Excuse Us for Living

Posted by: philipfontana | January 8, 2014

“1912,” The Movie

“1912” The Movie!

An Idea for Another History Movie,

My Letter to Author Doris Kearns Goodwin

A Note from Doris!

Excuse us for living, but many of us from time to time wish we could get word to someone famous or prominent. It might be a celebrity, perhaps an author, maybe a politician. Quick! Would somebody please call Spielberg! For the last nine years I have wanted to contact Steven Spielberg for a movie idea perfect for the 2012 one-hundredth anniversary of the 1912 Presidential Election. Right. Try to contact him! Any hope for a film by that anniversary came & went, obviously.

It all started in the early 2000’s when I read “The Warrior And The Priest: Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roosevelt,” by the prominent John Milton Cooper, Jr., 1983. It’s a very academic discussion of the Progressive Era & the differences on the major issues of those times between TR & Wilson; regulating big business monopolies, eliminating corrupt political machines and bosses, purifying foods and drugs, the labor movement and working hours, and so much more. But what fascinated me were the images of “The Warrior” for Roosevelt and “The Priest” for Wilson, which I transformed into the title, “The Moose And The Professor.” (For TR a take-off of his 1912 Bull Moose Party. For Wilson calling on his image as a professor at Princeton.) – – “What a neat title for a movie,” I thought!

And then came along James Chace’s little book, “1912,” which really got my juices flowing as to my movie idea. I was on top of things this time and read the book when it was first published in 2004. The book had no subtitle, but the jacket cover said it all, “Wilson, Roosevelt, Taft, & Debs – – The Election That Changed the Country.” It was all about this unique election of 1912. The sitting Republican President, William Howard Taft, was being challenged by his predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, who had hand-picked Taft to succeed him! Added to these two Presidents in what became a spectacle of candidates were the Democratic standard bearer, Woodrow Wilson, Governor of New Jersey, and the Socialist candidate, Eugene Debs, the radical labor leader.

Teddy Roosevelt (undated photo) loved to campaign from the back of a train. As President he also toured the nation by train to the west coast & back.

Woodrow Wilson (undated photo) also campaigned from the last car of a train. He famously used this practice as President to gain favor from the American people for his League of Nations.

I brought plenty of background to my enthusiasm as a retired history teacher. It all started with Woodrow Wilson as my hero back in my college years as a history major at Rutgers. And then my great appreciation grew over the years for Theodore Roosevelt through my readings on both these giants of the Progressive Era. I had already read H. W. Brands’ 1997 book, “TR: The Last Romantic,” and August Heckscher’s 1991 “bible” on the subject, “Woodrow Wilson.” Over the years, I continued my reading about TR & Wilson with the many prominent books previously published & new books that came out. Putting these influences together had me fantasizing all the more with the movie title, “The Moose And The Professor.” – -Either that title or a more traditional choice, “1912.” – – I still prefer “The Moose And The Professor.” But can’t you visualize this?

Casting

Tom Hanks as Theodore Roosevelt: Besides working with Spielberg on numerous films, Tom Hanks’ list of starring roles & awards is seemingly endless. In particular, his portrayal of the eccentric character, Professor Goldthwaite Higginson Dorr, in The Ladykillers, 2004, is one step away from doing a great TR!

John Goodman as President William Howard Taft: To John Goodman’s considerable girth to match that of Taft, his list of distinguished & prominent roles is considerable, more recently The Artist & Argo.

Johnny Depp as Eugene Debs: Known for his lesser, eccentric character roles as well as his blockbusters, from Edward Scissorhands to his Pirates of the Caribbean series, Johnny Depp would capture the strange, dark nature of the radical Eugene Debs.

Kevin Klein as Woodrow Wilson: Kevin Klein’s maturing look added to his natural demeanor would easily slide him into the part of the professorial Woodrow Wilson. To his long list of hit movies & awards, his portrayal of the President in the movie, Dave, nominates him for this part!

These were my castings over the years. And like so many hair-brained schemes, the year 2012 came & went and my idea dwindled into a by-passed fantasy, Then, along came Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln,” 2005, collaborating with Steven Spielberg on the movie, Lincoln, in 2012. As if that were not enough to get my juices going again with hopes of a movie, “1912,” or “The Moose And The Professor,” along came A. Scott Berg’s book, “Wilson,” this past September 10, 2013. Accurate or not, word came out that Leonardo DiCaprio was interested in the book as a possible movie! I knew another Doris Kearns Goodwin book was about to come out any week on TR and Taft so I started to go around saying, “No, no,” to a Wilson movie, & “Yes, yes,” to a movie about the 1912 Election!!! And, sure enough, on November 5, 2013, the much awaited, “The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism,” by Doris Kearns Goodwin, was officially published!!! And, as if that were not enough to drive me “bananas,” in an interview with the author herself in the Time Magazine, dated November 18, 2013, the interviewer, Belinda Luscombe, mentions that Doris Kearns Goodwin sold the film option for her new book to none other than Steven Spielberg!!! In the course of the interview, Doris does not deny it.

Now this is too good to be true for me! A. Scott Berg’s book, “Wilson,” coming together with Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Book, “The Bully Pulpit”!!!!!!!!! It’s like a dream come true! “Doris, please, please, call Spielberg!!!!” Just as with the movie, “Lincoln,” & the 13^th Amendment being the center piece, so there must be a core to the movie “1912,” or “The Moose And The Professor.” (I can already tell by the sound in my ears typing this that “The Moose…” title would NOT fly with the “suits” in Hollywood! They would probably choose the more conventional title, “1912.” But that’s OK with me!)

Movie Synopsis

The monumental significance of the 1912 Presidential Election was that the sitting President, Taft, and the former President, Roosevelt, split the Republican vote, thus assuring a Democratic, Wilson victory. Not only would the combined Republican vote have defeated Wilson, but TR’s vote total was bigger than Taft’s!

Teddy Roosevelt: TR’s keeping his pledge, with regret, not to run again and anointing Taft as his successor. TR going off on the African safari only to return with great dissatisfaction over Taft’s positions and performance as President. TR’s fight to take nomination from Taft at the 1912 Chicago Republican Convention, only to be rejected & accept the nomination from the Progressive Party, dubbed the Bull Moose Party. And, despite the October 14, 1912 assassination attempt on TR in Milwaukee, lodging a bullet in his rib, without losing a step, TR moves on & delivers his planned address to the cheers of the waiting audience.

Woodrow Wilson: A scene on the Princeton University campus with Wilson as Princeton’s President, having just been elected Governor of New Jersey. Wilson confronting the political bosses of the State. Wilson’s rapid passage of his Progressive reform agenda by the New Jersey Legislature in his first months in office. Then after barely two years in office, Wilson off on the 1912 presidential campaign trail.

Can you see it all???!!! – – TR’s Progressive programs that he called the “New Nationalism” vs. Wilson’s Progressive programs that he called the “New Freedom”! – – And the obvious comparison that little has changed from the politics of 1912 to our present day political scene: with the Republican Party entrenched by the conservatives at odds with Party moderates; & the Democratic Party with its “big tent,” inclusive public appeal, nominating liberals attempting to run as moderates.

My Letter

“Quick! Call Spielberg! Can you, Doris?” Well, have you ever tried to contact a prominent person? The logical way to contact an author is through his/her publisher. Now-a-days, you can also leave a message on the author’s website. But in either case, your message is at the mercy of a staffer to get through to the real person. Ah, but one night shortly after her book launch, there was Doris Kearns Goodwin on Charlie Rose’ PBS show which airs each weekday night at 11:00 PM in the New York City area. What a feast of an interview, largely about her new book! And wouldn’t you know, but in the course of conversation, Doris mentioned that she lives in Concord, Massachusetts! That’s all I needed to hear to send her a letter: Doris Kearns Goodwin, Concord, Massachusetts, 01742. And so I did. The content that appears above is, for the most part, the letter I sent to her minus my personal remarks about her many books and her career. She is the gracious, open spirited person we have seen over the years on TV news programs from “Meet the Press” to “Morning Joe.” And what follows is her kind note that I received a few days after Thanksgiving, just two weeks after I sent her my letter. (And she has been intensely “on the road,” appearing on talk shows and news programs plugging her new book!)

