Twenty some years ago my wife Lorraine awoke and assured me that I was craving to build an authentic Japanese Teahouse in our back meadow. So I did – and the original thatch has lasted a quarter century. These pictures show the new bundles of thatch I scythed down, hauled up, and tied down onto the roof, with a lot of help from my buddy – Thanks Marvin. Everyone should have a retreat, be it for solitude and/or contemplation with a few close friends.
The Power of the Youthful Pen – Princeton Writing Academy Grand Writing Contest
Yes, this Younger Generation will amaze you. On Thursday, Bart had the privilege to announce the winners of the Princeton Writing Academy’s Grand Writing Contest, sponsored by Prometheus Publishing. Academy Director Janine Edwards and her instructors have taught their students remarkably well. Before an audience at the Princeton Community Television Station, 5 and 6th grader semi-finalists read their own notably insightful, finely crafted tales. These authors addressed homelessness, struggling under the competitive spotlight, fickle popularity, and an imaginative depiction of a young Chinese girl’s experience of encountering Chairman Mao Zedong. Meanwhile, the 7-8th grade authors read impressively thoughtful offerings as an allegory of destructive greed, inventively mystical self-discovery, and a probing story about facing the final moments of our world.
Janine had given me the honor of acting as judge for the finalists. As I read through their stories, I couldn’t help but be struck by the honesty and perceptive scrutiny of these young authors. Then I looked at what I was writing when I was their age, and all I can say is that we have no cause to despair of today’s youth. A new generation of idealists is blooming.
Santa’s Chief Executive Elf, Jeanne Murphy reveals what makes Santa’s Workshop thrive with peak performance & morale.
Listen in: https://www.theartoftheceo.com/
Friday, November 16 Bart and Lorraine joined the guests as Governor Phil Murphy and his wife Tammy as they opened the doors of their Drumthwacket residence to celebrate Governor’s Cup Garden State Wine Awards. ‘Twas a glorious opportunity to celebrate & sample New Jersey’s exploding, world class wine industry, and for Bart & Lo to meet so many old friends they made in authoring The Garden State Wineries Guide.
Bart & Garry Pavlis NJ’s Prime Wine Judge and Guru toast the state’s winery explosion – now up to 50. Gary, who penned the forward for The Garden State Wineries Guide, runs tours statewide. 
Bart congratulates Louis Caracciolo, wizard vintner of world class Amalthea Cellars for winning the Best Red and Best Wine Overall in 2018
NJ Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher (left) and Bart prepare a bottle swap of their own homegrown wines.
Bart & Lorraine enjoy Drumthwacket’s gubernatorial hospitality, and celebrate The Governor’s Cup Awards with many wine-making friends.
Yesterday, 11 days prior to the midterm election, I joined in a spirited discussion about whether the US needed an electoral college. What made it enjoyable was that this was a discussion of gentlemen earnestly seeking an honest answer, none of whom came armed with an intractable opinion. As we hammered at the issue, one historical element came up several times: the founders of our nation felt that the great mass of people were too easily swayed and not quite bright enough to elect the best possible leaders in a straight popular vote. Their decisions would not, our nation-framers felt, be trustworthy.
I have no intent here to debate that assessment, or whether it was indeed the founders’ consensus. But allow me to hold out one warning: a whole host of forces involved in the political process seem actively intent on dragging you down to that level of incapability.
* Alas, too much of the media election reports focus on presenting the spectacle and speculation of the horse race. Discussion of issues, apparently, lack the byte-size appeal of your minimal attention span, and are shouldered aside for the latest news of who is nudging ahead of whom in the polls.
* The political parties, who amongst themselves currently refer to John Q. Public as “Joe Six-pack,” too often operate as if slime most motivates you. The more desperately they can tar the opponent, the more likely they are to settle for their candidate.
* Too many of our would-be public servants – those individual candidates tossing their hats in the political ring – have, I fear, swallowed a terrible myth: they believe the money alone wins elections. Your precious vote is for sale to the individual who can gather unto her/himself the grandest war chest – regardless of the source.
But you – the voter – still retain the power. And this fellow citizen begs you to take heart. Too much of media – too often political parties – and too many candidates are not all. Appearing on ballots everywhere are excellent, astute individuals dedicated to the public’s welfare. You have the ability and the time (oh, yes you do) to find those beneficial, devoted people who can and anxiously will strive to make ours a better nation. Special interests thrive only when there is a vacuum. So why don’t we fill the vacuum and take our citizenship seriously and show who really runs this nation? Shall we each individually prove to our founders and leaders that we’re a lot more capable of running our nation than they believe we are?
