Recently, an interesting clash of ideas set off a cultural and religious war in Manhattan. A truly tasteless (and thoughtless) billboard blared: "CHRISTMAS QUALITY, HANNUKAH PRICING!" What were they thinking, indeed?
As completely understandable, and expected, a number of people took offense. The Anti-Defamation League called it "crude and offrensvie," and said that it reinforced anti-Semitic stereotypes.
“Particularly with the long history of anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jews and money, with the age-old notion that Jews are cheap, to use the Jewish holiday in dealing with issues of money is clearly insensitive and inappropriate,” the Anti-Defamation League’s New York Director Ron Meier told CBS.
Here's the company's astounding response: “The inspiration for Hanukkah’s inclusion was anything but anti-Semitic – in fact, we’re likening ourselves to the Jewish holiday,” said Brian Gordon of Miami MG in a statement. “Simply put Hanukkah represents a better value because you get 8 nights for the price of 1 – much like Wodka, more for less.”
“Hopefully this response will help re-focus you on all of the serious places where anti-Semitism does exist – however it doesn’t exist anywhere in our marketing,” said Gordon.
The ad, for Wodka vodka, was down Tues. at 4 p.m., CBS reported.
Anyone, comments?
Deborah Hirsch
crazychikwriter.blogspot.com
b2bstoryteller.biz
Friday, December 2, 2011
What I Learned From Cancer
What I've Learned: There's a reason why it's called 'The Present'
Published 05:51 p.m., Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Editor's note: This is the second part of a two-part What I've Learned column. The first part ran last week.
Experts advise a lot of ways of trying to let go, a prime way of living in the moment. Focus on just what's in front of you. Spend time in nature. Smell a flower or work in the garden. And there's always meditation, if you don't mind sitting with your legs crossed on the floor till your back gives out.
Letting go is so hard because, so often, it means loss.
In my life I've had to let go of a lot of things that I'd rather not. I finally had my beautiful son, but not the way I wanted. It was with the help of an egg donor. I got to carry him. I gave birth to him. But I had to let go forever of the idea of having a child with my genes, since all my eggs were good for was miscarriages. He's a miraculous 10 now, and guess what? He's a writer, just like me. My mother kept saying at the hospital, "I just can't figure out who he looks like."
Today he's the spitting image of his father. But I can't count the number of people who say, "He has your nose." Of course, there are the ones asking now if he's my grandson! But somewhere along the way, I let go. I even let that go.
The person I learned the most about letting go from was my friend, Dana. She was 37 when she died, and I met her right after she was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer.
She lived for two years. At the end we were all there for her, our breast cancer support group, and she went around the hospital room and told each one of us how she would still be with us when she was gone. For me, she said every time I wrote, she would be there with me. I couldn't stop crying but when I looked at her face, I saw peace.
I saw the same peace on my mother's face several hours before she died this spring, even though she was in grave distress from congestive heart failure. As I was leaving her hospital room for what would be the last time, she called out, "I love you." Her greatest gift to me, but I think I knew as I left that something was happening. She was letting go. She died two hours later. She taught me not to fear dying, but to live every minute as if it were your last. She was right there in the moment, dying. She died living.
How many of us live dying? A chaplain at Hospice recently wrote, "A new patient I sat with, three days before her death, spoke to me as if I were a trusted friend. Though she could not open her eyes, she said these profound words, `As the cancer grows, the fear gets less, because my love grows. Love of everything: birds, water, children and light. Just take a walk outside, in the fall, you'll see. Life in the moment is sublime. This is the point we miss.'"
As the chaplain added, how soon will we accept this opportunity to be fully alive before we die?
Someone once said, the past's history. The future's a mystery. But the present is a gift, and that's why it's called "the present." I've tried to live my life that way, after cancer.
I worry sometimes that the cancer will come back -- especially when a doctor told me, "Well, your body knows how to make cancer."
But that's tomorrow and it's today and today I'm healthy and the sun is shining and I'm going home soon to my husband and son, who I never thought I'd have, and now can't imagine ever living without ... and life is good, right now.
May you find your present, too.
Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/What-I-ve-Learned-There-s-a-reason-why-it-s-2306808.php#ixzz1fPpE8zUG
Published 05:51 p.m., Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Editor's note: This is the second part of a two-part What I've Learned column. The first part ran last week.
Experts advise a lot of ways of trying to let go, a prime way of living in the moment. Focus on just what's in front of you. Spend time in nature. Smell a flower or work in the garden. And there's always meditation, if you don't mind sitting with your legs crossed on the floor till your back gives out.
Letting go is so hard because, so often, it means loss.
In my life I've had to let go of a lot of things that I'd rather not. I finally had my beautiful son, but not the way I wanted. It was with the help of an egg donor. I got to carry him. I gave birth to him. But I had to let go forever of the idea of having a child with my genes, since all my eggs were good for was miscarriages. He's a miraculous 10 now, and guess what? He's a writer, just like me. My mother kept saying at the hospital, "I just can't figure out who he looks like."
Today he's the spitting image of his father. But I can't count the number of people who say, "He has your nose." Of course, there are the ones asking now if he's my grandson! But somewhere along the way, I let go. I even let that go.
The person I learned the most about letting go from was my friend, Dana. She was 37 when she died, and I met her right after she was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer.
She lived for two years. At the end we were all there for her, our breast cancer support group, and she went around the hospital room and told each one of us how she would still be with us when she was gone. For me, she said every time I wrote, she would be there with me. I couldn't stop crying but when I looked at her face, I saw peace.
I saw the same peace on my mother's face several hours before she died this spring, even though she was in grave distress from congestive heart failure. As I was leaving her hospital room for what would be the last time, she called out, "I love you." Her greatest gift to me, but I think I knew as I left that something was happening. She was letting go. She died two hours later. She taught me not to fear dying, but to live every minute as if it were your last. She was right there in the moment, dying. She died living.
How many of us live dying? A chaplain at Hospice recently wrote, "A new patient I sat with, three days before her death, spoke to me as if I were a trusted friend. Though she could not open her eyes, she said these profound words, `As the cancer grows, the fear gets less, because my love grows. Love of everything: birds, water, children and light. Just take a walk outside, in the fall, you'll see. Life in the moment is sublime. This is the point we miss.'"
As the chaplain added, how soon will we accept this opportunity to be fully alive before we die?
Someone once said, the past's history. The future's a mystery. But the present is a gift, and that's why it's called "the present." I've tried to live my life that way, after cancer.
I worry sometimes that the cancer will come back -- especially when a doctor told me, "Well, your body knows how to make cancer."
But that's tomorrow and it's today and today I'm healthy and the sun is shining and I'm going home soon to my husband and son, who I never thought I'd have, and now can't imagine ever living without ... and life is good, right now.
May you find your present, too.
Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/What-I-ve-Learned-There-s-a-reason-why-it-s-2306808.php#ixzz1fPpE8zUG
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Christmas Quality, Hanukkah Price -- What Were They Thinking?
Recently, an interesting clash of ideas set off a cultural and religious war in Manhattan. A truly tasteless (and thoughtless) billboard blared: “CHRISTMAS QUALITY, HANNUKAH PRICING!” What were they thinking, indeed?
As completely understandable, and expected, a number of people took offense. The Anti-Defamation League called it “crude and offrensvie,” and said that it reinforced anti-Semitic stereotypes.
“Particularly with the long history of anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jews and money, with the age-old notion that Jews are cheap, to use the Jewish holiday in dealing with issues of money is clearly insensitive and inappropriate,” the Anti-Defamation League’s New York Director Ron Meier told CBS.
Here’s the company’s astounding response: “The inspiration for Hanukkah’s inclusion was anything but anti-Semitic – in fact, we’re likening ourselves to the Jewish holiday,” said Brian Gordon of Miami MG in a statement. “Simply put Hanukkah represents a better value because you get 8 nights for the price of 1 – much like Wodka, more for less.”
“Hopefully this response will help re-focus you on all of the serious places where anti-Semitism does exist – however it doesn’t exist anywhere in our marketing,” said Gordon.
The ad, for Wodka vodka, was down Tues. at 4 p.m., CBS reported.
