"At the end ... of a perfect day ..................."

"Greatly blessed, highly favored .................."

It has taken me 82 years to get here, but the wait was well worth while.

Via the internet, my birthday has been acknowledged by hundreds of people, both here in Newark, some out of state and a plethora (I use that word a lot) of people from the Gem City, Dayton, Ohio with well wishes.

I have heard from ALL, family and friends. A "ground swell" of relatives and friends ended up here at our apartment this afternoon and evening, including dear and old friend, Craig Young. My "pond" is tranquil, no ripples at this time.

I did not hear from the Governor or the President, but, I really did not expect to. My cousin, Merrill Dooley sent well wishes, he is one of the few "cousins" left. I heard from Jim Madison in Oklahoma, and Jane Dooley, my niece, and all my family, it has been a good day, and even neater, nothing planned, it just all worked out well.

Thanks to all

I will sleep well tonight, before that, I will drop to my knees, by my bed, and thank Him for standing with me, and allowing me all of these years, and to continue to look out for my family, and those around me ..... I am ...

"Greatly blessed, highly favored ....................."

Oh, what a surprise, it's my birthday!

I get birthday well wishes from Google, my Facebook friends, primarily the group from Dayton, Ohio, and organizations I have never heard of. When I opened Google this morning .... there were pictures of cakes .... and a happy birthday.

I remember in 1950, I was a Cadet, at The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina. The President of the school was one, Charles Pelot Summerall, a General. I remember seeing him, driving on campus, and we all joked and commented on his being .............. 82 ............. and still able to drive. That was 64 years ago, and now ..... well.

The hardest part of being 82, is realizing that I am 82. I'm still a kid, not an old man. I have known people who were 82, they were old .... an emotional roller coaster of realization .... wow.

I am going to use this means to thank all those who graciously extended their best wishes to me. I used to have to promote my birthday with web sites, emails and phone calls. Now, thanks to Facebook, it is all done for me.

I did take a "When will you die" quiz the other day on Facebook, many odd questions, none about my age though, and the result ..... I live to 88 .... no arguments from me.

Again, thank you all .......................

Happy Birthday to ME...................9/30

EXCESSIVE ..... You bet!

I have a hunch  this will come back to haunt OSU football. A student running on to the field is not new. Choking him and throwing him to the ground ...... is new.

In the stadium were 100,000 spectators, MANY of who had spent the afternoon and evening, "tailgating" .... eating and drinking, a Saturday tradition, in many ways, encouraged by the university.

I do not think this treatment was warranted, especially as an exhibition put on by the Strength Coach at the University. That body slam could cause some permanent damage to the young man. Coach Meyer joked and made lite of the occurrence and brushed it aside.

STOPPING the boy is one thing BODY SLAMMING him, full force, to the ground, to me, is very much EXCESSIVE and reflects negatively on the coach, and the entire university and staff.

I imagine we will hear more about this ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAUqzppPgA4

Derek Jeter Cancels Retirement, Signs 3-Year Contract With Boston Red Sox

The franchise player Derek Jeter is sure to disappoint every New York Yankee fan in the world after deciding not to retire after this baseball season. One of their star players for years, Jeter has signed a multi-year deal with Yankees rival the Boston Red Sox.

According to sources, Boston has been eyeing the possibility of picking up Jeter since he announced he would retire after this year, his 20th season in the MLB. Reportedly, the deal will make him an additional $25 million a year for the 3 years of his contract.

Reports have confirmed that Jeter and his agents have agreed to the terms of the contract, and Jeter is signing on the dotted line Wednesday evening.

Rumors swirled across the league that the Red Sox sent Jeter an offer during the all-star break, but insiders say they didn’t believe that Jeter would be interested. After 20 years in baseball, the game has taken its toll on Jeter, and he reportedly was looking forward to giving up the game. Once Jeter’s lawyers got their hands on the contract, they persuaded him to take the deal.

“It was great to have Derek on the team and he has done a lot for this organization and will always be remembered for what he has down for this team,” said Yankees manager Joe Girardi. “I don’t know his exact future after this season, but he will not be playing in a Yankee uniform and never will again.”

Players across the league have taken to social media to comment on the deal, with tweets being been made by several Yankees players, saying things like “Jeter made an A-Rod Move” and “Years of history will be ruined with one signature.”

So far, Jeter has not commented publicly on his deal. A request for comments from Jeter’s management team was not immediately returned.

1932

1932 Ford

Birthday Eve - 2014

Why mention my birthday, well, it doesn't seem possible that it is mine, awesome that I have lived so long.  And, trust me, it goes by so very fast.

I am wondering, this morning, how many are around that will remember that the 30th of September is the birthday of ..... me, Joe Dooley. I have to wonder if Jeanne or Donna is still around, they would remember, my wives at one time. Jean would be in Nevada or possibly California, Donna, no idea.

I know Jim Madison will remember, and, we are worried about him. Have not heard from him for a while, and two Michigan losses have brought no response from him. He is in Oklahoma, and a family member, much like a son to us.

I think Ernie in California remembers the date. I was in the Navy with him, we had some good times together, did some "double dating" .... in Mexico, Rosarita Beach, and he drove us to my first wedding, in Yuma, Arizona. That was in '53, I think. We lost track of each other, I got a call once, "You may not remember me ...." .... "Ernie ?" .... never forgotten, and so thankful he got my phone number, he is the last "memory" of that time in my life.

I know that Joe Francis is gone, not sure about Hoot, or Jerry, Don Eammelli has passed on, Danny Fagan is gone, Fitz and Meta. My only link to that time is Dwayne Kling, who I have gotten to know recently.

But, I have lived here in Newark for over 50 years, I know that because we have an Anniversary coming up soon, married 50 years to my best friend, Marilyn, so, we have been together much longer than my "past." So, most of my life is still alive and well .... four kids, New York, New Jersey, Charlotte, NC, and one her in Newark ... four grandkids, and two great grandkids, so, in reality, I am blessed and thankful.

Yesterday, at Krogers, saw Jeff Kreager, a friend ... we chatted briefly ... he said he had seen someone, my name came up ... "Is he dead?" First time I have heard that, another "milestone" I guess, past my time ...............

Sunglasses are a good cover .............

Many tears today, including me, and I am not even that big a baseball fan, I just appreciate loyalty, professionalism, dedication, and integrity. Derek Jeter exemplifies all of these traits. He was a Yankee, Boston did not like the Yankees, yet, a tremendous, tremendous outpouring of respect for him. His last at bat, in baseball,  ..... he is taken out ..... a standing ovation, in Boston, many tears, but, the sunglasses were a good cover of them.

Great careers, ending, there is something universal about them. One TV shot, a woman, sitting in the stands, when he walks off the field, her sunglasses were not enough, she had to wipe per eyes. We need more moments like this, they afford us, time to reflect...........

I am not wearing sunglasses, using tissues .................

I do wish they would take that little guy who did the interview down to meet him .... then, the network would be as classy and Mister Jeter ...................

Fired band director Waters sues OSU

Fired band director Jonathan Waters is demanding his job back and at least $1 million in a lawsuit filed against Ohio State University yesterday that alleges he was fired illegally.

The lawsuit will move the conflict between Waters and Ohio State to a federal courtroom after months of public sparring, often played out in media releases from both sides. But now Waters will add a notable name to his legal team with the addition of Jim Petro, a former Ohio attorney general who was the chancellor of the Ohio Board of Regents until he retired last year.

All along, Waters has said he didn’t want to sue the university. But after requests to review the firing with Ohio State failed, Waters said yesterday he was making a stand.

“We are here today to restore the reputation of the Ohio State University marching band,” Waters said at a news conference at his lawyer’s office. “I think I am in a unique position to do that.”

The 45-page lawsuit includes a legal claim that OSU President Dr. Michael V. Drake and Provost Joseph E. Steinmetz illegally fired Waters. It says they deprived Waters of his constitutional right to a fair investigation. A second legal claim alleges that Ohio State mistreated Waters because of his gender. His lawyers said the firing violated federal Title IX rules banning gender discrimination.

