#hard bob beaufort

[nothingunrealistic]

KING: The fourth season of Billions just wrapped up on Showtime, and those places I mentioned — the NYSE, East River Park, Morgenstern’s, Una Pizza Napoletana — they became the sets in the drama we’ve come to love, focused on hedge fund billionaire Bobby Axelrod, and his longtime nemesis — and this season, his frenemy — former US Attorney for the Southern District and now State Attorney General Chuck Rhoades. Fictional characters. Real-life backdrops.

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KING: Mike Wagner’s also an athlete who likes to play injured. He’s drugged at the consulates of foreign governments. He gets plastered with Wendy Rhoades to console her about maybe losing her medical license. His pride is wounded after he dresses in drag on an ill-fated attempt to join Kappa Beta Phi.

WAGS: Michael Wagner. Maybe it’s just under Wags. I’m a neophyte. DOOR GUY: Not seeing it. WAGS: I have the invitation right here — NUSSFAUR: Say gorgonzola. Oh, you’re gonna look pretty in Page Six. WAGS: Nussfaur. You sent this. NUSSFAUR: For you to endure the humiliation, Wagner. Not of wearing a dress, but of being an interloper. A trespasser. A buttinsky. A social climber who has to watch the ladder pulled up right in front of your grasping, outstretched arms.

KING: “Wagner,” uttered like “Newman.” The guy is a glutton for punishment. What drives the man?

KOPPELMAN: First of all, David Costabile, who you mentioned earlier, is just such an incredible actor, and brings a humanity to Wags — because, you know, if we met the real-life Wags, I’m not sure we would be all that charmed by him. Wags is an incredibly loyal person. Um, you know, while we’re making the show, I don’t talk that much about what drives the characters in a forum that, um, that the actors might hear. I want the actors to be able to interpret it and ask questions, and I don’t want to lead them. I will say that we’re constantly asking ourselves the question of what drives people like this. What makes the pursuit of this particular kind of money, power, influence so alluring to a subset of people? Some people are — realize, at a certain point, they have enough and turn their attention to other interests. These are people seemingly incapable of not competing, incapable of leaving the game. So, Wags is certainly a loyal person. Axe means the world to him. Being in the game means a lot to him. Winning means a lot to him. But I think, this season, we saw Wags’ own sense of the impermanence of our time here. And I think that that’s a hint to, uh, part of his psychology.

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KING: It was such a wrenching season for [Wendy]. Every, every episode, you know, brought new challenges, you know, until the final one. I think the most brutal image of the whole season for me, based on, sort of, the way I think about life, is that lone moment in the Brooklyn townhouse. Chuck has come home after one of those later nights and sees the warm cherry pie on the kitchen island. Maggie is nowhere to be found. And, you know, he grabs his kitchen implements and is about to dive into it, as only Chuck can, before the real estate broker comes in. The way that Paul Giamatti gets into his method, did that pie have to be actually warmed to attract his nose?

KOPPELMAN: No. Also, it was an apple pie, but everybody, um… it’s great because it’s whatever pie you would most want to be there. It’s like the Rorschach pie. Like, whatever you think it would be. If you need it to be a warm cherry pie, then it was. It happened to be an apple pie. Um, no. I mean, these actors, they’re so… I mean, you’re talking about some of the best actors in the, in the world, some of the best actors ever to be on television. And no. Paul could play it… if I put one of these dusty old books there and said, “That’s a pie,” Paul could play that if he had to. And I was like, “We’re going to CGI the pie in later,” he’d be like, “Okay. No problem.”

KING: So congratulations on the wrapping of the fourth season. [KOPPELMAN: Thanks.] How does the weight that you felt during the season, and the corresponding lifting of that weight when the work is over, compare to three seasons prior?

KOPPELMAN: No, I mean, it’s always… I’m a totally different person during the season and not in the season. So, between seasons 3 and 4, David and I had about three days off. So, we finished season three and then we… so, you finish the shooting, but then — so everybody gets to go home, but David and I have to finish editing and mixing — with our, with editors and mixers. We have to finish the entire post-production process. And so, between seasons 3 and 4, Showtime asked us if, if we could get our show ready sooner. They had reasons that they wanted it on the air when they did. And we said, “Yeah, but we are gonna need two months after season four, or we can’t… we have to find a way to get away and let our brains begin to just imagine again and experience other things and just take long walks and swim.” You know, like, literally just do anything other than write Billions. And the second that the season is written, each time, the two of us can breathe. We feel such a heavy obligation to make it the very strongest version of the show that we can come up with. And that really starts with making sure that the scripts are great, and that we’re going to give these actors stuff that they really want to play, and that — we know we have these devoted fans. There are shows with a bigger audience, but there are not many shows with a more devoted audience of people who watch the show three, four, five times and pick up on every line and every reference and care deeply. So, we feel this tremendous… it’s not pressure because both of us are so grateful we get to do this, but it is… it feels like a duty and an obligation to serve all these people. So, the moment it’s written, we’re both able to sort of exhale and say, “Okay. Well, we’ve done that part.” Then we have to make sure that, you know, we realize that vision that we’ve laid out when we’re shooting and cutting it, but then we’re able to chill out.

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KING: But before we cast season 4, you know, into the Showtime archives, I just want to do a quick spin through some of the highlights [KOPPELMAN: Sure.] that I felt through, because we’re going to put this up in a couple days and people are still kind of processing things that they saw. Let’s start with Chickentown. Episode 3. Your homage to Chinatown and the vehicle that allowed Kelly AuCoin’s ascension really to a series regular and more screen time. Let’s hear a little clip from it.

[“Chicken Bill” plays] AXE: Bill. Bill, what are you about to do? DOLLAR BILL: What I always do for you: whatever I have to. WAGS: Yes, but specifically, what are you about to do right now? AXE: What’s in the bag, Bill, what’s in the bag? DOLLAR BILL: A capon with a case of H5N1B. Just enough to freeze transport on a few hundred thousand infected birds. Prices will skyrocket.

KING: H5N1B. Brian, how did you get smart on poultry to write that episode?

KOPPELMAN: You know, we have a writers’ room, Dave and I. And one of the writers told us about various chicken indices and the ways in which they’re, um, they’re forecast, you know, the amount of chickens is forecast. And we all just loved it. And then as soon as it came up, one of us, either Dave or me said, “Atlantic City.” We had to use the Springsteen song. And then the whole thing just flowed from there. That episode was, the first draft was written by Lenore Zion, who’s a credited writer on the episode. Did a great job. And, Kelly — by the way, Kelly AuCoin became a regular on the show at the end of last season. We made him a regular, um, because his work each season had just been so good. And each season we gave him a little bit more to do, and he always rose to the task. So, we were thrilled to make him part of the regular cast of the show. And he really delivered this year.

KING: A Proper Sendoff. Episode 5. I could watch David Strathairn forever, but Chuck sent him six feet under in style. And then you, you foreshadowed the finale with the way that Bobby sent John Rice out to sea. This device that you have of getting people out of their comfort zone or out of their control environment, leaving the phones in the, in the back of the SUV, getting out onto Bobby’s boat because they can have some real bro time together. In fact, it’s all part of the plot.

KOPPELMAN: Well, yeah. We’re going to use any… I mean, Levien likes to say we’re a snout-to-tail operation, and he’s right. We like to, we will use all, every part of the pig. And so, any storytelling device, we are going to take advantage of. Yeah, there are various ways in which we, we sort of foreshadowed the end of the season. And we’re always doing that too, you know. Um, the sites that write about the show will often point out that there’s — you know, if we, if there’s some casual little look between two characters, or there’s something said that you don’t quite… you know, if you think about season 2, when Chuck is out with Ira and these two women, Taiga and another one, it’s the first time you hear Ice Juice mentioned. Ira says something about, “I have these gift cards to Ice Juice.” And then that doesn’t play out until, you know, Episode 11 of the show, of that season. And so, we’re always looking to reward — like, the casual viewer can come in and just watch it and it’s entertaining and fun, but the more you bring to it and the more you’re in, the more we’re going to try to give you little treats along the way, little Easter eggs along the way, little things to pick up on to make it all add up for you at the end, that will reward your paying super close attention.

KING: Maximum Recreational Depth. That was Episode 6. You’re using Clancy Brown and Danny Strong at a urinal to unleash Hard Bob on Doug [Mason]’s dream of a business venture. We have the best urinal in town right around the corner. And April looked at it for potential for shooting that scene, but it wasn’t enough room for the camera. But, but this, the Hard Bob character was one of my greatest memories of walk-on this summer.

KOPPELMAN: Chelcie Ross is an incredible actor. And I mean, that’s one of those great things. David and I came up with the character, Hard Bob Beaufort, ten years ago. We just were sitting in this old office we used to have, which was atop of a bridge club. We had the top floor of this really old bridge club in Manhattan. And we would, one of us, we just started riffing one day on this… at the time, in our minds, he was, like, probably a Texas oil man, but we just had this idea of a guy named Hard Bob, who brooked no bullshit. And when we were, when we were writing this episode, we were sitting with Adam Perlman, one of our, who’s our lieutenant on the show, a co-executive producer of the show. And we were talking about Hard Bob Beaufort. And we realized, oh, we could use this character and, and take the character, instead of writing a whole thing about him, and put him in the middle of this. And it was incredibly satisfying to have Chelcie — and then immediately, that day, said, “The only guy who can play this is Chelcie Ross.” And then we went out and got him to do it, which was super exciting.

KING: And then there was Fight Night. Episode 8. A not-so-pivotal scene filmed right here at the New York Stock Exchange, but it got Stacey her first theatrical line. So, we were all giddy about that. But did you channel Sylvester Stallone when you were writing the boxing scenes?

[“T.N.T.” plays] RICH EISEN: That’s not legal. MENERY: I’m gonna be honest, viewers. This is probably one of the pussiest fights I’ve ever seen in my life. RICH EISEN: They stopped fighting before the bell. And now Mafee’s vomiting. JOCKO: You got to keep going right now! SPYROS: You got to keep going! JOCKO: Let’s go! Make it happen! DEONTAY: Keep going! SPYROS: You got to keep going! DEONTAY: Let’s go, baby! RICH EISEN: That’s the Bald Bull Charge from Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!

KING: I mean, might as well be Rocky 34.

KOPPELMAN: Big props to Rich Eisen and Bob Menery who commentated — [KING: Rich is great.] …on that stuff. Both those guys killed it for us.

KING: And then there was this finale, Extreme Sandbox. Let’s start with the extreme sandbox itself. Bobby gets a lot done by luring his targets out of town.

CHUCK: Off to…? WENDY: Uh. Day trip. With Rebecca. State changer. Or something. CHUCK: Good. Yeah. You let those shoulders drop. WENDY: I don’t think they’ll drop ‘til the exact terms of my suspension have been announced. And probably not ‘til it’s all over. CHUCK: While you’re gone, I will be hard at it trying to get those terms relaxed or done away. Would have been easier ahead of time. But there must be a lever out there.

KING: Let those shoulders drop. The helicopter brings them out to the extreme sandbox. You’ve got Mark Cuban in a cameo. And you filmed some great scenes there. Having Mark bring this idea into the show, what was the thought about bringing that device into the show?

