Thirty Years Ago In A City Not Too Far Away...

It's been thirty years since George Lucas introduced us to his epic tale called Star Wars. Few films before or since have had the impact of this once unheralded work.

In the modern film-making era (post-1965) there have been many great works, some are better films than any in the Star Wars library. Movies like Chinatown and Goodfellas may have been better from a cinematic point-of-view. Others, like The Godfather, Rocky and Jaws also had great impact on our culture. I still hear that terrifying music each time I step into the salt water.

None of them, though, did what Star Wars did.

Think about this for a moment: previous generations of kids played cowboys and Indians or soldiers. That probably went back a hundred years. It changed in 1977. Boys didn't want to be Sheriff anymore. They wanted to be Han Solo or Luke Skywalker.

And while The Godfather Part II was the perfect prequel/sequel to the original movie, Star Wars became Episode IV: A New Hope and we were given five new episodes, two of which matched the wonder of the first.

The saga continued to a new generation. I, as a boy, wanted to be like Luke Skywalker. I grew up with the original trilogy. My son grew up on the prequels. He worships Anakin. I played with the Star Wars dolls and vehicles. He has lightsaber fights with his friends.

The themes resonate strongly today. Good versus evil. Father-son relationship. Friendship. Philosophy and religion. Democracy versus tyranny. Honor versus treachery. And throughout the saga, the tale of the tragic hero who only at his death is redeemed.

Star Wars is our Iliad and Odyssey. It is our King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. It is our Robin Hood. When future generations study us, these six films and their impact will be discussed at length.

Thanks to The History Channel for making its program, Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed.

May the force be with you.

The First New York Hustle

Three hundred and eighty-one years ago today the world witnessed its first New York-style con job.

The "City That Never Sleeps" may have cleaned its act in the past decade or so. We can walk the streets safely. Corner cafes have replaced the corner drug dealer. The Big Apple is now known as the safest big city in America.

Of course, that wasn't always the case.

For most of its history, New York was a city of crime, a place where only the strong could survive, and where seemingly everyone had an angle or a scheme going. The Five Points was once the world's most dangerous slum, a place where gang violence was made it even more treacherous than the Wild West. Later, as immigrants from other parts of Europe came to the City, we saw the rise of La Cosa Nostra, Murder, Inc., and other notorious crime syndicates. The sickness spread to the outer boroughs as well, turning places like Bedford-Stuyvesant into frightening neighborhoods. By the seventies, the northernmost borough became so notorious, phrases like "Fort Apache" and "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is burning," became known throughout the country.

And all of that was before the crack era, when things got worse.

The first New York con, the first hustle, took place before our country was born. In fact, it took place before the land was even called New York.

On May 24, 1626, Peter Minuit bought Manhattan island from the natives. He made the purchase with tools and supplies worth approximately 60 guilders. Thinking he just fooled the ignorant natives, I'm sure Peter Minuit felt pretty good about himself. After all, the supplies and such were replaceable. The land, however, was not.

Yet five years later Minuit was suspended from his post and ordered back to Europe from New Amsterdam to explain his reasoning. 60 guilders is roughly the equivalent to 14 American dollars, according to economic experts. Yet, $14 dollars in 1626 would have been quite a lot of money. Doing a very conservative estimate of 3% inflation each year over the 381 years, Peter Minuit spent roughly $1,089,208 for the purchase of New Amsterdam.

And here's where the real hustle took place. Minuit negotiated this deal with the Canarsie tribe. The Carnarsies were natives of southwestern Long Island (part of what is now Brooklyn). They had been passing through Manhattan on a hunting trip when they met up with the Dutch.

So, basically, they conned the Europeans out of the equivalent of $1 million worth of goods for a phony real estate deal.

Only in New York.

My Love Affair

I must confess. I have been in a passionate love affair for as long as I can remember. It's been going on since well before I was married, or had even met my wife.

No, it's not with another woman. No one can steal me away from Claudia.

It's with a game.

The game of baseball.

It began when I was a little boy, watching the Yankees on WPIX-TV (Channel 11) and listening to Phil Rizzuto, Bill White and Fran Healy call the game. I don't actually remember getting my first glove, but I remember that it was a Rawlings and that I used to put a ball in it and tie it with rubber bands and kick it like a soccer ball to try and soften it. Through the years it conformed to my hand, like a pair of jeans does to your body.

