Views from Point Breeze

We are heading towards New Years 2012.  We survived the end of the world as predicted by the Mayans about one thousand years ago.  I am thankful about my present situation with my Family, my Life and my Health.  My Wife just had a colonoscopy today and was deemed to be in good heath.  My job situation had been tenuous but recently some good news helped me to look at things in a different way.  Also, the fiscal cliff doesn't seem to bother me as my present income level would not subject me to the taxes that our more fortunate Americans are dreading. I am driving for FedEx as I write.  Today I delivered a package to a young lady that was living in supportive housing in he Eastwick section of Philadelphia.  I had a large package that I normally would have left at someones doorstep.  She stopped me before I left and asked me to bring the package inside.  She was in a vulnerable situation but I have morals and compassion.  There but for the grace of God go I.  I take that statement s

I am as horrified as the next person about the fact that 20 beautiful little children were slaughtered in Connecticut yesterday.  I was working my FedEx route yesterday and had no time to really cont mplate the bloodshed at the time.  I heard the news and had to continue working.  I immediately thought about my own children.  They are 23 and 19 now.  They didn't attend private schools.  We would have been helpless to protect them against a deranged individual like this Lanza person.  It is the time for contemplation and Holiday celebrations and these families will have to plan funerals. The shooter killed his own Mother before he began his rampage.  What warped twisted person would think about doing this?  What could she have done to him to provoke being murdered by someone she nurtured.  It was reported that he was mildly autistic.  Does this still present a reason to slaughter innocent children?  Other reports said he was brilliant but socially awkward.  He was 20 years old an

The Knicks crushed the Miami Heat last night.  It was the second time they have beaten the defending champions this year.  The victory was punctuated by 18 made three-pointers.  It was also completed without Carmelo Anthony who was out with an injury.  What in the name of AARP is going on here? They have one of the oldest rookies in the league in Pablo Prigioni.  They even have Scottie Pippen trying to dusk his sneakers off again :-). The Knicks have assembled a veteran roster that is currently the oldest in the league.  Rasheed Wallace decided to unretire to show young guys how to work in the post.  It is a stretch for Rasheed because he primarily shoots jump shots now.  Jason Kidd is close to 40 and still defending and draining three pointers.  Kurt Thomas and Marcus Camby round out the team of sharp shooters and role players.  They are playing exciting basketball and bringing out the pride of the die hard Knicks fans. I am a 76ers fan but I am happy to see the success of ou

A strike by a major North American sports league usually brings angst about the number of affected players, the stadium workers missing paychecks and the ancillary businesses missing out on patrons.  The fallout from the NHL lockout is unusually quiet.  There are no loud reverberations from the players, stadium workers or other affected individuals.  This strike could last a whole season and the people hurt seem like it won't register. When the NFL players were late starting a season we heard the economic woes immediately.  The Hall of Fame game in Ohio was cancelled and the ticket takers were laid off and the restaurants cried the blues.  When the NBA was pushed back to 62 games as a result of a lockout, the players barnstormed the country playing exhibition games and lamenting the fact that their childhood dreams were being thwarted.  I cannot recall the circumstances of the last baseball strike but I am sure that the result was lost fans and lower television ratings. Why

My elected city councilman, Kenyatta Johnson, has been going through some trying times over the issue of affordable housing in the Point Breeze neighborhood.  I hope that he will stand his ground on the issue of maintaining housing that any resident of Point Breeze can live in.  Demographically, the neighborhood is changing back to what it used to be.  In the late 1960's, thee were still Italian families living in the neighborhood.  I went to Saint Rita's with many of them.  As I graduated in the late 1970's, many of the families began to move of of the neighborhood.  The Montenegro's, DeColli's, Faragalli's and Conaways were families that I called friends. Recently, after some tremendous development led by Universal Homes, a reverse migration has begun.  Some of my peers were caught up in the criminal justice system as teenagers  We were somewhat limited in our social outlets and trouble lurked on most corners.  Those of us who were fortunate enough to play

