"Brooklyn Steel - Blood Tenacity" by Frank Trezza

It's unusual for me to review the same book twice. As a matter of fact, this is probably the first time that I have done it. But Mr. Trezza was raised on East 17th Street between Avenue S and T in Brooklyn. I was raised on Avenue R between East 13th and 14th Streets. We both used to eat the Italian bread on the way home from the bakery, while it was still warm and soft. We played in the same streets.

So, you see, I've got to give this book another shout out! It is seemingly short, being less than 200 pages, but packs a wallop that will stay with you even after you have finished reading. It is the story of a young man searching for a vocation and finding it in the shipyards, and later working aboard foreign ships. Mr. Trezza and I have both walked the same streets and made some of the same journeys in our lives. That we should come to meet through this blog fascinates me no end.

The book is at once the story of the early 1970's and making career choices, as well as the story of the implosion of the American shipbuilding trade through the abuses of both the politicians and the Unions themselves. It is also the story of a working man, striving in changing times, to keep pace with it all.

Don't Forget To Fall Back......

Don't forget to set your clocks back an hour tonite before you go to bed. Wouldn't want to cheat yourself out of an extra hour of whatever you might be doing at 2 AM! I actually waited up one year to see how the TV stations handled it. I fell asleep in front of the TV at about 1:30 AM, so that falls under the "Failed Research - To Be Retried at a Later Date" category. That list gets longer every year. I'm going to try and enjoy staying up a little bit later, and then also waking up a little bit later, which will still really be a little bit earlier, so the whole thing will even out in the end.

Guy Fawkes Day - 1605

Today is the Anniversary of Guy Fawkes Day, that occassion in 1605 when Mr. Fawkes, an English Catholic, was captured while attempting to blow up Parliment with casks of gunpowder stored below the Parliment chambers. While the plot failed, he was instantly immortalized in song and poem. You might call him one of the earliest "ant-hero" characters in history.

The "Gunpowder Plot" happened after King James the First fell through on his promises to end persecution of Catholics. Guido Fawkes was an English Catholic. The law in England then, as now, states that no Catholic can ever be Monarch. And just to make sure that this never happens, the Queen is still the head of the Church of England.

So there will be bonfires and celebrations in Britain tonite as the English celebrate the day that Guy Fawkes didn't blow up Parliment. Or maybe they are celebrating because he tried....

Old English Poem - Fifth of November

Remember, remember, the 5th of November
The Gunpowder Treason and plot ;
I know of no reason why Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.
Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes,
'Twas his intent.
To blow up the King and the Parliament.
Three score barrels of powder below.
Poor old England to overthrow.
By God's providence he was catch'd,
With a dark lantern and burning match

Holloa boys, Holloa boys, let the bells ring
Holloa boys, Holloa boys, God save the King!

Hip hip Hoorah !
Hip hip Hoorah !

A penny loaf to feed ol'Pope,
A farthing cheese to choke him.
A pint of beer to rinse it down,
A faggot of sticks to burn him.
Burn him in a tub of tar,'
Burn him like a blazing star.
Burn his body from his head,
Then we'll say: ol'Pope is dead.

"The Man Behind The Nose" by Larry "Bozo" Harmon

I never knew that there was a real "Bozo" the clown. By that, I mean I thought that each city had it's own version of "Bozo", and I was probably of the opinion that these guys were like department store "Santas" at Christmas, mostly guys that couldn't hold a real job. Drunks. Was I ever wrong!

The "real" Bozo the Clown was a man named Larry Harmon, born Lawrence Weiss on January 2, 1925 in Toledo, Ohio. As a child he "discovered" Al Jolson and the course of his life was changed forever. He became hooked on the limelight that comes with entertainment.

After a few stints in school marching bands, he had a thing for the drums, the future Bozo went to war. He served in the Army as a Private in World War Two. Working in the Entertainment Corps gave him the opportunity to meet Al Jolson, his boyhood idol. Mr. Jolson takes an interest in him, encouraging his ambitions to become an entertainer. When they meet a second time, Mr. Jolson tells him that he has improved greatly and should really consider show businesss in lieu of Mr. Harmon's desire to be a doctor. He tells him, "Being a doctor of Medicine is honorable, but you'll touch so many more lives as a doctor of laughter."

