SARAH PALIN.....RESTORING HONOR.......

I realize that the Left and many Democrats feel that Sarah Palin is a "nut job "with no intellect.I disagree and have the opinion that the "strong dislike" is due to the fear that she has this great popularity in the "blue state of mind "......and the tearing down and negative acts are the means to stop her..........

It is strange that her popularity and draw of crowds continues on and on....especially since she is allegedly" empty headed" and inexperienced according to many pundits.........could these reviews be inaccurate ?

 I urge you to read the speech that  she gave at the "Restoring Honor " Rally.........

She spoke of the Mothers who have seen their children go into the military over history.....and watch them go from  "ordinary persons to persons doing extraordinary things"in the name of character and defense of freedom..........., She is the Mother of a Military veteran and "Walks the Walk"on this one.

She also talked of her being humble standing in the shadow of the Monument to the "Great Emancipator "and where Martin Luther King
gave his "I have a Dream"speech.......

She spoke of honor,character and faith........

So what is wrong with that  ?........


It appears to me that her remarks had nothing to do with Glenn Beck, Barack Obama or Rev.Al Sharpton............

ALVEDA KING......NIECE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR......

In Washington D.C. a "Rally to Restore Honor " is scheduled to be held tomorrow morning.One of the Speakers is Dr.Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King,Jr. ..........So guess who is complaining......
    

I will give you a couple of hints.....Glenn Beck of FOX NEWS is the organizer and Dr. King is involved with the Group, Priests for Life and she is strongly opposed to Abortion..........

Al Sharpton argues that the rally should not be allowed since the gathering is political,and thus is not allowed on Federal Property....while the organizers counter that its purpose is individual reflection,reorganizing,and a reflection of who we are as a Nation........

It is incredible how the "mainstream" press "coddles" women who are of liberal persuasion while Sarah Palin,Former Governor, Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State and Dr.King
are snubbed or ridiculed because of their position on the issues.......

Alveda King intends to speak of honor, character, and sacrifice......Seems ok.....for reflection and reorganizing......

Free Speech and the exercise of this right is what makes our Country great, and in fact has given the Reverend Sharpton and Jesse Jackson a means to make a living.......

This is a easy decision for me.........let the "Rally Roll "......Dislike or Disagreement is not a reason to
stop discussion on our public ways...especially in the very place that Martin Luther King gave his "I HAVE A DREAM......"

CHARLIE SANPHY......RIP.....ONE OF THE GREAT ONES...

Charlie Sanphy passed away this week, and his obituary in the Lynn Item wrote of his Army experience, work and volunteering on the Board of Directors,of My Brother's Table along with the naming of his many Children along with 14 Grandchildren........I could have never figure how Charlie kept up with everything he was involved in......along with raising his "Tribe "except for one enduring fact........

He was one of the most positive, spiritual, and quick witted persons I have ever encountered.....along with

having common sense and "street smarts"......If I left anything out that is good.....sorry for my mistake.....The photo at the right shows one of his many talents
which was being the Emcee at  many of the local events.The microphone was part of his "persona."...He could stand up in front of a crowd, sometimes in the 100's........ and he had the ability to go through the audience and  speak of anecdotes concerning them in a humorous way that made everyone in the room "laugh together... but never at someone"at least not in a bad way.......

He will be missed by many........but no more than the void that will be left with his great family.........

MARTHA COAKLEY....AND CRAIGLIST

It is interesting during election time how candidates scheme with "their staff and brain trust " to create issues that will put them into the headlines and hopefully the inside track to victory........

Martha Coakley "playing" on the suicide of the alleged Craiglist Murderer.......has decided that the time is right to go after Craiglist for allowing persons to advertise sexual encounters on its website........On its face it appears ok........but what about all the other "filth " out there and the 1st Amendment Rights that will be defended by the civil libertarian Attorney's........

Concerning Craiglist what is the goal of the Attorney General ? I assume she is trying to protect the prostitutes who will continue to do what they do in other ways......and the "John's "who will still be looking elsewhere for "happy endings".......



Martha Coakley is probably leery about the other "big issues"since it appears she was on the "wrong side"most times in the Scott Brown runoff and does not want to bring them up again.......and sites like Craiglist are easy targets.......

We will be seeing this strategy by the pol's in the month's to come........