I am a member of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.  I have been a unreliable member of the Usher Bard for the last couple of months.  I was attending service one Sunday and forgot it was Communion Sunday.  I had my black and white tie on when I should have worn my red tie.   The Usher in Charge wanted me to stand in the lobby as oppose to continuing to serve in my assigned station.  I haven't been back to Usher since then.  I did attend services recently but it was in the civilian capacity.  The service was awesome as usual. I received an awesome blessing on Thanksgiving.  My unemployment had been held up for almost three months.  I resigned from a trucking job with US Xpress in lieu of termination.  This process caused my unemployment request to be denied.  I had to appeal and this process dragged on for months.  I had to attend a session with a referee in which it was revealed that the company planned to terminate my services anyway.  On Thursday, three months worth of unemploym

I can't imagine living in a situation where missiles are being fired in my direction on a regular basis.  This is how the people of Ashkelon, Israel feel as they are targeted continuously by missiles fired from Gaza City.  Israel has installed an Iron Dome system that can explode most of the missiles heading toward this city but the unease and tension felt by the residents is real.  People are poised to evacuate to bomb shelters and underground areas.  I do not think it is a safe situation in which to raise a family or try to make long term plans. The people that live in Gaza are being subjected to a return of fire from Israel as I write.  Gaza City has a population of 1.5 million people in an area about the size of Detroit.  In 2010 it had an unemployment rate of approximately 40%.  The city is 99% Muslim and the Hamas Party is taking the revolutions initiated during the Arab Spring to new heights.  The casualties suffered by innocent civilians are the real tragedies in this pr

I have been a little impatient with my Sunday night show this year.   The secnd season of Boardwalk Empire has sleep walked at times this season.  After last season with the intrigue of Nucky being turned on by his own brother and surrogate son, the pursuit by FBI agenst, the federal government and the involvement of Chalky White this season has been somewhat boring.  All of that changed for me and other viewers last night. The villain this year has been Gyp Rosetti.  He is a very evil Italian gangster.  I thought Nucky would have had him dealt with by now.  He blew away Jimmy last year for crossing him.He shot a teenager in the head for pilfering liquor from one of his routes.  He was flaunting his woman on the side on a regular basis.  His wife was so into the revenge aspect for this that she began an affair with the bodyguard.  This didn't end up well. The one positive for me is that Eli and Nucky began to repair their relationship.  Eli tried to warn Micky Doyle about igno

I have not had the occasion to become a NASCAR fan.  The whole concept of sitting down and watching cars go around a track for 250 or 500 miles never seemed to hold my attention  I would rather have been out playing basketball, baseball or football.  I had occasion to drive past Dover Downs and I realized that the race car circuit has a huge following.  I have heard of the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 but it is all just something I heard about.  A recent incident in a major race caused me to ook into this sport a litte more inently.  Some facts about NASCAR: NASCAR is second only to the National Football League amongst professional sports franchises in terms of television ratings in the United States. [ 5 ] Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries. [ 6 ] In 2004 NASCAR's Director of Security stated that NASCAR holds 17 of the top 20 regularly attended single-day sporting events in the world. [ 7 ] NASCAR has 75 million fans who purchase over

It is amazing what some people will say these days to get attention.  He was not feeling in a celebratory mood after it was declared that Barak Obama was re-elected as the President of the United States.  In fact, he was so pissed that he called for a revolution: “He lost the popular vote by a lot and won the election. We should have a revolution in this country!,” the reality TV star tweeted. ”The phoney electoral college made a laughing stock out of our nation. The loser one!” Mr. Trump also tweeted. It's a couple of interesting points in his statement.  The first falsehood is that the President lost the popular vote.  Even though it was a close race, Barak Obama won the popular vote.  With Florida declaring almost a week late, this fact still holds.  The second part of the statement I have a question with is the 'we' in the statement.  Who is he referring to? We know there is a serious disparity of wealth in this country.  Check to see who the billionaires list in t

