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Jeff Jacobs has 240 articles published.

Dr. Robi Ludwig – Friday Night Tykes (Esquire Network)

(1/4/15 – New York) Esquire Network is shining some bright camera lights on the exclusive culture of a youth football association in the heart of Texas. The compelling documentary series, called Friday Night Tykes (airing Tuesdays at 9PM Eastern Standard Time beginning January 20) follows five teams in the 10- and 11-year old Juniors division of the Texas Youth Football Association both on and off the field. Coaches and parents alike are also observed, offering their insights explaining why kids should suffer in order to achieve football glory and excellence.

While the parents and coaches support this tough love notion of discipline, they also struggle with a serious question: How hard is too hard to push your kids? As the Friday Night Tykes cameras continue to roll, one wonders if this militant approach to football which includes extreme training drills, heckling from crazy fans, along with the balancing of intense on-the-field demands, are put in place alongside the normal demands of being a child. This approach, however, may be failing rather than facilitating these kids’ mental and physical well-being.

To delve into this topic more comprehensively, Esquire Network and the 92nd Street Y will host a private screening of Friday Night Tykes on Wednesday January 14, 2015 at 8:15 p.m. This screening will be followed by a candid conversation on the state of youth sports in our culture. ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap will moderate the discussion. The other panelists will include former NFL players Tiki Barber and Bart Scott, who will also bring their own experiences as players and fathers into the discussion. Barber and Scott will be joined by Brian Morgan, President of the Texas Youth Football and Cheer Association, Matt Maranz, Executive Producer of Friday Night Tykes and Psychotherapist, author and award winning reporter Dr. Robi Ludwig.

Dr. Robi Ludwig will address such psychological themes as competition, how much is too much, as well as discuss how hyper competitive parenting styles combined with an obsession about winning, can ruin a child’s self-esteem. She will lead the discussion about important social, emotional and psychological implications associated with hyper competitive parents, controversial coaching techniques as well as address what happens when very young children feel an overwhelming pressure to win, at all costs.

Questions such as:
-Why do we continue to professionalize youth sport?
-When does competition become harmful?
-What is the outlook for children and professionalized type sports?
– How do we progress on in this sports’ field within our culture?

The ultimate goal for the panel is to have a productive debate and further the ongoing national conversation about this very problematic trend. This private event will be extended to media, 92nd Street Y special guests and influencers across sports, health and parenting media.

Robi Ludwig, Psy.D.
www.drrobiludwig.com
917-597-1680

Esquire Network History:
A popular network TV channel in America. The network is owned jointly by Comcast (NBCUniversal) and the Hearst Corporation. It is believed that the venture is 50-50 ownership. The network mostly focuses on cooking, travel, and fashion. The non-sports male is a targeted audience by Esquire. It was originally named the Style Network by was later re-launched in Sept 2013. According to the Nielson ratings it’s available to approximately 73,500,000+ households. Their main office and headquarters are located in Los Angeles, California. In 2007, the network was launched in the Arab world and also across Southern Africa. The UK and Japan received the network in June 2008. Australia got the channel in 2009. The network is positioning itself for more International exposure in the future. These in both Poland and Romania.

Having watched the Esquire Network for many years now, I can say the channel is pretty amazing. They cover everything mostly for men including their fashion and even helping them cook. We all know that men need lots of help in those departments. I personally enjoy all the travel segments featured. I a strong believer in traveling the World so getting information about new locations or additional information is always fun to watch for me. I want to see everything in the World but unfortunately can’t be everywhere. It’s nice just to have at your finger tips. The photography is amazing and the network really provides well thought out research.

Dr. Robi Ludwig is a popular psychotherapist, author, and TV personality. She has been featured on countless shows and media channels. Recently she became a contributor to Bella Magazine and was appointed to their advisory medical board. You can view the entire list of 8 individuals on their website. She is also a contributor on the Huffington Post. Ludwig is married to David Ludwig and has an practice office in New York. They have two children. She is a published author featured on Amazon as well as an award winner reporter. Her book entitled Till Death Do Us Part has been quite successful and is available online. You can read our book review here. On that same topic, she has a popular article entitled Killer Lovers which was published exclusively on the Emerald City Journal several months ago (September 2014). It is one of our most visited pages.

Throughout the years, her experience has placed her on many news channels and TV shows. Channels like Fox News, MSNBC, and Entertainment Today have made her a popular medical advisor. There is simply to many to list. Ludwig is very engaged on the Internet and social media sites. She does try to help individuals with questions submitted as time permits and this includes comments as well. She understands the importance of keeping up to date this the news and topics in the industry and that is the reason why she is in so much demand. There are countless articles, sites, and videos featuring her as well.

The show, Friday Night Tykes, continues to be a success on the Esquire Network. Please check your local listing for time and channel information. The show recently started its second season.

American digital channel owned by NBC and Hearst Corp. It was started in 1999.
5750 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
90036
US
Phone: 323-954-2400

New Seattle Driver Tax Pending – Pay Per Mile

Seattle Driving Tax Pay Per Mile

A measure is on the table and is expected to be approved by the Washington State Transportation Commission. In short, this new pilot program (trial) would require drives to get a GPS device installed in their cars. They would then charge drivers per mile for the amount they drove on the public roads. They could start the initial testing of the pilot program in 2016. State Legislature would need to give final approval for the test project. The suggested program was modeled after a similar project happening in Oregon. All of this is in response by the Transportation Commission to help pay for roads since the gas tax revenue is supposedly not enough anymore.

The program would also give drivers several options of payments. You can choose the flat fee (all you can drive), odometer reporting, GPS locator installed, or download an app on their smartphone. The fee would be called a road usage fee. They also stated the drivers would get credit for any gas taxes paid.

If everything is approved and move forward the full program wouldn’t begin until 2018.

With that being said let me say it again (as I have said it many times before) and that is our leaders sit around all day just thinking this crap up. They have nothing better to do but think of ways to nickel and dime the public for the failed or horribly managed programs. This is another attempt and example of my very point. The issue with this moving forward is that it would need to be passed without voter support because there is no way the public would approve such a program. With that being said, the public did put Obama in office the second term (after a horrible first term) approved Obamacare so maybe I’m wrong. I would like to think, however, the public would be smart enough to know that getting tracked and paying more in taxes in a bad idea. What angers me is that this is just one step closer the government monitoring. It would be easy the government to weasel there way into it behind the scenes (under national security) and use it to their benefit as well. They do it now with Comcast and the phone companies so this program would be an easy entry point to make that happen. Just another way to get inside all our lives. Another way to track cars and track individuals. It’s really not far fetched considering their involvement with the other everyday items we use such as computers. This will never be discussed or mentioned just as it’s not mentioned with Comcast or our phone service providers.