KOPPELMAN: Well, Mark and I first met at a basketball camp for adults, like, eighteen years ago, and have been friendly ever since. And so, and Mark has been a great counselor to Dave and me, about billionaires, and about the psychology of billionaires, and so, and about the psychology of the business world. Each season, we sit down with Mark or we get on the phone and we sort of talk about the state of play. And we do that with a bunch of different people, but Mark’s one of the most valuable because he’s an insider and an outsider of the world, right? He’s wealthy… he’s as wealthy or wealthier than a lot of these people, but he doesn’t make his money in the way that they do. Yet he interacts with them all the time. So, he has great insight into the way billionaires in the hedge fund and private equity space and VC space live. And we, so, and then Mark was in seasons 2, 3, and then season 4. I think as long as we make the show, my guess is Mark will make an appearance each season. But he didn’t bring up extreme sandbox. What happens is, when we get the idea for what we want to have Mark do, we call him and we say, “Well, here’s what we’re thinking. Does it make sense to you?” And, um, extreme sandbox had come up in the room as a thing that they could… you know, we didn’t want Rebecca to take Wendy just to a spa. We didn’t want them to, you know, to just cut to them, putting mud masks on their faces, you know, the kind of thing that a show might do with two female characters. We wanted them to do something that was much more like, no, no, no, these are two alpha businesspeople who happen to be women. So, what would they, what would be be something different? Extreme sandbox came up. David and I loved the idea of that as an episode title, an idea, the idea of these people all living in an extreme sandbox or treating their lives like that. So, it worked thematically for us, metaphorically for us. So, when we called Mark, we were like, “Hey, can you help us make this happen?” And then he hooked us up with the extreme sandbox person. And then that all happened that way.

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KING: So, all this work starts anew in July. The writers’ room will reconvene. You’ve probably found or begun to assemble those that are going to spend all that time with you in that office as you crank out these twelve episodes. What are the first couple weeks like of blocking out a season?

KOPPELMAN: Sure. The first thing, David and I will usually have a couple of thematic ideas about the season. We’ll start talking to the room about that, getting their opinions. And we’ll try to come up with a idea that’s just for us, sort of a sentence about what the theme of the year is. And then we try to test the ideas, the story ideas against that theme, the character ideas against that theme. And, and, and that theme comes from the characters, comes from where we think the characters are and where they need to go. So, it’s a pretty the first few weeks are very open, very blue sky, let’s just figure out all the possibilities. And then we start honing it.

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KING: Your characters have experimented with all sorts of self-improvement techniques. Wags’ hugging therapy this season comes to mind. But simple meditation hasn’t seemed to work for any of them. And yet, it seems to work so well for you. Why?

KOPPELMAN: Well, I’m not sure it hasn’t worked for them. But, I mean, they’re successful on the terms they want to be, or at least Axe is, and he’s the one we see meditating the most.

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KOPPELMAN: Once in a while, like when we referenced what Rush albums are the best albums on the show, I’ll put something out there for a purpose, which is: I want to get the answer right. So I wanted to know what two different types of Rush fans would think. I knew what I thought, but I wanted to get answers. And so, I got a thousand answers to this question, you know, what are the four best Rush albums? And there, I was just trying to be very careful and respectful of Rush fandom, because Rush… as I said, that day, I’ve seen Rush seven times in concert. I’ve watched both documentaries multiple times, I know the albums by heart. But I’m not really a Rush fan compared to Rush fans. Rush fans are way, way more serious than I am. So, I just wanted to get the answer right for when Taylor and Axe were going to discuss it.

[uncannychange]

Haunt or Hoax: The Investigation Chronicles

As boys, Benjamin Payne, Henry Beaufort, and Gill West watched and laughed together at all the old “ghost hunter” programs on the Travel Channel.

Now, years later, they had gotten into their heads the idea of doing a latter-day version of that sort of thing on Patreon, only they would play it all as the foolishness it all was.

The series title was to be Haunt or Hoax: The Investigation Chronicles, with Benjamin and Henry as the stars and Gill as the cameraman, sound guy, and editor.

For their first episode, they found out about a huge, creepy old house in the North East that had been unsaleable for almost one hundred years because its original owner had been the head of some kook cult in the 1920s. They and his followers would get together and with the use of “essential salts” and some jibber jabber called up the spirits of people from the far past.

“It's just the kind of crapola that people eat up with a fork!” said Henry. Let's go!” said Benjamin and Gill, and they did.

After making arrangements and paying a fee, they were let in the indeed very creepy but still surprisingly sturdy old house, where they would be let to record for three full days and nights, especially nights.

The three entered what turned out to be a picturesquely decayed but otherwise dull empty old house.

They knocked about on the first two floors with Ben and Henry vamping and mugging for the camera as hard as they could, but knowing none of it would be impressive.

“It's a Good thing I dug up all those pictures and things from back in the 20s about the kooks that used to hang out here. I’ll just use them to spice up the footage,” said Gill. Yeah, we’re going to need something,” said Henry. This is getting rank.

Then they came to the single heavy door leading to the third floor, which the person renting them their short stay said was sealed with no key, so forget about it.

Benjamin knew how to pick locks, and so did.

There, the three found enough to be sure they had just saved Haunt or Hoax: The Investigation Chronicles.

Weird, creepy old furniture, drawings filled with symbols on the walls, and leather-bound books, along with a shelf lined with glass jars with a handwritten note saying “essential salts” and the big prize, a table on which sat a cloudy crystal ball in the middle of the room!

“Jackpot!” said Gill as Benjamin and Henry busied themselves, checking everything in the main third-floor room.

It didn’t take long for Benjamin to find a dusty old book open to a passage reading “On invoking the Salts.” while Henry found the last three jars that still had something looking like salt in them.

“How about you guys do the ritual in the book while I record? Then, when it’s over, and you give a long pause as if something might happen, you both look up and say, “We should have brought some pepper!”

“Or something,” said Benjamin. "Yeah, we’re the talent; we’ll improvise something funny,” added Henry

“Whatever,” said Gill after the light, mikes, and camera were set up. They did follow the ritual found in a book called Redeunt de Cineribus, Corpore et Anima, at the end of which the pair looked up, ready to deliver their agreed-upon punchline, only to be interrupted by the darn crystal ball lighting up, and the three little piles of salt puffing out into thick clouds of smoke and engulfed all three of them.

When the smoke cleared, Henry and Benjamin’s punchline was quickly changed to all three of them, even Gill, who was supposed to stay quiet behind the camera, shouting, “Who the hell are you?”

The “who” they were referring to were three beautiful young women dressed head to toe in what looked like authentic flapper fashion from a century before, from rolled-down silk hosiery to the latest, for 1924, bobbed hairstyles.

After the first panic, the three could establish that, yes, each of the women was, in fact, themselves: Benjamin, Henry, and Gill.

This transformation inspired them to actually read and pay attention to what was in the dusty old book they had used.

In the end, they discovered that the ritual they had performed was supposed to return the mind, body, and spirit of three party girl flappers who had died in a speakeasy fire that had happened in 1922. but because they didn’t have enough of the poor dears' essential salts, they had only been able to bring back their bodies and clothing.

“It says here that after a day and an hour, the invocation will run out, and the departed will return to the past, and the volunteers will regain their true selves.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” said Henry, who, of the three, found walking in heels and being almost a foot shorter the most difficult to deal with as her new self.

Twenty-five hours later the three found the promised “returning of their true selves” Not taking place.

Even enchanted essential salts, it seemed, had a sell-by date as they looked in a mirror and saw they were stuck.

“Well, now, what will you be improvising, talents?” Asked Gill.

The woman who had been Benjamin shrugged and said

“I don’t know, but we are pretty hot, so let's change our names to Betty Payne, Harlow Beaufort, and Gigi West and switch from Patreon to Only Fans."

And they did.

[putthison]

Heavy Inspiration from Heavy Tweed Jacket

It seems like forever ago that prep was ascendant, but many of the things that defined Ivy Style have also just been subsumed into the general American vocabulary for clothes. As Pete noted in his eulogy for prep, flat front chinos and oxford-cloth button-downs are now just innocuous staples, not a statement about your alma mater. 

At the risk of sounding cliché, even if prep has receded from the fashion scene, many of the classic pieces remain stylish. One of my favorite style blogs, Heavy Tweed Jacket, often posts outfit-of-the-day photos (the first photo above looks to be someone he caught at a bookstore, not the poster himself). And even if Neo-Nazis these days are wearing tweed jackets and corduroy -- albeit, always terribly -- it’s good to remember that classic tailored clothing is the lingua franca of menswear. Bad people shouldn’t be able to ruin good clothes. 

Some things that I think are particularly useful for fall/ winter, much of which is pictured above:

Barbour Jackets: There are a ton of brands that orbit Barbour, many from England and with deep histories, but believe me when I say a Barbour is something you can buy and wear for life. The waxed and nylon jackets are genuine classics and look terrific with everything from jeans to suits. See our Barbour buying guide. I favor the Bedale, Beaufort, and Liddesdale. 

Button Down Shirts: Originally introduced by Brooks Brothers in early 20th century, the button-down collar -- defined by how the collar flaps secure to the body -- is about as classic as American style gets. Bob Newhart named his first record album after them. Politicians have worn them while kissing babies. Style icons such as Paul Newman, Miles Davis, and Gianni Agnelli have all been photographed in the style. Over the years, button-down collars have become a symbol of all that is good: casualness, youth, education, trustworthiness, dependability, sport, and professionalism. 

The easiest-to-wear version is the oxford-cloth button-down (OCBD), which is the style made up in a tough cotton plain weave. For fall, however, tattersalls, box checks, and plaids can also be useful (and will look a touch more casual, as you can see above). Brooks still makes worthwhile button-down shirts, but Kamakura, Michael Spencer, and Proper Cloth are also worth a look. The last two allow you to get a fully unlined collar -- which gives a better expression -- made-to-measure for the same price as ready-to-wear. For a great option on a budget, check Land’s End. 

Shetland Sweaters: These lambswool sweaters are itchy, scratchy, and not the most refined, but that’s also what makes them great. They add texture underneath a coat, helping to make an outfit look more interesting. Just wear one over a dress shirt, as they can otherwise be a bit prickly. O’Connell’s sells my favorites, but you can also get them from Ben Silver, The Andover Shop, Harley, Albam, Drake’s, Jamison’s, Neighbour, and Howlin’ by Morrison. For a fuzzier, softer, brushed variety, see Shetland Woolen Company and the famous J. Press. 

Sport Coats: If you have to limit yourself, there are two jackets that will take you through all of fall and winter. The first is a navy wool sport coat in something like a hopsack wool (fancy speak for a plain weave). In a mid-weight cloth, this is something you can wear year round when you need to look shaper. The second is a heavier brown tweed for more casual occasions. Whether in a chunky herringbone, speckled Donegal, or expressive plaid, these are the sort of jackets that can be worn with either denim or tailored trousers. Which is the kind of versatility you want if you stick with just two tailored jackets. 

When shopping for a sport coat, focus on the fit and silhouette of the jacket, rather than novel details. Forgo peak lapels and contrast pick stitching for something more conservative (it’ll ensure you can wear the jacket even after your taste changes -- and it’ll change). We have a handy guide you can print out to see if a sport coat fits well when you’re shopping around. 

Tough Pants: Winter weather can be tough with its slush and rain. Denim is a great choice this time of year -- you’ll not only be OK with the wear and tear, you’ll welcome it (I wear my 3sixteen SL-100x most). For something dressier, tailored trousers in gray flannel wool will be your most versatile option (stick with mid-gray if you can only own one pair). Tan cavalry twill makes for an excellent second choice, as the color goes with everything, but the material drapes better than cotton. Unfortunately, they’re hard to find. For something a bit more common, moleskins and corduroys can also be great, particularly in tan or mid-brown. See Epaulet, Howard Yount, Rota, and our advertiser Dapper Classics for excellently made trousers. 