Monday, October 7, 2013 photo of Doris Kearns Goodwin in her home in Concord, Massachusetts.

Doris’s Note

Excuse us for living, but sometimes you just “have to do what you have to do.” And when Steven Spielberg turns Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “The Bully Pulpit” into a movie, I know not what he will title the film. But I would not be surprised if the crux of his movie is all about the 1912 Presidential Election.

Comments: Please!

25 Comments

Posted in Book Reviews, Commentary, History

Posted by: philipfontana | December 12, 2013

Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas

A Happy 2014!

“Excuse Us For Living” sends from our house to yours warm wishes for the holidays!

Our family is growing with the addition of our first grandchild, James Andrew, born to our son, Andy, and daughter-in-law, Erin, June 2, 2013. Geri & I are the proud grandparents & book ends pictured above.

And it’s a treasured occasion when everyone in the family is able to attend a family gathering. This year that happened on Labor Day 2013, pictured above. Son Andy & Erin & baby James are on the right. Seated are son Tom & Sharyn & daughters Leah, seated, & Ryan, standing. And standing to the left are son Peter & his Claire. Wife Geri is standing in pink to the right. And I am standing centered with one of my usual assorted boonie hats!

Excuse us for living, but no matter how far our families may roam, may they from time to time return to that place we call home.

Phil & Geri too!

Comments always welcome!

16 Comments

Posted in Holidays

Posted by: philipfontana | November 21, 2013

JFK: 50 Years

JFK:

A 50 Year Perspective

Of Our

Unrequited Idealism

Dedication: To the Class of 1964, Paramus High School, Paramus, New Jersey, & to the Class of 1968, Rutgers College, New Brunswick, New Jersey. We lived these years together.

The JFK photo used for the dedication page of the 1964 Paramus High School yearbook, the Delphian. The caption reads, “No evil can happen to a good man, either in life or after death.” – – Socrates. It’s one of the best portrait photos of JFK, in my opinion, & I’ve never come across it anywhere else.

Excuse us for living, but it would be more than naïve to think that John Fitzgerald Kennedy belonged solely to our generation, coming of age in the 1960’s. As with Lincoln, his Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton’s famous words at his deathbed are equally appropriate for Kennedy; “Now he belongs to the ages.”

In our day after Kennedy’s assassination, the respected columnist Mary McGrory was in line at the viewing at the Capitol Rotunda. She leaned over to Daniel Patrick Moynihan, at that time Assistant Secretary of Labor, and said, “We will never laugh again.” Moynihan responded, “We will laugh again, but we will never be young again.” He was prescient, hinting at our unrequited idealism to come in the years ahead.

On this 50^th anniversary of Kennedy’s assassination, November 22, 1963, we are bombarded with TV news programs and documentaries which, for the most part, are quite good. And at least five new books on Kennedy have had timely publication dates. As one would expect, these efforts have concentrated on JFK’s accomplishments and greatness as President, his legacy and influence, and especially the alternative conspiracy theories to the one shooter conclusion of the Warren Commission Report. Rather, here I want to address the Kennedy experience of our unrequited idealism. (For a fast read, skip down to “What does JFK’s death mean to us?” below.)

I dare say our generation would stake a claim to the strongest of emotional ties. He was elected President in November, 1960, at the outset of our freshman year of high school. We witnessed his campaign characterized by “vigor” which made us believe he would be a new kind of President with new ideas at home and strength abroad. Perhaps he was the candidate best suited to stand up to the Soviet Union and protect America’s preeminence in the world.

And it was during JFK’s brief 1000 days in office, while we went about our high school careers, that he was that kind of leader. – -Energetic, far reaching, and, in the end, tragic. His qualities of idealistic leadership had a great impact on our high school years. We unknowingly went about emulating his example of service and achievement in our smaller, lesser school goals and activities that marked these precious years.

While we went about our lives, our President gave an outstanding inaugural address. His famous, eloquent words, with the help of his speech writer, Theodore Sorensen, challenged us to serve our country and promised that America would stand up to any foe to defend liberty. We were taken by his lofty, confident air.

John F. Kennedy was the first President to institutionalize the televised press conference. The press conferences, credited to be every two weeks, in actuality averaged every 16 days. –quite a record.

John Kennedy was the first President to recognize the power of TV to communicate with the American people. He was our first “TV President.”

Yet, when I read of the modest agenda he had in mind for his administration of lowering unemployment, addressing US-Soviet relations, and progressing on civil rights, what followed in the brief time he had in office was staggering. – -The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, Joint Session of Congress in which he challenged us to go to the moon and back in this decade, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Civil Rights movement/protests/integration/proposed bill, US-Soviet relations/the Berlin Wall going up/ the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and the beginning of serious US troop deployment to South Vietnam, to just hit the lows and highs of those years.

It all ended so abruptly in beautiful weather in Dallas, Texas, on that Friday afternoon in November. Our recollection from high school was hearing the news on the “PA System,” public address system, the infamous speaker box in each classroom in our high school from which the principal always spoke to us. – The shocking words coming from the principal, the classroom teachers trying best they could to talk to us, some student screams and crying and a few collapsing onto the hallway floor. “Would there be school activities, the Saturday football game? pondered our principal. “Of course not!” I audaciously counseled the principal. We knew the gravity of the moment. He was our President.

This photo was taken by me, Saturday, March 21, 1964, on our Senior Trip to Washington, D.C. According to the itinerary, around noon we visited JFK’s crudely erected grave-site at Arlington National Cemetery, just below Arlington House (the Curtis-Lee mansion).

Again, this photo was taken by me, March, 1964. (See the above caption) A close up of JFK’s grave, marked by the eternal flame. To the left is a headstone for Patrick Kennedy who died in infancy. As student council president, I placed a wreath at President Kennedy’s grave on behalf of our Class of 1964.

There was the great sorrow and heavy doubt. Would the hopes and promises he kindled be realized? Images of him, his family, his White House were still vivid in our minds. I remember we ran a huge clothing drive in his memory for the poverty stricken Appalachia area in early 1964. We visited his grave at Arlington National Cemetery during our senior trip to Washington, D.C., March, 1964. But then after graduation many of us were off to college or jobs. Life went on, as they say. We did not live in despair of our lost President but more in hope that all he stood for had not died with him. A few of us even went to the 1964 Democratic Convention conveniently held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and got to brush elbows, literally (no joke!), with Robert Kennedy in the makeshift Boardwalk museum tribute to his brother.

During our college years we could point to President Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” programs including Medicare, Medicaid, environmental protection, aid to education, the “War on Poverty” legislation, and more. To these great social programs, LBJ added his impressive civil rights record, fulfilling the work begun by JFK, with passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

But the vestiges of hope were already waning with the race riots of the mid-1960’s, escalating into cities burning in 1967 and 1968. Then there were the increasing unrest and anti-war protests with the Vietnam commitment of troops after the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, culminating in the troop buildups of 1967 and 1968, eventually reaching over 550,00 American troops. (We cannot forget the tumultuous, explosive 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago!) – -Some of us were eventually caught up in the draft or volunteered to serve in Vietnam War. But then in that spring of our senior year of college in 1968 came the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. that April. Followed by the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in June of 1968, immediately after our college graduation, it seemed that all hope of any JFK dream, the idealism, had died itself. RFK was our last hope. Robert Kennedy always ended his stump speeches running for the 1968 Democratic nomination for President with the words loosely borrowed from George Bernard Shaw (that were a favorite of his brother Jack as well!): “Some men see things as they are and say, ‘Why?’ I dream of things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” Those words seemed to have kept John Kennedy’s idealism alive until Robert Kennedy was no more.

