from Bruce
Anecdotes
Horse Racing
• The first woman to get a license to race horses as a jockey was Kathy Kusner. After a long, hard effort, she received a jockey’s license from the Maryland State Racing Commission in early 1969. Following that breakthrough, acquiring licenses for other states came easily. Ironically, Ms. Kusner was not the first woman to race horses as a jockey. While appearing in a horse show, she broke a leg when her horse fell on top of her after a failed jump. This allowed Diane Crump to become the first woman to race as a jockey when she competed on February 7, 1969, at Hialeah.
• After jockey Julie Krone was bucked from a horse and broke her ankle, she was still determined to race although her foot was in a cast. After all, she had won more races than the other jockeys at Monmouth Park in New York with two weeks left in the season, and another rider needed only 10 victories to catch up to her. Therefore, Ms. Krone tore off her cast and had her doctor put on another cast that would fit in a riding boot, and she continued to race and won the riding title at Monmouth.
Husbands and Wives
• The first date of professional boxer Laila Ali (Muhammad Ali’s daughter) and her assistant trainer and manager Johnny “Ya Ya” McClain did not go well. When the waitress took his order, McClain said, “I like my coffee like my women—light and sweet.” The result? Mr. McClain says, “Laila thought I was an obnoxious jerk.” Apparently, Mr. McClain improved as she got to know him better: They were married on August 27, 2000. He proposed in a different restaurant, and a nearby couple who overheard the proposal sent them two glasses of champagne. Because Ms. Ali was in training for a fight, Mr. McClain drank both glasses.
• Nineteenth-century cartoonist Eugene “Zim” Zimmerman often took his art supplies along on fishing trips. During one such expedition, a bull appeared and Mr. Zimmerman took off running, leaving behind both art supplies and fishing supplies. Whenever Mr. Zimmerman had to draw a scene such as the one he had endured, he would relive the scene in his mind, then draw it. During one such mental reenactment, his wife asked, “Heavens! Why are you making such faces?” Mr. Zimmerman replied, “Don’t disturb me, please. I’m being chased by a bull.”
Language
• Father Hennessy attended many practices of the Notre Dame football team, which was coached by his friend Knute Rockne. At some of these practices, Mr. Rockne exercised a remarkable talent for profanity, and at one point he let loose an oath that was so profane that everyone near the good priest looked at him to see what he would do. Father Hennessy merely raised his eyes heavenward and said “Glory be to God! There goes Rockne saying his prayers again!”
• Hank Aaron could defuse arguments with humor. During one of his at-bats, a pitch was ruled a ball by the umpire, and Cincinnati Reds catcher Smokey Burgess strenuously disagreed. It looked like a major situation was developing between the catcher and the umpire, but Mr. Aaron told Mr. Burgess, “Kindly do not agitate the arbiter. He can’t be as pluperfect as you.” Both the catcher and the umpire laughed, and the game resumed.
• Kim Zmeskal was among the first group of little girl gymnasts to train at Bela Karolyi’s gym in Houston, Texas. When she became skilled enough to begin training with Mr. Karolyi himself, she found it difficult to understand his heavy Romanian accent. In fact, she says that when he spoke to her, she would be thinking to herself, “I have no idea what you’re saying to me,” but she would smile anyway.
Media
• Jackie Robinson was fiercely competitive, and he kept up to date about what people were saying about him and the Dodgers in the newspapers. For example, in his final season, he read that New York Giant chief scout Tom Sheehan had said, “The Dodgers are over the hill. Jackie’s too old, Campy’s [Roy Campanella] too old, and [Carl] Erskine, he can’t win with the garbage he’s been throwing up there.” Both Mr. Robinson and Mr. Erskine read that quote, and the truth is, Mr. Erskine was feeling old. However, that day he threw against the Giants a no-hit, no-run game, due in part to a magnificent catch that Mr. Robinson made of a baseball that Willie Mays hit to third base. After the game, Mr. Robinson went to the Giants’ dugout, waved the newspaper clipping in Mr. Sheehan’s face and said, “How do you like that garbage?”
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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: "Flower Pop Show"
Album: STRANGE CREATURES (THE BEST OF REBELS VOLUME TWO)
Artist: Sawdust Caesars!!
Artist Location: Bristol, UK
Record Company: Raving Pop Blast! Recordings
Record Company Motto: “The modern choice for questionable tastes.”
Record Company Location: Bristol, UK
Info:
“We are not a real record label. We are a private pressings vanity projects. DIY Punk Rock!
“This is the second in the 'Rebels' compilation album series. A collection of bands, all different, but all with the true spirit of rock and roll racing through their veins. Call it GARAGE ROCK, GARAGE PUNK, MOD, FREAKBEAT, POP-PSYCH! DIY INDIE! — whatever floats your boat … the bottom line here is this is ESSENTIAL Life-affirming! Simply Thrilling pop music!
“Made with LOVE. It's about the attitude, the style, the way it's recorded, the thought that goes into it. It's people making music because not doing wouldn't be an option! It's in the blood. This is a fantastic collection of bands some old some new, playing great songs, and doing it for a great cause.”
