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Thomas Sowell Article- vote- From Sonny Hoskins

----- Original Message -----
From: Pat Cropper





This was written by syndicated columnist, Thomas Sowell, a black man and a professor at Stanford. He wrote it in a humorous way this past week in a column titled "Random Thoughts" and published it in newspapers nationally, so maybe you've already seen it. If not, be my guest:









Senator John McCain could never convince me to vote for him. Only Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can cause me to vote for McCain.



After long and serious thought, I have decided to endorse Senator John McCain for President.



I have always voted for the person and have not voted for anyone because some political party was telling me who I should vote for.



We all know the choices by now and, that said, I do believe that the process of selecting a chief executive is deeply flawed. The words "money" and "special interests" come to mind, among many others.



Here's the way I see it:



Barack Obama, you are a fine public speaker. You are also an extremely liberal Senator from the State of Illinois , which has a long and rich history of political corruption of the first magnitude. You are indeed a child of that system.



You have finally insulted my intelligence far beyond my capacity to tolerate your insults. It has nothing at all to do with your skin color. As a matter of fact, it would be so COOL to finally have an African-American for President. What a great statement that would be to the entire world that we are indeed the greatest country on earth!



But, unfortunately, General Colin Powell is not running, and YOU are NOT the man for this job !



Barack baby, you want me to believe that you have never heard the sermons of your own pastor, the Right Reverend "God Damn America" Jeremiah Wright. It is a matter of record that this has been your church for over 20 years. It is a matter of record that you were married there by this very pastor, and that your children were baptized there.

The good Reverend saw fit to visit Khadafy in Libya with you and to give a lifetime achievement award to Louis Farrakhan, of all people..



We have all now seen excerpts of his sermons all over the airwaves by now. And you have publicly stated that this man IS your "spiritual mentor."



BUT, your pastor is NOT the reason I am NOT voting for you His words were disturbing enough, but it is your own HUGE church congregation, seen jumping, hooting and howling to his words in the background that disturb me the most. And please don't tell me you attended church there and never once heard a "discouraging word" in the 20 years you attended there. Don't tell me, that in addition to the good reverend, that you are now not having anyth ing to do with all those other people seen hooting and howling out in the audience in the background of his fiery tirades. Even Oprah Winfrey got disgusted and walked out on your campaign. I am no Oprah fan, but still she did the right thing.



Now you look me in the eye and ask me to believe that you never heard such language in all the years you attended there! This is like me telling you that I attended dozens of Klan rallies and never once heard the "N" word. Yep. And Bill Clinton "did not inhale".



Yes, Mr. Obama, we all have friends who have said stupid things that embarrassed us, but NOW you have asked me to believe something that is so incredibly stupid that you are telling me that I am just stupid e nough to believe you. THAT is the main reason that I will never vote for you.





I am deeply sorry, that in a country teeming with enormously talented African Americans who would make a good President, that the political system has chosen YOU. You are a pathetic and plastic excuse for an American, who will not even salute the Flag during the Pled ge of Allegiance. God forbid you ever get near the Oval Office.





Which leaves us with Senator John McCain.



John, you are a flawed man. You are a bit old, a bit looney, and you have a notoriously bad temper. This perfectly qualifies you, in my humble opinion, to lead us for the next eight years.. I WANT your trembling hand on the nuclear button.



Think about it.



We have Kim Jong IL, Chavez and Ahmadenijad all running around like lunatics, threatening America and threatening to plunge the world into nuclear Armageddon. We have Putin and the Chinese blustering and rattling their sabers at us. I want John McCain in the Oval Office and I want him to be r eally ticked off at all these other nut jobs around the planet.



John, once you are elected, I want you to go into the Oval Office and throw one of your perfect FITS. Jump up and down and throw something through a plate glass window. Rip the drapes down and foam at the mouth a bit. And I want the whole thing on camera so that Ahmadinejad can see it. I want ALL of these "world leaders" to lay awake at night and to break out in a cold sweat every time they think of messing with the United States of America .



I want the nuclear button sitting right next to the alarm clock on your night stand. I want pictures of this to be sent to Iran , Russia , China , Venezuela , Cuba , Libya , Syria , Pakistan , and those other dopes in the sheets, the Saudis.





On the domestic front, poor John did try and reach across the aisle to the oppositio n in a desperate effort to compromise and to get the Congress to do something. You may not agree with his efforts, but at least he TRIED . For all his efforts, all he got handed to him was his head in a basket. The liberals are ticked at him and the conservatives are ticked at him. Just my kinda guy.



Finally. John McCain knows on a most personal level what it is to suffer horrible torture for years and to see others die, right in front of you, for their love of America . When you ask him about it, he will tell you that what he did was "nothing special. " Even more incredibly, he states that ANY American who truly loves his country would do exactly the same as he did in that situation.. You and I will have a hard time believing that, but the real point is that John McCain believes that about the "average American," and that, dear friends and neighbors, is why I will cast my one poor ballot for on election day for John McCain -- warts and all."

Letter to Portysmouth Daily Times- OHIO

Thanks Ted & Ann Truitt!



LETTER TO THE EDITOR - Portsmouth Daily Times


A W E S O M E C E M E T E R Y R I T E S

My friend, Joe, was buried last week. We prayed for the repose of his immortal soul at the Holy Redeemer funeral and again at the cemetery.
The American Legion joined in honoring Joe with their awesome respect for the American Flag and for his military service to his country while alive. This ceremony brought anew to me how we have allowed our fervor for the American flag to be pushed into the background, and to be “trumped” by other issues in our complex political battleground.
My Catholic priest friend always cautioned me, and justified his vote, by saying “there are many important issues to be considered” in the voting process. This flag issue is just one, and how we use our trump card in the voting process is all-important.
So many thoughts need to be prioritized. What are the REAL issues? Christian values/abortion/Iraq war/energy and the economy/candidate character, background, experience/ education and schools, and others are what we should be concentrating on. Or are we to be led by Party line voting, black/white racial only considerations, and/or power politics?
A thought for all to consider might be this: Sit quietly and ask your God for guidance and help. The Almighty you pray to might be the difference, and He might help you sort the issues. And, thanks to you, Joe, for helping me, and may God Bless You in Heaven now.

Gary Fisher
3018 Willow Way
Portsmouth, Oh 45662 740-353-7736 10-23-08

Obama calls Joe, the Plumber.

Barack Obama discovers a leak under his sink and calls Joe the Plumber to
come and fix it.

Joe drives to Obama's house, which is in a very nice neighborhood where it's
clear that all the residents make more than $250,000 per year. Joe arrives
and takes his tools into the house. He's shown the room that contains the
leaky pipe under the sink. Joe figures it's an easy job that will take less
than ten minutes. Obama is standing near the door and asks Joe how much it will
cost.
Joe immediately says, "$9,500."


"$9,500?" Obama replies stunned. "But you said it's an easy job!"

"Yeah, but what I do is charge a lot more to my clients who make more than
$250,000 per year so I can fix the plumbing of everybody who makes less than
that for free," responds Joe. Obama tells Joe there's no way he's paying that
much, so Joe leaves.



A week later the leak gets so bad that the Obamas have had to put a bucket
under the sink, and it fills up every two hours, so they call Joe back. Joe
goes back to the Obamas, looks at the leaky pipe, and says "It'll cost you
about $21,000."
Obama immediately says "A few days ago you told me it would cost $9,500!"


Joe explains, "Well, a lot of rich people are learning how to fix their own
plumbing, so there are fewer of you paying for all the free plumbing we're
doing for the people who make less than $250,000 - and I refuse to charge the
lesser income people for plumbing work."

Obama tries to straighten out Joe. "But don't you get it? If all the rich
people learn how to do their own plumbing and you won't charge the poor people,
what will you do for money?" Joe immediately replies, "Run for president,
apparently."

What our American Intentions

So well taken, Ron. The American empire is, by no means, like the once ubiquitous British Empire. Some individuals who visit foreign countries may have occasionally been obnoxious (Ugly Americans), but most of those visited have found our country to be helpful in times of trouble. I can't remember any or many other countries coming this way with help, can you?

Thanks!

Sam


----- Original Message -----
From: R A Sarbach


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Subject: You could have heard a pin drop!






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You could have heard a pin drop

When in England, at a fairly large

conference, Colin Powell was asked by

the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans

for Iraq were just an example

of 'empire building' by George Bush.

He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the

United States has sent many

of its fine young men and women into great

peril to fight for freedom beyond

our borders. The only amount of land we

have ever asked for in return

is enough to bury those that did not

return.'

You could have heard a pin drop.

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

There was a conference in France where a

number of international engineers

were taking part, including French and

American. During a break, one of the

French engineers came back into the room

saying 'Have you heard the latest

dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an

aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help

the tsunami victims. What does he intended

to do, bomb them?'

A Boeing engineer stood up and replied

quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals

on board that can treat several hundred

people; they are nuclear powered and

can supply emergency electrical power to

shore facilities; they have three cafeterias

with the capacity to feed 3,000 people

three meals a day, they can produce several

thousand gallons of fresh water from sea

water each day, and they carry half a

dozen helicopters for use in transporting

victims and injured to and from their flight

deck. We have eleven such ships; how many

does France have?'

