Barry Goldwater was born on January 2, 1909 in the USA's Arizona Territory. It would not become the 48th state until February 14, 1912. His father, Baron Goldwater, was a wealthy Jewish businessman who owned Goldwater's, "a leading upscale department store in Phoenix." His mother, Hattie, grew up in a New England Episcopalian family and raised her son in her faith.
Barry Goldwater attended the University of Arizona for one year. Then, in 1930, he took over the family business with the death of his father.
During World War II, Barry Goldwater served as an Army Air Corp pilot who flew supplies between the USA and India. After the war, as a Colonel in the Air Force Reserves, he desegregated the Arizona Air National Guard and then pushed the Pentagon to do the same with the US military.
In 1949, Barry Goldwater was elected as a Republican to the Phoenix City Council. In 1952, he was elected to the United States Senate and reelected in 1958.
In 1964, Barry Goldwater became a candidate for President of the United States. He represented the conservative wing of the Republican Party. Barry was opposed by New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, who represented the Party's moderate/liberal wing (which doesn't exist today). By winning the winner take all California primary (on June 2, 1964), he secured the Republican nomination.
On June 18, 1964, Barry Goldwater announced on the Senate floor that, despite his personal opposition to discrimination of any kind, he would vote against the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. He especially opposed the public accommodations portion of the bill which would forbid hotels and restaurants from denying service to anyone based on race, color, religion or national origin. He believed it was an unconstitutional "usurpation of power by the federal government." I was troubled by his decision.
On July 15, 1964 (fifty-four years ago today), Barry Goldwater received the Republican nomination for president at its convention at the Cow Palace, in Daly City, California, just south of San Francisco. During his acceptance speech, Barry uttered the memorable phrase, "Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice." Was he saying "the ends justify the means?" To me, extremism is an ugly word, no matter what the context.
For his Vice Presidential running mate, Barry Goldwater chose William Miller, a Republican Congressman from New York's 40th District. Shortly after the convention, the team of Goldwater and Miller began their election campaign with visits to Phoenix, Barry's home town, and suburban Buffalo, Miller's.
At the time, I was home in Oswego on vacation after my freshman year at Penn. I joined a group of local Young Republicans on a bus trip to welcome the Republican presidential candidate to New York State. I went to see Barry Goldwater, not as a curiosity seeker, but as a rabid Republican, which I was in my former life. Why I have been a Democrat for many years since is a story for another post.
Barry Goldwater and I crossed paths again a few months later when he made a campaign speech at Penn. He was escorted by the homecoming queen and fellow sophomore, Candice Bergen, who would later become a model, an actress and a college drop-out.
Barry Goldwater lost the 1964 election by a landslide to the incumbent president, Lyndon Johnson (at 19, I was not yet eligible to vote). He would be reelected to the Senate in 1968 and would stay until his retirement in January of 1987. Barry was replaced in the US Senate by another Arizona Republican, military pilot and stand up guy, John McCain. It was Goldwater's influence in 1974 that convinced President Nixon to resign and end the Watergate nightmare. Barry died of complications from a stroke on May 29, 1998 at 89 years of age.
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Sunday, July 8, 2018
The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club is a 1985 film written, directed and produced by John Hughes. It stars Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Emilio Estevez, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy as five high school students required to report to school on a Saturday morning as punishment for various rule violations.
Initially, the five represent totally different social cliques that do not communicate with or relate to each other. There was the popular girl (Ringwald), the hoodlum (Nelson), the jock (Estevez), the nerd (Hall) and the weird girl (Sheedy).
The five do not know each personally, but think they know each other (and don't like each other) based upon the stereotypes of their respective social group. However, after being forced to share the same space (school library) and face a common enemy (a very mean vice principal) for many hours, they come to see each other as individuals who share similar needs and desires. At the end of the day, the nerd wrote, "What we found out is that each one of us is a brain (nerd), and an athlete (jock), and a basket case (weird girl), a princess (popular girl) and a criminal (hoodlum)."
The Breakfast Club reminds me of my own experiences at Oswego High School in the early 1960s. There were social cliques there as well, more than the five referred to in the film. I was a nerd, but I didn't hang out with other nerds. My social friends were those who were spectator sports fans. Not jocks, just fans.
When I think of a popular girl at OHS, I remember Nancy Mott, varsity cheerleader, senior class officer, DAR award winner, exchange student to Turkey, junior prom committee, etc., etc. And she was described in the yearbook as "an attractive brunette" to boot. Nancy was the dream girlfriend for many boys, most of whom felt she was out of their league. She wrote in my yearbook, "You deserve all the good luck in the world."
To me, Dennis Paice could be characterized as a hoodlum during my high school years. I steered clear of him. I remember one of my female friends telling me she was afraid of Dennis. The yearbook (I didn't ask him to sign mine) stated, "He doesn't need a knife to cut up." Ironically, the hoodlum in the film carries a knife.
Described in the yearbook as "one of OHS's best athletes," Eric Pollard was the quintessential jock. He excelled in the three main sports in those days: baseball, basketball and (American) football. In addition to that, what I was most jealous of was his self-confidence with girls. In the yearbook, it said about Eric, "the shortest distance between two dates is a long line." He wrote in my yearbook, "I think you are a swell guy even if you are a (SF) Giants fan." We don't use the word swell like we used to.
