Turn the Crank to See the Face....

Until you turn the handle and it pops out, you'll never know what the Jack in the Box looks like. Join us in Short Story Theater for a dramatization one of Bill Russo's most popular scaries…. free to listen on our home network Spreaker or any audio-video site world wide! click to Turn the Handle!. https://www.spreaker.com/user/11578348/the-jack-in-the-box

Lyndon B. Johnson, the last U.S. President

Lyndon B. Johnson, the last U.S. President 

by Bill Russo

Regarding all the turmoil currently roiling Washington I read a meme on Facebook that said...

 "Welcome to the U.S. where we pretend our problems are created by 1 man and ignore the fact that both parties have been failing us 4 decades."

That hit a chord with me and I began to turn the pages of my mind of the last 40 years.  It seems like L B J, was the last 'real' President of the United States. Among other things, he brought about The Great Society, Medicare, and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

His only failing was that he could not win the war he inherited from Kennedy, the Viet Nam Conflict. When Kennedy came to office on a wave of hope, there were 1000 American advisors in N V M. 

By the time of his tragic assassination, he had deployed more than 20,000 American warriors to what by then had become more than a conflict, almost a full scale war. 

L B J thought we were in too deep to back off. It was an understandable, but debatable, position. Following LBJ we have had 9 presidents, 7 elected by the people and two appointed by the Electoral college despite losing the election.

For purposes of discussion only and with actual malice toward none, here's a rundown, a score card, if you will, of the NINE men who have lived in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since that day late in January 1969 when Lyndon B, moved back to Stonewall, Texas or someother ranch in some other Western town near his birth place. 

The list includes, in order, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush two, Obama, and Trump. Debatably only the two Bushes and Barry Obama seem to have actually helped the country.

Reagan destroyed the unions and the transportation industry, Nixon broke our hearts with a single lie. Gerry Ford was like our crazy uncle, a nice guy, but not much on the ball.

Jimmy Carter was another 'loco tio', a good guy who we liked but unable to get any work done. Clinton was another crazy uncle type who you expected to get locked up for being a drunk and tusslin' with women who were not named Mrs. Cliinton. 

Barry turned out to be a real gentleman and lent grace to the office, even if he didn't really get anything done. (Yes I've heard of Obama care, but having been around the block many times, I can tell you that in 1964 we had better healthcare for workers and it did NOT COST US A DIME - it was paid for by our employers!)

My FB friend Laurie Champion changed my mind a bit on Barry when she said, "Yeah Obama helped us alright he brought all the Muslims, wrecked our health insurance and made it sky rocket in cost for those of us who had insurance we liked. Gave insurance to others that no one would accept anywhere. No thanks Obummer did not help anyone I know. He did away with the laws we had in place to stop non born citizens and Muslims from holding office. he did a lot of things that we are paying for right now. My parents also had what you refer to here: " I can tell you that in 1964 we had better healthcare for workers and it did NOT COST US A DIME " Those were the days before we had such a for profit medical field."

After reading Laurie's comments I did give Barry a failing grade in those areas and sentenced him to detention!

Now, onto number nine......

 Trump, the appointed CEO is still in office so I can't rate him. I hate him. But I also kind of like him. As a President, so far all I can say is, he had a very entertaining reality TV show called "I Will Fire Everybody", or something like that. I can't remember the actual name.

The First Supper, Post Pandemic

The First Supper, Post Pandemic

 written and drawn by Bill Russo (C) 2020

So parts of the county opened up today after 34 days of Cerveza Virus lockdown. And we called Mom and Dad to come over for a celebration. We had to wait a long time cause they had to come all the way around the mountain. I texted her, "Maw, where you at?" She replied, "I'll be comin round the mountain when I come. When I come."

Dick Curless Tombstone Every Mile

The 3 Faces in the Tree

The Tree of Three Faces

by Bill Russo

A Tree of 3 Faces, stands firmly rooted to a spot on the West Bank of a tiny pond we call Lake Clarke, in an unincorporated part of Lake Worth Beach, in Palm Beach County, So-Fla. 