Anyone, comments?
Deborah Hirsch
crazychikwriter.blogspot.com
As completely understandable, and expected, a number of people took offense. The Anti-Defamation League called it “crude and offrensvie,” and said that it reinforced anti-Semitic stereotypes.
“Particularly with the long history of anti-Semitic stereotypes about Jews and money, with the age-old notion that Jews are cheap, to use the Jewish holiday in dealing with issues of money is clearly insensitive and inappropriate,” the Anti-Defamation League’s New York Director Ron Meier told CBS.
Here’s the company’s astounding response: “The inspiration for Hanukkah’s inclusion was anything but anti-Semitic – in fact, we’re likening ourselves to the Jewish holiday,” said Brian Gordon of Miami MG in a statement. “Simply put Hanukkah represents a better value because you get 8 nights for the price of 1 – much like Wodka, more for less.”
“Hopefully this response will help re-focus you on all of the serious places where anti-Semitism does exist – however it doesn’t exist anywhere in our marketing,” said Gordon.
The ad, for Wodka vodka, was down Tues. at 4 p.m., CBS reported.
Anyone, comments?
Deborah Hirsch
crazychikwriter.blogspot.com
Where is PR Going?
Where is PR Going?
Posted on September 27, 2011 by Deb Hirsch
Public relations specialists were some of the first people to embrace the power of social media, and as a result they are often the ones leading the way in the social space, whether they are consulting with clients from an agency point of view or strategizing on an in-house PR team, according to Erica Swallow at mashable.com.
She goes on to say that the future of PR is bright – with some caveats. In the past decade, the Internet has had a huge impact on how PR professionals function. Social media, as we all know, is changing the face of PR, and press releases.
“While I don’t believe the press release is dead, it has been transformed, to become this living, breathing thing,” Amanda Miller Littlejohn, founder of Mopwater Social Public Relations, told Swallow. If a release doesn’t have a social element — that is, a way for viewers to comment or share to their social networks — it doesn’t have legs.”
David McCulloch, director of PR at Cisco, comments, “It’s pretty clear where the press release will go next: It’s going to get shorter; link to more sources; be focused on simplification and explanation; and it’ll come in many more flavors. . .the press release of the future will deliver its content in text, video, SMS, microblog and podcast form, to any choice of device, whenever the reader decides, and preferably it will be pre-corroborated and openly rated by multiple trusted sources.”
Adds Lou Hoffman, CEO of The Hoffman Agency ,“I don’t think the news release will die in the foreseeable future, say the next five years. Even if the syndication of this content has little impact on the target stakeholders, they’ll still be generating backlinks, which by themselves deliver a decent ROI.”
What do PR pros need to do most? “The most important platforms for PR pros in the future will be the ones most targeted for their clients,” says Cara Stewart, founder and principal at Remarx Media. “Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are ‘fun;’ getting nitty-gritty into community sites that are industry-specific is less ‘fun,’ because PR pros have to really understand clients’ technologies, business models, services and more. Really, it’s more about PR pros becoming better PR pros and understanding their clients’ businesses, as well as what their clients do … Social media is not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
Deborah DiSesa Hirsch
Posted on September 27, 2011 by Deb Hirsch
Public relations specialists were some of the first people to embrace the power of social media, and as a result they are often the ones leading the way in the social space, whether they are consulting with clients from an agency point of view or strategizing on an in-house PR team, according to Erica Swallow at mashable.com.
She goes on to say that the future of PR is bright – with some caveats. In the past decade, the Internet has had a huge impact on how PR professionals function. Social media, as we all know, is changing the face of PR, and press releases.
“While I don’t believe the press release is dead, it has been transformed, to become this living, breathing thing,” Amanda Miller Littlejohn, founder of Mopwater Social Public Relations, told Swallow. If a release doesn’t have a social element — that is, a way for viewers to comment or share to their social networks — it doesn’t have legs.”
David McCulloch, director of PR at Cisco, comments, “It’s pretty clear where the press release will go next: It’s going to get shorter; link to more sources; be focused on simplification and explanation; and it’ll come in many more flavors. . .the press release of the future will deliver its content in text, video, SMS, microblog and podcast form, to any choice of device, whenever the reader decides, and preferably it will be pre-corroborated and openly rated by multiple trusted sources.”