The other issue is the argument of not enough tax revenue. Sure, I can see their point on this one. We are moving into a more hybrid culture. However, the state has been cooking the books for years on this revenue. People are driving more and working longer than they ever have before. Gas is coming down (only because it’s Winter) but will rise again as it always does. I honestly am not convinced gas prices adjust due to supply and demand anymore. It’s a controversial and debatable topic. Our government has milked just about every program and service we have available. They understand gas prices, have reserves, and understand how supply and demand can be manipulated so more taxes are paid on it. It would be silly to think over wise. It’s happening but the public is very naive about it.

With that being said, I vote a big fat NO WAY on this.

UPDATE: July 2015, Oregon is going to be testing out this program with 1500 drivers (volunteers). They branded the program OReGO (which is a stupid name – by the way). These drivers will submit their driving logs or install a device to monitor their miles. They will then pay a rate of 1.5 cents per mile to the state. States across the nation have expressed they cannot afford to pay for their roads so they continue to think of ways, laws, taxes ect to make repairs. As I’ve state my opinion above in the article, I wouldn’t support this new law. I can’t imagine anyone else supporting it either. States have been able to pass agendas which are not supported by the people. As long as it benefits them from a revenue perspective – laws have been known to pass successfully. I can only express the solution so many times on the Emerald City Journal and it’s the same for every problem we have (education, buses, gas taxes) the people just want transparency in spending. It’s that simple. The financial figures need to be broken down by item for projects and determine where the money is really being spent. If we are actually spending all our tax revenue appropriately, the people will understand the need – thus fully support an increase in taxes. The states and cities, however, know they continue to waste money on roads, projects, interstates, ramps, ect that really don’t need work (but passed to keep people working only). They do provide financial reports but the data is very general and doesn’t get into specifics of spending. This is done on purpose so it’s not criticized. This is where we need accountability and corrections to be made. If the city or states can clearly itemize their spending with valid work, salaries, jobs, then the people will comply with the tax reform efforts. They will have to – roads are a must have for everyone. It’s not that difficult just prove where that tax money is being spent for the roads. Until that happens, I will be keeping my checkbook closed.

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Seattle Tunnel Project More Troubles

Seattle Tunnel Project Big Bertha

The troubles continue with Big Bertha. We’ve talked about the issues many times on the Emerald City Journal and really we are just beating a dead horse on this one. You can read about more Big Bertha troubles here. It was reported that the city is starting to notice cracks around the tunneling efforts. The Washington State Transportation Dept. is making the claim and the city council is starting to hear more about the issue now. This includes cracks in the streets, buildings, and even the settling of buildings in Seattle’s Pioneer Square area. It shouldn’t come as a surprise really. Water continues to flood the dig area and it’s being sucked out constantly. It turns out when you dig below the sea level – there is water!! Well… that is good to know I wonder how many millions they spent to figure that out. The Seattle Council is expect to hear more about the issue with the machine and area cracking today.

This is all one big disaster and this project shouldn’t have ever started. It’s all bad and it continues to get worse. Big Bertha continues to break down not only itself but the city is now cracking all over the place. Time to cut the losses the make it one big flat area. Tear down the Viaduct, add some roads which connects the area more efficiently, a park, lots of parking (where you overcharge as usual $8 per hour), and call it a day.

The history of Big Bertha:
Named after Seattle’s only female mayor Bertha Knight Landes. The machine itself was created by Hitachi Zosen Sakai Works located in Osaka, Japan. The assembly, however, was done in Seattle 2013. The measurement of the machine is 57ft in diameter and as of 2013 was the largest in the World that is known.

There continues to be issues with Big Bertha today. Back in early Dec 2013 the machines progress took it first hit. A pipe was discovered in the area and Big Bertha was not equipped to handle metal cutting. The pipe damaged the machine and replacement blades were needed. WSDOT stated that they knew about the pipe but believed it was removed. Responsibility of the issue is still unknown. As of Dec. 6th 2013 Bertha has only been able to push through 11% of the project length of the project (1,019ft).

Feb. 2014 it was reported that Big Bertha had been experiencing an issue with overheating and a seal (a main seal) was damaged and needed replacement. This set back is expected to take until March 2015. Dec. 2014 crews are working to lift the front end of the machine for the repair. As noted in the article there are also reports of cracking in the streets and buildings so the Seattle Council is getting briefed on that issue as well (Dec. 15th 2014).

What is the Alaskan Way Viaduct?
The Viaduct had good intentions but has turned into one of Seattle’s worst nightmares. In short, it’s a double decked section of elevated road in downtown Seattle. It runs from Route 99 along the Elliot Bay waterfront and then into downtown Seattle. It transports about 110,000 cars per day. It’s called the Alaskan Way Viaduct because it runs about the street Alaskan Way. There was an earthquake (Nisqually earthquake) in 2001 that damage the viaduct and it continues to be a burden. There has been lots of debates and arguments of what to do with it exactly. One thing that everyone agrees on is that something must be done with it. Some have argued to just remove it and build a park, however, the City of Seattle Council took the initiative and decided to an alternative route of boring a tunnel with a machine by the name of Big Bertha. At this point Big Bertha has failed. It sits broken waiting to be fixed. There are reports that the area has shift due to the tunnel/boring efforts and water continues to flood the hole (being pumped out). Again with good intentions, the tunnel project has failed costing millions (and soon billions) in tax revenue. The project is estimated to cost $4.25 billion dollars.

