"Places I've Known and People I've Been" - R. Williams (1981 thru 2013)

This tattered little 5” x 7” book was purchased in La Jolla, California in December of 1981. It even says so on the inside cover. I was visiting a cousin in San Diego and we drove to La Jolla for no particular reason that I can recall.  But, sometime that day we went into this little shop- I still remember it being on the side of the road and across the street from a cliff.

A new blank book is something which knows no limits. The empty pages represent all possibilities. From poetry to an epic novel; nothing seems like an unreasonable expectation at the time. Conversely, it also represents a defining moment; as in “what am I actually going to put on these pages?” Well, after 34 years; and with only 6 blank pages left; I can finally tell you. 

The book opens up to the end page which states where I bought it, when and who I was with. Then the facing page has a couple of rubber stamps on it- a camel and a quarter moon. The moon is smiling; the camel is not. Both of these stamps also appear in my old expired passport. At the time I stamped it the passport was valid. I never had any problems about it except in Egypt.

Next is the title page, which gives you 2 choices; apparently I was torn between them. The first one is simply “Poems I’ve Heard” with an asterisk leading to a note explaining that I have always heard poetry inside of me. Getting it down on paper quickly, before it’s gone, is the trick. It also explains that there are many more poems than appear in this little book. These are just the ones which I chose to keep.

Apparently I began to fill this book almost immediately; the first entry was made in Baltimore. It’s from 2^nd grade and called “Autumn”. It’s very short-

“One day a leaf went down a hill,

And it was very still.

The leaf was colorful,

and life was so wonderful.”

It’s dated October 1962 and I can’t help but wonder about the little boy who wrote of life being wonderful in the past tense. Attached on the back of the page is a very similar poem written by my daughter when she was in 2^nd grade.

There are several poems from my teens. One is called “Odyssey” and has lines about the “cold vacuum of space” and “the monotony of stars.” It’s dated March 1970.

“Cold October Parks” was written to my Mom about the futility of trying to understand one another. It was written in Sheepshead Bay and dated October 1972.

I’m sitting- in the cold

October Park-

Just sitting- writing a poem

About how beautiful

Everything can be.

Isn’t it a joke-

(you) telling me.

I’m sitting- in the cold

December dark-

Just sitting-writing a poem

About how ugly

Everything can be.

Isn’t this a joke-

(me) telling you.

There are poems written at sea, at home, in the car, just about everywhere. There are even scraps of paper in there with the original scrawled verses on bags that once held fried chicken.

There are a couple of rhymes which I have pasted in the book. Things which I ran across and wanted to keep. The first is about a frog-

“What a wonderful bird the frog  are!

When he stand he sit almost.

When he hop he fly almost. He ain’t got no sense hardly.

He ain’t got no tail hardly either.

And when he sit, he sit upon what

He ain’t got almost.”

And there is also a copy of “When Did You Leave Heaven” as well as “I Had a Little Tea Party”.

“I had a little tea party

This afternoon at three.

3 guests in all

‘twas very small.

Just I, myself and me.

Myself ate up yhe sandwiches,

While I drank up the tea.

And it was I who ate the pie

And passed the cake to me!”

It’s a cool little book; very dear to me; since it has a lot of me in it.

Someday I hope that my grandkids will look at it and get to know me better. That’s not why I bought it - but that’s what it turned out to be.

"Zombie Wife and other Tales of Supernatural Law" by Batton Lash (2014)

Back in August of 2012 I reviewed Batton Lash’s highly unusual, and entertaining “The Monsters Meet on Court Street”, which was a new experience for me. That collection of tales was based on the premise that; monsters, just like people; need legal representation from time to time. Either for things which they have done; or, in response to the things people do and say about them. It’s a novel concept.

Now, Mr. Lash is set to release his new work, “Zombie Wife and Other Tales of Supernatural Law.” This one seems to be based on the premise that Zombie women; like their human counterparts; may have marital problems from time to time, necessitating the need for a good attorney. From the cover of this new collection I get the impression that Mavis, the shapely lawyer featured in the “Monsters Meet on Court Street” collection will be highly visible in this one as well.  Again; from the looks of the cover art; everyone involved will have their hands full; even the clients!

Mr. Lash has created a parallel universe with these collections. They’re kind of like the old Action Comics but in a very unique way. The old comics were all based upon the struggle of good versus evil. In this incarnation the stories are inhabited by people on both sides of the law who are compromised; either physically or ethically; making for some strange scenarios. But then again, in real life, attorneys represent humans who are so much more evil than the monsters depicted in these stories.

