Auld Lang Syne

When the Ball drops tonight in Times Square I think about Eves gone by as we seniors are prone to do. Before there was potty mouthed Kathy Griffin teamed with Anderson Cooper and before the ageless Dick Clark, there was a fellow named Ben Grauer, an erudite gentleman and a senior announcer for NBC. He worked alone - wore a black homburg felt hat and a stylish black overcoat and braved the outdoors during the 1960s. Later he worked with Guy Lombardo a New Year's Eve fixture. Both Grauer and Lombardo died in 1977 the same year that we lost Bing Crosby provoking the comment that both Christmas and New Year's were snuffed out together.  I will try to stay awake tonight to witness the festivities and wish all of you a healthy and happy 2015. BTW the Social Security granted a modest COLA for the coming year which every senior welcomes.
tjs

The Camels are Coming.

As a former habitue of the race track I couldn't let this one go by. Right now it is racing season in the United Arab Emirates i.e. Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This time it is camels - not horses. Since they outlawed child jockeys they have been replaced with small robots wearing owner's silks and sitting on metal saddles. The robots are equipped with light weight whips to urge on their mounts. The owners ride along side the track in their SUVS equipped with walkie-talkie so they can speak to their steeds via the robot. There is no pari-mutuel betting - just bragging rights and the winning mounts get a saffron bath. This is not the sport of kings - rather that of Emirs but I doubt it will sell at Saratoga or Belmont.
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/sports/camel-racing-in-the-united-arab-emirates-is-a-blend-of-centuries-old-traditions-and-modern-technology.html

Standing Room Only

Continuing underground this is a story about a fellow living on the upper East Side of Manhattan. He was changing the fluorescent bulbs in his studio and they were about six feet long. The building super said the trash men would not take such fragile items. He then recalled a construction dumpster near his downtown office and figured that might be a suitable disposal site. So the next morning he boarded the crowded subway with his white "pole" in hand. As there were no seats he stood holding the pole upright. As other passengers came aboard several grasped a hold on the "pole". By and by his station arrived and he quietly stepped off the train sans "pole". Cue the M.T.A. Lost and Found.
tjs
Christmas Greetings to all my readers - will see you in the New Year - 2015.

A Riddle on the Rails

An article in Sunday's N.Y. Times concerning the habits of some Manhattan subway riders recalled my experience on the M.T.A. system. In the late 1970s  I rode the Lexington Ave. Number 4 line daily between Grand Central and Bowling Green. These rides were mostly uneventful with a few panhandlers and musicians breaking the silence. One evening a fellow boarded the train feeling happy and asked one and all this riddle: "What has four legs and chases cats?" There was no reply. As he was about to exit the car he yelled out the answer "Mrs. Katz and her lawyer." He was so pleased with himself and we could hear him laughing all the way down the platform.
tjs

Exit Singing

The Colbert (the T is silent) Report (the T is not silent) had its grand finale last week and the host was joined by a cast of thousands in a sing-a-long at the end that was something to behold. His exit song was "We'll meet again" which was one of his favorites and also one of mine. It was made famous by Vera Lynn in England during WWII which helped Britain make it thru the war. Her rendition is available on YouTube and her lilting voice will take you back to that era.
tjs
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/v/vera+lynn/well+meet+again_20343933.html

The Four Letter Word

There are certain four letter words that one does not use in polite society or in a family BLOG. There are a few i.e. DOLE and GORE residing in the dustbin of time. But this past week headline writers received a "bonanza" - BUSH III - SONY - CUBA and the POPE. Short - concise - and loved by the tabloids POST and NEWS and cherished by tweeters. Recall the New York headline of long ago "DROP DEAD - PRES. FORD. The "fives" including Obama, Putin and Rubio will have to settle for page two for now.
 But stay tuned -  we may get an encore. As the old desk editor demanded of the rookie reporter -"Are there any NEWS?" To which he replied "No, there is no NEW."
tjs

Nuts to You!

