Atlanta Braves Quiz (1966 to date): 1) Who did Bobby Cox
replace back in 1990? 2) What 3 players have played in all 162
games in a season? [Actually, I”ll give you two.Dale Murphy
(4 times) and Andruw Jones.name the third.] 3) Most homers
by a rookie? 4) Most games won, season? Answers below.
Top Twenty Song Quiz: Finally, we wrap this up. Name the
first top twenty Billboard single for each of the following.
Answers below.
James Taylor, The Temptations, B.J. Thomas, Three Dog Night,
The Turtles, U2, Frankie Valli (solo artist), Van Halen, Bobby
Vee, Bobby Vinton, Jr. Walker, War, Dionne Warwick, Barry
White, The Who, Andy Williams, Jackie Wilson, Stevie Wonder,
The Yardbirds, The Zombies.
The Berlin Wall
Last week there were a number of pieces on the 40th-anniversary
of the erection of the Berlin Wall. For the sake of a little
historical perspective, I just want to give you a portion of a piece
I did for my “Hott Spotts” link back in November 1999.
In May 1958, East Berlin was in the control of the Soviets.
Khruschev threatened to give it to East Germany. This would
officially abrogate the agreement among the four Powers who
controlled Berlin (U.S., Britain, France, and the Soviet Union),
each with its own sector, and lay the groundwork for
recognizing an independent East Germany, something the West
had failed to do.
President Eisenhower “thought the greatest danger in the Berlin
crisis was that the Russians would frighten the U.S. into an arms
race that would bankrupt the country.”
Relations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, however, were
okay at this time. But things began to deteriorate with the
shootdown in 1960 of Gary Powers”s U-2 spy plane, an incident
for which Eisenhower denied any U.S. involvement. American
credibility was not at its highest after that.
The Powers incident was followed by the Bay of Pigs fiasco of
April 1961. Khruschev then looked for a way to test the young
President Kennedy, admittedly shell-shocked by the scope of the
disaster.
By June 1961, the East Germans began to string barbed wire
around their section of Berlin. On August 13 all crossings
between East and West Berlin were sealed.
On August 17, East German workers then started building the
Wall. Ground floor windows that permitted escape from East to
West were boarded up. Telephone lines leading to West Berlin
were cut.
Between 1950 and 1962 – 2.6 million East Germans had left for
the West, most to the Federal Republic. 500,000 moved in the
opposite direction, from West to East, during this same period,
ostensibly to be with their families in the East.
But once the Wall was up, this vast movement quickly ended.
30,000 heavily armed East German troops stood guard from
nearly 400 hundred positions across the 28 miles where the Wall
wound its way through the center of Berlin. Yes, over the years,
many managed to escape, dashing across no-man”s land,
swimming across rivers, flying small planes or homemade
balloons into West Germany, digging tunnels, and hiding in
trunks and cars. But 700 were shot to death. Teach your
children this little history lesson. As time goes by the chances of
them receiving it in school are diminished. [For sources see
archives.]
More Sea (or related) Tales
Yes, it”s another summer Friday, time to continue with items
gleaned from the pages of Richard Ellis”s “Encyclopedia of the
Sea.”
Narwhal: This animal, found only in the Arctic, is responsible for
the legend of the unicorn (sorry, folks, there really isn”t such a
creature), since the narwhal”s 8-foot “tusk,” or tooth, was
probably brought back to Europe by explorers, who then had to
make up an animal to go along with it.
Odysseus: is the son of Laertes and Anticleia. Always be
suspicious of anyone named Laertes, at least I”ve found that to be
true in my assorted travels.
Pacific Ocean: OK, you probably already know that it is twice
the volume of the Atlantic, but did you know that the average
depth is 14,000 feet? Well? Or did you know that the deepest
part of all the oceans is the Challenger Deep, at 35,800 feet? Or
71, 500-foot blasts off the bat of Mark McGwire.
Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP): If you ever had this, chances
are you”re reading this particular piece in one of those Internet
cafes up in the heavens (gosh I truly hope they don”t exist). PSP
comes about during periods of “planktonic blooms” (which are
large concentrations of microscopic organisms…the kind of stuff
our own Dr. Bortrum often writes about, particularly during his
Florida sabbaticals). The blooms create dinoflagellates, which
multiply and are then often ingested by shellfish. Dinoflagellates
contain some of the most toxic substances known to man. So if
you eat a shellfish that has some of this, you”re dead. Now if
you want to know if you”re dying, the symptoms include
“tingling or burning sensations, followed by numbness of the
lips, gums, tongue, and face.” This then spreads to include
“gastrointestinal upset, weakness, joint aches, and muscular
paralysis,” and then most likely death. There is no antidote.
