The Cosmic Punch

In California these days, everybody walks around with a yoga mat strapped to their back. That certainly wasn't the case in the 1930's, when heavyweight contender Lou Nova studied with the infamous self proclaimed mystic, Dr. Bernard. Nova was the World Amateur Heavyweight Champion and a proponent of clean living. He won his first twenty two fights as a professional. His promoters said he perfected the Cosmic Punch. He handed Abe Simon his first defeat after thirteen victories. He knocked out Max Baer twice. Clean living didn't serve him so well with the notorious dirty fighter Two Ton Tony Galento. Galento almost gouged his eye out, putting Nova in the hospital for weeks. Nova got his shot with Louis on September 29, 1941, but fell in six. Nova would go on to act in movies and even was a write-in candidate for President of the United States. He dropped out of the campaign because his mother was afraid he would catch a cold wearing a bullet proof vest, and shaking so many hands. She wasn't afraid of him being in the ring with some of the toughest men in the world.

A Pinata Called Woodman

Wayne Woodman is learning that being the local Chairman of the Republican Party is a thankless job, at least in the Lehigh Valley Blogosphere. Last week Bernie O'Hare called him dishonest and disingenuous, and this morning Chris Casey whacks him. The O'Hare attack I saw coming, despite a lunch they had together. The O'Hare world is pretty simple. Dean Browning's photograph is on O'Hare's mantle, along side of Stoffa, Angle, Cunningham and Dent. Any opponent of those on the Mantle will be punished, sooner or later. I am more disturbed by the current Casey attack, it's a cheaper shot. Because Woodman may own some property in California, he's against the dark skin soldiers who serve our country? Not only does Chris engage in class warfare, he even speculates why Woodman lives here. Chris my friend, what Woodman owns is none of our business. Why he moved here is also none of our business, but I doubt that it was to be a bigger fish in the Republican pond; There are nicer, warmer places to do that in.

The Jews of Iran

In 539 BC, when the Persian King Cyrus defeated Babylon, the Israelites were free to return to Jerusalem. Many instead ended up in that part of Persia which constitutes modern day Iran. Despite the current political climate between Iran and Israel, over 25,000 Jews still live in Iran. It has remained the largest Jewish population in a Muslim country since the creation of Israel in 1948, and among the most ancient of Jewish communities. Although certainly a minority in what could be perceived as an awkward situation, the community takes great pride in their Iranian history. Shown above is the Tomb of the Prophet Daniel, revered by both Jews and Muslims, in Susa, Iran.

Junkyard Train

Today, once again we ride a freight train of Allentown's great industrial past. In the early 1970's, the Redevelopment Authority tore down the neighborhood on either side of the Lehigh Street hill. At that time they had persuaded Conrail to move the the Barber's Quarry Branch line exclusively to the southern side of the Little Lehigh. The branch had crossed over and back to service the great Wire Mill. After crossing Lehigh Street, the train would proceed along the creek passing under the 8th Street Bridge. At the 10th Street crossing it would service another great industrial giant, Traylor Engineering.
In 2009 President Obama visited a successor, Allentown Manufacturing, which has since closed. The line would continue along the creek until it turned north along Cedar Creek to Union Terrace. After crossing Hamilton Street by the current Hamilton Family Diner, it would end at the current park department building. Nothing remains of the line, the tracks were removed. The Allentown Economic Development Corporation recently received a grant to rebuild the line to 10th Street, even though the plant Obama visited has closed. The neighboring former Mack Plant now houses a go cart track. How the money will be squandered remains to be seen. The top photograph was taken by local train historian Mark Rabenold in 1989. It shows the later relocated section of the track that was just east of the Lehigh Street crossing.

It's A Man's World

It's a man's world, and in it is a man's disease, prostate cancer. Although it strikes about 270,000 men a year, you don't see a circle of men discussing the issue with Oprah. It's not manly to discuss such things, we just soldier on. Oddly enough, one of the biggest research programs on the disease is currently funded by the Department of Defense. Odder still, is that one of our great soldiers, Senator John McCain, proposes removing the line item from the defense budget. The Senator is not against cancer research, he just doesn't believe that the program belongs in the defense department. The problem is that the move may well interrupt the funding mechanism on two new promising drugs which are in clinical trials. Men, and women who care about them, should contact Dent, Casey and Toomey to urge that the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) remain in the defense budget.

Angle & O'Hare LCC

They say in sports that the best offense is a good defense. The Angle & O'Hare Company believe that the best defense is a good offense. Bernie has been attacking Larry Otter, Steve Barron, and now the media; Bo Koltnow and Jenna Portnoy. Bernie states the issue himself in a recent post comment:

... Eckert Seamans was working on this matter bc they had no idea that I intended to file a suit. Once they became aware, they stopped. That saved the taxpayers money. Had I not filed, Eckert Seamans would have done so on behalf of the County, and guess what? That would cost taxpayers even more...

The question that Bernie has avoided answering is why would a county employed legal firm spend 80 billable hours working on a case, and then defer trying the case, and allow a private citizen to represent the county's interest?