Many of you are familiar with the imbroglio on the Korean Air Lines plane when a company executive who was also the owner's daughter threw a fit when she was served macadamia nuts in a bag rather than on a plate. She had the taxiing aircraft return to the gate and fired the chief steward. It has spurred concerns for safety and may result in flight suspensions. But sales of macadamia nuts took off and what was a five percent market has become over fifty percent. Koreans have discovered the nut which is native to Australia and Hawaii. This is what is meant by unintended consequences. If a shortage occurs watch the price rise. Uber calls that "surge pricing."
tjs

A Dairy Tale

Word out of Japan reports that they are encountering a shortage of "butter" and with the holiday baking season approaching they have resorted to rationing - no more than two packages per family. Several reasons given for their predicament include stressed out cows and aging farmers. Wow! A surefire combination for disaster. They will now have to resort to imports reluctantly. Which reminds me of our food rationing during WWII and my errands to the local butcher shop. After giving my order for ground beef and a few pork chops I quietly asked for a quarter pound of butter. The butcher was king back then and more concerned with counting the ration coupons than the money. If you were a female he might even squeeze your hand.
tjs

The Omnibus Bill

The HUGE Omnibus spending bill passed in the Senate last weekend had something for everyone in it. Just shows that pork still has a lot of fat on it.
-The sage grouse will NOT be considered as an endangered species.
-The E.P.A. will NOT control the lead content of fishing tackle. I always called them "dipsys" but this provision is a "doozy".
-Marijuana will NOT be legalized in the District of Columbia.
-And they instituted a freeze on Joe Biden's salary. In Bidenese this is a REALLY big ___ deal. Let's hope that Amtrak doesn't raise their fares.
Congress is now in recess and will see us in the New Year. And life goes on.
tjs

Dog Heaven

The headline read "Dogs in Heaven? Pope leaves Pearly Gate Open." To console a little boy whose dog had died the Pope said "paradise is open to all of God's creatures." So perhaps there is still a chance for our late Scottish Terrier, Bonnie Lass who departed this world ten years ago at age thirteen. The Vet who put her to sleep told us her ashes would be disposed of at sea whereupon a relative commented "My Bonnie lies over the ocean." Bonnie bonded to the family and snapped at everyone else so we have always thought she might be languishing in Purgatory. But now redemption may be at hand thanks to Pope Francis.
tjs

A Magical Date

Today, Saturday, December 13, 2014 has a particular significance to anyone contemplating marriage. In the western world the date will appear as 12-13-14 and such a numbering sequence will NEVER appear again for another 89 years. Accordingly, it was expected that there would be a "run" on weddings on that memorable date. If you received more than one invitation you will understand why.
tjs

Christmas Gift List

I read somewhere that if you ask Google the question "I want to buy?" - the third most popular item is a Drone. It didn't mention numbers 1 & 2 which presumably might be a Lamborghini or a McMansion. The FAA is currently wrestling with the issues of potential licensing, maximum altitudes and the difference between a toy/hobby and a commercial operation. I always knew that Big Brother was watching me but now he may be peeking thru the curtains. So if you see a flying object it may not be a bird - a plane or even Superman - it may be a Drone soaring lazily which reminds me that in my youth we always thought of drones as lazy.
tjs

The Forward Slash

It has become fashionable in certain circles to describe oneself as having more than one career - and to insert the "forward slash" i.e. / - as outlined in Sunday's NYTimes style section. This not necessarily because you need two jobs to pay the rent. Consider these combinations: Forensic Psychiatrist/D.J. - Lawyer/Actor/Producer - Life Coach/Writer/Singer - you get the idea. This takes multi-tasking to a new height. I wonder if I might get by with Blogger/Punster/Limericist but wouldn't want to wear out that "forward slash" on the keyboard.
tjs

Sunday Night Syndrome

A poet/teacher was quoted in the Sunday NYTimes "There's something very melancholy about Sunday evening, right? The week is starting; you feel a little agitated about what you have to do." When I first began working in Manhattan I was still living in Philadelphia and my commute included two trains plus a PATH tube and the reverse in the evening which meant rising at 0500 to face the day. Sunday afternoons were as the poet says - I called it "Sunday Night Syndrome." And the winters of 1976/1977 were particularly severe and the open train platforms were desolate. At North Philadelphia station in the evening we commuters would form a posse to advance en masse when the train's headlight appeared. Later in life I used to visit the port on Sunday afternoon to observe, touch and feel which gave me a leg up to hit the ground running on Monday morning. To each his own.
tjs

