What Are They So Afraid Of?

Two years ago, when the country was in the first half of the so-called "Recession", both houses of Republicans and Democrats could not seem to find the $38 Million necessary to extend Unemployment for 12 weeks. It was just around Thanksgiving, with Christmas coming fast, when they held the fate of so many, hostage for so long. $38 Million; a drop in the Sea of Debt compared to the billions wasted in Iraq, when we should have been concentrating on Afghanistan instead. When we should have been rebuilding our own infrastructure and providing shovel ready jobs for the Unemployed, instead of padding the pockets of Halliburton and their ilk.

You can imagine my reaction the other day when I read that the Congress, and the Senate, both Republicans and Democrats alike, had approved $50 Million to be spent on security measures for next year's Democratic National Convention, which is to be held in Charlotte in September. I wondered, first, will this be a repeat of the last Democratic Convention in 2008? At that event protesters were kept several blocks away from the proceedings, in a state of irrelevance, to exercise their First Amendment Rights.

The second thought that came to mind was that the North Carolina National Guard will be on deployment to Kuwait at the time, leaving a "hole" in our security measures. Who will be filling that breech, and how much extra will that cost compared to having the local National Guard performing this duty? This is one time that finding the answer does not require you to "follow the money", but to follow the power instead.

Executive Order 12656 was signed into law by President Reagan in November 1988, just before he left office in January 1989. On the surface it appears to be about the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but scratch the surface and sniff a bit, and the implications of this sweeping document stink. Remember, Presidential Executive Orders, become law simply by their publication in the Federal Registry. Congress is not consulted, nor the Senate notified. They become laws, whether Constitutional or not.

Executive Order 12656 names the National Security Council as the principal body that would consider any emergency powers, should they become necessary. Not Congress, not the Senate; the National Security Council. This allows them, at their own discretion, to conduct domestic intelligence and surveillance in the United States, as well as restrict the freedom of travel by its citizens. Further, this Order; I cannot bring myself to call it Law; grants the authority to this unelected Council to isolate large groups of civilians in the event of mass demonstrations and civil unrest. The National Guard could be federalized to do the bidding of the Council. The Council may even suspend local, elected officials, replacing them with regional military commanders. Much of this law was written with Colonel Oliver North, celebrated figure of the Iran-Contra scandal. He was hailed as a hero by President Reagan even as he was fired him for stealing missiles, which were then sold to Israel, who in turn sold them to Iran as a defense against Iraq during their 8 year war with one another. Of course, at the time, Iran was being sanctioned and not allowed to buy weapons from anyone.

What has this to do with the Convention next summer, and the National Guard being out of the country? Plenty. With the local National Guard out of the country, then who will fill the void should it become necessary to do so? With protests likely to be taking place in numerous cities around the country, and some of those National Guard units deployed overseas as well, it is possible to have foreign troops on the ground, here in America, policing the Convention. Feel safe yet? If the American "peace" officer in the photo above is willing to pepper spray you like a roach, then what would a "Peacekeeper" from NATO be willing to do?

Here is a great link concerning Presidential Executive Orders in general, listing some of the most sweeping ones; http://dmc.members.sonic.net/sentinel/gvcon5.html

And here is a link to Executive Order 12656 in it's entirety;

http://www.fas.org/irp/offdocs/EO12656.htm

"Alphaville" by Michael Cordella and Bruce Bennett

Mr. Cordella has, with this book, given us a look not only at the decay of New York City during the 1970's as a whole, but also a close up look at the Housing Authority and the mammoth job it takes to police it. He even takes us back to some of the early efforts to reform the poor on the Lower East Side, an area he would come to know well as a member of the New York Housing Authority Police. He also offers some insight into just how things got so messed up in what was designed to be a "utopian" project by Robert Moses back in the 1930's. It was idealistic in it's design, but flawed in that it cut people off from the community at large, becoming a vertical city all it's own.

The original residents who lived in the "projects", as they came to be known, were Italian, Jewish and Irish. They moved up and out. Replacing those groups were people who came from the Puerto Rican and the African-American migrations of the late 1940's through the early 1960's. Along with this changing demographic came the drug trade.

The book is written in an engaging fashion, with alternating chapters about the authors life leading up to his career as a Police Officer, and chapters about the projects, their unique set of rules for survival in a vertical jungle, and the politics that drove it all to where it is today. The land speculation of the late 1970's, which gave way to the revitilization of these blighted areas is not ignored here, but rather explored. Was it justifiable to price the poor out in order to create a tax base?

