Five Years Ago

Ah, yes...

19-10. A very satisfying win on a number of levels --

(1) Over the New Jersey Jest,
(2) At their home stadium (which they're actually borrowing from that other New Jersey team),
(3) Against their treachorous, misguided and over-rated head coach,
(4) Against an ineffective and equally over-rated aging quarterback (see July 11, 2008),
(5) In front of an over-indulging audience,
(6) Proving that the Patriots have more than one talented player on their team,

and, most significantly --

(7) IN A GAME THAT THEY WERE EXPECTED TO LOSE -- HANDILY.

Of course, tomorrow, the talking heads will talk about how the Jest really aren't that good, how they didn't make the playoffs last year, and how they barely defeated the Division II Miami Tunas in week 1 -- facts that were conveniently overlooked prior to Sunday's kickoff.

Of course, those same Tunas could get their dander up (or whatever Tunas have) for next week, so you never know. But we'll always have Paris...or the Meadowlands...

Bring back #11!

You know what just popped into my head today?

Drew Bledsoe.

I mean, why not?

He's only 36, and while he and Coach B had their differences, I'm sure they can work it out. He can't be too old to learn how to throw a screen pass...

36 (or XXXVI) is kinda a lucky number anyway if you're a Patriots fan.

Just a thought...

Organization Man

Most people understand the role of a Mayor or a Governor, regardless of the constituency governed. But a "Community Organizer"? That's a little more obtuse. Fortunately, the Left-Wing establishment is there to help us out with their latest slate of talking points, explaining (to quote Donna Brazile, Susan Sarandon and Steve Cohen, that "Jesus was a Community Organizer," and, oh by the way, "Pontius Pilate was a Governor."

As an Evangelical Christian (ie Follower of Christ), I happen to have a somewhat higher evaluation of Jesus Christ than the aforementioned script-readers, and I find their continued attempts to annoint their candidate of choice as the next messiah (directly or indirectly) rather offensive.

Be that as it may, I also disagree with the premise of the analogy, and I have a feeling that most of Jesus' contemporaries -- not the least of which included the First-Century Jewish Rulers -- would agree with me (if just on this point alone). Community Organizers -- whatever they are -- shouldn't be in the business of offending and exposing the ruling class. Come to think of it, that sounds more like the other guy running for President...

Time Out

Seven years. Hard to believe. Everything changed in moments.

Take time today to remember the courage and sacrifice of so many on that darkest of days, and the families of those who lost a brother, sister, parent, child or spouse.

Hopefully history will also judge President Bush and his administration for taking the steps necessary to prevent any further attacks on his watch. In baseball parlance, it may not have been seven perfect innings, but it still qualifies as a no-hitter.

Never forget.

Pigs in Space with Lipstick

Seriously, I'm not convinced that the Lipstick comment was a cheap shot at Governor Palin. However, it does trouble me that The Annointed One doesn't know the difference between pigs and pit bulls.

Not only that, so what if "it's still a pig?" What's the matter with pigs? I love pigs -- they're delicious.

After Gov. Palin's speech in which she referenced Hockey Moms and Pit Bulls, NARAL or NOW or one of those culture-of-death groups issued a statement that made a similar pig / lipstick correlation. Nobody took notice, apparently -- until it came to the attention of some low-level (former?) speechwriter for the junior senator from Illinois. So it wasn't even an original thought.

Hopefully, the leaders of the Republican ticket won't be drawn into the pit -- so to speak...

A Real Stand-Up Guy

The Biden Gaffe Machine strikes again.

Let's be fair -- this is really an honest mistake that anyone could make. Not unlike the parting comment I made to my bald accountant many years ago, "Well, Fred, I'll get out of your hair." And Biden makes a pretty good recovery after realizing his mistake.

Nonetheless, if this had been Dan Quayle or Sarah Palin or George W. Bush or John McCain or anybody to the right of Joe Lieberman, I'm pretty certain that the coverage -- and reaction -- would be slightly different. So goes the world...

PS -- The above link seems to have a collection of slip-ups from Mr. No-Filter following the conclusion of the linked clip.

Down but Not Out

This kind of reaction really burns me. Real classy fans they have there in New York.

I've been a Red Sox fan (and Yankee hater) for over 30 years -- a rivalry that makes anything the NFL has to offer look like a Sunday School picnic -- and I have never cheered or applauded when a rival player was injured or suffer any other misfortune. Unbelievable.

I'm not ready to throw in the proverbial towel yet, and I'm certainly not conceding the division title to anyone (much less the NY Jest) one (victorious) game into the season. The team that was introduced as such in Super Bowl XXXVI has been challenged at every other position, and while this test may be harder than most, it doesn't mean the season's over.

Last season, the Patriots found their motivation in the previous year's playoff loss, and then the absurd media piling-on that surrounded the Spygate episode. They had something to prove then, and they have something to prove now. There's still plenty of talent on that team, they have the best coach in the business, and Matt Cassel isn't exactly a rusty tomato can.

It is a tragedy that one of the NFL's premier players will miss a season while in the prime of his career, but any team worth anything is bigger than just one player. Now's the chance to figure out how big they really are. The New England Patriots truly have nothing to lose -- conversely, victorious opponents (if any) know that there will be an asterisk next to each "W."

And those bozos dancing on tables in Manhattan and elsewhere have lost their right to lecture anybody on character.

In the interest of equal time...

Here's 3+ days in St. Paul summarized in a minute or so.

McCainiacs St. Paul

I'll leave the reaction to the McCain and Palin speeches to others more articulate than I (shouldn't be too hard to find). Solid performances all round, to be sure. McCain did seem somewhat off his rhythm, particularly in the early going, perhaps disrupted by the handful of crackpots who had somehow made their way into the arena.

Am I the only one who's troubled by this?

Sure, these nuts have a right to have their say (although the media, blogosphere and thinly-veiled "documentary films" should be more than sufficient), and I suspect the public viewing their craziness will primarily work against them. My concern is from the standpoint of security. Admittedly, four years ago in New York, with an incumbent president on hand during a time of war, it was even more disturbing. And a large public arena leaves plenty of gaps that can't all be secured, but it still bothers me.

Since I consider myself educated enough to at least understand english, I've never felt the need to have these conventions filtered and analyzed through me by overweight middle-aged white men in suits (I have to be careful -- that's getting close to home), so my network of choice is C-SPAN. However, even they took substantial time off the podium to show the various protestors in varying degrees of protest (and departure). I'm not sure that was necessary. I mean, television won't show drunken baseball fans running onto the field, so why this? It's not 1968 anymore.

