A few days ago a fellow I know posted a link on Facebook for a video of Pete Seeger memorializing is wife on Freedom Now (the radio program ---and I guess video) It was truly moving and I respect him for doing it and also for what he did on the rest of the program---his involvement with Native American causes. Pete Seeger was married for almost 70 years to Toshi. she died shortly before that event. He spoke of her strength and guidance and her talent in her own right.
This all brings me to a personal memorial or, perhaps, remembrance of the lady that was married to me for 36 years and died at the tender age of 56. It was a long sentence. I could have said, "...my wife.." Sounds too possessive. I doubt Pete would have used that term. Anyway, there is that great cliche about "behind every man there is a woman"--a strong woman(?). If, as in Pete's case the spousal part helped him into his creativity and work I have to say so did my late wife.
Whereas I may well have dawdled in the doldrums of everyday life she was always in search of an adventure. Always getting jobs and connecting with people in a major way. How, then, could I consider even staying in those doldrums? She liked Opera, Shows, and more. I mention that for one reason only. I was quite narrow in that respect and went along---I liked Folk Music. This brings me to the way she changed my life---her open mindedness. She created a wonderful event for my 50th Bday. featuring The Sloop Singers. It changed my life. From there I was able to create some concerts that featured them and thanks to her telling me we needed a "name" we got Tom Chapin. Well, more on that another time. 5 years of annual concerts led to my arriving at WFDU (I do want to acknowledge Ron Olesko for welcoming me aboard) after her untimely and too early demise.
There are more tales and stories but the point, to me,. of publishing this is to recall and remember the greatest influence in my life. One has to be thankful for the long years that Pete had with Toshi and I can only be thankful for the short time I had w/---her name was Myrna. I have a friend who is now 90 and his wife passed on about 2 yrs ago---he, too, has to count those blessings of so many years. He does.
Hopefully, you tune in to WFDU from time to time and get a sample of my 2 or 3 programs. There is not a day that I do not attribute thoet to my late wife.
Friday, August 9, 2013
Friday, August 2, 2013
SOME MORE BRAIN DROPPINGS---BUT A BLAST FROM THE PAST
Sometimes one reads a piece
of writing in a magazine that just jumps out at you. August 8, 2010 is one such day and the NY Times had a piece by one of their
contributing writers that really did that bit of “jumping” Probably not in the way she intended. I could be wrong.
Starting on a very personal
note---a while back I had some surgery (subdural brain hematoma) which I was never worried about as regarding
surgery because I was hoping, in a way, that if it were not successful I would
just not wake up. This had a lot to do
with my own psychological situation, seeing non-functioning people in the
Neuro-ICU, and, truly, without regard to the worry and upset
it would cause my grown off-spring.
They would get over it and my estate was still intact and, who knows,
what does the future hold anyway?.
That aside, we can segue
into Therapists, Therapy, and how this all connects.
It is better if the reader
has acquainted his or herself with the article but, suffice it to say that I
have been involved with the situations the writer speaks of. For many many years.
It may well be that the
writer and one of her references (Woody Allen) seem to find this a very
affordable adventure into, frankly, pure pandering by people who are interested
in money, self, aggrandizement, or a myriad of nonsensical motives that even
the eminent Dr. Freud would, by now, have realized what pure BS this all
was. Proper meds today do help, and ,
frankly, insights that a Therapist might have are from his/her subjective
history and amount to nothing but pure partial ----dare I say
it---Bullshit. I still do not know how
the excrement of Bulls came to mean that. But I do know that most of the advice
from the alleged experts is just that.
So, now let me surmise a few
things. The Therapist cares, The
Therapist is competent (and we agree that they can be that—a reach for
me). Yet, the “bottom line” enters into
this relationship with a patient so that, frankly, one has to say that
patient’s best interests are not that “bottom line”. The hourly fee is. The hourly fee is earned by the papers on
that wall that say this is a competent practitioner of the “art” (I won’t use
“science”) of Therapy.
Perhaps we might all agree
that there are truly ill ---call them deranged—people that are in need of
medication. Thankfully these things are
available today. What is also available
is the total waste of time and money in talking and dealing with self
aggrandizing people with many documents
on a wall that tell you how many Universities they have attended. Those wall hangings do not tell you that the
main interest is “the bottom line” .
Now, I admit, there are idealists.
