Before the NCAA talk:  A song from the 60’s resonates within my soul. Whenever I want to feel lonely, confused and sad followed by a folk-lift of hope, I listen to Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Parsley Sage, Rosemary and Thyme;’ which is a restoration software pod sound of calvin’s soul. Notice I didn’t capitalize my name.

YouTube Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme

The song evokes dreams of by-gone days; studying organic chemistry in a smoke-filled second floor bedroom surveying disappearing streams of smoke, or enviously watching the student takeover at Columbia University and wishing I was part of Dr. King’s 50 mile march from Selma to Montgomery and being a spectator when Mickey Mantle hit the first indoor home run in the Houston Astrodome. Why do I want back so much?  Sometimes I am back, time stuck at a long checkout before express line’s innovation of ten items or less. I was always too honest balancing 11 items in the regular line.

 

I just saw a bus carrying Elaine and Benjamin down a deserted surreal street here in Southern California. Where have all the street people and cars with fins gone?

One of the carried items was a pound of parsley. What weighs more, falls faster; a pound of steel or parsley? I love the taste of parsley, dipped in Atlantic Ocean salt water; confused tastes of chlorophyll still refresh my breath instead of an aerosol spray or swig of Listerine bitters. Once upon a time, I was in Provincetown, Cape Cod with my elusive first butterfly.

 

 

A spider, the size of Woody’s Buick, appeared on my windshield. It was either me or Charlotte. I call all spiders ‘Charlotte’ since that movie. Imagine a world without a masculine arachnid?  I had no offenses (hammer or insecticide) and knew I couldn’t drive around historical sand dunes with a tarantula stuck in my dashboard. Breath spray aerosol to the rescue. Two shots then Charlotte passed; an auto body shop removed remains with the Jaws of Life.

I’ve become a wild wise old sage. A few months ago, I met a flower older woman child at a Stone Pony rock concert. Eleven seconds passed then a hand-shake and I knew history; her life pain, lost love, disappointments and alcohol abuse; all on her face and in a raspy smoky phlegm voice. Resignation set in. Why wasn’t I a sage when Lyndon Johnson was trying to draft me or a next door neighbor was advising to get into plastics?

 

Two days ago, I opened up a large bag of flatbreads, flavored with rosemary. Hunger was no match for the bland emptiness of rosemary’s stale, stored in the attic flavor. Once I knew Rosemary; the same year ‘All in the Family’ came on the air.  She loved Edith Bunker’s innocence; I loved hers’ and wonder what became of that loud exuberant ‘ding bat’ voice.

These days I think about thyme a bunch. I remember the movie, ‘The Time Machine,’ when H.G. Wells’ best friend Philby, from across the street, realized that H.G. was gone forever, but he still had all the time in the world. So if I’m going to make it to 150 years or as the Immortality Institute (see link below) believes, forever, then I’m just getting a head of steam. Meanwhile, this ballad by Simon and Garfunkel means a few other things. Rosemary symbolizes notions of remembrance going back to ancient Greeks. Thyme is really courage; at this stage of the life cycle to be embarking on a long writing journey is courageous. Sage symbolizes strength. I need parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme to keep writing. When I hit that wall, it’s always iTunes instead of a St. Bernard displaced from a Matterhorn gift shop.

 

NCAA( National Collegiate Athletic Association) is on my mind; not the last thing either. “Goodness gracious sakes alive,” I dislike the NCAA. The late iconic Coach John Wooden used that expression as his quintessential cussing expression. I’m not going to make this a long boring diatribe but folks ought to know some basics. The NCAA presides over college sports. I don’t know who presides over them; bespectacled fat cats with the best deal in town; good seats at NCAA finals and ridiculously bloated salaries. As athletic departments struggled to weather economic downturn, the National Collegiate Athletic Association spent nearly $6 million to compensate 14 of its highest-ranking executives, according to public federal tax documents.