I cannot think of an appropriate "word" to describe Jonathan Waters. I did not know you had "recourse" when you were fired. Everyone I know, when they got fired, they went out and looked for another job .... NOT old Jonathan, he is going to sue in an attempt to get his job back, and, well, ah, a million bucks. When did it start that you could not fire someone who worked for you. I don't think his job was a union one. Words like ..... whiny, crybaby, sore loser, pampered, come to mind when I think of him. OJ, the footless runner, some lawsuits are screwey and go the wrong way ... suppose, after a lengthy, COSTLY trial, a jackass decision is made that compels OSU to take him back. What a serene working condition that would create. I, personally, don't care WHY he was fired, HE WAS FIRED .... I think OSU can now say that they don't want a whiny, wimpy crybaby to lead their band. "Oh, here's your million dollars and welcome back, the baton is back in your hands. Anything you need, just let us know." Yea, right. He has to try to stay at OSU, no one else would hire someone like him .... ah, he could go in to politics, I think he has all the qualifications ................. 

Sunday morning .............

I received a number of Emails today, politically oriented, from both parties, and each one ..... needed for me to donate money. I am beginning to realize that elections are won by candidates, and parties, that have the most money.

I got one yesterday, in the mail, from a local politician who is running for the State Senate. He could no longer run for the House, so he was compelled to run for the Senate. On the front, it states, his name Knows How to CREATE JOBS. I have known him for many years, done printing for him, he is a professional lifetime politician, about the only thing he has ever done. The piece "insinuates" that he was responsible for creating 250,000 jobs in Ohio. I think he actually had something to do with saving "doves" or something like that. A career politician.

As I stated previously, I am considering, for the first time in many years, not voting. I have decided I do not want to support politicians. I used to think there were Democrats and Republicans. Now, I realize, there are only "politicians," Red and Blue. It is akin to saying there are Good thieves and there are Bad thieves, when in reality they are ALL ..... politicians. Took me a few years to realize that, all the same, some stand on the left, some stand on the right. "Oh, I think that HE will do the least damage." How pathetic a decision is that?

Sunday Morning, September 28, 2014, two days away from the 30th, the day of my 82nd birthday. There was something on Facebook this morning, a quiz, to tell you when you were going to die. Unrelated questions, nothing about how old I was, I took the quiz answered the questions, the result, I live to 88, encouraging to say the least. I have to wonder how it knew how old I was.

Watching the Ryder Cup, they try to make it exciting .... the players on both sides seem to really take it seriously. It was either the Ryder Cup or Mister Ed reruns.

It is a cool Fall morning in Ohio, the trees are starting to change colors, Walmart and Krogers have a plethora of candy available, along with Halloween items. There are many more Halloween decorations this year, spooky stuff, that moans and growls and moves, skeletons, bony hands, witches, ... I just turned my head to look out of the front window ..... what do I see, a small spider has somehow installed a long web from the bottom of a lampshade to a table, and is climbing up and down, how spooky is that? I guess my Dusting Schedule should be updated.

Teen who survived plane crash crowned homecoming queen

A Dickson County teen who survived a plane crash a few months ago was crowned homecoming queen by her classmates.

Katey Hargrove received the honor before Dickson County High School's football game Friday night. Before the big event, she told News 2 how much she was looking forward to having the title. “I'm super excited. I can't wait. I've been waiting on it for three years,” explained Katey.

The teen was one of four people who survived a small plane crash in Alabama back in July.

She and her boyfriend, Andy Smith, were returning to Dickson from a Florida vacation with his family when the plane his father was flying had engine failure and crashed. Katey broke her back in the accident. She and the other three victims are expected to make a full recovery, but the process has not been easy.

"It's been a struggle. Some days are worse than others, depending on the weather, literally. But as far as recovery goes, I'm doing really good,” said Katey.

Now, less than three months after the accident, she has been voted homecoming queen. Katey said she is soaking up this moment and takes nothing for granted. "Everything is kind of emotional. Everything means everything to me. Anything anybody says, I take it all to heart. Everything is sacred.”

Still's pre-surgery pep talk for daughter pays off

A big milestone has arrived in the simultaneously heartwrenching and heartwarming story about Bengals defensive tackle Devon Still and his daughter Leah, who is battling a form of childhood cancer called neuroblastoma. 

Earlier Thursday morning, Still posted a video showing his "pre-surgery pep talk" for Leah with the caption, "I might be nervous and scared beyond words but I'll never let her see it...let's get this done!"

Still has had the support of the Bengals organization throughout the ordeal. Earlier this month, we learned that the team had signed Still to its practice squad after releasing him, allowing him to maintain health insurance for the expensive treatments Leah would require.

Then the Bengals began to sell Devon Still jerseys (No. 75) in mid-Sept. with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting pediatric cancer research, a campaign that produced $400,000 worth of funds in only four days. Later, the team re-signed Still to its active roster.

Still previously told ESPN that he would learn on Sept. 16 whether the tumor had reduced enough in size for doctors to attempt to remove it on Sept. 25, after which she would have to endure another round of chemotherapy and radiation and eventually a stem cell harvesting.

It took a nearly six-hour surgical procedure, but by late Thursday afternoon, Devon Still and his family received one piece of news they had been desperately waiting to hear for months.

The tumor was gone.

On a photo Still posted to his Instagram account late in the day, the lineman reported the cancerous tumor that had sickened his 4-year-old daughter, Leah, had been completely removed by a surgeon at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The surgeon even was able to clear the area in Leah's right adrenal gland, Still said. According to Still that was the area "where it all started from."

It's just a TAXi dance for the NFL ... and others

While the NFL is trying to stay out of the headlines following its handling of domestic abuse charges among some of its star players, Sen. Tom Coburn is pushing to keep the National Football League in the spotlight for a different reason. 

Along with the PGA, NHL and a number of other professional sports leagues, the NFL doesn’t pay taxes on its billions in yearly revenue. Individual teams and owners do pay taxes, but not the league.

“The question Americans ought to ask is why? Who cut that deal?” Coburn, an Oklahoma Republican, told “The Fine Print.” “And why should the very wealthy team owners through their league office not pay taxes, which means all the rest of us pay more taxes.”

It’s all thanks to a 1966 tax law amendment that allows sports leagues to identify as tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. Coburn introduced a bill last year that would take away the tax-exempt status for any sports league making over $10 million in annual revenues. The bottom line, he argues, is that “real charities ought to get a tax-exempt [status], non-charities shouldn't.”

Though the bill only requires a simple change to the complicated federal tax code, Coburn’s proposal hasn’t been able to garner much attention on Capitol Hill -- that is, until the NFL found itself in the spotlight.

Coburn attributes some of new support to politicians who are only now attracted to the issue because of its newfound popularity. But he said “the whole political process” is the bigger problem.

“Shouldn't we have people who are representing the people of this country stand up and try to make the best judgments overall not from a political standpoint but from a policy standpoint?” Coburn asked. “And I'd say letting the pro sports leagues having $110 million of your money, which means they're not paying it, which means poor Americans are … is a reverse Robin Hood deal.”

Even with the fresh interest in the issue, Coburn said he doesn't expect Congress to muster the political will to actually strip sports leagues of the tax-exempt status anytime soon.

“The reason people don't want to address that is the people who own these teams are pretty powerful players, and if you don't want to irritate them -- it's cowardice,” Coburn said. “Don't take on something you don't have to because your political career is more important than fixing things that are wrong with the country.”

California burns -- and there's worse to come

Los Angeles (AFP) - Wildfires are nothing new in California. But in the third year of a historic drought, the tinder-dry western US state is battling near-record numbers of blazes.

And the normal fire season has only just begun.

