NYC Marathon

The annual NYC Marathon will be run on Sunday, November 4th but something new has been added - or subtracted - according to the Road Runners Organization. In the past the group would arrange to bring your personal effects from starting point Verrazano Bridge to finishing line Central Park. Last year this exercise in logistics required 76 UPS trucks to carry belongings of 47,000 runners. This created a traffic logjam around Central Park resulting in complaints from residents, etc. This year that practice will be discontinued. Instead, the runners will be offered a wrap, a fleece lined poncho and a kiosk to make that important phone call. These new amenities will be covered in the increased entry fee. On top of that the NYPD wants more for the services they perform. One has to think of all the runners who come from afar and have no valet or local contact to retrieve their effects. The earlier practice caused a bottleneck for all parties and the new rules are provoking vocal protests. So stay tuned for further developments.
tjs
Next - Will return after Labor Day holiday weekend.

Tense, Anyone?

The U.S. Open Tennis Tournament captures our attention for the next fortnight playing at Flushing Meadows, N.Y.  I haven't touched a racquet in many years and even then it was doubles only  to protect my weak backhand. But circa 1969 I was living in a studio apartment in Philadelphia and to get out from four walls one summer Sunday I wandered over to the public park with my wooden racquet to search out a social  game. The only one present was a solitary young woman and as she was dressed in tennis "whites" I figured she might be an acceptable "hitting" partner. (The word had a different connotation back then.) After a suitable warm up she suggested we play a set and she proceeded to beat me 6-0 (six love) and here is the reason why. The year 1969 was the year of the Woodstock festival - the country was in ferment - the Viet Nam war was dragging on - and some women were burning their bras. It appeared to me that my demure tennis partner was bra-less and I had a helluva time following the bouncing ball. (The sports bra had not yet been invented.) With my confidence shattered I was too embarrassed to ask for a re-match. And all the way home I found myself humming that Rogers and Hart number "You took ADVANTAGE of me."
tjs
Next -NYC Marathon

A Gaggle of Geese

Forty plus years ago I set out to furnish my first studio apartment.  One tasteful item that caught my fancy was a low slung black leather chair from the Scandinavian shop - that came with cushions stuffed with goose down. It has survived the years and four residence moves. Our black Scottie dog liked to recline on it and one night at dusk I actually sat on her. But the cushions lost their "puff" and I went to an upholsterer who said he could replenish the goose down for a reasonable fee. Now I had read that goose liver was banned in California and I wondered whether my new geese were flying in under the radar. In any event I agreed to proceed with the deal. But it recalled that riddle offered by the Old Comedian - "How do you get down from a horse?"
tjs
Next - Tense, Anyone?

Potpourri IV

Last week's NYTimes obituary on Helen Gurley Brown by Margalit Fox included the following "She was 90, though parts of her were considerably younger." Ouch.


We are approaching both political conventions. Conventions contain platforms and platforms contain planks. The Republicans have invited Gov. Christie to be keynote speaker. They may have to reinforce their platforms. It is all a matter of avoirdupois.


Both political parties have opened offices in our neighborhood. The Republicans are on the right side of the street and the Democrats are on the left. Perfectly normal. As the saying goes "East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet."


Those understated  Canadians! "Canadian police find a human head in an Ontario river. A detective said it was unclear whether there had been a murder, but added "There's definitely something amiss."
(NYT)
 tjs
Next - A Gaggle of Geese (Mon.)

Know your Meme

Social Media has spawned various phrases, words, syllables and it is difficult to keep up with them. The one I heard recently is "face palm" referenced when you bury your face in your palm and shake your head and murmur "I can't believe that politician said that." It could be Joe Biden or that congressman from Missouri but you will have a lot more occasions to use the phrase as the election campaigns heat up. During the Republican convention in Tampa they estimate there will be 15,000 persons under the media tent - all thirsting for fresh copy. Should be a good show.
tjs
Next - Potpourri IV

September Song

I always hated to hear Walter Huston sing this song - reminded one of one's mortality. Yes, the August days do dwindle down to a precious few. Just a few more sprinkles from the garden hose and chasing fireflies at dusk. With Labor Day approaching it was time to think about school again. Getting the pencils sharpened and covering the textbooks with brown paper from a grocery bag. And I again recalled that  rhyme from the Old Comedian: "Thirty days hath September, April, June and Uncle Louie." I am looking forward to the Autumn coloring in the Northeast after so many years in Florida.
tjs
Next - Know your meme

