[Due to the snowstorm in the northeast, I wasn’t able to return home
from my long trip as scheduled so accept my apologies for an
abbreviated chat. Back to our regular schedule and content next
week.]
Since I didn’t have access to my reference material, I pulled the
following out of the current issue of Sports Illustrated.
College Football Quiz: As of signing day about two weeks ago, name
the top ten states in Division I football signees for 2003. Answer
below. [Hint: New Hampshire and Rhode Island are not among
them.]
Homeland Security – Important Information
Folks, I’ve been largely out of touch the past five weeks and I don’t
know how many articles and stories on the following have been put
out, along with the calls for duct tape and plastic, but I found this list
from the Houston Chronicle’s Shannon Buggs to be quite useful.
[Houston was where I was stranded the past few days.] I’m sure you
all have thought of some of this, but maybe not all of it.
In the event of an emergency, where evacuation is called for, you
should have the following available in one waterproof container.
Wills
Passports
Birth certificates
Marriage license
Social Security card (or something with it on…I ditched mine for
security reasons long ago)
Life insurance policies
Home purchase documents
Most recent mortgage statement
Year-end mortgage statement (remember, much of this is online now,
so take the time to print out a copy)
Home improvement records and receipts
Proof of home, renters, and auto insurance
Vehicle title or purchase agreement / most recent auto loan statement
Tax returns from the previous two years
Most recent brokerage or retirement plan statement
List of #’s for credit cards and bank accounts
Photos of furniture (and if you’re like me, your office)
Should you need to run out of the house, at least you could grab this
one package and in the event you have to relocate, it will help you
reconstruct your life.
—
On to more lighter fare:
–When I think of the best beers I have personally come across, #1 is
probably Pilsner Urquel. But when it comes to drinkability, meaning
when you’re having more than one or two (which your editor does
maybe twice a year….ahem…cough cough), then I’m talking
something different. So in my recent world travels of the past few
years, I’ve decided the following:
1. Efes (Turkey)
2. Cascade (from Tasmania / Australia)
3. San Miguel
And from America, and the reason why I bring this all up, Texas’
Shiner Bock. Boy, I can’t say I minded being in Houston the past
few days because I got to drink some fresh SB, perhaps the best this
nation has to offer.
–Oops…so the other day I said that sea lions were “overrated.”
Then on Monday, USA Today had a piece on how the U.S. Navy
has been training the animals to protect its vessels. Why didn’t
someone tell me of this before I inserted foot in mouth?! Actually, I
stand firm. When it comes to zoos and aquariums, sea lions take up
way too much space, get too much attention, and really don’t do
squat. But since they are now serving our country, I say, give ‘em
more sardines!
–Note to parents: In case you aren’t a sports fan, you still need to
know that Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler died the other day
of heat exhaustion and stroke, probably brought on by his use of the
weight-loss drug ephedrine. Bechler was just 23 and while the final
cause has not been determined, it was known he was using the drug
and it’s one that has been linked to similar fatalities. It’s possible
some of your kids may be using it, in which case you may want to
have a chat. Maybe over a refreshing Shiner Bock…just kidding.
–In the “How Lucky Can You Get?” department, basketball All-Star
Chris Webber just won the lottery, so to speak, with the sudden
death of University of Michigan booster Ed Martin. It was Martin,
after all, who admitted to a jury that he handed out $100s of
thousands of dollars to Michigan basketball players, including
Webber while he attended the school. Webber had denied this and is
to go on trial later in the year for obstruction of justice and perjury,
but now that Martin be dead as a two-dollar bill, his prior testimony is
most likely inadmissible, since Martin’s defense lawyers can’t cross-
examine Too Dead Ed. [My apologies if I’ve offended the Martin
family.]
–Many of you already know this, but for the record, and for the
casual sports fan, Tiger Woods has now won 27 of 29 tournaments in
which he held the 54-hole lead. I’d say that’s pretty darn good, and
a reason why Woods is the greatest athlete in the world right now…
and it ain’t even close.
–Speaking of golfers, Dan D. told me long ago about Honolulu”s
Michelle Wie, the 13-year-old phenom. She could steal a little
thunder from Tiger and the boys this spring and summer as she
is signed up to play in six LPGA events, the maximum, I believe,
until she turns 18.
–With Mike Tyson”s new facial tattoo, he could be a member of
KISS.
Top 3 songs for the week of 2/19/66: “Lightnin’ Strikes” (Lou
Christie) #2 “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” (Nancy Sinatra)
#3 “Uptight (Everything’s Alright) (Stevie Wonder)
*I”ll have the Johnny Paycheck story on Tuesday.
College Football Quiz Answer: Top ten states for 2003 high school
signees.
1. Texas – 347
2. California – 290
3. Florida – 262
4. Georgia – 123
5. Ohio – 116
6. Louisiana
7. Alabama
8. Michigan
9. Pennsylvania
10. North Carolina
I guess I’m a little surprised how high Louisiana is, and I would have
figured on Oklahoma being in there somewhere.
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday.