Bill Melendez (1916-2008)

If there was a better animator, pre-CGI or otherwise, I'd like to know who it was. Yes, PEANUTS would have still been unspeakably successful had the characters never appeared on television, but the great Bill Melendez added a dimension to Charles Schulz' cartoons that brought them to an even greater audience. Faced with the near impossible task of creating "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in less than 6 months, he developed techniques that made the PEANUTS characters believable in animation -- neither too elaborate or too simple, he was thus annointed the only animator allowed to work on Sparky's creations. And the only voice -- ever -- of Snoopy and Woodstock.

Thanks for everything, Bill. Your work is complete and is the standard by which all that follow will be judged. Rest in peace.

Further Nonsense (political and otherwise)

Some random links...

Two youngish upwardly mobile political figures compared here.

Is Biden a gift?

Four days in Denver summarized in about 97 seconds.

And, finally, for Palindrome fans, here's Bob.

Keystones

One has to wonder if the Biden selection has more to do with Pennsylvania than Delaware. The Obama camp may be hoping to secure the Keystone State on the electoral map, even though PA isn't really that much competitive than Michigan and certainly less so than Virginia. Last carried by a Republican in 1988, the Bush campaign poured substantial resources into PA in both 2000 and 2004 (particularly 2004) without success; however, the strategy did force the Democratic nominee to respond in kind, devoting resources to a state that otherwise would not have been competitive.

Of course, if Obama needs Biden to win PA, he's in bigger trouble that his media surrogates are allowing to be portrayed...especially if he gives more speeches like this (sorry, I had to post this again...)

Pennsylvania's Third Senator

This is almost unspeakably bad.


I mean, you can almost see his messiah-ness cringing, most likely wondering if he still has Tim Kaine's number on speed-dial.


The video quality is rather poor, so my first thought was that it was a Saturday Night Live skit. But no -- that's really Joe Biden. If he's drunk, I'd be worried. If he's sober, I'd be panicking...

The comments are worth a look, also.

Thanks alot, United Steel Workers.

Palin-drome

In 1984, knowing that there was nothing short of global thermonuclear meltdown that could stop Ronald Reagan, Democratic nominee Walter Mondale selected a little-known Representative from New York as his Vice Presidential nominee -- Geraldine Ferraro. Forty-nine (and nearly 50) states later, we know how that turned out.

Although she had her share of baggage, one can't exactly say the Ferraro pick "backfired" because there was no way Mondale was going to win anyway. Nonetheless, she failed to deliver her home state, capture any "Reagan Democrats," or turn over a disproportionate share of the female vote. Not likely that Gary Hart would have done any better from the bottom of the ticket (although he apparently had some influential contacts in Florida).

Twenty-four years later we had a former first lady come within a few caucii of being the first female presidential nominee of a major party. This reporter could never determine which of the final two Democratic candidates was preferred, being as their views on everythin were basically identical, but my objections (and, most likely, those of many other voters and prospective voters) to Hillary had more to do with her connections to the Clintonista regime and its heavy-handed disregard for any type of accountability, not the fact that she possessed two X chromosomes.

In response to the energy produced by this year's Clinton campaign, the Democratic nominee selected as his running mate perhaps the least original member of the US Senate (Neil Kinnock, secure your filing cabinet), whose lengthy tenure qualifies him for depiction alongside Webster's definition of "Washington Insider" despite now representing a campaign built on ephemeral "change."

The Biden selection brought the typical responses from both ends of the political spectrum (the left considers it "inspired" and ideally complementary to the junior senator from Illinois; the right thinks . . . well, if you read the last paragraph, you can pretty much figure that out).

Enter Sarah Palin, a surprising choice for the Republican ticket, but perhaps the best that John McCain could have made -- she won't offend VRWC members like this reporter; she doesn't own homes in multiple states; she's never been on Meet the Press (an asset, not a liability); and she has experience as an executive, something nobody else on either ticket could offer.

What surprises me most over the past 24 hours is how the while the right is rejuvenated, energized, and producing emotional outbursts and fainting spells previously only seen at Obama campaign rallies, the opposing campaign has produced . . . well, not very much. The best they could do --

Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 [way to further offend the majority of Americans, guys -- you're not elitist, are you?] with zero foreign policy experience [unlike the top of your ticket, of course] a heartbeat away from the presidency [enter next cliche --here--]. Governor Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe v. Wade [also known as protecting unborn human life], the agenda of Big Oil [also known as capitalism] and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies [also known as tax cuts, and let someone else determinf if they've "failed" or not] — that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same [and the change you're proposing is...?]

The "former mayor of a town of 9,000" is particularly galling -- if his messiah-ness was referrred to as a "former community organizer affiliated with a corrupt political machine," the left and its media acolytes would be apoplectic. It was noted to me that unlike legislators, who can pick and choose their favorite issues (or, more likely, delegate their staff accordingly), executives have no such luxury of ducking unpopular matters and must pass judgement on everything.

Getting back to 1984, given that McCain has a reasonable chance of victory this year, the parallels with the Ferraro selection are rather limited, except that McCain does face an uphill battle and realized that the Palin selection gives him the best chance of victory with (hopefully, in his vetting) minimal liabilities. If the best his opponents can do is in the paragraph above, and I doubt it is, this election may be over before the Republican convention.

Back to College

FoxNews has their variation of the Electoral map, dividing the states into three categories -- solidly McCain, solidly Obama or toss-ups (ie no "leaning" here). I can't really dispute their projections -- both candidates have about 180 Electoral votes "in the bag," and need to come up with the other 90 among the 160 or so up for grabs.

Heartbreak Ridge

Having feasted earlier this year on conservative disenchantment with McCain, the media is now salivating over conservative immolation if McCain picks a pro-abortion running mate. Two of the names being bandied about are depicted herewith.

This reporter tends to feel that the selection of either, or their ilk, would basically spell the end of the campaign and the coronation of King Obama XIII. Not even John McCain can be that stubborn . . . can he?

Furthermore, I'm not sure either would add much to the ticket. Neither can be counted on to deliver his home state. Lieberman had a national platform eight years ago, but Ridge is virtually unknown outside PA. Ridge was elected Governor in the Republican Tsunami of 1994 (after his primary opponents spontaneously combusted) and re-elected four years later against someone I don't even remember. An adequate executive who did a few good things (charter schools, fixing the speed limit), but hardly a landmark figure and certainly a little shy on the charisma front. If McCain's going to win PA -- which he doesn't need to -- he could do it without Tom Ridge.

