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I loved her music. Someone else said losing Lesley Gore was like losing an old classmate and I think that's very true. Her music was a part of the fabric of the baby-boomer generation. When I heard of her death yesterday it felt like a punch in the stomach and all I could do was say , “oh no!!” Like so many other boomers, I have all her 45s and all are well-grooved-out from play. I met her once at a concert on Randall’s Island in NY. Lesley was a down to earth and very approachable sweetheart--you'd never know she was a "star". This one hit my mortality bone and it just plain broke my heart.
THE OLD CROWD is my favorite by Lesley. I wanted to share it with you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ2w4hOSsJg BY Harriette J. Schwartz aka HJSWritergal
Nearly every day, yet another woman steps forward with a story of how she was drugged and raped by the well-known and formerly beloved entertainer Bill Cosby. The most recent woman being Cindra Ladd, wife of Alan Ladd Jr. whose story is nearly identical to the others who have come forward previously. The number of allegations now numbers nearly two dozen. All the stories are similar and all involve the women being drugged and being sexually assaulted or raped by this entertainment icon. Call it what you will, but nearly two dozen women could not, would not all be telling the same lie; nearly two dozen women would have no reason to attempt to defile the reputation of this longtime celebrity without justification. What I just do not fathom is when will one, some or all of these ladies file legal charges against this man so he can be prosecuted for these heinous crimes, instead of being allowed to walk freely among us without paying any real price for his actions. What are they afraid of? I read a story on January 14th in the Washington Times that one of them, model Chloe Goins is reportedly planning on filing criminal charges against Cosby. She alleges that the 77-year-old comedian drugged and sexually assaulted her at the Playboy mansion more than six years ago when she was only 18 years old. She claims she passed out at a party there and woke up in a bedroom, naked, with Cosby masturbating and licking her toes. Does it get any more disgusting? I don’t think so. What I just do not get most about all of this, is the fact that if this were any other non-celebrity male, it is likely he would already have been locked up simply on suspicion of committing such a crime over and over. True, Bill Cosby’s reputation has surely suffered from the amount of women claiming he did these things and the similarity of the accusations but he still walks freely among us; still has his possessions and money; is still permitted to perform and earn more. In terms of what it is he is accused of, I think Bill Cosby himself has lost very little, whereas so many women have suffered mental anguish and fear, allegedly at his hands. Sadly, rape is an ugly word and somehow the shadow of shame nearly always rests of the shoulders of the female, as does the burden of proof. However ladies, there is strength in numbers, particularly since the crime story is the same for all of you! I hope and pray that some or all of you will get together and fight for the justice all of you and Bill Cosby deserve to see and get. by Harriette Schwartz aka HJSWritergal
Thinking back is hindsight, I know. I didn’t really know it then, but I truly treasured being a part of my own family back in the day. I loved my parents and I especially loved having two younger sisters. Back when we were really little, my mother used to insist on dressing my middle sister and I alike. Being as we were only 15 months apart, everyone assumed we were twins. In those days neither of us liked it very much but looking back it was really kind of nice. As we got older and became more individualized, it became even more apparent that we were really very different in many ways—she was a wonderful student, went to Hunter College HS. I was lucky to make it through school and graduate. College? No way for me! My sister suffered from acne and dating was not easy for her. I was boy crazy, and had tons of fellas. We were two total opposites as teens. She grew up to be quite a pretty woman too. Still, we loved one another and we had a bond that nothing could sever, or so I thought. Then there was our baby sister, who came along in 1955, when I was all of five and my middle sister was three. We loved her, though having to watch her in her stroller back then was not such fun…we wanted to play, skate or just be free to be with our own contemporaries. As we all got older, we all had our own “age appropriate” friends. Little sister found her own niche of contemporaries and later on in life admitted to doing some really crazy things. I guess we all go through phases, and she did too. Ditto for my middle sister; we all did one way or another and really, who does not? Being the oldest of the three and very much having a mind of my own, I did my thing. Truthfully I would have to admit that yes, I did some very odd things and I earned the title of the family,” black sheep”. Looking back I know I made some awful mistakes but life and history are what they are and I cannot change those things. That was who I was, not who I am. If you’re smart, when you get older you realize you cannot continue on an ill-fated path; not only do you know it is wrong, you learn that you pay prices for mistakes and hopefully, you learn to STOP making the same ones. In addition, health issues and other circumstances play a part in making you older and hopefully, wiser (to yourself). As adults, my sisters and I went our separate ways. By that I mean we moved away. First my middle sister moved out West, to be with a guy she fell in love with. Oddly enough he was someone I went to school with so having him as a part of the family was a natural progression; we were already good friends. Soon after my baby sister also moved West with her sweetie--a great man she has been married to for many years—who loves her very much. I too was married, had a daughter and a successful career living in