Hate mail goes to the address on the left. No bullets, please.
Fan mail goes to the one in the middle.
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
The King of Funny Faces
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
Friday, November 20, 2009
Write to the King of Funny Faces
There are two addresses here:
Hate mail goes to the address on the left. No bullets, please.
Fan mail goes to the one in the middle.
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
The King of Funny Faces
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
Hate mail goes to the address on the left. No bullets, please.
Fan mail goes to the one in the middle.
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
The King of Funny Faces
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Erik Visited Kwame Nkrumah's Tomb
Accra, Ghana, July 1995 - I went to Ghana with a group of college students and professors from West Chester and Temple Universities. The first place we went to was the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park.
It is designed to look like a tree stump to signify "The Big Tree Has Fallen." Big Tree is an affectionate term that Ghanaians use to call their leader.
Kwame Nkrumah was the first president of The Republic of Ghana, which is the first African country to obtain independence from one of it's European colonists in 1957. He wrote a lot of books about the struggle for independence. He used many of Mahatma Gandhi's techniques. Mostly forgotten in many parts of the West now, he was almost as influential as Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1950's and 1960's. It was a great honor to visit his mausoleum on the first day of our trip.
I would like to thank Dr. Nelson Keith of West Chester University, who was our Big Tree. I also want to thank my Nye Bro, Dr. Padmore E. Agbemebiese, the Chief of the Abor Village in the Volta Region of Ghana, for taking us there.
That whole trip was profoundly influential on me in my formative years. I promise to post more blogs about the Slave Castles, Mensah Village and other events in Kumasi, Accra, the Volta Region and elsewhere around Ghana.
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
The King of Funny Faces
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
It is designed to look like a tree stump to signify "The Big Tree Has Fallen." Big Tree is an affectionate term that Ghanaians use to call their leader.
Kwame Nkrumah was the first president of The Republic of Ghana, which is the first African country to obtain independence from one of it's European colonists in 1957. He wrote a lot of books about the struggle for independence. He used many of Mahatma Gandhi's techniques. Mostly forgotten in many parts of the West now, he was almost as influential as Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1950's and 1960's. It was a great honor to visit his mausoleum on the first day of our trip.
I would like to thank Dr. Nelson Keith of West Chester University, who was our Big Tree. I also want to thank my Nye Bro, Dr. Padmore E. Agbemebiese, the Chief of the Abor Village in the Volta Region of Ghana, for taking us there.
That whole trip was profoundly influential on me in my formative years. I promise to post more blogs about the Slave Castles, Mensah Village and other events in Kumasi, Accra, the Volta Region and elsewhere around Ghana.
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
The King of Funny Faces
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
THE FREE JAMES TITUS MOVEMENT HAS BEGUN
PRESS RELEASE
From The Desk of: Erik B. Anderson Contact: Erik - 908-979-3493
THE FREE JAMES TITUS MOVEMENT HAS BEGUN
November 7, 2009 - Erik B. Anderson, a resident of Independence Township (NJ), today asked Governor Jon Corzine to pardon James Titus, the man found guilty of the 1886 rape and murder of Tillie Smith in Hackettstown. In the book In Defence of Her Honor: The Tillie Smith Murder Case by Denis Sullivan, it is written:
A careful reading of the trial transcript supports the argument that Titus' guilt was never established beyond reasonable doubt. The state never proved that rape had been committed at the time and place alleged, let alone that Titus had committed it. (Chapter Eight; Page 124)Mr. Anderson wrote:
In his letter to the Governor,
James Titus was a small, frail, young man. His father committed suicide when he was only fifteen. He was prone to what we would call panic attacks today….He was terrified. They were going to hang him! He was able to stay alive by signing a confession, but in exchange he had to serve nineteen years doing hard labor at the New Jersey State Prison. The Reverend who said a prayer at the “last public rite that will ever be offered to poor Tillie Smith” at the Union Cemetery, after it was all over, said: “We regret, O God, to-day that there has been so much leniency shown the murderer in this case (NY Times, Nov. 24, 1887).”