Nearly 7,500 firefighters are currently struggling to douse the so-called King Fire east of Sacramento which has forced almost 3,000 people to evacuate as it rages across an area bigger than the city of Las Vegas.

But while this is fairly typical for an ordinary year, it is far from the first of the season.

"Already this year California responded to nearly 5,000 wildires, where in an average year that number would be closer to 3,900," said Daniel Berlant of California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire.

"There has been a significant increase in fire activity due to the fact that conditions are so dry from the drought," he told AFP, noting that "historically, California experiences its largest and most damaging wildfires in the fall months.

"So we're just now getting to the peak of fire season."

Blazes have been erupting for months. In May, thousands of residents had to leave their homes due to a surge of fires which triggered the partial evacuation of a military base and a tourist amusement park.

Fish and Wildlife Department Using 'Salmon Cannon' to Move Fish Upriver

Say goodbye to the lazy river. Salmon now have a cannon! Sounds fishy, but it's true. Whooshh Innovations, a Bellevue, Wash.-based company, has developed a product called the Fish Passage. Nicknamed the "salmon cannon," it is used to move salmon upstream much more quickly and safely than the fish are normally able to travel. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has recently adopted the device to move Chinook salmon up the Washougal River about 120 feet in five seconds to a nearby truck, which then transports the fish to a hatchery. 

The salmon cannon doesn't actually shoot the fish, but rather fish are placed in a tube that propels them quickly through. This is much easier and less traumatic for the fish than traditional handling and transport methods. Previously, fish were moved using a forklift and a tote container. 

The Whooshh website explains the need for such fancy fish transportation: "Fish species are affected by the development and operation of dams. Dams without adequate fish passage systems block migrating upstream adults from reaching critical habitat. For downstream juveniles, a substantial proportion can be killed while migrating through dams, both directly through collisions with structures and abrupt pressure changes during passage through turbines and spillways, and indirectly, through non-fatal injury and disorientation." 

If you are looking to upgrade your own fish transportation, you are going to have to shell out about $150,000. Until then, check out the cannon from the salmon's point of view:

A perfect ending .... for Mister Jeter

Yes, there is a God, he loves baseball and he loves the New York Yankees and he loves Derek Jeter.

A finer script could not have been written for this day in his life, his last game to be played in front of his Yankee Fans at Yankee Stadium.

Rain threatened all day ....  God and Derek Jeter kept it away, not a drop fell during the game.

The Yankee's starting pitcher hurled a superb game, going in to the top of the ninth inning, the Yanks had a comfortable 3 run lead.

In this day and age of specialization, regardless of how things are going .... you bring in your "closer" to finish the game, which happened here. The "closer" allowed Baltimore to tie the game .... so, the Yankees and Derek Jeter faced a tie game ....... a runner got on base ..... Mister Jeter came up to bat with a runner on base ...... then, this pitch ..... a hit by Mister Jeter ..... and the runner scored. The base runner, Derek Jeter glanced home, between first and second ..... and saw the winning run cross home plate ..... he leaped into the air, arts stretched out ...... his last game here, he drove in the winning run.

Yes, there is a God, and he loves baseball, the Yankees and especially Derek Jeter. A fitting ending for a very emotional game, and it ended with him doing what he loved best, and had for so many years, winning baseball games ........ Number 2 will be missed, a true professional.

A well deserved tribute .......... tonight

I like baseball, not a dedicated fan, loved the old Reds, but I will watch tonight, and I will cry, probably sob .... out of respect for a dedicated man, A TRUE PROFESSIONAL, on my list, and there are not many. He is there with Arnold Palmer, John Havlicek,  bobby Orr, and a few others. Exemplary lives in their personal life and there chosen professional career. In this day and age, loyalty, in itself, is hard to find, a dedicated work ethic, a leader, and example, hard to find. I will be going back and forth between football and baseball .... 

NEW YORK -- Derek Jeter will receive his ultimate lifetime achievement award at some point Thursday night, whenever Joe Girardi decides to remove him from the game and turn him over to the full house. The fans will cheer, cry and do whatever moves them to celebrate the 40-year-old New York Yankees captain, and then Jeter will leave the Bronx as an active player for the final time.

He will leave with all kinds of trophies and milestones zipped inside his travel bag, and one that shouldn't be lost under the pile. His only perfect record. Barring the sudden emergence of a hotheaded umpire fixing to break Twitter for good, Jeter will exit Yankee Stadium having played 2,903 major league games, postseason included, without earning a single ejection.

Yes, the adults in the stands have dressed their kids in jersey No. 2 because of the five championships, the 3,461 hits and the commitment to approaching every game the way Joe DiMaggio did -- as if someone out there was watching him play for the very first time. But the respect Jeter forever showed the game's authority figures at a time when that respect on ballfields across America, from Little League to the pros, was an oft-ignored suggestion, not a mandate, represented a core piece of his mass appeal.

In more than 20 years Jeter never once lost it with an umpire, a remarkable feat considering how verbal abuse of umps has long been accepted as part of the game, just like Cracker Jack, ballpark franks and the seventh-inning stretch. Not just accepted, but encouraged. Glorified, even.

Education being censored????

Schoolkids protesting what they are being taught, or what they are not being  taught. Some "woman" wants the curriculum changed .... some things they should not know .... I assume she knows what is best for them.

School boards .... yes, these people, just as other elected officials are, "elected" by people with absolutely NO qualifications to determine what should happen in a school. It's much like plumbers designing space craft. I once was asked, and attended one meeting, to be on the board of our local Crimestoppers. One experienced, highly qualified police detective attended the meeting. There were maybe ten or so board members in attendance.

We talked of recent crimes, some new, some old, went in to detail on some, discussed them in detail. Then, at the end of the meeting, WE were asked to decide which one was the most important, which one to offer the reward. Now, here sat a qualified, experienced member of law enforcement, years of experience, and the decision was up to the shoe salesman, the realtor, a grocer and some other businessmen. When asked for my vote .... I suggested we leave it up to the policeman, to decide which one should take precedent.

I am sure, that Jefferson County, where this problem is, searched for, and found, a highly qualified, experienced, well educated administrator, to run the school system. Then, they put together a board, elected by, unqualified voters to tell him how to do his job. I NEVER understood that.

BOARDS are resume fillers, good material for a political brochure, ego feeders. Odd how many people are on boards of organizations they know absolutely nothing about ... often .... a person will serve on many boards ..... here, just check my resume.

In the above instance, how do they change textbooks to satisfy ...... her. Hitler had a good solution, just burn all the books and start over .... with ...... edited new ones.

WHY don't they just teach ...... what happened. At my old high school, they had a philosophy ... to teach students how to study .... how to think for themselves, HOW to study, HOW to learn, furnish the basics

.... "IF the student hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught"

Eric Holder To Step Down As Attorney General

Eric Holder Jr., the nation's first black U.S. attorney general, is preparing to announce his resignation Thursday after a tumultuous tenure marked by civil rights advances, national security threats, reforms to the criminal justice system and 5 1/2 years of fights with Republicans in Congress.

Two sources familiar with the decision tell NPR that Holder, 63, intends to leave the Justice Department as soon as his successor is confirmed, a process that could run through 2014 and even into next year. A former U.S. government official says Holder has been increasingly "adamant" about his desire to leave soon for fear that he otherwise could be locked in to stay for much of the rest of President Obama's second term.

Holder already is one of the longest-serving members of the Obama Cabinet and ranks as the fourth-longest tenured AG in history. Hundreds of employees waited in lines, stacked three rows deep, in early February 2009 to witness his return to the Justice Department, where he previously worked as a young corruption prosecutor and as deputy attorney general — the second in command — during the Clinton administration.

But some of that early glow faded in part due to the politicized nature of the job and in part because of Holder's own rhetoric, such as a 2009 Black History Month speech where he said the country was "a nation of cowards" when it comes to discussions about racial tension.

