May 19, 2009

One armed fighter an inspiration

It was with great interest that I videotaped the one-armed fighter who columnist Michael P. Mayko will be writing about in coming weeks.
We have a similar battle to fight.
In my case, I had studied in the Korean martial art of Hapkido through brown belt levels in the 1990s, before I was sidelined by an injury. "Wherever you go from here, I have given you a foundation," Grandmaster Hosoo Hwang told me. Things went from bad to worse: no sooner had I recovered from that injury (a torn groin muscle that prevented me from doing any form of exercise, even taking a walk, for several years until it healed) than I took a bad fall on some stairs and had to go for surgery on my neck.
I wanted badly to get back into martial arts, but there was a stumbling block: in Hapkido, you must participate in classes in which you are thrown by others. It would be nice if you do all the throwing and would never have to take a fall yourself, but it doesn't work that way. Each member of the class is expected to take his falls, and I could not do that any longer because of my partial spinal disability, with my neck held together with metal parts. So I was flummoxed, to say the least.
So, like our friend the one-armed fighter, I stopped thinking about what I cannot do and focused instead on what I CAN do. "I can't take a fall, but I can still kick. I can still perform te waza (hand techniques.)" So, I got back into martial arts through the back door: I did cardio-kickboxing for a year and a half, to help get myself back into martial arts shape, and found an instructor who would allow be to be the Tori, the one who performs the throws, but never the Uke, the one who gets thrown.
I have been training hard and am now two months shy of the test for my black belt, and can once again deliver powerful kicks to head and face level -- something that is amazing for a 50-year-old guy with a partial disability who at the turn of the century weighed nearly 300 pounds and wore size 50 pants. It is nothing if not a rebirth.
I have to say the principle at work would apply to anyone: stop thinking about what you CAN"T do, and focus on what you CAN do. Like the one-armed fighter, you have to get out of the negative and stay in the positive!
-- TONY SPINELLI

ADDENDUM: Being a certified black belt is not merely a hobby, like flyfishing. It is also a career opportunity: it would allow me to take a job as a self-defense instructor or personal trainer if that's the direction my desire and fate lead me. (I am already the author/manager of a Hapkido newsgroup in which every facet of the art is examined and am the producer/performer of a successful Hapkido demonstration video series on YouTube.)

ADDENDUM: The requirements for black belt are voluminous: the student must demonstrate knowledgeable proficiency in all aspects of the art learned in the previous years, including joint locks, throws and advanced spinning and jumping kicks, plus, demonstrate a facility with basic weapons including the staff, the baton, the cane, the nunchaku, and demonstrate the ability to apply the techniques for use in defense against knives, handguns and baseball bats. There must be a knowledge of inside and reverse as well as outside moves, and an ability to defend freestyle against at least two armed or unarmed attackers. That's a lot of study and training! It takes dedication and discipline, for certain. And, as the instructor who brought me to green belt years ago, Mr. Harry Williams, had said, "when you get your black belt, then you can begin." Because it is then you really begin to learn the higher aspects of the art, and how to apply it to your life. It is then that Korean Hapkido takes on the essence of its parent art, Japanese Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu -- Daito Ryu in Japanese meaning "the closed room," because the teachings were kept secret for hundreds of years.

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May 17, 2009

Dog hates Bogart

My niece, Christina the veterinary technician, stopped by today with her Tibetan Spaniel, Patron, and she mentioned while watching a movie on TV that one of her favorite films is "Casablanca."
It's one of my favorites, too, so I immediately launched into my vocal impression of Humphrey Bogart with one of his classic lines from the film.
Gendarme: "Why did you come here to Casablanca?"
Bogie: "I came for the water."
Gendarme: "There is no water here. You are in a desert."
Bogie: "I was misinformed."
Patron bared his teeth when I uttered those lines; he didn't like it when I changed my voice to resemble Bogart's. I switched back to normal and he immediately retracted his teeth. I switched the Bogie back on and he snarled once again.
I don't know what that dog has against Humphrey Bogart, but it's a good thing I didn't do my impression of Jabba the Hut!
-- TONY SPINELLI

