Arthur Ashe’s mother had suffered from cardiovascular disease before she died at the age of 27.
Arthur Ashe (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was a top-ranked tennis player in the 1960s and ’70s, despite experiencing the slings of segregation, which did not allow him to participate in the sport, growing up in Richmond, VA. Tennis was not a sport I much paid attention to until Ashe came on the scene.
He was the #2 ranked men’s player in 1976, and he was competitive at many levels of the sport, from making the Davis Cup team in 1963 to being the only black man to win the singles title at the US Open (1968), Australian Open (1970), or Wimbledon (1975) v. Jimmy Connors, against whom he had never won previously.
Ashe was committed to issues of social justice, health, and humanitarian issues. He fought against South African apartheid, and the US crackdown against Haitian refugees, and was arrested in protests regarding both these issues. In 1988, Ashe published a three-volume book titled A Hard Road to Glory: A History of the African-American Athlete, which was more important to him than his tennis titles.
Ashe’s mother had suffered from cardiovascular disease before she died at the age of 27. His father had suffered a first heart attack at the age of 55. Arthur suffered a heart attack in July 1979, while holding a tennis clinic in New York. “In view of his high level of fitness as an athlete, his condition drew attention to the hereditary aspect of heart disease.” He went through two rounds of heart surgery, in 1979, and after developing chest pains, in 1983.
“In September 1988, Ashe was hospitalized after experiencing paralysis in his right arm… [Eventually] Doctors discovered that Ashe was HIV positive. Ashe and his doctors believed he contracted the virus from blood transfusions he received during his second heart surgery. He and his wife decided to keep his illness private for the sake of their daughter, who was then two years old.
“In 1992, a friend of Ashe’s who worked for USA Today heard that he was ill and called Ashe to confirm the story. Ashe decided to preempt USA Today’s plans to publish the story about his illness and, on April 8, 1992, publicly announced he had contracted HIV. Ashe blamed USA Today for forcing him to go public with the news but also stated that he was relieved that he no longer had to lie about his illness…”
I own a copy of Daddy and Me: A Photo Story of Arthur Ashe and His Daughter Camera by his wife Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, a sweet book published after his death. It is a “photographic portrait of Ashe’s relationship with his six-year-old daughter during his illness, accompanied by the child’s reflections on living with and helping her father.”
“After Ashe went public…, he began to work to raise awareness about AIDS and advocated teaching sex education and safe sex. He also fielded questions about his own diagnosis… In a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on World AIDS Day, December 1, 1992, he addressed the growing need for AIDS awareness and increased research funding saying, ‘We want to be able to look back and say to all concerned that we did what we had to do when we had to do it, and with all the resources required.’
“Ashe founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS. Two months before his death, he founded the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health to help address issues of inadequate health care delivery and was named Sports Illustrated magazine’s Sportsman of the Year. He also spent much of the last years of his life writing his memoir Days of Grace, finishing the manuscript less than a week before his death.”
The main stadium for the US Open since 1997 is the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York City.
American University’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion offers a pronoun guide.
While many of the world’s languages do not, English has historically had gender specificity in certain of their pronouns, particularly in the third person singular (he, she). For many years, a gender-specific, almost always masculine, pronoun was used to express a gender-neutral meaning:
“A candidate should work to the best of his ability, and he must comport himself appropriately.”
A few solutions that been used to improve on this, include “he/she” (clunky), the word “one” (did not seem to catch on), or the third person plural word “they” (which I hate). Some attempts have been made, by proponents of gender-neutral language, to introduce invented gender-neutral pronouns.
In September 2015, “Harvard University made a buzz after allowing students to select gender-neutral options like ‘ze,’ ‘e,’ and ‘they’ on registration forms. In doing so, it joined a wave of other major colleges in acknowledging that gender identity, and the pronouns that go with it, is more fluid than how previous generations understood it.”
American University’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion offers a pronoun guide which states “the practice of asking individuals what pronouns they use for themselves should be done in an effort to respect the diversity of gender identities beyond man and woman.”