Five years later, violence erupted between police and protesters in Ferguson, Mo., after a white policeman killed an unarmed black 18-year-old. And this time, the White House dispatched Holder to speak his piece, in effect jump-starting that conversation and helping to settle nerves in the frayed community.

Female UAE pilot 'leads strikes' on jihadists

Dubai (AFP) - A female pilot has led United Arab Emirates air strikes that targeted Islamic State jihadists in Syria as part of the US-led campaign against extremists.

Major Mariam al-Mansouri, 35, "led the squadron" of UAE fighter jets that participated in raids Tuesday against the extremists, an Emirati source familiar with the matter said.

The UAE did not confirm officially that a woman was among the pilots that conducted the raids.

Mansouri is reportedly the first female UAE pilot of a fighter jet. She graduated from Abu Dhabi's Khalifa bin Zayed Air College in 2007 and is veteran pilot of F-16 warplanes.

Washington has said the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Jordan, took part in the strikes on the Islamic State, which has seized swaths of Iraq and northern Syria.

Saudi Arabia on Wednesday released photographs of eight airmen it said were involved in Tuesday's US-led operations.

Thursday Morning

On this day in history, something must have happened, but I am not going to check to see what it was. I do know we have had many of them.

What does the future of our country look like? Well, we have a plethora of terrorists who wish to see us all killed. They have the technology to put explosives in toothpaste, or to make shoes of explosive material, rumor has it they are making clothing out of explosives, but the problem has been the label, which says, "Dry Clean Only." They have blown up six dry cleaning facilities so far, so testing has been slow.

Explosive prosthetics are also being considered. Air Marshals at many airports have been accused of kicking the legs of boarding passengers while holding their fingers in their ears.

Yesterday I was talking with the meat department guy at Walmart, something I have often done. "You've been around a lot, who are the most interesting people you have met?" That takes some thought. Interesting, memorable, there are some other words ... none of which come to mind right now. The person I met, worked for, was a mentor, and after 82 years rises to the top, Don Eammelli, my Floor Boss at the Primm in Reno in the late 50's.

Don observed me, trained me, and as a mentor, promoted me, as a still young "kid" ... to a Boxman on a crap table. I was still in my 20's when he put me on the box. Someone came in to the club, on one occasions, walked over to the table, we shook hands. They had seen an article in the Las Vegas newspaper about  the "youngest boxman" in Nevada. Prior to this, I was relatively shy, yet, personable, but the promotion placed me at a new level in my life.

Don had the sharpest mind I have ever seen. I know at one time, in Steubenville, Ohio, he had his own band, and got his early training in the gambling industry in Steubenville, illegal, but booming. Don had his own "count" system in 21, made quite a bit of money, boughte t real estate, and had other ventures. He lost the lower portion of his leg in an auto accident. I helped him with maintenance on his houses and apartments. He was always in pain where his leg met the artificial one.

Don, in many ways, opened a door for me to a different way of life. So, he tops my list. He is gone, but I have talked with his daughter in Reno ... "Oh yes, Dad talked about you." Don Eammelli talked about me.

I met L. Ron Hubbard in Reno, Del Ray, a magician, actually, he and Don had many "moves" in common. I met Buster Keaton's son in Reno, he was building a town, worked some with him. I have met and/or seen many. Lincoln Fitzgerald, owner of the Nevada Club, hired me, gave me a chance, and I worked with him a few years, should have stayed, damned ADD kept me moving around.

Looking back, Don has probably had the biggest impact on my life. One of my "trainers" in Reno also had an impact. Bettye Johnson, at that time, introduced me to the "Nevada" life, and I rearranged my "sites" after getting to know her. I owe her a lot. Danny Fagan also took me under his wing and helped me.

I have worked for others, been associated with others, but, looking back, those who genuinely wanted to see me succeed, worked in the casinos, they helped me realize all I wanted to accomplish out there.

Gonna give some more thought to this .......................

"Music soothes the savage beast"

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Harpist Terri Tacheny long enjoyed taking her young daughters to Como Zoo in St. Paul, Minnesota, except for the Primate House, where she thought the gorillas, orangutans and monkeys seemed a little lethargic.

Her solution: A little music.

Now Tacheny, 57, a zoo volunteer, plays once a month for an appreciative audience that ambles down to the barrier as soon as Tacheny begins setting up her beautifully carved wooden harp. She's been doing it for nearly a decade.

"I don't speak gorilla, but there's a gorilla purr that occurs when I begin to play. And that's their happy sound," Tacheny said.

As the shimmering sounds of Tacheny's harp drift through the leafy zoo, a male gorilla stares through the fence at the musician, then chews contentedly on vegetation. Families stop to snap pictures.

A therapeutic harpist, Tacheny plays for hospital patients to help them deal with pain and anxiety. She thought if the soothing sounds helped calm humans, it would work for the primates too.

"I would love to see every zoo have a harpist. I think it benefits the animals," said Tacheny, a quick-to-smile woman.

Ripley 9/25

Wheels are still turning .... so to speak

One last thought for the day .... crime and television, they seem to go hand in hand. Many, or most popular TV shows revolve around police work and crime. I wonder why that is? What is there about crime and police work that is so interesting to the viewing public?

I still question that judges decision about the race car driver  who killed that other driver. It is the fault of the guy who got killed because, reportedly, he was under the influence of marijuana. It's OK to "smoke" and drive, a race car, on a race course, with a high power engine, on a racetrack, but, no walking. I would be very surprised if they did not have some type of drug testing. I wonder what the amount of marijuana smoked, renders one ..... to have poor judgement .... to the point where one would walk right into a high powered ...... race car?

OJ Simpson, the guy in England with the springy legs that shot his gorgeous girlfriend while she was taking a shower, And here, in my opinion, a hothead, in an instant, makes a wrong decision, takes a young boys life ..... nothing happens, and he goes on with his life.

A Civil Suit, I think not, too many deep pocket sponsors, millions in advertising on TV, it will be quietly settled ...... out of court. End of the story, not the race ...........

I do predict though, that Stewart will end his driving career soon. I imagine it is tough enough for a driver to just see a comrade driver get killed on the track in an accident .... and continue driving, but to be directly responsible for the death of a driver ..... never get over it. And, there may be some who believe in ..... an eye for an eye .....  perhaps a "target" on the back of Mr. Stewart????????

Them what's Got .... Gets!

BREAKING UPDATE: 

Kevin Ward Jr. Was Under Influence of Marijuana, "Enough to Impair Judgment," Night of Death, Prosecutor Says

What about the JUDGEMENT of the man who killed him?

Can we all go around, now asking, "Is your Judgement impaired by Marijuana?" And, then, if the answer is YES .................. WE CAN RUN THEM DOWN AND KILL THEM .........

I would like to know more about this .... little said .. can you say ... WHITEWASH

A grand jury has decided against charging NASCAR star Tony Stewart in the August death of another driver at a sprint car race in upstate New York.

The decision was announced Wednesday, nearly seven weeks after Stewart's car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. at a dirt-track race on Aug. 9 in Canandaigua.

District Attorney Michael Tantillo also said Ward was under the influence of marijuana that night "enough to impair judgment."

'Jersey Shore' star 'The Situation' Sorrentino indicted on tax charges

By Aruna Viswanatha

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Michael "The Situation" Sorrentino, star of reality TV show "Jersey Shore," and his brother have been charged with not properly paying taxes on $8.9 million in income, according to an indictment handed down on Wednesday.

Sorrentino, who popularized the phrase "gym, tan, laundry" to refer to the pre-party routine of the show's cast members, allegedly failed to report income and claimed clothes and cars as business expenses.

The brothers, who are charged with conspiring to defraud the United States and filing false tax returns, are expected to appear in federal court later on Wednesday, the U.S. Attorney in New Jersey said.

The MTV show "Jersey Shore," which stopped production in 2012, featured a cast of 20-something Italian Americans partying, tanning and complaining about their jobs at a beach-front T-shirt stand.

