Yesterday I was working on something important when the Internet stopped working. For a while I thought it was me or my IPad, but eventually I called Time Warner to learn from the talking robot, which is able to research my problem online, that there was a disruption in my neighborhood.
This afternoon the robot called back to advise that the problem had been fixed. After fiddling with the modem and the router for a while, I realized that my problem had not been solved. I immediately fled the house amid much frustration to calm down by taking a walk to buy some bagels. As I trudged up the hill, I spotted a distinctive little Time Warner repair truck double-parked 5 doors up the block ( with 2 double-parking tickets compliments of NYC decorating the windshield.) Maybe the City thinks he should carry his little truck upstairs with him when he makes house calls in a neighborhood known infamously as No Park Slope.
Throwing myself on the repairman's mercy, I gave a brief history and pleaded for help. After listening politely to me, the repairman explained that he couldn't help me unless I was on his manifest, which I clearly was not. This sounded very familiar to me, because it happened the same way several months before. It took a long time for a Time Warner repairman to appear after making an appointment.
Anyway, hope springs eternal, and I am sometimes optimistic and naive, so I tried again. Contrary to what he might expect, my internet problems are usually very basic and easily fixed. I tried to impress on this young man my expectation that he could solve my problem in probably two minutes. If you can't fix it in three minutes, you should just leave, I told him. He was very nice and decided to bend company rules to try and help me.
Up we went to my house, and sure enough, within two minutes the modem and router were readjusted and everything was back to normal. I am used to this experience with both of my sons; they smile indulgently whenever they fix one of my bedeviling problems. This is undoubtedly what happens to a lot of people who didn't grow up with the Internet.
After the repairman left, I considered Time Warner's dilemma. Clearly they can't let any subscriber flag down a repairman with a prescribed list of customers awaiting his services willy nilly. This would create chaos and would be akin to jumping a line on a checkout counter. On the other hand, my "repair" was just a tweak, and it really took no more than two minutes, from start to finish. He created tremendous relief for me and lots of goodwill for his employer. A little discretion and judgment lodged with TW's repairmen might not be a terrible thing now and then. I sure wished I could have sent a commendation for his assistance to the company, but we agreed it would do more harm than good. I can't help thinking though, that in the "good old days" they probably let the local policeman or other public servant create tons of good will by such little acts of kindness so much appreciated.
One final part of this experience struck me like a thunderbolt. Not so long ago, I regarded the Internet as an interesting curiosity. After a short time it became a fascinating addition to my life. Now, with experiences like these, when the Internet is taken away from me, I suddenly realize that this advance has become essential and indeed indispensable in my life. Not just for email, or news, or vital research information, but in every aspect of my life. I ask it questions, like how to cook something, explain Einstein's theories to me (simply), or what do 100 people think of the restaurant I'm going to tonight (Yelp). The need has become addictive and endless.
So thanks again to my hero from TW -- whose name I shall not mention lest the old saying comes true in his case: No good deed goes unpunished!
Toucan
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Victoria Behm
Victoria Behm is a very fine artist. You've probably never heard of her. I didn't either until her one-person show opened recently at the 440 Gallery, a small artist co-op gallery in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Her work is reminiscent of the drawings of Saul Steinberg or early David Hockney, without being derivative or copies of either artist. In a short printed statement about her work available to visitors, Vicki says the following: " I draw what I see: sardines, San Pelegrino water, Vespa scooters. I like getting all the little details right whether it is the seed pattern in oranges or the hinges on a box...I draw every day and have filled over 150 journals."
It is one of the tragedies of the art world that an artist as outstanding as Vicki can languish in relative obscurity while others with far less artistic talent sell their work for exorbitant sums and bask in undeserved glory. There is some saving grace in all this, however, which is that an ordinary art lover like me can easily afford to buy her exquisite framed ink drawings for $150-175 each from her current show. This is exactly what is happening during the course of her exhibition at my neighborhood gallery, where much of the work is steadily being purchased.
