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A few days ago, it was reported by the Associated Press that after going through many, many, court hearings, for many years, an appeals panel of the Russian Supreme Court said the execution of Czar Nicholas II and his family by the Bolsheviks was political.

NSS

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This blog is mostly about Philadelphia things, but I reserve the right, at times, to yammer, or comment about other stuff.
You are always free to make comments.

Growing up, my mother and her family had a distant relative that adopted a boy. His name was Richard. They were distant in blood but not geography, living in the same small South Philadelphia neighborhood.

My mother and her two sisters became like Richard’s sisters. During the times of no money, no jobs, no food, little hope, families helped each other to survive. They learned to trust each other in ways that no longer exist in most of our lives.

Aunts and Uncles, Cousins, Brothers and Sisters, were not always blood relations, but they may as well have been.

After getting through the depression by staying alive they were faced with World War II. Every man signed up or was drafted to fight the war. Richard, along with my father, and most everyone they knew went off to fight.

Richard, not having close family, other then my mom and her two sisters, went to my mom and gave her his bank book and personal papers. He trusted her to take care of the little money he had saved until he came back home. He made her the co-signer of all he owned.

Richard was made a cook in the Army. He was captured by the Germans and held prisoner.

The war ended. Richard eventually came home. He took his stuff back from my mom.

Everyone got on with their lives.

About 16 million Americans served during WWII. Casualties, about 1 million.

Richard remained single and a part of our family. He was called back to service for the Korean War. If you pay attention to the news, it is still being fought. Though as some would believe acceptable, with fewer casualities.

Richard went to Korea and was captured by the North Koreans and tortured. He was held for over two years. After the armistice, he was released.

Close to 7 million Americans served in the Korean War, formally known as the Korean Conflict, so we would not have to pay as much for the American dead and wounded. There were 7,140 prisoners of war. 2,701 of our boys died in captivity.

Richard was one of the prisoners released alive. By this time our soldiers, when released, went to Germany for medical attention, rest and relaxation. When they were rested and relaxed, they were sent home.

I was old enough to remember Richard coming into my parents home when he returned. To me he seemed a shaky, old person, but with bright eyes, red cheeks, and a kind smile. From Germany he brought me a wonderful children’s tool set in a wooden box. These were tools made for children but perfect in every way and useable. I still have two of the tools, which I use, even today.

Richard visited because he once again was collecting his savings and belongings from his trusted friends. My mom prepped me for the visit. Giving me tips on how I should act and respond. Richard may not be how you remembered him.

This was also a time when the working class started to have a few dollars and to entertain themselves would have house parties.

Some homes were better for parties in the look alike row homes of South Philly. So I specifically recall going to parties often on 26th street and 28th street, the bigger homes, and even one on the small street of Taylor. I recall the Taylor St. party because the host was a Korean war veteran who had married and brought home a Korean bride.

The parties were filled with a joy for life and shouted out with songs of the well buried payed for past and hopes for the future.

Barefoot days, how things were dearer then, dadeaadadaeda, barefoot days, oh yea the things we did the foolish things we did. Down by the shady brook we used a hairpin for a hook, we fished all day and we fished all night but the gosh darn fish refused to bite…….and other songs, “Happy Days Are Here Again”, “Peg O My Heart”, “Kitty Kit Katy”, “I’m a Ramblin Reck from Georgia Tech”. “Cowboy Joe”….So many songs, filled with the words of their youth and their hopes for their future.

As a little pitcher with big ears, I took in all of this sweet, sweet, singing and, yearning for normality. A normality they never had but wanted to create for themselves and their children.

Yes, I am strange, because at such a young age, I was listening and hearing and feeling. My empty pitcher was being filled with the magnificent songs of humanity by these wondrous grownups.

At parties, Richard was teased by my father and his friends all of whom fought in the war.

“You dumb s.o.b. How did you let yourself get captured?”, they would tease.
Richard was a cook, “Your own men probably turned you over to the Nazi’s.”…and the gentle teasing back and forth between the men who had a bond, would go on. Their whistling through the graveyard they all happened to avoid.

“Jaysus, Richard, you must have landed in Korea and headed straight for their lines, giving yourself up!” What a dumb s.o.b. A two year vacation at the governments expense.” Yeah! he was dumb like a fox.” “When you were captured by the Nazi’s we could all feel sorry for your dumb ass but to get captured twice!”

And so it would go on, the jousting between the men. Their way of hugging without having to actually touch.

Richard, was a quiet man. Not as gregarious as the others. He could laugh and give it back but not with as much lightness. I remember him drinking whiskey shooters and small beer chasers.

