Mrs. Colbert and her son

Report: Colbert Stops Show for Mom

Oh where, oh where could Stephen be?! That was the question being hurled around by fans of comedian Stephen Colbert’s The Colbert Report after the show abruptly halted production this week “due to unforeseen circumstances.” The New York Post cited a source Friday that said the show was put on hold as Colbert tended to his ailing 91-year-old mother, who lives in Charleston, S.C. “They are a very private family,” the source told the paper of the Colberts. Stephen is the youngest of 11 children. Colbert told audiences on Monday that he had just returned from a week in South Carolina before the show was snipped later in the week. The show is said to return as early as next week, according to the source. (Source:The Daily Beast and The New York Post.)

An update at Christmas

Following is an e-mail I sent to family members today:

Hello family members,
Last night I was feeling quite low. This will be the first Christmas in 57 years without Mary. I know that all of you miss her very much in different ways, especially Wynn and Martha. Daughters have a special relationship with their mothers that no one else can come close to equaling, no matter the relationship. I also talked earlier in the evening with Billy Rogers, the oldest son of Jim and Jo Rogers, family friends for over 50 years in Hanahan. Jim is not doing well. They will bring him home from the hospital on Friday and put a hospital bed in the master bedroom. Hospice will be in attendance. It is not a happy time for our dear friends. This information was not helpful to my psyche.
I tried to busy myself around the apartment, but there is only so much you can do in such a small place to keep busy. I tried the TV but nothing held my interest. Then I went to the few books I kept when I closed out the house in Hanahan (and gave almost 700 books to the Friends of the Library in Berkeley County.) I hung onto the few books about the Green Bay Packers, as I had been a fan since my teen years. Last night, I chose Mike Shropshire's sports classic, "The Ice Bowl," and opened the book to chapter 13. The early chapters discussed the Packers and Dallas Cowboys, the seasons they had and how they came to be playing on the frozen tundra of Lambeau field on this last day in 1967.
I remember that day as if it was yesterday. Frankie and James and I were glued to the black and white TV we had in the den at 1128 John Rutledge. Patrick was six and Martha was three. (Wynn was in the future.) They and Mary were elsewhere in the house. Mary was fixing Sunday dinner which we would eat in late afternoon, early evening, "after the game."
The sunrise temperature In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reached the lowest December reading since 1924. At game time in Green Bay it was 13 degrees below zero. The field heating system failed. The Packers got off to an early lead but soon it disappeared and at halftime it was only 14-10 in favor of the Packers. On the first play of the 4th quarter, Dan Reeves threw a halfback-option pass to a wide open Lance Rentzel and Dallas went ahead 17-14.
The clock kept running and with 4:35 left in the game the Packers took over.They were 68 ice-choked yards away. Frankie, James and I saw there, watching, hoping, praying and probably biting our fingernails. We were not talking. We were as serious about that game as the players on the field. With thirteen seconds left on the game clock the Packers were 13 inches from their third straight NFL title. Starr called time out, the last one the Packers had, and went to the sidelines. Only much later would we learn what was said between he and Vince Lombardi.
And then Starr brought the Packers up to the line and was barking signals. Chuck Mercein, filling in at fullback for the inured Don Grabowski, expected to get the ball. He charged forward and saw Starr dive into the line clutching the ball in his arms and Mercein threw his arms up in the air as the referee signaled "touchdown." The boys and I were ecstatic, we hooped and hollered and hugged and brought everyone in the house to the den to see what was going on. It was the best afternoon the boys and I had ever shared together and today, 44 years later, reading about that day and remembering the shared moments lifts and brightens my spirits and gives me renewed energy. It was a great moment in Packers history but more important to me it was a great moment shared with two sons. To this day the memory is an enchanted moment you had to personally live to fully appreciate.
*****
About ten years ago, Mary and I went to Lambeau Field on our driving trip to Alaska. A docent took us and some others on a tour of that fabled stadium. When she got us into the stands she pointed to an end zone and asked, "Does anyone know what that is?" I was quicker off the mark than Jerry Kramer when he threw the block on Pugh to open the hole for Starr, "That's where Bart Starr dove to glory in the Ice Bowl," I said.
Everything in my life is going well. My health is good. I watch my weight, although I periodically have to seriously back away from the table. I am fortunate to live in a nice community surrounded by many fine people and enjoy a good reputation among them. I am optimistic about the upcoming new year, for myself, my country and hopefully all of you.
I pray and hope the Christmas season will bring happiness to each of you and that the coming year will be one of the richest in your life.
Love
Dad/Bud/Arch

Only in America

Excuse me, but only in America could you have "Monday Night Football" on Thursday, ESPN, 8 pm EST, Channel 7 in Charleston, SC, area.