Injuries are at their highest right now (2015) which has resulted in lots of compensation claims. From crushed hands to injured knees people has started to get hurt and it’s costing more and more money to support this tunnel project failure. Next time the state or Seattle complains about how bad the roads are and how they need to have you pay more in taxes – just remember where all the money is going. It’s going into this money pit. How about the pay by the mile program they are going to propose to you soon? Should we have to pay by the mile in taxes because our city government can’t cut the cord or determine a failed project. We’ve lost so much road repair money on this project at this point it’s sad politics. It’s come to point where it’s so obvious a failure that their egos don’t want it to fail. So they are going to throw more money at it hoping one day they can call it a success. The tunnel machine Bertha hasn’t even moved in a while. It’s been broken for months and not expect to start again until August of this year. When do we call is quits on this project? The city is sinking, people are getting hurt, it’s costing billions and billions – let’s pull the plug and build some interconnect roads in that area. Just flatten it and cut our loses.

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Internet Connection For The Homeless

No Internet Connection Photo
Seattle Internet for the homeless

Seattle council member Kshama Sawant is pushing the need for Internet access for the homeless. She wants to allocate $100,000 of Seattle funds to make this mission successful. The debate on the issue is simple. Some believe that the homeless have bigger needs than the Internet, while others believe Internet access will allow them to look for jobs. I have to say I stand with Kshama Sawant on this issue.

I’m for the Internet as it’s an extra tool that could lead to more opportunities (like jobs, housing, and making money). Unfortunately, I think the terms must be tweaked to make this work. First, $100,000 budget for some Internet access is extreme. Internet is $50 per month by Comcast and I’m sure the city of Seattle could arrange a non-profit deal with them to get an even better rate. In fact, they probably could wire it in with their current city Internet connections at an extremely low cost. It really shouldn’t cost more than the $15,000 per year project. With more access, the shelters could attract volunteers to work with the homeless one one-on-one and get their resume updated, email setup, typing skills, and general Internet usage help. There really is a lot of opportunity on the Internet. It’s the difference of sending 10 resumes a week or 100 resumes a week. In addition, there needs to be some blocking setup on the computers so they are not misused. That setup doesn’t cost anything extra.

In short, let’s move forward on the issue with a better plan for implementation and a much lower budget.

The comprehensive budget proposal, set for a full council vote on Monday at 2 p.m., earmarks close to $1 million for services aiding the homeless. It also designates funds for outreach to homeless youth, initiatives to combat homelessness, a year-round shelter tailored for homeless women, and $100,000 for encampments like this one. A segment of this $100,000 is proposed to finance WiFi accessibility.

Kshama Sawant, previously a software engineer, and notably the first Socialist to secure a council seat in contemporary times, asserts that Internet service is indispensable, not just a luxury. This sentiment was echoed by the United Nations in 2011 when they recognized Internet access as a fundamental human right.

Geek Wire, a technology news site in Seattle, decided to hit the streets and see how the homeless feel about the proposal and if it is valuable to them personally.

Update: While the program was a good idea, Seattle dropped the ball and used all the money for “more important” things. As we have seen over the years, Seattle doesn’t have the best track record of money management. The good news is that in 2016, the Seattle Public Library took action. Hayden Bass, the library’s outreach coordinator, and several other librarians would visit a tent settlement in Seattle at least monthly. They provided books, library card sign-up forms, and Wi-Fi hotspots. Specifically, the library allocated 50 hotspots exclusively for the city’s homeless encampments, a project partially supported by a $305,000 contribution from Google.

For years, libraries, and notably the Central Library in downtown Seattle, have served as daytime sanctuaries for the homeless.

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Dr. Robi Ludwig Book Review & Bio

Dr. Robi Ludwig Photograph

The website Goodreads.com, is a popular book review website that started back in 2007. They pride themselves as being a site that focuses on its readers and book recommendations. The company has over 30 million readers and 34 million books in their database. One of the many popular features of the site is that you can view what your friends are reading and also what they have read previously. You can also leave reviews and make suggestions to your friends. Otis Chandler is the CEO and the very reason why he created the site so he could easily get recommendations from friends. Of course, he created it for his passion for books as well.

One of the books featured on the website is entitled “Till Death Do Us Part: Love, Marriage, and the Mind of the Killer Spouse”. The book is authored by Dr. Robi Ludwig and Matt Birkbeck. This book goes into great detail and analysis about killer spouses. It dives into the some of the specific psychological reasons of why it may have happened or why one spouse turned violent. They discuss the spouse profiles and history. According to Dr. Robi Ludwig, on the Goodreads website the full description of the book is described and quoted as: “Every day six people in the United States are murdered by spouses or intimate partners. Society is captivated and startled by stories of these killers, leading people to wonder how seemingly normal and happy people manage to go over the edge. In Till Death Do Us Part, noted psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig, along with journalist Matt Birkbeck, presents the psychological profiles of notorious killer spouses — from Scott Peterson and Clara Harris to Rabbi Fred Neulander and Betty Broderick. Dr. Ludwig reveals the ten killer personality types and defines them in detail with examples from high-profile cases and in-depth analyses of the motivations behind the murders.” I must say she describes the book very well and is highly qualified in this area. There are currently 73 ratings of the book online at Goodreads.com and 11 full reviews for the book. It is a paperback and features 256 pages. The book publisher is Atria books.  I wrote about my review and additional information about Robi’s the book here.

Till Death Do Us Part

History of Dr. Robi Ludwig

Writing and talking about a complicated issue of why a spouse would kill their partner, you must be experienced. Author Dr. Robi Ludwig is highly successful and experienced. She graduated from California Southern University. In addition, she also has a certificate from Hunter College, a Masters Degree from the University of Pennsylvania (social work – 1990), and a bachelor’s degree from Cedar Crest College (mass communications). She is a contributor to many major media sites including the Huffington Post. You can also find her live on the radio station Magic 100.1 (New Jersey). The segment on the show is called “Ask Dr. Robi”. She helps callers with questions and answers live on the radio. According to the website Psychology Today she has 15+ years of practical experience.

TV Appearances

Dr. Robi Ludwig has hosted and made several TV appearances throughout the years. She was on two seasons of TLC’s reality show, “One Week to Save Your Marriage” as well as , GSN’s reality game show, “Without Prejudice?” according to her official website. It also states that she was a “regular on CNN, Headline News and The Fox News Channel where she talks about psychological/lifestyle issues as well as the criminal mind. She also appears on national shows such as: ET, TODAY, 20/20, ABC World News, The View, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, Wendy Williams, The Bill Cunningham Show, Neil Cavuto, Hannity and Lou Dobbs helping audiences and guests alike to understand the complexities of the human condition.”

