Happy Birthday, Joe .............

Joe Namath turns 70 today, does not seem possible. He retired after playing in 143 career games (including play off games) with 68 wins, 71 losses and 4 ties.

He was probably most famous for his prediction, "Whoa, wait a minute. You guys have been talking for two weeks now' -- meaning the Colts' fans and the media -- 'and I'm tired of hearing it,'" Namath remembers. "I said, 'I've got news for you. We're gonna win the game. I guarantee it.' And they did.

Between 1962 and 1964, Namath played for the Alabama Crimson Tide football program under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. A year after being suspended for the final two games of the season, he led the Crimson Tide to a National Championship in 1964. During his time at Alabama, Namath led the team to a 29–4 record over three seasons.

Bryant would one day call Namath "the greatest athlete I ever coached". While some speculated on what was anticipated to be a stormy relationship between a freedom-loving player and an iron-fisted coach, Namath returned Bryant's praise, often referring to him as "not only the smartest coach I ever knew, but the man who taught me the meaning of integrity".

 When Namath was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, he broke down during his induction speech upon mentioning Bryant, who died from a heart attack in 1983. Namath would not receive his college degree until 2007, having left early to pursue his professional career.

Namath's time at Alabama would be a culture shock for him. With Beaver Falls' Lower End neighborhood having been (and still is as of 2010) predominantly African American, Namath would attend Alabama at the height of the Civil Rights movement in the Southern United States (especially the Deep South) and often got into fights with his white teammates and other white Southerners when defending African Americans.

The head of ABC's televised sports, Roone Arledge, made sure that Monday Night Football's inaugural game (September 21, 1970) would feature Namath and the New York Jets in a game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland Municipal Stadium. A record crowd of 85,703 and a huge television audience watched the Jets set a team record for penalties and lose on a late Namath interception.

Hall of Fame coach Bill Walsh stated that Namath was "the most beautiful, accurate, stylish passer with the quickest release he'd ever seen." Hall of Fame coach Don Shula stated that Namath was "one of the three smartest quarterbacks of all time."

It was soooooooo easy to figure out .........

Medicare doesn't cover a "shrink" so I am doing some self analysis. Difficult going back over 80 years, but I want to offer a realistic reason that accounts for where I am in life today, and what all I have done, have not done, and why?

impulsive
Synonyms:  devil-may-care, emotional, hasty, headlong, impetuous, instinctive, intuitive, passionate, precipitate, quick, rash, spontaneous, unconsidered, unpredictable, unpremeditated

spendthrift
Synonyms:  big spender, dissipater, high-roller, improvident,  spender, squanderer, waster, wastrel

Traditional Libra Traits - September 30
Diplomatic and urbane, Romantic and charming, Easygoing and sociable, Idealistic and peaceable

On the dark side....
Indecisive and changeable, Gullible and easily influenced, Flirtatious and self-indulgent

That sums it up pretty well, I am an impulsive spendthrift, born in September.

A shrink would have made how much an hour to tell me that? Now, at least, I know why.

I'm so ashamed .............. gee whiz

Highly educated, president of one of the largest universities in the country, makes over two million a year, and he makes statements like this .... something is wrong. He should be in therapy rather than a "remediation plan." And, being from Ohio, people wonder why I am not an OSU fan. I once was an avid fan, but incidents such as this, and many more over the years, have taken away my enthusiasm for the school.

Reference items:

In slang:

• Gee, a slang term for horse, esp. in Britain
• Gee, an abbreviated form of Jeez or Jesus
• Gee, a slang term, especially in Ireland, for vagina
• Gee, a slang term for a grifter or con man
• Gee, also used as a word of entertainment

Other:

• the letter G
• Gee and haw, directional commands to a draft horse

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The president of Ohio State University said Notre Dame never was invited to join the Big Ten because the university's priests are not good partners, joking that "those damn Catholics" can't be trusted, according to a recording of a meeting he attended late last year.

At the December meeting of the school's athletic council, Gordon Gee also took shots at schools in the Southeastern Conference and the University of Louisville, according to the recording, obtained by The Associated Press under a public records request.

The university called the statements inappropriate and said Gee is undergoing a "remediation plan" because of the remarks.

Gee apologized in a statement released to the AP.

"The comments I made were just plain wrong, and in no way do they reflect what the university stands for," he said. "They were a poor attempt at humor and entirely inappropriate."

Notre Dame spokesman Dennis Brown said Gee has apologized to Notre Dame president John Jenkins.

"We find the remarks most regrettable, particularly regarding Father Joyce, who served Notre Dame and collegiate athletics so well and for so long. President Gee has contacted Father Jenkins to offer an apology that he has accepted," Notre Dame said in a statement.

Big Ten commissioner James Delany called Gee's comments "inappropriate" and said they don't represent the opinions of the conference.

Gee, who has taken heat previously for uncouth remarks, told members of the council that he negotiated with Notre Dame officials during his first term at Ohio State, which began more than two decades ago.

“The fathers are holy on Sunday, and they're holy hell on the rest of the week. You just can't trust those damn Catholics on a Thursday or a Friday, and so, literally, I can say that.”

-- Ohio State president Gordon Gee, speaking at a December meeting of the school's athletic council
"The fathers are holy on Sunday, and they're holy hell on the rest of the week," Gee said to laughter at the Dec. 5 meeting attended by athletic director Gene Smith and several other athletic department members, along with professors and students.

Ricketts throws sixth no-hitter of the season as Oklahoma beats Michigan

Not often you see a 7-1 No Hitter score .....

Keilani Ricketts threw a no-hitter and had 12 strikeouts in Oklahoma’s 7-1 victory against Michigan on Thursday night in the Women’s College World Series.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Keilani Ricketts threw a no-hitter and had 12 strikeouts in Oklahoma’s 7-1 victory against Michigan on Thursday night in the Women’s College World Series.

Ricketts, the Collegiate Softball Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, improved to 32-1.

Oklahoma (53-4) will face Texas on Friday night. Texas beat Arizona State 6-3. Michigan (50-12) will play Arizona State on Saturday in an elimination game.

Michigan took a 1-0 lead in the third when Sierra Lawrence reached on an error and eventually scored on a play at the plate.

“Once Michigan scored that kind of woke us up a little,” Ricketts said. “We knew they would be scoring runs. They had been scoring runs all year long against everyone. We knew we had to respond.”

Top-ranked Oklahoma, the NCAA runner-up last season, scored four runs in the third, and Lauren Chamberlain hit her 28th home run of the season in the fourth.

“I thought we came ready to play,” Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso said. “It was a long day of waiting. That’s one of the hardest things is just watching things on TV. I think we started off a little slow, but the sign of a good team is one that answers a score.”

Oklahoma (53-4) gave Ricketts the cushion she needed with the big third inning.

The no-hitter was the seventh of Ricketts’ career – sixth this season — and the 16th in WCWS history.

“I think you have to give credit where credit is due,” Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said. “Oklahoma is Oklahoma and they’re as good as advertised. Keilani no-hit us. That’s the first time we’ve been no-hit all year.”

They invited the little sister of  9-year-old Sydney Angle, who was killed when the tornado hit Plaza Towers Elementary school to sit in the dugout as a honorary bat boy. They are an excellent team, but the disaster in Oklahoma gave them some added incentive.

Anyone remember these?

Talking with an old friend, Jim Snedden a while ago and while we were talking, he was in his kitchen, and he dropped a bottle of cloves. He mentioned what a nice aroma they created in his kitchen.

