Pick's Place

I love a parade, but...

2012-02-08T06:45:00.001-05:00

So, the Giants won the Super Bowl, and I hope my friends who are Giants fans enjoyed their parade. I sure enjoyed the parade when the Phillies won the World Series in 2008.

Governor Christie wanted the parade in New Jersey, since that is where the Giants play their home games, but I say lets let New Jersey reap the tax revenues and let New York City pay for the parade, which we cannot afford.

Now, some are calling for a parade to honor the returning veterans of the war in Iraq. I respectfully disagree. While I certainly appreciate the desire to honor the sacrifices of those who gave so much, a day of jingoistic flag-waving is not the way to do it.

These veterans are coming home physically, mentally, and emotionally injured. They are coming back to a place where job prospects are weak. What they need is access to health care and job opportunities, not a parade.

As long as the war in Afghanistan continues, as long as drone attacks continue to kill innocent civilians and conduct targeted assassinations, including American citizens, as long as saber rattling replaces diplomacy with Iran, Syria and elsewhere, how about we hold off on the parades.

Let's end this state of perpetual war, and then we'll have something to celebrate.

Mitt Romney's Dog Takes the Wheel

2012-01-21T16:05:00.000-05:00

Mitt Romney's dog, Seamus, takes the family station wagon for a joy ride, with a special payload on the roof rack.

"Town Hall" in Irvington - ALL are welcome

2012-01-14T08:25:00.000-05:00

For those of you lucky enough to be unemployed, or have the day off Thursday, Governor Chris Christie will be holding another one of his ~~taxpayer funded partisan pep rallies~~ "Town Hall" meetings, at the Christian Love Baptist Church in Irvington, Essex County.

If you go:
WHERE: Christian Love Baptist Church
830 Lyons Ave.
Irvington NJ 07111
WHEN: Thursday, January 19, Doors open at 9:30AM. Event begins at 10:30AM
RSVP by clicking here: http://tinyurl.com/8yjoemc

Below is a screen shot from the Christian Love Baptist Church website. No Comment:

Mitt Romney's Dog: An Investigative Photo Essay

2012-01-08T17:25:00.004-05:00

Just about everyone knows about Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's family trip from Boston to Canada with his dog in a carrier, strapped to the roof.

After extensive research, Pick's Place has discovered that this was neither the first nor last such incident.

Below are photos of the Romney family's various escapades with their dog and their car.

More photos will be added as they are uncovered.

The Sixth Floor Summit

2011-12-30T07:32:00.001-05:00

Some of you know the story - two boyhood pals in suburban New Jersey: While other kids were playing sports, Andy and Jeff were consumed with the JFK assassination. We both vividly remembered where we were on November 22, 1963, and from the time we met in 1967 at age ten through our teenage years and early twenties, we delved into the Crime of the Century - reading books, engaging in deep discussions of conspiracy theories, examining the Zapruder film frame by frame. We vowed to one day visit Dealey Plaza in Dallas. Over the years, we lost touch, but reconnected in 2002. We remembered The Vow, and that neither of us had let go of it.

Then, in 2005, I learned I had to go to Fort Worth for business. By that time, Andy had relocated to Houston. I contacted Andy and the plans were underway. On November 16th, 2005, 11:45 CST, we both arrived at the parking lot of the Sixth Floor Museum - formerly known as the Texas School Book Depository - each clutching our copies of Best Evidence.

We spent the day at Dealey Plaza, covering every inch of the Grassy Knoll, visiting the Sixth Floor Museum, re-enacting the frantic drive from Elm Street to Parkland Hospital, even visiting the grave of unsung 11/22 hero J.D. Tippit.

A while back, I heard about the JFK Oral History Project, which:

explores the history and culture of Dallas and the 1960s, and preserves personal recollections regarding the life and death of President John F. Kennedy. These candid, informal interviews offer insight into the Kennedy legacy and the local—and global—impact of his assassination.

I contacted Andy and we knew we HAD to do this. So, on November 22, 2011, we simultaneously contacted the curator of the Sixth Floor Museum, who found our story compelling enough to invite us to Dallas to be interviewed on video for the Project.

Our interview is scheduled for Friday, February 17th, 2012, at 2:00pm CST. I will fly to Houston the night before, Andy and I will head to Dallas Friday morning, on the ultimate road trip. The journey will be documented on video and in writing. Stay tuned to Pick's Place for updates.

The video of our interview will be archived for viewing on the website or at the Museum itself. We will not only talk about history. We will be part of history.

This will be HUGE.

This will be EPIC.

2011 airing of "The Spirit of Christmas", featuring the Mabel Beaton Marionettes

2011-12-23T08:25:00.001-05:00

This vintage Christmas special, featuring marionette performances of "A Visit From St Nicholas" and the story of the Nativity, has been shown in TV every year since 1950.

As a public service, Pick's Place is providing the show times for "The Spirit of Christmas":

The Mabel Beaton Marionettes perform " 'Twas The Night Before Christmas" and "The Christmas Story"
Where: WHYY Channel 12

When: Saturday, December 24 - 10:00am, Sunday, December 25 - 1:30pm

You can now see these vintage shows on YouTube, or DVR them, or buy it on DVD, but there's no substitute for catching them in real time on regular TV (for me, at least).

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night"

Pitman Punts

2011-12-15T07:39:00.001-05:00

"Even though the prospect sickens, brother here we go again"
- Tom Lehrer, "A Christmas Carol"

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year again folks, and it wouldn't be the "Holiday" season without the War on Christmas, and all its battles, real and imagined, from the annual rumors that our secret Muslim President is changing the name of the White House Christmas Tree to the Holiday Tree, to the real story of the Governor of Rhode Island and the State Holiday Tree, to the various whining talking heads on Fox "News", and the usual skirmishes over Nativity scenes on public property, which can easily be fixed by placing a Menorah beside them.

But there is a real war on Christmas right in my own backyard, in Pitman, NJ, where someone has hung a sign above Broadway (Pitman's main drag), that reads, "Keep Christ in Christmas". Now, you don't need to be a constitutional scholar to understand that this sign breaches the wall of separation of church and state, and one First Amendment advocacy group, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, has complained.

Now, this sort of thing is not unusual, but the response of the Pitman Borough Attorney, Brian Duffield, is quite interesting:

“We found out that the banner is attached on one end to the old bank — which is privately owned — and on the other end it’s connected to an Atlantic City Electric or Verizon pole which the borough does not own. Also, Broadway is a county — not a borough — road. Everything related to the sign is not on Pitman public property.”

Huh? According to my map, the location of this banner lies withing Pitman's borders, hangs in Pitman's airspace, yet the Borough of Pitman has no legal jurisdiction to take it down? The banner, according to the Borough, hangs in some generic part of Gloucester County, not in Pitman. The banner just appeared by magic. Using this logic, I suppose I can park my car at one of the metered spots on Broadway without putting money into the meter, and no cop would give me a ticket because Broadway is out of Pitman's jurisdiction.

Pitman takes pride in its origins as a Methodist encampment and its many churches, but there is no religious test to live in Pitman, nor is there a religious test to travel to or through it, to park on its streets, or to shop at its Mom and Pop stores on Broadway. A banner with a religious proclamation, hanging in a public street, whether it's a municipal road or a county road, is inappropriate and should come down.

Duffield's punt on jurisdiction here pretty much ensures that the banner will remain in place, at least for the near future, but with Christmas just over a week away, it will be down in a few weeks anyway.

So, what can church/state separation advocates do? A legal battle would not be resolved between now and December 25th.

How about some civil disobedience, climb up there and take the sign down ourselves? After all, since the banner is out of Pitman's jurisdiction, we can expect the police to stand idly by and wait for the Gloucester County Sheriff to arrive, by which time the sign and the removers will be long gone, right?

Disgruntled Eagles fan declares "Christmas in Distress"

2011-12-11T15:21:00.001-05:00

(Update: the final sentence of this post refers to a lost Vinny Testaverde ornament. In what can only be described as a Christmas Miracle, a new Vinny ornament arrived in my mail Monday night, 12/12, the work of a mysterious benefactor).

I've been accused of being a Scrooge, and a Grinch, but I like Christmas. Really, I do. I like the lights on our house and our tree. I especially like my ornaments, in particular, my Jets and Eagles ornaments.

Eight Christmases ago I ordered an Eagles ornament from Danbury Mint, and every year (springtime, I think) I get the new year's ornament. Then I put it away and wait until December, when I enjoy adorning my tree with my ornaments.

However, this year has been different. The Eagles have been terrible. As in they suck, they suck really bad, and each game they find new ways to suck. If they suck so bad, how can I be enthusiastic about putting their ornaments on my tree?

Yes, I know you should be loyal to your team through thick and thin, and I am. But I cannot simply do my usual ornament thing without making a statement.

The Solution:
As we all know, the American flag flown upside down is a sign of distress. And distress is what I would call the Eagle's situation this year (as of this writing they are ahead of the Miami Dolphins, but I don't care. I'm not watching it). So I have decided to display my Eagles ornaments on the tree, upside down, as a sign of protest against a team in distress.

Maybe next year will be different. ~~And maybe next year I will find my lost Vinny Testaverde ornament :(~~

A Closer Look at Rick Perry's Video "Strong"

2011-12-10T05:08:00.001-05:00

Perry's homophobic video, "Strong", has overtaken Rebecca Black's "Friday" for the record of YouTube "dislikes", at 535,249 and rising as of this writing.

Pick's Place has done a closer examination of "Strong" and found some subliminal messages. Rick may not be as homophobic as we think.

In fact, Rick actually supports marriage equality:

Here Rick shows us a sample from his music collection:

Candace Gingrich may be an Obama supporter, but she still {{hearts}} Rick:

While Fox may be Rick's favorite TV station, he still likes to Lean Forward with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow:

Somewhere in Heaven, Harvey Milk is smiling at Rick:

Do you have any of your own? Email them to jrpickens@gmail.com and we'll post them.

I heard the news that day, oh boy

2011-12-08T05:59:00.000-05:00

Where were you on December 8, 1980?

That night, actually. I was 23 years old. It was just after 11:00PM EST, I was watching the news on New York City's NBC channel 4 in my bedroom in New Jersey. Chuck Scarborough was delivering the news when he was handed a bulletin: "We just received some startling news. A man believed to be former Beatle John Lennon has been shot outside Central Park". That was all the details he had. Later in the broadcast he confirmed that the man was indeed John Lennon, and he had died.

I then shut the TV off and tuned my radio to WNEW-FM ("Where rock lives"). DJ Vin Scelsa, his voice shaking, was riffing on the shocking event that had just happened, lamenting that "the life of a man of peace would end in such a damnable manner". He then cued-up "Watching the Wheels" from John and Yoko's comeback album, "Double Fantasy". I fell asleep listening to the radio.

I cannot say that the death of John Lennon affected me personally, but like many of my generation, for us, the music of The Beatles was the soundtrack to our childhood and coming-of-age. From their arrival in 1964, a welcome antidote after the assassination of John F. Kennedy (another "Where were you?" moment) when I was in 2nd grade, to the break-up in 1970 when I was entering high school, to Lennon's surprise appearance at an Elton John concert in Madison Square Garden on Thanksgiving 1974. I had a third row center seat that night, and it was, of course, one of the highlights of my life as a music fan. It was also the last time Lennon would ever appear on a stage.

It is impossible to say what John Lennon would be doing now if he had lived. I am almost certain, however, that he would have continued to be an outspoken critic of war and an advocate for peace.

Would he have made more music? I hope so.

Where Were You on 11/22/63? The JFK Oral History Project

2011-11-21T20:20:00.005-05:00

CLICK HERE for an update on the Sixth Floor Summit.

(co-written with Andrew Kadin)

Update: Shortly after this blog was posted, Andy and I were contacted by a representative of the JFK Oral History Project who invited us to Dallas to be interviewed and have our story recorded on video. Details to follow, once arrangements have been finalized.

Anyone old enough to remember can recall where they were on November 22, 1963 when they heard the news that President John F. Kennedy had been shot. Mine is a story of a childhood memory, a lifelong interest, and the reuniting of two boyhood pals.

On November 22, 1963, I was in the second grade at St Francis School in Ridgefield Park, NJ. It was a Friday afternoon. I remember a kid coming into the classroom and handing the teacher a piece of paper. The teacher told us the President had been shot, then made us say a prayer, then sent us home. I went home and my mother was crying. What I remember the most about that day and the next three days was that time stood still for those three days. Everything was closed. No store would dare be open, not in the Irish-Catholic town I lived in.

Meanwhile, in Bridgeport, CT, a few years before moving back to New Jersey , Andrew Kadin was a second grader. Says Andy:

I was 2 months past my seventh birthday and I was home from school sick on Friday, November 22, 1963. I remember lying on the couch in the living room in my pajamas watching some sort of ghost-comedy movie ("Topper"?) when the FlashBulletin screen appeared on the TV.

I vividly remember the announcer saying that shots were fired at the President's motorcade in Dallas but that no one was hurt. The movie returned and in a short time the Flash Bulletin screen was back and now the announcer spoke of people being hit. This went back and forth for a bit until a following bulletin first announced Kennedy was hit, perhaps fatally. The TV coverage was continuous now and next I remember the announcement that JFK had died.

I think my mother phoned my father at work and he may have come home early.

The next few days are fuzzy but I remember my father picking me up from Sunday school. The radio was on. That's when Oswald was shot.

Fast-forward a few years. Andy and I met in 1967 and as youngsters, we both read many books and publications regarding the assassination. We had always promised that one day we would meet up in Dallas to test various theories and to visit specific locations now part of the assassination's history.

Those plans came to fruition on November, 2005. Both of us had plans to be in the Dallas area on business travel, and our long awaited historic summit occurred on November 16th when we met up at the Sixth Floor Museum, then spent the afternoon touring Dealey Plaza and the surrounding area, a boyhood promise fulfilled.

Andy and I have submitted our stories to the JFK Oral History Project, associated with the Sixth Floor Museum in Dallas TX. We hope to be interviewed and recorded and have our story archived for posterity.

Guest Blogger: Abraham Lincoln

2011-11-19T05:35:00.000-05:00

148 years ago today, President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address as he dedicated a national cemetery at the site of the Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania.

278 words.

Less is more:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Bowling Match

2011-10-30T19:11:00.001-04:00

Who is this guy Max Pizarro and who thinks his "writing" is fit to publish?

This stinker was dropped in my Google Alerts this afternoon. It is a PolitickerNJ account of a GOTV rally at a bowling alley in Manville, in support of 16th District Democrats, with an appearance by Newark Mayor Cory Booker, including the story of a friendly $1,000 bowling wager between Booker and SCDC Chairwoman Peg Schaffer.

The article clunks through a description of Booker's motivational remarks, peppered with journalistic slop like:

The Tony Robbins headset messages included team work and never giving up, and these were massage points (did he mean "message points"?) for a county organization long used to getting carried off the field on Election Day - on stretchers, not shoulders.

Then this:

Redistricting put a crack in the drawbridge of longtime GOP stronghold LD 16 - rerouting the Princetons and South Brunswick into the laps of veteran state Sen. Kip Bateman (R-16) and Assemblyman Pete Biondi (R-16) and giving Dems enough juice to play for an assembly win.

Note that he does not name a single Democratic LD-16 candidate by name, candidates that he described as "ginned up" in an October 12 PolitickerNJ piece.

Let me help you out, Max. Their names are:
Maureen Vella, candidate for NJ State Senate
Marie Corfield, candidate for NJ State Assembly
Joe Camarota, candidate for NJ State Assembly

(Disclosure: I am campaign treasurer for the Corfield Campaign)

Then, he went full Bulwer-Lyton with the account of the Booker/Schaffer bowling match, which I'm sure would have Hemingway rolling in his grave. Not exactly "Death in the Afternoon", folks.

Then the money shot:

The mayor went first, powering in shot that left him with a single spare. On his second roll he pounded the lone sentinel down with ease.

"Lone sentinel"?

The story at least had a happy ending. They tied, and Peg got her $1,000 from the Mayor.

Washington Twp (Gloucester County) Mayoral Debate

2011-10-28T15:51:00.002-04:00

In addition to the very important NJ State Legislature and County Freeholder elections on Tuesday, Washington Township, Gloucester County, will be holding a Mayoral election.

(Disclosure: I have the unique distinction of having lived in two of the five(?) Washington Townships in New Jersey)

Notwithstanding the unfortunate headline juxtaposition on the front page of the Washington Township Times, for the benefit of Washington Twp residents, there will be a debate between Mayoral hopefuls Kevin Murphy (R) and Barbara Wallace (D), in the Washington Twp Municipal Building on Egg Harbor Road, Tuesday, November 1, at 7:00pm.

The one-hour debate will be held in the main council meeting room of the municipal building on Egg Harbor Road. The candidates will each respond to 10 questions – eight of which will come from the public, but not the audience. Murphy said they’ve established an email address – wtmayoraldebate11@gmail.com – where they’re asking the residents to submit questions. The questions must include the resident’s name, address and phone number in order to be considered.