Ne: Ne laughed. I called nem. Nir eyes gleam. That is nirs. Ne likes nemself. Ve: Ve laughed. I called ver. Vis eyes gleam. That is vis. Ve likes verself. Spivak: Ey laughed. I called em. Eir eyes gleam. That is eirs. Ey likes emself. Ze (or zie) and hir: Ze laughed. I called hir. Hir eyes gleam. That is hirs. Ze likes hirself. Ze (or zie) and zir: Ze laughed. I called zir. Zir eyes gleam. That is zirs. Ze likes zirself. Xe: Xe laughed. I called xem. Xyr eyes gleam. That is xyrs. Xe likes xemself.
As noted, “‘Hir,’ although it’s supposed to be pronounced ‘here,’ is read as ‘her’ by many people unfamiliar with the term.” The author prefers ne (n as in neutral) or ve (popular in science fiction), to ze, for reasons of pronunciation in combination with other words, as well as being more gender-free.
I’m not opposed to the use of more gender-neutral language. But the linguistic conservative in me wishes that some sort of consensus would have developed in the past few years, such as when firefighter replaced fireman, and flight attendant encompassed stewardess and steward.
Of course, this all has been and will be, a continuing source of debate about whether the trend is cultural sensitivity, or political correctness run amok.
Aug 29 , 1966– The Beatles end their US tour with a concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.
I realize I did a similar thing last year around this time. And why not? But this time, I got a tad carried away. Of course, no one knows all that will happen in 2016, besides a leap day on February 29.
Super Bowl 50 (no Roman numerals) will be held on February 7, 2016, at Levi’s Stadium, in Santa Clara, California, broadcast in the US on CBS-TV. The 2016 Summer Olympics will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. August 5–21, followed by the Paralympics, September 7–18. And of course, the 45th President of the United States will be voted on November 8. These anniversaries will also be noted.
950th (1066) Oct 14 – Battle of Hastings – The Norman forces of William the Conqueror defeat the English army and kill King Harold II of England.
400th (1616) Mar – Work of Copernicus banned by the Congregation of the Index. Apr 23- William Shakespeare, English writer and actor, died.
350th (1666) Sept 2-4 – The Great Fire of London breaks out and burns for three days, destroying 10,000 buildings including St Paul’s Cathedral.
250th (1766) Dec 5 – James Christie holds the first sale at Christie’s auction house in London.
200th (1816) Apr 11 – In Philadelphia, the African Methodist Episcopal Church is established by Richard Allen and other African-American Methodists, the first such denomination completely independent of White churches. Apr 21 – Birthday of Charlotte Brontë.
175th (1841) Feb 4 – A first known reference to Groundhog Day in North America, in the diary of a James Morris. Feb 10 – Act of Union (British North America Act, 1840) proclaimed in Canada; the next day, the two colonies of The Canadas are merged into the United Province of Canada. Feb 18 – The first ongoing filibuster in the United States Senate begins and lasts until Mar 11. Mar 9 – the United States v. The Amistad: The Supreme Court of the United States rules in the case that the Africans who seized control of the ship had been taken into slavery illegally.
150th (1866) – lots of post-US Civil War events Jan 1 – Fisk University, a historically black university, is established in Nashville, TN. Mar 13 – The US Congress overwhelmingly passes the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the first federal legislation to protect the rights of African-Americans; U.S. President Andrew Johnson vetoes the bill on March 27, and Congress overrides the veto on April 9. July 28 – Birthday of Beatrix Potter. Sept 21 – Birthday of Herbert George (H. G.) Wells.
125th (1891) Jan 7 – Birthday of Zora Neale Hurston, Harlem Renaissance writer (d. 1960). Feb 13 – Birthday of Grant Wood, American painter (d. 1942). Mar 19 – Birthday of Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the United States (d. 1974). I met him once; I need to write about that. Apr 1 – The Wrigley Company is founded in Chicago. Apr 1 – The London–Paris telephone system is opened to the general public. May 5 – The Music Hall in New York (later known as Carnegie Hall) has its grand opening and first public performance, with Tchaikovsky as guest conductor. June 25 – Arthur Conan Doyle’s detective Sherlock Holmes appears in The Strand Magazine (London) for the first time, in the issue dated July. Date unknown – James Naismith invents basketball.
