Love and sex in your mature years. This is my client Susan Warner. She tells it all. Listen to the podcast. Get ready to blush. The link to the podcast is just below the photo.
Some like to impersonate Carrie Bradshaw with their fantastic and outlandish clothing and vast closets. Even Sarah Jessica Parker pretends to be Carrie Bradshaw when she dresses to walk the red carpet.
However, there is one gal in all of NYC who, if he knew her, should have been the muse for Darren Star. Let me introduce you to Susan S Warner, the adorable, petite blond who at 58 lost her handsome and extraordinary husband to cancer and six months prior, her wonderful son, 32, to death by suicide.
“And Just Like That,” Susan became Carrie. Carrie may have her beat on exposure, but Susan has her beat on life’s experiences. It’s now four years later. After the most challenging days and nights, Susan decided to live her best life possible and that meant, “Susan was suddenly single.”
For many years, the founder of Zappos, had one of the biggest names in the tech industry. Tony Hsieh was admired by all who wanted to be the creator of a start-up and make it big. Everyone wrote about him and he was a keynoter at every major conference. He had it all. At least we thought so.
I’m still in shock how his life ended. When I saw this article about Tony in the WSJ, I wanted to copy and paste it here because most of you don’t have a subscription. This is such a sad story.
The Frost Art Walk, one of my favorite activities takes place next week. Some of the best jazz musicians in South Florida will perform this month at the Miami Botanical Garden. We finally got to dine at Carbone of South Beach, the most popular “A” crowd restaurant in Miami. And this spring you’ll be able to watch movies under the stars. And our roving photographer, Eliot Hess, has more photos of our beloved city, like the one pictured here. So many reasons to love our city.
March 15. Frost Art Walk
One of my favorite activities is about to take place next Tuesday, March 15, from 12pm to 1pm. Amy Galpin, the Chief Curator, for the Frost Art Museum, is going to give a tour of the public art on the campus of Florida International University. This is a very special treat because the art sculptures surrounding the museum on the FIU campus is so striking that you want to know more about it.
One of the most picturesque areas where you really come face to face with nature, while enjoying the fresh air, is the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, and they offer all kinds of entertainment. At the end of this month some of the best jazz musicians in South Florida will be performing along with Broadway star Avery Sommers (Chicago, Showboat, Ain’t Misbehavin’). Bring a chair or a blanket.
I finally dined at Carbone’s of South Beach last night, the most popular, and revered restaurant in Miami Beach, with my husband and two dear friends. The only reason I got in was because my BFF’s had the reservation and suddenly couldn’t use it. I jumped at the chance because getting a reservation is almost impossible. We knew the prices were exorbitant, but $170 each? Then when it came time for the desert, we were handed a check at the same time, and told that the folks with the next reservation were waiting. Will I return?
The first time I went to a movie in an open-air arena was in Monaco, thirty years ago. I thought it was so cool to be sitting under the stars looking at a huge screen. Now I am going to be able to have that experience all over again when the Rooftop Cinema Club comes to town in the Spring.
It’s only 90 minutes away. Wednesday we made it to Palm Beach in an hour. We will be going to PB more often because every time we go we meet more and more people. They become friends. The bash Sunny Sessa hosted for Ron for his birthday was over the top with singing, games, and gambling. Sunny’s sit down dinners are always several courses with plenty of options. We all went home with filled bellies, Sunny presents and memorabilia.
The minute I laid eyes on Alex Nunez a number of years ago, I knew that she was destined to be one of the most important artists of our times. Not only is she a talented painter who puts secret messages in her work, but she can talk about all kinds of art in the most fascinating ways. Trust me, if you never cared about art before, you will once Alex starts to explain what a painting is all about. She has her Masters In Fine Arts. You have to check out all of her work on Instagram. https://instagram.com/shockingly_unambitious?utm_medium=copy_link
Alex also has a podcast that plays music artists like to listen to while they work. Music influences art, and art influences music. I have no idea why Alex asked me to be a guest on her show other than to talk about why I surround myself with so much art, and why I hang out with people who create contemporary work. Answer: I love their energy.
Esther Dyson is one of the most respected members of the tech community. Her resignation from Yandex N.V. is a clear indication that the tech industry is going to support Ukraine any way they can. We hope this sends a strong message to the people of Russia who must stop this war now.
