Ball point pen on the morning newsprint There was a time, not too long ago, when having a woman run for president, be nominated to the Supreme Court or take on the job of Secretary of State was unthinkable, but WWII accomplished what activists couldn't. With all able bodied men off to war, women entered the work force. Norman Rockwell's portrayal of Rosie The Riveter appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post 66 years ago today, May 29, 1943, and the iconic image became a symbol for a new generation of women. When the War was over, men wanted women to return to the home, but the genie was out of the bottle. Gone was the iconic Gibson Girl hosting tea parties, the strong independent woman was here to stay. Women presently make up nearly half of the work force. Now if only they could receive equal pay. ...
Read MoreMonthly Archives: May 2009
Ball point pen on the morning newsprint President Obama nominates Sonia Sotomayor to replace retiring Justice David Sutor. If confirmed she will be the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court. Sotomayor was born in the Bronx, New York and was raised in a housing project just a few blocks from Yankee Stadium. She earned her A.B. from Princeton University, graduating summa cum laude, and obtained her Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School where she was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. In 1991 Sotomayor was nominated by President George H. W. Bush to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and 1n 1997 she was nominated by President Bill Clinton to the US Court of Appeals. ...
Read MoreBall point pen on paper Today is my son Andrew's 21st Birthday. Andrew is a senior at Rowan University finishing his undergraduate degree in Mathematics. He will be studying abroad in Rome Italy this summer and plans on applying to graduate schools upon his return. Apart from his scholastic career, Andrew plays the guitar and bass. Working from my home studio, I've had the privilege to see and hear bands form and practice in my basement. He and his mates have played gigs at the famed Jersey club The Stone Pony, where some of the biggest names in music, including Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Cheap Trick, Joan Jett, Elvis Costello, Peter Frampton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Patti Smith have graced the same stage. He is currently playing bass for Dan Wythoff performing gigs in New Jersey and in and around Philadelphia. Andrew also writes music reviews and conducts interviews for the on-line ...
Read MoreBall point pen on the morning newsprint Pete Townshend is 64 years old today. Best known as The Who's guitarist and primary songwriter He wrote over one hundred songs for the band's eleven studio albums, including the rock opera Tommy and the two albums I wore out as a kid, another rock opera, Quadrophenia and the classic Who's Next. Yes, he is the one ...
Read MoreBall point pen on the morning newsprint President Barack Obama received an honorary doctor of laws degree Sunday during the commencement ceremony at Notre Dame University. While a small number of pro life protesters were arrested for trespassing, the majority of students and faculty at the Catholic University welcomed the president. Obama acknowledged the irreconcilable differences of opinion on the abortion debate, but urged both factions to stop demonizing the other and begin to work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies. ...
Read MoreBall point pen on the morning newsprint The Montclair Art Museum in New Jersey is a small gem of a museum. It houses fine examples of the Hudson River School, and works by three of my favorite painters, John Singer Sargent, William Merrit Chase, and Thomas Eakins. Controversy erupted this week when the Museum planned to sell more than 50 pieces from it's collection, including a portrait of the Museum's founder, William B. Dickson painted by the great William Merrit Chase. The grandchildren of Dickson are outraged. The painting has roots in the community and is part of the museum's history. Dickerson not only founded the Museum but was a former vice president of US Steel and a long time resident of Montclair. Chase of coarse was a great painter and teacher. He founded his own school in 1896 across the river in New York's Greenwich Village that would later become Parsons School of Desi ...
Read More