"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because the …
I think about the lessons that we have imparted to our children. Work hard and accept responsibility, be considerate and show your love of others, embrace the elephants in your life, speak out if you see injustice, make a difference in the world around you, clean up after yourself, and on and on. Over the past few weeks, I am convinc …
In the wake of the Me Too movement, there has been a lot of discussion about the changing of the country’s mindset with respect to sexual assault and sexual harassment. But, to me, it’s a lot more basic than that. We need to start from the ground up. It has to begin with changing mindsets about what sort of behavior and speech are appropriate. T …
Last night we celebrated 33. And we crossed an item off Shelly’s bucket list. The item: Rod Stewart in concert. Rod the Mod performed tunes from his catalogue including his Dylan cover (in honor of Fred?) Forever Young. The band members played a wide variety of instruments beyond the usual guitars, bass, drums and keys. At times a banjo, sax, mando …
Tooling along in the right lane, south on rte 135, last week at about 60 mph (cruise control), listening to a book, heat seater and steering wheel heater on, and I'm enjoying the moment. A blue Subaru mini SUV pulls up to my left in the middle lane and slows down. They position themselves just off my left front bumper. Then, without notice, they …
Forgetting money, everything has an inherent tangible value (more or less to each person and in differing situations or contexts). For example, when we visited Cuba in 2016 I brought little paper American flags which I saved after their use for decorations on the Fourth of July and inexpensive white Rawlings baseballs. Anticipating its unique …
Let’s share snow stories. Rarely do I ask for reader participation in my blogs, but as I sit at home watching the snow fall, I wonder how others faired through the storms of March 2018. Those in warmer climes are free to join in....but please be gentle... As for me, yesterday’s morning commute was memorable in the paucity of cars on the road. After …
Are you this person: WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM WEDNESDAY TO 6 AM EDT THURSDAY... *WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 11 to 15 inches are expected. * WHERE...Portions of northeast New Jersey, southern Connecticut and southeast New York. * WHEN...From 6 AM Wednesday to 6 AM EDT Thursday. * ADDI …
Social media groups that is -- an amazing resource if you are prepared to embrace it. Facebook groups offer communities bonded around commonalities. There are Moms Groups, vacation groups, and food groups. Group members who are perfect strangers become friends in the presence of the rest of the community. It’s quite the phenomenon. …
In a page out of Mitch’s playbook, I had to write about a story I read about in the news this week. Apparently, in France, the government has a say in what names a parent can use for their children. Up until 1993, parents can only choose names from an approved government list. While the list is no longer mandatory, the government has been known t …
Nothing like live music; especially good live shows. Already this month, famous for the "Ides of ...." and how it "weathers," shapes up rather nicely. On its second day, I enjoyed original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Phil Lesh ("Bobby & Phil Duo") at Radio City. On the "Ides", no assassinaton but rather a celebration of two great …
Your intrepid blogger has dug up a fascinating true story. More than 131 years after being thrown overboard, the world's oldest message in a bottle has washed up on a beach in western Australia. The bottle was found by Tonya Illman and Grace Ricciardo in the dunes near Wedge Island in January. Weeks of research traced the historic note back to …
When I vacation in Key West I have a regular Friday night routine of sitting on a bench across the street from the weekly "Sound Check" at Key West's iconic rock n' roll Green Parrot venue. I've come to consider the bench, fronting the Court House Deli, to be the epicenter of Key West culture and humanity. There, no one has a label or preconce …
I may have mentioned this before. One of the most memorable lines from my daughter, Mea, was her observation when she was five years old that “Music goes right to the heart.” The other evening, we saw “Farinelli and the King” a wonderful Broadway musical about a musical voice that quelled the craziness of King Philippe V of Spain. The power of mus …
I like the TV show Jeopardy. Not because of Alex Trebeck, because it can be so satisfying to answer the questions (is it question the answers?) before the contestants chime in. I also learn some interesting things. And, of course, that music. From Wiki: The best-known theme song on Jeopardy! is "Think!", originally composed by Griffin under the …
