Stuff in the news and my thoughts on it
The longtime home of actor Burt Reynolds was on the market for almost ten years before selling recently. Originally listed at $15 million, the buyer paid $3.3 million and agreed that Mr. Reynolds can remain in the home as long as he remains current on the rent. He's filed for bankruptcy before and there have been rumors he might do so again. A lender attempted to foreclose on his home back in 2011 but Reynolds managed to remain afloat until this recent sale.
Reporter's Note: When you're the number 1 box office draw in the world for five years (a record that may live forever), you need to hire a great money manager to make sure you don't go broke later in life. Even if it means dialing the lifestyle back just a tad. How many pro athletes face financial ruin because they spent money like it would keep coming in forever. It doesn't unless you buy a business that generates more money than it spends.
* * *
Friday night (Sept 11), Suzy Favor Hamilton, a three time Olympian in middle-distance racing was interviewed on ABC's 20/20. That's not the interview above. This video shows the fall she took in the 3rd round of the women's 1500 meters at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. I didn't see the interview, but People magazine reports that in a sneak preview of the interview, she admitted the fall was faked.
She would go on to work as a call girl in Las Vegas under the name Kelly Lundy until she was "outed" by the Smoking Gun. Misdiagnosed with depression, she was actually bi-polar. Now she's on the right medications and getting the help she needs.
Reporter's Note: This is why proper diagnosis of mental illnesses is so critical. All too often family physicians don't refer patients to psychiatrists but instead just prescribe anti-depressants. I know depression, all too well. I'm not bi-polar. But I got lucky. I went to a psychiatrist and spent the money to ensure exactly what was wrong with me. I may never fully get over my depression, but knowing what it is and getting the right treatment is the only hope. There is and should be no shame in admitting to a mental illness. We don't hide physical ailments.
* * *
I don't have video of this one, but you can find it if you search for the last play of today's Florda vs Eastern Carolina football game. What makes today's play so interesting is this one.
Yes, that's two Florida Gators blocking each other on a play in a game from the 2013 season. Well today, one Gator tackled a teammate headed for the end zone rather than just taking a knee and ending the game with a victory. It's good viewing, so search it out.
Reporter's Note: Sometimes the gaffes on the highlight reels are far more entertaining than the great plays.
* * *
What makes that version of the opening credits of the TV series Law & Order unique is that it is from the first of its 20 seasons. That was 25 years ago and as the series celebrates a quarter-century (it only went off the air five years ago), it's interesting to look back.
Law & Order itself
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Julia Roberts
J.K. Simmons
Samuel L. Jackson
Vera Farmiga
Rooney Mara
Laura Linney
Patricia Clarkson
William H. Macy
Sam Waterston
Spinoffs of Law & Order
Jessica Chastain
Viola Davis
Bradley Cooper
Angela Lansbury
Brenda Blythen
Frank Langella
Judd Hirsch
Robin Williams
Marcia Gay Harden
All of those actors appeared on Law & Order as guests (except Simmons and Waterston who were regulars) and were nominated for an Oscar. A number of them went on to win Academy Awards. Other notable actors who appeared on the show include (but is not limited to) Ellen Pompeo, Jennifer Garner, Claire Danes, Ty Burrell, Kata Mara, Peter Facinelli, Edie Falco, Juliana Margulies, Emmy Rossum (a great episode and she was great in it at the tender age of 11), Leighton Meester, Camryn Manheim, Amanda Peet, Allison Janney, Peter Saarsgard, Chandra Wilson and Michael Pitt.
Reporter's Note: This show lasted 20 seasons and might have hung on for another if one of the key characters hadn't announced she was leaving after season 20. One of its spin-offs, Law & Order SVU will begin its 17th season this month. It might make it to 20. I hope so. With all of its changes in personnel, it is still very watchable.
* * *
In Washington, PA a barber is facing a fine of $750 for refusing to give a woman a haircut. John Interval is the owner of Barbiere, an upscale barber shop that offers a macho atmosphere, complimentary cocktails. Mr. Interval says he was not aware he was legally obligated to serve female customers. "I didn’t really consider it so much a discrimination thing as – it’s a barbershop… for guys." He went on to claim he didn't have the proper equipment for cutting women's hair and that he hopes to someday open a similar shop for women. He plans to serve champagne and mimosas for what he hopes will be an exclusively female clientele.
Reporter's note: This is not political correctness run amok, although it seems so at first glance. If a man wants his hair cut at a beauty salon, they have the same obligation. I like that he plans to respect the law, pay the fine and move forward.
* * *
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has released the details of his proposal for reshaping the federal income tax if he is elected. The centerpiece of his proposal that claims to be about fairness and equity is cutting the top tax rate from 39.6% to the 28% cap established by President Reagan's 1986 Tax Reform Act. The Tax Foundation estimates that this would benefit the top 1% of earners 10 times more than those in the bottom 10%.
Reporter's note: No surprise here. Every single Republican candidate for the party's nomination who has released a proposal for changing the income tax proposes changes that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us. The most serious problem in our nation at the moment is the growing inequality of income and wealth. None of their proposals do anything to address this problem.
* * *
NBA Hall of Fame member Moses Malone has died. News reports are that he passed away from a heart attack as he slept on a Sunday morning. Moses Malone was a legendary center in the NBA, three-time leave MVP, a league finals MVP, 12 time All-Star (12 consecutive seasons) and a member of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time team named back in 1996.
Reporter's note: I read through more than a dozen obituaries online about Moses Malone. Not a one made mention of his life after his NBA career ended, except for awards and honors he received after retiring for his performance during his playing days. Did he have no life after basketball? Also, the fact that he passed away less than three weeks after the death of Darryl Dawkins is very interesting. Both were high school phenoms who jumped directly to the NBA. Both men were centers with special physical gifts. But while Dawkins never lived up to his full potential, Malone was a real superstar. Just an interesting juxtaposition of lives.