Vaudeville

Tilly T. was of an earlier generation and she played a mean piano. Her girl friend had a lovely cultured singing voice and together - at a very young age - they embarked on the vaudeville circuit - riding on trains between towns and staying in cheap hotels. She admitted they were scared to death and soon opted for other employment. Tilly began working in a music store in Tin Pan Alley in Manhattan sitting at the upright playing from sheet music. This was in mid 1920s and many homes had pianos for their home entertainment. One day the store manager came to her and said he had a call from a nearby hotel where a popular entertainer was staying who needed a piano player to rehearse. She hustled over and that was when she first played for Al Jolson. Parties at her home were always entertaining and at the end of the evening she would sit at the keyboard and play one of her favorites - with husband Stew singing along:
-"Please play for me that sweet melody called doodle-de-doo -
-I love the rest but the one I love best is doodle-de-doo-
-Simplest thing - nothing much to it - you don't have to sing - just doodle-de-doo it -
-I love it so - wherever I go - I doodle-de-doodle-de - doo."
Tilly was quite a gal!
tjs
Next - September Song

Pass the Hat

Steven Erlanger writes in the NYTimes that the passengers on Air France from Paris to Beirut last Wednesday got more than they bargained for when they paid their fare. Unrest around Beirut's airport made it impossible to land. They did not have enough fuel to make it to Jordan so they opted to land at Damascus, Syria. Now France and Syria are not on friendly terms these days and the Damascus airport - alleging sanctions - refused to accept credit cards to purchase fuel - cash only! So the airline crew asked the passengers how much money they had in their wallets to help pay for fuel. I'm sure the passengers were anxious to flee Damascus but who carries cash these days. Eventually the airline settled the fuel bill without help from the passengers and the plane made it to Cyprus where the banks still accept credit cards - then on to Beirut a day late. In the shipping business we occasionally charged customers a "fuel surcharge" so perhaps we will see another airline fee add-on some day. Check the fine print. And kudos to the NYT reporter for a great story.
tjs
Next - Vaudeville

Potpourri IIIA

Goldman Sachs is buying into the prison business. Their rewards come only if there is a reduction in recidivism. Sort of the carrot coming after the stick.

Donald Trump is to receive the Statesman of the Year Award from Sarasota (FL) County one day prior to the opening of the Republican convention in nearby Tampa. Perhaps his "coloring" is being rewarded for promoting the "orange" crop.

Well, the Olympics are over and the little sailing town of Weymouth, England can get back to normalcy. Weymouth is the town where the owner of the sausage factory was chastised by the Olympic committee for hanging five rings of sausage. Now the torch has been passed to Brasil and our sausage maker said he might move to Rio or something to see what I can do to wind people up.
(per NYTimes Weymouth Journal) - So, Cariocas, I hope you like your sausage but don't ask the ingredients.
tjs
Next - TBA (Mon.)

Tithing et al

As the collection plate passed along at Mass yesterday I recalled Ron Leiber's (NYT) article last week about how churches and ministries receive and collect contributions from their congregations. He even reminded us that in the nineteenth century churches would sell or rent pews to wealthy members. My own childhood parish church - built in 1930 - had little brackets affixed to the pews that could hold "reservations" - but no longer in vogue.  The Mormons prefer to tithe using tithing slips. Jews prefer annual dues, Episcopalians use pledges and Catholics still pass the plate or basket which can evoke a bit of peer pressure. However, technology has crept in and there is an effort to automate the process. Companies like "parish pay" will accept credit or debit cards and "secure give" has even installed kiosks in some churches. I have always wished my priest friends a "silent" collection at Christmas - henceforth, I will add "electronic" and "antiseptic" to my greeting.
tjs
Next - Potpourri III

The Tonsorial Parlor

As I gazed in the mirror this morning I noticed the tresses getting longer and the salt exceeding the pepper and I recalled the words of that Old Comedian -"I had better get a haircut or buy a violin." Since I lacked the musical aptitude I opted for the former. As I entered Andre's one chair establishment I found myself on the wait list which allowed me time to catch up on last year's periodicals. Andre is a native of Italy and a soccer enthusiast and as we discussed the exciting matches of the recent Olympics his scissor movement accelerated as both salt and pepper hit the floor. Exiting thus shorn I did look and feel younger with a little pep in my step. But I still miss the aroma of witch hazel.
tjs
Next - TBA

The Funky Chicken

I am indebted to my colleague George M. for the following:
It seems NASA has created an instrument called a "chicken gun" which they use to propel dead chickens at high velocity against windshields and capsule surfaces to develop resistance to airborne fowl which can disarm or impede an aircraft in flight. Apparently the Brits heard about it and wanted to borrow a "chicken gun" to test the windshields on their new high speed trains. The loan was arranged and when the Brits fired their chickens they smashed thru the windshields, broke the operator's backrest and imbedded in the cabin wall. These results duly alarmed them and they came to NASA to determine the cause. The NASA reply was a one liner - "DEFROST THE CHICKENS".
BTW the Funky Chicken was a dance we elders shuffled to several decades ago.
tjs
Next - The Tonsorial Parlor

