Rant #3,856: Beginnings

Today is the last day of 2025, and all I can is--

Good riddance.

This is another year that was not very kind to my family or myself, and I am happy that it is ending today.

Another year of heartache, another year of frustration, another year of health worries ...

And on a global scale, this was probably one of the worst years in recent memory for the rise in anti-Jewish, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic rhetoric and action.

Yes, 2025 was the same old, same old for myself, my wife, and our son, and I just hope that 2026 brings a new beginning for the three of us, and for the world, too.

On a personal note, 2025 was much the same as 2024 was, as 2023 was ...

I don't think that my family and I have had a really memorable year since 1995, the year our son was born.

And I don't mean that as a joke. I mean it because it is true.

The real downfall began in October 2019, when I lost my job, and we have been in a spiral ever since.

However we get over one crisis, another one rears its ugly head, and we have to get out of that one, and then the next one happens.

January is a busy month, as I go to doctor after doctor after doctor to hopefully cure my ills.

Although it is a super-busy month on the health scene, hopefully it will be a month where I can be cured and rid of what I have, and I can move on with my life.

And yes, I still hope to be fully retired, but I know that that is nothing more than a pipe dream at this point--

And yes, I am very, very careful about what I wish and hope for in this regard, because it could be far worse than it really is ... in a way, I am pretty lucky with what I have, and I do not want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Another thing that I don't want to downplay is the history of this Blog, which will celebrate its 17th anniversary on May 4.

The Blog has been a revelation to me, and I love having an open book on my feelings and beliefs for all to see.

I don't tell you everything, but I tell you enough so that if you are a regular reader--and I know, there are many of you out there from around the world--you have kind of gotten to know me over the past nearly 17 years, and that makes me happy.

It is the proper way to use the Internet and social media, and I really enjoy doing it during weekdays--

And as you know, I am all over Facebook every day, run a couple of sites on that platform, and when it is used properly, it really is a fun way to enliven your day.

2026 won't be any different in that regard.

And in July, we celebrate the 250th anniversary of this great country--a collective party on July 4 where, hopefully, we can all put aside our differences and rejoice in the fact that we live in the greatest country in the world.

And yes, as usual, I have a couple of tricks up my sleeve that I won't go into just yet.

So with just a little bit left in 2025, let me just say that I, again, have the same hope that I have every new year, and this year will be no different:

That the new year is a great year for all of us.

I will take off on January 1, 2026, and speak to you again on Friday as we all experience the first days of the new year.

"Auld Lang Syne" and all of that stuff!

Have a great New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

It might be the beginning of something big!

Rant #3,855: Open Sesame

My wife had a dental appointment yesterday, so I took her to the office.

Work is slow this week, so normally, I wouldn't have the time to do this, but on Monday, I did.

My work meeting was canceled, so I had this extra time on my hands.

I simply wanted to get out of the house, and it was raining, so I felt it was the perfect time to drive her to her appointment.

Nothing much else is doing right now in my neck of the woods.

My son got me an eBay gift card for Hanukkah, so I decided to use it, and bought a couple of things with it 

I have been happy with my purchases--

Except for one LP.

I finally decided to play it this past weekend, and the moment I took it out of its sleeve, I knew it was going to be trouble--

With a capital T.

Not only did the vinyl records have numerous and very viable cuts and bruises on it, it was absolutely filthy--

Like in dirty.

It was if it was buried under the sand, with numerous dirt blotches all over it.

So before even attempting to play this mess, I tried to clean it with a dry cloth, but it was so dirty and filthy, and had so many cuts in the vinyl, that i had to resort to using a damp cloth, which did clean up a lot of the dirt residue, but not all of it.

I did the best job I could, and immediately contacted eBay and the seller for a refund.

I described the problem with the seller, who thought I was being nasty about the whole thing, but I later found out that the seller obtained the record from a storage unit sale--

AND HAD NOT CHECKED THE RECORD OUT AT ALL BEFORE POSTING IT!

The seller and I came to an agreement for a refund, and after several hours, we came to an agreement for a refund.

Why the seller didn't actually inspect the merchandise to begin with is beyond me--

If the seller had done this, the record would have been thrown into the dumpster immediately.

The seller later told me that she/he sold things on eBay to help her/his family, but how are you helping your family if you send out defective product and you have to make a refund?

I don't get it at all, I really don't. 

And by the way, I did eventually play the LP, and three of the album's nine songs do not play correctly, and that is after the cleaning I gave it--

Without the cleaning, I will bet that absolutely nothing would have played.

So the moral of the story is that if you do not open up your mouth when things go awry, you are doomed to be disappointed.

Heck, my wife opened up her mouth at the dentist--

And it paid off for her, too.

No cavities!

Rant #3,854: Winter Wonderland

We were hit this weekend with another covering of snow.

This is the second somewhat substantial snowfall we have been pelted with in the last two weeks, and we aren't even out of December yet.

We have been pretty lucky during the past few years, but this year--and into 2026--seems to be the period where Mother Nature plays catch up--

I mean, you can't fool Mother Nature.

My wife and I cleaned off our cars, and we kept our outside meanderings to a minimum.

I am happy that I no longer have to clean the sidewalk, but I still hate the snow.

I still have to really watch myself, because one thing I don't need is another fall.

And it is just so messy and icy and a nuisance at this point of my life.

My son had to work on Sunday, so while it was hard enough for him to work in this mess, at least he didn't work when the snow was coming down.

And again, we are still in December, so you can bet we aren't done with the snow with January, February, March and even early April still to come.

And that doesn't even count the cold temperatures and winds, which makes things even more miserable.

It's winter!

What can anyone expect?

Just think, every day we get by in winter puts us one day closer to summer ...

Just think that while you are shoveling snow in the bitter cold.

I guarantee it will give you a warm feeling inside ...

Sort of.

And I was also hit this weekend with a bit of a surprise.