I used to play ball across the street from the house where I grew up. We had a small field there and I used to hit and throw and catch there.

There was the World Series in 1978. Game 3. Graig Nettles made all these spectacular plays and I wanted to be him. I wanted to be just like him.

Later, in Little League, my father was assistant coach on my team. We were White Plains' equivalent to the Bad News Bears. We hadn't had a practice before our first game -- and got slaughtered 21-0. We lost the next game 3-0. By then, my father had me playing catcher. No one else wanted to play there. It would be my position for the remainder of my playing days.

I remember defeating Murray's Army and Navy -- our league's best team -- by a score of 2-1. To this day, that was my favorite personal sports triumph.

My love affair continued with the majors as well. I learned all about statistics and read the boxscores and stat sheets in the papers. In 1984 I got mad at the Yankees for trading my favorite player, so I stopped rooting for them and rooted for Nettles' Padres instead. Wonderfully, they made it to the World Series that year. The following year, however, I was back in Yankee-Land, cheering for a new hero. Don Mattingly.

By my senior year of high school, however, the passion had waned. I was into other things by then -- girls, football, getting into trouble, and girls. Baseball took a backseat. It would remain there for several years.

What brought me back was a computer game. MicroLeague Baseball was a simple game on Commodore 64 that more or less simulated realistic games based on statistics. I played 162 games, a playoffs and a World Series with a team I had created with my friends' names (we lost the Series in six to the 1968 Detroit Tigers). The flame was rekindled.

I began watching the Yankees more -- and I found that passion again. It came back right away and stayed with me. It didn't falter, despite the strike in 1994 or the forced retirement of Don Mattingly. And I was rewarded with arguably the best dynasty in baseball history -- the 1996-2001 Yankees.

Since then, I admit my love of major league baseball is on the decline. Steroids, HGH, obscene salaries, egos and lower quality play have combined to make me feel uneasy with the majors. The idea that a Barry Bonds is about to break the home run record only makes it harder to be a fan.

The passion, however, is strong as ever.

Now it's all about little league again. My son's team is the source of my passion. Watching Jonathan hit a hard liner or hustle out a single thrills me. Seeing one of his teammates who'd struggled finally break out with a double was joyous, and the smile on his face brought tears to more than one coach's eyes. When a newcomer on the team made a catch on a fly ball (no small feat for a seven-year-old) we all ran out to him to congratulate him (he's hit two doubles and two triples since, by the way).

The passion is infectious. I gave Jonathan a big high five after he'd tripled. When I turned around, I caught my wife in the dugout (she is the dugout "mom") with tears forming.

I've rediscovered, through Jonathan and his teammates, the root of my love affair. It's not about the spoiled athletes. It's not about the big stadiums. It's not about the seven dollar hot dog or the nine dollar beer.

It's about the game.

Still My Favorite

Through the decades, we've seen all kinds of characters in baseball. We've had the larger-than-life Babe Ruth. We had the quiet workhorses like Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio. There was the matinee idol Mickey Mantle. There were the heroes like Jackie Robinson and Henry Aaron who faced intense racism with dignity and grace.

Then three things changed baseball (and sports in general). First was actually a star from a different sport. Muhammad Ali, with his incredible flair for the dramatic, and his words nearly eclipsing his knockouts, changed all sports. No longer were athletes known just for their ability to perform on the field, but also how they showed off. Followers of the Ali-trend in baseball included Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose and Ricky Henderson.

Second was the advent of free agency. What began as a necessary change for the better evolved into a situation where money reigns supreme over things like team loyalty and winning championships. Players went where the money was (and not always to the Yankees, mind you). The greedy include Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez and Albert Belle.

Third is the explosion of Sports Center on ESPN. The old show This Week in Baseball made stars out of players like Ozzie Smith. ESPN showed daily highlights and often made heroes out of players who did not necessarily deserve it. To get more air time on ESPN (which meant more money in your next contract), players added more fire into their routines -- often the illegal kind. These are the names we know all too well now -- Ken Caminiti, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and a host of others.

Still, there are some good guys left in the game. Derek Jeter represents everything the professional baseball player should be. David Eckstein gives us the hope that even the little guys can make a difference -- like helping your team win a World Series.