Reverends are supposed to be compassionate! That one wasn’t. Please be compassionate, President Governor Corzine!
The Free James Titus Movement is something that has been building up inside Mr. Anderson for a long time. “It’s just bizarre that whenever I hear anyone talk about Tillie Smith, they get real quiet and tell uncomfortable jokes. This is a rape and murder we’re talking about, not a Halloween legend. I’m tired of living in so-called Weird New Jersey,” he says. Expect an online presence: a petition, a blog, a MySpace page, a Facebook group and more. “A Pardon is something that should happen. It is plain as day that there was reasonable doubt. The fact it occurred over 120 years ago makes it even more imperative that a Pardon happen as soon as possible. The real killer is still out there. Why would anyone want to stop this?”
Every American Citizen Has A Moral Obligation To Circulate Petitions, Write Letters, And Do What They Can To Free James Titus.
*********************
Erik B. Anderson is a performing artist, a scholar and a concerned citizen. In 1996, he worked as an intern at the Chester County Historical Society Museum and Library when he was a Sociology major at West Chester University (PA). He won a debate with William F. Buckley, Jr. that same year. His other achievements include: visiting slave castles in Ghana in 1995; managing a Campaign Office in Hackettstown for Congressional Candidate Anne Wolfe in 2004; and, helping True Crime author Ann Rule (The Stranger Beside Me: The True Inside Story of Serial Killer Ted Bundy) in 2002.
#30#
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Traffic is a Serious Problem in Hackettstown
Hackettstown sits at the bottom of Schooley's Mountain. The Musconetcong river turns west towards Philipsburg where the Golden Skillet, which is one of the last privately owned Fast Food restaurants in New Jersey. It's a classic. In fact, it was my father's favorite restaurant, but it also would be nice if we could knock it down and build a road over where it is, so that we could reduce traffic on Mountain Avenue making it not the most dangerous road in New Jersey anymore. Here's a letter I am proud of that I wrote to the Warren Reporter about this issue.
Click on picture to read Erik's letter.
I didn't choose the title "Shame on state". I wasn't trying to blast them. It is just a difficult situation.
Most of the bypass would affect Washington Township (Morris County) but most of the benefit would go to the Town of Hackettstown, so, if the Highlands Council were to permit, it's very much Washington Township's decision to do it or not. But, as you know, in Northwest New Jersey, everybody watches Fox News and listens to Rush Limbaugh (at least all the elected officials do), so there is a slim chance in hell that.
Also, this fight is not even a problem because the Highlands Council has designated all of Washington Township (Morris County) a protected territory, so they aren't developing anything on the other side of the Musconetcong. The Highlands Act and the Highlands Council is very controversial in Northwest New Jersey. Most of the rest of the state gets it's water from up here, and the residents up here don't like it.
Just google "Highlands Act NJ" or "Highlands Council NJ" and you'll see what I mean.
Here are just a few resources you can look at to find out more, if you want:
-New Jersey Highlands Council (Official Website)
-New Jersey Highlands Council - Master Plan
-Environmental Controversy, New Jersey Style: The Highlands Council and the NJ DEP - NJ.com Blog
-Lower affordable-housing quotas by Highlands Council might entice towns to follow its plan - Hunterdon County Democrat
-Landowners looking to take Highlands lawsuit to New Jersey Supreme Court - Express-Times
and the most recent news from my Township:
-Independence Township rejects state Highlands law mandate- Express-Times, Nov. 14, 2009
So I hope that makes you aware of what is perhaps the most pressing issue in Northwest New Jersey. It's all inter-related. If you think of something you can do to help, like go to a meeting and speak out, or write a letter, please do it. We need all the help we can get.
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
Click on picture to read Erik's letter.
I didn't choose the title "Shame on state". I wasn't trying to blast them. It is just a difficult situation.
Most of the bypass would affect Washington Township (Morris County) but most of the benefit would go to the Town of Hackettstown, so, if the Highlands Council were to permit, it's very much Washington Township's decision to do it or not. But, as you know, in Northwest New Jersey, everybody watches Fox News and listens to Rush Limbaugh (at least all the elected officials do), so there is a slim chance in hell that.