Adds Lou Hoffman, CEO of The Hoffman Agency ,“I don’t think the news release will die in the foreseeable future, say the next five years. Even if the syndication of this content has little impact on the target stakeholders, they’ll still be generating backlinks, which by themselves deliver a decent ROI.”
What do PR pros need to do most? “The most important platforms for PR pros in the future will be the ones most targeted for their clients,” says Cara Stewart, founder and principal at Remarx Media. “Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook are ‘fun;’ getting nitty-gritty into community sites that are industry-specific is less ‘fun,’ because PR pros have to really understand clients’ technologies, business models, services and more. Really, it’s more about PR pros becoming better PR pros and understanding their clients’ businesses, as well as what their clients do … Social media is not a one-size-fits-all solution.”
Deborah DiSesa Hirsch
Monday, March 28, 2011
Relax, and Get Fit, Too!
Harmonious Exercise: Yogalates combines best of two worlds
Deborah DiSesa Hirsch
Updated 03:14 p.m., Monday, March 21, 2011
Printable Version
Email This
Georgia (default)
Verdana
Times New Roman
Arial
Font
Gallery.View More Items
Even the threat of a blizzard couldn't keep them from coming. Lithe and lean, six women dressed in black took off their shoes, spread out their purple mats and got ready for their yogalates class.
Around since the 1920s (some even believe the late 1800s), yogalates is designed to get the mind and body moving in harmony, says Pam Giambrone, owner of Pilates of Stamford, which offers multiple sessions of yogalates. Its popularity grew in the 1990s after Jonathan Urla, a fitness and dance instructor, trademarked his Yogilates workout, writing a book, offering classes and creating DVDs and videos for home use. Yogalates combines yoga and Pilates, creating exercises that use the balance, breathing and control of yoga with the core movements of Pilates, which target the pelvic and abdominal muscles.
This night, in Giambrone's small Stamford studio, the yogalates class is in full swing. Though the emphasis is definitely on exercise ("We make it a real workout here," says instructor Kassie Anderson), the session begins quietly, with attention to breathing.
"Pilates is more linear movement than yoga," says Giambrone. "What yogalates gives you is strength and stretching."
Says class member Kathy Lazarus of Stamford, "This class gives me core strength and stretching. I have low back pain from having kids and the abdominal exercises remind me to stand up straight. I feel good when I'm done. I want to be able to bend over when I'm old." She grins.
Laurie Mayper teaches yogalates at continuing education classes in Wilton and Ridgefield and her classes are attended mostly by moms in their 30s to 50s. "Yogalates is more exercise than traditional yoga because that's usually what people come for," she says. "Traditional yoga has many styles, from super-gentle stretching to very vigorous sequences where you work up a great sweat. Yoga develops strength, flexibility and balance, and Pilates strengthens the core muscles -- abdominals, buttocks and low back. Put them together and you have yogalates. The focus is always the breath and union of body, mind, spirit."
Focus and breathing are integral to yogalates. Anderson starts the session with a soft, "Inhale. Feel your chest expanding as you inhale and exhale," much like a traditional yoga class. The room is as still as a church as the women concentrate.
"Keep your hips in line with your shoulders. Press yourself up to your high plane. Walk your feet a hip length apart. Hands behind your neck, and bend over." Each body makes a sharp "V."
"Float your leg up like you're touching the ceiling," and the women all gracefully assume a position that looks more like torture, forehead to knee, leaning forward, leg angling toward the sky. Nobody looks to be in pain.
Janine Salvey of Trumbull explains it best. "Yogalates appeals to me because it's the best of both worlds. I feel more in touch with my mental and spiritual self, as well as my own individual body. I feel clean, relaxed and exhilarated when the session is done ¦ and I crave more! It's great that the instructor can sneak in a few abdominal workouts, which are just one of life's little necessities, along with the `feel good' stuff."
