James Garner, known for his leading roles on the TV shows Maverick and The Rockford Files, and for making a series of Polaroid Camera commercials with Mariette Hartley (this one, for example), has died in his home in Los Angeles of natural causes. He had been in poor health for some time.
James Scott Bumgarner was born on April 7, 1928 in Norman Oklahoma. His mother died when he was young, after which his father remarried. He and his brothers Charles and Jack did not get along with their stepmother, who according to Garner, would beat them "with anything she could get hold of." Garner dropped out of high school, briefly joined the Merchant Marine, moved to Los Angeles where his father lived, went back to school, worked in Texas and Oklahoma oil fields, and was drafted into the Army during the Korean War, during which he was wounded twice. After his discharge, he attended the University of Oklahoma, returned to California, worked for his father as a carpet layer, and got into acting. His survivors include his wife, his daughter and a stepdaughter.
Read more at the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, ABC News, People and KTLA.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Saturday, July 19, 2014
Former Hokie RB Sails Away
Back in 2001, Kevin Jones was a true freshman running back on Virginia Tech's football team. In Philadelphia, I got to watch him score two touchdowns against Temple, including one on an 87-yard run. After the 2003 season, he left college and was drafted by the Detroit Lions, but his pro football career was fairly short. He later returned to Virginia Tech to get his bachelor's degree. Most recently, he was hired as a special assistant to Tech's new athletic director Whit Babcock. Last summer, however, while in Switzerland, he was invited to do something very different from football. From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Near the end of his design internship with a furniture manufacturer in Switzerland last summer, Kevin Jones’ boss asked him if he wanted to go sailing. So Jones, a former Virginia Tech and NFL running back, politely accepted.
To find out what Kevin Jones got himself into, read the full story.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Friday Links
As the weekend approaches, here are a few things going on:
From The Blaze, eight State Constitutions still ban a certain type of person from holding office.
From Illinois Review, the Illinois Supreme Court rejects a ban on term limits.
From National Journal, Senator Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass) 11 commandments of progressivism.
From Breitbart TV, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power says that assistance from Russia cannot be ruled out in determining the cause of the downing of Flight MH17.
From the New York Post, a flight attendant who swapped himself onto Flight MH17 was the husband of a flight attendant who swapped out of Flight MH370.
From Fox News, President Obama says that at least one American was on board Flight MH17.
From Liberty News, was a missile that brought down Flight MH17 actually intended for Russia's Presidential Plane?
From Watchdog.org, how Organizing for Action is cracking the President's image of being transparent.
From Rare, the woman who thought Obama was going to pay for her gas has changed her tune.
From ABC News, Swedish appliance maker Electrolux posts a second-quarter loss.
From Life News, police do nothing as an abortion support steals pro-life signs.
From Bluegrass Pundit, a video of Israel thwarting a tunnel attack by Hamas. (via Liberty Unyielding)
From The Right Scoop, a video of what ranchers on the border have to deal with.
And from Duh Progressive, the White House appoints the new Border Security Czar.
From The Blaze, eight State Constitutions still ban a certain type of person from holding office.
From Illinois Review, the Illinois Supreme Court rejects a ban on term limits.
From National Journal, Senator Elizabeth Warren's (D-Mass) 11 commandments of progressivism.
From Breitbart TV, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power says that assistance from Russia cannot be ruled out in determining the cause of the downing of Flight MH17.
From the New York Post, a flight attendant who swapped himself onto Flight MH17 was the husband of a flight attendant who swapped out of Flight MH370.
From Fox News, President Obama says that at least one American was on board Flight MH17.
From Liberty News, was a missile that brought down Flight MH17 actually intended for Russia's Presidential Plane?
From Watchdog.org, how Organizing for Action is cracking the President's image of being transparent.
From Rare, the woman who thought Obama was going to pay for her gas has changed her tune.
From ABC News, Swedish appliance maker Electrolux posts a second-quarter loss.
From Life News, police do nothing as an abortion support steals pro-life signs.
From Bluegrass Pundit, a video of Israel thwarting a tunnel attack by Hamas. (via Liberty Unyielding)
From The Right Scoop, a video of what ranchers on the border have to deal with.
And from Duh Progressive, the White House appoints the new Border Security Czar.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Johnny Winter 1944-2014
Blues-rock guitarist/singer Johnny Winter, who had been on tour in Europe, has died in a hotel room near Zurich, Switzerland. He had performed in Wiesen, Austria just four days earlier. There is no word yet on the cause of death.
John Dawson Winter III was born in Mississippi, but raised Beaumont, Texas along with his younger brother Edgar, himself a highly successful musician. Johnny Winter debuted as a solo artist in 1969 and continued as such for most of his career, but also formed a band called Johnny Winter And during the early 1970's, which included guitarist/singer Rick Derringer, drummer Randy Zehringer (known as Randy Z) and bassist Randy Jo Hobbs, all of whom had been in the pop-rock group The McCoys. (Derringer and Zehringer are brothers, Zehringer being their real last name.) Winter grew up idolizing legendary blues guitarist Muddy Waters, and later performed with him. In turn, he inspired other white blues guitarists such as the late Stevie Ray Vaughn.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Texas Rancher Finds Urdu Book
Via Liberty Unyielding:
A rancher in southern Texas, whose ranch is a few miles from the Falfurrias Border Patrol station (mentioned in my second post yesterday), made an interesting discovery on his property - an Urdu/English dictionary and phrasebook. If anyone is wondering where in Texas, Mexico or Central America Urdu is spoken, it isn't. It's the official language of Pakistan.