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May 16, 2009

The secret life of plants

I always suspected that there are more common plants that are edible than the ones I'm familiar with (dandelions and rocket), and now I know: the Institute for American Indian Studies in Litchfield County faxed a press release tonight for their upcoming event May 30 that teaches people how to find food in the wild.
Okay, maybe you don't plan on living in the woods without groceries so you don't need to know these survival skills. But you have to admit, from a culinary perspective, it could be fun to try some new plant foods -- plants that may be growing in your own backyard right now.
For a fee of $15, the institute at 38 Curtis Road in Washington will teach how to identify, harvest and prepare ramps, wild onion, wood sorrel and pine needles, among other wild delicacies.
The session runs from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and the instructor is Andrew Dobos. Call them at 860-868-0518. Bring a notebook and a camera. As for myself, I would pack a bottle of olive oil and some balsamic vinegar.
-- TONY SPINELLI

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Tragedy strikes too often

As the reporter on the nightshift tonight, my first assignment was to do a followup story to the tragic one-car crash Friday afternoon in which an 18-year-old Bridgeport man was killed. I immediately noticed he was Greek, called a Greek priest whose cell phone number I had, and made the first connection for an interview. I am now working to find others who knew him.
There is too much tragedy in this world; but when it happens, we have to give it its proper due. We cover the news; we do not cover up the news. It would be nice if people didn't die in car crashes, but in this world, it doesn't happen that way.
So if you knew Panayioths Tsiknis, known as Peter, a student at Bullard Havens Tech on the baseball team, please share a memory of him for this once-only time when the newspaper is working on his obituary.
-- TONY SPINELLI

ADDENDUM: I found Peter's baseball coach at home in Bridgeport and interviewed him on video; however, there was a raucous party going on in the street next door with lots of laughing, hooting and hollering, so the background noise is not appropriate for an obituary piece. I will transcribe notes from the interview and incorporate them into the obituary story instead.

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May 14, 2009

Cabaret adds Johnny Cash tribute dates

This did not come to my attention until after the completion and streaming of tonight's video on the Johnny Cash tribute show "The Man in Black" at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre, but in the interest of keeping everybody updated and happy, here is what I have learned: the first weekend is sold out so a second weekend has been added. All seats will be $33.
May 21 is family night with all seats $19.
So walk the line, get rhythm and pass through that proverbial ring of fire to see Scott Keeton perform the music of Johnny Cash, fresh out of Jackson with the Folsom Prison blues. Just don't call him Sue.
-- TONY SPINELLI

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Regarding national health care

Imagine for a moment that you are thirsty and attending a baseball game. There is plenty of soda and beer for sale, but you have no money. To get something to drink, you must find a public fountain and bring your own cup. That is precisely the analogy that describes, in my opinion, the state of the health care system in the United States.
In 1992, the problem was just as bad but there was a sense of hope at the time that it could turn around some time soon. Bill Clinton became president partly because he promised to do something about rising health care costs, but he immediately faced an uphill battle of politicians who refused to confront the insurance companies and the drug manufacturers that profit greatly from the capitalist system of health care we have in the U.S. The effort failed, the public's memory of the problem faded with time, and here we stand 17 years later and the same monster hiding under the national bed.
The way things are now, many Americans who have medical insurance through their employers are paying rapidly rising co-pay rates and having more of their paycheck deducted to help the employer cover insurance. This takes income away from other expenses such as rent, mortgage and transportation, not to mention groceries, clothing, household bills, etc. There are senior citizens who get their medical coverage through the national program known as Medicaid, an increasingly crucial program as the Baby Boom generation reaches retirement age. And there is the problem of not wanting to increase taxes to provide the revenue that could fund improved health care.
One solution would be divert money from weapons systems research and development to subsidize a national health insurance program that would be open to seniors and individuals who have no health insurance through their employer. The physicians could be working to satisfy a term of service to the government in return for the medical training, the way it is done in the U.S. Navy when men train to become Navy doctors. They could train to become National Health doctors. These doctors could work in regional hubs to provide service to a broad geographic area. They would not compete with the capitalist physicians because those doctors would continue providing services to people who have private insurance. Regarding prescription drugs, the United States could provide generic prescription drugs through an Internet Website with rapid mail delivery. Many of these generic drugs could be manufactured by contractors working for the government, much the way U.S. Army supplies such as rations are made. It could be thought of as surplus generic drugs. There would be no competition with the private sector because regular pharmacies would continue to serve the public that has private insurance with privately made products.