If you look up 440 Gallery on the Internet and then hit Vicki Behm under the list of gallery artists, you will see what I mean when I say that her ink drawings reflect great draughsmanship and contain memorable graphic imagery. I should also qualify my statement about her obscurity, because it isn't totally accurate. For example, in recent years Vicki unfortunately experienced the dual trials of breast cancer and heart problems. Focusing her artistic sensibilities on these problems, she created a memoir of her experiences in the form of illustrated journals which constitute a totally honest record of her illnesses. The drawings, especially in the heart book, are masterpieces. They wound up being published online by Health.com and can be found on the Internet under the heading " Artist's Notebook: My Adventures With Heart Failure". I believe I read that over 300,000 hits were recorded by visitors to the site.
It is difficult to pin down in words exactly what makes Vicki's drawings so outstanding and memorable. I take comfort,however, in the words of Edward Hopper, who said the most important thing about great art is something that cannot be expressed in words. Like Steinberg and Hockney, however, Vicki Behm's images display a combination of great technical skill in line drawing combined with the ability to capture a beautiful yet quirky image. I have also always been a fan of artwork which incorporates writing into an artwork, and her work has plenty of examples of that partnership.
One of the other nice aspects of the Internet is that, even if you don't read this blog in time to catch her current show, the images will remain for future reference and her work will still be available at the gallery.
Her work is reminiscent of the drawings of Saul Steinberg or early David Hockney, without being derivative or copies of either artist. In a short printed statement about her work available to visitors, Vicki says the following: " I draw what I see: sardines, San Pelegrino water, Vespa scooters. I like getting all the little details right whether it is the seed pattern in oranges or the hinges on a box...I draw every day and have filled over 150 journals."
It is one of the tragedies of the art world that an artist as outstanding as Vicki can languish in relative obscurity while others with far less artistic talent sell their work for exorbitant sums and bask in undeserved glory. There is some saving grace in all this, however, which is that an ordinary art lover like me can easily afford to buy her exquisite framed ink drawings for $150-175 each from her current show. This is exactly what is happening during the course of her exhibition at my neighborhood gallery, where much of the work is steadily being purchased.
If you look up 440 Gallery on the Internet and then hit Vicki Behm under the list of gallery artists, you will see what I mean when I say that her ink drawings reflect great draughsmanship and contain memorable graphic imagery. I should also qualify my statement about her obscurity, because it isn't totally accurate. For example, in recent years Vicki unfortunately experienced the dual trials of breast cancer and heart problems. Focusing her artistic sensibilities on these problems, she created a memoir of her experiences in the form of illustrated journals which constitute a totally honest record of her illnesses. The drawings, especially in the heart book, are masterpieces. They wound up being published online by Health.com and can be found on the Internet under the heading " Artist's Notebook: My Adventures With Heart Failure". I believe I read that over 300,000 hits were recorded by visitors to the site.
It is difficult to pin down in words exactly what makes Vicki's drawings so outstanding and memorable. I take comfort,however, in the words of Edward Hopper, who said the most important thing about great art is something that cannot be expressed in words. Like Steinberg and Hockney, however, Vicki Behm's images display a combination of great technical skill in line drawing combined with the ability to capture a beautiful yet quirky image. I have also always been a fan of artwork which incorporates writing into an artwork, and her work has plenty of examples of that partnership.
One of the other nice aspects of the Internet is that, even if you don't read this blog in time to catch her current show, the images will remain for future reference and her work will still be available at the gallery.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Karl Mundt, Taxes and Ginger Rogers
This blog is about two quotations and the dancing of Ginger Rogers. I hope you will see the connection between these two things by the end.
The first quotation occurred during my freshman year of college, several decades ago. At that time a US Senator from the State of South Dakota, Karl E. Mundt, was coming to address the Young Republicans at my college. For some reason, I was briefly a Republican in those days before switching to the Democrats. I think his visit had something to do with my change of heart. After the meeting, we were asked by the state chairman to assist at a nearby dinner meeting of Republicans, who were coming to hear the same distinguished visitor. I agreed to join the other students and had a good time at my first ever large scale political rally, but was shocked to hear Sen. Mundt claim that JFK was solely responsible as president for the country's economic problems. After his speech I was so outraged that I sought him out backstage and voiced my objection. I said it was wrong to blame the president, as if he controlled the economy by fiat, and that as a former teacher and economic specialist himself that he knew better and shouldn't mislead people this way. Mundt looked around to make sure no one was listening to us and then leaned forward and quietly said the following : When I was first running for office, a veteran politician told me that the most important thing was to get yourself elected. If you couldn't do that, nothing else you believed in or wanted to do would matter, so don't worry too much about what you say. That was the end of my conversation with Sen. Mundt, who served in the US Senate from 1948 to 1973. I never forgot his words. They guide me now whenever I hear politicians speak, particularly when they make campaign promises. Mitt Romney may or may not make a good president, but nearly everyone-- Democrat or Republican-- and maybe even himself privately, would agree that he sure takes that advice to heart.
