Monthly Archives: July 2008

He is the one he’s been waiting for

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Much is being made of the livery of Baby Barry’s campaign plane, in an email forwarding making the rounds of BB haters–particularly the small American flag (unseen here behind the wingtip) on the rear of the fuselage. Snopes has pix of the planes of Dole, Bush, and Kerry, showing they preferred lots of flags and big ones. But, like it says up there, change is the name of BB’s game. Just not too much change: He keeps interjecting racial remarks into the campaign, sounding a lot more like a race hustler than a race healer.

Umpire ejects pitcher

I think it was the first time I saw a pitcher cuss an umpire, as happened in last night’s game between the Rangers and Seattle. Mariner’s reliever Arthur Rhodes is under some pressure, apparently, not knowing whether he’s going to be traded to the Marlins. But when he was pulled in the bottom of the eighth, after loading the bases with walks, and giving up a pop fly to bring one of them in, he left the field saying bad things to the homeplate umpire, who ordered Rhodes ejected, as well. The Rangers won 4-3.

Rhodes, it seems, has long been controversial, according to Wikipedia: "In 2001 [he] was pitching against the Cleveland Indians when Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel said that Rhodes’s glowing diamond earrings were distracting him from seeing the ball. This incited an argument…that led to Rhodes’s ejection…Since then, players have not been allowed to wear distracting jewelry on the field."

Tupperware Unsealed

This looks and sounds like a heckuva book. I did a feature story years ago on a Tupperware sales "party" in West Palm Beach. I had heard about them for a while, even knew some of the mechanics involved in the sales program, but had never seen the products. I was amazed to discover that they were "just" various sizes of colorful plastic bowls with tight lids. I think about that sometimes now when I put some of our own collection in the dishwasher.

Space Station become a spaceship?

It makes more sense to park the ISS in orbit around the moon, rather than let it burn up in the atmosphere after the space shuttles retire in 2010. Otherwise it’d just be another American space effort gone for naught, despite billions spent and years of work and tragedy. But Rand Simberg says it’s a bright idea without a future. More likely, the Russians and Europeans might buy the thing.

Friends of Barack

Remember Friends of Bill? The GOP has a launched a new campaign parody, a Facebook-like site on the Friends of Barack. Just so you don’t forget who Baby Barry’s "friends" really are.

Via Power Line

Horns a question mark

Oklahoma seems to be the favorite of the betting line, both to win the Big Twelve South this year and, less so, the Big Twelve itself. The Longhorns may not even be up in the pre-season Top Ten–which will be released soon The daily’s Kirk Bohl’s says what the Horns do this year depends on whether Coach Mack Brown keeps the growl he acquired before last season’s Holiday Bowl win. We might be able to bet on Burnt Orange Nation coming up with an optimistic prediction when they get around to it.

The start of something big

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The Pan Am Clippers of the 1930s were for the rich, too, and we all fly now.