My father was someone who was NOT given, in terms of fatherly counsel, on the travails of Life. However, having said that, as the pace starts to quicken heading into our 2016 Presidential Elections, one of his favorites was, “No one ever out runs their past!”
Two familiar quotes come to mind whenever Grandma Hillary and Slick Willie cross my thought process:
“Heaven has no rage like Love to Hatred turned, nor Hell a fury like a woman scorned.”
And, of course, from the Second Witch in Macbeth:
“By the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.”
Grandma, and her personal server, have many, many more questions to account for –
Grandma, please don’t do this to the country. Please, go back to Arkansas with Slick Willie, and reconcile with Ms. Jones, others, and the Arkansas State Troopers.
This past Monday, May 25th, was the 50th anniversary of the last time my father and I saw a sporting event – of any kind – together for the rest of his life. On May 25, 1965, at the Central Maine Youth Center (a high school hockey arena), in Lewiston, Maine, we saw the second Ali (Clay by some reporters still at the time) KO Sonny Liston in the first round of one of the most controversial sporting events ever, with a “mystery punch.”
To this day, it is still under a great deal of all kinds of speculation: the fix was in; Ali’s Muslim conversion applied behind-the- scenes pressure by putting up front money, due to the difficulties of finding a location that would take the fight due to Ali’s conversion over to the Muslim faith, and it went on and on with all kinds of rumors of this suspicion or his pocket of people controlling the outcome, etc., etc..
Here is the original ABC telecast, with follow-up critiques, plus some additional clips, and a documentary that reflect how television broadcasting has dramatically changed; plus some early Cosell as well to enjoy —
The following is one of my very favorite documentaries ever shot depicting the human heart of athletes; personal courage; the will to win; and, an act of pure insanity over fourteen rounds of boxing —
Over the four days, the Prairie has become flooded, literally. And, the forecast for this week calls for LOTS more of the same. We’ve needed it due to the severe drought conditions scattered in multiple locations over the Prairie in the last three years.
When it rains on the Prairie it comes in sheets, accompanied with hard winds, and periods of heavy gusts. Penetrating!
Yesterday morning, as my wife and I were getting ready for Mass, we got a call from one of our neighbors about her roof collapsing, into her bedroom. NOT good! For the balance of the next five plus hours, we, along with two other neighbors cleaned out gutters; swept excess water off her roof, water vaccumed carpet, moved furniture, and took pix of her disaster. Until help, her insurance agent and a water restoration crew arrived. They had already had a busy day. The city had being making numerous such calls well into the night to agents and like-service companies.
My wife had brought a half dozen movies home for the weekend from the library. Actually, we intended on getting caught up on movies that we hadn’t seen over the past year, for one reason or another.
We decided to watch BIRDMAN after getting cleaned up and having a bite to eat. Terrible film! Every one in the cast was intent in over-acting his or her part from the the every first seconds of the story. Ego; loss of ego; depression; loss of family; trying to regain family; career in the theatre; a diminishing figure in the theatre; the mind’s tricks on self; what do true relationships mean?; and, does life offer us true relationships any way? And, these are just in the first 20 minutes. If you haven’t see it, DO NOT BOTHER!
I was really looking forward to seeing it because I’m a big Michael Keaton fan. And, his career has somewhat sputtered over the last few years.
As I’m sure all of you know, Winnipeg, Canada is the capital, and largest city, in the province of Manitoba.
It is also home of a community of followers of this blog, almost from Day One. All of whom are extremely special to me.
Since the retirement of David Letterman this past Wednesday, the 20th, I have been asked for some of my personal favorite moments from his 33+plus years on national television. Here are some my classic moments of laughter:
All too often, I have railed against, and about, our president in my blog.
But, this morning, I salute President Obama!
There are early, without much detail, reports from the Pentagon, New York Times, Washington Post, and Reuters, over the past 30 minutes, that Obama ordered our Special Forces Operation on a raid into Syria (eastern portion) for the sole purpose of eliminating one of the Islamic State’s most senior leaders, Abu Sayyaf. Sayyaf’s importance can NOT be minimized.
Abu Sayyaf was the Director of the Islamic State’s oil; gas; financial transactions / negotiations; and, the operating / direct supervision over the Islamic State’s revenue stream throughout a wide transnational black market enterprise.
Our National Security Council; our Intelligence forces; and, the greatest military in the world deserve our unanimous thanks and appreciation for another proud moment against these cretins of evil.
Lastly, Mr. President, thank you again for your courage in giving this command order!
Ted Wells, trust me, we’re ALL going to get to know you very, very w-e-l-l! NOT near enough of a sarcastic pun! Apologies!
Having finally gone through little Teddy’s 200 plus pages (his opus) pertaining to Deflategate, here’s what it comes down to, at this juncture, in my current thinking:
a) Brady “more probably than not” – quote from Teddy’s findings – had general knowledge that the Patriots were deflating footballs. Is that why the Pats crushed the Colts in the AFC Championship 45-7 on January 18th of this year?!? Soft Balls, aunts and uncles…?
b) Brady’s alleged involvement leading to a four-game suspension is made out to be comparable to multiple drug offenders, plus multiple drug-enhancers, come on, Roger! Stand up! Time to get a set of balls yourself. Yours appear to be slightly deflated on a lot of issues over this past year.
c) Speaking of Roger, are the “over-the-top” penalties, fines and suspension on my New England Patriots a make-up for the mishandling of Ray Rice and Greg Hardy…just to name a few fiascoes underhis embarrassing watch as the league’s commissioner over this past season?
d) Roger, you better suit up with a cup – if you even know what I’m referring to – because the legal team being assembled in Foxboro is going to want to spend a great deal of time with you and Teddy Wells in the coming days, weeks and months.
John Facenda, we need you for moments like this, and to remind us what the game is all about –
The New England Patriots, my New England Patriots have been hit by the NFL office with a 4 game suspension for / of Tom Brady; a $1 million fine (largest ever!); loss of next year’s first round pick; and a loss the following year’s fourth round pick.
To my numerous Canadian friends, and the Coventry in Pisara, Italy, break out the rosaries.
My first recommendation to Tom, get rid of our agent tonight!
There will be tons more to come, from yours truly, over the weeks leading up to the start of the NFL season.
Hatred goes to ALL extremes; even deflating our vitals…
In the case of mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, in all too many cases, they are “the family.”
I, honestly, believe that the rash of numerous circumstances of Racism in this country; plus, the complete loss of general polite manners and day-in-day-out respect has been blamed on the “single mother” – PURE non-sense! The majority of it should fall directly in the face of the multiple male deserters of these respective women. A Father Figure is a dying act on the stage of life…
Men need to change their attitudes across the planet: male entertainers and athletes – specifically – in America with rap sheets longer than my arm with countless domestic violence offenses – NO MATTER! – the $$$ continues to roll in by the second – day after day.
The life, treatment and behavior toward women in the Middle East, as we’ve learned over these past fifteen years, is beyond any scope of logical description.
The planet has examples everywhere if one just looks, with any modicum of courage! or maturity to do so! Starting with the individual governments and monarchs.
There’s a wonderful old Gaelic maxim my paternal grandfather used to bring up during confusion; bad temper; and, immaturity of thought: “Absence of evidence should NEVER hold claim over evidence of absence!”
Please keep that thought in mind as you watch the above 13 minutes of conscious observation by the Sage of Erdington, England, John William Oliver.
Lobster on the Prairie 