The author goes on to explain just how the Knapp Commission, and the politics, of the late 1960's further weakened any efforts at law enforcement. While corruption and vice raged all about, by the early 1980's the AIDS epidemic had reared it's head, further victimizing those on the bottom rungs of society, while the politicians and social engineers took almost 7 years to start a simple needle exchange program in an epidemic environment.

Using informants, and taking names in an effort to shut down one of the biggest dealers on the Lower East Side, the author manages to put a small dent in a problem of Biblical proportions.

An engaging portrait of a city in upheaval, and denial, this book puts you on the front lines of the failed War on Drugs, from Coney Island to the Lower East Side. If you grew up in New York City during those years, or even if you didn't, this book will take you beyond "NYPD Blue", "Homicide" and all the rest of the usual cop shows, giving you a ringside seat into the thoughts and actions behind the "War on Drugs." Be careful, you may not like what you read.

Huguette Clark - Peace at Last

Huguette Clark, the copper heiress who became the center of a media frenzy, and who's estate came under state investigation last year, has died. I was going to take the day off from posting, though I do have something about the Battle of Malta, which took place 500 years ago this week. It was a pivotal battle, one which has had repercussions that last to this very day. But I'll get to that tomorrow.

I became aware of Ms. Clark, who has not been photographed for the last 70 years, like everyone else, when she became the object of a media investigation into her whereabouts. There was also some question as to whether she was really alive at all, and allegations that her death had been covered up for the benefit of her accountant's and attorney's. I couldn't keep my eyes off of the story. It had that Howard Hughes aura about it.

Here was a young woman, born into financial wealth and luxury on the scale of today's biggest media stars, who simply disappeared. Known to be extremely shy, she avoided the media, and a social life, for the sake of that privacy. She actually died under a phony name, in a room that didn't officially exist. What drove her to such an extreme way of living; pardon me, what made her choose to not live at all?

Her last days were reportedly marked by failed eyesight, poor hearing, and at times a disinterest in eating. She was 104- and would've been 105 on June 9th. I don't feel sorry for her, but I do for that little girl in the photo, who would never go on to live the dreams that you can see in her young eyes...

See also;

http://getlitsf.blogspot.com/

"Growing Up Laughing" by Marlo Thomas

A few years ago I read Danny Thomas' autobiography. It was brilliant, taking the reader on a journey from childhood to one of the true Kings of Comedy. Danny Thomas was the driving force, and producer of, at least five prime time sitcoms, and along the way, set the standard for the genre.

Mr. Thomas passed away just before completing the recording of his book. His daughter, Marlo Thomas, of "That Girl" fame, went on to finish the book tape. Several chapters of the book "Make Room For Danny" had not been recorded, and in a stroke of genius, Ms. Thomas decided to finish the tape by having her fathers friends, all famous comedians themselves, read portions of the final chapters. That was great. But what was even better was that she read the final chapter of her father's book herself. This was about 15 years ago and I instantly became a fan of Ms. Thomas and her outlook on life.

The author takes you from her childhood, growing up surrounded by the legends of comedy; luminaries such as Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, and George Burns, just to name a few, had a profound effect on the author and the direction her life would take. With priceless stories of family dinners, and the entertainment provided by some of Hollywood's funniest people in her home, this book engages the reader from page 1, and doesn't let go until the very last page.

The story of Danny Thomas not being allowed to join the Hillcrest Country Club in Hollywood is hysterical. At the time, Jews were not allowed to join any of the exclusive Country Clubs in Hollywood. So, they formed their own. And one day some one realized that Danny Thomas, with his large nose, and dark Middle Eastern looks, was not Jewish at all! A meeting was hastily arranged and a vote taken. All voted to let Mr. Thomas join, except Groucho Marx. His problem was that the "non-Jew" looked too Jewish. He relented under very little pressure and Danny Thomas was a member of the Club for the remainder of his life.

Organized in a most unusual manner, the narrative shifts from Ms. Thomas' early recollections as a child, to stories of her mother and father. This would be enough to make a good book. But what makes this book so different and insightful, are the interviews she conducts with some of today's top comedians, and the influence that Danny Thomas and his contemporaries had upon them. Some of the interviews are conducted by phone, others by printed questions, and some in person. This gives the book a feeling of spontaneity, almost as if the reader is part of the conversations. Using interviews with Lily Tomlin, Billy Crystal, Jerry Seinfield, Whoppi Goldberg and Joan Rivers, to name a few, underscores this influence, making the book all the more relevant.

