STEVE JOBS WHAT I LEARNED FROM HIM

Everyone has a story.  Some are more interesting while others more tragic. In my past blogs I mentioned how eulogies are very interesting as it tells us more about the person who just left us.

For many years I followed Steve Jobs from the beginning when Apple was in battle with Bill Gates at Microsoft.  I traded both stocks on and off for years, kicking myself for not putting them away and forgetting about them.  Oh well, shoulda, woulda, coulda has been my sorrows for years.

Since Steve Job passed away, I have been researching more about him especially after viewing his commencement speech at Stamford University.  If you have not seen it, I recommend it to every student and adult.  He inspired me as well as many other people,  bringing tears to my eyes. 



Learning about how his biological mother, Joanne Schieble, an unwed graduate student,  reluctantly gave her son up for adoption  in 1955 interested me.  The reason for her concern was that she wanted her son to be adopted by parents who were educated and would promise to send their son to college.  The adoptive parents,  Paul and Clara Jobs did  agree however Steve did not see the sense to it years later.  His biological father was Abdulfattah John Jandali, a Syrian man with whom Steve never reconciled

John, his father left Syria at 18 to study at the American University in Beirut, where he was a pan-Arab activist, a "supporter of Arab unity and Arab independence" who organized with some of the most famous activists of his time. After university, he moved to the United States, and the rest is history, though he regreted leaving his homeland. He eventually married Joanne after Steve was adopted 10 months later and had Mona.  However he  left his wife and daughter at age 4 returning back to Syria.  Mona never forgave her father and had nothing to do with him.

Was it because he was a self absorbed, arrogant man who left his young daughter leaving her and her mother for ten years to return to Syria because he believed the culture was better than our country? It appears I have seen nothing published to answer my query. It was a mystery at 27 years old how Steve found his sister, Mona Simpson who later became a famous novelist.  Both brother and sister had nothing to do with their father. Mona took her last name from her mother's second husband

Through her, he found his biological mother who now is in a nursing home suffering from advanced dementia.  She is 79 years old and is unaware that Steve died. Below is a picture of Steve Jobs father, Abdulfattah John Jandali, with his mother Joanne Simpson who later remarried.
 
The reason I feel this is so tragic is he finally found his mother and doubt she was aware of her son's greatness and achievements. I read he took her to several events. But it is unknown the level of her health at that time
 
The happy part is finding a devoted sister catching up with all the years missed and having a loving relationship till the end.
 
Further, it is wonderful to accept his out of wedlock daughter, having a wonderful relationship with  her after so many years not accepting her.  Knowing how bad that was for him as an adopted child wondering who/where your biological parents are, surprises me that he took so long to get it right.
 
Nothing was mentioned how Steve Jobs adoptive parents passed away?
 
It is such a shame with all Steve Jobs money, he could not save his mother nor his life.
 
Your comments?

Biological parents Abdulfattah John Jandali and Joanne Simpson in the nursing home

"THE HELP" MY STORY

‘The Help’ a movie and best selling book, tells a story about black maids during the 60's in Mississippi. It brought back memories of my own childhood born and raised in Brooklyn New York, not down south.

Both my parents worked in a middle class neighborhood. It was a time in 40’s when people were moving away to the suburbs, men and women  were returning home from the war, while others were migrating to America from Europe for a better life.

Hardworking, my parents had little time to give me the attention I craved, although I was loved very much. They hired maids at different times to clean, cook and take care of me. As a young child about less than seven years old, I resented their presence around me. Their skin was different than mine and I was taught not to touch them because they were dirty, and carried diseases. It was as though they were an alien race.

So, if they were unclean, why would my parents allow them to take care of me? Why would they allow them to touch our food, wash our dishes, and give me baths? All these questions bothered me till this day. It just seemed stupid, ignorant and hypocritical.

Looking poor with raggedy clothes, I remember the cleaning women carrying shopping bags and wearing kerchiefs over their hair. They were poor indeed. Most were uneducated and could not obtain decent jobs.

