The professional boxer Muhammad Ali passed day before yesterday at 9:10 Mountain Time in Phoenix surrounded by his family.

Having a rather 'alpha male tumultuous start' his was a polarizing personality and the subject of controversy over the years.

However you felt, his persistence over the years pretty much left you impressed with his sheer tenacity and I for one admired his accomplishments both in and out of the ring.

Sitting over at my late friend Dewitt's house in Red Bank one day we saw him being interviewed by Howard Cosell some time after he began to show the tremor of Parkinsonism. Mr Cosell said something to the effect of "Muhammad why are you shaking so much" to which he got in his face and yelled "Do I look like I'm shaking?" in full flexing exaggerated tremor.

I knew then that this man could be funny in the presence of devastating adversity and he had me from that moment on.

So he endured the injury borne of numerous blows to the head with both stoicism and acceptance and he won the world over with the person that he was when all the theatrics associated with those many upcoming events were over.

Rest in peace.
 

Muhammad Ali Professional Boxer January 17, 1942 - June 3, 2016

I was reading an interesting tidbit in the LA Times regarding the financing of Bernie Sanders campaign and noticed not suprisingly that a fair amount of contributors are the unemployed and retired.
 

Bernie Sanders is being funded by persons who want a socialist governenment regardless of the solid history of it's failure. Twenty five percent of those dontating to Sander's campaign are the unemployed or retired. My locality has contributions above the national average.

These individuals are grasping at that straw which is his 'something for nothing' ideology which manifests itself in a so-called platform which is said will 'lift up the have-nots and allegedly improve the system of government we have so that no one will ever be left behind' ...

The only problem with the scenario is his stated methodology is based on a failed math model whereby his source of funding is the top tier of wealthy which simply cannot fund the remainder of those with outstretched hands seeking to palm the booty from those topmost rich persons from whom he would glean said fundage for the 'tired, ... poor, ... huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched (socialist) refuse of your teeming shore ...

When the utopia never materializes just what would all the disappointment entitlement seekers have to say about Bernie then?

Aw ... no something for nothing. Really ?

Do you actually think the illumanati and the leadership of the military industrial complex is going to stand for this impunity of giving up all they have so it may be distributed among the socialist hand out seekers supporting Bernie Sanders ?

Hate to disappoint you, but I think not.

On this day in 1888 a famous piece of poetry was published in the Daily Examiner, now known as the "San Francisco Examiner". It was "Casey at the Bat: A Ballad of the Republic Sung in the Year 1888" a baseball poem written in 1888 by Ernest Thayer.

Now then, I would like to think that my level of literacy was such that I am so well acquainted with this particular piece that I know everything about it ... but that is not the case at all.

You see, my only experience with this poem aside from a very few brief lessons in junior high — and possibly elementary — school is primarily a function of the Rocky and Bullwinkle show which was contemporaneous of that time in my life.

In my formative years baseball was once of those things which precluded my father spending time with me and I hated it from the first grade onward for that reason. He thought a wonderful aspect of entertainment during that era was televised baseball and that was his focus during his premium off time instead of me.

To this day I still refuse to sit and watch a baseball (or other ball) game for this reason. Not that I blame him, though. Having spent time in the Navy I understand his need for a preferred escape.

Casey at the Bat

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville Nine that day;
the score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
a sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
they thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that –
they'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
and the former was a lulu and the latter was a fake,
so upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
for there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
and Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball;
and when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
there was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
it rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
it knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
for Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
there was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
no stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
and Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
and it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
he stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
he signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
but Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said: "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
but one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
and they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
he pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
and now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
the band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
and somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
but there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.

by Ernest Thayer

Woman In Chains

You better love loving and you better behave
You better love loving and you better behave
Woman in Chains
Woman in Chains
Calls her man the Great White Hope
Says she's fine, she'll always cope
Woman in Chains
Woman in Chains
Well I feel lying and waiting is a poor man's deal
And I feel hopelessly weighed down by your eyes of steel
It's a world gone crazy
Keeps Woman in Chains
Trades her soul as skin and bones
Sells the only thing she owns
Woman in Chains
Woman in Chains
Men of Stone
Men of Stone
Well I feel deep in your heart there are wounds Time can't heals
And I feel somebody somewhere is trying to breathe
Well you know what I mean
It's a world gone crazy
Keeps Woman in Chains
It's under my skin but out of my hands
I'll tear it apart but I won't understand
I will not accept the Greatness of Man
It's a world gone crazy
Keeps Woman in Chains
So Free Her
So Free Her

Performed by Tears for Fears featuring Oleta Adams
BMG Rights Management US, LLC
Copyright: Roland Orzabal

One of my earliest health related memories involves Dr J Lucian Weatherford explaining the long term effects of smoking to me in the Emergency Room at Richland Memorial around 1974.