(photos via Heavy Tweed Jacket and Voxsartoria)

[travelingtheusa]

NORTH CAROLINA

2020 Nov 19 (Thu) –Bonnie had a bout of diarrhea and we were getting up every two to three hours to take her out.  Poor thing.  At one point, she was also throwing up.  She got a bad bug this time!

    A brisk, cold wind was blowing in from the ocean.  The temperature didn’t get much into the 50s today.  We stayed around the camper most of the day except to run out to the post office to mail off some post cards.  We also did the laundry. The machines were only $.75.  That was a delight.  Getting ready to move on tomorrow.

 2020 Nov 18 (Wed) – It was a cold and blustery day.  At 4 p.m. we ran out to the store to pick up some rice.  Bonnie started in with diarrhea and we didn’t have any rice to mix with her chicken.  While we were out, we stopped at Michael’s Seafood Restaurant and had dinner. Paul enjoyed black drum, a flaky white fish.  I had salmon. The meal was delicious and they gave us a military discount to boot!  Always, always ask.  You never know who gives a discount and who doesn’t.

 2020 Nov 17 (Tue) – It was a beautiful day today but we did not go anywhere.  I think it was because there is not much to see in this area and we have been to all the tourist stops.  It is disappointing to think that you have seen everything and nothing else interests you.  I certainly hope we are not at that point.  

2020 Nov 16 (Mon) – We drove to Wilmington today to tour the Battleship North Carolina.  When we arrived, there was water flooding the road and the parking lot.  We slowly drove through several inches of water only to find that we couldn’t get onto the ship without walking through water. So I called the desk to see if they were open.  The clerk said they were flooded out with high tide.  It would go down and they would be open around 12-ish.  We think they could have built up their parking area a little.

    We left and picked up pet food at PetCo, then went to the historic part of town on the Cape Fear River to have lunch. The Fork & Cork was a small bar and café.  We both got the specials.  Mine was a mac & cheese carbonara.  Sounded good but didn’t taste good.  Paul had some kind of burger with bacon jam and spicy mayo.  He seemed to enjoy it.

    Heading back to the battleship, we found that the water level had gone down and we were able to park and go into the place.  We spent about 2 hours crawling around the ship.  I learned a couple of new things and we had fun exploring 5 decks below and 2 decks above the main deck although we couldn’t go into the engine room.  The coding machine they used during WWII was top secret.  When a repairman came to fix it, everyone had to leave the room.  Different parts were done by different people so very few understood the entire system and how it worked.  When radio messages were sent, they were entirely encoded – even the name of the ship the message was going to.  So radiomen had to decode every message that was sent out in order to sort out their messages.

    After the battleship, we stopped at Publix to pick up groceries.  After dinner, we walked over to the beach to watch the Leonid Meteor shower.  We brought a sheet so we could lie down on the sand.  It was cold, the sand was hard, and we couldn’t see any meteors even though the circumstances were unusually excellent.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the moon was nearly invisible; had just the barest fingernail of a shape.  We were very disappointed.

2020 Nov 15 (Sun) – The day was overcast and threatening all day.  We tried to walk down to the beach but it started sprinkling, so we turned around and went back home.  We spent the day hanging around the camper.  Bob & Holly left without ever coming over to visit.

 2020 Nov 14 (Sat) – We went into town to pick up a few groceries.  Drove through Carolina Beach.  It is a very beachy community.  Although there are many people here, it is no where near what it usually is in the summer time when all the beach houses and condos are rented.

    We took a walk across the street to the ocean with Bonnie.  The beach front is very open and expansive.  You can see the Kure Beach Pier in the distance.  The beach is deserted at this time of year and you can see forever.

2020 Nov 13 (Fri) – We packed up and left Elizabeth City at 9 a.m.  It was an easy drive to Fort Fisher AF Rec Area in Kure Beach.  The campground is right off the main road that runs through town along a row of beach houses.  It reminds me of beach row in the Hamptons with all the 3-story pastel houses on stilts fronting the ocean.  Although it belongs to the military and you have to show ID to get a campsite, the campground is open.  It’s not on a base.

There are about 25 sites here.  They are concrete and very, very long with full hookups.  There is a decent amount of space between the sites with trees along the back of the perimeter.  Our window looks out at the ocean side and all the pastel homes and cottages built adjacent to the roadway.  

Fort Fisher must have made a lot of money selling the property to beach goers.  If you don’t turn into the campground and just drive straight down the road, you go into the Fort itself.  It was a civil war fort and there are breastworks that visitors can wander around. There is also an aquarium on the beach side.  When we toured it last year, there were Christmas trees all over the building.  

We were here last year just after the area had been hit with a hurricane.  Buildings were under repair and the reception office was temporarily set up in another building.

We are on a narrow spit of land, like Fire Island back home.  They call this area the Crystal Coast – 80 some miles of outer islands that protect the main coastline.  On one side of us is a bay.  On the other side is the Atlantic Ocean.  We can hear the waves breaking on the shore all day long.

      After we set up, we went to the office to check in.  When we got back, we spotted an orange Class A Motor Home setting up.  It turned out to be Bob & Holly from our Utah caravan last year.  They were the couple that had trouble with their rig. While they were in Las Vegas waiting for it to be repaired, they got married.  We said “Hi” to Bob and promised to get together later when Holly returned.

 2020 Nov 12 (Thu) – It was an overcast and rainy day.   We just hung around the campground all day, getting ready to move tomorrow.

 2020 Nov 11 (Wed – Vets Day) – It was a rainy, overcast, nasty day today.  We stayed in the campground.  Did laundry this afternoon.  I began work on my book about my time in Iraq.  It’s been 15 years since I was sent to the Middle East. It’s about time I got that damn book written.

 2020 Nov 10 (Tue) – We started a new diet today so we stayed close to home to get ourselves into the groove.  While I was cooking, we turned on the Magic Fan to help exhaust the heat in the kitchen. Weirdly, the fan would not turn off. We flipped switches, checked fuses, and shut the DC-12 volt system – all to no avail.  Paul finally just cut the wire to the fan.  

 2020 Nov 9 (Mon) – It rained all morning.  The insulation in our rig is really good.  I couldn’t hear any rain.  I didn’t know it was raining until I looked out the window.  Our pop-up camper used to sound like corn popping on the roof when it rained.  This is much quieter.

     We had lunch then drove to WalMart to pick up groceries.  We’re starting a new diet tomorrow.  Trying Keto this time.  We’ll see how things go.

2020 Nov 8 (Sun) – We drove into New Bern today.  We had been there last year when we drove through here but the North Caroline History Center was closed then.  The historical houses in the complex were closed.  There was a small museum inside the visitor center that covered the history of the state and city.  At 1:30 p.m., we went to the Tryone Palace.  It was and the first capitol of North Carolina from 1770 to 1794. The original palace kitchen burned down in 1798, leaving only the stable intact.  In 1952, two ladies from the historical society found the original architectural plans for the property.  They bought it, raised money, and rebuilt the palace and kitchen according to the original plans.  With the Revolutionary War looming on the horizon, the governor fled to New York, fearing for his personal safety.  There were docents in every room on the first floor and in the basement (we weren’t allowed to tour the upper floors).

     We walked down the Main Street and stopped at a café for lunch. I had tuna on a croissant and Paul had a gyro sandwich.  Everything was tasty.

     On the drive back to the base, we stopped at the Junkyard Market.  It was an intriguing place with lots of odds and ends out on the street to attract visitors.  We walked through the building, looking at all the knick-knacks.

     Back in the car, we drove through a nearby development when Paul spotted a sign there were new homes for sale.  We thought we would go through a couple of model homes but there weren’t any.  So after driving around the neighborhood, we returned to the campground.

2020 Nov 7 (Sat) – It was a very delightful day. After letting the animals have outdoor time, we headed out to the Crystal Coast to tour Fort Macon.  It was a small but very neat confederate fort built on the Atlantic coast.  We realized how big some of the other forts were that we have toured after seeing this one. There were 3 forts built on the site. The first was Fort Dobbs in 1756.  It was never completed and allowed to fall into disrepair.  The second fort (Fort Hampton) was built in 1808.  It defended Beaufort Harbor during the War of 1812. A hurricane eroded the inlet in 1825 so Fort Macon was built between 1826 and 1834.  In 1862, union forces attacked and captured the fort.  The fort was used during the Civil War, the Spanish American War, and World War II.  It served as a military prison from 1862 to 1877.  The property was purchased by the state and became the first state park in North Carolina in 1936.

     We then drove into Beaufort and explored the Old Burying Ground.  The historical society normally conducts tours of the site but because of the coronavirus, nobody was giving any tours.  There are graves of confederate and union soldiers as well as slaves and freemen.  It was such a mish mash of gravesites.  It looked like a lot of them had concrete coverings over the bodies.  The large cemetery had graves laying every which way. It’s like they came in, looked around, and said, “There’s a spot.”  It was crazy!

     We then walked around the block and explored the historic site where there were many houses that had been built in the 1700s. Most of the houses had plaques on them stating the year they were built and who lived there.  We stopped at the marina to ogle the boats and yachts.  I picked up two kites for our grandsons who we will be seeing over Thanksgiving.  

     We stopped at the Crabs Claw for lunch.  There was an outside deck overlooking the ocean.  We both had the lobster salad.  It was quite good.  Next door was an interesting looking rental.  We asked the waitress about it.  It was 5 units attached as one building, each one with 4 floors with balconies looking out over the ocean.  In the backyard were a barbecue, a hot tub, and a pool.  She said it was rental condos that cost (she thought) about $3,500 a week.  Wow.

     The drive back to the base went over several bridges and past some interesting places – Radio Island, Morehead City, Atlantic Beach.

 2020 Nov 6 (Fri - Paul’s Birthday) - We packed up and left the USCG base in Elizabeth City at 9 a.m.  With only one stop at a rest area along the way, we arrived at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point in Havelock at noon.  The campground is called Pelican Pointe RV Park.  It is very nice.  There are 30 sites arrayed in 4 rows within an oval.  One row (the one we are in) has pull-thru sites; all the rest are back-in.  All the sites are concrete with a nicely graveled area holding the electric, water and sewer hookups.  Trees surround the campground and there is a water body nearby – called Slocum Creek but looking like a river.  We went out to Del Patron for a Mexican dinner and margaritas.

2020 Nov 5 (Thu) – We hung around the campground this morning.  At noon, we went out to do some errands – get fuel for tomorrow’s drive, pick up pet food, and get lunch.  We ate at the City Grille, a diner type café.  The food was good and the place was doing a good business. Sheba certainly enjoyed this campground. She had lots of space to run and play in with a tree to climb on.  It’s been nice with the river right outside our window and the USCG aircraft flying into and out of the airport.

2020 Nov 4 (Wed) – I have returned from a week in New York.  The time went fast.  The visit with the oncologist went very well.  All bloodwork is normal.  I don’t have to go back until January.  I also got to visit with my daughter, Gina; my sister and her husband, Susan and Bill; and my grandson, Caiden.  I got to go trick-or-treating with Caiden and his parents.  He was able to hook up with a friend and the two boys had a great time together.  Caiden came to stay two nights with me at the hotel.  We drove out to Sue’s for lunch and swam in the pool at the hotel.  He had a great time and was sorry to see it end. So was I.  I went over to his house and helped his father put together an electric car, which was a gift from Aunt Susan and Uncle Bill.  It was Caiden’s 7th birthday on October 30th.

    It was good to get back home and see Paul and the girls again.  Bonnie actually seemed glad to see me.

2020 Oct 27 (Tue) – We went to WalMart to pick up a suitcase for me.  While looking for my duffel, we couldn’t find it. Paul thought we might have thrown it out after my last trip.  We wound up buying two rolling duffels with the hope that we can take a trip to Australia next year for our 50th anniversary.  

