I used to work with a fellow who sometimes teased me that he read something thoughtful in a day's edition. I told him a parakeet is the only living thing that should have USA Today in their possession for any length of time. And we know what they do with that.
All of this a little harsh, because I did pick up the edition that was gratis (and I still do if I can) and actually did read something that I saved, and copied into what then was going to be book on out quotes, things I've read that I thought were worth mentioning and remembering.
The "book" is no longer being compiled because I now do this, post a blog entry. But I still have the collection of tidbits I compiled on a thumb drive and occasionally search it for something I remember.
I was astounded today when I retrieved what I was looking for. It was something I read in a May 21, 2002! edition of USA Today. And yes, I remember the business trip as well.
A reporter, Mike Lopresti, quite accurately stated at the time:
There were but 11 Triple Crown winners in the last century, only three in the last 54 years. And with Seattle Slew’s passing the other day, all of them are dead. This we know because living Triple Crown champions are kept track of like ex-presidents and Titanic survivors.
It took until 2015 that the Triple Crown winner count inched up one to now stand at 12. But the point was made. We do follow these things. And the people who write obituaries follow these things for a living. Since 2002, I've read the last of the Titanic survivors has passed away.
When I read Mr. Lopresti's statement I wondered if anyone was someday going to be given credit for being one of the last survivors of the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11.
Somehow, I think no. I mean, there were 25,000 of us who got out of thoses building alive. They did establish a bit of a tracking system to get in touch for medical problems, but I'm sure it's hardly 100% complete. Twenty-five thousand cats is waaaay too many to keep track of.
Relatively smaller population numbers work best. Take criminal gangs that pull off historic heists. I don't know how many were really in the crew that pulled off the JFK Luthansa heist in 1978, but when one of the known members goes, their role in the heist is mentioned in their bylined, news obituary, if they are notable enough to get one.
I was reminded of all this when I read in the NYT that Gordon Goody, 85, a leader of the gang in Britain's Great Train Robbery passed away, leaving only two surviving members of the 15 who took part in the 1963 hijacking of the train that netted them what today would be $50 million. Cash.
Their way of stopping a high-speed, moving train was apparently the simplest of things. They covered the green signal with a glove, and powered a red glow from the stop signal with a battery. All aboard.
Epic heists create legends, and Mr. Goody was a legend. He apparently served 12 years of a 30 year sentence, and lived out his life quietly and in near-anonymity in Mojacar, Spain, owning and running a beach-front bar.
Because someone is keeping track of this, rest assured, time will tell when we hear of the demise of the other two members of the gang. What you'd like to be is the 16th member of the gang that no one knows about, who didn't do time, and who got and kept most of the money.
Sometimes, the best part of living can be dying, and no one knows what you did.
http://www.onofframp.blogspot.com
When I read Mr. Lopresti's statement I wondered if anyone was someday going to be given credit for being one of the last survivors of the World Trade Center collapse on 9/11.
Somehow, I think no. I mean, there were 25,000 of us who got out of thoses building alive. They did establish a bit of a tracking system to get in touch for medical problems, but I'm sure it's hardly 100% complete. Twenty-five thousand cats is waaaay too many to keep track of.
Relatively smaller population numbers work best. Take criminal gangs that pull off historic heists. I don't know how many were really in the crew that pulled off the JFK Luthansa heist in 1978, but when one of the known members goes, their role in the heist is mentioned in their bylined, news obituary, if they are notable enough to get one.
I was reminded of all this when I read in the NYT that Gordon Goody, 85, a leader of the gang in Britain's Great Train Robbery passed away, leaving only two surviving members of the 15 who took part in the 1963 hijacking of the train that netted them what today would be $50 million. Cash.
Their way of stopping a high-speed, moving train was apparently the simplest of things. They covered the green signal with a glove, and powered a red glow from the stop signal with a battery. All aboard.
Epic heists create legends, and Mr. Goody was a legend. He apparently served 12 years of a 30 year sentence, and lived out his life quietly and in near-anonymity in Mojacar, Spain, owning and running a beach-front bar.
Because someone is keeping track of this, rest assured, time will tell when we hear of the demise of the other two members of the gang. What you'd like to be is the 16th member of the gang that no one knows about, who didn't do time, and who got and kept most of the money.
Sometimes, the best part of living can be dying, and no one knows what you did.
http://www.onofframp.blogspot.com
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