Driving Tips, William and Kate and Some Good Books to Read

Drivers beware – if you thought the construction on Peninsula Blvd. was something to bemoan or the streets being ripped-up in the back of Lawrence, watch out for the Westbound side of Rockaway Turnpike from the 5 Towns Mall up to the airport. Every night lately from about nine or so they’re busy ripping up the pavement and putting down fresh asphalt complete with closing off two lanes, giant portable stadium lights, the aroma of fresh molten tar wafting in the air and gigantic delays getting to JFK and points North.

Additionally, on the Northbound Van Wyck Expressway they’re engaged in similar endeavors from JFK right up to the Grand Central split, also closing two lanes. If you have a desire to spend and hour and a half going to LaGuardia at 10:00 p.m. then by all means take the Rockaway to Van Wyck route. My recommendation – head up Francis Lewis Blvd. to the Cross Island or Mill Road to Merrick Road to the CIP as well.

If you are stuck in terrible late night traffic it helps to have satellite radio. Be aware that Sirius/XM has changed their entire channel line-up so that hardly any of your radio preset buttons will now land you on your favorite stations (you’ve probably figured this out already). Maddening. And we pay for this. Hard enough changing the time in the car when we hit Daylight Savings Time. Now we have to reprogram the radio presets. Great.

The Royal Wedding

Last Friday William and Kate tied the knot at Westminster Abbey followed by a couple of soirees at Buckingham Palace. Now those two venues probably can’t compare to The Sephardic Temple or The Sands in Atlantic Beach but somehow I’m sure the royal family managed to get through it all nevertheless.

Last Saturday, New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser wrote a scathing screed about the wedding charging that it was “disturbingly white,” Peyser asserted that “I saw not a potential queen…Kate bore the look of a lithe human sacrifice…in her eyes terror.” Peyser went on to state that “Kate did her best to paint on a smile…as the royal mob made asses of themselves…to give Kate the once-over like a hunk of meat.” She added finally that “Brits in T-shirts and jeans gathered for days to catch a glimpse of the white folks riding to Buckingham Palace…”

Me thinks Ms. Peyser doth protest too much. Speaking as a certified Jewish-American Prince myself, let me address Peyser’s points – Of course the royal wedding was full of white people. England is ground zero for world WASPY-ness and the bullseye at this ground zero is the royal family. How many minorities does one find at the average Jewish or Italian or Irish wedding? How many white folks at a Saudi wedding or nuptials in Swaziland? People invite their nearest and dearest to weddings and that means family first and foremost. The royals are white. So what?

“Human sacrifice?” Ms. Middleton dated Willie for eight years and this was no shotgun wedding. She is a 29 year-old grown woman not a naïve 19 year-old. She knew she was marrying into. Also, some people actually want to get married. No need to feel sorry for the girl. Kate just married one of the world’s wealthiest men, will be living in palaces and traveling the world. Not too shabby if you go for that sort of thing.

“Terror?” Hey Andrea, ever been married? Everyone is scared to death at their wedding even if it’s just in front of 100 people in a restaurant and not 2,000 at a cathedral. Everyone attending a wedding takes a long look at the bride as she makes her way down the isle, probably no more or less than those gazing at Kate. That’s why brides across the world make such a fuss over their appearance on their wedding days. And for the album. Finally, for some reason we Americans can’t totally fathom or relate to, the Brits on the whole idolize the Monarchy and see the royals as the President and Hollywood rolled into one. Our celebrity-obsessed culture deifies people of much less worth, so if Brits want to catch a glimpse of the bride and groom, more power to them.

The British are entitled to their own culture, to their own heritage. In the pluralistic multi-cultural politically correct world everyone’s diversity is celebrated except for white people, who somehow are the source of all evil. The British are one of the founts of what used to be called “Western Civilization,” which used to be a good thing. Regarding Will and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (the original one, not the one next to Boston) I wish them much happiness. Marriage is tough. Billions make it easier. And the next time I tie the knot, I’ll be looking for one of those fancy British redcoat uniforms to wear, provided that my Jewish-American Princess allows me to.

Two Great Reads

In recognition of Holocaust Rembrance Day last week and Israeli Independence Day this week, I recommend two books I just finished. First is Michael B. Oren’s “Six Days of War,” about the June 1967 war. Oren, now Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S., wrote this book about 10 years ago and it is quite simply as the Philadelphia Inquirer says, “a magisterial work.” What makes the book special are all the interviews Oren conducted with former Egyptian and Jordanian generals and officials, opening a window to the Arab state of mind in the conflict that has generally not been reported and is fascinating for its perspective. Combine that with intimate details of how the war was run from the Israeli side and you have a riveting read.

Second is “The Eichmann Trial” by noted historian Deborah E. Lipstadt. This is a new, short book examining the impact of the trial of Adolf Eichmann on history and the world at the time and how the Israeli prosecutors ran the proceedings. Also rife with never before revealed details and insights, Lipstadt makes us privy to real-time drama and dialog that puts you in the visitors’ gallery. A compelling story today in light of all the Eichmann wannabees prancing about. You’ll get through this book in a day. Excellently written.