See you there, and don't forget to VOTE on Tuesday, November 8.

Election? What Election?

2011-10-23T09:14:00.001-04:00

This is the question I get all too often when I talk about the upcoming NJ State Legislature elections on November 8, 2011.

It's not surprising. Most people who bother to vote pay attention to even-numbered years, when we vote for US House, US Senate, and, every four years, US President. It's different here in New Jersey, where state elections are held in odd-numbered years. Our gubernatorial election is the year after the presidential election, which draws some attention.

Unfortunately, the non-gubernatorial odd-numbered year is a black hole of voter awareness in New Jersey.

The NJ State Senate and Assembly candidates who are "walking", knocking on doors, have a two-fold task: They are asking for votes, and more often than not, they must explain what office they are running for, and that the election is this year, not next year.

There are approximately 1.7 million registered Democrats in the state of New Jersey. I wonder how many of them know there is an election here in less than three weeks? How many of them drive past yard signs without notice?

So, mark your calendar, November 8, 2011, and remind your friends that, however entertaining the 2012 Republican freak show my be, 2011 is not an off year in New Jersey. We have an election this year, and we need to vote.

I'm Not Sure I Can Hold My Nose This Time

2011-10-15T19:49:00.001-04:00

It seemed like a simple question to me. A question I posted on the Facebook page of the Democratic NJ State Legislature candidates for the 4th Legislative District.

Senator Fred Madden and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty are incumbents. Gabriela Mosquera is a newcomer, running for the seat formerly held by Republican Domenic DiCicco, who was redistricted out of LD-4 in April.

I have written to my state representatives numerous times on a variety of issues, both state and local. Never once have I ever received a response, not even a form letter or a robo-email, from Madden or Moriarty. Mr. DiCicco, the Republican, has personally responded to me, as has Governor Christie. I even got a phone call from a Christie staffer responding to one of my letters.

Madden and Moriarty are also among the "Christiecrats" who sold out the public unions on pension and benefit "reform" (why does that now sound like such a dirty word?).

Back to my question on the Facebook page. In response to a post boasting of Mosquera's endorsement by the Women's Political Caucus, I wrote:

"Ms. Mosquera: If elected, will you legislate in accordance with progressive Democratic principles, or will you vote in lock-step with the Sweeney/Norcross Christiecrats, like your running mates?"

Now, it's always a good idea to do a screen grab when making a comment in a political forum, just in case it gets removed. Governor Christie's Facebook page is regularly scrubbed, as are many other politicians' pages. I posted this comment on a Friday morning, checking back regularly to see if there was any response. By Saturday afternoon the comment was gone. No response. No comment. No email. No phone call. Nada. Nothing.

I don't begrudge these guys the right to scrub their Facebook page. After all, it's their page. But if they want people to vote for them, pissing me off is not a good idea.

Being a Democrat has been baked into my DNA since birth. My parents and grandparents were Democrats (although my Dad now calls himself a "libertarian", but that's a whole 'nother story). We were New Deal, New Frontier, Great Society Democrats. I could not imagine myself voting any other way.

But, considering the absolute lack of interest in any type of constituent service on the part of these two, to never once respond to a constituent's concerns, and their unsatisfactory voting records, is there any compelling reason why I should hold my nose and vote for them?

Yeah, I know, the 11th Commandment, "Thou shalt not speak ill of your fellow (Democrats)", but these two make it nearly impossible.

So, help me out here. On November 8th, two things I will not do is stay home or vote for a Republican. But what should I do? Do I hold my nose and vote for two individuals I have absolutely no respect for, or do I write my own name in (as I did in the Primary), or do I vote for the third party candidate?

What would you do?

Thumbs Up for Amazon.com Customer Service

2011-10-09T10:58:00.000-04:00

Brace yourselves, folks. Pick's Place is about to say something positive.

Since I spend so much time on this site bitching about anything and everything, it's time I gave credit where it's due, so props to Amazon.com for their outstanding customer service.

The other day I found the screen on my three month old Kindle frozen. After Googling "Kindle troubleshooting" I found this:

Symptom	Resolution
Kindle screen frozen or Kindle unresponsive. Possible cause: Low battery charge.	Plug the Kindle into a wall outlet. Ensure the Kindle is charging (the indicator light should be on). Wait 2 minutes. If necessary unplug the Kindle and reset by moving and holding the power switch for 20 seconds before releasing it.

I tried this, and it didn't work. Other Kindle discussion boards had the same advice.

I braced myself for the worst and called Amazon customer service.

Amazon: How can I help you?
JRP: My Kindle screen is frozen
Amazon: Have you tried holding the switch for 20 seconds?
JRP: Yes.
Amazon: May I have your name, email, and address?
JRP: (provides requested info)
Amazon: OK, it looks like your Kindle is still under warranty. We're putting a new one in the mail and You should have it by October 11.
JRP: That's it?
Amazon: Yes, and we will provide a prepaid mailer for you to return the old Kindle. Is there anything else I can do for you?
JRP: No, you've been very helpful, thank you.

What I just described is 100% true and is a case study in customer service. It seems very simple to me. Why can't all companies do this?

Thank you, Amazon, for showing us how it's done.

Carl Lewis: Where was the due diligence?

2011-09-23T05:45:00.002-04:00

So, it looks like this is the end of the road for the on again, off again, on again, off again, doomed-to-fail campaign of former Olympic gold medalist and Willingboro, NJ hometown hero Carl Lewis. On Thursday, 9/22, a three member panel of the the Third Circuit Court of Appeals denied Lewis' eligibility to serve in the State Senate because he does not meet the residency requirements.

I am not a political professional. I am an accountant by trade, and I specialize in auditing. In the course of my work, when about to embark on a audit, the first thing we do is a risk assessment on the area being reviewed. We start by asking, "What can go wrong?". Brainstorm the scenarios from worst case to least bad. From there, we construct our plan.

I would think that a person considering running for political office, or encouraging another to run for office, would do a similar due diligence. I would be wrong.

Apparently, the geniuses in the Democratic party of New Jersey did not bother to do this due diligence when they drafted Mr. Lewis to run for Senate. I was excited about his candidacy and hopeful to see a Democrat take a seat that had historically been Republican. However, when I learned that Lewis, although he has owned homes in Burlington County, New Jersey since 2006, had for the most part lived in California, and voted in California in 2009, my hopes sunk.

Why? Because I knew that the Republicans would do everything they could to get Lewis tossed off the ballot based on non-residency. The decision was first made by Lt Governor Kim Guadagno, in her dual role as Secretary of State. At the time, I criticized this decision as that of a partisan hack acting in the interests of her party, and not the state. I said if the decision were made by a court of law I could accept it.

After numerous appeals, Lewis' candidacy was a go, then a no-go, then (I've lost track), but now the Court has ruled and it's a done deal.

So, now what do we do?

If a dumb guy like me could see this coming, how could the Democrats who drafted Carl Lewis not have seen this coming? A simple due diligence exercise would entail asking Mr. Lewis if there was any reason he thought he would not meet the residency requirements, anticipating a Republican challenge. If Lewis cited his 2009 voting in California as a potential issue, his sponsors should have been ready to answer this legitimate concern, planned how to fight it, and have a Plan B in case the Lewis candidacy did not work out.

Instead, we now have no Democratic candidate for State Senate in the 8th Legislative District. Once again, the Democrats find themselves outmaneuvered by the Republicans. Why? Because Republicans fight, and Democrats bend over and take it.

When will we learn?

Note to Governor Christie:
When you learned about Carl Lewis' potential candidacy, you had one of your aides call Lewis and threaten to withhold funding from his youth athletic foundation. Now that Lewis is no longer a candidate and the Senate seat is safely Republican, is your funding for the program back on the table?

Dear Scott's Lawn Service: Please stop calling me.

2011-09-09T20:21:00.000-04:00

Not sure Scott's Lawn Service understands the meaning of the words "Do not call". See email trail, and the ensuing Twitter exchange:

From: jrpickens@gmail.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 8:33 AM
To: SLS-Runnemedebranch
Subject: Runnemede Customer Service Inquiry from JeffPickens

The following information was submitted from the Scotts LawnService customer service page:
First Name:Jeff
Last Name:Pickens
Email: jrpickens@gmail.com
Message: I received a voice mail about an alleged service call. When I tried to call back 856-312-0480, I was put on hold, then prompted to leave a message. When I was transferred to the voicemail, I got another message that the voice mailbox was full. This is no way to run a business. My lawn is still an infestation of crabgrass and weeds, and you have the audacity to send me a bill? There is no evidence that you have done anything to my lawn, except leave some paperwork on the ground on the side of the house.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

from: SLS-Runnemedebranch runnemedebranch@scotts.com
to: jrpickens@gmail.com
date: Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 9:20 AM
subject RE: Runnemede Customer Service Inquiry from JeffPickens

I see we came out to do a service call for weeds on 8/10 but we don’t charge for service calls and this was a weed control the balance you see is from 6/30 we didn’t charge you for the service done on 8/10 please call customer service 856-312-0480
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

from: Jeff Pickens jrpickens@gmail.com
to: SLS-Runnemedebranch
date: Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 10:13 AM
subject   Re: Runnemede Customer Service Inquiry from JeffPickens

There is no evidence that any service was performed on 6/30. There is also no evidence that any service was performed on 8/10. My lawn was and remains an infestation of crab grass and weeds, and is an eyesore in my neighborhood. Any reasonable person looking at my lawn would agree there is no rationale for paying one cent for this alleged service.

When I attempted to call, I was put hold for an interminable amount of time, then directed to a voice mail and a message that the mailbox was full and I was unable to leave a message.

I consider my business relationship with you terminated and I have no intention of paying you any more than I have already paid.

- JRP
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
from: SLS-Runnemedebranch runnemedebranch@scotts.com
to: Jeff Pickens
date: Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 8:52 AM
subject    RE: Runnemede Customer Service Inquiry from JeffPickens

I have cancelled the account as of today any questions please call office 856-312-0480
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

from: Jeff Pickens jrpickens@gmail.com
to: SLS-Runnemedebranch
date: Fri, Sep 9, 2011 at 5:46 AM
subject   Re: Runnemede Customer Service Inquiry from JeffPickens

What part of "cancelled the account" don't you understand? STOP CALLING ME!

NJ-CAN Organizes to "Dump the Christiecrats"

2011-08-11T18:00:00.001-04:00

Today, I received the following email from a new organization called NJ-CAN. Their objective is to remove from power the so-called "Christiecrats", NJ Democrats in the State Legislature who have betrayed Democratic principals and sided with Governor Chris Christie's anti union, anti middle class, pro corporate agenda.

On Monday, August 8, 2011, NJ-CAN held a press conference at the Veterans Plaza in Trenton, New Jersey, to demonstrate democracy still works and the people have power.
This event marked the launch of a petition campaign demanding the removal of Senate President, Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker, Sheila Oliver, from their positions as leaders of New Jersey Senate and Assembly.

Spearheading both a Statewide petition and a “write-in” campaign, NJ-CAN, a newly formed Statewide organization comprised of various community groups, labor organizations and unaffiliated concerned citizens, to mount a counterattack on those Democrats who voted for the disastrous pensions and benefits bill this summer, inflicting undue pain and suffering upon the working people in New Jersey. Their actions prompted the naming of the 22 Democrats, who voted to pass the bill, to be referred to as the Christiecrats.

Assembly and Senate Democrats, including Senate President, Stephen Sweeney and Speaker Sheila Oliver, have repeatedly spoken of their credentials as defenders of the working and middle classes. However, actions speak louder than words, and the surrender to Christie’s pension and benefit plan displays a traitorous betrayal of the Democratic party principles.

As stated by Labor Attorney, BENNET D. ZUROFSKY, “As Democrats, we are deeply ashamed. If we sit still for this, we will be akin to those suffering from “battered spouse syndrome” – unable to summon the courage to break away from an abusive relationship despite knowing that we must end it for our own good.”
Therefore, citizens, through the formation of NJ-CAN, have taken it upon themselves to hold these Christiecrat Democrats accountable.

The petition and a “write-in” campaign are an outward expression of the outrage felt at such a betrayal to the people of New Jersey, and failure of the Christiecrats to remember that this is OUR government; a representative government: “OF the People, BY the People and FOR the People”.

NJ-CAN was formed to be a Statewide umbrella group for all unions, community organizations and involved residents of New Jersey to work together now and in the future to build a strong network within the state to hold our elected representatives accountable, to actively seek challengers when need be and to fight against destructive legislation that is detrimental to the residents of New Jersey in a unified manner.

If you wish to become a member of the group, go to our website NJ-CAN [1] and register. If you have any questions, or wish to sign up as a co-sponsor, there is a place to contact us on the website.

NJ-CAN’s statewide petition drive “Demand Removal of Sweeney and Oliver from Leadership Positions” is the first part of a three phase campaign named “Dump the Christiecrats”. You can sign the petition here [2] or on our website NJ-CAN.org [3] . Also on our site you can print out copies of the petition and help us to collect signatures, then return them to NJ-CAN, P.O. Box 54, Collingswood, NJ 08108

We are happy that for a change, we did receive some press coverage of the kick off , by the Courier Post [4]and it was also picked up by PolitickerNJ.

We are still receiving more inquiries from the press and other groups who want to know more about what NJ-CAN is trying to achieve.

You can play an important part in growing this movement, by telling others about it, by entering comments under articles about NJ-CAN or related news items, volunteer to secure signatures on the petition at events, shopping centers, or neighborhood corner.

New Jersey…Here is Your Chance to Fight Back Like Wisconsin !!!

[1] http://www.nj-can.org/
[2] http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dumpchristiecrats/
[3] http://www.nj-can.org/
[4] http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110809/NEWS02/108090337/Liberal-group-goes-after-Christie-crats-

Dear Courier-Post

2011-07-21T05:44:00.001-04:00

Dear Courier Post:

Please be advised that I do not want home delivery of your Christie-loving right-wing rag. I am sick and tired of the daily phone calls and want them to stop, immediately. I have repeatedly told the unwanted callers to STOP CALLING ME.

I am putting you on notice that the next time I get a call from the Courier-Post asking me about home delivery I am going to file a complaint with the Prosecutor's offices in Camden County and Middlesex County for harassment. The calls appear to be coming from Woodbridge, NJ

The number I want you to STOP CALLING is (phone # redacted).

I hope I have made it clear that I DO NOT WANT HOME DELIVERY OF YOUR PAPER AND I WANT YOU TO CEASE AND DESIST ANY CONTACT.

Please make sure this message gets into the right hands.

Jeffrey R. Pickens

Would you sign this?

2011-07-03T13:02:00.000-04:00

Today's guest blog from Thomas Jefferson.

Suppose someone approached you with this petition, or you saw it as an e-petition on Facebook or elsewhere.

Would you sign it?

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Take Our Declaration of Independence Quiz and Test Your Knowledge of America's Great Freedom Document

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former systems of government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refused his assent to laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his governors to pass laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of representation in the legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved representative houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the legislative powers, incapable of annihilation, have returned to the people at large for their exercise; the state remaining in the meantime exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavored to prevent the population of these states; for that purpose obstructing the laws for naturalization of foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migration hither, and raising the conditions of new appropriations of lands.

He has obstructed the administration of justice, by refusing his assent to laws for establishing judiciary powers.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of new offices, and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, standing armies without the consent of our legislature.

He has affected to render the military independent of and superior to civil power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his assent to their acts of pretended legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by mock trial, from punishment for any murders which they should commit on the inhabitants of these states:

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury:

For transporting us beyond seas to be tried for pretended offenses:

For abolishing the free system of English laws in a neighboring province, establishing therein an arbitrary government, and enlarging its boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule in these colonies:

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to complete the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow citizens taken captive on the high seas to bear arms against their country, to become the executioners of their friends and brethren, or to fall themselves by their hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian savages, whose known rule of warfare, is undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: our repeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have we been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, enemies in war, in peace friends.

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.

Barack Milhous Obama, War President

2011-06-23T05:42:00.001-04:00

The only thing we ever learn from history is that we never learn from history. Unless, of course, you are running for re-election during war time. In that case, the lesson is, keep the war going through to Election Day because everyone loves a "War President". After all, it worked for Nixon in 1972 and Bush in 2004.

In President Obama's speech on the Afghanistan war pull-out, he proposed (in round numbers):

10,000 troops out in the near term (to satiate the peaceniks)
20,000 troops out by the end of November 2012 (how convenient)

With roughly 100,000 troops currently in Afghanistan, this leaves - again in round numbers - 70,000 troops still in country, scheduled to leave in 2014. Of course there is no guarantee this will actually happen.

Why not pull them all out now? Does anyone realistically believe the situation in Afghanistan will be at all improved between now and 2014?

