Monday, August 16, 2021

Nostalgia

nostalgia: a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations.

A bit of reflection

A friend sent me a link to a photo contest titled Nostalgia and thought I am not entering it I thought I would challenge myself anyway. I will be writing a post for my photography blog with the resulting images; I also decided to wax nostalgic here, too.

Music

Ah.... music soothes the soul of the savage beast. I am assuming that doesn't include The Who, Black Sabbath and others. 😂

Music has always been a big part of my life, my first recollections are as a four year-old listening to The Beatles with my aunts. At that time we were listening to a transistor radio or 45's and lp's on a record player; vinyl was (still is in my book) king! When I got older I received a small reel-to-reel tape recorder and I used to record songs from the transistor radio; the quality wasn't great because I was using the microphone but how great was the sound from the radio anyway?

The cassette tape was a game-changer and once I graduated to a good stereo system I made my own "greatest hits" tapes. I would make a list of songs, arrange them, calculate the total length, and then record from the album. It took hours to make a 90 minute tape because everything had to be "just right." A lot different from the "drag-drop-burn" that we do today! I must admit, I do miss the analog days....

Good Humor bars & Penny candy

I belong to a Facebook group, Historic Long Branch, and someone posted a few photos of Dilger's Food Market. It had just been torn down after many years of standing vacant. Looking at the first image transported me back to my childhood and, specifically, Strawberry Shortcake Good Humor bars. I wrote about Dilger's and Strawberry Shortcake bars in an earlier post, Ice Cream, Oh How I Love You, so I won't get into it here. The post did prompt a nice instant message conversation with one of my aunts about Dilger's and Pascucci's Candy Store which is the second part of this section.

Raise your hand - how many remember true penny candy? Where was your favorite candy store? What was your favorite candy? When I think of penny candy, I think of Pascucci's Candy Store on Branchport Avenue in Long Branch. The building is still there, though the candy store has been gone for decades; it had been a restaurant for a while and most recently a Reiki healing center, though the center is now closed. Just as Dilger's was an "after church" treat, Pascucci's was where we stopped after spending time playing in the park at the corner of Branchport and Atlantic Avenues. Can you guess who I went to the park with? Yes! I went with my aunts! We would stop on our way back to my grandmother’s house to buy candy. I remember walking in, putting a handful of pennies (if I was really lucky there might be a nickel or dime in the mix) on the counter and Mrs. Pascucci would tell me how much I could buy. I know that dots on paper and root beer barrels were always at the top of the list, and I believe I got more than my share of Pixie Stix. Though my taste in candy has changed over the years, I am still rather partial to root beer barrels however, I cannot remember the last time I had one.

“The Gang”

Yes, I was part of a gang when I was growing up – not only a gang but a biker gang at that! When we rode into town, people knew it – the baseball cards in our spokes got damn loud at times! Of course, the “bikes” were our bicycles and we were a group of four – Lenny, Johnny, Jimmy, and me. I’ve written about this group of bad a$$es in the past but no trip down Memory Lane would be complete without mentioning them. We spent a lot of time cruising around Monmouth County and, sometimes, beyond on our bicycles. One of our favorite destinations was Stewart’s Root Beer in Atlantic Highlands; not only was the root beer worth the nearly 10 mile ride but Atlantic Highlands, and surrounding Highlands, had some great hills to ride down! Whenever I see a group of kids on bikes or a Stewart’s Root Beer stand I cannot help but think of my three best friends growing up.

And So It Goes

I could go on for quite a bit longer but notice that I am rapidly approaching 800 words and not sure how many of you have made it this far. If you have made it to this point, let me know some of the things that make you feel nostalic in the comment section below. Does a smell bring memories? A song? A particular place? I would love to hear all about it.

Please do me a small favor and share this post with others, for there’s a good chance that others might enjoy it, too! You will find buttons for many of the popular social media platforms at the bottom of this post. Thank you!

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Interview with Journalist Bill Bowman

Bill Bowman was born in a military hospital in New Jersey and grew up in an "army brat" but the most exotic place he lived was Long Branch, New Jersey. When he was about 12 he moved all the way to its Northern neighbor, Oceanport. It was then that we met and became friends. He attended Christian Brothers Academy and we lost touch for many years. He had gone on to Livingston College and a career in journalism, which ultimately lead to a job reporting for the Asbury Park Press, one of the major newspapers in the area. After his tenure with the Press he went on to found his own subscription-based on-line news outlet called The Franklin Reporter & Advocate. He is married to a successful jazz singer, PJ, and together they are quite active in animal rescue causes. When Bill is not working, he can be found cycling – whether for exercise or to raise money for charity – or sitting in the audience listening to PJ sing.

