One reader of the blog responded in a thoughtful way. It follows for your consideration:
I come out on the side of progress, but always with the reservation and the question I ask myself....Will my life be better or worse with the “new” product...because a product it is, and one that we must buy or rent . Economies need an endless supply of new products to keep the consumer spending and happy, and the wheels of economies well oiled....
That is the western way of life...
I will just relate an experience I had a week ago regarding communications...
I went to the post box and retrieved a genuine lettre, with lovely foreign stamps, addressed to me (my full name spelled out), street address, city and country, all there....I cannot tell you the pleasant sensation that washed over me as I held this unfamiliar object in my hand....
I rushed upstairs so that I could discover its content and it’s author...
Well, it was a two page lettre from a dear old friend who teaches at Harvard, and certainly works with technology. The lettre so beautifully written on linen stationary from a hotel in the Italian Alps, and so wonderfully composed that I was deliriously happy and so inspired that I sat down immediately to respond in kind. It took approximately an hour or so of my time to compose and carefully pen my response. That too made me feel....well wonderful??? I took it to the post office the very next day to send it on its journey across the sea, with the hopes that my friend will have the same enjoyment when she receives my post.
I have an entire file box filled with correspondence of the past. When I say correspondence, I do mean those lettres that could qualify as prose, as short stories and poetry....So inspired are their contents, that I could never bear to just toss them away....I began reading some of them, and I can say unequivocally, that I enjoyed reading them as much as I did when I first opened them., they are in a way history, my history..I expressed a little “Ahhh,” and then returned to answering e-mails on the computer, thinking about the publication of lettres between famous and accomplished persons that we, even anonymously, love to read.
I think all of the above is to say that yes, resoundingly, progress should never be ignored, but embraced and refined, but not necessarily at the cost of losing, forgetting or obliterating that which has merit and keeps us in touch with human feelings and emotions.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
The Art of Communications?
Much is being said about the new forms of communications and how they do or do not help us to speak and relate to one another. Some complain that nothing worth while can be said in 140 characters-Twittering. Blackberrys enslave us. Facebook supplants real relationships and texting makes us illiterate.
Consider the history. Socrates, it seems, objected to writing in part because this invention eliminated the need to exercise memory.The telegraph, some call Twitter the 21st century version of the telegraph, caused Henry Thoreau to scoff in the 1840s "Maine and Texas may have nothing to say". Three decades later Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph, declined to buy the patent rights for the next new thing, the telephone, because it provided no permanent record of a conversation. In 1880, Western Union declined as well asking"whether any sensible man would conduct his business by such a means of communications".
When the typewriter came into wide spread use in the 1930s, The New York Times editorialized against the machine arguing "it usurped the art of writing with one's own hand" It also will give rise to untrained authors flooding the world with opinions they have not the experience to hold. Sounds like the knock on today's bloggers.
When I was lobbying the congress for AT&T in the eighties asking for the right to introduce cell phones to America, I argued that expansion of the cell phone would not be to the detriment of other means of communications. I showed Members the power and what the technology would bring. I used a precursor back then of today's Smart phone. Those industries against the expansion included the newspaper, television and radio industries. Why? Revenues, my friends, revenues.
Turns out the newspaper industry was right as they see their ad revenues fade to the Internet and all manner of PDAs. The TV and Radio industries seem to be holding up. Revenues and the demise of an industry, however, has never been and never will be a reason to block technological growth.
History also teaches that the embedded industry tries to block, complain about,seek protection from and ultimately attempt to own the next new communications thing.
The lecture circuit industry of the 18th and 19th centuries, complained about the introduction of large newspapers. newspapers complained about the growth of radio, radio railed against the growth of TV and they are all worried about or trying to own a piece of the Internet.
Folks, embrace it. In my experience there are only two things not diminished by growth,change or being given away: love and knowledge. There is an endless supply of both.
Consider the history. Socrates, it seems, objected to writing in part because this invention eliminated the need to exercise memory.The telegraph, some call Twitter the 21st century version of the telegraph, caused Henry Thoreau to scoff in the 1840s "Maine and Texas may have nothing to say". Three decades later Samuel Morse, inventor of the telegraph, declined to buy the patent rights for the next new thing, the telephone, because it provided no permanent record of a conversation. In 1880, Western Union declined as well asking"whether any sensible man would conduct his business by such a means of communications".