100th (1916) – I emphasized this year, but didn’t mention all of the many World War I references Jan 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion using blood that had been stored and cooled. Feb 26 – Birthday of Jackie Gleason, American comedian, actor, and musician (d. 1987). Feb 29 – Birthday of Dinah Shore, American singer (d. 1994). Mar 29 – Birthday of Eugene McCarthy, U.S. Senator from Minnesota and Presidential candidate (d. 2005). Mar -Einstein publishes his theory of relativity. Apr 5 – Birthday of Gregory Peck, American actor (d. 2003). Apr 20 – The Chicago Cubs play their first game at Weeghman Park (modern-day Wrigley Field), defeating the Cincinnati Reds 7–6 in 11 innings. June 15 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs a bill incorporating the Boy Scouts of America. July 1 – Birthday of Olivia de Havilland, British-born American actress. July 9 – Birthday of Edward Heath, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 2005). Aug 25 – U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signs legislation creating the National Park Service. Aug 31 – Birthday of Daniel Schorr, American journalist (d. 2010). Sept 15 – World War I: Tanks are used for the first time in battle, at the Battle of the Somme. Oct 14 – Birthday of C. Everett Koop, United States Surgeon General (d. 2013). Nov 4 – Birthday of Walter Cronkite, American television journalist (d. 2009). I read his autobiography. Nov 24 – Birthday of Forrest J. Ackerman, American writer (d. 2008). Dec 18 – Birthday of Betty Grable, American actress (d. 1973).
80th (1936) May 28 – Alan Turing submits On Computable Numbers for publication. Dec – King Edward VIII of England signed the instrument of abdication; George VI accedes to the throne
Joe DiMaggio
75th (1941) – of course, LOTS of World War II anniversaries, far too many to list here Mar 11 – Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the US, signs the Lend-Lease Act into law, providing for the U.S. to provide aid to the Allies. May 15 – Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak begins as the New York Yankees’ center fielder goes one for four against Chicago White Sox; ends July 17. July 1 – Commercial TV authorized by the FCC. NBC television begins commercial operation on WNBT on channel 1. The world’s first legal TV commercial occurs at 2:29 PM before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. The 10-second spot displays a picture of a clock superimposed on a map of the United States, accompanied by the voice-over “America runs on Bulova time.” As a one-off special, the first quiz show called “Uncle Bee” is telecast, followed later by Ralph Edwards hosting the second game show broadcast on U.S. TV, Truth or Consequences, as simulcast on radio and TV and sponsored by Ivory soap. Aug 15 – Corporal Josef Jakobs is executed by firing squad at the Tower of London at 7:12 am, making him the last person to be executed at the Tower for treason. This was the final question on JEOPARDY! in May 2015. Sept – Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox batted .406 for the season, the last Major League Baseball player to do so. Dec 7 – Attack on Pearl Harbor, and subsequent entry by the US into WWII.
70th (1946) Mar 5 – Winston Churchill uses the phrase “Iron Curtain” in his speech at Westminster College, Missouri.
50th (1966) – lots of Vietnam War events Jan – Indira Gandhi named Prime Minister of India. She wan’t the first female head of government in modern times; Sirimavo Bandaranaike of Ceylon was chosen PM of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, in 1960. Jan 13 – Robert C. Weaver becomes the first African American Cabinet member, by being appointed US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. June 1 – The final new episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show airs (the first episode aired on October 3, 1961). Aug 1 – Sniper Charles Whitman kills 14 people and wounds 32 from atop the University of Texas at Austin Main Building tower, after earlier killing his wife and mother. I wrote about this, briefly. Aug 29 – The Beatles end their US tour with a concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. It is their last-ever live performance, except for the short “rooftop concert” at the Apple Corps offices in January 1969.
35th (1981) Jan 20 – US embassy hostages, taken Nov 4, 1979, released from Iran, coincidentally, or not, the same day Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th US President.
25th (1991) Jan 16 – Gulf War: Operation Desert Storm begins with airstrikes against Iraq. Mar 15 – Four Los Angeles, California police officers are indicted for the videotaped March 3 beating of Rodney King during an arrest. May – The first Starbucks Coffee outlet is opened in California. Dec 23 – Bohemian Rhapsody returns to the top of the British singles charts after 16 years, with the re-release’s proceeds being donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust, a British charity that campaigns on various issues related to AIDS and HIV. Dec 25 – Dissolution of the Soviet Union: Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as president of the Soviet Union, from which most republics have already seceded, anticipating the dissolution of the 74-year-old state.