Jewelry Business Vise Mari

Dr. Ludwig believes that everyone has to right to look beautiful, and wear stunning costumes and jewelry. Her national recognition can be judged by the fact that most of the noble personalities, whether working in media or corporate world, like to wear her collections. She is passionate to proceed further in this line along with her professional responsibilities. She is continuing her commit to writing and discussing psychological issues in the media as well as attending to her patients and building a healthy partnership with ShopNBC. Her jewelry line is named Vise Mari (http://vise-mari.myshopify.com). All of her jewelry pieces are described as being big and bold. Her jewelry has been worn by stylists and celebrities. Her goal is to make people feel good and beautiful about themselves. Each piece is carefully made and very affordable. Dr. Robi Ludwig was quoted as saying “It’s my goal to make every woman feel like her very best self, so she can go out into the world to sparkle and shine. To create a line of jewelry that’s both beautiful and purposeful is truly a dream come true.”

Being so successful in her career this far, there is a high probability that her childhood inclination will earn her fame in this jewelry line as well. Her early love exerted her creative skills and she started designing jewelry for herself. Being her sole collection, it looks very sophisticated and bears a mild touch of ancient times, which created excitement among her fans and they started questioning her about the vendor from where she shops. She herself was not aware of how much the public craves for her specifically designed jewelry items, but discovered it soon. She designed her first collection upon the request of her close friend, to raise funds for a charity and then came the very popular “believe pendant” to the market.

Personal Life

Even with a fast moving career and business, Dr. Ludwig does have time for the family. She lives in New York with her husband (married) and two children. Her husband’s name is David Ludwig. According to Hitched Magazine she has been married approximately 13 years. As a child, she was raised in Chatham, New Jersey. Her Mother (Helene Shalotsky) was a school teacher and her Father (Charles Shalotsky) was an executive for a men’s product company. She has two sisters and she is the niece of Irving Gikofsky. He also went by the name of Mr. G. He was an actor who played in People I know in 2002 and also Honey, I Shrunk The Kids in 1997.

Seattle Appearances

We were unable to find any history of appearances for this celebrity in Seattle, Washington.

Photo Gallery

Joseph Tacopina Biography

Joseph Tacopina

On the Emerald City Journal, we provide some of most thorough information that is related to many of the celebrities and CEO’s in Seattle. Below you’ll find our most recent addition to the Journal which we have entitled the Joe Tacopina Biography and career history. It’s the full story about Mr. Tacopina and his life story.

Attorney Joseph Tacopina was born 4/14/66. He is a criminal defense attorney based in New York. In 1994 he founded his law firm the Law Offices of Joseph Tacopina, P.C. and he is also the chairman of the Bologna Football Club. By the time Joe Tacopina was 42 years old he had already had 80 cases under his belt. The media started to call him the “hottest young criminal defense lawyer” in New York. Mr. Tacopina was a prosecuting attorney as well before becoming a famous defense attorney. Before his fame, however, he earned a law degree from the University of Bridgeport. Also, a graduate of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. He is a high profile celebrity and one of the most successful defense attorneys (if not the most successful) in the country. His cases have been known to be some of the most difficult and most profiled in the legal field.

Joe’s history of legal experience and high profile cases, puts him in the cross hairs of the media. You can often find him appearing on TV being a legal expert/analyst on shows such as Fox News, NBC, CNBC, CNN, and Court TV to name just a few. Joe is not afraid to speak his mind and discuss openly about case law and verdicts (as long as he is able legally). You can sometimes even find him debating and/or discussing legal points of view on “Imus in the Morning” with Don Imus. He is not afraid to speak his mind even if that means being loud about it.

According to his official website “Mr. Tacopina is a member of the Federal Bar Council, the New York Counsel of Defense Lawyers, and the Judicial Committee for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.” Both of these associations solidifies his expertise in this area. New York has a lot of competition in the legal field and having these associations really demonstrates his dedication to this field.

Joesph Tacopina is a Managing Member at TAG Partners LLC. The firm was in talks to purchase 100% of the soccer club Bologna but unfortunately the deal was delayed and later dropped. The TAG firm and Bolangna deal was expected to be in the $28.6 million dollar range approximately. In Oct 2014, however, Tacopina & Joey Saputo were successful in the acquisition of the soccer club.

The Bologna Soccer Club:
As we mentioned above, the initial struggles to acquire the Bologna Soccer Club was not easy. He battled the allegation that he may flee the area to manage the team and that his assets should be frozen as well. Mr. Tacopina denied all the allegations and continues to practice law in the New York area. Tacopina and Joey Saputo (A Canadian investor) took over the team in late Oct 2014 and the fans were excited over the news. Over the last few years, the Bologna Soccer Team was failing to preform well and having the new leadership in place offer lots of hope for the future years. It was unfortunate the team was doing so badly because the history of the team is actually quite successful. It has won the Italian league championship 7 times and considered to be the 6th most successful team in the league. Despite all the allegations and finger pointing directed at Mr. Tacopina, he has shown his leadership to take the team over the make it once again very successful. Not to mentioned loved again by the many fans to love the team and sport.

Mr. Tacopina was a director at SG Building and later company from January 2008 until November 4, 2011. SG Building provided code engineer shipping containers.

Other career highlights include:

  • He was a key figure at Talent Representation. It’s a talent representation, marketing, and advising firm. (2009)
  • Vice Chairman of A.S. Roma S.P.A since 10/2011 and served as director since 2011.
  • Tacopina is a member of the board at Advantage Home Telehealth Inc.
  • Director of Barnaba S.r.l
  • Member of the Federal Bar Council, New York Counsel of Defense Lawyers, and Judicial Committee for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York.
  • Serves on the Legislative Committee for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
  • Mr. Tacopina volunteers his time as an Adjunct Professor at Fordham Law School and lectures nationwide.

Popular Criminal Cases By Joseph Tacopina:
– Viewed as being one of the most shocking verdicts in history by the media, New York Police Officers Franklin Meta and Kenneth Moreno were found to be Not Guilty of Rape (Acquitted by Jury) in May 2011. A women claimed she was raped while intoxicated.

– Represented State Senator Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens) was cleared of felony assault. The allegation was that he slashed his girlfriend Karla Giraldo with a piece of broken glass.