When the typewriter came into wide spread use in the 1930s, The New York Times editorialized against the machine arguing "it usurped the art of writing with one's own hand" It also will give rise to untrained authors flooding the world with opinions they have not the experience to hold. Sounds like the knock on today's bloggers.
When I was lobbying the congress for AT&T in the eighties asking for the right to introduce cell phones to America, I argued that expansion of the cell phone would not be to the detriment of other means of communications. I showed Members the power and what the technology would bring. I used a precursor back then of today's Smart phone. Those industries against the expansion included the newspaper, television and radio industries. Why? Revenues, my friends, revenues.
Turns out the newspaper industry was right as they see their ad revenues fade to the Internet and all manner of PDAs. The TV and Radio industries seem to be holding up. Revenues and the demise of an industry, however, has never been and never will be a reason to block technological growth.
History also teaches that the embedded industry tries to block, complain about,seek protection from and ultimately attempt to own the next new communications thing.
The lecture circuit industry of the 18th and 19th centuries, complained about the introduction of large newspapers. newspapers complained about the growth of radio, radio railed against the growth of TV and they are all worried about or trying to own a piece of the Internet.
Folks, embrace it. In my experience there are only two things not diminished by growth,change or being given away: love and knowledge. There is an endless supply of both.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
This Guy Gets It!
The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.
"My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events.... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit.
If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein"
Reply
Reply to all
Forward
"My confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.
It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.
I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.
Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.
In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'
In light of recent events.... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing yet?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.
Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit.
If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.
My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully,
Ben Stein"
Reply
Reply to all
Forward
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Have the Feeling Something is Wrong?
and you not sure what? Well,there is something wrong. My sense these last few weeks is that most of the people I work and play with are in some heightened state of agitation. Some more than others but all worked up. Careers, money, marriages, relationships, family pressures, all over the lot. More than usual? I think yes.
Each person has a reason that seems cogent but when you drill down on it, I think it may be because they have forgotten who they are. Forgotten what they are trying to accomplish in this particular life time and slipped into the "I" mode.
Perhaps we should all breath deeply, do yoga and get in touch with the inner being. Perhaps we should stop coming from FEAR and come from LOVE. Fear brings out all the worst instincts and behaviors. "I" must win. "I" am threatened, "I" am not appreciated. "I" need and deserve to be richer, more famous, more loved: I, I, I.
Can you step back from this behavior and thinking? Yes,if you decide to react from LOVE, one can never be threatened.
In the end, we each create our own reality. If I am not happy with my reality, I am free to change it. Are you?
Each person has a reason that seems cogent but when you drill down on it, I think it may be because they have forgotten who they are. Forgotten what they are trying to accomplish in this particular life time and slipped into the "I" mode.
Perhaps we should all breath deeply, do yoga and get in touch with the inner being. Perhaps we should stop coming from FEAR and come from LOVE. Fear brings out all the worst instincts and behaviors. "I" must win. "I" am threatened, "I" am not appreciated. "I" need and deserve to be richer, more famous, more loved: I, I, I.
Can you step back from this behavior and thinking? Yes,if you decide to react from LOVE, one can never be threatened.
In the end, we each create our own reality. If I am not happy with my reality, I am free to change it. Are you?
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Who is Lying?
Are you trying to follow the health care reform debate? Can both the Democrats and the Republicans both be telling the truth? Are both groups lying? Are death panels contemplated?, Will the billions cut from Medicare and the plans being formulated result in less care for the elderly? Will illegal immigrants get free health care? Will a government sponsored health care company really be competitive to the existing providers? Is such a company the first step toward a single payer government run provider and then to socialized medicine? Are the French, Swedish, Canadian systems working?
Have I missed any thing?
Guess what friends, I don't have the answers. I will say this however, we best do our own research, decide what direction to go in and TELL SOME ONE WHO CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. If you don't do your own research, you will be influenced by the demagogues on radio and TV who are not researches or even decent journalists. Make no mistake they are entertainers. They each, left or right, are in business, on air and in your homes to stir you up and have you think they have the answers. Or in one case, has uncovered a link between some politician and a communist, socialist, or conservative group and is exposing the agenda! What horse shit!
We are lazy, we Americans. Just want to go about our lives and not get involved until our ox gets gored. Then we react.
Come on folks, do the research, make up your own minds. Stop listening to those around you who spout what they have picked up from the media, entertainers, or politicians.
Challenge: ask the next person you are in contact with and health care reform comes up, how and where they got their information?