Take a look at this word cloud from the President's speech. Can you find the word "PEACE" in there anywhere? I'm still looking.

Dad

2011-06-19T07:31:00.000-04:00

In the photo, Harold Pickens, newly-minted Jersey Guy, transplanted from Cincinnati, OH, gazes lovingly at his young son (can you blame him?), while the little boy, safely enclosed behind the bars of his play pen, thinks, "some day I want to be like him".

On a side note, Mom was a much better photographer than she was ever given credit for, usually ceding that job to Dad. But the photos of me and Dad from the old days are gems.

Dad is holding what appears to be a staple gun, fixing something, as he often did. He fixed everything. When the TV broke, we didn't buy a new one. Dad would take the back off the TV, remove all the tubes, and we would go to the hardware store and test each tube in the tube tester. Once he identified the bad tube(s), he would buy news one(s), put all the tubes back in the TV, and it was fixed.

An aircraft mechanic by trade, Dad fixed the cars, and tried, with moderate success, to teach me how to do the same. I was not that good at it but at least I understand (kind of) how an internal combustion engine works, and was able to do basic repairs, and today I can speak to a mechanic with some degree of knowledge and not get ripped off.

I never really fully picked up Dad's penchant for DIY-ing; I am basically useless in that regard. About five years ago Dad called me to help him install a garage door opener in his house.

"Where did you buy it?"
"Sears"
"Why don't you have them install it?"
"Because they want $150 for it"
"You can afford that"
"I want to do it myself. Come over and help me"

So I went over and we got to work, me on the ladder and Dad handing me the hardware and giving instructions. It went well until we hit a spot in the garage ceiling where there was no stud. Dad said, "looks like we need a molly", and went over to his tool box to get a molly screw and handed it to me.

I held the molly; clueless.

"Don't you know what to do with that?"
"Uh, no"
"Don't you ever have to hang anything in your house?"
"Sometimes"
"What do you do?"
"I find the stud"
"What if there's no stud?"
"I don't hang anything unless there's a stud"

And so, at the ripe old age of 49, I learned how to use a molly screw. It was the first and last time. I know better than to try it myself at home.

Dad fixed everything. He picked me up whenever I fell, as he did for Mom, and my brother and sister. He is the most selfless person on the planet; the real deal when it comes to family values. It will take a lifetime to repay him for all he's done for me and my family.

Happy Fathers Day, Dad

Guest Blog - Martin Bashir on Gil Scott-Heron

2011-06-03T20:26:00.001-04:00

I'm not much of a fan of Martin Bashir, but his tribute to the late Gil Scott-Heron, one of my all time favorite performers, was spot-on. From his show today on MSNBC. I'll post the video when it's available.

The music world is notoriously divided when it comes to deciding who are the great artists and who’s had the biggest impact on a particular genre.

But the loss of one particular musician has produced an unusually united response. From places as far afield as Chicago, where he was born, to South Africa, where he campaigned against Apartheid – almost everyone seems to agree that we have lost one of the greatest musicians that ever lived.

Gil Scott-Heron passed away here in New York, a week ago, and will be buried after a private funeral service tomorrow. He was a novelist, a composer and a lyricist. He combined the insight of a social scientist with the intuition of a poet.

I can remember hearing his most famous song, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” as an eight-year-old child in London in 1971, and asking a teacher, how it was possible for a man’s voice to be so dominant across the whole record? She told me, then, what I would soon discover for myself – that Gil Scott-Heron possessed more talent than most bands put together.

His music often conveyed the anger felt by so many African-Americans during the post-Civil Rights era – when the hope of change collided with the still powerful forces of institutional racism. From “Home is where the Hatred is” to “Whitey on the Moon,” he described the predicament of joblessness and hopelessness for so many of his contemporaries.

But it would be a disservice to describe his music as driven solely by anger. In fact, many of his songs are tender and romantic and often speak of the brittle nature of love and family life. And he wrote from experience.

The separation of his parents when he was just two was followed by 10 happy years living with his grandmother. But then, aged 12, he would wake up to find that she had passed away in the night. The pain of that loss lived in his memory and can be heard in the harmonies of so many of his songs.

His album, “Pieces of a Man,” features a song entitled, “I think I’ll Call it Morning.” It is one of Gil Scott-Heron’s most beautiful compositions and may yet prove to be true for him.

“I’m gonna take myself a piece of sunshine,” he wrote, “and paint it all over my sky… be no rain, be no rain.” Gil Scott-Heron was 62. He will be laid to rest tomorrow.

"Coptergate" eclipses "Iowagate"

2011-06-01T06:13:00.003-04:00

Or, "Drumthwacketgate", if you're into tongue twisters.

By now we all know that Governor Christie used a state helicopter to watch his son's baseball game at St Joe's in Montvale yesterday, and the Liberal Media was all over it.

Am I alone in being less than apoplectic about this? I am no expert in the do's and don'ts of the use of state vehicles by the governor, so I can't say if this was an improper use of the state helicopter, although it certainly seems so. And for all I know there may have been some important state business he needed to get to or from before or after the game.

In the list of outrages committed by this governor this incident ranks somewhere towards the bottom. Bad optics? Absolutely. But hey, he was going to watch his kid play ball, so at least he ~~walks the walk~~ rides the SUV when it comes to family values.

Far more offensive (to me at least), and I'm no lawyer but possibly illegal, is his using the taxpayer owned governor's mansion, Drumthwacket, to host a cadre of GOP bigwig donors form Iowa to beg him to run for president. This story was buried deep below the fold yesterday; I needed to hit "next" several times on nj.com to find any reference to it. As of Tuesday morning there was only a passing reference to it.

If outrage is a limited resource, we should care more about Iowagate and less about Coptergate.

This is neither the first time nor the last time Christie has misused NJ taxpayer dollars (e.g. "town hall" meetings, YouTube videos). Does anyone care that he hosted GOP donors from Iowa at the taxpayer-owned governor's mansion?

I would like to know what he was anticipating was going to happen at that meeting to cause him to pull a stunt like Coptergate to create such a diversion and deflect attention from the Iowa meeting, which was a more egregious misuse of taxpayer funds. If creating a diversion was his intention, it worked.

Imagine someone still driving around with one of these?

2011-05-25T06:41:00.000-04:00

Spotted recently in a parking lot in Atlanta:

If I had one of these at the time, I would have covered it up:

For them that must obey authority...

2011-05-24T06:01:00.001-04:00

...that they do not respect in any degree(*)

I cannot think of the song Blowing In The Wind without thinking of an incident in Catholic school, 4th grade, which would have been 1964-1965, Sister Catherine Imelda's class. For some reason we were singing BITW, and Sister handed out mimeographs of the lyrics, which we all of course pressed to our faces to embrace the aroma of the mimeograph ink.

I had never heard of Bob Dylan at the time. I only knew BITW as a Peter Paul and Mary song. Sister probably hadn't heard of Dylan either.

Anyway, the mimeograph had a typo. The line:

How many times must I stumble and fall

was printed as

How many times must IS stumble and fall

Always the ever-vigilant proofreader, I started laughing (big mistake) and pointed out the typo to the kid next to me (bigger mistake). Suddenly, I heard the swoosh of an approaching habit and rosary beads clacking against the desks, and I braced for what I knew was about to happen:

I was yanked out of my desk by the ear, angrily asked what was so funny, and instead of saying "Nothing, S'ter", I showed her the typo, which got her even angrier. After a verbal tirade I was slammed back into my desk to resume singing.

The story above is an excerpt from my upcoming memoir (in progress), working title "It Was Hell, Recalls Former Child" (pending approval from the BKilban estate)

(*)It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)

- Bob Dylan, 1964

There's one thing that makes spring complete for me.....

2011-05-22T08:11:00.000-04:00

Thank you, Tom Lehrer, and special thanks to my Troy-Bilt weed whacker and cultivator attachment, which actually started up and worked yesterday (leading me to believe that I had been Raptured). Who thought that cleaning the air filter (something so easy, even I could do it) would make such a difference?

So, yesterday I got my garden started, turning over the soil, first by hand, then tilling with the Troy-Bilt. Today it's off to Bloomers for some plants (I don't do seeds), then planting today. Tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, basil. That's it this year.

Stay tuned for an update when things start to grow. In the meantime:

Walk Now for Autism Speaks - Please Help!

2011-05-10T19:42:00.001-04:00

My friends, Melissa and Brian Bernardo, are participating in the South Jersey Walk Now for Autism Speaks event on May 21, 2011. Walk Now for Autism Speaks is a charity that raises money for Autism research. Please help them reach their fundraising goal of $200.00

Melissa and Brian are walking with Team Bancroft. If you are not from the South Jersey area, Bancroft School is one of the leading providers of programs and support for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, autism, and acquired brain injuries.

Please CLICK HERE to access Melissa and Brian's personal page to make a donation. Every little bit helps.

Thank you!

Another Weekday, Another "Town Hall"

2011-05-08T07:08:00.000-04:00

This is getting old. I got the news late Saturday afternoon that Governor Chris Christie would be taking his "Town Hall" road show to Evesham, NJ this Tuesday, May 10th. Again on a weekday, again in the middle of the day.

I learned this through a Google alert, in a news site I hadn't heard of called southjerseylocalnews.com. Apparently I have once again been purged from the governor's email list. After a conversation with a Christie staffer a few weeks ago, in which he denied that non-supporters were being removed from the email lists, and denied the existence of a secret advance notice email list for supporters, the staffer promised to add me back to the list.

After that I got not one but two invites to last week's Manalapan event, one from the standard email distribution and one personally sent by my new "friend" from the governor's constituent relations office. I politely declined, citing the need to show up for my day job.

I was told by my friend from the governor's office that these events cannot be held in the evenings because the governor works very hard during the day, has four kids, and spends evenings with his family. Fair enough (I have four "kids" myself, but they're grown), but somehow the governor has had time to travel across the country last fall, campaigning for fellow Republicans, attend a White House state dinner, and attend the Time 100 Gala, after which he gloated about having the Lincoln Tunnel cleared by his State Police detail to facilitate his arrival at this mission-critical event.

So, here we go again, this time in Republican Burlington County, on a Tuesday afternoon, with a diverse crowd of white retirees who feel that they no longer need to support the public education system with their property taxes, now that their own children have been educated and graduated.

For what it's worth, here are the details:
Tuesday, May 10th. Doors open at 12:15pm
The Blue Barn - Evesham Recreation Center
1004 Tuckerton Road
Marlton, New Jersey
Click here to RSVP:
http://goo.gl/CWulF

Elections Matter

2011-04-27T08:11:00.000-04:00

They certainly matter to NJ Governor Chris Christie, who took a special interest in the election for State Senate in the 8th Legislative District, in which Olympic Gold Medalist and Willingboro native Carl Lewis had plans to run as a Democrat.

Now, it is hardly breaking news that the Governor is a petty, vindictive bully. By the time Lewis formally announced his candidacy on April 11, calling Christie a "good friend", Christie's plan to derail Lewis' candidacy was well underway, and the fate of the campaign had been all but sealed.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Christie sent one of his young thugs after Lewis, in a series of "increasingly tense phone calls", marked by attempted intimidation and implied threats:

(H)e received the first of increasingly tense phone calls from Frank Luna, a veteran political operative who performs constituent services for the governor.

Luna asked Walker, executive director of the Carl Lewis Foundation, whether Lewis was running for the Eighth District Senate seat. According to Walker, Luna told him: "The governor is concerned."

The two spoke daily the next two days, and on April 9, Walker said, Luna told him "the governor is very upset and disappointed, and Carl would be embarrassing himself by running."

Walker said that in that April 9 conversation, Luna told him, "How can you expect the governor to work hand-in-hand with Carl when Carl is working against him? You can forget about this program."

Christie and Lewis spoke April 10.

Christie knew that, should Lewis decide to declare anyway, the Republicans would challenge Lewis' NJ residency in court, and if the court punted, he could count on Lt Governor / Secretary of State Kim Guadagno to pull a Katherine Harris and rule against Lewis,

We get the government we deserve. For those Democrats who were disappointed with the Corzine campaign and decided to stay home in November 2009, or worse, voted for Christie thinking "how bad can he be?", consider this: It could have been Loretta Weinberg making the decision on Carl Lewis' eligibility to run in NJ.While we cannot know for sure how a Secretary of State Weinberg would have ruled, we can be reasonably sure that, stateswoman that she is, she would have given careful consideration to the facts of the case and ruled as Secretary of State, not as the Governor's sock puppet.

To paraphrase Bill Clinton: if you don't vote, you are, in fact, voting for the person you don't want. Let's not let that happen again.

Get out and vote today if your school district is holding elections today.

Get out and vote in November. We need a Democratic majority in the Legislature to hold this out-of-control Governor in check.

Remember, elections matter.

Guest Blog - "Keep It Warm"

2011-04-19T07:38:00.000-04:00

On the occasion of Mark "Flo" Volman's 64th birthday, one of my favorite songs from the Turtles and Flo and Eddie. The lyrics still resonate, 35 years later:

Write another song for the money
Something they can sing, not so funny
Money in the bank to keep us warm

Stick another grape in the juicer
Or fill your guts with grease and get get looser
You are what you eat , so eat it warm

Roll another joint for the Gipper
Get the Gipper high, he gets hipper
Stick it in his mouth and keep him warm

Elect another jerk to the White House
Gracie Slick is losing her door mouse
Take her off the streets and keep her warm

Fight another war if they make you
Squeal on a friend or they'll take you
The future's in your lap, so keep it warm...

Warm, here in your arms
Safe from all harm, where I belong
Warm, cozy and calm, another
Dawn together warm....

My woodie's broken down by the beach now
And TM's gotten far out of reach now
Tell the Mahareesh to keep it warm

George is suing Paul, suing Ringo
and immigration wants John and Yoko
All they need is love, to keep them warm

Kill another whale with your power
Or shoot a bunch a kids from a tower
Snipe them in their cars
Blood keeps them warm

Or

Make a better world from the old one
Make yourself a baby and hold one
Hold her in your arms and keep her warm,
Keep her warm, Keep her warm,
Keep her warm...........

This Is Not Kosher - The Wall of Separation, Redux

2011-04-17T22:16:00.001-04:00

Another week, another "town hall".

This time it's at the Westlake Golf and Country Club, an over-55 community in Jackson, NJ. This event is about the same as all the others, held on a weekday morning, with little or no advance notice, except to Christie supporters, all but guaranteeing a homogeneous crowd, this time packed with retirees who feel they no longer should pay property taxes, now that they no longer have kids in school.

But what makes this "town hall" different from the others?

Because this event is being held on Tuesday, April 19th, the second day of Pesach, or Passover, when Jews are preparing for the second seder, and will be unable to attend. This is either a deliberate attempt to exclude Jews from the event, or at best, extreme, insensitive, political tone-deafness.

In March 9, Christie breached (in my opinion) the wall of separation between church and state by holding a "town hall" at a Catholic Church on Ash Wednesday, a Catholic holiday. An OPRA request that I filed to learn who paid for this event was blown-off by the governor's office, on a technicality, when I made the mistake of using the word "information" in my request. Although the governor's counsel understood full well the intent of my inquiry, he refused to answer.

About a week later, the governor held a "town hall" in Woodbridge, where he stacked the audience with parochial school students wearing t-shirts supporting the Opportunity Scholarship Act, a voucher program that would steer taxpayer funds into private schools.

There is no question, now, that the governor is using these "town hall" meetings as a tool to promote his anti-women's health, pro-voucher, papist agenda. This is further borne out by the timing of the latest "town hall", erecting a new wall of separation by making it difficult or impossible for Jews to attend.

If this bothers you, and it should, please write to the governor's office to express your outrage.
Contact Matt Mowers at the Office of the Governor: Matt.Mowers@gov.state.nj.us,
and cc Constituent Relations: Constituent.Relations@gov.state.nj.us

Remind Governor Christie he is he Governor of ALL the people of New Jersey.

Jackie Robinson's Autograph - Not For Sale

2011-04-15T07:23:00.002-04:00

This story originally appeared in 2009 on CNN iReport, in response to the question, would you sell any of your prized possessions to pick up some extra cash in this bad economy.

The years 1956 and 1957 were a one-two punch for my poor mother - in December 1956, she gave birth to me, and in October 1957, her beloved Brooklyn Dodgers announced they were moving to the West Coast. A bit too much trauma for one person to have to endure over one ten-month period!

The Dodgers' move to L.A. was one of those events, like the Depression and World War 2, that the adults in our house talked about so much I sometimes thought I actually remembered it. Mom was a rabid Dodgers fan, and refused, until her last day on earth, to watch any baseball, as long as the Dodgers are not in Brooklyn.

One of her prized possessions is an official Ford Frick National League baseball, autographed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. I am not sure of the exact year (1954/55?), but I know Mom got the ball thanks to an acquaintance of my grandfather, a sportswriter for the local paper picked it up at spring training.