And then there's this guy. After all of these years, Ken Griffey, Jr. remains my favorite baseball player. In an era where cheaters are allowed to run rampant, where fathers must shell out three figures to take their sons to see a major league game, where it seems that it's easier to find a gallon of HGH than an ounce of sincerity in the clubhouse, there stands Junior -- a fan's player. He still smiles, even after years of debilitating injuries robbed him of the (legitimate) chase for Aaron's mark. He's still the Kid, even at thirty-seven.

And he's still my favorite.

James Monroe, We Need You

I've got a friend on the conservative side of the pendulum. He's basically my political antithesis. Needless to say, we argue a lot.

One of our most heated debates concerns Iraq, of course. His support of the war stems from the notion that Ira is part of the global war on terror and we are fighting the enemy on their turf (meaning the Middle East) as opposed to ours.

I just sent him this report from MSNBC. It looks like the war on terror is geographically much closer than we think.

Hezbollah, an Iran-funded terrorist group that has bombed U.S. embassies as well as the Marines stationed in Beirut back in 1982, is now entrenched here in the Western Hemisphere.

One of the reasons al Qaida was able to get strong enough to attack us on September 11, 2001, was that they operated in an area of lawlessness. Afghanistan after the thwarted Soviet invasion was a country in war with itself. Al Qaida sided with the Taliban and was able to set up operations in remote parts of the country free from foreign influences and disruption.

Hezbollah has just found the same kind of place. Only now it is in our own backyard. Access to the United States for the terrorists in South America's Tri-Border area is all too easy. A coordinated attack from Hezbollah S.A. can be more catastrophic than what we dealt with almost six years ago.

Al Qaida and Hezbollah share many traits. Both are terrorist organizations targeting the United States and other Western powers. Both are sworn enemies of Israel. Both are responsible for the deaths of scores of Americans. However there is one key difference: al Qaida is an independent entity. Yes, it may be headquartered near the Afghan-Pakistani border and may have ties to some countries, it is not related to a single country.

The same cannot be said of Hezbollah. In effect, Hezbollah represents an arm of Iran. It is funded by, and supported by the Iranian government. The ties are direct and indisputable.

This means a foreign power is attempting to expand its sphere of influence to the Americas. It could not come at a worse time for the United States. Our military is bogged down in the mess that is Iraq and our focus has not been on the war on terror for several years. We have a bad administration in lame duck status and virtually no authority to stop what is transpiring.

If you thought you were safer today than you once were, think again.

Seven Things About Me You May Not Know

Jeff Herz just tagged me.

I'm it. And I must supply the following information, which will hopefully enlighten my readers a little further about me.

1) I have been on both academic probation and elected to two honor societies. That's correct. I attended Ithaca College for three years. During my time there, I was anything but a student, and my grades certainly reflected it. However, after transferring to Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, NY, my focus changed. I graduated Summa Cum Laude and was awarded membership to Alpha Chi and Pi Gamma Mu.

2) I have a Connecticut boating license. That is right. I can legally operate watercraft. This would make sense, considering I had spent a good six consecutive summers on Long Island Sound with my father on his boat as a teenager, as well as numerous times fishing or tooling around before or since. I have been seasick once. It sucks.

3) Liver makes me gag. Beyond that I will try just about anything and usually enjoy it. As a foodie, one most always experiment. Even if it means eating jellyfish at a Chinese restaurant in Montreal. Which I have done.

4) I voted for George W. Bush in November, 2000. There. I said it. Shame on me, I know. But I'm wiser now.

5) There was a time, however brief, that I actually considered the priesthood. I was twelve or thirteen and was enamored with the mysteries of God and the Church. I even pretended to have mass in my bedroom. Then I discovered girls.

6) My wife was the first girlfriend I dated longer than seven months. I had a history of intense three-month relationships. Before Claudia, I didn't think I had it in me to be in a relationship for very long. I thought it was a character flaw. Now I know better.

7) My only regret in life is that I hurt people along the way who didn't deserve it. Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

So with that, I'm tagging Keith and Joe.

Lessons Unlearned

May 8th and 9th are the days known as Victory Day or V-E Day. They are the anniversaries of the end of the European Theater of World War II. Back in 1945, it was a time of great celebration throughout most of Europe -- as well as a time of great sorrow.

World War II was the most devastating conflict in world history. Over 72 million people lost their lives, including over 41 million civilians. Well over half of these deaths occurred in the European Theater.

Following the end of the war, the surviving nations should have had cause to rethink how we behaved toward each other. The Soviets, Americans, British and French should have learned some valuable lessons.

Unfortunately, they learned the wrong ones. And the Cold War began.

