Today’s comment was going to be about some New Zealand athletes who have done great things over the last few days. Instead, I will find some tweets to celebrate their achievements and put them below.
The reason for that is I’ve just found out that Eric Bolling’s son, Eric Chase Bolling, who was only nineteen, died on Friday night. The working theory is that his death was suicide as the result of a drug overdose. (Remember Sunday was World Suicide Prevention Day.)
For those who don’t know Eric Bolling, he’s a 54-year-old former Fox News and Fox Business anchor. He joined the network in 2008, and was rising quickly through the ranks. He left the network recently following accusations of sexual harassment from female co-workers and guests. He’s denying the accusations, which seem to be credible, and suing the HuffPost reporter, Yashar Ali, who first made them public. His son, a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder, was reportedly having a hard time dealing with the fallout from the situation.
I came across Bolling because I used to be a regular viewer of ‘The Five’, which was a show he co-hosted for several years every weekday with four others until earlier this year. I never had much time for his views – he was a Trump devotee and apologist. However, it was actually him leaving ‘The Five’ that was the reason I stopped watching it. Or rather, it was the identity of his replacement. Whatever else he was, Bolling was honest in his beliefs. His replacement, Jesse Watters, was quite happy to lie frequently and regularly in support of the Republican cause.
The devotion of Bolling to his only child, Eric Chase, was clear to anyone who saw him talking about his son. At each milestone and achievement in his son’s life, Bolling would post share pictures on ‘The Five’ and various social media of the occasion. He was clearly bursting with love and pride for his son. I can’t even imagine what he and his wife must be going through as a result of his death.
One of the things I think about with being outspoken online is that having no one in my life means there’s no one that can get a hard time because of my actions or opinions. That’s something most people have to consider, and it may be that Bolling will have to live with the fact that his actions may have made a contribution to the death of his beloved son. Bolling is a devout Roman Catholic, so if his son committed suicide, that will make his loss doubly difficult. Whatever you think of what he allegedly did, the death of a child is too high a price to pay.
Adrienne and I are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Eric Chase last night. Details still unclear. Thoughts, prayers appreciated.
— Eric Bolling (@ericbolling) September 9, 2017
Authorities have informed us there is no sign of self harm at this point. Autopsy will be next week. Please respect our grieving period.
— Eric Bolling (@ericbolling) September 9, 2017
We are overwhelmed by the love and support we have received. Adrienne and I thank you all and ask that you please keep us in your prayers.
— Eric Bolling (@ericbolling) September 10, 2017
Cat Tweets
I got this ad on my Facebook wall today. What will they think of next!
Methinks that sometimes domestic cats get the sitting in safe spaces thing a bit wrong!
if I kinda of fits, I sits. pic.twitter.com/0M4XQJZem1
— Emergency Kittens (@EmrgencyKittens) September 12, 2017
This cat know how to set itself up with a flattering background.
Please like us on Facebook – https://t.co/t2N37zcjsE pic.twitter.com/Ab3yebRUVI
— Awwwww (@AwwwwCats) September 12, 2017
Ready to ambush!
Old habits don’t die pic.twitter.com/vZearOnqM5
— Awwwww (@AwwwwCats) September 11, 2017
This is what cats are for!
???????? pic.twitter.com/dsRTNy7nHj
— Awwwww (@AwwwwCats) September 11, 2017
Dog Tweets
He’s a cutie!
OMG THOSE FLOPPY EARS pic.twitter.com/H3NiWluED8
— Life on Earth (@planetepics) September 10, 2017
Actually, I don’t think the dog is really very happy about this. He’s putting up with it for the sake of his human and because he’s well trained.
Wow, The Dog Doesn’t Mind It At All! 😀 pic.twitter.com/HNsZFvnzlv
— Life on Earth (@planetepics) September 10, 2017
I’ve heard that a lot of people are leaving their animals behind as they escape Hurricane Irma and even worse, leaving them tied up, which horrifies me. What are these people thinking? Here’s someone rescuing at least some of the dogs. Good man!
