Newark NJ summer life 2013

Mijn 14th summer in Newark, NJ. Not much swimming going on.. rain days and my leg was messed up. But did make the pool a bit and still days ahead.

Visited a brother several times in the NJ suburbs.. found a good local pizzeria in Morris County. Doing my caregivng. Family reunion on the side of our maternal grandmother, a whole crew of cousins unknown to me, the Croatian-Dalmatians. A whole diaspora from Vrboska, Hvar.

Writing about social workers in politics. Donated funds to Booker for Senate, Buono for Governor, Gale Brewer for Manhattan Borough President.

Good summer songs always!!!

Music background in the playlist for a July 2013 episode of Eastenders. The hauntingly beautiful song from "Trainspotting", Underground-Born Slippy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOi8Gnq_z_U

Pre-iftar evenings this Ramadan listening to Capital Cities-Safe and Sound.  Listening to Adele, and Layla.

Lots of videos this summer.. "Man of Steel", "Lone Ranger and Tonto", "the Heat". YouTube video catching, seen every PBS Mystery Poirot, and BBC Spooks seasons 1 through 4.

Carpe the season. And Happy Birthday to a Park Ridge IL buddy from Maine South days, today! So many shared years!

figuring out summer songs etal by myself or with friends and/or neighbors. meanwhile.. gotta get with this one! sucha generational thing.. the best song of every summer always and forever!http://mashable.com/2013/08/07/stephen-colbert-get-lucky/

ethics

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Film/Video list to relate to my family ethics course. Endless films but looked for poignant stories that show some history, role status or crisis, diverse family constellations. For instance, put in the "Charlie Chan" film as in actualite, few Chinese families had the "joyous" family as Americans still lived under immigration rules such as the Chinese Exclusion Act that was not really repealed until the 1960s. Picked films from IMG "my movies" listing:

“A Woman under the influence” (1974) Faces.

“ La Belle et La Bete” (1946) Jean Cocteau.

“Big Love” (2006) HBO

“Brief Encounter (1945) Cineguild UK

“Cabin in the Sky” (1943) Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

“Children of Men” (2006) Universal.

“The Color Purple” (1985) Amblin Entertainment.

“Charlie Chan at the Circus” (1936) Twentieth Century Fox.

“Love with the Proper Stranger” (1963) Pakula-Mulligan.

“Noah’s Arc” (2005) Open Door Productions.

“The Soprano’s” (1999) Home Box Office.

“Transgeneration” (2005) LOGO Entertainment.

“The Women” (1939) Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

Both of my courses (research, ethics) there was discussion about marriage equality. Amazingly enough, only one of my 30+ students, older working adults, mostly parents, NYC, multi-ethnic, has attended a same-sex wedding. One student works for a lgbt community org and has not been to a ceremony. In fact, I have not been to a same sex wedding. I certainly know a number of couples with domestic partnerships, but no ceremonies. Couples with children have legal rights for the children but no commitment ceremonies, to date. Just interesting sidelines to the media focus on same sex marriage.

Once again, students will have group projects and at least 2 teams will look at lgbt issues. The teams decide on their own phenomena to explore. It is always fascinating to see the range, depth of the projects!

Watched "Goodbye Lenin" today and thought of past Marz und April in Berlin. Posted photo of my favorite Berlin DDR cafe in the Alexanderplatz, April, 1987.

peace, hugs, compassion