The third party to help would be the middle class, which can afford its own health insurance but is paying more of their income toward its costs. The government could provide a tax credit for those who must help pay for their insurance, so they realize a tax savings in April. This would not compete with the business interests of the private sector.

These are a few simple ideas on how to get the ball rolling toward a workable national heatlh care solution.

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May 13, 2009

Downtown Bridgeport: no shortage of music venues

On my desk is a little booklet I picked up one day at the counter of the Las Vetas Lounge in downtown Bridgeport, where I had stopped to get a bowl of chili. (I love chili) It is a listing of all the restaurants, bars and performance venues in downtown Bridgeport, and it is impressive.
+The Arena at Harbor Yard. For the big stars; Kiss and Aerosmith played a double bill there several years ago.
+Ballpark at Harbor Yard. Also for pretty big stars -- Bob Dylan played there.
+The Klein. Gorgeous place to see a show. A really nice old theater, like the Palace in Stamford -- and it has no shortage of parking.
+Playhouse on the Green. A smaller, more intimate theater, for artists whose reknown is not great enough to fill the Klein.
+Downtown Cabaret Theatre. Small and intimate, a favorite actually.
+A few cafes where music is played, usually on weekend nights, like the terrific Two Boots.
So, let's get some promoters booking more shows in these venues! The city's economic development office should actively seek promoters, just like it seeks out real estate developers. Cultural attractions bring life to the place and help counterbalance all the negative stuff. Bridgeport has the cultural infrastructure to support a greater level of culture and nighlife -- what it lacks, and has lacked for a long time, are entrepreneurs with money and know-how to book these venues and bring in more shows.
All the more reason to tip the old hat to Terrapin Presents, the Bridgeport-based rock festival company that produces the Gathering of the Vibes every summer at Seaside Park. This year the festival runs from July 23 through July 26 and features Crosby, Stills and Nash on the final, Sunday, night.
Bravo Terrapin!
-- TONY SPINELLI

ADDENDUM: And bravo Pete Finch! Mayor Bill Finch's son, Pete, organizes the annual Bridgeport Arts and Music Festival (BAM) and is planning some really neat stuff for the city, including an upcoming concert at the mysterious Majestic theatre downtown!

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Two of my pals plan radio show

Connecticut Post arts writer Joe Meyers, my pal -- we used to work together on the arts desk in 1989 -- and Dolly Curtis of Easton, co-host with Leo Meyer of "Backstage Buzz" on WPKN 89.5 FM, have gotten together and planned a radio show.
Dolly will interview Joe Sunday at 10 p.m. Joe will discuss the nominations for the Tony Awards on Broadway as well as the coming of the summer films. They'll also talk about regional theater.
Dolly tells me all the previous interviews are archived on www.backstagebuzz.org and can be accessed 24 hours per day.
And remember, Joe gives a free movie and movie talk every third Tuesday of the month at the Fairfield Theater Company in downtown Fairfield. He calls it "Martini and a Movie" night -- admission is free; you just pay for your martinis.
You can be like James Bond and order one stirred, not shaken!
-- TONY SPINELLI

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Regarding the failure of the marijuana bill

The marijuana decriminalization effort has failed in its first attempt in the legislature, and it shows that state legislators are not quite bold enough to make this type of change.
Moving forward into a new era, a new time, a new way, requires a certain boldness. There is an old saying (actually I made it up years ago): "many are called and few are chosen, but only the bold go forth."
Think of a groom, who must lift his bride in his arms and cross the threshold of the house, or room, where they will spend their first night together. That is the feeling you are supposed to have when entering into a new way -- and decriminalizing marijuana would be a new way indeed. (I say take it a step further and allow big tobacco companies to buy licenses to grow marijuana to sell to liquor stores that buy licenses to sell marijuana, finding the way to consumers who buy licenses to buy marijuana. That's a lot of licensing and a big money go-round if ever there was one. Add the taxes and you have a wellspring of new revenue at a time when the country is cash-starved and deeply in debt.)
Often, we can get to a better place by being bold enough to enter into it. A wallflower never learned to dance.
-- TONY SPINELLI