(Via Ann German.)
This guys saving dogs!!! #hurricane #storm #miami #irma pic.twitter.com/FreNqNXgFG
— Nick (@NickKuk) September 10, 2017
Sports Tweets
New Zealand runner Nick Willis wins the New York 5th Avenue Mile for the 4th time!
Way to close out the season, @nickwillis !! Winning again at the @nyrr #nb5thavemile !! pic.twitter.com/60ZuLengf9
— Global Athletics (@gamupdates) September 10, 2017
The official results:
.@nickwillis SURGES through at the end to???? his 4th #nb5thavemile in 3:51.31! @benfblankenship is highest finishing ???????? in third in 3:52.25. pic.twitter.com/KrBmDCXqmH
— USATF (@usatf) September 10, 2017
New Zealander Braden Currie won the Santa Cruz Iron Man!
Couldn’t of asked for a tougher days racing, down to the wire @bhoffmanracing #santacruz703 pic.twitter.com/e0dUgivT82
— Braden Currie (@BradenCurrie) September 11, 2017
Here are the top three on the podium.
My race report @IRONMANtri #SantaCruz 70.3 event. Congrats to winners @lizlyestri @BradenCurrie https://t.co/TSUV2xht0V @scsentinelsport
— Martin Spierings (@tricoachmartin) September 11, 2017
New Zealander Jake Robertson came second to Mo Farah in the Great North Run marathon in England.
Mo Farah wins the #GreatNorthRun in 60:06 from Jake Robertson and Feyisa Lilesa pic.twitter.com/211ewPuhT8
— Athletics Weekly (@AthleticsWeekly) September 10, 2017
BUT he was the winner in another way. At the finish line he asked his girlfriend and fellow athlete Magdalyne Masai to marry him, and she said YES! Masai came fourth in the women’s event.
????????’s Jake Robertson proposed to ????????’s Magdalene Masai after he finished second at the #GreatNorthRun.#seanknows pic.twitter.com/2O5DGa3e3v
— Sean Cardovillis (@seancardo) September 10, 2017
Political Tweets
As president, Trump has been given a role to perform, and had speeches written for him, on the anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11. Here he is before others were telling him how to behave.
Reminder: Donald Trump responded to #September11th by bragging about the size of a building he owned pic.twitter.com/7FfeKPML0v
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 11, 2017
It turns out power points on the trees wasn’t a stupid idea after all! (I always thought it was a good idea. ???? )
(Via Ann German.)
How these trees became charging stations for cell phones after Hurricane Irma. via @MiamiHerald https://t.co/VFQLDtofmY
— Michiko Kakutani (@michikokakutani) September 11, 2017
I’m not sure calling on Russian authorities to stop the attacks will help much. They’re probably the ones calling for the attempts on this journalist’s life.
(Via Ann German.)
Independent journalist Yulia Latynina flees #Russia following attackshttps://t.co/ApjsNcHLuP
— CPJ (@pressfreedom) September 11, 2017
Sarah Silverman has lost the plot a bit recently, but she’s right on the money with this tweet.
(Via Ann German.)
— Sarah Silverman (@SarahKSilverman) September 8, 2017
History Tweets
I guess they really wanted some of that Western decadence!
Opening of the first McDonald’s in the Soviet Union, Moscow, 1991. pic.twitter.com/0X0fwZj5ic
— History Lovers Club (@historylvrsclub) September 10, 2017
I love this! I’d like to try it myself, except I’m too old to carry it off these days. ????
Girl at a Rolling Stones concert in 1969. pic.twitter.com/rMo3cCiBQm
— History Lovers Club (@historylvrsclub) September 10, 2017
What would you do? Unless I’d had previous instructions to not do anything if anyone fainted because help would come, I wouldn’t stay standing to attention.