I mentioned that my Mom, especially on Sunday morning, would put a clove in her mouth as a breath freshener.  But, she always had a little pack of these Sen-Sen's in her purse. Anytime we went anywhere, if people were going to be involved, I had one of those little black squares put in my mouth.

Toothache? Cloves, and they really work. Even today if I get a sore of some kind in my mouth, cloves still do the trick.

I had not thought of Sen-Sen's for years.

I remember after my Mom passed on, we were going through some of her things, one of which was her purse, and there in the bottom .... Sen-Sen's. Brings back some pleasant memories. I wonder if you can still buy them anywhere?

Complaint Department

I have been doing the "internet" thing for many years. I started when no one knew what a URL was. I could buy almost any domain name I wanted. I was not smart enough to realize their value, or potential value.

I remember a guy brought a brand new computer to our printing office and wondered why he couldn't get on the internet. He bought one, plugged it in, and could not get on the "net." Had to explain to him how it worked. I was perceptive enough to tell people, "If you don't have a website yet, you soon will." But not intelligent enough to realize the potential.

We would "download" something at night, and it would be ready in the morning. There were two stores in Columbus, Ohio that sold computers. We had to drive over there to get our first one, and the printer, an HP500

We could get what services were available, free. No more, everything costs. I was trying to find some information yesterday, eventually, I had to "join" to find out what I wanted.

While I was doing that, "pop-ups" on every page, some automatically took me to another page, "pop-ups" galore. YouTube has some great music, preceded by ads. Before I can listen, I have to watch. Extortion in some ways, but we face "extortion" in some form almost every day. It galls me when I run out of pills, call the doctors office (which is owned by our local hospital) and am told I have to come in for an office "visit" to get the prescription. That is "medical extortion." Generally requires a trip to the hospital for either "blood work" or an x-ray or something that they will make money on.

Other than that, a nice morning in Ohio, gonna be hot, but we wished for that last Winter. Nice thing living here for me, always something to "bitch" about, but also, something to look forward to, the next season. Perfect climate for my ADD.

Gee, Gee, you've done it again ..........

The man makes $2.14 million a year, and he is undergoing a "remediation plan." What does that mean? He has been an embarrassment to the university on many occasions. He spends millions on travel around the world, he could run for president of the United States.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The president of Ohio State University said Notre Dame was never invited to join the Big Ten conference because the university's priests are not good partners, joking that ''those damn Catholics'' can't be trusted, according to a recording of a meeting he attended late last year.

Gordon Gee also took shots at schools in the Southeastern Conference and the University of Louisville, according to the recording of the December meeting of the school's Athletic Council that The Associated Press obtained under a public records request.

The university called the statements inappropriate and said Gee is undergoing a ''remediation plan'' because of the remarks.

Gee was on a long-planned family vacation and unavailable for comment, Ohio State spokeswoman Gayle Saunders said. He apologized in a statement released to the AP.

''The comments I made were just plain wrong, and in no way do they reflect what the university stands for,'' he said in the statement. ''They were a poor attempt at humor and entirely inappropriate. There is no excuse for this and I am deeply sorry.''

Gee, who has taken heat before for uncouth remarks, told members of the council that he negotiated with Notre Dame officials during his first term at Ohio State, which began more than two decades ago.

''The fathers are holy on Sunday, and they're holy hell on the rest of the week,'' Gee said to laughter at the Dec. 5 meeting attended by Athletic Director Gene Smith, several other athletic department members, professors and students.

How can they condone conduct like this at OSU? Oh, yea, the athletic department scandal, I guess they are used to it in Columbus, Ohio. He resents the fact the football coach makes  more money than he does.

Eva Leah Shannon

I Googled her name, some Ancestry items came up, briefly, then they wanted money. Like everything else nowadays, money, money, money.

Eva was my Mother's Sister, my Aunt, who was born, raised, and lived in Marion, Indiana. I used to love to visit her in Marion, she lived in the Spencer Hotel, and was a piano teacher. She had a "flameless oven," and often cooked our meals in it. It cooked with hot bricks, slow cooked all day, some delicious stuff.

For many years she played piano for the "Marion Easter Pageant," held in Marion, early, on Easter Sunday. It used to be broadcast on WLW radio, and my Mom would wake us up early so we didn't miss any of the show where "Effie" was playing the piano.

There was one restaurant, downtown, that was always a special treat. I checked, there are now 50 or more restaurants in Marion, not sure now what the name was. How things change in ...... 60 or 70 years.

On Saturday night, when visiting her, we would find a place on the square, sit, and in no time, many of their friends would stop and talk. My Mom and Dad were both from Marion.

I am sure there are many who remember Eva Shannon, she taught many, piano.

When I was called and told that she had died, some years ago. I went to Marion, and some other nieces were there, and had made funeral arrangements. The day of the funeral, I went there, and was informed that she was to be cremated. A woman, a friend of hers, and helped here with cleaning, informed me that, "Miss Shannon didn't want to be cremated, she was afraid of it." I took over, took control. We had a nice service there, but Miss Shannon was transported to Newark, Ohio, and buried next to her parents in the little cemetery at Wilkins Corners.

There will never be a movie on her life, I am sure touched the lives of many, but she is now gone and almost forgotten. I hope this post will give her some recognition.

One more story about Eva. We lived in Dayton, Marion was 150 miles or so away. Mom had received that one of their childhood chums had died. At the last minute, they decided to go to the funeral. They knew they would be late, so they called Eva and told her to keep seats at the funeral home for them.

We arrived after a rather fast drive, hurried in to the funeral home, entered, saw Eva and made our way to the front of the crowd. My Mom went in first to sit next to Eva, then Dad, then me. My Dad reached over to shake hands with Eva. He got my Mom's hand. We had hurried and dashed over, and there were my Mom and Dad shaking hands. Eva saw it ... Well, it was one of those moments, quiet and solemn in the funeral home, but Mom and Eva could not hold back the laughter, they had to get up and leave. I got the "giggles" and had to leave also ....

Remember Eva Leah Shannon ...........

This is not Eva at the piano, but this was a signature piece of hers, have heard her play it often. I have her on a recording, an aluminum record, afraid to play it, not sure what needle it takes ...... LISTEN HERE

Don and Frank

Not sure what made me think of it, good story.

Frank Sinatra made an appearance on Carson one night, really a big deal. During the show, Don Rickles came out and they kidded back and forth with Sinatra, who was a good friend of his. There were many stories and laughs.

Sinatra told this story about Don. Early in their careers, Sinatra was eating at a restaurant in New York. Rickles was there with a date.

He walked over to Frank's table and said, "Frank, I'm here with a girl I really want to impress. I told her I knew you, she didn't believe me, could you stop by the table on your way out and say hello."

"Sure," Sinatra said.

Sinatra finished, and on his way out stopped by Rickles table, said, "Hi Don, how's everything going," or something to that effect.

Rickles reply, "Hey, Frank, can't you see we're eating here!"

Sinatra said he was speechless.

WWII

Jo Stafford is singing "It Could Happen To You" .... music channel on the TV, on there most of the time. One of her songs that got us through world war II, speaking of world war II ..................

WWII started on December 7, 1941, I was 9 at the time, so I remember, "life" as it was in those days. Earl Hyer had the grocery store across the street from our home at 319 South Brown Street in Dayton, Ohio. We were one of his best customers, so I imagine he got us through "rationing" without too may problems. He let me put a big white apron on and do odd jobs around the store.