What does JFK’s death mean to us? I think the emotions of our generation, in particular, are inextricably tied to JFK by our unrequited idealism. I am not speaking just of our hopes in and for him unrealized, unfulfilled, though that part certainly cannot be denied. But I speak of our own failed idealism as a result of experiencing our loss and our disappointment and our discouragement in the years which followed. What I am getting at is that as a result of the loss of JFK and the aftermath, we did not fulfill our potential to serve. To the contrary, we were driven to withdraw into our own field of selfish fulfillment.

Oh, you can add further disparagement: there was Teddy Kennedy’s tragic escapade on Chappaquiddick Island, July, 1969; the Kent State massacre of four college students by the Ohio National Guard in 1970; the Watergate break-in, 1972, and cover-up; the first resignation of a President with the departure of Richard Nixon in 1974.

But in my opinion, the dream that John Kennedy represented died with Robert Kennedy and with him our incentive to work for that ideal held high for us, symbolized for us, in a fantasized spot called “Camelot.”

Edward M. Kennedy tried to rekindle the flame when he challenged President Carter in the 1980 Presidential Primary. If you have any doubt, hear his words at the 1980 Democratic Convention conceding to Carter: “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.” The words were inspiringly delivered. However, to take them to heart seemed to deny that the dream had died. To prove the point, shortly after in 1982 Ted Kennedy announced he would not run in the 1984 Presidential Election. He acknowledged that the Senate was a fully satisfying career.

Fast forward to the 2004 Presidential Election and Teddy sought to “pass on the Kennedy chalice” to John Kerry, his fellow Senator from Massachusetts. That having failed, Teddy, joined by Caroline Kennedy, endorsed Barack Obama in the 2008 campaign. Teddy was hoping through Obama to restore the “fading luster of Camelot.” On the other hand, Obama needed Teddy’s credibility within the Democratic Party to win the nomination. It was clear to the honest broker that the JFK promise had long faded.

White House “Oil Portrait of John F. Kennedy,” 1970, by Aaron Shikler. Do you like it? I do. It’s supposed to demonstrate our grief for the loss of our President & acknowledgement of the time in office he was denied. But I think John F. Kennedy deserves a traditional presidential portrait to represent his legacy & achievements while in office during the time he did have in the White House.

Excuse us for living, but we know there are many exceptions to our generation’s general turning away from national service. In fact, you know a prominent one; Bill Clinton! – -High School Class of 1964 and college Class of 1968!!!

Comments: Please!

Sources:

TV: “JFK: American Experience,” part I & II, PBS, Nov. 11 & 12, 2013

“Sunday Morning,” CBS, Nov. 17, 2013

Books: The Making of the President 1960, 1961, by Theodore White

Kennedy, 1965, by Theodore Sorensen

A Thousand Days, 1965, by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

The Death of a President, 1967, by William Manchester

Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero, 2011, by Chris Matthews

Robert Kennedy & His Times, 1978, by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.

Robert Kennedy: His Life, 2000, by Evan Thomas

Last Lion, 2009, by Boston Globe writers

True Compass, 2009, by Edward M. Kennedy

Team of Rivals, 2005, by Doris Kearns Goodwin

Online: Wikipedia, wikipedia.org

19 Comments

Posted in Commentary, History, National Politics, News

Posted by: philipfontana | October 31, 2013

France 2013

France 2013:

Paris south to Nice & Monaco

September 26-October 6

Eiffel Tower, two short blocks from our hotel; the “signature” photo of any trip to Paris. – -Not an easy horizontal photo to pull off!

Excuse us, for we’ve been out doing a little living in France. “Wife Geri” and I are fulfilling 40 years of promises to show each other places we traveled to when we were young that the other had not seen. This year it was Geri’s turn to show me Paris. – – So why not see some of France while there! We had the good sense to arrange two pre-tour days in Paris prior to the tour’s two day Paris stay. Then the tour headed south by bus to Burgundy, Provence, and to Nice and Monaco on the Mediterranean.

Globus Tour, “French Sampler 2013”

Always the history teacher, I could not help reflect on this meaningful journey: the Roman founding of Paris on the Isle St. Louis on the Seine (river) next to Notre Dame Cathedral; the Roman Aqueduct in Pont du Gard in Provence; the Roman Colosseum in Nimes, Provence; the palace of the popes for 70 years in 14^th century Avignon; the medieval stone village of Les Baux-de-Provence atop the rock cliffs. Then there was the art: the Louvre Museum with the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo; the Orsay Museum filled with the works of the Impressionists; the sculpture in the Rodin Museum, a former hotel where Rodin lived & sculpted; all in Paris; then down to Cezanne’s birthplace in Aix-en-Provence.

Most impressive to me was the city of Paris itself. Laid out beautifully, not a skyscraper to be seen, along the Seine, Paris is a sight to behold. Paris was transformed starting in 1852 under Napoleon III. Narrow, winding medieval streets were leveled to create the network of wide avenues and neo-classical architecture that is modern Paris.

My delight was tracing some of our American Colonial past as well as our twentieth century history, all in Paris: Rue (street) de Berri where Thomas Jefferson lived as our ambassador after the American Revolution; the Legion of Honor Museum from which Jefferson modeled his beloved Monticello, Virginia; Le Procope restaurant, Ben Franklin’s hangout as our ambassador during the American Revolution and where our Founding Fathers drafted ideas for our Constitution after the Revolution; Avenue du President Wilson; Place Charles De Gaulle, Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt; and so much more.

Of personal ecstasy were two places very special to me as a student and teacher of history; 1) the Place de Concorde where the guillotine was located during the French Revolution; 2) the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles outside Paris where Woodrow Wilson signed the treaty ending World War I.

Oh, hell! Let’s close with a few “hoots”! – -Singing along with that accordion player pictured below. – -And then there was leading the entire tour bus in singing, “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” after the welcoming dinner in Paris with plenty of wine, also mentioned below.

Photos & Itinerary

Two pre-tour days in Paris before Globus tour Day 1 below

Geri on the Champs-Elysees with Arc de Triomphe

On the “Left Bank” of the Seine, Avenue Orsay

“Let us pray,” in sight of Notre Dame Cathedral

The famous Luxembourg Gardens in the “Latin Quarter” area

Day 1: Arrive in Paris, France. Welcome to Paris! At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions, and leave the hotel for a welcome dinner with wine at one of Paris’ lively restaurants. Also enjoy an orientation drive to get a first impression of the “City of Light.”

Day 2: Paris. Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the Arc de Triomphe, Opéra, Madeleine, Louvre, and Champs-Elysées. Visit magnificent NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL, and for a panoramic view, take the elevator to the second floor of the EIFFEL TOWER. Time to explore Paris on your own or to join an optional excursion to the magnificent Louvre Museum to admire the Mona Lisa.
Day 3: Paris–Versailles–Beaune. Enjoy a special visit to the magnificent PALACE AND GARDENS OF VERSAILLES before heading for Burgundy. Arrive in Beaune, capital of the region, where a special [LF] WINE TASTING awaits you at the famous Marché Aux Vins wine cellar. Later, head for your overnight hotel, Le Cep, ideally located in the heart of the medieval town and just a couple of steps away from the famous Hôtel-Dieu and Notre Dame Basilica.

First stop, the famous Palace of Versailles

Our room, hotel Le Cep, quite tone going back 400 years!