In 1986, the Sixers were coming off of a 54 - 28 season.  We had Dr. J. Moses Malone and Charles Barkley.  We were poised to make a run at the championship.  For whatever reason, with the #1 pick in the draft, we decided to roll the dice instead of drafting talented North Carolina center Brad Daugherty.  We traded the pick for Roy Hinson and then traded Moses Malone for Jeff Ruland.  Jeff Ruland played about five games for the Sixers before leaving the game with serious knee injuries.  Roy Hinson was released or traded after about a season and a half.  Brad Daugherty had a very respectable career but was cursed to be playing in the same era as Michael Jordan.  Many other stars, including Patrick Ewing and Mark Price, shared the same fate. The recent acquisition of Andrew Bynum makes me have the feeling of deja vu.  We gave up Andre Iguadala and Lou Williams from a team that went to the Eastern Conference semifinals last year.  Our first three games this season reflect our lack of a

The Election for President of the United States, Senators, State Representatives, Auditor Generals and other positions is tomorrow.  Many elected officials of the Democratic persuasion are preaching gloom and doom if Mitt Romney were to win tomorrow.  Living in Pennsylvania, we already know that a Republican government will preach self-help with a decreasing emphasis on government assistance.  Adult basic, a health insurance program for low-income Pennsylvanians, was cut as soon as Governor Corbett was sworn into office.  People have had disability payments reduced.  Funding to institutions of higher learning have been reduced also.  The major inner under the Corbett administration has been the Marcellus Shale industry. We are facing an onslaught of commercials and robo-calls right now.  I am perplexed by the Republicans desire to cut the number of people who rely on food stamps to help feed their family.  Governor Romney is now promising to create 12 million new jobs.  I wondered h

The Meteorologists got it right this time.  Before Hurricane Sandy touched the shore, it was predicted that this storm had the potential to do major damage to the East Coast.  By the time it hit and rampaged up the country, we were left to ponder just what the heck had happened.  It is estimated that this storm will cost upwards of $50 billion in damages and lost business.  We did something to our environment or else we underestimate our ability to control the forces of nature.  All the beach reclamation projects in New Jersey have just been thrown to the wind.  People will never look at trrees next to their houses in the same way.  Falling trees killed people up and down the coast. It is amazing that Hurricane Irene, the fifth largest storm on record, occurred just last year: Hurricane Irene was a large and very destructive tropical cyclone , which affected much of the Caribbean and East Coast of the United States during the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season . Irene is currently

I was reading in the New York Times today about a sucide bomb attack at a Catholic Church in Nigeria.  The attack occurred as morning service was ending.  At least six people were killed as a result of the attack.  In a revenge attack, Catholic youth killed at least two Muslim bystanders.  What in the name of a loving God/Allah is going on in Nigeria? Nigeria is one of the largest countries in Africa.  It's economy is fueled by enormous oil wealth.  It is poised to be the leading economy on the continent.  Why are its residents involved in a bloody religious conflict.  Some people point to the Boko Haram Islamic sect.  The country has a religious dividing line.  Muslims dominate the northern part of the country.  Catholics dominate the southern part.  There has to be room for some mixing of the faithful.  News sources have reported that there have been over 2,800 deaths attributed to the continuing conflict since 2009. One of our issues here in the United States is the color l

I wanted to take a rooting interest in the World Series.  My homeys on my e-mail list predicted a match up of the Cardinals versus the Tigers.  The Giants messed that outcome up with a total domination of the Cards in the 7th game of the NLCS.  In the American League, the Tigers put the pain on the Yankees with a 4 - 0 sweep that saw them lose Derek Jeter with a broken ankle.  I think the Yankees will have to look in the mirror during the off season and become much younger.  Mariano Rivera, at age 43, is contemplating retirement.  I don't think they can continue to buy championships. I am pulling for the Tigers because of the travails that the city of Detroit faces.  They have faced the loss of the African American middle class.  They have had continuing scandals with their Mayors and police officials.   Whole blocks of their city are being reclaimed by farmland and tree growth.  Sports can be a major release from all of these problems.  When they paid $219 million to bring in C