A Bridge Too Far

From the recent episode of "Bridgegate" we learned that the George Washington Bridge is the most busily traveled span in the country. Last week it was reported that the tolls will rise to $15. It was $11. six years ago and when I traveled it daily circa 1979 I seem to recall it was $5.00 - and that's "round trip". Although the Port Authority denies it, many commuters think these increases are assessed to offset overruns at the new W.T.C. construction. Moving north on the Hudson River we have the old Tappan Zee Bridge still charging $5.00 - and these monies go to Albany and not shared with the Port Authority as it spans two New York counties. The new replacement for Tappan Zee ready by 2017, alas, may also see a big increase. But the Staten Island Ferry is FREE! (But NO cars)
tjs

The Big Dipper

Most sports fans know that Wilt Chamberlain was a seven foot one inch basketball player who once scored 100 points in a game and this was before the three point goal was introduced. His high school team played my school for the Philadelphia City Championship and our coach set a table in front of the basket during practice with a player standing on top imitating the tall opponent. Now fifteen years after his death he is being honored by the U.S. Postal Service with a postage stamp of his likeness. In recognition of his height and stature the stamp is two inches "long". They are printing fifty million of these "forever" stamps and that's a lot of mucilage!
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/05/sports/basketball/wilt-chamberlain-the-stilt-postage-stamp-philadelphia-76ers.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C{%221%22%3A%22RI%3A6%22}

Brain Drain

Back in the 1980s the University of Texas at Austin received an estimated 200 brains from a state mental hospital for storage  and presumably for later research. Recently they have discovered that 100 or half of the brains are missing and later announced that they were destroyed due to poor quality for research. This is not the type of "brain drain" we are accustomed to. (Sorry to end in a preposition.) But "Hook 'em Horns, anyway"!
tjs

Giddyup!

The Mayor of NYC is trying to rid the city of the carriage horse. The N.Y. Times Jim Dwyer reports that there are approximately 220 equines living in comfort in sprinkler equipped homes with regular veterinary examinations - and five weeks off in the country annually. Their vacations are spent at a sanctuary in Massachusetts whose owner describes these horses as "well adjusted and selected for their intelligence and their temperament." And these attributes come in handy when sharing space with taxi cabs, limos, Uber cars and jaywalkers. The proposed ban would NOT affect mounted police horses which speaks of some kind of class discrimination. The protest line forms on the left.
tjs

Slaking Your Thirst

Budweiser, that behemoth of brewed beverages, has suffered a loss in market share in recent years due to the proliferation and popularity of assorted craft beers eating into their profit margins. So much so that they are retiring the Clydesdales to the barn over the coming holidays and they will not appear again until the Super Bowl early February. Considering the variety of all these craft beers a pundit remarked that there is no better time in all of history to be a drinker! So Skoal, L'Chaim and Slainte!
tjs

Signs of the Times

The following sign appears on the N.J. Turnpike and Garden State Parkway:
-"Put down the phone - and drive!"
-"I have more than one club in my bag!" Gov. Chris Christie.
-"So he went for the low hanging fruit!" Anonymous re Chuck Hagel's departure.
-Bogart's Casablanca piano went for $3.4 million at auction while Saks Manhattan flagship store is appraised for $3.7 Billion. But Bunny Mellon's estate items only returned $218 Million. It seems everyone wanted a slice of the MELLON.
tjs

Griping over Groping

Last week I read where a dockworker in Brooklyn was awarded $65M in a suit against his employer who he claimed had groped him on the job and when he complained he was banned from working on the Red Hook piers. Over the years I cannot ever remember such a situation. While I don't recall them groping they were not embarrassed to "reach" when a few bottles of scotch appeared or if a banana boat was working and they found a few stalks "aPEELing". If you saw "On the Waterfront" you know how cargo was handled or mishandled back in the 1950s. Many longshoremen wore those old WWI overcoats with extra pockets. One such fellow tied a pig of lead around his neck and tried to get past the gangway watchman as his face began to flush and he turned around and went back down the hatch to return his burden. You might say he was groped by a lead pig but he didn't gripe.
tjs

CM

The Google scorekeeper reminds me that this is my 900th posting - and I have nothing to say. So it's time for a "short paws" as we head to Cape May for Thanksgiving with family and friends. I hope your own celebration is as warm and thankful and that you may get the wishbone - and that the gravy is tender. Let's get together again in early December.
tjs

...Nor heat nor gloom of night.