Readers' responses

Sometimes I get responses to a blog entry so fast it makes me think I touched a sensitive nerve. Such was the case on Sunday, August 6, when I blogged against some lawmakers expressing an inclination to change the Constitution (see below)to deny citizenship to children born in the United States of parents who are illegal immigrants. These were some of the early comments, in agreement with and opposed to my views, including a boilerplate response from Senator Lindsey Graham, (R-SC). (References to the baby refer to the picture which accompanied the blog entry. I alternated the typeface to make it easier to read.)

I am p....d off at Lindsay Graham also. I think he is a blockhead for supporting Kagan.
(Semi-retired businessman in Virginia.)

Just a quick line to applaud your latest. I spent an hour last night trying to prove Obama was born in the U.S. I always try to remember what my Dad use to say "sometimes the best revenge is to leave them stupid." Hang in there pal.
(SC Businessman)

I hope you sent this to those chowder heads!!
(Retired SC physician)

Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate the opportunity to hear from you.
In spite of the high volume of mail I receive daily, I look forward to reviewing your correspondence and providing a personal response as soon as possible.
As we continue our work in the 111th Congress, I look forward to supporting our troops in the War on Terror, repairing our economy and creating jobs, strengthening Social Security, lowering the tax burden on American families, and making the federal government more accountable and efficient.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may be of further assistance to you or your family, and if you need immediate assistance, please call my office at 202-224-5972. If your correspondence pertains to a scheduling request, please fax your request to (202) 224-3808.
Sincerely,
Lindsey Graham (U.S. Senator)

I am P......d too! Loved the PHOTO! Keep your COOL... (SC Lady)

Thanks again for your views and comments. I agree with you completely. I like the photo!
(Retired SC man)

If they are the children of illegal immigrants. they are illegal ,also. And I'm totally exasperated with that blockhead, Obama, who is burdening our children, grandchildren and ,probably, great, great, great grandchildren with enormous debt. I'm p****d off, too!!!!!!!!!!!!
(SC Lady)

Could not agree more. Lindsey Graham has made some courageous decisions to cross party lines but in this case I think he is simply seeking a gimmick to pander to the right. Love that baby!
(SC Lady)

Welcome to the club. All the guys you named should be out on the street as far as I am concerned, especially Graham. P.S. Moreover, I think this jerk pictures himself as President!
(Former federal employee)

Well, there ARE those of us who are NOT "blockhead" (I AM, after all, an ex-cop who feels just as strongly about cop killers and the like) but remain equally as pissed off at this "INVASION" of illegals into our...OUR...sovereign nation! Just because our gutless, inside-the-beltway, totally PC'd, so-called leaders (on both sides of the aisle) refuse to do what it'll take to stop this tidal wave of immigrants flooding over the border, doesn't (shouldn't) mean we cannot WISELY, in my view, amend things such that by sneaking across our border to "drop a kid" no longer REWARDS these illegals with granting their newborn fetuses with automatic, constitutionally protected US citizenship! That's NONSENSE and absolutely NOT in the spirit of what our Founding Fathers had in mind nor could've possibly foreseen the times we now face. The drain on our economy (ask California), the effect on our diminishing culture ("press one for English, two for SPANISH!!!), not to mention the dangerous ease of passage for WHOEVER wants to jump aboard this American bandwagon - - be their intentions good or evil (even draconian) - - is one of the biggest threats we face in my opinion. We OWE our children and grandchildren better...much better...than what we're leaving behind.
Just another point of view...from one who's actually made hundreds and hundreds of felony arrests in his day of the other criminal filth in this country you rightfully mentioned. There are American citizens down near the border, on US soil, being slaughtered by illegals involved with the Mexican drug cartels...I care more about THEM and THEIR constitutional rights than I do ANY of these ILLEGALS, who show none of us an ounce of respect nor regard for our sovereignty...and then laugh at us by hiding behind such an out-of-step, antiquated law and DEMAND their "rights???" That's crap and WHY the Founding Fathers established the process to amend things in the first place.
So, I do not consider as "blockheads" those you mention just because they wish to address - - LEGALLY - - an ever growing, serious problem!
(Retired federal employee)

I am totally exasperated with SC Senator Lindsey Graham. Yes, and just when he was about to get on my good side for supporting Elena Kagan! If we want to punish evil doers let's start with some real, honest-to-God criminals and not pick on new-born babies simply because moma and papa came across the Rio Grande to cut lawns in Southern California, wash dishes at Aspen, Colorado or pick tomatoes in South Carolina. What the h@^l makes us think it's "our" country, anyway - just because we had the good sense to pick 'mericans for parents? And . . . .if we could bother to send some agricultural, educational, economic and health care foreign aid to countries that really need it (not talking bombs and guns here), most people would be happy staying where they are, if there was a way to have a meaningful life!
Yeesh!
(A SC Lady in the ministry)

That's the problem that RR, GB 1, and GB 2 left us who care about exploitation, justice, and mercy. The Democrats cannot ignore those problems just because the Republicans care to. All of us have quite a few tigers by the tail. I, for one, sure as hell don't have the answer. It seems to me there a’int no quick fix.
(Retired college president)

This little baby expresses my sentiments exactly!!!
(Graduate of my High School)

(See the complete blog here.)