I recently was appointed a Committee person on the 36th Ward, 35th Division.  I represent six square blocks of voters.  My first job was to check on voters who might have no ID to comply with the Voter ID requirement in the Commonwealth of PA.  As reported earlier, the requirement to show State issued ID has been waived for this election.  I knocked on doors, passe out registration application and was amazed at the increased diversity in my neighborhood.  It will be a journey worth taking. I missed my first meeting because I was not notified.  The mailing list is a little behind the times.  I found out about this meeting because the Chairwoman of the 36th Ward, Anna Verna, was concerned that someone else might be leasing the meeting space for the 36th Ward on a part-time basis.  Whatever the reason, I am glad I found out about the meeting.  My attendance was worth the wait.  For many years I wondered what exactly the 36th Ward was doing.  As I campaigned for City Commissioner I as i

I have been blessed to be able to attend Howard Homecomings for 27 years in a row.  This year it was on a wing and a prayer but Shawn was determined that we would make it.  I was not disappointed.  Our Friday's start off with meeting up with Howard Hamilton, Jay Durrah, Chris Catchcart, Eddie Reese, Manotti Jenkins, Jeanne Hoover, Jennifer Long, DeAngelo Starnes and Edward Hamilton.  We have started a tradition of bringing hoagies down for our folks.  We also had drinks and snacks. We then get dressed and attend the best free party in America.  The lobby of the Grand Hyatt hotel transforms into Howard Homecoming central.  It is mainly for alumni like Shawn and I who came to Howard in the late 70's and early 80's.  We meet and greet, hug and reminisce.  It is awesome.  I saw a lot of folks but missed Shana Ervin, Deneen Lyles and other close friends.  I heard that people were in the lobby until 4:45 AM. Saturday is the day for basking on the yard.  We went to the game

I lost a very dear friend on Saturday.  Ronda Johnson went home to be with the Lord.  She fought a brave fight against cancer.  I know people say that God doesn't make mistakes.  I know that in the Lord's house there are many rooms.  All of us will make the transition to the other side one day.  I am so sorry for my friend.  I know she didn't want to leave just yet.  She would have loved to celebrate her 50th birthday next year. Some of my best times with Ronda were spent at the Redevelopment Authority.  She sat right outside my office along with Stephanie Cunningham and Carolyn Williams.  We would order lunch sometimes.  Other times we would crack up at current events.  She made the workplace a fun place to be.  She was also a good cook. I remember when I got a prostate exam and she tormented me the whole afternoon with a rubber glove.  She was my fellow 1963 baby!! Ronda was a true Aunt to her nephews and grandnieces.  They all used to come and visit her at work.  Sh

The Eagles suffered another disappointing loss on Sunday.  The defense has made a habit of losing fourth quarter leads in the last two seasons.  We were leading the Detroit Lions 23 - 13 on Sunday with 5:18 left.  The Lions proceeded to score 13 unanswered points and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.  It is the second week in a row that we had a lead before the other teams final drive.  I was so up set as an Eagles fan that I didn't watch any football the rest of the day.  I missed some good games but I felt better. Many people questioned Andy Reid's decision to hire Juan Castillo as the Defensive Coordinator.  He had never held position before and it was a stretch on Andy's part to make the move.  We wound up 8 - 8 last year.  he Giants were 9 -7 and won the Super Bowl.  We lost leads in the 4th Quarter in five games last year.  Jeremiah Trotter, Seth Joyner, Reggie White: Where are You?  We had guys who could close the deal on defense.  Brian Dawkins just retired

