Today's MOZEN: A Young Man's Fancy 3/30/2015

Words and photo by F LoBuono

Early spring days remind me of sex as a young man. Everything is so fresh, clean, and new. The air itself holds the promise that everything is possible. The future is bright. Seeds need to be planted. A summer of growth lies ahead. 

Today's MOZEN: The Price of Hate 3/29/2015

Photo: Reuters Words: F LoBuono

I promised myself a break - no more controversial writing - at least for the weekend! I've been working very hard to prepare my photographs for my coming exhibition at Johnny Cakes in Nyack. I've done enough. It took almost a full day just to mat and frame the photos. Plus, I'm working the graveyard shift at CBS all weekend. How much am I supposed to do?

Well, when there is injustice happening we are ALL supposed to do whatever we can to oppose and end it. And, so here I am - again.

Indiana Governor Mike Pence just signed a law, a so-called Religious Freedom Law, overwhelmingly passed by their legislature, that would basically allow businesses to withhold services from any customer/client who lives in a such way that the business owners or employees of that business find contrary to their religious beliefs. Really. Someone will have to do a lot of explaining to me before I understand how anyone can legislate a law that clearly discriminates. Religious Freedom? Talk about an oxymoron! How dare they legislate that one belief system is more "legitimate" or "moral" than another. Of course, the law is really a thinly veiled attack on the LGBT community. However, it could also easily be used to prevent ethnic minorities from patronizing certain businesses. Beyond the inherent unfairness of the law, I can't imagine how it would stand should it be challenged in the Supreme Court of the United States.

I will leave that to the legal scholars. I'm more interested in how Indiana got there in the first place. I think that I may have discovered one of the key factors - people from the Hoosier State simply do not vote. According to a recent study conducted by The US Elections Project, Indiana has the lowest percentage of people voting in the ENTIRE COUNTRY. Hoosiers visit the polls at a rate of just 28%. 28% of people who CAN vote actually do. That's pathetic. How can you sit back and complain about unfair laws when you did absolutely nothing to change them?? If you allow special interest groups to control an election, like fundamentalist religious groups were allowed to in this case, who should you blame besides yourselves? Like the man from the lottery says, you've got to be in it to win it.

Recently, about three thousand protesters showed up on the steps of the Indiana Capitol to protest the new law. Too little, too late? I certainly hope not. However, perhaps. it would have been more effective if they mobilized BEFORE the law was passed. Perhaps, if people would get motivated to VOTE, they would elect representatives that are more attuned to their hopes and desires for building a better, more inclusive society. In the meantime, I believe that Indiana will reap what they have sown - groups who are shocked by this law will shun them -and rightly so. This will be the price of hate.

It should be noted that Indiana is not the only state with a poor voting record. In fact, two of the biggest, most powerful states are right behind them. In second place is Texas, just .5 percentage points behind. Third worst at just 28.8 is that great liberal bastion, the Empire State and my home, New York. Maine is the best at it but still votes at less than a 60% rate.

Gandhi, as he usually did, said it best: Be the change you would like to see in the world.

I would add, "or shut the hell up"!

Today's MOZEN: Camelot Lost

Words and photo by F LoBuono

Camelot Lost

3/22/2015

When I first saw the house and property, to a man with such humble beginnings, it appeared as paradise. It was like Camelot – our Camelot. The culmination of a lifetime of hard work would be rewarded with a shining house on a hill with sweeping vistas of the Hudson River. There were gardens, too, filled with wonderful flowers and plants. Nearly four-thousand square feet, the center hall Dutch colonial house that would become our home sat on two acres of prime Hudson Valley real estate. The granite face of the Palisades provided a most unique and magnificent back fence. I wanted it to be a center for family and friends - a place of both merriment and reflection.  And, for a time, it was. But, in the end, it proved merely an illusion. Now, it hangs around my neck like an albatross.

In the late 1950’s, my family moved from an apartment in Cliffside Park, NJ to a modest home in Fort Lee, the adjacent town. Fort Lee was booming at the time with an influx of families, mostly from New York City. Real estate was still cheap and people who could not afford to own a home in one of New York’s boroughs found that they could there. Besides, they desired a different style of living. Families would be out of their City apartments and into “The ‘Burbs” and homes. It became the goal of every upwardly mobile family to own property. Success was measured by it. My parents were no different and became proud homeowners for the very first time. They instilled the same ethos within me.

