Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Fwd: Tell Albany: Support UPKNYC!


I love public prek!!!

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Lauren, MomsRising.org" <info@momsrising.org>
Date: March 18, 2014 at 10:15:18 PM EDT
To: "LAURA MAHALEL" <Ljmahalel@yahoo.com>
Subject: Tell Albany: Support UPKNYC!
Reply-To: info@momsrising.org

 Mayor de Blasio and supporters presented a plan to provide UPK in NYC, but we need the state legislature to fully fund it in the final budget!
 
Tell your state legislators to prioritize our littlest learners and fully fund UPK in the final budget!
 

Hi LAURA,

New York City is on the verge of providing high-quality preschool for all of its littlest learners.

Mayor de Blasio, with support from stakeholders across the city, from parents and teachers to lawmakers and businesses, has advanced a plan to fully fund universal preschool (UPK) in New York City.

Now, the State Senate and Assembly have both passed budgets that include this much-needed funding – we just need the Governor and Legislature to agree on including it in the final State budget! Now is the time to remind legislators and the Governor to continue to prioritize early learning as they work to approve the final budget for the state.

Join us in thanking your state legislators for prioritizing our littlest learners, and urge them to fully fund UPK in the final budget:

http://action.momsrising.org/go/4197?t=4&akid=5275.1966623.gWZ-Ax
 

Not only do leading economists agree that investments in high-quality early learning programs like preschool actually save future dollars [1], but we also know that children who have high-quality early learning experiences are more likely to succeed in school, graduate from high school, gain stable employment, and less likely to be arrested. [2] Yet, only 3 in 10 children have access to high-quality preschool opportunities. [3]

Contact your State legislators now to tell them continue to prioritize our littlest learners and fully fund New York City's plan to make sure all children get a great start in school and life:

http://action.momsrising.org/go/4197?t=6&akid=5275.1966623.gWZ-Ax


Together we are a powerful voice for children and families,

Lauren, Sarah and the entire MomsRising.org team,

[1] Cunha, Heckman, Lochner, and Masterov, 2006
[2] National Institute for Early Education Research, Abbott Preschool Program Longitudinal Effects Study: Fifth Grade Follow-up, 2013 PDF
[3] United States Department of Early Learning, Early Learning


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Monday, February 03, 2014

Think different

Not by buying apple products, but by actually thinking for yourself. Question everything, starting with your own assumptions and beliefs. Uncover your biases. Break rules that make no sense, especially if they're unjust.
Support artists, starting with the artist in you.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Waiting angels at rush hour

Downtown express platform at 96th & broadway.

I love New York moment of the day

34th St. station. 5:00 pm. Rushing past the dark eyes of young woman in full face black burka looking like a ninja as muscly man plays ethereal versions of Led Zepplin tunes on electric violin.

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Mark your calendars



Mark your calendars and spread the news to others (who at least understand Yiddish):
 
פֿרײַטיק דעם 11טן מײַ
12:30, שולכל — אויפֿן צװײטן גאָרן

 


12:30, שולכל — אויפֿן צװײטן גאָרן

עדי מהלאל — קאָלאָמביע-אוניווערסיטעט
אַ קוק אויף יאָסל בירשטיינס "צווישן איילבערטן" און זײַן ברייטערן פּאָליטישן קאָנטעקסט

אין דער דערציילונג "צווישן איילבערטן" פֿון יאָסל בירשטיין (2003-1920), דערשינען צו ערשט אין 1954, ווערט דערציילט וועגן אַן אַלטן פּאַלעסטינער אַראַבער און זײַן צופֿעליקער טרעפֿונג מיט אַן ישׂראלדיקן זעלנער. אין אָט דער לעקציע וועט עדי מהלאל באַווײַזן ווי אַזוי בירשטיינס מאָדערניסיטשע דערציילונג רעאַגירט אויף דער פּאָליטישער און קולטורעלער רעאַליטעט אין ישׂראל.