Even people who traditionally have done other kinds of exercise, such as running, find a lot to like. Says Judy McBride, who takes yogalates at Ridgefield Continuing Ed, "I have been an avid exerciser all of my life. I've belonged to various health clubs, have exercise equipment at home -- which I actually use -- and taken other exercise classes at schools. So, when I started yogalates, I had a good background for comparison. Right away I knew I found the perfect fit for me!"
McBride says she loves the blend of yoga and Pilates it provides. "Total body stretches, warm-ups, yoga poses and balance, and lots of Pilates core work for the abs, back and glutes. We end each class with an inversion pose, followed by 5 to 10 minutes of relaxation. I go home happy, relaxed and glad that I did something for me!"
Soundari Krishnan says yogalates "helps me to be a good mother." Mom to a 12- and 7-year-old, and working full-time, the Stamford resident unwinds with the sessions, which also leave her exhilarated. "It's a special time just for me, and when I go home, I'm relaxed and more patient."
"The best part of yogalates is an overall sense of well-being, better posture, stronger backs and abdominals and improved flexibility," says Frances Goulart, who also teaches in Ridgefield's continuing ed program. "Students learn how to breathe more deeply, which, itself, improves energy and calmness."
Goulart says she tries to make sure people learning yogalates realize that it's a process of educating your mind and your muscles "that requires more than two classes. It's a transformative process. Mind-body workouts like yogalates are non-competitive. You are exploring your own potential. It's about the journey, not about mastering a set of poses. It doesn't matter what the person next to you is doing."
Fees can range from $95-$117 at Ridgefield Continuing Education for up to 10 sessions, while $180 will buy a month of unlimited sessions at Pilates of Stamford.
Goulart believes yogalates has become so popular because people are curious about both yoga and Pilates but haven't time to explore both. "It becomes two workouts in one. What could be better than that?" HL
Deborah DiSesa Hirsch
Updated 03:14 p.m., Monday, March 21, 2011
Printable Version
Email This
Georgia (default)
Verdana
Times New Roman
Arial
Font
Gallery.View More Items
Even the threat of a blizzard couldn't keep them from coming. Lithe and lean, six women dressed in black took off their shoes, spread out their purple mats and got ready for their yogalates class.
Around since the 1920s (some even believe the late 1800s), yogalates is designed to get the mind and body moving in harmony, says Pam Giambrone, owner of Pilates of Stamford, which offers multiple sessions of yogalates. Its popularity grew in the 1990s after Jonathan Urla, a fitness and dance instructor, trademarked his Yogilates workout, writing a book, offering classes and creating DVDs and videos for home use. Yogalates combines yoga and Pilates, creating exercises that use the balance, breathing and control of yoga with the core movements of Pilates, which target the pelvic and abdominal muscles.
This night, in Giambrone's small Stamford studio, the yogalates class is in full swing. Though the emphasis is definitely on exercise ("We make it a real workout here," says instructor Kassie Anderson), the session begins quietly, with attention to breathing.
"Pilates is more linear movement than yoga," says Giambrone. "What yogalates gives you is strength and stretching."
Says class member Kathy Lazarus of Stamford, "This class gives me core strength and stretching. I have low back pain from having kids and the abdominal exercises remind me to stand up straight. I feel good when I'm done. I want to be able to bend over when I'm old." She grins.
Laurie Mayper teaches yogalates at continuing education classes in Wilton and Ridgefield and her classes are attended mostly by moms in their 30s to 50s. "Yogalates is more exercise than traditional yoga because that's usually what people come for," she says. "Traditional yoga has many styles, from super-gentle stretching to very vigorous sequences where you work up a great sweat. Yoga develops strength, flexibility and balance, and Pilates strengthens the core muscles -- abdominals, buttocks and low back. Put them together and you have yogalates. The focus is always the breath and union of body, mind, spirit."
Focus and breathing are integral to yogalates. Anderson starts the session with a soft, "Inhale. Feel your chest expanding as you inhale and exhale," much like a traditional yoga class. The room is as still as a church as the women concentrate.
"Keep your hips in line with your shoulders. Press yourself up to your high plane. Walk your feet a hip length apart. Hands behind your neck, and bend over." Each body makes a sharp "V."