The second quote comes from a member of my extended family, who shall remain nameless for obvious reasons but might not actually mind being quoted by name. Unlike Senator Mundt, this family member is one of the few Republicans in our family (I think) and sincerely believes what I am going to tell you. At a recent family gathering, after discussing current adverse economic conditions in the country and the millions of ordinary Americans who require help desperately, this otherwise quite nice and very religious person said the following : My question is-- How much of MY money do I get to keep? Spoken like a true Republican and TEA (taxed enough already) Party supporter. He was totally unsympathetic to the plight of his less fortunate fellow Americans. The only thing that mattered was his earnings after taxes. I wouldn't look forward to higher taxes either, but this total rejection of any thought to the concept of being in the same boat together was as shocking to me as what Sen. Mundt had said many years before. I'm sure he'd change his tune in a minute if he were the one suffering !
This brings me to Ginger Rogers, the great Fred Astaire's dance partner. I sure wish I could dance like Fred Astaire. I rarely watch "Dancing With the Stars" on TV but I am endlessly mesmerized watching Fred Astaire dance in old movies. I thought he had no equal until I heard some commentator say the following about Ginger Rogers: "She did everything he did, except she did it backwards and in high heels." This quote was as startling and revealing to me as the two discussed above.
All three comments are permanently etched in my mind, but I like the third quote best. All three provide great insight but only the third is inspirational in a way that the prior two will never be.
The first quotation occurred during my freshman year of college, several decades ago. At that time a US Senator from the State of South Dakota, Karl E. Mundt, was coming to address the Young Republicans at my college. For some reason, I was briefly a Republican in those days before switching to the Democrats. I think his visit had something to do with my change of heart. After the meeting, we were asked by the state chairman to assist at a nearby dinner meeting of Republicans, who were coming to hear the same distinguished visitor. I agreed to join the other students and had a good time at my first ever large scale political rally, but was shocked to hear Sen. Mundt claim that JFK was solely responsible as president for the country's economic problems. After his speech I was so outraged that I sought him out backstage and voiced my objection. I said it was wrong to blame the president, as if he controlled the economy by fiat, and that as a former teacher and economic specialist himself that he knew better and shouldn't mislead people this way. Mundt looked around to make sure no one was listening to us and then leaned forward and quietly said the following : When I was first running for office, a veteran politician told me that the most important thing was to get yourself elected. If you couldn't do that, nothing else you believed in or wanted to do would matter, so don't worry too much about what you say. That was the end of my conversation with Sen. Mundt, who served in the US Senate from 1948 to 1973. I never forgot his words. They guide me now whenever I hear politicians speak, particularly when they make campaign promises. Mitt Romney may or may not make a good president, but nearly everyone-- Democrat or Republican-- and maybe even himself privately, would agree that he sure takes that advice to heart.
The second quote comes from a member of my extended family, who shall remain nameless for obvious reasons but might not actually mind being quoted by name. Unlike Senator Mundt, this family member is one of the few Republicans in our family (I think) and sincerely believes what I am going to tell you. At a recent family gathering, after discussing current adverse economic conditions in the country and the millions of ordinary Americans who require help desperately, this otherwise quite nice and very religious person said the following : My question is-- How much of MY money do I get to keep? Spoken like a true Republican and TEA (taxed enough already) Party supporter. He was totally unsympathetic to the plight of his less fortunate fellow Americans. The only thing that mattered was his earnings after taxes. I wouldn't look forward to higher taxes either, but this total rejection of any thought to the concept of being in the same boat together was as shocking to me as what Sen. Mundt had said many years before. I'm sure he'd change his tune in a minute if he were the one suffering !