Yes, I am a star again.

My July 23  letter to the editor related to late-night show hosts was included in Long Island Newsday's "Letters of 2025" section in the Sunday newspaper.

It is on page A28.

It was about the late-night hosts, and how maybe they could take a few pointers from Johnny Carson on how to talk about things "down the middle" rather than be so obvious and direct in their brickbats.

Thanks to Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and the others for making this letter possible.

Maybe it is a good omen for the coming year.

I have a full plate come January, but at least I can say that I had one of the best letters published in the newspaper in 2025.

That accolade won't get me very far, but at least it is something.

The pen truly Is mightier than the sword ...

But you can't shovel snow with a pen, and I just know we aren't done with visits by the white stuff this winter and into 2026.

Get ready! It's coming!

Rant #3,853: Turn Down Day

How was your Christmas Day?

My family and I ended up doing absolutely nothing.

Heck, we didn't even eat Chinese food for a good old "Jewish Christmas" celebration.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

I did some work--no holidays for this supposedly retired curmudgeon--watched some TV, did some digitizing of my records, heck, I even slept later than normal--

But we ended up doing not much of anything.

Today is December 26, which in my family, means it is my sister's birthday ...

So happy birthday to her.

But it is also the first day of Kwanzaa, a holiday I knew about way before even many blacks did because of where I grew up, in Rochdale Village, Queens.

It is a celebration that was created on the West Coast, and it was originally tied into the nascent "Back to Africa" movement of the mid-1960s, when many blacks were pushing to move back to their roots in Africa, and primarily to Liberia.

Anyway, happy Kwanzaa to those who celebrate--

And beginning next year, December 26 will be a federal holiday, so federal workers will have Kwanzaa off, whether they know about the holiday or not, as part of an extended holiday celebration, not because of Kwanzaa specifically.

In England, today is Boxing Day, where Christmas revelers are supposed to give out any unwanted presents to those in need.

Personally, I never received a Hanukkah present I didn't need, but that is me.

So today, December 26, is a major day on the calendar, whether we all realize it or not.

For me, it is simply another day to do work, watch TV, and pretty much do absolutely nothing.

It would be a really significant day for me if I could really retire, but as they say, that ain't happening anytime soon, on December 26 or any other day.

So have a wonderful December 26, and a great weekend, and I will speak to you again on Monday, December 29, the last Monday of this less-than-glorious year of 2025.

2026 is coming ...

And notice that the last two digits of the year are the same as today's date.

26

Will the year turn out to be as memorable as today will turn out to be?

Who knows?

Rant #3,852: Do It Again

Tonight it is Christmas Eve, leading into Christmas Day, and to celebrate the occasion, I am going to repost one of my absolutely favorite Blog entries--

From all the way back to September 25, 2016.

This Rant, #410, discusses what Jews like myself and my family do on Christmas Day.

This entry is slightly edited, bit it is as timely as it was nine years ago.

Here it is.

"This is a seemingly age-old question.

With much of the country celebrating Christmas, what do those that don't celebrate this holiday do on December 25?

Well, I can't speak for Muslims, atheists, or other groups that don't celebrate the holiday, but I can speak for Jewish people, since I am one.

Rather than go with the flow, like many Jews do--and what I mean by that is that they actually have the audacity to set up their homes as if they celebrated Christmas, including lighting "Hanukkah bushes"--many Jews, including myself, take a philosophical approach to the whole thing.

We look at it as a day off, and little more.

Sure, the rest of the world, or at least our world, celebrates this holiday, and we are bombarded by the media so we don't forget that fact.

But for me, it is simply a day off.

So we take slight advantage of being off on the holiday, but really, only a slight advantage.

You've probably heard the term "Jewish Christmas," which characterizes what some ignorant people feel about Hanukkah, which just ended. I find this truly repugnant, but to illustrate what many Jews do on Christmas, I am using it here. 

What Jews do on Christmas while they have a day off is to go to the movies and eat either kosher deli or Chinese food.

Yes, that is what we do.

The movies have always been open on Christmas for as long as I can remember. So we take our families and see whatever movies are playing.

And as for eating, well, the standard used to be that kosher deli and Chinese food were the only things available on Christmas day, but that is changing.

Many fast food restaurants now open on Christmas Day. I know that Burger King started this practice a few years ago, and now other such establishments are following suit.

Honestly, I have no problem with this. I am sure they are paying their workers (or at least I hope they are paying their workers) double and triple overtime for working this day. And on my end, why should I not have this choice of food if that is what I want (probably not, but I should still have the choice).

So now you know what Jews do on Christmas. I am sure many of us go visiting our non-Jewish friends on this day, but it is really funny, most Jews I know go to the movies and eat Chinese food on December 25.

Sometimes, it is nice being on the outside looking in."

This year, tonight, we will be going to my wife's youngest brother's home, and on the big day, my family and I are visiting my sister and her family, so the movies are out, and who knows what we will be eating?

But it should be two fun days.

In the past, particularly when the kids were young, we would go to a movie and eat Chinese food, but today, the prices are outrageous for less-than-worth-it product on both ends, but I bet that if we weren't going to my sister on Christmas, we would at least have Chinese food to nosh on.

Have a great holiday, and I will be back at the blog on Friday, December 26, which happens to be my sister's birthday, Boxing Day in England, Kwanzaa, and now, due to our President's thinking, one of our newest federal holidays, implemented simply to extend the holiday cheer another day (along with today, supposedly for federal workers only).

I remember that at my former job, there were one or two December 24ths that I was the only employee there, because everyone else took off that day. The higher-ups were in and out, and I remember that one of those years, I had to work a full day, which made no sense, since the people we dealt with in Washington and around the world were also off, but heck, I couldn't say I needed off to finish my Christmas shopping, could I now?

