Christmas Gifts

Did you get any good Christmas or Hanukkah gifts?

I like to dress nice so I have a dozen shirts with French cuffs. French cuffs add style and panache to any outfit.

When you have such shirts, you need cufflinks. I have a few but can always use more. So I asked for and got some this year. Best of all, my new cufflinks have a fun story behind them.

Here's a picture and here's the story. In the old days car-makers in Detroit painted cars by hand on metal racks. Enamel paint dripped onto the racks and got baked solid when the car-paint cured. The process was repeated hundreds of times with different colors so racks ended up having layers of baked paint. Usually they were thrown out but some smart workers saw potential -- they kept the paint-residue and sold it to jewelers. The baked paint was then ground and polished to create jewelry like these cufflinks. Cool, huh?

What did you get this year?

Grief

Grief whiplashes you back-and-forth unexpectedly. These past two weeks I've been sad, ecstatic, weepy, laughing, depressed and happy, sometimes all in the same day. Waves and waves of emotion.

All you can do is keep on surfin.' Right? :)

Merry Christmas

My brother Richard and I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Credit for the cute outfits and cardboard fireplace go to my parents, Big Ralph & Barbara Jo. May all three rest in peace.

Old Photo

Sixty years ago my family attended Christmas parties at the police department where my dad worked. They were fun affairs with presents for kids, drinks for adults and an appearance by Santa Claus. I just found this picture; it shows my father holding my brother Richard (bottom right-hand corner). 

I'm in the picture, too; can you spot me?

Pelé

The greatest soccer player in history is Pelé, a phenomenon who led Brazil to victory in three World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970). Now 82 and suffering from incurable cancer, Pelé is on death's door; bad news is imminent.

I had the implausible good fortune to meet Pelé in person and watch him play. Back in the 1970s Pelé was the star of a new U.S. soccer league team called the Cosmos. Lacking a dedicated stadium the team played on Hofstra University's football field. My uncle, who was then a jock at Hofstra, pulled some strings and got me a job as a stadium usher for Cosmos games. The pay was nothing but I was able to watch and meet the greatest player in soccer history.

Pelé handled the ball like a cartoon character: he made it move and do things that seemed impossible. Not a large man Pelé had supernatural skill. And personally he was a sweetheart: eager to please fans, willing to endure long lines of admirers wanting autographs and pictures, a real mensch as we say in New York. It was a honor to share space with him. I hope his last days are comfortable.

My Father

My father passed away today. He was 92 years old.

My dad had a long, eventful life. Born in Germany in 1930 he survived WWII bombing as a child and came to America after the war. He joined the U.S. Army, fought in Korea and became a U.S. citizen. In the 1950s he met my mom, got married and had two kids. He lived the American dream.

My father had a 30-year career as a policeman and retired as Chief of Police in Lloyd Harbor, NY. Then he and my mom moved to Florida in 1985 and enjoyed retirement in comfort. My father had much to be grateful for. The above picture was taken of my parents during their glory days; they're sitting in my backyard enjoying a visit in the 1980s.

I've learned that losing our parents is hard at any age. It's as true now as it was 30 years ago when my mom died. The gut-punch hurts.

There will be a memorial service in New York after the holidays. If you have a parent who's alive, appreciate and hug them while you can.

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Oh, when the saints go marching in

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Oh Lord I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in.

Oh, when the drums begin to bang

Oh, when the drums begin to bang

Oh Lord I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in.

Oh, when the stars fall from the sky

Oh, when the stars fall from the sky

Oh Lord I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in.

Oh, when the moon turns red with blood

Oh, when the moon turns red with blood

Oh Lord I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in.

Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call

Oh, when the trumpet sounds its call

Oh Lord I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in.

Oh, when the horsemen begin to ride

Oh, when the horsemen begin to ride

Oh Lord I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in.

Oh, brother Charles you are my friend

Oh, brother Charles you are my friend

Yea, you gonna be in that number

When the saints go marching in.