    We then stopped at Currituck BBQ for lunch.  Paul had pulled pork and I had beef brisket.  It was a lot of BBQ.  Next stop was at Enterprise Car Rental where I picked up a Nissan Kicks SUV.  I will be driving to New York tomorrow.  Because of the coronavirus and all the quarantine stuff going on in New York, we felt it would be better for me to drive home rather than fly.  It’s going to be a very long drive – 9 to 10 hours.  Last stop was at Ford where we dropped the truck off for a diagnostic.  The AC stopped working about 2 weeks ago.  You definitely don’t want a non-working AC down here in the south!  Paul thinks it’s the compressor.  We’ll see.

    Finally, we returned to the camper. It has remained overcast and cool all day.  This is such a nice campground.  It was great the first two days before the weather turned foul.  Hope it clears up – for Paul, at least.  I think I’m driving into some bad weather up north.

2020 Oct 26 (Mon) – It was another overcast and dreary day.  We walked over to the Navy Federal Credit Union to use my debit card.  I had gotten an email from them saying I hadn’t used my debit card in the last year and if I did not use it, they would not send me a new one.   What kind of bank cancels a debit card because you don’t use it?  So I took the debit card for the SMART Nomads account and my own account, walked over to the ATM, and used both cards.  I withdrew $20 then redeposited the $20.  How stupid is that?

      We gathered up the dirty clothes and did the wash.  They have a small shack with two washers and two dryers.  The cost was better than the last one – only $1.50 per washer and $1.00 for the dryers.

    Once we had the clothes put away, we drove into town to Lowe’s.  Paul needed to pick up a few things for the RV.  Next, we stopped at CVS to pick up some Halloween candy.  Neither of us thinks there will be any trick-or-treaters here in the campground but I thought it would be a good idea to have something on hand, just in case.  A family was here this past weekend.  They came in on Friday night and left Sunday afternoon.  They had three children and a dog.  Since Halloween will be on Saturday, it’s possible a family might come in to camp.

2020 Oct 25 (Sun) – It was a dreary, overcast day with rain on and off.  Every morning, we wake up to fog that slowly burns off as the sun rises.  The weather during the day has been decent even though it starts out cool in the 50s.  We stayed in all day.  Had soup and grilled cheese for lunch.  Attended church via Facebook.  Watched the crappy weather out the window.  Didn’t go anywhere, except to walk the dog.

2020 Oct 24 (Sat) – We drove to Great Dismal Swamp State Park today.  On the way there, we tried to stop at a Cracker Barrel for lunch but they were crowded and the wait time was 45 minutes.  We left and wound up stopping at a Wendy’s for lunch.  Poor choice but it was lunch time and everything was full.

    When we arrived at the park, we happily found the visitor center open.  After poking through it, we took a short hike on a trail.  It was a raised wooden walkway that wandered in a big loop through the woods.  A bridge passed over the intracoastal waterway.  It is a 22 mile canal that passes through the swamp.  It was very straight and disappeared on the horizon either way you looked.

    We then drove over an hour to Mattaponi in Virginia.  I lived there as a child in the summer of 1963.  It was a 12-room farm on a farm.  I wanted to try and find the place.  I found the town.  I found the river that used to run in back of the house where we fished.  And I found the paper mill that always seemed to stink up the air.  But I could not find the house.  Although the area is still pretty rural with farms, there were more houses in the area than I remember.  I guess 57 years makes a difference.  Lol.  

2020 Oct 23 (Fri) – We drove into town for lunch at Groupers Seafood Restaurant. We ate out on the deck looking out over the water.  It was a very pleasant day.  I got the lunch special – fried flounder, cole slaw, and hush puppies.  I tried to swap out the hush puppies but the waitress said there were no substitutions.  I also tried a red corn soup but it was too spicy.  Paul had clam chowder with a shrimp and scallop casserole.  

    I had our mail forwarded to a UPS package store.  I had tried to call three days ago to make sure they would accept the package but the number on their website was wrong.  It turned out to be some guy’s cell phone.  Their site said they accepted packages so I took a chance and had the mail forwarded there.  When I went in to pick the package up, they charged me an additional $5 because I didn’t let them know the package was coming.  WTH?  First, I paid to have the package mailed already.  Second, I couldn’t let them know it was coming because their number was no good.  And third, I was SAVING them money by their not having to put the package on a truck and bring it to me.  Boy, was I furious!  I was more angry with myself because I didn’t fight the charge and refuse to pay.  I groused and the guy gave me a business card with their correct phone number on it.  A lot of good that did me then!

2020 Oct 22 (Thu) – We packed up and left Blackstone, VA at 9:30 a.m.  The weather was good.  The RV GPS had us driving 40 miles more than what my iPhone GPS said so we followed my phone.  It took us along a lot of local routes but we had no difficulty and arrived at the US Coast Guard station in Elizabeth City at 12:45 p.m.  In addition to checking our IDs, they took our temperature. That was a new thing.  Since I had registered by phone, we already knew our campsite assignment.  We set up then I called to see if we had to come in to pay.  The clerk said no; that she had my card information and would run the charge.

    After giving the animals outside time, we went to the supermarket – Food Lion – to get some groceries.  They had the rows marked one way but nobody but us seemed to be paying attention to them.  It’s funny.  When we first pulled up into the parking lot at Food Lion, I saw several people with no masks.  For a second, that always fuels some kind of crazy hope that we stepped out of the nightmare and finally found a place where no one has heard about the corona virus. Then another person steps into the picture wearing a face mask and the bubble pops.

    When we got back, we found a business card from a fellow SMART member on the door.  Allen & Judy are also staying in the campground.  They are in another part of the base in the same area we stayed in last year.  We were here for Thanksgiving and because the campground was full, we had been assigned to a dirt lot in back of the BX.  We drove over and visited for an hour.  We met Allen & Judy during the Canadian Maritimes caravan in 2016.

[lpdwillwrite4coffee]

Awww yiiissssss, get to know me memes are the best!

I was tagged by @kteague cuz my girl knows what’s up (I love this shit, I can’t help it).

I’m gonna go with @asnowballschance @priya212 @cemeterydreamer @asocialfauxpas @purelyfueledbycaffeine But no pressure! Under the cut for obvious reasons.

Rules: you must answer these 85 statements and tag 20 whoever you’d like!!

The Last …

1. drink: coffee

2. phone call: real estate agent (I’m such an adult haha)

3. text message:  friend telling me she has poison ivy

4. song you listened to: Bellbottoms by the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. I got back from seeing Baby Driver and immediately needed the soundtrack in my life.

5. time you cried:  A couple days ago. I was super overwhelmed with life ~stuff and just needed to cry it out.

Have you ever …

6. dated someone twice: No but I’ve thought about it.

7. kissed someone and regretted it: YES. Ugh.... Several. (feel free to ask for details on those train wrecks haha)

8. been cheated on: Not that I’m aware of...

9. lost someone special:  Oh yes.

10. been depressed: Yes, been on medication for it and then off meds. I was incorrectly diagnosed with clinical depression when it was situational and because of my own past traumas and emotional abuse.

11. gotten drunk and thrown up: Yes, I just can’t remember how many times... 2? 3? I think?

Favorite Colors…

12. Cobalt blue

13. Rich, royal purple

14. Emerald green

In The Last Year Have You…

15. made new friends: Yes!! IRL and online (y’all know who you are, and if you don’t I’ll come tell you)

16. fallen out of love: It’s been a couple years since I’ve *been* in love.

17. laughed until you cried:  So many times.

18. found out someone was talking about you: In a negative way, yep, and it sucked. I thought we were friends... In a positive way? I think so! Well, found out people were happy about what I was doing and my work. So that’s been super lovely!!

19. met someone who changed you:  Definitely.

20. found out who your friends are:  Yeah, some friendships have fallen apart or been tested. That’s never fun.

21. kissed someone on your facebook list:  Yes

General

22. how many of your facebook friends do you know in real life:  Most? I tend to accept friend requests from people I don’t *know* but have lots of mutuals with and I’m sure we’ve run into each other or run in the same circles. So like, 85%?

23. do you have any pets:  MY LIGHT OF MY LIFE, MY DOG ODIN. HE’S THE BEST AND I WILL SCREAM ABOUT HIM FOR DAYS IF YOU LET ME.

24. do you want to change your name: Ahaha, I’ve already changed my name. I used to go by my middle name and then started going by my first when I changed schools. I’ve changed my last name too. I’d make a mediocre spy.

25. what did you do for your last birthday: On my actual birthday, I got lunch with friends out and then had dinner made for me by other friends/my surrogate family (they made me steak) And then that weekend I went out for drinks with friends and my favorite bar tender bought me a round and gave me the special pint glass. It was a great birthday week.

26. what time did you wake up: 5:45.... uggghhh.

27. what were you doing at midnight last night: I was surprisingly asleep! Good job adulting Lauren, you went to bed on time.

28. name something you can’t wait for: I’m stealing one of my answers from K- The Punisher series! Also, moving to MA, finishing my second book, getting a new house, and currently I can’t wait for my second cup of coffee.

29. when was the last time you saw your mom: September I think........... Yeah, that sounds right.

31. what are you listening to right now: My co-worker’s FB messenger going off...

32. have you ever talked to a person named Tom:  I... think so? Sure. I’m sure I have. 

33. something that is getting on your nerves: My co-worker’s FB messenger going off!!! (Vibrate is a setting. USE IT.)

34. most visited website:  Tumblr, Pinterest, and Gmail.

35. hair color: Strawberry blonde/ red, and currently with purple, copper, and bright red highlights. 

36. long or short hair: Short, asymmetrical cut. I used to have long mermaid hair and chopped it all off. Showering takes WAY less time now haha.

37. do you have a crush on someone: I had a crush on an old co-worker, but I left and haven’t seen him in so long that it’s faded. Celebrity crushes? YO HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE??

38. what do you like about yourself:  I’d like to think I’m funny but Idek lol. I’m creative and passionate. I’m a good friend to people. I’m really proud of my empathy and compassion, especially in a world that tells you not to be. I’m also not to be fucked with, and I like that about myself. I like that I can fit into different groups, chill with different kinds of people, and no one can put labels on me because I don’t fit any mold at all. 

39. piercings:  Hold on lemme count... 11!

40. blood type: SHit, I should probably know this about myself... O.... Positive? Negative? I’m an O, I know that much! (bad job adulting Lauren. Bad job)

41. nickname: I don’t really have a nickname... Not that I’m aware of anyway. I’m not opposed to one! But my names don’t really make for good nickname material haha.

42. relationship status: single, and TOTALLY fine with that. Ya girl is too busy for that relationship stuff right now.

43. zodiac: Scorpio

44. pronouns: She/her

45. favorite tv show: Listen, stop trying to make me pick between my children I love them all equally okay?

46. tattoos: I have to count again, hold on.... 8!

47. right or left handed: right-handed

48. surgery: A few times. 4 maybe?

49. piercing:  see above.

50. sport: That I played? Volleyball (very poorly I might add). That I watch? Baseball. The only sport I give 2 shits about is baseball. And maybe rugby if it’s on and I like the team.

51. vacation:  I have a girls weekend planned for the end of this month. My last true vacation was to Beaufort with @asnowballschance and then up to North Adams, MA to visit a friend who had moved. Man I’ve traveled a lot this year...

52. pair of trainers: I have one pair of true “trainers”. The rest are like Converse sneakers or slip ons that can’t be used for actual physical activity, they just make me look sporty haha.