– Bryan Thomas who is a linebacker with the Jets was charged in Randolph Town Court. Joseph Tacopina represented the professional football player. The allegation was that he committed aggravated assault upon his wife at their home.

– Represented Melanie McGuire in her murder trial. The allegation was that McGuire murdered and dismembered her husband. His body was found in 3 suitcases in the Chesapeake Bay.

– Mr. Tacopina was part of the team who represented Michael Jackson during his child molestation case.

– Represented famed actor Lillo Brancato who was charged with felony murder. Mr. Brancato was acquitted by Joe Tacopina.

– In another high profile case Mr. Tacopina successfully represented van der Sloot in regards to the allegation of the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. The lawsuit was brought to the court by the parents of Natalee Holloway. With the representation of Tacopina the case was dismissed.

– Represented a popular land assessor by the name of John Nicolo who was charged with bribery and money laundering by the Eastman Kodak Company.

– A very high profile and infamous case known as the body snatchers. Tacopina represented on the case where two men were accused of cutting open fresh corpses and selling the body parts. Prosecutors stated the ring netted approximated $4.7 million dollars over 4 years with allegedly 1,077 corpses.

Personal Life:
Mr. Joe Tacopina met his wife back in Law School. He later decided to move to her hometown of Westport New York. This small town only has a population of 1,312 which was recorded in 2010.

Appearances:
Mr. Tacopina does in person and TV appearances. We’ve looked for any future appearances for Seattle, Washington but was unable to find any at this time. If a Seattle event comes to the area, the Emerald City Newspaper will be the first to report that for you.

State Parks Wanting More Money To Survive

Washington State Parks

I believe having our state parks in good shape and available for the public is a great thing. I’m sure they have provided many family memories over the years and continue to do so. If you don’t know the Governor appointed a task force which makes suggestions for the betterment of the State Parks. In their recent report, the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Parks and Outdoor Recreation is recommending a sales tax on bottled water and an excise tax on motor homes and travel trailers. They estimate this could bring in $100 million dollars in the next two years. Here is the problem, however, in 2010 a tax on bottled water was passed only to see it repealed the same year by the same voters. I honestly believe people want to see the state parks flourish. They are valuable to families. I also honestly believe that if we truly need more money for the parks, the votes/people will pay for it. As one of those voters/people, we just don’t want to throw more money at something because someone says we need to do it. YOU need to provide proof. You need to open the books to the parks with very clearly labeled items of where the money is going. Just saying “salaries” is not enough, you need to break it down even more of who is getting how much of the money. If it’s being used properly and fairly, you’ll have an open paycheck to ask for what you need. However, if you’re paying top state park officials 200K per year or vendors millions of dollars for surveys – then you don’t deserve a penny.

It’s not that the people are not willing to support their parks – it’s that they don’t want to be ripped off. We all have seen how tax money is being wasted in our city and just want to make sure it’s being used correctly. It’s the same exact issue with the roads and construction. Stop wasting money on task forces ect and just open the books to the public. If there is waste it can be corrected honestly and after corrections are made, the people will give you the money needed to support the state parks fully. There is no reason you need to tax bottled water or RV’s – just be honest and open to get the money and the full support of the community. It’s really not that hard.

Recycle Your Food Or Get Fined

Seattle Recycle Your Food Or Get Fined

I’ve said it a hundreds times before on the Emerald City Journal, the Seattle Council and our government for that matter sits around all day thinking of new ways to tax us “legally”. Here is another one they just came up with. First, before I get into my rant let me say I am for recycling and I think we should be. We all have to do our part for a better Earth and community. With that being said, the time has come where you’ll be fined if you don’t participate. If caught you’ll be fined a whole $1 up to $50 for businesses and apartment complexes. Sure it’s not that steep and not going to make anyone bankrupt – it’s the thought that counts. It’s the thought of actually pushing it forward and another item they thought about just to stick it to us a little more. First off, food going to the dump or recycling plant – it really doesn’t matter. It’s going to decompose either way. It’s going to help decompose the garbage or it’s going to decompose is a separate section for food/recycling. Overall, it doesn’t matter.

What bothers me mostly is several issues. First, it’s another item they thought about to just stick it to the people. Why not make a few dollars out of this issue? Easy money and it keeps the power of the City over the people by laying down the law. Second, I don’t know about you but I’m charged to recycle my items. I’m charged for the bin on a monthly basis. At the same time the garbage company makes money on recycling my items inside the bin. Third, I can’t help but to think that this is a trick to make sure everyone is paying for the bin and “participating”. So if the garbage man doesn’t see a recycle bin by your door you can assume he’ll be going through your garage and reporting you. The garage company wants you to have a bin so now they will be snitches for the City of Seattle to make sure you have one and are doing your fair share. Lastly, recycling is a big business and our officials play the “do it for the environment” card to play with your emotions. The reality is that the more you recycle and participate the more they make. On a side note, I was at the dump a few weeks ago and they were selling the recycled compost for a hefty fee. It’s all about the revenue dollar and tax money. At the end of the day, 99% of the time it always comes back to these two factors.

The new law passed 9-0 by the City Council and will start new year.

Dr. Robi Ludwig

drrobiludwigbook

Dr. Robi S Ludwig is a nationally renowned modern psychoanalytically trained psychotherapist, award winning author and a reporter. Being a well-known psychotherapist, she deals with both adults’ and couples’ issues. She is inspiring directing people to find their personal life goals and to grow emotionally. She treats for wide range of issues including relationship problems, addiction issues, transitional problems, as well as mood, depression, thought and character disorders. You’ll commonly see her on TV shows such as CNN, Entertainment Tonight, and The Bill Cunningham Show just to name a few. She has been appearing on the broadcasting mass media since 1997 and has contributed a lot in communicating current psychological insights on broad range of topics. Her advice and tips are highly valued in the media and by the public who trust her and her education.

The goal is to help provide you with the insights and tools you need to move beyond old, limiting beliefs and behaviors. Through a combination of therapeutic techniques, she can help you identify limiting beliefs and outmoded coping mechanisms that may be standing in your way. Her advice has help many understand their problems more clearly which in the end helps them overcome their issue/s. Many clients report rapid progress due to the effective approaches she employs.