MARIA SHARAPOVA......RUSSIAN BEAUTY....WITH A HEART.....

I want to stay on a topic that is close to my heart.....beautiful women...Thought's discussed an encounter between two beautiful women last Sunday......Gisele and Lisa and now I  would like to make mention of Maria Sharapova.......

I assume everyone knows her......but in any event she is the "highest paid " female athlete on the planet.It is estimated that her Tennis earnings are 20 million a year ...........not bad for a 23 year old six footer from Russia.........

The Chernobyl Nuclear plant disaster was 24 years ago and Maria had been born approximately a 100 miles from ground zero.......disaster and illness has plagued that area for all these years.......and even today a great amount of the children have thyroid cancer......

You know how "bad" many times turns to "good"......Maria's parents decided to move after the disaster without any plans or hope except that they wanted better for their little daughter......and by the time Maria was six she was living in the "Good Olde US " and taking tennis lessons.....The years following are history......

Maria has recently traveled to her homeland area and has donated money and resources to this "stricken area "............and it wonderful to see a young person with fame and money doing the "right thing" and not living the Hollywood" trap" that leaves talent and potential by the wayside.

PATRIOT ROAD TRIP.....A SURPRISE "BLIND DATE" WITH GISELE & TOM BRADY .....

Gisele & "Sweet Lou"

"Super Fan & Daughter " Lou Panakio and Lisa Rowe thought it would be fun to go to Gillette Stadium and the Patriot Place Mall to observe the Patriot team practice and eat dinner in the area......

The team practice was great........and think about this you former "football want to Be's "........In the Quarterback Passing Drills.....Tom Brady was on the 30 yard line in the middle of the field....The target was a barrel on the sideline at the goal line.....His 1st attempt was a "swish "........The other QB'S did not do it......however a few of the throws were close.

We went to the CBS Sports Bar with the 125 TV'S which was worth the visit in and of itself......but little did We know about the future ahead of us.

We were walking toward the entrance to the famed Davio's Italian Dinery when Lou who had been not feeling well last winter........broke into a "quick run" after glancing at me in a way that caught me off guard....I was momentarily confused until I put it all together........He had flown to the restaurant door in order to open it for Gisele,Tom and their kids who had just stepped out of their vehicle......He and Lisa were like two "giddy kids " .....I really was surprised at Lou's speed to complete his act of chivalry.....I didn't realize that I could have used a stopwatch when I left the house.Lisa was examining Mrs. Brady in "a way only women can do"

We all had a wonderful time at this pleasant establishment.....and for us this blind date was a great moment in  Patriot History......It was greater than the
Super Bowl of 1985......and if their was any doubt in anyone's mind......all you had to see is how great Gisele looks in casual clothes....

A day to remember.......

JENNIFER ANISTON......SINGLE MOTHERS

Jennifer Aniston in promoting her new movie is in one way or another relating the fact that Women can have children without a Father involved and that "Single Motherhood " is ok even though it is not the best of circumstances.

Jennifer has been a role model in her volunteer work for St. Jude Hospital(note her "Give Thanks" top) and their is no doubt that if and when she becomes a single mother she will be a able to care for her child.....due to her money and fame status......but her condoning this behavior even indirectly is a shame when it comes to all the young girls that adore her and worship the ground she walks on........

Charles Murray, social scientist, is quoted" Illegitimacy is the single most important social problem of our time- more important than crime,drugs,poverty,illiteracy,welfare, or homelessness because it drives everything else"........

A sampling of  studies gives some gruesome statistics ;  70% of inmates serving long term sentences in juvenile detention centers were raised by single mothers , 70% of teenage births,dropouts,,suicides,runaways,juvenile delinquents,and child murders involve children raised by single mothers....It goes on and on..........

Anne Coulter, in her book,Guilty, writes ;
 "single motherhood is breeding a huge underclass.Half of the single mothers in the US are below the poverty line,making their children six times more likely to be in poverty than children with married parents."

I believe that you have to live near and around the poverty to really "know it ".......and see the "vicious circles "that keep repeating themselves...........

Jennifer is not a "bad person" .........She has merely been given a different lifestyle.......but we all grow and learn..........

MY BROTHER'S TABLE......SUMMER PARTY.....PHOTOS.....