The above is a segment of the Postman's creed.  When I was a senior in high school the vocational director enabled me to obtain temporary work in the General Post Office  in Philadelphia during the Christmas holidays. This required me taking three subway/trolleys to and from and an hour sitting on the bench before we "temps" were put on the time clock and stood behind stacks of mail to be sorted by street and letter carrier's route. If you were lucky you may have found a stand to lean against. The mail was mostly Xmas cards with much illegible handwriting which slowed down the sorting. Philadelphia was laid out in a grid form and I did learn many of the streets but the following night I would be working on a different neighborhood. Breaks were brief and they deliberately kept the rest rooms cold to discourage loitering. A week of this was back-breaking and monotonous but I was seventeen and it was Christmas.
tjs

Neither snow nor rain....

The above is the beginning of the Postman's creed or motto. The USPS has announced that they will be delivering packages seven days per week during the holidays so don't be afraid to send mine on a Sunday. There is a strain of this service running thru my family as my father worked in the Post Office for forty-six years starting in 1910 as a twenty year old mail sorter. He became good at it and prided himself on the fewest errors. There were no ZIP codes then. He also felt that the Postal Inspectors would occasionally send a fat envelope thru his stack to test his honesty which offended him. Back then a government job with a Federal pension was a plum and he was rewarded later in life. Tomorrow, I will relate my own experiences sorting mail.
tjs

The Poets Society

Michael Beschloss' column Sunday recalled that Richard Nixon was an ardent football fan from his days as a third string guard on the Whittier College football team who were called "Poets" in honor of John Greenleaf Whittier. When he reached Washington he became friendly with George Allen then the Redskins coach. Nixon would design football plays - one of which was a trick play called a "flanker reverse" which found its way into the Redskins playbook and when called lost thirteen yards. So much for "tricky Dick's" hobby. Considering the current protests of the Redskins name perhaps they could be called Poets with the coach reading Shakespeare in the locker room.  It might make for fewer concussions.
tjs

Cue the Grammarian

"SO's your old man!" was a youthful rejoinder in the days of innocence. But Business Insider says that everyone is using "SO" to begin a sentence, particularly before a question. Silicon Valley programmers use it before an answer. Now I understand what "SO SO" infers and I get SO and SO, but that single SO hangs out nakedly reaching for a dangling participle. Even Gail Collins opened a sentence with SO. (period). You know that YOU KNOW is used as punctuation and LIKE is overused SO that I disLIKE it. SO, what do you think?
tjs

Antigua

N.Y. Times travel section recently featured this lovely British flavored island -Antigua. The last time I visited there was to join the schooner TIKI for a down island cruise. The headboat charter business was flagging and Capt. Ted Charles called me in New York and said 'You're in the shipping business and I am thinking of carrying cargo down island on TIKI - how much should I charge?" Finally, to establish his reputation, he induced a broker to entrust him with 200 cases of rum and when I arrived he was stowing the spirits below deck in the staterooms. I could hear the cargo creaking in the next room. I had to leave him in Martinique as a prospective buyer came aboard who I hoped would save TIKI from her otherwise fate.
tjs

Where to, Mum?

