Deviled Eggs -- a tribute

Today I went to the SouthEast library for Rafael Alvarez's Eighth Annual Highlandtown Literary Extravaganza. 

An afternoon of fiction, poetry and tasty treats, all devoted to the traditional Baltimore favorite, deviled eggs. 

It was lovely, then to Ikaros for a spinach pie, baklava and coffee and chit chat at the bar. Spending the evening with Garrison Keillor's radio Christmas show.  The music is wonderful. I'm singing along.   Zippy

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Day after my Birthday

 I'm off to Annapolis via chauffered limosine for an all day course at Harry Browne's restaurant on the Islamic State threat taught by Naval Academy professors.Z

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The Band that Wouldn't Die

Date: October 20, 2015 at 10:44:14 PM EDT

This evening at the Museum of Industry, I saw Barry Levenson's documentary on the story of the night the Colts left town, when the team's marching band went on and on. I'm not even a football fan but I loved the film.  Especially interviews with Vince Bagli and William Donald Schaefer and Orsay.

A talk with the band's president, John Ziemann, was fascinating; he told us behind scenes stories that I love to hear. About a dozen of the band members showed up, quite a treat. The questions from the audience went on and on and John patiently answered them all.

Zippy

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HLOTS

On Oct 17, 2015, at 9:34 PM, Zippy Larson <zippytours@gmail.com> wrote:

I walked around to Boston Street today to watch the runners, and chat with the 2 police officers.  I showed them my scrap book on HLOTS. "Homicide: Life on the Street," the made in Baltimore TV show.  I knew most of the people connected with the show and there in the book is my photo with each of them, big grins.
My book traces HLOTS, beginning to end.    It's huge fun to remember, Zip

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Fwd: A SHORT POEM YOU WON'T FORGET

A SHORT POEM YOU WON'T FORGET. 

 

 

"A bump in the road" .... remember that calloused statement?

 

 

I do recall, the President referring to theBenghazi incident as "a bump in the road."  Today I heard an ex-Navy Seal being interviewed on Fox News regarding a book he has written about how to handle crisis situations in our lives.  At the end of the interview he asked if he could make a comment onBenghazi and of course the anchor said yes.  He then thanked Fox News for keeping theBenghazi story in the news, since other news organizations are not.  He said the Seals who died deserve the public knowing the truth about the whole affair.

 

The poem was written by a MARINE CORPS Officer (ANON).

 

THE BATTLING BOYS OFBENGHAZI 

 

We're the battling boys ofBenghazi
No fame, no glory, no paparazzi.
Just a fiery death in a blazing hell
Defending our country we loved so well.  

It wasn't our job, but we answered the call,
fought to the Consulate and scaled the wall.
We pulled twenty Countrymen from the jaws of fate
Led them to safety, and stood at the gate.  

Just the two of us, and foes by the score,
But we stood fast to bar the door.
Three calls for reinforcement, but all were denied,
So we fought, and we fought, and we fought 'til we died.  

We gave our all for our Uncle Sam,
But Barack Obama didn't give a damn.
Just two dead seals who carried the load
No thanks to us.........we were just "Bumps In The Road". 

  

So will this reach every American with a computer?  Or do we act like the press and give a pass to the incompetent people who literally sat there in the White House and watched the Seal's execution on live streaming video and did absolutely nothing?  The Obama Administration obviously won't be held accountable because we apparently accept Hilary Clinton's statement,"What difference does it make?"  

at the Pentagon

From: Zippy Larson <zippytours@gmail.com>

Subject: at the Pentagon

Date: September 19, 2015 at 7:55:34 PM EDT

To: Zippy Larson <zippytours@gmail.com>

Yesterday,

I went to the Pentagon on Friday morning with some friends.  We left from the VA hospital in Baltimore City, on a VA bus and were driven to the steps of the Pentagon.  We remained seated while a dog entered our bus to check for illegal drugs.

(The only drugs on that bus were Coumadin and Aspirin, in my opinion. )

As we each exited the bus, a young soldier, sailor or marine offered his arm and escorted each of us to seats at the parade grounds. So much to see in that hour.  It ended with a fly - over and began with musical performances plus a contingent of service men from each of the services.  In dress uniform. A talk by the Charirman of the Joint Chiefs and the Secretary of Defense. A beautiful invocation and a March-in-Review. At the far edge of the parade ground were flags from every state of the union, held aloft by service men. 

Lots more that it is impossible to describe without your actually being there.  I can't wait to go again next year on NATIONAL POW/MIA DAY.

And then return to the bus with a police escort off the Pentagon grounds, that put us on to 395 north to Baltimore.  We stopped for lunch on the way home to Baltimore.  OH!  one female sailor fainted in the sun and I watched how they removed her from the parade ground. 

www.dpaa.mil   I took photos but do not know how to add them to an email.   


