DECEMBER 3 UPDATE
COMMITMENTS
Kristen Boros 2011 – SS Lady Lasers White(OH) to Butler University
UMBC
Katrina Gaar is a 5-foot-11 outfielder/catcher from Newport Beach, Calif., who currently plays for Orange Coast College. As a freshman for the Pirates, the left-handed-hitting Gaar batted .361 with five doubles, five triples, two home runs and 10 RBI from the leadoff spot.
Caitlin Chance is a middle infielder/utility player from Easton High School in Easton, Md. Chance hit .524 and slugged .794 at the top of the Warriors’ lineup last season. She is a three-time All-Mid Shore shortstop and a two-time NFCA Scholar Athlete.
UNSIGNED SENIORS
Whitney Horton, OF, Bats R, Throw R
Georgia Impact Gold Findlay
GPA 3.54, SAT and ACT Pending
Harrison HS, GA Class AAAAA
2009 1st Team Cobb County, 1st Team Region 5-AAAAA, Georgia GADC All State
770-331-2057
Manager Keith Findlay
cell 478-338-5256
CAMPS
Michele Smith Holiday Camp 2009
The camp will be held December 27-30 in Clearwater, FL. For more information:
http://phi.lunariffic.com/~ripit0/cc/112309-Michele-Smith-Camp/112309-Michele-Smith-Camp.html
Camp includes a coaches recruiting seminar. Instructors include: Michele Smith, Jenae Leles, Micaela, Minner, Danielle Henderson. Karen Johns, Linda Derk, Penny Siqueiros, Jaci Davis, Diana Consolmagno
TONYA CALLAHAN
The USSSA Florida Pride, a member of the Woman’s National Professional Fastpitch League [NPF], is proud to announce the recent signing of Tonya Callahan of Holden, Missouri and the University of Tennessee for the 2010 season. This is a historic moment in USSSA history as Tonya is the first Pride player that actively played in the USSSA Youth Fastpitch Program. In 2004 Tonya played with the KC Peppers, who won the 18 & Under “A” World Series and was named to the USSSA All World Series Team.
BATHROOM HAZARD AT 35,000 FEET
Learned on trip home from Portland last Sunday that United cabin crews complained successfully to maintenance crews that bathroom doors on Boeing 757s have a tendency to pop open when not locked, and noxious odors permeate the galley and rear seats. Ergo, engineers installed heavy duty springs which snap the door shut, unless held open by a passenger, or locked. I had just pushed the center fold, which normally holds the door open without being held, when an attendant called out to me, handing me a bottle of water for my pills. Took my hand off the door but held on to the frame, given the air turbulence. Without warning, the unattended door snapped shut, breaking the tip on my pinky finger. I said some choice curse words – in Russian. The attendants asked me what I said but I assured them they did not want a translation. They wrapped my hand with ice; the finger is swollen and black. What next? Go to the hospital December 14 to find out why my hip and knee are so painful, then back to Johns Hopkins January 7 for eye surgery. Body has outlived its warranty.
GERMAN VERSION OF “TITANIC”
Incredibly, while Allied bombs were dropping on Berlin, the German movie industry in 1943 filmed a mostly credible version of the sinking of the ill-fated White Star liner. Of course, at that point, the Nazis still believed the war was winnable – this a year before the invasion at Normandy – and the film allowed a pointed look at capitalist behavior. However, the film was notably free of Nazi propaganda, which would have been very out of place in a film about an event which happened in 1912, even before WWI. However, Germans are Germans and the music played by the British orchestra during entertainment scenes was Wagner. Thankfully, the film’s language was German but included subtitles; my German was quickly overcome. The downside was the over-blown focus on the machinations of Sir Robert Ismay and John Jacob Astor. All historians note that Ismay pushed Captain Smith to make all possible speed, even through the ice fields, to win the coveted Blue ribbon, awarded to the steamer which made the fastest Atlantic crossing. Ismay was fighting a losing battle to prop up the stock price of his White Star line, while Astor was forcing it down, in hopes of buying the company and owning the Titanic. A sidebar at best but the film gave it much emphasis. A minor note: Astor’s wife Madeline was about 19, a demure and very pregnant young lady; in this film, she is played as a 30-something who is on the verge of an affair. Despite this and other shortcomings, this version of Titanic (I have seen several) escaped me so I stayed up until 2am to watch it.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
100 DAYS UNTIL THE START OF THE PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
THE GOLDEN AGE OF 33
Some Islamic texts inform that, when we all cross into the other world, we will all be 33 years of age. Put aside the practical questions about babies who died in infancy, octogenarians, people with handicaps, etc. Consider the intriguing possibilities. Grace Kelly, who would have turned 80 in November, would be her exquisite, radian tly beautiful Princess, vying with an equally beautiful Diana for center stage. There could be football games with Johnny Unitas and Sammy Baugh as opposing quarterbacks, while adjacent diamonds could feature the Babe, Mickey, DiMag, Walter Johnson, and all the greats, playing in their 33-year old prime. The Kennedy brothers – Joe, Jack, Bobby and Teddy – would be reunited.