You could have heard a pin drop.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval

conference that included Admirals

from the U.S., English, Canadian,

Australian and French Navies. At a cocktail

reception, he found himself standing with

a large group of Officers that included

personnel from most of those countries.

Everyone was chatting away in English

as they sipped their drinks but a French

admiral suddenly complained that,

whereas Europeans learn many languages,

Americans learn only English.' He then

asked, 'Why is it that we always have to

speak English in these conferences rather

than speaking French?' Without

hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe

it's because the Brits, Canadians, Aussies

and Americans arranged it so you

wouldn't have to speak German.'



You could have heard a pin drop.

```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````



AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE

ABOVE...



Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83,

arrived in Paris by plane. At French

Customs, he took a few minutes to locate

his passport in his carry on. 'You have

been to France before, monsieur?' the

customs officer asked sarcastically.

Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to

France previously. Then you should

know enough to have your passport ready.'

The American said, ''The last time I was

here, I didn't have to show it. 'Impossible.

Americans always have to show your

passports on arrival in France!' The American

senior gave the Frenchman a long hard

look. Then he quietly explained, ''Well,

when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day

in 1944 to help liberate this country,

I couldn't find a single Frenchmen to show

a passport to.'



You could have heard a pin drop.



If you are proud, pass this on!

Old man with car trouble- Ramey Sonny Hoskins

Thanks Sonny! I put this under my Christians category. If they aren't they surely act like it! It is best for Christians to act like they are.

Sam


This is a great story.The Old Man: As I came out of the supermarket that sunny day, pushing my cart of groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door open.

The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car and continued to watch the old gentleman from about twenty five feet away.

I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm, walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too and took a few steps towards him. I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something. The young man put his grocery bag into what looked like a brand new Cadillac Escalade and then turn back to the old man and I heard him yell at the old gentleman saying, 'You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age.' And then with a wave of his hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out of the parking lot.

I saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief and mop his brow as he went back to his car and again looked at the engine. He then went to his wife and spoke with her and appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough and I approached the old man. He saw me coming and stood straight and as I got near him I said, 'Looks like you're having a problem.'

He smiled sheepishly and quietly nodded his head. I looked under the hood myself and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond me. Looking around I saw a gas station up the road and told the old man that I would be right back. I drove to the station and went inside and saw three attendants working on cars. I approached one of them and related the problem the old man had with his car and offered to pay them if they could follow me back down and help him.

The old man had pushed the heavy car under the shade of a tree and appeared to be comforting his wife. When he saw us he straightened up and thanked me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem (overheated engine) I spoke with the old gentleman.

When I shook hands ! with him earlier he had noticed my Marine Corps ring and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question, 'What outfit did you serve with?'

He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal. He had hit all the big ones and retired from the Corps after the war was over. As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics lower the hood. They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped by me and I told him I would just put the bill on my AAA card.

He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I assumed had his name and address on it and I stuck it in my pocket. We all shook hands all round again and I said my goodbye's to his wife.

I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the station. Once at the station I told them that they had interrupted their own jobs to come along with me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay for the help, but they refused to charge me. One of them pulled out a card from his pocket looking exactly like the card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they were Marine Corps! Reserve s. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the old man had given to me. I said I would and drove off.

For some reason I had gone about two blocks when I pulled over and took the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long time. The name of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his name........ 'Congressional Medal of Honor Society.'

I sat there motionless looking at the card and reading it over and over. I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that on this day, four Marines had all come together, because one of us needed help. He was an old man all right, but it felt good to have stood next to greatness and courage and an honor to have been in his presence.



' Remember, old men like him gave you FREEDOM for America '

America is not at war.The U.S. Military is at war.America is at the Mall.

If you don't stand behind our troops,PLEASE feel free to stand in front of them! Vote smart or don't bother.If you're just watching the news to get your knowledge, you're not informed enough to vote.

This email was cleaned by emailStripper, available for free from http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm

Mr. o- I didn't vote for you From Tom & Carolyn Lynch

Aren't the ordinary Americans quite extraordinary, Tom & Carolyn? Thanks! Now to post it into my blog.

Sam

----- Original Message -----
From: Tom and Carolyn Lynch
To: Bill Pressler ; Kegley ; Patty LAMBERT ; Rose Lynch ; tatru@roadrunner.com
Sent: 2008-10-28 23:55
Subject: FW: Read This ("I didn't Vote for Obama")


This was sent to us, some of you are not going to like it, so read it or delete it.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: daisylace@msn.com
To: tolyn@live.com
Subject: FW: Read This ("I didn't Vote for Obama")
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:14:41 +0000

Send this one to Sam. Judy




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Note: forwarded message attached. "


--Forwarded Message Attachment--
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2008 14:15:51 -0700
From: bahnerdr@yahoo.com
Subject: Fw: Read This ("I didn't Vote for Obama")
To: robiandi@sbcglobal.net; adavis@zoomnet.net; billthacker@yahoo.com; bpfroggy9@msn.com; crabtreeangie@hotmail.com; halling@mchsi.com; dotdotdot1250@hotmail.com; doug@redladyrealty.com; garyeandrews@yahoo.com; jimkeg@yahoo.com; JUDY.NEWMAN@governor.ohio.gov; karen.kemp@sbcglobal.net; linda@travelersedge.org; Marjoriegbassett@aol.com; srhea5@yahoo.com



--- On Sat, 10/25/08, Kevin W.W. Johnson wrote:


From: Kevin W.W. Johnson
Subject: Read This ("I didn't Vote for Obama")
To: Undisclosed-Recipient@yahoo.com
Date: Saturday, October 25, 2008, 3:56 PM












I'm a middle-class white guy living in Jacksonville, Florida. I've
got a wife and two kids. Because the kids had no school today, I
took a vacation day from work, and took the kids downtown to vote
early. Fifty-nine minutes later, two smiling children and I
proudly sported "I Voted" stickers.
But I didn't vote for Obama.
kentuckyscott' s diary :: ::

I voted for my ancestors, who believed in the promise of this
country and came with with nothing as immigrants.
I voted for my parents, who taught in the public schools for
decades.

I voted for Steve, an acquaintance of mine from Kentucky. (Killed
by an IED two years ago in Iraq).
I voted for Shawn, another who's been to Iraq twice, and
Afghanistan once, and who'll be going back to Afghanistan again
soon -- and whose family earned eleven bucks a month too much to
qualify for food stamps when the war started.
I voted for April, the only African-American girl in my high school
-- it was years before it occurred to me how different her
experience of our school must have been.
I voted for my college friends who are Christian, Jewish, Mormon,
and yes -- Muslim.
I voted for my grandfathers, who worked hard in factories and died
too
young.
I voted for the plumber who worked on my house, because I want him
to get a REAL tax break.
I voted for four little angels from Birmingham.
I voted for a bunch of dead white men who, although personally
flawed, were willing to pledge their lives, fortunes, and sacred
honor, and used a time of great crisis to expand freedom rather
than suspend it.
I voted for all those people and more, and I voted for all of you,
too. But mostly, I voted selfishly. I vote for two little kids,
one who has ballet in an hour, and once who has baseball practice
at the same time. I voted for a world where they can be confident
that their government will represent the
best that is in this
country, and that will in turn demand the best of them. I voted
for a government that will be respected in the world. I voted for
an economy that will reward work above guile. I voted for
everything I believe in.
Sure, I filled in the circle next to the name Obama, but it wasn't
him I was voting for -- it was every single one of us, and those I
love most of all.



> "THE TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT" - Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.

Ltr to O- Cory the Well Driller from Sarah Rapp

Entrepreneurship at its very core. I doubt that O will read or understand. Thanks Sarah Rapp!

Sam

----- Original Message -----
From: Sarah Rapp
To: Sam Kegley ; b henry whitehouse ; ben binns ; frank holland ; Jack Hughes ; denny goddard ; jim cook
Sent: 2008-10-29 00:03
Subject: Fw: Letter to Obama by a well driller






----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Anne Dawson
To: Thelma Jenkins ; Carol Robinson
Cc: Jim Dawson ; Sarah Rapp ; Tom DuPuy ; Jackie Sommers
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 11:11:03 PM
Subject: Fw: Letter to Obama by a well driller




This is very long, but if you can even just scan over it you will see a heartfelt case made against socialism and Mr. Obama. M




This is the real reason why you don't want to vote for Obama. He just doesn't understand.

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Given the furor about "Joe the plumber" I've written an open letter to Mr. Obama myself. I think it is worth the read. Maybe if Americans could take a closer look at what a small businessman is, they wouldn't want politicians penalizing their success. Feel free to forward it if you want to?¦ Cory


