When did Australia become a Facist State? For the 21 years I resided there (and obtained citizenship) it seemed to be a democracy - OK, there were some crazy political things and some judges who needed to revisit the law and try to punish offenders when they were found guilty. But now that I am reading about the ATO and Paul Hogan I am trying to come to grips with their logic. They enlisted the US Tax Department (the IRS) to try to find "dirt" on the US side and there wasn't a thing that could be used. So, what does the ATO do then? They decide to wait until he comes back to Australia to bury his Mum and then deny him access to leave and be with this wife and son.
I am not defending Paul Hogan in respect to his tax problems as I really don't have any knowledge of what is going on. There but for the grace of G-d and the Bankruptcy Laws go I. But, to do what they have done and gloat in the press and have the rest of the world trying to decide exactly what is going on in the Land Down Under - don't know what they are thinking about. They do have a PR area, don't they?
It's bad enough the rest of the world is watching the ramifications of the election debacle and the Gang of 3/4 trying to wrest control of the government and have their pet projects come to the forefront. What is happening to the country I loved? I guess the inmates have taken control of the asylum. Anyone know a good way to fix things?
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
My Home Town - Monticello, New York
There is a saying that says "you can never go home". Well, that is true to a degree. What I think that means is that when one does go back the "home" is not what you remember. Growing up in Monticello in the 50's was magical. We walked to school, to the movies, to each other's houses and then graduated to riding our bikes. I remember my first bike, a green Shelby. Do you remember yours? I remember the bike trips along the Port Jervis Road to Port Jervis -how tired we were and our parents driving out to meet us as it go too dark and they were all worried.
I remember Broadway when it was "summer busy" and then when it was "winter busy". All the stores were open and we all knew each other store owners and/or the managers. We could stop in anywhere to go to the bathroom, if needed, and we had so many places to get a drink (soda, egg cream, ice cream soda, sundae, malted). The soda fountains at Gusars or Pickers or Spectors were special.
The Rialto was a special place for all of us. At first we went to the Saturday matinee (for a quarter!!!) and saw a short, cartoon, news and then 2 pictures. But just remember how big we felt when we graduated to teh Friday night show. Our first dates when it took over an hour to get up the courage to put your arm around your date. And when you finally did how bad your arm hurt from being in that one position before ascending to the shoulder. Remember? Sunday night at the movies was reserved for the parents or, if you were being punished, you had to go with them and not with your friends. I think that Wednesday night was Bank Night and you were able to win money and gifts. Remember your first movie at the Rialto? I do - my Aunt Doris took me to see The Wizard of Oz.
The Broadway was the summer theatre that opened so the overflow could be accomodated. It was on the "slow side" of Broadway sharing the area after the Post Office and Max Fella's Jewelry store next to Spectors and across from Kaplans and the original Gager's Diner (that is a memory burner). Next to the movie was Lashinky's where my mom bought her meat as it was kosher and Tarbo always had a smile for me when I was with her or passing the store on my way to Dr. Cohen's or meeting my mom at Krists. The Bowling Alley next to the Park Avenue Steak House had different memories as there we were able to make some extra money as pin boys (before automation). Lots of bruises if you didn't keep yourself way above the pins as they flew around the area.
So many memories and so different now as most of the stores on Broadway are closed and the feeling of our home town is gone. But I still love to go back and show people that this where I grew up. A tour around the place and I show them where I lived (the 45 Liberty Street house is gone) but 4 Myrtle Avenue is still there. I do remember once going back and knocking on the door of the house on Myrtle Avenue. The lady who lived there invited me in and still remember saying to her "when did you make the place smaller?" Yes, it always looks smaller when you go home.
I will continue to go back there and visit my friends who live there and take people there to show them this is where I learned to honor family and friends. I still follow the path of my father and mother in that regard and thank them for showing me the way - even though it took a bit longer for it get through.
I remember Broadway when it was "summer busy" and then when it was "winter busy". All the stores were open and we all knew each other store owners and/or the managers. We could stop in anywhere to go to the bathroom, if needed, and we had so many places to get a drink (soda, egg cream, ice cream soda, sundae, malted). The soda fountains at Gusars or Pickers or Spectors were special.
The Rialto was a special place for all of us. At first we went to the Saturday matinee (for a quarter!!!) and saw a short, cartoon, news and then 2 pictures. But just remember how big we felt when we graduated to teh Friday night show. Our first dates when it took over an hour to get up the courage to put your arm around your date. And when you finally did how bad your arm hurt from being in that one position before ascending to the shoulder. Remember? Sunday night at the movies was reserved for the parents or, if you were being punished, you had to go with them and not with your friends. I think that Wednesday night was Bank Night and you were able to win money and gifts. Remember your first movie at the Rialto? I do - my Aunt Doris took me to see The Wizard of Oz.