Had the big Philco radio in those days, spent may hours in front of the radio. H. V. Kaltenborn, Walter Winchell, Peter Grant from WLW in Cincinnati, received all the war news on that radio. Got all our war news through this radio, and of course the newspaper. I remember times also that paper boys would be yelling "EXTRA" on every street corner in Dayton.

We had relatives, neighbors and patients of Dad's who were in the service, Red Wallace, Bob Shook, one of the Sturr family, as I recall, not sure if Charley Parlette was in or not. I remember Bob Shook had the USS Yorktown torpedoed out from under him. I remember when he came home on leave after that. I forget how much time he spent in the water, it was a few days.

We collected cans, scrap metal, had a Victory Garden, and some sort of "pods" we collected that they used in parachute making. We had a company of Waves that we often saw marching to a building in the NCR complex. We later heard they were working on some sort of secret coding device. Have seen them often marching in the morning and the evening.

The war did not hit our family too badly, we were lucky.

YES, there is ..................

I am sitting out on the porch this morning, lovely morning in Ohio. The sun is not out full blast yet, but there is a nice cool breeze. The birds seem to approve of the day, they are loud and active. A beautiful morning to sit out here on the porch, second cup of coffee, already thanked HIM for giving me this day to do this.

But, is there anyplace I would rather be, yes, there is.

I would like to be in Michigan, Mullett Lake, near Topinabee, sitting out on a dock that extends out in the water, sitting on a white wooden seat, looking out at the lake. God Summers on Mullett Lake. I have sat out on a bench there and felt His presence all around me.

Why here, Summer memories that go back to the late 30's, vacations to Michigan, some of my fondest memories, and just thinking about it, I am walking right back in to my childhood. Topinabee is all the good memories of childhood. A grocery store, a post office, a filling station and a few other buildings, but heaven to a young boy, on vacation with Mom and Dad.

In those days The Topinabee Hotel was the essence of elegance to me. A railroad track ran through the town, with a small station at the hotel where the guests would disembark and start their vacation. It no longer exists, as does the past, but the memories are vivid to me.

Mullett used to be a Summer haven for the "Detroit" underworld. They had their own guarded community down the road a bit, gatehouse guard and all. I imagine Fitz and many others I knew visited there. Years later, I worked for some of them in Nevada, Fitz, Mert Wertheimer, Danny Sullivan I think all visited or had Summer places on Mullett.

They all ate at the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn and some kept their powerful speed boats on Mullett and used the boats to go to Canada and bring illegal booze back to Detroit, in the old days. The lake is part of an inland waterway that goes in to the Great Lakes.

One of my "Bucket List" items is to make it back to Michigan one more time, and to spend a morning sitting out on that dock, and then, in the evening, watching a sunset on Mullett Lake.

.......... "backward, turn backward, oh time in they flight ........."

Have a nice night..............

If you are still up, listen to this, I just did a number of times, gets better each time I listen.

 Hope your day went well, have a pleasant night. 

Every night I thank HIM for helping me get through the day

and ask him to watch over me, and all my family, during the night.

Every morning is a great revelation that I have made it to another day

 The first thing I do is to again, thank HIM for getting me through the night, 

and thank him for giving me the gift of another day. 

The older I get, the more precious each day becomes

I have many more miles behind me

Than I have ahead.

Get this on FULL SCREEN

Kick the volume up a little

Enjoy

LISTEN HERE

I just listened four more times. There is some narrative at the start, I think Michael English had been gone for a while and this was shortly after his return. I love the reactions of all the singers in attendance, they are moved and aware that something special,,musically, is happening.

More FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Did you notice who Obama threatened when he wasn't getting his way on raising the debt ceiling? 

He threatened to not pay:

 Social Security Retirees

 Military Retirees

Social Security

Disability and

Federal Retirees.

Now think about this

He did not threaten to stop payments to illegal aliens.

He did not threatened to take frivolous benefits such as Internet access away from violent inmates.

He did not offer to fire some of the thousands of unnecessary federal employees that he hired.

He did not offer to cut down on his or his wife's frivolous gallivanting around. 

$20 Million already spent on family vacations. (One Million on a FL golf outing). All our money...why not?

He did not threaten to not pay the senators and representatives or any of their staff.

He did not threaten to take benefits away from welfare recipients or to stop the free cell phones they get.

He did not threaten the food stamp programs.

He did not threaten to reduce payments in foreign aid.

He did not threaten to cut back on anything that involves his base voters.

P.S. Please share Dooley Observed with your friends and colleagues.
That's how I grow. Thanks.
Joseph B. Dooley

A MUST read - and study - and a PASS ON

Well, I have done it!  I have read the entire text of proposed House Bill 3200: The Affordable Health Care Choices Act of 2009. I studied it with particular emphasis from my area of expertise, constitutional law.  I was frankly concerned that parts of the proposed law that were being discussed might be unconstitutional.
What I found was far worse than what I had heard or expected.

To begin with, much of what has been said about the law and its implications is in fact true, despite what the Democrats and the media are saying.  The law does provide for rationing of health care, particularly where senior citizens and other classes of citizens are involved, free health care for illegal immigrants, free abortion services, and probably forced participation in abortions by members of the medical profession.

The Bill will also eventually force private insurance companies out of business, and put everyone into a government run system.  All decisions about personal health care will ultimately be made by federal bureaucrats, and most of them will not be health care professionals.  Hospital admissions, payments to physicians, and allocations of necessary medical devices will be strictly controlled by the government.

However, as scary as all of that is, it just scratches the surface.  In fact, I have concluded that this legislation
really has no intention of providing affordable health care choices. Instead it is a convenient cover for the most massive transfer of power to the Executive Branch of government that has ever occurred, or even been contemplated  If this law or a similar one is adopted, major portions of the Constitution of the United States will effectively have been destroyed. 

The first thing to go will be the masterfully crafted balance of power between the Executive, Legislative, and
Judicial branches of the U.S. Government.  The Congress will be transferring to the Obama Administration authority in a number of different areas over the lives of the American people, and the businesses they own.

The irony is that the Congress doesn't have any authority to legislate in most of those areas to begin with!  I defy anyone to read the text of the U.S. Constitution and find any authority granted to the members of Congress to regulate health care. 

This legislation also provides for access, by the appointees of the Obama administration, of all of your personal healthcare direct violation of the specific provisions of the 4th Amendment to the Constitution information, your personal financial information, and the information of your employer, physician, and
hospital.  All of this is a protecting against unreasonable searches and seizures..  You can also forget about the right to privacy.  That will have been legislated into oblivion regardless of what the 3rd and 4th Amendments may provide.

If you decide not to have healthcare insurance, or if you have private insurance that is not deemed acceptable to the Health Choices Administrator appointed by Obama, there will be a tax imposed on you.  It is called a tax instead of a fine because of the intent to avoid application of the due process clause of the 5th Amendment. However, that doesn't work because since there is nothing in the law that allows you to contest or appeal the imposition of the tax, it is definitely depriving someone of property without the due process of law.

So, there are three of those pesky amendments that the far left hate so much, out the original ten in the Bill of
Rights, that are effectively nullified by this law  It doesn't stop there though.

The 9th Amendment that provides: The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be  construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people;

The 10th Amendment states: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are preserved to the States respectively, or to the people.  Under the provisions of this piece of Congressional handiwork neither the people nor the states are going to have any rights or powers at all in many areas that once were theirs to control.