Primary Wrap-Up

A few (very few) have asked my thoughts on the presidential campaign. As of this writing, we have the primaries behind us and the nominees known, but we're prior to the VP selections and the conventions themselves. So perhaps it's a good time to get some thoughts down --

Looking around at the macro signs, you have to think that there's no way a Democrat can lose (an unpopular incumbent, two unpopular wars, high(er) gas prices, an economy perceived as struggling, etc.)

Looking at the Electoral map, however, and you have to belief that a Republican would have a fairly good chance.

Pollster.com shows the numbers that really matter (although I'm not entirely sure of their sources or research), and while they currently depict a 260-191 Democratic edge, that doesn't include 87 Electoral votes in "toss-up" states, all of which (except NH) were won by the Republican in 2004.

Several other states shown as "leaning" Democrat (MI, NM, MN & IA) are at least viable targets for the Republicans, whereas the Democrats are unlikely to pick up any of the Republican states with the possible exception of MO. Nonetheless, the Democratic lock on CA, NY & IL ensure that it will be a close election (at least for a Republican to win).

William Kristol (via Jay Cost, via The Corner), has some interesting thoughts here.

Olym-Pinks II

Michelle Malkin has a column on ChiCom gymnasts with missing teeth that's definitely worth your time. If you don't have the time (which I doubt), here's the most memorable line -- "There’s no such thing as a bureaucratic error in an authoritarian regime."

More from Kathleen Parker can be found here.

Olym-Pinks

The 1980 US Olympic Hockey triumph remains one of the defining sporting moments in the lives of those of us who remember the doldrums of the 1970's. In the 1980's, however, it seemed that the Olympics became more of a forum for political protest than athletic competition. Attempting to follow it then, and wondering which countries were going to boycott, or conversely be excommunicated, has made it difficult for me to follow it since. Never mind the amateur vs. professional debate, illegal substances, and an overwhelming number of events that rely on capricious judging techniques.

The purist will say that we should watch simply to appreciate the skill and preparation of the participants; others will say that it's completely right and proper for politics to have a role, in that some nations deserve citation in one form or another. In previous years, one might have been able to strike a balance between the two and find at least a level of enjoyment in the Olympics. However, to see them being hosted by the Communist Party of China is simply too much for this reporter.

Think back 25 years -- it was unthinkable for the rest of the world to include South Africa in the Olympics, let alone allow them to host the games. Is China's record on human rights that much better that the IOC has seen fit to reward them with this stage in 2008? Has there ever been a full accounting for Tianamen Square, let alone the government's persecution of millions of its own citizens on religious and ethnic grounds? Granted, there have been ripples of protest in the upper levels of international politics and the media, so I'm certainly not alone in finding this at least suspicious. But I do have to wonder how it even was allowed to get to this point.

Needless to say, I won't be watching too much of NBC for the next two weeks...

Toss of the Coin

A recent Boston Globe article brought my attention to the modification of the NFL coin toss rule, where the team that wins the toss gets to defer receiving (ie possession) until the start of the second half.

In the mid-1980's, I had a simple, DOS-based, text-only football program on my Apple IIe, that I would actually rig to lose the coin toss in order to ensure I got possession to start the second half. The advantages, to me, were obvious -- if you were ahead after two quarters, it allowed you to extend your lead, or at a minimum take some time off the clock. If you were behind, obviously you'd like to have the ball first and maybe squeeze out an extra possession or two in the second half.

The logic was so obvious that I was surprised NFL coaches didn't practice it more frequently. However, I didn't understand the rule (and I'm guessing I'm not alone in this) -- under the old rule as I understand it, if the coin toss winner elected to kick off, the opposing team would have the choice at the start of the second half, and would naturally elect to receive (there's that logic again). The new rule is thus in line with what I thought originally. So it only took the NFL about 20 years to figure this out...

Of course, the larger question may be why do they have to toss the coin before each game anyway? Why not just have the home team decide?

Where's Bill Cosby when you need him?

Man-Ram goes West

Manny Ramirez has been traded to the Dodgers via Pittsburgh. Initial thougths --

(1) If I have this right -- the Red Sox gave up the best hitter in baseball and two promising minor leaguers and received one player in return. Not the way I would have drawn it up, so hopefully they were able to get the Dodgers to eat Manny's remaining salary.

(2) Like Nomar in 2004, this was a trade that had to be made. An underperforming superstar feigning injury and missing critical games in a tight division race -- and making numerous derogatory comments about the team's ownership with for no apparent reason -- can't be considered an asset in any clubhouse. He would have been gone at the end of the season anyway, and the way the Sox have played since the All-Star Break, this clearly was a team that needed to be shaken up.

(3) The question now remains if the Red Sox can make the playoffs and advance with Jason Bay in LF. He's 7 years younger and can't help but be an improvement defensively while being less of a distraction, but he's nowhere near the hitter Manny was.

Be that as it may, Manny's Red Sox made the playoffs four times during his seven (full) yeas in Boston, not to mention two rings. All good things must come to an end; will there be more good times in the future?

Yet Another All-Star Fiasco

Following this year's 15-inning MLB All-Star game (which, most people realize, should have ended in 11 innings if the secondbase umpire had actually been watching the game), there's the usual calls for expanded rosters, taxi squads, and other modifications so that the teams don't run out of pitchers as they did in 2002.

The solution -- at least a partial solution -- is rather simple: If you're physically, mentally or emotionally unable to play YOU DON'T GET TO BE ON THE ROSTER.

I mean, really -- all this nonsense about "so-and-so isn't available because he just pitched on Sunday" or "so-and-so is nursing a ruptured toenail so he'd prefer not to play" or "my brother-in-law's best friend went to elementary school with Clint Hurdle's agent's cousin's sister, so I'll just park my pathetic carcass on the bench and pop sunflower seeds for four hours."

It's so logical that Bud Selig and his minions will never figure it out (unless they're reading this, and we already know the answer to that). If you're not prepared to play in the game, then you get to stay home and someone else can take your place. Sorry -- if you want to be called an "all-star," it means you have to sacrifice a 3-day vacation and actually exert some effort.

So the Tampa Bay Devil Rays or whatever they're called this year don't want Scott Kazmir to pitch (if I heard that once, I heard it 50,000 times during the broadcast). Fine. Scott, you get to stay home and enjoy a 3-day vacation. I'm sure we can find somebody around here somewhere who actually wants to play in the game.

At least, it's a good starting point. Bud, are you listening? Never mind...