The Broadway was the summer theatre that opened so the overflow could be accomodated. It was on the "slow side" of Broadway sharing the area after the Post Office and Max Fella's Jewelry store next to Spectors and across from Kaplans and the original Gager's Diner (that is a memory burner). Next to the movie was Lashinky's where my mom bought her meat as it was kosher and Tarbo always had a smile for me when I was with her or passing the store on my way to Dr. Cohen's or meeting my mom at Krists. The Bowling Alley next to the Park Avenue Steak House had different memories as there we were able to make some extra money as pin boys (before automation). Lots of bruises if you didn't keep yourself way above the pins as they flew around the area.
So many memories and so different now as most of the stores on Broadway are closed and the feeling of our home town is gone. But I still love to go back and show people that this where I grew up. A tour around the place and I show them where I lived (the 45 Liberty Street house is gone) but 4 Myrtle Avenue is still there. I do remember once going back and knocking on the door of the house on Myrtle Avenue. The lady who lived there invited me in and still remember saying to her "when did you make the place smaller?" Yes, it always looks smaller when you go home.
I will continue to go back there and visit my friends who live there and take people there to show them this is where I learned to honor family and friends. I still follow the path of my father and mother in that regard and thank them for showing me the way - even though it took a bit longer for it get through.
The New Television
Anyone who knows me is aware of my love for TV. This stems from our house in Monticello, NY where our first TV introduced me to such classics as "Kukla Fran and Ollie", "Howdy Doody", "Your Show of Shows", "Uncle Miltie" plus all of the great drama shows (Playhouse 90, US Steel Hour), talk shows (original Today show, Jerry Lester's Open House, Steve Allen) and specials (the US Senate Hearings, Joe McCarthy, Edward R. Murrow) and watching the Eichmann Trial. Couldn't get enough of the tube!!!
Our airwaves were governed by the networks with some local channels (in the NY area we had channels 5, 9, 11 as the independents plus 13 as the public network). So we saw what they decided to show us and the offerings were fantastic. To someone who wanted to be in "show biz" seeing the opportunities available were fantastic. Seeing the young Paul Newman and Robert Redford as young actors on "The Twilight Zone" and original shows such as "Marty" and Requim for a Heavyweight" gave this young man from Monticello the "bug" for the stage and the tube.
The advent of cable (remember the very long cords attached to the channel selector?) opened up a whole new world - no commercials for movies, sports shows that showcased the world and introduced us to sports outside of the US, local cooking shows from Hartford, Connecticut and the Hobby Show from Rochester, NY were also available on this expanded medium.
When I lived overseas the Foxtel Network in Australia opened up the world's TV to "us Aussies" and I was introduced to the Fox Network as well as MSNBC who followed the original CNN (where I watched the first Gulf War in my Australian office).
Now that I am back in the US I am in my glory - my DVR is working overtime to record the twice daily "West Wing" reruns on Bravo as well as the multitude of excellent shows on TNT ("The Closer" and "Rizzoli and Isles"), USA ("Burn Notice", "In Plain Sight", "Royal Pains") plus "Lie to Me" and all of the other excellent shows. Watching reruns of "Star Trek" (all of them), "Law and Order" (missed many while in Australia so can catch up on all of the franchise's various shows) and so on and so on. Not mentioning the over-supply of reality shows that keep coming and coming to fill the air time that the plethora of stations has created.
In the weeks that come I will be discussing my take on so many of these great shows (many have not been mentioned above) and will look forward to comments from you.
All who know me understand my love for TV. In fact I am in my home office and watching me from their specials places on the wall are the original Star Trek officers of The Enterprise, the cast from Cheers, Night Court's eccentric cast, Taxi's fantastic cast of characters and the fine cast of Hill Street Blues. All of these pictures have their accompanying original TV Guide (remember that weekly must for all to read?) on the table near their respective pictures. So yes, I love TV.
Our airwaves were governed by the networks with some local channels (in the NY area we had channels 5, 9, 11 as the independents plus 13 as the public network). So we saw what they decided to show us and the offerings were fantastic. To someone who wanted to be in "show biz" seeing the opportunities available were fantastic. Seeing the young Paul Newman and Robert Redford as young actors on "The Twilight Zone" and original shows such as "Marty" and Requim for a Heavyweight" gave this young man from Monticello the "bug" for the stage and the tube.