The British and the Soviets spied so heavily on each other that a secret war was waged between the two nations that probably still is being waged today. The French, despite knowing full well the terrors of foreign occupation, fought a war to maintain their occupation of French Indochina. The Soviets and Americans waged several small wars against each other through the years, in places like Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan, bringing other nations into the conflict as well. Still more millions of lives were wasted.

We're nearly twenty years from the end of the Cold War and we still haven't learned a thing.

The United States invaded and now occupy a nation in the Middle East without just cause. More troops are still being sent there. The rouse was that this was part of the "War on Terror" when in fact no terror threat against us existed there until we invaded. Now, the number of American casualties in this unjust war exceed that of the deaths of 9/11.

We have learned nothing.

From 1939 until the last days of 1941 the United States stayed out of World War II. We were pulled into it by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. We were right to go to war when we did. And with whom we did. That is not so this time around.

Not only have we learned nothing, we have grown more ignorant.

Shame on us.

One For The Ages

It's going to be hard to top a weekend such as this past one. Everything was as perfect as could be.

I took a half day on Friday and picked Jonathan up from school. Seeing the joy on his face when he gets the rare "privilege" of seeing Dad so early was enough to begin the weekend on the right foot. Yet it only got better.

Friday night Jonathan had his first baseball game of the spring season. He went two-for-three in a 23-4 rout. He scored once and drove in a run.

Later that night my friend Mike came over to help us with our Cinco de Mayo party. We ended the night with wine and cigars -- and enough laughter that my wife called me from upstairs to tell us we were being too loud.

Saturday morning a second friend, Kerry, showed up and the three of us watched Jonathan spar at Tae Kwon Do. He fought four times -- a seven, an eight and two ten-year-olds. For me the highlights were when one of the ten-year-olds pushed Jonathan away from him. Big mistake. Jonathan went all out on that kid. It was fun to watch. The other was the battle with the eight-year-old. They are both aggressive fighters and it looked like a martial arts version of the Hagler-Hearns first round. Nicholas, the opponent, was the first kid to actually knock Jonathan to the wall in a year. Jonathan did the same to Nicholas. They fought as though they were sworn enemies. What was great was that after the match, they shook hands and smiled -- they are friends.

We through a Cinco de Mayo party on Saturday. In reality it was a pseudo-reunion of some of my friends from Ithaca College. We laughed, we shared memories and we watched our kids play together -- some of which for the very first time. The party went on until late into the night. It was great seeing my old friends. The chemistry and magic we had in our younger days is certainly still there. Only the waistlines and hairlines seemed to have changed.

Sunday I was awakened by my son. Shortly Mike, Kerry and Claudia stirred and we had breakfast. Then it was time for Jonathan's second game of the season -- a 30-7 drubbing of the Cubs. Jonathan went 3-for-4 with a double and a triple, and getting a game ball in the process. He and his fellow Tigers played wonderfully.

After lunch I took Jonathan and two of his Tiger teammates to see Spider-Man III, which was OK. The kids seemed to like it.

Soon, it was seven o'clock and time to relax before the start of the week. Reflecting on all that had happened over the weekend, I realized how lucky I was to be able to enjoy such a great (albeit busy) few days.

Every weekend should be made like this.

A Golden Opportunity

The Democrats received what everyone knew was coming yesterday. George W. Bush vetoed legislation calling for a timeline for troop pullout. This comes as no surprise.

The ball is back in the Democrats' court. What they do with it will determine the fate of the party for the next five or six years, if not longer.

George W. Bush is calling for a compromise. The fact is, a compromise is a victory for him and for the Republicans. It politically justifies his veto. More importantly, it shows that the now majority Democrats are just as weak as the once minority Democrats of the past six years. Bush will continue to control Congress and the Senate, and will still have carte blanche to do as he wishes.

The opportunity here is to not let that happen. A fight will strengthen them. It will give them the edge and will finally topple the stranglehold this administration has had on America.

For six years, the administration launched harsh and unethical attacks at its opponents. It's time to respond in kind. A simple campaign based on this premise: George Bush cares more about his legacy than about the lives of Americans. Unlike the swiftboat charges against John Kerry, this one is true.

At a time of an unwarranted and unpopular war waged by unethical people, the opposition needs to make their stand. This is the golden ticket. This is the opportunity to get this country back.

I only hope the Democrats are strong enough to see it.