Reunion

In a few days we will be heading north to attend a 25th reunion of USLines former employees. It will be a commemoration - but not a celebration - of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy of November 1986. The party will be held at an Irish Pub called the Shannon Rose and I expect that there will be a few tears flowing in the River Shannon that night along with a few Guiness flowing as well. After which Thanksgiving in New Jersey and expect posting will be sporadic thru the end of the month. Wishing all a Happy Thanksgiving with family and friends. Will see you in December.
tjs

Familiarity breeds contempt

When Winston Churchill was a young Tory he fancied a small blond mustache above his upper lip. It wasn't admired by all. After speaking at a town hall type meeting he was cornered by a woman who said to him "I don't agree with your policies and I don't like your silly mustache." He replied "Madam, it is unlikely that you should ever become familiar with either." He came by his wit early.
tjs
Next - Reunion

Floors, Please?

My friend the waterfront priest was making a sick call to a parishioner in a local hospital. He was wearing his black clergy garb and a Roman collar. It was a time when elevators had manual operators. As he entered the elevator and requested his floor, the operator turned around to size him up. The man must have been a preacher of sorts on Sundays so he said to the priest "Reverend, Ise the same as you is except I works during the week." The padre took it with good humor but wondered if he was getting off easy with only eight masses a week plus an occasional funeral and wedding  - and those 3 A.M. phone calls.
tjs
Next -  Familiarity breeds contempt

Veterans' Day

Today 11-11-11 is Veterans' Day - formerly known as Armistice Day after WWI - it is a Federal Holiday.
It is also my birthday. I told someone I was turning 82 but if I really turned 82 I would be 28 and that is the age of my son which makes it awkward for sure. There was a character in the "Lil Abner" comic strip - it might have been Marryin Sam  - who used to say "It's amusin but confusin!" And then I recalled an old song title "I'm my own grandpa". But my biggest fear is that the candle power on the cake will set off the fire sprinkler system and dampen the party. Anyway, here's to Scorpios all  - and Happy Birthday to me! (Forget about 9-9-9 - think about 11-11-11 - and let's salute and  honor our Veterans of all wars.)
tjs
Next - Wall Street Humor

But, it's not Cricket!

The game of Cricket is the national pastime of Pakistan and other former British colonies. But according to a New York Times article datelined Beijing, the Chinese have turned it into a blood sport whose origin extends back more than 1000 years nurtured by the Tang Dynasty. That is, they are training field crickets to become fighters and these cricket fights can command bets as high as $1600 by a cricket owner. A really formidable fighter can be worth more than a horse. Legend suggests they were first domesticated by Imperial concubines who kept trilling crickets at their bedside to stave off loneliness. One effective fighting move is "creep like a tiger, fight like a snake."  There is one province where the soil and climate seem to produce a particularly fiery breed - and the loudest chirpers are usually the fiercest. They are pampered with their diets and a bit of chili pepper will make them especially ferocious. But as our British friends might say "It's not cricket" - but this article was printed on a slow news day.
tjs
Next - Veterans Day

Directions

The Bronx is up and the Battery's down as per Leonard Bernstein's lyrics. We will be in New York soon after twenty years away and probably will be asking directions from passersby. It is not easy to find a native New Yorker - and one who speaks English. These folks always try to be helpful and even when they don't know the answer they will still give an opinion - and sometimes several will stop and render differing opinions. One time we flew into Philadelphia and picked up a rental car for a trip to South Jersey. I knew the route but the vehicle was equipped with a GPS instrument which my son activated and soon a formal female voice was giving me directions. When I deviated from same there was tension in her voice and I began to argue with this instrument. During the current political season we see potential candidates constantly changing direction - flip flopping, they call it.  It got so bad that one described an opponent as a "lubricated weather vane" - now that's changing direction!
tjs
Next - But it's not Cricket.

A Nocturnal Visitor

We live in a gated community - approximately 900 homes - with excellent security. One night my phone rang at midnight - it was a security person. He said "I'm in your driveway with my headlights on - your garage door is open - and a raccoon is picnicking in your driveway." The nocturnal forager had entered the garage and found the paper bag of cat food and was having a midnight snack while also spilling the contents on the ground. Coincidentally, some of our feathered friends - particularly Blue Jays, also fancy the dry cat food for its nutrients. But the black eyed raccoon is both bold and clever and his tiny fingered paws can get into anything.  Soon we will be moving north to more urban surroundings where we expect to find a different type of after hours activity. But remember to close your garage doors.
tjs
Next - Directions