Exploring the different approaches taken by various comedians, ranging from Sid Caeser to Chris Rock, is a veritable education in comedy. What makes an audience happy? How do you read them within a few minutes of taking stage? Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno weigh in on this issue, providing the answer to what makes people laugh, and more importantly, why?

Some of the best parts of this book are the wonderful, and loving stories, that the author tells about her father. She clearly adored him, as did everyone who knew him.

The book also delves into the way Hollywood, and the entertainment industry, treated women in the early 1960's. Ms. Thomas' show, "That Girl", paved the way for Mary Tyler Moore, Rhoda and all the female based sitcoms that surfaced in the 1970's. These werenot Lucille Ball type characters. They were independent, strong willed women.

Most people are unaware that Ms. Thomas, along with Betty Friedan and Bella Abzug, were partners in setting up the Ms. Foundation. In spite of her feminist leanings she finds herself meeting with, and subsequently becoming married to, Phil Donahue, a veritable love story in itself, that still endures today. This is a very unusual feat in the entertainment business, where long separations are often the norm.

Before reading this book I had no idea at what the author had accomplished on her own, beyond "That Girl". In a career which now spans over 40 years, Ms. Thomas has played all sorts of roles, from an Indian on a TV western to the lead role in the London Production of "Barefoot In the Park". She posesses all the skills of a "triple threat." She acts, produces and directs.

In the 1980's she was the driving force behind "Free to Be - You and Me", which won awards for it's message of tolerance and understanding. Several more books followed.

This is a very entertaining book. I read it in 2 days, picking it up in every spare moment available. Of course one of my favorite parts concerned the St. Judes Children's Center, which Danny Thomas began in fulfillment of a pledge he had made to St. Jude when he was expecting his first child and had no money. That Ms. Thomas, along with her brother and sister, all continue to support the activities at the hospital speaks volumes about them as people. It also says a lot about the parents who raised them.

An accomplished author, actress, Emmy winner, activist and wife, this woman has done it all. And very quietly, too. This is a very comfortable read.

"New York" a Documentary by Ric Burns / Discs 5-8

Everything about this documentary is a delight. From the cover photo of "Steel Workers at Lunch" by Charles C. Ebbets, right down to the closing credits on Disc 8, this film really moves at a brisk pace, imparting a whole lot of information in the process.

Disc 5 begins with the return of the troops at the close of first World War. The footage of the ticker tape parade is particularly interesting, and I found myself looking for my Grandfather. The film simply involves the viewer to that extent. Of course, being a native New Yorker doesn't hurt my love for this film. This is the New York my older relatives spoke of. These are the streets and the people with whom they would have associated. This is as close as I can ever come to experiencing their world, as they saw it.

Disc 6 deals with the end of the Post War Boom and the subsequent collapse of the Stock Market in 1929. It follows the city through the Depression years, which were the ones my parents always spoke of. Again, this is as close as I can get to being there, my parent's stories aside. As the Depression deepens the city struggles to survive and with the help of the NRA and WPA, it does. Some of the greatest buildings in New York went up at this time. My Great Grandfather worked as a brickmason on the Empire State Building, so watching these "skyscrapers" rise on film is a real treat. Again, I found myself looking for a relative in the films.

Disc 7 was a bit of a disappointment as I really expected it to pick up with the year 1941 and the entrance of the United States into World War Two. I thought there would be at least some study of the city during the war years, with the blackouts, and the U-boats lurking off Coney Island. These were the stories upon which I was raised and I had very much hoped to see here.

Instead, Disc 7 explores the city between the years 1945 and 2000, casting it in relation to the rest of the world. The films were very well placed and the dialougue and interview portions lent light to some of the late 1940's and 1950's, particularly in relation to the arts, as well as commerce.

Disc 8 was kind of like a booster for the city, covering the years 1946-2003, which seemed a bit redundant, and entitled "The Center of the World." This disc really explored the commercial redevelopment of the city from a crime infested metropolis, which by the 1970's had become almost too complex to police correctly, to the re-emergence of New York, especially Times Square, as a once again vibrant and safe place in which to live and work. It also explores the recent demographic changes in Immigrant population and it's effect on our own culture.

If you love New York, then this film will not fail to deliver. And as a documentary it bears all the hallmarks of what we have come to expect from Ric Burns. Best part is that he can't help it. Along with his acclaimed brother Ken Burns, I'd say it's in their genes.