Reporter's Note: When you're the number 1 box office draw in the world for five years (a record that may live forever), you need to hire a great money manager to make sure you don't go broke later in life. Even if it means dialing the lifestyle back just a tad. How many pro athletes face financial ruin because they spent money like it would keep coming in forever. It doesn't unless you buy a business that generates more money than it spends.
* * *
Friday night (Sept 11), Suzy Favor Hamilton, a three time Olympian in middle-distance racing was interviewed on ABC's 20/20. That's not the interview above. This video shows the fall she took in the 3rd round of the women's 1500 meters at the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney. I didn't see the interview, but People magazine reports that in a sneak preview of the interview, she admitted the fall was faked.
She would go on to work as a call girl in Las Vegas under the name Kelly Lundy until she was "outed" by the Smoking Gun. Misdiagnosed with depression, she was actually bi-polar. Now she's on the right medications and getting the help she needs.
Reporter's Note: This is why proper diagnosis of mental illnesses is so critical. All too often family physicians don't refer patients to psychiatrists but instead just prescribe anti-depressants. I know depression, all too well. I'm not bi-polar. But I got lucky. I went to a psychiatrist and spent the money to ensure exactly what was wrong with me. I may never fully get over my depression, but knowing what it is and getting the right treatment is the only hope. There is and should be no shame in admitting to a mental illness. We don't hide physical ailments.
* * *
I don't have video of this one, but you can find it if you search for the last play of today's Florda vs Eastern Carolina football game. What makes today's play so interesting is this one.
Yes, that's two Florida Gators blocking each other on a play in a game from the 2013 season. Well today, one Gator tackled a teammate headed for the end zone rather than just taking a knee and ending the game with a victory. It's good viewing, so search it out.
Reporter's Note: Sometimes the gaffes on the highlight reels are far more entertaining than the great plays.
* * *
What makes that version of the opening credits of the TV series Law & Order unique is that it is from the first of its 20 seasons. That was 25 years ago and as the series celebrates a quarter-century (it only went off the air five years ago), it's interesting to look back.
Law & Order itself
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Julia Roberts
J.K. Simmons
Samuel L. Jackson
Vera Farmiga
Rooney Mara
Laura Linney
Patricia Clarkson
William H. Macy
Sam Waterston
Spinoffs of Law & Order
Jessica Chastain
Viola Davis
Bradley Cooper
Angela Lansbury
Brenda Blythen
Frank Langella
Judd Hirsch
Robin Williams
Marcia Gay Harden
All of those actors appeared on Law & Order as guests (except Simmons and Waterston who were regulars) and were nominated for an Oscar. A number of them went on to win Academy Awards. Other notable actors who appeared on the show include (but is not limited to) Ellen Pompeo, Jennifer Garner, Claire Danes, Ty Burrell, Kata Mara, Peter Facinelli, Edie Falco, Juliana Margulies, Emmy Rossum (a great episode and she was great in it at the tender age of 11), Leighton Meester, Camryn Manheim, Amanda Peet, Allison Janney, Peter Saarsgard, Chandra Wilson and Michael Pitt.
Reporter's Note: This show lasted 20 seasons and might have hung on for another if one of the key characters hadn't announced she was leaving after season 20. One of its spin-offs, Law & Order SVU will begin its 17th season this month. It might make it to 20. I hope so. With all of its changes in personnel, it is still very watchable.
* * *
In Washington, PA a barber is facing a fine of $750 for refusing to give a woman a haircut. John Interval is the owner of Barbiere, an upscale barber shop that offers a macho atmosphere, complimentary cocktails. Mr. Interval says he was not aware he was legally obligated to serve female customers. "I didn’t really consider it so much a discrimination thing as – it’s a barbershop… for guys." He went on to claim he didn't have the proper equipment for cutting women's hair and that he hopes to someday open a similar shop for women. He plans to serve champagne and mimosas for what he hopes will be an exclusively female clientele.
Reporter's note: This is not political correctness run amok, although it seems so at first glance. If a man wants his hair cut at a beauty salon, they have the same obligation. I like that he plans to respect the law, pay the fine and move forward.
* * *
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has released the details of his proposal for reshaping the federal income tax if he is elected. The centerpiece of his proposal that claims to be about fairness and equity is cutting the top tax rate from 39.6% to the 28% cap established by President Reagan's 1986 Tax Reform Act. The Tax Foundation estimates that this would benefit the top 1% of earners 10 times more than those in the bottom 10%.
Reporter's note: No surprise here. Every single Republican candidate for the party's nomination who has released a proposal for changing the income tax proposes changes that benefit the wealthy at the expense of the rest of us. The most serious problem in our nation at the moment is the growing inequality of income and wealth. None of their proposals do anything to address this problem.
* * *
NBA Hall of Fame member Moses Malone has died. News reports are that he passed away from a heart attack as he slept on a Sunday morning. Moses Malone was a legendary center in the NBA, three-time leave MVP, a league finals MVP, 12 time All-Star (12 consecutive seasons) and a member of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time team named back in 1996.
Reporter's note: I read through more than a dozen obituaries online about Moses Malone. Not a one made mention of his life after his NBA career ended, except for awards and honors he received after retiring for his performance during his playing days. Did he have no life after basketball? Also, the fact that he passed away less than three weeks after the death of Darryl Dawkins is very interesting. Both were high school phenoms who jumped directly to the NBA. Both men were centers with special physical gifts. But while Dawkins never lived up to his full potential, Malone was a real superstar. Just an interesting juxtaposition of lives.
posted by me at 2:58 PM
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