Donald Lewis is the nerd I remember most. He finished seventh in our graduating class with a grade point average of exactly 90. Donald came across to me as a bit arrogant. He wrote in my yearbook that "You never would have made it through Mechanical Drawing (class) without me."
As for a weird girl like in the film, I didn't know any, but there must have been at least one at OHS during my time.
I didn't have a Breakfast Club experience during high school, so by the time of graduation, I felt myself cutoff from many of my classmates who were in other cliques. Too bad!
Initially, the five represent totally different social cliques that do not communicate with or relate to each other. There was the popular girl (Ringwald), the hoodlum (Nelson), the jock (Estevez), the nerd (Hall) and the weird girl (Sheedy).
The five do not know each personally, but think they know each other (and don't like each other) based upon the stereotypes of their respective social group. However, after being forced to share the same space (school library) and face a common enemy (a very mean vice principal) for many hours, they come to see each other as individuals who share similar needs and desires. At the end of the day, the nerd wrote, "What we found out is that each one of us is a brain (nerd), and an athlete (jock), and a basket case (weird girl), a princess (popular girl) and a criminal (hoodlum)."
The Breakfast Club reminds me of my own experiences at Oswego High School in the early 1960s. There were social cliques there as well, more than the five referred to in the film. I was a nerd, but I didn't hang out with other nerds. My social friends were those who were spectator sports fans. Not jocks, just fans.
When I think of a popular girl at OHS, I remember Nancy Mott, varsity cheerleader, senior class officer, DAR award winner, exchange student to Turkey, junior prom committee, etc., etc. And she was described in the yearbook as "an attractive brunette" to boot. Nancy was the dream girlfriend for many boys, most of whom felt she was out of their league. She wrote in my yearbook, "You deserve all the good luck in the world."
To me, Dennis Paice could be characterized as a hoodlum during my high school years. I steered clear of him. I remember one of my female friends telling me she was afraid of Dennis. The yearbook (I didn't ask him to sign mine) stated, "He doesn't need a knife to cut up." Ironically, the hoodlum in the film carries a knife.
Described in the yearbook as "one of OHS's best athletes," Eric Pollard was the quintessential jock. He excelled in the three main sports in those days: baseball, basketball and (American) football. In addition to that, what I was most jealous of was his self-confidence with girls. In the yearbook, it said about Eric, "the shortest distance between two dates is a long line." He wrote in my yearbook, "I think you are a swell guy even if you are a (SF) Giants fan." We don't use the word swell like we used to.
Donald Lewis is the nerd I remember most. He finished seventh in our graduating class with a grade point average of exactly 90. Donald came across to me as a bit arrogant. He wrote in my yearbook that "You never would have made it through Mechanical Drawing (class) without me."
As for a weird girl like in the film, I didn't know any, but there must have been at least one at OHS during my time.
I didn't have a Breakfast Club experience during high school, so by the time of graduation, I felt myself cutoff from many of my classmates who were in other cliques. Too bad!
Sunday, July 1, 2018
2018 USA Trip
The taxi picked Cristina and me up at 5:30 PM on Saturday, June 9. Delta flight #196 departed from GRU at approximately 9:55 PM. I entertained myself on the plane by watching portions of some of my favorite films, The Quiet Man, Thelma and Louise and Casablanca.
We arrived at about 6 AM in Orlando on Sunday, June 10. My son Bret picked us up and drove us to his lovely two bedroom, two bath apartment in nearby Sanford. The three of us had dinner at a Turkish restaurant (Bosphorous) in Winter Park.
As Bret went to work on Monday, June 11, Cristina and I hung out at the pool in his apartment complex. I was happy to talk by phone to my friend Betty. Bret, Cristina and I had dinner at Amura, a Japanese restaurant near his home.
On Tuesday, June 12, Bret drove us back to the airport for our flight to Dallas. I watched portions of Sideways and No Country for Old Men. It was great being with my brother Joel and sister-in-law Judy again after four years. All of us plus Cindy, Robert, Alison and Maddie went to dinner at Haystack, a hamburger restaurant. Judy made sure I got to eat a good old fashioned American apple pie while in Dallas.
On Wednesday, June 13, we visited Cindy and Robert's magnificent house. The best part was the theater on the second floor. It could accommodate six or more people in plush reclining chairs, able to watch a movie on a very large screen. On the way back, we suffered a flat tire, which Judy handled well bringing us safely back to their home. Dinner was at Enchilada's, a Tex-Mex restaurant.
On Thursday, June 14, we flew to New York and then took a taxi to my daughter Rachel's beautiful home on East 78th Street. It was stunning to see the growth of my grandchildren, Nate and Leo. Rachel purchased for our benefit a nice, new air mattress that was high off the ground. Mike cooked a delicious meal consisting of "sauteed chicken with garlic, a warm lentil salad plus a house salad with romaine, tomatoes and cucumbers."
On Friday, June 15, Cristina and I went shopping in Herald Square, first at H&M and then Macy's. After lunch at Just Salad, we visited the Museum of Modern Art. After returning to the Upper East Side, I met my friend Joe at Starbucks and then we walked back to Rachel's home. Later, Joe, Cristina and I had dinner at Uva's on Second Avenue.
On Saturday, June 16, Rachel, Mike, Nate, Leo, Cristina and I had bagels at Ess-A-Bagel on Third Avenue. As usual, the line was out the door. As usual, the wait was worth it. In the afternoon, we went shopping at Barnes & Noble (I bought Richard Russo's latest creation) and Sur La Table. For dinner, Cristina and I dined at Keene's Steakhouse again.
