"Branch Rickey" by Jimmy Breslin

You don't have to be a sports fan in order to enjoy this book. You don't even have to be from Brooklyn. But it helps. Jimmy Breslin, one of the best newspaper columnists ever, colored my world each day while I was growing up in New York. His columns were satirical, witty and even educational. Through those columns, and several of his books, I learned so much about the politics that drove New York in the 1960's. His novel, "The Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight" still stands the test of time, and, along with Damon Runyon's "Guys and Dolls", will forever serve as a portrait of a bygone era in the history of the city.

Now add to Mr. Breslin's accomplishments this fine 146 page book, which is at once a biography of one of baseball's leading figures, and also the story of Jackie Robinson's entry into the Major Leagues. Branch Rickey served as his "Rabbi" in that endeavor. And what an endeavor it was!

At the close of the Second World War many African-Americans returned home to face the same old Jim Crow laws and segregation that they had left behind while fighting overseas. Freedom abroad and segregation at home was not going to work anymore.

Mr. Breslin paints a fine picture of Branch Rickey, extolling his virtues along with his quirkiness. In a ball park where everyone drank, Mr. Rickey was like Molly Hatchet, regaling reporters and players with the hazards of drink. Coming from an overweight, cigar puffing man in his 50's, this only served to endear him more to those who knew him.

Mr. Rickey did so much for baseball. He established the modern day "farm league", de-segregated the sport, and just by being Branch Rickey, kept the game exciting and viable. Don't get me wrong, he was in it for the money, he sold players, that was his job. He had been a player himself, until World War One interrupted his career, while he served overseas in the First Gas Regiment as a chemical-assault engineer. When he returned home he managed the St. Louis Browns, until he was replaced, at which time he went over to the St. Louis Cardinals as manager.

During the 1920's he began buying teams all across the United States, from farm leagues to Negro leagues, and even women's leaugues, amassing a small army of minor leaguers, some of whom would go on to bigger and better days in baseball.

During the Second World War, in July of 1944, Jackie Robinson had been in some trouble. (He refused to give up a seat on a bus in Temple, Texas.) He was given a General Court Martial and faced some serious time in prison. The fact that the military police officer in charge of the arrest had called him a "nigger" caused all charges to be dropped, and Lt. Robinson was released.

By 1946 Jackie Robinson was playing for the Montreal Royals in the minor leagues. He hit .349 and stole 40 bases. He was beginning to attract attention. Team owners met in Chicago and began to discuss the "race question" in baseball. This was the first step towards Jackie Robinson, along with Branch Rickey, breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball.

A short, informative read, filled with stories of baseball legends and lore, this is the perfect book for the beginning of another season of America's favorite pastime.

Jacob Pensinger, Jr. - Civil War Vet

Listed in the Biographical Annals of Franklin County, Pennsylvania is one Jacob Pensinger, Sr. The photograph shown here is of Jacob, Jr., his son, who served, along with two of his brothers, George and David, in the Civil War. They were all born and raised on a farm near Greencastle, Pa.

Jacob Pensinger Jr. was born in the year 1813. He enlisted in the Union Army sometime in 1862. He was 49 years old when he volunteered. It is speculated among the family that his having 15 children may have had something to do with his enlisting at such an advanced age. It's possible that the relative peace and tranquility of war may have been preferable to the noise level in his own home!

According to the Annals , he enlisted in Company D of the 126th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. This would be the first of the 2 enlistments he made during the war. He served with the 126th at both the Battle of Fredericksburg and at the Battle of Chancellorsville.

At the conclusion of that period, he re-enlisted with the 21st Pennsylvania Cavalry, fighting with that regiment at the Battles of Cold Harbor, and eventually at Appomattox, where Grant took Lee's surrender in April of 1865. He mustered out shortly afterward in Lynchburg, Virginia, returning home to Franklin County.

My wife, Sue's family has a rich and diverse history, having first arrived in America back in the early 1700's aboard the ship Patience, landing in Philadelphia. There is also a wealth of information about them on line. Here is a letter from a Captain Davidson, written to Jacob, Jr., concerning the mortal wounding of a mutual friend, Sgt. Rupley, in the fighting near Chancellorsville. There is also a postscript which informs Jacob of his brother David's good fortune in escaping from the battle unhurt;

Camp near Falmouth, Va.
May 7th. 1863.

Mr. Jacob Pensinger

Dear Sir:-Having arrived in camp late last evening, I take this the first opportunity to inform you of the death of Sergt Simon W. Rupley of my Company. He was severely wounded in the action near Chancellersville about 11 o'clock A. M. on the third of May and died on the evening of that day in the hospital of our division.

In him we have lost one of the best soldiers in the company, and Greencastle certainly one of its best citizens. I have received from the surgeon in charge of the hospital what notions he had in his pockets when he died, Viz-1 pocket book containing $7.65, 1 knife, comb, testament and etc. He was buried in a coffin near the hospital.

You please communicate these facts to his wife and oblige.

Yours respectfully,

Capt. A. R. Davison, Co. K.