ADDENDUM: As I have said in a previous blog, legalizing marijuana into a legitimate enterprise would not only be an economic boon for the United States but would end the scourge of drug cartels and urban drug-related violence that has turned American cities into a battlezone. Cities without their violent undertow would become safe places again and economic development would naturally follow, like rainwater flowing down a hill. Many hundreds of millions of dollars, probably billions of dollars, would be saved in the legal/corrections system.

ADDENDUM: Boldy going forth into the future is not going to appeal to everyone, true; it is true that many are left behind, just like in the Bible story about the rapture.

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May 12, 2009

Happy anniversary: a year of blogging

Happy anniversary!
Yep, it's that time -- it was a year ago, last May, when I began writing this blog known as Tony's World. In that time I have blogged about everything from the economic recession to astronomy and astrology, and it has been fun. I have written about 500 of these in a year!
So, I want to thank our Web editor, Jeff Bustraan, for putting the mechanics of this together and even suggesting the name.
I do it because it's fun, true: the reason it IS fun in the first place is because I am a very philosphical and sometimes dogmatically opinionated guy and also, a guy who loves information. Sharing ideas, opinions and information is what I'm all about because I am essentially a storyteller. It is non-fiction storytelling -- just real people and real events.
LOL, my second grade report card had a remark from the teacher that said: "Anthony is a very opinionated little boy."
So here I am and here it is!
-- TONY SPINELLI

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Another welcome blast from the economic past

Here we are, in the spring of 2009, having hopefully passed through the bottom-end of the fierce recession that has affected so many of us in so many ways.
But here is glimpse into the past, into a time when the economy was running hot and strong and everything was dandy as candy. It is an Associated Press news clipping from Feb. 4, 2000, that I found while digging through some old clips to find a story to update:
"Americans continued their buying bonanza after Christmas, boosting retail sales to surprisingly strong levels that helped merchants finished their biggest sales gains since 1984. The better-than-expected sales came despite harsh winter weather that forced many merchants to close their stores for days. Unemployment is low and Wall Street is making big gains, with no signs that Americans have tempered their buying, borrowing and spending."
-- TONY SPINELLI

ADDENDUM: Do you remember where you were in your life at the time, and what you were doing? It was nine years ago -- think back.

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May 11, 2009

A polka update

I had really intended to get to the April 26 polka dance in Oxford for my video and story on polka in Southern Connecticut, but when that night finally came, my reportial skills were called away to other more pressing duty: violent crime, motor vehicle tragedies, etc
So it was time to start wrapping the project up. I wrote the feature-length article today and began preparing the storyboard for the video. Look for the package on polka in the next couple of weeks or so.
-- TONY SPINELLI

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Bridgeport's vintage mothballed theaters

Editorial Editor Michael J. Daly has come down squarely for the removal of Bridgeport's two vintage mothballed theaters downtown, and I have to say, from what I know about modern requirements for entertainment venues, I have to agree that Mike is correct, even though the part of me that is a Bridgeport native would like to dream that one day Shane will return.
It would be nice to fantasize for a moment that the two theaters can be refurbished by some gazillionaire foundation and made to have live shows, like the Palace in Waterbury or the Palace in Stamford, but there is something vital missing from Bridgeport's equation: parking.
There would need to be a big parking garage, or a number of large parking lots like in Stamford, to go with a theater complex that seats thousands. Those things cost money, and the city is as poor as a church mouse. To think that some big developer with the gazillions that would be needed to pump the theaters back to life, plus have money to build parking facilities to boot, is chomping at the bit to come to Bridgeport is beyond human comprehension. You are talking about the largest city in the state and it does not even have a Starbucks! What does that tell you? It tells you they lack interest and/or confidence in the place. It is a fantasy worthy of Disneyland, right alongside Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
So, take a last look at them -- rent Steven Segal's latest film, which was made in Bridgeport, and see the inside of the theaters and how grand they were.
And then kiss them goodbye because yesterday is gone.
-- TONY SPINELLI