Mr. Obama, Given the uproar about the simple question asked you by Joe the plumber, and the persecution that has been heaped on him because he dared to question you, I find myself motivated to say a few things to you myself. While Joe aspires to start a business someday, I already have started not one, but 4 businesses. But first, let me introduce myself. You can call me "Cory the well driller". I am a 54 year old high school graduate. I didn't go to college like you, I was too ready to go "conquer the world" when I finished high school. 25 years ago at age 29, I started my own water well drilling business at a time when the economy here in East Texas was in a tailspin from the crash of the early 80's oil boom. I didn't get any help from the government, nor did I look for any. I borrowed what I could from my sister, my uncle, and even the pawn shop and managed to scrape together a homemade drill rig and a few tools to do my first job. My businesses did not start as a result of privilege. They are the result of my personal drive, personal ambition, self discipline, self reliance, and a determination to treat my customers fairly. From the very start my business provided one other (than myself) East Texan a full time job. I couldn't afford a backhoe the first few years (something every well drilling business had), so I and my helper had to dig the mud pits that are necessary for each and every job with hand shovels. I had to use my 10 year old, 1/2 ton pickup truck for my water tank truck (normally a job for at least a 2 ton truck). A year and a half after I started the business, I scraped together a
20% down payment to get a modest bank loan and bought a (28 year) old, worn out, slightly bigger drilling rig to allow me to drill the deeper water wells in my area. I spent the next few years drilling wells with the rig while simultaneously rebuilding it between jobs. Through these years I never knew from one month to the next if I would have any work or be able to pay the bills. I got behind on my income taxes one year, and spent the next two years paying that back (with penalty and interest) while keeping up with ongoing taxes. I got behind on my water well supply bill 2 different years (way behind the second time... $80,000.00), and spent over a year paying it back (each time) while continuing to pay for ongoing supplies C.O.D.. Of course, the personal stress endured through these experiences and years is hard to measure. I do have a stent in my heart now to memorialize it all. I spent the next 10 years developing the reputation for being the most competent and most honest water well driller in East Texas . 2 years along the way, I hired another full time employee for the drilling business so that we could provide full time water well pump service as well as the well drilling. Also, 3 years along the path, I bought a water well screen service machine from a friend, starting business # 2. 5 years later I made a business loan for $100,000.00 to build a new, higher production, computer controlled screen service machine. I had designed the machine myself, and it didn't work out for 3 years so I had to make the loan payments without the benefit of any added income from the new machine. No government program was there to help me with the payments, or to help me sleep at night as I lay awake wondering how I would solve my machine problems or pay my bills. Finally, after 3 years, I got the screen machine working properly, and that provided another full time job for an East Texan in the screen service business.
2 years after that, I made another business loan, this time for $250,000.00, to buy another used drilling rig and all the support equipment needed to run another, larger, drill rig. This provided another 2 full time jobs for East Texans. Again, I spent a couple of years not knowing if I had made a smart move, or a move that would bankrupt me. For the third time in 13 years, I had placed everything I owned on the line, risking everything, in order to build a business. A couple of years into this, I came up with a bright idea for a new kind of mud pump, a fundamentally necessary pump used on water well drill rigs. I spent my entire life savings to date (just $30,000.00), building a prototype of the pump and took it to the national water well convention to show it off. Customers immediately started coming out of the woodworks to buy the pumps, but there was a problem. I had depleted my assets making the prototype, and nobody would make me a business loan to start production of the new pumps. With several deposits for pump orders in hand, and nowhere to go, I finally started applying for as many credit card as I could find and took cash withdrawals on these cards to the tune of over $150,000.00 (including modest loans from my dear sister and brother), to get this 3rd business going. Yes, once again, I had everything hanging over the line in an effort to start another business. I had never manufactured anything, and I had to design and bring into production a complex hydraulic machine from an untested prototype to a reliable production model (in six months). How many nights I lay awake wondering if I had just made the paramount mistake of my life I cannot tell you, but there were plenty. I managed to get the pumps into production, which immediately created another 2 full time jobs in East Texas . Some of the models in the first year suffered from quality issues due to the poor workmanship of one of my key suppliers, so I and an employee (another East Texan employed) had to drive across the country to repair customers' pumps, practically from coast to coast. I stood behind the product, and made payments to all the credit cards that had financed me (and my brother and sister). I spent the next 5 years improving and refining the product, building a reputation for the pump and the company, working to get the pump into drill rig manufacturers' product lines, and paying back credit cards. During all this time I continued to manage a growing water well business that was now operating 3 drill rig crews, and 2 well service crews. Also, the screen service business continued to grow. No government programs were there to help me, Mr. Obama, but that's ok, I didn't expect any, nor did I want any. I was too busy fighting to make success happen to sit around waiting for the government to help me. Now, we have been manufacturing the mud pumps for 7 years, my combined businesses employ 32 full time employees, and distribute $5,000,000.00 annually through the local economy. Now, just 4 months ago I borrowed $1,254,000.00, purchasing computer controlled machining equipment to start my 4th business, a production machine shop. The machine shop will serve the mud pump company so that we can better manufacture our pumps that are being shipped worldwide. Of course, the machine shop will also do work for outside companies as well. This has already produced 2 more full time jobs, and 2 more should develop out of it in the next few months. This should work out, but if it doesn't it will be because you, and the other professional politicians like yourself, will have destroyed our countrys' (and the world) economy with your meddling with mortgage loan programs through your liberal manipulation and intimidation of loaning institutions to make sure that unqualified borrowers could get mortgages. You see, at the very time when I couldn't get a business loan to get my mud pumps into production, you were working with Acorn and the Community Reinvestment Act programs to make sure that unqualified borrowers could buy homes with no down payment, and even no credit or worse yet, bad credit. Even the infamous, liberal, Ninja loans (No Income, No Job or Assets). While these unqualified borrowers were enjoying unrealistically low interest rates, I was paying 22% to 24% interest on the credit cards that I had used to provide me the funds for the mud pump business that has created jobs for more East Texans. It's funny, because after 25 years of turning almost every dime of extra money back into my businesses to grow them, it has been only in the last two years that I have finally made enough money to be able to put a little away for retirement, and now the value of that has dropped
40% because of the policies you and your ilk have perpetrated on our country. You see, Mr. Obama, I'm the guy you intend to raise taxes on. I'm the guy who has spent 25 years toiling and sweating, fretting and fighting, stressing and risking, to build a business and get ahead. I'm the guy who has been on the very edge of bankruptcy more than a dozen times over the last 25 years, and all the while creating more and more jobs for East Texans who didn't want to take a risk, and would not demand from themselves what I have demanded from myself. I'm the guy you characterize as "the Americans who can afford it the most" that you believe should be taxed more to provide income redistribution "to spread the wealth" to those who have never toiled, sweated, fretted, fought, stressed, or risked anything. You want to characterize me as someone who has enjoyed a life of privilege and who needs to pay a higher percentage of my income than those who have bought into your entitlement culture. I resent you, Mr. Obama, as I resent all who want to use class warfare as a tool to advance their political career. What's worse, each year more Americans buy into your liberal entitlement culture, and turn to the government for their hope of a better life instead of themselves. Liberals are succeeding through more than 40 years of collaborative effort between the predominant liberal media, and liberal indoctrination programs in the public school systems across our land. What is so terribly sad about this is this. America was made great by people who embraced the one-time American culture of self reliance, self motivation, self determination, self discipline, personal betterment, hard work, risk taking. A culture built around the concept that success was in reach of every able bodied American who would strive for it. Each year that less Americans embrace that culture, we all descend together. We descend down the socialist path that has brought country after country ultimately to bitter and unremarkable states. If you and your liberal comrades in the media and school systems would spend half as much effort cultivating a culture of can-do across America as you do cultivating your entitlement culture, we could see Americans at large embracing the