Compared to most of the families around us, we lived very modestly. My folks were not people of means. My father worked in law enforcement and my mother was a secretary at the local high school, both earning modest salaries. My father also suffered with severe asthma that, at times, could be so debilitating that it required extended stays in the hospital. Health care for him, even with insurance, still proved to be very costly for the family. The medical bills were staggering. So, even though they both worked full-time, as a family, we struggled financially.

Now, it must be clearly understood that my brother, sister, and I never went hungry. We never went without decent clothes, etc. We were not “poor”. However, we often went without the things most people would associate with the solid middle class neighborhood that we resided in. We lived within our means. We seldom took family vacations. In fact, I can only recall two – to the Catskills. Hot summer days at Coney Island would have to do for rest and recreation. The carpeting in our house used to lie in my aunts before she had it replaced and we “inherited” it. The only AC unit for the entire house was located in my parent’s bedroom. So, on hot summer nights, we pulled the mattresses off our beds and lugged them in their room where we “camped out” for a little relief from the heat. We loved it. Our family life always reminded me of the book “Everything But Money” by the great humorist, Sam Levinson. We had our challenges, but I wouldn’t swap my childhood memories with anyone!

This instilled in me a strong work ethic and sense of value. Everything that I was going to get I was going to have to earn. No one gave me anything except a chance. And, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve been working virtually non-stop since I was thirteen. I put myself through college and I have earned everything that I own. It has filled me with a fierce sense of independence. And that independence was manifested in owning my own place.

Finding a niche in the television/news business, I worked my way up through the ranks to the highest levels of that profession. Eventually, this gave me the economic security that would allow me to buy my own home. To my parents, and most of their generation, owning your own home gave one the security and confidence to say to the world, “yes, I’ve made it”. So, in the mid-90’s, I purchased a modest three bedroom house in South Nyack, NY. I was living as a bachelor with a good job and money in my pocket. Now, I also had a roof over my over my head that I could truly call my own. In a sense, I was living the American dream, my parents dream: work hard, build on the success of those before you, and continually move up.

I lived blissfully alone for a few years in my little house until I met the woman who would become my wife. At that time, she was a single mom with three kids living in a less than ideal rental in central New Jersey. It didn’t make any sense to give up my home in Nyack to move in with them in Jersey. So, instead, they all came to live in my tiny home in Nyack. It all worked in the beginning. But, with that many grown, and growing, people in the house (two of the boys were there all of the time and the third on occasion) the situation just became impractical. We were bursting at the seams! It was time to step-up, again.

Both my wife and I were working, so the money was flowing in. Plus, we had the equity that I had accrued from the purchase of my first home. In one of the smarter business decisions I have ever made, I bought that original place at a low price and it looked like we would be able to sell it at a much higher one. Our ascension was assured. Now, we just had to find the right place.

We began the search for our new home. Then, one day, by serendipity, there it was, Camelot. My wife was going through a bunch of print-outs of potential homes to purchase when one of the sheets fell out of the stack and onto the floor. As I picked it up, I glanced at it and noticed that is was of a beautiful, white house located on a hill, high above the Hudson River in Haverstraw, NY. I looked more closely. It seemed to have everything we were looking for: stately character, close proximity to the village and the river, and plenty of room to grow. Although relatively expensive, we could still afford it.

I thought that if we could purchase and live in that spectacular house, I would have truly “made it”. All the trappings of success would be mine. It would be the culmination of my life’s work. We purchased the house and made it our home.

In the beginning, it was everything we hoped it would be. We both loved to entertain, and the house made all of that possible. There was plenty of room inside and out to host family and friends. And, we did on a regular basis. The house became a home. Barbecues, holidays, birthdays – anything worth celebrating was celebrated at that house. It was full of light, laughter, and love and I was the Master of Ceremonies. At times, I felt like Jay Gatsby.

Then, something happened. My wife and I drifted. We stopped being the priority in each other’s lives. The laughter become less and less and the distance between us greater and greater. Our marriage struggled. It finally reached the breaking point and she left. She said that she needed to be away from me and that place. So, there I was alone, except for two of my stepsons, in my Ivory Tower. Eventually, as my marriage continued to crumble, so did my relationship with my stepsons. Everything came crashing down. All that I had worked so hard for collapsed like a house of cards. Now, all I was left with was a huge, empty white elephant – one that I owned but no longer had any desire to live in.