The ball has the autographs of many Hall-of-Famers, giants and legends of the Brooklyn Bums, including:

- Gil Hodges, who went on to manage the 1969 Miracle Mets to World Series victory, and, in one of the most egregious miscarriages of justice in sports history, is not in the Hall of Fame

- Pee Wee Reese, whose iconic gesture, putting his arm around teammate Jackie Robinson's shoulder, silenced a hostile crowd in Cincinnati

- Slugger Duke Snider, the "Duke of Flatbush"

- Roy Campanella, who was tragically paralyzed in an auto accident in 1958

And of course, Jack Roosevelt Robinson, the first African American to play in the major leagues, and whose number, 42, is retired forever.

Jackie Robinson! This guy used to steal home! Who does that today?

The autographs are starting to fade. The ball belongs to my family, and I am currently the custodian, keeping it in the dark in an undisclosed location, taking it out occasionally to show anyone who may want to see it.

I'm not sure what this ball is worth in the sports memorabilia market, but I'm not selling it.

1,000 Words

2011-04-08T18:47:00.000-04:00

An unscientific poll appears on the right-hand page of the Capitol Quickies blog in the Asbury Park Press.

The question:

The results:

Surprised?
:

Hockey Dad For A Night

2011-04-01T07:57:00.000-04:00

It was not a good night for the Flyers last night, who couldn't seem to find the net and got thrashed by the Atlanta Thrashers (whoever that is) 1-0. It was a better night for my son's amateur hockey team Legacy, who played a scrimmage after the Flyers/Thrashers game at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, home of the Flyers and the 76ers.

These guys have come a long way from ten years or so ago when they used to play street hockey as teenagers on an abandoned tennis court, with hay bales as boundaries. Now they're playing on the Flyers' ice, outscoring them 7-0. Final score: Red team 5, White team 2.

These guys played three 17 minute periods with a one minute break between periods. Pretty good if you ask me. But I'm biased.

Here's my boy, #27, Dan Pickens in the video:

So, Do You Want to Watch a Shuttle Launch? Here's How

2011-03-29T20:23:00.000-04:00

(photo by NASA)

The penultimate Space Shuttle mission, STS-134, is scheduled to launch on April 19th. This mission will be led by Commander Mark Kelly, husband of Arizona Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

Have you ever wanted to watch one of these launches? I asked my friend Andy, who knows somebody who knows somebody at NASA who gave us some tips. Here's what he had to say:

Go to Florida and stand on the side of the road w/ 300, 000 other people :)

Not much I can do personally. To get to the causeway or on-site, one person of the group must be a NASA badged employee. There is currently a employee lottery to get one of these passes. Thousands of folks actually park on the sides of roads 12+ miles away. Basically, if you stand somewhere that blocks your view of the pad, you can still see the shuttle go up after it clears the trees blocking your view.

Also, the NASA visitor center offers tickets for busses, but they are not cheap and are only good for one launch attempt (I think). I would guess they are sold out already but it may be worth a look. Also the NASA web site has lots of suggestions (www.nasa.gov).

Things to ponder.
No one is closer than 3.5 miles away. I think that is where the VIP viewing stands are.
The employee turning basin is about 4 miles away.
The employee causeway viewing is about 5 miles away (where we were when we saw STS128).
Areas outside KSC fence are probably 10+ miles.
Jetty park is a good close viewing area but you cannot see the pad.
Many folks simply park on A1A (hwy 528) in the Cocoa Beach area.
Probably more folks park along hwy 1 near Titusville.
There may be closer places that I am not aware of.
There are NO restrooms on the road side and people start “camping” many hours early for that “right spot”.
Also, if anyone plans to go and stay in the Titusville – Cocoa Beach area, reserve your room now. If they stay in Orlando, the trip back will be bumper to bumper for 45+ miles.

So, are you game? See you in Florida!

Click on the thumbnail for a spectacular photo!

My OPRA Request - Answered! (well, not quite)

2011-03-21T21:03:00.000-04:00

A recent blog post I wrote, "The Wall of Separation?", which raised questions about the First Amendment implications of Chris Christie holding a "town hall" meeting at a Catholic church, on Ash Wednesday, a Catholic holiday, sparked an interesting comment thread about the appropriateness of holding such an event at such a place on such a date.

Some commenters were interested in how much was paid for the hall rental and by whom. So on March 9th I submitted OPRA request #W56799:

Requesting information as to how the $300.00 rental fee was paid to to Jude's Church for use of the parish hall for Governor Christie's town hall meeting on Wednesday, March 9, 2011. Please provide a copy of the rental agreement, which should identify who were the parties to the agreement, and proof of payment, identifying who paid the $300.00.

I did not expect a timely response, actually I did not expect a response at all. So imagine my surprise when, less than two weeks later, I saw an email from the Governor's office on my cell phone. I could hardly wait to get back to my laptop and read the pdf, which I could not open on the phone.

Here is the non-response, from Assistant Counsel Raymond Brandes:

Please be advised that the first portion of your request is a request for information and not for a specific identifiable government record, and therefor is an invalid OPRA request, OPRA is a records law, not an "information" law. OPRA does not countenance "(w)holesale requests for general information" {..then some legalese..}

This was not a "two-portion" request. It was a request for documents; the first portion was simply the what-and-where, so the OPRA responder would know what documents I was requesting. Now, the response to the second portion:

Please be further advised that this office has reviewed its records in response to the second portion or your request, for a copy of a rental agreement and proof of payment. That search has not identified any documents responsive to your request. Accordingly this request is hereby closed.

Uh, no, Mr. Brandes, the request is not closed. You have not answered the question.
Is there no purchase order?
No agreement?
No receipt?
No cancelled check?

This is either poor fiscal housekeeping or the hall was provided free of charge to the Governor.

If it's the former, and the Governor's office cannot account for a simple $300.00 hall rental payment, how can he be trusted with a $29.4 billion state budget?

If it's the latter, we have a Catholic church providing a free venue for a Catholic Governor to hold a political event on church property. What about that wall of separation?

An Open Letter to NJ Assemblyman Paul Moriarty - Has Governor Christie Violated Election Laws?

2011-03-20T23:02:00.000-04:00

The Honorable Paul D. Moriarty
NJ State Assemblyman, Legislative District #4
129 Johnson Road
Suite 1
Turnersville, NJ 08012

Dear Mr. Moriarty:

As a citizen and taxpayer in the State of New Jersey, I applaud your recent remarks criticizing Governor Chris Christie for his partisan political rallies, masquerading as "Town Hall" meetings, at taxpayer expense. I am proud to be represented by such a dedicated public servant, looking out for the best interests of the citizens of New Jersey.

You stated:

These are taxpayer-funded events organized and promoted by the taxpayer-funded governor’s office. If the governor sticks to public policy, that’s fine. But if the governor wants to campaign, he must dip into his own wallet.

I agree with you 100%

These so-called “Town Hall” meetings are, in fact, political rallies to benefit the Governor’s political agenda, characterized by:

The events are purportedly open to the public, but appear to be planned in stealth and supporters are notified in advance. Public notice is typically two days before the event.
It appears the non-supporters have been identified and purged from the Governor’s email list.
The events are always held during the day, on a weekday, making it difficult or impossible for working people to attend, and all but ensuring a homogenous pro-Christie crowd.
Governor Christie has in the past used the Q&A section of the events to rudely berate constituents who do not agree with him, for the benefit of his taxpayer funded YouTube channel. This practice has recently subsided in favor of Q&A involving what appear to be planted questioners lobbing softballs, again to be promoted on the Governor’s taxpayer-funded YouTube channel.
The Governor typically makes a show of referring at least one of the questioners to his Constituent Relations staffer to make the event appear to be non-political.
His most recent egregious partisan move at a “town hall” was to conscript a group of students from St. James School in Woodbridge to support passage of the Opportunity Scholarship Act, a proposed school voucher program. The students appeared wearing t-shirts supporting the Act.

In light of the above, and other examples not listed of which you are certainly aware, I respectfully request that you initiate in the Assembly, hearings and investigations of possible violations of the Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act, N.J.S.A. 19:44A-1, the Personal Financial Disclosure Act, N.J.S.A. 19:44B-1, and the Legislative and Governmental Processes Activities Disclosure Act, N.J.S.A. 52:13C-18, for the purposes of filing a complaint with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission ("ELEC") on behalf of the taxpayers of New Jersey.

Thank you for considering this request and your consistent excellent service to your constituents in the 4^th Legislative District.

Respectfully Submitted,
Jeffrey R. Pickens

St. Patrick's Day Sing-Along

2011-03-17T05:10:00.000-04:00

It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and today, everyone is Irish, including the President of the United States, “Barrick O’Bama”.

Sing along with Shay Black to “There’s No One as Irish as Barack Obama”, originally written and performed by the Corrigan Brothers, a/k/a Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys:

Where's The Outrage?

2011-03-15T19:29:00.000-04:00

I know, I just asked for a moratoium on press coverage of Chris Christie's sham "Town Hall" meetings, which are really campaign rallies in disguise funded by NJ's taxpayers. But if you're going to spill any ink (or megabytes) on it, at least report on something of substance.

Here is what passes for journalism in the non-blog section of the Asbury Park Press:

McGreevey's dad steals show at Christie town hall

And in the Star-Ledger:

Former Gov. McGreevey's father quizzes Christie on 'hot and sexy' comment

Thank goodness for John Schoonejongen of the APP's Capitol Quickies blog, who at least reported on Christie's remarks about pension ~~elimination~~ "reform", along with this nugget:

...a group of about two dozen students from St. James School in Woodbridge — there to support passage of the Opportunity Scholarship Act, a proposed school voucher program — were part of the background.

Twenty-four students pulled from school, to lobby for public subsidizing of parochial schools? Why weren't these kids in school? Are these kids "drug mules" as well?

Remember the right-wing outrage over President Obama's televised back-to-school address to students? Where's the outrage here?

In the meantime, there is quite a lively discussion going on in the comments section of Capitol Quickies, over pensions and the like.

Enjoy.

Town Hall, Shmown Hall - Chris Christie's Taxpayer Funded Political Rallies

2011-03-14T19:00:00.000-04:00

How about a moratorium on reporting on Governor Christie's so-called "town hall meetings" until one or more is held in the evening or on a weekend, when working people can attend? Now, if you are not on the Governor's coveted mailing list, you must scour the news websites for announcements, which typically come out with 1-2 days notice. By then, the Faithful have already been tipped off, and can make arrangements to attend, while the rest of us must either miss the event due to work, or jeopardize our jobs by calling in sick. There is a "town hall" scheduled for Woodbridge Tuesday morning. NJ.com dutifully announced the event on Thursday but managed to leave out the date and location. This has since been corrected in later versions of the post.

I have been to one of these, and from what I witnessed and have read about subsequent town hall meetings, they are routine, the same tired stories. The same script.

The Governor approaches the stage to wild applause, talks about "reform" (since when did "reform" become a synonym for "dismantling"?), blasts the usual scapegoats, the Legislature, public workers, and reminds us that his beef is not with teachers but the NJEA.

Then comes the Q&A, which may result in a "YouTube" moment, followed by his closing remarks, a heart-wrenching story about visiting his cancer-stricken mother on her deathbed, where she tells him to get back to work because "there's nothing left unsaid between us". Every town hall ends with this story, and there is barely a dry eye in the house.

Now, I am not in any way mocking Mrs. Christie's untimely death, but I cannot help but wonder, if she was the tough cookie he often describes, would she approve of her son cynically exploiting this intimate mother-son moment to score political points? I am sure my late mother would haunt my ass, big-time, if I pulled a stunt like that.

Note that, ever since the fiasco in Parsippany, where the Governor invited a questioner to the stage, berated him, and had him expelled from the meeting by his State Police detail, there have been no more reports of confrontations at these town halls. Is this the sign of a new, mellowed, improved Chris Christie, or has his staff become more adept at packing the hall with sycophants? Lately the format has featured the Governor performing in-the-round, in a roped-off area resembling a pro wrestling ring.

In my last post about possible 1st amendment issues with holding one of these town halls at a Catholic church facility, on Ash Wednesday, a Catholic holiday, Blue Jersey staff writer Deciminyan posted the following comment:

Is it time yet to post a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that these "Town Hall' meetings are really political events and should be funded by Christie's shadow campaign organizations instead of the taxpayer?

Good question. As long as these events continue to be held at a time to maximize a pro-Christie crowd, when it is difficult or impossible for working people to attend, the question remains, are they really "town hall meetings" or partisan campaign events?

If they are the latter, and each one follows the same predictable script, why bother covering them, other than to raise this question and explore possible FEC violations?

If You Build It, They Will Come - FROM PHILLY!

2011-03-13T09:52:00.000-04:00

Ever since the Senators left Washington DC to become the Texas Rangers in 1971, residents of the District of Columbia and the surrounding area (those who were not Orioles fans) had been whining about not having a team of their own.

They got their wish in 2005 when the Expos headed south to the District and became the Washington Nationals. Finally, they got their team! From 2005-2007, the "Nats", as they are so fondly called, played at venerable RFK Stadium. Attendance was dismal. Wait until we get our new stadium, Nats fans said.

In 2008, Nationals Park (not yet named after a bank) opened to great fanfare. There was only one problem. Nobody came. Only the Pope was able to draw a crowd.

Enter the world's greatest fans, Phillies Phans! On Nationals' opening day in 2010, the team and the city were embarrassed by a deluge of Phans, bussed in from Phillies Nation. You see, the Phils have been on a roll these past few years, and tickets to Citizens Bank Park are difficult to come by. So some Phans headed south.

Now, a legion of Nationals fans (is there really such a thing as a "Nationals fan"?) is mobilizing to keep those mean, nasty, unruly Phans from ruining another Nationals opening day.

INGRATES!

Don't they realize the economic jolt to the District when visiting team fans come to Nationals stadium? The parking lot fees, the beer sales, the food sales, all get a boost when Phillies Phans come to town. Likewise Yankees and Red Sox fans (do Orioles fans bother to go to DC?) but other than that on any given baseball day, Nationals Park is empty.

So, rather than embarking on a futile effort to keep Phils Phans out of DC, Nats fans ought to be welcoming us with open arms on when the Phillies come to town.

We promise not to bring Pukemon.

The Wall of Separation?

2011-03-09T06:54:00.000-05:00

If you are one of the lucky few who have not been booted off Governor Christie's email list, or if you scour NJ.com as I do, you should know by now that the Governor is holding one of his "Town Hall" meetings at St Jude's Catholic Church in Hopatcong, NJ.

As a lapsed Catholic, it had only occurred to me yesterday that today is Ash Wednesday, a Catholic holiday (disclosure: my brother is a priest with the Diocese of Paterson).

How appropriate is it for the Governor to conduct State business on Catholic property, on a Catholic holiday? Will there be a photo-op of him receiving his ashes at St Jude's church before entering the parish hall to shill for vouchers, that will subsidize Catholic schools, like the ones his kids attend?

At worst, this is a blatant First Amendment violation, at best it is plain bad optics. I wonder if he plans future Town Hall meetings at other places of worship like a synagogue or a mosque.

If this troubles you, write to the Governor's office to object. Do not bother with the "Contact us" page on the Governor's website; you will not get a response.Go directly to Constituent Relations:

Constituent.Relations@gov.state.nj.us

If you're lucky, he just may answer you.

Or, maybe you do not see a problem with this. What do you think?

Worth Repeating - Chris Matthews on the GOP Obama Haters

2011-03-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

Too lazy to write my own blog today, so here is the transcript from the Let Me Finish" segment of Hardball. Chris Matthews can sometimes be obnoxious and buffoonish, but when he is good, he is very very good, as he is here, calling out Mike Huckabee and his ilk for their attacks on the President and not-so-subtle appeals to the racist, right-wing base:

“Let Me Finish” tonight with this horrible talk we‘re hearing in this country. I was out last night in California, Los Angeles, with a large of former Peace Corps volunteers like me. We were at UCLA talking about the Corps‘ 50^th anniversary this week, ever since John F. Kennedy decided it was a good idea to get young Americans out there in the world, helping countries develop, sharing some of our American “can do” spirit, and in the process, learning something about how the rest of the world looks at things.

It came to me that everything good about that is being assaulted these days. This guy, Huckabee, and Gingrich and W. before him were out there trashing the whole idea of learning anything from about world, anything from the rest of the world. This whole stupidization of things that began with Bush‘s inane attempt to rename French fries.

Now, this guy, Huckabee, is going around the right wing radio world singing the song that our president isn‘t really one of us, because his father, who stayed with him until the age of 2 infected him with some kind of foreignness. You know, he‘s a Kenyan, he‘s a secret Muslim, he‘s over there where those African people, where those different people live.

I thought we were beyond this yahoo talk, this fear of the world, this monkey trial nonsense. But we‘re not, are we? We‘ve got knuckleheads promenading around the right wing radio belt playing to the God knows who crowd saying how Obama was somehow involved with the Mau Maus, hanging around madrassa schools—all the while that this young kid way back then trying to make it in this country.