I could write many more pages about this legislation, but I think you get the idea.  This is not about health
care; it is about seizing power and limiting rights.  Article 6 of the Constitution requires the members of both houses of Congress to "be bound by oath or affirmation to support the Constitution." If I was a member of Congress I would not be able to vote for this legislation or anything like it, without feeling I was violating that sacred oath or affirmation.  If I voted for it anyway, I would hope the American people would hold me accountable.

For those who might doubt the nature of this threat, I suggest they consult the source, the US Constitution, and Bill of Rights. There you can see exactly what we are about to have taken from us. 

Michael Connelly
Retired attorney,
Constitutional Law Instructor
Carrollton , Texas

Do it yourself cooking ...

Another stroll down memory lane this morning.

OLEO - Came in a  pound plastic bag, and had a red button in the center part of the bag. You had to pinch the red button, to puncture the inside of the red button. This released food coloring into the white oleo.

I remember having to squeeze this bag for a long time, to get the food coloring all through the oleo, to turn it all yellow. It was unique and interesting at first, but got old soon.

As I recall the dairy industry put up a fight and would not let them sell yellow margarine, thus, you did the mixing yourself. I think I remember when we got our first package of yellow oleo, in 1/4 sticks. I think this all happened during the war, early to mid 40's.


Pliofilm, developed in 1934 by the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, was a rubber-based clear (and later dark green) plastic. I think there were some health concerns about the Pliofilm. I think my Dad's '49 Cadillac had clear seat covers make out of Pliofilm. Even some health concerns when they used it to package the Oleo.

Pennies in the cigarette pack ... remember them?

Mary dropped by this morning for coffee and donuts, normally on Monday, but the holiday threw us off, so she came in today. First she got me hungry for bread pudding, talking about what she had made for a Memorial Day picnic. She makes hers with old croissants, cuts them in half and puts her raisins in between so they do not float to the top and burn. Now I am hungry for bread pudding, may fix that for dinner.

Then we got to talking about the price of cigarettes, she had been at a store this morning, and saw a carton of Marlboroughs for some ridiculous amount. "Remember when they had pennies in the pack?"

I had forgotten that. In the 1950's, when one pack sold for 23 cents, there were two pennies in the space between the cellophane wrapper and the paper pack. Most parents would let their kids keep the pennies if they ran to the store to buy smokes. In 1955, some people were lucky and got one with a double stamp. I imagine they may be worth some money today. In good condition today, worth $1200 or $1300.

In my smoking days, Luckies, you needed a pack of them to roll up in your tee shirt sleeve, looked cool. Aboard ship, I think we got a carton for $1.00. I ended up smoking Kents, but have not smoked for almost 40 years. Had to smoke a pipe in college.

Off to the store to look for my ingredients for the bread pudding.

Sign here please

How, when and why did autographs become so popular. If you have the right persons signature on a piece of paper or in a, it can be work a fortune, I have to wonder why.

I have had the opportunity, on a number of occasions, to get a celebrity autograph, I never did. The only one I ever tried to get ended up in a handshake instead. I have no proof the handshake ever happened, I guess that's why autographs are so popular. Looking back, if I had gotten all those autographs that I probably could have, I might have a lot of money.

Orville Wright, Charles Kettering, J. Strom Thurman, General Charles Summerall, Patti Paige, Tyrone Power, Charles Laughton, Walt Disney, Liberace, Harry James, Jimmy Durante, L. Ron Hubbard, and Dave Longaberger, to name a few. Some of those could be worth a few bucks.

The only one I ever wanted to get was a "spur of the moment: one. I was in the airport in Lansing, Michigan, I saw a familiar face or two, realized that Magic Johnson was going to arrive, and was ready to get an autograph. He came up the ramp, I was ready, he apologized, said he was tired, and asked if a handshake would do. So I did. An autograph would live forever, no one knows about the handshake but me.

Some ink scribbled on paper, is an autograph. The value depends on who put the ink there. Isn't it amazing what we value? People can actually make a living buying, selling and trading, signatures, or autographs, and even more, some people make a living determining if a signature is authentic or not. How crazy is that?

What the hell happened?

What has happened in this world? Just on the news, a 14 year old girl, dragged in to the woods, at a public park, by three boys her age, and forced to perform sex acts, which we probably know, and they they posted the video on the internet. Why, did they feel free to do this? Was it TV, the internet, school, where and when and why did this happen.

Are these three boys going to be running this country in ten or fifteen years? Are they the parents of the future, responsible for bringing up their children, teaching them, values?

I think the worst from my childhood may have been Tijuana Bibles. I stole a cigarette, a Lucky Strike, from my Dad's pack, and one morning on my way to school, as a "traffic guard" I had to be there early, and it was still dark, and I smoked it on my way to school, I was probably 9 or 10. I remember that feeling of euphoria, I was grown up, smoking, and no one saw me. My Dad was a doctor, so we had many medical books in the house. I used to sneak peeks in those, evil stuff. My Senior year, on a college visit to Indiana, we went to the Star theater in Indianapolis and saw a burlesque show. Never ventured in to the Mayfair in Dayton, too close to home, someone might see me going in.

Maybe I or we, were just backward and naive. I will freely admit, my "first" .... Tijuana, a woman twice my age, "Primaro Tiempo," she kept saying, or something to that effect. I know she informed everyone in the "house" about that fact. I was congratulated and patted on the back by quite a few ..... "girls" .... that night, many of whom were twice my age, and then some. I was "euphoric" or some such word for a few days, intermixed with some fear, didn't use condoms much in those days. The only ones I had seen were used to protect a finger from infection, that my Dad had put on a patients finger.

Those were the days that you went in to a drug store and announced, "GIVE ME A PACK OF LUCKIES, and where are your condoms?" Now it is the reverse.

We are seeing and hearing of way too many incidents such as this. Let's be honest, YouTube, Facebook and other such media are the cause. You can reach millions in minutes, God has been taken out of their schools and lives, thanks to television, promiscuity is rampant, so "they" don't know any better. It confronts them every day, so they know no better.

Really not much to say ...............

Well, it will soon be Labor Day .... "Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few, September, November, And these few precious days I'll spend with you, These precious days I'll spend with you...." days seem to go by pretty fast any more.

Summer used to be so long, years ago. When in school, it was a whole lifetime of hot weather, carefree fun, playing outside, vacations to Michigan, it seemed like it was half of the year.

One thing that doesn't help, they, meaning television, are already talking about football, pro, college, even high school. Walmart doesn't help, they already have their 4th of July stuff out, and soon, big displays of "Back to School" items, then, in August, Thanksgiving and Christmas stuff out, and another year has gone by, and I will be doing something for Memorial Day here. Everyone is in a hurry to make money.

They had snow yesterday, I think in Vermont, this morning it is cloudy and seventy outside, rather a dreary day to start the Summer Season.

Big news, one high school in Kentucky ended their graduation, with a Prayer. Today that is news. They do a prayer before the Go Daddy 500, all heads were bowed, I wonder what "they" think of that. I wonder what atheists say when they hit their thumb with a hammer? A high school graduation prayer makes national headline news, whooda thought.

Elena Della Donn had 22 points in her pro opener against Phoenix. I got to watch most of it even though we were at a picnic at our granddaughter Mandy's house. I refused to sit outside. We did miss the opening introductions and a lot of the first quarter, a game no one was interested in went in to overtime. The world of WNBA wanted to see the opening of the Della Donn, Griner opener, but NO, we didn't get to see any of that.

As you can see I am digging for material for this, so will have a cup of coffee, my first, and see what I can come up with ...............................