"OJ' Tony Stewart Won't Face Charges in Deadly Crash

He has to live with it, I still think he had a momentary "snap" when he saw he was coming after him. Notorious quick temper .... for a split second moment .... I think, he meant to do it. We will never know, St. Peter does, and the time will come ............

A grand jury has decided against charging NASCAR star Tony Stewart in the August death of another driver at a sprint car race in upstate New York.

The decision was announced Wednesday, nearly seven weeks after Stewart's car struck and killed Kevin Ward Jr. at a dirt-track race on Aug. 9 in Canandaigua.

Ward had climbed from his car after it had spun while racing alongside Stewart. The 20-year-old walked down the track, waving his arms in an apparent attempt to confront the three-time NASCAR champion.

The front of Stewart's car appeared to clear Ward, but Ward was struck by the right rear tire and hurtled through the air. He died of blunt force trauma. Stewart skipped three races following what he called a tragic accident.

obama addresses the UN

The president, and his good friend, the teleprompter, address the UN this morning.

Ironic, do you have to show any credentials to get in to the UN building? Here is a person, who has never proven, to all, his credentials to be the president of the country, and here he is, addressing the world.

I hope, that in years to come, stories are told, movies are made, about the person who bluffed his way in to this position.

This is the same person who saluted some Marines this morning, with a coffee cup in his hand.

Even if he is legitimate, he is who he claims to be, I do not think he has any of the necessary qualifications to address such a world group. He has little to no experience or training. Regardless of "everything" .... he is a lite weight in the diplomacy field.

We do have some, in this country, much more qualified to address the UN at such a critical time in our nations history.

Way too many unanswered questions ..... and look where he is .... he is great at what he does???????

The King ate himself to death .... Ripley 9/24

Texas man used cocaine to buy votes

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a 47-year-old man provided cocaine to secure votes for school board candidates in South Texas.

A federal judge in McAllen on Monday scheduled the arraignment of Francisco "Frankie" Garcia of Donna for next month. He's facing voter fraud and other charges.

The Monitor newspaper reports that an indictment alleges Garcia paid voters by giving them a "dime bag" of cocaine. Others were paid $10 for their votes in the 2012 Donna school board elections.

FBI agents arrested Garcia last week in Illinois.

He's the latest to be implicated in a conspiracy to buy votes for the school board elections. Three women pleaded guilty earlier this year to voter fraud.

Connecticut man arrested after driving stolen car to meeting with cops

By Richard Weizel

NEW HAVEN Conn. (Reuters) - A 26-year-old Connecticut man was in police custody on Tuesday after showing up to a phony probation meeting driving a car that police say he stole from a woman in a supermarket parking lot and later may have used to rob a bank.

Gary Harding was arrested on Monday when he showed up at a state office in New Haven for what he thought was to be a meeting with his probation officer.

"Thank God people aren't always very bright, it really does make our job a lot easier," said New Haven Police spokesman David Hartman. "Not only to make the apprehension, but then to also have the main piece of evidence delivered right to us ... that was icing on the cake."

That main piece of evidence was an SUV stolen from a Stamford woman at a grocery store on Sept. 13 by a man who claimed to have a gun. A review of surveillance footage suggested to police that Harding, who was known to probation officials for past drug and robbery convictions, was the culprit.

Police in the nearby town of Wallingford are also investigating whether the vehicle was used by Harding two days later in a bank robbery, said Wallingford Police Detective Sean Houlihan.

The video evidence prompted police to set up the phony probation meeting with Harding.

Cop Crashes Into a Dunkin' Donuts in New Jersey

Cops and doughnuts. Doughnuts and cops. The two seem to be about as intertwined in our minds as jelly is to a bear claw. Unfortunately, one of South Jersey's finest has taken that stereotype a little too far after crashing his police SUV into the storefront of a Dunkin' Donuts at 11 a.m. last Friday.

Few details have been released about the cause of the incident. The local NBC Philadelphia affiliate reported shortly after the crash that the officer had collided with another vehicle, which caused him to veer off of the road and into the restaurant.

The breakfast eatery was open at the time of the incident. However, no employees or customers were injured. The building has some structural damage, and the police officer suffered minor injuries. Still no word on how many Munchkins were injured.

Girlfriend Blames Doctor's Mistress for Poisoning

The girlfriend of a Texas doctor allegedly poisoned by his lover testified in court that her boyfriend suspected his mistress was responsible but was afraid to contact authorities.

Evette Toney spent much of Tuesday testifying in a Houston courtroom about how she found out her boyfriend, Dr. George Blumenschein, was having an affair with a fellow cancer researcher, Dr. Ana Gonzalez-Angulo, at the prestigious MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Gonzalez-Angulo is charged with aggravated assault after prosecutors say she spiked Blumenschein's coffee in 2013 with ethylene glycol, a sweet-tasting chemical found in antifreeze. Prosecutors allege that Gonzalez-Angulo poisoned the coffee after Blumenschein picked Toney over her.

Toney testified that shortly after Blumenschein was hospitalized following his poisoning, he told her that he believed Gonzalez-Angulo had poisoned him. But, Toney said, he told her to not tell anybody of his suspicions because he feared Gonzalez-Angulo might hurt him again or hurt Toney.

"At one point, George said, 'Evette, do not poke the dragon,'" Toney said.

The jury also saw cellphone video of Blumenschein in the hospital waiting room as the poison in his body started to take its toll. The video was shot by Toney, who recounted the agonizing pain Blumenschein was going through.

"I thought he was dying. I actually thought he was dying in front of me," Toney said.

Don't do as I do ........... etc.

Some are calling it the "latte salute."

When President Obama stepped off Marine One at the Wall Street landing zone in New York City, en route the United Nations, he saluted two Marines at the bottom of the stairs as he held a coffee cup in the same hand.

The unusual gesture appeared in an Instagram video posted by the White House on social media. Obama is also wearing sunglasses as he arrived, with the first lady not far behind.

The video drew ridicule from some Instagram users, who saw the unorthodox salute as "un-presidential."

"Hopefully it was just a slip by this President," one user posted.

Others saw unnecessary nitpicking in the criticism.

"People are dying from disease, abuse or even hunger," another user commented on the video. "Priorities."

While it is protocol for U.S. service members in uniform to salute the commander in chief, it's not required for a civilian president to salute back, military experts say. Ronald Reagan is thought to have set precedent for the practice back in 1981.

Ebola could strike 20,000 in six weeks, "rumble on for years"

By Stephanie Nebehay and Tom Miles

GENEVA (Reuters) - The Ebola outbreak in West Africa could infect 20,000 people as soon as early November unless rigorous infection control measures are implemented, and might "rumble on" for years in a holding pattern, researchers said on Tuesday.

In an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, experts from the World Health Organization and Imperial College said that infections will continue climbing exponentially unless patients are isolated, contacts traced and communities enlisted.

The WHO, in an initial roadmap issued on Aug 28, predicted that the virus could strike 20,000 people within the next nine months. The current death toll is at least 2,811 out of 5,864 cases, the U.N. agency says.

The latest study, marking six months from March 23, when the WHO says it was informed of the Ebola outbreak in southeastern Guinea, reflects projections based on the data from a third wave of the virus in Guinea, Sierra Leone and worst-hit Liberia.

"With exponential growth, you'll see that the case numbers per week go up so that by the second of November, over these three countries our best estimate is over 20,000 cases, confirmed and suspected cases," Dr. Christopher Dye, the WHO director of strategy, and co-author of article, told a briefing.

Nearly 10,000 of those would be in Liberia, 5,000 in Sierra Leone and nearly 6,000 in Guinea, he said. But those numbers would only come about with no enhanced infection control.

"Everyone is certainly working very hard to make sure this is a not the reality that we will be seeing," Dye said. "I will be surprised if we hit 20,000 by then," he later added.