In fact, the President's proclamation--which is not in effect this year--makes Hanukkah the only one of the "major" winter holidays without a day off for followers and non-followers alike, but since the holiday is on a different day every year--due to the use of a different calendar, some years it is even in November--it is hard to give a day off to a holiday that is so fluid in motion.

That's OK--as I said a thousand times, Hanukkah does not have to compete with the other holidays, as it as unique from the other celebrations as can be.

So whatever holiday you follow, have a good one, and I will see you back here on Friday.

Rant #3,851: Frustration

Technology is wonderful when it works--

But when it doesn't, the user is in trouble.

And that user was me yesterday.

I don't know if you had this problem, but Yahoo Mail was down for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon.

I had no trouble getting it on my phone, but on my computer, it kept telling me that my mail was not available, and that I should try again--

Which i ended up doing, to no avail, several times.

For remote workers, email is the link between you and your employer.

Yes, I do use other mail programs than Yahoo Mail, but on my main, desktop computer, where I do all of my writing and editing, a properly running email is essential, and I--and presumably others--didn't have that tool for the better part of the afterrnoon.

I went on a tutorial to try to find out what the problem was, but it wasn't helpful.

After intermittently going back and forth trying to get into my email, I tried one last time at about 4:45; p.m., and lo and behold, it was seemingly back to normal.

Maybe Yahoo was doing work on their email, but if that was the case, they should have alerted users beforehand to this situation.

Instead, they left us high and dry, and it wasn't a good feeling--

Especially when my scanner was not working correctly.

For some reason, the scanner would not scan images in color.

I never experienced such a problem before, and faced with this dilemma, I did everything I could think of to rectify the problem.

I unplugged the scanner, and then replugged it back in to reboot it--

I reloaded the scanner program, and then several other scanner programs with both newer and older variations of the program I already use--

I checked online to see if others had experienced the same problem--

But no matter what I did, I could not get the scanner to scan in color.

After about two solid hours of trying to figure this out in between my frustrations with my non-working email, I got a brainstorm at about the same time that I got my email back--

Which was to change the source that was listed in the on-screen scanner program.

I had no idea what it had been before, but at first I changed it to "color" which did not work--

But in a true scanner Hail Mary, I tried "color text"--and it worked!

So on my last try, I hit the bullseye, and boy, after two hours of frustration, I think I figured it all out.

I have absolutely no idea how this area got out of whack, but i must have, unknowingly, touched something that eventually threw everything into chaos.

So as of the moment, everything looks to be working correctly, and I will certainly test both of them later today to make sure I am right about that.

Technology is great, but it can also be very frustrating.

Anyone for snail mail and mimeograph machines?

Rant #3,850: It's Hard

Hanukkah 2025 is done and over with, and I have to say, this was a very difficult holiday to celebrate this year.

The holiday started out fine, as we got out our menorah again, my wife put up a smattering of holiday decorations, and we got our cards and presents together to give out on the first night.

But then, our composure were broken--perhaps forever--by the senseless massacre of Jews during a Hanukkah celebration in Australia.

Jews were shot at by a father-and-son radicalized assassination team, simply and only because they were Jewish.

One shooter was shot dead, and his son, although hit, too, survived and is in custody.

The country has since fallen all over itself condemning this incident, but the fact of the matter is thst Australia, and other coward countries, have announced that they support a Palestinian state, so as they believe the Hamas lies, what could they truly expect, enabling and empowering these lunatics.

Anti-Jewish, anti-Israel and anti-Semitic hate crimes are on the rise, and this sentiment is many times worse on social media, where there are no rules, no laws, and anyone can put up just about anything they want, no matter how vile and hate-filled these messages are.

Yesterday, I saw a post where there was a picture of Anne Frank--who perished during the Holocaust and whose story is known the world over for her faith and determination against all odds--wearing a kefillah scarf.

As I am sure you know, the scarf is one of the trademarks of the Intifada, and is worn by protestors who support the annihilation of Jews.

So what is the connection between Anne Frank and the kefillah?

There evidently is a painting of Frank hanging somewhere that shows this same image, and the poster noted that if Frank were alive today, she would side with her Palestinian brothers and sisters in the fight against Israel and Jewry in general.

I have no idea how the poster equated Frank with the Palestinians, other than the person writing that Frank was "compassionate" and would "have understood the plight of these people," so she would side with them.

There were so many likes to the post that it nauseated me.

One post even suggested that Frank actually never lived, was simply a symbol used by Zionists, and that she used a ballpoint pen to write in her diary, years before the ballpoint pen was invented.

Yes, you read that right.

Of course, I couldn't let that go, and I let the poster and the others have it, and funny, I haven't seen that post since--maybe it was taken down, or maybe I was banned from it, but so be it.

This type of hatred is all over the place now, legitimized by those who find Jew-hating, Jew-bating or whatever you want to call it "chic" and the thing to do.

Heck, I saw one post elsewhere that actually had the audacity to blame President Trump for the atrocity in Australia--

And from an Australian yet.

Of course that imbecile turned a blind eye to the fact that anti-Semitism in that country has gone unchecked in recent times.

I think that what she was implying is that Trump, and the United States, has not jumped on board with the "Palestinian state" nonsense, so he is to blame because he is not part of a united front against Israel.

I let that poster have it too.

We had a very nice Hanukkah party with family members on Saturday, and we will see some other family members later this week to continue to celebrate.

Howver, last night was the final night of Hanukkah.

This was a very difficult holiday to celebrate in 2025, but we did the best that we could, and proudly put our menorah in our window for everyone to see.

There are not too many Jews in the development we live in, but even if we are the only ones, that would not prevent me from lighting our menorah.

As we did during the first night, on the final night, we had to light the candles and say the prayers a little bit early, because our son had to go to work right after we said the prayers and lit the lights.

Nothing stopped us from lighting these lights, the eight lights of the holiday, and nothing ever will.

Rant #3,849: I Wanna Know

As we end this horrid week, I want to take some time to comment on politics, a subject I really don't like to talk about that much, but, I feel I have to say something right now, as we enter the waning days of this God-forsaken year.