The concept fires my imagination as I contemplate a day when I will write the last page in the last chapter. As evidenced by the accompany photo, which was taken in Paris in 1971, as I strolled along the Boulevard St German, I was in what could be called “prime.” We were still putting the memories of the 60s aside – the murders of JFK, MLK, RFK; Woodstock; the Jim Crow lynchings in the South, the Tet offensive (ultimate denouement was still ahead) – and the 70s sexual revolution was in full bloom, nowhere in more brilliant colors than Paris.
Algerian terrorists were setting off bombs in the City of Light, but the Concorde was ready to usher in a new era of supersonic flight for citizens of the world. Every dinner was a four-course meal, with good wine, and capped with a snifter of Grand Marnier. Hunting trips in Corsica, skiing trips in Switzerland, trying to catch heroin traffickers in Marseilles, concerts at V ersailles, masked balls in Venice, Oktoberfest in Germany, Grand Prix in Monaco, the Cannes film festival. Europe in the 70s was a celebration of a life style, which we all knew was likely to come crashing down. To be sure, there were many problems in the world, and diplomacy was not all “the good life” but a never-ending task of having to deal with myriad calamities man inflicts on himself, most of which are still with us. Still, the memories are warm and I hold them close.
DECEMBER 3 UPDATE
COMMITMENTS
Kristen Boros 2011 – SS Lady Lasers White(OH) to Butler University
UMBC
Katrina Gaar is a 5-foot-11 outfielder/catcher from Newport Beach, Calif., who currently plays for Orange Coast College. As a freshman for the Pirates, the left-handed-hitting Gaar batted .361 with five doubles, five triples, two home runs and 10 RBI from the leadoff spot.
Caitlin Chance is a middle infielder/utility player from Easton High School in Easton, Md. Chance hit .524 and slugged .794 at the top of the Warriors’ lineup last season. She is a three-time All-Mid Shore shortstop and a two-time NFCA Scholar Athlete.
UNSIGNED SENIORS
Whitney Horton, OF, Bats R, Throw R
Georgia Impact Gold Findlay
GPA 3.54, SAT and ACT Pending
Harrison HS, GA Class AAAAA
2009 1st Team Cobb County, 1st Team Region 5-AAAAA, Georgia GADC All State
770-331-2057
Manager Keith Findlay
cell 478-338-5256
CAMPS
Michele Smith Holiday Camp 2009
The camp will be held December 27-30 in Clearwater, FL. For more information:
http://phi.lunariffic.com/~ripit0/cc/112309-Michele-Smith-Camp/112309-Michele-Smith-Camp.html
Camp includes a coaches recruiting seminar. Instructors include: Michele Smith, Jenae Leles, Micaela, Minner, Danielle Henderson. Karen Johns, Linda Derk, Penny Siqueiros, Jaci Davis, Diana Consolmagno
TONYA CALLAHAN
The USSSA Florida Pride, a member of the Woman’s National Professional Fastpitch League [NPF], is proud to announce the recent signing of Tonya Callahan of Holden, Missouri and the University of Tennessee for the 2010 season. This is a historic moment in USSSA history as Tonya is the first Pride player that actively played in the USSSA Youth Fastpitch Program. In 2004 Tonya played with the KC Peppers, who won the 18 & Under “A” World Series and was named to the USSSA All World Series Team.
