Slap & Tickle

That’s All Folks

We lost two good ones today…

“Moneypenny! What gives?”
Lois Maxwell, better known as Miss Moneypenny in over a dozen Bond films passed away this weekend. In my book she is the only Moneypenny. Granted, she was getting a little long in the tooth for the role of the woman pining over an increasingly younger Bond, but she was a constant. Her last Bond film was A View to A Kill—also known as a giant piece of shit. Not a good way to exit. I didn’t know that she won a Golden Globe in 1947 for her work in a Shirley Temple film. More about her at The New York Times.

Call of the Champions
Being a complete and total klutz, I’m a big Olympic-phile. I love the pomp & circumstance, the drama, the history, etc. of the Olympics (I get all misty during the opening ceremonies and cry when the torch is lit. Yep. Tears streaming down my face. I’m such a sap). So, when an athlete as amazing as Al Oerter passes, I feel it must be noted.

Oerter competed in the discus event in FOUR consecutive Olympics (1956 – 1968)—winning a gold medal each time! Sure, egomaniac Carl Lewis had a similar achievement, but his was even more remarkable, as The New York Times noted: “Oerter’s sweep was all the more remarkable because in each case he broke the Olympic record, beat the world record holder, overcame an injury and was not the favorite to win. His winning throws were 184 feet 11 inches in Melbourne in 1956, 194-2 in Rome in 1960, 200-1 in Tokyo in 1964 and 212-6 in Mexico City in 1968.” Unlike Lewis, Mr. Oerter was humble in his victory: “The first one, I was really young; the second, not very capable; the third, very injured; the fourth, old.”

He came close to winning a spot on the 1980 Olympic team (coming in fourth) and attempted to get on the team again in 1984 at the age of 47, but tore a calf muscle and had to bow out. He continued to compete in events for men over 40 until his 60’s and worked as a motivational speaker.