Also, this fight is not even a problem because the Highlands Council has designated all of Washington Township (Morris County) a protected territory, so they aren't developing anything on the other side of the Musconetcong. The Highlands Act and the Highlands Council is very controversial in Northwest New Jersey. Most of the rest of the state gets it's water from up here, and the residents up here don't like it.
Just google "Highlands Act NJ" or "Highlands Council NJ" and you'll see what I mean.
Here are just a few resources you can look at to find out more, if you want:
-New Jersey Highlands Council (Official Website)
-New Jersey Highlands Council - Master Plan
-Environmental Controversy, New Jersey Style: The Highlands Council and the NJ DEP - NJ.com Blog
-Lower affordable-housing quotas by Highlands Council might entice towns to follow its plan - Hunterdon County Democrat
-Landowners looking to take Highlands lawsuit to New Jersey Supreme Court - Express-Times
and the most recent news from my Township:
-Independence Township rejects state Highlands law mandate- Express-Times, Nov. 14, 2009
So I hope that makes you aware of what is perhaps the most pressing issue in Northwest New Jersey. It's all inter-related. If you think of something you can do to help, like go to a meeting and speak out, or write a letter, please do it. We need all the help we can get.
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
Hackettstown Needs More Trains
I do not condone graffiti or vandalism, but I do sympathize with this criminal's message:
Someone wrote "We need more trains!" on the NJ Transit train schedule at the Hackettstown Station.
It also says, "Get more people living here." There is a diagram of a house and a train station. In between the house there is the phras "f'ing done", which is an abbreviated version of a vulgar word commonly used to vent frustration when someone is overwhelmed. Under the house, it says:
The King of Funny Faces' blog does not make any claim that the facts cited in this graffiti are accurate. The number is a Fanwood exchange. I have no idea if it is a home number or a business. I hope it is the number to the firm that did the study that determined the diessel fuel cost. I wouldn't know what to say if I called, really. It might be the vandalizer, so I am nervous about interfering with a police investigation.
It's true. There are only three trains in the morning and three trains in the evening that come to Hackettstownk, which is the end of the Morris-Sussex line. Here is an article I read a few weeks ago about the new Mt. Arlington train station on the Morris-Essex line. It is only about a year old, and it only gets an average of about 80 passengers a day. It's going to be a long time, before it makes a profit. But, again, with only six trains coming through a day, no wonder it only gets a few passengers.
I am not the only person around here who is for more mass transit. This letter to the editor is titled We need more mass transit.
I hope you get my point. Finally, here is a video I made just after I took the picture of the graffiti above. There were three people to my left, and the rest of the car was empty. Riding the train can be fun, especially if you've got an iPod playing Iggy Pop songs like I often do:
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
The King of Funny Faces
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
Someone wrote "We need more trains!" on the NJ Transit train schedule at the Hackettstown Station.
It also says, "Get more people living here." There is a diagram of a house and a train station. In between the house there is the phras "f'ing done", which is an abbreviated version of a vulgar word commonly used to vent frustration when someone is overwhelmed. Under the house, it says:
"Do you know what 2500 gls of diesel fuel cost?
National Average: $6, 528.50"
Call 908-889-2424
if you have any questions."
The King of Funny Faces' blog does not make any claim that the facts cited in this graffiti are accurate. The number is a Fanwood exchange. I have no idea if it is a home number or a business. I hope it is the number to the firm that did the study that determined the diessel fuel cost. I wouldn't know what to say if I called, really. It might be the vandalizer, so I am nervous about interfering with a police investigation.
It's true. There are only three trains in the morning and three trains in the evening that come to Hackettstownk, which is the end of the Morris-Sussex line. Here is an article I read a few weeks ago about the new Mt. Arlington train station on the Morris-Essex line. It is only about a year old, and it only gets an average of about 80 passengers a day. It's going to be a long time, before it makes a profit. But, again, with only six trains coming through a day, no wonder it only gets a few passengers.