BATHROOM HAZARD AT 35,000 FEET
Learned on trip home from Portland last Sunday that United cabin crews complained successfully to maintenance crews that bathroom doors on Boeing 757s have a tendency to pop open when not locked, and noxious odors permeate the galley and rear seats. Ergo, engineers installed heavy duty springs which snap the door shut, unless held open by a passenger, or locked. I had just pushed the center fold, which normally holds the door open without being held, when an attendant called out to me, handing me a bottle of water for my pills. Took my hand off the door but held on to the frame, given the air turbulence. Without warning, the unattended door snapped shut, breaking the tip on my pinky finger. I said some choice curse words – in Russian. The attendants asked me what I said but I assured them they did not want a translation. They wrapped my hand with ice; the finger is swollen and black. What next? Go to the hospital December 14 to find out why my hip and knee are so painful, then back to Johns Hopkins January 7 for eye surgery. Body has outlived its warranty.
GERMAN VERSION OF “TITANIC”
Incredibly, while Allied bombs were dropping on Berlin, the German movie industry in 1943 filmed a mostly credible version of the sinking of the ill-fated White Star liner. Of course, at that point, the Nazis still believed the war was winnable – this a year before the invasion at Normandy – and the film allowed a pointed look at capitalist behavior. However, the film was notably free of Nazi propaganda, which would have been very out of place in a film about an event which happened in 1912, even before WWI. However, Germans are Germans and the music played by the British orchestra during entertainment scenes was Wagner. Thankfully, the film’s language was German but included subtitles; my German was quickly overcome. The downside was the over-blown focus on the machinations of Sir Robert Ismay and John Jacob Astor. All historians note that Ismay pushed Captain Smith to make all possible speed, even through the ice fields, to win the coveted Blue ribbon, awarded to the steamer which made the fastest Atlantic crossing. Ismay was fighting a losing battle to prop up the stock price of his White Star line, while Astor was forcing it down, in hopes of buying the company and owning the Titanic. A sidebar at best but the film gave it much emphasis. A minor note: Astor’s wife Madeline was about 19, a demure and very pregnant young lady; in this film, she is played as a 30-something who is on the verge of an affair. Despite this and other shortcomings, this version of Titanic (I have seen several) escaped me so I stayed up until 2am to watch it.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
100 DAYS UNTIL THE START OF THE PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES
THE GOLDEN AGE OF 33
Some Islamic texts inform that, when we all cross into the other world, we will all be 33 years of age. Put aside the practical questions about babies who died in infancy, octogenarians, people with handicaps, etc. Consider the intriguing possibilities. Grace Kelly, who would have turned 80 in November, would be her exquisite, radian tly beautiful Princess, vying with an equally beautiful Diana for center stage. There could be football games with Johnny Unitas and Sammy Baugh as opposing quarterbacks, while adjacent diamonds could feature the Babe, Mickey, DiMag, Walter Johnson, and all the greats, playing in their 33-year old prime. The Kennedy brothers – Joe, Jack, Bobby and Teddy – would be reunited.
The concept fires my imagination as I contemplate a day when I will write the last page in the last chapter. As evidenced by the accompany photo, which was taken in Paris in 1971, as I strolled along the Boulevard St German, I was in what could be called “prime.” We were still putting the memories of the 60s aside – the murders of JFK, MLK, RFK; Woodstock; the Jim Crow lynchings in the South, the Tet offensive (ultimate denouement was still ahead) – and the 70s sexual revolution was in full bloom, nowhere in more brilliant colors than Paris.
Algerian terrorists were setting off bombs in the City of Light, but the Concorde was ready to usher in a new era of supersonic flight for citizens of the world. Every dinner was a four-course meal, with good wine, and capped with a snifter of Grand Marnier. Hunting trips in Corsica, skiing trips in Switzerland, trying to catch heroin traffickers in Marseilles, concerts at V ersailles, masked balls in Venice, Oktoberfest in Germany, Grand Prix in Monaco, the Cannes film festival. Europe in the 70s was a celebration of a life style, which we all knew was likely to come crashing down. To be sure, there were many problems in the world, and diplomacy was not all “the good life” but a never-ending task of having to deal with myriad calamities man inflicts on himself, most of which are still with us. Still, the memories are warm and I hold them close.