Those Who Left Us in 2021-- Part 3: Baylor, McMurtry, Liddy, Philip, Mondale and Collins

MARCH

ELGIN BAYLOR, 86

The Lakers' 11-time NBA All-Star.  Died March 22.

LARRY McMURTRY, 84

The prolific and popular author who wrote "Lonesome Dove."  That still gets me when the mass of cottonmouth snakes killed that kid crossing the river.  YUCK!!  Died March 25.

G. GORDON LIDDY, 90

A mastermind of the Watergate burglary.  We sure heard a lot about him back then.  Died March 30.

********************

APRIL

PRINCE PHILIP, 99

The husband of Queen Elizabeth II.  A World War II hero.  Died April 9.

WALTER F. MONDALE, 93

Former vice president and a liberal icon.  Died April 19.

MICHAEL COLLINS, 90

An Apollo 11 astronaut whom orbited the moon while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made their historic first steps in the lunar surface.  Died April 28.

JSS: OK, Call It Global Warming-- Japanese Beetles-- Long Distance, Please

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1.  OK, CALL IT GLOBAL WARMING--  After this past two weeks, go ahead and call it Global Warming.  You'll get no argument from me.

2.  JAPANESE BEETLES--  They're back.  But their numbers don't approach anything like in their heyday ten years ago.  They do two things, eat and procreate.  I often find one on top of another and they are prime targets.  They can't move fast and at least I know I get a female so no eggs and new beetles from her.

3.  LONG DISTANCE, PLEASE--  I read that President Nixon called the Apollo 11 folks fifty years ago.  Hopefully he had a REAL lot of quarters, dimes and nickels to cover THOSE long distance charges in 1969!!   Another quarter, please.

I remember calling Liz in Illinois when my family was on vacation in North Carolina when I was in high school and college.  I would have to gave a pocketful of change.  It seemed that every few minutes the operator was asking for more money.  This was an expensive thing to do.

A Lot Of Japanese Beetles Have Died With Smiles On Their Faces.  --RoadDog

So, What Were You Doing Fifty Years Ago?-- Part 2 Man on the Moon

On the actual day of the Moon landing, I posted about Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing on the Moon at 4:17:40 Eastern Time on July 20, 1969.  But, for some reason I always felt it was really late at night when Armstrong stepped out of the module and onto the Moon's surface.

Obviously, that time was not late at night.  Is my mind slipping?

Well, in yesterday's Chicago Tribune I found out that 4:17 p.m. was when the module landed on the Moon's surface.  Neil Armstrong did not exit it and step on the Moon's surface until 10:56 p.m. EDT.

So, my mind is still here, at least somewhat.

Not Nice To Fool Me.  --RoadDog

TRIVIA TEASER:  In 1984, which baby was the first infant subject of xenotransplant, living for 21 days after receiving the heart of a baboon?


Answer:  Baby Fae

So, What Were You Doing Fifty Years Ago?

Well, if you were alive, at least part of the time you were parked in front of your black and white 19-inch TV ( a few lucky folks had color TVs and maybe even as big as 25 inches.

This was too big of a show to miss.  The actual landing took place at 20.17:14 UT, but for us who don't know what that is, it took place at 4:17:40 Eastern Daylight Time.  Man stayed on the Moon for two and a half hours, so definitely watching during this time.

Wow, Man On the Moon.  --RoadDog

Man on the Moon Tomorrow, Fifty Years Ago

Fifty years ago it was all everyone seemed to be talking about.  Something that I never figured would happen.  Man on the Moon.

I was on vacation in North Carolina and staying over at Ronnie Creel's house for the night.  We stayed up watching it on his black and white TV.  And we, being eighteen-year-olds, were not talking about girls that night, but the space program.  If I remember correctly, Keith Hood was also there.

The day before, Keith had gotten in big trouble with his dad when the three of us sank a boat  in a local swamp.  We were puling it over some logs and tree stumps and one  of them yelled, "Snake!!."

This caused all three of us to jump into the boat and send a branch through its bottom.  We had quite some time getting the boat out of that swamp, waterlogged as it was.

Anyway, that event had been forgotten as we watched that flickering reception from the moon.

That Was Quite A Day.  --RoadDog

Whose Baby Appeared On the Cover of the First Issue of TV Guide?   Answer below.


Lucille Ball's

Movie Watching on 4th of July-- Part 5: "Independence Day" and "Hidden Figures"

Continued from today's Not So Forgotten: War of 1812 and Tattooed On Your Soul;  World War II blogs.

13 movies that capture the American spirit.

"INDEPENDENCE DAY"  (1996)

Its full of corny lines like Will Smith's, "Now that's what I call a close encounter" being one of them.  And, there are more explosions than a 4th of July fireworks show.

But when we  get attacked by the bad guy aliens, we do what we do best and that is come together to triumph over evil.  It's the American way.

"HIDDEN FIGURES"  (2016)

This year marks the 50th anniversary  of the Apollo 11 mission in which Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to step on the moon.  But that might not have happened without the work of the Mercury astronauts and that wouldn't have gone anywhere without the mathematical brilliance of several black women.

This is their story.

--RoadFlick

Pearl Harbor, Kennedy Assassination, Man on the Moon and 9-11

It seems that each generation has their "Where Were You" moment.

For my parents, it was Pearl Harbor.

For my generation it was the Kennedy Assassination and Man on the Moon.

For the next generation it was 9-11.

Of course, anyone old enough will know where they were when the event happened.

Pearl Harbor   I wasn't born yet (1951).

Kennedy Assassination    I was in 7th grade at Winston Park Junior High School in Palatine, Illinois.

Man on the Moon     I was at a friend's house in Goldsboro, North Carolina, where we were visiting family.

9-11    I was teaching school at Magee Middle School in Round Lake, Illinois.

Big Night Forty Years Ago: Man on the Moon

Forty years ago, I was visiting family in Goldsboro, North Carolina. All the radio and TV stations had very little else other than this landing on the Moon.

I was at my buddy Ronnie's house and we were watching it while listening to albums. I remember, we went outside and looked at the moon and thought, "Wow, we're really on it."

Pretty Impressive Stuff. --RoadDog