Nomo Nomo

Hideo Nomo has announced his retirement, some 5-6 years too late. Nonetheless, he was an important part of Red Sox history, throwing the franchise's first no-hitter since 1965 when he silenced the Orioles in his Sox debut in 2001, providing the sole highlight from an otherwise completely dreadful and forgettable season (hard to believe, but that team almost made the playoffs). More importantly, he was the first Japanese pitcher of the modern media era and led the way for the likes of Ichiro, Dice-K and "Shemp" Matsui, to name a few. Thanks for the memories.

At least...

The Red Sox will finish the first half of the season in first place...

Tony Snow (1955-2008)

Unlike Tim Russert, with whom he went head-to-head on Sunday mornings for 7 years, Tony Snow migrated from journalism back to politics, doubtlessly taking a substantial cut in pay.

The final chapter on the second Bush administration has yet to be written, and it will be years if not decades before an unbiased evaluation can be articulated, but when that happens it is hoped by this reporter that Tony Snow will emerge as one of the stand-up guys from a difficult period. His honesty, optimism, and humor will be greatly missed, both at the White House podium and on channel 72 (or wherever you find Fox News).

Enough is Enough

All right, Brett Favre, you asked for it. You're a nice guy and a reasonably decent football player, but would you please . . . just . . . go . . . away.

During last season's NFL playoffs, I was yearning for the Packers to lose just because I was so sick and tired of the Favre love-fest that had long since reached and surpassed the boundaries of gastrointestinal endurance. A nice story. A decent comeback. A solid playoff run in what appeared to be his final season. But, really, now. I was glad to see the Giants knock them off in the NFC championship -- not as you might suppose, because I assumed at the time that the Giants would be an easier Super Bowl target for the Patriots, but because I knew I couldn't take another two weeks of Favre-mania without moving to Zimbabwe.

Around the time that Favre announced Retirement I, Bob Ryan penned a column that articulated my feelings far better than I could. Ryan focusses on the folly of the consecutive games streak as well as the excessive number of interceptions. Those points are well taken. My main objection to the sainthood of Brett is a little simpler -- he only won one SuperBowl, and the other one in which he appeared he folded like a cheap suit against the Denver Broncos. I further maintain that he would not have even won Super Bowl XXXI if (a) Desmond Howard hadn't returned two kickoffs for two touchdowns (the margin of victory), and (b) Bill Parcells hadn't been taking calls from the New York Jets before, during, and after the game.

The in- and out-of-retirement scenario might remind some of Michael Jordan. This is unfair to Michael Jordan. Jordan was perhaps the best player in his sport of all time, certainly the best of his era. Brett Favre was neither. A competitive, durable, and statistically proficient player who played for a team with a national following. Maybe in the top 20 of his position after 1970. The same number of rings as Kurt Warner, Jim McMahon and that guy who played for the Ravens. I've seen enough.

Hail to the King

Zev Chafets of the NYT Magazine has an excellent (albeit lengthy) piece on the King of Radio.

HH Collection

Given the somewhat miserable and unpredictable weather over the Independence Day weekend, I spent most of my time scanning the photographs from my Hogan's Heroes collection. There were 208 in all. A few favorites appear herewith; more will inevitably follow...

2003?

For whatever reason, I recently watched game 5 of the 2003 AL Playoff series between the Sox and Oakland A's. The Sox won the game, 4-3, as Derek Lowe struck out the last two batters he faced (the final one with the bases loaded) to complete Boston's comeback from an 0-2 deficit, repeating their feat of 4 years earlier against Cleveland.

An interesting game to watch, particularly to be reminded of the many players who have moved on. Todd Walker? Damian Jackson? Others, of course, were cornerstones of the 2004 team -- Manny, Mueller, Millar, Varitek, Nixon and David Ortiz. (An interesting episode occurs during the broadcast when Fox analyst Steve Lyons suggests -- with a straight face -- that the A's should walk Manny to get to Ortiz).

Naturally, I knew who won the game and (pretty much) recalled how it had ended, but over five years most of the details had escaped me. I had forgotten completely about the Damon - Jackson collision in center field, for example. Most ironic, however, was the decision of He Who Must Not Be Named to leave Pedro Martinez in the game to start the eighth inning with a 4-2 lead. Two batters later, it was 4-3, and the Sox turned to Alan Embree and then Mike Timlin to finish out the inning with no further damage. Ironic (and all the more confounding) in terms of what would happen about ten days later. I may never forgive Grady Little...

The Original Uncle Jesse (1921-2008)

Jesse Helms, who represented North Carolina in the US Senate for 30 years, died on July 4th. Much has (and will) be written about him. For me, the timing is somewhat ironic --

You may have recently read about the rescue of FARC hostages by the Columbian Army, a group of 15 that included 3 Americans. Some of you may recall the New Tribes Missionaries who were kidnapped in 1993 by the FARC and, after more than eight painful years of waiting by their wives and families, were determined in 2001 to have been martyred in the late 1990's (more details here).

Not knowing this at the time, of course, their story was of some interest to me on a variety of levels, and as I developed my first website circa 1997 (no links exist -- thankfully), I added a page with information and links on this story, encouraging visitors first of all to pray, and also to contact government and media officials.

The likelihood of their safe release seemed remote, but I was more discouraged by the lack of attention the story was receiving (part of this, I later learned, was due to the wishes of the families themselves; it wasn't until later in the decade that they became more proactive, including an appearance by all three wives on Larry King Live).

In any case, I sent e-mails to various parties, including leaders of the House and Senate, the US State Department, and media organizations. I received exactly one reply -- from Jesse Helms, then Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The letter -- which I probably have around here somewhere -- didn't say much, and, in truth, Helms couldn't really do much. But the fact is that he took the time to write, or have one of his staffers, write a reply to a person who wasn't even a constituent who had contacted him about a relatively obscure issue.

When you are principled, you are bound to be controversial, and Helms certainly was both. But, naive though it may be, I can't but help that Jesse Helms actually cared about his country and the people he represented both as a North Carolina senator and a national figure. Thanks, Jesse. Rest in peace.

Off the Wall

Here's a link to that bizarre play on 7/4/08 that left Kevin Youkilis' fly ball resting atop the outfield fence at Yankee Stadium.

Thirty Years Ago

Hard to believe it's been thirty years since the death of Bob Crane (nice plug, Brenda -- where'd you get that picture, anyway?)

A lot has been written, blogged and filmed about the way he lived his life and, of course, how he died. I prefer to remember him as the wise-cracking, unflappable and inventive leader of a talented band of POW's fighting their own battles of WWII behind enemy lines. This, as has been written, is his legacy.