Even at my young age I could see the difference in Richard. All of the men brought home stuff they did not know they packed. His load seemed heavier and more dense. Looking back, I think he needed an actual hug from those that cared about him. The verbal hugs were just not enough. But this was a time when men did not hug one another, nor did friends.

Richard took a job in the prison system as a cook.

He drifted away.

In the Philadelphia Bulletin we read of his death in the obits.

I am sorry I was not old enough or mature enough to attend his funeral. To give homage to this man, the adopted boy, Richard Black, that passed through my families life, and mine, with not much more bother then the space taken up by a bankbook kept in a side drawer.

In those days no one ever talked about Richard as a hero. No one ever talked about Mickey, Joe or Charlie, as heroes. They were just men who served. They did what they were called to do.

Never did they, or any of their family, ever think, they had anything more coming to them than what they had already given up in the War.

No one ever thought serving in the war or being captured was a reason to be honored anymore than the honor of serving.

They would have laughed at anyone thinking service equals knowledge, let alone anyone, stupid enough to be captured by the enemy, thinking that qualifies them to lead the country.

The only time I heard a name conjoined with the term hero was when Hollywood started making movies about the war.

We had no heroes in our family or neighborhood. We just had people doing what was expected and going on with their lives.

No one suggested Richard should run for the Senate or President. No one suggested any of the men, because they served, somehow deserved to run or was somehow more able to run for public office because of their sacrifice or service.

They would have had great fun in taking Richard down a peg or two had he thought being caught by the Germans and the Koreans somehow gave him some kind of experience or inside knowledge that provided him with ’special qualifications’ to serve as a politician.

“The dumb S.O.B. got captured.” I can still hear them saying.

How is it our voices do not age as quickly as our bodies? Our minds seem to hold on to the spirit of our youth as much as our faces and bodies betray us.

I get the messages from my answering service and the voices are the same. You are twenty. He is 23, she is ageless and always 18.

I love listening to your voices.

They remind me of who I am.

Your voices of my youth remind me of who I was.

They remind me of who I am to be.

They remind me of promises.
They remind me of dreams

They remind me of my course.
My road taken.

I was not here when you called. But I heard your voice. I appreciate your call, your attempt to make contact with me.

You did make contact with me.

Yesterday and today.

Thank you for calling me.

Thank You.

Oh! Peg!
Have the gods ever been fair and just?

Sarah was too good.

Joe was full of knowledge. Sarah was full of platitudes, winks, and gosh folks don’t we just all love America.

She is a tabula rasa and a Meryl Streep. To anyone with a brain or who reads papers, listens to different news sources, or attends plays, it was evident she was well scripted.

The format was un-challenging, so she could just ignore a question and go to her memorized talking points, which she delivered well.

It was not a debate.

The first thing I thought of was ‘The Stepford Wives’. Then I thought of an empty suit. Then I was waiting for her to say something from the Andy Griffith show, that may have been said by Aunt Bea.
Something like, I respect Senator Biden but all of us folks know, “First you eat the sandwich, then you eat the pie.”

Palin is not dumb, she just is dumb about the government, world affairs, the economy, energy, politics, economics, history, the constitution, and the office of Vice President and President.

Ambitious she is.

She gave a good performance of cliche’ and tug at your heart phrases to pluck your Frank Capra patriotic strings we all were touched by when we were twelve and did not know any better.

STOP!

Act One, scene two.

Let us take a moment from all this foolish talk about politics and remember the real reason all of this is happening. Yes, it is because of little Joey Grey, you may not remember Joey, but, he was the boy who once delivered your daily paper. This same little boy who gave his life on the battlefield for our country. And why we all, all of us who love mom and sis and, yes, even apple pie, know, little Joey not only brought us the black and the white but the Grey.

Don’t vote for me because of me. Vote for me because of Joey and all the little boys and little girls, of whatever race and creed, who want to bring victory home. Home where it belongs. Let me deliver, for them, and to you, the paper of Victory.

That glorious Victory paper little Joey Grey would deliver himself, had he not given his life on the field of battle. Elect me to deliver that paper in white and black and yes, read all over.

Back to reality.

So the debate was Biden giving facts, history, logic and how we can help change the future and Palin was a cheerleader for McCain with all the phrases we so love and hold dear.

You could argue with Joe on the issues and how to move the country forward.
You cannot argue with Sarah on her cheers.

America is the greatest country in the world. Is not an arguable political statement except to folks from other countries.

The vacuousness of her performance is enough to make ones head explode. But even more dumb is almost half of America is going to love her.

She is dangerous. Not because she is an evil person but because she knows nothing. Most importantly, you cannot have a democratic society without an educated electorate. So we get what the majority deserves.

Not always the majority but the electoral college.

Our politics are becoming like a contest between Sanjaya Malakar and William Hung versus Barbra Streisand and Frank Sinatra.
For a time we keep them around like a cat with a mouse. It is amusing.
But do you really want to listen to Sanjaya and William for the next four years!