“PROFITS RAISED FROM THE SALE OF THIS LP WILL BE DONATED TO THE R.S.P.C.A. So you now have an extra reason to buy a copy!”
Price: £8 (GBP) for 16-track album; tracks cannot be purchased separately
Genre: Whatever You Want To Call It.
Links:
STRANGE CREATURES (THE BEST OF REBELS VOLUME TWO)
Raving Pop Blast! Recordings
Sawdust Caesars on YouTube
'A POTENTIAL SOCIAL MENACE OF THE FIRST MAGNITUDE' (A Sawdust Caesars!! ALBUM)
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
Vinnie the shitten would be much happier if I could type with one hand.
Sued
Nirvana
A 30-year-old man who appeared nude at 4 months old in 1991 on the cover of Nirvana’s “Nevermind” album is suing the band and others, alleging the image is child pornography they have profited from.
The suit, filed by Spencer Elden on Tuesday in federal court in California, alleges that Nirvana and the record labels behind “Nevermind” “intentionally commercially marketed Spencer’s child pornography and leveraged the shocking nature of his image to promote themselves and their music at his expense.”
It seeks at least $150,000 from each of more than a dozen defendants, including the Kurt Cobain estate, surviving Nirvana members Krist Novocelic and Dave Grohl and Geffen Records.
When the cover was shot, Nirvana was a little-known grunge band with no sense they were making a generation-defining album in “Nevermind,” their first major label release, whose songs included “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come as You Are” and “Lithium.”
Elden has recreated the image several times, always with clothes or swim trunks on, for anniversaries of the album’s release, and has expressed mixed feelings about it in interviews that have grown increasingly negative through the years.
Nirvana
Last Week
Ratings
Fox News Channel, bolstered by viewers’ rapt attention to the U.S.-led evacuation from Afghanistan, was last week’s most-watched TV outlet on broadcast or cable, according to Nielsen company figures out Tuesday.
MSNBC, which tends to attract liberal-leaning viewers, saw a slight ratings dip from the previous week, averaging just under 1.2 million viewers compared to 1.29 million. CNN rose 20.6%, averaging 943,00 viewers vs. the prior week’s 782,000.
Fox News Channel, which averaged 2.94 million viewers, was followed by broadcaster CBS with 2.57 million. NBC had 2.53 million, ABC had 2.39 million, Fox had 1.38 million, Univision had 1.28 million, Ion Television had 1.12 million and Telemundo had 1.04 million.
ABC’s “World News Tonight” led the evening news ratings race, with an average of 8 million viewers last week. NBC’s “Nightly News” was second with 6.5 million and the “CBS Evening News” had 4.8 million.
For the week of Aug. 16-22, the 20 most-watched programs, their networks and viewerships:
1. “America’s Got Talent” (Tuesday), NBC, 6.9 million.
2. “60 Minutes Presents,” CBS, 5.98 million.
3. “America’s Got Talent” (Wednesday), NBC, 5.74 million.
4. “Hannity” (Tuesday), Fox News Channel, 4.82 million.
5. “Celebrity Family Feud,” ABC, 4.75 million.
6. “America’s Funniest Home Videos,” ABC, 4.3 million.
7. “Big Brother” (Thursday), CBS, 4.05 million.
8. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Monday), Fox News Channel, 4.04 million.
9. “Big Brother” (Sunday), CBS, 3.9 million.
10. “The Chase,” ABC, 3.86 million.
11. “Big Brother” (Wednesday), CBS, 3.8 million.
12. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Tuesday), Fox News Channel, 3.76 million.
13. “Hannity” (Wednesday), Fox News Channel, 3.74 million.
14. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Wednesday), Fox News Channel, 3.63 million.
15. “Hannity” (Monday), Fox News Channel, 3.55 million.
16. “American Ninja Warrior,” NBC, 3.54 million.
17. “The $100,000 Pyramid,” ABC, 3.53 million.
18. “NCIS,” CBS, 3.47 million.
19. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Thursday), Fox News Channel, 3.45 million.
20. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” (Friday), Fox News Channel, 3.33 million.
Ratings
The Elephant House
Edinburgh
A cafe in Scotland’s capital where author J.K. Rowling wrote some of the Harry Potter books has been damaged in a fire.
The Elephant House in Edinburgh suffered smoke and water damage after a blaze broke out at the patisserie next door on Tuesday.
Owner David Taylor told the BBC he was “devastated” by the extensive damage to his business. He said the cafe would likely be closed for months for repairs.
The Elephant House is a regular stop for Harry Potter fans and long bore a sign declaring itself as the “birthplace” of the fictional young wizard.
Rowling has disputed that, saying she began writing the magical stories before she moved to Edinburgh. But she confirmed she frequented the cafe while penning some of the seven-book series.
Edinburgh
Hedgehog Indicted
Ron Jeremy
A grand jury has indicted adult film actor Ron Jeremy on more than 30 counts of sexual assault involving 21 women and girls across more than two decades, authorities said.
Jeremy, 68, whose legal name is Ronald Jeremy Hyatt, pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday to all of the allegations, which include 12 counts of rape.