During my convalescence I worked through a few seasons of Hogan's Heroes in my DVD collection. I've seen every episode countless times, but I never cease to be amazed at the degree of creativity and originality of the series and its individual episodes. A few production flaws creep in from time to time, but even a "low-grade" episode of HH is 100 times better than most of the garbage that's in prime time today. Oh, and remember when TV shows actually ran a full 25 minutes instead of 18?

Crane, as Col. Hogan, was the centerpiece of one of the most inspired casting calls in TV history. Now, of the original core group, only the Frenchman and the Englishman are left (see here), but their most notable and public achievement will run forever (or at least until DVD's become obsolete).

Bob Crane would be a few weeks shy of turning 80 if he were alive today. I think this afternoon I'll crack open another season in his honor...

Home of Champions

A photo of the famous T-shirt (referenced below) from 1986. I still miss that old Patriots logo...

I have no idea what happened to the handsome young gentleman who's wearing it; he hasn't been heard from in awhile.

For that matter, I couldn't tell you where the shirt is, either. Last seen it was adorning somebody's college dorm room:

Biking to Work

K-Lo at The Corner brought this to my attention. Reminds me of what I did myself for ten years, when I was young, energetic and had two functional legs...

Ah, memories...

George Carlin (1937-2008)

In 1985, on a flight from Dulles to O'Hare, I was tuning through the "pipe music" (when headsets were still free) when I first encountered the comedy of George Carlin. The material obviously had to be moderated due to open access, yet it was no less enjoyable. It is this earlier, PG-rated Carlin that I remembered most. Over the next few years, old friend JB fed me a steady diet of equally-moderated material, which I in turn passed on to long-suffering classmates and associates, to the point where I included a quote from Al Sleet (The Hippie-Dippie Weather Man) on my high school yearbook page, and even downright plagiarized some of his material in a newspaper mock-up for a tenth grade English project.

On the legendary trip to Botswana a short time later, Wethead had brought his boombox along and hooked up a microphone so he and the Hose could narrate and sing along as they felt inclined. At one point, Hose shoved the mic in my face and asked me announce what station we were listening to. Without missing a beat, I announced that "you're listening to W-I-N-O, the Big Sound in the Big City -- WONDERFUL WINO RADIO!"

Then, as a freshman in college, I was sitting in a Bioscience Lab one Tuesday evening when a classmate started talking about his experience in Catholic school vis-a-vis Carlin's reminisces in routines such as "I used to be Irish-Catholic." I think I can get along with this guy, I surmised. We would be in each other's weddings, and we are still friends today, twenty years later.

Ah, yes -- plenty of good stuff. Son of WINO -- Class Clown -- The 11 O'Clock News -- Baseball & Football -- The Hair Piece -- A Place for My Stuff! -- People I Can Do Without -- and more...

But it was around this time (mid- to late-1980's) that Carlin's comical cynicism evolved (or deteriorated) into unambiguous nihilism, the ultimate (and natural) outgrowth of his atheism.

And nihilism, once you get past the first uncomfortable guffaw, really isn't all that funny.

Perhaps this is evidence that comedy (like just about everything else) might cause a momentary pleasurable sensation, but when lacking any semblance of a moral foundation, it only leaves you empty and searching for meaning. This is how Carlin leaves us -- the laughter has stopped and as we catch our breath we look back only to see a desolate wasteland of nothingness. Though he would never admit it publicly, he was undoubtedly having the same vision as the curtains -- both literal and figurative -- fell.

The Schill is Gone

If indeed this is the end for Curt Schilling, it marks the end of a colorful and eventful career that provided plenty of material for hometown (and national) journalists to cover. Boston scribes were delighted this past off-season when "The Big Lug" re-upped with the Sox for another season -- not (necessarily) because the Sox needed another starting pitcher, but because they knew they'd always have something to write about.

The question of Schill's HOF chances is something else altogether. Were the BBWAA to have a sudden jolt of sanity and allow me to vote on such matters, I honestly don't know how I'd decide. Sentiment aside, his statistics initially don't impress me. However, if you factor in his phenomenal postseason record and the fact that he compiled his records (apparently) free of any performance-enhancers and during an era during when hitters prospered, a fairly strong case can be made.

Speculation is all over the place. We'll just have to wait and see. And, of course, he could still come back next year...

Make my day...

Fellow members of the VRWC who are also interested in movies might want to check out Dirty Harry's Place.

Recent entries include the Top 5 Gene Hackman Films, exposing a cheap-shot in the new Pixar Release "Wall-e," and pieces on Brad Garrett and Ted Nugent.

Greatest of the Green

Bob Ryan of the Boston Globe -- and author of several books on the Celtics -- has compiled a list of the 10 greatest Celtics teams.

I tend to agree with his ranking of the 1985-86 team as #1, followed by this year's champions. What's interesting, however, is that 3 of the 10 teams listed (including #3) did NOT win championships.

How it started...

One more thought before we close the book (for now) on 1986 --

The Sporting News described 1986 as the year "The Button was Stuck on Boston." Beginning with the Patriots' appearance in Super Bowl XX (against the 1985 Chicago Bears -- 'nuff said), continuing with the Celtics' championship in June, and concluding with the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series (and one of the greatest baseball Octobers ever). It was a great time to be a Boston-area sports fan, even at a distance. Somewhere I still have my "New England -- Home of Champions" T-shirt...

Anyway, with the Celtics having taken care of business (and the Lakers) this week, it is almost certain that this decade will be remembered in a similar fashion, but on a much greater scale -- six titles and counting, not to mention several additional championship-level appearances (ie Red Sox in 2003, Celtics in 2002), and a pretty good Boston College football team.

Just like 1986, however, the first decade of the 21st Century -- the decade that will be dominated by Boston-area sports -- it began with the team from Foxboro. Not having the tradition of the Celtics or the feverish, nation-wide, maniacal devotion of the Red Sox, it was the Patriots that kicked things off (so to speak) on February 3, 2002. And the decade's not over yet...

Back-to-Back to Glory

Around 20 years ago (probably 1987), old Salad friend JB mailed me a copy of a "Profile" he had prepared on himself for publication over an early version of the Internet that allowed him to communicate ("chat") with people on other college campuses. It included stuff like nicknames, interests, favorite foods, hobbies, musical tastes, etc. So, one day, having nothing better to do, I sat down at my word processor and pounded one out for myself.

Emulating as always the great JB, one of the topics was "Goal in Life." I answered something like my Goal in Life was to see the Red Sox win the World Series, the Patriots win the SuperBowl, and the Celtics win back-to-back NBA titles.