This brings me to Ginger Rogers, the great Fred Astaire's dance partner. I sure wish I could dance like Fred Astaire. I rarely watch "Dancing With the Stars" on TV but I am endlessly mesmerized watching Fred Astaire dance in old movies. I thought he had no equal until I heard some commentator say the following about Ginger Rogers: "She did everything he did, except she did it backwards and in high heels." This quote was as startling and revealing to me as the two discussed above.
All three comments are permanently etched in my mind, but I like the third quote best. All three provide great insight but only the third is inspirational in a way that the prior two will never be.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Republican Politicians
This is my first political blog. To people who know me, having a blog and never commenting on the political scene may seem surprising. After all, I majored in Government in college, had a summer internship with a New York congressman, worked in the Koch administration for several years (in a non-political position),and follow the news passionately. I think my reticence derives from all the passionate noise I hear lately, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing, as William Faulkner wrote, and not wanting to add to the din.
Anyway, here goes. I am appalled at the Republicans and what they are doing. It has nothing to do with my being a life-long Democrat. Some politicians I most admire were Republicans, such as Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and more recently, Senators Everett Dirksen, Howard Baker and Lindsay Graham.
My objection stems from their obstructionism and hypocrisy. Regarding the former, I do not think it is OK to block action in Congress on almost any matter simply to make a Democratic president look bad. That is what they are doing, and as an American first and foremost, I consider this to be cynical, destructive behavior. The hypocrisy part is that they are intelligent people and, when you look closely, it is obvious they treat themselves differently. For example, I have yet to hear the Republicans in Congress say that they would be delighted to ditch their own gold-plated health plans provided by the US Government and accept the eviscerated health care plans they are attempting to foist on 99% of the American people. To top it off, they raise smoke screen issues like contraception and prayer in school to distract the American people from the real issues facing them at a critical time.
It amazes me how many Americans seem to be seduced and misled by these false prophets and their "concerns" which to me have as their primary and sometimes sole objective to garner financial support from special interests and ensure their continued tenure in political office. No wonder moderate Republican Senators like Evan Bayh and Olympia Snowe a leave their seats and retire. To be fair, many Democrats these days are also problematic, but I think the Republicans in general are far worse.
My main reason in writing these words is to express the (vain?) hope that America will wake up and insist upon the election of good, moderate, pragmatic leaders from both parties who have the nation's best interests at heart and will restore our pride and achievement. This may be far too idealistic to expect when big money has so poisoned our political well that it is sometimes hard to differentiate us from some countries around the world that would never be thought of in the same way before.
When I watch the Republican presidential candidates on TV, I daydream a little. Mitt Romney, except for the dog on top of the car thing, strikes me as intelligent, steadfast and pragmatic, if only he could say what he really believes. Rick Santorum seems very appealing personally, and if what came out of his mouth didn't spoil everything, I could understand why his support is rising. Though I would not vote for him, Newt Gingrich has a certain rogue appeal. Lastly, Ron Paul seems sincere and lovable. But I digress.
The needs of the people are all that matter, and obviously many millions today are in dire need of assistance. Sadly, the Republicans are capable but not stepping up to the challenges. I wish it were otherwise and I was in a position to consider voting for a Republican for President.
Anyway, here goes. I am appalled at the Republicans and what they are doing. It has nothing to do with my being a life-long Democrat. Some politicians I most admire were Republicans, such as Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and more recently, Senators Everett Dirksen, Howard Baker and Lindsay Graham.
My objection stems from their obstructionism and hypocrisy. Regarding the former, I do not think it is OK to block action in Congress on almost any matter simply to make a Democratic president look bad. That is what they are doing, and as an American first and foremost, I consider this to be cynical, destructive behavior. The hypocrisy part is that they are intelligent people and, when you look closely, it is obvious they treat themselves differently. For example, I have yet to hear the Republicans in Congress say that they would be delighted to ditch their own gold-plated health plans provided by the US Government and accept the eviscerated health care plans they are attempting to foist on 99% of the American people. To top it off, they raise smoke screen issues like contraception and prayer in school to distract the American people from the real issues facing them at a critical time.
It amazes me how many Americans seem to be seduced and misled by these false prophets and their "concerns" which to me have as their primary and sometimes sole objective to garner financial support from special interests and ensure their continued tenure in political office. No wonder moderate Republican Senators like Evan Bayh and Olympia Snowe a leave their seats and retire. To be fair, many Democrats these days are also problematic, but I think the Republicans in general are far worse.