With this encouragement, Mr. Harmon goes to USC on the GI Bill, majoring in Theater.Upon graduating he auditioned at NBC studios in Los Angeles. He is chosen to play "Captain Comet", one of the first space characters to appear on TV. His character was a space pilot from Venus who comes to earth as a guide for the Universe. Ironically, Mr. Harmon was a tremendous fan of the race to break the sound barrier, and later, a strong enthusiast of NASA's Space Program, an interest which he managed to incorporate into his show. He actually flew in the Zero Gravity plane with the Mercury Astronauts, reporting about it on his show.

In 1956 he bought the rights to the "Bozo" character. He then set out to license other "Bozo's" to take the show to other cities across the country. From there it was a non-stop journey, with trips around the world. His adventures with the Cannibals in New Guinea, after his plane crashed, are extraordinary. After meeting the tribesmen, who are fascinated by the size of his feet, he is wined and dined. He then entertains them as Bozo, and leaves alive, proving that laughter is the Universal Cure for all that divides us.

This is a very unusual book about a very unusual guy. At first I found it hard to take "Bozo" seriously, since my memories of him are all tied up with the image of his size 83XXX shoes and the red hair and nose. But beneath this facade was a very deep man, with vision and dreams.

When all is said and done, Al Jolson was right. Larry Harmon did become that "Doctor of Laughter", and he did touch many more lives in his journey as Bozo the Clown.

"Mao's Great Famine" by Frank Dikotter

China has always been a fascinating subject for me. Their recorded history spans over 6,000 years. But the time period that has always interested me the most are the years between the Boxer Rebellion in 1903 and the Cultural Revolution of 1966. These years are filled with the story of a nation struggling to right itself after thousands of years spent living under fuedal warlords in a land too large to be Governed Centrally, given both the large distances and the limitations of communications technology at the time.

Before World War Two,China was engaged in an internal struggle to rid herself of the foreign powers that had literally carved her up into commercial zones. Politically, the country was constantly in upheaval, as the Nationalist forces struggled against the Communists forces for control of China's political destiny. Would the Nationalists prevail, or would the country go Communist? That question had to be put on hold as the Chinese people cast aside their internal differences to battle a common enemy; the Japanese agression of the 1930's and 1940's.

When the war ended, the Chinese, under Mao Tse Tung, forced Chiang Kai-Chek into exile on the island of Formosa, and established the Communist government we came to regard as "Red China" on the mainland. Growing up we were told in school all about the advances in literacy and agriculture, as well as industry, that were being made there under Communism. This was all done in an effort to teach us tolerance of other forms of government. The implication was that to be a Communist doesn't automatically make you the enemy. And China has evolved into a major player in every aspect of the world, both economically and industrially. But the path to get there was long and hard.

The abuses heaped deliberately upon the Soviet people pale in comparison to the arbitrary decisions that were made by Chairman Mao, affecting one quarter of the worlds population. The abuses and insanity of the Cultural Revolution are well documented, as in Ji Li Jiang's wonderful memoir "Red Scarf Girl." Having lived through that time here in America, I had some knowledge of something happening in China, through TV and news reports. But until recently I had never known that China suffered a massive famine between the years 1958 and 1962. "Mao's Great Famine" is the story of that period, officially called The Great Leap Forward.

It is unimaginable, to the average American, to live in a country which is so underdeveloped, that the Government would send operatives door to door to collect any metal, or tinware, that was in your home. This metal would then be taken to a collective, or community, furnace for smelting into steel. The result was often inferior "pig iron." Still though, you had to turn it all in to meet the quota. It didn't matter that it was no good. So you just passed it on. Multiply this by millions.

Now imagine having lived in an agricultural community of the same country, where there were quotas set on your production. It doesn't matter if it rained, or not, you still had to meet your quota. So, many farmers hid some of the food for their own families. Multiply this by millions.

This is the way the "Great Leap Forward" played itself out. Before it was over, millions of people had died of starvation. Millions of others had died from disease and overwork in inferior steel mills and other failed industrial efforts.