Long, but a look at Hillary

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been through the political battles more than any major politician since Richard Nixon – and she has a lot in common with her former foe. But despite the blanket coverage of the former First Lady and her ubiquitous husband, there are still a good number of interesting facts about her that have been buried over the years.

She likes to get her drink on. Hanging out in Cartagena in 2012 with her staff at the Summit of the Americas, then-Secretary of State Clinton was photographed with her hair down and a drink in her hand. Hillary apparently outdrank Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) when they were touring Estonia in 2004. According to a witness, “Hillary won. She stayed correct after four shots.” Terry McAuliffe, new governor of Virginia and Clinton ally, said, “She loves to sit, throw ‘em back…She’s a girl from Illinois who likes to throw ‘em down with the rest of us.” And, of course, she conveniently left town for a wine tour in Australia just in time to miss her first round of questioning on Benghazi.
She’s old. Yes, you knew this. But the media, which portrayed John McCain as ancient in 2008, when he was 72, has largely minimized the fact that Hillary will be 68 when she runs in 2016. Hillary says her favorite TV show of all time is The Ed Sullivan Show. The show stopped airing in 1971. She hasn’t driven a car since 1996. Her favorite music: the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. “I’m a child of the ‘60s, which is before any of you were born,” she said in 2011. She’s actually a child of the 1950s, given that she was born in 1947, when Harry Truman was president.

Her age has been seen by many commentators as a positive; it burgeons the “we owe it to her” campaign she will undoubtedly run come 2016. But she’s also out of touch, which is why her right hand, Phillippe Reines, mocked BuzzFeed for asking questions about her use of Facebook and Twitter.

She thinks women who accuse men of sexual harassment are “whiny.” Were Hillary Clinton a Republican, the report this week that she termed sexual harassment victims of former Senator Bob Packwood (R-OR) “whiney women.” According to the notes of her good friend, the late Professor Diane Blair, Hillary Clinton was “tired of all those whiney women, and she needs him on health care.”

Because political priorities take precedence over sexual mistreatment. This from the lady who proposes that she has faced glass ceilings and invokes the “war on women” regularly to push her agenda. That’s cynical stuff.

She’s intimately familiar with the criminal investigation process. No, this isn’t a reference to Benghazi. Hillary was the only First Lady in American history to be subpoenaed, for her role in the Whitewater scandal. And she was deposed, too – a lot, during Travelgate and Filegate. She was fingerprinted by the FBI. Her fingerprints were found on relevant documents requested by investigators…two years later, in her family quarters.

Hillary made cash from pollution. Before Bill was elected president, Hillary was raking in the big dough via her law firm and sitting on various boards of corporations. Some of her money came from Lafarge – roughly $31,000, in a time when her husband was pulling down $35,000 as governor of Arkansas. That company was fined $1.8 million by the Environmental Protection Agency for pollution in 1992. The Clinton administration promptly knocked the fine down to under $600,000.

She loves Saul Alinsky. While Hillary’s 92-page college thesis for Wellesley College focused on the supposed shortcomings of Alinsky’s community organizing methods, it was highly complimentary of Alinsky’s aspirations. She was actually offered a job by Alinsky. Upon entry to the White House, Hillary and company requested that Wellesley keep the thesis under wraps. It was only opened up to the public after her husband left office, in 2001.

About those lesbian rumors… There is no evidence that Hillary is a lesbian. Edward Klein infamously quoted one of her classmates at Wellesley saying that “The notion of a woman being a lesbian was fascinating to Hillary. But she was much more interested in lesbianism as a political statement than a sexual practice.” Carl Bernstein wrote, “At Wellesley, her experimentation is known to have been with men. And to this day, she is playful, even flirtatious, in an innocent manner with men she likes, and less likely to physically embrace female friends or be ‘touchy’ with them or look deeply into their eyes in conversation, as she does with men.”

Hillary took cash from Wal-Mart. Between 1986 and 1992, Hillary sat on the board of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has been repeatedly criticized for supposed anti-union activity. Hillary did nothing about it. Her campaign biography in 2008 avoided all mention of Wal-Mart. One of Clinton’s fellow board members was one John Tate, who was famed for stating, “Labor unions are nothing but blood-sucking parasites living off the productive labor of people who work for a living.” According to ABC News, “A former board member told ABCNews.com that he had no recollection of Clinton defending unions during more than 20 board meetings held in private The tapes show Clinton in the role of a loyal company woman.” Clinton refused ABC News’ request for an interview on the subject.

Hillary may or may not have tried to join the Marines. But only as a political ploy. John Solomon of the Washington Post reported that Clinton tried to join up in 1975, before she married bill, likely in an attempt to make a stink about gender inequality. Jim Geraghty of National Review makes a good case that the entire story is nonsense.

She’s a weirdo. In Bob Woodward’s book, The Choice, the famed journalist reports that while in the White House, Hillary chatted with the long-dead former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as the long-dead Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi. The conversations were facilitated by co-director of the Foundation for Mind Research Jean Houston, who provided Hillary with the basis for her sophomoric book on raising children, It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us. Houston even moved into the White House for a spell, according to Woodward. When Houston asked if Hillary would ever want to address Jesus, however, Hillary said that would be “too personal.”

President Clinton himself admitted to his wife’s odd Eleanor Roosevelt conversations in 2012 during a speech:  A special thanks to the members of the Roosevelt family who are here. And the one who is not, Eleanor, who made sure that the four freedoms were included in the preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. I know that because, as all of you famously learned when I served as president, my wife, now the secretary of state, was known to commune with Eleanor on a regular basis. And so she called me last night on her way home from Peru to remind me to say that. That Eleanor had talked to her and reminded her that I should say that.

This story alone demonstrates the power of leftist media bias. You probably haven’t heard it. But you know that Nancy Reagan loved her astrologers, don’t you?

In the end, it will be up to the American people to determine what is relevant about Clinton and what isn’t. But there’s little doubt that many of the most interesting facts about who Hillary Clinton is have been minimized for years. And it will take an awful lot of digging to get to the bottom of the foremost political chameleon of the past 40 years.

3 people dead in shooting at UPS facility

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A UPS employee opened fire Tuesday morning inside one of the company's warehouses in Alabama, killing two people before committing suicide, police said.

Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper told reporters that the gunman was wearing his uniform when he started shooting either in or near some offices inside the warehouse in an industrial area just north of the Birmingham airport. The gunman had apparently shot himself by the time officers got inside the warehouse, Roper said.

Is it EGO or experience?

Just wondering, air strikes, missile strikes on Syria and ISIS locations. What ego, or mentality does it take to order such a thing? What does one have, to order such a thing, that will result in the taking of many lives?

It is not like deciding to buy a TV or a new washer and dryer, or any of the decisions we make, day to day.

How does one become so convinced that a decision to kill people is the right decision. A General or an Admiral, is trained, educated, experienced, and such a decision is the result of relying on that training and experience. In the case of obama, there seems to be no certainty that he possesses such training, and he obviously does not have the experience or the training. By virtue of a majority of a populace of completely unqualified persons to make such a decision, he becomes a leader. He could be a blithering idiot, but he was "elected" .... so he can make such decisions.

I doubt that he seeks the "input" of others, I doubt that his ego would allow such a thing. It is HIS decision. "Don't confuse me with the facts, my mind is made up."

"Hit this location, that one, and that one, I think I need a five rather than a six iron."

Former head of Marine Corps: ‘Not a snowball’s chance In hell’ Obama’s plan succeeds

A former Marine Corps Commandant told an audience that President Obama’s strategy to defeat Islamic State militants doesn't have a “snowball’s chance in hell” of succeeding.

Speaking at a conference in Washington, General James Conway, who served as the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps at the end of the Bush administration and beginning of the Obama administration, said that he was skeptical that the U.S. had reliable ground forces in Iraq, the Daily Caller reported Friday.

This week Congress approved a bill to allow the President to send arms to moderate Syrian rebels to combat the terrorist group, but several lawmakers opposed the idea, saying the U.S. could not rely on rebels that fought for Bashar al-Assad.