Day 4: Beaune–Avignon–Pont Du Gard–Nîmes. Avignon is a town on the Rhône River that in the 14th century became the residence of the popes. Take pictures of the magnificent Palace of the Popes and the famous bridge, and browse through the colorful shops that sell traditional products of the Provence, like cloth, honey, herbs, and candy, like nougat. Continue to nearby Pont du Gard, and admire the largest remaining Roman Aqueduct in France, a monumental feat of engineering completed in the year 19 BC. Next is the pleasant town of Nîmes, where you will stay for two days.

Finally, that perfect kiosk photo in Avignon

Breakfast at our two day stay, Chateau de Montcaud, Provence. – -A real palace of a chateau!

Day 5: Nîmes. Follow your Tour Director on a walking tour of the town. Balance of the day is at leisure. Choose from our optional excursions to spectacular Baux-de-Provence and historic Uzès to make the most of your stay.

Roman Colosseum, Nimes

Day 6: Nîmes–Aix-en-Provence. Aix-en-Provence is one of France’s most elegant cities. It was the birthplace of painter Cézanne, and has always attracted artists from all over. Explore its center during your walking tour, and enjoy a [LF] light lunch at one of the many cafés to try out French pastries and get a real taste of this pretty city. Time to wander through the maze of small streets and along shaded Cours Mirabeau, and to admire its famous cafés and fountains—and don’t forget to try out the local calissons confectionery.

I found my accordion player in Aix-en-Provence! My pleasure translated into around 7 euro in his little cup by the time I had to let him move on his way!

Day 7: Aix-en-Provence–Grasse–Nice–Monte Carlo. Arrive in Grasse, and learn all about perfume making during your visit to the famous Fragonard PERFUME FACTORY. Then, turn to the glittering Mediterranean Sea and arrive in Nice, “Queen of the Riviera.” Free time to explore and walk along the famous Promenade des Anglais. A few more miles along the coastline to reach the miniature city of Monte Carlo, built on a rocky peninsula and famed for its nightlife. Tonight, capture the spirit and beauty of this magical place in your overnight surroundings situated in the Cap d’Ail harbor. Enjoy a special farewell dinner with wine at a local restaurant in Monte Carlo, to celebrate the success of your vacation.

Famous & fabulous beach at Nice!

A cafe in Nice, very Italian as you inch closer to the Italian border.

Geri with that Monaco scenery as backdrop!

And what better finale than Monte Carlo Casino, Monaco!

Day 8: Monte Carlo. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning (the nearest airport is Nice).

Excuse us for living, but this trip was grand!

Comments: Please!

28 Comments

Posted in Travel

Posted by: philipfontana | September 19, 2013

6th PastaPost

Sixth PastaPost

Pasta Pepperoni

Phil & Geri

Excuse us for living, but we all owe a debt of gratitude to our ancestors! They may have started a family business on the high end of accomplishment. They may have been a dismal failure on the lower end, providing us with a negative example as to the pitfalls of life. But whether success, failure, or everything in between, our ancestors are the foundation on which we have built our lives.

Salvatore Fontana, my paternal great grandfather (my father’s mother’s father!), standing in front of his grocery store at #41 14th Street between 1st & 2nd Avenues, in Little Italy, New York City, c. 1930’s.

My ancestors’ greatest contribution to our family’s past was the salutary act of immigrating to the United States from Italy in the late 19^th & early 20^th centuries. Like so many in this second wave of immigration in American history (the first wave being the Catholic Irish mid-19^th century), they were the poor of southern Europe. My ancestors were among the masses of peasants from the island of Sicily that crossed the Atlantic in the steerage of the ships. Quite unusual, to say the least, and still the source of skepticism within our family over 100 years later, is our ancestors’ story/claim. The so called “facts” are that one set of paternal grandparents, my grandfather and grandmother, came to America as children separately, different ships, years apart, from the same little village of Vila Bata, outside Palermo, Sicily. But the “clincher” is that each family’s surname was “Fontana” – -from the same village! – -and they claimed not to be related! – -Possible. – -Also possibly cousins “three times removed” or whatever!

All this is background to establish my bona fides to be quite comfortable when it comes to what I dub “peasant food.” Every ethnic group has their basic traditional dishes that go back to “the old country” or “when we were poor and came to America.” And these recipes are handed down to us and perpetuated generation after generation and the dishes enjoyed with much delight.

It was in this spirit that a year or two ago I said to wife Geri, “I’ve never heard of a pasta recipe with pepperoni. Maybe there is one out there but I never heard of it.” I was familiar with pepperoni and eggs as a late night-early/wee hours/morning treat from my youth and decades ago with my crony friends. But pasta and pepperoni? – -Never! And why not? “There should be some kind of recipe like that, basic and simple,” I continued. And as with similar “brainstorms” over the years, Geri asked, “Like what? What should be in it?” “Oh,” I said, “the basics like garlic and oil, onion, a little parsley and sliced pepperoni.” And again like so many times before with my crazy ideas, I left it to Geri, the real cook/chef, to work her magic, transforming my conception into a real recipe and a respectable, delectable dish.

And so Pasta Pepperoni was born! Geri changed the onions to scallions, naturally. And she decided on Fettuccine pasta rather than spaghetti, which turned out to be a good choice as our preference. (Maybe you would prefer spaghetti or another pasta.) First try we used Hormel pepperoni and felt it was too light by taste. Since then we switched to Blackbear for a stronger taste! (Geri says Bridgeford is good too and you may have your own favorite brand pepperoni.) And we slice the pepperoni not thinly but generously at least 1/8^th inch thick! The finishing touch was the first time we served the dish to our #1 son, Andy, and daughter-in-law, Erin, and asked for suggestions. And they made a simple, good suggestion; red pepper flakes! We put that into the recipe and the taste went “over the top”! – -Thanks, Andy and Erin!

What I would refer to as another Sicilian peasant dish, Pasta Pepperoni can be added to our list! It’s robust and not for the faint of heart! – -So good it’s unreal! – -A knock out! – -You can’t miss! Now nobody said this is healthy! Eat it infrequently and at your own cholesterol risk!

Presenting…

…Pasta Pepperoni

3/4 cup oil (canola or olive)

1 med. bunch of scallions (sliced 1/4” thick)

8 cloves garlic (sliced long)

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 1/2 cups fresh parsley (coarse chopped)

1 whole stick pepperoni (sliced 1/8^th in. thick) (not Hormel; use Backbear or Bridgeford, robust!)

1/2 lb. Fettuccine pasta (or your preferred pasta)

1 tbs. salt

3-4 quarts boiling water

Sauté scallions, garlic & red pepper flakes in the oil in medium sauce pan until tender, 4-5 minutes. Add sliced pepperoni & heat gently. Remove from heat. Cook pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain in colander. Toss with sauce & chopped parsley.

Makes 2 generous servings!

Excuse us for living, but eat this & you’ll know you are living!

Comments: Please, before or after you make it!

16 Comments

Posted in Friday Night/Recipe Posts

Posted by: philipfontana | August 22, 2013

The Civil War

Did You Ever Want to Do More Reading About the Civil War?

Fort Sumter, SC, 1861, under Confederate flag. And so the Civil War began.

Excuse us for living, but never in our lifetime has the topic of the Civil War been so popular as it has this past year. Thanks to Steven Spielberg’s movie, “Lincoln,” and Daniel Day-Lewis’s Academy Award winning portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War has seemingly come to life again for many of us. To that, add those who have followed the 150^th commemoration of the Battle of Gettysburg this year and it’s been one big historical society meeting!

When we say “the Civil War,” not most times, but always, we are referring to our American Civil War, 1861-1865. – – As if there were no other civil wars…the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939, may readily come to mind as a “modern” example. Or, we could try to analyze the present-day uprisings of the “Arab Spring” as civil wars. – – But let’s not go there!