The "brains " behind John's Roast Beef
on Western Ave. Lynn

Richard & Brenda Lewin with family and friends

Kevin Kennedy with the "Soft Touch"

Maria Rowen, Recruiter and Cliff Ansara,Liquor Mogul 

BFF Maria and Lisa

BOD Taso Nikolakopoulos with the "beauties"

MY BROTHER'S TABLE......SUMMER PARTY.....SUCCESS......

2500 Volunteers, 90,000 meals during the last year,365 days a year and no public tax money for support.......
28 years ago, the Founders wrote;
  "We volunteers have more to learn than share.My Brother's Table will be a center for barriers to break down,for the poor to educate the rich,the elderly to teach the young, the powerless  to humble the powerful......And, since we are caring for God's people, We will always get what we need."

Last night the summer garden party was a great success to all who came and participated in any way......The food, music and social camaraderie was fantastic. The spirit of "giving"loomed over the crowd and believe me you could "feel it"........

It was a special night in that so many of my family and friends over the past year have participated in the volunteering at the "Table"in every aspect from the Kitchen, Committees, Walks, and Fund Raising.......Many of them were present last night and it was my honor to be with each and everyone of them......Thanks guys.......It is impossible to mention everybody since I surely would forget someone and have to make "amends".....You know who you are...... and remember that I think of your giving spirit every time I see ,talk or have a thought of you ......whether present or not last night.......

I will be posting some pictures in a short time.......Have a good day....

CHARLIE BAKER......GANGED UP BY CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS....

I have made my compassion known for the way Matt Amorello was vilified by the press and the Haverhill
Police, but there is no such feeling for the lack of truth or "spinning"of facts in the interest of political expediency........and that is exactly what Patrick and Cahill are doing by inferring that actions by Charlie Baker 16 years ago are the reason for the Amorello "Big Dig "problems.... Memory is that back all those years ago the Commonwealth had a surplus..........

Matt knew what he was getting into when he took the Turnpike "job", and his handing out patronage positions and pay raises is what got him in the "radar  scope " of then Governor Romney who forced his resignation.My opinion is that he was not qualified to handle a complicated position and Gov. Jane Swift also unqualified appointed him for reasons that had  nothing to do with competency..........

The Governor race is "heating"up early.....and I find it amusing that the Governor and Treasurer who have had responsibility for the past four years are wasting time trying to give History lessons about years "gone by"..........I remember long ago.....when Dukakis wanted to depress the overhead roads in Boston
and  "Ted" Kennedy promised federal money.......

Let's deal with our current issues and get this "mess " fixed.........

MATT AMORELLO.......GIVE HIM A BREAK.......

Matt Amorello has had a "bad go" of it the last few years......He has gone from a powerful political operative in Republican circles being a State Senator and the Head of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority to a Defendant charged with DUI , Damaging Property of others and leaving the scene......He is innocent until proven guilty..........but according to newspaper reports; a relative said give him a break, and I certainly can understand the sentiment of his family member.....

I am not talking a break from Justice if found guilty..........but I think the way the Boston Herald presented the story with  the" booking photo " of  him on the front page was 'uncalled for "........In fact I have no memory of  that type booking picture.in any paper............
.
Other reports say he is divorced, lost his house through foreclosure, and of course quit the "Big Dig Job"under political pressure which had been paying in the range of $ 223.000........

These charges seem to demonstrate that  he has hit the "bottom " on this phase of his journey through life........and
Being who he is.....makes it obvious that many people will find "glee" in this tragedy..........I do not know him and it seems to me that his "public persona " have led him to this particular point of scorn.......But..........that is not the purpose of this " Thought ".............


Compassion is a human characteristic that is greater than the human mistakes that we all make....... the Courts will sort out the judgement but remember none of us are perfect......and except for the "Grace of God " go I.............

Leave the judgements to others .........and think how you would feel if this was you or one of your family members........

First Amendment Rights allow unfettered use of "words, thoughts and sentences........but don't control human reason and dignity......You have to figure that out for yourself..........

SALIM FORT.....TRAGEDY........AND GREAT STORY......

Salim Fort lived for a short fifteen years.......but He left me with a great impression  and a story to tell you...........

I did not know him but his obituary in the Lynn Item said it all;

A Gentleman and Athlete, who personified respect, dignity and humility.............A "Gentle Giant " loved by the entire community.........Who wouldn't want that as a legacy..........

