From Long Island Wins: November 17, 2011

One Set of Facts, One Unavoidable Conclusion

In any debate, it’s said, each party is entitled to its own opinion. But not its own set of facts.

That’s why it’s so exciting that there’s been yet another important step in establishing a single set of facts about the contributions of immigrants to Long Island.

The Fiscal Policy Institute is out with a new study titled New Americans on Long Island, a Vital Sixth of the Economy. And while the whole thing is worth reading – it’s posted on the Long Island Wins website - we’ll skip to the good parts: the report finds that immigrants make up 16 percent of Long Island’s population and 17 percent of its economic output.

Over 60 ... And Getting Younger

The Paths Not Taken

When I was a teenager I was positive that I would someday be a writer in Hollywood. I fantasized that I would write scripts that would be Oscar-nominees that the world would view on the silver screen. It never quite happened.

I went to City College of New York and in my coursework I did very well in German Studies. When I told my mother I intended to become a teacher of German, she was shocked. Her immediate answer was “No”, and that took care of that career.

A Bird’s Eye View: November 10, 2011

When Leaves Fall, Starlings Flock

On a mid-November morning long puddles line a curb on an uphill street in Woodbury. They are filled with red and yellow leaves looking like summer garlands. Woodbury Road is choked with leaves that my sneakers push out of the way with a whooshing sound. It’s as if a tickertape parade has gone by and autumn’s pageant is winding down.

High on one of the tall, bare trees that line the street is the unmistakable form of a hawk. As I get closer the raptor turns in my direction. It’s a red-tailed hawk and judging by the large size, probably a female. I’d like a closer look but have, as usual, forgotten to bring binoculars despite reminding myself to do so when I go for a walk.

Over 60 ... And Getting Younger: November 3, 2011

What Is Really, Truly, Important?

I have just returned from a memorial celebration for my niece, Marla Silver. Marla died at age 48 after a yearlong bout with esophageal cancer. It was a tough fight, but at the end, the cancer was the victor.

The memorial celebration was held on Oct. 29 at the London Grove Friends Meeting House in Pennsylvania. I had never been to a Quaker Meeting House before. The benches were of unvarnished wood, but the service was direct and sincere. Actually, Marla herself planned the entire program, although she did not plan the weather: huge snowflakes covered the trees and the ground.

Liver Lines: November 3, 2011

I must say that the newly approved hepatitis C treatments have been a pleasant surprise. In May of this year, the FDA approved two new combination therapies for patients with hepatitis C. These therapies are a combination of two older medications, pegylated interferon and ribavirin and a new pill class of medications called a protease inhibitor. The two new protease inhibitors are named boceprevir and telaprevir. These new medications are pills, which a patient must take every eight hours for a time period ranging from three months to 44 weeks.

Over 60 ... And Getting Younger: October 27, 2011

The Retirement Years

When I retired from dentistry on November 4, 1994 (but who’s counting?) I was positive that some whiz-bang American company would pick me up and hire me for a position that I would enjoy.

Here it is, 17 years later, and that wonderful offer has not shown up yet. After all, I consider myself talented and interesting and I ran a successful dental practice for 48 years. What is the matter with these tycoons and industrialists?

Parenthood Plus: October 27, 2011

Connections Count

There are times that I feel as if I am being buried alive, one tablespoon of tabloid dirt at a time. It would be redundant to name the culprits. Besides, they all blur together in blaring headlines accompanied by a steady beat of sneering and self-righteous talking heads.

I wonder what young people think of the endless parade of public figures —government officials, businessmen, entertainers and professional athletes—crashing and burning before their eyes. Then again, maybe they have other things on their minds.

Over 60 ... And Getting Younger: October 20, 2011

‘America, America’

Europe – too expensive?

The Euro – too strong versus the dollar?

Language Problems?

The Hudson River Valley is “the landscape that defined America.”

How about a railroad trip up the Hudson River? Lorraine and I are going to a Bar Mitzvah in Albany, the state capital.

Over 60…And Getting Younger: October 13, 2011

77

Men usually gauge their lives by the amount of years that their father lived. When they approach that number, they get uneasy and a bit uncomfortable. It has no rational basis, but it is just a rule of thumb or a bad guess.

My birthday is Oct. 13, 1934. That calculates out to 77 years on Thursday. Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America day is Oct. 12, 1492. I always joked that “I was born on the day after Chris discovered America.” “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue!”

A Bird’s Eye View: October 13, 2011

Migrating Raptors Leave ‘Footprints’

Last year, the first Saturday in October had the makings of a big day at the Fire Island Hawk Watch. The wind was out of the northwest and a cold front had come through after a previous day of rain, indicating that a large number of migrating raptors should be flying by.

The hawk watch platform itself is a two-tiered wooden structure designed for hawk watchers to count migrating raptors during the fall. The upper tier has an excellent view of the horizon, but today space there is scarce. I stay below where there are three photographers. During the course of the day, the images on their camera screens are going to change how I think about bird photography and will have an unconscious effect on me that I won’t realize for nearly a year.