Let's talk about President Trump.

I agree with many of his policies, others I don't.

He is actually making it harder for the Republican's future choice for President with his bully tactics.

He ran on the back of people and their pocketbooks, and he has not yet delivered on that platform.

And don't think people will soon forget about his Rob Reiner comments, where he took even a lower road than Reiner ever did.

I am telling you, whoever runs for President on the Republican side is going to fighting uphill from the get go.

And if he/she loses, Trump will assuredly run off his mouth, distancing himself from the loser.

I won't vote Democrat, and I didn't vote for Trump this time around (I wrote in a candidate), but he is dooming his own party with his hijinks and not being able to fulfill his campaign promises to us peons.

He is not a terrible President, he is actually a good one, but the way he handles things resonates poorly with the populace.

He needs to really, really, curb his tongue on some things, or at least do his own self-censoring.

And more importantly, the last time I looked, prices at the supermarket--which directly impacts your and my pocketbook--are out of control.

I was in a local supermarket the other day, and a large bag of a specific brand of potato chips was--

$7.

You read right--

$7.

Not that I will die if I don't pony up the cash for that bag of potato chips, but this is outrageous, and is symptomatic of the wild ride up the scale seemingly all groceries have gone through since he became President again.

Look, I know that he is cleaning up a lot of the mess that the ineffective Democrats created for us during their term in the top office, but I don't think the President realizes how much that is hurting all of us--

Nor did the Democrats, for that matter.

And with all of the problems we face, this is the thing that gets to people the most, that prices are completely out of control, whether he acknowledges that or not.

Like I said, he ran on our pocketbooks, he won on our pocketbooks, and now, our pocketbooks are being fleeced, and he seems to be out of touch with that fact.

He ran with our pocketbooks in mind, but his policies--including tariffs--have completely backfired, whether he was right in imposing them or not.

It has filtered down to us regular Joes and Janes, and the only way, it seems, to remedy this is to use our right to vote--

And I do believe he is digging a hole for his party that will be inescapable to the next Republican who takes up the challenge of running this country.

Personally, the Democrats are no better, but all of this is happening under President Trump's watch--

And the watch seems to be badly in need of repair--

As soon as possible.

Have a great weekend, and i will speak to you again on Monday.

Rant #3,848: Head Games

It simply does not end for me.

I received a call late Tuesday from the dermatologist, and one of those lesions that were removed from my scalp last week is cancerous.

It must be fully removed--that means going deeper into my scalp, a place where there is no meat to begin with--and I have to see another doctor, other than my own, to have this done.

They wanted me to take a picture of the lesion with my phone, believe it or not, and send it to them, and as you can imagine, that didn't work out too well, so I had to return to the dermatologist's office and have them take the picture.

My doctor did such a good job getting most of it out, and it had healed so well, that the attendant had to, literally, look for it, and highlight it with a purple marker so she could take a suitable picture of it.

This other doctor studied the photo, and then scheduled the surgery, and yes, that is what it is, surgery--

Slated for the tail end of January.

Just what I need to hear during the holiday season.

I have had one or two cancerous lesions on my scalp and face removed during the past 10 years or so, but they were always removed by my regular doctor--

So I expect that this one is much worse, in particular, where it is located.

It is the one time I am happy that I have no hair on my head, but there isn't much meat there, either, so it is probably a bit more difficult to fully remove.

I am not looking forward to this procedure at all.

I go from the frying pan into the fire with these things, and one day I am happy and relieved that I don't have to have one of these things, and the very next day, I am thrust into the front of the firing line once again.

I only have one thing to say about all of this ... or maybe a couple of things.

First, I am glad that they found this thing in its early stages, and that it can be removed before it gets any worse.

Next, some people are prone to these skin lesions. They are NOT skin tags as some people claim them to be. Most are not cancerous, but all you need is one.

Check your skin, if you find any discrepancies from the norm, see a dermatologist.

DO NOT treat them yourself with those phony creams and snake oil cures.

You can actually save your life by simply seeing a doctor. These things are highly treatable and curable, and the sooner the better.

I happen to have a great doctor related to these things, so I am actually pretty lucky.

Now I have to deal with this as we go through the holidays and the year reaches its end.

Honestly, this has not been a great year for myself and my family, and the sooner the year ends, the better.

I want 2026 to be a better year than this year, a real worry-free year.

Until this thing gets done, it weighs on my head, figuratively and literally.

I want to be well, and I want to be healthy.

That will be a true holiday present to myself.

Rant #3,847: Talk Talk

Oy!

Look, we were all surprised, and saddened, by Rob Reiner's death.

Although he was a very political person, the grief went across all political lines.

You get that when you are a well-known celebrity.

Few cared about his politics.

And the way he and his wife left us ... I mean, just horrible.

And then, President Trump stuck his nose into this horror, and, well, he did it in the WRONG way.

Whether you loved him or hated him, the way he and his wife left us was horrid.

Reiner could be vulgar himself, especially against President Trump, and he made several horrific posts against the President that really defy description.

However, President Trump took the low road in his posts about the death of Reiner.

It was the perfect opportunity to show that he was a better person than Reiner was, but he dropped the ball entirely.

Those posts showed that both Reiner and the President do actually share one trait: they could both be vulgar, rude and horrific at times.

Sorry, the President should have known better, and should have done better.

People are backing the President on what he said based on Reiner's past posts that were virulently and vulgarly against him, but you know what?

There is no defense for what the President said.

NONE.

Reiner's posts were pretty bad, I must say, and they were stridently against the President, and most importantly, what he stood for.

But in lieu of Reiner's death, and the way he died, I would think the President would have taken the high road, but instead, his posts about this passing were just as bad as Reiner's when he was alive.

"If you have nothing good to say ... ."

I get that, but I wonder if the President does.

He could have said nothing, and that would have sufficed.

