The Outrageous Flaw in the New York City OMNY Cards System

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Photo by Josu00e9 Orlando Salazar on Pexels.com

I’ve been using OMNY Cards for the past four years now and I’ve had no complaints about them whatsoever.

Until today.

OMNY Cards, for anyone outside of New York City who isn’t in the know, are used by New Yorkers to pay to ride the buses and subways. They’re sort of like credit cards. You tap them at the kiosks on public transportation, they deduct the fare from your prepaid account, and away you go. You can arrange for additional funds to be put on your OMNY account once it runs low. It’s been a pretty good system.

However, I just moved to a western state and left New York after 39 years. I went online to cancel my OMNY account.

I found out that I have over fifty bucks worth of unused funds on there, so I contacted OMNY support to get a refund.

Well, get this! OMNY does not give refunds. If you have additional moolah sitting in your account, and then move away, they will not give it back! I was told to either save it in case I return to New York for a visit or give it to a friend, but OMNY has a “no refund policy.”

I’ll be giving it to a friend, but come on, OMNY! This policy of yours is ridiculous!

Say Not the Struggle Nought Availeth

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Just wanted to share this “oldie but goodie” of a poem because it’s one of my favorites. If something you’re waiting for seems to take a little too long to arrive, who knows? Perhaps it’s already on the way!

Say not the Struggle nought Availeth

By Arthur Hugh Clough

Say not the struggle nought availeth,

     The labour and the wounds are vain,

The enemy faints not, nor faileth,

     And as things have been they remain.

If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars;

     It may be, in yon smoke concealed,

Your comrades chase e’en now the fliers,

     And, but for you, possess the field.

For while the tired waves, vainly breaking

     Seem here no painful inch to gain,

Far back through creeks and inlets making,

     Comes silent, flooding in, the main.

And not by eastern windows only,

     When daylight comes, comes in the light,

In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly,

     But westward, look, the land is bright.

Blizzard 2026 Photos

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The view outside of my door.

I thought it might be fun this morning, mid-blizzard, to get a photo from the door to my apartment.

The above is what greeted me just from opening the door!

It’s unbelievable.

Here’s another shot. This one says it all. Note the poor beleaguered swing:

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I take two buses to get to work, and ever since the day I got off to switch from one to the other, and found myself in the middle of an active shooter investigation, I decided I was thoroughly through with New York. That’s it. I am DONE here!

It is finally time to retire. The happy day I’ve been awaiting for so long is almost here! I can’t wait, and I’m getting out of this area of the country, once and for all, without any further hesitation.

And that was before this winter even started. After the storms, the ice, the snow, the cold, I’m ready for a new adventure!

Children’s Book THE MAGIC OF DIWALI WITH SAARA by Annie Agarwal

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A good children’s book about the holiday of Diwali.

The Indian celebration of Diwali is now an official school holiday in New York City and in the state of California, so children – and adults – on both coasts are probably very curious about it. The children’s book THE MAGIC OF DIWALI WITH SAARA by Annie Agarwal can provide your children, and you, with a delightful overview of it, as told through the eyes of an engaging young narrator.

The book is also colorfully and adorably illustrated, with little Saara shown as a happy and curious child, eager to find out more about the holiday.

Diwali is a celebration of joy, and of good over evil, that follows the lunar calendar and always happens on a moonless night. It all began when Prince Lord Ram had to liberate his wife, Sita, from a demon king named Ravana. Lord Ram won the battle and brought his Sita home to his kingdom. The people in the kingdom rejoiced and lit up their homes with little lights called “diyas” to welcome him back and to celebrate the victory. Demon kings may cause bad things to happen, but hey, good can still triumph in the end! It’s great to be reminded of that.

The holiday is also about love and kindness. Saara’s mom explains the tradition of lighting diyas by telling the child, “When we share love and kindness just like we share the lights of the divas, it grows and makes everything around us brighter.” The mother is right on target.

The story follows the preparations of the day as Saara and her family get ready for the Diwali party they’re hosting that evening for their family. Diwali includes not only lighting the diyas but creating paper lanterns, making and buying special treats, and a trip to the store to buy new clothes in the spirit of “out with the old and in with the new.” When evening falls, there’s even a tradition of fireworks.

I learned a lot about this holiday from reading this engaging and informative new book, and now I want to celebrate Diwali the next time it rolls around, too!

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Diyas – Photo by Vibhor Saxena on Pexels.com
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Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Easy Ways to Make A Positive Difference

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Charitable organizations that could use your help and support!

I’ve always agreed with the old saying, “Be the change you wish to see in the world!” What better change can there be than to give a little assistance those who are less fortunate than we are?

In light of that, may I recommend:

St. Joseph’s Indian School – https://www.stjo.org

A boarding school for Native American children whose parents want them to be there. It isn’t like the ones in the old days where the kids were put into schools against their parents’ will. The photos and videos of their happy students on their website are amazing!

Kiva – https://www.kiva.org

You can give a small micro loan to individuals and groups requiring funds to kickstart their businesses. And get this. Once the loan is paid back, the money goes into your account so you can loan it AGAIN to someone else!

Operation Smile – https://www.operationsmile.org

My longtime favorite! Operation Smile provides free surgery to children with cleft palates and facial deformities. Not only do they correct the physical problems but they transform them into the beautiful children they were always meant to be in the first place. It prevents them from continuously being bullied before they have the surgery, too, which is extraordinarily important.

Heifer International – https://www.heifer.org

I like this one too! They provide livestock to farmers in Third World countries, anything from a flock of chicks to a goat to a heifer and more.

Mercy Ships – https://www.mercyships.org

Mercy Ships reminds me of the story about how if Mohammed couldn’t come to the mountain then the mountain came to Mohammed! Their ships sail to medically underserved countries and provide people with the surgery and care that they need.