And all he did, everything he did was right as a regular American kid, playing basketball on a championship team in Hawaii. That‘s what I wanted to do growing up, be a championship basketball player. He went to Catholic school, like I did. He got into Occidental College in California, then to Columbia University. And then he went to Ivy League and with the Harvard Law where he made that law review.
What more do you want his kid to do? He‘s done everything right.

Look at his marriage. Michelle has done everything right. Her brother is a top basketball coach out of Oregon State. Their kids look like they‘re right out of a picture book. This isn‘t just the American Dream, it‘s done (ph) near perfect.

And what is this right wing goon squad doing? They keep talking about his father, his grandfather. What about his grandfather who fought under Patton in World War II? What do these people are looking for? Some evidence that he‘s black? Is that it?
They ought to be ashamed of themselves. You know what‘s un-America?
Huckabee and Newt and the rest of them—this stuff is.

That‘s HARDBALL for now. Thanks for being with us.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"Supersized Republican Governor" Gets Animated

2011-03-04T05:38:00.000-05:00

"Big Luv for Big Guv" on NMA World Edition -

Remembering George Harrison - Musician, Humanitarian

2011-02-25T05:29:00.000-05:00

George Harrison, 1943-2001

Today, February 25, marks what would have been the 68th birthday of George Harrison, who died, way too young, from cancer in 2001 at the age of 58.

George Harrison is remembered as not just a musician and a Beatle, but also as a humanitarian.

Before there was Live Earth -
Before there was Farm Aid -
Before there was LiveAid -
There was the Concert for Bangladesh, a gathering of the greatest names in rock and roll in 1972 to raise awareness and funds to help the people of Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan), who at the time had suffered famines, poverty, natural disasters, and political turmoil.

The "Quiet Beatle" was also the coolest Beatle, and most definitely the coolest ex-Beatle.

My friend came to me, with sadness in his eyes
He told me that he wanted help
Before his country dies

Although I couldn't feel the pain, I knew I had to try
Now I'm asking all of you
To help us save some lives

Bangla Desh, Bangla Desh
Where so many people are dying fast
And it sure looks like a mess
I've never seen such distress
Now won't you lend your hand and try to understand
Relieve the people of Bangla Desh

Bangla Desh, Bangla Desh
Such a great disaster - I don't understand
But it sure looks like a mess
I've never known such distress
Now please don't turn away, I want to hear you say
Relieve the people of Bangla Desh
Relieve the people of Bangla Desh

Bangla Desh, Bangla Desh
Now it may seem so far from where we all are
It's something we can't reject
It's something I can't neglect
Now won't you give some bread to get the starving fed
We've got to relieve Bangla Desh
Relieve the people of Bangla Desh
We've got to relieve Bangla Desh
Mmmm Mmmm
Now won't you lend your hand and understand
Relieve the people of Bangla Desh

What Are Your Baseball Predictions for This Year?

2011-02-20T20:45:00.000-05:00

OK, it's mid-February, and that can only mean one thing.

For us long-suffering fans, still nursing our hangovers from Jets and Eagles playoff losses, and the Giants' flameout (depending on what part of NJ you live in), the only real cure is knowing that the Boys of Summer have reported to Spring Training and opening day of our National Pastime is just over a month away.

So, what are your predictions for the 2011 season?

No, I'm not asking who will win the World Series; everyone knows that will be the Fightin' Phils. What I'm asking is, what Phan misbehavior can we look forward to this year?

The 2010 season is a tough act to follow, with Vomit Guy (a/k/a "Pukemon"), Taser Kid, and Copy-cat Would-be Taser Guy (who never got tasered) leading the pack.

But, Pick's Place has high hopes for this season, so here are some predictions:

1.) On opening day, former catcher Darren Daulton attempts to deliver the game ball through out-of-the-body astral travel from his home in Florida, but arrives without the ball, which was lost in transit. Angry fans storm the field but fail to reach the virtual Dauton before he beams himself back to Florida.

2.) On the first Dollar Dog Day, the game is delayed by rain. Former PA Governor Ed Rendell, scheduled to throw out the first pitch, calls the Phillies "a bunch of wussies" for rain-delaying the game. Once the tarp is removed and Fast Eddie takes to the mound, angry fans pelt him with dollar dogs.

3.) On "Cliff Lee Appreciation Day". the Phillies unwisely hand out Cliff Lee bobble-heads to fans on the way into the stadium. By the 7th inning, as Lee is being pounded by the Atlanta Braves, angry fans plaster the outfield with bobble-heads. The outfielders are forced to wear helmets.

4.) On a positive note, the Phillies give Christina Aguilera a second chance to get the National Anthem right.

What are YOUR predictions for this season?

The Sound of Silence in Trenton

2011-02-18T08:34:00.000-05:00

A Republican governor is elected in a traditionally "blue" state on the platform of restoring fiscal sanity. Upon taking office, he declares war on the public unions, including the teachers' union, firefighters, police. He scapegoats public sector workers and attempts to turn public opinion against the state workers, because, after all, their outrageously bloated salaries, benefits, and pensions are to blame for the state's fiscal woes.

Outraged, teachers, police, firefighters, and other public workers storm the State Capital by the tens of thousands, protesting the governor's attempts to balance the state budget on the backs of public sector workers.

The whole world is watching! Why is the Liberal Media not in Trenton covering this?

Because it's not happening in Trenton, it's happening in Madison, WI. Unlike their brothers and sisters in NJ, the state unions in Wisconsin decided not to wait. Perhaps they looked east and saw what happens when you have a governor run amok, storming the state, and now the country, ramrodding his anti middle class agenda and getting fawning coverage by the press while he's at it, and the people do nothing. The story in Wisconsin is fluid and it remains to be seen how this will play out. However, I'm certain there will be no "Scott Walker for President" movements anytime soon.

Barbara Keshishian, are you listening?
Hetty Rosenstein, are you listening?

The people of Wisconsin took a lesson from the complacency in New Jersey and decided to fight back now.

It's time the people of New Jersey take a lesson from Wisconsin.

Have You Written to Your Elected Officials Lately?

2011-02-14T19:15:00.000-05:00

Have You Written to Your Elected Officials Lately? I have.

Recently I wrote to the triumvirate who represent my Legislative District, #4: Senator Fred Madden (D), Assemblyman Paul Moriarty (D), Assemblyman Domenick DiCicco Jr (R), along with Washington Twp Mayor Matthew Lyons (D). The subject was the growing number of once-thriving, now vacant, retail properties in the Township (which will be a topic for a future blog).

I received two responses: one from Mayor Lyons, who suggested that I attend the next planning meeting . The other was from Assemblyman DiCicco, the sole Republican Legislator in my District, who expressed that he shared my concerns, and included the usual Republican boilerplate about making NJ more business-friendly. I believe he was sincere. I am disappointed by the silence form the two Democrats who represent my District, especially Mr. Moriarty, who is a Township resident and former mayor. At least Mr. DiCicco had the decency to respond. Perhaps he is the only one who realizes that he is up for re-election this year, and re-election is not a given.

I also wrote to the Governors office, one sentence:
"When can we expect the Governor to unveil his 2012 budget proposal?"

Here is the robo-response I received, which included a self-congratulatory link to a YouTube video from the recent Union City town hall:

Dear Friend:
As we continue our push for fiscal sanity, meaningful education reform and a lasting fix to our broken pension and benefits system, we've launched a website to detail the reforms and track our progress. You can find it here:
http://www.state.nj.us/governor/reformagenda
As we continue to hold open town hall forums up and down the state, I'll do my best to share them with you. Here's a clip from our latest town hall in Union City last week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg19I46IDuM

Best wishes.
Sincerely,
Governor Chris Christie

My response was:

That's not what I asked.
I asked:
"When can we expect the Governor to unveil his 2012 budget proposal?"
- JRP

I'll keep you posted.

State of the Union, a "Sputnik Moment"? I don't think so

2011-01-26T07:07:00.001-05:00

I'll give the President a B+ for delivery, and a B for content. The President laid out some bold ideas about infrastructure and education, but in my opinion failed to hammer home enough the job-creating effects of things like high-speed rail and clean energy.

The problem is, when you have an opposition party that does not believe in science, and a Congress that is bought and paid for by the oil companies, how can you expect to get any of these measure through?

The "Sputnik moment" analogy was false. The space race was largely about political ideology; proving we were better than the Commies. Who's our opposition here? China? With the space race, there was a measurable, specific destination - the moon - and a definition of success - getting there.

How will we define success in today's "Sputnik moment"?

I was disappointed to hear only a passing mention of the wars in Iraq, and Afghanistan, the usual platitudes about supporting the troops and disabling al Qaeda, and beginning to bring the troops home in July. Why wait?

Finally, a word cloud, featuring the prominence and non-prominence of words used in the speech. Draw your own conclusions.

Welcome to the State of the Union - Have a seat!

2011-01-25T08:39:00.000-05:00

How stupid/naive are the Democrats? a.) Very b.) Extremely c.) Quite a bit d.) All of the above.

As you know by now, much ado is being made about the Democrats and Republicans sitting amongst each other rather than separately. Some Democrats are absolutely giddy about the prospect of sitting next to their Republican colleagues. Will this usher in a new spirit of bipartisanship? Don't bet on it.

When will they ever learn that the Republicans are not interested in working with the Democrats on anything? As soon as the President is finished with his speech, by tomorrow the Republicans will be getting back to work on their agenda, beginning with attempting to chip away at Roe v Wade and further restrict reproductive rights. Economic recovery can wait, because the economy is working quite well for the real Republican base, thank you.

What about jobs? How about removing the word "bipartisanship" from the vocabulary and replacing it with "jobs"? The President and his Democratic cohorts in Congress can take a lesson from the Republicans, and name every bill they introduce "The Job-Creating {insert name of bill here}".

It's about JOBS, Mr. President. Not "stimulus", not "bipartisanship", not a new spirit of cooperation and national unity.

Jobs. That's what we need.

and Life Goes On

2011-01-24T08:34:00.000-05:00

Now that the football season is over, the NFL officiating team having handed victory to the Pissburgh Steelers, I have zero interest in the Super Bowl other than to wish the Packers well. And for all you Michael Vick haters out there, I hope you are happy that a serial rapist will be playing in the Super Bowl.

On to other things:

Vacation next week
Getting ready for the 2011 BBQ season
Educate America about Chris Christie
Keep writing

And look forward to the summer!

Football Today!

2011-01-23T10:53:00.000-05:00

Two great games today, Packers/Bears in the NFC and Jets/Steelers in the AFC.

I'm neutral in the Packers/Bears game. It's a rivalry as old as the NFL itself and will be a great game no matter what.

But of course there is no question who I will be rooting for in the other game!

No room at the inn for the Westboro Baptist Church

2011-01-22T15:14:00.000-05:00

My blood pressure would shoot up off the charts any time I heard about the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) protesting at a funeral. They started at funerals of soldiers killed in the line of duty, but have now branched out to others, like Elizabeth Edwards and Christina Green (although they were gracious enough to avoid the nine-year-old girl's funeral in exchange for air time on Phoenix and Toronto radio, how nice). I swore that if they ever set foot in New Jersey I would be there.

Unfortunately I got the opportunity, when 23 year old Benjamin Moore of Bordentown, NJ, was killed by an IED in Afghanistan on January 12. The WBC announced they would be there. I decided I would be there too. I learned through a Facebook Group that people were planning on surrounding the area in order to shield the grieving family from the "God Hates Fags" protesters.

When I arrived in Bordentown at around 7:00am, Farnsworth Ave was relatively quiet. I asked a police officer what he knew about the possible appearance of the WBC. He told me there was a designated spot for them and "they would be dealt with accordingly".

I parked my car and joined a small gathering of people at the corner of Farnsworth and Crosswicks St, all there for the same reason. A woman walked by and passed out American flags, provided by an anonymous donor.

Later I walked over to the church where a large crowd had gathered and lined up along Farnsworth: police, firefighters, military, veterans, and civilians. By that time every road surrounding the church had been cordoned off and there was no sign of the WBC people. The people I spoke with mentioned that the WBC had tried to check into some local hotels but were turned away. I also heard that they were at the firehouse. I walked around the area to see if I could find them, but could not. By 10:00 I got back in my car and drove around the surrounding area, past the firehouse, and still saw none of them.

It was apparent by then that the outpouring of support from the community, including people from all over the state, had succeeded in keeping the WBC away. I learned when I got home that the WBC arrived, saw their designated area, didn't like it, and left. They then headed for the cemetery, didn't like their designated area there either, and left for good. Most of us never saw them. I did not get the photo op I had hoped for, but this time I was not at all disappointed.

This time, the Westboro Baptist Church picked the wrong state to mess with. Law enforcement and firefighters from all over the state, veterans and active military, and ordinary folks like me had all played a part in keeping these monsters away. Bordentown's fallen soldier had the dignified send-off he deserved. May he rest in peace.

There were no incidents, other than the swift departure of the Westboro Baptist Church. Good riddance.

Let it not be forgot, that once there was a spot......

2011-01-20T08:21:00.000-05:00

With the death Sargent Shriver earlier this week, and Ted Sorensen this past October, that's about it for Camelot (if it ever really existed).

It was fifty years ago today that John F. Kennedy gave his stirring Inaugural Address. I was three years old at the time so of course I do not remember watching it live, but I've seen it so many times I feel like I was there. The words still stir today.

Note to President Obama: the Torch has been passed to you; please do something with it!

Westboro Baptist Church - Unwelcome in New Jersey

2011-01-19T18:43:00.000-05:00

(thanks to deciminyan for tipping me off to this story)

As if it weren't bad enough that NJ lost another soldier in Afghanistan - U.S. Army Spc. Benjamin Moore, 23, of Bordentown, was one of three soldiers killed in an IED (improvised explosive device) attack in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province on Jan. 12.

Now comes the disturbing news that the Westboro Baptist Church is planning to protest Spc Moore's funeral in Bordentown, NJ this Saturday, January 22. Regardless of your religious or political beliefs or affiliations, no person on this planet, with the possible exception of members of the Phelps family, would be able to justify the despicable actions of these monsters.

If there can be any good news here, the community has mobilized and and is planning a non-violent demonstration to shield the family of Benjamin Moore from the presence of the WBC protesters.

The following is from the Facebook wall of William Brown, of Mt Laurel, one of the leaders of the protest:

"Hope I see you Saturday morning at 0800 at Trinity Church 300 block, Farnsworth Ave, Bordentown, NJ. Westboro Baptist church is planning one of their despicable protests at the funeral of Ben Moore, who passed away in Afghanistan last week. Let's join the non-violent blockade of that piece of crap who desecrates our heroes funerals and honor our brother Ben Moore and his family."

There is always the possibility that the Westboro Baptist Church is bluffing, or will change their minds and not make the trip to Bordentown.

But if they do, New Jersey will be ready and waiting.

Is it too soon to start thinking about 2013? No!

2011-01-18T06:11:00.000-05:00

No, it's not too soon, considering:
1.) Christie began running for re-election the day he was inaugurated (as do all incumbents)
2.) No potential Democratic candidate (as far as I know) has stepped forward
3.) We can draw important lessons from 2009 and the shoddy campaign run by Jon Corzine, as illustrated by my experience with a clueless Corzine campaign worker:

Late in 2009 gubernatorial campaign, a Corzine canvasser knocked on my door. I answered, and told him right off the bat we had five registered Democrats in my household; no need to give me a sales pitch. However, I told him three of us would be out of town on Election Day, myself on business, and two of my sons away at college, and we needed absentee ballots.

The canvasser told me about NJ's new vote-by-mail option, and had a stack of applications in his hand. I asked for three forms, and the canvasser refused to give them to me. I asked for the website so I could download my own, he said, no, he did not know the website. Just as I was telling him to get lost, as he was no use to me, he asked if I wanted a yard sign. I said, sure, put as many as you want on my lawn.

As soon as I slammed the door, I immediately fired off a nasty-gram to the campaign, informing them of the behavior of the canvasser and his refusal to help me out with absentee voting. A few days later a representative called me, apologizing, and explaining that this particular canvasser "doesn't believe in vote-by-mail" (!) and that is why he refused to give me the applications. I asked, how can you expect anyone to vote for your candidate if this is how you are running your campaign. I then asked if it was possible to vote at the County Store, and the person said no (this turned out not to be true). I also asked where's my yard sign and was promised I would get one (I never did).

County Stores, by the way, are these nifty one-stop shops for just about any government service. The service is friendly and effective. We have them in most malls in South Jersey. I am not sure if every County has one.

Infuriated, and despite my temptation to sit the election out or vote for a third party candidate, I went to the County Store at the Deptford Mall, held my nose, and voted for Corzine,

I have a feeling I was not alone in my disappointment with the way the Corzine campaign was run, and Christie did not so much win as Corzine lost. He broke the cardinal rule of any job-hunter: Act like you want the job.