ADDENDUM: How poor is Bridgeport? It is the state's largest city, with myriad public services to pay, and it has much less of a Grand List than neighboring Fairfield, which has far more economic development despite being a suburb and not even a city. The city badly needs economic development, to say the least. You are talking about a city without a single Taco Bell! I believe the answer to economic development is not to pursue pie-in-the-sky megamillions projects like Steel Point that are too heavy to get off the ground, but a number of small vestpocket projects. Ten small steps forward is the same as one leap. Cut out the delusions of grandiosity and stick with basic economic development that is doable. A living dog is more fearsome than a dead lion.

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May 10, 2009

Vintage David Bowie is pure classic

When I'm at the gym breaking a sweat on the gazelle machines (some people call them elliptical trainers or cross trainers), I like to listen to mp3s and here is one complete digital album I have not been able to get enough of lately: "Hunky Dory," by David Bowie, his first album for RCA in 1971 and altogether the fourth album of his career.
It is difficult to believe this classic work is as old as it is -- isn't that true of all classic rock from the early '70s? -- because it stands up so well over time, even to modern rock standards: songs like "Oh! You Pretty Things" "Life On Mars" and "Andy Warhol" were solidly ahead of any pop conventions of that time. I was 12-years-old at the time, and remember seeing and hearing the album for the first time at a family friend's house, via the RCA record club, in 1972.
And his next album on RCA (which I also have on digital mp3) was stellar as well: the amazing "Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars."
I've been to see the Thin White Duke only once in my life, but I can honestly say if I had a dollar for every hour I have spent listening to Bowie I would have a pretty fat stack of greenbacks. And for awhile, we even shared a common trait: one blue eye and one brown eye. Mine was a medical condition that cleared up; his was permanent. It was fun having something in common with him though.
So thanks, Thin White Duke, for helping me lose 11 pounds since Easter!
-- TONY SPINELLI

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May 9, 2009

First tag sale of the year: late in coming but good

I can't believe it took so long this year to get the tag sale season rolling -- it is pretty much the middle of May. But there it was today and I had to take a walk up the block and check it out, because I love a bargain.
I got five like-new DVDs for $8: Mel Brooks' 1970s classic comedy "Blazing Saddles;" Quentin Tarantino"s "Kill Bill;" Adam Sandler's "Happy Gilmore;" John Carpenter's "The Fog;" and one of the most shocking slash/horror films imaginable, the classic 1970s "Texas Chainsaw Massacre."
Plus, she threw in an ice-cold bottle of mineral water for free, just for stopping by!
It took a long time for the season to start, but it sure got off with a bang.
-- TONY SPINELLI

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After hard work and sweat. the solution

As you know, I am not only the video maker here at ConnPost.com -- I also enjoy making videos at home, from music videos to cooking videos and even martial arts videos. I am always working on something -- the odds of finding me without a project in the works are so bad you would have better luck hitting the lottery.
Only, my efforts to make videos at home have been frustrated in recent months because my computer had a vicious worm that attacked my movie-making software, completely corrupting the program so that it was entirely dysfunctional. I tried everything I knew to correct the software issue, including uninstalling it and reinstalling it several times, but the worm was pernicious. It got to the point where I would probably have to take my computer to the shop and have it professionally restored, which would have been a laborious process because I would first have to back up all my data -- my computer is loaded with data that is important to me.
But then, I remembered one of the rules of problem solving of any kind: if a problem seems insurmountable, go around it! Find another way!
So I completely swore off my worm-eaten video caputure program, called Pinnacle Studio 9, and focused instead on reconfiguring the audio inputs on my Windows Movie Maker video capturing mode, so that I could use that instead. And presto! I was back in the video-making swing of it!
- TONY SPINELLI

