NEWSFLASH…THERE HAVE BEEN TWO FATAL SHARK
ATTACKS IN AUSTRALIA IN JUST THE PAST WEEK…
MORE NEXT CHAT…
Green Bay Packers Quiz (1921-2003): 1) Who replaced Vince
Lombardi as coach? 2) Rushing, career? 3) Receptions, career?
4) TDs, career? 5) Passing yards, season? 6) TDs, game? [Only
one has five.] Answers below.
Winding my way to Paraguay
On Tuesday I flew from Newark to Orlando to Panama City to
Santiago, Chile. I don’t know how many miles, but it was
around 12 hours in the air.
I was worried about the fairly tight connection in Panama…and
my bag being transferred…and I was right to be concerned. I got
to Santiago, my bag didn’t and I’m not one to pack a bunch of
clothes with the laptop, even though this year I’ve had my
luggage misplaced three times.
But I wouldn’t be bitching about this were it not for freakin’
Copa Airlines out of Panama. Hey, the pilots seemed good
enough but the stewardesses were awful. It turns out they knew
a bunch of bags didn’t make the Panama – Santiago segment
because the plane was too heavy and yet they said nothing, plus
they screwed me up with the customs forms. I have been
effusive in my praise of worthy operations as I travel the world
…but Copa is the pits. [L.D., this is not a knock of Barry
Manilow and “Copacabana.”]
By the way, in the editor’s world rankings of top stewardesses,
Singapore Air and China’s Dragon Air are still tops.
Well, it was 5:00 AM when I finally filed the form for my
luggage and got out of customs, which was the only laugh of the
evening / morning when I pointed to my lonely computer case
and asked the agents, “You want to check it?” They were
laughing with me…not at me, I think.
But now I had to get to my hotel and I must say, when I arrive at
a strange place I’m perhaps way too trusting but I normally just
let one of those gypsy cabbies take over. This particular one
spoke no English, I speak no Spanish (with the exception of
“Dondeh esta el bar?”), and I had no idea what he was going to
charge me for the ½-hour ride so I just figured I’ll give him what
I think he deserves…$30. He was very satisfied.
Otherwise, I’m tired, I’m cranky, I want my luggage and I have
no great stories, yet. [The gift shop here sells large ginger bread
houses and I’m on the verge of buying one and devouring it.]
Next up…Paraguay and the search for golfer Carlos Franco.
By the way, what is “Doing a Franco”?
It’s when you bypass the range, head to the first tee and hammer
your drive. That’s his modus operandi.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
You probably saw the 2005 inductees were just named; Blues
guitarist Buddy Guy, Percy Sledge, The O’Jays, The Pretenders,
and U2. The only problem I have with the group is Percy
Sledge. I mean for cryin’ out loud the guy had just that one top
ten, “When A Man Loves A Woman.” That warrants Hall of
Fame?
But then you’ve known for a while of my problems with Rock’s
selection process. Anyway, once again here is the full list of
inductees (“performer” category). You can print it out and
discuss over some spiked eggnog, particularly the omissions.
1986: Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke,
Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee
Lewis, Elvis Presley, Little Richard
1987: The Coasters, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Aretha
Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, B.B. King, Clyde McPhatter,
Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Smokey Robinson,
Big Joe Turner, Muddy Waters, Jackie Wilson
1988: The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Drifters, Bob Dylan,
The Supremes
1989: Dion, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations,
Stevie Wonder
1990: Hank Ballard, Bobby Darin, The Four Seasons, The Four
Tops, The Kinks, The Platters, Simon and Garfunkel, The Who
1991: LaVern Baker, The Byrds, John Lee Hooker, The
Impressions, Wilson Pickett, Jimmy Reed, Ike and Tina Turner
1992: Bobby “Blue” Bland, Booker T. and the M.G.’s, Johnny
Cash, The Isley Brothers, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Sam and
Dave, The Yardbirds
1993: Ruth Brown, Cream, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The
Doors, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Etta James, Van
Morrison, Sly and the Family Stone
1994: The Animals, The Band, Duane Eddy, The Grateful Dead,
Elton John, John Lennon, Bob Marley, Rod Stewart
1995: The Allman Brothers Band, Al Green, Janis Joplin, Led
Zeppelin, Martha and the Vandellas, Neil Young, Frank Zappa
1996: David Bowie, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Jefferson
Airplane, Little Willie John, Pink Floyd, The Shirelles, The
Velvet Underground
1997: The (Young) Rascals, The Bee Gees, Buffalo Springfield,
Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Jackson Five, Joni Mitchell,
Parliament-Funkadelic
1998: The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, The Mamas and the Papas,
Lloyd Price, Santana, Gene Vincent
1999: Billy Joel, Curtis Mayfield, Paul McCartney, Del Shannon,
Dusty Springfield, Bruce Springsteen, The Staple Singers
2000: Eric Clapton, Earth, Wind & Fire, Lovin’ Spoonful, The
Moonglows, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor
2001: Aerosmith, Solomon Burke, The Flamingos, Michael
Jackson, Queen, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, Ritchie Valens
2002: Isaac Hayes, Brenda Lee, Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers, Gene Pitney, Ramones, Talking Heads
2003: AC/DC, The Clash, Elvis Costello & the Attractions, The
Police, Righteous Brothers
2004: Jackson Browne, The Dells, George Harrison, Prince, Bob
Seger, Traffic, ZZ Top
OK…I know I’ve done this before but here are some obvious
omissions.