פֿרײַטיק דעם 11טן מײַ
12:30, שולכל — אויפֿן צװײטן גאָרן

עדי מהלאל — קאָלאָמביע-אוניווערסיטעט
אַ קוק אויף יאָסל בירשטיינס "צווישן איילבערטן" און זײַן ברייטערן פּאָליטישן קאָנטעקסט

אין דער דערציילונג "צווישן איילבערטן" פֿון יאָסל בירשטיין (2003-1920), דערשינען צו ערשט אין 1954, ווערט דערציילט וועגן אַן אַלטן פּאַלעסטינער אַראַבער און זײַן צופֿעליקער טרעפֿונג מיט אַן ישׂראלדיקן זעלנער. אין אָט דער לעקציע וועט עדי מהלאל באַווײַזן ווי אַזוי בירשטיינס מאָדערניסיטשע דערציילונג רעאַגירט אויף דער פּאָליטישער און קולטורעלער רעאַליטעט אין ישׂראל.

http://www.yivo.org/max_weinreich/index.php?tid=54&aid=920
עדי מהלאל
אַ קוק אויף יאָסל בירשטיינס "צווישן איילבערטן" און זײַן ברייטערן פּאָליטישן קאָנטעקסט
 
אין דער דערציילונג "צווישן איילבערטן" פֿון יאָסל בירשטיין (2003-1920), דערשינען צו ערשט אין 1954, ווערט דערציילט וועגן אַן אַלטן פּאַלעסטינער אַראַבער און זײַן צופֿעליקער טרעפֿונג מיט אַן ישׂראלדיקן זעלנער. אין אָט דער לעקציע וועט עדי מהלאל באַווײַזן ווי אַזוי בירשטיינס מאָדערניסיטשע דערציילונג רעאַגירט אויף דער פּאָליטישער און קולטורעלער רעאַליטעט אין ישׂראל.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Monthly Commuter Tax advantage goes to cars, not people

Are you aware of this? I was bummed to see my monthly commuter benefits (which help cover my PATH pass and metro card with pre-tax pay) but I was outraged when I saw that parking benefits are *increasing*!!
Wtf?!?! Let's all drive more so we can use more gas!
I'm calling my congressman to voice my disappointment. What else can I do? 

Begin forwarded message:

Outrageous!


From: orderconfirmation@wageworks.com 
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2011 1:13 AM
To: Mahalel, Laura
Subject: Monthly Commuter Benefits Reminder

 

MONTHLY COMMUTER BENEFITS REMINDER

This email is being sent to you to confirm your order for the JANUARY 2012 benefit month. If you do not wish to make any changes to your order, you do not need to take any action.

Important Note: The temporary $230 monthly pre-tax transit limit set by Congress in 2009 will expire at the end of 2011. Beginning with the January 2012 benefit month, the pre-tax transit limit will decrease to $125 a month and any election amount over $125 will be deducted from your pay on an after-tax basis. Beginning with the January 2012 benefit month, the monthly pre-tax limit for parking will increase from $230 to $240.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

No peas for Melech, please

We enjoyed a lovely day at Coney Island yesterday. The kids played joyfully on the beach like little cave children, nearly naked in the unusually warm November sun.
The NY aquarium was thrilling for young and old. Also cooler, cleaner, and less smelly than I remembered it from my own childhood.
At snack time while I inquired about coffee at the "seaside cafe" (they were out of all varieties of coffee but had an endless supply of enormous drink containers topped with Plastic shark heads), Melech grabbed tube of organic baby food with a picture of Peter Rabbit on it. My boy is two now and way beyond baby food but I thought what the heck, it's better than the junk food options, and willingly shelled out $3 for the privilege of watching him suck down a not entirely horrible mixture of peas, apples, and some other fruit or vegetable. Adi even helped squirt the last bit into his mouth.
We carried a sleepy Melech up a million stairs and took the train to Brighton Beach ISO Russian food. Mele-bell was in deep slumber when we began digging into a tasty plate of cabbage dumplings and sipping sweet, yeasty kvas and suddenly heard him coughing in his stroller. Then it began. Or, rather, they began. Waves of pea green puke.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011