I am hoping the majority of the population can see through this insult McCain has wrought upon us. I don’t want my next door neighbor being the Vice President. Nor do I want to play a joke on the country and vote for Sanjaya and William.

If that is all it takes, you should run for president in four years. Heck! I should run for president, I at least know Gen. McClellan was a Civil War General. The U.S. commander in Afghanistan is General David McKiernan.

Sarah Palin did not know this. She does not know. She does not know so much.
Biden has forgotten more then Sarah ever knew and still he knows more.
I know more.

A common mistake calling the person you are quoting by the wrong name. Unless of course you quote him twice. If the point you so fervently believe in is true how in gods name could you forget who you are quoting?

McKiernan-McClellan, McCain-McSame, Palin-Failin.

People who talk from empty suits, people reciting from prepared scripts, always make these kinds of mistakes.

Sarah would be great in a soap opera on television. The script could be based on her own life.

But as Joe Biden said during the debate. He learned early on not to question the motives of people in public office. You can question their premise to a problem, you can question their solution to a problem. You can question if the problem is a problem or if there is a solution but you cannot question their motive.

You can question, if you or anyone has the opportunity, the lies, mis-statements, lack of knowledge both McCain and Palin have on the economy and foreign policy.

Sarah and John and George have no premise, no solution, no questions to any problem, no problem, no thoughts, other than we are a great country, with great people, with hard working people, working people who sit around the kitchen table to discuss their problems, with young people willing to sacrifice their lives, for a great country, with great people, with hard working people, working people who sit around the kitchen table to discuss their problems, with young people willing to sacrifice their lives.

Hockey Moms, Caravan Moms, Soccor Moms, Joe six pack, good old Joe, workadaddy dads, pay check to pay check families, hard hat work a daddy dads, retired folks, folks who worked their whole lives and. fill in whatever cliche you like…………………………………………..

If the last eight years have been good for you and your family, vote for John and George and Sarah and more of the same.

Otherwise, vote for change.
Maverick?

I don’t think so.

The last day to register to vote in Pennsylvania is Monday, October 6th.

Are you registered? Are your friends and family?

If you only forward one email to your friends, family, and neighbors today — make it this one.

Each and every vote in Pennsylvania is absolutely crucial to victory on Election Day. In 2004, John Kerry took the state by a mere 2.5% of voters.

Visit VoteForChange.com, our one-stop voter registration website, and register before the Pennsylvania deadline.

Above is a duet the pair performed to their base of Haves and Have Mores.
Sung to the tune, ‘Side by Side’

We both have a barrel of money.
Pretend that we’re ragged and funny
and we travel along
singing our song
side by side.

We don’t care whats coming tomorrow
probably trouble and sorrow
But it won’t effect us
we’re too rich to bust
and we’re side by side.

Through all kinds of weather
what if the sky should fall?
Just as long as we’re together
it dosn’t really matter at all.

You’ve all had your troubles
and heartaches.
But we’ll be the same as we started.
George and McCain
We’re both the same
and we’re side by side.

( Big Finish! )
We’re both the same
we’re George and McCain
Side by Side.

Evocative of a Parisian bistro Parc is a welcome addition to the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. It sits directly across from the park. The space is very large, open, and many seats, besides the ones outside, give you a view of the Rittenhouse Square.

Inside it is loud. I love the look of it all.

Prices are not out of line for the location. The bartenders are friendly. A measured glass of wine runs about $9. A pint of Hoegaarden beer was $7. A pitcher of Laboure-Roi white wine was $28.

Casey was our waiter and he was almost excellent. We had half a dozen fresh oysters, the oysters were just okay. Still the best oysters we have had in the city were at Tir Na Nog at 16th and the Parkway.

As entrees, the leg of lamb was edible but nothing to write home about. The Duck Confit was too salty, the calves liver was pedestrian.

For desserts there was a crispy perfect Apple Tarte Tatin that was excellent. The profiteroles, a puff pastry with ice cream inside drizzled with chocolate sauce, was very good and the baked Chocolate Mousse was good.

We had coffee and dessert wine.

Much has been said about PARC being like a Paris bistro. This is not a Paris bistro, but a decent impression. The food was not as good as the bistros we frequent in Paris. The food was not as good as many of the casual restaurants in Philadelphia.

As we were deciding on whether or not to have a cheese tray and some Port or other complimentary wine, our check was brought to the table. Total for the three of us was $190 plus tip.

That would never happen in Paris. Your check would not be presented until it was requested. Needless to say, we took a pass on the cheese tray and wine, and opted to walk along the park and have a nightcap at the Capital Grill.

How Lucky are We