Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie.

Tip-off time approaching

I remain, despite the embarassing state of my belove Knicks franchise, a fan of the NBA. Last year’s playoffs, for instance, were thrilling — watching LeBron James come into his own but then run smack into the remarkable Spurs, a team that in many ways reminds me of the Knick title teams of yore.

This year features a lot of expectations for one of the league’s marquee teams — the Celtics — thanks to a pair of trades that make Boston the Eastern Conference’s most talented squad; another likely title run by the Spurs; a soap opera in Lakerland; what is likely to be the final run for the most exciting team in the league (the Suns, which will need to do some reconstruction if they fail to get to the finals this year); and an embarassing referee scandal.

The Knicks open Friday agaisnt LeBron in Cleveland. My prediction is another mediocre year, with the team approaching .500 — figure between 38 and 42 wins — and finishing behind the Celtics and the Nets in a weak division while sneaking into the playoffs (maybe).

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.

Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.

Runner’s diary, Tuesday

Cold outside, but it felt good to be out after a few days on the treadmill. I thought about staying in, but I have to get myself acclimated to the weather if I am to stay on the road through the next few months.

Five miles today in 43:50, which means I’m doing a good job of keeping my pace up.

Music: Bob Dylan, Modern Times

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.

Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.

Enough with the mud

This has gotten a bit too stereotypical — trading half-truths and ugly barbs, a seemingly desperate candidate, another staying above the fray but relying on his running mates to take the battle to his opponents and a venal outside group lobbing bombs from outside the playing field.

Voters need to remember the issues in this year’s campaign in the 14th legislative district:

1. Property taxes and tax reform
2. The governor’s monetization program
2. Ethics in government
3. The environment
4. Civil unions and same-sex marriage
5. Affordable housing
6. Infrastructure

This election is not supposed to be about the mud. When you go into the voting booth next week, remember that.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

E-mail me by clicking here.

Email me at grassroots at comcast dot net.