From Wikipedia:
Marlex was used by Wham-O for their Hula Hoops in the 1950s, which helped create a market for this plastic. It is now used surgically as a reinforcing mesh in inguinal hernia repair.
Good News – Bad News
First the good news. Last night Lex & I finished building his 1st skateboard. We actually laminated 7 layers of wood, sanded, painted 2 colors, cut out a graphic for the grip surface, attached trucks, bearings and wheels.
The maiden voyage came at about 8pm last night and I don’t think the board has left his side since.
The bad news: I’m having surgery to repair a classic groin hernia tomorrow.
Props to Talor Battle…
Who you ask?
Talor is Penn State’s sophomore point guard. He was an unherald recruit (at least on the national scene) but, before he’s done, might go down as Penn State’s best ever basketball player (heck, some think he already is).
Halfway through the Big Ten season, Talor was the odds on favorite to be named the Big Ten Player of the Year. He faltered a little coming down the stretch (quite possibly due to worrying about his mom who suffered a mild heart attach right at the point that Talor began to struggle) but still managed to make first team all Big Ten.
Unfortunately, PSU came up just short of getting an invite to the NCAAs (despite finishing fourth in the conference and just missing a win in our last game at Iowa, two OTs and we had shots at the end of regulation and the first OT to win it, which would have put us in second place in the Big Ten and locked up a bid for sure).
We did, however, receive a bid to the NIT and the first game was last night. In the game, Talor came up with one his miraculous finishes that he’s starting to become famous for on campus. First, to set the stage, here’s what he did at the end of our game with Illinois when we were down one with seconds to go. He dribbled the length of the court, passed all five Illinois defenders and scored the winning bucket with .3 seconds left.
Here’s a fans video from the upper deck.
In the aforementioned Iowa game, Battle almost topped that. We were down nine points with 2:23 to play. Over the next two minutes Battle scored 12 straight points to tie the game up, then just missed a three point at the buzzer that would have won it (sorry no video).
But he did top it last night. We were down three with 4.8 second left when the following happened.
We went on to win it in overtime.
The kid is just amazing and we get to watch him for two more years.
Vacations
Here are a few pictures of Mary and I on vacation. The first is last year at Big Sur. The next 3 are from last Monday and Tuesday of this week. We have our first view of the Grand Canyon and two pictures of Mary and I playing golf in Sedona, AZ.
Jack R. Cortner (1929-2009)
Lisman’s father, Jack, passed away last Sunday, March 8th, 2009. He had been hospitalized in Sewanee, his home, over a month ago and died there, just days before he would have moved to a nursing home. Lisman is quite at ease over his passing. Jack had put up a long, and at times, difficult battle with aging and illness. Lisman was with him just weeks ago as he entered the hospital for the last time.
Below is the first draft of Jack’s NY Times obituary:
Jack R. Cortner, formerly of New York, died Sunday Mar. 8th, in Sewanee,
Tennessee after a long illness. Father of Lisman Cortner Fall and grandfather
of Charlotte and Lex Fall of Montclair, NJ, Mr. Cortner was born in 1929 in
Memphis, TN.  A New York City resident from 1962-1996, he worked on Wall Street
as an investment officer for The Bank of New York, in assets management for
Dean-Witter, and the Trust Dept., Manufacturers-Hanover Bank. Services will
be held on April 4th in the Chapel of St. Andrew’s School, Sewanee, where
Jack had long been a trustee. Memorials may be sent to The Scholarship
Fund, St. Andrew’s School, Sewanee, TN 37375.
Jack with his grandchildren, 2006:
Jack’s home in Tennessee:
THON on NBC’s Today Show
The Today Show did a nice story on THON.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
C. Tod Jeffers (1941-2009)
My long time friend Tod Jeffers passed away after suffering a sudden heart attack in his sleep Saturday night. Â Tod had a previous attack about ten years ago but had hoped that was all in his past.
The radio station in Wheeling WV that Tod has been working for the last few years ran several tributes to him yesterday. Â Here’s the local TV news announcement of Tod’s passing.
Here’s his obituary as it appears this morning in several papers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Charles Tod Jeffers
April 22, 1941 – March 1, 2009 Charles Tod Jeffers, 67, of Wheeling, W.V., died suddenly at home, on Sunday, March 1, 2009. He was born on April 22, 1941, in Glen Dale, W.V., the son of the late Charles W. and Hazel Baker Jeffers.
Tod was a 1959 graduate of Moundsville High School and attended WLSC and Penn State University. He was U.S. Army Veteran serving in Greece, where he learned to speak the language fluently. Tod lived for the radio, broadcasting for over 45 years. He began his radio career while serving in Athens, Greece. After returning to the states, he continued that career at WMOD in Moundsville, WHLL-1600 in Wheeling (currently WKKX-1600), WWVA in Wheeling, WMAJ in State College, Pa., KLNK in Oklahoma City, Okla., WBNS in Columbus, Ohio, KOOL-94FM, then Z107FM in Harrisburg, Pa. He then made his final journey back to his roots in the Ohio Valley at AM1600-WKKX, where he hosted “Jeffers and Company”.
Throughout his career, he has interviewed many celebrities. Tod loved the people in the Ohio Valley. He was a pilot, an avid golfer, and quite a storyteller. He was a big West Virginia Mountaineer Fan; but Penn State held a large part of his heart. He was a season ticket holder at Beaver Stadium since 1965. He was “the voice” of the Penn State Men’s Basketball and Wrestling Programs.
Tod is survived by his daughter, Vicki Hoak (Russ Allen), of Chippewa Township, Pa.; a son, Andy Jeffers, of State College, Pa.; his grandchildren, Matt Hoak, of Vienna, Va., Danielle Hoak, of Chippewa Township, and Jasa Jeffers, of State College; his brothers, Toby (Kathy) Jeffers, of Beaver, Pa., and Jay (Kathy) Jeffers, of Moundsville; a sister, Marla (Ed) Rogerson, of Lake Arrowhead, Calif.; and his beloved pet and companion, Mikey, who will be lost without his faithful friend.
Tod will be deeply missed by all his family, friends, co-workers, and his many devoted listeners. Family will receive friends on Wednesday from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at Grisell Funeral Home & Crematory, 400 Jefferson Avenue, Moundsville, where Memorial Services will be held on Thursday at 4 p.m., with Mike Eskridge officiating. Private interment will be held at the convenience of the family. Sympathy expressions at grisellfuneralhomes.com.
Tod will be sorely missed. He had an incredible ability to be at home in just about any environment. Wherever he went, he would quickly become the center of attention as he would hold court with his tales. As tall as they seemed to many, having been an integral part of more than just a few, I must admit that he stuck pretty much to the truth yet still managed to make them seem wildly entertaining.
Listeners to his radio show, in response to a poll asking how Tod would be remembered, overwhelming described answered as a “storyteller”. Nothing could be more accurate.
My condolences go out to his brothers and sister, his children, and his grandchildren. His oldest grandson, Matt, graduated from Penn State two years ago. Tod and I used to joke about how he was apt to soon become a great grandfather. Sadly he won’t see that day.