Roger O Green

Basketball’s Bill Russell

Boston Celtics

In basketball, Bill Russell was the Greatest Of All Time. More than MJ or Magic or Kobe or Lebron. The center led the University of San Francisco to back-to-back national championships and captained the US team that won the Olympic gold medal at the 1956 Games.

He won 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons, eight straight between the 1958-59 and 1965-66 seasons with the Boston Celtics. Two of those titles were as player-coach; Russell was the first black coach in ANY major U.S. professional sport. A five-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star, he’s also the greatest sports figure in the Boston market, greater than Tom Brady in football and even the great Bobby Orr in hockey. He joined the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1975 and as a coach in 2021.

Bill Russell started playing when being a black player in eastern Massachusetts was difficult. In an interview for CBS in 2021, he acknowledged not enjoying playing in Boston. The Boston Herald newspaper, reporting a game in which he got a triple-double (25 points, 20 rebounds, 10 blocked shots), merely noted that he was fortunate to be playing with Bob Cousy.

Cousy, now 94, said: Russell “fought the good fight, obviously, on the floor, but he fought the good fight off the floor, fighting racism all his life. Sticking his tongue out at the opponent. That’s not easy to do. People give up things to take a stand, and Russell simply never cared… Russell just let it flow.”

Facing bigotry

From the Boston Globe: “In a 1987 essay, [his] daughter… wrote that her father had faced ‘the worst kind of unbridled bigotry’ from Boston fans and sportswriters, and detailed racist attacks the Russell family was subjected to while living in Massachusetts…

“In the essay titled ‘Growing Up with Privilege and Prejudice,’… Karen Russell described how her father sought to separate his feelings about playing basketball for the Celtics and playing for the city of Boston. She detailed the racist vandalism the Russell family’s Reading home faced once when they were out of town and listed the racist abuse Bill Russell endured from fans.”

The Monroe, Louisiana native who grew up in Oakland, CA, was at the 1963 March on Washington, spoke out about bigotry, and backed Muhammad Ali when he refused to fight in Vietnam.

He was frenemies with Wilt Chamberlain, the Philadelphia 76ers center. Russell was a lousy house guest. Wilt: “Bill would come to my house on Thanksgiving night because we had Philly vs. Boston the next night. He would sleep in my bed and take some food, and he would go out there and whip my butt.”

“Bill stood for something much bigger than sports: the values of equality, respect, and inclusion that stamped into the DNA of our league,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. I saw Bill Russell at the IBM Country Club in Endicott, NY, at an exhibition game between the Celtics and the 76ers in the mid-1960s. Even though he wasn’t the tallest player, his presence was gigantic. Bill Rusell was 88.

Friends and Foundation of the APL

Tuesday book talks

Most of my volunteer time involves the Friends and Foundation of the Albany Public Library. I’ve been on the Board since the merger of the Friends of the APL and the APL Foundation in 2020. Before that, I served on both the Foundation board and as an officer off and on for the Friends.

The purpose of the FFAPL is to provide “critical financial support to the Albany Public Library in order to help the Library provide education, literacy, career development, cultural enrichment, and lifelong learning.” The Friends and Foundation can do things that the library cannot. For instance, the library can inform the public about a library budget vote, but the FFAPL can advocate for a YES vote.

Books

Every Tuesday, there is a book review or author talk. I’m one of the people looking for speakers. If you are in the area and want to consider this, contact my email or IM me on Facebook (Roger Owen Green, the one with the duck). Here are talks for the rest of the month, Tuesdays at noon, 161 Washington Avenue in the auditorium.

August 9 |Book Review | Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire by Caroline Elkins. Reviewer: Karl K. Barbir, Ph.D., professor emeritus of history, Siena College.

August 16 |Book Review | How To Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi. Reviewer: Roger Green, MLS, former librarian & past president of the Friends of Albany Public Library.

August 23 | Book Review | The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville by Olivier Zunz. Reviewer: John McGuire, Ph.D., professor of history, Siena College.

August 30 | Book Review | Her Honor: My Life on the Bench . . . What Works, What’s Broken, and How to Change It by LaDoris Hazzard Cordell. Reviewer: Bonita Sanchez, MSW, retired academic & lifelong social worker.

ROGER GREEN? Yikes, I better read the book!

Gala

For the last decade, there has been a Literary Legends gala. This year’s honorees are Sylvie Kantorovitz and Edward Schwarzschild. Sylvie is the illustrator of many picture books. Ed has been a novelist, but his next book is “a non-fiction, interview-based documentary.”

The gala is the primary way the FFAPL makes money to provide to the Albany Public Library. You could be a sponsor, offer auction items, buy ads, and/or attend the event on Saturday, October 1, 2022, at the Delaware Branch of the APL, 331 DELAWARE AVENUE, from 7-9 pm.

Recruitment

Part of my specific task involves recruiting new people to the board. We can use help working on events such as book sales, the gala, talks, and even things no one is doing now. We could also use help with the prosaic but important tasks such as finance, organizational structure, and board recruitment.

