–The sports world lost a true legend on Nov. 13 with the passing of Hall of Famer Paul Hornung, who lost his battle with dementia at the age of 84. Hornung played his college football at Notre Dame as a quarterback and safety, and although the Fighting Irish won only two games during his senior year, Hornung still was awarded the Heisman Trophy. In 1957 he was the No. 1 draft choice of the NFL, and he went to the Green Bay Packers, where he became Coach Vince Lombardi’s “Golden Boy” during the legendary coach’s glory years. Hornung scored 176 points in 1960, a record that was unbroken for 46 years until the Chargers’ LaDanian Tomlinson accounted for 186 points in 2006, but he did that in a 16-game season whereas Hornung achieved his record during only 12 games. Hornung led the NFL in scoring in 1959, 1960, and 1961, when he won the NFL’S MVP award. During a game against the Baltimore Colts that year Hornung scored four touchdowns, kicked six extra points and one field goal. Those 33 points still stand as the second-most points scored by a single player in one game in NFL history. Although he sat out the 1963 season as penance for betting on NFL games, he was reinstated the following year.
–With each day that passes since President-elect Joe Biden soundly defeated Trump (Electoral College—306 to 232, popular vote—79,695,888 to 73,712,286, – a difference of 5,983,602 which increases every day), the soon-to-be former president just continues to add cement to his legacy as the rudest, most inconsiderate, most ungracious, most disagreeable, and classless man ever to inhabit the Oval Office. Hey, Trump, listen to this:
“We have seen that our nation is more deeply divided than we thought. But I still believe in America and I always will. And if you do, then we must accept this result and then look to the future. Donald Trump is going to be our president. We owe him an open mind and the chance to lead. Our constitutional democracy enshrines the peaceful transfer of power, and we don’t just respect that; we cherish it. It also enshrines other things: the rule of law, the principle that we are all equal in rights and dignity, freedom of worship and expression. We respect and cherish these values too and we must defend them.” Excerpt from Hillary Clinton’s gracious and classy concession speech.
Amen, Hillary. Amen!
–As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, perhaps there may be a slight glimmer at the end of the tunnel. Two drug companies, Pfizer and Moderna, both have developed vaccines showing great promise. Let’s hope they can begin production very soon.
–The virus has spoiled a lot of Thanksgiving plans as the experts continue urging people to stay home and avoid even small gatherings in the home. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, cautions people to avoid (if they can) restaurants, bars, public transportation, and airplanes. He also warns that even gatherings of as few as six or seven people can be potentially dangerous in spreading the virus. On a happier note, however, Dr. Fauci has proclaimed that Santa Claus is immune to the virus.
–If you want to see something completely bizarre, go to YouTube and type in “Rudy Giuliani sweating.” Here you will find the head of the Trump legal team at a press conference, and as he is speaking into a microphone, suddenly it appears as if blood is running down his face. Is it really blood? Is he morphing into a vampire? Is he trying out for a part in a new Stephen King movie? No. What happened is that Giuliani began perspiring, which triggered a meltdown of his hair dye, and in ran down both sides of his face. Can Trump fire him for such an embarrassing film clip?
–Last Wednesday one of the most famous cartoon characters in the world celebrated his birthday. It was on Nov. 18, 1928, in a short movie titled “Steamboat Willie” that Walt Disney introduced the world to Mickey Mouse, who has stood as the Disney mascot for 92 years. But you’d never know it to look to look at him!
–The New York City school system was shuttered last Thursday after being open for in-person instruction for a little less than eight weeks. As the largest school system in the nation it serves some 300,000 students, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said via Twitter that the positivity rating in the system had spiked above the danger zone of 3 percent. All students will be learning remotely for an indefinite period of time.
Ponder this: “How do you know when you’re out of invisible ink?” –Steven Wright