More General

53. eating: Home made trail mix for breakfast 

54. drinking:  Water... and more coffee

55. i’m about to: email my realtor, refill my water bottle, and start writing. I have a Camp NaNo word count to get to.

56. waiting for: NEWS ABOUT THE PUNISHER. GIVE IT YOU ANIMALS. Also waiting for the caffeine to kick in....

57. want: to find a house in my price range that DOESN’T need serious remodels. Seriously, I’m not Bob Villa. Let it be move in ready or close to it please and thank you.

58. get married: Yes! Absolutely! But the dude has to show up first... haha

59. career: Writer/author. I mean, I work an office job to pay the bills but that’s not my career. 

60. hugs or kisses: Both? plz love me.

61. lips or eyes: Eyes! I’m so enamored with people’s eyes- the color, the shape, the way they show emotion, the way they change in the light. I love it. 

62. shorter or taller: Taller? I’m 5′8 almost 5′9 so sometimes that’s hard to find...

63. older or younger: Older. I have the hardest time finding anyone my age who is compatible.

64. nice arms or nice stomach: Arrrrmmmmmssss. Not jacked. Just strong. Broad shoulders and a wide, strong chest makes me WEAK

65. hook up or relationship: Both, depending on my mood. I’m currently hooking up with a couple people, but I’m so not wanting to date.

66. troublemaker or hesitant: Hahahahha, I’m called the human embodiment of the grinning Devil emoji for a reason.

67. kissed a stranger: Yes. It was..........

68. drank hard liquor: Lord help me yes. 

69. lost glasses/contact lenses: My glasses are my everything. I’m so blind without them it’s awful. I never take them off. 

70. turned someone down:  Many times. I’m a picky girl.

71. sex on the first date: Sure, I’ve done it before. Worked out fine!

72. broken someone’s heart: Yeahh... It sucked at the time but it was necessary. 

73. had your heart broken:  Yes, in more ways than one.

74. been arrested: No, but I’ve been yelled at by the Coast Guard. That was fun.

75. cried when someone died: Of course!

76. fallen for a friend: Yes.

Do You Believe In …

77. yourself:  Yes! Most of the time. Okay, like 67% of the time. 

78. miracles: Yes, but probably not in the way you’re thinking.

79. love at first sight: Maybe? I’ve never experienced it myself though.

80. santa claus: I used to! Now I believe in the spirit of Christmas/ Holidays that make people want to keep the idea of him alive for children. It’s a precious concept and tradition.

81. kiss on the first date: Sure, if it feels right. Life’s too short. Kiss the person you wanna touch faces with.

82. angels: Yes, but again, not the way you probably think

Other

83. current best friends’ names: *EXTREME KRIS JENNER VOICE* I LOVE ALL MY FRIENDS

84. eye color: Blue green

85. favorite movie: PSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH look you’ve made it to the end of this list do you really think I’m able to pick just one??? 

[blackkudos]

Joe Frazier

Joseph William "Joe" Frazier (January 12, 1944 – November 7, 2011), nicknamed "Smokin' Joe", was an American professional boxer who competed from 1965 to 1981. He reigned as the undisputed heavyweight champion from 1970 to 1973, and as an amateur won a gold medal at the 1964 Summer Olympics. Frazier was known for his sheer strength, durability, formidable punching power, and all-out relentless attack.

Frazier emerged as the top contender in the late 1960s, defeating opponents that included Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonavena, Buster Mathis, Eddie Machen, Doug Jones, George Chuvalo and Jimmy Ellis en route to becoming undisputed heavyweight champion in 1970, and followed up by defeating Muhammad Ali by unanimous decision in the highly anticipated "Fight of the Century" in 1971. Two years later Frazier lost his title when he was defeated by George Foreman. He fought on, beating Joe Bugner, losing a rematch to Ali and beating Quarry and Ellis again.

Frazier's last world title challenge came in 1975, but he was beaten by Ali in their brutal rubbermatch. He retired in 1976 following a second loss to Foreman. He made a comeback in 1981, fighting just once, before retiring. The International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) rates Frazier among the ten greatest heavyweights of all time. In 1999, The Ring magazine ranked him the 8th greatest heavyweight. He is an inductee of both the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Frazier's style was often compared to that of Henry Armstrong and occasionally Rocky Marciano, dependent on bobbing, weaving and relentless pressure to wear down his opponents. His best known punch was a powerful left hook, which accounted for most of his knockouts. In his career he lost to only two fighters, both former Olympic and world heavyweight champions: twice to Muhammad Ali, and twice to George Foreman.

After retiring, Frazier made cameo appearances in several Hollywood movies, and two episodes of The Simpsons. His son Marvis became a boxer—trained by Frazier himself—but was unable to match his father's success. His daughter Jackie Frazier-Lyde also boxed professionally. Frazier continued to train fighters in his gym in Philadelphia. His later years saw periodic insults and bitter feelings towards Ali, interspersed with brief reconciliations.

Frazier was diagnosed with liver cancer in late September 2011 and admitted to hospice care. He died of complications from the disease on November 7, 2011.

Early life

Joe Frazier was the 12th child born to Dolly Alston-Frazier and Rubin in Beaufort, South Carolina. He was raised in a rural community of Beaufort called Laurel Bay. Frazier said he was always close to his father, who carried him when he was a toddler "over the 10 acres of farmland" the Fraziers worked as sharecroppers "to the still where he made his bootleg corn liquor, and into town on Saturdays to buy the necessities that a family of 10 needed." Young Frazier was affectionately called "Billie Boy."

Rubin Frazier had his left hand burned and part of his forearm amputated in a tractor accident the year his son was born. Rubin Frazier and his wife Dolly had been in their car when Arthur Smith, who was drunk, passed by and made a move for Dolly but was rebuffed. Stefan Gallucci, a local barkeep, recounted the experience. When the Fraziers drove away Smith fired at them several times, hitting Dolly in the foot and Rubin several times in his arm. Smith was convicted and sent to prison, but did not stay long. Dolly Frazier said, "If you were a good workman, the white man took you out of jail and kept you busy on the farm."

Frazier's parents worked their farm with two mules, named Buck and Jenny. The farmland was what country people called "white dirt, which is another way of saying it isn't worth a damn." They could not grow peas or corn on it, only cotton and watermelons.

In the early 1950s, Frazier's father bought a black and white television. The family and others nearby came to watch boxing matches on it. Frazier's mother sold drinks for a quarter as they watched boxers like Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Willie Pep and Rocky Graziano. One night Frazier's Uncle Israel noticed his stocky build. "That boy there...that boy is gonna be another Joe Louis" he remarked. The words made an impression on Joe. His classmates at school would give him a sandwich or a quarter to walk with them at final bell so that bullies would not bother them. Frazier said, "Any 'scamboogah' (a disrespectful, low-down and foul person) who got in my face would soon regret it; Billie Boy could kick anybody's ass." The day after his Uncle's comment, Frazier filled old burlap sack with rags, corncobs, a brick, and Spanish moss. He hung the makeshift heavybag from an oak tree in the backyard. "For the next 6, 7 years, damn near every day I'd hit that heavybag for an hour at a time. I'd wrap my hands with a necktie of my Daddy's, or a stocking of my Momma's or sister's, and get to it" Joe remarked.

Not long after Frazier started working, his left arm was seriously injured while he was running from the family's 300 pound hog. One day Frazier poked the hog with a stick and ran away. The gate to the pigpen was open, however; and the hog chased him. Frazier fell and hit his left arm on a brick. His arm was torn badly; but as the family could not afford a doctor, the arm had to heal on its own. Joe was never able to keep it fully straight again.

By the time Frazier was 15 years old, he was working on a farm for a family named Bellamy. They were both white men: Mac, who was the younger of the two and more easy going, and Jim, who was a little rougher and somewhat backward. One day a little black boy of about 12 years old accidently damaged one of the Bellamys' tractors. Jim Bellamy became so enraged he took off his belt and whipped the boy with his belt right there in the field. Joe saw the event and went back to the packing house on the farm and told his black friends what he had seen. It wasn't long before Jim Bellamy saw Joe and asked him why he told what he had witnessed. Joe then told Bellamy he didn't know what he was talking about, but Bellamy didn't believe Joe and told Joe to get off the farm before he took off his belt again. Joe told him he better keep his pants up because he wasn't going to use his belt on him. Jim then analyzed Joe for a bit and eventually said "Go on, get the hell outta here." Joe knew from that moment it was time for him to leave Beaufort; he could only see hard times and low-rent for himself. Even his Momma could see it. She told Joe "Son, if you can't get along with the white folks, then leave home because I don't want anything to happen to you."

The train fare from Beaufort to the cities up North was costly, and the closest bus-stop was in Charleston, 75 miles (121 km) away. Luckily by 1958, the bus (The Dog, as called by locals in Beaufort) had finally made Beaufort a stop on its South Carolina route. Joe had a brother, Tommy, in New York. He was told he could stay with Tommy and his family. Joe had to save up a bit before he could make the bus trip to New York and still have some money in his pocket, and so first he went to work at the local Coca-Cola plant. Joe remarked that the white guy would drive the truck and he would do the real work, stacking and unloading the crates. Joe stayed with Coca-Cola until the government began building houses for the Marines stationed at Parris Island; at which time he was hired on a work crew.

Nine months eventually passed since he got the boot from the Bellamy farm. One day, with no fanfare, no tearful goodbyes, Joe packed quickly and got the first bus heading northward. He finally settled in Philadelphia, "I climbed on the Dog's back and rode through the night" Joe remarked. "It was 1959, I was 15 years old and I was on my own."

Amateur career

During Frazier's amateur career, he won Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championships in 1962, 1963 and 1964. His only loss in three years as an amateur was to Buster Mathis. Mathis would prove to be Joe's biggest obstacle to making the 1964 U.S. Olympic Boxing team. They met in the final of the U.S. Olympic Trial at the New York World's Fair in the summer of 1964. Their fight was scheduled for three rounds and they fought with 10 oz gloves and with headgear, even though the boxers who made it to Tokyo would wear no headgear and would wear 8 oz gloves. Joe was eager to get back at Mathis for his only amateur loss and KO'd two opponents to get to the finals. But once again, when the dust settled, the judges had called it for Mathis, undeservedly Joe thought. "All that fat boy had done was run like a thief- hit me with a peck and backpedal like crazy." Joe would remark.

Mathis had worn his trunks very high, so that when Joe hit Mathis with legitimate body shots the referee took a dim view of them. In the second round, the referee had gone so far as to penalize Joe two points for hitting below the belt. "In a three-round bout a man can't afford a points deduction like that," Joe would say. Joe then returned to Philadelphia feeling as low as he'd ever been and was even thinking of giving up boxing. Duke Dugent and his trainer Yank Durham were able to talk Joe out of his doldrums and even suggested Joe make the trip to Tokyo as an alternate, in case something happened to Mathis. Joe agreed and while there, he was a workhorse, sparring with any of the Olympic boxers who wanted some action. "Middleweight, light heavyweight, it didn't matter to me, I got in there and boxed all comers" Joe would say. In contrast, Mathis was slacking off. In the morning, when the Olympic team would do their roadwork, Mathis would run a mile, then start walking saying "Go ahead, big Joe. I'll catch up." His amateur record was 38–2.

1964 Olympics

In 1964 heavyweight representative Buster Mathis qualified but was injured so Frazier was sent as a replacement. At the Heavyweight boxing event, Frazier knocked out George Oywello of Uganda in the first round, then knocked out Athol McQueen of Australia 40 seconds into the third round. He was then into the semi-final, as the only American boxer left, facing the 6 foot 2, 214 lb. Vadim Yemelyanov of the Soviet Union.