My main reason in writing these words is to express the (vain?) hope that America will wake up and insist upon the election of good, moderate, pragmatic leaders from both parties who have the nation's best interests at heart and will restore our pride and achievement. This may be far too idealistic to expect when big money has so poisoned our political well that it is sometimes hard to differentiate us from some countries around the world that would never be thought of in the same way before.
When I watch the Republican presidential candidates on TV, I daydream a little. Mitt Romney, except for the dog on top of the car thing, strikes me as intelligent, steadfast and pragmatic, if only he could say what he really believes. Rick Santorum seems very appealing personally, and if what came out of his mouth didn't spoil everything, I could understand why his support is rising. Though I would not vote for him, Newt Gingrich has a certain rogue appeal. Lastly, Ron Paul seems sincere and lovable. But I digress.
The needs of the people are all that matter, and obviously many millions today are in dire need of assistance. Sadly, the Republicans are capable but not stepping up to the challenges. I wish it were otherwise and I was in a position to consider voting for a Republican for President.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Good Fortune
The day began routinely enough. There was a GROUPON offer for a restaurant deal in the West Village that I remembered to get. Unfortunately, by the time I logged on, there was a "Sold Out" banner across the offer and the words "Limited Quantity Available" written underneath. This was not a major loss, but it was annoying to acknowledge that all I had to do was press a few buttons several hours earlier and it would be like finding a $20 bill on the street.
This disappointment was a good warm-up for what came next. The telephone rang and it was my younger son calling on his cell phone from Michigan to report that he had inadvertently left his new laptop in the airport bus on his way back to college and was now in a cab racing across Michigan in an attempt to recover it. Since we had recently gone through a similar experience with my older son, who left his laptop in a taxi returning to Boston and failed to recover it, I was not optimistic about the outcome. The benefit of the call was that I stopped thinking about the prospective "loss" of $20 on the GROUPON dinner and could now concentrate on the loss of a computer costing well over $1000. As time went by and there was no word from Michigan, I started thinking about my good fortune earlier in the morning when my loss was only $20.
After waiting over an hour and imagining what else might go wrong, the phone rang again. My son reported that they had arrived at the bus stop in East Lansing, MI two minutes before the bus arrived and that the nice man who had been sitting next to him came out and handed him the computer with a big smile. The taxi mileage was more than half the distance from NYC to Albany, but at only $1 a mile and a total bill of $90 with tip, I considered this loss to be a gain ! The taxi driver said this occurs more often than you might realize. The bus driver felt bad for my son and let him ride back to Ann Arbor for free.
Soon enough all of the preceding events were put into sharp perspective when the phone rang again. This time it was my wife, calling from work to report that a friend had just sent a long email with the heart-breaking news that the friend's breast cancer had recurred and that another operation and round of chemotherapy would be required. I immediately realized how ridiculous I was to concern myself about a GROUPON, a 78 mile taxi ride, or even the loss of a new Apple laptop in the face of something like this. In passing, I also couldn't help thinking that even if my "losses" materialized, they were nothing compared to our friend's chemo injections at $4000 each and that she had to self-administer them, not to mention that she would be fighting for her life.
Now it is evening and all is quiet. There were no more phone calls and soon it would be time for dinner. On a net profit/loss basis, I am roughly in the same position as I started out this morning. However, my actual good fortune is boundless.
This disappointment was a good warm-up for what came next. The telephone rang and it was my younger son calling on his cell phone from Michigan to report that he had inadvertently left his new laptop in the airport bus on his way back to college and was now in a cab racing across Michigan in an attempt to recover it. Since we had recently gone through a similar experience with my older son, who left his laptop in a taxi returning to Boston and failed to recover it, I was not optimistic about the outcome. The benefit of the call was that I stopped thinking about the prospective "loss" of $20 on the GROUPON dinner and could now concentrate on the loss of a computer costing well over $1000. As time went by and there was no word from Michigan, I started thinking about my good fortune earlier in the morning when my loss was only $20.