Hmmmmm!
Have I missed any thing?
Guess what friends, I don't have the answers. I will say this however, we best do our own research, decide what direction to go in and TELL SOME ONE WHO CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. If you don't do your own research, you will be influenced by the demagogues on radio and TV who are not researches or even decent journalists. Make no mistake they are entertainers. They each, left or right, are in business, on air and in your homes to stir you up and have you think they have the answers. Or in one case, has uncovered a link between some politician and a communist, socialist, or conservative group and is exposing the agenda! What horse shit!
We are lazy, we Americans. Just want to go about our lives and not get involved until our ox gets gored. Then we react.
Come on folks, do the research, make up your own minds. Stop listening to those around you who spout what they have picked up from the media, entertainers, or politicians.
Challenge: ask the next person you are in contact with and health care reform comes up, how and where they got their information?
Hmmmmm!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The best Summer of all!
Why? Because it was bitter sweet. Filled with stress from family health issues, joy- being in Slovakia, Laura preparing for major roles in wonderful productions ranging from Mozart's Clemenza di Tito to 21 st century scary stuff. I have already sent out info so I won't do it here except for the poster for one:
Empire Opera presents
La Clemenza di Tito
by Wolfgang A. Mozart
Two Performances:
Saturday, October 10 and 17, 7:30PM
Advent Lutheran/Broadway Church
2504 Broadway at 93rd Street
NYC
Directed by Nicole Lee Aiossa
Susan Morton, piano
Cast
Tito: Patrick Hogan, tenor
Vitellia: Heather Michele Meyer, soprano (10/10)
Susannah Stayter, soprano (10/17)
Sesto: Parker Burton, counter tenor
Servilia: Maria Alú, soprano
Annio: Laura Federici, mezzo soprano
Publio: Dennis Blackwell, baritone
Tickets - $20
www.empireopera.org
Reply
Forward
That said. The joy of seeing The Boys going to school. Yeah, Nicolino began kindergarten and Adriano nursery school. However, Adriano says he is in first grade and in fact 6 years old!
Now on to politics or what passes for politics these days. Here is what I think: America is still a deeply racist country. Whether you think the economic bail out, or health care reforms that the present administration is wrestling with are going in the right direction, it is sad that the rhetoric is peppered with racist hatred having little to do with the merits of any proposal.
The political parties are running true to form: Republicans forgetting the last 8 years of deficit spending, wars, disinformation and no ideas to move us forward. the Democrats in disarray, fighting among themselves, no ideas to move us forward and unable to win the day. Really sad.
The hate mongers on radio and TV rule the day and there is not a ray of sunshine beaming through that will change direction. President Obama is trying to be too many things to too many ideologies and has yet to show any back bone for what he believes.
Where are the Linclons, Roosevelts and Trumans when we need them?
Have a nice day
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
So much Happening, it can take your breath away!
This past weekend was so special. There was a two day birthday celebration for Rob Berkley at places such as Union Square Cafe and Shun Lee Palace. Rob has the unigue quality of finding then holding the dearest people on the earth close to him. I met four of his life friends who gathered at Union Square to regal Rob and eat tuna burgers: Union's signature dish.Don't miss a lunch or dinner there. It is one of New York City's best restaurants.
In the evening at Shun Lee, more special people yet not the same as the lunch crowd. Deb had prearranged a ten course Chinese dinner that was perfection. Another land mark restuarant on East 55th, not to be missed either.
What a tapestry of personalities, accomplishment and love! Deb, Rob's wife, organized and orchestrated the events and is herself a most special person. Be sure to see their website at www.groupmv.com to see who they are and what they are accomplishing in life.
In between celebrations, Laura and I shuttled to NYP Hospital to do breakfast runs for young Mathew Federici and his parents each early morning. Matt has been there several weeks due to surgery and some post operative complications. To see his face light up when the french toast or pancakes are unpacked is a joy. Laura, we hope, made the final breakfast run this morning as we hear that the boy leaves for home today. What an ordeal and what parents!!! Laura, by the way, took the 5:47 am train from Center Moriches to make the breakfast run. You know, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Michele and Bob have each and sometimes both spent every night in the hospital ensuring not only proper care but dispensing love and comfort. They have set the bar high on parenting this trip. By the way, when I use the phrase " ensuring proper care", it is not idle. Even in a world class facility such as NYP Hospital, there are major foul ups that can easily kill you, no exageration.
