Arrivederci, Roma.

Today, February 28th, is the Pope's last day in office. Henceforth, Benedict XVI will be known as Pope Emeritus. Nothing I can write today could bump him off the front page. Now 115 Cardinals will gather to elect his successor. Some think he will come from the Southern Hemisphere. Others say that after the last two being Polish and German that the Italians will be back "in". We haven't heard from the oddsmakers in Las Vegas yet. I am curious how many ballots it will take. They want it accomplished by Palm Sunday March 24th so we will have a new Pontiff for Easter Sunday. The black smoke is a false alarm - watch for the white smoke - that makes it official. Ora pro nobis.
tjs
Next -Flower Show

Oscar Withdrawal

Last Sunday we had Oscar Meyer weiners for lunch, Steak Oscar for dinner but since we couldn't crash the Vanity Fair after party, I ended up having to wash the dishes. Such is life when you back a loser. My sentimental favorite was Robert DeNiro, more so as he played a fanatical Philadelphia Eagles fan. I actually saw two of the nine films being judged which is more than my normal yearly average. Now it's on to more mundane things like sequester, income tax preparation, Dow Jones tanking and continued gridlock in Washington. I'm waiting for the early spring as promised by the groundhog.
tjs
Next - Arrivederci, Roma!

Raising Awareness

I have heard of raising Cain, raising Taxes, raising the roof and even raising at poker. But now I read of possibly raising a whole town. Highlands, N.J. sits at sea level and is constantly flooded during the full moon and was devastated by Sandy. The Corps of Engineers has studied the problem for some time and now there is a proposal to raise the town eight to ten feet. It would require perhaps 3.5 million cubic yards of fill at a cost of approx. $25 Milliion. There is precedent for this approach as the city of Galveston, Texas was raised 17 feet after the tragic hurricane of 1900. Call it climate change, global warming or blame El Nino but it appears that our coastal communities will continue to be threatened for some time to come.
tjs
Next - TBA
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/23/nyregion/highlands-nj-proposes-raising-the-borough-to-escape-hurricanes.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fNew%20York%20and%20Region%2fColumns%2fOur%20Towns

Fore!

A friend recently shared a facebook posting that appeared to be obsessed with the President's recent golf outing during Presidents Weekend. These folks are too young to remember President Eisenhower who, it is reported, played 800 rounds while in office. That equates to two foursomes per week plus chipping around on the south lawn. What I was witnessing was the downside of the Internet as the commentary was both snarky and disrespectful. But pre-Internet these people had no place to go to vent their anger. This led to burning the breakfast toast, kicking the dog and finger-waving in traffic.
Ah, but now they can see their vitriolic comments in print, vent their venom and bask in their fifteen minutes of fame - all of which should contribute to a more pleasant household atmosphere. So, three cheers for the Internet with all its flaws and hackings.
tjs
Next -TBA

A Sweet Tooth

  

Per N.Y. Times by Isabel Kershner 2/19/13 dateline Jerusalem - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has an ice cream budget of $2700. a year. That equates to $52. per week which is more than my wine budget. His favorite flavor is pistachio - coincidentally, pistachio nuts are one of the premier exports of Iran - but doubt Bibi would entertain from that source. He spent his high school years in the Philadelphia suburbs so perhaps that might be the source of his sweet tooth. He has since cancelled the contract with the ice cream parlor but other consumers have flocked to the place to make up for any lost business. As they say "There is no such thing as bad publicity."
tjs
Next - Thievery Abounds

Thievery Abounds!

  
  Tuesday we learned of a diamond heist at Brussels Airport - right off the tarmac. The thieves wore uniforms - Willie Sutton would have been proud. Wednesday it was six goats stolen from a farm in rural Pennsylvania. Now I can see the attraction of the "ice" but what of the goats? Were they after the goathair or the milk for cheese - (I happen to like goat cheese with honey) or perhaps it was some disgruntled Cubs fans attempting to "reverse the curse" at Wrigley Field? In another lifetime I made periodic visits to rural Pennsylvania - in Lancaster County the Amish folks have those black buggies with the orange triangle on the rear. You have to be attentive to their presence on the highway. And now if motoring thru that country you also have to watch out for the goats grazing by the roadside. As Stan Laurel used to say "If it isn't one thing it's another, Ollie."
tjs
Next - FORE! (Mon.)

Back Home Again

During my last twenty-two years in Jacksonville I found the shopkeepers to be both cordial and courteous. Similar to Cheers - "Everybody knew my name." But now I am back home in the big city.
Last week my wristwatch "light" went out so my wife took it to a local watch maker, Gianini. The fellow on duty said to her "You shouldn't have tried to take the back off yourself - you might have bent it - the watch maker is off today - leave it - we'll look at it and call you." Two hours later I got the call  "Your watch is ready." So I hustled down to reclaim it. The man said - "You needed a battery -that'll be $10.60 - my breakfast cost more than that." I asked what he had for breakfast and he refused to tell me. I asked if he changed the day and date on the dial. He said he knew the date and for $10.60 I was lucky to get what I got. I asked if it was his name on the door. He said "No, he's dead." He also said that battery would last a year and you won't have to come in again for a year.
What joy to learn that. And then I remembered that old saw "Abuse me, I'm homesick!"  But since February only has 28 days I will probably have to reset the "date" - I don't dare go back to the late Gianini - moreover, my year isn't up yet.
tjs
Next -A Sweet Tooth