She is currently a relationship contributor for Investigation Discovery Network’s Scorned, which presents reenactment and analysis of marital homicide stories. Dr. Robi has also hosted her own show including two seasons of TLC’s reality show, “One Week to Save Your Marriage” as well as GSN’s reality game show, “Without Prejudice?”

DR. Ludwig is making lot of guest appearances on popular TV shows. As noted above, Dr. Ludwig is a regular on CNN, Headline News and The Fox News Channel where she talks about psychological, lifestyle, and sociocultural issues as well as the criminal mind. She also appears on national shows such as: ET, TODAY, 20/20, ABC World News, The View, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, Wendy Williams, The Bill Cunningham Show, Neil Cavuto, Hannity and Lou Dobbs helping audiences and guests alike to understand the complexities of the human mind.

Her book, ’Till Death Do Us Part: Love, Marriage and the Mind of the Killer Spouse, written with journalist Matt Birkbeck was published with Atria books. It came out March in 2006. Every day six people in the United States are murdered by spouses or intimate partners. That is truly a shocking number. The stories of killer spouses tend to captivate us, as they beg the question of how so many seemingly normal and happy people manage to go over the edge. Indeed, every relationship presents “extreme moments” where scary feelings surface, yet what happens when those feelings turn to action? That was the core concern of Ludwig’s book.

Till Death Do Us Part presents the psychological profiles of notorious killer spouses — from Scott Peterson and Clara Harris to Rabbi Fred Neulander and Betty Broderick. Ludwig reveals ten killer personality categories. These ten personality types are defined in detail and illustrated with examples from high-profile cases along with in-depth analyses of the motivations behind the murders. The ten types range from the Betrayal/Abandonment Killer (who loses control and kills from a broken heart) to the Control Killer (who micromanages every aspect of the spouse’s life) and the Black Widow/Profit Killer (who kills for money).

Her book is a masterpiece in psychology category. It has received so many top class reviews and ratings. I thought it’s noteworthy to bring some of them here.

“…Through Robi’s valuable insight, she has helped us all to understand the violent actions and dark logic behind these murders, particularly since these cases appear to involve seemingly normal people.”
Larry King
CNN’s Larry King Live.

“Dr. Ludwig casts light on the formerly taboo subjects of marital strife and homicide. She enlightens us all!”
Nancy Grace
Court TV’s Closing Arguments & Headline News

“…Till Death Do Us Part is an invaluable resource. It offers an expert’s analysis of the psychological factors that oftentimes coalesce and are expressed violently.”
Robert K. Tanenbaum
Former homicide bureau chief for the Manhattan DA’s office and New York Times bestselling author of Fury

Authors Ludwig and Birkbeck examine the concept of peaceful versus violent resolution and why certain spouses believe murder is the best and only response in their great piece of work. In the book they sit down and evaluate the situations so you can better understand the couple. You get an inside look of what they may have been thinking and what some of their highly rooted issues may have been.

Apart from the TV programs, Robi is now doing regular “Ask Dr. Robi” Segments every Wednesday morning for Magic Variety Radio on Magic 100.1 in New Jersey. On the show, their audience can ask them about their social and mental problems directly to Dr. Robi Ludwig. Most of the topics covered by her included sexual aspects, depressions, couple problems, teenage mind, parenting issues, divorces and so on.

In the late 1990’s she worked as a psychology reporter for WETM-TV, the NBC affiliate in Elmira, New York. She wrote, produced and hosted Real Talk, a weekly live call-in show covering psychological and self-help topics. Everyday people would call in and she would help them live on the show. It covered a variety of topics and emotions from serious problems to questions which turned out pretty funny. The show was an immediate hit and talked about all the time in the media.

Her practical experience as a psychotherapist began in 1988 when she worked as a counselor for patients with severe psychiatric disorders. In both clinical settings and in her private practice, she has treated all forms of mental illness, substance abuse, grieving, sexual identity issues, job stress, anxiety emotional and sexual abuse problems as well as the more common social and parenting issues.

Dr. Ludwig’s academic credentials include a doctorate in psychology (Psy.D) from California Southern University; she holds a post-masters certificate in advanced clinical work from Hunter College, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Cedar Crest College.

In addition to the mass media programs held by her, she voluntarily helps those who need counseling via social media networks. In her profile, there are lot of people asking different types of psychological issues. Everyone who expects some mental and spiritual relief are welcome to her profiles. She has asked her fans to be forward and to participate in those little activities that she recommends on her social sites. She believes that those activities (I may say fun activities) would lessen the heavy weight that people keep in their heads.

DR. Robi Ludwig is not just a professional counselor or a psychologist. But she is a famous star who has helped people to resolve their mental dilemmas. Her solutions to mental problems are simple, practicable, and obviously very effective.

She currently resides in New York. She has two children and her husband in her family.

There are several good videos of featuring her on her YouTube Channel. Here is one where she covers her highlight reel like her appearances on Fox News, The Bill Cunningham Show, and CNN.

If you want to contact this award winning psychologist, here are the contact information of DR. Ludwig.
Dr. Robi Ludwig (email: drrobi@drrobiludwig.com)
212-472-2027

There currently are no tours in the Seattle, Washington area at this time for this celebrity, however, if one comes up in the area the Emerald City Journal will be the first to report on it. This isn’t her first article with us, she wrote an exclusive article for the Emerald City Journal newspaper about a month ago entitled Killer Lovers. Dr. Ludwig provides us insight into lovers and why they sometimes feel the need to kill each over as lovers.

Dr Robi Ludwig Photo

Dr. Robi Ludwig Biography

Photo of Dr Robi Ludwig
Photo of Dr Robi Ludwig
In this biography of Dr. Robi Ludwig, we will be discussing her career, personal life, and her education. Being a well known reporter, author, and psychotherapist her long history of experience is very large. Let’s get started now.

Table of Contents:
• Overview
• Her Education
• Counseling and Psychotherapy discussions with Dr. Ludwig
• Personal Life
• Vise Mari Jewelry
• Her Book
• TV Appearances

Overview:
Dr. Robi Ludwig is a nationally renowned modern psychoanalytically trained psychotherapist, award winning author and a reporter. Being a well-known psychotherapist, she deals with both adults’ and couples’ issues. She is inspiring directing people to find their personal life goals and to grow emotionally. She treats for wide range of issues including relationship problems, addiction issues, transitional problems, as well as mood, depression, thought and character disorders. You’ll commonly see her on TV shows such as CNN, Entertainment Tonight, and The Bill Cunningham Show just to name a few. She has been appearing on the broadcasting mass media since 1997 and has contributed a lot in communicating current psychological insights on broad range of topics. Her advice and tips are highly valued in the media and by the public who trust her and her education.