conviction that they can elevate themselves through personal betterment, personal achievement, and self reliance. You see, when people embrace such ideals, they act on them. When people act on such ideals, they succeed. All of America could find herself elevating instead of deteriorating. But that would eliminate the need for liberal politicians, wouldn't it, Mr. Obama? The country would not need you if the country was convinced that problem solving was best left with individuals instead of the government. You and all your liberal comrades have got a vested interested in creating a dependent class in our country. It is the very business of liberals to create an ever expanding dependence on government. What's remarkable is that you, who have never produced a job in your life, are going to tax me to take more of my money and give it to people who wouldn't need my money if they would get off their entitlement mentality asses and apply themselves at work, demand more from themselves, and quit looking to liberal politicians to raise their station in life. You see, I know because I've had them work for me before. Hundreds of them over these 25 years. People who simply will not show up to work on time. People who just will not work 5 days in a week, much less, 6 days. People always looking for a way to put less effort out. People who actually tell me that they would do more if I just would first pay them more. People who take off work to sit in government offices to apply to get free government handouts (gee, I wonder how things would have turned out for them if they had spent that time earning money and pleasing their employer?). You see, all of this comes from your entitlement mentality culture. Oh, I know you will say I am uncompassionate. Sorry, Mr. Obama, wrong again. You see, I've seen what the average percentage of your income has been given to charities over the years of 2000 to 2004 (ignoring the years you started running for office - can you pronounce "politically motivated"), you averaged less than 1% annually. And your running mate, Joe Biden, averaged less than ¼% of his annual income in charitable contributions over the last 10 years. Like so many liberals, the two of you want to give to the needy, just as long as it is someone else's money you are giving to them. I won't say what I have given to charities over the last 25 years, but the percentage is several times more than you and Joe Biden combined (don't you just hate goggle?). Tell me again how you feel my pain. In short, Mr. Obama, your political philosophies represent everything that is wrong with our country. You represent the culture of government dependence instead of self reliance; Entitlement mentality instead of personal achievement; Penalization of the successful to reward the unmotivated; Political correctness instead of open mindedness and open debate. If you are successful, you may preside over the final transformation of America from being the greatest and most self-reliant culture on earth, to just another country of whiners and wimps, who sit around looking to the government to solve their problems. Like all of western Europe. All countries on the decline. All countries that, because of liberal socialistic mentalities, have a little less to offer mankind every year.

God help us...

Cory Miller
just a ordinary, extraordinary American, the way a lot of Americans used to be.

P.S. Yes, Mr. Obama, I am a real American... www.cmillerdrilling.com

Judi Cole sends- Logan the Sky Angel Cowboy

This is from our good Kentucky friend and fan, Judi Cole. I thought that I had received this message before, but watched it with great interest again. The message is fresh as ever from a young boy. Thanks Judi! **

A phone call from a 12-yr old boy to Houston radio station KSBJ FM 89.3.
So profound, the station has it posted on their website. It has been seen
by more than 13,000,000 people!
Click * below * to listen to it. This message, especially coming from such
a young boy, is incredible


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0r_FbARIn8&NR=1

I have yet to be successful in posting links on my blog. Please go to Google and put in Logan the Sky Angel Cowboy and click on one of the youtube links.

Sam

Socialism in the Bible?

----- Original Message -----
From: M Shover
To: Sam Kegley
Sent: 2008-10-28 19:48
Subject: Fw: A few things to ponder


Thanks Martha and Lyle-

Christians will better follow this, because the non-believers just do not want to hear anything that mioght make them lose the election. Am I implying something in this? Yes, somewhat, but some believers are being fooled.

Sam




The following was written by one of the pastors at our former church and sent to us via e-mail from him, as part of a monthly letter. He is a campus pastor too (heading to Florida State next week - hence when he mentions a student at UNC, the questions were addressed to him.) Thought you might want to chew on this - long but worth the read and you'll like his example near the end.

What's Wrong with Spreading Around the Wealth?
There has been a lot of talk in recent weeks about
Barak Obama's comment to "Joe the Plumber" that he wants
to "spread the wealth around." In addition, a radio interview
Obama gave in 2001 has now surfaced in which he uses the
same language - even calling our Constitution "flawed" because
it did not "redistribute the wealth" and a "tragedy" that our
Supreme Court has never corrected this problem.
Of course, to many people, the concept of redistributing
the wealth and spreading the wealth around is nothing more than
socialism or, in the words of Karl Marx, "From each according to
his ability to each according to his need."
Last week, a student at UNC Wilmington asked, "What's so
wrong with spreading the wealth around? What's wrong with
socialism? Isn't that what the Bible teaches?"
Actually, the Bible doesn't teach socialism, but it is
not uncommon for people with a shallow knowledge of the
Bible to think that it does. They point to the following verses
as evidence:
And all those who had believed were together and had all things
in common; and they began selling their property and possessions
and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.
Acts 2:44-45
For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were
owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds
of the sales and lay them at the apostles' feet, and they would be
distributed to each as any had need. Acts 4:34-35
Sounds like socialism. None were rich; none were poor; everyone
shared with one another. The perfect society.
But there are a couple of important distinctions to make here.
First, those who gave to the poor did so voluntarily. Socialism is
mandated by the government; true charity is freely and voluntarily
given from a loving heart. In socialism, the government takes from those
who have and the government gives to those who lack. This is forced --
you have no option of whether or not to participate. There is no love
involved in socialism on the part of the giver. And there is usually not
much gratitude on the part of the receiver because he / she feels
what they receive is not a gift - it is something to which they are
entitled.
Second, in the Bible passages above, the acts of charity were
carried out by the church - not the government. Biblically, the role of
government is to protect the innocent and punish evil people (Romans
13:1-7). The church is the redemptive institution that is best able to
serve the poor. Giving to people in need can be destructive if not
given with the proper discernment (as is evidenced by the abysmal
failure of many of our "war on poverty" programs). While our government
may provide an ultimate safety net for those trapped in poverty, the
church is best equipped to help with the problems that lead to poverty.
Along these lines, notice that the material goods distributed in
the book of Acts were given to those who were part of the Christian
community. They took care of their own poor (Acts 2, 4) of their own
widows (Acts 6), etc. They didn't simply give indiscriminately to anyone
who seemed to be in poverty.
OK, maybe it's not Biblical, but is Socialism Wrong?
I have several other problems with a government feeling
it is there duty to "redistribute the wealth" and to "spread the
wealth around." Here are several of those reasons.
I asked the idealistic student who believed in spreading the
wealth around what she thought was the opposite of "socialism."
She had no idea. Finally, a friend tried to bail her out and offered
"capitalism" as the opposite of socialism. Well, not exactly.
The opposite of "socialism" is freedom. When we give the
government power over our money and the right to redistribute it,
we give up our freedom to control our own possessions. Ultimately,
socialism says that property belongs to the state - or, in some cases,
to the collective community (which, in all practical terms, still means
the state).
I oppose socialism because it takes away individual freedom.
Secondly, and closely following this last point, I oppose socialism
because I believe in ownership of private property. This is established
in the Bible in the Eighth Commandment, "Thou shall not steal." (Ex 20:15).
What I have is mine and is not to stolen from me. If the government has
the right to come take it from me, it isn't really my property - it's theirs.
Third, I oppose socialism because it doesn't work.
The goal of socialism is to eliminate poverty. Of course, Jesus said we
will always have the poor with us (Matt 26:11), so I don't think any
system of government will ever prove Him wrong. But beyond that,
socialism just hasn't worked. Look at socialist societies and you will
find the more socialist it is the poorer it is. Travel the world and you
will see that no place has as much prosperity as America does. In
America, even our "poor" often have living conditions that are the
envy of much of the world. Yes, there may be a big gap between
the rich and the poor in America, but there is also a huge gap
between the poor in America and the poor in most other countries
of the world.
Fourth, socialism is based on a faulty view of human nature.
It assumes that people will work hard and produce even if they
don't receive the reward of their labor. Again, this just has not
proven to be the case. Just try going to a restaurant in a socialist
country where you don't give tips and see what type of customer
service you will receive. And ask if that perky server you get in
an American restaurant would be as nice to you if she wasn't
hoping to get a bigger tip when the check is paid. Socialism doesn't
really reward greater and better work and so you rarely get it.
On the contrary, Scripture teaches that "The laborer is worthy
of his wages" (1 Tim 5:18). Proverbs is filled with promises that
harder work will produce greater financial reward. Socialism
takes this away.
Many young people have not experienced this in the workplace,
but can understand the following illustration from school-work.
A father was talking to his college-aged daughter about socialism:
she was for it, he was against it and she couldn't understand how he
could be so calloused against the less fortunate.
The father asked his daughter what here GPA was. She proudly
reminded him that she was pulling down a 4.0.
"What's your roommates GPA?" he asked.
"She's barely passing her classes. She parties a lot and doesn't
turn in a lot of assignments," his daughter answered.
"Well, you don't really need a 4-point and she is almost failing.
I think we should take one or two of our points and give them to her so
she doesn't fail."
The very thought horrified the daughter. "That wouldn't be fair,"
she protested. "I worked hard for these grades and she doesn't take
her school work seriously."
"Precisely," said the father. "And now you know why I'm not
a socialist."
Why is there so much Poverty in a Rich Country like America?
I'm sure there is no simple answer to that question, but many
things come to mind:

Drug and alcohol abuse
Discrimination
Poor education
Immigrants just starting a new life in a new country

All of these things may contribute to poverty, but do you know the