Irish Guards in London, England, remain at attention after a fellow guardsman faints, 1966. pic.twitter.com/MuHfQxDodA
— Mood:Vintage (@moodvintage) September 10, 2017
What the tweeter said!
(Via Ann German.)
Eye caught by background character in a 1786 print. Am clinging to the hope there was a man walking around Georgian London looking like this pic.twitter.com/Yc9g1lKCcF
— Emily Brand (@EJBrand) September 9, 2017
Art Tweets
I wish this was longer – I’d like to see more before and after pics. It’s so cool! It (almost) makes me want to bake some bread myself. Then I remember what hard work it is, especially since I don’t have a breadmaker.
I could watch this for HOURS. pic.twitter.com/B6egsr4Yow
— Paint Mixing & Art (@ArtMixing) September 11, 2017
I love these videos of dominoes falling!
This is Absolutely Insane!! pic.twitter.com/7JzuFN0xAp
— Calligraphy & Art (@Calligraphistic) August 7, 2017
It looks so simple, but how many of us could get it right?
(Via Ann German.)
This guy is an actual magician pic.twitter.com/TO7s6mbeP8
— joe (@goulcher) September 10, 2017
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I suspect the painter of handicapped parking signs does many of these. Practice makes perfect.
I’m sure he does too. It’s still cool though.
I’m loving all of these tweets. Eric Bolling’s son’s suicide is tragic. I have no idea whether he’s guilty or not; I certainly am inclined to think that the accusations lodged against his father played a significant part. Either way, it’s a tragedy that Bolling will have to live with the rest of his life. Were I a parent in such a situation, whether the accusations are true of not, having to live with something like that would engender the kind of unbearable guilt and agony that might well make me kill myself. What sort of solace could religion offer? It’s the will of God? Your cross to bear? But if you live a righteous life from now on and beg for forgiveness from the Almighty, you can be reunited with your son in heaven and everything will be all right forever and ever amen?
Thanks “Jenny”. I too feel desperately sorry for Bolling. I don’t know how you would be able to live with something like this. I hope they find that it wasn’t suicide. He would still have the lifelong pain, and the knowledge that his son was suffering because of his situation, but the guilt of maybe causing his son’s death at least wouldn’t be there. I wouldn’t wish that on anybody.
Heather great tweets as always.
Wrt the fainting guardsman.
I remember being on a parade at RAF Finningley in the late 1960s ( No. 230 Vulcan B2 OCU) when an RAF Policeman complete with his guard dog fainted on the side of the Dias containing the reviewing senior officer. One of the junior officers went to the assistance of the fainting policeman and the dog perceiving the assistance as an assault on his handler promptly attacked the junior officer and ripped his trousers almost completely off from the waist down. You can well imagine the reaction of the assembled personnel, even the reviewing officer almost laughed out loud!
Moral of the story, fainters best left alone, although in the case of fainting guardsmen I often thought it could be quite dangerous to just leave someone like that even though instructions were to the contrary.
That must have been hilarious! The mind boggles as to how they helped the guy while his dog was in protection mode too.
Fortunately he did come around fairly promptly and the first thing he did to his credit was to calm his best friend.
Good to know. 🙂
Now that would be an awesome tweet!
That’s funny.
Some good news: An Ontario dog rescue organization has picked up some 30 dogs and returned to Toronto to be put up for adoption – These were only surrendered pooches.
The bread making and domino fall were spectacular. Esp. the domino fall. Dominoes are an optimal tool for Rube Goldberg machines, and I like the mini one utilized here.
Have you seen any of the world records? Here’s 3 and other domino feats that are amaze-balls. Lots of domino art and RG machines. 12+ minutes, but very mesmerizing. The sound of all those falling dominoes is awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAqGcLaE5II
I seem to remember that these guards indeed have the instruction not to react when one is fainting.
I guess that is a remnant of traditional warfare in closed ranks, where soldiers felled should not be a reason to break the line, the latter being a capital offense. (And in that kind of warfare probably for good reasons).