Yandex N.V. is a multinational corporation primarily for Russian and Russian-language users, providing 70 Internet-related products and services, including transportation, search and information services, e-commerce, navigation, mobile applications, and online advertising
Today I resigned as a non-executive board member of Yandex N.V. My co-director Ilya Strebulaev has also resigned. Please see the Yandex press release on our resignations:
Ilya and I issued a joint statement in our personal capacities as follows:
“Today we resigned from the Board of Yandex with heavy hearts.
We have been honored to serve on the Yandex board and to support its founder Arkady Volozh and the outstanding management team and employees who have built an exceptional, world-class technology business. The team has always sought to do the right thing and to serve the Russian population with access to information, mobility and many other services. Today, the company and all its employees are going through a terrible time. They find themselves under enormous pressure both inside and outside the country. Unfortunately, we have both reached the view that, in the current political environment in Russia, it has become impossible for the team to continue to provide a free and open platform for information for the Russian public without breaking the law and putting the company and its employees at risk. In these circumstances, we do not believe that we are able to continue to contribute meaningfully as members of the Board.
We respect our fellow board members who have committed to supporting the company and its nearly 20,000 employees. We know that they will continue to support the management team in its goal to stay true to its values while navigating an exceptionally challenging set of political pressures, with a view to ensuring both business continuity and, above all, the safety and security of its employees. We also want to express our deep admiration for the staff, and to acknowledge the impossible situation in which they find themselves.
Our hearts go out to the people of Ukraine as they face these brutal events, as well as to the millions of Russians of good faith who would speak out if they could do so safely. We will continue to support the Board and management in our individual capacities.”
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Purim
Do you want to join us ? This is definitely something different. Outdoors in a garden. Let me know soonest.
I miss hanging out in the Apple store. I also miss hanging out in Tower Records, Blockbuster, and Sam Goody’s. Thank goodness Apple is coming back and Books and Books is a favorite meeting spot in Miami. This is very much part of our social life. It makes us feel connected and part of the community. This is a different experience than social media. We enjoy it.
The company’s in-person classes and workshops return today.
Starting today, Apple’s retail stores are getting back one of their best features–the in-person classes and workshops known as “Today at Apple.” That means you can visit the Today at Apple page on the company’s website to see a collection of classes available at the Apple Store near you.
If you’ve ever been in an Apple Store, you’ve probably seen a group of people listening to an instructor talk about photography, creating videos using an iPhone, or editing photos on a Mac. For the last two years, however, Apple’s retail stores have looked a lot different. The pandemic forced every company to make drastic changes to the way they interact with customers, while still trying to meet their needs.
I think it’s fair to say that Apple did as good a job as any. The company implemented a rigorous screening process for customers entering its stores, implemented order pickup, and allowed customers to make an appointment to shop with a specialist.
During the pandemic, one of the most impressive feats was the way Apple translated its in-store experience online. The company even created a program called “Today at Apple at Home,” which allowed customers to take part in workshops and classes virtually, even when retail stores were shut down.
That’s a big deal considering Apple’s retail stores have–for the past two decades–been an important extension of the company’s brand. They’re a place where you could experience any of Apple’s products in person.
Of course, there are plenty of other places you can go to check out the latest iPhone or Mac. What makes an Apple Store different is the experience. Everything about an Apple Store invites you to pick and touch the products.
Not only that, but Apple Stores are staffed by passionate Apple employees who will take the time to explain the features of your new device, and walk you through how to set it up and copy over all of your information. Then, you could sign up for a class to learn even more about using your device.
At the original San Francisco flagship store, I used to sit in the theater upstairs and listen to workshops about everything from making a movie using iMovie, to editing photos in Aperture. It’s one of the things that I missed about Apple Stores during the pandemic, just walking in and listening to someone as passionate about using Apple’s creative tools to tell stories and make things.
“We can’t wait to welcome more of our communities back to our stores to experience Today at Apple, led by our incredible Apple Creatives,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and People. “We’ve missed experiencing this connection in our stores, and we’re so happy that Today at Apple is back in person.”
For Apple, its retail stores have always been about more than just taking your money and handing over a box with an iPhone. Obviously, Apple is happy to sell you whatever you’re looking for when you walk into one of its stores. Not only that, it’s very good at it. Apple Stores are–by far–the most valuable retail locations in the world.
Still, they’ve always been about more than just “shopping.” There is something about walking into an Apple Store that’s different than most retail stores. It really is a different experience, and that’s the point.
