President Nixon announces the invasion of Cambodia

In case you were wanting to watch this

Abandoned Books and/or Movies #7

The Fourteenth of July and the Storming of the Bastille by Christopher Prendergast

The Exploits and Adventures of Brigadier Gerard by Arthur Conan Doyle

Oddly, both books are about France during the revolution and Napoleonic era. More oddly, I was enjoying both books but decided to stop reading them anyway.

What I have been watching lately #4 -- is Eddie LeBaron the smartest person who ever lived or merely the smartest professional athlete who ever lived?

This summer I have been watching re-runs of the 1970s television sports quiz show Sports Challenge on ESPN Classic. Sports Challenge was a game show hosted by Dick Enberg (pictured above) that featured current and former players from various professional sports teams competing against each other in a test of sports knowledge. For example, yesterday's episode featured stars of the Cleveland Indians versus stars of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys were represented by two former quarterbacks -- Eddie LeBaron and Don Meredith -- and one wide receiver -- Frank Clarke. (See photo above - LeBaron is on the left) It is clear from watching the show that Eddie LeBaron is either the smartest person who ever lived or else the smartest professional athlete who ever lived. He knew almost all the answers and often answered before even hearing the entire question. His teammates, especially Don Meredith, seemed constantly amazed by his abilities.

Below: The Cowboys team has a chance to talk to special mystery guest Billy Jean King.

Eddie LeBaron played for both the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys during his career. In addition to being a football player, he also served in the military in the Korean War (see photo below) and became an attorney after retiring from the NFL. Frank Clarke also led an interesting life after football, becoming part of several alternative spiritual movements before settling down for a long career in the childcare field. Don Meredith, of course, is known by most Americans as one of the most beloved hosts of ABC's Monday Night Football.

What I have been reading lately #18

I have been reading Max Brooks' World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War.  Certain people had been badgering me for months and years to read this book, and then I finally did.  It was hard to concentrate on the rest of my life (work, family, etc.) while reading this.  Now that I am done, I will begin zombie-proofing my house.  I wonder how long we could survive up in the crawl space?

What I have been reading lately #14

I have been reading Crisis, 1918: The leading actors, strategies, and events in the German gamble for total victory on the Western Front by Joseph Gies. In case you didn't hear, the Germans ended up losing that war, but it was close.

Separated at Birth #1

A young Ricky Kaka

The young Che Guevara

What I have been reading lately #13

Lemay by Barrett Tillman is part of the Great Generals Series.  I am about half-way through, which takes us to 1949 and the Berlin Airlift.  So far LeMay has helped perfect daylight bombing of Nazi-occupied Europe and night-time incendiary raids against Japan.  Still to come - LeMay's advocacy of nuclear weapons use against north Vietnam and his vice-presidential bid as George Wallace's running mate in 1968.

What I have been reading lately #11

This week I have been reading Stacy Sullivan's Be Not Afraid For You Have Sons in America: How a Brooklyn Roofer Helped Lure the U.S. into the Kosovo War. This book focuses on Albanian-American supporters of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and the efforts they took to help supply, arm, and train the KLA. I am not sure, but the KLA may be the first guerrilla army outfitted from U.S. gun shows, army surplus stores, and Radio Shack.

Silvio Berlusconi; stopped the war in Georgia?

AC Milan's Georgian defender, Kahka Kaladze, has publically thanked his team's owner/Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Kaladze was thankful because of Berlusconi's efforts to end the recent fighting in Georgia. Kaladze says that Berlusconi, a good friend of Vladimir Putin, called the Russian leader on the phone and personally negotiated for hours to help end the hostilities. I'd like to imagine that Berlusconi took this extra-ordinary step so that his player wouldn't worry, but I doubt it...

To read the full article... go here.

French Open - Women's Final

The French Open champion was Ana Ivanovic, who is Serbian. She defeated Dinara Safina, who is from Russia. The announcers made much of Ivanovic's abnormally flexible shoulders and the fact that she had to practice tennis in an empty swimming pool while growing up in "war-torn Belgrade." At the trophy presentation following the match, Ivanovic kept talking about how she rode her bicycle to tennis practice (presumably in the empty swimming pool...) Safina referred to Ivanovic's family and coaches as "annoying", but it appeared that she was trying to be funny. She also insisted that God likes the number three.

Tomorrow will be the inevitable Federer - Nadal showdown.