P. S. - Your brother David escaped unhurt. Lieutenant Rowe is severely wounded though not dangerously, George Missavy died of his wounds. John Rebinsoa, Wm. F. Rupert, Scott K. Snively, Iac Winger and John Beamisdefer were all slightly wounded.

In Co. B, Johnathan Bowman is missing I don't know who are wounded.
Wm. H. Snively of Co. K. is also missing and I suppose taken prisoner, at least we have not heard from him since the action.

I will take the articles from Sergt. Rupley home with me when I come home which will be between 15th and 20th of month.

Andy.

Living around the area of Gettysburg, Pa. during the Civil War, this family was witness to, and a part of, our national heritage. The sacrifices on both sides were great, and the issues involved enormous. So large, in fact, that some of these same issues continue to divide us today.

"Redemption" by Howard Fast

Howard Fast was one of America's most prolific authors. And the range of his work is truly phenomenal, encompassing Fiction, History and Religion. From the first time I read "April Morning", in 5th grade, the story of a young boy on the morning that the American Revolution began at Lexington and Concord, I was a fan. And over the years, although I have drifted almost entirely into non-fiction, his books have continued to draw me back as he explores new topics and interests. Hey, this is the guy who wrote "Spartacus."

This book, "Redemption", was written in 1999, just a few years before his death in March of 2003, at age 89. It is remarkably candid in it's exploration of the accidental relationship of Ike Goldman, a professor emeritus at Columbia University, and Elizabeth Hopper, a woman whom he meets while driving across the George Washington Bridge at about 3 AM. She is standing at the rail on the walkway, ready to jump. He, a widower of several years, is returning from a gathering of old cronies, talking law, politics, and smoking cigars. She is the battered and abused wife of a Wall Street tycoon, who will be found murdered very shortly after they meet. And the murder is committed with Ike's long forgotten pistol, which he hasn't seen in years.

This leaves two obvious suspects, both with ample motive, opportunity and time to commit the murder of the late Mr. Hopper. But is circumstancial evidence ever enough to be sure? Especially when it is a capital crime? As a professor of contract law, Ike must learn, with the aid of a former student turned defense counsel, to navigate the pathways of the justice system rather than the board room.

Mr. Fast did not just write simple novels. They can be taken at "face" value and make great reading. But the secret to his long and varied suceess as a writer has always been his ability to educate the reader along the way. The story is just a vehicle. The plot here encompasses Womens Right's, Faith, and the possibilities of fate accidently taking hold in one's life.

With a wedding between 79 year old Ike, and 47 year old Liz in the balance, the story takes on a whole new dimension, as Ike struggles with the seeming absurdity of love with a younger woman. Will his judgement, and integrity, be tempered by his emotions? Or will the simple logic of truth, which he has always taught, hold sway?

With supreme character development, as expected of Mr. Fast, the book takes on an urgency that will keep you turning pages. The court trial and jury summations are spot on to real life, leaving the reader just as unsure as in an actual courtroom, when the jury is really out.

Mr. Fast passed away in 2003, at age 89. He wrote until the end. I wish I had had the opportunity to thank him for the treasure of literature he has left behind.

"The Reader" with Kate Winslet and Ralph Fiennes

With powerful and moving performances by both Ms. Winslet and Mr. Fiennes, this movie tackles some very tough, and sensitive questions.

After the Second World War, there were all sorts of trials in Germany, ranging from Nuremberg to the smaller "truth" type commissions. Germany, as a nation, was re-inventing herself, under the dubious guise that "nobody knew anything" about what was going on.

Caught in this post war web of political re-structure are Hanna Schmitz, a streetcar conductress, played incredibly by Kate Winslet, and a young boy of 16, Michael, who becomes Hanna's lover. He is in high school. But there is something about Hanna that he cannot penetrate, and as a result of this, and their disparity in ages, they drift apart. He becomes a law student.

When, 8 years later, in 1966, his class is involved in one of the "commission" trials, Michael learns that Hanna was a guard at Auschwitz, selecting, along with 6 other guards, who was to die each month, as more women arrived and there was no room.

This is an intense movie that calls to question where the line is drawn between individual responsibilty, and the madness of the society around that individual. The age old question of just who is responsible for not only giving the orders, but at what point we, as individuals, are willing to pay the price for standing upon our principles is explored.

When the grown Michael, Ralph Fiennes, becomes a Prosecutor, years later, in 1988, Hanna becomes eligible for release after 22 years in prison. Her only link to the outside world, and her freedom, is Michael. He, at first, refuses her letters, setting off an emotional crisis within himself, calling upon him to answer some very difficult questions, about his own motivations. By this time he is married and has a daughter of his own.

This is a difficult film to watch on certain levels, but an important one. In order to understand the future, we must all face our pasts. In the final analysis, we are all our own judges, and in many cases, our own juries as well, as we attempt to escape from our pasts. Sometimes, we are even our own executioners, unwilling, or unable to pardon the things that we have done. And although others can see us as human, there are times when we cannot see ourselves fully.

Excellent direction, staging and acting make this a film worth watching.

"B.B. King - Live By Request" (2003)

If you have never seen BB King live, then this is as good as it gets!