Hey, if you live in the Albany area and want to know more about participating in this manner, please let me know.

What I’m good at

Fillmore, Coolidge, LBJ, Ford

One of my chief failings is that I’m aware, possibly overly so, of my failings. I was challenged to write a post about what I’m good at. Ick. It seems a tad boastful, but maybe as self-aware as my ability to identify my shortcomings.

I am observant. Often, I will watch people. From the choir loft at church, I spot people I don’t recognize and will make an attempt to say hello afterward.

Back in the day, when I would attend many parties, I would note the persons who didn’t seem to have anyone to talk with and try to be available for conversation without forcing the issue.

I give great directions. Yes, with GPS, you’d think no one would need to ask a passerby how to get somewhere, but it still happens. Occasionally, I overhear someone giving less than precise directions, and I sigh.

Oddly, and my wife brings this up frequently, I’m quite good at anticipating what cars and pedestrians will do in traffic. Last month, there was a truck driving in the left lane while my wife was driving in the right, a couple of car lengths back. I told her that the truck was turning right, and it did. There was something in the truck’s… body language (?)

I know the idiosyncrasies of walk lights in my neighborhood. For instance, for some, one has to push to get a WALK, while others do automatically.

I understand my daughter’s unspoken messaging about 70% of the time. This is not bad dealing with a teenager.

Math is everywhere

I remember numbers exceedingly well. Once, someone gave me a phone number to call, but I had nothing to write it on, and my phone was unavailable. I still knew the number when I got home.

I can identify the geography for most of the “old-fashioned” area codes, the ones with a zero or one in the middle. Likewise, I have a broad understanding of ZIP Codes. Working mail order at FantaCo in the 1980s honed these skills.

I can identify not only the Presidents but their years in office. This isn’t as difficult as it sounds because it was rare (1850, 1923, 1963, 1974) when a Presidency didn’t start in a year divisible by 4, plus 1.

Teachers were obsessed with dates in the olden days when they taught history. 1492, 1588, 1865, 1917, et al. I saw this clue on a recent JEOPARDY: “During this 1870-71 war, Napoleon III was captured & eventually deposed & Paris fell to a neighboring nation’s army.” I knew it was the Franco-Prussian War immediately from the years. (No one even rang in.)

Sometimes, I play license plate math, where I try to find the lowest common denominator of each half of the license plate, treat the Roman numerals by their values, and change more as necessary. (B is 13, e.g., because it looks like 13 smushed together.)

Music

I can remember pieces of music and even specific details. The Canadian version of the Penny Lane single is exactly three minutes.

I can find the bass line and, often, other harmony parts for most songs.

Any song I know reasonably well, I can do in chicken. You can blame this on Ray Stevens, whose version of In The Mood, as Henhouse Five Plus Two, changed my life.

Julyish rambling: in search of meaning

That’s Life

HTETEOTW Chapter 3: Energy, Complexity, and Civilization

Inflation: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Pope apologizes for ‘catastrophic’ school policy in Canada

As Monkeypox Spreads, US Vaccine Access Is Pitifully Inadequate

How Much Household Income Is Required To Be Considered ‘Rich’ In These US Cities

Journalists Sense Turmoil in Their Industry Amid Continued Passion for Their Work

Five journalists covering the Internet in search of meaning, not viral trends

When Mixology Meets Medicine

LIVE: Around the World Cams / Beautiful Earth Webcam

The story we tell ourselves about today’s Stars and Stripes is a lie. The truth is much stranger.

John Green: Has this artist ever seen a baby?

Now I Know: The Herd Mentality That’s Actually Rather Democratic, and Maybe Monday Should Still Be the Weekend and The World Record That Will Definitely Stick and Hungry Hungry Hero Dog?

Defending democracy

Trump doesn’t have a side of the 1-6 story; there is no ambiguity

The Jan. 6 Hearings Utterly Embarrassed Trump and All Involved. The final January 6 hearing of the summer spotlighted Trump and allies like Kevin McCarthy and fist-pumper to fleeing coward Josh Hawley. It should serve as a reminder of their humiliating but dangerous thirst for power.

Mark Leibovich’s new book, Thank You For Your Servitude, pillories a party whose leaders remain (at least publicly) in the 45th president’s thrall. e.g., Elise Stefanik Attacks NYS Department of Education

The Secret Service Has Managed to Locate Only One Coup-Related Text Message

If Trump Wins in 2024, Christian Nationalism – which MTG has suggested for the GOP – Could Reign Supreme in Government. Also,
Authoritarianism 101: Trump Plot to Purge Civil Servants If Reelected Draws Alarm – “Do not underestimate the destruction this will cause”

Roberts’s Attempt to Keep “Roe” Intact Fell Apart After Alito’s Draft Leaked

Matt Birk (R-MN) Warns Abortion Leads to Women Having Careers and Claims Pro-choice Advocates Are Always Playing “the Rape Card”

“Pro-Life” Idaho Republicans Declare Women Should Be Left to Die to Save Fetuses

Primala Jayapal Shares Her Own Abortion Story — and Why Abortion Rights Are Vital

Why did Republicans vote against legal condom use?

