DECEMBER 27 UPDATE
PRESIDENT FORD
Gerald R. Ford inherited a war he could not win; a Presidency he could not keep; and a White House scandal which would haunt his brief tenure in the Oval Office. The only man to serve as President who had not been elected President or Vice President, Ford, more than most occupants of the office, proved to more politically courageous, more forthright, and more motivated by the decency and honesty which marked his political life. Ford, who passed up a promising pro football career after playing on two national championship teams at Michigan to enter the law, and winnable contests for Governor and Senator, longed to be Speaker of the House – but, as GOP minority leader, felt compelled to accept Nixon’s offer of the Vice-Presidency when Spiro Agnew resigned in disgrace. Ford became President August 9, 1974 when Richard Nixon also resigned in even more shame. To his ever-lasting credit (and eternal damnation by some) Ford sought to end the “long national nightmare” of Watergate by pardoning Nixon. And, hauntingly familiar to all, he became enmeshed in Viet Nam. US combat troops had been largely withdrawn when Ford assumed office, but he sought and was denied increased aid for the South Vietnamese government to let the Vietnamese Army continue the fight against the Communist North. Predictably, the North toppled the US backed government and the lasting image of America’s campaign were the photographs of our people rushing up ladders to the roof of the US Embassy, boarding helicopters to flee Saigon. At home, the vitality of his government was sapped by spiraling inflation and ultimately recession. Ford’s unshakable Midwestern values carried him head held-high through these calamities but their toll was heavy for a Republican whose command of his party had been weakened by Ronald Reagan. Ford lost to Jimmy Carter. Thankfully, the press accounts upon his passing, while sparing none of these details, also were unerring in depicting Ford as a good and decent man who strived as well as he could to cope with the many numbing problems he inherited.
COMMITMENTS
Michelle Bendewald Michiana Cruisers signed with Western Michigan.
Morgan Hackman Michiana Cruisers verbally committed to Parkland College in Illinois.
Courtney Pettit, OF,1st, Texas Storm Gold, signed with Virginia
Tiffani Smith (P/OF) Wagners signed NLI with Liberty University
Kelly Hmiel (C/3B) Wagners signed with Toledo University
YOUR EMAILS TO SPY
Read through 300 backed up emails on Saturday before Christmas. Have 258 to go. Your patience and your loyalty is much appreciated.
SPEAKING OF PATIENCE
A number of Internet surfers, myself included, have tried to identify the Israeli who sings a very lovely, almost haunting rendition of “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.” The song closes the 1988 movie, Every Time We Say Goodbye.” Starred Tom Hanks and the beautiful Spanish actress, Christina Marsillach. Even IMDb doesn’t list the singer. Today, browsing through a small video store, I found a VHS copy of the film and will download the song. I may never know her name but her voice is the stuff of dreams.
GOATS, NAZIS, BOMBS AND FERRARIS
Washingtonian magazine published today its annual list of the area’s 100 best restaurants (leaving off some of the eateries favored by the glitterati) – including a new restaurant specializing in goat. Try the chops, the review urges. No way!
In 1976, I lectured at the famed University of Belgrano in Buenos Aires. (Also had other business there) The US Ambassador, who was dealing with Argentine footdragging over US and European demands to locate and extradite ex-Nazis (the Odessa boys had laid the groundwork with the Perons), was furious at a remark I made to a reporter who asked why I had come to BA – I told him it was a good opportunity to practice my German. The remark made the dailies.
That night, I was guest of honor at a dinner party in a café which specialized in goat – the carcasses were upright on spits in front of the restaurant. Worse, someone had changed the place cards at the main table, and I was no longer seated between two prominent Argentine bankers. A very well-dressed tall gentleman with an air of sophistication about him sat and I started to introduce myself – when he interrupted, “I know who you are and what you do – you sank my ship.” He profferred a business card and he was indeed the principal owner of a shipping line – and one of his vessels had in fact been sunk by undeclared agents. I told him that I could not verify that the US had any role in the sinking, but I did know that some of his ships carried drugs and other contraband out of Panama. I was not going to confirm that I was the watch officer when the order was given; somehow, he already knew that – and remarkably thanked the US government for a “slow sinking” which allowed his crew to escape. Then in an act of friendship, he called over the owner of the restaurant and ordered me a filet mignon. Afterward, he invited me to his club – I knew and he knew I knew that his ship and cargo were over-insured thanks to reinsurance policies used in the Caribbean – and said I could bring my young lady friend with me.
A major bank sponsoring the lectures assigned a young aide to show me Buenos Aires – Luciana Ferrari (yes, that family). Sleeker lines than a Testarossa but with all the passion for life of a true Argentine. We corresponded for about a year. Memories of that whirlwind weekend danced through my head when I returned to BA five years later – dreams shattered when a man answered her phone! She had married. Damn!
REFLECTIONS
Submitted by CJRittman
You know, time has a way
of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.
It seems just yesterday that I
was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in
a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went. I know
that I lived them all...
And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is..the winter of my life and it
catches me by surprise...
How did I get here so
fast? Where did the years go and where did my babies go? And where did my youth
go?
I remember well... seeing older
people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away
from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine
fully what it would be like...
But, here it is...wife
retired and she's really getting gray...she moves slower and I see an older
woman now. She's in better shape than me... but, I see the great change... Not
the one I married who was young and vibrant... but, like me, her age is
beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never
thought we'd be.
Each day now, I find that just
getting a shower is a real target for the day! And taking a nap is not a treat
anymore...it's mandatory! Cause if I don't on my own free wil! l...I just fall
asleep where I sit!
And so, now I enter into this
new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of
strength and ability to go and do things.
But, at least I know, that
though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...This I
know, that when it's over...its over....Yes , I have regrets .There are things I
wish I hadn't done ,,,,,things I should have done But indeed, there are many
things I'm happy to have done Its all in a lifetime.. .
So, if you're not in your
winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So,
whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!
Life goes by quickly So, do
what you can today, because you can never be sure whether this is your winter or
not!
You have no promise that you
will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for good today and say all the
things that you want your loved ones to remember...
"Life is a gift to you. The way
you live your life is your gift to those who came after. Make it a fantastic
one."
LIVE IT WELL!!