On Father's Day, Sunday, June 17, all of us (plus Bonita) had brunch at L'Express on 20th and Park Avenue. We then heard live music in Union Square. Back at the house, Nate and Leo joined Cristina and me to watch the end of the Brazil (1) - Switzerland (1) World Cup match. For dinner, Mike cooked a new dish, "a shrimp boil, with shrimp, clams, mussels, kielbasa, corn on the cob and Old Bay seasoning." He topped it off with a "fruit crisp with strawberry and rhubarb a la mode." We enjoyed it a lot.
Mir, a car service driver from Bangladesh, drove us to JFK on Monday, June 18 for our flight to RDU. After 3:00 PM, we arrived safely at the Staybridge Suites on Mount Moriah Road for our one week visit to Chapel Hill/Durham.
On Tuesday, June 19, at a bus stop in Durham, we met Donna, the weird lady Cristina thinks was the one who cursed me out last year. This time, she loved us as we were from Brazil. In Chapel Hill, we went to Sun Trust Bank, Walgreen's pharmacy and Whole Foods market (for lunch at their salad bar). Cristina and I had dinner at the home of our friends Kevin and Connie (along with Miss Melba and Fender). Connie cooked an excellent dinner consisting of pulled pork, corn on the cob and blueberry cobbler.
On Wednesday, June 20, we spent our day at University Mall in Chapel Hill, mostly at Southern Season. Lunch was from their take out section: chicken salad, wild rice salad and potato latkes.
The next day, Thursday, June 21, Cristina and I went to South Point Mall in Durham. We lunched at Panera Bread.
Friday, June 22, was a busy day. At 8 AM, Cristina and I watched Brazil defeat Costa Rica, 2-0. We had lunch with Kevin, Connie and Miss Melba in Southern Village at the Town Hall Grill. At 5:30 Cristina and I were at the Carolina Inn for live music and a glass of wine to celebrate Fridays on the Porch. Later we met our friend Patricia for an Italian dinner on West Franklin Street and ice cream on East Franklin Street.
On Saturday, June 23, at 4 PM, we had dinner with our friends Raymond and Belinda at the Stoney River Steakhouse at University Mall. The slice of carrot cake they ordered for desert was so large it looked like a whole cake.
On Sunday, June 24, we shopped at Kohl's where I ran into two of my former colleagues, Sarah and Angela. I bought a pair of New Balance shoes, a pair of shorts and a belt.
On Monday, June 25, we flew to Orlando again, arriving at 4:25 PM. This time we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on International Drive, conveniently located near shopping.
On Tuesday, June 26, Cristina and I took an Uber to a nearby Walmart where we bought among other things canned tuna packed in water, Jello pudding, angel hair pasta, Paul Newman salad dressing and Crest toothpaste. We took another Uber to a Best Buy where I bought a Dell lap top computer. That night my son Bret took us to a nameless generic American type restaurant. Bret ordered a large salad, Cristina a steak and spaghetti and meat balls for me. We waited for our food for a long time, at least 30-40 minutes. Then our food came, at least Bret's and Cristina's. They finished their plates before mine arrived, after over an hour. The good news was that the manager said our dinner was on the house.
On Wednesday, June 27, Cristina and I went to the nearby outlet stores. She shopped mostly at Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. Afterwards we had lunch at Vinito's, an Italian restaurant adjacent to the outlets. We and about 20+ Brazilian tourists were there as well to watch Brazil defeat Serbia, 2-0. Some of them brought Brazilian flags. There were so many Brazilians (tourists and residents) in Orlando that I thought were in Brazil.
On Thursday, June 28, we spent most of the day at the airport waiting for our return flight to Brazil which departed at 10:00 PM. I must give special thanks to an off-duty policeman who helped us with our Delta check-in. On the plane, I watched The Post, a film from last year (which I recommend) featuring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. I also saw An American in Paris, the Best Picture of 1951. Our plane landed at GRU at 8:00 AM the following morning, Friday, June 29, our trip over.
We arrived at about 6 AM in Orlando on Sunday, June 10. My son Bret picked us up and drove us to his lovely two bedroom, two bath apartment in nearby Sanford. The three of us had dinner at a Turkish restaurant (Bosphorous) in Winter Park.
As Bret went to work on Monday, June 11, Cristina and I hung out at the pool in his apartment complex. I was happy to talk by phone to my friend Betty. Bret, Cristina and I had dinner at Amura, a Japanese restaurant near his home.
On Tuesday, June 12, Bret drove us back to the airport for our flight to Dallas. I watched portions of Sideways and No Country for Old Men. It was great being with my brother Joel and sister-in-law Judy again after four years. All of us plus Cindy, Robert, Alison and Maddie went to dinner at Haystack, a hamburger restaurant. Judy made sure I got to eat a good old fashioned American apple pie while in Dallas.
On Wednesday, June 13, we visited Cindy and Robert's magnificent house. The best part was the theater on the second floor. It could accommodate six or more people in plush reclining chairs, able to watch a movie on a very large screen. On the way back, we suffered a flat tire, which Judy handled well bringing us safely back to their home. Dinner was at Enchilada's, a Tex-Mex restaurant.