Oleans Street - My Secret Walks

There are so many places in Brooklyn, New York, where I grew up, that can leave you wondering, at times, where you really are. Years ago, when I still lived there, I had a habit of walking each evening from about 9 PM until about 2 AM. On any given night you could find me wandering around the streets. It was my habit to walk the area bounded by Sheepshead Bay to the South, and Cortelyou Road to the North, where the subway leaves the elevated line and goes underground.

My meanderings East and West were from Ocean Parkway to Flatbush Avenue, with a customary stop at the Wyckoff-Bennett House, pictured above, on East 22nd Street. The house is from 1763 and used to face South, it was moved sometime around 1900. When I was really little, we lived on Bedford Avenue and Kings Highway. It was 5 long blocks, but not too far to keep us from going there on Halloween. They gave out old silver dollars. This was about 1959.

While in Kindergarten across the street at Public School 197, Ms. Gerber used to take us across Kings Highway (6 lanes!) to see the house and garden. She told us that George Washington had slept there and that these trees had seen him! When I got older and would take my nightly walks I used to enjoy standing beneath the huge old trees that adorned the sidewalk in front of the house. Their leafy canopies offered me shelter from whatever it was I was trying to walk away from. I would rest there and then continue on my nightly quest for, I'm not sure what.

One evening, late, it was after dark, I found myself on the quietest street I could ever have imagined. It was called Oleans Street and could have been a lane in a small country town. I have thought often of the darkness and quiet beauty of this street over the many years since I left Brooklyn. I've often wondered how it got there, slanted amidst the neat rows of numbered and alphabetized streets that make up most of the borough. And while browsing the site Forgotten Brooklyn.com yesterday I got my answer.

Oleans Street runs for 2 blocks between East 22nd and East 24th Streets, and diagonally between Avenues N and O. This came about as a result of Ocean Avenue being straightened. Older maps indicate that it was curved in several places until it became a main route that runs all the way to Sheepshead Bay. Oleans Street was, at one time, a part of Ocean Avenue. You can still see the overhead power lines for the old trolley in this picture.

The most beautiful thing about this area were the gardens. I was raised in an apartment, and although my father kept window boxes of geraniums, we had nothing like these beautiful lawns and flower beds, which adorned the homes around Bedford Avenue, as well as my beloved Oleans Street. So, this was a magical place that I have always looked back upon with secret affection. I just didn't think anyone else knew about it!

The streets of Brooklyn are a hodge-podge of history. The old Dutch names recall the times of the earliest settlements, some of which were in nearby Gravesend and Flatbush. I was never bored as a child, there was always somewhere to go, or something to see. The past still seemed present when I was a child.

I'm not sure why, maybe it's the change in the weather, but I find myself looking back, more and more these last few days, to Brooklyn and the past. And though I know I'll never go back there, at least for any length of time, a part of me will always be walking those same streets, drinking it all in and remembering those walks. Still looking for, I'm not sure what..

America's Girl - Gertrude Ederle by Tim Dahlberg

This is a fascinating account of an American woman who was way ahead of her time. After training for and winning the Olympics in Paris 1924 she goes on to become the first woman to swim the English Channel. She also beats the previous record set by men.

Born October 23, 1905 in NYC she trained for the Olympics by swimming from Battery Park in NYC to Sandy Hook, New Jersey against the tide. The distance was 21 miles. At one point she was actually swimming in place for 2 hours! Another favorite spot for her to train was the shorter distance between Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn to Brighton Beach.

The Paris Olympics of 1924 included swimmers like Johnny Weissmuller who would later go on to play Tarzan in the movies.

Jabez Wolffe, her trainer for the crossing, was a 22 time failed aspirant but knew the currents and risks better than anyone else. With his steady hand and knowledge of the endeavor she was about to undertake he guides her to sucess.

One of the biggest problems she faced was the drag created by the women's swimsuits of the day. Although these were not the skirt and leggings type of suits, they were made of heavy wool, which added weight. She needed something better. So she made her own version of a bikini by cutting the suit into a bra and shorts. Slathered with crude oil to ward off the cold of the frigid waters in the Channel she went on to triumph over the elements and set new standards for women everywhere.

Arriving home to New York she is given a Tickertape Parade the likes of which would not be seen again. The Parades for Lindbergh and even the World War Two Victory Parades (VE and VJ Day) would be dwarfed by comparison.

Set against the backdrop of the 1920's and flappers and jazz, the book is written in a very readable fashion. With the aid of Gertrude Ederle's niece, who kept every newspaper clipping about her famous Aunt, the book is an accurate and inspiring story of the determination it takes to make dreams come true.

And swimming must be good for you- Ms. Ederle passed away at age 98.