Radly Balko, My New Internet BFF

I first heard of Radley Balko several years ago when the Blogfather linked to several articles he had written in defense of a wrongly accused man, Corey Maye. I have followed a number of other Blogfather links to Balko's writings, primarily about bad police no-knock drug raids. It wasn't until Prof. Reynolds went on vacation recently and had Balko as a regular substitute blogger that I had noticed his primary blog, The Agitator.

Since then I have been checking by the site regularly and now stop by each day. He always has some interesting non-political links. For instance, several days ago he pointed out one reason the newspaper business might be in such bad shape: there seems to be only one prop newspaper in all Hollywood. Then today he followed up with the explanation.

Further, today there were these click-worthy references. The Agitator is my new internet BFF.

O, Henry

Last Saturday was the centenary anniversary of William Sidney Porter's death. Today's Wall Street Journal has a nice article about Greensboro's most famous writer: His Writers' Workshop? A Prison Cell. I wrote some time ago about my favorite O. Henry story, "A Man About Town", here. It tells the story of Porter's search around New York to learn just precisely what a "man about town" was. At the end of the story he is struck by a car on the street and sent to the hospital. The story ends:

A hospital nurse laid a hand that was not particularly soft upon my brow that was not at all fevered. A young doctor came along, grinned, and handed me a morning newspaper.

"Want to see how it happened?" he asked cheerily. I read the article. Its headlines began where I heard the buzzing leave off the night before. It closed with these lines:

"Bellevue Hospital, where it was said that his injuries were not serious. He appeared to be a typical Man About Town."

There has always been a little confusion between the name of the candy bar "O'Henry" and the writer "O. Henry". When the Grasshoppers opened the new stadium downtown they had an area called the "O'Henry" something-or-other, and I pointed out to them that was like Baltimore recognizing the great baseball player Baby Ruth. In short order and with a nod to economy, "O'Henry became "O, Henry".

UPDATE:
Here is a photo of O, Henry. Note the reused apostrophe.

Updated Update for 50th High School Reunion

Lynn Black and I mis-communicated and she didn't get my updated Bio for the Greensboro High School Class of 1960 Reunion booklet, but never fear, here it is for all of you who just can't wait:

After we all got together at high school graduation, I graduated from Clemson University in chemical engineering, married my high school sweetheart Ann Winchester, got a graduate degree from Clemson, worked for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati for a year, defended Baltimore harbor from the Viet Cong for two years while in the Army, and returned to Greensboro in 1968 to work for Dow Corning Corp. In 1971 I joined Greensboro Printing Company and worked there until it closed in 2001. (We zigged when we should have zagged.) After a stint as a salesman(?) with a printing company in Charlotte, between unemployment and retirement, I attended the Fine Furnituremaking Course at Rockingham Community College, and then I officially retired in 2007.

Ann and I were divorced in 1977 with no children. (Ann passed away from MS in 2002). After 13 years of marriage and 13 years of single-hood, I remarried in 1900 to Brenda Brewer and acquired two teen-age step-children. Brenda and I were divorced in 2003 and I have been single since.

As to hobbies and interests, I have been interested in photography since high school and am currently trying to make the transition to digital technology. I have made furniture as a hobby for many years and particularly enjoyed learning how to do it right at the RCC woodworking program. I have traveled extensively in Ireland and Spain and made several other interesting trips to France and Germany, and one particularly memorable seven-day-two-night business trip to Israel in 1998. I have almost given up my dream of winning the US Open golf championship after never
getting my handicap below 15, but maybe there is still hope. And, let's see, seven more years of single-hood then I should be ready to marry again in 2016, if the 13-year cycle holds up.

I look forward to renewing friendships from a half-century ago. High school was a special time for me. (Actually, life has been a special time for me!), I hope we have a memorable reunion.

If Only High School Had Been Like This!

I'm going to my high school 50th reunion this weekend. I've written before about what high school should have been like here and here. Today's example is here. Those health films could have been much more interesting learning the Heimlich Maneuver and How to Do CPR.