The Little Drummer-Boy

By Albert Bushnell Hart (Adapted)

A few days before a certain regiment received orders to join General Lyon, on his march to Wilson's Creek, the drummer-boy of the regiment was taken sick, and carried to the hospital.

Shortly after this there appeared before the captain's quarters, during the beating of the reveille, a good-looking, middle-aged woman, dressed in deep mourning, leading by the hand a sharp, sprightly looking boy, apparently about twelve or thirteen years of age.

Her story was soon told. She was from East Tennessee, where her husband had been killed by the Confederates, and all her property destroyed. Being destitute, she thought that if she could procure a situation for her boy as drummer, she could find employment for herself.

While she told her story, the little fellow kept his eyes intently fixed upon the countenance of the captain. And just as the latter was about to say that he could not take so small a boy, the lad spoke out:

"Don't be afraid, Captain," said he, "I can drum."

This was spoken with so much confidence that the captain smiled and said to the sergeant:

"Well, well, bring the drum, and order our fifer to come here."

In a few moments a drum was produced and the fifer, a round-shouldered, good-natured fellow, who stood six feet tall, made his appearance. Upon being introduced to the lad, he stooped down, resting his hands on his knees, and, after peering into the little fellow's face for a moment, said:

"My little man, can you drum?"

"Yes, sir," answered the boy promptly. "I drummed for Captain Hill in Tennessee."

The fifer immediately straightened himself, and, placing his fife to his lips, played the "Flowers of Edinburgh," one of the most difficult things to follow with the drum. And nobly did the little fellow follow him, showing himself to be master of the drum.

When the music ceased the captain turned to the mother and observed:

"Madam, I will take the boy. What is his name?"

"Edward Lee," she replied. Then placing her hand upon the captain's arm, she continued in a choking voice, "If he is not killed, Captain, you will bring him back to me?"

"Yes, yes," he replied, "we shall be certain to bring him back to you. We shall be discharged in six weeks."

An hour after, the company led the regiment out of camp, the drum and fife playing "The Girl I left behind me."

Eddie, as the soldiers called him, soon became a great favorite with all the men of the company. When any of the boys returned from foraging, Eddie's share of the peaches, melons, and other good things was meted out first. During the heavy and fatiguing marches, the long-legged fifer often waded through the mud with the little drummer mounted on his back, and in the same fashion he carried Eddie when fording streams.

During the fight at Wilson's Creek, a part of the company was stationed on the right of Totten's battery, while the balance of the company was ordered down into a deep ravine, at the left, in which it was known a party of Confederates was concealed.

An engagement took place. The contest in the ravine continued some time. Totten suddenly wheeled his battery upon the enemy in that quarter, and they soon retreated to high ground behind their lines.

In less than twenty minutes after Totten had driven the Confederates from the ravine, the word passed from man to man throughout the army, "Lyon is killed!" And soon after, hostilities having ceased upon both sides, the order came for the main part of the Federal force to fall back upon Springfield, while the lesser part was to camp upon the ground, and cover the retreat.

That night a corporal was detailed for guard duty. His post was upon a high eminence that overlooked the deep ravine in which the men had engaged the enemy. It was a dreary, lonesome beat. The hours passed slowly away, and at length the morning light began to streak along the western sky, making surrounding objects visible.

Presently the corporal heard a drum beating up the morning call. At first he thought it came from the camp of the Confederates across the creek, but as he listened he found that it came from the deep ravine. For a few moments the sound stopped, then began again. The corporal listened closely. The notes of the drum were familiar to him - and then he knew that it was the drummer-boy from Tennessee playing the morning call.

Just then the corporal was relieved from guard duty, and, asking permission, went at once to Eddie's assistance. He started down the hill, through the thick underbrush, and upon reaching the bottom of the ravine, he followed the sound of the drum, and soon found the lad seated upon the ground, his back leaning against a fallen tree, while his drum hung upon a bush in front of him.

As soon as the boy saw his rescuer he dropped his drumsticks, and exclaimed:

"O Corporal! I am so glad to see you! Give me a drink."

The soldier took his empty canteen, and immediately turned to bring some water from the brook that he could hear rippling through the bushes near by, when, Eddie, thinking that he was about to leave him, cried out:

"Don't leave me, Corporal, I can't walk."

The corporal was soon back with the water, when he discovered that both the lad's feet had been shot away by a cannon-ball.

After satisfying his thirst, Eddie looked up into the corporal's face and said:

"You don't think I shall die, do you? This man said I should not - he said the surgeon could cure my feet."

The corporal now looked about him and discovered a man lying in the grass near by. By his dress he knew him to belong to the Confederate army. It appeared that he had been shot and had fallen near Eddie. Knowing that he could not live, and seeing the condition of the drummer- boy, he had crawled to him, taken off his buckskin suspenders, and had corded the little fellow's legs below the knees, and then he had laid himself down and died.

While Eddie was telling the corporal these particulars, they heard the tramp of cavalry coming down the ravine, and in a moment a scout of the enemy was upon them, and took them both prisoners.

The corporal requested the officer in charge to take Eddie up in front of him, and he did so, carrying the lad with great tenderness and care. When they reached the Confederate camp the little fellow was dead.

5/27/2013 - Memorial Day Thoughts

Me, taken in 1952, San Diego, California, Boot Camp, Boot Camp photograph.

Thinking of my Dad this morning, Dr. Ralph Dean Dooley, M.D. He was an Indiana farm boy, served in WWI, after the war he married Jessie Maud Shannon, they had my brother, Dean Shannon Dooley, went through pre-med, then Med school at the University of Cincinnati, Interned and Residency at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio, set us his practice there at 319 South Brown Street, in 1943, he specialized in Obstetrics, had his office in the Fidelity Building in downtown Dayton, retired in 1959, moved to Columbus and eventually to Newark, Ohio, where both he and Mom, are buried, at the Wilkins Corners Cemetery.

His Father, my Grandfather, who I never knew, served in the Civil War. Not many around who can say their Grandfather served in the Civil War. War stories and incidents have been talked of often in my life.

I don't know if I have any memories of previous Memorial Day's, they have come and gone. I remember it more as Decoration Day.

Last night, on the news, they were thanking all veterans who have served. That gets me a bit upset. People do not understand what the day is for ............ you would think that people on the air would research the meaning of holidays in order to report to their viewers the actual real purpose of a holiday.

Memorial Day

 is a day of remembering the men and women 

who died 

while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

Kanaan wins the Go Daddy 500?????

Do I think the Go Daddy 500 was fixed for Kanaan to win, yea, I guess I might. He was the most popular driver, he was due to win .... what with 3 laps left he was in first, which was the worst place to be all day .... what, do I think had the race resumed he would have been passed and lost, yea, he probably would have. I didn't see what put Franchitti into the wall.

I do know .... Hunter-Reay said he was a "sitting duck" out front. "When you're up front leading, especially on a restart, you might as well be driving a bulldozer," Hunter-Reay said. So, if Kanaan had forged to the lead of the restart, he probably would have lost ...........

So when Franchitti hit the wall, the race was over, and everyone's favorite wins the race. The fans were happy, TV was happy. Was it the end to a "pre-planned" day?

Probably not, but then ........................ he deserved it, he had tried so hard, so many times, he was everyone's favorite ....... you could almost say ...... "He won by a nose"

One opinion only ......

I'm sorry, I am old, 80, probably a bit old fashioned, antiquated, over the hill, etc., etc., etc.