Watching the movie “The Help” I could not get over how a white family built a separate bathroom for their help because they feared catching diseases from them. Yet they were not diseased enough to touch and clean their own white children and household. Those prejudices never made any sense to me. Although I get unsatisfying answers such as “it was just a way of life back then”

When I grew up and had my own children, I too had a business that took me away from my home and children most of the day. I had little choice but to hire help, a young black girl from Alabama. She must have been around sixteen years old, although the agency said she was much older. Mona had a strong southern accent and was very eager to learn how tend chores. She had her own room on the same floor as ours. We insisted she ate with us and we made her feel like part of our family.

Our boys were about three and five years old  when Mona came to live with us. My father was just recuperating from a recent heart attack and was staying with us.. Mona and our family were supposed to take care of him, watching his food intake to make sure salt was eliminated from his diet.

One day Mona asked me to take her to a beauty parlor that knew how to treat her hair. She had a scalp problem that needed attention. I was to pick her up later that day. While there, Mona was approached by black church going ladies. As they were befriending her, they asked her questions about where she was from, and what she was doing. When they heard she was a maid, they became outraged. It took many years for the black community to rise above slavery, rise above lower class, to become prosperous people in the community. In the 60’s, unlike the south, Mona was among those of her color, who were educated, owned homes and were helpful in the church going community. It was a very sensitive time for the black community They gathered around her and took her under their wing. They instigated her into leaving our household at once. When I picked Mona up from the beauty parlor she did not say much except to say the ladies were surprised a young girl her age was a maid. It was a way of life down south though.   I suggested she go to night school and that I would help her.

The following day, I had an appointment in the city leaving Mona in charge of the household and my father. I came home later that evening to find Mona gone. My father was ill and had not eaten. My young children were running around the neighborhood unattended. Mona was gone. I drove through the neighborhood to find her and went to her beauty parlor but she was not there.

Days went by as I was trying to find another sleep in maid. It was difficult to run my business without help and I could not abandon my father and my children. My husband was an officer of a public company at that time and kept long hours at the office.

After one month, I received a call from Mona, asking to come back. I refused, telling her she left her responsibilities without notice and it was not acceptable. I refused to forgive her.

A week later I got a call from her lady friends asking me to forgive her. I refused. Then they came over to my house, nicely dressed in their church clothes. I could not give her another chance. A week later, her Reverend called to ask me to forgive her. I apologized to the Reverend and stood my ground. There was no forgiveness leaving a sick elderly man with two small children unattended all day. Besides, Mona was too young to be a maid and agreed the ladies were right,  Mona needed to go back to school

It seemed that those very nice ladies were right in their thinking. They really wanted to help this young lady. However they did not teach her about responsibility and giving notice to leave employment. They did not teach her that it was wrong to just walk out leaving young children unattended.

They were stuck with her. She was uneducated, they had to feed her, cloth her and provide for her and pay for her medical needs . She became a liability to them. However, they refused to send her out to be a maid again.

Still thinking of her at times, I feel assured  Mona had a tremendous support system in her new community at that time, and decided to go back to school.    I sincerely hope  she  completed her education, acquired a good job and has a nice life with a loving husband and a family of her own.

Email:  Iris@pushthewheel.com
Please click on COMMENT if you wish to add your comment

DOGS HAVE LITTLE RIGHTS

Most dogs have a very acute sense of smell. They can find their way back to their homes  from miles away. Humans do not have that sense. Dogs have the sense to know which person is safe to be with while others are not. They can sense a very bad or dangerous person as well. They know where you have a wound, or where you are hurting.  With proper training dogs can detect drugs, dead bodies, etc.

Dogs give us unconditional love and loyalty. All they require is to be loved and taken care of in return. We try to take every precaution when we are out in public to protect our little dog as well as others passing by.

Once a lady approached Mindy whereby I immediately warned her to step back.  She said she loves dogs and put her face close to our dog's face.  My heart stopped for a minute as I did not know how the outcome would be.  It was too late to pull the dog away as the lady was kissing Mindy face to face.  Mindy loved the lady and all went well.  However, I was filled with anxieties until the lady walked away.