One of the latest and most devastating memories involving smoking was the explanation of why my biological father would not likely survive because of all the problems he had incurred as the results of smoking.

His unsympathetic attending physician's office and nursing staff at the hospital where he died did not help matters, either.

You see, his was a lifestyle disease caused by choices he made during the course of his life. Therefore he was undeserving of any level of compassion by those individuals from what I've gathered from the way his attending physician's office treated my distraught mother and the indifference on the part of the nursing people in the coronary intensive care unit.
 

Today is World No Tobacco Day. It is held under the auspices of the World Health Organization and happens each May 31st in an effort to encourage abstinence from all tobacco internationally.

It draws attention to the prevalence of using tobacco products and emphasizes their cumulative negative health effects.

Current statistics place the incidence of mortality from tobacco at almost 6 million deaths with some ten percent of those being non smokers exposed to second hand smoke.

The observance began in 1987 and has been the subject to the full gamut of reactions from enthusiastic support through adamant opposition on the part of governments, organizations involved in public health, smokers, farmers, and the tobacco industry at large.

Ash trays holding fresh flowers are a common symbol of the day.

If you don't smoke don't start. If you do smoke then quit.

Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember those who served in the military. Traditionally it is observed on May 30th but is now "the last Monday in May."

Regardless, it is also the birthday of our Johnny Henderson Pruett and this is the first Memorial Day without him. He served in Korea and Viet Nam in the Air Force.

Upon his return from Viet Nam he was abused by so-called "hippie" demonstrators who were screaming at him and spitting upon him, called him "baby killer" and threw rocks at him at the airport in San Francisco upon his return though he arrived obviously wounded with two broken collar bones which he incurred as the result of his service to his country.

He never understood the immense hostility of these vicious American citizens toward another citizen engaged in their military duty. This misdirected rage was also obviously a painful memory to him as he related it to us — and knowing him like we do we know he did not deserve this treatment.

I hope that your family has never suffered the reprehensible abuse Johnny H Pruett endured as the result of his military service. He was first and foremost a family man, a patriot, and a man of honor.

Happy birtday Johnny Pruett and Happy Memorial Day. Freedom isn't free.

Returned from Aiken County.

Had a lovely meal at my sister's house.

I was able to burn all of the shred documents and my box is now empty after well over a year.

Went to my father's grave and paid my respects. Somebody had moved his wind chime. I placed it back where it was.

Took Mom to her house.

Returned to mine and fetched the robot which was left cleaning the floor. Took it outside with a can of air and blew out the dust bin, brushes, and roller assembly. It is now recharging.

Putting on a load of clothes and taking a little nap.

Ahhhhhhh !

Pat portrayed by Julia Sweeney

"Hey baby, how a bout a blow job. I know you've got one with you !"

It's far better to remain silent and be THOUGHT a fool,
than to speak and remove all doubt.

In a lovely article on the AP wire Microsoft claims that users can still opt out of Windows 10 upgrades.

As much as I hate to agree, I must because IMHO the issue lay in the confusion of users navigating the dialog; not that the opt out is unavailable ... or IS it ?

It's just a little camouflaged on a screen that doesn't specifically say "Opt Out Idiot" ...

Leave it to Redmond to belabor the point AND it should be noted that users are claiming that closure of the dialog via the normal control in the upper right hand corner of the dialog will result in a scheduled (and unwanted) upgrade to windows 10 anyway. Could it be ?
 

In a statement to the BBC, Microsoft INSISTS customers CAN choose to accept or decline the new operating system. Sounds like they want to fend off some EU fine or something to me. You know, nip it in the bud.

Hummmmmm. I don't know about you but a lot of my windows 10 stuff happens in the dead of night while I'm asleep. The perils of a 24/7 operation.

Then they were peer to peering my network to push updates to others near me WITHOUT my informed consent. I brought all of that to a screeching halt myself. I also make it a habit to keep several Unix boxes between Redmond and me.

I don't think they can be trusted. Not at all.