I came across a headline on Yahoo this morning as I was checking out my e-mail.  The first article that caught my attention was in reference to David O. Dodd.  Mr. Dodd was 17 years old when he was captured by Union troops with secret codes lining his boots.  He refused to turn over the person responsible for giving him the coded and he was hung in 1864.  It was unfortunate due to his age but this was an unfortunate war.  I mighthave given him a break if I was a Union officer butthis was the mid point of the war and stakes were high. The article next to this one also referenced a supposed hero of the Civil War.  Protesters had marched to delay the erection of a memorial to General Nathan Bedford Forrest in October 2012.  He was one of the founders of the Ku Klux Klan.  The protest was successful because the monument was delayed.  What the article didn't reference as the role that General Forrest played in the Massacre at Fort Pillow.  An excerpt from Yahoo.com follows: The Bat

I felt pretty good about the Washington Nationals winning their series against the St. Louis Cardinals when the score was 6 - 0 after three innings.  In fact, I began to watch a new episode of CSI New York and thought no more about turning back to check on the score.  The Yankees had already finished off the Orioles and I figured that the Nationals would hold it down for the Beltway area. I was totally shocked when I scanned my headlines on the Internet and discovered that the Cardinals scored four runs in the 9th inning on a pair of two run singles to win the game.  They were down o the final strike on both at bats that delivered the win.  Talk about a series filled with drama.  Jason Werth hits the walk off homer in the 9th inning previously to force a game 5.  The Washington faithful waited almost 80 years to witness playoff baseball and it ended badly. Philadelphia fans know the pain of defeat.  We were the first and only franchise to reach 10,000 losses in MLB history.  We we

I am going to put on the turban of a Taliban member for this post.  I am with my comrades and we are planning on how we are going to curtail the Western influences that have become pervasive in Pakistan.  We have already made our views on the role of women well known.  They are to be seen and not heard.  No driving in any circumstances.  Veiled from head to toe and respectful of the male species at all costs.  Last but not least, we will accept no back talk from anyone.  Least of all, a teenage girl. The community is beginning to chatter about a fearless young girl who has the audacity to want to have an education and pursue a career.  This chatter can lead other people to think we are weak and want equal right for all women.  What are we to do!  As recorded in a Google search, this is our solution after tracking he for two weeks.  We find her school bus and armed to the teeth, we ask: "Which one of you is Malala? Speak up, otherwise I will shoot you all," a hooded, beard

Raul Ibanez added to New York Yankee lore last night.  The most successful franchise in Major League baseball needed his heroics last night also.  Alex Rodriquez, he of 647 home runs and the mega contract, was struggling mightily at the plate.  Joe Girardi decided to pinch hit for him in the 9th inning of  a 2-1 game against the Baltimore Orioles. Raul Ibanez, a former Phillie, hit a home run in the 9th inning.  In addition, he hit a walk off home run in the 12th inning.  He became the oldest player to hit two home runs as a pinch hitter.  He also became the only player not to start a game and hit two home runs.  He also stopped the Orioles incredible streak of winning extra inning games.  Score one for AARP and congratulations to Mr. Ibanez!! P.S. Last night, Jayson Werth, another former Phillie, hit a walk off home run in the 9th inning to help extend the Washington Nationals series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

I was reading an article this morning about the suicide rate among Native American youth.  In some communities the rate is 9 to 19 times above the national average.  It is so shocking that numerous federal grants have been awarded to try to find the root causes.  Stephanie Woodard, on the website 100 Reporters.com, indicated that almost all of the 566 tribes in the United States have been affected.  It is an epidemic that should cause all Americans to pause and take note. The discovery of America is wrongly attributed to Christopher Columbus in our history books.  There have been records of the Olmec civilization being here well before Mr. Columbus.  Also, there is evidence of the Vikings and maybe an Asian influence here on the North American continent.  What is indisputable is that there were indigenous people living here well in advance of the seafaring people mentioned above.  Before we became the United States a large amount of tribes lived and prospered here.  It seems like we