By all means, check out these websites. For the price of a cup of coffee or two, or perhaps a little bit more, you could be part of the answer to someone’s prayer! And what could be better than that?

The Next New Release: DEATH OF A DREAM SELLER

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Available Now: THE DEATH OF A DREAM SELLER.

Every theater school has drama. This one has a body.

Paloma always suspected the acting conservatory she once worked for was a little… off. So when it goes bankrupt, she’s not at all shocked.

But when she’s invited back for a nostalgic Grand Finale Party, she expects awkward small talk—not finding a dead artistic director lying on the floor.

Edwin Everett Asher was eccentric, mysterious, and impossible to forget. He also ran the school into the ground and apparently someone decided to make his exit permanent. Now Paloma must sift through a cast of quirky current and ex‑employees, half‑truths, and backstage chaos to figure out who delivered the final curtain call.  To understand what happened to Edwin, and the school, she must take a closer look at the shadows the place is leaving behind.

Because in this school, everyone loved drama—just not this kind.

Available Now! Click on the cover image below:

Another Reason to Love Composer Jerry Herman!

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On top of all of the wonderful songs that he gave us, Broadway composer Jerry Herman also shared this story of the advice he received from composer Frank Loesser, who wrote the songs for Guys and Dolls and more, when Jerry was just starting out.

Jerry listened to Frank and went on to write the music and lyrics for Milk & Honey, Mame, Hello, Dolly, La Cage aux Folles, Mack and Mabel and more.

This little concept doesn’t just work for writing songs. It’s an idea to keep in mind whenever you’re writing anything, and it’s been my guiding light in writing books. It’s all about the finish that ties it all together – “the train” and “the caboose!”

Thanks, gentlemen!

Take this one to heart, writers, songwriters, and creators everwhere, go for it, and enjoy!

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The Million-Dollar-Plus American Tunnel

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The story that partly inspired THE RED IN THE WRONG PROFESSION.

I’m not one to spend a lot of energy grousing about the government, but I’m going to make an exception in this case.

Back n the 1970s, when the Soviets moved their Washington embassy from one location to another, the Americans went completely berserk with a crazy idea. What if they bought the house across the street from the new embassy? And what if they dug a TUNNEL beneath it to go under the street and land beneath the new embassy building, so they could BUG the place from under the ground?

Sounds crazy, right?

Apparently it happened anyway.

I realize the Cold War was bad.

I get it that both sides were doing wild things to spy on one another.

But THIS? A multi-million dollar TUNNEL that went underneath the new Soviet embassy?

Paid for with American taxpayers’ money, yet?

Normally I don’t start doing the math in situations like this, but doesn’t it make you wonder? How many hungry American kids could have been fed on that kind of money?

I’m not anti-American.

I’m not pro-Communist.

I’m just saying this was wrong.

THE RED IN THE WRONG PROFESSION will be available tomorrow, January 6, 2026.

Happy New Year!

You Just Never Know!

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New Year’s! Photo by Nick Kwan on Pexels.com

I have to admit, this time last year I wasn’t at all sure what the new year was going to bring.

For some reason, every year of my life that has ended in a five brought a catastrophe with it. 1965, my beloved grandfather and best friend, PopPop, died. 1975, worst school year of my life. 1985, terrible job situation. 1995, 2005, 2015 – same kind of wretched, bad luck deals.

If the year ended in a five, I figured, I’d better duck and cover.

So I didn’t go out on the town on December 31, 2024. I went to bed early, wondering what kind of a monumental mess 2025 might bring.

I woke up around three o’clock in the morning.

I knew it had become 2025.

Uh-oh, I said to myself. It’s here.

Then I looked at my email…and would you believe it? Something else was here, too.

I found out I’d won another book award! And this kind of luck I’d managed to bring into my life through my own creative efforts. UNTIL THE STARS ALIGN was named a Finalist in the BREW Readers’ Choice Awards!

And guess what? As of this writing, December 30, 2025, it looks like I’m finishing out the year on a very high and happy note. I was just notified that ONCE UPON A SAFEHOUSE has won FIRST PLACE in the Digital Books Today Literary Awards!

It really is true that you just never know what might happen. As Orphan Annie says in the musical, “The sun’ll come out tomorrow!”

Happy New Year and Welcome 2026!

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This was the little promo I made to celebrate the win on January 1, 2025.

Happy New Year 2026!

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What Happened to Nick Reiner in Rehab?

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As should be obvious from my previous post, I loved the work of Rob Reiner.

I do not condone Nick Reiner’s brutal murder of his father and mother in any way, shape, or form.

However, this situation has made me wonder.

Over and over again, I’ve seen videos in the last few days where Rob Reiner says he should have “trusted his son” rather than the psychologists and psychiatrists who ran the rehab facilities where Nick was sent – EIGHTEEN times, at the last report.

Eighteen times this boy was sent to rehab, and hated it, yet his parents, by his father’s own admission, wouldn’t listen to what he had to say?

Danny Bonaduce of Partridge Family fame wrote an amazing book years ago describing the lunacy that went on in a rehab where he was once sent. It was one of the most appalling accounts I’ve ever read. Some days they put Danny in a dress to counter “vanity.” They told him to symbolically “kill” the part he’d played on The Partridge Family. They made him put crayons in the hand he didn’t write with to get in touch with his “inner child.” All of this is bullshit! Unscientific bullshit, to boot! Not to mention profoundly unethical.

What if Nick Reiner was put in similar places for “treatment” and it was run like the madhouse where Danny was sent?

Again, I’m not condoning what Nick Reiner did. But I think somebody somewhere needs to take a good, long, closer look at what went on in some of these “rehabs.”