from Bruce
Anecdotes
Children
• Parents can embarrass even future celebrities. As a young boy, Oscar De La Hoya was sent to the grocery store to buy food with food stamps. This horribly embarrassed him, and he waited 45 minutes for the other customers to leave before he would pay for his purchase. When the grocery store cashier asked why he had waited so long to pay, he replied, “Because I have these food stamps.” After he had earned millions of dollars as a boxer, Mr. De La Hoya carried a food stamp in his wallet to remind himself of his origins. In addition, when he was 16, Oscar stayed out past his curfew even after first his mother, then his father, had called him. Suddenly, his father—dressed in a bathrobe—ran out of the house and started screaming at him. Today, Mr. de La Hoya says, “I was never more embarrassed in my life—which was the reason he did it.”
• When Gwen Jocson was 15 years old, she wanted to learn to ride horses, so she went to a neighbor’s pasture where two horses were grazing, climbed up on a gentle horse, and hung on as the horse walked around the pasture. A few days later, she climbed up on the other horse—which was not gentle. This horse galloped around the pasture and crashed through a fence. When Gwen was found, she was unconscious. After young Gwen revived, the owner of the horses asked if she was scared. Gwen replied, “Scared of what?” Hearing that, the horses’ owner gave her some jobs to do around the horses—and some riding lessons. (The owner of the horses was Bobbie Brostoff, a well-known and well-respected teacher of riders on the jumper circuit.) During her career as a jockey, she rode 763 winners.
• Carol Heiss was a natural at skating—both roller and figure. When she was age three and a half, her parents bought her some roller skates. After putting the skates on, young Carol held on to her father’s hand for a while as she skated, then suddenly let go of his hand and skated away from him, shocking both of her parents. The following winter, when her parents decided to let her have figure-skating lessons, the first instructor they took her to watched young Carol skate, then gave them back their money, saying that she was already too advanced for him to teach her. She became World Champion in ladies’ figure skating from 1956 through 1960, and in 1960 she won an Olympic gold medal.
• Growing up during the Great Depression in Morgantown, West Virginia, comedian Don Knotts and his childhood friends used to sneak into West Virginia football games. Before one game, they were having trouble getting in, as the gates seemed to have overly vigilant guards. Fortunately, they noticed the football team, wearing regular clothing since they dressed in the field house for games, going into the stadium. They joined the team and enjoyed themselves while the fans cheered the football team until someone yelled, “Those kids! Grab those godd*mned kids!” They took off running and successfully disappeared into the stands as the crowd now cheered for them.
• When he was a kid, Hank Aaron, as you would expect, played lots of baseball and softball games. He also practiced on his own. For example, he would practice hitting bottle caps with a broom handle—something very difficult to do. He would also spend hours throwing a ball on a roof and catching it when it fell down. Another game he perfected was throwing a ball high over his house and racing to the other side of the house so he could catch it before it bounced off the ground. Mr. Aaron felt that hitting bottle caps really improved his hitting: “The way one of those things will dip and float, you’ve got to jump out and get it, and that’s the way I always hit a baseball.”
• Figure skater Tara Lipinski started out as a roller skater, but she changed to skating on ice when she was six years old. Her first time on the ice, she was as awkward as every other first-timer—for a while. Her parents thought that she was ready to quit, so they offered to take her out for hot chocolate, but Tara stayed on the ice. When her parents returned after taking a short break, they discovered that Tara had made the transition to ice skating and was flying around the rink as if she had been ice skating for years. In 1998, Tara won an Olympic gold medal in women’s figure skating.
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© Copyright Bruce D. Bruce; All Rights Reserved
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Presenting
Michael Egan
U.S.A. said:
has returned to semi-retired status.
In memory.
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION
BANDCAMP MUSIC
BRUCE'S RECOMMENDATION OF BANDCAMP MUSIC
Music: "What Have You Done?"
Album: ONLY DARK HORSES
Artist: Kings of the Quarter Mile
Artist Location: England, UK
Info: “UK rock meets Americana and alt. country, but the pigeons are out of their holes, we’re all about songs that reach you and stay with you. KOTQM are: Steve Counsell/vocals and guitar, Pete Juzl/guitars, Dave Smaylen/drums and backing vocals, Brian Richards/bass, Jenny Curtis/backing vocals and Simon Moth/keyboards.”
Price: £1 (GBP) for track; £5 (GBP) for seven-track album
Genre: Pop
Links:
ONLY DARK HORSES
Kings of the Quarter Mile on Bandcamp
Kings of the Quarter Mile
Other Links:
David Bruce's Amazon Author Page
David Bruce's Smashwords Page
David Bruce's Blog #1
David Bruce's Blog #2
David Bruce's Blog #3
David Bruce's Apple iBookstore
David Bruce has over 140 Kindle books on Amazon.com.
Reader Suggestion
Michelle in AZ
New Venture
Michael Egan
Bonus Links
Jeannie the Teed-Off Temp
Reader Comment
Current Events
Linda >^..^<
We are all only temporarily able bodied.