"My left hook was a heat seeking missile, careening off his face and body time and again. Twice in the second round I knocked him to the canvas. But as I pounded away, I felt a jolt of pain shoot through my left arm. Oh damn, the thumb." Joe would say. Joe knew immediately the thumb of his left hand was damaged, though he wasn't sure as to the extent. "In the midst of the fight, with your adrenaline pumping, it's hard to gauge such things. My mind was on more important matters. Like how I was going to deal with Yemelyanov for the rest of the fight." The match ended when the Soviet's handlers threw in the towel at 1:49 in the second round, and the referee raised Joe's injured hand in victory.

Now that Joe was into the final, he didn't mention his broken thumb to anyone. He went back to his room and soaked his thumb in hot water and Epsom salts. "Pain or not, Joe Frazier of Beaufort, South Carolina, was going for gold." Joe proclaimed. Joe would fight a 30-year-old German mechanic named Hans Huber, who failed to make it on the German Olympic wrestling team. By now Joe was used to fighting bigger guys, but he was not used to doing it with a damaged left hand. When the opening bell sounded on fight night, Joe came out and started swinging punches, he threw his right hand more than usual that night. Every so often he'd used his left hook, but nothing landed with the kind of impact he managed in previous bouts. Under Olympic rules, 5 judges judge a bout, and that night three voted for Joe.

Professional career

After Frazier won the USA's only 1964 Olympic boxing gold medal, his trainer Yancey "Yank" Durham helped put together Cloverlay, a group of local businessmen (including a young Larry Merchant) who invested in Frazier's professional career and allowed him to train full-time. Durham was Frazier's chief trainer and manager until Durham's death in August 1973.

Frazier turned professional in 1965, defeating Woody Goss by a technical knockout in the first round. He won three more fights that year, all by knockout, none going past the third round. Later that year, he was in a training accident, where he suffered an injury which left him legally blind in his left eye. During pre-fight physicals, after reading the eye chart with his right eye, when prompted to cover his other eye, Frazier switched hands, but covered his left eye for a second time, and state athletic commission physicians seemed to not notice or act.

Joe's second contest was of interest in that he was decked in round 1 by Mike Bruce. Frazier took an "8" count by referee Bob Polis but rallied for a TKO over Bruce in round 3.

In 1966, as Frazier's career was taking off, Durham contacted Los Angeles trainer Eddie Futch. The two men had never met, but Durham had heard of Futch through the latter's reputation as one of the most respected trainers in boxing. Frazier was sent to Los Angeles to train, before Futch agreed to join Durham as an assistant trainer. With Futch's assistance, Durham arranged three fights in Los Angeles against journeyman Al Jones, veteran contender Eddie Machen and George "Scrap Iron" Johnson. Frazier knocked out Jones and Machen, but surprisingly went 10 rounds with journeyman Johnson to win a unanimous decision. Johnson had apparently bet all his purse that he'd survive to the final bell, noted Ring Magazine, and somehow he achieved it. But Johnson was known in the trade as "impossibly durable".

After the Johnson match, Futch became a full-fledged member of the Frazier camp as an assistant trainer and strategist, who advised Durham on matchmaking. It was Futch who suggested that Frazier boycott the 1967 WBA Heavyweight Elimination Tournament to find a successor to Muhammad Ali after the Heavyweight Champion was stripped of his title for refusing to be inducted into the military, although Frazier was the top-ranked contender at the time.

Futch proved invaluable to Frazier as an assistant trainer, helping modify his style. Under his tutelage, Frazier adopted the bob-and-weave defensive style, making him more difficult for taller opponents to punch, while giving Frazier more power with his own punches. While Futch remained based in Los Angeles, where he worked as a supervisor with the U.S. Postal Service, he was flown to Philadelphia to work with Frazier during the final preparations for all of his fights.

After Durham died of a stroke on August 30, 1973, Futch was asked to succeed him as Frazier's head trainer and manager—at the same time he was training heavyweight contender Ken Norton. Norton lost a rematch against Ali less than two weeks after Durham's death. At that point, Norton's managers, Robert Biron and Aaron Rivkind, demanded that Futch choose between training Frazier and Norton, with Futch choosing Frazier.

Mid to late 1960s

Now in his second year, in September 1966 and somewhat green, Frazier won a close decision over rugged contender Oscar Bonavena, despite Bonavena flooring him twice in the second round. A third knockdown in that round would have ended the fight under the three knockdown rule. Frazier rallied and won a decision after 12 rounds. The Machen win followed this contest.

In 1967 Frazier stormed ahead winning all six of his fights, including a sixth-round knockout of Doug Jones and a brutal fourth round (TKO) of Canadian George Chuvalo. No boxer had ever stopped Chuvalo before, although Frazier, despite the stoppage, was unable to floor Chuvalo, who would never be dropped in his entire career despite him fighting countless top names.

By February 1967 Joe had scored 14 wins and his star was beginning to rise. This culminated with his first appearance on the cover of Ring Magazine. In this month he met Ali, who hadn't yet been stripped of his title. Ali said Joe would never stand a chance of "whipping" him, not even in his wildest dreams. Later that year, Muhammad Ali was stripped of his world heavyweight title due to his refusal to be inducted into the military during the Vietnam War.

To fill the vacancy, the New York State Athletic Commission held a bout between Frazier and Buster Mathis, both undefeated going into the match, with the winner to be recognized as "World Champion" by the state of New York. Although the fight was not recognized as a World Championship bout by some, Frazier won by a knockout in the 11th round and staked a claim to the Heavyweight Championship. He then defended his claim by beating hard hitting prospect Manuel Ramos of Mexico in two rounds.

He closed 1968 by again beating Oscar Bonavena via a 15-round decision in a hard-fought rematch. Bonavena fought somewhat defensively, allowing himself to be often bulled to the ropes, which let Frazier build a wide points margin. Ring Magazine showed Bonavena afterwards with a gruesomely bruised face. It had been a punishing match.

1969 saw Frazier defend his NYSAC title in Texas, beating Dave Zyglewicz, who'd only lost once in 29 fights, by a first-round knockout. Then he beat Jerry Quarry in a 7th round stoppage. The competitive, exciting match with Quarry was named 1969 Ring Magazinefight of the year. Frazier showed he could do a lot more than just slug. He'd used his newly honed defensive skills to slip, bob and weave a barrage of Quarry punches despite Quarry's reputation as an excellent counter punching heavyweight.

Wins World Championship – Ellis

On February 16, 1970, Frazier faced WBA Champion Jimmy Ellis at Madison Square Garden. Ellis had outpointed Jerry Quarry in the final bout of the WBA elimination tournament for Ali's vacated belt. Frazier had himself declined to participate with the WBA tournament to protest their decision to strip Ali. Ellis held an impressive win over Oscar Bonavena among others. Beforehand, Ali had announced his retirement and relinquished the Heavyweight title, allowing Ellis and Frazier to fight for the undisputed title. Frazier won by a TKO when Ellis's trainer Angelo Dundee would not let him come out for the 5th round following two 4th round knockdowns (the first knockdowns of Ellis's career). Frazier's decisive win over Ellis was a frightening display of power and tenacity.

In his first title defense, Frazier traveled to Detroit to fight World Light Heavyweight Champion Bob Foster, who would go on to set a record for the number of title defenses in the light-heavyweight division. Frazier (26–0) retained his title by twice flooring the hard punching Foster in the second round. The second knock down came on a devastating left hook and Foster could not beat the count. Then came what was hyped as the "Fight Of The Century," his first fight with Muhammad Ali, who had launched a comeback in 1970 after a three-year suspension from boxing. This would be the first meeting of two undefeated heavyweight champions (and last until Mike Tyson faced Michael Spinks in 1988), since Ali (31–0) had not lost his title in the ring, but rather been stripped because of his refusal to be conscripted into the Armed Forces, some considered him to be the true champion. This fight was to crown the one, true heavyweight champion.

Fight of the Century – first fight versus Ali

On March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden, Frazier and Ali met in the first of their three bouts which was called the "Fight of the Century" in pre-bout publicity and by the press. With an international television audience and an in-house audience that included luminaries Frank Sinatra (as a photographer for Life magazine to get a ringside seat), comedian Woody Allen, singer Diana Ross and actors Dustin Hoffman and Burt Lancaster (who served as "color commentator" with fight announcer Don Dunphy), the two undefeated heavyweights met in a media-frenzied atmosphere reminiscent of Joe Louis' youth.

Several factors came together for Frazier in this fight. He was 27 years old and at his boxing peak physically and mentally, Ali, 29, was coming back from a three-year absence but had kept active. He had had two good wins, including a bruising battle with Oscar Bonavena, whom Ali had defeated by a TKO in 15 rounds. Frazier worked on strategy with coach Eddie Futch. They noted Ali's tendency to throw a right-hand uppercut from a straight standing position after dropping the hand in preparation to throw it with force. Futch instructed Frazier to watch Ali's right hand and, at the moment Ali dropped it, to throw a left hook at the spot where they knew Ali's face would be a second later. Frazier staggered Ali in the 11th round and knocked down Ali in the 15th in this way.

In a brutal and competitive contest, Frazier lost the first two rounds but was able to withstand Ali's combinations. Frazier was known to improve in middle rounds, and this was the case with Ali. Frazier came on strong after round three, landing hard shots to the body and powerful left hooks to the head.

Ultimately, Frazier won a 15-round, unanimous decision (9–6, 11–4, and 9–6). Ali was taken to hospital immediately after the fight to check that his severely swollen right side jaw (which was apparent in post-fight interviews) wasn't actually broken. Frazier also spent time in hospital during the ensuing month, the exertions of the fight having been exacerbated by hypertension and a kidney infection.

Later in the year he fought a 3-round exhibition against hard hitting veteran contender Cleveland Williams.

In 1972, Frazier successfully defended the title twice, beating Terry Daniels and Ron Stander, both by knockout, in the fourth and fifth rounds respectively. Daniels had earlier drawn with Jerry Quarry and Stander had knocked out Earnie Shavers.

Loses title to George Foreman

Frazier lost his undefeated record of 29–0 and his world championship, at the hands of the unbeaten George Foreman on January 22, 1973, in Kingston, Jamaica. Despite Frazier being the overall favorite, Foreman towered 10 cm (4 inches) over the more compact champion and dominated from the start. Two minutes into the first round, Foreman knocked Frazier down for the first time. After he was knocked down a sixth time in the second round referee Arthur Mercante, Sr. stopped the contest.

Frazier won his next fight, a 12-round decision over Joe Bugner, in London to begin his quest to regain the title.

Mid 1970s – second fight against Ali

Frazier's second fight against Ali took place on January 28, 1974, in New York City. In contrast to their previous meeting, the bout was a non-title fight, with Ali winning a 12-round unanimous decision (4–7, 5–7, and 5–6). The fight was notable for the amount of clinching.

Five months later, Frazier again battled Jerry Quarry in Madison Square Garden, with a strong left hook to the ribs by Frazier ending the fight in the fifth round.

In March 1975, Frazier fought a rematch with Jimmy Ellis in Melbourne, Australia, knocking him out in nine rounds. The win again established Frazier as the number one heavyweight challenger for the title, which Ali had won from George Foreman in the famous "Rumble in the Jungle" five months earlier.

Thrilla In Manila – third Ali fight

Ali and Frazier met for the third and final time in Quezon City (a district within the metropolitan area of Manila), the Philippines, on October 1, 1975: the "Thrilla in Manila". Prior to the fight, Ali took opportunities to mock Frazier by calling him a '"gorilla", and generally trying to irritate him.