But do let me single out some sub-specialties that I would be very wary of---Psychologists
and the Psychologist wanna-bes---MSWs.
There is a breed you had best stay away from Any dealings with them only reinforce their
own pretensions. If you check it
out you will find that many have earlier careers that led nowhere---from
interior decorating to alleged teaching to house painting. Now they feel qualified to teach life
lessons. I seems a lot cheaper and, perhaps, more helpful to talk with your painter, mechanic, or decorator---and mostly a good friend.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
SOME MORE ILL AFFORDED BRAIN DROPPINGS
It has been some time since the last ill afforded excrement that has dropped from this old brain. Time to alleviate that situation and either vex you or bore you once again.
First, let me mention the radio programs---TRADITIONS & SUNDAY SIMCHA. I am always amazed by the amount of e mail and response I get for SIMCHA vs TRADITIONS. I know where my priorities are and I am beginning to realize where the listener's priorities are placed. So be it and let us all be happy and what we do and what we listen to on radio----AND---thankfully there are folks like myself who still find radio the most personal medium.
Since these are misc. brain droppings it will stay misc. (hate to spell that whole word out---but w/ spell check why worry). I am always surprised by writers who prefer their good old Underwood over the computer. I still have and IBM selectric and I hope the dust on it is not causing me allergy attacks. OK, it was my wife's for her business---in the days of Word Perfect on the computer and the ability erase typing on a Selectric. So, why love that old Underwood? I just corrected this sentence and you did not even know that and I never used and eraser, white out, or "x"(on the selectric ). Now is the time to show some pity for the inventors of "white out", special erasers (for typing), and all those folks who owned the nice little stationary stores that I loved with their wonderful paper aromas who now are gone and replace by the likes of the Office Depots, Office Max, etc; and have joined the great family of extinct Dodos.
Now to get personal about these misc. droppings from this feeble old brain. One has to appreciate one's ability to stay alert, creative, and functioning as the years roll by. One also has to realize physical limitations that are not apparent and are noticeable in much younger people and be thankful not to be afflicted by them. An aside. One gentleman I know is 90 yrs. of age and he is, many times my tennis partner. He saves the day. Bless him and his great health and stamina. All that said one has to also realize that, sometimes, it is time to move on to a new chapter in life. When I reach that moment I will post another bit of excrement from my old brain. Until then, suffice it to say, we do our best.
One other thing worthy of note has to do with technology. We meet so many people in our lives and, while Facebook is certainly not a place for true relationships, it does add a sense of community if you "friend" right folks. I hope I have.
Perhaps some music is called for to keep with the mood---
First, let me mention the radio programs---TRADITIONS & SUNDAY SIMCHA. I am always amazed by the amount of e mail and response I get for SIMCHA vs TRADITIONS. I know where my priorities are and I am beginning to realize where the listener's priorities are placed. So be it and let us all be happy and what we do and what we listen to on radio----AND---thankfully there are folks like myself who still find radio the most personal medium.
Since these are misc. brain droppings it will stay misc. (hate to spell that whole word out---but w/ spell check why worry). I am always surprised by writers who prefer their good old Underwood over the computer. I still have and IBM selectric and I hope the dust on it is not causing me allergy attacks. OK, it was my wife's for her business---in the days of Word Perfect on the computer and the ability erase typing on a Selectric. So, why love that old Underwood? I just corrected this sentence and you did not even know that and I never used and eraser, white out, or "x"(on the selectric ). Now is the time to show some pity for the inventors of "white out", special erasers (for typing), and all those folks who owned the nice little stationary stores that I loved with their wonderful paper aromas who now are gone and replace by the likes of the Office Depots, Office Max, etc; and have joined the great family of extinct Dodos.
Now to get personal about these misc. droppings from this feeble old brain. One has to appreciate one's ability to stay alert, creative, and functioning as the years roll by. One also has to realize physical limitations that are not apparent and are noticeable in much younger people and be thankful not to be afflicted by them. An aside. One gentleman I know is 90 yrs. of age and he is, many times my tennis partner. He saves the day. Bless him and his great health and stamina. All that said one has to also realize that, sometimes, it is time to move on to a new chapter in life. When I reach that moment I will post another bit of excrement from my old brain. Until then, suffice it to say, we do our best.
One other thing worthy of note has to do with technology. We meet so many people in our lives and, while Facebook is certainly not a place for true relationships, it does add a sense of community if you "friend" right folks. I hope I have.
