Merci et Bon Voyage Nora Ephron

I was shocked by the news of gifted, witty, wonderful Nora Ephron's untimely death.  She had a unique voice and manner that was both romantic, hilarious and extremely perceptive.  Her accomplishments were many but to me her masterpiece will always be the marvelous, scintillating "When Sally Met Harry," and I honored her yesterday by watching that comedy which is still one of my favorites.  A writer always reveals her true self in her work and I saw in her a woman deeply aware of her mortality who was living her life with lots of joy, passion and humor, making each day count and urging us to embrace the moment and live as intensely as she did.  Who can forget the moment when Sally raises her pretty eyebrows and tells Harry, "Why, I'm glad to see that you're actually embracing life in this manner, Harry," when he divulges that he's getting married?  Who can forget the last scene in the movie when Harry realizes he's always loved Sally and runs to tell her?  Beneath that sharp, razor like wit hid an incurable romantic, a woman who viewed her life as the fantastic adventure that it really was.  She left a rich legacy of work because hers was a life well lived but unfortunately it was cut too short, and she fought a long, courageous battle at the end of her life.  Let's learn from her now and remember her with humor, gratitude and laughter.  Adieu Nora.

A Grim Anniversary

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Father's day and it's hard to believe that today is the somber anniversary of the Medford Killings that shocked New York, the country and the world.  A crime so heinous that we still can't get over it.  The fact that four innocent victims lost their lives in such a senseless manner will always haunt us on this day, and this date of joy and celebration will be forever marred by the tragedy in New York.  I can't speak for the other relatives, but I know the Fergusons personally and they have put the tragedy behind them.  Faced with the ultimate tragedy, they have chosen life over death.  They have chosen to honor the memory of their beloved son by going on with their lives, as he, with his generous spirit, would have wanted them to.  They have assimilated the loss with grace and dignity, gathering strength and fortitude from each other.  Raymond Ferguson would have expected nothing less from them.

Goodbye Mr. New Year's Eve

It's hard to believe Dick Clark is gone. He had many accomplishments in his illustrious career but to me he will always be Mr. New Year's Eve. For decades, he was a steady fixture welcoming the New Year in style at Times Square, and it gave us all a sense of continuity, almost of immortality that somehow some things never die. Dick Clark stood there year after year in all kinds of weather for us, and truly seemed to relish in his role as the perpetual "bon vivant" of New York. He was smooth, likable and a big part of our lives. Whether we watched him on television or braved the crowds to see him in person, he was an indelible image out there in the biggest party of the world. New Year's Eve will never be the same without him. He will be sorely missed and I can't imagine anyone else taking his place. So let's raise our Dom Perignon champagne glasses (because for him nothing else will do) in a great toast To Mr. New Year's Eve. May he have a great trip.

Thank You Readers

My sales just hit their first milestone. I sold 300 hundred copies in March and I'm very happy. I treasure and appreciate each and every sale because I know you've got a zillion choices out there, so the fact that you picked my books is very rewarding. For all bird lovers, I hope you like the sweet and tender true story of my unforgettable birds "Jill & Mickey."
For memoir lovers, I hope you like "Beyond the Snows of the Andes," and "A Different Journey." I'm currently working on a novel and I'm very excited, the fact that you're buying my books has given me wings. Once again, thank you, thank you, merci beacoup, gracias, grazie mille, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/Jill-Mickey-ebook/dp/B007I4Y674
http://www.amazon.com/A-Different-Journey-ebook/dp/B005J6JGOG
http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Snows-Andes-ebook/dp/B004MDLV0O

A City Without Pity

The horrific torture and death of a pretty eighteen year old Ukrainian girl has shocked the world, and it's a world that doesn't shock easily. Oksana Makar, finally and mercifully died three weeks after being found half strangled, raped, tortured, set on fire and thrown out like so much garbage into a building pit by three sadists who lured her to an apartment with evil in mind. Even after learning all that some local women blamed the victim saying "she was just a loose girl." And all because she met two of the monsters in a bar and agreed to follow them to an apartment. And all because she was young and pretty and wanted to live a little and have a little fun. Her death is a powerful indictment on a city famous for its corruption, for allowing the rich to literally get away with murder. It's an indictment on a country famous for its lack of respect for women. A country where the rich and well connected reign supreme and make their own laws. The tragedy of her life and death now shines a light into that travesty, and the world will be watching very closely to see if these three monsters get punished no matter how influential they are. But let us not forget that these three hateful characters are nothing but a product of a sick society, a society that taught them to disrespect women and treat them like dirt from an early age because women are expendable and only men are valuable.

Meltdown on the Air

So it finally happened, a pilot had an spectacular breakdown in mid air. It took many people to restrain him because he was completely out of it and yelling incoherencies. It must have been terrifying to be on that JetBlue plane and be witness to such a sad, frightening event. My guess is that he was under tremendous pressure for a long time and he finally snapped. He might have been holding it in till he couldn't hold it anymore. He obviously needs help and JetBlue should first investigate the real cause of his breakdown before proceeding to file charges against him. Let's not forget that pilots are only human and with the monster hours most of them are forced to put, I'm surprised we don't get more tragic incidents such as this. My thoughts and prayers are with him.

Of Human Mendacity

The story in the Post about the Queens couple who used and abused a disabled fifty eight year old woman really killed me. They took her out of her assisted living facility and took her into hell, a hell of beatings with inhuman psychological and physical abuse which would have surely ended in death if her niece hadn't finally realized something was wrong. What's clear is that this poor woman was desperately alone and in need of company, so she fell prey to these monsters who forced her to give them power of attorney and were robbing her blind. They should be punished to the full extent of the law for their brutality and mendacity, these human leeches she probably befriended out of loneliness who saw her need for tenderness and human companionship and fully took advantage of it. I don't know the circumstances with her niece or the kind of relationship they had, but one should never abandon a person. We are in this world to help each other, to show compassion and mercy. I know we all lead extremely busy lives but we should always make time for those less fortunate, it's what makes us human, what gives meaning to our lives, caring for others, making time for them before it's too late. Thank God this poor woman was found alive, but the scars of her ordeal will take a long time to heal, if they ever do, and all because of greed and unbelievable cruelty.