The N.Y. Times did an extensive article on the London taxi cab, that ubiquitous vehicle with the ample leg room and the color black which would have pleased Henry Ford. There are 25,000 roads in Greater London, some carry overs from Roman times. Prospective taxi drivers have to take stringent oral tests on their knowledge of streets, buildings, parks and the quickest route between points. To pass can take a four year effort and applicants can be seen cycling around at night making mental notes. But you can usually be assured that your driver will speak English and know the way. And no more farthings and shillings to deal with but the blokes still drive on the left so be alert when stepping off the curb.
tjs

Yesterday's reading

Yesterday I acknowledged to being an octogenarian in good standing but I would rather be sitting. Tuesday's reading was apropos to my situation. It was St. Paul's letter to Titus :"....That older men should be temperate, dignified, self controlled, sound in faith, love and endurance." But I must confess to having problems with that endurance!
tjs
P.S. - Thanks to all of you for your birthday greetings - the week was full of surprises.

Another Year

As a dedicated Scorpio I have to admit that today is the anniversary of my birth - once known as Armistice Day with a school holiday. My motto this year is "Four score and five and still alive!" One of the down sides of aging is your peers keep disaPEERing plus I can't identify all the Rap performers in the crossword puzzles. I also thought if I turned 85 I could be 58 again but that was a bad year so close to U.S. Lines declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy and depositing me on the unemployment line. So I will stick with the Julian calendar and see what 2015 has in store. Thanks for all your good wishes and thanks to all the Medical Professionals who accept Medicare.
tjs

Guy Fawkes Day

While our attention was diverted last week by election results, we failed to mention Guy Fawkes Day on November 5th. He was a seventeenth century "protester" in a group trying to unseat the King of England and legend has it that Guy was the "guy" guarding the explosives under the parliament building. So that his harlequin image has become a symbol of "protest" and was adopted by the Occupy Wall Street protesters recently. But with apologies to my friends in the Lone Star State, this image has an uncanny resemblance to the junior Senator from Texas - himself a protester of record.
tjs

Truth is stranger than fiction

It is plainly evident that the Democrats took a real pasting in Tuesday's elections. The New York Congressman entrusted with seeing that that would not happen is taking a lot of heat. Of the fourteen seats lost three were in his own state. He had trouble recruiting suitable candidates to run and could not even defeat an indicted incumbent in Staten Island.
But during the campaign he did have time to write 40,000 words on his next novel. So while his attention was riveted on fiction, the truth bit him in the hindquarters.
tjs

My Sweet Tooth

Woe is me! The cannoli factory in Mount Vernon, N.Y. caught fire and burned to the ground. This pastry producer served a fifteen state market and it appears there will be a shortage of these sweets for the holidays. Followers of Seinfeld will recall that George curried favor with his fictional boss, George Steinbrenner by supplying him with cannolis. And remember that line in the "Godfather" where the hit-man said "Leave the gun but take the cannolis!" You could tell from his waistline where his priorities were.
tjs
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/bronx/holy-cannoli-bronx-pastry-shop-treats-factory-blaze-article-1.1999274

No Surprises!

Our motto at U.S.Lines was "No Surprises!" although in a labor intensive business with the vagaries of weather we had surprises every day. And after four score and five years on the planet, I still am surprised as I was reading my favorite paper's travel section last Sunday. The headline read "36 hours in Hanoi"! Now Jane Fonda spent more than that and John McCain certainly a lot longer, but it wouldn't be my first choice to spend a weekend. Some memories last longer than others.
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/travel/things-to-do-in-36-hours-in-hanoi.html

A Matter of Taste IV

Every election day I like to repeat this classic tale of why certain Democrats are missing at the polls. This story not to be confused with the fellow from down state Illinois who said that when he died he wanted to be buried in Cook County so he could continue to vote. Due to its age you may have to find it on my Facebook page or Google The Eagle Blue Chronicles under teejaysmith.blogspot.com and call up "A matter of Taste" originally posted 6/14/11.
tjs

Trick or Treat

Today we are off to Cape May for some bird watching and porch sitting. A few facebook postings this week mentioned the feeling of ghostly appearances in some of the older buildings there which the B&B folks never mention. But I doubt if such sightings will keep the tricksters off the street. As for the treaters, many parents are keeping their kids on short leashes which is vastly different from the days of my youth. During WWII all luxuries were in short supply but Mr. Spreckley on our street was Sales Manager for Wrigley Chewing Gum. As the word spread we costumed kids filled his living room and parlor. But there was a quid pro quo or "carrot and stick". He and his wife made each of us perform - sing or dance or recite. The best I could do was say the Lord's Prayer in Gaelic taught to me phonetically by my Irish grandmother. Anything to get that spearmint "stick".
tjs

