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Paul Goldfinger photo. 6/5/22  A. Park. Pride. Blogfinger.net  Click once to enlarge all photos,

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Paul Goldfinger photo. Asbury Park 6/5/22 ©  Blogfinger.net

So, what’s her story? Paul Goldfinger photo. Blogfinger.net ©

By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor, Blogfinger.net   Ocean Grove, NJ, USA

I know that the rainbow is the symbol of LGBTQ pride, and everyone around me would be shooting in color, so I decided on black and white for my photo coverage this time.

There were thousands of people assembled on Cookman Avenue for the Pride parade that kicked off at noon sharp.  As predicted, various gay factions were represented, and there were plenty of garter belts, leather, ripped muscles, smiley and tough lesbians, tattoos out the wazoo, marching bands, floats and souvenirs handed out along the route. There were gay cops,, high school kids, and gay seniors marching.

High school kids from Rumson. Paul Goldfinger photo. © Blogfinger.net

Girls just want to have fun. Paul Goldfinger photo. 6/5/22 ©

The noise was pervasive with lots of hoots, hollers, and whistles.  There were few Asbury cops around, and no sign of trouble.

Since I am hopelessly hetero, I could not appreciate all the nuances of the costumes, gestures,  and insider banners.  Rainbow flags were all around, and what’s with the dog theme above?  And I have to look up all those letters in the name LGBTQ–no banner in the parade explained that.

I saw some really cute girls marching and holding hands, and I’m thinking “Really?”

Looking at the crowds in and around the parade, I couldn’t help but wonder how many LGBTQ people were there per square yard–maybe a new record.

As a photographer, I was having difficulty with the noon start time because the light is so contrasty that it was messing with my exposures.  But I did get a few good shots.

I did see a few Grovers at the parade, but I thought there would be more since there is a good sized gay community in the Grove; so much so that I imagined a change in our street name to “Mt. Hormone.”

The parade lasted about 45 minutes, and I found myself people watching, not only in the parade but walking and laughing on the sidewalk.

I was impressed with the happiness and enthusiasm of everyone there.  It was a wonderful parade, and we all could use some cheer these days.

EMMY ROSSUM from her album  Sentimental Journey

Paul Goldfinger still image from a post WWII film  “Cold War,”  a historic drama–a love story,  won 3 Academy Awards for Foreign Film.

SARAH BRIGHTMAN.   “Dans La Nuit.”   (Tr: “In the Night”)     From her Classics album.

Members of Neptune United busting chops on  Sunday morning after calling the cops. Blogfinger action photo 8/27/23

By Paul Goldfinger, Editor Blogfinger.net.   9/07/23. Ocean Grove, NJ.

They call it  “An Ocean Grove Story” but it is as stale as yesterday’s dead whale.   The Coaster must be desperate.

It is about a woman who has been swimming in the Ocean on some Sundays mornings since 2020. She clashed with the CMA and eventually was offered a deal by Michael Badger who would personally escort her onto the beach each Sunday as long as she kept quiet about the deal.

In April, 2023 Ms. Pamela Valentine confessed her secret during an HOA meeting where the Groaners wanted to talk  about Sunday closures.  We reported on it then.

Blogfinger June report on this subject.

Meanwhile others were also crashing the beach on Sunday mornings, and we all heard about it lately when a new radical group, Neptune United,  took up the cause and started making a public fuss and an unruly stink.

Recently a number of local news sources have reported on the situation including NJ.com, Patch, and Asbury Park Press. Each of them did a careless job and printed inaccurate facts about the Grove. This is part of a journalistic tradition of covering our history and workings going back to when the National Geographic painted us as a hangout for religious zealots.

The Sunday beach  situation got some more attention when NU complained to the DEP about the chain/lock impediment to Sunday beach access, but actually anyone, including Ms. Valentine,  could have gone on the beach in a variety of ways with or without the chain/locks.

The Neptune Police refused to intervene, and the DEP warned the CMA to remove the chains and locks.   That matter is still under discussion with the Trenton busybodies.

There was an opportunity for major civil disobedience, but that never happened, and  the NU flash-in-the -pan concerns are  going nowhere, and now summer is over and full  Sunday access has returned, thanks to Mother Nature:  the passing of the seasons.

Why is Ms. Valentine’s story so fascinating now to the Coaster or to anyone else?  So what if Michael Badger made a friendly agreement with Ms. Valentine?  Who  cares and why do they care?

The Coaster should get a Pulitzer for this article,  aka “Much Ado About Nothing.”

But the real news is that this sequence confirms the relationship between the Home Groaners and Neptune United.  Because the Neptune United agitators foresee attacking the CMA from all fronts. (see their web site and their recent public obnoxious behavior) the HOA should divorce itself from this dangerous group or risk losing much of its membership who want no part of the NU tactics and slippery public relations.

Ocean Grove citizens  need  to get focused on what’s really important. Paul Goldfinger photo.  Blogfinger.net.    2023.

DAVID LEONHARDT

Asbury Park, NJ. Sunset Avenue. Paul.  Goldfinger photo. 2026

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THE RED ARMY CHOIR.  “Moscow Nights.”