But, I honestly do not understand the recent need for tattoos. Especially women, beautiful women, plastering artistic ink, on a gift that God has given them. The Mona Lisa has no tattoos, beautiful "works of art" are not defaced, why then, do some women feel the need to, in some cases, take a beautiful arm, or body and feel that any human hand, can in any way, enhance what God has given them.

I have two "tats" ... had them for 60 years, upper arm, and they have been seen by very few. I was in the Navy, impulsive, as usual, been "partying" and being weak, was talked in to getting them. I wear long sleeves in the Summertime, only go swimming when I am alone. So, you know how I feel about  them.

But for a woman, any woman, to think that their appearance is in any way enhanced by the addition of ink, is wrong. Do they think they will be noticed more, they are, but it is not admiration.

Can you imagine, the reaction, she got, from her husband, on their wedding night, if he didn't know about this?

Can you imagine the reaction she got from Tom the Tat Guy,

"You want, what, where?........ Ah, ....... OK!

TV Rules

There are no more "events," just television shows.

Parades were the first to go. The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, I think was the first to go. There used to be a parade, which was television. Now it is a television show,, about a parade.

The Super Bowl, a television show about a football game with many commercials and other events, interrupted occasionally by a football game. All the "bowl" games are the same, commercials, interrupted briefly, for the game.

The Kentucky Derby, The World Series, all TV shows.

Now, today, the "Go Daddy 500" is a long commercial with interruptions for the race. Someone went to a great deal of trouble and expense, they brought in quite a few "Boston Marathon" runners, who were unable to finish the race ... we only got to see them on a replay, they were doing a commercial. It would have been neat to see all of it, but we saw a commercial. At least they let old Jim Nabors sing, with no commercial breaks.

Let's face it, everything is a television show, loaded with ads, ads, and ads. Everything in our lives, at least here in the USA, is about commercials. We live and follow them, without question, "Tell us, and we will buy." I use Hellman's Real Mayonnaise because of Ruth Lyons, many years ago, take Bufferin because of Arthur Godfrey. So, I've been lead around for seventy years.

Just think how television rules our lives. Where we go, what we drive, what and where we eat, what we wear, all dominated by television. Now ads are taking over this computer, they pop up all the time, and it will get worse, trust me. Eventually, it will be all ads, interrupted by a little "keyboard" time.

I'm thirsty, think I'll go out and get a coke .................

CHOCOLATE-STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM CAKE

This festive cake is easy to make and excellent for celebrations, or anytime. I suggest chocolate and strawberry ice creams, but any number of combinations would be wonderfully decadent as well.

Ingredients:

14 chocolate sandwich creme cookies
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 quart chocolate ice cream or frozen yogurt, softened
1 1/4 cup chocolate fudge sauce, divided
1 quart strawberry ice cream or frozen yogurt, softened
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

Method:

Place cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until ground (you should have about 1 1/2 cups crumbs). Pour in butter and pulse just until mixed. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Freeze until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Using a rubber spatula, spread chocolate ice cream over cookie crust and smooth the top. Place in the freezer until firm, at least 1 hour. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the fudge sauce for decorating the top of the cake and spread the remainder evenly over the top of the chocolate ice cream. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Spread strawberry ice cream over the fudge, level the top of the cake, and freeze until the whole cake is very firm, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

Remove cake from the freezer. Run a large knife under hot water, wipe dry, and run the knife around the rim of the pan to loosen ice cream from the sides; repeat as necessary. Release and remove the sides of the springform pan. Lightly spread the reserved fudge sauce over the top of the cake using the back of a spoon, and arrange strawberries however you like. To serve, cut the cake into wedges with a knife warmed in hot water and wiped dry.

A 500 mile drive down memory lane

I am thinking this morning of Dick Whipp, Sonny Kemp, Jack Austin, Dick Laemmel, Mary Bimm, Sarah Booth (I think she attended one) and many others, who came to our Indy 500 Weekend on Lookout Drive in Dayton, Ohio, Oakwood. We made a three day event out of it.

The Indy 500 was an all day event in those days, and we generally slept out in the "Picnic House" the night before. We had some really great times. Not sure how many of the old crowd are left.

The picnic house was great, I still suffer, in my back, from carrying those cement bags out there. Joe Rizzo did the brick work. My Uncle Denny could never remember his name, called him Josia Jallapy. I think Denny help with some of the framing, I know he did on the GIANT garage on Brown Street.

Dad found a big piece of one inch thick steel and that was what we cooked on, over a big log fire, a great place for a picnic.

I have been a fan of the 500 all my life, I think because of my Indiana heritage. I remember one year, we had been visiting at Uncle Paul's in Marion, and on our way back we got caught up in the traffic from the race. I remember we were a number of cars back, in a bumper to bumper line of traffic. Up ahead, a car was on the railroad tracks and could not get off. All I remember was seeing a big broad brimmed white ladies hat go flying in the wind as the train took the car down the tracks.

Howdie Bell was one of the announcers at the track, I forget the other names. There were announcers at each curve and on the straightaways. It was a great, all day, event. In the early years I listened to it on the radio. The Indiana University Band, Back Home Again in Indiana, the balloons, in the old days, Gentlemen, Start Your Engines.

Bring back the good old days .....

Wilbur Shaw and the Indianapolis 500

He was born in Shelbyville, Indiana on October 31, 1902. He participated in the 1927 Indianapolis 500.

Wilbur Shaw won the Indianapolis 500 race three times, in 1937, 1939 and 1940. Shaw was the second person to win the 500 three times, and the first to win it twice in a row. In the 1941 race, Shaw was injured when his car crashed; it was later discovered that a defective wheel had been placed on his car.

During World War II, Shaw was hired by the tire manufacturer Firestone Tire and Rubber Company to test a synthetic rubber automobile tire at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which had been closed due to the war. He was dismayed at the dilapidated condition of the racetrack. Then-owner Eddie Rickenbacker, the World War I flying ace and president of Eastern Air Lines. When the United States entered World War II, ending racing at Indianapolis and elsewhere for the duration, Rickenbacker padlocked the gates and let the race course slowly begin to disintegrate.

During a meeting soon after the tire test, Rickenbacker informed Shaw that what was left of the track would be demolished and the land turned into a housing subdivision ... unless Shaw could find someone else who might have other ideas.

Shaw met Tony Hulman who had inherited his family's business, Hulman & Company, a wholesale grocer and producer of coffee and baking powder, Clabber Girl.

A lifelong fan of automobile racing in general and the "500" in particular, Hulman listened with great interest to what Shaw had to say. Despite what Hulman saw amongst the weeds and deterioration when Shaw took him to Indianapolis, he purchased the Speedway from Rickenbacker in November 1945 for the sum of $750,000.

As a reward for his efforts to revive the Speedway, Shaw was appointed as its president, where he would have complete day-to-day control over the track. To this job, Shaw brought his extensive knowledge of the business of auto racing, something Hulman would admit that he himself didn't have, and Shaw's hard work only cemented the reputation of the "500" as the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing."

It seemed as though Shaw and Hulman had a "Midas touch" at the Speedway. Hulman poured money into improvements, and Shaw delivered the world's greatest automobile race to enthusiastic crowds, which grew in number by the year. The Indianapolis "500" of the late Forties and early Fifties was a very special event through the work of Hulman and Shaw, although Hulman was always sure to point out that it was Wilbur putting it all together.