The nickname "B.B.",which is short for "Blues Boy" was first bestowed upon him in Memphis on Beale Street. It stuck. And the sound that he created has spawned a generation of guitarists, some equal to, and some even surpassing, this legendary musician.

This is a very personal performance, one in which B.B. seems a little nervous as he gets ready to field requests for any one of the hundreds of songs he has written and recorded over the past 60 years. And aside from the music, the stories he relates between phone calls and requests, are gems, some of which appeared in his autobiography, and some that didn't.

The story of his guitar, named Lucille (he is currently on Licille 18, though this film from 2003 has him playing Lucille 16) began in 1949 in a town called Twist, Arkansas. It was in a "juke joint", with a 55 gallon drum filled halfway with kerosene for heat. Two guys fighting over a woman knocked it over, burning the place down. BB ran back to get his guitar,(he claims to have been the first one out the door)and almost got killed. The next day he found out the 2 guys were fighting over a woman named Lucille, and so he named his guitar for her, as a reminder to never do that again!

Between each number he explores the impact that his music has had upon 3 generations, with particular emphasis on "The Thrill Is Gone" in 1969, which was on my first B.B. King album. That was the song that opened up the whole world to him, thanks in part to the "British Invasion", which had it's roots in American rhythm and blues. Due to that influence, he went on his first world tour in 1970. And he hasn't stopped since.

Jeff Beck takes stage with B.B. for 2 numbers, "Rock Me Baby" and "Key to the Highway", and also helps him close the show with "The Cost to Be the Boss." With his inimitable style of playing, he is proof of the impact that B.B. King has had on so many musicians over the years, and by extension, us.

Calls for requests came from everywhere! All over America, North and South, even as far away as Argentina. One man called, relating how he met his wife 25 years ago at a B.B. King concert. In between playing and taking requests, B.B. also offered his advice on going to school, graduating, majoring in something that you like to do, while learning something you can make a living at. He also advises that young folks stay single until they're 40.

B.B. even had a story to tell about meeting Pope John Paul II, he gave him a guitar as a gift. Though you are never to directly touch the Pope, instead of handing the guitar to the Pope's aides, he offered it directly to the Pope, who took it. He was strumming it when B.B. left.

Packed with some of the best songs he has ever done, and playing with his long time band, B.B., who had a real problem playing during the '90's due to the constant pricking of his fingers to monitor his diabetes, has never sounded better.

This DVD came to me through the courtesy of George Peterson, one of the librarians at the Cornelius branch of the Mecklenburg County Public Library. We are both Buddy Guy fans and he bought this DVD in from his personal collection for me to see. That's what I love about the libraries, not only are they are a refuge for the soul, but also a place where ideas are exchanged, and friendships are formed.

Luis Posada Carriles (or) Why the World Hates Us: An Editorial.

This short article appeared inside the Charlotte Observer on Saturday, April 9th. It was on page 2A, but should have been front page news, rather than the story of the "last minute" agreement that will keep our Government afloat until Thursday. That was a no-brainer. This little article is so much more important. Why? Let me tell you.

The article is important because it goes a long way in explaining why so many people dislike us around the world. Don't get me wrong, they like our lifestyle, fashions and entertainment, but they don't like our government, or it's policies. And they have good reason to feel that way.

This article informs us that for DECADES, one Luis Posada Carriles, an 83 year old Cuban, has been destabilizing governments, while employed by the CIA, in Latin America. He is also wanted for the bombing of several hotels and the downing of at least one passenger airliner. Cuba and Venezuela are both trying to get him extradited to their respective countries in order to try him for acts of terrorism. And they should have that right. The man is a monster, 83 years old notwithstanding.

The United States has taken a very odd position in this affair. On the one hand they have been trying to deport him for 4 years, in an effort to show that we fight terrorism. On the other hand, the court has acquitted him of all charges related to the Immigration Violation, meaning that he can stay here in the United States for as long as he wishes.

What all this amounts to is that terrorism seems to be okay if it's our side inflicting the terror. Ask yourself, what is the difference between the actions of this man, who acted upon the orders of our own government, and those of Islamic terrorists, who are acting upon the orders of their governments? Quick answer, none.

Is it any wonder that so many people hate us for our duplicity in fighting a war on terror when we employ people to blow up airliners and hotels for DECADES? We support men like Mr. Carriles to do our "dirty" work, then put them on mock trial for some minor violation, in order to appease our critics, then we acquit them. Who are the terrorists here? In my opinion, Mr. Carriles should be returned to Cuba, but not to the Cubans. Put him in Gitmo with all the other terrorists. Clearly, that is where he belongs.

The Frog is Back in Town

We're not exactly sure where he spends the winter, but we are happy to report that the Frog is back in town. He's a bit bigger than last year, and faster, too. Either that, or maybe I'm just slowing down. Whatever, he's back, which is what really counts.

This was the first time I was not able to just swoop down and scoop him up in one shot. I owe this to one of two factors; either I am getting older, or his legs are getting longer. No matter, the season is young, and sooner, or later, he will be in my hands again. I hope he remembers me from last year!