He could have said something better than what he ended up saying, and that would have sufficed.

Instead, he said something repulsive, and that does not suffice.

To me, Reiner will always be the "Meathead" of "All in the Family" fame, and while he had a lot of success as a director, to me, he will always be that liberal volley to Archie Bunker's stereotypical conservative troll.

I really didn't care about his real-life political stance, nor did I of Carroll O'Connor's, who was as much a bleeding heart liberal as anyone in Hollywood at the time.

O'Connor played against type; Reiner basically played himself.

But that was fine; their constantly butting heads made the show the classic sitcom that it was.

However, even though O'Connor and Reiner were real people, the show wasn't real at all, so as a viewer, I just left it at that.

O'Connor and Reiner continued their real-life stances well after the show had ended, and a person like me really didn't care an iota about what they had to say.

Our President should have used the old "Sticks and Stones" philosophy when it came to Reiner's outbursts.

But the President went in the other direction, and quite frankly, all the backlash aside, he made himself look awful foolish.

Sometimes, it is better to keep certain thoughts in your head than revealing them to the masses.

Zip the lip!

Rant #3,846: A Ray of Hope

This is going to be a difficult Rant to write today, but it ends with a glimmer of hope.

I want to talk about a personal holiday miracle, but first, I want to talk about this holiday season, which is, unfortunately, reflecting a very focused light on what is happening in this very troubled world that we live in.

In a period of the year that we should be rejoicing, having fun, and reflecting on our family, this season is one that we are, instead, reflecting on violence and bloodshed.

The tragedies at Brown University, in Australia, and in California have permeated the festive air with a stench that I don't thing we have ever witnessed during the usual joyous holiday season.

Alas, we can go through chapter and verse about each one of these horrid events, but I do believe that it is fairly simple to look into why these things happened.

We, as a society, are letting things go too easily, and our leniency is coming back to haunt us. 

That goes for immigration, mental health, drug use, and a variety of other issues that at one time were taken care of, but in today's world, free of restraints. 

The leniency period must be over RIGHT NOW, and we have to go back to our old values. 

These tragedies are horrid, coming during a season we should be rejoicing, not mourning, but we, sorry to say, have ourselves to blame.

Yes, I repeat, we have ourselves as a society to blame.

We live in a society where right is wrong and wrong is right, where people fall all over themselves trying to defend senselessness, and it really has to stop before we are engulfed forever in an abyss of chaos, lawlessness and anarchy.

I mourn those brutalized at Brown University; I pray for the souls of those murdered in Australia; and I was as shocked as all of us were with the completely senseless murder of Rob Reiner and his wife.

All of these cataclysms were preventable, but, of course, that is easy for me to say, from the outside looking in.

But having seen mental illness in my own extended family, I cry for those who are the unfortunate victims of this illness, whether it be stoked by our enemies or by our enemies within.

It just chokes me up, but perhaps, with these tragedies before us, we can get better as a society, be on the same page, and work to make sure that nothing like these things ever happen again to anyone.

Easy to say, but extremely difficult to do.

Now, what I have to say admittedly pales in comparison to these tragedies and their effects around the globe, but maybe what I now have to say offers a glimmer of hope for all of us, in a very minor sort of way.

I went to the eye doctor yesterday with the full intent of having surgery on my right eye to correct a slightly torn retina.

Due to traffic and accidents related to the previous day's snowstorm and low temperatures, what should have been a 30-minute ride took in excess of more than double that, but we finally arrived at the clinic where this was to be done.

We--my wife and I--checked in, waited for our turn to be called, and we were brought into the office, fully waiting to hear when I would be operated on during this day.

My retinologist was reading off some pictures they had just taken of my eye, and I thought I heard the word "improved" among the other words that I had no idea what they meant, medical jargon that I didn't know.

A few minutes later, he told me that the tear in my retina had actually improved, ever so slightly, and that my options were to go ahead with the surgery or wait another month to see if the improvement was not an anomaly, but a positive pattern.

Evidently, this is part of the eye than can actually repair itself, which is something I did not know.

He leaned toward me waiting to have the surgery, and thus, under his recommendation, the surgery--if I even have to have it--was put off for at least another month, when I see him toward the end of January.

If the improvement continues, perhaps I won't need the surgery--

But I am taking the stance that ultimately, I will need this procedure, but right now, not right now.

So we left and drove home, and in the spirit of what just happened, it took us about a half hour to get home, as opposed to nearly three times that amount of time getting there.

To me, this is a personal holiday miracle.

I have had numerous physical ailments during the past three years, and top that off with being forced to leave my home of more than 50 years three years ago to the day yesterday, it has been a really tough stretch for myself and my family.

So I thought that this was going to be another negative notch on my recent life, but it was just the opposite.

It gave me hope.

And not to be too verbose and heavy handed, but isn't that what we all need in our society at this point in time?

Rant #3,845: I Can See For Miles

As you are reading this, I am having my eye procedure to correct a partially detached retina.

Please wish me well.

I guess you can say that this is my Hanukkah gift to myself, to be able to see "The Festival of Lights" as clearly as possible.

I will probably be in and out of the Rant this week, as my eye heals, so I don't know if I will have five days of Rants.

This could be the only one for the week.

I will play my eye by ear, as they say.

But while I am here, I have a question for my Jewish friends and for everyone:

What is Hanukkah really all about?

We know that it is not the "Jewish Christmas" as some--including some Jews--would have us believe.

But what exactly is Hanukkah, or Chanukah, or however the name of the holiday is spelled?

I admittedly lifted the following from somewhere, but it really is so true, and it explains the meaning of the holiday in a concise, understandable way.

Here is what the holiday of Hanukkah really is all about.

"Hanukkah isn’t just about lighting candles, spinning a dreidel, or eating latkes. 

The holiday exists to commemorate the Maccabees’ victory over the Syrian-Greek army in Judea. A fight to remain Jewish in their own land.