Let's not let this happen again.

NJ News Roundup for Saturday, January 15, 2011

2011-01-15T08:03:00.000-05:00

Weekend Roundup and Open Thread for Saturday, January 15, 2011

We start the weekend off on a sad note:

One of Lakewood's finest shot "execution style"
Authorities seeking a "person of interest" in the killing of Police Officer Christopher Matlosz Friday afternoon

More layoffs in Camden
Including up to 170 police officers

NJ revenue intake exceeds expectations
The state took in $12.61 billion – almost $600 million more than was projected, according to state Treasurer Andrew Sidamon-Eristoff.
Some key items of interest:
> Some high-income taxpayers, expecting the Bush-era tax cuts to expire in 2011, took their income in 2010
> Corporation business taxes came in 21.7 percent above projections
> Collections from the state lottery were down 3.3 percent.

New funding for NJN
Three-month budget approved that includes $2.1 million in new state aid; Christie still calling for privatization

The battle over school superintendent salary caps continues
A lawsuit by the NJASAand two Morris County superintendents alleges a moratorium on contract approval until the DOE completes an "inventory" of those contracts is illegal.

Was anyone at the Paramus town hall meeting Thursday?
> Did the Governor carry conciliatory tone we saw on that day's earlier "Good Morning America" appearance?
> What happened to the "Countdown to Reform" calendar?
> Did he keep his jacket on for the Q&A?
> Any reports from the ground, please post.

Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono to host public hearing on the impact of Gov Christie’s state education cuts
Thursday, January 20
6:00pm - 8:30pm
Edison High School Auditorium
50 Boulevard of the Eagles
Edison, NJ

On a lighter note:
> In North Jersey, where I grew up, we called it "sleigh riding". In South Jersey, where I live now, they call it "sledding". What do you call it?
> Reminder: J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets vs New England Sunday, 4:40pm, on CBS

Man vs. Machine on Jeopardy!

2011-01-14T06:59:00.000-05:00

Can a computer play Jeopardy? You bet.

I have tried out for "Jeopardy" three times, made the first cut, but never made it on the show.

Here's how the try-outs work: A room full of know-it-alls, typically about 100, sit in a large room, and take a written test. The questions are projected on a screen, and the hopefuls answer the questions on a piece of paper, very low-tech. There is a very short window in which to answer each question. Then the coordinators leave the room, grade the papers, and come back and announce who made the cut. Surprisingly, only about 30% typically pass the test. The rest walk away in disappointment, like the bachelorettes who don't get a rose in "The Bachelor". This weeds out the would-be know-it-alls from those of us who really do know it all. Still, it's painful to watch.

The next part is tougher. People come up, three at a time and play a short mock game, where the questions are put on the screen, and you have to buzz in and answer. I learned that by far, the most challenging part of the game is not knowing the answers, but buzzing in before the other two.

As I did very well in both phases of the tryout, I can only attribute my not being selected to my utter lack of charisma.

Now, IBM has developed a computer, named "Watson", that is programmed to play Jeopardy, and is scheduled to play in a tournament against Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, Jeopardy's two most successful champions. I believe that Watson will mop the floor with Jennings and Rutter, and here's why:

When I was in high school in the mid 70's, I remember arguing with my math teacher that a computer could be programmed to play chess. He disagreed. I was an avid chess player at the time and knew the key to winning in chess is playing many games, remembering your mistakes, and not making those mistakes when similar situations arise. Some humans are better able to do this than others. I believed a computer could be programmed to do it, and I was right.

With today's technology, it's a no-brainer to program all the knowledge of the universe into a computer. The programming challenge is to have the voice-recognition software to process the question and hit the button first. It appears that the folks at IBM have mastered this, or at least have come close.

Watson will win because it can skip a step the humans cannot: the human brain must send a signal to the human thumb to hit the button. Watson can accomplish this task practically instantaneously. So, all things being equal, lets say Watson, Mr. Jennings, and Mr. Rutter possess all the knowledge of the universe, Watson will be able to buzz in faster, every time.

This was borne out in a recent practice run, in which Watson won handily. A full tournament is scheduled for mid-February. If Mr. Jennings and Mr. Rutter want to have even a fighting chance, they had better practice their brain-thumb coordination. No charisma is necessary.

The World Will Little Note, Nor Long Remember

2011-01-13T08:23:00.000-05:00

At the risk of offending my fellow Liberals and Obamacrats, I was underwhelmed and unimpressed by the spectacle in Arizona last night. What was meant to be a memorial service for the victims of Saturday's shooting in Tucson, and a call for national unity, looked more like a Golden Globes or Academy Award ceremony than a solemn tribute, rife with self-congratulation and applause for anyone and everyone involved. The fact that a member of Congress was one of those shot made this a national story. People are shot and killed every day on the streets of places like Philadelphia and Camden, but these incidents barely register as news items.

The only inspirational speech was made by Daniel Hernandez, the intern whose quick reaction after the shooting may have saved Gabrielle Giffords' life. In his brief speech, Hernandez rejected he label, "hero", and praised the first responders who came to the aid of those who were shot and the doctors who continue to care for the injured.

With his brown skin and Hispanic name, it's a good thing the Arizona police didn't stop Mr. Hernandez and demand to see his "papers" as he was rushing to Congresswoman Giffords' aid.

The President's speech was too long, and his calls for bipartisanship and national unity will quickly be forgotten in a day or two as the Republicans in Congress get back to the business of opposing everything on the President's agenda (what is his agenda, anyway?) and the futile effort to repeal "Obamacare".

And, why, oh why, must everything ultimately be about Sarah Palin? Many are blaming Palin, and inflammatory rhetoric spewed by her and her right-wing cohorts for stirring up the anger that resulted in this shooting. Do we need a new version of Godwin's Law, in which all roads lead to Palin in any political situation? After the release of her bizarre, unapologetic video, with its anti-Semitic overtones and references to the good olde days of gun duels, many are writing her political obituary. I say, not so fast. I do not see anyone in the Republican establishment denouncing or distancing themselves from Palin. If there was ever an opportunity to do so, now would be the time, if they really intend to derail her 2012 presidential aspirations.

As for President, Obama, in the event he is ever called upon again to offer words in the wake of some national tragedy or disaster, he should borrow a page from his political hero, Abraham Lincoln, whose 270 word (more or less) Gettysburg address he paraphrased last night. The Tuscon shooting, as tragic as it was, was no Gettysburg, and Barack Obama is no Abraham Lincoln.

NJ News Roundup for Wednesday, January 12, 2011

2011-01-12T08:37:00.000-05:00

Of course the big news is yesterday’s State-of-The-State Message
Read reactions from the Bergen Record, Asbury Park Press, Star Ledger (Mulshine), the Inquirer (Riordan), NJ Dems, and our own Deciminyan.
And, high praise from the other side.
What was Michelle Rhee doing there?

More snow
Up to a foot expected in some parts of the state, old hat by now. At least we know the Governor is in the State. Let’s see if he can do what he said he could have done from Orlando, but didn’t.

New Jersey Assembly to vote on film tax credits
Could this mean the next season of “Boardwalk Empire” will be filmed in New Jersey?

Meet the NJ Republican Party’s new state chairman
Saddle River Mayor Sam Raia, sworn in last night.

Who should pay for the $1.25B Christie squandered on the ARC tunnel?
Not the toll-payers, say the Democrats

Privatize the PATCO line?
Why mess with something that works?

Making college less affordable
Christie says he wants to do away with the 4 percent cap in tuition increases at the state's public universities, and let the market determine tuition.

Upcoming Events

Governor Christie Town Hall Meeting
Thursday, January 13
Paramus Elks B.P.O.E. 2001
200 Route 17 North
Paramus, NJ
Doors open at 10:00am

Public hearing on the impact of Gov Christie’s state education cuts
Hosted by Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex)
Thursday, January 20
6:00pm - 8:30pm
Edison High School Auditorium
50 Boulevard of the Eagles
Edison, NJ

Heidi Redux

2011-01-09T12:53:00.000-05:00

It was 11/17/68 all over again. I was watching the Jets/Colts playoff game last night. The Jets were ahead 14-13 and about to hand the game back to Indy by allowing Peyton Manning to work his 2:00 drill he does so well. Sure enough, with 53 seconds left, Adam Vinatieri, one of the best clutch kickers in the game, booted a 50-yarder through the uprights to put the Colts ahead 16-14. I shook my head in disgust, muttered that time-honored phrase "Same old Jets", and switched over to the History Channel, where I put myself to sleep watching shows about early alien visitors to Earth.

I woke up the next day, posted my usual post-Jets-loss photo of Rex Ryan channeling Casey Stengel, and lamented the Jets loss. Then I went to NJ.com, saw they had reported that the Jets had won, and lambasted them for getting it wrong. The Star Ledger is not known for its editorial rigor (except, of course, when it publishes one of my letters to the editor), but even I was surprised that they could have gotten the story so wrong.

It was only after a comment was posted on my photo that I checked another source, the NY Times, and suddenly it occurred to me that I had pulled a "Heidi" on myself and missed the Jets pulling off another one of their now-trademark heart attack inducing comeback victories.

Of all the stupid, dumbass things I have said and done in my lifetime, this is up there near the top. Today at least.

So I had no choice but to forgo my usual "Nelson Ha Ha" photo aimed at the game loser and target the real loser, myself.

So, never again, will I walk away from a game until the clock reads 00.00. I'm really sorry, Gang Green.

Help Put Marie Corfield on Oprah!

2011-01-08T22:29:00.000-05:00

Flemington, NJ teacher Marie Hughes Corfield has been enjoying a payback of sorts after being the unwitting co-star in one of the first of Chris Christie's "YouTube moments". She has done a great job representing her profession on the talk show circuit this past week, and did all NJ public servants proud on The Ed Show (friendly territory) Monday, and Fox & Friends (enemy territory) Saturday. It's time for the Holy Grail: The Oprah Winfrey Show.

As Oprah Winfrey has involved herself in NJ's public affairs, hosting Governor Christie, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and the Facebook guy on her show, in the interests of fairness Oprah should have Marie on her show to present the teachers' side of the story.

How about an email campaign to the Oprah Show's producers, urging them to air the NJ teachers' side of the story?

CLICK HERE to contact the show.

Here is what I wrote:

"Now that Oprah Winfrey has injected herself into NJ politics and NJ public education (the two are inextricably linked) by giving a forum to Governor Chris Christie, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, on her show, she ought to give voice to the teachers themselves. Marie Hughes Corfield, the Flemington, NJ teacher who was famously smacked down by a belligerent Christie at a town hall meeting, has been making appearances on talk shows to defend her profession and debunk Christie's notion that the fiscal woes of NJ are directly attributable to public servants. Please have Ms. Corfield on your show to give her the opportunity to present her side of the story.
Thank you."

Feel free to plagiarize, or write your own pitch as you see fit.

But please, do it!

Jury Duty - YEAH!

2011-01-06T18:43:00.000-05:00

Most people go to great lengths trying to avoid jury duty. For me, it has been the opposite. The jury system seemed to be avoiding me. Until now.

At last, the Long Arm of the Law has caught with me, and after a 32 year dry spell, I finally got a Jury Duty summons yesterday.

Not that I've been trying to hide. Washington Township, Gloucester County, despite being "South Jersey's Premier Community" with a population of over 48,000, does not have its own zip code. My part of town, Turnersville, shares a zip code with neighboring Blackwood, which happens to be on Camden County. So, from time to time, one of us gets a summons to appear for Camden County Jury. We fill out the form, saying we do not live in Camden County, end of story.

I thought I would never get called. I thought maybe I was disqualified due to my Jersey City birth certificate.

I don't know how they finally figured out I lived in Gloucester County. Maybe when I was photographed sitting on my hands while the rest of the crowd was applauding wildly at Governor Christie's town hall meeting here, they identified me through some facial recognition process and nailed me.

The last time I served on a jury, back in the Days of Yore, the mandate was a two week commitment, show up every day, and wait. On the last day of my two week stint at the Hackensack court house, I was picked to be on a panel. The case was a personal injury lawsuit, a three-way battle involving a plaintiff, defendant, and an insurance company. Not too interesting, but it got me out of work for an extra week. More interesting was the trial going on across the hall, the notorious case of Mario Jascalevich, also known as "Dr X", on trial for murdering an undetermined number of patients at the now defunct River Dell Hospital in Oradell, NJ. I tried to take a peek in the court room any chance I could get.

So, I'm looking forward to performing my civic duty by serving as a Petit Juror in the Gloucester County court system. One catch - I was scheduled for Monday, February 7, when I will be on vacation.

Due to the magic of modern technology, I went to the website, filled out the online form and expressed my willingness to serve, just not at that time. About an hour later I received an email from the Court, advising me that my time had been rescheduled to June 6. The ease with which that switch was made, I must admit, surprised me.

So, I'm looking forward to showing up at the Gloucester County court house in Woodbury on the morning of June 6, ready, willing, and able to serve.

Welcome Home, Governor

2011-01-04T06:41:00.000-05:00

Dear Governor Christie:

Welcome home. I hope you enjoyed your trip to Florida. I am planning a vacation in the Caribbean myself next month and am looking forward to escaping the winter for a week. I break with my cohorts in the left-wing blogosphere in that I do not begrudge you and your family a vacation. I'm a dad myself and understand the importance of keeping a promise to your kids. Having said that, I am troubled by your characteristically arrogant behavior upon your return, specifically:

Your refusal to take any responsibility for the poor response to the blizzard:
"If someone is snowed into their house, that’s not our responsibility"

Your pathological inability to tell the truth, here is just one example:
"Christie said there were no reports of storm-related deaths"

Your callous disregard for human life:
"We did not have any significant loss of life"

In case you missed it, Governor, a 59-year-old Brick Township man died of a heart attack while he was attempting to walk home after his car was stuck in the snow while he was on his way home from work. This man's death may not be of any significance to you, Governor, but a family lost a father and husband. Did you attend this man's funeral, or extend any condolences to his family?

As for the snow clean-up: An "A" for effort and a "B" for results? I don't think so. My part of the state, Washington Twp, Gloucester County, was not as hard-hit as the rest of the state, but when I went to visit my recently widowed, 79 year old father in Lakewood, I was appalled by the horrendous conditions of I-195, the Garden State Parkway, and Route 70, as well as the local roads.

I am sorry to see that 2011 is already an Annus horribilis for you, only four days in. As tempting as it may be, at this time I will refrain from any Schadenfreude, as you are still my Governor, whether I like it or not.

I hope you have learned something from this experience, but somehow, based on your past and current behavior, I doubt it.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey R. Pickens
Washington Twp, NJ

Reasons To Like January

2011-01-01T18:38:00.000-05:00

As much as I hate winter and cold weather, I still like January. Why?

The end of "Holiday". Hey, I like Christmas as much as anybody, but after having it shoved down my throat from mid-October on, I'm over it by December 26, and ready to stick a fork in it by January 1.
The NFL playoffs!
New Years Day is a great day to just sit around doing nothing, or something you like, if you're lucky enough to have the day off. Today, I cooked a pork loin on my Weber smoker.
The NFL playoffs!
The new year gives us a sense of a clean slate, time to think of new things to do (or old things to stop doing). Don't torture yourself with New Years resolutions. Just take a mental inventory and re-group.

Did I mention the NFL playoffs?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Tuesday Night Football - The Politics of Snow Removal

2010-12-27T19:05:00.000-05:00

"Vince Lombardi would be spinning in his grave", said Pennsylvania Governor Edward Rendell, in an on-air rant about the NFL's decision to postpone the Vikings/Eagles game, scheduled for Sunday night, to Tuesday. Rendell and Fox-29's John Bolaris even went at it about the actual number of inches of snow (paging Dr. Freud) that actually fell on and around Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Eagles.

Here in the Mid-Atlantic states, a major snowstorm is almost always a no-win situation for local government and their limited resources. Places like Buffalo experience storms like this on a regular basis and are able to justify ample snow-removal capabilities in their budgets. In places like the Philadelphia area, it is impossible to predict, on a winter-by-winter basis, what the snow removal needs will be, so they do their best when budgeting for snow emergencies.

On Sunday morning, after careful review of all the meteorology available to him, Mayor Michael Nutter urged the NFL to postpone the game. NFL diehards immediately cried "wimp!", but the Mayor's decision, in this writer's opinion, has merit. Imagine the outcry if the full force of Philly's snow removal efforts was focused on getting ready for a football game, while the neighborhoods were neglected, snowed in, and residents were unable to get out of their homes.

It would not only have been necessary to clear all the snow from the parking lots and surrounding roads, but every flake would have had to be removed from the inside of the stadium. Did we really need another spectacle of snowball-throwing Eagles fans on national TV?

Here in New Jersey, such a decision did not need to be made, as the Jets and Giants were both away on Sunday. NJ State Senate President and acting NJ Governor Stephen Sweeney, who is currently holding the position after the Governor and Lt Governor both got out of Dodge for simultaneous vacations, called a state of emergency in NJ due to the blizzard.

