Beautiful

Big hugs to all in Cabin 20 from Luis and Cindy.

Beautiful day in beautiful San Diego to discuss Into The Beautiful North. We were sitting just a bit north of Missionary Matt’s place. Full house, lots of laughs, lots of love, and lots of hugs.

Pix of Cindy, Luis and Michael Lennie (S.D. native, my literary attorney).
Cindy will write us all when she is able.

I'd Rather Live In Cabin 20

I’d Rather Live In Cabin 20
By Charlie Redner

I’d rather live in Cabin 20.

It’s cold outside the cabin then gets hot.
It rains sometimes and snow comes. Yuck!
There’s a war, make that two wars over there.
Khamenei and Korea both want nukes
like Saddam had in his closet.
Where will that lead?

As GM goes, so goes the Nation,
pay attention to where it landed – bankruptcy.
The economy is in the tank because
of the falling housing market,
caused by bad lending practices by good banks.

After bad bank loans, the “B’s” really took over:
With the promise of double digit profits,
one Bernie made off wilh Billions,
like in real, other people’s money,
even Bacon got himself fried in that dirty pan.
At the time, not even the magical,
mystical Berkshire’s Buffet
could even break-even.

Seems every other day a child goes missing
and never returns,
a loco, local shoots a dozen citizens,
and then kills himself.
Why, just once,
doesn’t the monster shoot himself first?

The stock market dropped as big-oil profits popped.
Has anyone launched a correlation study?

Global warming melts the ice caps
as al-Qaeda turns up the heat in Pakistan.

The Passion film maker builds his own church,
drives into a DUI, and cheats on his wife
while seeking salvation.

The United States constructs a wall
in order to maintain border security
but the Swine Flu pays the obstacle no attention
as do the drug cartels.

The loud sucking sound is jobs disappearing
into the black hole which we now all will view clearer
through the newly refurbished Hubble.

If you hear fear, depression and angst here – wrong!
I’m quite optimistic.
I believe the world will right itself.
The economic tsunami will subside.
Islamic radicalism will be here for
a long time to come but will lose its punch.

Jobs will return, just not the same jobs
that have already left our shores.
The auto industry will complete its crash and burn
and we will be better off for it.

Greed will always produce more crooks,
but not as many and they will not be able
to take as large a bite out of us.

Bad guys/some bad gals, on occasion,
will commit horrible crimes,
but that has gone on since time immemorial,
cable news brings more
to our conscience and keeps it there longer.

No, it’s just that it is so peaceful in Cabin 20,
one can’t blame one, can you,
for wanting to enter and not return
until times do get better in the real world?
Luis, where ever you are out there tonight
thank you, so very much
for this beautiful sanctuary.

Philly Hero -- not me -- guy on right

Spent Wednesday morning with an old Philly buddy at a local NBC station. He recently hit the grand slam: hardback, movie, soft cover; and he was able to see himself 20 ft. high on the big screen as the movie was his football biopic -- Invincible! Vince Papale is a local Philly hero – talk of a statue for him next to Rocky’s. Crashed into Jack Welch, ex GE chairman while in the green room.

Giardello Statue VBA Fund Raiser

Attended Giardello statue fund raiser today. Big turnout at the Veteran Boxers Association in northeast Philly. Met the organizer, John DiSanto; the artist, Carl LeVotch; and many old time friends, admirers of Joey. Traveled there with Rosalie and her son, Paul. Son Joseph came too. My aunt Frances and my cousins, Jamie and Christine attended. My aunt’s father was one of the original organizers of the VBA known as Ring One. Had a great time meeting that “olde gang of mine.”

New Name: Redner Ranch

Just renamed Blog to "Redner Ranch." Has a nice ring, eh?

Tucson Festival of Books

March 14, 2009, Tucson Festival of Books, University of Arizona Campus.
I asked local Tucson, TV news anchor, Tom McNamara how he’d gotten so lucky as to draw the Urrea moderator gig – he admitted that he didn’t know but delighted in the job. Following a brief introduction, all he had do, was to sit back and laugh his ass off like the rest of the 300 guests who packed the UofA Gallagher Theater for the presentation. Midway through the Urrea performance, McNamara interrupted once to ask if Luis had ever considered doing “standup.” Yes, it was that funny!

Subsequent to the hour plus talk, Luis challenged the notorious, beloved Elmore Leonard to a signing duel. Their tents erected side by side. The sun broke free from the clouds and warmed the desert air. The tense horde assembled, formed two orderly lines and it commenced. Sign, smile, sign, chat, smile, sign, sign, sign, and sign here, “to Alicia.” It was exhausting yet exhilarating to watch the 84 year-old hang-in there with the younger Turk. Tucson showed its love and respect to both authors. After what seemed an eternity, tired and arm weary, this admittedly biased, but honest observer, declared the contest a draw.

The 3:10 tooted as it passed through Tucson and the nearby Devil’s Highway headed for Yuma -- without incident.

As night descended, Urrea was last seen his signing arm packed in ice, wagon loaded to proceed north. He’d heard that there was a New Mexico town that knew about the “Devil’s Highway’ and the “Daughter.” It too was probably loaded with books requiring an Urrea scribble and/or a Hummingbird doodle.

A whip cracked and I heard Luis shout, “Giddy-up!”

A woman sat up straight and alert next to the driver, shotgun across her lap. It looked like -- it was, yes, Cinderella.

Giardello statue announced

(Joey Giardello, center in suit, surrounded by boxing champion friends after a 1972 Charity Exhibition. Son, Carman sits between his dad and great,Willie Pep)

Philadelphia's greatest middleweight boxer will be immortalized with a life-sized statue in his old South Philadelphia stomping grounds and the very heart of South Philly Boxing. The original bronze artwork by world renowned artist Carl LeVotch will be installed on the triangle of East Passyunk Avenue, South 13th Street and Mifflin Street - just one block from where the legendary Passyunk Gym stood and two blocks from the former site of the Alhambra fight club, both of which were Giardello haunts during his legendary Hall of Fame career.

The statue project is a non-profit effort (501.c.3) being conducted by a partnership between the Veteran Boxers Association-Ring One, the Harrowgate Boxing Club and Philly Boxing History. On web site, www.joeygiardello.net you can find up to date information about the project, including the development of the statue, the status of our fund-raising efforts, and ways you can contribute through donations, sponsorships, and the purchase of exclusive Joey Giardello merchandise items.

The finished statue will not only honor Joey Giardello, it will be a tribute to boxing itself and a fine public art piece in the middle of the bustling East Passyunk district. Please get involved and help us make this happen. We can not do this without your interest and support.


To make a contribution, make your check or money order payable to:
"Harrowgate Boxing Club / Giardello Statue" and mail it to: Boxing Statue, P.O. Box 428, Sewell, NJ 08080