Shaw was killed in an airplane crash near Decatur, Indiana on October 30, 1954, one day before his fifty-second birthday. The pilot, Ray Grimes, and artist Ernest Roose were also killed.

Marlins pitcher Alex Sanabia claims he didn’t know spitballs were illegal

Earlier in the week our own Dave Brown took a very close look at Alex Sanabia's apparent spitball against the Philadelphia Phillies.

We're talking frame-by-frame, undeniable visual evidence that Sanabia did indeed hock a Rob Dribble right there in plain view of pretty much everybody.

In fact, the Miami Marlins right-hander was so indiscreet — yet somewhat slick, as well — with his actions that it almost seemed like he didn't realize he was doing anything wrong.

Well, guess what? It turns out Sanabia really didn't realize he was doing anything wrong. Or at least that's what he claimed in an Associated Press article on Friday.

"I didn't know I couldn't shoot anyone"     "I didn't know I couldn't drive drunk"

Motorcycle lane-splitting bill dies in Nevada Senate

RENO -- A proposal to make Nevada the first state in the nation to legalize motorcycle lane splitting has died in the state Senate.

The bill would have allowed motorcycles to drive between cars as long as traffic was stopped and the motorcycle did not go faster than 10 mph. Proponents said the legislation would make it safer for motorcyclists to ride in heavy traffic.

"I have two friends who have lost their lives because they got hit from behind from a vehicle that did not see them even though they're stopped," said Democratic Assemblyman Richard Carrillo, who sponsored the legislation. "The whole premise of it is safety, it's not about being the first one off the line."

While it passed the Assembly with little opposition in April, it died Friday night in the Senate in a 5-16 vote.

On my bucket List ....

We were talking last night, one of my bucket list items ............

I would like to have a nice evening Summer dinner, at The Would, in Highland, New York, with my guests, Martina Navratilova, Jennie Finch, Elena Della Donn, Allison Fisher and Angie Harmon. And then an evening of sitting out on the porch and just talking and listening to their stories.

Martina I have admired for many years. I am not necessarily a big tennis fan, but, I admired her tenacity, professionalism and dedication to the sport. I forget which tournament, maybe the US Open, she was in the latter stages of her career, and with dogged determination, she won. She is special.

Jennie Finch, been watching her career since a few they televised when she was at Arizona. She is a role model for any young girl. I think she has done more for women's softball than anyone. And, she still is. She is still a strong roll model and still active in sports.

Elena Della Donn, Sunday she will be playing in her first professional game. I watched her play in college, and familiar with her story. She, too, is a suitable role model for any young girl. Her dedication to family is a story in itself. She will bring glory to her team, her community and her family. She is going to be a standout professional player, and continue to inspire young ladies and young girls.

Allison Fisher, probably not familiar to everyone, she shoots pool. A champion pool player. She has won many titles, probably more than any woman, 50 WPBA titles. She is a competitor. She came over from England. I love her competitive spirit.

Angie Harmon, well, I'm just in love with her. If my wish is answered, I would just love to look at her for an evening, even if she didn't talk. She is married to an athlete, a professional football player. I hope she doesn't bring him along. Check out something really neat. Angie was on the Leno show. Her fiance, Jason Sehorn entered, and proposed to her on TV. WATCH HERE  I would love to sit and chat with someone who appears so gracious and sincere.

See how we get. Above I originally said that Sehorn came out, and proposed .... can't use that term for fear someone will misunderstand. Oddly, as you saw if you watched, Elton John was on the show, Leno asked Angie if Sehorn would "come out" .... got a laugh from Elton, he already had.

I am a MWISPRO80R

Joseph Bradford Dooley, MWISPRO80R

So much emphasis is being put on everything, I think to keep things clear, everyone should have an appropriate classification after their name. ... just saw a story about a soccer player who "came out" then retired, now he is back. That puts an end to my going to a soccer game, what, Oh, I guess I have never been to one. I remember when I was dealing craps in Reno, when calling the dice, on the first roll, I, we, would always say, "New shooter, Coming out ..... ," or something like that, and everyone would stare at me ... if we all used this classification I could just show them my MWISPRO80R ... or "Mawispro80are."

Male
White
Irish Descent
Straight
Protestant
Right Handed
Over 80
Retired

Controversy, if I am Irish why am I not a Catholic? There are probably some other classifications we should have in there. Any suggestions? Not sure if politics should be involved. R D I or L R Middle. It would be handy for Help Wanted Ads. I remember in the employment business when we could no longer mention age, or much of anything or that matter. Sent a 75 year old out on an interview with a company that painted TV towers, and, he was afraid of height and skin sensitive to linseed oil.

Oklahoma tornadoes: Sooners bring back some smiles to Sydney Angle's teammates

NORMAN — Dressed in a purple and black uniform, a 9-year-old with short brown hair and a big smile stood on a mound in North Oklahoma City last weekend. Sydney Angle and her team usually hit against a pitching machine in games, but her coach decided to let the Bring It 04 team play against girls that were two years older in a kids pitch tournament. The tournament marked Sydney's first chance to do what she loved: pitch. She turned to face the batter, threw her hands in the air and released the softball. If only that umpire wasn't messing with her work. She looked at him as he called another pitch a ball. She thought it was a strike.

On Monday, people rushed toward Plaza Towers Elementary School to pull children from the rubble. Seven children would later be pronounced dead after an EF-5 tornado ripped through Moore and the school.
Sydney Angle was one of those seven who died. Her older sister, Casey, escaped, but only because she climbed through the window in a bathroom after bricks and such blocked any exit.

The Oklahoma Sooners invited the team to their Super Regional softball game against Texas A&M. Although the game postponed due to wet outfield conditions, that didn't stop the Sooners and Bring It from spending almost an hour together.

“It would have meant a lot to her,” Dan Angle said, looking across the red dirt infield at the smiling 8- and 9-year olds waiting for autographs from the nation's No. 1-ranked softball team.

Sydney Angle just decided to return to the game of softball. She played at ages 4 to 6, but then asked her parents if she could take a break. Her Bring It 04 coach, Landon McNeill, kept asking her to come back. Sydney rejoined the team this year, winning MVP at a Moore Girls' Softball Association Tournament two weeks ago. A photo was taken of Angle holding a trophy and wearing her MVP necklace after the game.
It's the photo Dan Angle held in the frame, the one he asked the Sooners to sign, the one Nicole Angle said will be at her 9-year-old daughter's funeral.

In her final softball game, Sydney Angle threw many strikes that the umpire ended up calling. She struck out two of the first three batters she faced.She struck out five total. Sydney thought she could have done even better.

When Oklahoma pitcher Keilani Ricketts — perhaps the best softball pitcher in the nation — heard about Sydney Angle's stats, she smiled at Angle's father. “Wow! She did really good,” Ricketts said.
Through smiles and tears, the Angles spoke of their beloved daughter.Through tears and a few pauses, Nicole talked about other mothers who had lost their children in Plaza Towers. Sydney was in the same class as Emily Conatzer and Nicolas McCabe.  They were good friends. “We're going to keep their plots together,” Nicole said.

“It's been a miserable week,” Dan said. “This was a chance to see kids laugh and smile again instead of cry.”
Then he looked one more time across the red dirt infield. Just minutes earlier, Sydney Angle's Bring It team was laughing and smiling as it raced Oklahoma softball players around the bases.

Oklahoma is playing right now. They are up 4-1. Another great story. More tears ......