I am not the only person around here who is for more mass transit. This letter to the editor is titled We need more mass transit.
I hope you get my point. Finally, here is a video I made just after I took the picture of the graffiti above. There were three people to my left, and the rest of the car was empty. Riding the train can be fun, especially if you've got an iPod playing Iggy Pop songs like I often do:
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
The King of Funny Faces
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
Sunday, November 8, 2009
REVIEW: Oedipus The King - Pax Amicus Theatre - Nov. 8, 2009
- Oedipus the King -
I haven't seen any other performances of Oedipus the King, so I can't verify the autheniticity of his claim for sure, but it is certainly the best one I have ever seen. It definitely sets a very high standard that any company that tries to perform it again in my presence is going to have to contend with.
The performance was dark and scary and well done, like a good tragedy should. I remember thinking that the way the actors moved and spoke were remarkable long before I heard Mr. Barber make his claim. The characters literally jumped out at the audience. The closing of the first Act was positively haunting. The chorus seemed to literally float out over the audience and evaporate when the lights went dark.
The dialogue in the play, from a 1984 translation from the Ancient Greek by Don Taylor XIII, was equally impressive.
In the beginning of the play, Oedipus (Jordan Feltner), a member of the royal family of neighboring Corinth who married the Queen of Thebes after her husband was murdered (ostensibly by bandits and thieves) is determined to find out who killed the previous king. It remains a mystery how Oedipus has been unaware of the circumstances of his predecessors' murder for so long, but what is known is that he is determined to find out the truth. He is prepared to grant mercy on the perpetrator if he shows himself, but none if he tries to hide. A prophet accuses him of the murder in an early scene and then the madness begins. Oedipus' uncle/brother-in-law Creon (Daniel Kisala) was as wise as a character can get. He defended himself admirably against the King's unreasonable accusations. He is the true hero of the play, and the second-most highly developed character. Jocasta (Cynthia Enfield) is listed second on the playbill, but her character is not as highly developed as Creon.
Jocasta is not qa wicked queen who seduced her own son. All the characters in the play are sympathetic. Oedipus is truly not an evil man, even though he is a mass murderer. He is a well-meaning king and father who saved the citizens of Thebes (his "children") by solving the Riddle of the Sphinx. But, like many great men, he was driven insane by circumstances completely beyond his control. Jocasta's declaration that her Son/Husband is a doomed man when she sends him into exile is not a personal attack, or an insult intended to hurt the man. It is just a fact: something that needs to be said. And that is what makes it genuinely more horrifying than any of the torture-porn movies that are produced in the cinema these days.
Sophocles' Oedipus the King is a tragedy in the truest sense. The story of the doomed king of Thebes, who was prophesised to kill his own father and then fall in love with and marry his mother. It has been a classic since it came out 2420 years ago. It inspired an entire psychoanalytic theory. If it has stayed alive for 2420 years, it will probably influences the world forever. It is essential viewing for anyone with an interest in psychology, psychoanalysis, psychiatry, ancient history and tragedy.
There is still three more performances in Budd Lake. Catch them if you can.
I am very pleased that this production was a success at Pax Amicus, which has been the local Community Theatre in my area since before I was born. I have a picture of me outside the Castle Theater (which anyone can see from the road if they look across Budd Lake from Route 46) greeting an actor in an animal costume in the late 1970's. I have been looking for it...when I find it, I will be sure to update this blog again and post at least a link to it.
Someday, I would be very happy to be able to audition (and get a part) at this theatre. You know I will post about that, too. I have been critical of Pax Amicus in the past. I feel bad now. I feel like I was close-minded and boneheaded, but I know now that was not a sensible way to proceed.
Long live Pax Amicus Castle Theatre! Long Live Stan Barber! Long Live Jordan Feltner, Cynthia Enfield and Daniel Kisala! Long live everyone involved with this production!
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
The King of Funny Faces
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
The King of Funny Faces with the Royal Family of Thebes
Pax Amicus Theatre, Budd Lake, NJ - Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009 - 2PM
The King of Funny Faces' Review
Cross-posted here.