Bill has also written two (2) non-fictions books - Savage Lies, The Half-Truths, Distortions and Outright Lies of a Right-Wing Blowhard and Murderer of the Year. Savage Lies gets behind the comments of right-wing radio host Michael Savage (nee Weiner) and exposes the lies he uses to support his positions. Murderer of the Year brings you behind the scenes of an investigation and trial that rocked the small, upscale borough of Metuchen, New Jersey.

Personal Questions

What is your favorite childhood memory?

My favorite childhood memory would have to be when the physics finally kicked in, and I could ride my bike without training wheels. We were living on Fort Monmouth at the time, so I was maybe 5 or 6 years old, and I can distinctly remember my Dad holding the back of my seat and steadying me as I pedaled. Then, suddenly, his hand was gone! I wobbled for a few seconds or maybe a minute, but whatever mystical forces come into play when your body finds its balance did, and I remember looking back over my shoulder and seeing him with this huge smile on his face.

What are the five foods you can’t live without?

1) Spaghetti
2) Meatballs
3) Hot Dogs
4) Delicious Orchards’ apple cider doughnuts
5) Pizza
God, I’m healthy. Lol.

What’s the best advice anyone has given you and who gave it to you?

Various people over the years: You can only do the best you can do.
(Joe: great advice)

What is your favorite thing to do when you aren't working?

Listening to music, preferably jazz and blues, but I also like classical, R&B and good old-fashioned rock ‘n roll. And sleep. Sleeping is always good.

If you could spend an hour with any famous person, past or present, who would it be and why?

I would love to spend an hour with Barack Obama, and pick his brain about what he’s endured the past eight years.
(Joe: that would be interesting, he seems like a genuinely nice guy to sit and have a beer with.)

Professional Questions

Why journalism?

Because I suck at math. I’ve always been a nosey person. When I was little, living in Long Branch, my friends and I used to count the blasts from the fire house horn to see where a fire was located, and then we’d shoot over on or bikes to see what was going on. I dabbled in it a little in high school – one of my English teachers was a reporter for the Asbury Park Press – but didn’t really get the bug until college. I enjoy bringing things to light and being able to help people, in the limited capacity that I have to do so.

Can you explain your style in 10 words or less?

Laid-back.

What is your greatest journalistic achievement?

In 1997, I wrote a series of articles that led to the establishment of an $8 million program in the state to provide every fire department and fire academy in New Jersey with a thermal imaging camera. Not many had them at the time because they cost about $25,000, but they are life-saving tools. The legislation – the first of its kind in the country – was created with the help of then-Assemblymen Christopher “Kip” Bateman and the late Peter Biondi, and signed by Gov. Christine Whitman. I remember how proud I felt at the ceremony where the first batch of cameras were presented to fire companies at the Middlesex County Fire Academy. A similar bill was introduced in the US Congress, but never went anywhere.
(Joe: that is certainly something to be proud of)

If you could work for any newspaper, past or present, which would it be?

I think it would have been cool to work for one of the New York City newspapers during the 30s and 40s, when newspapers were king and the competition was intense.

Where do you draw inspiration from when you write and what’s your favorite part about the process?

My inspiration comes from knowing people depend on me to tell them what’s going on. My favorite part about the process is when it’s over. Lol.

Bonus question:

What are your Top 5 "Deserted Island" albums?

1. “Dreams Are Meant For Two” by PJ Parker
2. “The Rising” by Bruce Springsteen
3. “The Seeger Sessions” by Springsteen
4. “Back to Black” by Amy Winehouse
5. Cast album of Les Miserables.

To learn more about Bill and his books, please check out the links below.
The Franklin Reporter & Advocate - http://franklinreporter.com/
Bill Bowman - http://bbowman.net/
Savage Lies, The Half-Truths, Distortions and Outright Lies of a Right-Wing Blowhard - http://bbowman.net/?page_id=90
Murderer of the Year - http://bbowman.net/?page_id=95

From the Mind of Joe Valencia