Apple created its stores to help its customers connect with its people and its brand. I know that sounds cliche but it’s true, and Apple has done it in a way almost no other tech company–or retailer, for that matter–has been able to copy. Things like Today at Apple are a big part of the reason why.
Starting today, Apple’s retail stores are getting back one of their best features–the in-person classes and workshops known as “Today at Apple.” That means you can visit the Today at Apple page on the company’s website to see a collection of classes available at the Apple Store near you.
I f you’ve ever been in an Apple Store, you’ve probably seen a group of people listening to an instructor talk about photography, creating videos using an iPhone, or editing photos on a Mac. For the last two years, however, Apple’s retail stores have looked a lot different. The pandemic forced every company to make drastic changes to the way they interact with customers, while still trying to meet their needs.
I think it’s fair to say that Apple did as good a job as any. The company implemented a rigorous screening process for customers entering its stores, implemented order pickup, and allowed customers to make an appointment to shop with a specialist.
During the pandemic, one of the most impressive feats was the way Apple translated its in-store experience online. The company even created a program called “Today at Apple at Home,” which allowed customers to take part in workshops and classes virtually, even when retail stores were shut down.
That’s a big deal considering Apple’s retail stores have–for the past two decades–been an important extension of the company’s brand. They’re a place where you could experience any of Apple’s products in person.
Of course, there are plenty of other places you can go to check out the latest iPhone or Mac. What makes an Apple Store different is the experience. Everything about an Apple Store invites you to pick and touch the products.
Not only that, but Apple Stores are staffed by passionate Apple employees who will take the time to explain the features of your new device, and walk you through how to set it up and copy over all of your information. Then, you could sign up for a class to learn even more about using your device.
At the original San Francisco flagship store, I used to sit in the theater upstairs and listen to workshops about everything from making a movie using iMovie, to editing photos in Aperture. It’s one of the things that I missed about Apple Stores during the pandemic, just walking in and listening to someone as passionate about using Apple’s creative tools to tell stories and make things.
“We can’t wait to welcome more of our communities back to our stores to experience Today at Apple, led by our incredible Apple Creatives,” said Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail and People. “We’ve missed experiencing this connection in our stores, and we’re so happy that Today at Apple is back in person.”
For Apple, its retail stores have always been about more than just taking your money and handing over a box with an iPhone. Obviously, Apple is happy to sell you whatever you’re looking for when you walk into one of its stores. Not only that, it’s very good at it. Apple Stores are–by far–the most valuable retail locations in the world.
Still, they’ve always been about more than just “shopping.” There is something about walking into an Apple Store that’s different than most retail stores. It really is a different experience, and that’s the point.
Apple created its stores to help its customers connect with its people and its brand. I know that sounds cliche but it’s true, and Apple has done it in a way almost no other tech company–or retailer, for that matter–has been able to copy. Things like Today at Apple are a big part of the reason why.
This is my client Susan Warner and this is her story. She wrote it for The Three Tomatoes newsletter. https://thethreetomatoes.com/joy-has-urgency. I thought everyone should read it.
Susan Warner is an educator, wife and mother. Her journey is a perfect example of life’s contradictions. She had a storybook marriage of 38 years and two magnificent children. She existed in the comfort of an extraordinary cocoon of family and friends. Enter the devasting suicide of her 34-year-old son and then the subsequent death of her husband 6 months later of a virulent cancer in an eight-week diagnosis to death, her story is of acceptance, pushing on and not being defined by social emotional norms. She is living her best life, making choices that define her “right turn” after her catastrophic loss, and characterizing a journey to self-actualization and a commitment to help others who have experienced loss. Rediscovering who she is, what lies ahead and the adventure at hand.
Joy has an urgency in our lives. I read this in a wonderful editorial about a young girl who was diagnosed with cancer after being given her Bat Mitzvah date. When the time arrived to celebrate, the family realized that their joy had urgency. My joy has urgency.
It is natural to want to celebrate. Fortunately, after experiencing loss, joy does not have to stand still. Births still occur, engagements happen, weddings continue and celebrations are planned. In recovery of loss, it is often difficult to participate at first. The thought of attending joyful occasions can border nauseating. And then one day the veil is lifted, the time is right, and joy bounces back into your universe. Your perception of joy is very different from the rest of the world’s. You see a deeper meaning, a greater depth and stronger reaction. There, is another silver lining.