I am a fan of James Patterson novels.  I can usually finish one in a matter of hours.  Some of the Alex Cross mysteries I have read include: Ales Cross' Trial, Cross Country, Cross Fire, Kill Alex Cross and London Bridges.  I saw Along Came a Spider on the big screen and loved it.  The African American character that Alex portrays in the novels is a former Washington D.C. police officer who is now with the FBI.  He is called in on some of the most high profile cases in the country.  He is often pursued by villains who would not hesitate to do harm to his family.  In fact, his wife was killed by a criminal.  The mother of his child, who sues him for custody because of his dangerous lifestyle.  was kidnapped for over a year by another nemesis. Tyler Perry is best known for his Madea character.  This matronly, cursing hold no punches woman has made him millions.  I have enjoyed The Family that Preys, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Daddy's Little Girls,Why Did I Get Married I and I

I guess Jerry Sandusky has had a link about his statement from jail protesting his innocence.  He indicates that the 45 counts of child abuse that include molestation and sodomy are a conspiracy by the press, Penn State, the police and all of the victims.  He attributes this all to one victim. "A young man who is dramatic and a veteran accuser and always sought attention started everything," says Sandusky. It is ironic that Mr. Sandusky refused to take the stand in his own defense at his trial.  He had to realize his life was on the line at that point.  One of the factors affecting his decision was that his own adopted son was willing to testify for the defense.  Matt Sandusky had begun cooperating with investigators and Jerry did not want to have to go through the humiliation of his own son testifying for the prosecution.  In his recent statement he never mentioned his son's potential allegations.  He doesn't mention the mother who bought charges against him in 1

People have been predicting the fall of the Assad regime for months now.  Recently, there has been some cross border shelling between Turkey and Syria.  People expected the United States to take a role in this conflict.  I am glad that our support for the rebels has not been overt.  We cannot solve the tribulations that affect other countries when we have issues here.  The stories that trickle out of the country are horrible.  In a highly controlled media, I can imagine that the reality of life in Syria is much worse. The conflict has dragged on for 19 months now.  It is estimated that almost 20,000 Syrians have died as a result.  Many Syrians have been able to seek asylum in Turkey.  There have been many more who never made it out of the country as they were killed at border crossings.  It will not be a perfect society if and when the fighting ceases.  As reflected in the recent trouble in Lybia, memories of past transgressions, real or perceived, affect how citizens look at leader

I am a Christian.  I was raised Catholic at St. Rita's Church in South Philadelphia.  I am now a Baptist.  I converted at Bethany Baptist Church in Chester, PA which was pastored by Reverend Norman Gant.  I am now a member of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church under the direction of Rev. Alyn Waller.  It is one of the largest churches in Philadelphia.  I am a member of the Usher Ministry and and wavering a little in my faith. I am open to new ideas when it comes to exploring my faith.  The Muslim world was beset by many protest recently when a supposed Coptic Christian posted an online movie of the Prophet Muhammad.  The U.S. Ambassador to Libya was murdered during a protest of this film.  Muslims do not like any depiction of the Prophet Muhammad other than through the Koran.  It was a lame attempt to belittle Islam.  I am glad that Muslims here in the United States do not take the protests to a deadly level.  A Pakistani elected official placed a $100k bounty on the death of the fi

I wrote earlier about how shocking it was for a Philadelphia Police Officer to be recorded punching a woman in the face at the annual Puerto Rican parade.  It was announced recently that this officer will be suspended with intent to dismiss.  The video was indisputable proof that will make it very difficult for this officer to get his job back.  The union for the police indicated that it was a knee jerk reaction by Commissioner Ramsey.  I feel that the decision was justified. I am going to put myself in the shoes of the police officer for a minute.  I am a Supervisor with 19 years of experience.  Either my actions in this case were an aberration or I have been punching people on a regular basis.  Also, I create arrests to cover my actions that are not legal.  It's Saturday morning and I can't think of one person who can justify my actions.  My whole persona that I built up crumble with that recorded punch.  I need to make a public statement and start to line up my next caree