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May 8, 2009

That golden time of the spring

I just took a hard-earned rest sitting on the back deck, sipping Diet fountain Coke (the elixir of life) and watching the cardinals flit through the woods and brush.
It reminded me that this is truly a precious time of year: it is warm, but the mosquitoes and other insects of summer are not out yet. So you can sit out at night, have a drink under the moonlight, (maybe a nice glass of Kentucky bourbon in my case) and not worry about swatting away those little vampires.
So enjoy it! Get those patrio tables out and take your dinner outdoors!
-- TONY SPINELLI

ADDENDUM: I'd better qualify that "hard-earned rest" bit: even though I had the week off, I wasn't lolling in the waters of the Caribbean (lol, I don't need that debt); rather, I was busy as the proverbial ant, a)writing and recording the bass guitar parts for 15 original songs that comprise my upcoming CD in my other life as an independent music artist; b)training and practicing every day for my upcoming promotional test in my martial art, Korean Hapkido; c)compiling all my Christian-themed blogs from MySpace into an e-book and self-publishing it on Scribd.com.

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The Six Flags guy

Summer is around the bend, and I've seen the commercial for Six Flags about three times -- you know, the one with the bald-headed guy who appears to be made up as a senior citizen; he wears thick plastic rimmed glasses and a fancy suit with a cumerbund, if I'm not mistaken, and dances frenetically while hurky jerky electronic music plays in the background.
Well, they've had that guy in the commercials for a few years, but now they give him a speaking part -- and his speaking part makes him even more quizzical.
I can't figure out what that guy is supposed to represent. Any ideas, please write in! And what shall we name him?
-- TONY SPINELLI

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A tabloid assault if ever there was one

Kiefer Sutherland was charged with misdemeanor assault Thursday for allegedly head-butting a fashion designer at a Manhattan nightclub after an argument.
My question for the star of Fox television's "24" is, what do you argue about with a fashion designer?
The designer, Jack McCollough of the high-end Proenza Schouler fashion house, claims Sutherland head-butted him at 2 a.m. and left him with a cut on his face. I can imagine what the argument must have been like:
Kiefer: "Mr. McCullough, that shirt you designed is awful. I hate the way it looks on me. Why couldn't you have tapered the sides a little more? Or given it a stiffer collar? And that color....too drab. Spice it up a little would you! I only bought it because it was on the clearance rack."
McCollough: "Look Kiefer, you're not the boss of me! I'll design shirts the way I like! If you don't like it go buy a Johnny Versace!."
Kiefer: Throws headbutt.
-- TONY SPINELLI

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May 4, 2009

A (welcome) blast from the past: the economic boom

I had the day off today, and got lots of things done -- helped my son with his business studies homework in college, recorded a couple of bass guitar tracks for the new CD, "The Second Touch," I'm working on in my other life as an independent music artist, went to the gym and busted a five-gallon sweat, tried to repair a computer software problem that's been giving me a Mac attack, etc., etc. -- and oh yes, I cleaned the garage.
Among the things I found in that garage, where the smell of Marvel's Mystery Oil beckons the inner Mr. Fix-It, was a short stack of newspaper articles I had been saving -- which is not unusual for a newspaper writer.
Among them was an article from Feb. 1, 2000, about a subject that seems preposterously novel in the murky recession we are neck-deep in right now: about how the U.S. economy was riding a historic high.
So here it is:
"It's party time when it comes to the U.S. economy. The current expansion that began in March 1991 today becomes the longest in American history at 107 months, a month shy of nine straight years. That beats the old mark of 106 months, or eight years and 10 months, set during the 1960s. Merchants, economists and business owners in the region said they see strength in the economy every day, and people are dressing better all the time, with clothing outlets like J. Silver growing from eight stores to 60 stores in 10 years. The number of jobs in Connecticut is up to 1.6 million, which is 4,200 more than the peak of state employment in early 1989 before the onset of the recession. Unemployment is low, with most of the jobs in the service sector, consumer confidence is high, and the Dow Jones is on a historic bull run."
-- TONY SPINELLI

ADDENDUM: The long, strong ride didn't break until Sept. 11 2001, after which the country slid into a short recession whose echoes grew louder as the years passed, culminating in the train wreck economy of 2008-2009.