20th (1996) July 5 – Dolly the sheep becomes the first mammal cloned from an adult cell.
5th (2011) Apr 29 – Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, and Kate Middleton.
My favorite tale, however, featured late-night radio/TV personality and writer Jean Shepherd. Back in April of 1955, Shep, as he was known, became annoyed when a bookstore clerk told him that a book that he sought could not have existed because it wasn’t on any publisher’s list.
On his [radio] show, he railed about the Day People who believed in their silly lists. Bestseller lists, he said, got made by bored reporters who would call book dealers to find out what was selling. All it would take for a book to make the list would be for lots of inquiries for the same title at different dealers.
Then came his brilliant idea for the hoax.
“What do you say tomorrow morning each one of us walk into a bookstore, and ask for a book that we know does not exist?” …
The next morning, hundreds of Shep’s listeners invaded bookstores in New York asking if they had I, Libertine [by Frederick Ewing] in stock. When told “no” by mystified clerks, they would ask if they could have it ordered…
Sure enough, by early 1956, I, Libertine made the New York Times bestseller list.
The kicker is that, eventually, there was an I, Libertine book, written by Shep, Ted Sturgeon, and Betty Ballantine, the wife of book publisher Ian Ballantine. And it made the best-seller list AGAIN.
A Christmas Story is a 1983 American Christmas comedy film based on the short stories and semi-fictional anecdotes of author and raconteur Jean Shepherd, based on his book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, with some elements derived from Wanda Hickey’s Night of Golden Memories. It was directed by Bob Clark.
The film has since become a holiday classic and is shown numerous times on television during the Christmas season, usually on the networks owned by Turner Broadcasting… In 2012, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
Yes, the same hoaxer from the 1950s was the primary source of one of America’s most beloved movies of the 1980s, a story that generated so much interest that people now visit the house where it was filmed.
Pickleball is a sport easier to play than to explain.
All of my wife’s immediate family – her parents, her two brothers, their wives, the three daughters amongst them, and our nuclear threesome – spent several days together just before Labor Day at Smugglers’ Notch Resort near remote Jeffersonsville, VT about 40 miles northeast of Burlington. It’s a ski resort in the winter but has grown into a family-friendly summer resort.
Smugglers’ Notch namesake “comes from the smugglers of the early nineteenth century, who used the thick forest on the mountain range, and the caves and caverns along the Long Trail to transport illegal or embargoed goods across the Canadian border. The notch was most likely involved in bootlegging during the Prohibition-era of the 1920s, using the same caves as a cache for smuggled Canadian beer, wine, and spirits.”
We got there on a Sunday, the day before they switched to a modified fall schedule of events. The downside is that there was much confusion about the new rotation. For instance – and there were five or six examples like this – the Wife and I call up to book disc golf lessons at the appointed time, but no one there knows what we’re talking about.
The good news is the staff, to a person, was unfailingly polite and accommodating. An employee made a call and got us transportation to a location on the massive site, and a guy gave us – and only us, as it turned out – lessons.
Disc golf, BTW, is a flying disc game – think of series of differently-weighted Frisbees – the object which, similar to golf, “is to traverse a course from beginning to end in the fewest number of throws of the disc.” As it turns out, there are a few disc golf courses in our area, notably Central Park in Schenectady.
More crowded was the pickleball class, a sport easier to play than to explain. A standard pickleball court is the same size as a doubles badminton court, but we played in a modified tennis court. The net height is a yard, a little less than a meter. The paddle is smaller than a tennis racquet but larger than a ping-pong paddle, and more like the latter. The ball itself is like a wiffleball but smaller in diameter, and slightly heavier. It plays like a mixture of tennis and badminton.
The five days there also featured hikes, some reading, and, on two nights, visits to the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. It is a lovely setting. As someone almost said, a splendid time was had by all.
Arthur Ashe (July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993) was a top-ranked tennis player in the 1960s and ’70s, despite experiencing the slings of segregation, which did not allow him to participate in the sport, growing up in Richmond, VA. Tennis was not a sport I much paid attention to until Ashe came on the scene. 