On Thursday, June 14, we flew to New York and then took a taxi to my daughter Rachel's beautiful home on East 78th Street. It was stunning to see the growth of my grandchildren, Nate and Leo. Rachel purchased for our benefit a nice, new air mattress that was high off the ground. Mike cooked a delicious meal consisting of "sauteed chicken with garlic, a warm lentil salad plus a house salad with romaine, tomatoes and cucumbers."
On Friday, June 15, Cristina and I went shopping in Herald Square, first at H&M and then Macy's. After lunch at Just Salad, we visited the Museum of Modern Art. After returning to the Upper East Side, I met my friend Joe at Starbucks and then we walked back to Rachel's home. Later, Joe, Cristina and I had dinner at Uva's on Second Avenue.
On Saturday, June 16, Rachel, Mike, Nate, Leo, Cristina and I had bagels at Ess-A-Bagel on Third Avenue. As usual, the line was out the door. As usual, the wait was worth it. In the afternoon, we went shopping at Barnes & Noble (I bought Richard Russo's latest creation) and Sur La Table. For dinner, Cristina and I dined at Keene's Steakhouse again.
On Father's Day, Sunday, June 17, all of us (plus Bonita) had brunch at L'Express on 20th and Park Avenue. We then heard live music in Union Square. Back at the house, Nate and Leo joined Cristina and me to watch the end of the Brazil (1) - Switzerland (1) World Cup match. For dinner, Mike cooked a new dish, "a shrimp boil, with shrimp, clams, mussels, kielbasa, corn on the cob and Old Bay seasoning." He topped it off with a "fruit crisp with strawberry and rhubarb a la mode." We enjoyed it a lot.
Mir, a car service driver from Bangladesh, drove us to JFK on Monday, June 18 for our flight to RDU. After 3:00 PM, we arrived safely at the Staybridge Suites on Mount Moriah Road for our one week visit to Chapel Hill/Durham.
On Tuesday, June 19, at a bus stop in Durham, we met Donna, the weird lady Cristina thinks was the one who cursed me out last year. This time, she loved us as we were from Brazil. In Chapel Hill, we went to Sun Trust Bank, Walgreen's pharmacy and Whole Foods market (for lunch at their salad bar). Cristina and I had dinner at the home of our friends Kevin and Connie (along with Miss Melba and Fender). Connie cooked an excellent dinner consisting of pulled pork, corn on the cob and blueberry cobbler.
On Wednesday, June 20, we spent our day at University Mall in Chapel Hill, mostly at Southern Season. Lunch was from their take out section: chicken salad, wild rice salad and potato latkes.
The next day, Thursday, June 21, Cristina and I went to South Point Mall in Durham. We lunched at Panera Bread.
Friday, June 22, was a busy day. At 8 AM, Cristina and I watched Brazil defeat Costa Rica, 2-0. We had lunch with Kevin, Connie and Miss Melba in Southern Village at the Town Hall Grill. At 5:30 Cristina and I were at the Carolina Inn for live music and a glass of wine to celebrate Fridays on the Porch. Later we met our friend Patricia for an Italian dinner on West Franklin Street and ice cream on East Franklin Street.
On Saturday, June 23, at 4 PM, we had dinner with our friends Raymond and Belinda at the Stoney River Steakhouse at University Mall. The slice of carrot cake they ordered for desert was so large it looked like a whole cake.
On Sunday, June 24, we shopped at Kohl's where I ran into two of my former colleagues, Sarah and Angela. I bought a pair of New Balance shoes, a pair of shorts and a belt.
On Monday, June 25, we flew to Orlando again, arriving at 4:25 PM. This time we stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on International Drive, conveniently located near shopping.
On Tuesday, June 26, Cristina and I took an Uber to a nearby Walmart where we bought among other things canned tuna packed in water, Jello pudding, angel hair pasta, Paul Newman salad dressing and Crest toothpaste. We took another Uber to a Best Buy where I bought a Dell lap top computer. That night my son Bret took us to a nameless generic American type restaurant. Bret ordered a large salad, Cristina a steak and spaghetti and meat balls for me. We waited for our food for a long time, at least 30-40 minutes. Then our food came, at least Bret's and Cristina's. They finished their plates before mine arrived, after over an hour. The good news was that the manager said our dinner was on the house.
On Wednesday, June 27, Cristina and I went to the nearby outlet stores. She shopped mostly at Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. Afterwards we had lunch at Vinito's, an Italian restaurant adjacent to the outlets. We and about 20+ Brazilian tourists were there as well to watch Brazil defeat Serbia, 2-0. Some of them brought Brazilian flags. There were so many Brazilians (tourists and residents) in Orlando that I thought were in Brazil.
On Thursday, June 28, we spent most of the day at the airport waiting for our return flight to Brazil which departed at 10:00 PM. I must give special thanks to an off-duty policeman who helped us with our Delta check-in. On the plane, I watched The Post, a film from last year (which I recommend) featuring Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep. I also saw An American in Paris, the Best Picture of 1951. Our plane landed at GRU at 8:00 AM the following morning, Friday, June 29, our trip over.
Saturday, June 9, 2018
My Right Shoulder
In 2003, we put our house at 69-43 Cloverdale Boulevard in the Oakland Gardens section of Queens, New York on the market. It was important that the house be in 100% condition to make it desirable to potential buyers. The towel rack in the second bathroom needed to be replaced. I bought a replacement, but I chose a cheap one, a decision I would live to regret.
