Herb Kaufman Bails
In one of the early online experiments at the Courier News, a city resident named Herb Kaufman was given a blog set-up to report on Plainfield.
Kaufman was not only opinionated, he was acerbic, sometimes non-factual, but always ready to comment. The thing is, he did not confine his comments to Plainfield, but took on all sorts of local and national issues.
At some point, the CN blog link was shut down, but Kaufman kept venting, now calling his online outlet "Herb Kaufman on Everything!"
A recent check revealed that Herb Kaufman and spouse are moving over the Pennsylvania border to Dingmans Ferry, in order to make their retirement money go further. I'm sure many another New Jersey resident has made the same calculations and decisions.
If you remember the blog and want to read Herb's parting thoughts, click here.
I thought I was pretty high on the curmudgeon scale, but Herb has me beat.
Anyway, best wishes to Herb and his wife for a happy new life after Plainfield. One thing about this city, people get so intensely involved that they have a hard time looking at the big world. Yes, there is a very big world out there and even though people feel they can't tear themselves away, at times they must.
--Bernice Paglia
Kaufman was not only opinionated, he was acerbic, sometimes non-factual, but always ready to comment. The thing is, he did not confine his comments to Plainfield, but took on all sorts of local and national issues.
At some point, the CN blog link was shut down, but Kaufman kept venting, now calling his online outlet "Herb Kaufman on Everything!"
A recent check revealed that Herb Kaufman and spouse are moving over the Pennsylvania border to Dingmans Ferry, in order to make their retirement money go further. I'm sure many another New Jersey resident has made the same calculations and decisions.
If you remember the blog and want to read Herb's parting thoughts, click here.
I thought I was pretty high on the curmudgeon scale, but Herb has me beat.
Anyway, best wishes to Herb and his wife for a happy new life after Plainfield. One thing about this city, people get so intensely involved that they have a hard time looking at the big world. Yes, there is a very big world out there and even though people feel they can't tear themselves away, at times they must.
--Bernice Paglia
posted by Bernice at 6:16 PM
7 Comments:
Bernice, you made our evening!
Not knowing what "curmudgeon" meant, or how it was pronounced, I asked our son for help here, he didn't have much problem pronouncing it, but didn't know the meaning of it, so we looked for its definition and where we usually get our definitions has also the pronunciation, and while we are still working on the pronunciation, now we are all one word smarter thanks to you!
Or could it be thanks to Herb?
Thanks for today's posts, I enjoyed them all!
Maria, no we are not ALL one word smarter. Most of us already know the English language. Thanks for the self awareness though.
To Anonymous 10:30: I think Maria was talking about her household's joint effort to add to the family lexicon. Looking up words is a tried and true way for anybody to increase vocabulary, whether they speak English or not. I still look up words, especially if I am reading T.C. Boyle.
10:30,
Sorry you felt included, as Bernice said it, I was talking about my household and since the comment I made was about our efforts it didn't occur to me to think that ALL would feel included.
Relax! Life is already hard as it is.
Maria
Opinionated? I guess I am but isn't that what a blog is designed for? Inaccurate? Perhaps, but Bernice, you did not mention even one inaccuracy I printed. Curmudgeon? Doesn't that mean something like cranky and/or cantakerous?
Sorry if you are offended. Let me explain. Some blogs just put out information or links to some subject, but certainly yours has lots of opinions. I'm sure that's how you got the blog, as a well-known writer of Letters to the Editor for the Opinion page.
Your blog no longer has an archive that I can find, but I did see some things early on like your assessment of the South Plainfield Senior Center, which I think you mischaracterized. Anyway, you are not a reporter, so you don't have to corroborate everything little detail on your blog. If there is an accessible archive, let me know and I will give particulars.
I claim "curmudgeon" as a badge of honor in terms of not swallowing things whole and taking a somewhat cynical view of life and politics.I think you are similarly doubting of what is put before the public on a daily basis.
So please be assured that I appreciate your take on things and meant no disrespect.
As the neice of the curmudgeon, I'm proud that he voices his opinions loudly. I can see you truly meant no ill will, but even curmudgeon's have thin skin.
Rock on Uncle!
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