Manhattan. My middle sister married her sweetheart and she had two sons. I am so happy for her that she did, as at first it did not seem she was going to be able to have children. My baby sister and her husband chose not to have children, but as aunt and uncle they are the most wonderful and giving people. My daughter and nephews regard and love them as they do their own parents. Eventually I also moved out West, once my amicable divorce in 1990 was final. After all, my sisters were there and what better way to give my then three year old daughter stability and family life than to reignite the flame of sisterhood by being closer to both of mine. It was a wise decision, as my daughter gained two wonderful aunts and uncles who loved her as their own and she had a great relationship with her two cousins, who were like brothers to her. Life was good. We celebrated every holiday with our family and contemporaries, and many of the female friends wanted to be, “the fourth sister”. Even my ex moved out West. He too was always included in our family forays. Then he unexpectedly died at 45 from pancreatic cancer. How thankful I was to have reconnected with my sisters and their families; how very much I appreciated having them there when I needed them most. Ultimately I made some mistakes. I got into trouble financially and once again wore my “black sheep” badge. I will certainly take major responsibility for the error of my ways and how it affected my relationship with my sisters. There is no need to go into great detail here; suffice to say the errors were mine and I paid a price. I lost my family ties and the damage was apparently irreparable. In truth over the years, I have attempted to reconnect with both of my sisters. My baby sister allows communication; my middle sister refuses my attempts. They live close to one another and I am further North, making getting together even more difficult. I am now in my mid 60s. I am afflicted with ailments and have to be a better person to myself—my body simply will not allow for anything less. Which one of us does not have some physical issues which force reminders to slow down and take better care of the one body we are given to go through life with? Something else comes along with those issues. I am not sure if you can call it wisdom, or if it is merely self-preservation; probably it is a bit of both. I have come to realize that the richness and beauty of life is truly woven together with love of and from family. Don’t get me wrong. I am lucky as I am not alone. I have my daughter and her sweetie with whom I live and spend holidays and special times. His family is wonderful and sharing good times with them is simply superb. I am thankful to be a part of their family now. Stilll, it makes me realize just how much I miss having that kind of joy with my own sisters. So I’ll close this by wishing them nothing but the best life has to offer; and the hope that in their hearts they wish the same for me. It is no surprise that Sony has chosen to take The Interview off the shelf and bring it to theaters beginning on Christmas Day. Of course..you know it cost money to make and no self-respecting production company is going to ignore the publicity value of the inital shelving and reasons therefore as a path to big bucks at the box office. "We have never given up on releasing The Interview and we're excited our movie will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day," said Michael Lynton,Chairman and CEO of Sony Entertainment in a statement. "At the same time, we are continuing our efforts to secure more platforms and more theaters so that this movie reaches the largest possible audience."
It ought to be fun to see the box office numbers on December 26th...of course ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2014/12/23/the-interview-thursday/20808469/ Merry Christmas, North Korea: The Interview will be a coming attraction after all. USA TODAY Two of the most famous television dads have shown or had their true colors shown..an the shade is a definite blue hue. One was outted by a flurry of females and the other opted to admit to his wife his penchant for sexual interludes with 11 and 12 year old girls.
When the news about Bill Cosby came out and it was one woman, well you gave him the benefit of the doubt. However the current count of woman saying he drugged and took physical advantage of them (or tried to) now stands at 27. Isn't it time to "book him dano"????? How many will it take to at least bring him into a courtroom? Sick bastard..sorry I call 'em as I see 'em...and I see Bill Cosby needing either a straight-jacket or a pair of handcuffs..OMG Mr. Huxtable..sigh. Stephen Collins jumped on the bandwagon all by himself..confessing his sins to his estranged wife, actress Faye Grant that he molested girls as young as 11. His admissions are on tape no less. And now, the New York Police Dept. is conducting an active criminal investigation involving sexual contact with multiple children. This from the man who portrayed a dad and a pastor on Seventh Heaven. Yes I know these men are actors, and the odds are the aren't as pristine as the parts they portrayed but this is news that angers me as a woman and a mother. Here's hoping that karma comes a calling on both of them. What are your thoughts on this..enquiring mind here. AN ODE TO MARBLE SEASON