The goal is to help provide you with the insights and tools you need to move beyond old, limiting beliefs and behaviors. Through a combination of therapeutic techniques, she can help you identify limiting beliefs and outmoded coping mechanisms that may be standing in your way. Her advice has help many understand their problems more clearly which in the end helps them overcome their issue/s. Many clients report rapid progress due to the effective approaches she employs.

An increasing number of people are dealing with stress in their everyday lives, it helps to seek professional help. She has been encouraging the use of psychotherapy for the treatment of a variety of issues via broadcasting media from 1997 onwards. Her opinion and insights on a wide range of well-being issues are sought after.

She began her career as psychotherapist in 1988. Her role was that of a counselor, aiding patients with acute psychiatric disorders. She has meted out treatment for all sorts of mental illnesses such as personality disorder and impulse control disorder, grief, substance abuse, job stress, sexual identity crisis, sex abuse and emotional issues in her private and clinical practice. Her dexterity also reaches out to more widespread parenting and social issues.  Dr. Ludwig works currently with adult individuals who have suffer from various issues such as addiction, relationship struggles, problems of transition along with character, mood and thought disorder. Her treatment approaches include those of cognitive behavior (CBT) and Solution Focused Brief (SFBT). Currently she practices in New York, although her television assignments have her jet setting across the country. She treats both couples and singles. She strives to aid people cope with their various issues so that they can focus more on their life goals and ambition. She believes that a troubled life is no reason to feel defeated and dejected; with proper help and guidance, nothing is impossible to achieve.

Career:

WETM-TV in New York is where it started for Robi Ludwig
WETM-TV in New York is where it started for Robi Ludwig
In the late 1990’s she worked as a psychology reporter for WETM-TV, the NBC affiliate in Elmira, New York. She wrote, produced and hosted Real Talk, a weekly live call-in show covering psychological and self-help topics. Everyday people would call in and she would help them live on the show. It covered a variety of topics and emotions from serious problems to questions which turned out pretty funny. The show was an immediate hit and talked about all the time in the media.

Her practical experience as a psychotherapist began in 1988 when she worked as a counselor for patients with severe psychiatric disorders. In both clinical settings and in her private practice, she has treated all forms of mental illness, substance abuse, grieving, sexual identity issues, job stress, anxiety emotional and sexual abuse problems as well as the more common social and parenting issues.

Dr. Ludwig’s academic credentials include a doctorate in psychology (Psy.D) from California Southern University; she holds a post-masters certificate in advanced clinical work from Hunter College, a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Cedar Crest College.

In addition to the mass media programs held by her, she voluntarily helps those who need counseling via social media networks. In her profile, there are lot of people asking different types of psychological issues. Everyone who expects some mental and spiritual relief are welcome to her profiles. She has asked her fans to be forward and to participate in those little activities that she recommends on her social sites. She believes that those activities (I may say fun activities) would lessen the heavy weight that people keep in their heads.

Dr. Robi Ludwig is not just a professional counselor or a psychologist. But she is a famous star who has helped people to resolve their mental dilemmas. Her solutions to mental problems are simple, practicable, and obviously very effective.

Her Education:
Dr. Robi Ludwig is a highly accomplished psychotherapist who has gotten her Doctorate degree in Psychology from California Southern University. She has a post masters certification from Hunter College in advanced clinical. She also holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania along with a Bachelor’s degree from Cedar Crest College in Mass Communications.

Dr. Ludwig's book titled Till Death Do Us Part. Love, Marriage, and the Mind of the Killer Spouse

Counseling and Psychotherapy – Which is Which? Discussions with Dr. Ludwig.

You might have heard about psychotherapy from one of your friends or colleagues. However, most people do not fully understand how psychotherapy works as they often use the terms psychotherapy and counseling interchangeably. It is good to note that they are essentially the same which is to cater to the emotional and psychological needs of other people, they have distinct differences.

To start things off, counseling is all about lending a sympathetic ear to someone who’s been going through a troubling experience. Generally, a counselor will listen to the angst of a person without any form of corrections or interruptions. They usually do not give analysis or advice.

On the other hand, psychotherapy looks more on the historical factors that may influence the present behavior and line of thinking of a person. Psychotherapy tends to delve into what might have caused the present scenario. They link pieces of information together to come up with a certain form of hypothesis. Counseling on the other hand works more with the crisis intervention.

According to the theory of Eric Burne known as Transactional Analysis, he said that whatever happened to an individual’s life it is also duly recorded in his brain. All of these experiences include those that happen in his childhood, on what he perceived from what he considered as parent figures and how perceived are the events that happened in his life.

All of these memories are recorded to our brain just as the way we save files on a computer disc. These sets of memories can be replayed all throughout our existence. We often recall and re-experience what happened in the past in what we experience today. That is the reason why each one of us behaves differently on different things.
To better illustrate, here are the key differences between counseling and psychotherapy:

• Counseling
– Assist people in identifying their personal problems and dilemma while encouraging them to take proper and positive actions to address the problems
– This type of treatment is advisable to those with deeper understand of human wellbeing and to those who are good at resolving problems
– This is considered a short term that helps in changing a person’s behavior.

• Psychotherapy
– This type of treatment can help people deal with problems that have built over time
– This will also help you to better understand your actions, feelings and thoughts a lot better
– This is a long term process of treatment that deal with historical background of the emotions that a person currently feels

Psychotherapy and counseling are two different treatments that often overlap in numerous ways. To put it simply, counseling can be considered as a crucial aspect of the psychotherapy process; whereas a counselor may work with people in a psychotherapeutic way.

Also, other key differences between these two is the time that is needed in order to get desirable results. Counseling is often given on a short period of time while psychotherapy will require a longer period of time in order to work out the person’s emotional problems and difficulties.