My reaction to the birth of my first great nephew awakened this new awareness. Here we were, with the first new addition to our family. Instead of the usual superficiality, I felt the depth of emotion tied to this new little person. He was the beginning of our “hope”, the next generation-our legacy. I marvel at my brother’s love and commitment to this little boy. Not marveling in its oddity, but in its completeness. Despite the fact that he is an exceptional and exemplary father, this transcends that. His good fortune has made him whole and has made him thoroughly happy. Does his joy have an urgency? Possibly. But moreover, it has a richness that is profound to observe.
So, my joy and its urgency were delivered to me with the marriage of my daughter. I have never been the mother that was wrapped up in my daughter getting married. She is extremely accomplished, and I have been proud and supportive of her life decisions. When she found the man that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, I was delighted. Her ultimate discovery was a by- product of the profound loss she had experienced. With his love and insight, kindness and understanding, she discovered her best friend is her soulmate. Silver lining.
Their wedding was derailed by Covid, forcing us to delay and make unique and alternate plans. In a brief respite from Covid-mania, they were married in the most beautiful and intimate ceremony and celebration I have witnessed. Spiritually and emotionally, everyone was with us that day in May. Silver lining.
I question whether this urgency will dull. I don’t think so. Profound loss changes a person. I am referring to the changes that cut through to the core of a person. The vision that becomes sharper, the depth in the value of relationships and gestures, and the needs that morph and change. The importance of understanding that life is best defined by happiness and joy, not necessarily resume building, wealth or power. Joy that has urgency. The urgency to celebrate the big and the small -changes. Things that were once so paramount and important often become trivial, and things that were overlooked or misinterpreted become critical.
I remember my first jaunt into the real world of celebration. I attended my college roommate’s daughter’s wedding in Upstate New York. I was nervous and anticipatory, only really knowing the family. Train ride to Saratoga, check into hotel, get ready. I needed help zipping my dress and I was alone. I opened the door to my room, caught sight of her sister, gestured for help, and there she was. I was fine and zipped up.
Insanely, the beginning of a journey of independence. I went to the ceremony and sat alone-all good. Cocktail hour was a challenge. Standing by myself at the bar was uncomfortable and awkward. A text from my sister- in- law Angie read, “….stay strong, have a drink and go back and watch Bravo at the hotel if you need to.”
That was comforting, as someone was watching over me. Taking a deep breath, I was getting ready to follow those instructions and someone yelled out my college nickname, “Hey Susie.” It was a friend from school. The couple enveloped me, assured me we were at the same table, spoke with me the entire evening and even danced with me.
What I anticipated to be a catastrophe, ended up being empowering. Their kindness was vast and they didn’t even know it. These experiences have raised my awareness and sharpened my vision. Rejoice in other people’s satisfaction and happiness, knowing that after all we have been through, grief, loss or pandemic, joy has urgency.
Experts hope research can lead to development of drugs that stop people catching Covid or passing it on
Phoebe Garrett has attended university lectures without catching Covid; she even hosted a party where everyone subsequently tested positive except her. “I think I’ve knowingly been exposed about four times,” the 22-year-old from High Wycombe said.
In March 2021, she participated in the world’s first Covid-19 challenge trial, which involved dripping live virus into her nose and pegging her nostrils shut for several hours, in a deliberate effort to infect her. Still her body resisted.
“We had multiple rounds of tests, and different methods of testing: throat swabs, nose swabs, other types of swabs that I’d never done before like nasal wicks – where you hold a swab in your nose for a minute – as well as blood tests, but I never developed symptoms, never tested positive,” Garrett said. “My mum has always said that our family never gets flu, and I’ve wondered if there’s maybe something behind that.”
Most people know someone who has stubbornly resisted catching Covid, despite everyone around them falling sick. Precisely how they do this remains a mystery, but scientists are beginning to find some clues.
The hope is that identifying these mechanisms could lead to the development of drugs that not only protect people from catching Covid, but also prevent them from passing it on.
Garrett is not the only challenge trial participant to have avoided becoming infected. Of the 34 who were exposed to the virus, 16 failed to develop an infection (defined as two consecutive positive PCR tests) – although around half of them transiently tested positive for low levels of the virus, often several days after exposure.
Possibly, this was a reflection of the immune system rapidly shutting down an embryonic infection. “In our previous studies with other viruses, we have seen early immune responses in the nose that are associated with resisting infection,” said Prof Christopher Chiu at Imperial College London, who led the study. “Together, these findings imply that there is a struggle between the virus and host, which in our ‘uninfected’ participants results in prevention of infection taking off.”
