~ Foreword ~
Joe Black – when I knew him. ~ J.B.
I hadn’t seen Joe for about two and a half months and wondered why. Now I know the answer as to why.
I acquired my private mail box on Shea Boulevard in 1996 and while most of the folks remained private for one reason or another, I was soon introduced to Joe Black – for the second time in my life.
The first was in 1955, when I was seven years old and was just learning about the national pastime. I spent summers in Eagle, Wisconsin – I was a Milwaukee Braves fan – County Stadium was my ‘home away from home’. Joe Black left the Brooklyn Dodgers that year and signed on with the Cincinnati Red Legs – and brought with him quite a legacy – the first black pitcher to bring his team a pennant. Joe spent the rest of his life bringing the winning pennant home to whatever endeavor he tackled.
I never broke bread with the man – but we broke the silence of two people with little in common – and I never asked him for his autograph. May you rest in peace sweet man.
Without Apology I am,
‘Ambassador for the Game and Life’
Legendary Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Joe Black died of prostate cancer Friday morning at the age of 78, passing away at an aftercare facility in Scottsdale.
“At moments like this, when we’re worrying about other things within the game, it really doesn’t mean too much,” Commissioner Bud Selig said. “I’ve known Joe Black a long time. He loved the game and was so willing to always be helpful. He was one of those rare individuals who was willing to give of himself unconditionally. You just don’t find people like that, especially in professional sports.” Continue reading
The great classical scholar Edith Hamilton 
A Georgia teacher’s funeral saw all her loved ones turn up with backpacks filled with school supplies. It was Tammy Waddell’s final wish that those who come to pay their respects to her bring school supplies for needy students. The incredibly moving gesture has gone viral on the internet. Waddell died on June 9, 2018, succumbing to stomach cancer. 
Confession time. I like to imagine living during an era of “good feelings,” especially when considering political and economic factors. Granted, I have a blessed life, and I enjoy living in this republic based on the important qualities of liberty, equality, and justice, even if those ideals are still a work in progress. However, I admit that I approach the print and programmed media news each day with a bit of trepidation. It seems as though we find new ways to separate ourselves into groups of individuals who stand in our corners and hurl insults toward each other, focusing on our differences and seldom acknowledging our similarities.
In a significant development, Let’s Go Washington, a citizen’s action group, 
Teenagers’ mathematics and reading skills are in an unprecedented decline across dozens of countries and COVID school closures are only partly to be blamed, the OECD said on Tuesday in its latest survey of global learning standards. 
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A Confederate memorial is to be removed from Arlington National Cemetery in northern Virginia in the coming days, part of the push to remove symbols that commemorate the Confederacy from military-related facilities, a cemetery official said Saturday.
Public schools in Portland, Oregon, must take certain things into account when they discipline students. Portland Public Schools will now require staff to consider the race, gender identity, and sexual orientation when disciplining a student who gets in trouble.
We moved to a good school district. The area was growing. Built for families like ours, all of the public schools in the area received “A” or “8/10” ratings. There were two very expensive and very fancy private schools in the area. It was an idyllic place to raise children.
We know it as the War of 1812, but I prefer to call the events of 1812-1815 the Second American Revolution.
A mom who refuses to put her kids in school has revealed that she lets her baby play in and eat mud to help build a healthy immune system.