What a GREAT story .. I cried when I read this

Five-year-old Tatum Raetz was surrounded by an incredible show of love and support at her kindergarten graduation on Wednesday. Hundreds of Phoenix police officers showed up to celebrate her accomplishment after the little girl's father, Officer Daryl Raetz, was killed in the line of duty just days before.

A photo that surfaced on Reddit shows Tatum smiling as the police family cheered her on.

"The purpose of us is to be here in proxy for Daryl and to let her know that we're here for her," Police Officer Keith Garn told CBS5.

Another officer, James Holmes, told AZFamily.com that the original plan was for just a few cops to attend the graduation. "But the word got out that this was happening and it went viral within the department and there was absolutely no way that you could keep officers who could be here away from here. they came, even with their families," he explained.

During the ceremony, everyone took a moment of silence for Tatum's dad. "Officer Raetz truely embodied the type of great American citizen that our school and our teachers aim to create," school director Keven Barker announced.

In the end, Tatum got a standing ovation when she received her diploma.

This brought tears, great story. Nice to know that good people do still exist. Remember her Daddy this weekend, he was "killed in the line of duty."

The joys of a Saturday Morning

Oh how I looked forward to Saturday morning in my youth. School all week, and then ......... Saturday Morning, it seemed to have more importance than Saturday afternoon or Sunday. I could sleep in late, but generally woke up early so I didn't miss any of the day.

There were some great Saturday morning radio shows. The first two that come to mind are “Let’s Pretend” and “Big Jon and Sparkie.” (There are a few of their shows on thede links)

It seemed like the weather was always nice on Saturday morning, or at least those are the ones I remember.

Later, in the 50's at The Citadel, we always had SMI, Saturday Morning Inspection. The rooms had to be spotless, everything in its place and those old wood floors were bleached, almost white. They became routine, but the work and preparation were always the same.

I guess, in the Navy, I think in San Diego, we had the weekends off when I had the "Discharge Desk." We discharged on Wednesday and Friday, some weekends I had the "Duty" but most were off. Trips to Vegas, Los Angeles or somewhere, almost every weekend. Aboard ship for two years, the days ran all together.

Up until a few years ago I would do something either on Saturday or Sunday morning, drive to Columbus or Zanesville, just a mini vacation. On a couple of occasions I drove to Michigan, once to Tawas, just to get a haircut. After one of my Kidney Stone operations, I got in the car, headed to Michigan, "ostomy bag" and all. Spent a few days just driving around. The "bag" leaked and I headed home. Hardly remember the trip at all.

It is 57 degrees in Ohio, sun is shining, a little chilly for the time of year, but nice. I can't do donuts anymore, our Meijers store closed yesterday.

Remember the reason for the holiday weekend. Visit a cemetery, look for the flags, and say "Thanks."Burgers and wieners are only a part of it

Oscar Robinson

You never hear too much about him, especially since his retirement from basketball. I don't think he ever receive the credit he was due. He was the "BIG O."

I first saw him play in 1958 while he was at the University of Cincinnati. Our neighbor, Cal Werner, got tickets, and my Dad, Brother, Cal and I drove down to the game. Cal was with GM, and a plant manager of a plant in Dayton. He was an engineer, inventor, had some patents with Kettring, and still did some design work for GM. Often, they would have some new item they needed checked out and would send it down to Cal for  his evaluation.

We lived next door, so Dad and I walked over and got in a new Pontiac that had just been shipped to him that day for some testing. We drove over to my Brothers, pulled in front of his house. Cal hit a button and the car raised so that when the door opened it didn't hit the curb. Bud got in, the car lowered, and off we went. A new GM innovation he was testing.


We watched the game, marveled at Oscar and his game, but nothing outstanding, until the game was over, and you realized how many points he had, blocked shots, rebounds, and all that he had done, very quietly, in their victory. That was him, very quiet and unassuming. He was that way his whole career.

Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "The Big O", is an American former National Basketball Association player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks. The 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m), 220 lb (100 kg) Robertson played the shooting guard/point guard position, and was a twelve-time All-Star, eleven-time member of the All-NBA Team, and one-time winner of the MVP award in fourteen professional seasons. He is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season. He was a key player on the team which brought the Bucks their only NBA title in the 1970–71 NBA season. His playing career, especially during high school and college, was plagued by racism.

For his outstanding achievements, Robertson was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1980, and was voted one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. The United States Basketball Writers Association renamed their college Player of the Year Award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in his honor in 1998, and he was one of five people chosen to represent the inaugural National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame class in 2006.

Robertson was also an integral part of the Oscar Robertson suit of 1970. The landmark NBA antitrust suit, named after the then-president of the NBA Players' Association, led to an extensive reform of the league's strict free agency and draft rules and, subsequently, to higher salaries for all players.

Liar Liar

Washington bridge collapse spotlights 

California's aging bridges

Was it not too long ago that billions of stimulus  money came out of Washington to fix our nations infrastructure. Makes you wonder where it went. It has been rumored that a great deal of it made its way back into someones campaign coffers.

In my opinion, and what I have been able to garner from reliable sources,

the money that was spent went in to simple and easy fixes like road resurfacing

and some projects that made the countryside look good, but structurally

not too much happened. Thus, a bridge collapse. What next?

I would love to see a movie made like Jim Carrey's, "LiarLiar"

In it, every politician across the land could only tell the truth to any question asked, for one day.

Get your questions ready.

That day is coming soon.

Goodbye old friend .............

An a sad note, today is the last day for our local store where we have shopped at for many years. I think Mr. Meijer himself once stopped in this store.

It was great, duck in the store, groceries were right there, a great bakery, donuts to die for, great fresh items in the deli, and in the same end of the store, self check-outs so you were in and out in a hurry.

Their people were always friendly and helpful. Have gotten gasoline in their station for many years, easy in and out. If they have any left, I will go there today and get my last tank of gas from them. They will be missed, at least, by me.     R.I.P.

Boil, grill or steam ...... a Weiner

"Do you really think they will forget what I did?"
"Are they really that stupid?"
"No, I'm not a registered sex offender, I don't think."
"They are like sheep, they will forget."
"They are merely voters, I can sway them with rhetoric."
"Forgive," "Second chance, we are a city of believing in a second chance."
BS, and that does not signify a degree of any kind. Are the voters of New York really considering putting this man in office?

There is a song, "We just need a few good men." Is this ONE of them?

Is that all they have left in New York, a candidate who exposes himself, takes a photograph and broadcasts it around the universe. I want millions of people to see my penis. :That's the kind of guy I want running this city."

If he receives more than one vote, his own, it will be a reflection of the voters in that city. They should change their slogan from the "Big Apple" to the "Big Penis."

"I want a man who exposes himself on the internet, running my city." He didn't want to disgrace New York, so he used Pittsburgh in his literature. Now, how considerate is that?

"Exhibitionism is classified in the DSM-IV under the category of paraphilias, which are patterns of sexual behavior involving unusual and socially unacceptable practices (fetishism, voyeurism, and other abnormal sexual tendencies are also classified as paraphilias).

Exhibitionism is a psychological disorder characterized by a pattern of behaviors that involve the exposure of body parts to others: often the genitals, buttocks, or breasts.This exposure is often of an extravagant nature, and usually involves some sexual suggestions.

Exhibitionism is known by several names including: flashing, apodysophilia, and Lady Godiva syndrome.

Exhibitionism has been called a “hands-off” paraphilia. This descriptive term is in contrast with the “hands-on” paraphilias that involve physical contact with others."

"Hey, I want him be are mayor, he be a paraphiliac."