lifeasdaddy

My boyhood hero: World bantamweight boxing champion Lionel Rose.

World bantamweight boxing champion Lionel Rose in training, 1968, originally uploaded by National Archives of Australia.

Citation NAA: A1500, K18448

Lionel Rose won the title by defeating Fighting Harada in February 1968.

I remember watching the fight on television. We lived in Pascoe Vale South, not far from Essendon where he trained in the gym of his trainer and mentor Jack Rennie. What brought Rose even closer to home was his friendship with Maurie Greene who owned the butcher shop 3 doors down from our place in Anderson Street.

Mr. Rose was a regular visitor to Maurie's house behind his shop, as they were good friends and used to go on shooting trips together. I have vivid memories of Mr. Rose driving a huge (by then Australian standards) American car in and out of the laneway behind our place.

He wore army surplus greens for his hunting trips, and used to stop and chat with my brother and I. He would also sign autographs for we kids, and others in the neighbourhood who heard he was there. He also sometimes came into the shop run by my Mum and Dad, and Dad remembers him as a nice, quietly spoken man.

After his victory over Harada the enormous trophy, which was much bigger than I was, went on display in Maurie's shop and I remember my Mum taking me to see the trophy.

Like many pugilists Mr. Rose later fell on hard times - but he was my boyhood hero, and I still remember his kindness to my brother and I.

I've just looked up a photograph of the trophy, and it was every bit as big as I remember, here it's pictured in a Moomba parade float:

Mr. Rose was King of Moomba in 1973 and Australian of the Year in 1968.

  

Another Melbourne memory:  The headquarters retail store of the McEwans' hardware store in Bourke Street used to have a walk of fame, somewhat like Grauman's Chinese theatre, where famous Australians or visitors to Melbourne would be persauded to leave imprints of their hands and feet in cement.

Lionel Rose left his hand prints by pressing his clenched fists into the wet cement.  Later, I and I'm sure many Melbourne boys would go there and press our fists into the impressions to see how ours measured up to those of the great boxer. 

I understand that now that Bunnings have taken over the store that these have been moved to a wall inside the Bourke Street store.  I'll have to try them for size the next time I'm in town.

Added:  Here's a nice piece written in 2005 by that most Australian of writers Barry Dickens with whom I share a hero.

She's a good sportsman, I mean sportswoman, I mean sports person .... she's a good sport.

Her name is Mallory Holtman.

Her team is Central Washington University.

Her sport is softball.

She's a good sport.

Read it here.

[ tip from Kottke ]

The Luther Burger. Dying one bite at a time.

Kottke and Bauman were talking about burgers.

Apparently the Luther Burger is marketed as Baseball's best burger.

The sandwich has a hamburger patty topped with sharp chedder cheese and two slices of bacon with a sliced Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut as the bun.

I think the public health authorities here would demand a health warning in large type anywhere these were sold.

Apparently a versoin of the Luther Burger is available in Google New York's cafeteria.

I thought Google had a Don't be evil ethos?

Here's the exact Google reference in case you're interested.

Christmas in Australia

[ Again, this is late due to technical problems ]

It's Christmas Day.   

Preparations began last night with setting out a libation and a gingerbread biscuit for Santa and some water, a carrot and some magic reindeer food for his team.  The pic shows Edward taking a photograph of his tableau.

Then off to bed for our boy, to try to overcome excitement and get to sleep.

On Christmas morning we opened some gifts, including this fishing game for Ed from his Uncle Damian and Aunt Sharon.  It comprises a tin containing magnetic fish.  The fish are caught by Edward using his fishing rod with a magnet on the end.  Loads of fun.

Ed's Grandpa Alan gave him a Hotwheels kit with a hand-held launcher and a few cars. Wow.

Gabrielle and I gave Edward a bicycle, and Grandpa Roger gave him a helmet to preserve his brain.  This bike is decorated with a Lightning McQueen motif, currently one of Ed's favourite movie characters.

We hosted family Christmas luncheon and of course children brought along their newest and best Christmas things.  Eloise was very proud of her new swimming goggles.

When things had calmed down and our guests had gone Edward did some construction work with the wheelbarrow which was gifted by Aunt Jayne.

Later when some quiet time was needed it turned out that the wheel barrow was also a good resting place.  You'll note the more than somewhat glazed look in Edward's eyes.

lifeasdaddy - Today's podcast review.

What did two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion George Foreman dream about when he was a boy?

"...I always dreamed about not a car, not a beautiful home, but enough to eat." 

In this podcast from NPR and the Kitchen Sisters, poor people talk about how the George Foreman Grill is their kitchen.  Often in low-rent unfurnished rooms, they bu a Foreman Grill to cook on.