Personal Life:
Even with a fast moving career and business, Dr. Ludwig does have time for the family. She lives in New York with her husband (married) and two children. Her husband’s name is David Ludwig. According to Hitched Magazine she has been married approximately 13 years. As a child, she was raised in Chatham, New Jersey. Her Mother (Helene Shalotsky) was a school teacher and her Father (Charles Shalotsky) was an executive for a men’s product company. She has two sisters and she is the niece of Irving Gikofsky. He also went by the name of Mr. G. He was an actor who played in People I know in 2002 and also Honey, I Shrunk The Kids in 1997.

Vise Mari Jewelry:
Dr. Ludwig believes that everyone has to right to look beautiful, and wear stunning costumes and jewelry. Her national recognition can be judged by the fact that most of the noble personalities, whether working in media or corporate world, like to wear her collections. She is passionate to proceed further in this line along with her professional responsibilities. She is continuing her commit to writing and discussing psychological issues in the media as well as attending to her patients and building a healthy partnership with ShopNBC. Her jewelry line is named Vise Mari (http://vise-mari.myshopify.com). All of her jewelry pieces are described as being big and bold. Her jewelry has been worn by stylists and celebrities. Her goal is to make people feel good and beautiful about themselves. Each piece is carefully made and very affordable. Dr. Robi Ludwig was quoted as saying “It’s my goal to make every woman feel like her very best self, so she can go out into the world to sparkle and shine. To create a line of jewelry that’s both beautiful and purposeful is truly a dream come true.”

Being so successful in her career this far, there is a high probability that her childhood inclination will earn her fame in this jewelry line as well. Her early love exerted her creative skills and she started designing jewelry for herself. Being her sole collection, it looks very sophisticated and bears a mild touch of ancient times, which created excitement among her fans and they started questioning her about the vendor from where she shops. She herself was not aware of how much the public craves for her specifically designed jewelry items, but discovered it soon. She designed her first collection upon the request of her close friend, to raise funds for a charity and then came the very popular “believe pendant” to the market.

Her Book:
Ludwig is an author who has published several books. Her book, ’Till Death Do Us Part: Love, Marriage and the Mind of the Killer Spouse, written with journalist Matt Birkbeck was published with Atria books. It came out March in 2006. Every day six people in the United States are murdered by spouses or intimate partners. That is truly a shocking number. The stories of killer spouses tend to captivate us, as they beg the question of how so many seemingly normal and happy people manage to go over the edge. Indeed, every relationship presents “extreme moments” where scary feelings surface, yet what happens when those feelings turn to action? That was the core concern of Ludwig’s book.

Till Death Do Us Part presents the psychological profiles of notorious killer spouses — from Scott Peterson and Clara Harris to Rabbi Fred Neulander and Betty Broderick. Ludwig reveals ten killer personality categories. These ten personality types are defined in detail and illustrated with examples from high-profile cases along with in-depth analyses of the motivations behind the murders. The ten types range from the Betrayal/Abandonment Killer (who loses control and kills from a broken heart) to the Control Killer (who micromanages every aspect of the spouse’s life) and the Black Widow/Profit Killer (who kills for money).

Her book is a masterpiece in psychology category. It has received so many top class reviews and ratings. I thought it’s noteworthy to bring some of them here.

“…Through Robi’s valuable insight, she has helped us all to understand the violent actions and dark logic behind these murders, particularly since these cases appear to involve seemingly normal people.”
Larry King
CNN’s Larry King Live.

“Dr. Ludwig casts light on the formerly taboo subjects of marital strife and homicide. She enlightens us all!”
Nancy Grace
Court TV’s Closing Arguments & Headline News

“…Till Death Do Us Part is an invaluable resource. It offers an expert’s analysis of the psychological factors that oftentimes coalesce and are expressed violently.”
Robert K. Tanenbaum
Former homicide bureau chief for the Manhattan DA’s office and New York Times bestselling author of Fury

Authors Ludwig and Birkbeck examine the concept of peaceful versus violent resolution and why certain spouses believe murder is the best and only response in their great piece of work. In the book they sit down and evaluate the situations so you can better understand the couple. You get an inside look of what they may have been thinking and what some of their highly rooted issues may have been.

TV Appearances:
Dr. Ludwig has made a lot of guest appearances on popular TV shows. She is a regular on CNN and The Fox News Channel where she talks about psychological, lifestyle, and sociocultural issues as well as the criminal mind. She also appears on national shows such as: ET, TODAY, 20/20, ABC World News, The View, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, Wendy Williams, The Bill Cunningham Show, Neil Cavuto, Hannity and Lou Dobbs helping audiences and guests alike to understand the complexities of the human mind. We’ve included several of her appearances at the bottom of this page should you care to watch them.

Presently, she works in the capacity of a relationship contributor on “Scorned” of the Investigation Discovery Network. The show focuses on analysis and re-enactment of marital homicidal incidents. Ludwig has also hosted two seasons of “One Week to Save Your Marriage”, a reality show aired over TLC and “Without Prejudice?” a reality based game show on the GSN Network.

Dr. Robi Ludwig regularly appears in Headline News as noted above where she expresses her views across lots of topics. She appeared on the Neil Cavuto show (Fox News Channel) as a psychotherapist present to help out guests and audiences alike for understanding the complications of human conditions. She started her television career working as a psychology reporter in 1990s. Her first job was with NBC affiliate WETM-TV in Elmira, New York. She has produced, hosted and written Real Talk, a live calling-in show that encompasses topics such as self-help and psychology. The show aired on a weekly basis. We featured and discussed additional information about Dr. Robi Ludwig on her Killer Lovers article. In the article, she provides us insight into lovers and why they sometimes feel the need to kill each over as lovers.

Apart from the TV programs, Robi Ludwig is now doing regular “Ask Dr. Robi” Segments every Wednesday morning for Magic Variety Radio on Magic 100.1 in New Jersey. On the show, their audience can ask them about their social and mental problems directly to Dr. Robi Ludwig. Most of the topics covered by her included sexual aspects, depressions, couple problems, teenage mind, parenting issues, divorces and so on.

Her appearance on Entertainment Tonight:

Her appearance on The Bill Cunningham Show:

If you want to contact this award winning psychologist, here are the contact information of DR. Ludwig.
Dr. Robi Ludwig (email: drrobi@drrobiludwig.com)
275 7th Ave
New York, NY 10021 [Map]
212-472-2027
www.drrobiludwig.com

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