The boys are now gone, as am I. I have lived alone for nearly three years in a small apartment where it all started – South Nyack. I guess that means that I have come full circle. And that’s OK. I live simply and happily. After I left the house, my wife eventually returned to Haverstraw with our dog. But, it’s proving WAY too big for one person. She can’t manage that place alone. I try to come up at least three times a week to visit with the dog and do whatever maintenance I can around the house. But, without the joy of laughter and light that was once such a big part of the place, it brings me no pleasure. In fact, it’s become just One Big Chore. Labors that used to be done with love are just plain work now.

Besides, my life has changed. The house and property which I was once so proud of as a symbol of my success, now stands as a monument to my failure. For I did fail as a husband and stepfather. It reminds me of that every time that I see it. And, it fills me with sadness and ambivalence - I love what it once was but I hate what it has become. Such is life, I suppose.

Camelot is for sale. It goes on the market soon. It needs to. It’s time. I don’t think that we’ll ever make the money back that we paid for it. In the years that we lived there the housing market collapsed and still has not completely recovered. Somehow, however, that doesn’t feel as important to me as it should. I suppose that’s because I am still conflicted over its sale. Perhaps, that’s the real reason I have delayed the attempt to sell it for so long. If, and when, it does sell I’m sure that I will feel relieved of all the burdens that are now a part of owning it.  But, I will also miss what it once stood for. However, as I came to find out, successful homes are not really measured in dollars and cents or square footage but in the amount of light and love that they contain. I should have never forgotten that.

Today's FrankieFunFact.

The flag of the City of New York was adopted in 1915 but its roots go back much further - to 1626 when the Dutch settled Manhattan and named it New Amsterdam. The colors and pattern are modeled after the Dutch "Prince Flag" of that period in color and pattern. It was done so to honor the City's Dutch roots. The Knicks and Mets use the same colors for the same reasons.

Today's MOZEN 3/20/2015

photo by F LoBuono

"You can wear away a rock if you drop enough water on it"
                                                                                              The Ambassador's Daughter

Photo Gallery - The Tradition Continues/

When You Think About It: Funerals Ain't So Bad.

Words and Photo by F LoBuono

This may sound a bit strange, but I kind of like going to funerals. At first, this might sound shocking and morbid. I mean who "enjoys" a funeral. But, I really do, and for many reasons. They are absolutely charged with emotion. A good funeral should not only make you cry, but laugh, as well. It should be an accurate reflection of a person's life and that includes not only sorrow, but joy. If you've ever been to the funeral of a black person, you would see exactly what I mean. There is sadness for the loss of a loved one. But, there is also laughter and singing, too. Man, is there singing. It truly becomes a celebration of our time here - as it should be. Death is inseparable from life and we need not be afraid. It should be seen as a privilege to be there, not a chore. Funerals should reinforce that conviction.

Even a staid, sad funeral reveals that death is just a part of life, and that life continues. That notion was apparent, again, at a funeral I attended just recently. My neighbor's father had passed and, even though I did not know the man, as I gesture of love and respect, I attended the funeral. My friends have a beautiful baby girl who's about fifteen months old now. Of course, as part of the family, she came with her folks to the church. About ten minutes or so into the service, she started getting antsy and making the charming noises that infants do when they first discover that they can actually make almost intelligible sounds. This lasted a few minutes until mom felt it distracting enough to spirit her away to the vestibule. After she left, another infant in the church started the same thing. This time, dad did the honors.

It was all so, well, charming. Here we all sat in somber reflection at the passing of another human being. And, yet, at the same time, we were so warmly reminded by the sweet sounds of innocent children that life does, indeed, continue. So, yes, I cried. But, I smiled, too. Ain't that just like life?

Today's MOZEN: 47 Shades of Wrong

Words and photo by F LoBuono

By this point everyone is familiar with The Letter. Forty-seven US Senators, forty-seven Republican Senators, penned what can rightly be called a screed to the leaders of Iran. In the ultimate irony, they attempted to "school" the Iranians on the US Constitution by completely ignoring it, US Law*, International Law, and common sense. Their rational was to express their displeasure with the state of negotiations between the US and Iran concerning Iran's nuclear ambitions.  Our efforts appear to be focused on easing current economic sanctions directed at Iran in exchange for Iran's assurance that their research will be in developing nuclear power and not weapons. John Kerry, our Secretary of State, under the guidance of President Obama, was reported to be making good progress. That is, until now!