By Harriette J. Schwartz aka HJSWritergal Do you remember it, one of our annual pastimes at Sedgwick Projects, we called it“ marble season”? I have heard from others that it happened in their neighborhoods but I can only speak to playing this at Sedgwick as I grew up with it. I hope others had the opportunity to experience this wonderful childhood phenomenon. It had no specific dates, no preamble or advertising but when the weather got warm and the snow was gone suddenly one day it was upon us—and we called it marble season. By the afternoon of the first day, it was like a children’s casino of choices to win, lose or draw. You got filthy but on a good day, you came away with a whole lot more cat's eyes, crystals or pee wees than you started with. They were our own version of precious jewels, little or large and all of them coveted, garnered, treasured and hoarded. If perhaps some future juvenile delinquent was on hand, a smaller kid would, "lose their marbles" in a HOT SCRAMBLE. You may not have initiated it but you sure didn't hesitate to pocket the rolling delights coming in your direction. You just couldn’t help yourself. Though if the victim was in tears we all were generous enough to return some of what we got to them. I was fortunately never a victim of a HOT SCRAMBLE. Occasionally there were HOT SCRAMBLES which were not stolen from other kids, just a kid who decided not to play anymore or were just tossing out a handful to watch everyone “scramble” to get some. Those we kept in a New York minute without a second thought, if we could get any of them. We needed no signs or directions, all of us kids were ready for it. We saved them in coffee cans and in cigar boxes, preparing for that day when suddenly we were playing again each year. It was gambling & gaming, “kiddie” style. One day you and every other kid on the block was curbside, hawking such things as "jumbo" or "kaboa" or "crystal" or "one plus your own". There was a lot of creativity and entrepreneurialism involved in this game and really no rules written in stone. Everyone of us had an angle for increasing our collections and having a successful season in marbles. There was no end to the possible ways to set up for “business”. You could cut square holes in a cigar box into which your "customer" had to roll a marble to win. You drew a chalk line on one side of the street and set up a jumbo or kaboa between your open legs on the other side and on your count a bunch of kids attempted to hit your mark by rolling regular size cats eyes aiming at the prize. You decided who won. You needed eagle eyes to be sure, but your word was the final one. We played, we prospered or we lost fortunes in round glass rolly things. It was truly Las Vegas for kids. Then just as suddenly as it came, marble season would disappear. Nobody rang a bell or sent a memo to mark either the end or the beginning of marble season. It never lasted all that long but it was always among the highlights of our year. No matter how you may have wanted more of it, the end was the end, and it was not to return until next year. Do you remember it, one of our annual pastimes at Sedgwick, “marble season”? THIS CONTACT WAS NO COINCIDENCE - © APRIL 10, 2013
By Harriette J. Schwartz Many years ago I decided that I could subscribe to the school of thought which believes that we never really lose our loved ones when they pass. I am a very spiritual woman and have been given many reasons to believe in all of this. Others who have known me long enough, both in real life and online are aware of the true stories of my “other-worldly” encounters. So much so that on previous social networks I’ve been a member of, I ran a group I created called Mediums and Lost Pallies. At one such venue I met a psychic with whom I co-authored LOST PALLIES a published book about the afterlife and spiritual world. I am no stranger to such subscriptions and obviously I believe. I’m now on Facebook, and post a lot in an entertainment group about classic television. In surfing for something I came across a picture of Annette Funicello from the Spin & Marty serial that used to air on Mickey Mouse Club. She looked so cute and I posted this on the TV group on April 6th. Annette stayed on my brain. Maybe it was because we both have Multiple Sclerosis. I am the luckier one as mine is the less-threatening, “relapse-remit” kind. That coupled with being diagnosed later in life as well as meds keeps me fairly able and independent, thank heaven. So I did a few searches and was appalled to find out that the 70 year old iconic former Mouseketeer and actress we all adored was a prisoner in her own body, unable to do anything for herself or to walk or even speak. It seemed this lovely woman was losing the courageous battle she had spent her life fighting. On April 7th Annette was still on my mind. So I made a two-photo, then and now collage and wrote about her awful current condition. I posted this online. Of course, the response was huge, who didn’t love Annette? Then on April 8th, Annette passed away and my RIP tribute collage was made and posted. Incidentally the Spin & Marty picture and two collages are posted in the photo section (home page) of HJSWritergal’s World, my website and can be viewed there. Again the spiritual side of me does not believe in coincidence. There was in my mind a reason Annette Funicello was so on my brain only days prior to her death from complications due to Multiple Sclerosis. We had that disease in common and this is a reason perhaps I felt her leaving so strongly. I have since found out that Annette was in a facility in Bakersfield and I am in Fresno California, just 110 miles north of there. Whatever the reasoning I am certain it was her way of saying goodbye to us all and so I’m blogging about it as well. A good friend of mine said he hoped Annette knew how loved and admired she was. If she didn’t I hope that in her passing our contact and my posts showed her some of the affection the entire world had for Annette Funicello…why?....because we loved her. The word "free" implies that the effort you are putting forth on whatever you are doing is gratis. In some cases it may feel as such, because the pay is so low. Well, I am here to tell you that there is nothing in life we get or give for "nada" as they say. I am providing a skilled service just as a lawyer or a painter or even a taxi driver provide..and they are all paid for their endeavors.
As a life-long writer I've given my all in words and plan to continue doing so. I've done it for myself as I enjoy putting pen to paper and letting my mind speak for me. I am very willing to do the same for my freelance writing clients and for this I would only ask they provide me with the necessary fee. That is a mutually-beneficial method and a fair one. So to the posed opening question it depends on the client. If you give me my due, I will generate verbage for you. |
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