Mattes's Musings by KC2GIK

The riots in St Louis about the shooting of a teenager sparked this status update on Facebook. I am not here to  judge nor to  defend actions. However  I posted the status bel=ow and got a huge number of  "likes". Just a thought.... I have been discriminated against at times in my life, been called names I KNEW were lies, have seen hate in a man's eyes because I was different. YET I have NEVER felt the urge to destory the town I live in. I hated people that occupied the local school, yet NEVER thought about taking their lives. RIOTS destroy where YOU live and are NOT the answer. While I would never preach "give peace a chance" I question the destruction of one's "hometown" as a method of expressing one's dissatisfaction in the environment they occupy........Just a thought — in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Well who says the shortest distance between to points is no fun? I tell you folks I loved every second of the convention despite the trips there and back.  I boarded Amtrak in Poughkeepsie headed to Rochester with the scanner in one hand and a cold soda in the other (yes I do drink stuff besides Coronas and Yuenglings) Everything was fine except  when we got to Buffalo and had to let a CSX train through. Although I did enjoy listening the the conductors jockey around one track! This  delayed me so I missed the parking meet completely . The view from our hotel room Originally when I arrived I was going to have the hotel shuttle pick me up but they were over booked so it was good old Rick Kretschmer  to the rescue, like always. He has been a savior on many occasions and we roomed together again in Rochester. Speaking of rooms, we had t he corner room  on the fifth floor and the view was absolutely amazing. It was great seeing everyone, i...

  Below is the post I made to the ALPCA Facebook and Listserv and is a preview of my report on the 60th ALPCA convention!! It's something different that I wannted to try and figured it will settle my nerves a little. This is actually a pretty long post for Facebook standards and will not replace my Rochester Report due out next week Well I'm sitting here just completing my want list, printing my ticket for the train, making sure Marco brings my trade box, packing the plates I have for the Favorite plate display and the plates I'm donating to the auction,charging the "portable" scooter, programming my radio and trying to settle myself from the nervousness of a 7 hour train ride alone.Thinking about getting off the train in one piece, easing my parents' mind that everything will fall into place, just like it has for the 9 other conventions I have attended. I  look forward to more conversations with folks like Jeff Minard, Tom ...

This is in response to an inc ident at KFC where a three year old and her grandmother were denied service because the little girl's face was disfigured because of a dog bite! Read the article : This 3-Year-Old Was Reportedly Asked To Leave KFC Because Her Face “Scared Diners” Back  in the sixties in the  South black people orginized "sit-ins" where they would sit in "Whites  Only Sections"  in resturants and demand they be served. Of course this all started with Rosa Parks refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. It started a chain reaction whites and blacks sat in white sections together and refuse to leave until they were forced, sometimes causing bodily harm. However they stood their ground and brought down a  way of life that scared this country since before it was born! They saw change. A small part of the moment also involved stars, like Ray Charles, who famously refused to play segergated venues, most fam ously in Georgia.  We all know the...

The ALPCA Garden State Region 1st Annual Spring meet was held at Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City Well despite   a little wet  weather 47 collectors gathered *in the ballroom at the Resorts  Casino and Hotel. Trading was brisk  inside what is an amazing layout rivaling Las Vegas. Chuck Bahnor once again drove in from Indiana to spend some time with us, always great to see him. We also  had the usual suspects like Roy Rich(representing the ALPCA Board), Jim Moini, Walter O., Dale Bernecker to name a few. John Anshant and John Willard drove in from Pennsylvania  with plenty of plates for sale Marco's wife Kristy once again handled to registration desk . Paul Rosenberg "won" the shortest distance award, he owns Atlantic City Taxi and instead of business cards, hands out gambling chips with his phone number on them, too bad they couldn't be redeemed in the casino!!!!The staff at  Resorts did a great job pr...

Like the rest of the world I mourn the loss of Harold Ramis who passed away yesterday due to numerous health complications that started in 1999. Like everryone else my thoughts and p rayers go out to his family and friends. Being a writer takes a lot of talent, being an actor takes a lot more talent, combine the two you have a man that truly is an artist. Like singers who compose/ their own melodies, actors who write their own scripts have a personal perspective to the film no other actor or actress, no matter how great, can possess. From Caddyshack to Year One  and everything in between, Mr/ R/amis always kept millions of people laughing. The key of his writing was it always tetered on the edge of comedic greatness and comedic madness.  There are many examples of both but I  think we can all agree Ramis lived on that edge throughout his career and that made him truly a rare breed.Like his writing/acting partner, Dan Aykroyd, Ramis's  interviews mainly were straigh...

Alright so this is January 2nd and I did go out New Years Eve but for me it wasn't really 2014 until I went to the Woodcliff Lake FD swearing in ceremony. I had to go this year because my good friend from high school George Lucia was sworn in as Chief, yes folks he's younger than I am. I went to school with his older sister and think I met him when his father starting hanging out at the WCLFD even thoou gh he is a life long member of the Hillsdale, Fire Department. Actually George, Jr was a few years behinds me at Pascack Valley High School, his older sister Kristy was in the class of '97 with Derick and all those folks, so I know the family. Since I hang out at the firehoouse a lot anyway, they figured mthey invite me down. I watched as each of the officers took ttheir turn placing their hands on the Bible and reciting the oath of office. During the ceremony I couldn't help but notice the generationg in the room, especially the chiefs and the assistant chief, bot...