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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
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Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
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Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
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February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
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Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
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Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Oct. 3, 2008
/ 4 Tishrei 5769
Growing Up A Million Years Ago
By
Greg Crosby
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
You know you're heading for the last roundup when you start reminiscing about your youth. I've been doing that quite a lot lately. Not a good sign, I guess. When I was young I thought about my future. When I was somewhere in the middle I thought only of the present - what I needed to do the next day or the next hour or maybe the next week, but that was about as far as it went. And now that I'm approaching my 6th decade I think of my past and try to remember details about it.
The late sixties was a major time for change in our country and in me too. But what changed me wasn't the music or the drugs or the Vietnam War or student protests, or any of the other cultural upheavals that were going on in the country at that time. It was working for my uncle at his restaurant in Hollywood. That's when I came of age and that's when I was introduced in a major way to the world beyond my secluded, sleepy hometown of Burbank, California.
Yes, believe it or not, back then Burbank was a quiet, small suburban town far away from big city sights and sounds. A kid growing up there might just as well have been living in any small town in Middle America. We had no crime to speak of, no nightclubs, no large chain stores and no major restaurants. Just local stuff, mom and pop stores mostly, a couple of movie theaters, nice little shopping streets, the best school system in the county, and plenty of vacant lots to play ball in.
Oh sure, Warner Bros. and Walt Disney had their film studios in Burbank, but those were factories, they might as well have been manufacturing tires or building cars as making movies behind those gates. The glamour and sparkle of show biz was never at the factories, it was far, far away over the hill in Hollywood, Bel Air, Brentwood, Beverly Hills and Malibu. The movie stars came to work at four or five in the morning and left around six in the evening - going from their cars, through the gates, onto the stages, then back into their cars headed for home.
Between the ages of 16 and 20, within a period of 4 short years, I worked off and on for my Uncle Donald at his pizza and barbeque restaurant in Hollywood. During that period I came into contact with more characters and adventures than all of my previous years growing up sheltered in Burbank. Suddenly I was center stage in a series of Damon Runyon style one-act plays. An education in life that no amount of money could buy. And I loved it.
Initially I would go with my father to visit Uncle Donald at his restaurant, Crosby's Pizza and Bar-B-Q; it was a genuine family business. My uncle put in the long hours, did the ordering of food and supplies, and keep watch on the money flow. He was also a genuine people person - a man with an easy smile who greeted his patrons by name and always stopped by the tables to ask if they needed anything and if everything was all right.
Uncle Donald's wife, Aunt Irene supplied Italian recipes and did much of the preliminary cooking of meats, sauces, and things during the day before the restaurant opened. Cousins Diane, Donna, and Bonnie Lou would wait tables from time to time. Cousin Ronnie flipped pizzas and was a short order cook.
Family was supplemented with additional help. A large German woman by the name of Hilda, who looked like she was right out of central casting, baked pies and bread. Tony was from Italy and made great pizza. Richard was a young guy with slicked back hair who was one of the fastest short order cooks I'd ever seen. And little Mexican Tommy did food preparation, was the dishwasher, floor sweeper, and all around clean up guy. He was with my uncle for many years.
Add to that list, a couple of other waitresses; a skinny brunette named Diana who had a thing going with Richard, and a buxom dishwater blonde named Connie, who had a few things going with a few guys, I'm sure (I had a teenage lust-crush on her but I was never one of the chosen). Then there was an ex-con short order cook who did hard time at the state pen for heaven knows what. I once drove to Las Vegas with this guy. He never smiled. Not once.
This environment and these people provided the basis of my higher education in life. My uncle's place may have been relatively close to Burbank in real miles, but in terms of life lessons it was a world away - maybe an entire universe.
To be continued ….
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. A freelance writer in Southern California, you may contact him by clicking here.
Greg Crosby Archives
© 2006, Greg Crosby
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