You might wait for this page to download or the "bottom" is just not there ... Or you can just scroll down leisurely and see what there is along the way ... But before we continue, some have asked how long it took to build this website ... It's like this ... I started it July 18, 1998 ... and maybe just a few minutes each day was given to this research. Yeah right, and I have a nice solid bridge here in Brooklyn to sell you for the right price ... it's over 100 years old so if you handle it right ... well, you know.

My name is Harold, or Hal, and on the internet, sometimes known as Buddy ... My brother, Daniel, used to call me "Bud Bud" ... You ask, “What does that have to do with Buddy? ... Well I'll tell you, no big deal, lend an ear ... As a baby, he was never able to say, "brother" it was always “bud bud” ... ipso facto, Buddy ... that's right.

I started this page July 18, 1998 ... must have been a special day for me.

Now it's only right that I say: Hello World. Hello to all the little children in schools learning or at home playing ... To all the grownups working to keep the world going. To those at home keeping the families together ... And to those who are in hospitals for whatever reason ... to those recuperating at home ... And yes, to those who are unfortunate to have no place at all except the streets ... life seems unfair at times.

To ALL these wonderful people, we say: Hello, Shalom, Priviet, Aloha, Olah, Geia sou, Bonjour, Guten tag, and Salve or Ciao ... and “hello” in all the other languages.
Why this page? ... Because it is a chance to express some personal thoughts ... And what is there so important to say? ... One thing now ... LOVE LIFE ... The world is so full of wonders ... just listen and look, look and listen … Open your heart to the greatest gift you ever received, LIFE ... So to all concerned, let's give a toast to this gift that we always take for granted ... Yup - Everybody - All Together now:

And now, I make only one request ... If you notice any errors in spelling, grammar, syntax, sentence structure ... or if any of these links are broken, dysfunctional, or problematic ... or if any sites are no longer in use ... I'd appreciate some feedback, and appropriate corrections will be made ... you just let me know ... How dare they change their pages after I did all this work !!! ... Notice now, 3 exclamation points.

Before I started, I was supposed to plan this web site.

1. I was supposed to determine the purpose of ths site. Is this a personal site? Topical? Business? Entertainment? Looks to me like I made it personal with an attempt to be entertaining.

2. I was supposed to decide on the structure of the site and the layout of the pages. I was supposed to decide how many pages I'd need. And I was supposed to build everything out from the home page. Turns out I have more pages than I can count (got carried away, I suppose).

3. I was supposed to decide what links to include. After all, a page without links is pretty boring. So I provided links to other pages within my site as well as to outside sites of interest. Big problem is that I have no control over those outside sites; they come and go.

4. And finally, I was supposed to create a list of possible links, something like an index (or "table of contents"), and organize them into groups. Well, that's exactly what I did; I made this "map site" in the Navigator page and the Bookmarks page. Always thinking of my guests; sit down, have a cup of coffee, make yourself at home. Regarding the above links, bookmark them (there's a lot there).

   Keep scrolling. And by the way, you like the menorah? How 'bout the waves? Brighton Beach, right? All right, so you ask, what's a menorah? That "menorah" link (goes to a page on Judaism) has an explanation, but don't stay too long; come back soon. Too much of any good thing can be mucho ... D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S ... lions and tigers and bears, oh my ... Kidding aside, there are serious connections there ... if you visit, give it real attention.

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   Don't ask how I created those waves (created?) You can figure it out.

   I speak jokingly about the menorah but there is much we can learn just from lighting a candle. We know we have to hold a flame to the wick until the wick is burning on its own, independent of the original flame. In a similar manner, when we attempt to help others according to our own talents and skills, we have to apply the help until the one receiving this help is strong enough to function on his or her own.

   Like a lamplighter in earlier days or like one who lights a menorah or just one candle, we are not just lighting a lamp but giving it enough strength and enough power to the lamp so that it remains lit by itself. In dealing with other people, the objective should be to establish them as individuals in their own right, not dependent on us; to help to hone their talents and abilities so that their lamp independently glows and, in turn, kindles the potential in others. This should be the Socratic oath of all teachers.

   Any suggestions, comments, or questions? Here I was thinking of opening up an "Internet Anonymous" service ... I might be wrong, but I suppose there are some people out there slightly addicted to the Internet … like 18 hours a day? Would you believe it? Not me, of course; what's your opinion? Why not email me? You know what? I might even answer you.
   

   My personal addy ... ... it's just for you.

   So here we go. I'll try to measure my words, try to say what I mean, and mean what I say. As Mark Twain said, "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the ligntening bug and the lightning."

   All right, now what do we have here? The website is set up as follows: From here, you will move to a master directory, sometimes called the "navigator" ... (it doesn't matter) ... from there you can go to my “regular pages” which have links to points of interest, points that in my opinion I thought people might be interested in. I tried.

   And you can always return to that directory from any page on the site: you can visit my "fun" pages, or pages of JavaScript applets. Of course, it might help to enable your browser for JS or upgrade it. Upgrades of browsers are available free on the Net; Netscape and Microsoft, they just love to give away freebies.

   If it's possible, please take the time to e-mail me if any links are not working; I can't check 'em all, but depend upon feedback for this information. If there are any topics you might want me to cover within the bounds of propriety, let me know. Thank you ... the Mgt.

   Oh yeah, if anyone has any corrections or comments, feel free to reply as my knowledge is rudimentary at best, and completely wrong at worst. I am always open to correction because as they say, "When you're green you grow, and when you're ripe you rot".

   I'm not sure, I think it's called "prescience" ... a certain power of the mind. It's something I was born with; I once read (I forget where) that one out of 3,845,769 people have it. Guess that makes me a little special. All right, all right; keep it cool, you're special too.

   Reminds me of the ... Story of Two Pockets ... on the stories page.

   You might ask, what is it that keeps a person working on a website. Thomas Arnold Bennett once said, “Having once decided to achieve a certain task, achieve it at all costs of tedium and distaste. The gain in self-confidence of having completed a tiresome task is immense.” Personal experience has taught me that he's 100% right, it's a great satisfaction.

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   All right, this is the last time you will see this graphic navigator link ... from now on, it will be in a text form, usually on top of the page, bottom of the menu, left side, under the gizzmo, watchacallit, doodad ... and sometimes on the bottom of the page. And if that doesn't confuse you - I'd say you're facing one heck of a bright future.

   Fooling around with the paint program, I almost got this 1920's picture (Manhattan as seen from Brooklyn) to color coordinate with the background. I'd say it's in the area where the present Brooklyn-Battery tunnel is. An amazing picture; just look, no skyscrapers. Truth is that very area was teeming with new arrivals to the USA.

   

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   All the nations, races, religions, and tribes in the world
   are like the different colored flowers of one meadow.
   ~~All Are Beautiful~~
   As children of the Creator, they must be respected.

   ~ JOURNEY WELL MY FRIENDS ~

   And remember that life is like a path of driven snow
   Be careful how you tread it, for every mark will show.