The indictment, which was returned Aug. 19 and unsealed Wednesday, covers allegations dating from 1996 to 2019 with victims aged 15 to 51. The counts appear to be identical to charges filed against Jeremy last year, which he also denied.
In a tactical move also employed in their case against Harvey Weinstein, LA County prosecutors used secret grand jury proceedings to get an indictment that replaces the original charges, allowing them to skip a public preliminary hearing on the evidence and proceed to trial.
Jeremy has been held in jail on $6.6 million bail since his arrest in June 2020.
Ron Jeremy
Committee Issues Sweeping Records Requests
Jan. 6
The congressional committee charged with investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection sent letters to eight different federal agencies on Wednesday with sweeping requests for information and records on the roles that Trump administration officials might have played in the attack on the American democratic process.
The letters from Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., the select committee chair, seek to expedite the process of turning over records from the executive branch to Congress. Thompson’s letters renew some requests made by other committees earlier this year, but also build on them to cover a more expansive group of records.
Thompson’s letter asks NARA staff to meet with select committee staff to “discuss production priorities.” The 12-page letter includes a long list of topics about which the committee is seeking documents, call logs, visitor logs and other forms of potential evidence, with lengthy lists of names of persons of interest from inside and outside the Trump administration.
All records related to Jan. 6 are requested, along with numerous documents related to “planning by the White House and others for legal or other strategies to delay, halt, or otherwise impede the electoral count,” as well as “recruitment, planning, coordination, and other preparations” for the rallies and violence that took place during the insurrection. The committee is also looking to acquire documents that could shed light on what then-President Donald Trump was told by his advisers about the integrity of the 2020 election, and it wants to compare those internal communications with what he told his followers in the lead-up to the Capitol riot.
In addition to the letter to NARA, Thompson wrote to the Department of Defense, FBI, Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Interior, Director of National Intelligence and National Counterterrorism Center.
Jan. 6
Election Robocalls
Conservative Hoaxers
Two conservative hoaxers face a record $5.1 million fine for allegedly making illegal robocalls to wireless phones without the owners’ consent in the 2020 election.
The Federal Communications Commission said Tuesday that the proposed fine for Jacob Wohl, Jack Burkman and Burkman’s lobbying firm would be the largest ever for violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
The men already face criminal charges in multiple states over allegedly organizing 85,000 robocalls that falsely warned people in predominantly Black areas of New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan that information gleaned from mail-in ballots could lead to their arrest, debt collection and forced vaccination.
The FCC said federal law prohibits making prerecorded calls to cellphones without the permission of those receiving the calls. The agency, which determined 1,141 calls went to mobile phones on Aug. 26 and Sept. 14, proposed a $4,500 fine for each one.
Regulators launched their investigation following consumer complaints and concerns raised by a national civil rights group, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Conservative Hoaxers
Mocked for Canceling Annual Meeting
NRA
The news that the National Rifle Association (NRA) canceled its annual meeting due to COVID concerns has triggered a public outpouring of shock mixed with ironic “thoughts and prayers.”
The NRA announced the decision on Tuesday afternoon, citing the rapid increase in COVID cases in the Houston area, where the event was scheduled to take place from Sept. 3 through Sept. 5.
“We make this difficult decision after analyzing relevant data regarding COVID-19 in Harris County, Texas. We also consulted with medical professionals, local officials, major sponsors & exhibitors, and many NRA members before arriving at this decision,” the organization said in a statement, adding that current conditions would “prove difficult, if not impossible, to offer the full guest experience that our NRA members deserve.”
“The NRA’s top priority is ensuring the health and well-being of our members, staff, sponsors, and supporters,” the statement continued. “We are mindful that NRA Annual Meeting patrons will return home to family, friends and co-workers from all over the country, so any impacts from the virus could have broader implications. Those are among the reasons why we decided to cancel our 2021 event.”
Many shrewd commenters were quick to note that the NRA’s magnanimous reasoning for the cancellation is most likely BS given that several gun manufacturers had already pulled out of the conference and the fact that the organization is, well, bankrupt.
NRA
Judge Nixes Backup Site For Hawaii Telescope
Spain
A Spanish judge in a decision cheered by environmentalists has put a halt to backup plans for the construction of a giant telescope in the Canary Islands — eliminating at least for now the primary alternative location to the preferred spot in Hawaii, where there have been protests against the telescope.
Construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope, or TMT, on Hawaii’s tallest mountain, Mauna Kea, has been stalled by opponents who say the project will desecrate land held sacred to some Native Hawaiians.
Telescope officials had selected the alternate location near an existing scientific research facility on the highest mountain of La Palma, one of the Spanish islands off the western African coast, in the Atlantic Ocean.
But an administrative court in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the Spanish archipelago, ruled last month that the 2017 concession by local authorities of public land for the tentative project was invalid. The ruling was dated on July 29, but only became public this week after local media reported about the decision.
The judge also sided with the plaintiff, the environmental group Ben Magec-Ecologistas en Acción, in rejecting arguments by TIO’s legal team and the island’s government that the land concession was covered by an international treaty on scientific research.
Spain
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