Perhaps some music is called for to keep with the mood---
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
A SMALL AMOUNT OF BRAIN DROPPINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS---
I don't know how many of you have heard of this truly wonderful radio program. Locally it airs on WNYC on Sat. afternoons ( a delightful change from their previous Sat. programming that made me reach for the OFF switch as quickly as I could. I know I was in the minority.) To give you the name---The Moth Radio Hour and in that lies a tale that they will happily explain many times. You hear wonderful stories wonderfully told by the people who lived them. I can guarantee that you will be mesmerized by the tales that are funny, sad, moving, and interesting. I know that I have laughed heartily and also had tears in my eyes at some of these stories and, one in particular, always amazed me at how the teller of the tale could finish it among his own upsetting moments in this truly sad and moving tale.
Here are a few samples and if you like this head over to WNYC (or some Public Radio Station your area)
If you get to the story of the suicide hot line do think of something I love playing on our air---David Buskin's Suicide Hot Line
As long as we are on radio recommendations I cannot urge you more strongly to not miss the program that follows my SUNDAY SIMCHA--THE VINTAGE ROCK & POP SHOP. The host and the material is not to be missed. It is what radio is all about---or what it used to be all about.
Here are a few samples and if you like this head over to WNYC (or some Public Radio Station your area)
If you get to the story of the suicide hot line do think of something I love playing on our air---David Buskin's Suicide Hot Line
As long as we are on radio recommendations I cannot urge you more strongly to not miss the program that follows my SUNDAY SIMCHA--THE VINTAGE ROCK & POP SHOP. The host and the material is not to be missed. It is what radio is all about---or what it used to be all about.
Saturday, June 1, 2013
SOME RANDOM---TRULY RANDOM--BRAIN DROPPINGS ALONG WITH SOME INFORMATION
Hopefully you will be sticking around for the end which is where there will be some program updates. Prior to that some random "brain droppings" as mentioned.
1) Check out the cover of this week's New Yorker. It says it all about the NYC bike program. A great metaphor for the NYC population.
2) Speaking of NYC I must relate a nice conversation with a fellow---dare I say a suberbanite of good intellect. She pointed out how one of her children thinks that kids in the suburbs (and she --the daughter-- is a brilliant author) feel privileged and yet she, who lives in a posh area of NYC doesn't think that her kids are. So, some thoughts about that---membership in posh athletic facilities, being driven to them, etc; Sounds like privilege to me. There is a privilege in the suburbs---going to a tennis court and playing and not waiting for hours and no charge (OK you did pay taxes), lack of parking problems, and being in close proximity to what many think of as the center of the universe. I think that is called Xenophobia (actually that has to do with nations---but you get the point.) OK enough NYC bashing.
3) I have stopped giving any donations to PBS. Think about it---fundraisers without end that seem, to me, to occupy more time than commercials on the Networks and re-hashed music with guys with bad toupees singing their annoying golden oldies.. NPR has the decency to do fundraisers just 2 or 3 times a year and present programming even more meaningful than PBS---though I admit that today people want visual. Would that they stay tuned to radio---I love the WNYC slogan---Never Turn It Off.I am delighted to say that my station (WFDU) has one fundraiser a year---one. Period. Then there is another station on the left side of the now defunct "dial" that seems to have one every other week. Granted, that station has NPR affiliation and that costs mucho dinero. It also precludes freeform programming.
4) On a positive note I must say you really should read "FDR and the Jews". It is a very readable and insightful book that opened a lot of memories to me and explained some things I knew not of---and gave me a whole new take on Eleanor and her evolution to the "heroine" she became
5) Back to the beginning in more detail---The NYC Bike Program. Hoboken (which, admittedly, is smaller) has it right. Not the complex inane set up of NYC. Great advtsg for Citibank and that about covers this fiasco---think about this---bike lanes were around under Koch (not well rcvd) and now there are bike lanes that make left turns (for cars) hard and dangerous to all and parking in the middle of a street. A few thoughts about who is going to partake of this fiasco---CEOs---no---Mid level execs--not unless they shower at work---tourist---sure --they will think it the in thing for a month, the average citizen---will take a subway, a bus, or rent a bike (if one is not owned) from a bike store. Mayor Bloomberg's idealism is ever so wonderful and I can only assume he will be pedaling around town soon---only in a rickshaw w/ pedaler I am certain.