Screenshot_of_Tweet_January_6_Audio_Clip

That’s Entertainment

Comic-Con 2022 Trailers

Marvel’s Movie Math: Comic Creators Claim It’s “Bait and Switch” On Payments

Kennedy Center Honors Will Fete George Clooney, Gladys Knight, and U2

Whatever happened to Sandy Duncan?

Discover the late Peg Lynch, a woman who, in the early days of television, wrote 11,000 scripts and starred in her own TV network hit sitcom for six years

Emma Allen, the New Yorker cartoon editor, makes history as the youngest and first woman in the role

Permanent JEOPARDY hosts and second chance contestants

How I Became the Fake Tom Cruise

There was a CBS-TV series called That’s Life (2000-2002) about “Lydia DeLucca, a 30-something, a blue-collar underdog who turns her life upside down when she ditches the guy she’s about to marry and goes back to college. Now, Lydia must juggle her classes, work, family, and friends, all the while trying to make ends meet.” I watched it because of Ellen Burstyn and Paul Sorvino, who played Lydia’s parents. Sorvino died at the age of 83.

Burt Metcalfe, Producer on Every Season of ‘MAS*H,’ Dies at 87

Mary Alice, Actress in ‘A Different World, I’ll Fly Away, Sparkle, and much more, dies at 85

Alan Grant, Legendary Batman, Lobo, Judge Dredd Writer, Has Died

Actor David Warner has died

Aaron Latham, Screenwriter, Journalist Dies at 78. Husband of CBS News’s Lesley Stahl

Taurean Blacque, Det. Neal Washington on Hill Street Blues, Dies at 82

MUSIC

There’s a guy named Maxwell Frost (D-FL) running for Congress. Every time I see his name, I think of this song by Mann and Weil

Coverville 1407: Cover Stories for Imagine Dragons and Joan Osborne and a Fast Times Tribute and Coverville 1408: The Don Henley Cover Story

Jan A.P. Kaczmarek’s score to Finding Neverland

Audra McDonald sings Climb Ev’ry Mountain from the 2013 televised version of The Sound of Music

Playing for Change: King Clave featuring Mickey Hart

All That Jazz – Bob Fosse Tribute, with scenes from Chicago, Cabaret, and Sweet Charity

Celluloid Heroes – Blackmore’s Night

We Both Reached For The Gun from the show Chicago in Korean

The Music Man with a partially deaf cast

Joni Mitchell Surprises Fans With Her First Full Concert In Nearly 20 Years

Since you asked: Sunday Stealing

music

Since you asked: will I participate in Sunday Stealing this week? Why, yes, I will.

1) What one event from your lifetime would you change if you could, and why?

The outcome of the Presidential election of 2016. It led to the Big Lie and the January 6 riots. It’s also caused a lot of people to lose their bearings. An article in the New York Times asked What in the World Happened to Elise Stefanik? She is a member of Congress in the district adjacent to mine.

“There was a time in 2016 when Elise Stefanik, now the third-ranking Republican in the House, was so disgusted by Donald Trump that she would barely mention his name. Today he proudly refers to her as ‘one of my killers.'” [That’s a good thing, apparently.]

2) If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be, and how old would your younger self be when they got it? Do you think your younger self would listen?

To leave a particular job in 1998. Or certainly by 2005. And no.

3) Would you be any good on Survivor?

No, because I haven’t the energy for that level of manipulation and deception.

4) What’s a safety rule that’s very important to you?

Keeping aisles clear of items that might trip someone, and signage for wet floors, essentially anything that might create a hazard in which someone could trip and fall, slip and fall, et al.

We blew it

5) What would you like to say to people in the future?

Are there people in the future? Sorry, we screwed up your planet so much.

6) What’s your favorite dish to bring to a summer cookout?

Deviled eggs.

7) How much time have you spent outdoors this week?

As little as possible because it’s Too Darn Hot. Also, because of my vitiligo.

8) Where do you set your thermostat?

My wife controls the thermostat. It’s too warm in the summer and too cold in winter.

9) How did you learn to swim?

I don’t swim well. But when I was growing up, my grandma’s next-door neighbors had an above-ground pool, so I learned to hold my breath for over a minute and do perfunctory strokes.

10) How do you avoid overheating?

Take a shower and then sit in front of a fan. Or the air conditioner if it’s available.

11) What are you going to do this weekend?

Go to church. Talk with my sisters on ZOOM.

12) What’s your favorite way to spend time?

Listen to music. Always.

13) What’s the most useless thing you own that you would never get rid of?

Mementos of certain weddings I’ve attended.

14) Have you started planning your next vacation?

Yes and no. My wife has this vague notion of going to NYC to see some Broadway shows this fall. But NYC is COVID-red presently, so we are wary of planning anything.

15) Are you very active, or do you prefer to just relax in your free time, or is it one and the same for you?

I’m more active by necessity.