 

The highest-paid of those officials was the late Myles Brand, the former NCAA president who died of cancer while still in office. Mr. Brand received $1,145,880 in total compensation for the fiscal year ending August 2009. The sum included $770,739 in salary and more than $200,000 in bonuses and incentive compensation, as well as other pay and benefits. Other highly paid executives were Thomas W. Jernstedt, the former executive vice president who left after 38 years( I wonder if his thinking got stale and unimaginative after all those fat years) ($604,679); Bernard W. Franklin, executive vice president for membership and student-athlete affairs ($509,429). Got the picture? Hey, I’ll preside for a flat $100,000. I don’t like the bunch because they look the other way too often; like when sleazy characters stand on the street corner and give rolls of money to young impressionable visiting high school senior football players to induce them to play for their (southern) university.

 

The whole world knows what’s going on. But it goes on and on while fat teams keep winning and branding their train trestle names. Give me liberty and a clean college football program (high APR/Academic Progress Rate). Maybe the kids (all athletes) should get paid; they give their bodies, mind and future health to perpetuate alumni dreams, local ego and of course the obese NCAA. Maybe if the kids got paid, the NCAA execs might earn less. I heard sports-writer Jason Whitlock use the term ‘plantation’ on a past edition of ‘Real Sports.’ Here’s my gripe; there’s corruption, politics and inconsistency all over the NCAA and it seems I’ve had a lapful lately.

  I love college sports; the purity, body and flavor (an old Ballantine Beer Commercial). When I see ostensibly curiously refereed games in college sports, it upsets me, especially when the NCAA does nothing to keep their house clean.

A few years ago the Rutgers women’s basketball team played at Tennessee with legendary coach Pat Sumitt. ‘Somehow’ the Tennessee official game clock keeper illegally stopped the clock seconds before the end of game enabling enough time for Tennessee to beat Rutgers. Here’s a YouTube of the sportscaster’s coverage of the last minute of the game. You can’t make this stuff up. Of course the NCAA does nothing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwYcfFvn-uY

If you read my blog you know that the basketball game in March, 2011 between Rutgers men’s basketball team and St. John’s in Madison Square Garden Big East tournament had to be fixed (see March 11th, April 1st and April 23rd blog) against Rutgers winning, as all three referees failed to make five egregious calls against St. Johns and then walked off the court with nearly two seconds left which was enough time for Rutgers to win. The NCAA rewarded the refs by giving assignment games in mid-west tournaments.

You can’t make this stuff up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmZEbe3Q2ps

Now, finally Toledo plays Syracuse in football on Saturday September 24 in Syracuse. Near the end of game, Syracuse kicks an extra-point and misses wide left. The whole world sees it, even my friends in a deli in Moscow, Russia. But the refs call the kick good and it’s confirmed by upstairs review. Then it comes out. The officials made a huge “mistake.” The Big East (NCAA) once again culpable. There’s Shakespearean Denmark all over the place; Toledo University officials demand they be awarded the victory because Toledo would’ve had a 30-29 lead at the end of regulation time. Game over. Toledo wins. But Syracuse wins 33-30 in overtime. Gosh, give me a piece of that payoff. I’ll quietly buy a beach house on the island of Tortola in the Caribbean and won’t bother the NCAA anymore. The good old NCAA folks plunder, blunder and reap the winds of war. The NCAA is a horribly corrupt archaic field of dreams.

Oh here’s the Toledo-Syracuse video from YouTube and Toledo News coverage article link.  You can’t make this stuff up.

http://www.toledoblade.com/UT/2011/09/26/UT-asks-for-loss-to-be-overturned-2.html

 

http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2011-09-26/toledo-asks-to-be-credited-with-victory-after-referee-error

Now, perhaps, as the sun sets over water logged fields of vegetables, grains, sunflowers and a red mountain where I once climbed barefoot, my blog readers can understand why I hate the NCAA; I went to Toledo for two years before transferring to Rutgers for four years.

