Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Mickey Z. does his yin/yang thang remembering Nagasaki & Gimbel's
Was that the Yorkville Gimbels, Mickey? If it is, during the same time frame you were working there, I went to the record store across the street and got Cheech and Chongs Big Bambu album—for the skits, of course. The paper was way too big
Posted by Harry on from 08/09 at 05:27 AMIt was the “main” Gimbel’s, next to Korvette’s and Macy’s at Herald Square (when it was still sleazy).
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 08/09 at 05:29 AMGreat story, Mickey…
My memories of the blackout in ‘77 are pretty foggy.
I was in Jersey City for the last black out. I jumped on a ferry and then walked back home across the Brooklyn Bridge. It got so crowded on one side (inbound to Manhattan) that I climbed through the girders running through the middle of the bridge to the other side and made it to Brooklyn in record time.
It was a beautiful, hot, sunny day and people were out on their stoops drinking beer and having fun. When I reached a main intersection on Atlantic Ave, one of the local characters was directing traffic using fluorescent orange flags, kind of like he was taxiing airplanes off a runway.
When I got home my apartment was filled with stranded people (mostly women and all social workers) from my wife’s job down the street...including one woman who was 8 1/2 months pregnant. It was so hot that she was sitting in the shaded part of our back yard with her belly fully exposed and her feet dangling in a big plastic tub filled with cold water.
I went out to get supplies...to the wine store around the corner. There was no electricity, so credit cards were useless, but the owner ended up letting me take about ten bottles (some still cold) with a promise to pay him later.
We had quite a party and ended up falling sleep at four in the morning on blankets spread out in the grass. I love blackouts.
Posted by James on from Puerto Rico 08/09 at 07:49 AMIt’s cliche now, but that summer (1977) was unique: blackout, Son of Sam, Yanks win first Series in 16 years. I’m not sure if NY could ever feel that way again.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 08/09 at 10:46 AMA fine article at ICH, Mickey. I’m going to purchase a copy of “No Good War,” and a copy of “Fifty Revolutions...,” Today. I thought I should let you know. Time to read some serious MickeyZ.
I also enjoyed the Gimbles piece. In 72, after I got out of the Navy, I worked at a shoe store on 34th & 5th, almost at the cornor, right across from the Empire State Building. Tourists used to come in and ask: “Can someone tell us where the Empire State Building is?”
Amazing neighborhood, especially at Christmas time. Your story brought back lots of memories.
Also memories of “washroom” experiences, etc.. Such things were really common when I was in the Navy, in the area of a base. Imagine, a place which houses maybe 50,000 guys undere 25… It seemed like people traveled from all over the world just to say: “Hello, sailor.” I guess it would be similar if there was a place which housed 50,000 women, under 25, eh?
Nice work, Mickey.Posted by joe on from Oregon 08/09 at 07:47 PMThanks for buying the books, Joe. I’d love to hear your feedback when you get a chance.
As for 34th Street, yeah, Xmas was a trip. I worked in the Gimbel’s toy department one year (all the toys I could steal...whoopee).
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 08/09 at 08:04 PMHey, I got a few ( ah, all too few ) bucks ahead and thought about your books, right away. There are posts here, occassionally, from people who have awakened a bit from their “American Slumbers,” because of your books. That’s pretty high praise.
“50 American Revolutions” should be here in a few weeks, and “No Good War” should arrive in October. I’ll have a couple of great reads, and more ammunition for the seemingly endless battle…
Thanks for writing them, Mickey.
Writing a book has to be an enormous undertaking…
- joePosted by joe on from Oregon 08/09 at 10:08 PMI genuinely love to write, Joe. If I had the financial freedom and the interest from enough publishers, I’d write 4-5 books a year.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 08/10 at 04:30 AMlucky you.
i love having written. writing is another matter.
Posted by michael on from scotland 08/10 at 07:58 AMLucky is right, Michael. I try to remember that each day.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 08/10 at 09:18 AM‘Homosexual propositions’?? Sounds kinky Mickey!
And may I ask how old you are or do you reveal that somewhere on your most excellent site? My memory lets me down more and more these days ..
Full disclosure: I am 54 and have only been to Queens once in my life (except for being driven through it on my way to and from the two main NYC airports of course).Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 08/10 at 05:48 PMHelga, this year I celebrated the 25th anniversary of my 20th birthday.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 08/10 at 05:54 PMThanks Mickey! That makes you 9 years younger than I am, if my calculations are correct ..
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 08/10 at 07:42 PMThat’s 63 in dog years for those keepng score at home.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 08/10 at 07:51 PMWhy don’t you post some of the racist words and images of the Japanese? How do you think they got their soldiers to rape and murder the Chinese or spray bubonic plague on villages or do medical experiments on prisoners or use Korean women as sex slaves?
Do you really think U.S. actions in the war are as bad? I think the record shows that it isn’t.
The Japanese have gotten off pretty lightly for the atrocities they’ve committed. This is why Asians still view Japan with suspiscion and why the Chinese rioted over Japanese textbooks which whitewashed the war.
The Japanese are “credited” with the deaths of 27 million during the war and numerous atrocities.
You should really do better research and present both sides of the story. By not doing this, you come off as an ignorant propagandist. There is a difference between being self-educated and ignorant.
Do your research before you shoot your mouth off:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Japanese_war_atrocitiesPosted by Harry Nalgaski on from 08/12 at 02:58 PMHarry, the horrendous crimes of the Japanese are well-documented and no one needs me to rehash them. However, the lesser known crimes of the U.S. need to be exposed if we wish to have a more well-rounded perspective.
I invite you to read my upcoming book, “There is No Good War,” before you judge whether or not I’ve done my “research.”
Thanks for taking time to comment.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 08/12 at 03:05 PM
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