Giddyup!

Staten Island is known as the Outer Borough - sometimes treated like a step-child - it is red when the others are blue - and sometime marches to a different drummer. But it made the headlines this week when an 80 year old man on horseback rode over the Outerbridge Crossing from New Jersey with another horse in tow. Riding into New York usually exacts a toll but all he received was a summons for impeding traffic. As his destination is Brooklyn he has his eyes on the Verrazano Bridge but has been persuaded to van his equines to avoid another incident. It seems a long way to go to find a blacksmith.
tjs

Happy Meals

Perdue Foods processes 676 million chickens per year. Nudged by animal welfare folks they are now bringing their flocks out of the darkness of the hen house and into the sunlight. The local farmers say they're much happier birds - more active, more playful. They are installing windows and giving the birds more space in the barns. Perdue says "We are going to go beyond what a chicken needs and give chickens what they want." So when you sit down for Sunday dinner know that the Cornish game hen on the table was a happy and contented bird.
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/27/business/perdue-aims-to-make-chickens-happier-and-more-comfortable.html?src=me&_r=0

A Two Way Street

While all current attention in London is whether the U.K. will leave the European Union, on the back page is the story of a Sudanese refugee who wants to leave Europe and enter the U.K. He walked the thirty-one miles thru the Chunnel dodging trains going 100 mph to reach his goal. He was promptly arrested and the charge was "obstructing a railway carriage" - a 19th century law. He was released after time served. It used to
 be that people tried to swim the Channel - now they walk it at their peril. Rule Brittania!
tjs
(P.S. - Considering how events unfolded it would appear that the United Kingdom is far from United.)

In The Rough

The U.S. Open Golf Tournament is being contested this week at the Oakmont Course in Pennsylvania. It is considered one of the toughest in the entire nation. Players are chided for grumbling and the owner's mantra has been "Let the clumsy, the spineless, the alibi artist stand aside!" Sounds pretty sadistic to me. As the old ring announcer used to say "And may the more worthy participant emerge victorious!.
tjs

Primarily Political XV

Quote of the week: "It gets late early this time of year!" - Mike Lupica quoting Yogi Berra and referring to the status of the G.O.P campaign. I don't think he was referring to the Summer Solstice when it gets late later........
tjs

Monkey Business

Dateline - Nairobi, Kenya - On Wednesday NYTimes reported that a monkey circumvented the electric fences, climbed onto the roof of a power station and fell or jumped onto a transformer which tripped other machines throwing the entire country of Kenya in a nationwide blackout. It is said this species of monkey can be "pesky" and has also visited backyards and kitchens seeking mangoes and bananas. My own experience with blackouts was being trapped in Manhattan in the heat of July 1977 when all "flushing" ceased and I was almost mugged in the darkness on Lexington Avenue - but that is a story for another time.
tjs

Name that Sport

The other day they played a baseball game in Baltimore and a full fledged brawl ensued. It reminded me of the guy who went to a boxing match and an ice hockey game broke out. And I'm sure that some folks go to those Nascar races hoping to witness a collision. As that cartoon feller from Lil Abner used to say "It's confuzin but amuzin!"
tjs

Modern Miracles

Some of you are familiar with The Miracle at Cana when Christ turned water into wine. In a twist on that theme it is reported that the Catholic Diocese of Oakland, California, early in the drought ten years ago, decided to plant grape vines near their cemeteries instead of grass to conserve water. Voila! Ten years later they were amazed when they evaluated the fruit. The chardonnay and pinot noir grapes were of outstanding quality. Fast forward and they are bottling the output under a Bishop's Vineyard label and winning medals at local competitions. While it is a non-profit they do have a website with packages at three levels: a bishop's bunch (two bottles) - a cardinal's collection (four) - and a pope's parcel of six. At the cemeteries, the grapevines have become a destination. And as the old joke goes "people are dying to get in!"
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/07/us/turning-cemeteries-into-wine-at-a-california-diocese.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fus&action=click&contentCollection=us&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

Odd Couples

A writer for The New Yorker was comparing the forthcoming battle of Trump vs Clinton as the boisterous braggart vs the determined level headed woman using such analogies as Bobby Riggs vs Billie Jean King in their battle of the sexes. Add to that Groucho Marx vs Margaret Dumont and you can see art imitating life. And then we have duos such as - Ralph & Alice Kramden - Archie & Edith Bunker and Fibber & Molly McGee - but then I'm dating myself. Suffice that come November I'm betting on the DLW - the determined level headed woman.
tjs

What's in a Name?

Last week I visited my local pharmacy to have an Rx filled and was directed to a waiting area where I took a seat next to a man similarly waiting. After a few minutes I thought I heard my name called and I rose and my neighbor did likewise and we stood on line together. Not sure that I heard correctly I said to him "I think they called my name." He said his name was SMITH - I said that is my name also - he was David - I am Thomas. I am glad that we avoided any mix-up as I feared he would receive my pills and I would get his Viagra which I didn't need to cure my malady. And I think he had a later date of birth. My surname has caused problems in restaurants and motels but this was a first for pharmacys. I could change my name but those five letters fit so neatly on the marquee.
tjs

Men of the Cloth

When I worked in the Maritime industry in Philadelphia circa 1950s I became acquainted with the Catholic Port Chaplain, Father Tom W. In addition to ministering to seamen and longshoremen he also made his rounds to local hospitals visiting sick patients and their family members. This was a time when elevators were operated manually. As he entered the elevator heading to an upper floor wearing his Roman collar, the operator turned to him and smilingly said "Reverend, Ise the same as you is except I works during the week." On departing I think Father Tom gave him a blessing - or was it the last rites!
tjs

War Zones

Culture war vs Turf war! The NYTimes yesterday reported the following events:
- In the city of Tbilisi in the Caucasus a group of meat eaters raided a vegan cafe hurling sausages and the like at the patrons.
-In the city of Manhattan an ice cream vendor attacked a pretzel man with a baseball bat as both were claiming the lucrative corner at 54th & Madison Ave.
Live and let live, I say!
tjs