number one factor contributing to poverty in our country?
It is the breakdown of the family.
Being the child of a single mother - especially if the child was conceived
out of wedlock and never grew up with a father - is the number one factor
correlating with poverty in America today (and I'm sure this is an even
greater cause of poverty in most other countries of the world).
To those who want to address the problem of poverty, I know of no
better solution to offer than that we help young people abstain from
sexual relations until after they are married. But this is such a radical
solution in a land obsessed with sensual gratification that I doubt such
a solution will ever gain much traction. Therefore, we'll just throw more
money into failing schools, etc, while ignoring the root issues that are the
direct result of violating the Seventh Commandment, hoping that we can
get around the principle God has laid out that we will reap what we
sow (Galatians 6:7). (Note: For a fascinating article addressing poverty
and its causes, see http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/articles/07/ArethePoorGettingPoorer.htm)
Keep praying for our country.
We are experiencing serious problems right now - the result of unbridled
borrowing by individuals, businesses, banks and governments. We have
not seen the worst of it yet. And, we have a serious election in a week.
Be in prayer.
God bless,
Tom Short



Mary in WestervilleOH
(DH Mark, DS Luke 13, DS John Richard 10 - home from RP March 05)

Billy Gillispie Pic with Banners

Coach Billy Gillispie is beginning his second season as Head basketball coach at the University of Kentucky. We fans are enthused, to say the least. His second season at previous stops of Texas El Paso and Texas A & M have produced great turn around seasons. Although they lost Bradley and Crawford ( most of their returning scorers), Coach Gillispie says the spirit on the team is great and it is the tallest overall team he has had. Patrick Patterson and Jodie Meeks are healthy and should lead this team to an improved season over last season's 18-13 record.

The Blue-White game will be in Rupp Arena at 6 PM Saturday, Nov. 1 KY PPV BBN and the first exhibition gane will be Monday, Nov 3 in Rupp Arena at 7 PM on FSN South.

Ramey Hoskins- Give it some thought

I know everyone has a different opinion on the war and our current President. But, this article makes a lot of sense; take 2 minutes, read it and give it some thought.


When electing the next President, "the only decision you have to make is who you want sitting in that seat in the White House when - not if - WHEN we get hit again and millions of American lives are put at risk!"

This is from: "You ain't gonna like losing." Author unknown.

President Bush did make a bad mistake in the war on terrorism. But the mistake was not his decision to go to war in Iraq . Bush's mistake came in his belief that this country is the same one his father fought for in WWII. It is not.

Back then, they had just come out of a vicious depression. The country was steeled by the hardship of that depression, but they still believed fervently in this country. They knew that the people had elected their leaders, so it was the people's duty to back those leaders.

Therefore, when the war broke out the people came together, rallied behind, and stuck with their leaders, whether they had voted for them or not or whether the war was going badly or not.


War was just as distasteful and the anguish just as great then as it is today. Often there were more casualties in one day in WWII than we have had in the entire Iraq war.



But that did not matter. The people stuck with the President because it was their patriotic duty.



Americans put aside their differences in WWII and worked together to win that war.

Everyone from every strata of society, from young to old pitched in. Small children pulled little wagons around to gather scrap metal for the war effort.



Grade school students saved their pennies to buy stamps for war bonds to help the effort.

Men who were too old or medically 4F lied about their age or condition trying their best to join the military. Women doubled their work to keep things going at home. Harsh rationing of everything from gasoline to soap, to butter was imposed, yet there was very little complaining.

You never heard prominent people on the radio belittling the President. Interestingly enough, in those days there were no fat cat actors and entertainers who ran off to visit and fawn over dictators of hostile countries and complain to them about our President. Instead, they made upbeat films and entertained our troops to help the troops' morale. A bunch even enlisted.

Imagine this: Teachers in schools actually started the day off with a Pledge of Allegiance and with prayers for our country and our troops!

Back then, no newspaper would have dared point out certain weak spots in our cities where bombs could be set off to cause the maximum damage. No newspaper would have dared complain about what we were doing to catch spies. A newspaper would have been laughed out of existence if it had complained that German or Japanese soldiers were being 'tortured' by being forced to wear women's underwear or subjected to interrogation by a woman or being scared by a dog or did not have air conditioning.

There were a lot of things different back then. We were not subjected to a constant bombardment of pornography, perversion and promiscuity in movies or on radio. We did not have legions of crack heads, dope pushers and armed gangs roaming our streets.

No, President Bush did not make a mistake in his handling of terrorism. He made the mistake of believing that we still had the courage and fortitude of our fathers. He believed that this was still the country that our fathers fought so dearly to preserve.

It is not the same country. It is now a cross between Sodom and Gomorra and the land of Oz.



We did unite for a short while after 9/11, but our attitude changed when we found out that defending our country would require some sacrifices.

We are in great danger. The terrorists are fanatic Muslims. They believe that it is okay, even their duty, to kill anyone who will not convert to Islam. It has been estimated that about one third or over three hundred million Muslims are sympathetic to the terrorists cause... Hitler and Tojo combined did not have nearly that many potential recruits. So...we either win it - or lose it - and you ain't gonna like losing.

America is not at war. The military is at war.



America is at the mall, or watching the movie stars.

(Remember Obama said in his book "Audacity of Hope", 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction'.....what better place for the Muslins to control our country, than in the office of the President of USA .)

If you never forwarded an e-mail, now's the time to do it!








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Parody- The Trolley Song

Clang, Clang, Clang Went The Trolley

Win, win win say the demos
No, no, no say the pubs
The ads started to clang and the
The buzzers continued to ring as they get off the bus
But we stayed in our seats
To the end of the line… The end of the line!

Pelosi and Dirty Harry salivated
Their slobbers ran down the aisles
McCain and Palin stuck to business
Even with their smiles
The ads started to clang and
The buzzers continued to ring as they get off the bus
But we stayed in our seats
To the end of the line The end of the line!


McCain has endured so much
Sarah boosts his team so much more
Teflon o and no war Joe lie without remorse
The buzzers continue to ring as they get off the bus
But we stayed in our seats
To the end of the line!
The end of the line! The end of the line!

O’Hare removed God from schools
Roe-Wade kills off the fetuses
Supported as Champs by the libs
The buzzers continue to ring as they get off the bus
But we stayed in our seats
To the end of the line The end of the line!

Harry beat Dewey in forty-eight
And good Americans can still change late
The buzzers continue to ring as they get off the bus
But we stayed in our seats
To the end of the line

The End of the Line!

Dr. william Daehler Tennis C enter Dedicated at Shawnee State University

My good friend, Dick Klitch, and I motored down to the "Cultural Center of Our Universe" yesterday and enjoyed the dedication of the new Dr. WilliAm Daehler Tennis Center at Shawnee State.

Several family members, friends, and tennis aficianados gathered at Taylor Hall at the corner of Union and Second Streets in Portsmouth. After luncheon visits, we all gathered at the highest quality new Tennis Center (eight courts) and viewed the brief ceremony and opening volleys on the facility.

Dr. Rita Rice Morris, Shawnee State President, Dr. Daehler, and Jeff Hamilton, Shawnee's Athletic Director were so happy to see the new facility. Fruition, from planning to the dedication was fairly brief and Dr. Daehler, who donated $250,000 for the Center, said:

"After all, I wanted to play on the courts and we never know how long we will be around." The energetic Doctor volleyed with several friends including Dick Klitch.
I, blessed to be a friend to each, but otherwise never close to tennis, was amazed at the continued athleticism of each. I must add that there also were several athletic ladies volleying on the new courts.

Now God, please allow me to add some photos:

My Books- Sam Kegley

I photographed the covers of my memoirs (printed but unpublished)and of my six books this afternoon:

Buying a miracle- E-mail from friend- Bob Looney

Thanks Bob Looney. It has been around, but it is fresh as ever!

Sam

----- Original Message -----
From: ann stambaugh
To: GolfJL@aol.com
Cc: kathi lynne stambaugh
Sent: 2008-10-21 11:52
Subject: Fw:



----- Original Message -----
From: Pat Sullivan
To: mamawpat@verizon.net
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2008 11:35 AM











I'D LIKE THIS BACK IF IT APPLIES

A little girl went
to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.


She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three
times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.


Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she
slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with
the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for
the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment.
Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat
with the most disgusting soun d she could muster. No good Finally she took a
quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!


'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of
voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he
said without waiting for a reply to his question.

'Well, I want to talk
to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's
really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?'
said the pharmacist.

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad
growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now So how
much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl.
I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.


'Listen, I ha v e the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get
the rest. Just tell me ho w much it costs..'

The pharmacist's brother was
a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a
miracle does your brother need?'