The fight was a punishing display on both sides under oppressively hot conditions. During the fight, Ali said to Frazier, "They said you were through, Joe." Frazier said, "They lied." After 14 grueling rounds, Futch stopped the fight with Frazier having a closed left eye, an almost-closed right eye and a cut. Ali later said that it was the "closest thing to dying that I know of.". In 1977, Ali told interviewer Reg Gutteridge that he felt this third Frazier fight was his best performance. When Gutteridge suggested his win over Cleveland Williams, Ali said, "No, Frazier's much tougher and rougher than Cleveland Williams".

Foreman again

In 1976, Frazier (32–3) fought George Foreman for a second time. With a shaved head for a new image Frazier fought well enough, somewhat more restrained than usual, avoiding walking onto the big shots which he had done in their first match. However, Foreman awaited his moment and then lobbed in a tremendous left hook that lifted Frazier off his feet. After a second knock down it was stopped in the fifth. Shortly after the fight, Frazier announced his retirement.

Frazier made a cameo appearance in the movie Rocky later in 1976 and dedicated himself to training local boxers in Philadelphia, where he grew up, including some of his own children. He also helped train Duane Bobick.

Music career

During the late 1970s, Frazier created a soul-funk group called "Joe Frazier and the Knockouts," being mentioned in Billboard and recording a number of singles. Joe toured widely all over the USA and Europe including Ireland where among other places he performed in Donegal, Ireland and Athy Co Kildare, Ireland with his band. Joe Frazier and the Knockouts were featured singing in a 1978 Miller beer commercial.

1980s comeback and career as trainer

In 1981, Frazier attempted a comeback. He drew over 10 rounds with hulking Floyd "Jumbo" Cummings in Chicago, Illinois. It was a bruising battle with mixed reviews. He then retired for good.

After that, Frazier involved himself in various endeavors. Among his sons who turned to boxing as a career, he helped train Marvis Frazier, a challenger for Larry Holmes's world heavyweight title and trained his daughter, Jackie Frazier-Lyde, whose most notable fight to date was a close points loss against Laila Ali, the daughter of his rival.

Frazier's overall record was 32 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw, with 27 wins by knockout. He won 73 percent of his fights by knockout, compared to 60 percent for Ali and 84 percent for Foreman. He was a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame.

In 1984, Frazier was the special referee for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship match between Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes at Starrcade '84, awarding the match to Flair due to Rhodes' excessive bleeding.

In 1986, Frazier appeared as the "corner man" for Mr. T against Roddy Piper at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum as part of WrestleMania 2. In 1989, Frazier joined Ali, Foreman, Norton and Holmes for the tribute special Champions Forever.

Media appearances

Frazier appeared as himself in an episode of The Simpsons ("Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?") in 1992, in which he was supposed to have been beaten up by Barney Gumble in Moe's Tavern. Frazier's son objected and Frazier was instead shown beating up Gumble and putting him in a trash can. Frazier appeared in another episode of The Simpsons ("Homer's Paternity Coot") in 2006. He appeared on-screen in the 8th series of The Celebrity Apprentice (USA) television show as a guest-attendee at the Silent Auction event held for the season finale (won by Joan Rivers). Frazier appeared as himself in the Academy Award-winning 1976 movie, Rocky. Since the debut of the Fight Night series of games, Frazier appeared in Fight Night 2004, Fight Night Round 2, Fight Night Round 3, Fight Night Round 4 and Fight Night Champion, games made by EA Sports.

Books

Frazier released his autobiography in March 1996, entitled Smokin' Joe: The Autobiography of a Heavyweight Champion of the World, Smokin' Joe Frazier. Frazier promoted the book with a memorable appearance on The Howard Stern Show on April 19, 1996.

He also wrote Box like the Pros, "a complete introduction to the sport, including the game's history, rules of the ring, how fights are scored, how to spar, the basics of defence and offence, the fighter's workout, a directory of boxing gyms, and much more. Box Like the Pros is an instruction manual, a historical reference tool and an insider's guide to the world's most controversial sport."

Financial issues and legal battles

According to an article from The New York Times, "over the years, Frazier has lost a fortune through a combination of his own generosity and naïveté, his carousing, and failed business opportunities. The other headliners from his fighting days—Ali, George Foreman, and Larry Holmes—are millionaires." Asked about his situation, Frazier became playfully defensive, but would not reveal his financial status. "Are you asking me how much money I have?" he said. "I got plenty of money. I got a stack of $100 bills rolled up over there in the back of the room." Frazier blamed himself, partly, for not effectively promoting his own image. In a 2006 HBO documentary on the fight in Manila, Frazier was interviewed living in a one-room apartment on the second floor of his gym.

His daughter Jackie Frazier-Lyde is a lawyer and worked on her father's behalf in pursuit of money they claimed he was owed in a Pennsylvania land deal. In 1973, Frazier purchased 140 acres in Bucks County, Pennsylvania for $843,000. Five years later, a developer agreed to buy the farmland for $1.8 million. Frazier received annual payments from a trust that bought the land with money he had earned in the ring. However, when the trust went bankrupt, the payments ceased.

Frazier sued his business partners, insisting his signature had been forged on documents and he had no knowledge of the sale. In the ensuing years, the 140 acres was subdivided and turned into a residential community. The land is now worth an estimated $100 million.

Relationship with Muhammad Ali

Frazier and Ali were friends. During Ali's enforced three-year lay-off from boxing for refusing to be drafted into the US Army, Frazier lent him money, testified before Congress and petitioned U.S. President Richard Nixon to have Ali's right to box reinstated. Frazier supported Ali's right not to serve in the army, saying "If Baptists weren't allowed to fight, I wouldn't fight either."

However, in the build-up to their first fight, The Fight of the Century, Ali turned it into a "cultural and political referendum", painting himself as a revolutionary and civil rights champion and Frazier as the white man's hope, an "Uncle Tom" and a pawn of the white establishment. Ali successfully turned many black Americans against Frazier. Bryant Gumbel joined the pro-Ali, anti-Frazier bandwagon by writing a major magazine article that asked "Is Joe Frazier a white champion with black skin?" Frazier thought this was "a cynical attempt by Clay to make me feel isolated from my own people. He thought that would weaken me when it came time to face him in that ring. Well, he was wrong. It didn't weaken me, it awakened me to what a cheap-shot son of a bitch he was." He noted the hypocrisy of Ali calling him an Uncle Tom when his [Ali's] trainer (Angelo Dundee) was white.

As a result of Ali's campaign, Frazier's children were bullied at school and his family were given police protection after receiving death threats. Ali declared that if Frazier won he would crawl across the ring and admit that Frazier was the greatest. After Frazier won by a unanimous decision, he called upon Ali to fulfill his promise and crawl across the ring, but he didn't. Ali called it a "white man's decision" and insisted that he won.

During a televised joint interview prior to their second bout in 1974, Ali continued to insult Frazier, who took exception to Ali calling him "ignorant" and challenged him to a fight, which resulted in the two of them brawling on the studio floor. Ali went on to win the 12 round non-title affair by a decision. Ali took things further in the build-up to their last fight, The Thrilla in Manila, and called Frazier "the other type of negro" and "ugly", "dumb" and a "gorilla" At one point he sparred with a man in a gorilla suit and pounded on a rubber gorilla doll, saying "This is Joe Frazier's conscience... I keep it everywhere I go. This is the way he looks when you hit him." According to the fight's promoter Don King, this enraged Frazier, who took it as a "character assassination" and "personal invective". One night before the fight, Ali waved around a toy pistol outside Frazier's hotel room. When Frazier came to the balcony, he pointed the gun at Frazier and yelled "I am going to shoot you." After the fight, Ali summoned Frazier's son Marvis into his dressing room, and told him that he had not meant what he had said about his father. When informed of this by Marvis, Frazier responded: "you ain't me, son. Why isn't he apologizing to me?"

For years afterwards, Frazier retained his bitterness towards Ali and suggested that Ali's battle with Parkinson's syndrome was a form of divine retribution for his earlier behavior. In 2001, Ali apologized to Frazier via a New York Times article, saying "In a way, Joe's right. I said a lot of things in the heat of the moment that I shouldn't have said. Called him names I shouldn't have called him. I apologize for that. I'm sorry. It was all meant to promote the fight". Frazier reportedly "embraced it", though he later retorted that Ali only apologized to a newspaper, not to him. He said: "I'm still waiting [for him] to say it to me." To this Ali responded: "If you see Frazier, you tell him he's still a gorilla."

Frazier told Sports Illustrated in May 2009 that he no longer held hard feelings for Ali. After Frazier's death in November 2011, Ali was among those who attended the private funeral services for Frazier in Philadelphia. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who spoke during the service, asked those in attendance to stand and "show your love" and reportedly Ali stood with the audience and clapped "vigorously".

Later years

Frazier lived in Philadelphia where he owned and managed a boxing gym. Frazier put the gym up for sale in mid-2009. He was diagnosed with diabetes and high blood pressure. He and his nemesis, Muhammad Ali, alternated over the years between public apologies and public insults. In 1996, when Ali lit the Olympic flame in Atlanta, Frazier told a reporter that he would like to throw Ali into the fire. Frazier made millions of dollars in the 1970s, but the article cited mismanagement of real-estate holdings as a partial explanation for his economic woes. Frazier stated repeatedly that he no longer had any bitter feelings towards Ali. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named the Joe Frazier's Gym in its 25th list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 2012. In 2013, the gym was named to the National Register of Historic Places.

Frazier continued to train young fighters, although he needed multiple operations for back injuries sustained in a car accident. He and Ali reportedly attempted a reconciliation in his final years, but in October 2006 Frazier still claimed to have won all three bouts between the two. He declared to a Times reporter, when questioned about his bitterness toward Ali, "I am what I am."

Frazier attempted to revive his music interests in late 2009/2010. Notably popular for singing 'Mustang Sally,' both Frazier and manager Leslie R. Wolff teamed up with Welsh Rock Solo artist Jayce Lewis to release his repertoire in the U.K., later visiting the Welshman in U.K. to a host a string of after dinner speeches and music developments. It would notably be Frazier's last U.K. appearance.

Death

Frazier was diagnosed with liver cancer in late September 2011. By November 2011, he was under hospice care, where he died on November 7. Upon hearing of Frazier's death, Muhammad Ali said, "The world has lost a great champion. I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration." Frazier's private funeral took place on November 14 at the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia and in addition to friends and family was attended by Muhammad Ali, Don King, Larry Holmes, Magic Johnson, Dennis Rodman, among others. He was later buried at the Ivy Hill Cemetery, a short drive from the Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church.

In popular media

He was played by boxer James Toney in the 2001 film, Ali.

He played in "The Fight of the Century" against Ali.

Some of the most memorable moments in the 1976 boxing-themed feature film, Rocky—such as Rocky's carcass-punching scenes and Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, as part of his training regimen—are taken from Frazier's real-life exploits. In the film, Frazier makes a cameo appearance, promoting the fight between Rocky and Apollo.

In March 2007, a Joe Frazier action figure was released as part of a range of toys based on the Rocky film franchise, developed by the American toy manufacturer, Jakks Pacific.

Electric bassist Jeff Berlin wrote a musical tribute simply called "Joe Frazier," originally recorded on the Bill Bruford album Gradually Going Tornado, available on the compilation album Master Strokes.

Mr. Sandman, a video game character in the Punch-Out!! video game series known for being one of the toughest opponents, was based in part on Frazier.

His granddaughter, Latrice Frazier, appeared on an episode of Maury.