It celebrates Jews defeating their oppressors, preserving their identity, and rededicating the Second Temple. None of that is a miracle without the central fact it all depends on Israel."

So that is what the holiday of Hanukkah really is all about.

It is a holiday of triumph, of rejoicing, of happiness.

I read that some Jews will not put up their menorahs in their home windows this year for fear of reprisals against them.

This is sad that they have to think this way, but with anti-Semitism becoming almost "chic" in this very sick world that we live in, I can almost understand their fear.

Almost.

But to cower is to submit to the whims of these imbeciles, and my family, at least, won't be doing that.

We live in a community with not very many Jews, but that is fine.

We will display our menorah, and do it proudly, like we do each and every year.

I remember that in 1971, when we moved to Long Island, we had a rock thrown through our front window, not only breaking the glass but knocking over our menorah in the process.

I knew exactly who did it, but the police labeled it a "childish prank" and wouldn't do anything about it--

And I mean nothing.

I went after the person who did it with a bat, but my father held me back, telling me that it wasn't worth it, because I would be blamed.

He should know. He was the subject of anti-Semitism here and there, whether when his family went on vacation in the Catskill Mountains, and having to drive through areas to get there where there were signs stating, "No dogs or Jews allowed," or when he was in the Marines during the Korean War, where he was looked down upon and labeled a malcontent simply for being Jewish.

I, personally, have had my own incidents, and what I learned is to never hold back on your religion.

If people cannot handle it, it is their problem.

Look at what happened in Australia.

And this is what happens when you have a government which has condemned Israel for doing the right thing. Don't tell me it has to do with anything else.

it gives these terrorists license and empowerment to do what they want, which is to wipe out Jews not just in Israel, not just in Australia, but around the world.

And now we have the Rob Reiner incident. We don't know much about what happened, but another Jew and his wife are no longer with us because of completely senseless violence.

So during this holiday season, my family's menorah will glow with a radiance that lights the sky.

And that is the way it should be.

I hope to be able to see it clearly after this eye procedure.

Wish me well.

Rant #3,844: White Hanukkah

We are right on the cusp of Hanukkah.

My family and I have to do the celebration of the holiday a little differently this year, because my son has to work on the first night of the holiday, which is on Sunday.

The change is a simple one; we will simply light the first candles and give out our gifts a bit earlier that day, so we can include our son in the celebration.

It gets dark so early now that we will be doing this just prior to sunset, so it won't be that much of a difference.

It will be fun no matter when we light the candles.

And according to weather forecasters, we are more likely to have a "white Hanukkah" than a "white Christmas" this year, as it will more likely to snow in my neck of the woods on Sunday than on December 25.

It really doesn't matter, but I guess to some people, it does.

To me, I don't care when it snows--

I hate it--

And this year, with our son working outside, i hate it even more.

But I do have my shovel and my brush handy, fir whenever it snows.

We have been pretty lucky the past few years, with a snowless or nearly snowless winter, but I think that the time has come for us to finally get hit.

So to all, Jew and non-Jew alike, be careful out there!

Have a great Hanukkah for those who celebrate, have a great weekend, and i will speak to you again on Monday--

Just prior to my eye procedure--

Being done during the celebration of the Festival of Light!

How appropriate!

Rant #3,843: Happy Anniversary

There isn't much doing in my neck of the woods at the moment.

There is nothing new on my car accident, and really, it is very quiet as we move through this week into next.

I have that eye procedure next week, to repair my partially detached retina, and while i am not exactly looking forward to going through this, it needs to be fixed, so now is the time.

Having good vision is an imperative, so I like that this week has been a bit slow, so I can properly prepare myself for this.

At this point, I just want it done so I can move on with my life.

I got through a torn quad muscle in my left leg twice, I am managing with all the fallback from the prostate procedure I had, I have some other issues, but I have managed to surmount them, so I am sure I will get through this latest thing with flying colors.

I am a tough guy, I guess, and I go back to being brought up in Rochdale Village, South Jamaica, Queens, New York, during my formative years, age seven through 14.

What l learned from my seven years there is to find ways to persevere, even under the most volatile of experiences.

There was so much going on in the old neighborhood--and in New York City--during my years there, from 1964 to 1971, and I learned to make the best of bad situations.

It made me a stronger person, and I have carried that through all these years.

And for that, I would like to wish my old neighborhood a happy 62nd anniversary.

It is belated--it actually happened in mid-November--but better late than never.

The first of the development's 20 buildings welcomed its maiden tenants in November 1963--just prior to the JFK assassination--and my family and I moved into our apartment there in July 1964--and my world changed.

I met new people--making life-long friends in the process--saw buildings being constructed literally from the wood up, and as a seven year old, it was an exhilarating, life-changing experience--

Which I carry with me to this day.

It wasn't all good, it wasn't all bad, but it was all exciting to this wide-eyed kid.

It made me stronger, more resilient, and more of a person--the good and the bad, and even the great and the horrible.

I think those seven years made me the person I am today, for better or worse.

So happy 62nd birthday to Rochdale Village, my old hometown.

You can take the boy out of Rochdale, but you can't take Rochdale out of the boy.

Rant #3,842: Light Sings

Today, I am going to take a breather from talking about my car accident.

I don't really have anything else to say about it.

You know as much as I do.

I just broke my vow about talking about it, but not having been in an accident like this in a while, it just took over my thought process, and it was difficult for me to write about anything else.

But Hanukkah is coming up in just a couple of days, and that is something to look forward to.

It begins at sundown on Sunday, December 14 and concludes at sundown on Monday, December 22.

My family and I don't go crazy during this holiday as some of our brethren do, and again, Hanukkah is NOT "Jewish Christmas," so there is no reason to treat it as such.

I see plenty of people going overboard, with big blow up contraptions in front of their houses pretty much replicating what people do in front of their houses for Christmas.