After waiting over an hour and imagining what else might go wrong, the phone rang again. My son reported that they had arrived at the bus stop in East Lansing, MI two minutes before the bus arrived and that the nice man who had been sitting next to him came out and handed him the computer with a big smile. The taxi mileage was more than half the distance from NYC to Albany, but at only $1 a mile and a total bill of $90 with tip, I considered this loss to be a gain ! The taxi driver said this occurs more often than you might realize. The bus driver felt bad for my son and let him ride back to Ann Arbor for free.
Soon enough all of the preceding events were put into sharp perspective when the phone rang again. This time it was my wife, calling from work to report that a friend had just sent a long email with the heart-breaking news that the friend's breast cancer had recurred and that another operation and round of chemotherapy would be required. I immediately realized how ridiculous I was to concern myself about a GROUPON, a 78 mile taxi ride, or even the loss of a new Apple laptop in the face of something like this. In passing, I also couldn't help thinking that even if my "losses" materialized, they were nothing compared to our friend's chemo injections at $4000 each and that she had to self-administer them, not to mention that she would be fighting for her life.
Now it is evening and all is quiet. There were no more phone calls and soon it would be time for dinner. On a net profit/loss basis, I am roughly in the same position as I started out this morning. However, my actual good fortune is boundless.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Ode to Brooklyn
My wife thinks that Brooklyn is the center of the universe. Whenever we return to Brooklyn from destinations near or far, she always says the same thing: so good to be back at the center of the universe. When we return over the Brooklyn Bridge, for instance, she waits until the car actually touches Brooklyn soil before making this comment.
Brooklyn is famous all over the world. Lately, I notice that it is included on the list of popular names for newborn girls. I also read somewhere that something like one in seven of all Americans can trace their ancestry back to Brooklyn at some point in their family history.
The list of things and famous people connected with Brooklyn is indeed very long. This itemization would include, besides the Brooklyn Bridge, Coney Island, Ebbets Field and the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Brooklyn Navy Yard (where the Civil War ironclad Monitor and the WWII battleship Missouri were built), and such native personalities as varied as Al Capone, composer Aaron Copland, chess master Bobby Fischer, and singer Barbra Streisand. Who knows what great artist may emerge from the large concentration of young artists living today in Williamsburg.
A pretty impressive record for a borough that was the independent city of Brooklyn until it surrendered its "independence" and became part of the greater City of New York in 1898! If Brooklyn were independent today, it would rank as the fourth largest city in the US with a population of 2.5 million people. Some Brooklynites wouldn't mind at all returning to its unconsolidated status.
There are two historical events that stick out in my mind whenever I think about Brooklyn. The first occurred during the Revolutionary War. Did you know that the first major battle in the war for independence was the battle of Brooklyn, fought in August 1776 just one month after the July 4 declaration of independence? It was fought near my home in and around what is now Prospect Park. General George Washington observed the battle from a hill in downtown Brooklyn on which a Trader Joe's now operates. The American troops were badly beaten but were fortunately able to retreat by boat to Manhattan. A total defeat here would have destroyed the Continental Army and ended the war at its inception. Thereafter, Washington never again engaged the British in a full scale pitched battle. The battle of Brooklyn was not some isolated skirmish. A total of tens of thousands of men were involved in this critical engagement, which is commemorated in Brooklyn every year.
The second event demonstrates the pivotal role played by Brooklyn in world history. The Ice Age, as everyone knows, covered large portions of North America. It turns out that the glaciers ended their downward path in Brooklyn, about a mile from where I live. This was the furthest point south that the glaciers were able to travel. Only Brooklyn was able to halt their momentum ! One can stand on a hill next to Greenwood Cemetery and observe the outwash plain from that point stretching about 5 miles to Brighton Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. I often raced down that hill by car in the morning to get my kids to elementary school before the late bell rang, totally ignoring the historic significance of my route.
Brooklyn is famous all over the world. Lately, I notice that it is included on the list of popular names for newborn girls. I also read somewhere that something like one in seven of all Americans can trace their ancestry back to Brooklyn at some point in their family history.
The list of things and famous people connected with Brooklyn is indeed very long. This itemization would include, besides the Brooklyn Bridge, Coney Island, Ebbets Field and the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Brooklyn Navy Yard (where the Civil War ironclad Monitor and the WWII battleship Missouri were built), and such native personalities as varied as Al Capone, composer Aaron Copland, chess master Bobby Fischer, and singer Barbra Streisand. Who knows what great artist may emerge from the large concentration of young artists living today in Williamsburg.