Back to the Eagles - Interesting that they are scheduled to play the Vikings, a team from a city well-prepared to deal with snow emergencies, except when the roof collapses on their domed stadium. The Birds managed to clinch the NFC East title anyway, thanks to the Giants' horrific loss to Green Bay Sunday.

And so, after more than a bit of griping, Eagles fans will head to the Linc or tune in to NBC-TV Tuesday night to enjoy the game, with visions of an NFC Conference title once again dancing in their heads. And life will go on.

Go Ahead, Senator Sweeney, Make My Day

2010-12-26T09:56:00.000-05:00

Talk about "below the fold".

On Christmas Day, 1:00pm, when most people were not reading the Star Ledger or NJ.com, came the news that Governor Chris Christie and Lt Governor Kim Guadagno are both taking vacation out of state, leaving Senate President Stephen Sweeney as acting governor while both are away. Maybe I missed something, but wasn't the position of Lt. Governor created to provide for continuity in the NJ Executive branch while the Governor was unavailable to discharge his duties? How do they get away with leaving the state at the same time?

While we know that the Governor will be in Disney World in Florida with his family, it has not been released (not to this writer, at least) where Lt Gov. Guadagno will be, other than that she will be out of state. Perhaps she will be in Disney World with the governor, standing behind him, gazing longingly, Nancy-Reagan-like, while Christie hob-nobs with Mickey and watches his kids enjoy the rides.

According to the Star Ledger:
"Theoretically, Sweeney could sign legislation Christie hasn’t acted on or even file nominations Christie would never dream of filing. Sweeney could even re-nominate former state Supreme Court Justice John Wallace Jr. to the bench, whose pass-over by Christie in favor of attorney Anne Patterson angered Sweeney. But he won’t."

Says Sweeney:
“I wouldn’t do that to him. The guy is going on vacation with his family, and I’m not going to ruin it by creating mischief. The governor’s office is something that people shouldn’t think is a toy. It’s a serious responsibility.”

It speaks volumes that the governor has left the State government in hands of Sweeney, with full confidence that there will be no "mischief", where "mischief" may be defined as reinstating Justice John Wallace, or signing the "Back To Work NJ" and the anti-bullying bills.

While we're on the subject of missed opportunities, since this is a time when teachers, and many others, have the week off, this would have been the ideal time for the governor to defer his vacation and hold some "Town Hall" meetings at a time when his audience would include members of his constituency who typically cannot attend such meetings on normal weekdays. After all, if his "Reform" is so urgent, why leave the state now? Certainly a Disney vacation can wait until the next school break in the spring.

So, how about it, Senator Sweeney? You're right, the governor's office is a serious responsibility. So how about some mischief? .

One More Time From Mister White Christmas....

2010-12-25T20:15:00.000-05:00

before we retire him until next year....

"The Spirit of Christmas", featuring the Mabel Beaton Marionettes

2010-12-23T21:02:00.001-05:00

CLICK HERE for an update on 2011 airing

This vintage Christmas special, featuring marionette performances of "A Visit From St Nicholas" and the story of the Nativity, has been shown in TV every year since 1950.

As a public service, Pick's Place is providing the show times for "The Spirit of Christmas":

The Mabel Beaton Marionettes perform " 'Twas The Night Before Christmas" and "The Christmas Story"
Where: WHYY Channel 12

When: Friday, December 24 — 5:30am & 7:30pm

You can now see these vintage shows on YouTube, or DVR them, but there's no substitute for catching them in real time on regular TV (for me, at least).

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night"

From the "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" Department....

2010-12-21T13:30:00.000-05:00

Comes news that NJ Governor Chris Christie has compared the New Jersey Education Association to Alabama Governor George Wallace attempting to block the entrance to the University of Alabama to prevent integration of the school.

"Southern Strategy", anyone?

For my comment calling this "sending an obvious dog whistle to his potential Southern constituents for when he runs for President in 2012", I was called a simpleton and a dumbass. I guess I should wear these two labels as a badges of honor?

It's My Christmas, and I'll Cry If I Want To

2010-12-19T18:15:00.000-05:00

So, the Republicans in the Senate are terrified that they may have to work up to and including Christmas, to settle some unresolved legislation, including ratification of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), and the $1.1 trillion omnibus funding resolution, that the Democrats want to complete before the end of the lame duck session.

According to Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ):
“It is impossible to do all of the things that the majority leader laid out without doing — frankly, without disrespecting the institution and without disrespecting one of the two holiest of holidays for Christians and the families of all of the Senate, not just the senators themselves but all of the staff.”

How many recesses and breaks does Congress get, including practically the entire month of August? Certainly more than people in these professions, many of whom must work, not only Christmas, but other holidays as well:

Members of the military, especially those stationed overseas
Police, firefighters, EMTs - yes, those same ones who came to the World Trade Center site to help and were told by our own Christie Whitman that the air was safe, and are now being denied health benefits for illnesses contracted from breathing the "safe" air.
Health workers: doctors, nurses, orderlies, maintenance crews. Hospitals have no days off.
Pilots, flights attendants, air traffic controllers, other airport crew members (how many are flying members of Congress home for Christmas?)
Food service workers, cooks, waitstaff, caterers (how many are working on Christmas to feed members of Congress who can afford paid help for their holiday meals?)
Workers at 24/7 convenience stores, who help us out when we forgot to pick up a container of egg nog or whipped cream for our desserts.
Workers at 24/7 gas stations, who, here in New Jersey, stand out in the cold because we don't pump our own gas.

Are there more? You bet. Let's not forget members of the press, who are charged with keeping these public servants honest.

If these pious Senators are so concerned about their holy holiday, especially one whose motto includes "Peace On Earth, Good Will Towards Men", why can't they take the time to work out a peace treaty before Christmas?

Stop whining and get to work.

Sunday Night: Are You Ready For Some Softball?

2010-12-19T06:19:00.000-05:00

You would not know it from the 60 Minutes website, but thanks to my friends at Blue Jersey I learned that Governor Chris Christie will be featured tonight. When I went to the site to check for information, there was nothing there about an appearance by the Governor of NJ. The featured preview was a story called "The Gift of Endless Memory" (interesting juxtaposition).

The good news is, ever since the "Heidi Bowl" (for those of us old enough to remember), we do not have to worry about the Steelers/Jets game being cut-off in favor of 60 Minutes while the Jets are in the throes of yet another nail-biting comeback. However if you're not quick enough on the channel changer after the game you may catch an unwanted glimpse of the bloviations of the Great Reformer of NJ, repeating the same platitudes in response to whatever softballs are lobbed his way. (Who would be best to interview Christie: Anderson Cooper? Katie Couric? I wonder if he can answer a hard-hitting question like "What do you read"?).

As an apprentice contributor to Blue Jersey, I am on self-appointed Christie-watch, so I will be watching, and taking notes. CBS News is good at timely posting of transcripts so anyone who cannot watch (or bear to watch) can read all about it the next day.

So, what do you think? Will this be the usual hagiographic puff-piece that the Governor has become accustomed to, or will our interviewer hit him with some real questions, other than his fandom of Bruce Springsteen and his "YouTube moments"?

I am not optimistic but I hope 60 Minutes surprises me and proves me wrong. After all, I'm still going through Boardwalk Empire Withdrawal.

Who Are You Riding For?

2010-12-18T15:18:00.000-05:00

Now, before the Grammar Police jumps all over me, the title of this post is the motto of the American Cancer Society Bikeathon, coming next year on Sunday, June 10, 2011. Once again, I've signed up to ride the 66 miles and will be hitting up my friends and family for donations sometime in the future.

As you know, from time to time I write for iReport, CNN's place for citizen journalists. As iReporters, we can write about anything we want. We can also respond to assignments posted by the CNN staff. Coincidentally, a new assignment called "Your questions about cancer" came up at the same time I was signing up for next year's ride. The assignment was to post a question to oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of Emperor of all Maladies: A Biography of Cancer

My question was, "What does the American Cancer Society do with the money raised by such events as the bikeathon?".

Apparently, CNN liked my question, as evidenced by the little red "CNN iReport" badge the stamp on the upper left side of the photo, which in this case is a still from my video question. So much so, that, when you go to the "Assignment" page, there is my mug, on the main page. Unfortunately the screen grab and facial expression make me look like I'm suffering from severe intestinal distress, but there I am.

So, look for me soon on CNN.com when the Dr. Mukherjee segment is aired, or posted. Of course I'll tip you off when I find out when.

As for the title question, "Who are you riding for?", the answer, sadly, is too many to name. Friends, relatives, coworkers, many lost to this disease, many who have fought and survived, and many who are still fighting. You know who you are, and this is for you.

The Chicken Or The Egg?

2010-12-17T05:58:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not referring to that terrific restaurant in Beach Haven, but a recent study that reveals ~~the startling revelation~~ that Fox "News" viewers are alarmingly uninformed.

Among the findings, Fox viewers:

91 percent believe the stimulus legislation lost jobs
72 percent believe the health reform law will increase the deficit
72 percent believe the economy is getting worse
60 percent believe climate change is not occurring
49 percent believe income taxes have gone up
63 percent believe the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts
56 percent believe Obama initiated the GM/Chrysler bailout
38 percent believe that most Republicans opposed TARP
63 percent believe Obama was not born in the U.S. (or that it is unclear)

Of course none of this is news to most of the readers here. But I can't help but wonder, are Fox viewers blank slates, thirsting for knowledge, with no pre-conceived notions, or are they the already uninformed, looking for validation?

Which came first?

Slacktivism: My New Favorite Word

2010-12-15T19:11:00.000-05:00

Facebookers:

Have you seen this:
"Most people have 1000 wishes for Christmas; a cancer patient only has one,to get better. I know 97% of you won't repost this to your status, but my friends will be the 3% that do. In honor of someone who has died, or is still fighting, or survived cancer, copy this to your status."

Or this:
"Change your facebook profile picture to cartoon from your childhood. The goal? To not see a human face on FB till Monday Dec 6. Join the fight against child abuse. Copy and paste to your status and invite your friends to do the same."

"Slacktivism": Defined in the Urban Dictionary as "The act of participating in obviously pointless activities as an expedient alternative to actually expending effort to fix a problem, The search for the ultimate feel-good that derives from having come to society's rescue without having had to actually gets one's hands dirty or open one's wallet."

Now, I have nothing against fighting cancer or child abuse. In fact, I ride every year in the Philadelphia American Cancer Society Bike-a-thon, and contribute to others who participate in similar events. As for the cartoon character thing, I was taken to task by my otherwise sensible friends for not participating. My take: if you want to fight child abuse, do something about it, beginning with taking care of your own kids.

I am currently the administrator of a Facebook page called NJ against Chris Christie. How I became administrator was by accident. I came across the page in March, when I was angered by some of the items in the 2011 budget proposal, and wanted to engage in some slacktivism of my own. I contacted the creator of the page, exchanged some emails, and he made me the administrator. My duties consist of finding interesting news items and comments to post on the page, to spur some lively debate. Membership has grown to over 43,000, up from 60 in March.

This is all well and good, but not much gets accomplished except complaining and arguing. Very few members have actually attended any Christie Town Hall Meetings (I have). Very few have contacted the Governor or their State Legislators to air their grievances (I have).

I am ready to hand control of the NJACC page to someone else willing to preside over complaints and fat jokes. I am happy that my inaugural post to Blue Jersey was so well received and look forward to being a more regular contributor. I'm also teaming up with some friends on a special project which will be unveiled soon.

There is a great deal to be done in NJ politics in the near future: The next budget battle and State Legislature elections in 2011, keeping the White House and Senate Democratic in 2012, as well as gaining back the House majority, and of course, replacing the Current Occupant of Drumthwacket in 2013.

The next time someone asks you to join a Facebook group, "like" a page, join a cause, or sign an e-petition, ask them: "What are your DOING?"

An Open Letter to Governor Chris Christie

2010-12-13T05:28:00.000-05:00

The Honorable Christopher J. Christie
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625

Dear Governor Christie:

I am writing with respect to the "Town Hall" meetings you have been conducting across the state.

It is a common misperception that the attendees at these events are pre-screened and your supporters are given preferential treatment for admission. I know for a fact this is not true. I am a registered Democrat, and was not subjected to any political or ideological litmus test for admission to a recent event.

The reason, I believe, for this misperception, is that these events are always held in the daytime, making it difficult for anyone other than retired persons to attend. That these events are usually held in towns with a predominantly white population makes the demographic look very much like the Glen Beck rally at the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 2010.

I recommend that you consider holding some of your Town Hall meetings in the evenings, and in places like Camden, Elizabeth, Jersey City, and elsewhere, where you can get your message to a far more diverse crowd.

I also recommend that you scrap the "YouTube Moment" meme when inviting citizens to ask questions, and engage them in civil discussion, rather than berating them for the benefit of the camera. Having your State Police bodyguard manhandle a questioner, bring him up to the stage, scold and rail at him, then have the officer remove the citizen from the stage, without giving him the opportunity to respond, may make for entertaining television, but it is no way to govern.

It is also in direct contradiction to your repeated admonitions that "there is nothing left unsaid between us".

If you wish to get your message out to anyone other than the usual amen chorus that predominate your Town Halls, I suggest that you expand the demographic scope of the audience and engage in real discussion of ideas. Otherwise, you cannot expect to win the hearts and minds of anyone in your opposition, not one.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey R. Pickens

Easy Pickens BBQ & More to Launch August 7

2010-07-31T19:43:00.001-04:00

It’s a family affair: South Jersey dad, sons, to turn passion for outdoor cooking into a barbecue team and catering service

Turnersville, NJ - August 2, 2010

A South Jersey backyard barbecue enthusiast has teamed up with his sons to make the leap from amateur to pro. Washington Township resident Jeff Pickens, along with his sons, has formed Easy Pickens BBQ & More, a barbecue team which will compete in Saturday’s annual Stephen Starr Garry Maddox BBQ Challenge in Philadelphia, PA. After that, the team plans to parlay their outdoor cooking skills into a catering service specializing in barbecue and other specialties.

“ I keep hearing, ‘you guys need to go into business’, anytime someone tries our ribs”, says Pickens, 53, who has competed in the Maddox Challenge twice before. On the urging of his son, Dan, 23, Pickens decided to form a real team for this year’s competition. Dan’s idea for the team name was “Easy Pickens BBQ”. Jeff decided to add “& More” to incorporate some other indoor specialties, such as chili and Italian dishes.

“Our passion for food stems from a rich family tradition, growing up watching my Dad from a young age and experiencing the “thrill of the grill”, and watching and learning from my Mom, Grandmother, and aunts, all of whom were consummate Italian cooks” Pickens recalls. “I remember my Dad and uncle cooking their traditional New Years Eve filet mignons outside every year, sometimes in the snow”.

The team, which consists of Jeff, Dan, along with sons Dennis, Frank, and Rob, and some of their friends, will be ready for the Maddox BBQ Challenge with entries in the ribs, chicken, chef’s choice, and Garry’s Rib Challenge, decked out in their newly minted Easy Pickens BBQ & More t shirts.

The team t shirt and logo will feature a smiling pig, surrounded by the team name. The pig’s face was drawn by Jeff’s cousin Susan Mauro, a prominent New Jersey designer. “I drew the pig, it’s Jeff’s job to make it taste good”, says Susan.

Anyone interested in learning more about Easy Pickens BBQ & More should pay a visit to the Stephen Starr Garry Maddox BBQ Challenge, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Saturday, August 7, 2010. If you can’t make it to the event, please visit the website:

http://www.easypickensbbq.com

About Easy Pickens BBQ & More:

Easy Pickens BBQ & More is a family-based barbecue team and catering service, serving South Jersey and the greater Delaware Valley. We specialize in ribs, chicken, and beef, smoked or grilled to perfection according to your tastes. "& More" means we are more than just barbecue; we offer a variety of Italian and Southern comfort foods, as well as desserts.

Contact:

Jeff Pickens, Managing Partner
Easy Pickens BBQ & More
easypickensbbq@gmail.com

http://www.easypickensbbq.com

Top Ten Key Search Phrases Leading to the World's Greatest Website

2010-03-31T18:43:00.000-04:00

For what it's worth - for the first time ever, since I have been tracking this, "jeff pickens" was not at the top of the list:

Search Keyphrases (Top 10)

151 different keyphrases	Search	Percent
recall chris christie	81	21 %
recall christie	29	7.5 %
recall governor christie	26	6.7 %
jeff pickens	19	4.9 %
acs bike-a-thon 2010	13	3.3 %
american cancer society bike-a-thon 2010	12	3.1 %
chris christie petition	8	2 %
recall governor chris christie	5	1.2 %
petition against chris christie	5	1.2 %
chris christie recall	5	1.2 %
Other phrases	182	47.2 %

Early TV Kids Show Pioneer’s Puppets To Be Brought Back To Life.

