Rough Week, More of it Coming.

[We have gotten up from sitting shiva for my sister.  It has, of course, been a rough week (and today, being Mother's Day, is certainly all the more so for my Mom).  The family needs to move forward from this (as my sister absolutely would want as to do), so I shall not dwell upon this loss except to say that her many worldly sufferings have concluded and she is now in the Best Possible Hands, and to thank all who have expressed condolences.  Heartfelt appreciations are also in order to my adversary in a case now in litigation; he readily and willingly postponed his client's deposition that had been scheduled for the day of the funeral.  Would that all in the legal profession be so professional].

Few in America and elsewhere need any introduction to Roberto Clemente, the Baseball Hall of Famer who was also a humanitarian and a U.S. Marine.  Because Clemente was Puerto Rico born and bred, and because the hamlet of Brentwood in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, NY has long had a significant population of Puerto Ricans and other Latinos, the Town named a public park after Clemente.  Political pandering, perhaps, but it would be gross understatement to say that they could have chosen far, far worse role models than Roberto Clemente as tags to a recreational facility for the children.

Well, the Park was undergoing an upgrade, and some filler soil was apparently needed, and apparently, one or more construction/demolition contractors "donated" the soil -- laden with asbestos and other toxic substances.  Now, the Town of Islip has appropriately sealed off the Park, and is now prepping civil lawsuits against the alleged dumpers as the Suffolk County District Attorney studies criminal charges.

My question:  How much of this damage control is personal?  Did any Town of Islip officials have any closer-than-arms-length relationships with any of the dumpers?

Something tells me that this story may take some novel twists and turns.

Cop with a Heart meets Useless Thug

NYPD Detective Kevin Herlihy is now home from the hospital. Det. Herlihy took a bullet from Michael McBride, a wanted thug, and returned McBride's projectile with 13 from his NYPD issued sidearm, permanently removing McBride from New York City's corps of career criminals.

A story on page A3 of Newsday's 18 February 2012 print edition (which, on the Internet, is now hidden behind Newsday's pay wall) discusses Herlihy's emotional trauma from taking the perp's life the very first time Herlihy ever discharged his weapon in his 18 years on the NYPD force.

It is this latter facet of the news story, hidden behind the pay wall, which makes Det. Herlihy not only a hero, but a role model. He seems to be a man who values the sanctity of human life, but realizes that it is sometimes necessary, nay, imperative, to take distasteful actions for the good of the world.

I share in the gratitude that Det. Herlihy is well on the road to recovery, and is now with his wife and family in his own home.

Of course, one can never totally exclude the possibility of a cop gaming the system to pull an early disability pension. But unless and until evidence to the contrary surfaces, my own working presumption is that Det. Herlihy is bona fide, earnest, and honorable.

Even if, perchance, Det. Herlihy is setting the stage to contrive for an early pension payout, it would still cost the taxpayers far, far less than the cost of paying a prosecutor, defense attorney, and court reporter, and then paying a New York State corrections officer to babysit McBride for the next 20+ years.



[The past 3 days of sitting shiva for my father have given much catharsis; more will surely come by the end of the shiva period. I shall not, at least at this time with this particular posting, go into extended eulogies for Dad. It shall suffice to say that, anent to the posting of 5 January of 2012, (1) I have noticed even more interesting documents in Dad's papers, which increase my personal curiosity even more; and (2) the decision to NOT make inquiry of Dad regarding his activities in defense contracting was appropriate and correct. All possible inferences inescapably lead to the conclusion that Dad's scientific work saved many American lives, military and civilian -- and many Israeli lives as well.

The American Flag on Dad's casket was his reward for serving in the Army. Certain interesting occurrences and coincidences at Dad's funeral were, no doubt, signs from G-d that Dad is already being rewarded on an even grander scale.

Rest in Peace, Dad!].