' I don't know,' Tess replied with her
eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an
operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.'


'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago

'One dollar
and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audibly.

'And it's all the money
I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'

'Well, what a
coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a
miracle for little brothers. '

He took her money in one hand and with
t he other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want
to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you
need.'

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon,
specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it
wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were
happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place.


'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how
much it would have cost?'

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a
miracle cost..one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child..


In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.

A
miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operati on of a higher law.
I know you'll keep the ball moving!

Here it goes. Throw it back to
someone who means something to you!

A ball is a circle, no beginning, no
end. It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends. But the treasure inside
for you to see is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.

Today
I pass the friendship ball to you.

Pass it on to someone who is a friend
to you.

MY OATH TO YOU...

When you are sad....I will dry your
tears.

When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.

When
you are worried.....I will give you hope.

When you are confused.....I
will help you cope.

And when you are lost....And can't see the light, I
shall be your beacon....Shining ever so bright.

This is my oath......I
pledge till the end.

W hy you may ask?....Because you're my friend.


Signed: GOD




________________________________

Black musician's "Why I can't vote for obama"

;


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Question What are the advantages of having such a large roster?
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Yesterday, 08:28 PM #1
UFWildcat
Junior




Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 2,473 What are the advantages of having such a large roster?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I know Gillispie is a big advocate of it but if you're only going with a 9-man rotation why do you need 20+ guys?

I know it gives you more options but it's bound to make kids unhappy with lack of playing time.

Our teams have been really thin of late but 20+ guys seems like a lot to me.
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Yesterday, 08:36 PM #2
matt colvin
Super Moderator




Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Hometown--Paintsville. Current-Lexington
Posts: 5,030 Easy..practice. Lots and lots of competent bodies for intense, grueling practices. More competition, more fresh legs, and more realistic simulations of opponents.

Practice, practice, practice. All we're talking about here is practice, to the dismay of Mr. Iverson.
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"What we've got here is failure to communicate. Some men, you just can't reach, so you get what we had here last week, which is the way he wants it. Well, he gets it!"


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Yesterday, 08:37 PM #3
Will Lavender
Blueblood




Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Posts: 15,518 Two things, I think.

1. Big practices. Gillispie likes maelstrom practices where there are guys all over the court, around the court, guys clapping and cheering and diving on the floor and getting raspberries on their palms and knees. The assistant coaches dress and participate; the graduate assistants; some of the support staff. It's like a dogfight. If you've only got 10 or 12 on the roster, that ain't a dogfight. Not enough chaos.

2. Competition for PT. If you've got one guy behind you, that's one thing. You beat that guy and get complacent; you think, "I've got it made now." If you've got three other guys behind that one, pushing you in practice, making you fight, there's never any rest. The job is never secure, and I think that's exactly the way Gillispie wants it.


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Today, 03:58 AM #4
GeorgeMartin
Recruit




Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Tyler, Texas
Posts: 27 Practice......practice........and uh......practice. Other than that I'm not really sure. I think to get more done during practice and making practices more competative is really the big thing about it.


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Today, 12:48 PM #5
UFWildcat
Junior




Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 2,473 Yeah...it makes sense.

I'm sure you could have some pretty intense practices with 20 bodies available. I'm sure it makes for a pretty competitive atmosphere.

After all, it's the way Gillispie goes about practice that will translate to wins on the court.
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Today, 02:38 PM #6
SamKat
Blueblood


Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Westerville, Ohio, USA
Posts: 1,755 John wooden was an advocate of a long bench of players. Injuries are somewhat covered.
He, reportedly, used Pell Grant extensively.

Whatever Coach G wants is good enough for this Wildcat fan.


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Today, 02:57 PM #7
champtime
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Owensboro, KY
Posts: 34 After this year, BCG will have been here longer than anyplace as a head coach. I would imagine that had a lot to do with his bench and his rotation. Basketballwise, they were a lot smaller universities as well. I would say this translates to the promise he made when he first got here. (Loosely) He said," I want the other team to go in at halftime and beg their coach to not come back out for the second half." To me that says that he is planning on running the other team into the ground. Not running to just be running, but wearing the other team completely down.


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Jack Plymale and Steven-Doc-Yeagle

Jack Plymale

And

Stephen “DOC” Yeagle





Jack Plymale- Photo on left above:


Jack was an only child of Forest and Myrtle Plymale.

Jack went into the Navy in May of 1945, after graduating from Portsmouth High School. “I was in the Navy until October, 1946 and enrolled in Ohio State University in January, 1947. Through the Navy V-5 program, I transferred two quarters from Denison University and Union College in Schenectady, N.Y.. I graduated from OSU in June 1949.” Jack married in Richmond, IN in 1952 after discharge from being drafted during the Korean War.. Jack and his wife have been separated for over thirty years.
“I have two sons, who will be 55 and 52 years old this year. Both are in the citrus industry and live in Arcadia, FL. Jack and his wife have been separated for over thirty years.

I moved to Florida in 1951 and spent most of my productive years there. I was a processor in the citrus business and a real estate broker of properties pertinent to that business. I retired to spend the life of a hermit in a mountainside in Costa Rica in the 1990’s. One of my favorite quotations is that of a fraternity brother at OSU: ‘The last remaining vestige of homozygous Americanas is residual to the hills of southern Ohio.” Jack baffles meturns me over with his quotations and vocabulary at times. It must be the “Uncle Bert leach” influence on the then younger PHS student. Homozygous has something to do with deletion of genes, but I take it that the frat brother was indicating that Jack was of a disappearing breed. I hope that is close.

Jack also says: “The proudest thing I have done in my life is to keep two people like Jim Fout and Doc Yeagle as my closest friends.”

Stephen “Doc” Yeagle- Photo on right above:

Doc’s parents were Jessie and StellaStella (McGraw) Yeagle and he had brothers Paul, Jack and Raymond, and a sister, Barbara.

Doc graduated from PHS in June of 1945, had entered the Air Force in March, 1945, and was discharged in December 1946. He was in the service for both his high school and his college graduation classes. His mother received the diplomas by mail.

He entered the University of Cincinnati in 1947 on a football scholarship at 170 pounds. He was saving his GI Bill for expected law school use. He was a starting guard from his freshman year and made Honorable Mention All American in 1948. That same year, Bob Gains was first team tackle AA and Wah Wah Jones was second string end AA, each out of the University of Kentucky for coach Bear Bryant. Doc finished his undergraduate work at UC in 1951. He was in the Air Force Reserve from the time of his first service and was recalled to active duty for the Korean War. He was admitted to flight training in 1951 and was an air Force pilot until December, 1954. Doc rose to the rank of First Lieutenant. He went to work for Eastern Airlines and was with them until their demise in 1984. Doc told Jack that he tripped over a cat, fell down a flight of stairs, broke an elbow, and was forced to retire.



Now three ex-Trojan footballers of the 1943-1945 era form the troika of Jim Fout, Jack Plymale and Stephen “Doc” Yeagle. I interviewed Jim for his story in my Excellence in Athletics in the Portsmouth Area book in 2004. As an ex- Ohio State quarterback, Jim Fout has four excellent season seats in the Horseshoe for OSU games. He invited me to join him for the Cincinnati home opener in 2004. Jack Plymale and Doc Yeagle were also Jim’s guest for the game, as they have been for many games. These P’Town football greats, which I am not one of, graciously made me feel right at home.

Jack Plymale entertained me with old Trojan stories during that game and he has continued to do so in e-mails, most of which I have forwarded to my Portsmouth address list and excerpts of which I will include herein later. Jack is a story-teller much in the vein of my good departed friend and another former Trojan great of that era, Gib Lakeman. I interviewed Jack and Doc together in Portsmouth the day after Memorial Day. Jack told the brunt of the stories and Doc corroborated.

The great Paul Walker had often joined these three in Jim’s seats. Paul had coached these Trojans in an undefeated football season in 1944 before he obtained the Middletown Ohio High School basketball coaching job. The players of the 1944 team met often with PW on nearly annual reunions and he credited that team with winning him the best high school coaching job in America. The interviewers of him for the job in Middletown first asked if he smoked and he replied that he did. From that point in the interview, all they wanted to talk with him about was the 1944 football zero to zero tie between Portsmouth and Middletown. In fact, three highly rated football teams- Middletown, Springfield and Huntington East (WV) failed to cross the Trojan goal line that season.