Thanks, Linda!
that Mad Cat, JD
In The Chaos Household
Last Night
Finally adapting to the not-quite-new stove - a case of make-do - but of all the stoves I've ever used, it's my least favorite.
Only A Ratings Ploy
‘Jeopardy!’
After weeks of guest hosts on “Jeopardy!” that included celebrities from TV, sports and journalism, the daily syndicated quiz show chose its executive producer, Mike Richards, as the successor to beloved host Alex Trebek.
But after fan backlash to a selection process that recently turned messy, producer Sony split the pie by naming another guest host, actor Mayim Bialik, as emcee for “Jeopardy!” prime-time and spinoff series, including a new college championship.
Richards will retain executive producing duties for “Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of Fortune,” Sony Pictures Television said in a statement Wednesday. The studio also appeared to deflect the idea that it was bowing to the dismay that some fans expressed when word leaked last week that Richards would be the pick.
“We knew early on that we wanted to divide the hosting responsibilities and it became very clear that Mike and Mayim were the undeniable choices. They were both at the top of our research and analysis,” said Ravi Ahuja, Chairman of Global Television Studios for Sony Pictures. “We took this decision incredibly seriously.”
‘Jeopardy!’
Ratings
Olympics
In what was otherwise a rough two weeks in Tokyo for NBC, television viewers responded — at least slightly — to the U.S. Olympic team’s strong performance in the second half of the Games.
NBC’s prime-time broadcast viewership for the second week was down 46% compared to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics of 2016, the Nielsen company said. In the first week, NBC was down 52% compared to Rio.
For the week, NBC averaged 10.6 million viewers in prime time. CBS had 2.3 million, Fox had 2.1 million, ABC had 1.9 million, Univision had 1.3 million, Ion Television had 1.1 million and Telemundo had 960,000.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” won the evening news ratings race with and average of 7.4 million viewers. NBC’s “Nightly News” had 6.9 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 4.7 million.
For the week of Aug. 2-8, the 20 most-watched programs in prime time, their networks and viewerships:
1. “Summer Olympics” (Tuesday), NBC, 14.31 million.
2. “Summer Olympics” (Monday), NBC, 13.71 million.
3. “Summer Olympics” (Wednesday), NBC, 11.01 million.
4. “Summer Olympics” (Thursday), NBC, 10.99 million.
5. “Summer Olympics” (Friday), NBC, 9.85 million.
6. “Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony,” NBC, 8.82 million.
7. “Summer Olympics” (Saturday), NBC, 8.45 million.
8. NFL Exhibition Football: Dallas vs. Pittsburgh, Fox, 7.31 million.
9. “60 Minutes,” CBS, 6.10 million.
10. “Tokyo Gold,” NBC, 5.84 million.
11. “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 3.97 million.
12. “Big Brother” (Thursday), CBS, 3.73 million.
13. “The Bachelorette,” ABC, 3.66 million.
14. “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 3.64 million.
15. “Family Game Fight,” NBC, 3.39 million.
16. “NCIS,” CBS, 3.16 million.
17. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Wednesday), Fox News, 3.07 million.
18. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Monday), Fox News, 2.927 million.
19. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Tuesday), Fox News, 2.923 million.
20. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Thursday), Fox News, 2.8 million.
Olympics
Instagram Apologizes
Pedro Almodóvar
Instagram has apologized for removing the official poster for Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s new film from the social network because it showed a female nipple, after the poster’s designer complained of censorship.
Instagram’s parent company Facebook told The Associated Press on Wednesday that several images of the poster for “Madres Paralelas,” which shows a lactating nipple, were removed “for breaking our rules against nudity” after they were uploaded on Monday.
“We do, however, make exceptions to allow nudity in certain circumstances, which includes when there’s clear artistic context. We’ve therefore restored posts sharing the Almodóvar movie poster to Instagram, and we’re really sorry for any confusion caused,” the company said in an emailed statement.
The poster’s Spanish designer Javier Jaén told AP that he had questioned whether the poster would have trouble on social networks but stayed true to his vision after receiving the personal backing of Almodóvar. “He told me that he had made films with posters his whole life, long before Instagram, and he would keep doing so after Instagram, too,” Jaén said.
“They say their technology can’t differentiate the context. I don’t care. Change your technology then,” the designer said.
Pedro Almodóvar
Leaving Las Vegas
Picasso
Some 11 Picasso paintings and works by the Spanish artist are going up for auction in October as casino and hotel group MGM Resorts seeks to further diversify its vast art collection.
The auction will take place on Oct. 23 in the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas, where the works were on display, MGM Resorts and Sotheby’s said on Wednesday.
The sale could fetch some $100 million and is thought to be the most valuable auction dedicated to Picasso that has ever been held.
The MGM Resorts Fine Arts Collection boasts about 900 works by 200 artists, including modern pieces by the likes of Bob Dylan and David Hockney displayed in its hotels around the world.
