Saturday, June 27, 2009

Wrenching Scene

Testament, a film with Jane Alexander about how a nuclear war impinges a California town, was a bit too slow and relaxed, but powerful and affecting. One scene, where Jane looks frantically for a child's teddy bear, was overwhelming.

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Medical Economics

Thinking about the magazine for doctors, where I once (actually, twice) worked--

I met some terrific people there--Tom Bentz, the late Al Vogl, Jo
Dempsey-- There's an alumni group I've joined, and I want to invite others to join--Jeff Burger, Jane See White, Kathy Drake--

I remember the contests I ran via computer--do sharks lay eggs?

The time I was supposed to have a footrace with a touing woman who hadbeen on thetrack team in her school--Rick Ballad told me, it was the dumbest thing I ever did--until he saw me run!

I remember the DO--the demented one--

Paul Giddings telling me: Don't make --- any nuttier than he already is.

That amazing editor, the late R. Craigin Lewis--

Good people, bad people--

Where is Paul Giddings? I admired him-- and Jo Dempsey--

Jo and I had a bet, and I won--she was to buy me lunch in the cafeteria--I went there in the AM and changed the menu on the wall to offer Lobster...$25-- so, with Jo nexto me, I ordered the lobster--she stared at the menu in utter shock--

Nell Hartagensis: She was cold, sitting in the cafeteria--I took off my jacket and put it around her shoulders--someone from the kitchen came out and told me I had to wear my jacket-- I explained-- person said she'd take care of it, went to kitchen, came back with kitchen towels--which she draped over Nell's shoulders--
So people came in and kept asking Nell, why those towels? She couldn't answer, she was laughing so hard--

Monday, June 22, 2009

Bad Dreams

I was working at a magazine--and the editor didn't like my work and I was afraid of being fired--actually, I was not working hard--I was bored--it was actually a magazine I had worked for, and the editor really did fire me--

Feeling down--not involved in anything--should write the articles I'm scheduled to write--disgusted with myself for misplacing a prescription--also, having a health problem--and I like to think of myself as unusually healthy--also, not playing tennis anywhere--have to find a group--also, some old friends haven't been friendly of late--

Looking forward to growing a beard--one reason: so I don't cut myself shaving while taking anticoagulants--

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Facebook

A huge disappointment. I didn't know that my "friends" were so boring, so full of themselves, so trivia-minded.

It's raining.
Getting root canal today.
A good new band.

They don't read, they don't comment on news events, they're uncultured.

If we met in person, I could change the subject. Or walk away.

I was too uncritical in "choosing" my friends. One was someone I had once interviewed for a newspaper article--because she was so poverty-stricken.

And some people go on and on! People I barely know. There's one person I no longer have anything to do with--since she sailed into me for criticizing that muttonhead, Sarah Pailin. How do I get rid of her--my former friend?

I should have been more choosey of my friends.

I wish I could start again--just choosing intelligent people like Miriam, Shoshana, and the like.

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

Screw Target!

I went to the new Whole Foods in the Bergen Center today, had lunch. Then walked over to Target, also in the shopping center, bought a wire bookcase, 40 pounds of birdseed, cards, 2 cans of soup, a cup of coffee.

A sign said that the cart I was using was for use in the parking lot only.

I couldn't wheel the cart past the parking lot! The wheels stopped spinning! Even on the roadway!

I had to carry all my stuff a few blocks over to Whole Foods--exhausting--

I wonder how much the executives at Target get paid to come up with such stupid ideas--

No wonder I prefer Walmart!