Where to play the game

Moderate weather fans were thrown a bone this week when the NFL announced the 2014 Super Bowl will be played in New Jersey.
On cue came the cries of the purists who believe that weather ought not to play a role in determining the outcome of the game. Since the first game was played back in 1968 the league has always chosen a warm climate – California, Florida, New Orleans, Atlanta - for the game.
The decision to play in New Jersey where the forecast for game day in 2014 is temperature in the low thirties, strong winds, and maybe snow, was in part a reward for the new stadium in New Jersey.
All of this is much ado about nothing. To really even things out for having favored warm weather teams these past 43 years the league should put the game in Green Bay.
Remember the NFL championship game between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys played on the frozen tundra on December 31, 1967, when the pre-game wind-chill was minus 70 degrees? By kickoff time knowledgeable weather men in Green Bay were on the plane to the Fijis. The stout-hearted were in Lambeau Field.
With a little over four minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Bart Starr started the Packers on a drive to the end zone 68 ice covered yards away.
Did the weather influence the game? Green Bay fans say, nah: ‘both teams had to play in the same conditions.’ Dallas fans respond: ‘that’s like saying the swimmer and shark were equal since they were both in the water.’
When Starr dove into the South end zone with 13 seconds on the clock his winning touchdown created one of the most memorable moments in NFL history for the Packers, Starr and the fans.
This is what football is all about. Regular season games are played in warm climates, moderate (for football anyway) places like New Jersey and Pittsburgh, and then where real men get tested: Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Super Bowl ought to get the same billing.
(From my blog.)

Why there is no room at Blair House

A reader in New Hampshire referred me to a story in The New York Times, published December 12, 2008, explaining why President-elect Obama and his family could not use the Blair House starting in early January. The story says, "The Obamas were told that they could move into Blair House on Jan. 15, but no earlier, because it is booked, an Obama transition official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. 'We explored the idea so that the girls could start school on schedule,' the official said. 'But there were previously scheduled events and guests that couldn’t be displaced.'"
"White House officials declined to disclose specifically who is using Blair House during that period, for what purpose or how they could take precedence over the president-elect of the United States when it came to government housing; one White House official would say only that it had been booked for 'receptions and gatherings' by members of the departing Bush administration. Those receptions, the official said, 'don’t make it suitable for full-time occupancy by the Obamas yet.'"

Brett Favre - Green Bay Packers

My youngest child asked me recently for my take on the Brett Favre situation. She said her husband who knows of my great admiration for Favre is curious. The question forced me to pull my thoughts together on the great Green Bay Packers quarterback and his decision to “Un-retire” and play again.

Several years ago some players squawked about their contracts and wanted them enhanced. Favre was quoted as saying that men ought to keep their word and live up to the contracts as written. My reaction to his retirement is in the same vein: he made his decision and told everyone who needed to know. Based on this the Packers leadership made their decision to go with his backup, Aaron Rogers, and begin a new era. Now Favre wants to play again and be the number one QB at Green Bay. I love Brett Favre for all the thrills he gave us over the years and for leading the Packers back to the Super Bowl. But I also believe he should live up to his decision. He gave his word he was done. Let it be. The Packers owe him more than money can ever repay but they too have rights and other obligations. They should not backtrack at this late stage and tell Rogers he has to sit again for another year. It is not fair to that young man. His time has come. He deserves the chance to prove himself.

The Packers also ought not to have trade Favre to his team of choice if in doing so they will endanger their changes of winning the division title and going on to the playoffs and maybe the Super Bowl. The whole thing may play out next week and be resolved in a matter of days. What ever Favre does, including playing elsewhere for someone else, I will continue to admire his accomplishments, but I will also continue to be a fan of the Green Bay Packers.

PsyOps in Green Bay

PsyOps, long thought as the domain of the CIA and military intelligence, are part of the Green Bay Packers bag of tricks. In the first quarter of Saturday's game against Seattle, temperature 31 degrees and snowing, the Green Bay employee who drove the cart used to take injured players off the field was wearing short pants as he drove an injured Seattle player to the clubhouse. Seattle players and sideline personnel stared at him as they stood shivering in the cold.

Integrity remains in fashion

Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, might have more Super Bowl rings than Vince Lombardi but he trails far behind the legendary NFL coach of an earlier time in integrity. I believe he also lacks the self-confidence Lombardi had in himself. When the unknown Lombardi was announced as the choice of the Packers screening committee, a member of the executive board asked , "Who the hell is Vince Lombardi?" When he showed up for work, Lombardi said, "I want it understood that I'm in complete command." And he never looked back, and he never covertly spied on the opposition.