As devastating as our Civil War was with some 620,000 dead, it is a subject that fascinates so many people that we dub them “Civil War buffs.” As a student of American history myself, I had never read extensively on the topic, making my specialty “the social history of industrial America” and into “the Progressive Era.” In my younger years, I naively scoffed at the Civil War as “a bunch of battles,” ignoring the obvious importance between the social, economic, and political developments of Antebellum America and the Civil War itself.

The Tower of Books, 7000 Lincoln books, in the lobby of the newly completed Ford’s Theater Center, Washington, D.C. It is 34 ft. high & 8 ft. around at its base.

Realizing the error of my ways, I turned to correct this obvious gap in my education and decided to explore the literature and become a “fast study” on the subject by selecting some of the best books to read. You too may have an interest to do so. No surprise to me, I found that there are well over 60,000 volumes on the Civil War and more being published with each passing month. Some experts estimate that this figure is way too low. Add to that another 15,000 or more books on Abraham Lincoln, “more books,” stated a prominent expert, “than have been written about any other person in world history with the exception of Jesus Christ.” Secretary of War Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s greatest critic in his Cabinet, foresaw this. In his words, spoken just after Lincoln’s death lying in a house across from the Ford’s Theater where he was shot, Stanton solemnly uttered his famous words, “Now he belongs to the ages.”

A Union engineering unit, the 8th New York State Militia, 1861

Confederate fortifications, Manassas, Virginia, 1862

Needless to say, selecting a few good books about the Civil War was a daunting task. What became very clear, however, as I perused the literature on the Civil War, was that if you were to read only one book on the Civil War, that book would be Battle Cry of Freedom, 1988, by James M. McPherson. In just shy of 900 pages in this Pulitzer Prize winning book, James McPherson, Professor of History Emeritus, Princeton University, quickly teaches you that the Civil War IS NOT “just about a bunch of battles.” He thoroughly explains the social, economic, and political events leading up to the war. Then McPherson leads the reader through a fast-paced narrative of the military battles and details, the names of which are familiar to many of us. By the time the author reaches Appomattox, the reader knows why!

“First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation Before the Cabinet,” by artist Francis B. Carpenter, completed 1864.

Next, I would recommend the book Steven Spielberg’s movie, “Lincoln,” was based upon; Team of Rivals, 2005, by popular historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin. – – another fabulous read pushing 800 pages. Ironically, the book spends all of one and one-half pages on the Thirteenth Amendment, Abolition of Slavery, about which the movie is all about. However, the color and feel, not to mention details of the movie, come from Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book: the cast of characters, many having competed with Lincoln for the Republican nomination for President in the election of 1860, surprisingly selected by Lincoln to serve in his Cabinet; Mary Todd Lincoln and her sons Robert, Todd, and Eddie; and of course, Abraham Lincoln himself.

Abraham Lincoln, photographed February 5, 1865, by Alexander Gardner, portrays the weariness of four years of war.

Choosing a biography on Abraham Lincoln, as opposed to the entire war, from 7000+ titles, was not as difficult a task as it might seem. Perusing various Lincoln biographies as well as books on the Civil War, one book and name came up again and again in the bibliographies and footnotes; David Herbert Donald’s Lincoln, 1995. Twice won Pulitzer Prize winner for biography, author of numerous books on the Civil War and its cast of characters, David Herbert Donald is Professor Emeritus of American History, Harvard University. And he “does Lincoln” in just under 600 pages…not bad! Donald’s Lincoln is aptly described as a “beautiful rendered and stunningly original portrait” of our sixteenth President. He is able to do so to a great extent by using Lincoln’s personal papers and records of his legal practice. The author explains how Lincoln’s personal and public lives adversely affect each other. He brings this inexperienced, ill- prepared man from obscurity to political success and moral greatness.

Lincoln & General McClellan with other Union officers on the Antietam battlefield, Maryland, 1862. It was the bloodiest one day battle in American history. 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or missing after 12 hours of savage combat, September 17, 1862.

Finally, if you have the time, you must add to your reading list, coming in at a mere 270 pages (!), another book by James M. McPherson, Tried By War, 2008. This little book is truly well-deserved dessert to complete anyone’s foray into the subject of the Civil War. McPherson portrays Lincoln as our first and greatest Commander-in-Chief; overseeing strategy, planning major engagements with the Confederate army, overstepping rights such as habeas corpus, all in the name of preserving the Union. One is impressed by Lincoln’s trips and visits to the battle front. And, one is frustrated by Lincoln’s seeming inability to goad his reluctant generals into action. The author brings the reader to the verge of screaming at General George McClellan, as Commander of the Army of the Potomac. McClellan fails to advance with one excuse after another. He brings Lincoln to the characterization of him with the amusing words, “He has the slows,” until he is dismissed of his command. McPherson credits Lincoln with molding public opinion and moving the people from preserving the Union to ending slavery itself.

Painting, “Battle of Chickamauga.” The battle took place in 1863, bordering Tennessee & Georgia. Unable to find the artist’s name, but attributed as a lithograph by Kurz & Allison, 1890.

Excuse us for living, but we never complete our education. We finish school and then we really begin to read and learn. “Never let your schooling interfere with your education,” said Mark Twain. And now I am a little better versed on a monumental chapter in our American history, the Civil War.

Comments: Please!

Sources: All of the above books, plus a little Google this & Wikipedia that!

10 Comments

Posted in Book Reviews, History

Posted by: philipfontana | July 31, 2013

Gone Fishin’

Gone Fishin’

$108 per fish vs. $35 per fish!

Excuse us for living, but we’ve been lake fishing going back a modest 38 years compared to some “lifers.” Our three sons grew up learning to fish as I learned along the way. And wife Geri also became quite good at fishing as well. From our local lake club to many Lake George vacations and places in PA & NJ, we were “hooked”…forgive me that…couldn’t resist! –Bass fishing for the most part. We tried some deep sea fishing from New Jersey to Delaware & as far as Bermuda, but always we came back to our favorite, relaxed lake fishing. We were not looking to fish the Great Lakes or fly in & get dropped into the Alaskan or Canadian wilderness! Casual fisherman, I would call us. We were not looking to catch huge fish as much as have fun fishing. And we practiced “catch & release” even before it was the environmentally sound thing to do.

By retirement, fellow workers sent me off with best wishes, you know, to “catch the big one.” I already had that familiar plaque, “A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.” They outfitted me with both waders and hip boots to try my hand at trout fishing. – – Nothing sophisticated like fly fishing….just my simple rod and spinning reel. Since then, I have been trout fishing for seven years with encouraging success with some beautiful 15” rainbow and brown trout. Yet there is something that turns me off about the New Jersey Department of Fish & Wildlife stocking the streams with 600,000 trout each trout season for 7 weeks, April to May. In many streams you can witness the guys from the State hatchery throwing in these beauties before your very eyes by the net full, some as large as 18”. It seems to me almost a childish game.

And so I started to explore the internet for fishing in the northeast. – – My only requirements; a cabin on a lake, good fishing, and a boat with a motor. Now that does not sound like a tall order, but try it…not easy!

This particular cabin, Trout Lake, Edwards, New York, is so typical of lake houses there. These converted, expanded summer cabins look so unassuming from the exterior. Yet, you enter into spacious, comfortable living space.

The Grand Room has no less than two living room-type gathering areas, two dining areas, & kitchen counter seating, all in one grand expanse.

The kitchen area with chef side & stool side just cries out, “It’s Happy Hour somewhere!”

