New Jersey Democrat Senator Frank Lautenberg’s decision to retire from the Senate in 2014 election means the upper chamber will soon say good-bye to its last veteran of World War II. However, the war lives on in the House, as Congressman Ralph Hall, a Republican from Texas, and Democrat John Dingell of Michigan, are still leading the charge.

In 1972, there were 22 World War I veteran’s still serving including Michael Mansfield , a Democrat from Montana, who at 14 dropped out of school and lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Navy. He went on several overseas convoys on the USS Minneapolis, until discharged when the Navy discovered his real age. He was the last known congressional veteran of the war to die before reaching the age of 100, which was in 2001.

As for the last surviving World War I vet to have ever served in Congress, that is Navy Lt. Cmdr. Edouard Izac from 1937 to 1947. He passed away January 25th, 1990 at 100 years of age.

Incidently, the California Democrat received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the “war to end all wars.”

As a rule I try to keep things simple when it comes to gift-giving holidays. But at times, the snowball-effect takes control.

Every holiday, my wife says, “Don’t get me anything.” And every holiday, I go look at the bathroom mirror to see if the word ‘stupid,’ is stenciled on my forehead.

It’s not.

This Valentine’s Day, I found a nice card for my wife, and then realized – her sister is visiting, so I got an appropriate card for her too. Then it occurred to me our room-mate might feel left out if I didn’t get her a card too.

With three cards in hand, I returned home only to find, our roomie had purchased roses for my wife and her sister and a box of candy for me. Furthermore, my wife got me even more candy and a card and my sister-in-law gave me a music CD.

*Sigh*

So now I’m sitting here, contemplating simplicity, rocking out to my CD and eating chocolate bon-bon’s until I slip into a sugar coma.

 

The outage began Monday evening and left thousands of AT&T customers in Northern Nevada without internet, cell phone and some landline phone service. Calls to 911 were also among those affected.

The effected area stretched from Ely to Reno and Sparks. The company says a computer software problem in AT&T’s Reno central office triggered the problem.

Crews restored nearly all service late Tuesday night but ended up working overnight to get the final few back on-line. Many complain that while next-door neighbors were able to use the Internet, service to some home’s and businesses didn’t return until early Wednesday morning.

It’s enough to cause conspiracy theorist’s to have a stroke.

Melancholia is the label often given to the state of a person’s lingering sadness in the 19^th century. In fact, it’s said President Abraham Lincoln “dripped of melancholy.”

This lingering sadness was common as intelligence, confidence, honesty or a lack thereof. Both Mark Twain and O. Henry lived with the condition.

And they both used it to their advantage when writing. It was simply a part of their personalities.

Today, it’s generally known as severe depression or even bipolar disorder.

Many of us are in this state, severe or not, for one reason or another. Therefore, dragging one’s self out of the affliction is part of most folk’s daily routine.

Humor is an important part of this process – seeing the funny side to a situation – including an unimaginably horrible one. Many stand-up comedian’s make a living using this technique, twisted or not..

After all even a newborn baby responds happily to laughter.

Before Colin Kaepernick, there was Glenn Carano. The Reno Silver Legacy’s Director of Marketing was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys for seven seasons, from 1977 to 1983, including two Super Bowls and a championship ring.

Carano was with the Cowboys when they pounced on the Denver Broncos, 27-10 during Superbowl XII January 15, 1978. He returned to the big show for Superbowl XIII, January 21, 1979, where Dallas lost a heartbreaker to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 35-31.

He was a highly touted player coming into the NFL. Carano was a star at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and was a second-round draft pick by the Cowboys, being picked between running back Tony Dorsett and wide receiver Tony Hill.

Carano appeared in 36 games in his NFL career completing 21 of 57 passes with three touchdowns and one interception. He made one start in December 1981, filling in for an injured Danny White, leading the Cowboys to a 37-13 win over the Baltimore Colts.

With that single start, Carano exited the NFL an undefeated quarterback and I’ve been unable to find any other player who can make the same claim. In 1984, he signed with the Pittsburgh Maulers of the US Football League and played one season before retiring.

He was born William Arnold Schneible, but people across the U.S. knew him better as “Wild Bill Cody.” He passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack at his home on Christmas Day 2012.

Born in Denver, February 8, 1949, he graduated from Cathedral High in 1967. Bill served honorably in the U.S. Coast Guard for nine years as a radioman and communications specialist.