The collection was started more than 20 years ago by real estate developer Steve Wynn, former owner of the Bellagio and former chief executive of Wynn Resorts.
Picasso
Severe Drought Devastates Crop
Wheat
The wheat harvest on Marci Green's farm doesn't usually begin until late August, but a severe drought stunted this year's crop and her crews finished harvesting last week because she didn't want what had grown so far to shrivel and die in the heat.
It's the same story across the wheat country of eastern Washington state, a vast expanse of seemingly endless stretches of flatlands with rolling hills along its edges that produces the nation's fourth largest wheat crop. It's been devastated by a drought the National Weather Service has classified as “exceptional” and the worst since 1977.
She estimated her farm's wheat crop this year at half of normal, and of poor quality.
Green grows soft white winter wheat, a variety that is prized in Asian countries because it is excellent for making pastries, cakes, cookies and noodles.
At least Green will have some wheat to sell. Some Washington wheat farms produced almost none because of the drought.
Wheat
Joins Cameo
Rudy
If you’re a big fan of Rudy Giuliani (R-Spare A Dime)’s politics — or maybe you just really enjoyed his 1993 cameo on “Seinfeld” — here’s a little life update: The former New York City mayor and Trump legal advisor is now on Cameo, offering video shout-outs for $199.
“Good news: I want to connect with YOU on Cameo – now taking all Cameo requests!” Guiliani tweeted on Tuesday.
Giuliani’s Cameo bio mentions he was mayor of New York from 1994 to 2001, the former associate attorney general of the U.S. and is now currently the host of the “Common Sense” podcast. His account has a perfect 5-star rating based on two reviews so far. Giuliani’s only written review, from a Cameo user named Samuel, says “Thank you so much Rudy!”
Giuliani’s account also includes a brief video message where he praises the “magic of Cameo” in bringing him together with his fans (for $199 per video).
On a lighter note, Giuliani’s $199 fee is the same amount of dough Sarah Palin and Sean Spicer ask for from fans. Other Trump-connected names on Cameo include disbarred lawyer Michael Cohen, who has a $100 Cameo fee, and Anthony Scaramucci, who looks for $57 per video. Giuliani offers a bit of a discount compared to a few other names, though, including Stormy Daniels ($250 per Cameo clip) and Donald Trump Jr. ($500).
Rudy
‘Lost Leonardo’
Salvator Mundi
We’re accustomed to movies — usually adventures, like “Indiana Jones” — with lines that traverse the globe and pinball between global capitals, showing us where our characters are traveling. “The Lost Leonardo,” a documentary about the rediscovery of a Leonardo da Vinci painting, begins with such a line. But its international stops, chronicling the painting’s sales, are baffling leaps.
New Orleans, 2005: $1,175. London and Geneva, 2013. $83 million, then $127 million. Saudi Arabia, 2017. $450 million.
Such is the winding journey of the Salvator Mundi, a painting of Jesus Christ attributed to Leonardo da Vinci that has been enveloped in mystery and intrigue ever since it was first acquired, restored and celebrated as a lost original of the Renaissance master. “The Lost Leonardo,” which Sony Pictures Classics releases in theaters Friday, engrossingly frames the unlikely saga like an international thriller as opaque as any John Le Carré novel.
The painting in 2017 obliterated art-sale records. But it was first acquired, like a far-fetched episode of “Antiques Roadshow,” at a Louisiana estate sale. While browsing, a pair of New York art dealers believed it worth buying to get a better look. They brought it to one of the field’s top conservators, Dianne Dwyer Modestini, who carefully removed the heavy overpainting that coated it and mended other mistreatments from the intervening centuries. Gradually she and others began to think the painting wasn’t the work of a Leonardo pupil, as once suspected, but of the master, himself.
“It’s not just a painting. It’s more than that,” Modestini says, speaking by phone from her New York apartment. “It’s an object infused with power. That sounds a little weird and corny but I believe that. When I was working on it, I had this experience of feeling my husband was right by my side the whole time. And I couldn’t have done it without him.”
Salvator Mundi
Sells For $2K
Piece Of Wedding Cake
A royal fan has bought a slice of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding cake for 1,850 pounds ($2,565) at auction, more than 40 years after the couple tied the knot.
The large piece of cake icing and marzipan base features a detailed, sugared design of the royal coat of arms in gold, red, blue and silver. It was given to Moya Smith, a royal staffer, who preserved it with cling film and dated it July 29, 1981.
After a flurry of bidding from across the world the cake piece was sold Wednesday to buyer Gerry Layton for several times over its estimated price of 300 to 500 pounds.
Layton, who described himself as a monarchist, said he would add the cake piece to his collection and benefit charities.
Chris Albury, of Dominic Winter Auctioneers, said he was amazed at the number of bidders who were interested. Most of the inquiries came from the U.K., U.S. and the Middle East, he said.
Piece Of Wedding Cake
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