OK Go!

Pleading Greek

Jerusalem Of Gold: Panorama

Dead Sea Mud Treatment

Happy Holidays!

Upon A Midnight Clear

Back from Israel

My Blurry Winter Wonderland

I promise I will clean the lens on this camera! By the time you read this I will be winging my way to Israel. I will post to this blog whenever I can so you can follow along on the adventure...

Below is the holiday display in the lobby of 55 E 52nd St where I work

Wikilibrium: Shades of Grey

Ann Atomy

"The lady with all the answers doesn't have the answer to this one" - that was Eppie Lederer aka Ann Landers' wistful comment on her 1975 divorce. That always stuck with me.

This Jewish identical twin (her twin was Dear Abby!) entered the advice game when her husband moved to Chicago and her efforts to get involved in local Democratic party politics ran into a brick wall because of differences in style and attitude.

As a teen I thought she was very wise and progressive, willing to take stands against domestic abuse and rape, advocating for therapy and counseling, and showing early acceptance of being gay as something normal in nature.

In retrospect, I realize she could also be flippant and insensitive. I remember a deeply depressed woman who had lost a lifetime of clippings and memorabilia when her house burned down. When asked if she'd ever lost something of value, Ann curtly said 'yes, my parents, now what were you saying about your clippings?' Obviously, that woman had deeper troubles and needed help, not a dismissive reproach.

The unusual thing was that she often owned up to her mistakes when readers took her to task, typically saying she deserved 'thirty lashes with a wet noodle' or something to that effect.

When she announced her divorce, she said she wouldn't consider having sex outside of marriage. She died 27 years later without ever re-marrying.

So Tiny!

So Close!

My New Digs...

As of late 2007-early 2008, my employer will be moving to 7 World Trade Center, the brand new skyscraper that replaced the collapsed 7 World Trade Center.

What goes down, must come up.

We'll be on floors 30-33.

Last night I attended the EMTA ball, in suit, tie, jacket & overcoat. This is to benefit emerging markets charities such as Empower and Trickle Up.

Now and Then

Don't Know Nothing 'Bout Chemistry...

Happy Birthday, Danny!!!

I'm the only one who calls my nephew Danny - he's Dan to everyone else. Cool Dan. Dan the Man. So today Dan becomes a teenager - I hope it's the beginning of some wonderful times.

I love Dan a lot and I'm very proud to have a nephew with so much personality and intelligence.

I don't see him often enough, but when I do, it's very special. Here's to you Dan - Happy Happy Birthday Baby...

Bewitching Performances

She generally played hardscrabble spinsters and, memorably, she played the impoverished mother of the title character in "Citizen Kane." In "Johnny Belinda" she's a hard-as-nails rural maiden aunt who shows an unexpected reserve of tenderness and decency - her range is remarkable. "Johnny" was nominated for 12 Oscars, but only won for Jane Wyman's astounding work as the ill-fated deaf-mute girl of the title. Wyman was married to future President Ronald Reagan at the time, forty years later became a television icon as the tyricannical matriarch of "Falcon Crest." It remains unconfirmed as to whether, despite two long marriages, she was indeed a lesbian. Here's more about her life and career. At left is Moorehead dolled up in her Sunday best.

Square Pegs in a Round Childhood

I was struck by today's NYT article today on childhood gender non-conformity, and growing support among psychologists for allowing these children to be themselves, even to the point of allowing children to cross-dress when they seem strongly inclined to do so. This is a dilemma even for enlightened parents, who don't want to suppress their childrens' true selves, but worry about cruelty and non-acceptance from the outside world. The article points to high depression and suicide rates among these children as a reason to shift tactics, and suggests that 3/4 of these children turn out gay, most of the rest straight, and a small fraction become transsexuals.

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