The Writer's Life 4/16 - Departures

RIP R. Lee Ermey, 74, whose military career led to a long run in TV and movies. At 17 he was given a choice by a judge - jail or the service. He chose wisely. He spent eleven years in the Marines, 14 months in Vietnam, where he earned several medals. From 1978-'86 he appeared in only four films. Hired as an adviser for Full Metal Jacket (1987), his insight impressed Stanley Kubrick so much that the director cast him as the drill instructor, which led to nomination for a supporting actor Oscar. He is the best aspect of that otherwise disappointing film. From there his fortunes skyrocketed. He has 124 titles listed under his name at IMDb. Most of the roles are figures of authority.  Here are two quotes attributed to him: "It's my firm conviction that when Uncle Sam calls, by God we go, and we do the best that we can." "You can take a man out of the Corps, but you can't take the Corps out of the man." And here's one from Full Metal Jacket that isn't laced with profanity: "You're so ugly you could be a modern art masterpiece!" Well done, sir. Thank you.

RIP NBA Hall of Famer Hal Greer, 81. In 1955 he was the first black to play at a public college in West Virginia, where he starred at Marshall. He was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals, who later became the 76ers, and was a rare player who spent his entire career with a single franchise. In 15 seasons he averaged 19.2 points, five rebounds and four assists per game. In the playoffs he upped his scoring average to 20.4. He was a ten-time all-star, named game MVP in 1968. He guided the Sixers to the championship in 1967. In 1996 he was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. I'll always remember how the PA announcer simply said: "Greer" whenever the man scored. Well done, sir.

Here's a great pic of prom night in Minnesota:

The floating book shop opened three hours later than usual today. What a contrast there was between conditions during the storm and mid afternoon. My thanks to the gentleman who purchased The Twilight Zone Revisited. Special thanks to the woman with the bewitching eyes, who bought a discounted copy Present and Past that contains a couple of errors. Self consciously, I felt compelled to tell her there was a lot of sex in it, and she said she didn't mind. 

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