Monday, November 12, 2018

RIP Stan Lee 1922-2018


I swear, I am not going to turn this blog into an obituary column, although by my recent posts, it sure seems that way. I guess that's because I am getting older, and the people I looked up to and followed when I was younger are starting to leave us in the physical plane, and their legacies go on to immortality in our hearts and minds.

Today, many who collect comics, watch movies, or are even remotely familiar with his name, mourn his passing. Stan Lee, the creator of many of the comic book characters that graced the pages of Marvel Comics, passed away today, at the age of 95. Many of the heroes he created at Marvel Comics were a total contrast to those from DC. All of them had their personal flaws, demons, angst, and readers really related to them. Maybe that's why Spider Man, the Hulk, Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, and the rest, struck a chord with America, and the rest of the world.

I'm not sure which of my parents was the comic book geek. They had quite a collection of both Marvel and DC comics when I was growing up. While my brother was a fan of DC, I was a fan of Marvel. In the Philippines, I remember playing the Marvel Super-Heroes card game, which was basically Old Maid with Marvel heroes and Doctor Doom as the "Old Maid."

Courtesy of Greg Turner of Back to the Past. I do have these cards. 

I also remember collecting bottlecaps that featured both Marvel heroes AND villains, that you could collect and play, of all things, checkers. I had a complete set of these bottle caps, but I can't remember if there were 24 or 36 caps for the set. No, most likely, you won't find them on eBay. But I remember opening a lot of bottles of pop (can't remember if it was a Pepsi, Coke, or other bottle company that had these either).

His bio is well known, and I am not going to copy what has already been said about the man on many other websites. My kids mostly recognize him as the guy who shows up in every Marvel movie, although he has been known to show up in a couple of DC properties (Teen Titans Go! to the Movies comes to mind). But for me, Stan will always, be THE MAN!

Thank you for entertaining us, comic book fans, for decades. Your legacy will forever live on screen, whether it be in the cartoons, on TV, or in the movies. But more importantly, they will forever live in the pages of Marvel Comics.

Excelsior!!!

Now, Mr. Lee was also a veteran, serving with the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II from 1942 to 1945. (something that I didn't know about the man until today). And although Veteran's Day was yesterday, today, it is observed.

I post this every year (or almost every year). And although I missed doing it yesterday, I think I will post it again tonight.

This was written eight years ago, but the sentiments remain the same.


November 11, 1919: President Wilson proclaims the first Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations." The original concept for the celebration was for the suspension of business for a two minute period beginning at 11 A.M., with the day also marked by parades and public meetings.

On June 1, 1954, President Eisenhower signs legislation changing the name of the legal holiday from Armistice Day to Veteran's Day. (from The History of Veterans Day)

To the Men and Women who serve in the US Armed Forces:

I will not pretend I know the infinite different reasons why you made the decision to join the US Military.

I can only imagine what your basic training was like (I'm not even sure the movies do any justice).

I will not pretend to know the feeling of being away from family, friends and all of the comforts of home, having been assigned to a foreign land, serving the interests of our country.

I will not say that I necessarily agree with ALL of the reasons why our country has gone to war.

I will not pretend to know what it is like out in the battlefields, not knowing if I was going to live to see another day.

But I will say this.

Thank you.

Thank you all for your service to our country.

Thank you for the sacrifices you made so that we can continue to live with the freedoms that we enjoy.

Your courage is nothing if not inspiring. Your stories become tales of legend that deserve to be told again and again.

For these, and countless other reasons, I give you my respect.

And I give you thanks.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama

Friday, November 2, 2018

As Today is November 2, 2018

November 2 is traditionally All Souls Day. It is the day where we celebrate the lives of family and friends who have passed away. Many will go to cemeteries and pray, some may even picnic on the grounds. It is not really a day of mourning, but a day of reflection. Remembering those who we strongly miss.

Before I begin my annual tribute post, I want to thank everyone on and off this humble, little blog for all of the condolences, words of encouragement, thoughts, prayers, and even emails when my dad passed away last month. It's been hard to focus on cards or anything Hobby related because my dad has been in my thoughts a lot since he died. But I know he will always be a part of me and is going to watch me and the rest of my family from above.

So I am going to start with honoring my dad, Leslie Filoteo Anama. I love you Dad. We miss you and will continue to honor your legacy from this day forward.

Personally, I would like to honor my grandparents, Felix Anama, Leonor Filoteo Anama, Gloria Y. Nichols, Ruben S. Menguito, Sgt. Clinton H. Nichols. As well as countless great aunts and uncles too numerous to list.

Today I want to remember the seven souls who died on January 8, 1993, at the Brown's Chicken in Palatine, Illinois: Michael C. Castro, Rico Solis, Thomas Mennes, Marcus Nellsen, Guadalupe Maldonado, Richard Ehlenfeldt, and Lynn Ehlenfeldt.