Uber over all

A private taxi service has sprung up in many large cities much to the consternation of the medallion cab companies. It is Called UBER and you can summon your private driver with the touch of your hand held app. The word has German roots and Merriam Webster defines it as "being a superlative example of its kind or class." I happened to grow up on Uber Street in Philadelphia in the 1930s - a tree lined block of brick row houses - it just ran for one block with dead ends which eliminated thru traffic. Our families were a melting pot of Irish, German, Italian, Jewish and Greek. Back then we didn't think of ourselves as "a superlative example of kind or class" - but just maybe we were - thanks to Merriam Webster.
tjs

World Series II

It appears that the exciting series may go the full seven game route. I had earlier posted that since a few of the starting pitchers had faltered, it might fall to the "battle of the bullpens." It would not surprise me if game seven were started by relief pitchers. In 1950 the Phillies started Jim Konstanty, a relief pitcher, in game one against the N.Y. Yankees. He went eight innings losing 1-0. I was in the grandstand that day with Joe DiMaggio in center field for New York in the twilight of his career. If it goes to a seventh and deciding game it will be "all hands on deck."
tjs
P.S. - Konstanty's personal pitching coach was an undertaker which may have helped him put hitters away.

The Indian Game

A few days ago my afternoon nap was disturbed by a thumping on the wall. Thinking it was children on an upper floor I went to investigate. All was quiet. I  then checked the boiler room and basement but found no trace. As I exited the basement door I came face to face with a neighbor wielding a lacrosse stick and flipping a hard rubber ball against the brickwork. We exchanged smiles and he apologized for the disturbance. Seems he was a professional lacrosse player with a local team which was being sold and relocated to Connecticut which meant that any further thumping would be short lived. I then thought about my childhood habit of bouncing a soft pink rubber "spaldeen" off my neighbor's wall and suffered a pang of conscience. In any event, never argue with an athlete wielding a lacrosse stick.
tjs

Joe Camel

If you passed thru Times Square in the 1990s you could not avoid seeing Joe Camel on a large billboard. During that period, R.J. Reynolds, the cigarette's maker was accused of targeting children and teenagers with that image. To counter that allegation they began an ad campaign "Let's clear the air on smoking!" Apparently, twenty years later they are now fulfilling that promise as Reynolds has announced they will be banning cigarette smoking in all their offices next year. Wow! What an about face!
As a sop to those addicted they will be constructing an indoor smoking area on their premises.
tjs

The Seven Deadly Sins

They named a street in Manhattan this week for the late George Carlin, an irreverent comedian who grew up on West 121st Street and loved that neighborhood.  The street sign - green and white - reads "George Carlin Way" but it is a one way street so they only gave him half an accolade. He is best known for his gig "seven dirty words" that you could not say on television. (Any grammarians can find "them" on YouTube if interested.) I learned from my Baltimore catechism the seven deadly sins which you CAN say on television but no one would be listening. I recall when Elvis appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show - 1957 - the straight-laced Sullivan tried to keep the cameras above the entertainer's waist. And when NBC censored Jack Paar - 1960 - for using the term W.C. he walked off the show. I guess we have come a long way but in what direction?
tjs

The Painless Dentist

The following received from a former colleague:
A woman of a certain age visited a new dentist for the first time having received a referral. To scope him out while in the waiting room she checked his framed diplomas on the wall. It appeared that they were about the same age and she wondered what he looked like. Upon meeting she asked if he went to the local high school. He said "Yes, I graduated in 1968." She then said "Oh, then you were in my class." He replied "What did you teach?" Her pain was inflicted before she even got in the chair.
tjs

Peas in a Pod

The World Series begins tonight in Kansas City, an American League town. But since I live in a National League city my allegiance will be with the San Francisco Giants. They are an interesting group of "vegans" - I call them "peas in a pod" with the following lineup - Panik - Posey - Panda - Pence and throw in Peavy and Pagan - stir - enjoy - but don't bet against them. After the exciting playoffs the Series may be anti-climactic. It could come down to a battle of the bullpens. Some years ago there was a boxing ring announcer at the old Madison Square Garden, one Harry Balogh, who used to intone in his Brooklynese "And may the more worthy adversary emerge triumphant!" And so it will be.
tjs