Two former defense secretaries who served under President Obama also criticized Mr. Obama’s strategy for dealing with the Islamic State group on Friday.

Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta told CBS news that the president waited too long to act in Syria, and former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the U.S. is not going to successful against the terror group “strictly from the air, or strictly depending on the Iraqi forces, or the Peshmerga, or the Sunni tribes acting on their own.”

Missouri boy, 7, punished at school for 9/11 souvenir shell casing

Yes, we are heading there fast, in a hand basket.

A 7-year-old Missouri boy was punished by school officials last week for bringing to class a souvenir shell casing that had been given to him and his fellow Cub Scouts at a Sept. 11 memorial ceremony.

Sherry Falke said her son Zane came home from school in Norborne on Tuesday crying hysterically. He was given the keepsake at the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Carrollton, and was sent to the principal’s office for showing it to fellow classmates at school, a local Fox affiliate reported.

Officials reportedly threatened to suspend the boy for 10 days, but instead made him take a silent lunch, where he ate by himself, and miss two recesses.

Ms. Falke said she thinks the school went overboard.

“The principal proceeded to reprimand him as though he were bringing live ammunition to school. I understand that’s in the policy, in the handbook, that they can’t bring guns to school, I fully support that, but it’s an empty blank casing,” she told the station.

Dr. Roger Feagan, the superintendent of the Norborne R-VIII School District, said: “In today’s society, unfortunately, we do have to be concerned with those types of things in schools.”

Russia will add 80 new warships to Black Sea Fleetlab

By Vladimir Soldatkin

NOVOROSSIYSK Russia (Reuters) - Russia will increase its Black Sea fleet with more than 80 new warships by 2020 and will complete a second naval base for the fleet near the city of Novorossiysk by 2016, its commander said on Tuesday.

In comments made to President Vladimir Putin as he visited the port city, Vice Admiral Alexander Vitko said a second Black Sea base was needed in addition to the main base on the Crimea peninsula annexed from Ukraine because of NATO expansion.

"Eighty ships and other vessels are expected to arrive (in Novorossiysk) before 2020. The Black Sea Fleet will have 206 ships and vessels by 2020," Vitko told Putin.

"NATO ships are constantly present in the Black Sea and it plans to establish a naval base in the Black Sea," he added.

President obama countered this announcement with one of his own, "When funds are available, and I am trying to get those now, the United States Navy is going to establish a new canoe livery on Coney Island."

Ohio casinos checking for overdue child support!

DAYTON, Ohio — An “intercept program” that cross-checks large gambling winnings against a database of debtors has expanded to include Ohio casino checks for overdue child support. The Dayton Daily News reports that casinos in Ohio have begun working with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to identify those who owe back child support. 

In the late 50's, working in Reno, word spread like wildfire that the IRS had entered Harold's Club, approached a patron who was playing 21, and declared, "Your tax year is up, we are taking this chips as a partial payment of your income tax."

Everyone was furious, especially Harold's Club. I still do not know all of the particulars about this event, but in this case, the man was "stuck" a considerable amount of money, and the amount they took was not close to what he was losing, now, with no money to attempt to recoup his losses.

I have a problem with the "intercept program." The state is happy to accept the revenue from the casinos. Voters approved that choice. Now, when a customer goes to "cash out," before being paid, they check to see if he owes money, primarily child support, but regardless ..... the customer should be able to walk out with his winnings .... then let whoever step in and try to get their cut.

I still do not know on what authority, I am sure there is one, somewhere, that "taxes" are taken out of winnings. The state feels free to advertise, heavily, the FULL amount you can possibly win, when in reality, you receive a check, from the state, for about half. So, YOU purchase the ticket, YOU win, but YOU .... the STATE ..... the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ..... split the winnings. Back in the my days in Nevada ..... you win big ...... "Give me CASH and a security guard to help me get home."

THEY feel free to advertise the BIG PAYOFFS ..... but, you don't see them, "Well, after taxes..." I thought we payed taxes at the end of the year ..... winners can't be trusted, is that it? It boils down to the various state lotteries are nothing more than tax collectors.

I remember one guy, somewhere here in Ohio, would save up, each day, a dollar or two that he would play on the Pick Three ...... once a year, he would put it all on a number ..... the payoff would be almost a million dollars ....... payed in increments of $500 .... one at a time ..... TAXFREE .... not sure how he ever did.

"If you're gonna be a sucker, be a silent one."

Go team, go ..... where?

What is it, in the human psyche, that compels people to wear apparel of any kind, representing a sports team. It has to be as big an industry as the sports themselves. I guess it is nice to be a fan. Our lives must be rather mundane and empty, and that makes us "associate" with someone else.

The various teams assist the clothing manufacturers, "Let's see a sea of red in the stands today!" Everyone goes out and purchases a shirt, and a hat, and perhaps more. So, there are 100,000 shirts sold, some revenue of which, of course, filters back to the teams.

I am not sure what school the above girls represent, I use them only as an example of ..... school color clothing .... it is some State University, somewhere, and they are obviously .... fans.

I have heard people say that they "live and die" by a sports team. I remember years ago, son Brad and I visited the HOF, the professional football hall of fame, in Canton, Ohio. Displays and all sorts of memorabilia in the building. The busiest place was the "gift" shop, shirts and hats being sold all day long. 

When Johnny Manzeil signed with the Cleveland Browns, they could not make shirts fast enough, and stores sold out of them. Recently, when one player had a problem, the team offered to exchange his shirt for that of another player, thousands showed up.

Shopping in Kroger's yesterday, saw a local very successful businessman, wearing a Manzeil shirt. I just had to wonder why. I knew he was not Manzeil, and the ironic part, Manzeil probably only wears a shirt with his name on it, on game day, or at practice, not while shopping in Kroger's. So, what was it, that caused this successful, rational man, to wear such a shirt?

I don't work for the IRS .... I just get paid by them ....

I wish I had more guts. On TV last night, some guy would purchase lists of SS numbers, submit Income Tax forms, and make thousands a day, getting checks from the IRS. The lose BILLIONS a year .... all you need is a list of SS numbers.

And, when you needed more, you would give a nurse, a clerk, someone, anyone, a hundred dollars or so, to get you more SS numbers.

I forget what the projected LOSS was in upcoming years, staggering amount, AND, there seems to be little to nothing the IRS can do to stop it. If you know where, you can BUY lists of SS numbers on the internet, and get to work, making $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

And then, there were    l   o   n   g     lines of people, going in to a building, who had their money stolen, getting reimbursed for what they had lost. So, it is a win-win situation.

Let's all stand and sing, God Bless America .... all together now, on three ..............

"If you were treated for erectile dysfunction and developed cancer, 

you may be entitled to compensation."

That was a television ad this morning, caught my attention.

"Doc, I can't get it up anymore, my wife is complaining, is there anything you can do?"

"Here, John, try these UPJOHN pills, see if they don't help."

"Wow, those UPJOHN pills worked great Doc, thanks, and Ethyl thanks you too."

"Doc, now I have cancer, is there any way I can get compensation for taking those UPJOHN pills?"

God Bless America

What?

Bear Suspected of Killing Man, 22, Hiking With Friends in New Jersey

I read this a few times, and I just have to wonder, why, after killing a man, the bear is allowed to hike with friends in New Jersey. Are they going to do something when he arrives at his destination?

Monday Morning

Happy Fall!

Waking up is always an experience at this age. First, you are thankful that you did, then you fix the coffee, and then, you sit, cup in hand, and take a type of inventory, you see what all is functioning, what aches, what hurts, what is working and what is not. With each sip of coffee, some of the ailments slip away, and then, when you finish the first one, you are able to walk to the kitchen for the second cup, things are looking up.

This was not a good morning for me. I did the coffee, got a cup, sat, a little chest pressure, some "funny" feelings, maybe this is the day. Now a little later, the stomach pill seems to be working, the coffee has done its job, may make it through the day. Just another day after you turn 80.

