NYC Landmark

July 28, 1945 fell on a Saturday and I was sleeping late as my job at the pharmacy began at 1PM. A DJ was playing early Sinatra on the radio when the broadcast was interrupted. A military aircraft - a B25 twin engine bomber with a crew of three, on a routine flight, was trying to reach Newark Airport in a dense fog. He was flying straight down Fifth Avenue at approx. 1000 feet elevation when the plane crashed into the Empire State Building at the 79th floor killing all on board plus 11 workers in the building. The loss would have been greater were it not a weekend. The landmark withstood the shock being of brick and mortar so different from the WTC built 25 years later. The New York Times reminded us this week on the 70th anniversary. I remember it as if it were yesterday.
tjs

The Lap of Luxury

When Joe Biden described New York's LaGuardia Airport as a "third world country" it really got people's attention so that they are going to tear it down and start over. And on the other side of Queens at JFK Airport, next year they will open an animal facility called the ARK. The Associated Press reports that "horses and cows will have slick, climate controlled stalls with showers and doggies will lounge in hotel suites featuring flat screen TVs. A special space for penguins will allow them privacy for mating. Cats will have their own trees for climbing." And owners can view all this on webcams. And all this is just for the animals!
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/19/nyregion/ap-us-travel-nyc-airport-animal-house.html

Golf Terms

For you golfers and non-golfers alike: scoring one stroke under par on an individual hole is called a "birdie" and two strokes under par is called an "eagle" but when Gene Sarazen went three under par during the 1935 Masters Tournament it was then called a "double eagle" or the shot heard around the world. Slow forward eighty years and the Associated Press is using the alternate description as an
"albatross" as two seniors in Europe last week each scored a two on a par five hole. Staying in the winged department, a young amateur informed me that a "hole in one" on a par five hole is called a "condor" -assisted by a strong tail wind. Merriam Webster defines an "albatross"as something that greatly hinders accomplishment - but not on the golf course.
tjs

Hacking 101

Over recent months hackers have penetrated the systems of J.P. Morgan Chase, Target and the U.S. Government. They do not play favorites. Now we read that there has been an online attack on a dating service marketed to people trying to cheat on their spouses. It was reported that this site has 37 million members many of whom are feeling uncomfortable now. There is a proverb that states "An ill wind that blows no good".........but someone else will usually benefit. Sure enough, marriage counselors are predicting a boom in business. "Oh, it'll be a huge uptick!"
tjs

Piling On

Donald Trump released his financial disclosure form which ran to 92 pages. The two items that caught my eye were: 1) He received six figures from a pension with the Screen Actors Guild. 2) He manages the Central Park Carousel which means he understands the merry-go-round he has us on as he attempts to catch the brass ring.
tjs

Hospitality

Some high end hotels are now offering new perks and amenities for the road-weary traveler including a "pillow menu" with a wide selection of choices. Add to that such as handmade mattresses, aromatic oils and flavored chocolates intended to relax the body. One Manhattan hotel has hired a sleep consultant to advise on various issues. This is a far cry from my experience when every Holiday Inn room looked alike. But as the author stated "That's what hospitality is about."
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/21/business/high-end-hotels-help-guests-get-a-good-nights-sleep.html

To Coin a Phrase.

Quotes of the week - and it's only Wednesday -
"UBER is Walmart on wheels!" A City Hall sign in Manhattan referring to the Mayor's feud with the car-hailing company.

"It depends on how you define window dressing." This from a Japanese executive of an industrial conglomerate as he resigned in disgrace over financial irregularities. It reminded me of a certain ex President who questioned the definition of "IS".
"Only three people have silenced the Rio de Janeiro arena: The pope, Frank Sinatra and me!" This from a Uruguayan soccer player who scored the winning goal in World Cup 1950.
tjs

About Face!