Bear in mind the following -- Larry Bird was still playing and the Celtics had captured a recent title in 1986, so the mere act of winning a single title wasn't much to get overly excited about. But winning Back-to-Back titles -- well, that hadn't happened since 1969, and as of 1987 only the Celtics and the Minneapolis Lakers had accomplished such a feat.

Also bear in mind that this was (slightly) before the Lakers (now LA), Pistons, Bulls, and even the Houston Rockets made winning back-to-back titles (even "Three-Peating") relatively routine (see the list of champions here).

Finally, bear in mind (please) that my Goal(s) in Life have evolved (hopefully, matured) in the past twenty years.

Still, it's interesting to reflect that the Celtics are now halfway towards achieving that last piece of the Goal that I held dearly as a teenager. Not too many people get this lucky. If they stay healthy, I'm not sure who can stop them next year. Then again, there could be a team out there somewhere that will make a similar series of off-season moves to come out of nowhere. Enjoy it while you can -- you never know when the next one is coming around...

Back to Glory

For whatever reason, I remember this SI cover from 1986 depicting the Montreal Canadiens winning the Stanley Cup that year after a mere 7-year absence (Les Habs won the Cup again in '93 -- again, 7 years later).

This cover has been on my mind in recent months and now, finally, another professional sports franchise, also rich in tradition and titles, has won the championship in its league for a record 17th time.

I wonder if SI is planning anything similar for its next cover?

2-3-2 vs. 2-2-1-1-1

One thought as we sit here a few hours from Game 5 of the NBA finals, with the Celtics holding a 3-1 lead -- the NBA went to the 2-3-2 format for the Finals (only) in 1985 in the name of reducing travel. The Celtics protested, both before and after they lost the finals to the Lakers that year in 6 games. (The Celtics were largely done in by their failure to win Game 2 at home earlier in the series, after performing the Memorial Day Massacre in Game 1).

The Celtics objected in the past (philosophically or otherwise) that Game 5 was of equal or greater significance than Game 6, and thus the higher-seeded team should host Games 5 and 7 instead of 6 and 7. Anyway, I find it interesting that the Celtics could win the Finals tonight in Game 5, but under the 2-3-2 format that game is in LA instead of Boston.

Bob Ryan wrote an article on this subject in 2005.

Just some idle speculation I wanted to throw out before tipoff. You never know...

In Memoriam

B103, the Washington Monument, 1994, Psalm 63, Sometimes by Step, Traditions of Christmas, New Year's Day, Flag Day and Father's Day will always belong to you.

And, of course, number 186 (#203 for those of you scoring at home).

Always missed, never forgotten, forever a part of our lives.

We'll see you soon!

Tim Russert (1950-2008)

Many people have mentioned Tim Russert's use of a whiteboard to calculate potential Electoral Vote outcomes during the first night of the 2000 Presidential Election. Few, however, probably know that Russert appeared on the "Imus in the Morning" radio show a short time before Election Day and speculated that the polling was so close that the media might have to resort to this type of device when the returns started coming in. Russert was in a way nostalgic, almost salivating over the possibility that he might get to observe and report on an election that would require old-fashioned techniques.

I never saw much of Meet the Press, but I always found Russert to be a highly informed, entertaining and, most importantly, nearly prejudice-free commentator on a subject which he clearly enjoyed greatly. He is one of the last of his kind, and he will be missed, particularly this election year. RIP.

Thank you -- again

Here we are between Memorial Day, D-Day and Flag Day, so an appropriate time to again say THANK YOU to all who served, and all who continue to serve around the world. We will never forget your commitment, effort and sacrifice.

Turning Point

A few days late, but I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the 64th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion. Do yourself a favor and (1) Take some time to view a movie or documentary on the subject (The Longest Day is a personal favorite; also a pretty good book); (2) Read this article by Dave Kopel (late of NRO) on the outlook if Normandy had failed.


Finally, it's worth speculating how those that pass themselves off as "journalists" in the mainstream media would have reacted had they been reporting on June 6, 1944. Roger Kimball at Pajamas Media provides us with one interesting piece; the comments which follow are also worth reviewing.

Achilles in Albany

One final hoops-related note before I log off for the night --

I was at a conference in Puerto Rico earlier this week. My wheelchair was the spark to several conversations, including one with a product specialist. What followed were several layers of irony --

1. His specialty is Disability Insurance.
2. He himself had ruptured his right Achilles Tendon 25 years ago.
3. At the time of the injury he was approximately the same age I am now.
4. It occurred during a pick-up basketball game (check).
5. ...in Albany NY (near the home of Mrs. Salad and near where we lived in our first year of marriage).
6. The pick-up game was highlighted by the regular participation of the young head coach of the Albany Patroons, Mr. Phil Jackson (again, about the same age at the time) who is now coaching a team in California or somewhere out west...I know it's been in the news...

Hopefully, the similarities end there. Not only did he re-rupture the same tendon several months later, but his leg has never fully recovered. We'll see...

Finally

I never really hated the Lakers, at least when I was following pro basketball back in the Bird-Magic days. Perhaps I was too far removed geographically to get sucked into the vitriol. I was, after all, in Kruger National Park in South Africa when I received word via shortwave that the Lakers had won game 6 of the 1987 NBA Finals, winning the trophy at the expense of the Celtics.

Or perhaps it was because my best friend at the time was a Californian who, naturally, favored the dominant West Coast team. My memories of twenty years ago might be a little hazy, but I only recall having (albeit grudgingly) respect for them, and even rooting for them when they faced off against the Pistons and Bulls in later years. It's hard to believe, but perhaps I was prescient enough to realize in the 80's that the Bird-Magic / Celtics-Lakers rivalry was pretty special.

Again, just consider the amount of talent on both teams. And the coaches. And the front offices. And the die-hard fans, including multiple celebrities, in two cities that were about as far removed geographically and demographically as you could imagine. The balance sheet of the Bird-Magic era might give the edge to the Lakers (5-3 in championships, 2-1 head-to-head), but a missed shot here or an avoided injury there could have easily turned that around, and fans of both teams should realize that by now. One final twist is how it's interesting that the centerpieces of both teams were natives of neither Coast, but heralded from the Midwest.

It really was a special time, and while the current incarnations of these teams have plenty of talent and should give us a competitive series, we're nowhere close to where we were 20 years ago. Ah, nostalgia...

Sweet Sixteen

I dug out this picture of the 1985-1986 Celtics, referenced below. The amount of talent in this picture is ridiculous. At least six are in the Hall of Fame (Red Auerbach, KC Jones, Bird, McHale, Parrish & Walton), and the fact that the late Dennis Johnson is still kept out of Springfield is downright embarrassing. Think about it for a minute -- Larry Bird and (a healthy) Bill Walton on the same team. Good grief.