Many Jews are putting up decorations like snowmen, "Hanukkah bushes" and the like that have nothing to do with the theme of Hanukkah, which is to salute the Maccabi victory against Jewish oppressors and the candelabra--known as the menorah--which somehow shined bright for eight days even though it only had enough oil for one day, hence the eight-day holiday.

Look, you can celebrate the holiday any way you please, but for me, Hanukkah is not the "Jewish Christmas"--as so many people, evidently including Jews, believe--and putting up such things just perpetuates this false link between Christmas and Hanukkah.

Sorry, there is no such link.

The only things linking the holiday are when they fall out--December 25 for Christmas and usually in December for Hanukkah--and the fact that they are both great holidays.

That's it.

In my house, we have our menorah--an electric one--and some other chotchkas celebrating the holiday here and there--like dreidels--but we don't overload on it, nor on the gifts we get for the family.

There is no need to. Hanukkah is not that type of holiday.

We will say the prayer, light the menorah each of the eight nights, eat potato pancakes--latkes-- and donuts, and that will suffice.

Some people go overboard, but although that is their right, that, to me, is not Hanukkah.

In fact, this year, my family and I are having over some relatives for our own holiday party, and it will be a nice time to get together.

We are also going to another holiday party, at my sister's house.

That is that.

We celebrate Hanukkah our way, you can do it your way if you like.

But snowmen celebrating Hanukkah?

"Hanukkah bushes?"

C'mon, those things and other "goyish" things only perpetuates the "Jewish Christmas" myth.

I sometimes wish that Hanukkah was during a different, earlier month of the year, so the comparisons and the blending would not be there.

But it is what it is, and since this has been a rough year at least for my family--but I bet others had it rough too--I look forward to the holiday as a brief respite from all the negatives, and a chance to look at the positives--

Such as family.

Come to think of it, that is another aspect that Christmas and Hanukkah share, and that is the importance of family in these holiday celebrations.

But that being said, let's keep the holidays separate.

They are great as they are, have nothing to do with each other, and exist as separate entities, and never the twain shall meet.

Cut down that "Hanukkah bush," melt that snowman, and gather around the menorah for each day's candle lighting.

And don't forget to spin the dreidel for some Hanukkah gelt!

Hanukkah is the true holiday of light, and it will once again shine bright this year as it does each and every year.

Rant #3,841: Wasted Time (?)

I did the final things I needed to do related to my car accident, and that is that.

It is between the two insurance companies, and let's see whst happens.

I know I am going to get hit--literally and figuratively--so it isn't a matter of "if," it is a matter of "how much."

As far as my son and my family learning the results of his psychological evaluation is concerned, we pretty much found out what we thought, so there weren't many surprises.

But getting this done allows him to get a variety of services from one of those organizations that have never helped him from day one--

But perhaps this evaluation will carry some weight, and finally allow these organizations to do their job and help him.

I won't get into exactly what the doctor told us, but what he has hasn't ever stopped him from doing anything--only unknowledgable groups and people have put up such roadblocks--so I wouldn't expect that to change at all now that we have a proper diagnosis.

He works, he plays sports, he goes out with friends on occasion, so all of that should continue.

Thus diagnosis simply gives us a tool to use, and might help him adapt better to certain situations put in front of him if these organizations provide the help he deserves and needs.

I guess that that is the big question at this point in time--

Will these organizations finally help him after all of this time?

I guess time will tell.

And I hope they "have the time" to assist him, because we have simply wasted so much time waiting for them to do something fir him, they dropped the ball, but maybe things will be different this time.

But based on past experiences, I am not holding my breath.

My wife and I will continue to be his advocates--

But any help we get would be greatly aporeciated.

So, to sum it all up, for my car accident and my son's evaluation, in both instances, we are at the mercy of time.

Will we waste more time or will time be on our side in each instance?

Only time will tell.

Tick tock ... tick tock ... tick tock ... . 

Rant #3,840: We Can Work It Out

I got my car back late Friday afternoon, all repaired.

I also received the police report. No charge for this report, as it was sent to me from the Suffolk County Police Department.

I have sent the report to my insurance company--

But even that supposedly simple task was made more difficult by the complete and total ineptitude of that company--

As they gave me the totally wrong email address to send this to.

After three failed attempts to send this thing out, I finally was given the correct address, and I assume that they now have it in their possession.

Only the gecko knows what is going on with this company.

Their customer service is TERRIBLE.

I also took the photos and video I might need, so right now, there is nothing more I can do--

Although my insurance company sent me a letter stating that I had to get the body shop's signature on a form they provided to prove that they did the work, and I have to provide the insurance company a copy of the five-page bill as further proof.

Didn't insurance companies used to do this on their own?

I don't remember the insuree doing this amount of legwork to get everything in order.

The companies used to do this, right?

That is what you are paying for, right?

Also, I have to find out exactly what the rental car company charged me for insurance, in total, and make sure the refundable deposit is removed.

I checked my statement, and as of Saturday, none of this had been done.

Both the body shop and the car rental place do not reopen until this morning, so all of this extra stuff will have to wait until later today.

First things first.

Today, we find out the results of my son's psychological assessment, where it should tell us what his actual disability is.

This is first and foremost on our minds right now; the other stuff pales in comparison, and can wait.

As usual, there is way too much on my plate right now--

But I will get through it.

Somehow, it is beyond me how I do it, but even though it is annoying as hell, we--my family and I--can work it out. 

And we will.

Rant #3,839: Busted

There is absolutely nothing new to report on my car accident.

Nothing.

I just have to let it run its course.

I will call the auto body shop later today to try and find out where I stand with my car.

I miss that car, I really do.

I will take pictures of the accident site on Saturday, exactly one week after the accident happened 

But that is it about the accident now.

You know as much as I do about it, so there really isnt anything else to say about it.

Having driven more than 50 years, I have had my share of scrapes and bust-ups.