Keeping Cool

Charlie Crist is running for Governor of Florida - this time as a Democrat. In his undergrad days he played quarterback for Wake Forest football team. All quarterbacks are taught to "keep cool." Charlie takes it a step further considering the heat and humidity of Florida by carrying a portable fan with him to all events. At last week's debate he had the fan placed under his lectern to which his opponent objected and refused to enter debate for all of seven minutes. This petty flap got all the attention and
 buzz and nobody remembers the substance of the debate. Dick Nixon could have used a fan when debating JFK as he had refused makeup for his five o'clock shadow and the klieg lights in the television  studio caused him to break out in copious perspiration. FANcy that!
tjs

Extra! Extra!

Every time the young reporter called in to the office the crusty old editor always demanded to know  "Are there any news - are there any news?" Finally, the rookie replied "No, there is no NEW!" But the news today is/are not very good - except for the S.F. Giants winning the NL pennant in storybook style. So I'll apply a few band aids to my portfolio and take the weekend off and yearn to get that hour back on November 2nd.
tjs

America's Pastime

No, it's not football. The current Major League baseball playoffs are underway and every game has been closely contested and exciting. This may render the upcoming World Series as anti-climactic.
The Baltimore Orioles  - down three games to none - are facing elimination so for all my friends in Maryland I am reciting the final stanza of that famous poem "Casey at the Bat":
-Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright - the band is playing somewhere - and somewhere hearts are light. And somewhere men are laughing - and somewhere children shout - but there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.
tjs

Don't Bet on It

Sports gambling is big business and what happens in Vegas doesn't always stay there. There has always been a dark side going back to the BlackSox scandal of 1919 which also invaded college basketball in the early 1950s wherein gamblers could mingle with the athletes. And now we read of attempted bribes of Danish badminton players to fix matches. Is nothing sacred? What could be purer than that little feathered "shuttlecock" soaring over the net. The conspirators approached the players via Facebook where privacy is unheard of. Alas!
tjs

Believe it or Not

Those of you who remember the Ed Sullivan Show may recall the comedy duo of Smith & Dale doing their skit "The Doctor" wherein the patient spouts his symptoms and the doctor says "I'm dubious!" Then the patient addresses him as Doctor Dubious. Well, as my name is Thomas I have learned to be dubious at times as when some individual last week placed a placard on Fbook stating that clocks would be rolled back October 12th weekend and another "friend" shared and perpetuated the misinformation. Whom can you trust these days? As Groucho Marx used to say "Are you going to believe me or your lying eyes?"
tjs

What's in a Name?

The Nobel Peace Prize is named after the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel who made his money in explosives and dynamite!!
Former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was on the witness stand last week on the A.I.G. bailout issue. It turns out he wrote a lot of emails under the pseudonym "Edward Quince".......quince is a fruit jelly and Spanish for fifteen so go figure what he had in mind. Now there is speculation on what alias his successor Janet Yellen will use. A review of social media would indicate that no one today is using their right name. My own resort to obfuscation only occurred when checking into a motel as my real surname caused snickering by the staff - and there was the time that a restaurant gave my table away. But if your name fits on the marquee then the rest is tolerable.
tjs

My Brother's Keeper

There is a court case underway in Upstate New York attempting to seek "habeas corpus" and treat a chimpanzee as a person. An animal rights group is filing on behalf of Tommy a 26 year old chimp to grant him the "right to liberty". The attempt is unprecedented and if successful his proponents want to retire him to a Florida sanctuary which they describe as a "Chimpanzee Club Med".  Now at 26 Tommy is still a youngster as chimp ages go -but what a shock he will find if he goes from a cage to a Club Med environment. I hope he has a strong heart.
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/03/science/rights-group-sues-to-have-chimp-recognized-as-legal-person.html?pagewanted=all&module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw%2C{%221%22%3A%22RI%3A9%22}