After many hours & sessions Googling around from Maine to New Hampshire and Vermont over a period of years, we wound up in New York State! It’s called Trout Lake, Edwards, New York, a 350 mile trip one way from home. It’s way north of Syracuse, to give you an idea, 20 miles to the largest city of Canton, about an hour from the St, Lawrence River and Canada. – – a beautiful lake just west of Adirondack National Park with a smaller New York State park bordering on the east bank of the Lake.

This particular cabin is set in a cove with a spectacular view including two small rock islands to be missed by your motor boat!!! The cove opens to a mile long lake.

The house, center photo hidden by trees, as viewed from the boat with a lavish, well-appointed screened gazebo, adjacent to two boat docks.

We made two such trips to Trout Lake in 2009 and another in 2011. The bass fishing was tremendous! (To the best of my knowledge, no one ever sees a trout on Trout Lake!) Our best year we caught 23 bass during the course of one week and all a good size of 12” and better. Geri topped off with a 15” bass and I beat my old 16” record with a 17” bass. But our son, Peter, who drove up for 2 days, caught the record for our stay with 18” and whopper 20” bass.

Number 2 son, Peter, with the best catch of the trip, a 20″ bass, in the day or two he joined us there.

The 9.9HP motor & Boston Whaler never failed us. We did learn to “batten down the hatches” & tie up all ropes, especially the one that got caught around the motor prop!!!

Ah, but the issue is “what price victory”? The cabin was fabulous, bordering on luxurious in the world of fishing! The boat and 9.9HP motor great! But the rental was $2500/week (and by now at least $3,000). And, the 700 mile road trip is certainly a consideration. So I started thinking, there’s got to be a more practical way. What price are these fish costing? At $2,500 a week, not to mention license, bait, meals, etc., divided by 23 fish, comes to $108.69 per fish! And we’re playing “catch & release”? You think we would be savoring them like caviar!

Back to Googling around! This year for 2013, I’m embarrassed to say, we found a lake 20 miles from home in New Jersey! It’s a private residential lake community, Lake Shawnee, address Wharton, New Jersey, but think more Jefferson, NJ, for the surrounding location. The fishing was suppose to be “good,” a very relative term. I want size, inches! – – How big? And the fish natural to the lake (that means no stocking!) were listed as bass, pickerel, perch, and crappies, etc. The only bummer, the boat had no motor! – – Only battery powered motors allowed. But the lake was doable by rowing or you could bring your own battery motor.

This cuddly cabin with dock & swimming is located in the larger Jefferson area of Wharton, New Jersey, western Morris County, just before Sussex County.

The comfortable living room offers a hide-a-bed sofa across from the hearth, in addition to a master bedroom & an additional bedroom with bunk beds & fold-away. To the right, pictured is a screened in porch with a double-seat swing chair!

The kitchen is like the Captain’s Galley, accessed by a curving narrow stairway going downstairs. Double doors open to a patio with table, BBQ grille, hot tub, & stairway to the lake & boat dock. You can take the boat to one of three beaches just 50 yards away.

It sounded like a good gamble to me! – – Plus, a cute little cabin with all the amenities from screened porch to hot tub to BBQ grill, kayak, paddle boat, only $175/night off season, $275/night summers, and $1600/week summers. We opted for a 2 night pre-season May experimental fishing trip for only $350!

How many wives would sacrifice their birthday for fishing with their husband? Before Geri’s birthday cake for two back in the cabin here, we went to a Happy Birthday dinner at the J Towne Tavern on Route 15, a Lake Hopatcong address.

The Lake view from the cabin property & yard. This is just our end of the Lake which must be four & more times the size of the view here.

The fishing turned out to be fantastic, right here in our little own New Jersey, to my great surprise!!! With 2 nights we only had one day to fish and the weather was cloudy, water choppy, threatening rain and still cool for bass catching. Putting in only 4 hours of morning fishing, Geri and I caught 10 fish; 8 pickerel, 14” and up with Geri’s prize catch at 17”, and 2 bass, Geri’s 15” and mine tying my 17” record. (My dream, just a 22” bass, still eludes me!)

Our first experience catching pickerel. They give you quite a fight & watch out for those razor sharp teeth! Geri caught the prize length pickerel for the trip with this 17 incher!

And this 17″ bass tied Phil’s record for his largest bass also caught at Trout Lake. Geri caught a 15″ bass here at Lake Shawnee tying her best bass ever also caught at Trout Lake.

And, “what price victory”? Nice little cabin, impeccably done up. The boat with oars was fine to get around! – – Surprising! I would be the first to complain. But the fish were right off the dock! – – And for only $350 for our 2 night experiment! Granted, the 20 miles from home location is embarrassing, but it was convenient and time efficient! Now here is “the catch,” I mean the clincher; at $350 for 2 nights, divided by 10 fish, you get $35.00 per fish! Case closed! We will go next year and stay longer!

(I used to say it’s cheaper to go to a fish market than go fishing! But when is the last time you priced fresh fish? – – Not cheap! A fish market would be much cheaper than a fish from Trout Lake. But a fish from Lake Shawnee might be a toss up by the pound!)

Excuse us for fishing, but we think when all is said and done, weighing all the equities (and the fish!), the comparison and decision regarding fishing trips in the near future are a “no brainer,” as they say. Maybe cabin ambiance & greener pastures may move us on. But for now, you decide! – – $108 per fish vs. $35 per fish. “Waitress, I’ll have the $35.00 fish, please.” Maybe we should eat one from Lake Shawnee!

Comments: Please!

31 Comments

Posted in Commentary, Fishing

Posted by: philipfontana | June 30, 2013

RU Trustees

Rutgers’ Trustees Supported

The Sunday Star-Ledger Editorial

This past week State Senate President Stephen Sweeney introduced legislation supported by Governor Christie to dissolve Rutgers’ Board of Trustees. The legislation also empowers the Governor to appoint all 15 members of the remaining Board of Governors.

Click below & read the Editorial!

http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2013/06/the_attempted_hijacking_of_rut.html#comments

Excuse us for living, but New Jersey’s State Senate President Stephen Sweeney has gone too far this time & with him over the cliff he is led by Governor Chris Christie!

May Rutgers live on & on led by the Board of Trustees since 1766!!!!

Comments: Please!

NJ Update: RU & Christie

New Jersey Update:

Rutgers’ New President Barchi Should Stay!

Governor Christie Out of Control Over Senate Opening!

The State Flag of New Jersey embodies The Great Seal of The State of New Jersey which is New Jersey’s Coat of Arms. Adopted in 1777, it was modified slightly in 1928.

Excuse us for living, but there is no shortage of topics for commentary. So, weighing all the equities, I voted it’s time for an update on recent New Jersey developments!

As a Rutgers alumnus myself, dear old Alma Mater has been in the news the last year or two now for more controversy than good. The latest brouhaha has been over the appointment in May of the new Athletic Director, Julie Hermann, from the University of Tennessee. Prior to serving as their senior associate AD, Hermann was a volleyball coach at Tennessee. The allegations being made against her are two-fold. First, she dismissed her assistant volleyball coach for becoming pregnant. (Tennessee lost that lawsuit!) Second, she allegedly abused players when she was their volleyball coach. (Only coming to light now by former players coming forward!)

This latest embarrassment for Rutgers comes on the heels of firing RU’s Basketball Coach Mike Rice and the resignation of Rutgers Athletic Director Tim Pernetti this past April 2013. Both dismissals were the result of video footage being released to the public this spring 2013 showing Rice verbally abusing & physically pushing players around during practice. At issue was Pernetti placing sanctions/punishment on Rice late last year 2012 based on the videos seen only by him, not made public at that time, and described only to Rutgers’ new President, Robert L. Barchi, without viewing the videos himself. Once the videos were made public, Barchi and Pernetti fired Rice and the next day agreed that Pernetti better step down as AD.

Rutgers’ new President, Robert L. Barchi, is Rutgers’ 20th President as of September 2012.

