Category Archives: Blog

561. On love and relationships: observations and segues, religion and Valentines

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This morning I came across an article in The New York Times that I felt was an interesting statement in terms of religion and marriage. To be more specific, the Jewish marriage certificate, known as the ketubah is being adopted by non-Jews. The ketubah is an embellished document that has been signed by marrying Jewish couples for centuries. According to the Times, the earliest known version dates to the fifth century B.C. in Egypt. The ketubah is a combination of a work of art and a document; it originally was meant to protect the wife financially in the event of … Continue reading →

587. New York City Photo Journal: Part 2: Observations and Photographs

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In the preceding post, I replicated the guide to the World Trade Center Site. It contains a lot of fascinating information about what was, is and will be. The story of the survivor tree is one to be remembered. Just so you understand the sequence of the photographs there are three groups: A: a walk around Battery Park City and a visit to the atrium that has been reconstructed B: the visit to the WTC site: as you view the photos, just keep reminding ourself of the scale of the people against the buildings and the pools C: and Zucotti … Continue reading →

583. NYC Photo Journal: 5-5-12 Brooklyn, NY

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Part 1: The New York Times review made me do it. If you click on the review and give a read you will learn what is typically New York City. To wit: David’s Brisket House and Deli is in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. Once majestic it became blighted and crestfallen and was in no way a place you’d care to visit. But, like most areas of New York City in marginal areas, it is becoming–drumroll, cymbals–gentrified, which means the rents and prices of the old staid brownstones will be unaffordable. But this isn’t why I find this eatery so … Continue reading →

3. When You Lose Someone You Can’t Replace

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Some things in life cannot be explained. Or understood.  There are no words. Suzanne on a class trip 1977, photograph by the author original blog 4/2/07  This morning I uploaded this portrait of  my dear friend, Suzanne, to my album.  I took it  while studying black and white photography at The New School, in New York City. We were teachers at J.H.S. 47, the largest public (then oral) School For The Deaf in the country. We were part of a pioneer team that created a standardized form of Signed English for the school. We used American Sign Language as well, … Continue reading →

143 b. Addendum to Harlem on My Mind: decoding poetry, by the author

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I have decided that an author should speak: A reader is never really cognizant of what is going on in the writer’s mind when a poem is written. I think it would be interesting for us writers to give some extra meaning to our work; the poem then expands and the insight becomes a lesson. If you are an author, please think about augmenting your work with a little background for Poetry Wednesdays. Here’s mine. I wrote this series about a time when I was barely out of my teens, just out of High School, and attending the City University … Continue reading →

146 b. How and why: The story behind the vintage ice cream wagon charm: Why I write in silver

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Memories translate to words and charms.           And here is why. See the little ice cream cart? I’ll take you on a journey to 1959.   8 CommentsChronological Reverse Threaded reply aladybug wrote on Jan 27, ’08, edited on Jan 27, ’08 I don’t see the ice cream cart… I see pans, one open, one closed, then something else I can’t identify, then a woman in an exercise machine (perhaps just my perception?), then a round object, a hot dog, and then… something else I can’t identify either… Am I crazy? reply aladybug wrote on Jan … Continue reading →

63: Series: Part 1. Spinning At 45 rpm’s: Wake Up Little Susie

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Brighton Beach Baths, Brooklyn, N.Y. the poor man’s riviera; where I spent many summer days   New York City is surrounded by water; many people know it but few think about it. A friend who lives in the Midwest put it together one day and said, “Did you ever go to the beach?” Did I ever go to the beach? Now that’s a loaded question. The beach. In New York the beach was the poor man’s Riviera. Coney Island. Brighton Beach. Manhattan Beach. Riis Park. Jones Beach. Far Rockaway. Fire Island. The Hamptons. Montauk. We are all beach. I didn’t … Continue reading →

64. Series: Part 2: Spinning at 45 rpm’s: Bye, Bye Love

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….. family photos by the late Jack Margulies This is a series, please read in sequence. My father would go his way, we girls would go ours. Into the locker rooms where we kept our stash of beach chairs, suntan lotion, towels. The locker room was a dark maze lit by occasional bare light bulbs; there were rows and rows of wooden lockers secured by locks—with keys or combinations—row upon row, line after line, enough for a little kid to get lost in forever. They were painted with that same old pink or green paint that broke and peeled and … Continue reading →

65. Series: Part 3: Spinning at 45 rpm’s: Beyond The Sea

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Then the change in light, brightness to dim, our eyes readjusted and we’d pass the snack bar where the teens were pushing and singing.  We’d walk up the concrete hill and face the two doors, one for men one for women.  My mother, sister and I would plod through the locker room in our rubber sandals, our feet wet and sandy, sometimes making a “squeak-squish” sound as we walked.  Piled high with damp, sandy towels, pails, aluminum chairs, the cooler bag, and whatever else we managed to drag along with us, we arrived at the locker where we would park … Continue reading →

66. Series: Part 4: Say It Isn’t So

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“I was going to lose my right breast. I had cancer. This is my story.”   It starts with changes. 2004 I was completing my 33rd year with the New York City education system.  I was stressed; my position was effectively eliminated, and I didn’t not know what I was coming back to.  I had been out of the classroom for 16 years evaluating and placing students into special education.  I was going to be sent back to the classroom to do remedial work with students. By January I had made peace with the few months that had passed and … Continue reading →