A place of meditation, where one face sometimes smiles at visitors, it is frowning in this harrowing spring of 2020. I believe it is saddened by the 'Stay inside' orders promoted by the virus. I think it craves human contact, much like many of those who are confined inside their homes. 

Take heart paisans, as the 93 year old Queen said, "We'll meet again!"

In the face of the tree, I hope it is a smile you see,

for life, like the tree, is a mirror, and the face you put in, is the face that you'll see.

-0-

Pictures and blog post (C) 2020 By Bill Russo 

Read Swamp Tales for free on Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Swamp-Tales-Horrors-Hockomock-Marshes-ebook/dp/B00PJK6KXC

Bricktop and the story of Miss Otis Regrets

The legendary Bricktop tells how Cole Porter came to write Miss Otis regrets for her.  He was a regular at Chez Bricktop in Paris and wrote many of his tunes inside or outside of the club which 'Top' ran from the 1920s to the 60s.  Dorothy Donegan is on the keys, as Bricktop sings a few bars of 'her' song.  

Miss Otis Regrets - Cole Porter Wrote it for Bricktop

Miss Otis Regrets - They Wrote it for Bricktop

by Bill Russo

(https://www.amazon.com/Swamp-Tales-Horrors-Hockomock-Marshes-ebook/dp/B00PJK6KXC)

She's virtually forgotten now, but 'Bricktop' (Ada Smith) was, in her time, one of the most influential people in show business.  A flaming crop of red hair that came from her Irish father resulted in the colorful nickname that at one time was known the world over.  

The rouge mane came from her dad, but her talent likely came from her African-American mother.  Bricktop's abilities included singing, dancing, and a head for business.  She ran 'Chez Bricktop' in Paris from 1924 to 1961 and also had clubs in Mexico City and in Rome.

She continued her singing career deep into old age, making a United Kingdom tour at age 83, belting out 'Love For Sale' and other classics in a romp through a dozen clubs in foggy London town. 

In 1983 she appeared as herself in Woody Allen's film Zelig.  

As a singer and dancer she was a Vaudeville headliner for decades.  She was so popular that Cole Porter wrote the iconic song, 'Miss Otis Regrets', for her.

The legendary guitarist Django Reinhart teamed up with fellow hall of famer, jazz violinist Stephane Grapelli to write and record "Bricktop" as a tribute to her.

She once threw John Steinbeck (he of the 'Grapes of Wrath' and 'Of Mice and Men' ) out of Chez Bricktop for 'not being a gentleman'.  The celebrated author got back in her favor by sending her a taxi. The cab barely had room for a driver - because it was  stuffed to capacity with hundreds and hundreds, perhaps thousands, of red roses.

In the late 1970s, in a legendary session, she teamed with producer Otis Blackwell and cut close to a dozen sides - all classics like 'Love for Sale', 'Miss Otis Regrets', 'Happiness is a Thing Called Joe', 'Am I Blue', and 'A Good Man is Hard to Find'. 

Bricktop remained active and in good spirits right up to the end of a long and productive life. A few hours after chatting with a few friends over the telephone in her Manhattan apartment on February 1, 1984  'Bricktop' died in her sleep at age 89. 

photo by Anthony 22 - Wikipedia

-0-

Life is a Bowl of Popcorn

Life is a Bowl of Popcorn

by Bill Russo

The older I get the more "If I could do it over again" moments I have.  Sometimes, it seems like most of the kernels in my bowl of popcorn are burned.  In truth there are quite a few that are not charred, but they are harder to see. They don't stand out like the destroyed ones.  In my time I've met three or four people who love burned toast! Yet I've never encountered anyone who likes charred popcorn.

We've all said things or done things we'd like to reverse, but the naked truth is, we can't press the restart button in the game of life, because there isn't one.

The closest thing to it, is to simply take your bowl of popcorn and throw the contents in the rubbish.  The burned stuff will be gone, but you will still have the bowl, and you can re-fill it with new popcorn.

Watch it more carefully this time as it pops, and hopefully you'll end up with a heaping bowl of hot, undamaged pristine deliciousness.