The economic system was utterly destroyed, replaced by a black market system trading in various state issued coupons. Many of these coupons were restricted to the area in which one lived, which in turn restricted an individuals ability to move about freely. In cases like that, black markets offered, for sale or exchange, other coupons. Cash actually lost it's purchasing power.

One of the major effects of all of this was the mass migration of farmers from the countryside into the cities. Forced to give their crops to the state, and then subsisting only on what the state allowed them to keep, was so dispiriting that many simply left the farms. The wages, and coupons, that could be earned in factories seemed like a much better idea. But upon arriving in the cities the average worker found himself underpaid, and often underfed, as the cities began to feel the pinch of the overcrowding, as well as the dwindling amount of food being produced. At that point, every one is forced to go home.

This is one of the best books you will find concerning the failed policies of the "Great leap Forward." Mr.Dikotter has done an excellent job in making the subject both informative and readable. Given the complexity of the material, this was not an easy thing to accomplish.

The book is comprehensive and well written. It is not designed to look down upon, nor to ridicule, the policies of the past in China. More than that, it serves as a spotlight on a very dark and often misunderstood period in modern Chinese history. The more that is written about China under Mao, the more one has to wonder, how did so many, allow so much, to go wrong for so long a time.

Rooftop Votes

I voted today in the "Mid Term" elections. I don't expect much change to come of it, but I vote for just the opposite reason that I am told not to bother. By this I mean that, if my vote is just a meaningless ritual that the Government has me go through every few years, just to make it all seem legitimate, then they, in effect, need me just as much as I do them. Interesting thought... and I welcome differing opinions.

A sign of hope at the polls today was the daughter of Blake Kiger,one of the School Board candidates. I don't really follow the School Board stuff anymore, being an "empty nester", with grandkids whom all live out of state, but Sue and I figured it this way - if this guy could get his obviously intelligent and well poised 12 year old out to pull for her old man, he must know something about kids. And so,he got our votes.

Long and short of it is this, get out and vote! They make it real easy, even for the Handicapped. You drive to the polling place,or someone drives you, and then wait in the car while someone goes in to get a Waiver and Ballot form. A Poll Watcher comes out, checks your ID, which is something they do not do inside and should, and then lets you vote in your car. I'm not there yet, but it's nice to have the option should the need arise.

Another moment worth remembering was the Referendum for the County to "Not Appoint as Sheriff any person who has been Convicted of a Felony." My knee jerk reaction was to say, "Duh", and I voted for it. While talking with another guy on the way out though, we both agreed that there was much merit to the question, "Which types of Felony's", and what about stuff in the future that may become a Felony. So, we both left with reservations concerning that issue, though my gut instinct still tells me it's a good idea to keep Convicted Felons from becoming Sheriff.

So, go and Vote! If not for you, do it for me. Oh, and it's free. And, more importantly, if you don't vote, then you forfeit your right to complain.

"Winter's Bone" with Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes

There are no friends in the drug game. Sometimes there isn't even family that can be counted on, let alone trusted. When everybody is out to protect their own interests, survival becomes a primary instinct, eclipsing both the good and the evil lurking within each of us.

Seventeen year old Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence)lives with her brother, sister and a mother who has never recovered from a breakdown. Ree is the adult in the house. The family lives in a dilapidated house in a rural town in the Midwest. Her father, a methamphetamine addict and "cooker", has been absent for several weeks, and misses a court appearance, which will cause the family to lose their home. Ree sets out to find him.

Set against the backdrop of a cold and harsh winter, the people who populate Ree's town are starkly portrayed. Their hopelessness is palpable. The men are all involved in either using, or "cooking" crank, while their wives sit by in inexplicable silence. "This is just the way it is", seems to be the attitude. Ree will not accept this.

Embarking on a journey to find her Dad pits her against everyone. Her relatives don't seem to want to help, and the town Sheriff is not to be trusted. Ree has just one week to find her father and turn him in. If she doesn't she loses the house and her family will be split up. There is one alternative - if her Dad is dead, and she can prove it, then the bail jumping charges will disappear and the family can survive.

This movie will keep you interested and engaged as Ree struggles, against her father's family, and the law, in order to survive. Along the way, she learns just how hard she can be to protect what's hers. And with that realization comes the knowledge that she is just like everyone else. With it's sparse and tightly controlled Direction, this movie is a winner.