Early Winter Monkeyshines

Just thought I'd share some belated photos of the kids from a recent weekend. Sorry I've been so delinquents.

Gone: Another Boyhood Hero

January 22, 2008 -- REYKJAVIK, Iceland - Chess great Bobby Fischer , who died in Iceland last week at the age of 64, was buried yesterday near the city that hosted his victory over the Soviet Union's Boris Spassky 35 years ago.

In his day, he was the best chess player in the world, maybe the best the world had ever seen. For fans of the game, the tragedy is that his day passed all too quickly. And for the last 30-odd years of his life, Bobby Fischer was the chess world's mad uncle, an embarrassment to be apologized for, belittled or ignored. He died last week at the evocative age of 64 (there are 64 squares on a chess board).

Fischer's claim to unsurpassed greatness was not entirely without merit. He remained the highest-rated player in history for many years after he had stopped playing. On his way to the 1972 championship match in Reykjavik, Iceland, he won 20 straight games against some of the strongest players in the world without allowing so much as a draw. Twenty victories in a row against the world's best was unheard-of, a feat not equaled in chess before or since. He then went on to beat Mr. Spassky -- and, with him, the entire Soviet chess establishment.

Fischer's spokesman, Gardar Sverrisson, said the Brooklyn-raised champion was buried in a private ceremony in the southern Icelandic town of Selfoss, about 37 miles southeast of Reykjavik.

Checkmate.

Monkeyshines - 2008

This past weekend was a bit warmer than average for Brooklyn in January, which meant that Daddy and the Monkeys were able to spend a little time out of doors - what a relief! I dont have much else to say except, "enjoy the photos!"

Because It's There

Edmund Hillary, First Atop Everest, Dead at 88

January 11, 2008 · Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to stand atop Mount Everest, died in Auckland, New Zealand. He was 88. Hillary along with Tenzing Norgay, his Sherpa guide, were the first to conquer the world's highest mountain in 1953.

In 1953, Hillary — a beekeeper by trade — and his team reached the mountain's south peak. But, exhausted by the altitude, most team members could go no farther. Only Hillary and a native Nepalese climber, Tenzing Norgay, continued on. David Breashears, a fellow climber said Hillary initially gained fame for the climb, but afterward, he dedicated much of his life to supporting the Sherpas in the Himalayas.

Rest in peace.