So the point is - We have to forget about 'Do-overs' and concentrate on 'Do-haves'.  We can't change the past.  But we do have the power to change the future!

Never completely forget the burned popcorn, it is a part of your history.  But stow the memories in a back hall closet somewhere in the rear part of your cranium, and concentrate on making new kernels.  

Life really is a bowl of popcorn.  Make a fresh batch, but go easy on the salt and butter!

The End

Bill Russo, a retired New England journalist and broadcaster, is the author of dozens of short stories and books including the Creature From the Bridgewater Triangle, as well as Swamp Tales, a popular short book of fictional stories from the Hockomock Swamp, in the heart of 'The Triangle'. Get the Kindle version for free on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Swamp-Tales-Horrors-Hockomock-Marshes-ebook/dp/B00PJK6KXC

Baseball 2020 Started on April 15th, 1920

Baseball 2020 Started on April 15th, 1920

by Bill Russo

Babe Ruth 1919: As a Pitcher 9 and 5.  As a hitter - 29 Home Runs - A WORLD RECORD! 

The 2020 baseball season started on April 15, 1920 

(if you turn the clock back one hundred years)

The Boston Red Sox who won the world series just two years ago in 1918, slipped to sixth place last year and hope for better things in 1920. 

The sox are hosting the Washington Senators at six year old Fenway Park for the first game of the 1920 season. The Nats are led by sure hall of famer Walter Johnson. The Big Train won 20 games last season for the hopeless Capital City team which finished 7th last year with a 56 and 84 record, ten wins behind the sox who finished in sixth place. 

The Red Sox are sorely going to miss their star pitcher Babe Ruth who will wear a New York Yankee uniform this year after being traded the day after Christmas last year for $25,000. 

The Boston club didn't even get a minor league player for Ruth, who went 9 and 5 last year as a part time hurler. As a batter the Babe played about 130 games in the field. He hit 322 and led the league in home runs with 29 - it is the most home runs ever in the long history of baseball in America. The Red Sox are hoping that Harry Hooper will pick up the slack left by the Babe's departure. Hooper was second on the team last year in home runs - 26. 26 behind Babe Ruth with 3!

This was the Curse of the Bambino and it lasted from 1919 until 2004 when they finally won another World Series. 

-0-

-0-

Iowa Town Holds Virus Parade

by Bill Russo

One of the pleasures of collecting old books is finding notes inside from previous owners. Sometimes you find only a name and an address. That was the case with "The Big Broadcast" a volume about the golden age of radio. I found the book in a swap shop on Cape Cod.

In the back, on an inside page, was the name and home city of the original owner. The name was unusual "Angstman" (I hope his life did not match his name!) His home city was listed as Buffalo Center, Iowa. So I tried to reach him but was unable to.

But in my search I learned a little about the town of just 900 citizens and the state of Iowa. It's a sparsely populated state with just 3 million people. They have about 6,000 cases of the virus and have had about 40 deaths-----but the tiny city of Buffalo Center wanted to have a parade to cheer everybody up. 

They did it on April 8th., just ahead of Easter. It was a perfectly distanced Car Parade! The town's local news source filed this report on the festivities: "Roadrunners Bar & Grill in Lakota organized the parade last Tuesday, as a way for people to see one another during the COVID-19 pandemic. Roadrunners owner Donna Heidecker says they had about 25 vehicles take part in the parade."

-0-

Ode to the Corona Virus

by Bill Russo (C) 2020

Ode to the Corona Virus

I’m sitting on my couch watchin’ the news.
The experts are giving out their views
on how many places they should close.
.
I’m living in fear of it, and I’m alone a-
hiding out from the dreaded Corona,
a bandana mask hangin’ off of my nose.
.
I don’t know how or when this thing ends.
And once again we get to be with friends.
Till then only on this Blog, I’ll say my Hellos

Stuck inside.. no one to talk to 'cept for the painting that seems to be both my late Nonna and my Mama.  

I'm in good company.....

Stay safe everybody.  Like the Queen said, "We'll Meet Again!"

-0-