Later that year, I was taking a shower in the second bathroom, which was unusual as I normally used the other. After I turned on the hot water, I looked for shampoo and discovered there was none there. Opening the sliding shower door, I saw shampoo by the sink. I attempted to reach it from within the shower instead of leaving the shower. Bad move!
In order to reach the shampoo with my left hand, I had to balance myself with my right hand holding the towel rack for support. Just as I was about to grab the shampoo, the towel rack snapped. I lost my balance and my upper body fell toward the floor. Instinctively, I put my hands forward to absorb the impact. Almost immediately, I felt something happened to my right shoulder. I think the shock passed from my palms all the way up.
I exited the shower, got dressed and drove to the Emergency Room at the North Shore Hospital, keeping my right arm as close to my body as possible. After an x-ray of my right shoulder revealed nothing, I was advised to go to the office of a nearby orthopedic surgeon.
At the surgeon's office, I had another x-ray, this time with my right arm fully extended away from my side. Doing that dislocated my damaged right shoulder. I was in awful pain, the worst of my life. Two doctors tried to manipulate my right arm and shoulder to relocate it and stop the pain, but couldn't.
I was then taken by ambulance to Long Island Jewish Hospital and waited in its Emergency Room for about three hours (with my right arm extended) before a resident came to help me. Finally, by giving me a strong sedative, my muscles relaxed enough for him to relocate my right shoulder. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I asked for God's (if any) help. He (or she) didn't answer right away.
Some days later, the surgeon put a couple of pins in my right shoulder and I have been pain free ever since. However, my right arm's mobility is somewhat limited.
A couple of days before the surgery, I took a train to the University of Maryland in College Park to visit my son Bret who had just started his freshman year there. It was risky going with my right arm in a sling, but I had previously promised him I would come and I don't like to break my promises.
A few weeks after the surgery, I moved to Brazil and did my physical therapy there. My Brazilian therapist was half Spanish and half Japanese. She told me her father was a big Elvis Presley fan, but because he couldn't speak English, he didn't understand the lyrics of his many songs. It didn't matter.
Before leaving the USA, I remember an act of kindness by my surgeon. He needed to repeat the same x-ray that had previously dislocated my right shoulder. I was frightened it would happen again. To calm me, my doctor went with me into the x-ray room and manipulated my right arm and shoulder himself. I trusted him and nothing bad happened. I'll never forget what he did.
__________
As I will be on vacation the next three weeks, my next post will be Sunday, July 1.
Later that year, I was taking a shower in the second bathroom, which was unusual as I normally used the other. After I turned on the hot water, I looked for shampoo and discovered there was none there. Opening the sliding shower door, I saw shampoo by the sink. I attempted to reach it from within the shower instead of leaving the shower. Bad move!
In order to reach the shampoo with my left hand, I had to balance myself with my right hand holding the towel rack for support. Just as I was about to grab the shampoo, the towel rack snapped. I lost my balance and my upper body fell toward the floor. Instinctively, I put my hands forward to absorb the impact. Almost immediately, I felt something happened to my right shoulder. I think the shock passed from my palms all the way up.
I exited the shower, got dressed and drove to the Emergency Room at the North Shore Hospital, keeping my right arm as close to my body as possible. After an x-ray of my right shoulder revealed nothing, I was advised to go to the office of a nearby orthopedic surgeon.
At the surgeon's office, I had another x-ray, this time with my right arm fully extended away from my side. Doing that dislocated my damaged right shoulder. I was in awful pain, the worst of my life. Two doctors tried to manipulate my right arm and shoulder to relocate it and stop the pain, but couldn't.
I was then taken by ambulance to Long Island Jewish Hospital and waited in its Emergency Room for about three hours (with my right arm extended) before a resident came to help me. Finally, by giving me a strong sedative, my muscles relaxed enough for him to relocate my right shoulder. It was one of the worst experiences of my life. I asked for God's (if any) help. He (or she) didn't answer right away.
Some days later, the surgeon put a couple of pins in my right shoulder and I have been pain free ever since. However, my right arm's mobility is somewhat limited.
A couple of days before the surgery, I took a train to the University of Maryland in College Park to visit my son Bret who had just started his freshman year there. It was risky going with my right arm in a sling, but I had previously promised him I would come and I don't like to break my promises.
A few weeks after the surgery, I moved to Brazil and did my physical therapy there. My Brazilian therapist was half Spanish and half Japanese. She told me her father was a big Elvis Presley fan, but because he couldn't speak English, he didn't understand the lyrics of his many songs. It didn't matter.
Before leaving the USA, I remember an act of kindness by my surgeon. He needed to repeat the same x-ray that had previously dislocated my right shoulder. I was frightened it would happen again. To calm me, my doctor went with me into the x-ray room and manipulated my right arm and shoulder himself. I trusted him and nothing bad happened. I'll never forget what he did.
__________
As I will be on vacation the next three weeks, my next post will be Sunday, July 1.
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Do The Right Thing
Do the right thing sounds like good common sense. However, some times it is difficult to know what is the right thing to do.
Spike Lee acted in, produced, directed and wrote the screenplay (nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, but lost to Tom Schulman's Dead Poets Society) for his 1989 film, Do The Right Thing, which explores the dilemma of what is the right thing to do in one particular situation. The cast included Danny Aiello (nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Denzel Washington in Glory), Ossie Davis, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn and John Turturro. "The film was shot entirely on Stuyvesant Avenue between Quincy Street and Lexington Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn."