************
"This is the best production of Oedipus that has ever been done."
Stan Barber didn't mind saying so, after his own production today of Oedipus the King at Pax Amicus Castle Theatre in Budd Lake, New Jersey. He has been leading the Theatre Group there for 39 seasons. Then he said, "I'm sorry" with a smirk and a shrug of his shoulder like Mohammed Ali. In other words, Stan Barber is prepared to defend that claim if anyone out there - anyone in the whole world - were to try to take him to task for saying it.
I haven't seen any other performances of Oedipus the King, so I can't verify the autheniticity of his claim for sure, but it is certainly the best one I have ever seen. It definitely sets a very high standard that any company that tries to perform it again in my presence is going to have to contend with.
The performance was dark and scary and well done, like a good tragedy should. I remember thinking that the way the actors moved and spoke were remarkable long before I heard Mr. Barber make his claim. The characters literally jumped out at the audience. The closing of the first Act was positively haunting. The chorus seemed to literally float out over the audience and evaporate when the lights went dark.
The dialogue in the play, from a 1984 translation from the Ancient Greek by Don Taylor XIII, was equally impressive.
"Scorns! Hurricanes! Let them come!""It must go on! I must know the truth!"
and, in a softer voice that is even more chilling:
"Why should I take pilgimages...to any holy place..if the gods' warnings provoke laughter, and no thought of what comes after?"
In the beginning of the play, Oedipus (Jordan Feltner), a member of the royal family of neighboring Corinth who married the Queen of Thebes after her husband was murdered (ostensibly by bandits and thieves) is determined to find out who killed the previous king. It remains a mystery how Oedipus has been unaware of the circumstances of his predecessors' murder for so long, but what is known is that he is determined to find out the truth. He is prepared to grant mercy on the perpetrator if he shows himself, but none if he tries to hide. A prophet accuses him of the murder in an early scene and then the madness begins. Oedipus' uncle/brother-in-law Creon (Daniel Kisala) was as wise as a character can get. He defended himself admirably against the King's unreasonable accusations. He is the true hero of the play, and the second-most highly developed character. Jocasta (Cynthia Enfield) is listed second on the playbill, but her character is not as highly developed as Creon.
Jocasta is not qa wicked queen who seduced her own son. All the characters in the play are sympathetic. Oedipus is truly not an evil man, even though he is a mass murderer. He is a well-meaning king and father who saved the citizens of Thebes (his "children") by solving the Riddle of the Sphinx. But, like many great men, he was driven insane by circumstances completely beyond his control. Jocasta's declaration that her Son/Husband is a doomed man when she sends him into exile is not a personal attack, or an insult intended to hurt the man. It is just a fact: something that needs to be said. And that is what makes it genuinely more horrifying than any of the torture-porn movies that are produced in the cinema these days.
Sophocles' Oedipus the King is a tragedy in the truest sense. The story of the doomed king of Thebes, who was prophesised to kill his own father and then fall in love with and marry his mother. It has been a classic since it came out 2420 years ago. It inspired an entire psychoanalytic theory. If it has stayed alive for 2420 years, it will probably influences the world forever. It is essential viewing for anyone with an interest in psychology, psychoanalysis, psychiatry, ancient history and tragedy.
There is still three more performances in Budd Lake. Catch them if you can.
Monday, November 16 - 10 pm
I am very pleased that this production was a success at Pax Amicus, which has been the local Community Theatre in my area since before I was born. I have a picture of me outside the Castle Theater (which anyone can see from the road if they look across Budd Lake from Route 46) greeting an actor in an animal costume in the late 1970's. I have been looking for it...when I find it, I will be sure to update this blog again and post at least a link to it.
Someday, I would be very happy to be able to audition (and get a part) at this theatre. You know I will post about that, too. I have been critical of Pax Amicus in the past. I feel bad now. I feel like I was close-minded and boneheaded, but I know now that was not a sensible way to proceed.