Some of them also reported some mild symptoms, such as a stuffy nose, sore throat, tiredness, or headache – although, since these commonly occur in everyday life, they may have been unrelated to virus exposure.
“Either way, levels of the virus didn’t climb high enough to trigger detectable levels of antibodies, T cells or inflammatory factors in the blood that are usually associated with symptoms,” Chiu said.
Other studies also suggest it is possible to shake off Covid during the earliest stages of infection, before it establishes a proper foothold. For instance, during the first wave of the pandemic, Dr Leo Swadling at University College London and colleagues intensively monitored a group of healthcare workers who were regularly exposed to infected patients, but who never tested positive or developed antibodies themselves. Blood tests revealed that around 15% of them had T cells reactive against Sars-CoV-2, plus other markers of viral infection.
Possibly, memory T-cells from previous coronavirus infections – ie those responsible for common colds – cross-reacted with the new coronavirus and protected them from Covid.
Understanding how frequently people abort nascent Covid infections in the era of Omicron is complicated because it requires intensive testing – for the virus, antibodies, T cells and other markers of infection – and because so many people have been vaccinated.
“It is likely vaccinated individuals are exposed to the virus, and block viral replication and detectable infection more commonly,” Swadling said.
There is also no commercially available test that can distinguish between immunity triggered by vaccination and the different variants – so unless a person has recently tested positive, it is almost impossible to know if they have been exposed to Omicron or not.
Seasonal coronaviruses may not be the only source of cross-protective immune responses. Prof Cecilia Söderberg-Nauclér, an immunologist at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, began investigating this possibility, after Sweden avoided being overwhelmed by cases during the pandemic’s first wave, despite its light-touch approach to restrictions. Mathematical modelling by her colleague, Marcus Carlsson at Lund University, suggested this pattern of infections could only be explained if a large proportion of people had some kind of protective immunity.
Her team scoured databases of protein sequences from existing viruses, hunting for small segments (peptides) resembling those from the new coronavirus, to which antibodies were likely to bind. When they identified a six-amino acid peptide in a protein from H1N1 influenza that matched a crucial part of the coronavirus spike protein, “I almost fell out of my chair,” Söderberg-Nauclér said.
They have since discovered antibodies to this peptide in up to 68% of blood donors from Stockholm. The research, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, could suggest that immune responses triggered by H1N1 influenza – which was responsible for the 2009-10 swine flu pandemic – and possibly related subsequent strains, may equip people with partial, though not complete, protection against Covid-19. “It provides a cushion, but it won’t protect you if an infected person coughs in your face,” Söderberg-Nauclér said.
A small proportion of people may even be genetically resistant to Covid-19. In October, an international consortium of researchers launched a global hunt to find some of them, in the hope of identifying protective genes.
“We are not looking for common gene variants that provide modest protection against infection, what we are looking for is potentially very rare gene variants that completely protect someone against infection,” said Prof András Spaan atthe Rockefeller University in New York, who is leading the research.
They are particularly interested in people who shared a home and bed with an infected person, and avoided infection themselves. “For instance, the other day I was talking to an elderly lady from the Netherlands, who took care of her husband during the first wave. The husband was eventually admitted to the ICU, but she spent the week before taking care of him, sharing the same room, and without access to face masks,” said Spaan. “We cannot explain why she did not get infected.”
Such resistance is known to exist for other diseases, including HIV, malaria, and norovirus. In these cases, a genetic defect means some people lack a receptor used by the pathogen to enter cells, so they cannot be infected. “It could well be that, in some individuals, there is such a defect in a receptor used by Sars-CoV-2,” Spaan said.
Identifying such genes could lead to the development of new treatments for Covid-19, in the same way that the identification of CCR5 receptor defects in HIV-resistant people has led to new ways of treating HIV.
Spaan thinks it is unlikely that the majority of those who have avoided Covid are genetically resistant, even if they have some partial immune protection. This means there is no guarantee they will not eventually become infected – as Garrett found out in late January. Having dodged the virus for almost two years, she was shocked when a routine lateral flow test produced an ominous second red line. Shortly afterwards, she developed mild Covid symptoms, but has since recovered.
The irony is that, having avoided catching Covid from close family, friends and in a specialist medical laboratory, it was probably a relative stranger who infected her. “I have no idea where I got it from; it could have been someone in my local choir, or maybe from the gym,” she said.
DigiDame 