Monday, June 08, 2009

Borg and Hackensack Hospital

Crappy Piece of Journalism

Did you happen to see the article below in the Times in May?
Shocking. Article reads like a public relations plant. And the quotes from Borg! Any decent copyeditor would have red-pencilled such drivel.
Meanwhile, where are the names of the miscreants from Hackensack Hospital? Who was the administrator? Who were the hospital executives?
Is Stephanie Clifford an intern just starting out, and with little or no journalism experience?
And the lead! Written by someone who seems to be brain-dead.
I’m glad for the correction—pointing out that an error was made by Borg himself.
But who says no matters involving the paper were ever formally presented to the board? Who’s the source? Jennifer Borg?
A really shameful piece of journalism. I would have expected it of a third-rate newspaper like the Bergen Record but not the Times. (By the way, I was dismissed by the Record years ago—unfairly.)
*********
A Battle With a New Jersey Newspaper Backfires

By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD
Published: May 3, 2009
When fighting with a media mogul, institutions would be well-advised to avoid using that mogul’s newspaper as a battleground, a hospital in New Jersey learned last week.
On April 25, The Record, a newspaper owned by the North Jersey Media Group, was preparing to run a controversial article the next day detailing the powerful connections of some members of the board at the Hackensack University Medical Center.
That afternoon, the hospital struck back. An administrator called an advertising sales representative, saying the hospital was removing its ads from the media group’s Web sites, canceling its one-year online advertising contract with The Record and removing ads from several local papers. The article ran that Sunday anyway. Later in the week, hospital executives told The Record’s distribution staff that the paper could no longer be sold at the hospital’s gift shops or newspaper boxes.
“It’s pretty obvious they thought they were going to hurt us very, very badly,” said Malcolm A. Borg, chairman of the North Jersey Media Group.
On Friday, when an article about the hospital’s reaction was published, Mr. Borg said he received apologetic phone calls from some members of the medical center’s board. (Mr. Borg’s daughter, the general counsel for the media group, is on the hospital board; however, no matters involving the paper were ever formally presented to the board.)
By Friday afternoon, the hospital had released a statement undoing its decision. In response to a reporter’s inquiry to a hospital spokeswoman, a public relations firm sent an e-mail statement saying the board and administrators “agreed to reverse the decision regarding The Record.”
It also said, “We apologize to our patients and our staff for any inconvenience, and we apologize to The Record.” Still, Mr. Borg said he had not yet heard from any hospital representatives as of Friday about resuming the advertising.
“If the hospital administration doesn’t like the fact that we are in there and writing stories about the institution that are not flattering, because it involves certain members of the board and their interlocking relationships and so forth, I think the public has a right to know that, and if we find out, we’re going to print it,” Mr. Borg said.
STEPHANIE CLIFFORD
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: May 15, 2009 
An article on May 4 about a dispute between the Hackensack University Medical Center and The Record, a newspaper owned by the North Jersey Media Group, using information from Malcolm Borg, the chairman of the group, overstated the connection of his daughter to the dispute. Jennifer Borg is the general counsel for the media group and is also on the medical center’s board. But as a member of the board, she did not recuse herself from “most decisions having to do with the paper” because no matters involving the paper were ever formally presented to the board.

Sunday, June 07, 2009

New Club

We're starting a new social group in Woodstock--to counteract the anti-Israel group that exists--

email: PeaceMidEast@gmail.com

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Keeping Busy

I've arranged to teach courses on old singers at the YJCC in Washington Township, William Patterson University, the Institute of New Dimensions, and the Senior Center in Midland Park. Perhaps also, in the fall, at the County College of Morris. Also, a class on Puccini for a private group. I'll also be giving a talk on the music of Mendelssohn at the social club I belong to--a subject I have to research.

I'm writing an article on Wagner and anti-semitism. And a profile of Bill Lippman, a money manager for Franklin group.

When I have time, I'll finish writing a short book on how to invest--and try to circulate it as an e-book.

I'm not looking forward to fall and cold weather, but I AM looking forward to teaching these classes.

Books I'm reading: biographies of Puccini and Wagner; a biography of Adelina Patti.

Friday, June 05, 2009

Quest Diagnostics

Had a 10am appointment at QD for a blood test--arrived at 955am--crowded room-probably because of overbooking--signed in--waited 20 minutes, left--wrote RUDE AND INCOMPETENT in sign-in book--never spoke to a human being in making the appointment or after I arrived--

I'll complain to my doctor--and go to another place--

fortunately, I live across the street & didn't waste all that much time going there or coming back--glad I didn't have to drive there, didn't have to take off from work--unlike other patients there--