Then the Kitchen Sisters interview Foreman, and his delight in finding out his grill is helping poor people is just so plain to hear.

Here's the iTunes link:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=156274133&s=143441&i=12732622

Apart from that I've been listening to some pretty good dance music on iTunes this afternoon.

Great tribal house from DJ Anngelica:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=188541623&s=143441&i=13327675

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=188541623&s=143441&i=14008465

And from Radio 538 Dance Department in the Netherlands:

with Paul van Dyk:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=80488920&s=143441&i=18826452

with Scumfrog:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=80488920&s=143441&i=18627023

lifeasdaddy - What happens when a bunch of famous dead people get together?

They get CMG Worldwide to be their agent. 

And a few of the living famous and talented too.

lifeasdaddy - Federer and Nadal play on a half-grass, half-clay tennis court.

It was an exhibition match.  Here's the result.

Here's another view of the wacky tennis court.

lifeasdaddy - The story of Alex Graham and the Hornsby RSL Soccer Club

Peter FitzSimons writes a sports column for the Sydney Morning Herald.  Last Saturday, and again today, he made me cry.

Check out the story of Alex Graham in last week's column, and again today.

lifeasdaddy - Matthew McGough's first day on the job as a Yankees' batboy.

This one's good.  Really, really good.

Matt McGough tells the story of his first day on the job as a New York Yankees batboy.  He meets his hero Don Matingly ...  and here's the story.

[ tip from Kottke ]

lifeasdaddy - Golf podcasts, and a golf blog

I've recently rekindled my interest in golf.  I played lots of golf as a young man, but not so much in the past 15 years.

Now there's the internet and podcasts and blogs to add to all the old things which spur the obsession that is golf.

I was listening to some outstanding podcasts from GolfSmarter, hosted by Fred Greene.  They are so professionally produced, they are a welcome change from many of the amatuerish podcasts of all genres out there.

It's possible to subscribe to the podcasts via iTunes, or to listen to the podcasts directly from the Golfsmarter podcasts website. 

Since I can't link directly to the podcast (neither on the website nor on iTumes), if you want to listen to the ones I'm about to review, then go to the website, and scroll down to the podcast episode's date and click to listen.:

Apr 20 2006 - "Once you're on the course" with PGA director of instruction Joe Sievers. :

Here Sievers talks about mental attitude on the golf course, and the importance of playing the shot you are about to play.  Not the last shot, not the next shot, just the one you are about to play.  Sort of the power of positive thinking for golfers.  He explains it better than I can.  That's why the podcast takes about 20 minutes.

Apr 04 2006 - Jim Fazio, legendary course designer, on The Country Club of Oxford, a new project. :

Fazio has been designing golf courses for more than 40 years, and here talks about how he does it, his philosophy behind his designs and the practical aspects of building a new course, or redesigning an old one.  There's also hints for golfers on how to play his courses, and these probably apply to lots of other designers' courses too.  For reasons which are explained on the podcast, he also talks at length about The Country Club of Oxford, one of his most recent works.

Oct 31 2006 - David Leadbetter Academy Senior Instructor Aaron Fagan. :

Fagan talks about his experience working with Leadbetter, swing aids, and what to do during the months when golf cannot be played in cold (freezing) climates such as the northern U.S.

Dec 12 2006 - Playing the Top 100 courses in the world.:

This was probably the most enjoyable and fascinating of the podcasts.  It's an interview with a guy, who remains anonymous, who has made it his quest to play all 100 of the best golf courses in the world as rated on a particular list.  He writes his blog anonymously so that his frank opinions will not embarrass members who may have invited him to play a particular course as their guest.  He talks in the interview at length about how he came to start his mission, and about his favorite courses amongst the 100.  Expecially interesting are his hints about how to gain access to ultra private clubs.  The sense of irony and humour which is apparent from my subsequent reading of his blog also comes out in the interview, as is the sense of humour of the interviewer, Fred Greene.  It's easy for the listener to relate to the blogger, as he is of intermediate standard as a golfer, having a 16 handicap.

Here's his blog:

Playing the top 100 Courses in the World.

"One of the characteristics you need to play the top 100 golf courses in the world is an open mind, a great sense of curiosity and a love of golf, travel and adventure. It is in this spirit that I am always looking for new ways to get onto golf courses I haven't yet played."

and here's a  course he raves about in the odcast interview, one of his favourites, Sand Hills Golf Club.

ADDED:  For more on the Sand Hills Golf Club, see this analysis from golfclubatlas.com.  After noting how the course designers and builders have improved on nature, scroll to the bottom of that page for a stunning, nay shocking, photograph of a man belittled by the sand bunker in which he is standing.