I read the letter with increasing displeasure and, quite frankly, disbelief. I am not a legal expert and don't even pretend to be. But, what I read made me incredulous. It does not take a lawyer to see their arguments simply have no basis. The Supreme Court, in their landmark 1936 decision United States v Curtiss-Wright Exp Corp*, clearly defined who plays what role when it comes to international negotiations . In addition, the tenor of the letter appears trite, if not downright insulting to any thinking person much less than to entire nation of Iran. It's as if it were written by a bunch of spoiled, petulant, adolescent males (in a sense, perhaps it was!).

So, I investigated: who actually authored this rant? Apparently, it was penned by a freshman Republican Senator from Arkansas named Tom Cotton. Considering the spirit and content of the letter, plus the region Mr. Cotton hails from, I expected my research to turn up some type of "country bumpkin". Well, what I discovered both surprised and disappointed me. It surprised me because, apparently, Mr. Cotton is far from an uneducated, unsophisticated hack. Mr. Cotton is a Harvard educated lawyer and a decorated Army veteran who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. And, THAT'S what disappointed me. How could a man, so accomplished, so given to service, be so blatant in his disregard for not only the office of the President of the United States but to the rule of law, as well? Again, I don't believe that one need be a "legal eagle" to see the folly in such an effort. It attempts to undermine the very authority of the President to negotiate international treaties. In other words, the letter attempts to keep the President from DOING HIS JOB. It is downright seditious!

We can take pride in the fact that this nation was created as a democracy governed by the principal of law. And, we must always blend the two, even when it may create conflict. Our very election process provides the most obvious example. When we elect someone, unless it's a runaway victory for one candidate over another, the votes are generally split in a nearly 50-50 ratio. Of course, someone wins by some amount of votes. However, the margin of victory in most elections is statistically insignificant. What this means is that nearly half the people in this country are unhappy about any given election. They "lost". So, within our democratic system, without consent of the "losing" side, nothing can be accomplished. NOTHING. It's HALF the Country. And, that's exactly what is happening here. The  Republicans in Congress, in an effort to wrestle power away from our duly elected President are attempting what is, in reality, nothing more than a grandstanding stunt. 

Unfortunately, this event, combined with the debacle of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ill-timed speech before congress shows a mean spirited Congress, controlled by the GOP, that is more interested in discrediting President Obama than it is in truly helping this Country. It's foolish and counterproductive. But, as a democracy, the people still have the power and it's called The Vote. Use it - as it was designed to be used - show the forty-seven that this is unacceptable!

*Per SCOTUS: "Not only . . . is the federal power over external affairs in origin and essential character different from that over internal affairs, but participation in the exercise of the power is significantly limited. In this vast external realm, with its important, complicated, delicate and manifold problems, the President alone has the power to speak or listen as a representative of the nation. He makes treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate; but he alone negotiates. Into the field of negotiation the Senate cannot intrude; and Congress itself is powerless to invade it." United States v Curtiss-Wright Exp Corp, 299 US 304, 319; 57 S Ct 216, 220; 81 L Ed 255 (1936))

When You Think About It - When Lawmakers Break Their Own Laws.

photo F LoBuono

Considering what is going on this Country, I strongly recommend that EVERYONE read this, take a breath, and do the right thing - let the GOP know just how wrong they are - in EVERY sense of the word. The following is PRECEDENT as judged by the US Supreme Court- i.e. a matter of law. And it's not some obscure one past in the 18th Century - 1936.

Per SCOTUS: "Not only . . . is the federal power over external affairs in origin and essential character different from that over internal affairs, but participation in the exercise of the power is significantly limited. In this vast external realm, with its important, complicated, delicate and manifold problems, the President alone has the power to speak or listen as a representative of the nation. He makes treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate; but he alone negotiates. Into the field of negotiation the Senate cannot intrude; and Congress itself is powerless to invade it." United States v Curtiss-Wright Exp Corp, 299 US 304, 319; 57 S Ct 216, 220; 81 L Ed 255 (1936))

Much More on this coming!!