Wikipedia

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Athletes, coaches and volunteers honoured at Sport Woking Awards

Sporting heroes and stars were honoured at the annual Sport Woking Awards ceremony held on Friday 21 September at the H.G. Wells Conference and Events Centre, Woking.

The awards celebrate talent and achievement in sport and recognise the men, women and young people who contribute to Woking’s sporting excellence. During the evening, the gathered audience heard inspiring stories of sportspeople whose work makes the lives of people in Woking healthier and happier. The evening also provided the opportunity to celebrate Team Woking’s success at the Specsavers Surrey Youth Games, where Woking won the overall medal table. Joining the evening’s celebrations were Mayor of Woking, Cllr Will Forster, Cllr Ian Eastwood representing Surrey Playing Fields, James Sawyer from Specsavers, Bob Pritchard from Active Surrey and Eleanor Cranfield from Freedom Leisure. The winners of the Sport Woking Awards 2018 were… • The Trotman Trophy – Jamie Lewis, Woking Gymnastic Club • Specsavers Young Sports Personality – Tia Hansford, 1349 Woking Air Training Corps Squadron • Active Surrey Coach of the Year - Simon Strong, Woking Walking Football • Surrey Playing Fields Young Volunteer of the Year – Lucy Gerhard-Jones, Fighting Fitness Judo • Outstanding Contribution to Sport – Fiona Creswick, Byfleet Village Football Club • Sports Personality of the Year – Louisa Piper, Woking Archery Club • Volunteer of the Year – Candy Schofield, Woking Archery Club • Disability Sport Award – The Park School • Young Sports Team of the Year – Beaufort Primary School Girls Football • Sports Team of the Year – Cardinal Saints • Club of the Year – Woking Rugby Club • Team Woking Surrey Youth Games School of the Year – Woking High School • Team Woking Surrey Youth Games Coach of the Year – Woody Swain, Badminton • Team Woking Surrey Youth Games Team of the Year – Judo and Junior Squash

Speaking at the awards, Cllr Will Forster, said: “Woking Borough has a thriving sports scene. As Mayor I have visited many of the clubs and tournaments and seen first hand the dedication and talent we have in the Borough and the hard work of the coaches and volunteers who help our sports people to excel. We are proud that world class sports men and women, like Jamie Lewis and Louisa Piper, call Woking their home. “I wish every award winner and runner up here tonight every success with their future sporting careers and will be watching avidly to see some familiar faces in Tokyo in 2020!” The winners of each category were presented with a commemorative trophy by the Mayor and will have the chance to represent Woking Borough at the Surrey County Sports Awards, which will be held on Monday 3 December 2018 at the Brooklands Hotel. The Sport Woking Awards are organised in partnership with Sport Woking and Woking Borough Council. Sport Woking, the sport council for Woking, are looking for new members, if you would like to express your interest or would like more information please contact Clive Moon, Sport Woking Chair, at cmassocs@aol.com For further information on the Sport Woking Awards, please visit www.woking.gov.uk/sportawards or contact Emma-Louise Webb, Woking Borough Council’s Sports Development Officer at emma-louise.webb@woking.gov.uk

The winners - The Trotman Trophy Jamie Lewis, Woking Gymnastic Club Jamie is one of the most successful junior gymnasts Great Britain has ever produced. In his final year as a junior competitor, Jamie has won the following titles: European Youth Olympic Champion, Men’s London Open Peter Moore All-Around Champion, English Junior All-Around Champion, British Floor Champion, Junior European Floor Champion, along with a healthy collection of medals. Jamie continues to inspire athletes from around the world and now focuses on senior competitions, with his ultimate goal of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Specsavers Young Sports Personality Tia Hansford Tia Hansford is a 14-year old cadet of 1349 Woking Squadron, Royal Air Force Air Cadets. Tia comfortably won the 800m race in local and regional athletics competitions of the Air Training Corps (ATC). She then went on to represent the South East Region (LaSER) at the national ATC Atheltics Competition, where she came first by an impressive 18 seconds and broke an 11 year old record in the process. Tia’s achievement has enabled the LaSER to retain the national Corps athletics trophy and her performance has set an important benchmark for Surrey Wing's future standing in the regional and national sporting profile of the Air Training Corps. Active Surrey Coach of the Year Simon Strong, Woking Walking Football Simon has been working tirelessly over the last year to increase participation in Walking Football at Woking Leisure Centre. Simon first started coaching the session in April 2017 and now has 30 regular players and the sport is continuing to thrive. He is also entering successful teams into regional and national leagues. Outside of football, strong ties have been made with Woking Hospice. Simon supports his players to keep them fit and active to overcome mental health issues. He is seen as not only a great coach but a good friend by the Walking Football players. Surrey Playing Fields Young Volunteer of the Year Lucy Gerhard-Jones, Fighting Fitness Judo Lucy has been part of Fighting Fitness Judo for just over three years. She not only participates in the sport but also passes on her love for Judo to others in her voluntary role as support coach. Every week she helps with classes for the younger children. She is a caring, encouraging and approachable coach. Lucy volunteered her time as a 'Gamesmaker' (support coach and helper) at the Surrey Youth Games this year and was an asset to the Woking team. Lucy has completed her Club referee award recently and has encouraged others to consider signing up to the next available course. Outstanding Contribution to Sport Fiona Creswick, Byfleet Village Football Club Fiona has been involved in Byfleet Village Football Club and football in the local area for the last 20 years. Thanks to Fiona's dedication and work the club is lucky enough to have fantastic facilities at Kings Head Lane Recreation Ground, providing football for children aged from four years to 18 years old. She is a friendly face for parents, children and coaches and a great source of knowledge for anything football. Sports Personality of the Year Louisa Piper, Woking Archery Club Fifteen-year-old archer Louisa ended last season ranked UK No2 Senior Lady and UK No1 Junior Girl. Louisa made her GBR debut in 2017 and by October of that year had won her third international medal. As one of the four-strong GBR Senior Olympic Women’s Squad, she is currently ranked 194th in the world and the second youngest archer in the World Top 200. Volunteer of the Year Candy Schofield, Woking Archery Club Candy has been a member of Woking AC for 22 years but has put down her bow more and more to take up volunteering on a truly spectacular level. She is Woking Archery Club Treasurer and is a key organiser of the Surrey Archery Weekend. She also helps the county out with its other main Longbow, Field and Junior shoots and all run without a hitch due to the huge amount of planning Candy undertakes both beforehand and on the day. At a national level Candy has formally taken on the voluntary role of Volunteer Coordinator for the Archery GB Events.

Disability Sport Award The Park School The Park School represented Team Woking at this years Specsavers Surrey Youth Games. At the competition weekend the Park School provided enough players for Team Woking to create an additional team with Waverley. The U13 teams Woking and Waverley, and Woking won gold and silver medals respectively. The School also entered an U18 team and teachers from the school supported the students by attending the Games weekend. Young Sports Team of the Year Beaufort Primary School Girls Football In May, Beaufort Primary School girls football team from Goldsworth Park, got through to the final of the National League Trust under 11s football tournament at Wembley Stadium and won. They were the top scoring team in the tournament and didn't concede a goal! The team also won the 2018 league title for WASP (Woking Area Sport for Primary Schools) among others wins this year.

Sports Team of the Year Cardinal Saints Cardinal Saints U18 Netball squad demonstrates athleticism and skill, not to mention dedication. The sportsmanship is admirable. On the court they give it 100% and go for everything however, irrelevant of the score, they are incredibly respectful of their opposition. When they take to the court in this predominantly adult netball league they come into their own. The team has worked through the divisions and currently play in Division One, coming third this year in the summer league. Club of the Year Woking Rugby Club Woking Rugby Club are committed to participating in the league championships for both teams. The club is supported by coach Richard. The First team were successfully promoted to Surrey 3s after being crowned the Surrey 4 Champions. The Second team in their own right are regular trophy winners. The club demonstrates a total level of respect to all members and players, and the message of sportsmanship and fair play is spread widely. Team Woking Surrey Youth Games School of the Year Woking High School The school had the highest level of participation at the Specsavers Surrey Youth Games training sessions and competition weekend. Team Woking Surrey Youth Games Coach of the Year Woody Swain, Badminton Woody has proven himself to be enthusiastic, patient and incredibly encouraging with the children, without putting pressure on them. He enables them to focus on having fun and enjoying their sport. He is such a patient person and really relates to the children during their coaching. He also volunteered for the Team Woking badminton squad and as an official at the Surrey Youth Games 2018. Team Woking Surrey Youth Games Team of the Year Judo and Junior Squash Awarded for commitment to training, good sportsmanship and fair play. Both teams expressed a great level of enthusiasm at training and at the Games weekend. The participants listened to, and learnt from, the advice of the coaches, and they all offered a great level of support to their peers.

from Woking Borough Council Latest News https://www.woking.gov.uk/news?item=00005BB3701F.A20DBC27.000046D7.0001

[nothingunrealistic]

HARD BOB: Even you can’t bribe, beg, and bully your way into a bank. Your past legal troubles make you too fragrant to clear the federal background dive. The SEC will drop its scat all over your application.

[…]

KRAKOW: Take your chance with a state charter. Different regulators, lesser. Perhaps more open to the…

HARD BOB: Bribing, the begging, the bullying.

5x03 beg, bribe, bully. why wasn’t it titled bribe, beg, bully. these are the only uses of those three words together in the entire episode. who decided the order they were spoken in wasn’t good enough.

[nothingunrealistic]

U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security

Robert Beaufort Secretary

Bureau of Industry and Security U.S. Department of Commerce 5201 Constitution Ave Washington, D.C. 20230

Office: (202) 182-4811 Fax: (202) 182-4810 E-mail: rb@doc.bis.gov

[nothingunrealistic]

as i write this, there’s less than 20 minutes until 5x08 drops, which if you ask me is enough time to look at the imdb cast lists for 5x08, 5x09, and 5x10 and point some stuff out!

5x08:

a new character named brenda. no clue about her, other than that she seems to be a middle-aged woman.

dr. gilbert, the doctor who let donnie die & helped axe develop the ice juice poison & went to jail over both those things & refused to help chuck get wendy’s license back. (that explains one apparent shot of chuck in a prison wearing a visitor’s badge, and possibly the listing of a character named “jerry the guard.”)

merle howard, one of chuck's law students. if i remember correctly, merle objected to the assignment to dig up dirt on krakow, and refused to take it.

dean walker, of yale law school, who hired chuck to work there.

jason isbell (a musician), alex wagner (a journalist), and michael novogratz (an ex-hedge fund manager) appear as themselves.

5x09:

attorney general drew moody, played by michael cerveris. (i guess someone had to replace jock jeffcoat.)

brenda returns!

anthony mangieri, the real-life restauranteur who makes pizza axe loves, and paul “manz” manzarello, his fictional cousin.

bruno capparello, axe’s prior favorite pizza maker, who retired to florida last season.

dr. swerdlow, the shady doctor chuck consulted re: getting a new kidney for senior.

danny margolis, former axe capper who’s been involved in the ice juice and art freeport schemes axe has run.

5x10:

bob sweeney, the governor of new york who has been chuck’s rival and ally at various times

mary ann gramm, the manhattan district attorney who’s repeatedly gotten in chuck’s way.

hard bob beaufort, from the bureau of industry and security, who’s been both a hindrance and a help to taylor.

dr. swerdlow again.

adam degiulio, a friend of chuck’s who’s risen through the judicial ranks with his help.

senator marcia vandeveer, who at chuck’s request blocked degiulio from attaining a certain judicial position.

someone new named “chelz.”

gordie axelrod and eva rhoades.