Last night, we gathered at the Bully’s on the corner of Pyramid and McCarran in Sparks, to honor his legacy with the “1st Annual “Wild Bill Cody” Coors Cheer.  Bill was an avid fan of that particular brew as both were from Colorado.

While there, I took a few photographs of those in attendance. I also snapped a shot of a picture of him in his Madonna get-up, he used in a television commercial in the 80’s,  later posting it to Facebook.

That photo has gone viral as people from Ohio, Illinois, Colorado and Louisiana have reached out to say how much they enjoyed his antics and loved the man.

In Reno, he allowed himself to be buried alive for 56 hours in an oxygen-fed casket six feet underground, while broadcasting in front of Circus Circus to raise $20,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.  Later, he washed all 3,791 exterior windows at Circus-Circus for Camp Lotsafun.

Bill pogo’d 20 miles, pushed a peanut with his nose along Virginia Street, hit a golf ball from Carson City to the Reno Arch, sat in all 26,000 seats at the University of Nevada stadium, and collected 14 tons of food for the food bank by rocking in a rocking chair for 96 hours. Yeah — he was that kind of guy.

He’s resting at  Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver.

While meeting with the radio station’s program director, I also met our newest staff member whose taking on the massive task of bringing the station into the 21st century as our social-media specialist and consultant. She and I had only known of each other through blogging and Facebook.

As we shook hands, she questioned, “Oh, so you’re Dash?”

I immediately thought, “How the hell did she know I used to be a sprinter?”

Then she explained: “You always sign your news postings on Facebook with a dash mark before your last name.”

Mystery solved — and now — I have a new nickname.

The last time I made a New Year Resolution, I was in my teens I believe. I’ve never needed to make them as I pretty much do exactly as I say I will do and that’s the end of it.

Resolutions aside, in December I promised the writer in me that I’d keep my thoughts on politics to myself. I do find it hard to not write about and share my opinions on the state of my community, Nevada or our nation.

Jus’ thought I’d complain.

It becomes a small world when I think of how many people and placed in my life connect me with the U.S. space agency, NASA. From my Uncle Orville, to my Godfather Bud, as well as my friend Kay, and the fact that I live nearby the test site for the Saturn 5 rocket boosters.

But it does no good for me to tell about this when no one else writes down their stories. It’s ashame too, because there are so many great stories walking around and not being shared.

All I can do is stay at my tiny desk and work out the details of my life, but I cannot write about yours.

Arthur Miller divorced his first wife June 11th, 1956 after spending his six-week residency in Sutcliffe at the Pyramid Lake Guest Ranch. He married Marilyn Monroe about three weeks later.

While at the ranch he watched a group of cowboys round-up some wild horses. This inspired a short story in the October 1957 edition of Esquire magazine.

It later led to the screenplay that starred Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach, Thelma Ritter, and Kevin McCarthy, and directed by John Huston and produced by Frank Taylor. The “World Premiere” was held January 31st, 1961 at the Granada Theater in downtown Reno.

Many people believe the film, while a tragic subject, also lead to tragic endings for many in the cast. While it is true only 12 days after filming wrapped, Gable died, other cast members went on working for years afterwards.

Marilyn, eventually divorced Miller on January 20, 1961, and started filming “Something’s Got to Give,” in 1962. She died August 5th, 1962 as result of a suicide, albeit under mysterious circumstances and the scenes from the film were later used in the 1963 documentary, “Marilyn,” narrated by Rock Hudson.

Clift’s film career also did not end with “The Misfits.” Released in late 1961, “Judgment at Nuremberg,” was followed a year later by John Huston’s “Freud,” with Clift’s last film, a 1966 French production billed as the “The Defector.”

After some 20 years in the movie business, Thelma Ritter died February 5th, 1969, her last appearance being on “The Jerry Lewis Show,” January 23rd, 1968. Kevin McCarthy went on to starring in another 23 television and film productions before his death September 11th, 2010.

Oddly, McCarthy’s final appearance in, “The Ghastly Love of Johnny X,” was released nearly two-years after his death.

As for Eli Wallach, he continues to work.  In 2010, Wallach portrayed Julie Steinhardt , in  “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps,” directed by Oliver Stone, and starring Michael Douglas and Shia LeBeouf.