again until it’s right at no extra cost…but in Europe they do not…so that was the only mar on an otherwise spectacular trip.

Exactly, Belinda. Thank you…a lot of those ‘Christians’ are in for a rude awakening in eternity. Jesus only hated those against social justice…ie the money changers and unjust rulers.

Mary Lou…More a figure of speech than anything…really I just think these people are awful and whatever. Tonight in Carmel the waves are high and pounding, a new moon and Jupiter and Venus are aligned in the sky….and all I can think of is my brother who is gone….and these dumb a$$es that wrap themselves in the flag and the cross and preach hate….who cares/they are pathetic…and Ann Coulter…another ridiculous individual. The fringe extremists will always be.

OT—-What a really sad and pathetic worldview you hold. I am so glad not to be or think like you.

Merrell….My thoughts exactly. Muslims and Islam aren’t any more ‘terrorist’ than is Christianity…it’s just the radical fringe nuts and this person disguised as a Groucho/Indian is rather ridiculous in his/her views…I ignore.

Agyness/Beth, I totally agree w/legalizing pot….am not sure about other drugs as don’t know what they are or what they do. But pot has medicinal benefits and isn’t any worse that liquor. Just stupid that we are throwing people in jail over pot. Tax them, regulate it, and be done with it, and empty prisons.

Totally agree, Maurine and DeB. Am very sorry for everyone impacted by this hideous crime….and saw that man on CNN….he’s right. Be aware, but not afraid. That’s what the terrorists want. “Stay Calm and Carry On” was the WWII British poster.

Here is US State Department Travel Warnings on Mexico. Any American traveling out of the country should always check the State Department travel warnings….and just be aware. Parts of Mexico are safe, others not, just like in the US. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_970.html In this past year, both my sister (while studying in BA, Argentina) and my nephew’s girlfriend (while studying at the Sorbonne in Paris) were mugged. My sister by three men, my nephew’s girlfriend by 5. However, my brother-in-law has spent the majority of his time in the Middle East for the past 20-years and has never had an incident. Most of these things are random and the smart thing is just to check with the State Department to stay informed, and use common sense. Mary’s friend’s account from India sounds just like the other stories coming out from there. At the same time 3,000 people die every day in the US from environmental cancers. Not to belittle any death….but perspective is a good thing rather than allowing fears to be disproportionately raised by the media.

‘wonderful’…..sheesh…glance at the keys sometimes while typing why don’t I? ha

Audrey, Jackie, Coco, Diana, Grace (when she was young) Babe Paley….they were all wonederl. But Jackie and Audrey were the tops.

FP—I think it went down, ahem, because of the money of radicals devoting to defeating it: Eric Prince, CEO-Nutjob head of Blackwater, and the Mormons. Lost the battle, not the war.

I’ve never even been in the vicinity of a shop in the day-after-madness. I dislike crowds, too. Except by a fluke when in Upper East side for Thankgsgiving one year. We went out to stroll Madison, 5th, Park….and into a few shops I like but bought nothing. Went to Central Park, to the Carlyle’s Bemelmans Bars with its famous murals painted by Ludwig Bemelman (creator of the Madeline books). Had a great time and went out to eat. The streets were packed. This year the polls show people are staying home. Today, I’m off to take a long walk by the beach and then get back to my Internet work.