OK--You have stayed for the bitter end of this so a few program updates and notes---
JUNE 2----SUNDAY SIMCHA will present one of our funniest Comedy Corners yet---and many listeners had requests---they will be fulfilled .
JUNE 9---TRADITIONS will be visited via tel. by a terrific talent with a new and very autobiographical CD out now. DEBORAH HOLLAND. I do hope you will join me for this---she is an amazing talent who personifies the strength of the female gender. In addition we will also present the regular features and the new addition of Comedy Corner.
I do believe we need a sample of one of the artists in one of our regular features----
1) Check out the cover of this week's New Yorker. It says it all about the NYC bike program. A great metaphor for the NYC population.
2) Speaking of NYC I must relate a nice conversation with a fellow---dare I say a suberbanite of good intellect. She pointed out how one of her children thinks that kids in the suburbs (and she --the daughter-- is a brilliant author) feel privileged and yet she, who lives in a posh area of NYC doesn't think that her kids are. So, some thoughts about that---membership in posh athletic facilities, being driven to them, etc; Sounds like privilege to me. There is a privilege in the suburbs---going to a tennis court and playing and not waiting for hours and no charge (OK you did pay taxes), lack of parking problems, and being in close proximity to what many think of as the center of the universe. I think that is called Xenophobia (actually that has to do with nations---but you get the point.) OK enough NYC bashing.
3) I have stopped giving any donations to PBS. Think about it---fundraisers without end that seem, to me, to occupy more time than commercials on the Networks and re-hashed music with guys with bad toupees singing their annoying golden oldies.. NPR has the decency to do fundraisers just 2 or 3 times a year and present programming even more meaningful than PBS---though I admit that today people want visual. Would that they stay tuned to radio---I love the WNYC slogan---Never Turn It Off.I am delighted to say that my station (WFDU) has one fundraiser a year---one. Period. Then there is another station on the left side of the now defunct "dial" that seems to have one every other week. Granted, that station has NPR affiliation and that costs mucho dinero. It also precludes freeform programming.
4) On a positive note I must say you really should read "FDR and the Jews". It is a very readable and insightful book that opened a lot of memories to me and explained some things I knew not of---and gave me a whole new take on Eleanor and her evolution to the "heroine" she became
5) Back to the beginning in more detail---The NYC Bike Program. Hoboken (which, admittedly, is smaller) has it right. Not the complex inane set up of NYC. Great advtsg for Citibank and that about covers this fiasco---think about this---bike lanes were around under Koch (not well rcvd) and now there are bike lanes that make left turns (for cars) hard and dangerous to all and parking in the middle of a street. A few thoughts about who is going to partake of this fiasco---CEOs---no---Mid level execs--not unless they shower at work---tourist---sure --they will think it the in thing for a month, the average citizen---will take a subway, a bus, or rent a bike (if one is not owned) from a bike store. Mayor Bloomberg's idealism is ever so wonderful and I can only assume he will be pedaling around town soon---only in a rickshaw w/ pedaler I am certain.
OK--You have stayed for the bitter end of this so a few program updates and notes---
JUNE 2----SUNDAY SIMCHA will present one of our funniest Comedy Corners yet---and many listeners had requests---they will be fulfilled .
JUNE 9---TRADITIONS will be visited via tel. by a terrific talent with a new and very autobiographical CD out now. DEBORAH HOLLAND. I do hope you will join me for this---she is an amazing talent who personifies the strength of the female gender. In addition we will also present the regular features and the new addition of Comedy Corner.
I do believe we need a sample of one of the artists in one of our regular features----
Thursday, May 16, 2013
A FEW MORE BRAIN DROPPINGS & UPDATES
Starting with the programs and the music a few updates and comments. On Mother's Day (with the apostrophe) as opposed to Mothers Day---surely we think of our own---I interspersed some material throughout the program. I am delighted to have rcvd a note from a listener how moved she was by the Joe Heukerrott piece (MOTHER). Unfortunately he never released that CD (his last one to date). It contained some other wonderful pieces including "SARATOGA SPRINGS", which was a perfect description of a weekend we all spent there back in the 1990s when he performed at Cafe Lena.
That is age for you. I said--"..back in the 1990s..". The millenium seemed beyond the horizon and we all were not going to get any older. Well, not to be too morbid, we did but one of our group did not. Nuff said there.