Had Walton not suffered a fluke injury the next season, and tragedy not intervened with the Celtics' #1 draft pick that offseason, I feel confident speculating that they would have not only won the '87 and perhaps '88 championships, but several more along the way until Larry retired.

Sixteen going on Seventeen

In the early 1990's, when the NY Yankees were abysmal, I heard a broadcaster (who, like yours truly, had been raised in Maine as a Red Sox fan) point out that "baseball needs the Yankees." His implication was that a strong, competitive team in the Bronx would go a long way towards drawing fans back to a game that was awash in its own mediocrity. Does anybody even remember that the Toronto Blue Jays won back-to-back World Series during that time?

I was sixteen when the Boston Celtics won their last NBA Title, with arguably the greatest team of all time (certainly in the top 5 on any thinking fan's list). The next year, the made it back to the finals but fell to the LA Lakers in six games. With the Celtics (and, for a time, the Lakers) falling out of the championship picture for twenty years, I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I haven't watched an NBA game with any seriousness during that time -- certainly since Larry Bird retired. Regardless of what happens over the next two weeks or so, it's good to have them back.

1992 Flashback

Just a brief thought as I sit here in Puerto Rico during the waning days of the (apparently) endless Democratic primary season. Am I the only one who finds it ironic that the leaders of the late Clintonista regime are upset with the media for (according to them) favoring a young, relatively unknown, and inexperienced candidate whose resume would fit on the back of a business card, whose only asset is his charisma and youthfulness -- over (again, according to them) a seasoned, experienced senior veteran of a previous presidential administration and eight-year member of the US Senate?

Not that I'm picking sides here (I'd rather move to France): The irony comes from my 1992, when one could argue with some credibility that the roles were somewhat reversed.

I haven't heard anybody else make this observation yet, although I can't be the first. The Clintons' predecessor has to be enjoying this on some level.

Oh well -- back to the beach...

Welcome Back, Kapler

One of the heroes of the 2004 Red Sox, Gabe Kapler (#19) returned to Boston this weekend as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers. I came across this article from the Boston Globe. I had forgotten that Kapler ruptured his Achilles tendon in September 2005 (on a home run by Tony Graffanino) and returned to play in June 2006, roughly nine months later. My prognosis to full recovery is 9-12 months, but I lack (somewhat) Kapler's overall fitness, so it might take me a little bit longer than him...

His Wikipedia biography makes interesting reading. He and his wife Lisa have also founded the Gabe Kapler Foundation to fight domestic violence.

Ice-Cold Battle

My current state of incapacitation limits my activities, so I've been working through my book and movie collection and recently watched Miracle for the fifth or sixth time. Knowing the ultimate outcome, one might expect that the conclusion could not help but be at least a little disappointing. However, it's interesting how this film "grows" on you. Most signifcantly is how the actors seemlessly become the real-life characters they're portraying. Kurt Russell is Herb Brooks. Patrick O'Brien Demsey is Mike Eruzione. While there are remarkable action sequences and a (more or less) true-to-life script, this is probably the film's greatest achievement.

Also notable is how the filmmakers succeed in placing the event in its proper context. The opening title sequence is nothing short of brillant -- almost certainly the best I've ever seen (the error about the 26th Amendment not withstanding). This is an inseparable part of the story. Miracle on Ice, the made-for-TV movie produced within a year of Lake Placid, wasn't nearly as weak as some have characterized it, but nonetheless came too soon on the heels of the event for its consequences to be fully understood. Thus, the earlier film (with the great Karl Malden as Herb Brooks) could talk about how exceptional it was for the US to beat the USSR in hockey (whoops -- gave away the ending), but was not far enough removed to properly juxtapose the event amongs the despair of the 1970's and the depths of the cold war. Not only did the teams represent countries that hated each other, but the team that emerged victorious won not only a hockey game, but broke a decades-long socio- and political losing streak. Those of us who lived through the 70's, and then the 80's, can understand this a little better, and Miracle -- set a quarter-century later -- succeeds in capturing both the mood and then the momentum change.

Enough of the soapbox. Watch the film. It's good.

Re-Martz-able

For those of us wishing that Matt Walsh would just go away (his Warholian 15 minutes are long expired), this statement by Mike Martz was refreshing, which says in part -- "Let me make this clear – we lost to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl because we turned the ball over three times."

A classy move by a coach that I never thought I'd be quoting. Of course, I never thought I'd be rooting for Ted Kennedy over Arlen Specter, either.

While looking for images of Coach Martz, I stumbled across this article, a preview of Super Bowl XXXVI. Ah, memories. The happiest day of my life...

Comparing scars

Yes, there's a little bit of LBJ in each and every one of us...

Not for the squeamish...

For those of you that might care -- some recent pictures of my right lower leg (FYI, the heel is to the left) in the picture.`

Hoosier Hysteria

An interesting website for fans of The Greatest Movie Ever Made:

http://www.thehoosiergym.com/

I never realized that the gym was in Knightstown, fairly close to I-70. I regret that I never took a detour on one of my trips through the Hoosier state. Maybe someday...

"Mistakes in my personal life"

Am I the only one who finds the remarks of a once-future Hall-of-famer eerily similar to that of a prominent politician almost exactly 10 years ago?

HINT -- Both had the first name "William."

Somewhere Dan Duquette is smiling...maybe he was right in '96 after all...

Nightmare in the Bronx '03

I stumbled across this picture (reference the end of my 4/13/08 post on Bill Buckner, below).

Three solid professionals, one Hall-of-Famer, and the reincarnation of Forrest Gump. Actually, that's not fair -- Forrest Gump would have been smart enough to make the move.

One of these days I'm going to do a post on dreadful Red Sox managers through the years. As a sample -- between Butch Hobson, Jimy Williams, Dave Kerrigan and He Who Must Not Be Named, the Red Sox were basically without a field manager for 10 out of 12 seasons (1992-2003). I'll give Kevin Kennedy a pass -- for now.

The Heeling of Achilles

Two links that I found helpful in my present situation:

http://www.achillestendonblog.com/ -- a fellow Blogger who found himself in the same predicament not too long ago
http://www.achillestendon.com/ -- a summary of injuries, prevention, treatment & recovery

John Marzano (1963-2008)

John Marzano, 1984 Olympian and Red Sox backup catcher 1987-1992 has died, apparently from falling down stairs after a heart attack.

Notes from the Boston Globe.

Obituary on MLB.com (Marzano's current employer).