Happily, not too many, and I do consider myself to be a pretty good driver.

Other than that horrid accident I had a number of years ago, most of my accidents have been very minor ones.

And I cant remember a single one where I was at fault ...

Which includes the most recent one.

Of course, in New York State, we have No-Fault, so it ends up that it doesn't really matter who is at fault, both myself and the other driver can, in certain instances, share equally in the responsibility.

Even when, in that horrible accident I was in some years ago, I was judged to have a minimal responsibility for the accident, even though it is a miracle that my family and I only had a couple of cuts and scrapes from that incident.

The adjuster explained it to me this way:

"You were there, so you have to bear at least a minimal responsibility."

Yes, even though we could have been killed in that horrid accident, it was still, the insurance company said, partly my fault.

Unbelievable, but true.

So what will end up happening in this latest instance?

Who knows ...

And that is what scares me.

Have a great weekend, and i will speak to you again on Monday.

Rant #3,838: Hold Tight

I tried to get the police report for the accident I had, but it is like pulling teeth.

The police gave me a number to call, but you cannot speak to anyone there. You simply have to go to an outside site to obtain the report, or you can directly contact the police via email for the report ...

But in either case, it takes weeks. 

And yes, there is a fee.

You can also go to the county's police headquarters in person, but it is, at the very least, 40 miles away from me, and there is no guarantee that they will have the report 

As far as the woman getting a lawyer, if it gets that far, I was told by my lawyer friend that my insurance company will provide me with my own lawyer.

Nice of my own insurance company to not tell this to me.

I took a few pictures at the site, but I think I am going to have to go back and take pictures the same time and day as when I got hit to really be able to show the essence of the area at that time of day and what happened to me.

And no, I have not heard from the repair shop about my car 

So right now, the gecko knows more than I do about where this accident stands and how my car is doing.

I am actually cutting short the story about the latest information related to this incident by a lot, because I have only touched on several points. 

i really have not delved that far into how technology has only hindered me in my quest for information that should be readily available to me, as well as the total and complete incompetency of my insurance company, a company that I have been with for decades.

What to do next?

If I don't hear about my car by Friday morning, I will give the repair place a call.

I don't really think I can do much more about getting the actual police report. I have put in my requests, and now, I just have to wait 

I have those pictures to take, too.

Otherwise, I am in a real holding pattern.

I don't like being in that holding pattern, but there isnt much else I can do about it 

So I will just have to sit tight ...

And continue to worry about something that was not my fault.

Happy holiday season to me!

Rant #3,837: To Cut a Long Story Short

Well, I received the damage estimate on my car, and a timeframe for getting the car back from the shop.

And of course, weirdness entered the fray again, and it seems I can't escape this pall no matter what I do.

I was in the middle of doing some work early yesterday afternoon after attending a work meeting just slightly before.

I received a call on my phone, but it was under "Spam," so although I don't usually answer these calls listed as spam, I did this time.

In a recorded message, the insurance company introduced itself to me right at the get go--

But then, went into Spanish, all Spanish, and nothing but Spanish!

I hung up the phone, and then called them myself.

This time, it was in English, all English, and nothing but English, and I eventually spoke to someone, in English.

To make a long story short, she believed that the call was directed mistakenly to me, rather than to the woman who hit me, who, as I mentioned earlier, didn't seem to speak any English and had to call someone to help her understand the language.

Anyway--and yesterday was three days after the accident--her insurance company had not yet contacted my insurance company--

Leading me to wonder if the woman actually contacted her insurance company after the accident, like I did and like you should when you have an accident like this.

The police even told me to do it right when I got home; I knew that already, but I assume they told her the same thing.

Which brings out the worry wart in me, and makes me wonder what is going on on her side--

Does she even have insurance, or even a license?

On the report the police gave me, it says she has insurance--or at least the car does--but the driver and the car owner are different.

Hmmmm ...

The police took care of me first, and told me to go home, so I was not there afterward, not even there when her car was towed because she hit me so hard that she blew out at least one tire on her car.

Thus, therefore, ergo, I have no idea what transpired afterward, which is probably why the police told me to leave when they saw my car was drivable.

My insurance company has all the information they need, so I did the right thing, but the woman who hit me ...

Who knows?

And then right after I hung up with my insurance company, I received an email saying that my damage estimate was ready to be viewed.

I received the same email yesterday, but even though I clicked what they said and did what they said on the app, it was not working, and I could not get this information.

Today, it took a while, but I actually found where they had this information stored on the app, and I found out that my worst fears were true, that there is plenty of damage and that I won't have my car for about two weeks.

And I am responsible, at least right now, for the deductible, which I reiterated with my insurance company that they were going to try to get that from the woman's insurance company because she was fully at fault, but--

Why has she not reported this to her insurance company?

Who knows what I am dealing with here, and more importantly, who I am dealing with here.

I thought that by law, both sides of an auto accident have to report the incident within 24 hours. I reported mine like 24 minutes after it happened, but she has yet to report it?

Something fishy here, wouldn't you agree?

Is the cup half full or half empty, and am I worrying for nothing?

Well, not for nothing, as I have a pricey deductible that I am going to have to pay, so there is something tangible for worry about on my end.

I do have all of her information on the aforementioned report, and she should have all of my information on the report they gave her.

But what happened after I was told to leave is another story--

At this point, another story for another time.

Then, later on in the day, I spoke to my insurance company again, and she finally did contact them, or at least her lawyer did.

Yes, she retained a lawyer, because she claims she was hurt in the crash, so now I am in a real pickle, and I really don't know what to do.

I do know that I need a copy of the actual police report, which is not easy to get, but I have a number to call to try and get it.

I better start taking pictures of where this all happened, to prove my case.

I contacted a lawyer friend, so I will speak to her about what else I should do.

What a kerfuffle!

I just want to put all of this behind me, and drive away with my repaired car.

But the way it is going, that seems to be a long time off.