Do The Right Thing tells what happens on the hottest day of the year in an African American neighborhood in which there is a popular pizzeria (Sal's Famous), owned and operated by an Italian American family, Sal (Aiello) and his two grown sons. One of the sons (Turturro) is not happy to be there and would prefer to move the business to an Italian American neighborhood. Sal remains committed to stay where he has succeeded for over 20 years.
On one wall (Sal's Wall of Fame) of the pizzeria are many photos exclusively of Italian American celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, Al Pacino and Robert Di Nero. A customer named Buggin' Out (Esposito) complains there are no African Americans on the Wall of Fame. Sal retorts that it's his pizzeria, so he can put whom ever he wants on it. As a result of this rejection, Buggin' Out calls for a boycott of Sal's Famous, but few agree with him.
Sal's decision is short sited and contrary to good business practice. I learned from my experience working in customer service at Kohl's that you want each customer to have a good experience every time they are in your establishment. Would it have hurt Sal to have put some African Americans on the Wall of Fame? Many of his customers would have been pleased to see this.
Late that night near closing, Buggin' Out returns with his friend Radio Raheem (Nunn), who always carries a boombox with loud music blaring. They repeat the demand about putting African Americans on the Wall of Fame. Sal again says no and demands that Radio Raheem turn off his boombox, which he refuses to do. Buggin' Out and Sal exchange ethnic slurs. Sal then destroys the boombox with a baseball bat. Radio Raheem and Sal get into a fight which "spills out into the street."
Police arrive to break up the fight. They arrest Buggin' Out, but Radio Raheem resists. One policeman puts him in a choke hold which he doesn't release until too late, killing Radio Raheem. The police put Buggin' Out and Radio Raheem's body in a squad car and quickly depart the neighborhood.
With the police gone, the many onlookers, now a mob and angered over the death of Radio Raheem, turn their hostility toward Sal and his sons. Why? They didn't kill him. Maybe because they are white like the police.
Two key figures can turn this mob either for good or bad. Da Mayor (Davis) is an old man who walks around the neighborhood forever exhorting people to "do the right thing." Proving his own metal, earlier he risks his life to save a boy from being run over by a car.
Mookie (Lee) lives in the neighborhood and delivers pizzas for Sal's Famous. Thus, he has connections to both this throng of onlookers and Sal. Mookie has heard Da Mayor's exhortation. What does he do? He throws an empty garbage can through the front window of Sal's Famous Pizzeria inciting a riot.
While Da Mayor pulls Sal and his sons away to safety across the street, a horde destroys the pizzeria and eventually burns it to the ground. It will probably never be rebuilt. No more pizza in the neighborhood?
Did Mookie do the right thing? One explanation is that Lee's action diverted the rioter's attention away from Sal and his sons and saved their lives. Better a burnt out pizzeria than three more dead people. It's his movie and he decides how the mob will react.
Another explanation is that Lee's action was an expression of anger and frustration over the continued violence by the police against the Black community. Why blame Sal for what the police did?
However, in the real world, when a crowd is encouraged to be violent, there is no guarantee what the result will be. They could burn the pizzeria and kill the owners. Perhaps, Mookie should have led the group to the police station where the real culprits were and peacefully protest against police brutality.
A year or two after I saw this movie, I entered the elevator in my office building at 800 Third Avenue in Manhattan. I suddenly realized that to my left was Spike Lee. I guess I was starring at him. He smiled and said, "How ya doin'." I said back to him, "How ya doin'." That was the extent of our conversation. I regret not saying, "Spike, you didn't do the right thing."
Spike Lee acted in, produced, directed and wrote the screenplay (nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, but lost to Tom Schulman's Dead Poets Society) for his 1989 film, Do The Right Thing, which explores the dilemma of what is the right thing to do in one particular situation. The cast included Danny Aiello (nominated for Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, but lost to Denzel Washington in Glory), Ossie Davis, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn and John Turturro. "The film was shot entirely on Stuyvesant Avenue between Quincy Street and Lexington Avenue in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn."
Do The Right Thing tells what happens on the hottest day of the year in an African American neighborhood in which there is a popular pizzeria (Sal's Famous), owned and operated by an Italian American family, Sal (Aiello) and his two grown sons. One of the sons (Turturro) is not happy to be there and would prefer to move the business to an Italian American neighborhood. Sal remains committed to stay where he has succeeded for over 20 years.
On one wall (Sal's Wall of Fame) of the pizzeria are many photos exclusively of Italian American celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Joe DiMaggio, Al Pacino and Robert Di Nero. A customer named Buggin' Out (Esposito) complains there are no African Americans on the Wall of Fame. Sal retorts that it's his pizzeria, so he can put whom ever he wants on it. As a result of this rejection, Buggin' Out calls for a boycott of Sal's Famous, but few agree with him.
Sal's decision is short sited and contrary to good business practice. I learned from my experience working in customer service at Kohl's that you want each customer to have a good experience every time they are in your establishment. Would it have hurt Sal to have put some African Americans on the Wall of Fame? Many of his customers would have been pleased to see this.
Late that night near closing, Buggin' Out returns with his friend Radio Raheem (Nunn), who always carries a boombox with loud music blaring. They repeat the demand about putting African Americans on the Wall of Fame. Sal again says no and demands that Radio Raheem turn off his boombox, which he refuses to do. Buggin' Out and Sal exchange ethnic slurs. Sal then destroys the boombox with a baseball bat. Radio Raheem and Sal get into a fight which "spills out into the street."