A marginal player who might have blossomed had he not played behind the likes of Rich Gedman and Tony Pena, he was nonetheless well-liked by his teammates. He was also a member of the 1990 Boston Red Sox, which remains one of my favorite teams of all time. He didn't get to play much behind Tony Pena, but he was with the club almost the entire season. The Red Sox will observe a moment of silence at tonight's game. He was only 45.

Get the Picture

The picture I refer to below appears here -- for some reason blogger wouldn't let me insert it into the applicable post.

Bouncing Back

The highlight of Boston's home opener earlier this week was the Sox' invitation to have Bill Buckner throw out the first pitch. Video is available here.

I was too remote from the 1986 World Series to feel a strong negative impact from games 6 & 7. In the 22 years since I have spoken to several people who were so devestated that they swear they stopped following the team after "Nineteen Eight-Six." From my distant perspective, the '86 Sox were quite the opposite -- the team that revitalized my interest in baseball in general and the Red Sox in particular.

Buckner's fielding miscue that ended Game 6 became the focal point of Boston's painful loss that year, but any serious or semi-serious student of the game will tell you that there was more than enough blame to go around in that game and in that series, most of which this reporter places on the manager in the Boston dugout. While Buckner received the loudest "boos" at Fenway in subsequent years, public opinion started to turn in his favor when (after having been released in 1987) he signed a minor-league deal with the Red Sox in 1990 and made the team out of spring training. He received a standing ovation on opening day of that memorable season, and was applauded warmly at every home at-bat thereafter, one of which resulted in about the most improbable inside-the-park homerun in Boston history.

Hopefully, with the 2008 opener, the rehabilitation of his name is complete, at least as much as possible. He was an excellent hitter and, believe it or not, a good fielding first-baseman whose injuries have kept him out of the Hall of Fame. Nonetheless, there is part of me that wonders what would have happened if Buckner had made that play in game 6 -- the score was tied, and the Mets were out of pitchers. Due to some horrifically poor management by Davey Johnson, they only had the immortals Doug Sisk and Randy Niemann, or would have had to have gone to a starter to retire the Red Sox in the top of the 11th. For that matter, what if Bob Stanley had heard Marty Barrett yelling at him and had turned to pick Ray Knight off second with the score tied? We shall never know.

One other thing -- years ago I saw a picture similar to the one above on display in a memorabilia store in Cooperstown, New York. I wasn't sure if the fact that Buckner had signed it was indicative of his ability to put the mistake behind him, or make a profit off the pain he had caused countless others. I'm still not sure, but it troubles me. I can say that if I ever see an autographed picture of Grady Little on the mound with Pedro Martinez in game 7 of the 2003 ALCS, I may require the services of a criminal defense team.

Larger than Life

Most of the obituaries about Charlton Heston note his starring roles in The Ten Commandments and Ben-Hur, and his political activism, most notably as a leading figure in the NRA.

Perhaps the most egregious omission is that of his civil rights activism in the early 1960's, well before it was "fashionable." He was the first prominent white actor to speak out against racial injustice, both in Hollywood and across the country.

On a more personal note, it's a shame there isn't mention of what I believe to be his best role, in The Greatest Show on Earth. I've seen most of his films, and that one remains my favorite of those in which he starred. IMDB has his complete filmography here. I also enjoyed his role as John the Baptist in The Greatest Story Ever Told, although his part wasn't enough to salvage the overall film.

He also served his country in World War II, leading to one of my favorite interview exchanges. Meeting with Robert Osborne for TCM, he was asked about his military service and noted (to the best of my recollection): "I was stationed in the Aleutian Islands. It was a quiet war. However, our outfit was designated for the invasion of Japan until they dropped the atom bomb. For myself and thousands like me, the atom bomb was a blessing."

Not only was this a succinct rejoinder to the armchair quarterbacks who questioned the decision some fifty-plus years later, but it left the loquacious Osborne speechless for a moment. Charlton Heston was a larger-than-life figure who filled larger-than-life roles both on and off the screen; he will be missed.

Ivan the Great (1931-2008)

Ivan Dixon was a great actor, a pioneer in radio, television and film, a terrific director and, above all, a true gentleman. In 1994 I had the privilege of interviewing Ivan several times for my Hogan's Heroes project (I interviewed all of the surviving cast and contributors with the exception of Richard Dawson and Leon Askin).

Ivan was living in Hawaii at the time, so it took an effort to get ahold of him, but he was very kind to give of his time to help a fledgling, no-name would-be author from Nowhere, Pennsylvania on a project that, despite nearly everyone's best efforts, ended up going nowhere, also.

Of course, he's best known for his portrayal of Sgt. James Kinchloe (mistakenedly referred to as "Ivan" by a guest star in one episode), Col. Hogan's steady sidekick and de facto second-in-command. He also delivers one of my favorite lines of the series:

NEWKIRK: Well, the first thing we must do is not panic.

KINCHLOE: I already have -- what's the second thing?

Ivan went on to have continued success as an actor, a director and the owner / operator of a KONI FM in Hawaii. IMDB has his complete credits here.

His death on 3/16/08 leaves only a handful of survivors from that great show -- by my count, Robert Clary, Richard Dawson, Cynthia Lynn and Kenneth Washington among the regulars and semi-regulars (the latter two having only appeared in one season apiece), along with co-creator Al Ruddy, and directors Bruce Bilson, Robert Butler and Gene Reynolds, all of whom are in their 70's and 80's.

Founding Father (1925-2008)

For my birthday in 1992, my mother-in-law bought me a gift subscription to National Review. The magazines started coming in January 1993, coinciding with the opening days of the Clintonista Administration. They continue today, roughly every two weeks, including the latest, glossy-covered issue as a tribute to their founder, Wm. F. Buckley Jr.

Always reasoned, never shrill, NR was the perfect antidote to an overtly left-leaning media (in the days before the Internet and before Talk Radio became populated beyond Rush Limbaugh), and the unmitigated chaos, vacuity, bean-counting and mendacity of the early Clinton years (not that the later years were much better). On top of that, it played a major role in pulling me out of the four years of left-leaning academic from which I had recently emerged. My only regret is that nobody, including me, thought to begin the subscription four or five years earlier.

Fifteen years later, I still have nearly every issue (a few having perished in various moves along the way), and look forward to my twilight years in the near future when I'm able to peruse them at my leisure. The tributes to Mr. Buckley have been numerous, but his courage in starting a serious journal of conservative thought in the early 1950's had a major impact on my life forty years later, not to mention to millions of people all over the world. Thanks, Bill.