Paul Walker had a seventy-six game winning streak in basketball at Middletown and was named Ohio’s High School Coach of the Twentieth Century. Paul Walker had been a three sport star at Western Kentucky University. He loved basketball best, but he was obviously an exceptional coach and teacher of young men, to say the very least about the man.

Paul was tough but he came to love the Portsmouth footballers who gave their best for him. The bond was only strengthened throughout the ensuing years. Jack told me that Ray Pelfrey, Dave Spriggs, Dave Thomas, Red Griffin, Jim Fout, and Doc Yeagle were among Paul’s favorites. In fact, Jack also told me that he could tell the time much later, when PW appeared to be losing it, when “he nudged me at an OSU game and asked who the fellow sitting next to him was- actually it was his beloved hardest hitter, Doc Yeagle.” That was just a few years before Paul died after finally succumbing to Alzheimer’s.

Doc told me that Paul’s son was born in Portsmouth and is now a lawyer in Texas. The son had been a good quarterback at Middletown, but had a falling out with Woody at OSU and transferred out.

Jim Fout became a Senior Vice-President for Ashland Oil in charge of Refinery Sales for Ashland Chemical in Ashland Kentucky. Ashland Chemical was one of several subsidiaries of Ashjland Oil. Not many years ago, a fellow asked Jim about the Ashland Trojan game they played in 1944 after they had beaten highly ranked Louisville Male. The fellow told Jim he could still see a black back running for a long touchdown in the game and waving back at the Ashland players. Jim, corroborated this time by Jack and Doc, said that it was not within the character of Bobby Parks to do that.




So many outstanding Trojan stories were told by Jack and Doc that I have decided to just put the names down alphabetically and bring up their stories in that way. Let us see how that works:

Ashland-

The Tomcats were a consistent power in Kentucky sports. Jim Fout has lived there for his career with at Ashland Oil for most of his life. Ashland is only thirty miles east from Portsmouth and just across the river from another Ohio high school football power, Ironton.

A former Tomcat recently asked Jim Fout about the 1944 Ashland-Portsmouth game. He remembered a black back running away from his team and waving back. Jim told the fellow that it would never have happened that way, because Bobby Parks, the runner, was just too nice a person to act in that manner. Jim’s story was corroborated by Jack and Doc.

Jack said that the Ashland team had beaten a strong Louisville Male or Manual team by twenty-one points in their previous game. “Paul Walker always had us charging across the line of scrimmage. They picked that up in scouting Portsmouth and were trapping our lineman as they came into their backfield. They marched right down the field and scored on us the first time they had the ball. Paul told us to hold back, not charge through, but catch the runner. We stopped them with no further scores while our guys scored thirty-two.

Bobby Parks was a black athlete, about one hundred seventy-five pounds and six foot tall. He was one of the nicest people in the world. Sadly, he died while very young. Some said he had cancer, but I suspect the cause was sickle cell anemia. He was such a well-liked young black man. He had married and had gone into the service. His young wife was pregnant. Sadly, he died while still very young. Some said he had cancer, but I suspect the cause was sickle cell anemia. His funeral was held at Portsmouth High School.


Barker, Jim “Lovey”-

"Lovey" Barker was a big and strong athlete whom I, Sam, remember as a softball player in the late forty District Softball Tournaments in Mound Park. Besides Doc and Jack, Rocky Nelson also mentioned Lovey as an outstanding Trojan football player. He had shoulders which turned in towards his chest, which may have been a physical deformity due to being muscle-bound.

Jack remembered “Lovey” as an old Mabert Roader as he and Ray Pelfrey also were. Jack said Jim was an outstanding running back for the 1939 Trojans.

Boykin, Dick- Ironton-

Probably no Ironton player rivaled the exploits of Dick Boykins, a big black back with the Tigers. Jack said; “He must have been six foot and over two hundred pounds. His Ironton teammates called him “Meat” I caught him head on once and was nearly killed. Ironton also had an excellent player named Daniels.”


Butt, Friend, “Nick”-

Nick Butt, Lamoin Elliott and Dave Spriggs were tri- co-captains of the 1945 team. Nick later lost an eye in blocking a punt in a semi-pro game in Portsmouth. There were no face masks then. He lived most of his life in Chillicothe, OH.


Elliott, Lamoin “Lemon” or “Bugs”-

Lamoin cussed like a mule-skinner before he met Juanita, according to Jack. I dated Juanita prior to their getting together. She and Lemon used to stop and visit with me in Florida throughout the years.

Gib Lakeman had the best punting form and “Bugs” was a little unorthodox; however, he could really kick a football. He made a really big difference in the 1944 season. Against Middletown, Lemon’s punting performance was the most daunting I have ever seen at any level.


Flamer, Calvin and Lloyd-

“Sam, Calvin was a black boy who played the last two-thirds of the 1943 season. He was the fastest guy I ever saw in Portsmouth. He was always a step or two faster than Dave Thomas over fifty yards, and that was blazing fast.” Coach “Houndog” Elder used to tell the linemen: “Boys, you break either one of them through the line and they will have to shoot them down with a rifle.” Calvin, whose older brother, Lloyd had starred for earlier Trojan teams, had another black fellow who came out for the team the same time he did. Matthew Johnson was a good runner, not as fast as the other two Houndog mentioned, but he had his jaw broken, a lot of teeth knocked out, and his face messed up badly when we beat Mansfield up there.


Fout, Jim-

Dave Thomas had a nervous stomach and was throwing up. He was unable to start the Middletown game and Red Griffin was called on by Coach Walker to start in Dave’s place. Griffin was one hundred twenty-eight pounds and never acted afraid of anything. He was doubled up on a hit and came back to the huddle and told Jim Fout: “They have broken my neckhead, Jimmy!” Jim noticed that his head was back into his shoulder pads, so he smacked him on both sides of the helmet and
Red was ready to play.

Jim Fout’s further story is in my first Excellence in Athletics in the Portsmouth Area book (2004).


Green, Walt-

“Walt was an outstanding Trojan lineman. He played at Eastern Kentucky and later coached Corbin, Kentucky’s high school teams. His players, Calvin and Larry Byrd, went on to the University of Kentucky for sports.”


Griffin, Red-

See Jim Fout above. “In our 1944 Springfield game, Red ran off tackle for a sixty-eight yard touchdown, but I swear he had to run at least eighty yards.” Jack said: “I blocked the same guy three times on that play.” Doc spoke up: “Walker loved Red. He ran low and would get up and continue if not completely down. “



Johnson, Matthew-



See Flamer story above for Matthew.


Lakeman, Gib-

Jack said: “Gib’s last year on the Trojans was my first. Before Trojan practices, Gib was at his comic best. You could always count on ten to fifteen minutes of Gib before the coaches showed up. We would play games of touch football and Gib would get up under center with his helmet on sideways and count out- ‘Pig poop and apple-sauce’ as his play cadence. You immediately recognized his ability to switch from being a clown to being an all out performer on the football field.

Leach, Bert-

Jack and Jim Fout thought the world of Bert Leach, who was often referred to by many locals as the “smartest man in Portsmouth.” The two football students also performed in plays for ‘Uncle Bert.” Mr. Leach may have been a little eccentric, but he taught at Portsmouth and produced plays at the high school. Jack regularly comes up with quotes of Uncle Bert’s, such as this:

Wars are planned by old men, in council rooms apart.
They plan for greater armament and map the battle chart
But where the sightless eyes stare out, beyond life’s vbanished joys,
I’ve noticed somehow, all the dead are hardly more than boys.


Lorentz, Chuck-

Jack reported: “A couple of buddies told me they saw our line coach, Chuck Lorentz, Jump up under a crossbar and grab it with one hand and chin himself. I wasn’t sure I should believe that, but the man was in excellent physical condition. He and Coach Pat Mitchell worked at the great Terrace Club, or Dreamland Pool in the summertime. I had some difficulty with a bigger fellow and we were mixing it up pretty good. Coach Lorentz saw it and came running. As he got closer and saw that I was giving it to the big fellow pretty well. He slowed down. He got there rather slowly and said: ‘Here! We’ll have none of that!’” Mr. Lorerntz was so low key that you could never benefit from his instruction until you realized how little you knew and how much he knew. I heard that he was killed when he fell off of his roof in Florida at 93.

I never had Mr.Lorentz as a class room teacher, and I always regretted that. He was such an outstanding human.


Luchi, Joe-

Jack again: “Joe was an outstanding athlete for Portsmouth Central Catholic (later to be re-named Portsmouth Notre Dame). He played for the University of Cincinnati along with Don Monk. and Elbie Nichols.


Joe was naturally powerfully built. Joe married a Pridemore girl from Portsmouth. Portsmouth guys reported that Woody Hayes, an ex- Golden Gloves Champion from Newcomerstown, OH, yelled something objectionable during a Cincinnati/ Miami of Ohio basketball game in a very small gym and Joe went into the stands and decked Woody came on the court to protest. Joe, the Cincy player decked Woody. Joe’s coach held back from kicking him off the team, because he didn’t want to lose Joe and his Portsmouth buddy, Don Monk, at the same time.” Doc was a witness to this altercation and Jack’s telling of it.


Middleton, B.I.-

B. I. died this year. He was our football; captain in 1943. Bert Leach probably threw the quote of Mark Twain at us in which Mr. Twain proclaimed that he never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. B.I. liked to tell the story of trying to swim the Ohio River and giving up about three-fourths of the way across and turning around and swimming back.

B.I. did his undergraduate work on a full football scholarship at Murray State in western Kentucky and, many years later, retired from a full professorship at Ball State, where he taught paleontology or archeology. B.I. was all but blind and Houston Elder bought him a pair of rubber goggles with his prescription in them. Those goggles were passed down to several guys through the years with their own prescription lenses in them.

Another B.I. story was told by Jack Horton who believed he had run into B.I. in Paris after WW II. Jack Horton wasn’t sure, but he yelled out through the crowd, “Hey, B.I.!” B.I. looked all around and yelled back: “I don’t know who you are, you SOB, but stay where you are and I’ll find you.” B.I. didn’t have his glasses on. He said: “I know you are from Portsmouth, Ohio by calling me B.I., and I will find you!” The two had a great reunion together in Paris.


Monk, Don-