Wawa, with their battery of convenience stores, a company that started as a dairy is now getting into the beer selling business.
Of course, nothing moves very fast in          Pennsylvania and there are "conditions"i.e. not more than two six packs per customer, separate selling space and entrance, etc. On the other side of the coin we have Yuengling Brewery getting into the ice cream business. So, all things for all people to satisfy your wants and desires.
tjs

Birdman

The Birdman of Alcatraz was a movie made in 1962 starring Burt Lancaster about a prison "lifer" who raised sparrows and canaries while in Federal prison. And we all have heard stories of miners taking canaries down into coal mines to test the quality of the air and react to gases. Now we read of that notorious drug lord who escaped from a Mexican prison thru a mile long tunnel and they found a dead bird in his cell. The drug king's nickname is El Chapo and they named the deceased bird Chapito. And then I recalled that old song "Be kind to your fine feathered friends......"
tjs

It's in the Cards

Some years ago when I took a course "Bridge for Beginners", I wished that I had had a mnemonic memory jogger to remember the order of suits i.e. SPADES to dig - HEARTS of gold - DIAMONDS in the rough - CLUBS for joining. What brings this to mind is reading where the G.O.P. "suits" are screaming NO!TRUMP!
The first debate is only four weeks away. The FOX moderators - Kelly & Wallace -
 are not noted for softball questions. But they will have their hands full with the man with the orange hair and motor mouth. And we can expect the audience to chime in. It could be real theater - don't miss it - Aug. 6th. (To be continued)
tjs

Water! Water!

With the drought continuing in California the Governor has placed in effect severe water rationing regulations. Now a prominent Hollywood celebrity has been fined for taking tanker loads of water from a local hydrant for use on his estate presumably to grow avocados. Some years ago, with a hurricane threatening in South Florida, our port manager in Port Everglades had the foresight to fill two 5000 gallon container tanks with potable water for use by our employees and terminal. But FEMA came along and expropriated these tanks presumably for a higher priority. Several weeks later after the storm had passed thru we went looking for our empty tanks. We found them at the local zoo. Fortunately, all two legged and four legged mammals survived.
tjs

In the Flesh

During a lull in the news after the soccer celebration it was reported that a naked woman walked into a Wawa store in New Jersey presumably seeking a caffeine fix at 6AM Monday and was asked to leave. Perhaps she heard that Starbucks were raising their prices and wished to change her affiliation. Normally these establishments mandate "no bare feet allowed" but rarely mention any other anatomy. If she were seeking directions to a nude beach her GPS was about sixty miles off. It reminded me of Bogart's lament in Casablanca - "Of all the gin joints in the world she had to walk into mine."
tjs

The Front Porch

I just came across an ad for the Professional Porch Sitters Union whose founder describes it  as "the interface between the private world and your community." Front porches had been dropping in popularity but are now making a comeback. The front porch is a way of thinking about the world. Had I known about the existence of this group I would have become a charter member. Our family home in Cape May is two blocks from the beach and when the wind and tide is right you can hear the roar of the surf which is better than listening to the roar of a dozen Harleys. Our front porch has recently been reinforced to accommodate the group gatherings as we contemplate our navels and watch the grass grow. Aficionados ask "Would you like to come over and do a little porching?"
tjs

Wheels of Mis-fortune

Last week a fellow in Queens, N.Y. held up a bank and escaped in a wheel chair with $1200. With tips and cameras he was soon apprehended. I recalled the incident - also in NYC - where two chaps were wheeling their friend in a wheel chair down to the Social Security office to pick up his check. Except that the recipient was deceased. It was reported that they had trouble navigating the curbs and their adventure came to naught. Slick Willie Sutton was perhaps the greatest bank robber of the twentieth century. When he escaped from the Eastern Penitentiary on a Sunday morning it was rumored that he commandeered the milkman's horse and wagon to aid in his escape. Fortified with a few quarts of milk he remained undetected for several years. So if you are planning a caper be selective on your choice of wheels.
tjs

One Person, One Vote

Major League Baseball is planning the All Star Game on July 14th. There was a time when the players voted for their fellow "stars" - sort of a jury of one's peers. But, of late, MLB has permitted the fans to elect the starting teams. And, incredibly, they are permitting each fan thirty-five ballots which has resulted in the cancellation of an estimated sixty million votes for alleged irregularities, etc. Talk about ballot stuffing! I am reminded of the fellow living in down state Illinois who said he would like to be buried in Cook County so he could continue to vote.
tjs

Classic Lines

Preceding me into the supermarket parking lot yesterday was a 1957 Chevy Impala in mint condition with its antique license plate. When I visited Havana, Cuba in 1956 (B.C.) - before Castro, this model was the most popular on the Malecon. Now, fifty plus years later those '57 "Chebbies" are still ferrying tourists around the island. Do they do it with rubber bands? I rather suspect a Canadian supply route for G.M. parts. With travel restrictions relaxing between our two countries, you may be able to get your own ride in these relics before they are replaced.
tjs