What’s left at issue are calls for the resignation of Rutgers’ President, Barchi, who only took over the reins as president in September 2012. Barchi is faulted for not viewing the videos of Rice’s abuses, relying on Pernetti’s judgment of those videos, and for hiring the new AD, Julie Hermann, relying on the search committee and the vetting process.

While the events are worse than a Greek tragedy, two important pieces of the drama are crystal clear to me. First, President Barchi must continue as Rutgers’ President. This July 1 Rutgers formally absorbs most parts of UMDNJ, New Jersey’s State medical schools. Barchi was hired explicitly for this task and is superbly qualified and extremely capable to take on this enormous transition as he already has begun. First as Provost at the University of Pennsylvania and then as President of Thomas Jefferson University, a private medical and health sciences school in Philadelphia, Barchi has the depth of experience and the proven record. Particularly at Thomas Jefferson University with its six medical and health related colleges and schools, Barchi was a hands on manager who expanded the campus size tremendously in buildings/facilities expeditiously as well as student enrollment. Despite all Rutgers’ tales of woe, Robert Barchi is the man to lead Rutgers at this point in Rutgers’ history.

Second, Rutgers’ so called “problems” of late are, while certainly disturbing, merely part of a continuum to those of us of the Rutgers Family that has been going on for at least half a century. Put simply, Rutgers University is big (and about to get bigger with the merger with UMDNJ) with its three campuses in New Brunswick at its center, and Newark to the north, and Camden to the south. And while I know there are much larger university systems in the United States whose enrollments total into hundreds of thousands of students (California’s, Pennsylvania’s, Ohio’s, New York’s, to name a few), Rutgers is big with over 58,000 total enrollment, undergrad and graduate students. With UMDNJ another 7,000 students will be added to Rutgers totals. As undergrads at then Rutgers College in New Brunswick in the mid-1960’s with only 6,500 students, it was a common complaint that we were treated “like a number,” as simply part of the larger University. And so it was and still is today, only larger!

Rutgers and Barchi have their hands full. Mistakes will happen and be corrected. At best, President Barchi should be empowered by the Boards of Governors and Trustees to reorganize and appoint whatever administrators/provosts necessary on all campuses. Rutgers should study how the larger universities manage their affairs. Most likely the larger universities are not micromanaging matters on all campuses across their states, including athletics. (Ask Penn Sate where they went wrong!) Then President Barchi can guide Rutgers and oversee the big picture as Rutgers grows into its greater future.

(INTERMISSION!)

Governor Chris Christie, who became Governor in January 2010, now faces reelection this November 2013.

Next, moving on to New Jersey’s greatest side-show is the Governor of New Jersey, Chris Christie, and his most recent antics regarding the death of U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg and the electoral process to replace him. Leave it to Chris Christie to put his own inimitable mark on this too just as he has done with everything he has touched since becoming Governor in January 2010. Christie has left no stone unturned and no feet untrampled since taking office. (***Here I have edited to a footnote below the travails of the Governor for the last 3 1/2 years, only a partial listing, including his accomplishments.)

So naturally when the distinguished & accomplished 89 year old Senator Lautenberg passed away with a year and a half left in his U.S. Senate term on Monday, June 3, Christie went into his usual dance to put his own spin on things. The very next day, after Lautenberg’s death, Tuesday June 4, Governor Christie called for a primary, Tuesday, August 13, coming up soon, and a general election, Wednesday, October 16, at a cost of an extra $12 million. – – That’s only 3 weeks before the regularly scheduled Tuesday, November 5, general election for governor in which Governor Christie, Republican, faces off with Democratic State Senator Barbara Buono.

What’s it all about? Christie reasoned that Newark Mayor Corey Booker, the hands-on Democrat favored to win the senatorial election, would bring out a large Democratic vote in a November election. Christie’s strategized reasoning concluded that since he, Christie, is running for re-election as Governor, Booker’s coattails would cost Christie some votes in his totals and look bad for the 2016 Presidential Election. – – Plus Christie dreams of the Republicans taking the State Legislature back from the Democrats. Thus, Christie came out with his own design on the election of a new Senator. Christie “gamed” the situation too much. He would have been “home free” had he done the normal and responsible thing and appointed a temporary Senator, likely a Republican, and then used the primary and general election process in 2014 to elect New Jersey’s U.S. Senator for the six year term. Instead, he appointed his Attorney General, Jeff Chiesa, to fill the seat for the few months, exactly 128 days, until the new Senator is elected in October. Then, in the 2014 primary and general elections New Jersey will have to repeat the process all over again and elect its new U.S. Senator for the traditional term. – – To skip the 2014 election of a Senator and assume the person elected this October 2013 would continue in office would be a high risk assumption surely to be contested in court.

Excuse us for living, but we see “Christie being Christie” here one time too many. He is like the person who gets his way too much and is out of control. The Bully has taken one step too far. And we all know what happens to bullies in the end. They meet their match that puts them down. Oh, Christie most likely will muddle on “being Christie” in all things he does and may still get the nod and be the Republican candidate for President in 2016. But if the Bully gets that far and goes up against a Democratic candidate named Hillary Clinton, I dare say he will have met his match!

Comments: Please!

***As Governor, Chris Christie assumes powers and takes action on things nobody knew a New Jersey governor was empowered to do constitutionally. Putting that question aside, here is a partial list of Governor Christie’s record thus far: giving away the $11 million State owned NJN TV to WNET in New York City, not fully funding New Jersey’s education budget, incorrectly filing Race to the Top federal education grant losing $400 million, halting the construction of the new Hudson River railway tunnel, creating turmoil with the appointment of State Supreme Court Justices and lower court appointments as well as Commissioners & Prosecutors, replacing members of the Highlands Commission halting preservation of this sensitive environmental area, adopting into law a quick fix to State pensions and benefits (creating collective bargaining difficulties over benefits), halting progress on the NJ Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, including student test scores in teacher evaluations, cutting salaries of school superintendents, a clumsy political restructuring of Rutgers and UMDNJ. Yes, he has been a determined and effective leader in the aftermath of storm Sandy. Yes, he successfully capped New Jersey’s property taxes at 2.0%. (with ramifications for municipal, county, and school budgets and teacher salary negotiations). And yes, he expanded Medicaid opting to participate in this part of the Obamacare program (but opted not to create a State Health Insurance Exchange under Obamacare). But his efforts to put our fiscal house in order in terms of a balanced budget are more a temporary fix and overall impression than a responsible program to manage NJ’s debt on the road to future stability and genuine fiscal health. While Christie boasts a balanced budget, now required by law, in truth the State of New Jersey’s debt totals almost defy calculation and comprehension. There is a quote of a $71 billion debt for 2012, counting outstanding bonds & State pension & benefits shortfall. (http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/01/njs_debt_grew_by_6b_in_fiscal.html) However, there is a whopping NJ debt figure of $281 billion for FY 2012 which accounts for everything from the $54 billion the State owes to the pension fund, post-employment benefits, Unemployment Trust Fund loans & the FY 2013 State budget gap. (http://sunshinereview.org/index.php/New_Jersey_state_budget) You can “choose your own poison” as they say!

8 Comments

Posted in Christie, Commentary, New Jersey, News, Rutgers

Posted by: philipfontana | June 1, 2013

Sept 11/12 Years Later

September 11

Twelve Years Later:

Reflections

(Note of interest: This was written three weeks prior to the April 15 Boston Marathon attack, held & revised to include this latest development.)

Dedicated to the many loved ones who lost their lives & those injured on September 11, 2001, as well as the First Responders who died attempting to assist, at the World Trade Center, New York City, at the Pentagon, VA, & in the field of Shanksville, PA. This is also dedicated to those who escaped on that horrifying day & those who assisted others along the path of their escape. And now we add to this dedication those who lost their lives & those injured at the Boston Marathon, April 15, 2013, & the brave who assisted them.

