This is Purim, and it is a time for remembering and forgetting. It is sometimes confusing. For example we are told in the Torah that when God grants us safety from all our enemies "in the land that the Lord your God is giving you as a hereditary portion, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." Then it says in the next sentenc …
Mitch, my owner, has let me post this blog. I am in need of a new home. The town of Sea Cliff left me a note saying I was way too big for the garbage men that emptied me for the past year and half. They said they would fine Mitch if he didn't replace me with a 32 gallon can. What's up with that?!? I'm big and tough and will last for years...thos …
One of the advantages of being old is being old fashioned. I was tempted to stop here and just let the reader fill in the blanks, but I could not stop without remarking on the tremendous benefit of paper in this digital age. Paper? Yes. For example, my paper pocket calendar saves me oodles of time each day while young techies struggle with their d …
The Cinema Arts Centre, an independent film venue in Huntington, is one of our favorite places. When we were there over the weekend, I noticed a fascinating commonality among the three movies that were being shown. They all had to do with old age. "Quartet" is a glimpse into the lives of four former stars of the opera who live in a retirement home …
Recently, a controversy (albeit a small one) erupted around Beyonce. The singer was slotted to perform the National Anthem at the President's inauguration and someone, I'm assuming her, made the decision to pre-record it and lip-synch it. The ensuing fuss was probably more than was needed, but I found it not to be as indicative of her talent or …
It was time I suppose. My more than five year old laptop was very good to me. But five years in technology years made my laptop more like a relic whose time had come. So this weekend's project was to buy a new one. Shopping wasn't so bad, it was fun actually. But the set up and adjustment has been particularly trying -- and time consuming -- I t …
I was an overweight child. Therefore, I found the story of Dara-Lynn Weiss and her seven year old daughter compelling. Ms. Weiss put her seven year old overweight daughter on a strict diet for health related reasons; the child had high blood pressure. Interestingly, the internet has exploded with blogs and articles condemning Ms. Weiss and her …
It looks like Carnival Cruise lines is in some hot water. Not only from the lawsuits by angry passengers, but I would wager that their business has got to be bad for some period of time. I think a lot of people are going to pick vacation choice number 2 instead of a cruise. The national park service should run a counter-commercial with a coup …
Tomorrow celebrates Michael Jordan's 50th birthday and the pundits and analysts were wondering on radio and TV if he is the best player of all time. Names that are being tossed about; Wilt Chamberlin, Kareem Abdul Jabar and LeBron James. But for my money I'd have to say Bill Russell is/was the best. Although he was a Celtic (I'm a Knicks fan so …
One of the duties-pleasures of being Grand Parents is having the kids over for a weekend (while the parents vacation). Recently we were on duty and on the first night my "6 and a 1/4" year old grandson carried a book over to me and asked "Grandpa would you read to me". How could I say no. It ends up he was lugging the third Harry Potter book which …
Happy Valentine's Day. I had been thinking about blogging about Valentine's Day. I even did a little research on the history and tradition that brought us to this day of declaring our love. The punch line would have asked about your plans for Valentine's Day. But the announcement that wrestling was being removed as an Olympic sport trumps that …
I heard about it this year while watching the Super Bowl but I never really thought it to be a real possibility. Playing the Super Bowl on a Saturday instead of on "Super Bowl Sunday." Now they are talking about it for next year at Giants...er uh...Met Life Stadium. Really, it makes complete sense particularly since they extended the Super Bowl b …
Last week, the United States Post Office announced that come summertime, Saturday mail delivery will be a thing of the past. Given the significantly over budget operation and the corresponding decline in physical mail, I understand the business decision. While some in Congress are apparently trying to rekindle Saturday delivery, I am not optimis …
I was shocked, the Thursday night before Nemo struck, at the sight of a large gas line on Hempstead Turnpike. My husband and I were leaving a restaurant and the line blocked the exit of the restaurant parking lot. When I asked the driver of the car that was blocking the exit to move his car a bit forward, he just ignored me and sat in his car unti …
I had a laser procedure on my eye last week. My son asked me afterwards if I had Superman vision. You would think he is seven or eight. He is twenty three. Boys will be boys.Naturally as a little boy I always wanted to be Superman. I would put on my long pajamas and then slip over them a pair of underwear. I didn't have red ones like the real Supe …