2010-03-20T17:51:00.000-04:00

PRESS RELEASE

Sandy Becker’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ To Be Re-Imagined using his original puppets from the lost 1961 production.

Almost 50 years after it’s original airing, and now lost to the ages (as were many early TV productions from the 1950’s and 60’s), Flexitoon – one of the premiere puppet production companies in the country – has signed up to ‘re-imagine’ the original production of Sandy Becker’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ with production costs backed by members of the crowd-funding Web site kickstarter.com.

Sandy Becker was a television announcer, actor, comedian and puppeteer who hosted several popular children's programs in New York City, the best known was The Sandy Becker Morning Show, which ran from 1955 to 1968 on Channel 5 WABD-TV and WNEW-TV. Becker believed that one of the highlights of his career was his December 23, 1961 interpretation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, performed by his resident troupe of puppets, with GEEBA GEEBA as Scrooge. Unearthing a copy of this lost classic remains the holy grail for many fans and collectors.

“To millions of Baby Boomers who grew up in the Metro NY area, the name SANDY BECKER is magic!” said Flexitoon Partner Craig Marin. Marin, who was profoundly influenced by Becker as a child later become his protege, and friend. When Sandy Becker passed away, he bequeathed his puppets to Marin, with the mandate to "re-imagine" the ‘Sandy Becker Christmas Carol’ as a gift to "his kids." Those plans which have been on hold since Becker’s death in 1996, have been reignited with the prospect of funding by a traditionally unlikely source - his fans.

Through the urging of Sandy Becker fan Jeff Pickens, who proudly lists himself as “one of Sandy’s kids” and came up with the idea of using Kickstarter as a funding source, Marin was convinced that a modest, but sufficient of budget of $30,000 could be raised by tapping into the hearts (and wallets), of other grown up “Sandy’s kids”.

The project is now live (http://bit.ly/c3HeYf ) on Kickstarter.com and features an original Flexitoon video explaining the project with Flexitoon characters Harried Harry and Lucky Jack that’s designed to unabashedly pry pledges ranging from $10 to $500 from enthusiastic backers.

About Flexitoon

FLEXITOON is a company that for thirty years has specialized in television, film and stage, creating and performing award-wining puppets, marionettes, and programming for Nickelodeon ("Pinwheel"), PBS ("Shining Time Station"), FOX ("DJ Kat Show") and Showtime ("KIDS-TV"). Their "Talking Stain" for TIDE was voted the # 1 Funniest Office Commercial in the World, and the #3 Super Bowl commercial of all time. For more information please visit: www.flexitoon.com

Media Contact:

Craig Marin

Partner

Flexitoon

212-877-2757

FLEXITOON@aol.com

NYC Puppeteer Hopes to Recreate 1961 Christmas Classic

2010-03-10T19:28:00.000-05:00

In today's digital age, where everything that is written, photographed, and otherwise recorded, is forever. If it's on the internet, you can find it. It's hard to believe that this was not always the case.

We are talking, in particular, about the kids' TV shows of the early 1960's, hosted by such giants and legends of broadcasting as Chuck McCann, Sonny Fox, Soupy Sales, and most of all, Sandy Becker.

Sandy Becker hosted a daily kids show, broadcast live on WNEW-TV, Channel 5. Any fifty-something Boomer who grew up in the greater NYC area in the 1960's watching TV, remembers being entertained by Sandy Becker, and his cohort of characters and puppets. These shows were broadcast live, recorded on kinescope (the pre-cursor to videotape), saved for a short time, then erased and taped over for the next show.

This includes Sandy Becker's 1961 rendition of "A Christmas Carol", starring his ensemble of puppets, including Geeba Geeba as Scrooge, and Sir Clive Clyde as Bob Cratchit. Anyone hoping to get their hands on a video of this original show is out of luck.

However, New York City based Craig Marin, of Flexitoon puppet studio, has a plan. Marin was a friend and protege of Sandy Becker and inherited Becker's puppets when he died in 1996. "Sandy was a mentor, and we often talked about and planned to remake his Christmas Carol," says Marin, who began his career as a puppeteer and ventriloquist as a teenager. "But sadly, when he passed away, plans were put on old. However, now is the chance to realize Sandy's dream for Boomers and beyond. Our vision is to produce a re-imagining of Sandy Becker’s Christmas Carol, using all the original puppets!"

This will be a 21st Century rendition of the classic show, using the original puppets, new sets, high-def cinematography, and state of the art special effects and editing. In order to finance this project, Craig and Flexitoon, with the assistance of Jeff Pickens (disclosure: the author is a collaborator on this project), have launched a project on Kickstarter, an all-or-nothing funding platform for artists who seek backing for their projects. Potential backers pledge a dollar amount, and with the pledges come premiums, the higher the pledge, the sweeter the premium. No money changes hands until the project is fully funded by pledges.

To learn more about this project, please go to the Kickstarter project page at http://bit.ly/c3HeYf. Read the project description, and the updates, for everything you need to know about this exciting project.

For those of us who remember this program, this was tantamount to a kids' version of Woodstock. With the 50th anniversary approaching, this DVD would make a wonderful gift, an instant Holiday classic you can enjoy with your kids, grandkids, and generations to come!

Geeba Geeba sez: BECOME A BECKER BACKER!

You can help make this happen by becoming a Becker Backer and making a pledge on the Kickstarter site.

And We're Off! Sandy Becker's Christmas Carol

2010-03-02T06:09:00.000-05:00

FLEXITOON PRESENTS SANDY BECKER'S CHRISTMAS CAROL

OK, here's the deal folks, we need $30,000 by 5/1/10 to make this happen. We launched the project on Kickstarter and got off to a good start, 7 backers and $500 over the first two days. Not bad, but we need much more.

So, if we get 300 people to each kick in $100, or 600 people to each kick in $50, or some combination thereof, we're in. This will be a top-quality production by Flexitoon, one of the premier puppet studios in the country. A DVD the whole family can enjoy.

So, please help us out, here's the link:

http://bit.ly/c3HeYf

And you can join the Facebook Fan Page

Geeba Geeba, Norton Nork, and the Big Professor thank you!

UPDATE: Flexitoon Presents "Sandy Becker's Christmas Carol"

2010-02-25T19:31:00.000-05:00

The Project:

On Saturday night, December 23, 1961, SANDY BECKER, the popular and unique host of the top-rated children’s program on WNEW-TV in the New York City/Tri-State area, presented his vision of Charles Dickens’ “A CHRISTMAS CAROL”. The program starred Sandy's entire ensemble of puppets - - most memorably Geeba Geeba as Scrooge, Sir Clive as Bob Cratchit, and Marvin Mouse as Tiny Tim. Millions of Baby Boomers who grew up with Sandy as a vital member of their "TV-family" were introduced to Dickens ghostly tale of redemption through this production, and harbor fond and tangible memories of it - - wishing they could view it once more.

Unfortunately, as was the case with many live programs of the time, the tapes - - to the best of our knowledge - - were destroyed or erased or taped-over, lost to the ether, never to be seen again.

However, the torch has been passed and we have the next best thing!

FLEXITOON, one of the premier puppet production companies in the USA on television, film and stage, was bequeathed the puppets, and mountains of memorabilia, by Sandy Becker himself. Flexitoon partner Craig Marin - - who as a child was greatly influenced by Sandy - - also became his very good friend. "Sandy was a mentor, and we often talked about and planned to remake his Christmas Carol," says Craig. "But sadly, when he passed away, plans were put on hold." Now, through the Internet's power to connect everyone, the Holiday special is back on track. "Our vision is to produce a re-imagining of Sandy Becker’s Christmas Carol, using all the original puppets!" Flexitoon will make new costumes, sets, and music, and apply 21st Century production techniques, allowing us to "keep the spirit of the original intact, and simultaneously connect to a modern audience." This one-of-a-kind take on A Christmas Classic will appeal not only to nostalgic Boomers, but to all ages as well. "Also," Craig adds, "this will be a COMMEMORATIVE DVD in advance of the 50th Anniversary of the original presentation."

Networking:

Once this project has been placed into the Kickstarter platform, collaborators Craig Marin and Jeff Pickens plan to seek backing by reaching out to our diverse professional and social networks, as well as family and friends. With Craig’s background in creating award-winning puppets and productions in all media, and Jeff’s background in finance and project management, we see this project as a winner, and expect to touch a nostalgic nerve with enough backers to make it happen. The program will be produced direct-to-DVD, for sale to the public via the Internet, nostalgia conventions, and direct marketing. Theoretically if we can get 300 people to pledge $100 each we have our goal of $30k. Of course some will pledge more, and some less, but considering our network we can reach out to enough people to attract the backers.

The Collaborators:

Craig Marin

Craig Marin has a lifetime of experience in the field of puppetry. A native of New York City, Craig grew up enamored with the puppets he saw on television, eventually apprenticing for the great Chuck McCann on WPIX. Soon he was appearing on all the local children's programs - - including "The Sandy Becker Show" - -with his unique spin on puppets. After high school he formed the Marko Puppet Theatre and toured colleges throughout the United States with a highly original concept that was just right for the times -- a psychedelic puppet show. The show garnered such an underground reputation, that Marko was asked to perform for the Grateful Dead at Jerry Garcia's birthday party (!). Coming east to New England, Marin began a children's theater that for five years toured schools and theaters. Craig accepted a job with Bil Baird's Marionettes, and it was here that he met his partner and future wife, Olga Felgemacher. Together they created FLEXITOON, a company that for thirty years has specialized in television, film and stage, creating and performing award-wining puppets, marionettes, and programming for Nickelodeon ("Pinwheel"), PBS ("Shining Time Station"), FOX ("DJ Kat Show") and Showtime ("KIDS-TV"). Their "Talking Stain" for TIDE was voted the # 1 Funniest Office Commercial in the World, and the #3 Super Bowl commercial of all time.

Jeff Pickens

Jeff is Manager of Internal Controls for a Fortune 100 company. He has over 30 years experience in accounting control, financial management, risk management, planning and budgeting, cost control and project management. As well as being a life-long TV, film, and theater enthusiast, Jeff’s hobbies include cooking, vegetable gardening, photography, videography, and blogging. His YouTube videos on a variety of subjects (travel, gardening, backyard barbecuing) have been enjoyed by thousands of viewers from all continents. His photos, videos, and writing have been frequently published on CNN.com iReport. A native of Jersey City, NJ, Jeff currently resides in Gloucester County, NJ.

A New Take On Sandy Becker's Christmas Carol

2010-02-25T05:49:00.000-05:00

Are you a Baby Boomer who grew up watching TV in the Greater NYC area in the 1960's?

Do you remember the Sandy Becker Show? Do you remember Sandy's production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol", starring Geeba Geeba as Scrooge, and Sir Clive Clyde as Bob Cratchit?

Unfortunately, the kinescopes of this production, to the best of our knowledge, have been destroyed and are lost forever. It remains, according to puppeteer Craig Marin, "The Holy Grail" of puppet videos.

But we have good news. A project is in the works to produce a re-imagining of this classic show, using Sandy Becker's original puppets! FLEXITOON - - one of the country's premier puppet studios - - will create and perform the show keeping the spirit of the original, while adding a 21st Century flavor that will appeal to all ages. A DVD is planned for release this Halloween.

The project is in its embryonic stages at this time, and needs financial backing. We will be seeking backers through Kickstarter. If you might be interested in getting in on the ground floor of this exciting project, send an email to Jeff at jrpickens@gmail.com, or Craig at flexitoon@aol.com, or leave a comment on this blog. And if you are on Facebook (and who isn't), join the Sandy Becker Fan Group.

Stay tuned for details!

Larry, The World's Greatest Lowe's Guy

2009-12-24T07:29:00.000-05:00

Since I spend so much time complaining, I thought I would spend a few moments (but not too much) to mention the great experience and service we got at Lowe's, from the appliance guy named Larry Jordan.

After our stove broke on Saturday, the day of the Big Snowstorm, we needed to replace it, pronto. We (we?) also decided that as long as we were getting a stainless steel stove, we should also get a stainless steel refrigerator. What I never realized is that there are different shades of stainless steel.

Larry could not have been more patient, helping us find the right matching appliances, even moving various refrigerators next to the stove to compare, and most important, getting them delivered the next day.

I felt compelled to write to Lowe's -

Thanks again, Larry!

Replied On 12/22/2009 10:55:41 AM----------------------------

------------

Dear Jeff Pickens:

Thank you for taking time to let us know about your experience with Lowe?s Associate Larry Jordan. We are always glad to hear that a customer has received exceptional service while shopping with Lowe?s. Our goal is to provide customer-valued solutions with the best prices, products, and services to make Lowe's your first choice for home improvement.

The Turnersville, NJ Store Manager will receive a copy of your comments, and Larry Jordan will be recognized by the Management Team.

Again, thank you for contacting us about this experience.

Thank you,

Nicholas
Lowe's Customer Care
Received On 12/20/09 18:17:42----------------------------------------

I am writing to commend Mr. Larry Jordan at your Turnersville, NJ store. We recently bought a stove and refrigerator. Mr. Jordan spent a great deal of time with us, even moving the refrigerators next to the stoves so we could compare shades and styles. Mr. Jordan made the experience as positive as it could be, and arranged for next-day delivery in the wake of a major snow storm in our area.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE TURNERSVILLE STORE MANAGEMENT IS MADE AWARE OF OUR POSITIVE EXPERIENCE WITH MR. LARRY JORDAN.

His professionalism is a true asset to your organization.

Does Anyone Know What "FARK" Is?

2009-10-11T11:00:00.000-04:00

I was looking at the view counts, demographics and discovery for one of my YouTube videos, "Rosslyn Metro Escalator Cam - Down", and found that the video, after a long relatively dormant viewership, suddenly received almost 200 hits on October 8, 2009.

I dug in further and found out that the spike in viewership was due to a link posted on fark.com. I looked on fark.com and could not find any link to my video. I emailed them about it but haven't heard back yet.

Has anyone ever heard of FARK? What is it, and I wonder how my video ended up there?

Dear Mr. Football Commissioner

2009-09-13T18:20:00.000-04:00

Dear Mr. Football Commissioner:

Michael Vick is really really sorry for all those things he did to those dogs. He even talked to schoolkids about it (on the same day as the President).

Can he please play next week?

Sincerely,

The Eagles

Sausage & Peppers

2009-09-06T15:48:00.001-04:00

This year's garden has been a mixed bag - great crop of cucumbers and zucchini early in the season, some good cherry tomatoes, and some not so good regular and plum tomatoes. I think that something's getting at the tomatoes (squirrels? birds?) just as they turn red and before I can pick them.

One pleasant surprise, however, have been the green peppers. I have tried every year to grow green peppers, but have never been successful until this year. I have had lots of them, all edible and delicious.

This morning I picked a bunch, and discovered we had some Italian sausage in the freezer, so I decided to bring some of the Jersey Shore boardwalk into my house and make sausage and peppers for lunch.

Sausage & Peppers

To pierce or not to pierce?
Most cookbooks will tell you not to pierce sausage before you cook it, because the juices run out, but guess what? If you don't pierce them, the skin splits and the juices run anyway, so go ahead and pierce.

Cook the sausages first in a skillet. Get them good and brown on each side and try not to burn them. Then turn the heat way low, cover, and cook for about 5-10 minutes on each side until they're cooked through.

Take the sausages out of the skillet and set aside.

Slice the green peppers (and onion if you want) long-ways. Cook in the same skillet, in the sausage fat, at high heat, tossing often to prevent burning. Cook until soft.

Return the sausages to the skillet and mix thoroughly with the peppers and onions. Cover and let sit until ready to eat.

Best served on a good Italian roll.

The 2009 Garry Maddox BBQ Challenge

2009-08-07T08:57:00.000-04:00

Saturday, August 8, is the second Big Event of the summer for me. Now that the American Cancer Society Bike-a-thon is over, I can now focus on the Garry Maddox BBQ Challenge, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

THANK YOU to everyone who donated to my Bike-a-thon ride. The event was a huge fundraising success, and there is still time to donate if you're interested.

The Garry Maddox BBQ Challenge, since 2001, is an annual event, sponsored by Phillie's centerfielder Garry Maddox. All proceeds benefit the Youth Golf & Academics Program (YGAP), an academic enrichment program founded by Garry Maddox to support children in grades K-8 who reside in troubled city neighborhoods (see website).

Last year, I competed for the first time, and did not win, probably because I was a rank amateur in the sport of competitive BBQ. This year I am still a rank amateur but just a bit less rank, thanks to lessons learned in last year's competition and in my experience as a judge at a BBQ event at the Keansburg, NJ Fire Company this past May. Thank you, Bill E., for that privilege!

I will be entering in all four categories:

Chicken
Ribs
Chef's Choice
Garry's Rib Challenge (the Big Prize: World Series tickets)

I'll be there from 6:30am to get set up and get my fires started.

If you're in the area, please stop by and say hello, and wish me luck!