Long live Pax Amicus Castle Theatre! Long Live Stan Barber! Long Live Jordan Feltner, Cynthia Enfield and Daniel Kisala! Long live everyone involved with this production!
Warm Regards,
Erik B. Anderson
The King of Funny Faces
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
From bottom left: Creon, Jocasta, The K.o.F.F. and Oedipus the King
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Erik Got A Ruling from The American Heritage Dictionary Usage Panel
June 1, 2009
Erik B. Anderson
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
Erik B. Anderson
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
Mary Huot
c/o Huoghton Mifflin Company
222 Berkeley St.
Boston, MA 02116
Dear Ms. Huot:
I am doing some research for my autobiography and I need your help.I need to know if the word "ironically" is used incorrectly in the three short articles I am including in this letter.
An article on Wikipedia says:
The American Heritage Dictionary’s usage panel found it unacceptable to use the word ironic to describe mere unfortunate coincidences or surprising disappointments that "suggest no particular lessons about human vanity or folly."
c/o Huoghton Mifflin Company
222 Berkeley St.
Boston, MA 02116
Dear Ms. Huot:
I am doing some research for my autobiography and I need your help.I need to know if the word "ironically" is used incorrectly in the three short articles I am including in this letter.
An article on Wikipedia says:
The American Heritage Dictionary’s usage panel found it unacceptable to use the word ironic to describe mere unfortunate coincidences or surprising disappointments that "suggest no particular lessons about human vanity or folly."
This is my argument:
1. The fact that James Titus was wrongly convicted of rape and murder, served 19 years in prison and lived in Hackettstown for almost 50 years is a "surprising disappointment."
2. The fact that the scene of the crime burned down on Halloween night, 1899, is another "surprising coincidence." [The HackettstownHistory.com article "Fall Into Halloween" is no longer online].
and
3. The fact that Marilyn Manson torched his drummer's drum kit on the night before the last show of the tour in the winter of 1995 is...well it's not a coincidence or a surprise knowing what I know about the last night of the tour that ended in December 11, 1995, but it most certainly does not suggest( any particular lessons about human vanity or folly.
So, the word ironically is used incorrectly in each of these documents, and the reasons for these events have not been adequately explained. I believe the real answers to these questions are very important indeed.
Can you confirm if I have used the correct argument to determine that it is incorrect usage already? Is there a formal process to request a "ruling"?
I cannot ask Webster's, because the third definition of irony in Webster's New World College Dictionary: Fourth Edition (page 755) calls it: "a combination of circumstances or a result that that is the opposite of what is or might be expected or considered appropriate [an irony that the firehouse burned]."
I appreciate the fact that you are there. This is very important to me on a personal level. Is there anything more that I can do?
Sincerely,
Erik B. Anderson
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
************
1. The fact that James Titus was wrongly convicted of rape and murder, served 19 years in prison and lived in Hackettstown for almost 50 years is a "surprising disappointment."
2. The fact that the scene of the crime burned down on Halloween night, 1899, is another "surprising coincidence." [The HackettstownHistory.com article "Fall Into Halloween" is no longer online].
and
3. The fact that Marilyn Manson torched his drummer's drum kit on the night before the last show of the tour in the winter of 1995 is...well it's not a coincidence or a surprise knowing what I know about the last night of the tour that ended in December 11, 1995, but it most certainly does not suggest( any particular lessons about human vanity or folly.
So, the word ironically is used incorrectly in each of these documents, and the reasons for these events have not been adequately explained. I believe the real answers to these questions are very important indeed.
Can you confirm if I have used the correct argument to determine that it is incorrect usage already? Is there a formal process to request a "ruling"?
I cannot ask Webster's, because the third definition of irony in Webster's New World College Dictionary: Fourth Edition (page 755) calls it: "a combination of circumstances or a result that that is the opposite of what is or might be expected or considered appropriate [an irony that the firehouse burned]."
I appreciate the fact that you are there. This is very important to me on a personal level. Is there anything more that I can do?
Sincerely,
Erik B. Anderson
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782
************
Click on image to read letter.
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