Another time, I entered a Lexus dealership with my six pound Maltese dog. She was on a tight leash as I feared her jumping on anyone who came close. A middle aged salesman approached us wanting to pet Mindy. I asked him very nicely to step back, as my dog does not like strangers. Actually that was partly untrue. Mindy loves most people, licking them profusely. However, one in ten, she senses fear with a particular person wanting to snap. Therefore, to protect all concerned, not knowing how she would react to oncoming admirers, I always request those to step back warning she bites.

The salesman at the Lexus dealership also disregarded my warning, saying, "don't be silly, all dogs love me" and proceeded to approach my dog trying to pet her. Mindy snapped at him, leaving a black and blue mark on his hand. A security guard at the dealership came by to take a report. Within weeks, a lawyer's letter was issued, followed with a summons suing me for $5000 for negligence.

When a person is asked to step back and does not oblige, shouldn't that person be guilty? Yet my dog was, according to my insurance company. Perhaps if a man approaches a woman, wanting to touch her and she said "step back" and he doesn't, isn't that called abuse or assault. It is a shame that dogs have no rights to protect them and their owners. Their only rights are animal cruelty.

Recently we had Mindy fixed hoping when she approaches people her  nervous sense would diminish a little, calming her down to those she sensed fear.  It saddened me, however,  for my fear was that she would loose some of her personality and her remarkable sense in people.  Time will tell.

EMAIL:  iris@pushthewheel.com

If you wish to comment, please click on the underlined comment below this blog

HOW CAN WE PROTECT OUR YOUNG CHILDREN FROM A SEX SICKO

Feeling the anguish and emotions of the acquittal of Casey Anthony, we became enchanted with the story of  Jaycee Dugard's  release from sexual imprisonment two years ago.  A sex slave for eighteen years, she now has her book published telling about her ordeal. "A Stolen Life"

How did that happen?  She was an innocent young eleven year old girl walking to school alone.  No doubt a car came by whereby a passenger might have asked for directions then grabbed her into the car. However Jaycee said it was a stun gun that made her paralyzed, making it easier for her captor to carry her into their car.

Now, just the other day, we read about another horror.  A little eight year old boy, a hasid with payos(side curls) was brutally murdered then chopped up in pieces.  His feet were found in the freezer of the murderer's attic  apartment in Brooklyn, New York.

The little boy was Leiby Kletzky who wanted to walk to day camp by himself. The little guy wanted to be independent.  His parents protested at first, then after constant persuasion, they reconsidered.  They practiced a few trial walks with the boy, making sure he was accustomed to the path of the day camp.  His parents were going to meet the young boy half way home.

Unfortunately the young boy got lost and asked a stranger, Levi Aron, an orthodox man who was driving a car for directions.  Little did he know that man was a sex maniac.  He took the boy to his home, smothered him with a towel, and chopped him up. Little Lelby, however, fought for his life like a man, clawing his attacker with all his might. 

Brooklyn has an excellent surveillancee system.  They have security cameras on every street light which is how they  caught Aron.  There is much more to this story about Aron and his reasons for killing the boy. However, my intention is not make this blog longer than it is but to simply send a message.

People, we must protect our children,  I know you want them to be street smart, you want them to be worldly and free to travel in their neighborhood independently.  But in this day and age we cannot do that.  We can tell our children not to talk to strangers, not to accept candy from strangers.  We can tell them if you are lost only to ask a lady with children, not a man.  We can tell them not to go near a car asking for directions.  Yes these warnings will help save your child.  However, when your child is lost, for example, they may panic, asking the very first person they see.  They may see a nice person in a car, asking for directions and your child may want to be helpful, forgetting your warnings.

But most important, your child needs a buddy system.  A buddy, friend, anyone to walk with him/her.  Teach your child never to walk alone especially going to school.  Going to school is a pattern where a predator or pedophile can watch the child knowing his exact route and timing, just like Jaycee Dugard.

In my humble opinion, a child of eight and older should know what might happen to them as gory as it sounds.  Some parents are afraid if you show graphics they may suffer emotionally or have nightmares.  As a grandmother who loves my grandchildren, I disagree with those who oppose.  It is very important to instill fear.  The fear will save their lives.

Your opinion in this matter will be important to all those who read this.