The advent of cable (remember the very long cords attached to the channel selector?) opened up a whole new world - no commercials for movies, sports shows that showcased the world and introduced us to sports outside of the US, local cooking shows from Hartford, Connecticut and the Hobby Show from Rochester, NY were also available on this expanded medium.
When I lived overseas the Foxtel Network in Australia opened up the world's TV to "us Aussies" and I was introduced to the Fox Network as well as MSNBC who followed the original CNN (where I watched the first Gulf War in my Australian office).
Now that I am back in the US I am in my glory - my DVR is working overtime to record the twice daily "West Wing" reruns on Bravo as well as the multitude of excellent shows on TNT ("The Closer" and "Rizzoli and Isles"), USA ("Burn Notice", "In Plain Sight", "Royal Pains") plus "Lie to Me" and all of the other excellent shows. Watching reruns of "Star Trek" (all of them), "Law and Order" (missed many while in Australia so can catch up on all of the franchise's various shows) and so on and so on. Not mentioning the over-supply of reality shows that keep coming and coming to fill the air time that the plethora of stations has created.
In the weeks that come I will be discussing my take on so many of these great shows (many have not been mentioned above) and will look forward to comments from you.
All who know me understand my love for TV. In fact I am in my home office and watching me from their specials places on the wall are the original Star Trek officers of The Enterprise, the cast from Cheers, Night Court's eccentric cast, Taxi's fantastic cast of characters and the fine cast of Hill Street Blues. All of these pictures have their accompanying original TV Guide (remember that weekly must for all to read?) on the table near their respective pictures. So yes, I love TV.
It's Time To Talk
I consider myself an American and have even lived overseas for 20+ years defending our way of life and trying to explain to others in another democracy how Americans do things and why. I have never been afraid to voice my opinion when our leaders have been wrong (nobody is perfect) and have always rallied to their defense when they are right.
I have decided to weigh in on a very important issue that has been brought to the national forefront by our President. I have to first say that I voted for him as I believed we needed a change. I didn’t think he was ready but I could not live with the alternative and too much of the previous 8 years was something I did not want to live with again. Listening on my car radio this morning to our President defend the building of the mosque near ground zero made me sick. And, to make matters worse, he defended his decision based on religious freedom and compared it to the past when synagogues and Catholic churches were being denied in “past America”. Look at our history, Mr. President and don’t try to compare 9/11 to the Jews and Catholics of our great nation and our great history.
You (Mr. President) have finally shown how out of touch you are with our country. I’ve made excuse after excuse for your actions (and inactions), your naive advisors who don’t know how to play the Washington game, your Congress who has screwed up the chance to really bring our country back from the brink of disaster and your inability to lead when leadership is what we need. I have tried to counter your attitude with some sense of reason and realize you are not ready to be the President and how sad it is that we missed having Hillary instead.
What is going to happen this November is on your head and on the heads of the arrogant leaders of our Congress. Yes, I deplore the party of “no” too for their innaction but they know how to play the game and will win where it counts; the November sweepstakes.
So the many “dirty tricks” during the election regarding your Muslim background have now come to the forefront again and your support for this abomination against the people of NYC and the rest of the country will not silence these early critics. I must say I am questioning my own defense of you. How did you get us this far off course?
I have decided to weigh in on a very important issue that has been brought to the national forefront by our President. I have to first say that I voted for him as I believed we needed a change. I didn’t think he was ready but I could not live with the alternative and too much of the previous 8 years was something I did not want to live with again. Listening on my car radio this morning to our President defend the building of the mosque near ground zero made me sick. And, to make matters worse, he defended his decision based on religious freedom and compared it to the past when synagogues and Catholic churches were being denied in “past America”. Look at our history, Mr. President and don’t try to compare 9/11 to the Jews and Catholics of our great nation and our great history.
You (Mr. President) have finally shown how out of touch you are with our country. I’ve made excuse after excuse for your actions (and inactions), your naive advisors who don’t know how to play the Washington game, your Congress who has screwed up the chance to really bring our country back from the brink of disaster and your inability to lead when leadership is what we need. I have tried to counter your attitude with some sense of reason and realize you are not ready to be the President and how sad it is that we missed having Hillary instead.
What is going to happen this November is on your head and on the heads of the arrogant leaders of our Congress. Yes, I deplore the party of “no” too for their innaction but they know how to play the game and will win where it counts; the November sweepstakes.
So the many “dirty tricks” during the election regarding your Muslim background have now come to the forefront again and your support for this abomination against the people of NYC and the rest of the country will not silence these early critics. I must say I am questioning my own defense of you. How did you get us this far off course?
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