Mooning

According to folklore, when a calendar month includes two full moons the second one is called a "Blue Moon" - not necessarily because of color. This month of August includes two full moons - August 1st and August 31st - the latter being designated the Blue Moon. The famous song writing duo of Rodgers and Hart wrote a song about it recorded by Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and others and now considered a pop standard. Then we have the "Harvest Moon" in the Fall
that illuminates the countryside and provides a backdrop for hay rides. The term "half moon" was the name of Henry Hudson's ship when he first arrived in New York. And then there is the "crescent moon" the symbol of the outhouse created by cartoonists of the day. And on that note I will fade away to the strains of that 1947 song "No moon at all" - blackout!
tjs
PS - Any other reference to subject title would not pass the censor.
Next - The Funky Chicken

Potpourri II

While walking to the coffee shop one morning to pick up the newspaper I looked down and saw a coin on the sidewalk. Now at my age I don't stoop down for pennies anymore but this was a George Washington quarter and worth the bend. Except that the coin was glued or cemented to the pavement and was hot to the touch from the summer sun. Feeling foolish I looked around for the Candid Camera which was nowhere to be found. So I moved on to let the next pedestrian try their luck. But it wasn't April first nor was it trick or treat season. Just a local prankster willing to waste a quarter for a few laughs perhaps. Some of our coins read "In God We Trust" but you can't trust a joker bent on outsmarting a senior citizen. And please pass the burn salve.


Photo of the week - August 4th NYTimes photo of Chinese wearing ski masks at the beach to avoid getting sunburned as fair skin is prized in China. But I'm sure there is a long list of TANS in the Hong Kong phone directory.


Quote of the week - "I want the last check I write to bounce." - Charles F. Feeney Age 81  - low-keyed philanthropist who has given away six billion dollars thru his private foundations. He plans to give the balance of his money away by year 2020 hence his quote.
tjs
Next - TBA (Mon.)

Personnel 101

In 1969 I was managing the freight booking desk in Philadelphia when our sales manager suffered a heart attack and they tapped me to replace him - mister inside was now to become mister outside managing four salesmen of differing personalities and I was to hit the ground running. After a few years my secretary  announced that she would be taking permanent maternity leave and since Human Resources didn't exist I was on my own to replace her. I received two applicants - both female - one was a young twenty- something confident individual who sounded like she could run the office in my absence. The other was an older woman with references who really needed the job. When interview time rolled around the younger woman showed up wearing "hot pants" which was a fashion fad circa early 1970s - apologizing for her attire as she didn't have time to change. Now, I don't consider myself to be sexist - but I am somewhat of a pragmatist. I weighed my decision over the weekend and on Monday I sent the following message to the home office: "It was either hot pants or cold logic" - I hired the older woman and never regretted my decision. After all, I would never be able to get the salesmen out on the street otherwise.
tjs
Next - Potpourri II

The Trolley Car

After my recent posting on the bus system in Philadelphia a loyal reader asked me to share my recollection of the trolley system that preceded the buses prior to WWII. That is "trolley" as in street car as in Desire. The cars ran on steel wheels on steel rails that crisscrossed the city's grid system. The grinding sound of steel on steel turning a corner at 6AM could easily rouse one from sleep. Certainly not as soft as the clip-clop of the milkman's horse at about the same hour. Trolleys had a two man crew - the motorman or operator in the front who handled a set of levers and a crank handle to start, stop and control speed and the conductor who was stationed half way back with his coin changer  and punch who collected fares which back then were two tokens for fifteen cents. For one fare you could ride trolley-subway-trolley with a series of transfer tickets duly punched by the uniformed conductor. The power to operate came from overhead wires which were strung out throughout the city's streets. A pole attached to the rear of the car reached up to touch the wire. In the spring when college students grew restless they might surround a car filled with passengers, pull the pole off the wire and immobilize the trolley similar to the flash mobs we read about today. As the cars had no maneuverability they could also be brought to a standstill by an idle truck blocking the tracks and with some lines running for fifteen miles round trip it was difficult to maintain schedule. They say that the Japanese made the subways run on time and that Mussolini did likewise with the trains but you could never succeed with the trolley system circa 1940. All aboard!
tjs
Next - Personnel 101