A visit with the Conecticut Federicis filled us with more love and joy as we spent Sunday with Nicolas and Adrien and their wonderful mom and dad. A great dinner prepared by Yoanna and Drew, time at the Greenwich Beach and a fabulous ferry boat ride across the Sound and home to Center Moriches finished the day. A one hour ferry ride across LI Sound where we read the Times and chilled.
Speaking of dinners, Laura prepared lamb burgers this weekend(believe it or not we spent Friday at home) that were superb. Here is the recipe: it is called MEGUEZ
1 POUND GROUND LEAN LAMB
3/4 TEA SPOON GROUND CUMIN
1/2 TEA SPOON THYME
1/8 TEA SPOON GRATED NUTMEG
1/2 TEA SPOON HOT RED PEPPER FLAKES
1 TEA SPOON MINCED GARLIC
1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
1 TABLESPOON BUTTER, MELTED
1.IN A MIXING BOWL COMBINE THE LAMB,CUMIN,THYME,NUTMEG, RED PAPPER, AND GARLIC.
2.SHAPE WITH YOUR HANDS INTO 4 PATTIES. DONT SQUEEZE TOO TIGHLY, LET THE AIR FILL THEM
3.COOK ON A GRILL OR SKILLET 3-4 MINUTES EACH SIDE DEPENDING ON HOW RARE YOU LIKE THEM. TRY THEM THEM MEDIUM RARE IF THE LAMB IS FISRT CUT.
4.BRUSH LIGHTLY WITH MELTED BUTTER AND SERVE ON A SEEDED BUN.
MORE LATER THIS WEEK
In the evening at Shun Lee, more special people yet not the same as the lunch crowd. Deb had prearranged a ten course Chinese dinner that was perfection. Another land mark restuarant on East 55th, not to be missed either.
What a tapestry of personalities, accomplishment and love! Deb, Rob's wife, organized and orchestrated the events and is herself a most special person. Be sure to see their website at www.groupmv.com to see who they are and what they are accomplishing in life.
In between celebrations, Laura and I shuttled to NYP Hospital to do breakfast runs for young Mathew Federici and his parents each early morning. Matt has been there several weeks due to surgery and some post operative complications. To see his face light up when the french toast or pancakes are unpacked is a joy. Laura, we hope, made the final breakfast run this morning as we hear that the boy leaves for home today. What an ordeal and what parents!!! Laura, by the way, took the 5:47 am train from Center Moriches to make the breakfast run. You know, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Michele and Bob have each and sometimes both spent every night in the hospital ensuring not only proper care but dispensing love and comfort. They have set the bar high on parenting this trip. By the way, when I use the phrase " ensuring proper care", it is not idle. Even in a world class facility such as NYP Hospital, there are major foul ups that can easily kill you, no exageration.
A visit with the Conecticut Federicis filled us with more love and joy as we spent Sunday with Nicolas and Adrien and their wonderful mom and dad. A great dinner prepared by Yoanna and Drew, time at the Greenwich Beach and a fabulous ferry boat ride across the Sound and home to Center Moriches finished the day. A one hour ferry ride across LI Sound where we read the Times and chilled.
Speaking of dinners, Laura prepared lamb burgers this weekend(believe it or not we spent Friday at home) that were superb. Here is the recipe: it is called MEGUEZ
1 POUND GROUND LEAN LAMB
3/4 TEA SPOON GROUND CUMIN
1/2 TEA SPOON THYME
1/8 TEA SPOON GRATED NUTMEG
1/2 TEA SPOON HOT RED PEPPER FLAKES
1 TEA SPOON MINCED GARLIC
1 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL
1 TABLESPOON BUTTER, MELTED
1.IN A MIXING BOWL COMBINE THE LAMB,CUMIN,THYME,NUTMEG, RED PAPPER, AND GARLIC.
2.SHAPE WITH YOUR HANDS INTO 4 PATTIES. DONT SQUEEZE TOO TIGHLY, LET THE AIR FILL THEM
3.COOK ON A GRILL OR SKILLET 3-4 MINUTES EACH SIDE DEPENDING ON HOW RARE YOU LIKE THEM. TRY THEM THEM MEDIUM RARE IF THE LAMB IS FISRT CUT.
4.BRUSH LIGHTLY WITH MELTED BUTTER AND SERVE ON A SEEDED BUN.
MORE LATER THIS WEEK
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