Another interesting thing is that he’s doing this release by using Kickstarter.com; the web-based program which was begun in 2009 and provides a means for people like you and me to fund the projects of artists and writers in whom we are interested. Another novel idea befitting of the alternate universe which Mr. Lash has created. For more about Kickstarter and “Zombie Wife and Other Tales of Supernatural Law” use this link;

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1379875462/zombie-wife-and-other-tales-of-supernatural-law

And for a quick re-review of “The Monsters Meet on Court Street” use this link;

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-monsters-meet-on-court-street-by.html

Note: As far as I know this is a one of a kind. It’s a Batton Lash “Yellow Submarine” from 1971. We served on board together for a couple of years in Brooklyn and he drew this one day. I’d gladly return it, but it has my locker combination written on the back…

"The Hidden White House" by Robert Klara (2013)

Harry Truman didn’t really believe in ghosts. But he needed some way to express his notice of; and concern for; the condition of the White House he had inherited upon the death of Franklin Roosevelt. It’s no secret that President Roosevelt; faced with 2 very critical events in his time in office; had chosen to neglect the residence during the Great Depression and the years of the Second World War. This was on top of the damage caused by an electrical fire in 1925 while Coolidge was President.

During Truman’s hectic first term in office, which he began upon President Roosevelt’s death in 1945, he first noticed what he termed “ghosts” when writing to his wife in Independence, Missouri where she spent most summers. The floors creaked, the walls seemed to moan; and most disturbingly, the floors seemed to sway beneath your feet.

When the President’s daughter Margaret almost fell through the floor; while practicing piano; it became apparent that some of the original beams were cracking under the weight of a White House which had been altered many times over the years to accommodate modern conveniences, with no regard for the structural integrity required to hold the place up.

The site chosen for the construction of the White House was selected at a time when the science of soil bearings was in its infancy. And the modern conveniences of running water and electric lights were only daydreams. By the time that Truman moved in the house was a literal fire trap.

During the campaign for election in his own right in 1948, the condition of the White House was a closely guarded secret. It was feared that the public would somehow blame it on 16 years of Democratic rule and cost Truman the election.

Mr. Klara documents the major changes in the White House, all of which contributed unintentionally to it’s falling apart by the time that Truman arrived. In 1833 Andrew Jackson added running water; in 1848 President Polk added gaslight; in 1850 President Fillmore added a heavy iron bathtub; in 1853 Franklin Pierce added a furnace for hot water; in 1866 a telegraph was added; in 1879 a telephone system; and in 1891 electric lights joined the parade.

While all of these changes seem minor, they were all done with no regard for the structural integrity of the house. Doors were cut beneath lintels supporting load bearing walls, and beams were hacked and shortened where convenient. During the 1902 reconstruction of the house, and during the addition of the West Wing, shortcuts were taken which left rotted wood in place. This was on top of the fact that some of the original beams, which were burnt when the British set fire to the White House in 1814, had never been replaced, just re-used. In short; the White House needed fixing.

Truman was unable to get anyone to take him seriously at first. The Congress authorized a small amount of money to investigate the stability of the house, but seemed unwilling to commit the resources to save it. At first there were even calls to raze the mansion and build something newer and more efficient in its place. This is where Harry Truman drew the line.

Not only would the White House be rebuilt, but it would be done in such a way that it would never need extensive repairs like these again. After much wrangling it was decided that the only way in which to accomplish this was to gut the entire structure, and then brace it from the inside with a skeleton of steel beams.

Through funding problems and delays, Mr. Klara takes the reader on a tour de force of one of the most fantastic building projects ever undertaken. When the election of 1948 is done, and Truman wins a term in his own right, he comes back to the White House in triumph, only to have to move out within a few days. He would spend most of his next term living at Blair House, where he was almost assassinated by Puerto Rican nationalists.

The book is filled with the stories of the contractors who rebuilt the White House. These men; some big businessmen, some small; all did their best to bring structural integrity to the old house which had served as home to all of our Presidents since John Adams. But for the stubbornness of Harry S. Truman; who stood up to the 80^th Congress; we might not have it today.