Police arrive to break up the fight. They arrest Buggin' Out, but Radio Raheem resists. One policeman puts him in a choke hold which he doesn't release until too late, killing Radio Raheem. The police put Buggin' Out and Radio Raheem's body in a squad car and quickly depart the neighborhood.
With the police gone, the many onlookers, now a mob and angered over the death of Radio Raheem, turn their hostility toward Sal and his sons. Why? They didn't kill him. Maybe because they are white like the police.
Two key figures can turn this mob either for good or bad. Da Mayor (Davis) is an old man who walks around the neighborhood forever exhorting people to "do the right thing." Proving his own metal, earlier he risks his life to save a boy from being run over by a car.
Mookie (Lee) lives in the neighborhood and delivers pizzas for Sal's Famous. Thus, he has connections to both this throng of onlookers and Sal. Mookie has heard Da Mayor's exhortation. What does he do? He throws an empty garbage can through the front window of Sal's Famous Pizzeria inciting a riot.
While Da Mayor pulls Sal and his sons away to safety across the street, a horde destroys the pizzeria and eventually burns it to the ground. It will probably never be rebuilt. No more pizza in the neighborhood?
Did Mookie do the right thing? One explanation is that Lee's action diverted the rioter's attention away from Sal and his sons and saved their lives. Better a burnt out pizzeria than three more dead people. It's his movie and he decides how the mob will react.
Another explanation is that Lee's action was an expression of anger and frustration over the continued violence by the police against the Black community. Why blame Sal for what the police did?
However, in the real world, when a crowd is encouraged to be violent, there is no guarantee what the result will be. They could burn the pizzeria and kill the owners. Perhaps, Mookie should have led the group to the police station where the real culprits were and peacefully protest against police brutality.
A year or two after I saw this movie, I entered the elevator in my office building at 800 Third Avenue in Manhattan. I suddenly realized that to my left was Spike Lee. I guess I was starring at him. He smiled and said, "How ya doin'." I said back to him, "How ya doin'." That was the extent of our conversation. I regret not saying, "Spike, you didn't do the right thing."
Sunday, May 27, 2018
Memorial Day
Date: May 27, 1918 (100 years ago today)
Place: Aisne, France
I'm thinkin' it's been a long time since I left Springfield, Illinois to do basic trainin' in the army after I received my draft notice. It seemed as if I just finished high school, was havin' a good old time and then it came. Why'd Wilson have to go and get mixed up with Europe? It was so peaceful at home. Mom and Dad and brother Bobby and of course, Cindy on Saturday nights, dancin' and drinkin' and neckin'.
It was weird at first bein' away from home, gettin' used to the army. I've made some good new friends, especially Jack and Elliot. The sergeant's a pain in the neck, but he means well and is a good teacher. I think I'm a good soldier now and ready to fight for America. Also, I got to see the Atlantic Ocean and meet some different girls.
And then the ship to France. At first, I felt horrible, but after a while I got used to it. When we landed, it was amazin'. Everythin' here is so different from back home. I think this could be the greatest experience of my life.
We've done more trainin' since we got here, but we've had some time off and a bunch of us went to Paris and met some French girls. They don't speak much English, but you'd be surprised how you can communicate other ways. There was one in particular, Yvette, that I was alone with for about 24 straight hours. I think I want to marry her after the war is over. Everyone thinks that'll be soon.
But today could be the day, my first experience under fire. I hope I show some courage. We've heard reports the Krauts are moving forward and we need to push them back, all the way to Germany.
We've been marchin' towards our position now for about an hour and I can hear loud explosions gettin' closer and closer. I'm feelin' nerves in the pit of my stomach. Kinda reminds me of when we were playin' football and the other team ran on the field and both bands were playin' and I wanted to do good and not embarrass myself in front of my teammates.
This is the real thing and its gettin' kinda scary. I can almost see Germans in the distance and they want to kill me. Well, I have to kill them first. The noise is so loud I can almost not hear anythin'. Bullets are flyin'. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see some of us fallin'. I'm afraid, but I can't stop movin' forward. I'm followin' my buddies. I fire my gun. I wonder if..........
Place: Aisne, France
I'm thinkin' it's been a long time since I left Springfield, Illinois to do basic trainin' in the army after I received my draft notice. It seemed as if I just finished high school, was havin' a good old time and then it came. Why'd Wilson have to go and get mixed up with Europe? It was so peaceful at home. Mom and Dad and brother Bobby and of course, Cindy on Saturday nights, dancin' and drinkin' and neckin'.
It was weird at first bein' away from home, gettin' used to the army. I've made some good new friends, especially Jack and Elliot. The sergeant's a pain in the neck, but he means well and is a good teacher. I think I'm a good soldier now and ready to fight for America. Also, I got to see the Atlantic Ocean and meet some different girls.
And then the ship to France. At first, I felt horrible, but after a while I got used to it. When we landed, it was amazin'. Everythin' here is so different from back home. I think this could be the greatest experience of my life.
We've done more trainin' since we got here, but we've had some time off and a bunch of us went to Paris and met some French girls. They don't speak much English, but you'd be surprised how you can communicate other ways. There was one in particular, Yvette, that I was alone with for about 24 straight hours. I think I want to marry her after the war is over. Everyone thinks that'll be soon.