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Book: Objective Troy

From: Zippy Larson <zippytours@gmail.com>

Subject: Book: Objective Troy

Date: September 21, 2015 at 11:00:28 PM EDT

To: Zippy Larson <zippytours@gmail.com>

I went to Baltimore's Pratt library this evening and heard Scott Shane speak about his book:

    Objective Troy tells the gripping and unsettling story of Anwar al-Awlaki, the once-celebrated American imam who called for moderation after 9/11, a man who ultimately directed his outsized talents to the mass murder of his fellow citizens. It follows Barack Obama's campaign against the excesses of the Bush counterterrorism programs and his eventual embrace of the targeted killing of suspected militants. And it recounts how the president directed the mammoth machinery of spy agencies to hunt Awlaki down in a frantic, multi-million-dollar pursuit that would end with the death of Awlaki by a bizarre, robotic technology that is changing warfare—the drone.
      Scott Shane, who has covered terrorism for The New York Times over the last decade, weaves the clash between president and terrorist into both a riveting narrative and a deeply human account of the defining conflict of our era. Awlaki, who directed a plot that almost derailed Obama's presidency, and then taunted him from his desert hideouts, will go down in history as the first United States citizen deliberately hunted and assassinated by his own government without trial. But his eloquent calls to jihad, amplified by YouTube, continue to lure young Westerners into terrorism—resulting in tragedies from the Boston marathon bombing to the murder of cartoonists at a Paris weekly. Awlaki's life and death show how profoundly America has been changed by the threat of terrorism and by our own fears.
      Illuminating and provocative, and based on years of in depth reporting, Objective Troy is a brilliant reckoning with the moral challenge of terrorism and a masterful chronicle of our times.

BYOC

Just got home from the Jewish Museum.  I went to see Charlie Chaplin in "The Great Dictator" shown outside on the lot across from the museum.  I didn't like it and after 40 minutes, just got up and left. I followed the woman sitting in front of me, who also left before the film ended.

I stayed long enough to see Paulette Goddard and Jack Oakey in their parts.  I am glad I live just 5 minutes away, so it wasn't all that much of a waste of my time.  I know Chaplin is a renowned silent screen comedian, but I did not like any of it.

The 'screen' is a blow-up model, that is cockeyed, and the sound has a constant roar. About 25, maybe 30 people at most were there, counting the museum staff and their spouses.  They will show a couple more films this month, but I won't go. They do not make visitors feel welcome. Marvin, the head of the museum, spent half an hour before the film focused on and talking to one couple.  And the museum staff follows his lead---they do not smile, look at people and say: So happy to see you!  or Thanks for coming out tonight. or Can I help with your chairs? or simply: Hello!

Mostly older people were there, probably from the NW county, with the exception of several Millennials who spread blankets and stretched out on that filthy parking lot, using their backpacks as pillows.  They were about as interested as I was in this film, and chatted away.

I don't recommend this Bring Your Own Chair event.
 Zip



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Cop meeting - just the headlines

I just came home from our First Monday Police meeting. Just in my district, South Eastern Baltimore City, in the last month: 59 stolen autos, and 62 robberies (22 arrests).  

We have lost police officers who have left the force since the April riots.

A new class of cops --40 of them-- will join the entire city's police force in October. Not a big number. Many are not from Baltimore, nor Maryland, nor the USA. 

We are getting Federal officers, according to today's paper.

The Lt showed me a photo of police officers sleeping outside on concrete steps at the harbor- while they were on 24 hour duty in April - unbelievable -

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Cooking with the chefs at Stratford U

As you know, getting behind the scenes to see and learn what goes on behind closed doors has been the theme of my tours for 30 plus years. 

So, today I made blackened tilipia, strawberry and kiwi salsa and almond barley, and it is delicious. I have been cooking with the chefs for months, and will do so again on Thursday. Twice in one week!  I confess today's menu is outstanding.  I made certain to sign up so I'd cook it again and again.  Today is the third time for blackened tilipia.  And when I backed my car into its space in front of my house, my neighbor was arriving home.  Lucky girl!  6 servings is too much for me, so I gave her and her husband their dinner. You know today's menu.

It's like this:  you sit at a restaurant table and behind nearby doors that are carefully closed, things are happening that result in a plate of food being placed in front of you.  I want to know, to see, who is behind those doors.  What does he do to produce that dish? So I've asked to go into the kitchen in some pretty swanky restaurants.  Would you do that?  Probably not.  I don't like to watch cooking shows on Television, in-person is better.

Zippy

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"Hairspray" in the Southern-most place in the world

He and his wife were driving through Baltimore yesterday, stopped for lunch, and on a whim searched for "Hairspray" on line and found my name and phone number.  I do a "Hairspray" tour in Baltimore, (among dozens of other fabulous forays in the city.)  

Half an hour after his call, I met him at Sip n Bite and learned that he is from Gore, New Zealand. He and his wife are spending 6 weeks in the states visiting their son and daughter-in-law who live in PA.  Back home in New Zealand, he is part of a little theater group and will play the part of Edna, the mother of Tracey Turnblad, in John Waters' movie and stage play.  He is not an actor by profession but rather a builder, and acts for fun. He invited me to come to NZ in August 2015 and attend the performance for what will be the Southern-most performance of the play. 

Back in the 1980's when I was deep in research on local history, I could not have forseen that I would spend a couple hours with a man from New Zealand who is playing a woman in John Waters' story: "Hairspray."       Zippy

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The wedding at the Fort on 5-30-15

At 1:12 PM today, the bride walked down the pavement, across the grass, and stood at the foot of Orpheus, the God of music and poetry at Fort McHenry.  One hundred and twenty-five guests filled rows of chairs facing the nude statue's base, where the groom and Minister waited.  A wide layer of clouds moved from the southwest and covered one and all, blocking the blazing sun, and a lovely breeze came up from the river to cool us just as the ceremony began.

A park ranger walked over to see what was going on.  He had never seen a wedding at the Fort that featured Orpheus as a center piece. The bride chose the theme: patriotism, to honor her great grandmother, whose wedding ceremony was at the same spot.  Proud Americans all, with 5 generations living in Locust Point.  I know the bride's aunt and she invited me to witness this historic wedding.     Zippy

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