"Luck is the residue of design" is one of my favorite quotes and which was not included in last week's "Truisms (Words to Live by)" blog. The quote is attributed to baseball's Branch Rickey (who was also a significant footnote in the history of the Civil Rights movement).Mr. Rickey explained that good fortune is linked and or enhanced by careful p …
1. It's better to give than receive, but what goes around comes around2. Dare to be Great3. Fun is more fun when you win4. Up is down and down is up5. To bond with someone, get on their level (just listen)6. Empathy is a super power which allows you to read people7. You can't get ahead laying in bed with covers over your head8. Live within …
If you know me, you know I have a boyish fanatical obsession with New York Yankee team Captain Aaron Judge, a Paul Bunyon wonder on the Major League Baseball field. Yes, he holds many batting records, yes he won the American League Batting title this year and yes he will win the league's Most Valuable Player Award for the third time this year, but …
If you saw the great Animal House flick, you, no doubt, recall the joyous shouts of "Road Trip" and, this past weekend, I did all in my power to replicate that sense of fun and joy. My college roommate, Stuie Gray, lives in Boston and when he visited us this summer we conjured up the idea that I would visit him, in return, in Boston with my son Da …
All around me, I hear people (on both sides of the aisle) voicing their angst with our turbulent state of politics and, although empathetic, I calm myself by thoughts of how, historically, the pendulum usually swings. As we approach next year's midterm congressional elections, I know that in 22 of the last 24 midterm elections the President's part …
Recent tragic events hark back to the Civil War when there were innumerable instances of brothers fighting brothers on the battle field. As unimaginable and horrible as this may have been, I sense and fear a reoccurrence. In his blog last Saturday, Mitch mentioned the anger and division engendered by current events and the political climate. Why …
Last weekend Joanne made me one of her perfect sandwiches. So perfect that I was compelled to blog its (her) praise. It was a turkey and cheese sandwich: Boar's Head Turkey breast, Muenster cheese on Dave's Killer (21 Whole Grains And Seeds) organic bread with romaine lettuce (for the crunch) supplemented by Hellmann's Mayonnaise (secret ingredi …
I am a long time Football Giants fan. In 1956, I attended the 47-7 NFL title game victory over the Chicago Bears at Yankee Stadium, when the Giants wore sneakers on an icy field. I returned two years later to witness Pat Summerall's 49 yard game winning field goal into the snow against the Cleveland Browns and, two weeks later, suffered the "Great …
One of the best things that my dad passed down to me is a fanatical rooting interest in Baseball, and more specifically, the New York Yankees. I became a fan at the dawn of my Golden Age of the Yankees, in the 1950s. During the span of Manager Casey Stengel's stewardship, they won 10 American League Pennants and 7 World Series.In 1954, an off yea …
My granddaughter Maggie recently celebrated her birthday and, as she was born in the year 2000, it got me thinking. Inasmuch as the 21st century commenced on January 1, 2001, she, and all others born in the year 2000, are uniquely situated to become Tricentenarians!When she celebrates her 101st birthday, it will be at the dawn of the 22nd century, …
When I was young, I remember sitting up close to our (small screen, black and white) Dumont television bearing witness to "Mr. Television", Milton Berle ("Uncle Miltie"), birthing modern communications. And since then we have progressed so far: color TV, fax machines, the Internet, computers, cell phones, FaceTime and all the rest. During that pr …
Last Friday night was one for the ages.Top props for my Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity brother Jason Greenberg (Phoenix Adjusters) for taking me to see, inter alia, our fraternity brother Robert Zimmerman perform at The Outlaw Music Festival at the beautiful Jones Beach Theater. With one exception, it was a perfectly entertaining night as we partied wit …
Recently, my daughter in law Julie, who is a librarian at our local library, made an off hand remark about how much she values and enjoys her library community. I asked her to expound upon her thought and, In part, she responded: "Working in the library has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. Helping patrons who need all kind …
When you reach a certain age it is prudent to visit a dermatologist every 6 months for a full body scan. My dermatologist is Dr. Nancy Wolfin, in Great Neck, and not only is she a great doctor (she treated Bob Marley), but, extra bonus, she grew up in Long Beach and is a fellow diehard New York Ranger hockey fan. My regular full body scan occurred …
Fridays With Fred
A perfect way to send you into your weekend