67. Series: Part 5: And It Stoned Me

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The cookie I received in my goodie bag, months alter, at the Cancer Survivor’s Day Celebration: keynote speaker: Fran Drescher My husband and I went to meet with Dr. Chen to explore options.  She pulled out charts, my husband made notes.  She asked me if I was ok.  I saw her eyes tear up.  My gynecologist came in from down the hall, she teared up.  All I can say was, “don’t worry, everything is going to be ok.” I was consoling my doctors. I’d have to be marked with the needles again, she would do another lumpectomy to get a … Continue reading →

Tuesday Tech Tips 101: Ding Dong Dell, I’m hanging…

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Thank you for following my story and for your comments. Can you believe that my situation is still not resolved at the time of writing this blog, and, as Alice said, it gets “curiouser and curiouser?” At this point is is almost expected for any Dell computer not to work though I have to say that my desktop computer which is five years old is still chugging along, my husband’s desktop is working after two years, and thankfully, my son’s laptop is a winner. It is said that the universe will give you the challenges that it thinks you can … Continue reading →

Tuesday Tech Tips 101: Part8: The Dell computer odyssey: it’s just like dating

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Dear Friends, Thank you for following my story. If you have been you are definitely as confused as I am. The cast of characters gets longer and longer and the series of events is unfathomable. When I >>last posted<< on March 5, 2012, I was in a state of suspension. I am still hanging. Still trying to get clarity. Still waiting another computer exchange. The XPS15 remains pretty stable except for an occasional refusal to recognize my Bluetooth mouse.  I had some video and audio drivers I had to install when there were some bugouts. I emailed my now “friend” … Continue reading →

Tuesday Tech Tips 101: ooooops they got me…twice…more computer stuff…

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Well, friends, I think I continue to get the prize for computer wackiness; if Mercury is the god of communication in them thar Greek parts, can he still be in retrograde? If you recall, I was drowning in Dell computer issues and if you were following my tales of woe through the years, (yes, years) you would now know that: •I had an original laptop that I purchased in 2009 and within a year it had to be replaced due to puter poltergeist; •that in a little over a year the replacement computer had to be replaced due to freezing … Continue reading →

Tuesday Tech Tips 101: the computer has amnesia and it is only 2 months old

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Tuesday Tech Tips 101: the computer has amnesia Dear tech friends and children of all ages, When I last wrote about my ongoing (years’ worth) of issues with Dell laptops, I was waiting for a replacement computer; one of many replacements. I was getting help from Dell corporate technicians and the final replacement 14” laptop was personally set-up by said tech. Both the 15” and 14” had the same issue: non-recognition of my new Toshiba external hard drive. After emails going back and forth, and links to drivers, the 15” is now working consistently. For some reason the 14” has … Continue reading →

Tuesday Tech Tips 101: How to fix the war between Firefox and Adobe Flash Player

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Technology can drive you NUTS. OK, primal scream finished. One morning you wake up and everything that was working perfectly the night before is suddenly not. What gives? Chances are there was an update. And we all know that updates often cause other programs to malfunction. In this case Adobe Flash Player disappeared and needed a “fix” after Firefox upgraded to version 13.0.1. Flash player is needed for music players to work. My main blog page players became white boxes. In the meantime, you sit there baffled. This is what happened to me: When Firefox updated to version 13.0.1 and … Continue reading →

Tuesday Tech Tips 101: Part5: Ding Dong Dell, Computer’s still in the well

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Dear Friends, It is Sunday night, the 19th of February, 2012 I am continuing to write about my ding-dong-Dell journey; I thought that by now my computer life would be in order, but alas, it seems to be stuck in a technology wasteland. Let me fill you in on what happened on Friday, the 17th. I received a call in the afternoon from a Dell technician. He had received the hard drive that was to replace the one in the 14″ computer. This is the first of two that I received to replace the previous duds and it was unclear … Continue reading →

68. Series: Part 6: The Nipplemania Newsletter: Doctor My Eyes

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On August 27th I started my email publication of “The Nipplemania Newsletter,” and I continued it for my journey.  The only thing I knew to fight my fear with was humor.  It was an animated journal, unfortunately the graphics, animations, and sound effects don’t adequately translate. Just imagine little funny people peeking out from behind the letters, a talking parrot, snoring cat… And so I wrote:      HELLO! and thank you for your subscription to:             We were at the hospital at 6:00 A.M. Click to hear the rooster I was on the table out cold at … Continue reading →

69. Series: Part 7:The Nipplemania Newsletter:Falling Off The Face of the Earth

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Hello, and thank you for your subscription to          September 30, 2004 Issue 9 Late Night Edition The Game is on! The end of the Intra-Ductal* Tome The Beginning Recovery Issue           Dear Nipplemaniacs, Thank you for all your love, support and great vibes. I just came back from the plastic surgeon where he mapped blue and green football-plays all over me. (I couldn’t convince him to work on my face.                                                    ) Circles, squares, arrows, dots, dashes…I’m going for a touch-down. 5:00 A.M. Send all that positive stuff! I’m going in, baby!! That night I looked at the … Continue reading →

70. Series: Part 8: Recovery: Comfortably Numb

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Thanks For Subscribing    You asked for it    here it is~    The Rebirth Issue #1       October 8, 2004         Dear Nipplemaniacs, I thank you for your ongoing support and love. You “cancer awareness walkers” waving my name are fabulous, I thank you! Now for a serious lesson in “do what you think is right for you…” The final biopsy report has returned, and surprise! Aside, in addition to, or coincidental to the diagnosis of “ductal carcinoma in situ,” I had a rare, aggressive form of cancer called Paget’s disease of the nipple. Who knew? (Emails … Continue reading →