I did have an epiphany though ... when the inevitable does happen, no funeral home, no funeral, immediate cremation ... no flowers, no funeral home, but ALL who are aware of my demise have to do this in lieu of all the other rituals. At least, once, go to a church of their choice .... but, more importantly, each night, for one week, reverently kneel by their beds, and pray, thanking HIM for allowing me to live so long, for looking out for the, and then, asking HIM, to enter their lives, if he is not already there. Every night, for seven days.

I want everyone who reads this, to forward it to at least five on their list, in hopes of getting many on their knees, for seven days, asking HIM to enter their lives.

That would be a tremendous legacy to leave the world.

The really good news, I don't think this is the day .................

Some comments

When are they going to cut down on the number of people standing on the sidelines at football games. College and pro games. They are sometimes two and three deep, just standing there, waiting to get clobbered by some three hundred pound lineman. And if some player is injured by one of those damn television cameras, who is responsible. I imagine at least one hundred of those "standers" are involved in television, cameras everywhere, some guy holding that big funnel. Someday, someone will get killed or seriously injured and someone, in their infinite wisdom, will say ... "perhaps it is dangerous to stand on the sidelines." Basketball is the same way. Baseball, no one is standing on the side, same with tennis.

Michigan football will soon need a coach. Poor Brady, I imagine, is gone. What will it take to get Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Rumor has it that the AD and others, are working on a proposal to present to Mr. Harbaugh, and, he WILL be called Mr. Harbaugh. This is rumor only, so do not repeat this, or let it out. Five million a year, a half million for each game coached, a million for a win, five million for a win over Ohio State. Upon retirement from coaching, Mr. Harbaugh will become the President of the University, and Mr. Harbaugh's name will be submitted to the Council of Cardinals, and when an opening occurs, he will be in consideration to become Pope. And, if so desired, his brother can become an assistant coach and his brother in law can become the Michigan basketball coach. They can choose any other family member to be the Director of Athletics. Tough to turn down.

Ravens fans traded Ray Rice shirts, by the thousands, matter of fact, they ran out of some sizes. Rice is the player who no, not punched, "Cold Cocked" his then fiancee, now wife ... I have  wondered about that, why marry some guy that knocks you out in an elevator, or anywhere for that matter. I guess fame and money can make you look over a few "flaws."

Fans, not the kind you use to stir the air, people, who become .... fans. How does one become an avid fan, and why. I wonder who the first "fan" actually was? "Gorf, did you see how Org ran to catch that Brontosorous, and that look of surprise on his face when he caught it, man, I could watch him do that all day." Thus a fan, the first fan. Gorf went right out to his neighborhood Cavemart and bought an Org jersey.

Why do the really dressed up, scary fans, get such good seats so that TV can easily spot them?

Mindy Drayer .... still there

Sunday mornings I generally watch her on TV, why, she is one constant in my life .... almost everything else changes, not Mindy ..... she has stayed the same for all these years. Buildings are torn down, new ones are built, changes, changes, changes, not Mindy, she is the same, one of the few things in my life,  from my past that has not changed. Everyone else has either retired, changed jobs, or retired ..... 

Mindy Drayer says that she has the best of both worlds. During the week she is a stay-at-home mother. On weekends she anchors NBC4Today Weekend Edition with Harrison Hove.

"I only work the weekend mornings so I can stay home all week with my children," Drayer said. "I love being a stay-at-home mom. There's nothing more important."

Drayer, who has been with NBC4 since 1998, said that her most memorable story covered with Ohio State's thrilling win over Miami in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.

An Ohio State graduate, Drayer loves following OSU football and high school basketball.

Prior to her employment at NBC4, Mindy worked for WYTV ABC33 in Youngstown, OH, as an anchor/reporter for two years; WLIO-TV in Lima, OH, as an anchor/reporter for three years; and WDLR-TV in Delaware, OH, as an anchor/reporter for nearly 18 months.

Her very first job was selling lemon shakes at the Ohio State Fair.

Mindy, a Westerville, native, resides in Westerville with her husband, son and daughter and enjoys walking her dogs, playing softball and tennis, and chasing her children.

Now I know how it feels .............

I am a minority. Male, white, straight, married to a woman and almost 82.

I am now a minority here in our apartment complex. "Hey Baby, how's it goin," "Buenos Dias" ... no hand shaking, all "high fives" or ......... knuckle tapping, and that hug, not a real hug, sort of a one arm chest tapping thing. I learned to do it years ago, in New Jersey, at my Son's studio when Eminem was doing a shoot, a "rapper" was on staff, and many rap groups visited the studio.

I would extend my hand, when meeting someone, they would stare at my hand, so I learned .... "the hug."  I anticipated the hug when meeting Dido, but you hugging with women, just men.

I wonder if there is a "shrink" or a hypnotist who could start therapy on a person, to heal .... being straight. Having a "partner" is so "in" now days, I am almost, well, embarrassed to introduce Marilyn, as ......... "My wife."

I must admit, I do love women though, done my share to help statistics, have had four wives. I respect, admire, revere and am attracted to ........ women.

Sorry about that ........................

I Voted - Why am I under arrest?

I had another Epiphany this morning while driving on route 79 South, Someone was putting up signs for a politician, then, later on, I saw three others putting signs in yards. Vote for, they said. Then, the Epiphany. If I again vote, does that mean I am actually supporting and agreeing with one of them?

I have voted for many years, not sure how many, but, since the early 50's. In a way, I have supported ALL that is happening in our "political" society. My vote has somehow supported all this graft, inefficiency, thievery, double dealing, etc., etc., etc. I could be arrested for contributing to the .... something or other. Should I vote for Al Capone or Bugsy Moran.

My God, I've been voting and in some way, determining which crook got his license to steal. Sometimes I have voted for the "lesser of two evils." For the one who will steal the least.

I may not vote anymore .... whoever is running, whatever party, whatever their ideals and principles now, they will change, do a 360 in no time at all, and eventually fall into the "political spell." There is not one person, in politics, that I hold in an esteem.

I don't think that Jesus was a politician. He could have been elected had he chosen to run, he was charismatic, much like obama. And, I think that obama would like to looked up in the same way,  possibly pictures himself in that vein, but, he ain't.

"You voted in the last election .... You are under arrest."

"But I!"

Sunday and cloudy in Ohio

Well, I had coffee and watched the morning news .... give me a minute ... my head is spinning. Guards, in white shirts, standing shoulder to shoulder around the white house, there must be an army of them, and he wasn't even there, another army of guards escorted he and family to Camp David. I would imagine that the security of the president is top priority, a perfect target for ISIS, as is New York City. I am not a big fan of the president, but his security, as our leader, should be uppermost.

There is hope, a segment on TV, Tony Bennett and Lady GaGa are singing together, and like each other. He went to see her in concert, sat in the balcony, she climbed a ladder to be close to him when singing a song for him. They have an album together. An odd couple, if there ever was one. I think, especially in my advanced age, I judge on appearance.

Fires still raging in California. Just think of all the things we CAN do, and yet, fires can rage out of control, destroying many thousands of houses and we are helpless to do anything about it. Fire, water and storms, they do what they want to do, and we stand and watch. Still things we CAN'T do.

Tomorrow, September 22, the first day of Fall. I think Fall has become my favorite season of the year. Summer is hot, buggy and, when old, all those "younger" Summer activities, trips, camping with the kids at Indian Lake, fishing at Dillon, trips to Michigan, just are not done anymore. Winter is cold and full of holidays which don't have the importance they once had, rather than celebrating then, they are times to reflect on past holidays, old memories, not making new ones. Spring, comes and goes so fast it is non existent. Cold and then all of a sudden, it's hot.

So, Fall has become my favorite .... so much to look forward to, all the holidays. We don't really get involved in them, but they are there, and so are the memories.

Happy Fall.......................