Anastasia, George The Last Gangster
New York: Harper, 2004.
paperback, 341 pps., with b&w pictures
When I was in sixth grade, I said something about the Mafia. The teacher (who was Italian) retorted, "Oh, you watch too much television. There is no Mafia."
Over the past several years, himself and I have watched the steady influx of mafioso chronicles infiltrating the true crime section at the bookstore. We have read many of them. And we own quite a few.
The Last Gangster is a true gem of a book. Anastasia's style highlights his subject and it is evident that he knows it well. The Last Gangster plays out on the streets of Philadelphia (and some other places like southern Jersey). The well-researched book chronicles the failing Philly family after the days of Bruno, the bloody struggle for power, and the reflections and experiences of Ron Previte who was wired for sound. Previte comes across as a WYSIWYG sort of guy without any phoney baloney conversion experiences.
Worth reading for anyone who is fascinated by mafia history or desires a deeper look into the psyches of made guys.
sapphoq reviews
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Harry and David
This year instead of rushing around madly finding presents for the adult members of my family, I ordered Harry and David stuff for them. Harry and David is a company that does expensive fruit and other goodies in baskets. I spent more money than I would have liked but saved time, energy, gas, and frustration associated with crowded malls. Although some Harry and David stores do exist in malls, they do not usually ship from the mall stores. For that, one needs the catalog and access to the internet or a telephone.
Last Friday I roused myself out of my indifference and attempted to get to the online version of Harry and David but was unable to for awhile. When I finally did get there, I found that correlating the catalog I'd gotten in the mail with the online products was exceedingly difficult-- probably due to my traumatic brain injury related processing difficulties. At any rate, I couldn't manage so I shelved the internet in favor of ordering by phone via a real live person.
The woman I got to on the phone was efficient and pleasant. My ordering was done within eight minutes. And everything got to the relatives on Christmas eve.
Ordering from Harry and David on the internet: recommended only for those who are neurologically intact.
Ordering from Harry and David via telephone: highly recommended for the rest of us.
sapphoq reviews books and more
Last Friday I roused myself out of my indifference and attempted to get to the online version of Harry and David but was unable to for awhile. When I finally did get there, I found that correlating the catalog I'd gotten in the mail with the online products was exceedingly difficult-- probably due to my traumatic brain injury related processing difficulties. At any rate, I couldn't manage so I shelved the internet in favor of ordering by phone via a real live person.
The woman I got to on the phone was efficient and pleasant. My ordering was done within eight minutes. And everything got to the relatives on Christmas eve.
Ordering from Harry and David on the internet: recommended only for those who are neurologically intact.
Ordering from Harry and David via telephone: highly recommended for the rest of us.
sapphoq reviews books and more
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Jetting with the Swifter
The other day, I went to visit a friend who recently acquired a brain injury and like me is not eligible for any services because we have the misfortune not to qualify for medicaid or consequently for the brain injury medicaid waiver program or house-cleaning help. Anyone who has ever struggled with damage to their frontal lobe knows that organization, multi-tasking, and motivation all are various shades of difficult to impossible. It is no surprise really that the ability to do housework in any meaningful way resides within executive functions.
Friend is overwhelmed by housework and so I volunteered to mop a bit. She handed me a purple plastic thing called a Swifter Wet Jet (tm). This contraption is a step up in complexity from the Swifter mop (tm) which is a green plastic thing that I have used for several years now and loved. The Swifter mop (tm) is admittedly not designed for rugged cleaning. This Swifter Wet Jet (tm) thingy is.
The overall purpleness pleases me as a purplephiliac. And the stick itself was study. The place where one attaches a sticky pad is wider than the plain green mop. There is also a strip attached to the side which I found to be rather useless. I prefer the strips to be part of the sticky pad myself. At any rate, with button pushing the Swifter Wet Jet (tm) emits a stream of special Swifter Wet Jet (tm) liquid dirt-busting cleaner. I was quickly done with friend's floors. And there was none of the "omgz I have to drag this heavy pail of sudsy water around" feeling. So I went out and bought one.
I got my shiny purple package home. After a difficult assembly, I discovered to my horror that (1). the Swifter Wet Jet (tm) requires four AA batteries and (2). according to the owner's manual one is not supposed to use it on unfinished hardwood floors. From the owner's manual I also gleamed that there is a model that charges; that horrible things will happen if one were to use strips, cleaning solutions, and sticky pads other than those manufactured by Swifter (tm); that there are several versions of the approved cleaning solution; and that one should never attempt to disassemble the purpluscious thing I was holding.
With batteries grudgingly installed and visions of purple plastic pieces scattered about, I set out to conquer my beat-up linoleum floor and my unfinished beat up wood floors. The stream of liquid set off by pushing the white button is adequate and the sticky pad showed evidence that the mop was indeed working to pick up dirt, dustbunnies, and dog hair. Clean-up afterwards involved simply tossing the recyclable sticky pad into the trash. Nothing horrible happened to my unfinished beat-up wood flooring.
On the minus side of things, the pad could be sturdier. It tended to fall apart with the vigor of my application. The mop does not manuever easily in anything other than straight lines. The white strip on the side can only be ordered via the website to the best of my knowledge and it is useless where it has been placed. And of course the demands that one uses only the strips, cleaning solution (and the purple plastic bottles are not supposed to be refilled), and the sticky pads put out by the company put me off. What put me off most was having to install batteries into a mop. Surely there must exist a valve connection thingy that would open to emit fluid without the need for batteries or electric recharging.
sapphoq reviews says: The Swifter Wet Jet (tm) is probably satisfactory to those who are more typical customers. It also has its uses for those of us who are not able to slug around buckets of soapy water. However, it will not replace same. Overall a C+ is awarded.