A pretty impressive record for a borough that was the independent city of Brooklyn until it surrendered its "independence" and became part of the greater City of New York in 1898! If Brooklyn were independent today, it would rank as the fourth largest city in the US with a population of 2.5 million people. Some Brooklynites wouldn't mind at all returning to its unconsolidated status.
There are two historical events that stick out in my mind whenever I think about Brooklyn. The first occurred during the Revolutionary War. Did you know that the first major battle in the war for independence was the battle of Brooklyn, fought in August 1776 just one month after the July 4 declaration of independence? It was fought near my home in and around what is now Prospect Park. General George Washington observed the battle from a hill in downtown Brooklyn on which a Trader Joe's now operates. The American troops were badly beaten but were fortunately able to retreat by boat to Manhattan. A total defeat here would have destroyed the Continental Army and ended the war at its inception. Thereafter, Washington never again engaged the British in a full scale pitched battle. The battle of Brooklyn was not some isolated skirmish. A total of tens of thousands of men were involved in this critical engagement, which is commemorated in Brooklyn every year.
The second event demonstrates the pivotal role played by Brooklyn in world history. The Ice Age, as everyone knows, covered large portions of North America. It turns out that the glaciers ended their downward path in Brooklyn, about a mile from where I live. This was the furthest point south that the glaciers were able to travel. Only Brooklyn was able to halt their momentum ! One can stand on a hill next to Greenwood Cemetery and observe the outwash plain from that point stretching about 5 miles to Brighton Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. I often raced down that hill by car in the morning to get my kids to elementary school before the late bell rang, totally ignoring the historic significance of my route.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Delaware and Raritan Canal
There is a fabulous canal built in the 1830's within easy travelling distance of NYC.
Everyone of course is familiar with the famous Erie Canal in upstate New York, which connects the Great Lakes to New York City. I have always wanted to see it, since it is still in existence and has its original locks in place. But, generally unknown, there is another canal right across the river in New Jersey which was similarly busy.
The Delaware and Raritan Canal and its feeder stretches a distance of over 60 miles from New Brunswick down to Trenton and then up to towns like Lambertville across from Philadelphia. The reason I am bothering to tell you all this is that for the bike ride lovers of the world, like me, there is a first-rate jogging and bike trail to enjoy along the towpath next to the canal. Canoes can also be rented for paddling on the canal itself.
My wife and I had a terrific fall weekend riding over 30 miles with our bikes on this trail. The amazing thing is that if this well-maintained trail were located in NYC, it would be mobbed and heralded for the beautiful experience it provided, but in New Jersey it was nearly deserted. Every once in a while, one would pass a few joggers or strollers, especially around Princeton University. But, for the most part, it was quiet and wonderful. All kinds of wildlife, especially ducks and other acquatic fowl, were visible along the way.
I recommend a weekend trip if you love the outdoors and don't want to travel far. You can get there by car from the City in an hour. You could even bring your bikes with you on NJ Transit from Manhattan as we did during off peak hours. We stayed in a hotel outside Princeton, which is at about the halfway point. There is lots to see and places to eat at in Princeton.
There is one other thing to bring to your attention about the canal itself. It was dug by hand by thousands of Irish immigrants with shovels in order to bring coal cheaply by barge pulled by mules from the coal mines in Pennsylvania to the furnaces of New York City. The workers were paid $1 per day, and many of them died and were buried along the route. It took 3 or 4 years to complete. The original locks and spillways are still in place, and there are explanatory signs and pictures along the route providing detailed information about this major engineering project.
Today all is still and almost starting to return to nature. Sic transit gloria mundi. ( Thus passes the glory of the world.) Along the same lines, just outside of Princeton University, as you head towards Trenton, there is a totally unexpected marker next to the trail. It is an engraved stone monument to General George Washington, commander of American forces during the Revolutionary War, showing a place where he passed with his troops on his way to battle. Somewhat hidden and probably unknown to most, it is strangely moving and very gratifying to encounter this modest memorial along a formerly busy route from a bygone era.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)