Gore Vidal

Last week the NYTimes devoted a full page for Gore Vidal's obituary. He was a prolific author and essayist - a literary lion who often roared. He was variously described as snobbish, aloof and did not suffer fools. He was also witty and urbane and loved the spotlight when it was on him. He feuded with Norman Mailer and Truman Capote but his most famous encounter was with William F. Buckley at the Democratic Convention in Chicago Summer 1968. They were both enlisted as commentators for ABC News and the network arranged a debate between them on the subject of the Viet Nam War with Howard K. Smith, a seasoned newsman, as moderator - and Howard K. got more than he bargained for as there was no love lost between the "combatants". During the exchange things got personal - Vidal called Buckley a crypofascist - Buckley call Vidal a "queer" and threatened to punch him in the face - and the cameras kept rolling.  I watched it in awe. 1968 was a difficult time for our nation - with the war dragging on - assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King - and with LBJ bowing out the Democratic Convention in Chicago was a wild scene. The local police engaged the war protesters and inside the hall the convention was underway when Abe Ribbicoff of Connecticut who was at the podium looked down at old Mayor Daley in the front row and castigated him for the actions of his police. Daley was furious - I couldn't read his lips - but NO ONE ever talked to him like that in his home town. (The Buckley vs Vidal exchange is on You Tube)
tjs
Next - The Trolley Car

The Great Generation

Since returning to the Philadelphia area after an absence of thirty plus years I have been renewing contact with old friends.  Last week I had lunch with Vince K. age 87 or thereabouts. He had been a very young fighter pilot in the Pacific theater in WWII. He flew 105 missions in a P-51 MUSTANG built by North American. His final mission was to have been providing air cover for our troops in the planned invasion of the Japanese homeland island of Kyushu. After Truman dropped the A-bomb and Japan surrendered, the invasion was cancelled and my friend came home, went to college on the G.I. Bill of Rights, raised a family and lived a long and productive life. As a young apprentice I worked along side many veterans of WWII - they rarely talked about it. Hank flew the Hump in Burma in B-25s, Big Mike's cargo ship was torpedoed and Ed was in the Battle of the Bulge only six months out of high school. Tom Brokaw called them the "Greatest Generation" but the guys I met would be embarrassed to use the superlative.
tjs
Next - Gore Vidal

Potpourri

The elderly lady in front of me at the gas station was having her car serviced and needed it back by 2PM - she said to the attendant "Don't think I'm shouting at you - but I'm not wearing my hearing aid. It's in my purse - if you talk to my purse it can hear you plainly." And then she was out the door.....

Quote of the week - "I fought Sugar Ray Robinson so many times it's a wonder I don't have diabetes." - Jake LaMotta - age 90. Jake has been starring in a two week Off Broadway performance about himself which closed last Sunday. When asked what he does when not on stage he remarked "I play solitaire  - and wait for something to happen." His soon to be seventh wife won't let him smoke in the apartment so he sneaks a Marlboro and blows the smoke out the window while dipping the ashes in a small bowl of water. I watched many of his fights on TV in the 1950s - it's amazing that he can still act on the stage.
tjs
Next - The Great Generation

SEPTA Award

SEPTA - the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority - just won an award as the best transit system in North America as reported by the Philadelphia Daily News - with somewhat raised eyebrows. We are now back in the Philadelphia area after an absence of thirty years so we are also pleasantly surprised at the service and equipment offered by this system - also that the buses are free with a Medicare card. On a recent bus ride into the city a passenger approached the bus stop in a wheel chair. He appeared to be a regular rider. The driver opened a flat ramp that was recessed in the floor to accommodate the occupant and his wheel chair. In the left front section of the bus the driver folded back five seats, parked the rider and chair and chocked the wheels to the floor with an elaborate set of belts and securing devices. It reminded me of how our stevedores used to secure automobiles in the holds of the ships. It was a smooth operation - no one was delayed - and apparently all the new buses in the system are equipped with this gear. No wonder SEPTA received this award.
P.S. They also carry bicycles in a rack on the front of the bus.
tjs
Next - Potpourri

Lighter than Air

I read the other day that dirigibles had again appeared at Lakehurst, N.J.- I had thought that they never went away.  It brought to mind the following excerpt from "The Eagle Blue Chronicles" of Feb. 3, 2006 #2 as follows:
Captain Yarborough was a senior U.S. Lines Master who was on shoreside assignment whom I met in the company cafeteria in Cranford, N.J. He told me about an eastbound Atlantic crossing on the passenger ship S.S. WASHINGTON circa 1937 where he was a deck officer - New York to Europe - daylight hours - when an excited cry came from the forward lookouts. There was something approaching dead ahead. He put his glasses on it and saw it was the HINDENBURG airship flying very low and passed over his vessel enroute to Lakehurst, N.J.  Max Schmeling took that route when he came to fight Joe Louis which were all prior to its fateful fire and burning at Lakehurst within the next months. unquote.
tjs
Next - SEPTA Award