A Simple Story + Kitten Update

He was the head basketball coach for a university who happened to be visiting Germany. While on a US army base there, he saw a few guys playing a pick-up game. Being a coach ever mindful of looking for new talent to recruit for his team, he stopped to watch.

One very tall young man stood out, and it wasn't just his height. He was playing an excellent game indeed, and showed all the signs of being very good, if he got the right coaching.

As some of the young men left, the coach approached the player and in a conversational tone called out, "Hello, soldier! What's your name?"

The young man replied, "Oh, I'm not a soldier, sir; I'm only in 7th grade. My dad is stationed here."

"I want to meet your parents!" the coach said. He became a friend of the family, encouraging the young man to do well in school and develop his talent.

That is how Dale Brown, who coached Shaquille O'Neal in college basketball, met his future team star.

Happy Birthday, Shaq.

Kitten Update:

She is still hanging on somehow. She keeps going into the labored breathing that usually precedes death, then waking up an hour later to eat. I've seen a few miracles in this business, and while it's too soon to say, I may be witnessing another. I can only pray so.


Today is:

Dentist's Day (Yes, I know how most of us feel about dentists, but try getting along without them!)

Festival of Mars -- Ancient Roman Calendar (god of war)

Independence Day, Ghana

March Goblins' Galumphing Gala and Display -- Fairy Calendar

Narcissus Day

National Chocolate Cheesecake Day

National Frozen Food Day

US Snowshoe Day

Stoneware Pottery Appreciation Day

St. Thomas Aquinas' Day


Birthdays Today:

Shaquille O'Neal, 1972
D.L. Hughley, 1963
Tom Arnold, 1959
David Gilmour, 1946
Rob Reiner, 1945
Kiri Te Kanawa, 1944
Willie Stargell, 1941
Lorin Maazel, 1930
Alan Greenspan, 1926
Ed McMahon, 1923
Lou Costello, 1906
Ring Lardner, 1885
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, 1806
Cyrano de Bergerac, 1619
Michelangelo Bounarroti, 1475


Today in History:

Ferdinand Magellan arrives at Guam, 1521
The First Fleet arrives at Norfolk Island (an external territory of Australia) in order to found a convict settlement, 1788
After a thirteen day siege by an army of 3,000 Mexican troops, the 187 Texas volunteers defending the Alamo are defeated and the fort is captured, 1836
Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table to the Russian Chemical Society, 1869
Bayer registers "aspirin" as a trademark, 1899
The trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg begins, 1951
After 19 years of presenting the CBS Evening News, Walter Cronkite signs off for the last time, 1981