One World Trade Center, New York City’s Freedom Tower, as it appeared April 2013. Now complete with its spire, it reaches 1,766 feet high at a cost of $3.8 It is the tallest building in the western hemisphere and the third-tallest building in the world.

This so-called political cartoon is from the Daily Record, a Morris County, New Jersey, newspaper, from the Thursday, March 14, 2013, edition. If you can’t read it all, the bottom reads, “Ground Zero.” Then in the smoldering air above the horrifying wreckage of the World Trade Center, Towers 1 & 2, float the words, “Air Travel Security & Delay, Torture, Wars, Drone Killings. Constitutional Questions, Disabled & Troubled Veterans, Debt.”

Excuse us for living, but those of us who grew up in the 1950’s don’t remember the year 1953 – – 12 years after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, December 7, 1941 – – being anything like today! We were born during or after World War II. And the 1950’s were a joy of financial stability, life unfolding with a plethora of family pleasures, and all the prospects that social mobility held in store for us. World War II was to us like one of the many good old war movies about 1941-1945 with a beginning and an end. For us, life was moving along just fine. The one great exception was the Korean War, 1950-1953, with some 37,000 American military forces sacrificing their lives. Presidents Truman and Eisenhower made certain that the “Korean Conflict” was contained and brought to a quick armistice (which we still live under and is only now coming back to haunt us 60 some years later.)

The all too familiar World Trade Center, Towers 1 & 2, September 11, 2001, as they smoldered following the two terrorist attacks by airplanes just prior to collapse.

Our last 12 years since September 11, 2001 have been quite different, to put it mildly. On September 14, 2001, Congress passed legislation called “Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists,” authorizing President George W. Bush to take whatever actions were required to protect our country. The saga of those twelve years which followed are known too well to all of us older folks and, sadly, to the children who have had to grow up under this long shadow. The purpose here is not to relate the events of these past 12 years, nor all the issues arising thereof, but to reflect, to comment on what strikes me in need of saying, and give you an opportunity to do the same and speak out under “Comments” at the end here.

The third airplane’s destructive hit to the Pentagon, Arlington County, Virginia.

What hits me in the face is how New York City and Washington, D.C. have been The Targets of those who wish to inflict harm upon America. And at this time with heavy hearts we must add Boston to the list. Perhaps our elders had it right in the 1950’s. Some of us grew up as school children living in proximity to New York City and remember conducting air aid/nuclear attack drills by hiding under our classroom desks or sitting on the hallway floor along the wall. These cities seem to be a microcosm of our American affluence/prosperity/power in the minds of terrorists, thus the targets of their hatred. My impression is that the focus of terrorists on these metropolitan areas has not lessened but increased during these past 12 years. The irony is that many of us realize the potential havoc an attack on a shopping mall in the suburbs, for example, would have across America. I hope the latest terrorist explosions at the Boston Marathon were not such an attempt and do not have that affect.

The crash site of the fourth aircraft, United Airlines Flight 93, near Shanksville, PA, where the passenger heroes downed the aircraft & possibly prevented greater tragedy to the Capitol building or the White House.

Next, I think of all the efforts and money that have been put forth and spent in the name of “Homeland Security.” I vividly remember when our country struggled awkwardly to use the word “Homeland” itself at first. It reminded people of the German word, “Heimatland,” referring to “home” as in a place or nation that is home, “the Fatherland,” if you will. As Americans our sentiments are tied more to our democratic ideals than our geographic land mass. “American Security” just did not seem enough at the time, so “Homeland Security” it was and will probably remain with us.

And now the terrorist explosions on April 15, 2013 at the Boston Marathon will most likely go down as the next chapter as we confront terrorism.

In any case, we moved forward with Homeland Security measures. At first there was quite a bit of administrative reshuffling of agencies. And, perhaps, the measures were a bit “hit and miss,” especially in the area of air traffic security. But by and large, until the April 15 explosions at the Boston Marathon, Homeland Security efforts have worked effectively to circumvent and prevent terrorist attacks and keep us safe as a nation. The challenge now after Boston is to reexamine our security precautions in “the public squares” across America. When the Homeland Security program began, money was thrown at States and municipalities which struggled to spend on ordinary items in some instances, even fire trucks. But we have learned to appreciate and depend on our local first responders who are there for us well before the Federal government. Now I would like to see more defensive measures intensified at municipal levels, and at ports, for railroads, at chemical plants, electric and nuclear plants, and the like.

The United States’ prompt actions in Afghanistan, October 7, 2001, were overwhelmingly justified and smartly executed to destroy Al-Qaeda headquarters and training camps along with the Taliban government harboring them. After our initial success and elimination of the imminent danger to the U.S., I can’t help but wonder if the precedents of every president from Eisenhower to Clinton, with the exception of Lyndon Johnson in Vietnam, would have been a better approach. If you look back at those administrations, you see a pattern of limited military actions executed with surgical precision and dependence on military force deployed by air, be it bombing or no fly zones. And if necessary, the U.S. could have moved “in and out” again on the ground to eliminate any further threats. We did so May 2, 2011 to eliminate Osama bin Laden in Pakistan next door. Such an approach would have reduced the 2,200 U.S. soldiers killed and 17,674 wounded and over $600 billion expended thus far. The loss of Afghan lives is estimated at 132,000 and counting.

Regarding the Iraq War, I ponder the many, many alternatives the United States could have used to remove Saddam Hussein from power instead of a preemptive invasion. – – Think CIA, air power, etc. Likewise, the search for WMD could have been accomplished surreptitiously rather than, “We’re here and the WMD are not!” Instead, 4,486 U.S. soldiers killed and 32,021 wounded and over $800 billion expended. The toll of Iraqi lives is estimated at somewhere between 150,000 and 300,000…….and the killing there still goes on.

Then there are the plethora of legal, Constitutional matters that have arisen since September 11 over these past 12 years: violations of people’s Constitutional rights as a result of the Patriot Act and its successor Act, acts of torture condoned at the highest levels of our government, existence and operation of the prison facility at Guantanamo, the rights of prisoners and tribunals vs. trial by our criminal justice system, the use of “blank sites” in foreign counties to hold prisoners indefinitely, atrocities such as Abu Graib, the use of drones, etc. While I have grave concerns regarding all the above, I am reassured by our American past. I have faith that we will work toward justice and getting it right in the end. I am referring to our American Civil War and the conduct and actions of President Lincoln as Commander in Chief to preserve the Union. His suspension of the writ of habeas corpus (the protection against arbitrary arrest and detention indefinitely without going to trial) and the use of military tribunals instead of the civil and criminal justice system were his most egregious acts. Just as we survived that dark chapter in our nation’s history, we will muddle through the legal questions thrust upon us by our fight against terrorism and right our wrongs and admit our faults in the end.

Excuse us for living, struggling through these past 12 years. My last reflection is that of the terrible loss of the lives of the men and women serving in the military, those left maimed in the extreme to lesser injuries, and the vast commitment of resources and treasure expended. As mercenary as it sounds, all three are bound together in a recent estimate of 6 trillion dollars spent on the wars and that will be spent when all is said and done throughout the lives of the disabled Veterans until the end of their days on this earth. That is my most disconcerting reflection, the losses to our country in lives and resources that, but for the acts and threats of terrorism, could have been put to the productive purposes of our country. In these difficult economic times, after these 12 years, I reflect on what we had to do to fight terrorism, what we could have done better, and what we did not have to do at all. After 12 years we are overcoming terrorism. It is in that last point – – when we overreact – – that I regret to say when we do so, the terrorists become the victors.

Comments: What are your reflections after these 12 years? What do YOU want to say?

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