But today could be the day, my first experience under fire. I hope I show some courage. We've heard reports the Krauts are moving forward and we need to push them back, all the way to Germany.
We've been marchin' towards our position now for about an hour and I can hear loud explosions gettin' closer and closer. I'm feelin' nerves in the pit of my stomach. Kinda reminds me of when we were playin' football and the other team ran on the field and both bands were playin' and I wanted to do good and not embarrass myself in front of my teammates.
This is the real thing and its gettin' kinda scary. I can almost see Germans in the distance and they want to kill me. Well, I have to kill them first. The noise is so loud I can almost not hear anythin'. Bullets are flyin'. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see some of us fallin'. I'm afraid, but I can't stop movin' forward. I'm followin' my buddies. I fire my gun. I wonder if..........
Sunday, May 20, 2018
KLMN
I knew a girl in high school, a long time ago. Let's call her KLMN. "The names have been changed to protect the innocent."
When I was fifteen, I was attracted to girls and wanted to have a girlfriend. But I didn't have the courage to go out and get one. The attractive, desirable girls had boys hovering all around them and I felt I wasn't good enough to win any. So, why try? I would only open myself up to rejection and humiliation.
And then along came KLMN. Compared to other girls, she was very skinny. And the glasses she wore didn't make her very attractive. The custom in those days was for girls to sit and wait for boys to be the aggressor and come to them. However, for girls like KLMN, the boys didn't come.
So, KLMN decided "if the mountain will not come to Muhammed, then Muhammad must go to the mountain." She chose me because she considered me to be good looking (I think) and intelligent. The latter quality was important because she was very intelligent and would want someone similar to be her boyfriend.
KLMN acted in a manner so that I could not ignore her. She made her presence felt. When we had a class together, she would sit near me and engage me in conversation. When I decided to take a school bus to an away football game, she came too and sat next to me. When I went to visit my friend on Varick Street on the west side of Oswego, she (who lived on the east side) showed up, too. Her interest in me was obvious.
In retrospect, I should have welcomed KLMN with open arms. She was female and she would be all mine. Good times ahead! Plus no rejection and no humiliation! But, I didn't see it that way. What an idiot!
KLMN wasn't playing by the rules I was led to believe were tried and true. I was supposed to be the pursuer, not the pursued. How dare she treat me so. Thus, we became like oil and water. I remember some arguments we had: the film Splendor in the Grass and the 1961 Notre Dame-Syracuse football game.
After chasing me for two years, she finally gave up and found another to be her boyfriend. However, one night senior year I was walking down West Second Street and our paths crossed. KLMN was dressed up for some occasion with makeup and looked great in high heel shoes and a brightly-colored, tight-fitting dress. Maybe I made a mistake?
For a change, I'll let KLMN have the last word (which she wrote in my high school yearbook fifty-five years ago). "After all is said & done, it's been lots of fun knowing you. I'll never forget the fights we had in history, Latin, study hall, etc., etc. Good luck always, be good & let's quit fighting. OK? I'm glad we're finally parting friends. Bye bye."
"P.S. I won't hold any grudges if you don't. I hope you'll agree that high school days are the best days. At least I think so."
When I was fifteen, I was attracted to girls and wanted to have a girlfriend. But I didn't have the courage to go out and get one. The attractive, desirable girls had boys hovering all around them and I felt I wasn't good enough to win any. So, why try? I would only open myself up to rejection and humiliation.
And then along came KLMN. Compared to other girls, she was very skinny. And the glasses she wore didn't make her very attractive. The custom in those days was for girls to sit and wait for boys to be the aggressor and come to them. However, for girls like KLMN, the boys didn't come.
So, KLMN decided "if the mountain will not come to Muhammed, then Muhammad must go to the mountain." She chose me because she considered me to be good looking (I think) and intelligent. The latter quality was important because she was very intelligent and would want someone similar to be her boyfriend.
KLMN acted in a manner so that I could not ignore her. She made her presence felt. When we had a class together, she would sit near me and engage me in conversation. When I decided to take a school bus to an away football game, she came too and sat next to me. When I went to visit my friend on Varick Street on the west side of Oswego, she (who lived on the east side) showed up, too. Her interest in me was obvious.
In retrospect, I should have welcomed KLMN with open arms. She was female and she would be all mine. Good times ahead! Plus no rejection and no humiliation! But, I didn't see it that way. What an idiot!
KLMN wasn't playing by the rules I was led to believe were tried and true. I was supposed to be the pursuer, not the pursued. How dare she treat me so. Thus, we became like oil and water. I remember some arguments we had: the film Splendor in the Grass and the 1961 Notre Dame-Syracuse football game.
After chasing me for two years, she finally gave up and found another to be her boyfriend. However, one night senior year I was walking down West Second Street and our paths crossed. KLMN was dressed up for some occasion with makeup and looked great in high heel shoes and a brightly-colored, tight-fitting dress. Maybe I made a mistake?
For a change, I'll let KLMN have the last word (which she wrote in my high school yearbook fifty-five years ago). "After all is said & done, it's been lots of fun knowing you. I'll never forget the fights we had in history, Latin, study hall, etc., etc. Good luck always, be good & let's quit fighting. OK? I'm glad we're finally parting friends. Bye bye."
"P.S. I won't hold any grudges if you don't. I hope you'll agree that high school days are the best days. At least I think so."
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