Today's Photo Album. A Long Tradition of Music

Every Monday night a little bit of magic happens. For over thirty years, musicians have gathered at O'Donaghue's Tavern at the corner of Broadway and Main in Nyack, NY, the legendary "O'D's". The kitchen is closed and the place is turned over to men and woman who make all types of folk music on many types of instruments - guitars, fiddles, accordions, washboard base, whistles, drums, bongos, and even a saw. And, they make all types of music. I've heard everything from Cole Porter to Irish and Italian folk songs. There is a core of musicians that play just about every week. They are usually joined by a host of rotating artists who come from all over to join in the merriment. In fact, just last week, a young woman from Alaska lent her beautiful voice to the ensemble.

The music starts late, around 10 pm, and lasts late. I left at 2:30 last night and some of the gang were still playing. But, there is change in the air at O'D's. Kevin O'Donaghue, the long-time owner, is rumored to be making changes to his place and the musicians are not sure of their future at O'D's. Still, for now, the tradition continues. Do yourselves a favor, stop in on a Monday night. You'll be greeted by "Tucky" one of the nicest bartenders you are every likely to encounter and discover another wonderful tradition that makes Nyack such a magical place to live.

From the movie There Goes My Girl

Connie: "What other woman would have you"?

Jerry: "Well, my mother likes me"!

Today's MOZEN: We've Been Bibi'd! 3/4/2015

Photo: NBC Words: F LoBuono

Shameful. Simply shameful. Shame on him for grandstanding and shame on Congress for allowing it to happen. How dare they allow the leader of a sovereign country dictate the foreign policy of THIS nation – OUR nation?!

Beyond the flaws or merits of Mr. Netanyahu’s speech (and I believe that there were many more flaws than merits), the very idea was corrupt from the beginning. Although invited by Speaker of the House John Boehner, the Prime Minister should have never accepted the invitation. With the Israeli elections just weeks away, he KNEW that by accepting the invitation he would be breaking with accepted protocol. US Presidents simply DO NOT meet with foreign leaders so close to elections in that leader’s country. None – regardless of the country. Why? For the most logical AND American of reasons: it maintains a level of neutrality that shows respect for the sovereignty of any other nation. And, much to his discredit, Speaker Boehner knew that as well.

Respect is certainly something President Obama expected from, and should have been shown by Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Boehner.

However, “Bibi” saw his message as bigger than all that. He was so damned sure that he was right that his speech seriously undercut the delicate negotiations currently underway between the US and Iran. In fact, even as the PM was speaking, our Secretary of State, John Kerry, was deeply within the process with his Iranian counterparts. These talks have been ongoing and have reached a critical stage. Both Mr. Kerry and President Obama have assured the American people that they are doing everything within their power to reach an equitable solution to the question of Iran’s nuclear capabilities. This is the role of government and involves a certain level of trust. However, OUR Republican Congress decided to side with the leader of a foreign power, one with the most vested of interests, rather than our own President and government. I found that despicable and a classic case of this obstructionist Congress doing EVERYTHING within its power to thwart THIS President – OUR President. They allowed a foreign leader to back us into a corner. It’s outrageous.

The raucous reaction to Mr. Netanyahu by the Republican members of OUR congress speaks volumes and begs a question: did they react so because they love the PM and Israel that much? Or, is it that they hate our President more?

They would be the first to scream if the other side of the aisle would even dare to suggest such a thing happening.

The United States will never allow Israel to fall. Never. Israel, despite Bibi’s claims, will never have to stand alone. Never. Israel is too important an ally to America and Jewish culture is too much a part of our own to allow that to happen.  So, who was Mr. Netanyahu really preaching to? Or, was it just another grandstanding stunt from a master politician? We’ll see when the ISRAELI elections happen in a few weeks. Perhaps, President Obama should travel there and present HIS plan for future settlements in Israel. Outrageous, isn't it?

Today's FFF - FrankieFunFact 3/2/2015

Words and photo by F LoBuono

The Village of Breuckelen, was authorized by the Dutch West Company in 1646, becoming the first municipality in what would eventually become the State of New York. It predated the authorization of the City of Niew Amsterdam (today's Manhattan) by seven years (1653).

In the early days, Breuckelen was much smaller in area and population than it is today. The British took the entire area from the Dutch in 1664 and Anglicized the name to its current Brooklyn. About twenty years after that, some surrounding villages were incorporated into Brooklyn making it closer in area to what it is today and accounting for the often confusing maze of streets. It reached its full size when it was incorporated within Kings County in 1896. It was still a completely independent entity until it joined with New York City in 1898.

Today, with a population of 2.5 million, it is the most populous City borough and the 2nd most densely populated county (Kings) in the Country, second only to Manhattan.