What do you write when you blog on the 4th of July? Do you go with trivia, trivial, practical, sentimental, clever? Before I go there, I must remark that I suppose it's good that the holiday falls on a Friday this year giving us a 3 day weekend and all. Personally, however, I like when it come on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, allowing you to c …
Times sportswriter Harvey Araton wrote last week that "Suffering is good. It reinforces character, resolve and commitment. Experienced in public it exposes vulnerability. Handled with class, it heightens likability."Talk about imparting the Secrets of the Universe! This is a one stop shop verity which resonates very strongly with me. After growing …
Last week we had our semi annual Lefty Lunch (where, for once, we could sit and eat comfortably anywhere at the table) at the Friars Club. At the Lefty (handedness, not politics) Lunch we commiserated re being the last unrecognized downtrodden minority.I, for one, am passionate about having being left off the waves of our Nation's affirmative actio …
I asked Joanne (she is uncomfortble in heels) and she has no answer, so I turn to you greater Gotham world. I have no clue and sincerely want to know: Why do women like (an understatement) shoes (especially high heels) so much?Rona, Nancy? Ladies, please help me!P.S. Photo is mine
Despite any prosperity I may have earned and enjoy, I have never evolved from my "On Sale" mentality. Said another way, I am a sucker for a "Sale" (I use quotes because the term is elusive and difficult to define, as discussed later). If and when I enter a store I am gravitationally pulled to the "Sale" or, better still,"Clearance" racks. And when …
Over my life I have had a number of very good friends. Sadly, they are friends no more. Looking back, there was no moment of confrontational conclusion or such. They seem to have just faded from the scene. In fact, they still live in the area and at times we endure uncomfortable encounters with them. Joanne and I talk about it and them quite often …
Inasmuch as next Monday is Memorial Day I've done some research concerning earlier thoughts on that day. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. was only 20 when the Civil War broke out. He fought in the 20th Massachusetts infantry and was wounded 3 times. Eventually he became a Justice of the United States Supreme Court on which he served until 1932. In 1884 h …
Joanne's dad passed away last week at the venerable age of 93. Putting aside that he was the father I never had, it was not about me. Joanne's sister Ginny came in from Colorado to share the grief and help out in the untangling of a life's possessions and related arrangements. The sisters were never more in harmony and that was a very good thing. W …
You've heard of famous people being "Born on the 4th of July". Well March 30th is my birthday, which means I was conceived on the 4th of July. You can look it up. I can only imagine that it was not a work day and....On what interesting day were you conceived?
By now I'm sure you've heard about Throwback Thursday when people post old "back in the day" photographs.Well I hereby dub today 'Fro Back Friday, as represented and depicted by the attached picture.Yes that's me in all my hirsute glory along with my brother in law Steve Hansburg. No wonder my son David constantly pesters and taunts me with "grow t …
To: Todd SchultzDated: 4/25/14FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.Following is an update on our specific efforts to reseed the Worldwide Hitler Youth. As you well know, The Fathers of the Fourth Reich were Dr. Josef Mengle, Adolf Eichman, Franz Stangl and Claus Barbie who pioneered our movement in Argentina with the help of Juan Peron in late 1946 through 1950.Even …
If you've gone to recent Gotham meetings this question may be "old", however, for those that have not it is topical.Simply put, what is your favorite all-time vacation?Mine, because of this Winter's polar vortex, was our extended stay in Key West during which many suffered through at least three horrible storms. Our frigid Winter is the subject of …
I've been noticing lately that people seem to resent that I don't act my age. Having been born in 1942 I'm actually a pre-baby boomer (figure it out). Mostly, I don't feel old. Rather, I subscribe to Satchel Paige's axiom "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was?" Plus, they say 70 is the new 50. As an example, in preparationfor …
Are you on Facebook? If you are you're probably familiar with Throw Back Thursday (TBT) which is an excuse for one to post photos from the past, when we were young and in our prime. It is a fun, sometimes foolish, but mostly harmless tug of nostalgia. The above photo is representative.
In the last two weeks I have had car trouble. First, I was rear ended in a four car chain reaction crunch precipitated by a Snapple truck (Snapple Crackle and Pop!) which caused extensive damage to both the front and rear of my car. Then last weekend, I took the substitute rental car and parked in a lot adjoining the restaurant where we were dinin …
Fridays With Fred
A perfect way to send you into your weekend