Read the story at The Blaze.
A rancher in southern Texas, whose ranch is a few miles from the Falfurrias Border Patrol station (mentioned in my second post yesterday), made an interesting discovery on his property - an Urdu/English dictionary and phrasebook. If anyone is wondering where in Texas, Mexico or Central America Urdu is spoken, it isn't. It's the official language of Pakistan.
Read the story at The Blaze.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Two Immigration Stories
Brooks County, Texas is not a border county. Yet, the county has a checkpoint in Falfurrias that has captured over 27,000 illegal aliens so far this year, even though it is located about 80 miles from the border with Mexico. Read the story at Breitbart Texas.
Meanwhile, some of my fellow Marylanders have objected to the housing of illegal aliens at a former military building in the town of Westminster with some graffiti, which includes the misspelled word "illeagles". Perhaps someone has no objection to healthy eagles, but wants to keep ill eagles out. Read the story at The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, some of my fellow Marylanders have objected to the housing of illegal aliens at a former military building in the town of Westminster with some graffiti, which includes the misspelled word "illeagles". Perhaps someone has no objection to healthy eagles, but wants to keep ill eagles out. Read the story at The Washington Post.
Music Break
It's definitely been a while since I've put up a music post, so let me give you these few selections:
This song by Genesis, put out about 30 years ago, has recently become appropriate once again. If the feds try to dump a bunch of illegal aliens in your town, please be sure to play this number for them.
Let's face it. Try as he might, Phil Collins (lead vocals & drums) will never pass for Hispanic. The other two band members are Mike Rutherford (guitar & bass) and Tony Banks (keyboards).
This song by Genesis, put out about 30 years ago, has recently become appropriate once again. If the feds try to dump a bunch of illegal aliens in your town, please be sure to play this number for them.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Sunday Links
A few stories about the fight between Israel and Hamas, the current invasion of Central American illegal aliens, and other things going on:
From Prime Minister Of Canada, the Canadian Prime Minister's statement of support for Israel.
From The Washington Free Beacon, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States explains how Hamas targets civilians while Israel does not.
From Gatestone Institute, many Egyptians are rooting for Israel against Hamas.
From Fox News, Israel has sent ground troops into Gaza.
From The Jewish Press, 70,000 people in Gaza lose their electricity, thanks to Hamas.
From The Raw Story, Representative Michael McCall (R-TX) talks about some of the teenagers he had seen at the border.
From The Independent Sentinel, Central American dictators won't stop their people from illegal invading the United States.
From the Examiner, the "border shell game".
In Commentary, John Podhoretz takes on the "Iron Dome Is Bad" argument.
From the New York Post, a religious group rents a plane to fly a banner containing a swastika over Coney Island.
In Live Action News, Rebecca Downs asks if abortion really is a matter of "a woman deciding her own fate".
And from ABC News, Mormons discuss a translation of the Book of Abraham.
From Prime Minister Of Canada, the Canadian Prime Minister's statement of support for Israel.
From The Washington Free Beacon, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States explains how Hamas targets civilians while Israel does not.
From Gatestone Institute, many Egyptians are rooting for Israel against Hamas.
From Fox News, Israel has sent ground troops into Gaza.
From The Jewish Press, 70,000 people in Gaza lose their electricity, thanks to Hamas.
From The Raw Story, Representative Michael McCall (R-TX) talks about some of the teenagers he had seen at the border.
From The Independent Sentinel, Central American dictators won't stop their people from illegal invading the United States.
From the Examiner, the "border shell game".
In Commentary, John Podhoretz takes on the "Iron Dome Is Bad" argument.
From the New York Post, a religious group rents a plane to fly a banner containing a swastika over Coney Island.
In Live Action News, Rebecca Downs asks if abortion really is a matter of "a woman deciding her own fate".
And from ABC News, Mormons discuss a translation of the Book of Abraham.
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Oops!
If you are male and live in Pennsylvania, you might have recently gotten a notice from the Selective Service System that you must register for the draft, and face fines and imprisonment if you don't. However, you probably have nothing to worry about, because the notices were sent to men born from 1893 to 1897, and if you were born during those years, it is extremely likely if not certain that you are already dead. However, if you have any descendants, they will probably wonder what's going on.
Read the full story at Fox News.
As it turns out, my own maternal grandfather was born in 1897 and lived most of his life in Pennsylvania. I wonder if my mother or any of her relatives has received his registration notice.
Read the full story at Fox News.
As it turns out, my own maternal grandfather was born in 1897 and lived most of his life in Pennsylvania. I wonder if my mother or any of her relatives has received his registration notice.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Would Anyone Like A Geography Lesson?
According to Canada Free Press, two media outlets have recently reported that President Obama visited the border. Both Reuters and Yahoo News placed pictures on their respective Twitter feeds, each pic having the caption "President Obama visits the border". The Reuters pic was taken in Denver, which as CFP correctly notes is not even near the border of Colorado. The Yahoo pic was taken in Austin, which is in a state that borders Mexico, but still well away from the actual border. In reality, the president did not visit the border, but the two propaganda news outlets were still willing to give him credit for doing so.
Read the full story at Canada Free Press.
Read the full story at Canada Free Press.
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