Clay Vice, the great basketball player at Clay High School, assistant coach (to his wife, Carol) of extraordinary Clay girls’ softball, and a regular e-mail correspondent of mine, sent this in response to one of Jack Plymale’s e-mails which mentioned Don Monk. I normally forwarded on to my Portsmouth address list those that Jack didn’t admonish me not to.

“Hey Sam. I appreciate reading these e-mails. They are great in my way of thinking. Don Monk will always be in my heart. He was a man among men. There was no man better than Don.”

Jack responded to Clay’s message: “I never knew Don coached. I would love to have seen that. His normal approach was to say only what he had to about anything. He was an attractive guy that the girls found irresistible, but he was just too shy to press his advantage.

Don pitched softball straight underhand and could throw harder than most side-winders. I batted against him once and a foul tip caught me in the mouthforehead-, no helmets then- and immediately decked me.


Neikirk, Charlie and Joe-

Both were former Trojan footballers. Joe played football at North Carolina with Choo-Choo Justice. . Joe retired from Norfolk & Southern Railroad from a very high position in their management.


Nichols, Elbie-

Elbie Nichols played only football and became a god to the University of Cincinnati football fans. He preceded Don Monk and Joe Luchi at UC.


Parks, Bobby-

Please see stories on Bobby in Paul Walker and Ashland stories above.


Pelfrey, Ray-

Jack and Doc put Ray Pelfrey as probably the most unforgettable character they have ever met. Ray had many outstanding exploits as a Trojan athlete in football and basketball, but beyond those exceptional athletic skills, Ray had a very unique personality.

“Houston Elder inherited the Clay Township move-in who had never played football. Ray did not have the benefit of playing in the Portsmouth grade school feeder leagues for the Trojans. I met him when he moved to Mabert Road when he was twelve or thirteen. Some things may be off-color and not worth repeating, but Ray has never been a malicious person, an unkind person, or a person you would not want to have for a friend.

“Houston Elder All of us guys who were his best buddies from Mabert Road, called Ray “Dribblin Dip from Clay Township” and often told him to “Put your brain in a Jay Bird and fly backward!” This was because Ray was absolutely new to the game of football and had a few things to learn. A coach concentrates on certain raw players to bring out their best playing talents and Coach Elder was certainly probably doing that with Ray.

“Ray Pelfrey was one of the two best football players I ever saw. The other was Vic Janowicz of Ohio State.

Jack had a friend in Ft. Pierce, Dr. Maxwell King, who had been President of Indian Run Community College and Brevard College in Florida. Dr. King was an Auburn graduate. When Jack asked Dr. King if he knew of Ray Pelfrey, he brightened up right away. “Anyone who was at
Auburn during Ray Pelfrey’s time there had to remember him. We had the first panty raid at Auburn and Ray was the organizer and leader of it. Ray’s response to Jack about the incident was: “Yeah and I’m the guy who got it stopped too. They were going to kick me out of school.”

“Ray was the most free spirited and the second finest all around athlete I have ever known. You couldn’t ask for a better or more talented teammate than Ray Pelfrey. All of this weird stuff he did was usually an afterthought. We won a rainy Mother’s night game against Huntington East twenty to nothing. There was huge amounts of water and the mothers sat in cars around the track surrounding the field. Coach Walker brought two cases of one pound jars of vasoline for us to put on our cleats. Ray also put two jars all over him and became a ‘greased pig’. I think the game was two plays old when an official noticed all of this lubrication, stopped the game, and used three towels and five minutes wiping the vasoline off of him.”

Ray started a successful kicking business, www.professionalkickingservices.com which has trained many top notch kickers in America. His son, Rob now runs the business out of Sparks, Nevada. In January of this year, Ray e-mailed Jack “in which he proudly announced that the punter for LSU in their victory over Ohio State is one of his students. His name is Pat Fisher, and he is six foot, six inches and two hundred thirty-five pounds. Ray thinks Pat has a good chance to make it in the pros.”

I, Sam, interviewed Ray for his story which I included in the Excellence in Athletics in the Portsmouth Area book (2004).


Rapalee, Clark-

Clark was a good friend of mine, Sam, after my high school. He came back from Korea with some horrid war stories. Clark had gone to Otterbein College in Westerville, OH at the same time Gib Lakeman was a student football player there, and was immediately drafted into the Army upon his graduation. He was with the Second Army as they went into Korea. He lived many days on the front lines and, although they wanted him to take a battlefield commission, he refused. I mentioned Clark in an e-mail to Jack and he responded thusly:

“Sam, I don’t know how long it has been since I thought of Clark Rapalee. He was on the 1943 Trojan football team with me- third string quarterback. Real bright guy. Looked like he was running in mud all the time. Beyond bright, he was artistically talented and totally likeable with an incredible sense of humor.” Jack continued that neither played much that year but they made the traveling team and the trip to Charlestown, WV. Houston Elder insisted that the players stay in bed until time to eat in the evening. “Clark and I were in bed in our shorts when a fight broke out in the hall. There obviously were some women involved. We, naturally went out to see what was going on. Some lady had come to the Holly Motel (now demolished) to find her husband who had another lady in a compromising position. One man and one lady were nude and the fight was in progress. Gus Thompson was on our floor and he was yelling instructions to the offended lady about where to hit who with her purse. A good time was had by all until Elder arrived and started to kick butt. Thanks for reminding me of Clark. He was a real good friend.”


Spriggs, Dave-

Doc and Jack had a lot of respect for Dave Spriggs and his dad and family. The two old Trojan war horses believed in the toughness and strength of character of the Spriggs clan. Huntington East got the ball to the Trojan eight yard line and were whooping it up. “Dave yelled across the line as they broke huddle for the next play. “I’ll bet any one of you SOB’s fifty cents each that you don’t score. They didn’t score and Dave went into their locker room after the game and collected his bet winnings.

Dave played football at North Carolina for Coach Bobby Dodds. Bobby played his tackle size guys at guard. They had to be fast enough to play guard and dave was at guard. They had to be fast enough to move in order to play for him and Dave was quick.

“Unbeknownst to Dave, his kids entered him into the Senior Olympics in Columbus, OH a few years ago, and, by ruse, got him there. He won four or five medals and regained some senior confidence.


Interjection by Sam:

Dave Spriggs played his college football at North Carolina. He became an engineer. Before he moved his family to Columbus, OH, Jeanie and I bought his house on Clover St. in Eden Park in Clay Township. We saw him a couple of times after we moved to Westerville a few years later. He took another job in Springfield, OH and we lost track of him except through Jim Spriggs, his younger brother. Dave died as a result of an automobile accident a few years ago.

Doc and Jack remember Dave Spriggs as one of God’s nicest human beings.


Thomas,, Dave-

Dave Thomas had big thighs and was tremendously fast. Dave’s dad and the Spriggs family dad were always at Trojan games together and often seen together around town. They also must have been old Portsmouth Spartan fans. They were Portsmouth icons for sports.

Dave Thomas was a Trojan star and very unaffected by his popularity in P’Town. He graduated in 1945 and Houston Elder recruited him to Maryland where he had taken a coaching job. WWII ended in 1945, and the veterans were returning home. Many of them accepted college scholarships in sports. In an early practice at Maryland, Dave Thomas’ football career was ended and he was in a coma for a couple of weeks, induced by football injury to the high school boy-star by the bigger and stronger veteran men-stars. Dave also has passed on and must be with other football Trojans somewhere in God’s universe.


Thompson, Floyd “Gus”-

Gus was a fairly fast end on Trojan teams of the Plymale/Yeagle era. I, Sam, knew him during his 52-20 days in Mound Park with us “urchins”. Gus and Gib Lakeman regularly entertained us with old Trojan stories giving our brains knowledge of the Pelfreys, Plymales, Fouts, Thomas’, etc. etc. that is, most of the names Doc and jack cover in their stories here. Gus has been mentioned repeatedly in the stories above. He became starting end when Don Monk switched to fullback.

He refereed the Middletown motel hall fight between the lady and her opponents- Gus was always ready and he later became a serious elder in Central Church of Christ and husband of Oleta Lewis of the class of 1950. Gus was funny and clever and he and Gib were the best to learn from while stil in your formative years, as I was. Gib always chided Gus at the way he could go across the street to the Sugar Bowl and return with a fudge sickle and make it last all day.



Conclusions:

At 75, I, Sam, am slowing down, even in my writing. I don’t intend to play softball this year even though my subdural brain hematoma has, apparently, dissolved. We did win the Championship of the Columbus Over-Seventy League that day. Being on Coumadin makes a risk of similar injury too great for me. I would rather continue with my interview stories and my great enjoyment of Jeanie and my family and friends.

What a pleasure it has been for me to listen to or read these stories, which were mainly told by Jack. I am sure the stoic Doc Yeagle would admit to that. The two shared the times together especially with Jim Fout, and nobody stands above Doc as the hardest hitting football player Jack has ever seen. Mr. Plymale regaled the Tim Horton air that post Memorial Day, 2008 with stories very much like Gib Lakeman and Gus Thompson used to share with us when I and my fellow Mound Park Urchins were young teenagers there.

I cherish that!

Ahhh- Portsmouth, Ohio! The Cultural Center of Our Universe, although none of us urchins knew what the word culture meant at the time.



Jack added this conclusion in his correcting of my rough draft: “Sam, in all honesty, if all of the players on the 1944 team had my talent, we would have gone 0-10, rather than go undefeated. I filled in between the talented ones. This is not false modesty. I loved the game and the playing of it. I loved the camaraderie and friendships and will be forever grateful for the opportunity to play for PHS during that time. Please don’t give me credit for being more than average.

“I hate to disagree, Jack, but you do display false modesty here. You had to be an outstanding athlete to get on the field in the Trojan uniform and play with the guys you and Doc have reported on herein.

Thanks to Jack and Doc for some excellent remembrances!