"Float your leg up like you're touching the ceiling," and the women all gracefully assume a position that looks more like torture, forehead to knee, leaning forward, leg angling toward the sky. Nobody looks to be in pain.
Janine Salvey of Trumbull explains it best. "Yogalates appeals to me because it's the best of both worlds. I feel more in touch with my mental and spiritual self, as well as my own individual body. I feel clean, relaxed and exhilarated when the session is done ¦ and I crave more! It's great that the instructor can sneak in a few abdominal workouts, which are just one of life's little necessities, along with the `feel good' stuff."
Even people who traditionally have done other kinds of exercise, such as running, find a lot to like. Says Judy McBride, who takes yogalates at Ridgefield Continuing Ed, "I have been an avid exerciser all of my life. I've belonged to various health clubs, have exercise equipment at home -- which I actually use -- and taken other exercise classes at schools. So, when I started yogalates, I had a good background for comparison. Right away I knew I found the perfect fit for me!"
McBride says she loves the blend of yoga and Pilates it provides. "Total body stretches, warm-ups, yoga poses and balance, and lots of Pilates core work for the abs, back and glutes. We end each class with an inversion pose, followed by 5 to 10 minutes of relaxation. I go home happy, relaxed and glad that I did something for me!"
Soundari Krishnan says yogalates "helps me to be a good mother." Mom to a 12- and 7-year-old, and working full-time, the Stamford resident unwinds with the sessions, which also leave her exhilarated. "It's a special time just for me, and when I go home, I'm relaxed and more patient."
"The best part of yogalates is an overall sense of well-being, better posture, stronger backs and abdominals and improved flexibility," says Frances Goulart, who also teaches in Ridgefield's continuing ed program. "Students learn how to breathe more deeply, which, itself, improves energy and calmness."
Goulart says she tries to make sure people learning yogalates realize that it's a process of educating your mind and your muscles "that requires more than two classes. It's a transformative process. Mind-body workouts like yogalates are non-competitive. You are exploring your own potential. It's about the journey, not about mastering a set of poses. It doesn't matter what the person next to you is doing."
Fees can range from $95-$117 at Ridgefield Continuing Education for up to 10 sessions, while $180 will buy a month of unlimited sessions at Pilates of Stamford.
Goulart believes yogalates has become so popular because people are curious about both yoga and Pilates but haven't time to explore both. "It becomes two workouts in one. What could be better than that?" HL
Monday, February 28, 2011
What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?
Do you press down hard? Slant your writing to the left? What does your handwriting say about you? Go to
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Riddle-Me-This-1028811.php
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Riddle-Me-This-1028811.php
Saturday, February 5, 2011
WinterFedUp II
If you'd rather read it here:
OK, Winter, you win. I surrender.
Published: 06:51 p.m., Friday, February 4, 2011
Comments (0) 0
Share
Larger | Smaller
Printable Version
Email This
Georgia (default)
Verdana
Times New Roman
Arial
Font
Other News
Trinity Catholic's Shawn Robinson signs with Central Conn. football
New Canaan's Macari signs with Georgetown
Connecticut companies brace for defense budget changesPage 1 of 1
I admit I liked the first couple of storms, watching the flakes drift down, draping the trees in white. Not so much the next few, when the branches started to snap.
Winter, you won me back on my early morning jogs, the moon lighting up the snow (though I did have to dodge the snow plows, and came close to getting squashed more times than I'd like to count).
Pity the poor plow drivers. I overheard one yelling he'd been up 27 hours. (Hmm, how safe are we with them behind the wheel?) Even they are getting sick of you (and they're the only ones making money).
You've made the streets so dangerous. With so much snow and nowhere to go, intersections are inch out, if you dare. Who knew driving could be fraught with such fear? And the streets themselves. How many places are just one car length wide? Before these storms, on dry streets, no one ever gave the right-of-way. Now we all do. Maybe we're just afraid. Hey, at least we've all learned a new word. Tertiary.
There's something about all this snow that makes me feel unsettled. Maybe it's the routine of my life interrupted. For one thing, kids home more days than they're in school. I love being with my son but I love it even more when he's in school.
