The Crane Pool Forum

https://www.wsj.com/articles/henry-kiss ... _lead_pos1

Nice, balanced look at Kissinger's impact in the Wall Street Journal.

kcmets wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2023 12:49 pm

MFS62 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 30, 2023 11:31 amWe have three things in common, none of which had to do with his career or his politics. And certainly not his baseball team.

Lemme guess -- a) Jewish, b) US Army vets and of course c) Harvard
graduates (summa cum lala)?

Good guesses. Make it four - he lived in Washington Heights and did his undergrad at CCNY. I didn't go to Harvard.
Later

Sandra Day O'Connor, 93.

I wonder how many peeps will see her obit and learn that RGB was NOT the first female SC Justice.

Bad week for nonagenarian political legends.

Dated her future boss William Rehnquist while he was a classmate at Stanford, and a later biographer even unearthed a hitherto unknown marriage proposal from Rehnquist in their correspondence.

Denny Laine, 79.

https://variety.com/2023/music/news/den ... 235822263/

Norman Lear , 101

On Wednesday night, CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox, and the CW will run a simulcast of an “on-air memoriam card” at 8 p.m. to pay tribute to Lear, who died Tuesday at 101 years old.

The broadcast will be a tribute to the iconic TV writer and producer “in recognition of Norman Lear’s vast accomplishments and influence across television,” according to a statement from the networks.

Later

Have to remember to DVR that.

Ryan O'Neal, 82.

Nice looking guy…enjoyed his films.

My Dad's arch enemy.

Can you 'splain?

Benjamin Grimm wrote: ↑Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:07 am Can you 'splain?

He was banging Farah Fawcett? He was an enemy to all of us.
Later

Benjamin Grimm wrote: ↑Sat Dec 09, 2023 8:07 am Can you 'splain?

I thought I'd shared this before, but when Dad was the security director at The Regency, a bellhop came to his office and asked if he could have a security officer accompany him up to the O'Neal suite saying, "He's gonna kill her."

Apparently, Ms. Fawcett had called down to the desk asking that her bags be collected so she could check out, and when the bellhop arrived he found O'Neal to be physically restraining her. This was the bellhop's account, not my Dad's, so I gathered from "He's gonna kill her" that it had been a pretty brutal situation.

Dad went up with the porter and O'Neal answered with his fist clenched and asked "Who the hell are you?"

According to the bellhop, Dad's answer was "Mr. O'Neal, my name is Arthur Hoyt, we've met several times — I'm the director of security of this hotel, and if you don't unclench that fist in five seconds, you're going to be in more trouble than you or I are worth."

Two beats passed, and then Artie began calmly counting — "one, two, ..." and O'Neal stood down after two, and he said, "This lady has asked to check out and we're here to assist her."

He walked in in a manner that sort of cleared a path for the bellhop behind him and led the lady out, as she wore sunglasses to cover the facial bruising. As he led her to the cab, she asked that no charges be pressed. O'Neal was told that he would be checking out the next day by 10, but if he was so much as seen in the lobby that evening, he would be arrested. He was indeed gone the next day and not welcomed back. The other hotels in the area were given a head's up as to what kind of guest he was, but he must've stayed somewhere when he was in New York, and his insane life went on.

The story even took place this time of year, possibly to the day, around 1983-ish, I think. I was impressed to hear the story from a disinterested party. I never saw my Dad ever have to fight, because he didn't have to. He cut an impressive figure that I didn't inherit, and usually, counting was enough. Nobody ever stood down when I counted. When I counted, I usually made it all the way to five, and I damn well better be ready to back it up.

Here's a story I heard about Ryan O'Neal, and it's also not very flattering.

He was at some Hollywood party and was pretty drunk. He started hitting on a younger woman. The woman, absolutely appalled, said, "Daddy! It's me, Tatum!"

That story, or one very much like it, was apparently set at Ms. Fawcett's funeral. Both he and Tatum have publicly reported it.

So of the trio of father, daughter, and one-time son in law, John McEnroe somehow emerges as the most even-keeled of the three.

Give a kind thought to acknowledge the passing of Emmy-winning actor-dude Andre Braugher, who recently fled the plane at 61, following what was reported to be a "short illness," which continues to feel like code for Covid.

He was so very funny on Brooklyn Nine Nine.

Laura Lynch - 65 founding member of the Dixie Chicks - in an auto crash.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertai ... 021054007/

Later

Tommy Smothers, 86.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/27/arts ... -dead.html

G-Fafif wrote: ↑Wed Dec 27, 2023 12:12 pm Tommy Smothers, 86.

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/27/arts ... -dead.html

He made us laugh.
And think.
RIP

Later

Tom Smothers. I remember most The Who destroying their gear on their show