On Friday Evening chance took me by Ocean Street, Lynn and while stopped at the red light I noticed a large crowd of people young, old, black, white and Asian waiting in a long line and mulling around the sidewalk and parking areas of the Solimine Funeral Home.

A young person had brought all types of humans of every creed,color, background together in one spirit to celebrate and honor his "special being "..........It is a tribute to him, his family and the citizens of the City of Lynn......

When conditions seem intolerable and without hope.....A tragedy which seems inconsolable turns and gives us a view of the all that is great.......including this Man who was put on this earth to give us a short glimpse of all that is "good on this earth "........

God's Messages are delivered in many ways and a different route by me would have denied me this moment of reflection........RIP Salim Fort..........

LYDIA SHIRE.....LIBERTY HOTEL.....AND GOOD NEWS

I was privileged to be able to accompany two loves of my life into MGH to discuss treatment and prognosis relative to completed tests.....The meeting results were very encouraging...and the Doctors were positive and upbeat that the situation is controllable........

My observation of MGH and the Children's Hospital for "little people" is that they are the only place to be if "things " have the potential to be serious......The professionalism and caring treatment is terrific........and MGH is also near the Liberty Hotel.......The last time I was in the building I was visiting a client who was confined as an inmate since it was then known as the Charles Street Jail of Suffolk County....those were in my "trial lawyer" days...I remember the case,and it is a good story.......ask me about it sometime.....It involved robbery, polygraphs and a "tree "........

The Liberty is now a beautiful place to stay with three restaurants appropriately named CLINK, ALIBI AND SCAMPO. We celebrated at the Clink and Alibi bars and dined at Scampo.....Lydia Shire the celebrity Chef is running a great operation.....It is a little pricey.....but face it Boston is the "Big Leagues "....The food and atmosphere makes it a place to be seen........If you get a chance give it a try.......If you are not up for a "big " meal they have salads, thin crust pizza and other similar appetizers.....

It was a day to remember..............

MCGEE VS DENT.................

The Governor's Race is in full swing with all the gambling posturing of the candidates and whether the Legislature is the "scapegoat" or the "hero.........It appears that the longer it goes on the more muddled the matter becomes.....I still am of the opinion that the failure of leadership at the "top "has created this latest "fiasco "......That aside lets focus on another race.

The 3rd Essex & Middlesex Senator is Tom McGee and under normal circumstances you would consider him a "shoo in" as his prior reelection numbers attest.............

He is well liked, personal and the incumbent.........however is that incumbency a "friend or foe ".He has voted with the House Leadership on many bills and it past years and it has not hurt him....

however what is in the mind of the electorate ?......I am sure that Tom is concerned and the "word on the street " is that he is working the "door to door " meet and greet.........

His opponent, Christopher Dent, a Nahant Resident, graduated from Syracuse University , joined the US Marine Corp, served in Iraq in 2006 and presently is unable to go "door to door "

since he is with his Marine Corp Reserve Unit in Monzambigue training Africans about Intelligence techniques. He is due to be discharged in November......He certainly hopes the voters support the troops..........

He will be back soon and I assume that the two candidates will have debates.......The fact that the challenger is still in the military and is conservative.... certainly makes this a political race to follow..........

No prediction from "Thought's " on this one.........!

MY BROTHER'S TABLE......SUMMER PARTY.....AUGUST 12

Now that Chelsea Clinton's Wedding is over.....You can turn your attention to the local summer extravaganza......You are invited even if you did not get one to her Party......and You can bring your cell phone and photos are allowed......also no travel to upstate New York.....

My Brother's Table Summer Party is a week from Thursday........August 12 at the Nahant Country Club at 7pm. Remember "The Table " served 90,000 meals last year ......and that is done by a small dedicated staff and many volunteers.The financial support is done "by you the people" and no tax or government money is received or accepted.........

This is the "big"fundraiser of the year......and if you show up you will be treated to culinary treats from the best restaurants on the North Shore, music, silent auction and great friends "doing the right thing ".....

If you have any questions call the Table 781 595 3224 or Mybrotherstable.org to download an invitation.............

Clear your calender.......help teenage unemployment by hiring a babysitter and get your self there............