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Oh, when the saints go marching in

Oh Lord I want to be in that number

When the saints go marching in.

Here is a link to a rousing performance by Louie Armstrong & His All Stars, including female singer Jewel Brown -- Song Link -- and a few more photos of my dad.

This last picture is my dad with his great-grandchild, the daughter (Ella) of the son (J.T.) of his son (my brother Richard).

"The Girl Can't Help It" (1956)

Do you want to have a weird but fun experience?

There are times, like the 1950s and 1960s, when culture shifts dramatically. New views, reflected in cinematic entertainment, replace older ones. Sometimes, and this is rare, both new and old approaches confusingly appear in the same movie. Here's a perfect example.

"The Girl Can't Help It" was made in 1956. It was intended as light comedy, establishing Jayne Mansfield as a "sexpot" (a term they used back then). Much of the movie is a dumb running-joke depicting how Jayne's body has such an ultra-feminine shape that it renders men speechless. The view accurately reflects early-Fifties culture on gender.

During the making of the movie, however, producers felt the film needed something more to appeal to young people -- so they added wildly discordant scenes of nascent rock-n-roll. Amazing musical performances were added by emerging rock stars like Little Richard, Fats Domino, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and The Platters. About a third of the movie are fabulous concerts by young musicians who would go on to later rock stardom. (This is the new clashing with the old.) These scenes alone are reason to watch the movie.

Plus there's another reason: the movie is justly credited with being the catalyst for formation of the greatest music group of all time (The Beatles). Teenage Paul McCartney was entranced by the performances of his idols in the movie and learned how to imitate them. When Paul met teenage John Lennon, Lennon was hugely impressed by Paul's imitation and both of them became obsessed with the movie when released in Britain in 1957. The rest is history.

Best of the Year

It's the end of the year already. How did that happen? 

I thought it'd be fun (and possibly helpful to you) to list my favorite things of 2022. Most are new but some are recent discoveries of old stuff. I recommend all of them. Here goes:

- Best TV: "The Peripheral" (Prime) (Sci-fi drama adapted from William Gibson novel with themes that resonate today)

- Best Food TV: "Somebody Feed Phil" (Sweet man travels and makes friends while eating dinner)

- Best Foreign TV: "Borgen" (Best political drama of all time, returning after long hiatus with an exceptional story)

- Best Book: "Sacred Nature" by Karen Armstrong (eye-opening look at how ancient civilizations regarded nature, with important lessons for us today)

- Best Artistic Performance Witnessed Live: Opera singer Golda Schultz (performing with NY Philharmonic)

- Best Sports Witnessed Live: New Jersey Devils (Hockey; palpable excitement and a magical season)

- Best New Game Obsession: Wordle (NY Times)

- Best Film Noir: "In A Lonely Place" (Humphrey Bogart, 1950)

- Best Action Film: "Alita: Battle Angel" (Rosa Salazar, 2019)

- Best Lesbian Romance: "Portrait Of A Lady On Fire" (2019)

- Best L.I. Pizza: Taglio (Mineola) (Roman-style fermented dough; orgasmic)

- Best L.I. Seafood: Catch Oyster Bar (Patchogue) (fresh, expertly prepared seafood)

- Best L.I. Fine Dining: Sandbar (Cold Spring Harbor) (perfect blend of exquisite cuisine and friendly atmosphere)

- Best L.I. Spice Store: Sayville N Spice (Sayville)

- Best Hot Sauce: The General's Hot Sauce (Dead Red) (Medium-hot red cayenne sauce)

- Best New Motorcycle: Janus Halcyon 450 (retro-style with modern tech)

- Best Personal Addition: My new garage (room for four motorcycles and my 2021 Miata)

- Best Personal Experience: Opportunity to have private dinner with artistic genius Lino Tagliapietra

- Best History: Reading about the lives of Abstract Expressionist artists

Where Was I?