Please comment on this page

JAYCEE DUGARD TELLS HER STORY ... HER CAPTOR CHANGES PLEA

On September 3, 2009, I wrote my blog about Jaycee Dugard.  I was fascinated  over her kidnapping when she was just 11 years old.  A beautiful bright eyed child with blond hair and big white teeth appeared all over the news stands and poster boards.  When she was found after 18 years the whole world cheered.  I could not wait for the chance to see what she looked like as well as her children. Jaycee told her daughters Angel and Starlit what their father was really like when they were very upset that their father was in prison.


 The family and media protected  Jaycee and her girls for privacy.  They understood the  need for Terry Probyn, Jaycee's mother to get acquainted with her daughter and granddaughters..  Jaycee privacy was respected until such time as she was ready to tell her story.


Last night on the Diane Sawyer ABC's special edition of “Primetime”  I eagerly watched Jaycee Dugard.  Long waiting to see her for almost two years, I found her to be remarkable.  Her complexion was flawless, as she attributed that to her staying indoors most of the time she was held against her will..  Her teeth were as white as snow which amazed me because her captor never gave her medical or dental care even in childbirth.

 Looking at her beautiful face, I noticed her plumb figure which I attributed  to all the pasta, fast food and junk food she ate with lack of exercise. It was amazing to see her beauty especially after living in such filth. You can see the deplorable  pictures of how she lived on my blog posted in September 3, 2009


Jaycee spoke about how she was captured and prisoned in the dark shed in the back yard of Phillip Garrido's home. Scared and confused, she was very lonely with no one to talk to for quite awhile. She spoke of the rapes and how the repeated convicted rapist cried with remorse after each attack. Phillip Garrido tried to make Jaycee feel sympathetic towards him, asking for forgiveness.   However those rapes resulted in Jaycee giving birth to two daughters when she was 14 and 17, almost the age her daughters are now.


Although Jaycee had access to the Internet, telephone and outsiders while captive as a sex slave, we were all wondering why she never ran away or called her mother.  That was the most leading question asked by Diane Sawyer in the interview, "why didn't you run away?"


Jaycee's honest response was that Phillip Garrido told her the world outside was just as dirty as he, but more dangerous.  He made her believe she and her daughters were safer with him.  Jaycee felt shamed if confronted with her mother and wondered how she would react with her having his two children. .She further said that Garrido did not touch her again after her second daughter was born.  Jaycee was definitely brain washed and appeared to be a text book case of most captives. 


"How did you survive and cope with all that abuse", was Sawyer's question.  Jaycee said she did the best she could to survive and gathered scrap paper to write a journal of all her thoughts.  Little did she know that was the best therepy for anyone who either is being abused, disturbed or in mourning



For convicted sex offender Phillip Garrido, the man who has been charged with the kidnapping and rape of Jaycee, holding her captive and in squalor in his backyard for 18 years, has decided to plead not guilty.  That decision was after he previousely pleaded guilty. 


Garrido and his wife Nancy's attornies figured due to our judicial system the way it is,  I guess if O.J.  Simpson and Caysee Anthony could get away with murder, he surely would be free too.  After all they kept letting him free after several rapes in the past. 


There is always a definite message with each tragedy we read in the paper.  We must learn from it to protect our love ones,  I said this before in recent blogs.  Teach your kids to have a buddy system.  Do not let them walk alone to school or after school activities..The world is not  the way it was when we were kids.  Yes, we did have kidnappers then, and we did have predators.  Yes there were rapists and evil people.  But the reasons this world has changed are  due to the fact prisons let the crazy people  and the repeated rapists out early. In addition there are more drugs entering our country  now than ever before and our government chooses  does not have the financial means or the man power to police our safety as  they did years ago.


Jaycee Dugard's tell all book will be out tomorrow "A Stolen Life"  I intend to purchase a copy.

The book was about her memoirs during her captivity which ultimately kept her sane

CAYLEE'S LAW FOR MISSING CHILDREN

Today is the day we finally morn for little Caylee. We are all venting, and shocked by the verdict of  NOT GUILTY in the Casey Amthony case. She was only convicted of four misdemeanor counts of lying to investigators and police The system failed to give the little girl justice. Little Caylee had relied on her mother and grandparents to keep her safe. Like all loved ones, she was entitled to a final resting place with prayers and comfort from friends and relatives who loved her. Not to be dumped into a swamp like a piece of garbage. She also relied on our court system and laws to protect her and all of us.