Mornings are filled with ‘Today’ and ‘Good Morning America.’ The movie ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ captivates me each and every time; a couple of lines make me smile( I think you can guess one of them; “more dire need.”) and almost wished I was jungle-bound, listening live to Adrian Cronauer. Robin Williams’ tour-de force performance resonates like ‘Parsley Sage.’ On Monday morning September 26, a banner on the TV told me the N.J. Board of Public Utilities was conducting a hearing in Manalapan on Jersey Central Power and Light’s (JCPL) performance response (lack) to Hurricane Irene.

 

Overcome with sense of civic pride and feline curiosity (I’ve never been to a public hearing with politicians and irate citizens), I decided to attend, armed with camera and notes. For three hours, I listened to mayors, Congressman’s aide, assembly folks, and scores of irate citizens ALL complain about the lack of communication and preparedness by JCPL. Board President Solomon made it perfectly clear, like Richard Nixon used to, that they could only listen and not discuss courses of action against JCPL. Personally, I’d love to see other companies come in and bid for the contract; somehow I think JCPL might care a bit more. One joker from Old Bridge claimed JCPL was perfect; he had no problems with communication and information. Someone yelled out, “A company plant.” Here’s what I came away with. There were two suited men sitting to the right of the stage. I assume JCPL representatives. One man, around 50, chewed gum for three hours and smirked the whole time, took no notes and sent a clear message; that he and JCPL just don’t care; people need power; are they going to call ‘Ghostbusters.’ What happened to power to the people?

 

JCPL’ s message is a perfect segue to Prudential Insurance Company’s message to me that they don’t care either. What is it with big companies not caring? Not recalling products in a timely fashion. Or putting too much salt in the processed food they sell. Nearing thirty years as a policy holder, Prudential jumped as quickly as they could, to lapse a life policy even though their agents and managers (even way below used car salesmen and amoebas on the food chain) committed documented malpractice. So beware of the crumbling rock.

 

Now it’s Sunday morning. Saturday was rewarding. Rutgers beat Syracuse in double overtime. Of course I take issue with the referees and NCAA. Enough. Last night, I drifted back in time which I love to do, spending time in Highlands, New Jersey at an Octoberfest; my first one. So check this out; as we walk in under a light drizzle, a small band with a Norman Rockwell tuba player was playing “Pennsylvania Polka,” right out of ‘Groundhog Day.’

 

 

YouTube Groundhog Day Pennsylvania Polka:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kTWwJ9NQbY

I was home, where I belong, in the middle of America. I looked all around; in the distance, boats were dry docked, New York glistened, a sign for $4 beer and potato pancakes beckoned, a few children scampered towards a swing and sliding board and I loved being a cub reporter. Hemingway started out as a cub reporter. I started out writing a novel. Go figure. I feel better now. A bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon added. And maybe later, I’ll close my eyes and see Phil Connors (Bill Murray) from ‘Groundhog Day.’  He was a reporter of sorts. I’ve been drifting around a bit writing this blog. I do feel better now; wiser and older. And I don’t think I’ll have to listen to ‘Parsley Sage Rosemary and Thyme’ this day.

UPDATE ON SINGULARITY SUMMIT. NEW YORK CITY OCTOBER 15TH 16TH:

Singularity Summit Explores Ground-Breaking Technologies, Features IBM’s Watson’s Computer and Record-Breaking Jeopardy! Winner

What is the future of artificial intelligence?

 

 

Contact Information:

website:

http://vichywater.net/

 

Facebook: Cal Schwartz  

 

Twitter:  Earthood

 

book trailer. hey its 65 seconds long

 

IMPORTANT LINKS:

 

Immortality Institute (which represents advocacy and research for unlimited lifespan)

http://www.imminst.org/

 

August 2011. Guest on Alicia Cramer Show (podcast) “Thin Healthy Happy” :
http://wausauhypnotherapy.podbean.com/2011/08/02/calvin-barry-schwartz-interview-on-living-life/

 

ARE you in search of another blog that is also outspoken, unique  BUT
unbridled which means uninhibited ????  Meet   LINDA CHORNEY:
http://lindachorney.wordpress.com/