I went to school in Syracuse and this is a Syracuse Winter. A tower downtown used to light its tip in white when it was going to snow. It was white every night. This is starting to feel like that. I'd like to use my rake for leaves, not for knocking down icicles.
It could be worse, like North Dakota, which currently has 25 feet of snow and where they allegedly top telephone poles with flags so that the plows can find the road.
But actually, I do see a good side to all of this. Drivers are more patient, it seems, more willing to let others go first when there's a huge snow drift blocking one side of the road. And there's no honking when you're stopped to turn left and there's now no lane to get around you.
I don't know how long this will last, but man, we're all getting a little tired of you, Old Man Winter. We just can't get out of your grip. They say we had more snow in 1995 but I'm finding it hard to believe. At least we can take pride in knowing that, at this point in that winter, we had less. Most of it came in February and March. Hey wait, I'm not offering you any encouragement!
Deborah DiSesa Hirsch is a writer living in Stamford.
Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/OK-Winter-you-win-I-surrender-997455.php#ixzz1D6wkTGC0
OK, Winter, you win. I surrender.
Published: 06:51 p.m., Friday, February 4, 2011
Comments (0) 0
Share
Larger | Smaller
Printable Version
Email This
Georgia (default)
Verdana
Times New Roman
Arial
Font
Other News
Trinity Catholic's Shawn Robinson signs with Central Conn. football
New Canaan's Macari signs with Georgetown
Connecticut companies brace for defense budget changesPage 1 of 1
I admit I liked the first couple of storms, watching the flakes drift down, draping the trees in white. Not so much the next few, when the branches started to snap.
Winter, you won me back on my early morning jogs, the moon lighting up the snow (though I did have to dodge the snow plows, and came close to getting squashed more times than I'd like to count).
Pity the poor plow drivers. I overheard one yelling he'd been up 27 hours. (Hmm, how safe are we with them behind the wheel?) Even they are getting sick of you (and they're the only ones making money).
You've made the streets so dangerous. With so much snow and nowhere to go, intersections are inch out, if you dare. Who knew driving could be fraught with such fear? And the streets themselves. How many places are just one car length wide? Before these storms, on dry streets, no one ever gave the right-of-way. Now we all do. Maybe we're just afraid. Hey, at least we've all learned a new word. Tertiary.
There's something about all this snow that makes me feel unsettled. Maybe it's the routine of my life interrupted. For one thing, kids home more days than they're in school. I love being with my son but I love it even more when he's in school.
I went to school in Syracuse and this is a Syracuse Winter. A tower downtown used to light its tip in white when it was going to snow. It was white every night. This is starting to feel like that. I'd like to use my rake for leaves, not for knocking down icicles.
It could be worse, like North Dakota, which currently has 25 feet of snow and where they allegedly top telephone poles with flags so that the plows can find the road.
But actually, I do see a good side to all of this. Drivers are more patient, it seems, more willing to let others go first when there's a huge snow drift blocking one side of the road. And there's no honking when you're stopped to turn left and there's now no lane to get around you.
I don't know how long this will last, but man, we're all getting a little tired of you, Old Man Winter. We just can't get out of your grip. They say we had more snow in 1995 but I'm finding it hard to believe. At least we can take pride in knowing that, at this point in that winter, we had less. Most of it came in February and March. Hey wait, I'm not offering you any encouragement!
Deborah DiSesa Hirsch is a writer living in Stamford.
Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/OK-Winter-you-win-I-surrender-997455.php#ixzz1D6wkTGC0
WinterFedUp
Just about had it with winter? Read my take on it, http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/OK-Winter-you-win-I-surrender-997455.php
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Act Like a Pro
Want to turn your life around? See how the pros think, and how they make things happen.
http://www.healthylifect.com/default/article/Sports-Minded-How-to-focus-on-life-like-a-pro-934403.php
http://www.healthylifect.com/default/article/Sports-Minded-How-to-focus-on-life-like-a-pro-934403.php
#don'ttouchit
I just hate it when radio stations change their formats. Here's why:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/When-it-comes-to-music-don-t-change-that-station-916272.php
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/default/article/When-it-comes-to-music-don-t-change-that-station-916272.php
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)