So what happened here? The prosecutor presented their case way before the trial. They painted a horrid picture of her mother Casey. They showed elaborate evidence proving Casey’s need for freedom from motherhood. Or did she just want freedom for a one night stand, chloroforming Caylee just to keep her asleep safely in her bed. After all, she did go on the Internet to learn more about it making sure it could be safe. But the child must have cried. Afraid to chloroform her more, she probably covered her little mouth with tape. Perhaps the little tot had a cold and could not breath out of her nose. (giving Casey the benefit of the doubt) although the prosecutor claimed differently. But there was no proof of this.

Did she really want to kill her daughter? The circumstantial evidence was clear. Her investigating on the Internet of Chloroform and to learn how to break a neck. To not report her child missing for 31 days and her death. Casey partied happily while Caylee's body was decomposing, as the pictures of her dancing revealed on TV. But lastly, to have a tattoo saying Bella Vita (beautiful life) Your child is dead, you are supposed to morn, so you buy a tattoo to say Bella Vita? None of these actions were ever refuted. They were all true. Yet Casey goes free. There was little evidence of the smell of death and the little girls hair in the trunk.

Years ago, circumstantial evidence has put many people in prisons and death row. Today we have forensic scientific technology which is supposed to protect the innocent. So let’s think about it for a minute. Doesn’t it also protect the guilty?

Casey was not smart enough to plan her defense. Her father was a law enforcement officer who knew that if a body is decomposed for a certain amount of time, no evidence would be found. He probably advised Casey to lie and stall as long as possible for a certain amount of time until all evidence would be gone. Claiming her father abused her was probably absurd just to rectify Casey’s wild irresponsible actions.

Attorney Jose Baez, Casey’s attorney was an average lawyer, not a high profile one as OJ Simpson's. It seemed he would have a difficult time defending Casey. However, the case was very simple. Anyone could have done the job. When the prosecutor gave the evidence of the chloroform searching on the web and the drinking partying, etc., Baez created doubt and gave a different reason of Caylee’s death by dying in the the swimming pool. He created loads of doubt.  Was there proof of that? NO

In my humble opinion there were more evidence of searching for chloroform than Caylee dying in the pool. Baez could have mentioned other causes of death however all he needed was to divert attention away from Casey, and her wild lifestyle and to focus on other scenarios that caused doubt. The judge made it absolutely clear. If there was any doubt what so ever you must find her NOT GUILTY.

Since there were no witnesses, finger prints, DNA or any concrete proof, the jury had no other option but to find her NOT GUILTY of murder. I feel sorry for them as they have to face the public each day. Even Jeff Ashton, lead prosecutor announced he would be retiring end of the week after 30 years as a prosecutor. What does this tell us?

And, Casey, although smiling and happy now, will be in exile for the rest of her life. She will be scorned and alone with little hope of a good life. Her conscience will get the best of her some day She will get rich on TV appearances, book projects and movie deals. But for the rest of her life she will be living in hell.

In honor of Caylee, we should enforce a new Caylee's law making it mandatory to report a missing child. Today the law says that after 48 hours a parent can report a missing child or person but there is no law that makes it a crime not to report a missing child immediately. Perhaps if there were such a law, we would have found Caylee’s body enough time to produce proper evidence.

Note: Only law enforcement agencies can request activation of a Missing Child Alert. If you would like to report a missing person, please contact your local police department or sheriff’s office first, then contact MEPIC at 1-888-FL MISSING (356-4774).

“Suzanne’s Law” amends Section 3701 (a) of the Crime Control Act of 1990 so that there is no waiting period before law enforcement agency initiates an investigation of a missing person under the age of twenty one and reports the missing person to the National Crime Information Center of the Department of Justice.

“Suzanne’s Law” is named after Suzanne Lyall, a student at State University of New York at Albany, who has been missing since 1998

Now we need a law making it a crime not to report a missing child or person.  Please comment as a petition to make this a law