I would like to remember the people I've met over the years who left us too soon: Lynn Swoboda, Shannon McNamara, Linda Beyer, Gail Leff, Lois Winesburgh, Mary Jo Scanlan, Nancy Huber, Joseph Nasca, Antoinette Nasca, Dan Doles, Chris Stufflestreet, Thomas Scanlon, Darrin Steffey, Katie (Olin) Wood, Erin (Ryals) Semerad, Leonard "LJ" Marek, Rob Swanson, Steve Hanson.

On behalf of my wife, I would like to honor her grandparents, uncles, and especially, her mother (since I have not asked for my wife's permission to do so, I am not adding their names here).

Finally, I would like to take a moment to remember the families, the loved ones who were left behind.

Now that the personal side of the blog has been taken care of, I would also like to take time to remember 104 more people. Between 11/02/2017 and 11/01/2018, 100 people who can lay claim to playing major league baseball, 4 of whom had the honor of being a manager of a major league franchise (even for one game), passed away. Many lived long productive lives, even after their careers ended. Others, tragically, either passed away before their potential could be fully reached or before they could enjoy the fruits of their retirement.

Today, I take time out of my humble little baseball card blog to remember (please note that I had missed three names last year, players who died between 10/22/2017-10/31/2017, and am including them within the list below).

Darrell Osteen
10/22/2017
Al Richter
10/29/2017
Bob Talbot
10/31/2017
Gene Verble
11/4/2017
Rick Stelmaszek
11/6/2017
Roy Halladay
11/7/2017
Don Prince
11/8/2017
Rance Pless
11/11/2017
Bobby Doerr
11/13/2017
Jim Rivera
11/13/2017
Tommy Moore
11/16/2017
Bob Borkowski
11/18/2017
Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez
11/23/2017
Dick Gernert
11/30/2017
Ernie Fazio
12/1/2017
Tracy Stallard
12/6/2017
Manny Jimenez
12/11/2017
Frank Lary
12/13/2017
Doug Gallagher
12/17/2017
Angelo Dagres
12/23/2017
Jerry Kindall
12/24/2017
Al Luplow
12/28/2017
Rob Picciolo
1/3/2018
Dick Young
1/7/2018
Bob Bailey
1/9/2018
Rudy Arias
1/12/2018
Bob Barton
1/15/2018
Bill Johnson
1/20/2018
Moose Stubing, MGR
1/20/2018
Marcos Carvajal
1/24/2018
Julio Navarro
1/24/2018
Oscar Gamble
1/31/2018
Roy Dietzel
2/3/2018
Don Choate
2/4/2018
Laurin Pepper
2/4/2018
Ralph Lumenti
2/7/2018
Wally Moon
2/9/2018
Rudy Regalado
2/12/2018
Tito Francona
2/13/2018
Tom Brewer
2/15/2018
Jack Hamilton
2/22/2018
Sammy Stewart
3/2/2018
Curt Raydon
3/3/2018
Steve Stroughter
3/6/2018
Ed Charles
3/15/2018
Jerry Schoonmaker
3/18/2018
Dick LeMay
3/19/2018
Larry Miller
3/21/2018
Carl Scheib
3/24/2018
Jerry Moses
3/26/2018
Rusty Staub
3/29/2018
Ed Samcoff
3/29/2018
Len Okrie
4/12/2018
Ken Hottman
4/16/2018
John Hope
4/18/2018
John Duffie
4/19/2018
George Alusik
4/20/2018
Dave Nelson
4/22/2018
Marv Rackley
4/24/2018
Frank Ernaga
4/30/2018
Roy Wright
5/5/2018
Al Stanek
5/8/2018
Tom Fletcher
5/9/2018
Frank Quilici, MGR
5/14/2018
Dave Garcia, MGR
5/21/2018
Chuck Stevens
5/28/2018
Ray Barker
5/29/2018
Fred Van Dusen
6/1/2018
Bruce Kison
6/2/2018
Steve Kline
6/4/2018
Chuck Taylor
6/5/2018
Larry Owen
6/6/2018
Red Schoendienst, MGR
6/6/2018
Ed Roebuck
6/14/2018
Bill Connors
6/17/2018
Don Mason
6/19/2018
Tony Bartirome
6/22/2018
Mike Kilkenny
6/28/2018
Harvey Gentry
7/1/2018
Sammy Esposito
7/9/2018
Tony Cloninger
7/24/2018
Vaughn Eshelman
7/24/2018
Johnny Lewis
7/28/2018
Daryl Robertson
7/31/2018
Myron White
8/4/2018
John Kennedy
8/9/2018
Ozzie Van Brabant
8/18/2018
Joe Landrum
8/19/2018
Doc Edwards, MGR
8/20/2018
Dean Stone
8/21/2018
Dick Lane
9/5/2018
Paul Stuffel
9/9/2018
Billy O'Dell
9/12/2018
Phil Clark
9/14/2018
Lee Stange
9/21/2018
Marty Pattin
10/3/2018
Jose Santiago
10/9/2018
Don Eddy
10/10/2018
Joe Stanka
10/15/2018
Dave Hill
10/16/2018
Wayne Krenchicki
10/16/2018
Benny Valenzuela
10/24/2018
Bill Fischer
10/30/2018
Willie McCovey
10/31/2018


Sincerely,

JayBee Anama