So, I was delighted with the audience reception of the Mothers Day (no apostrophe) program for all the other material as well. Memorial Day will soon be upon us and I hope you will enjoy the offerings on TRADITIONS that day---one piece is a perennial and think about what that will be.
This might be a good point to offer some thoughts about WFDU and the fact that you will find nothing like it anywhere else on the radio dial---of which are none. No dials. Just buttons. Think about it. What station do you know that is like WFDU that allows knowledgeable people ( in their genre of material) to do a program of their own creation? No censorhip, no input, no criticism. Merely acceptance of creativity. The closest I can come to this is WNYC ---very programmed but variatal, WQXR---very programmed but within a given genre. Other than WFMU can you think of another station that offers you Jewish (Yiddish) programming and some intense Gospel as well? Why that is I know not. Why I do it I do know and appreciate the support of the management of WFDU.
One last programming thought. As much as I do love TRADITIONS and SUNDAY SIMCHA there is now a program that follows SUNDAY SIMCHA that I urge you to tune in for. THE VINTAGE ROCK &POP SHOP. I even said to the host--Ghosty---you are a great lead in to TRADITIONS. You will not only love the program you will adore the host.
So now for a few varied brain droppings of no particular significance----
1) Have you noticed that PBS (Channel 13) keeps putting up pop-up about 50 YRS. There is more history than that---when it was the local WNET (NY/NJ) it did some truly classic programming including "The Play of The Week" that introduced us to some great works of drama
2) If you are watching a program on the boob tube--especially a serious one---are you not annoyed with the constant pop-ups for the next program?
3) The wheel was a great invention---the DVR as well. Woe to the advertisers who are truly wasting the big bucks. What would Don Draper do? Probably shtup another encounter.
4) What started as a really good program has now evolved into a truly annoying 2d rate Soap----Mad Men
5) The recently published book "FDR & THE JEWS" is a really terrific piece of writing that opens up a whole new view of FDR---and Eleanor. Eleanor truly surprised me. No spoiler alert--just read the tome.
6)Summertime is almost around the corner so I think that a bit of music by Kate Campbell is called for
That is age for you. I said--"..back in the 1990s..". The millenium seemed beyond the horizon and we all were not going to get any older. Well, not to be too morbid, we did but one of our group did not. Nuff said there.
So, I was delighted with the audience reception of the Mothers Day (no apostrophe) program for all the other material as well. Memorial Day will soon be upon us and I hope you will enjoy the offerings on TRADITIONS that day---one piece is a perennial and think about what that will be.
This might be a good point to offer some thoughts about WFDU and the fact that you will find nothing like it anywhere else on the radio dial---of which are none. No dials. Just buttons. Think about it. What station do you know that is like WFDU that allows knowledgeable people ( in their genre of material) to do a program of their own creation? No censorhip, no input, no criticism. Merely acceptance of creativity. The closest I can come to this is WNYC ---very programmed but variatal, WQXR---very programmed but within a given genre. Other than WFMU can you think of another station that offers you Jewish (Yiddish) programming and some intense Gospel as well? Why that is I know not. Why I do it I do know and appreciate the support of the management of WFDU.
One last programming thought. As much as I do love TRADITIONS and SUNDAY SIMCHA there is now a program that follows SUNDAY SIMCHA that I urge you to tune in for. THE VINTAGE ROCK &POP SHOP. I even said to the host--Ghosty---you are a great lead in to TRADITIONS. You will not only love the program you will adore the host.
So now for a few varied brain droppings of no particular significance----
1) Have you noticed that PBS (Channel 13) keeps putting up pop-up about 50 YRS. There is more history than that---when it was the local WNET (NY/NJ) it did some truly classic programming including "The Play of The Week" that introduced us to some great works of drama
2) If you are watching a program on the boob tube--especially a serious one---are you not annoyed with the constant pop-ups for the next program?
3) The wheel was a great invention---the DVR as well. Woe to the advertisers who are truly wasting the big bucks. What would Don Draper do? Probably shtup another encounter.
4) What started as a really good program has now evolved into a truly annoying 2d rate Soap----Mad Men
5) The recently published book "FDR & THE JEWS" is a really terrific piece of writing that opens up a whole new view of FDR---and Eleanor. Eleanor truly surprised me. No spoiler alert--just read the tome.
6)Summertime is almost around the corner so I think that a bit of music by Kate Campbell is called for
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