Mr. Klara has done a wonderful job in telling the story of how the White House was preserved. Along the way he introduces the reader to many colorful characters and some long forgotten history. Incidentally, the souvenir kits which were offered for sale to the public at the time; for as little as 25 cents for an acrylic paperweight containing a nail and some plaster from the old White House; seem to be all gone. I went looking on e-bay for a photograph to post and found none at all. There were only 5,000 or so made and imagine most have been long forgotten, or thrown away.

Some of the old White House mantels are still in use today and the author has done a superb job of chronicling the fate of all 24 mantels which came from the house. Of those 24, only 6 went back in.

This book is a natural follow up to author Robert Klara’s “FDR Funeral Train” which I reviewed here in April of 2010. That review can be viewed here;

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/04/fdrs-funeral-train-by-robert-klara.html

And here is the best monument to Harry Truman; the White House as viewed from inside the fence in the 1990's.  Ask me how I took that picture sometime; I might tell you.

"The Corpse Walker" by Liao Yiwu

I was wondering what I had posted 5 years ago today and was very pleased to come up with this book review. My posts for the entire month of May 2009 consists of only books; about 6 in all. At the time I was only planning on reviewing books and movies. 

For better or for worse, I began daily postings in 2010. It's a great way to keep a journal and I enjoy going back a few years and being able to see what I was doing, or reading, at the time. Anyway, this is a great book by a very controversial author, which makes it an even more interesting read.

Liao Yiwu is a Chinese dissident who was imprisoned for 4 years after writing a poem about the Tiananmen Square Massacre. In spite of his continued monitoring by Chinese officials he is still active and writing. This book was written and smuggled out of China for publication. The translation is by Wen Huang.

It is a most interesting book as it takes some of the occupations and trades that were banned by the Chinese Government and explores how these prohibitions affected the Chinese people through the years of Mao Tse Tung and beyond.

There are 27 professions examined through interviews with the members of China’s “forgotten classes”. Liao Yiwu asks the questions and the subjects let go with a “no holds barred” account of their lives and professions.

Here we have the Corpse Walker- an ancient art, whereby the corpse is “walked” to the funeral. The practice was banned as being superstitious. The “walkers” interviewed here tell the history of the profession and explain why they continue with the practice and what it meant to Chinese culture.

The Public Rest Room Attendant- a former landlord before his re-education- gives us his views on the “new” China and where it is heading. He sees all manner of people in his profession- toilets, you see, are the real equalizers in all societies.

From the Feng Shui practioner , Blind Street Musician and on to the Human Trafficker and Falon Gong member this is a unique perspective of where China has been, where it is, and where it may be heading. With a keen eye and a writers wit Mr. Liao has painted a portrait of China that is both a history and a narrative of a land that has always fascinated me.

"Popeye the Sailor" with Betty Boop (1933)

What could be more entertaining than a classic cartoon featuring 2 of the most recognizable feature cartoon characters in it? In this 8 minute classic, Popeye the Sailor finds himself ashore after an ocean voyage. He elects to take Olive Oyl to the Carnival with predictable results, as he and Bluto compete in their never ending quest for her affections.

When the Hula Hula dancer (Betty Boop) makes her appearance and Popeye jumps on stage to perform with her, Bluto sees his chance and takes it; or rather, Olive; and kidnaps her with the intention of making her his wife whether she likes it or not.

By the way, while Popeye is dancing, at about 5 minutes into the cartoon, he encounters a snake on stage, and places his pipe under the serpents nose, quickly neutralizing the snake and calling into question just what was in that pipe? This is not the first time I have sensed that Popeye was a “smoker.” In several other cartoons he uses his pipe as a blowtorch to open the can and then inhales the “spinach” through the pipe.

Once Popeye realizes that Olive is gone and in danger, he jumps into “high” gear; and the chase is on to save the woman of his dreams. As in all of the old cartoons, everything works out in the end for Popeye and Olive. This is a unique cartoon in that it is the first one for Popeye and the only one in which he appears with Betty Boop. He also sings the entire theme song, which was composed by Sammy Lerner in 1933 for this cartoon. It was also a hit for Hoagy Carmichael, which I play in my car, much to most people’s disbelief.

Until this cartoon’s release in 1933, Popeye had only been in the funny papers since January of 1929, drawn by E.C. Segar for the Thimble Theater series. Segar had been working with King Features Syndicate since 1919. Riding the wave of success surrounding the Betty Boop cartoons, Max Fleischer decided to animate the cartoon strip, He chose a Betty Boop cartoon to do it in, figuring that if it failed to gain any traction, it wouldn’t be noticed for long.