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Mini book review: all things collectible

LOL, amassing collectibles is easy assuming you have the extra money to shop for them -- I've collected comic-books, beer glasses from around the world (I would only drink pilsners from an authentic pilsner glass, etc.) records, etc. etc -- the tough part is selling the stuff when you want to.
There is a serious recession right now and this is no time to try to sell collectibles, because you'll get nickled-and-dimed to death, but at the opposite end of the scale, prices are low, demand is slack and if you are in the market it may be a good time to buy a few things. In that spirit, I happily devoured "Collecting Under the Radar: Tomorrow's Antiques," by Michael Hogben and Linda Abrams (Red Rock Press.) It's a fabulously illustrated and fun-to-read book that gives the background and history of the various collectibles you may be lucky to find at a flea market or tag sale, at a bargain basement price.
Carnival glass? I used to have a few pieces -- I always thought carnival glass was interesting because of the unusual colors and sure enough, this book claims it will probably be a future hot item.
Another one to look for: vintage luggage trunks.
Now, I've been to mucho tag sales and flea markets over the past 25 or so years and I've got to admit I have NEVER seen a quarter of the stuff listed in this guide to future valuable items. But they say hope springs eternal and in the back of every collector's mind is that hunting instinct that tells them they are going to find a killer bargain.
-- TONY SPINELLI

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Watching the old tree go

The old maple tree, one of several maples in the yard that have provided sap to boil down in the mud season of February and convert into homemade pancake syrup, had taken a hard winter. It was ready to fall into the house, so it was time to have it professionally removed.
The tree service charged a flat $650 to chainsaw the huge old tree into pieces, from the safety of a cherry picker truck, and run the six or seven pieces through a woodchipper. But when they got to the thick trunk -- showing it was at least 75-years-old, if not more -- they realized they had marketable hardwood lumber and put the chainsaws away. Rather, they pulled out a claw-lifter vehicle and hoisted the huge pieces of trunk into the back of a truck, presumably to sell to a lumber mill.
There, the maple will probably be dried in a kiln and run through a band saw, cut up into marketable pieces of woodworking lumber that will one day probably become the body of a an electric guitar, or some other product that requires maple.
I was glad the old tree was on to a second life, probably as a musical instrument or at the very least, a piece of fine solid wood furniture. I never saw a tree cutting crew walk away looking so pleased -- I knew they had golden-hued dollar signs flashing in their eyes.
-- TONY SPINELLI

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May 1, 2009

Hey it's May!

I can't believe that the first of May, May Day -- a day that throughout history has meant elaborate rites and rituals to celebrate spring -- has passed nearly unnoticed, overshadowed as it is by such looming threats as a sourball economy and a swine flu pandemic.
But it is here -- and with the month of May comes the promise that the first unofficial start of summer, Memorial Day weekend, is three weeks away!
I was a guest on Jim Buchanan's Talk of the Town on WICC AM 600 Thursday, with Lee Ganim of Ganim's Garden Center in Fairfield, and Lee told us that the first harvest of the year will come around Memorial Day weekend: the lettuce harvest.
That's right, lettuce for making salad is the very first crop in Connecticut that comes to maturation and the harvest is only a couple of weeks away.
It will mean it's time again for cooking steaks out on the grill, which brings me to ask you: if you consider yourself an expert at grilling steaks outdoors, please drop a line at tspinelli@ctpost.com. I would love to interview you for an article I am planning on the proper way to grill a steak! You may even get your picture on the new food page!
-- TONY SPINELLI

Posted by Spinelli on 1:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Swine flu prevention: birthday song

Washing your hands well with hot water and soap is the real way to prevent catching swine flu, according to Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Besser also washes in-between washings with alcohol-based hand gel, but believes spending a long time at the sink is the best way.
He advises that people sing "Happy Birthday" as they wash their hands to make sure they've washed long enough to get rid of germs.
It goes like this:
"Happy Birthday to you, there's a scare on swine flu
now don't ride the subway; keep the kids home from school."
-- TONY SPINELLI

Posted by Spinelli on 2:58 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

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