Swifter Wet Jet (tm) http://www.swiffer.com/swiffer/en_US/wetjet.do
Friend is overwhelmed by housework and so I volunteered to mop a bit. She handed me a purple plastic thing called a Swifter Wet Jet (tm). This contraption is a step up in complexity from the Swifter mop (tm) which is a green plastic thing that I have used for several years now and loved. The Swifter mop (tm) is admittedly not designed for rugged cleaning. This Swifter Wet Jet (tm) thingy is.
The overall purpleness pleases me as a purplephiliac. And the stick itself was study. The place where one attaches a sticky pad is wider than the plain green mop. There is also a strip attached to the side which I found to be rather useless. I prefer the strips to be part of the sticky pad myself. At any rate, with button pushing the Swifter Wet Jet (tm) emits a stream of special Swifter Wet Jet (tm) liquid dirt-busting cleaner. I was quickly done with friend's floors. And there was none of the "omgz I have to drag this heavy pail of sudsy water around" feeling. So I went out and bought one.
I got my shiny purple package home. After a difficult assembly, I discovered to my horror that (1). the Swifter Wet Jet (tm) requires four AA batteries and (2). according to the owner's manual one is not supposed to use it on unfinished hardwood floors. From the owner's manual I also gleamed that there is a model that charges; that horrible things will happen if one were to use strips, cleaning solutions, and sticky pads other than those manufactured by Swifter (tm); that there are several versions of the approved cleaning solution; and that one should never attempt to disassemble the purpluscious thing I was holding.
With batteries grudgingly installed and visions of purple plastic pieces scattered about, I set out to conquer my beat-up linoleum floor and my unfinished beat up wood floors. The stream of liquid set off by pushing the white button is adequate and the sticky pad showed evidence that the mop was indeed working to pick up dirt, dustbunnies, and dog hair. Clean-up afterwards involved simply tossing the recyclable sticky pad into the trash. Nothing horrible happened to my unfinished beat-up wood flooring.
On the minus side of things, the pad could be sturdier. It tended to fall apart with the vigor of my application. The mop does not manuever easily in anything other than straight lines. The white strip on the side can only be ordered via the website to the best of my knowledge and it is useless where it has been placed. And of course the demands that one uses only the strips, cleaning solution (and the purple plastic bottles are not supposed to be refilled), and the sticky pads put out by the company put me off. What put me off most was having to install batteries into a mop. Surely there must exist a valve connection thingy that would open to emit fluid without the need for batteries or electric recharging.
sapphoq reviews says: The Swifter Wet Jet (tm) is probably satisfactory to those who are more typical customers. It also has its uses for those of us who are not able to slug around buckets of soapy water. However, it will not replace same. Overall a C+ is awarded.
Swifter Wet Jet (tm) http://www.swiffer.com/swiffer/en_US/wetjet.do
Monday, October 27, 2008
Peter Kahrmann
Peter Kahrmann is an ex-cabbie from New York City with a traumatic brain injury. He was shot in the head and part of the bullet is still lodged in his brain. I have heard Peter speak several times at Best Practices and in a few other places. Most recently, a friend and I went to the Albany Public Library on Saturday to Peter's weekly and free workshop/support group.
Peter was running late. Friend and I went to a room up on the third floor. We were the first ones there. Shortly after, we were joined by another survivor and his helper. The helper went off to get someone to unlock the door. More folks drifted in-- survivors, professionals, helpers, and family members. Small talk and introductions were slow.
When Peter came into the room, the atmosphere instantly changed. People became animated and eager to talk. People hugged. Peter recited a creed which reminded us that we were in a place where all of us are equal (including the helpers and professionals) and free from judgment. We all went around and introduced ourselves.
Peter talked some about various areas of the brain and their functioning. I have read and heard similar material. The difference is that Peter furnished his information with easy-to-remember examples culled from the group itself. It was there that I learned that the reason why my "ability to multi-task has shit the bed and ain't coming back" (as the neuropsych from Sunnyview so eloquently expressed it a few years ago) is because of frontal lobe damage.
If any of you ever have a chance to venture into Albany New York on a Saturday, do go to the Public Library on Washington Avenue at 1 p.m. ish and mosey up to the third floor conference room. Do go visit his blogspot blog over at http://www.thekahrmannblog.blogspot.com.
spike
Peter was running late. Friend and I went to a room up on the third floor. We were the first ones there. Shortly after, we were joined by another survivor and his helper. The helper went off to get someone to unlock the door. More folks drifted in-- survivors, professionals, helpers, and family members. Small talk and introductions were slow.
When Peter came into the room, the atmosphere instantly changed. People became animated and eager to talk. People hugged. Peter recited a creed which reminded us that we were in a place where all of us are equal (including the helpers and professionals) and free from judgment. We all went around and introduced ourselves.
Peter talked some about various areas of the brain and their functioning. I have read and heard similar material. The difference is that Peter furnished his information with easy-to-remember examples culled from the group itself. It was there that I learned that the reason why my "ability to multi-task has shit the bed and ain't coming back" (as the neuropsych from Sunnyview so eloquently expressed it a few years ago) is because of frontal lobe damage.
If any of you ever have a chance to venture into Albany New York on a Saturday, do go to the Public Library on Washington Avenue at 1 p.m. ish and mosey up to the third floor conference room. Do go visit his blogspot blog over at http://www.thekahrmannblog.blogspot.com.
spike
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Dear Asswipe 7/5/08
A big fuck you going out to V.E.S.I.D. for operational failure.
Taking the side of the stoopid job developer in demanding I get a "return to work" note for a vertigo attack-- bovine fecal matter.
Furthermore, as far as "return to work," what work?
Screw off.
If you aren't going to help me, then get the fuck out of my way.
No love,
the traumatic brain-injury malcontent on your overflowing caseload.
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