Of course, Betty Boop may have remained a staple in the world of classic cartoons, but Popeye went on to greater success in the 1950’s when King Features re-vitalized him in a new format featuring Brutus in Bluto’s place. Those cartoons never did measure up to the “trippy” style which rolled out of the studios during the 1930’s, making them a delight to watch even today, over 80 years later.

Legalized Pot - Another Pawn in Their Game

The push to legalize pot in America has me worried. There are so many reasons why this is a bad idea, but everyone is too busy celebrating to really understand what they are getting into.

First, if you think marijuana is going to be grown organically then you are already too stoned. The marijuana cultivated in grow rooms is fed with all kinds of cancer causing chemicals which you would be well advised to avoid. If you do smoke pot, try this experiment.

Smoke some good old fashioned pot; the kind that comes in bricks and was grown outdoors. It’s cheap, but effective. You'll need to smoke a whole joint to get off. Do this for several days and notice that your lungs remain; for the most part; undamaged.

Now, try some of that Hindu Kush which is available at the Medical Marijuana stores and smoke that for a few days. Most likely you will have the beginnings of a wheeze. This is due to the high THC content, as well as the chemicals which went into the growing. You are basically inhaling fertilizer.

People I know have smoked sun grown, field raised pot for decades with no ill effects whatsoever, while others have been smoking the more exotic stuff. The ones who smoke plain old weed are doing fine. The ones smoking that skunk weed are not faring as well. From wheezes to throat problems, they are showing the strain of smoking "super-weeds."

Secondly, look at the states where marijuana is now legal. Along with that legality comes responsibilities. Among those responsibilities is the law in Colorado; and no doubt in other states as well; that smoking in your car, even while not driving, will cost you about $1,000. And if you are driving it will cost you even more. And the law allows no discretion on the part of the officer. He smells it and you go in.

Contrast that scenario to what happens in a state where marijuana is “decriminalized”. I always like the term “decriminalized”. It’s a way of saying that, while we don’t condone what you do, we will not bother you too much about doing it; unless you make a nuisance of yourself. This is what makes it possible for a Police Officer to tell you to step on that joint and let you go. You're not really a criminal, and as long as you act respectfully towards the officer, chances are he will cut you a break.

And then there is the concern about what the people who spiked your cigarettes will do to the weed; beyond what is done in grow rooms; to get a bigger bang out of their investment. I can only imagine the rising cancer rates from the chemical manipulations done by the tobacco crowd. And think of the commercials! Can you imagine listening to the Beatles singing “I Am the Walrus” to sell cigarettes? Sir Paul and Yoko will love it.

And, finally, there is one last reason to be against legalization. For decades marijuana has been something which allowed the user to feel as if they were doing their own thing. There was a feeling of independence in action and thought each time you lit up. 

But, when Big Brother says it’s okay to do so; well, that takes all the pleasure out of it. I’d much rather be a “decriminalized” smoker rather than just another pawn in their game. 

"Longmire" with Robert Taylor (2012)

I ran across this series in the library. I've never heard of it before; and it’s surprisingly well written and acted. A newly widowed Sheriff, Walt Longmire; played by Robert Taylor; along with his new deputy, Vic Moretti, a woman from Chicago;  played by Katee Sackhoff;  are confronted by every sort of crime imaginable in Absaroka County, Wyoming. And, surprisingly, there is a lot of crime.

Saddled with a deputy Sheriff named Branch, who aspires to replace him, the Sheriff has to navigate not only the crime scenes, but also the ambitions of his colleague. His drinking is not helpful. And his daughter is very pre-occupied with getting her dad back on the dating scene, while the sheriff still keeps his wife's ashes on the mantelpiece. All of this does not help with his drinking.

Aided by an Indian friend, Henry; played by Lou Diamond Phillips; who owns the Red Pony, a local restaurant; he also has to straddle the two worlds which comprise parts of Absaroka County. That is, he must deal not only with crime in the white world, but must also find ways to elicit the cooperation of the Police on the Indian Reservation. To that end, his friendship with the Lou Diamond Phillips character is essential.

From murder and drug cartels, to everything else imaginable in a big city, County Sheriff Longmire must solve these crimes without the help of big crime labs and forensics. He has to use his skills as a human being; along with some common sense; in order to keep the peace in his corner of Wyoming.

Beautifully filmed, credibly acted and well written, the series is a real sleeper.