Glory to Shame. Respect Demanded. Donate Today. “It’s an Alien Life Form.” Pure Talent.
- Quote of the Week: I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you. – Friedrich Nietzsche
In 1985, he surpassed Ty Cobb’s 57-year-old Major League Baseball record for the all-time leader in hits. He also was a seventeen-time MLB all-star and went on to manage the Cincinnati Reds after an amazing career. All the glory Pete Rose garnered from his baseball playing days was flushed away after a 1989 investigation found that Rose, as manager of the Reds, gambled on games he was managing. The unfortunate outcome was that Rose was banned from baseball, with that ban still upheld as of today.
Rose was a gamer, a player who was relentless in the pursuit of winning. Rose will go down as one of the greatest players of all-time, but his life after baseball, due to his gambling and tax evasion issues, was one of fret, grief, and despair. Pete Rose passed away last week at the age of eighty-three. Baseball people called him “Charlie Hustle” for good reasons. For one, I enjoyed watching him play baseball. RIP Pete Rose.
- If you have read a few of my posts, you understand my take on racism. My stance is clear and concise: I have no tolerance for anyone or any entity who evokes, proliferates, or garners any realm of racism. It disgusts me that as we head to year 2025, racism continues to be a thread of America.
Dignity and respect. There are many ways to define Sidney Poitier, both as a man and as an actor. He defined what it meant to be a leading man as a tremendous actor, transcending race by breaking down barriers. In 1968, Poitier starred in two fantastic movies: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “In the Heat of the Night.” His portrayal of a Black doctor engaged to a white woman forced Hollywood and society in general to deal with racial prejudices. Poitier was the first Black actor to win an Academy Award for Best Actor in the 1964 film “Lillies of the Field.”
Poitier demanded respect as a man and as an actor. He became a well-respected figure in Hollywood as a Black man in times of rampant racism. This interview gives us a quick look at his commanding presence, stature, and dignity. Well said, Sidney Poitier. Say No to Racism.
- The despair and destruction from Hurricane Helene will continue for many months, with hundreds of people still missing from last weekend’s storm. Every amount of donation will help the people of areas devasted by the storm – so please contribute as you see fit. There are 140 people on the JustMyTake.net distribution list. A small donation of $75 x 140 = $10,500. I have done so. Please do so. Below is the donation link for the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County. There are other agencies you can donate to including the American Red Cross, Project Hope, and the North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. Donate – North Carolina Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (ncvoad.org)
Hurricane Helene Relief Fund Buncombe County (givebutter.com)
“Exhilarating and exciting…. the actual context and the state of content is going to be so different...” This was David Bowie’s take on the internet twenty-five years ago. Bowie obviously had an incredible sense of creativity and individuality. His legacy as a musician, songwriter, and actor stands on its own, but did we think he was a futurist? Twenty-five years ago, and Bowie was providing his take on the internet. He was not far off.
Pure Talent. The best part of this video is the look this two-year-old gives Howie Mandel at the 2:40 mark. Mandel speaks out, interrupting whatever this mathematician is doing to answer the equation. An amazing young kid with a mind of his own. This kid is Pure Talent.