Gerry and the Pacemakers, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, The
Guess Who, The Zombies, Three Dog Night, Chicago, Jerry
Butler, Hall and Oates, The Lettermen (sorry, that was for Mom
and Dad), The Ronettes (no one was hotter than Ronnie Spector),
The Association, Tommy James and the Shondells….
And the biggest omission of them all, if you could name only
one, is…………………….
The Dave Clark Five
In fact, if I get the guts up, I will go to Cleveland and walk
around the Hall of Fame with a protest sign on the exclusion of
the D.C. Five. It’s a travesty, I tell you.
Stuff
–December 16, 1944, marks the beginning of The Battle of the
Bulge. Hitler, in a last, desperate move, exhorted his troops to
“gamble everything.” Over 25,000 German and American forces
died in the ensuing 32 days. When I return I’ll do this important
piece of history more justice.
–Get your Hornets tickets here…….get your tickets to the 1-19
NBA New Orleans Hornets……..they’re going fast…the perfect
stocking stuffer.
–So I had an hour to kill in the Orlando Airport on Tuesday and
in the bar they had on ESPN’s “And-1,” a show about a bunch of
California playground hoopsters and a little tour they go on.
After the first 30 minutes it hit me…I hadn’t seen one jump shot.
In fact, I didn’t see a jumper until the credits were rolling at the
end. No wonder Johnny can’t shoot.
[I was also thinking; what the hell do these kids do for
employment? One thing is for sure, they pull down our nation’s
math scores.]
–Just flipped on the TV here in Santiago. Television Azteca has
an Emeril rip-off (or did we rip-off TV Azteca?), only what
makes this different is their ‘Emeril’ has a hot assistant, a good
touch if you ask me.
And goodness, gracious. I then caught a Chilean League
basketball game…Osorno v. Llano…and talk about fight night,
these guys were pushing the referees all over the place. Plus the
fans were lighting giant sparklers in the stands. You can lose an
eye that way, you know.
CNN World is the only American news channel in my room, if
you want to call this communist outlet American.
Uh oh…on the Animal Planet a water buffalo is about to meet
his (or her) end at the hands (jaws) of a crocodile. This could get
a little untidy, as Rumsfeld would say. But wait…….could the
actual victim be a zebra? Oh noooooooooooo………..
It was bad, folks. But back to the water buffalo, their leader has
taken ‘em across the river…straight into a cliff about 30 feet
high. Geezuz, these guys are idiots. Kind of reminds me of the
New Orleans Hornets.
–So us Mets fans can’t decide if this Pedro Martinez deal is a
good move or not. If you tell me he’s going to win 15-17 the
next two seasons, I’m a happy camper. It’s not my money the
team is spending in years 3 and 4, after all. But as Johnny Mac
says, it’s hard to like a guy who walks away from the World
Champs over a 4th guaranteed season. I mean I’m wrapping up
my 6th year of Bar Chat in another two months and I didn’t ask
for a guarantee.
–Hey, Wake Forest football fans. According to Phil W., there is
a chance we could be playing Nebraska in football next year to
fill an opening on the schedule. #1 Cornhusker fan Ken S. must
be psyched….assuming he gets his west coast offense in gear.
Ahem.
–From Peanuts:
Lucy: Beethoven was born on Dec. 16, 1770.
Schroeder: That was a good year…That was the same year
Gainsborough painted “The Blue Boy.”
Lucy: Maybe we’ll have another year like that pretty soon.
Schroeder: I hope so…we’re overdue.
–THIS JUST IN……HORNETS WIN 2ND GAME!
Top 3 songs for the week of 12/13/75: #1 “Fly, Robin, Fly”
(Silver Convention) #2 “Let’s Do It Again” (The Staple Singers)
#3 “Sky High” (Jigsaw)
Green Bay Packers Quiz Answers: 1) Phil Bengston replaced
Lombardi and was 20-21-1, 1968-70. Lombardi was 98-30-4
(1959-67). 2) Rushing, career: Jim Taylor…8,207 (1958-66). 3)
Receptions, career: Sterling Sharpe, 595 (1988-94). 4) TDs,
career: Don Hutson, 105 (1935-45). 5) Passing yards, season:
Lynn Dickey…4,458 (1983…team went 8-8 that year as Dickey
threw 32 TD passes but also tossed 29 INT. In his career with
both Houston and Green Bay, Dickey passed for 23,322 yards).
6) TDs, game: Paul Hornung is the only Packer to score 5 in a
game, 12/12/65.
Packers Tidbit:
–Remember that great running back duo of John Brockington
and Macarthur Lane? I had the Packers’ Strat-O-Matic cards for
their best season together, 1972, as it was the peak of my football
fandom as a youth, and that year the Pack went 10-4 behind
Brockington’s 1,027 yards and Lane’s 821.
Next Bar Chat, Tuesday, December 21. Does the editor get his
clothes? Or will he be a subject for “Save the Children: Adult
Version”?
Gotta run………segment on the Komodo dragon just came on.
