Update 8-17-10

Hi,

As I finished sending last week's newsletter, I was thinking "Khan not Kahn."  And, sure enough, when I checked, I'd spelled Mary Ferranti Khan's last name wrong.  Which I apologized to her for.  At least, I got "Ferranti" right.

Less English-oriented news, from Andrea Schwartz Neenan:  When we were sitting in the hotel bar at the 45th reunion, the guys were talking about wrestling and Mr. Linkner.  Well, here’s what happened at work today.
    We had a luncheon presentation by the local Ameriprise Financial office.  I didn’t catch the brokers’ names at the beginning of the presentation, but when the speaker was through, he said he’d like to thank Greg Linkner.  I had been looking at this man throughout the presentation, thinking he looked like Bill Linkner, but also thinking, "No, how could that be?"  Still, afterwards, I went up to the man, and this was our conversation:
    Me:    You’re not from New York, are you?
    Greg:  Yes, I am.
    Me:    Your father wasn’t a teacher was he?  A wrestling coach?
    Greg:  Yes, he was.
    Me:     Is his name Bill?
    Greg:  Yes, it is.  Did you go to South?
    Me:     Yes, I did, class of ‘67
    Greg:  That’s the year I was born!
    Yikes.  How old did I feel?
    Anyway, Bill Linkner and his wife are happily retired to Hilton Head if anyone’s interested.  Greg Linkner lives about ten minutes away from me, here in Clearwater.  What a small world!

From another part of that world, from Ellen Sue Brody Pilger:  Hi, everyone.  What a cheerful bunch of photos from the reunion Stu Borman's posted on the class photo site.  Obviously, a good time for all.  Sure hope I can catch you next time.
    Meanwhile, attached is a current photo of me in our new home in Colorado.  Stu, could you please post it on the photo site?  And thanks to all of you who keep this communication current.

And from Stu Borman:  I've now posted 35 photos and their captions from the 45th reunion.  I've also posted Ellen Sue's photo and a photo of Bill, the Good Humor Man that Barbara Blitfield Pech sent in.
    These last two photos are items number 2 and 3 in the folder that used to be called "Mostly Mugs."  I just renamed that "Faces of Today and Days Past" because "Mug" is a publications term that I'm familiar with, but I thought the new album name might be nicer.  Thanks to everyone.  Regards to all.

Related, from Allen Moss:  I can't seem to get into the class photo site to see all the pix.  What am I doing wrong?  When I try to pull it up on Google, it comes up with a message like "Does not match any document."   The alumni bulletin then comes up, but no photo site.  Is there another link?

Rich to Allen and Stu:  That's the only link.  And I can get into the class photo site today using Google Chrome as the server, but not through AOL.  I think AOL uses Internet Explorer as its base, so there may be a glitch there.  Unfortunately, it's not an infrequent one, and you just have to be patient.  I'm also copying this to Stu Borman, to see if he has any suggestions.
    I do know you need to put the link address into the web search slot and not into the Google search slot.  If I put the link into Google, it brings up the "Does not match any document" message that you mentioned, Allen.

Stu to Allen, Rich, and others:  The only thing I can suggest is what Rich says -- the URL should be used in your browser's address line and not in a Google search.  I can click on the link Rich gave you lower down in this message, Allen, and access the site directly that way.  So you might try the same thing.  Regards,

From Allen:  Got it, Rich and Stu.  Thanks!

A question, from Barbara Blitfield Pech:  I just read about ooVoo on someone's Facebook page, and I Googled it.  It seems to be a Skype competitor, only better.  Does anyone know anything about it, and, if so, can they please explain it kindly, in simple terms?  You are responding to a silver surnami baby boomer...i.e.: techno challenged.  Thanks

A fashion statement from Robert Fiveson:  The reason one does not wear brown shoes with a blue suit is simple.  It's ugly.


More seriously, from Robert:  Some of you asked what I am doing now that I am doing basically nothing.  Here is one example of how nothing is something.
    I am asking for your help.  This is a for a legitimate, United States-based charity that does amazing work  -- with nothing -- in Bocas Del Toro Panama.  That's where my wife and I lived, when we first moved here.  The charity provides clean drinking water through rain catchment systems.  So what?  Well, imagine your child or grandchild drinking from mud puddles because there is nothing else.  Imagine them unable to grow or even stay alive because of the diseases they then contract.  Catching rain and storing it stops the sickness and death.  It's easy, fast, and cheap.
    I'm not asking for myself.  This is for children and for others.  Even if you don't feel moved enough to make a donation, please pass this video link along.  Because of you, somewhere along the way, someone will donate, and you will have helped save a life.   That's important on this planet, where so few people seem to care. The link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ypvfw_J0Uwg
Finally, from Emily Kleinman Schreiber:  I'm happy today!  Two of my poems will be included in a special anthology called Caduceus.
    They were written while my husband Lenny was undergoing chemo and too many transfusions.  It feels good to have one's work validated.
    One of Emily's poems:

The Enemy

Acute Leukemia? MDS?
Has put us in a new place;
A place of togetherness
Of compassion
Of caring
Of love.

Everything is here;
No movie theaters
No restaurants
No dinners with friends.

We sit on green chairs by our pond;
“Our waterfront property,” he jokes.
We both laugh.
Yes, we laugh.
Two and a Half Men makes us laugh
Every night.

Those four week-long rounds of chemo
Have made him so tired;
No strength to climb the steps
No more hour-long workouts.

But we walk to the park
And sit on our bench,
His head on my lap,
And we listen to the birds,
Look up at the blossoms
And pray for the day
When we'll be able to say
“No More Acute Leukemia,
MDS, or whatever the hell it's called!”


The South '65 e-mail addresses:  reunionclass65.blogspot.com

The South '65 photo site:  picasaweb.google.com/SouthHS65


Rich