[This is different from other forms of shellfish poisoning, where
you generally live.] So how do you avoid it? When the signs
posted at your local beach or marina say, “Don”t eat the
shellfish!”…Don”t! Geezuz.
Mount Pelee: And then there is this incredible tale. But before I
relate it, keep in the back of your mind all of the current volcano
“issues” we have out there, the ones Harry K. and I have been
telling you about, like Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, with its
cone currently filled with water.
Mount Pelee is the volcano that once sat overlooking the city of
St. Pierre on the island of Martinique. In February 1902, the
30,000 residents began to smell sulfur. In March and April,
steam began to appear on the summit. Then on May 2, Michael
Buffer was brought in to proclaim. “Let”s Get Ready To Rum-
ble!” The earth was shaking and torrential rains hit as well. By
May 5, the walls of the crater began to give and an avalanche of
hot water and boiling mud cascaded down, sweeping over a
sugar mill and killing the 20 inhabitants. Then on May 8 it
exploded. Ka-Pow!! Here”s where it gets creepy. A huge crack
appeared, along with two black clouds, which shot out the top.
One went straight up, darkening the sky. The other was a
massive “pyroclastic” flow, which roared down the mountain at
100 mph. Now this wasn”t lava, rather, it was a cloud of
noxious, scalding gas, with an estimated temperature of 1,300 to
1,800 F. It was so hot that the decks of ships in the harbor of St.
Pierre caught fire. And of the 30,000 residents of the city, only
one would survive, Auguste Ciparis, who was a prisoner sitting
in an underground dungeon. [Buffer had flown home earlier.]
And now you know why we spend so much time on volcanoes,
here at Bar Chat.
Stuff
–Without Tiger Woods in contention, again, the ratings for the
last round of the PGA were down 37% from last year.
–NFL referees are threatening to strike, a rather large problem
given the season starts in just two weeks. Currently, a 5th-year
official receives $42,395 (remember, they are part-time
positions), and the league has proposed that this rise to $62,100
this season and up to $84, 870 in 2003. For a 10th-year official
currently earning $64,200, they would receive $128,400 in 2003.
But the referees would like to see double the league offer, at
least. They want parity with other sports officials. Now discuss
amongst yourselves.
First Top Twenty Quiz Answers (with peak position)
James Taylor – Fire And Rain 9/70 #3
The Temptations – The Way You Do The Things You Do
3/64 #11
B.J. Thomas – I”m So Lonesome I Could Cry 3/66 #8
Three Dog Night – One 5/69 #5
The Turtles – It Ain”t Me Babe 8/65 #8
U2 – With Or Without You 4/87 #1
Frankie Valli – Can”t Take My Eyes Off You 6/67 #2
Van Halen – Dance The Night Away 5/79 #15
Bobby Vee – Devil Or Angel 9/60 #6
Bobby Vinton – Roses Are Red (My Love) 6/62 #1
Jr. Walker / The All Stars – Shotgun 3/65 #4
War – Spill The Wine.with Eric Burdon 7/70 #3
Dionne Warwick – Anyone Who Had A Heart 1/64 #8
Barry White – I”m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby
5/73 #3
The Who – I Can See For Miles 10/67 #9
Andy Williams – Canadian Sunset 8/56 #7
*I just have to add that Williams”s “Days Of Wine And Roses,”
one of this editor”s all-time favorites, only made it to #26
(4/63), a real crime.
Jackie Wilson – Lonely Teardrops 12/58 #7
Stevie Wonder – Fingertips – Part 2 7/63 #1.he was all of 13.
The Yardbirds – For Your Love 6/65 #6
The Zombies – She”s Not There 11/64 #2
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/24/74: #1 “(You”re) Having My
Baby” (Paul Anka.don”t have a cow, man!) #2 “The Night
Chicago Died” (Paper Lace) #3 “Tell Me Something Good”
(Rufus, featuring Chaka Khan)
*Betty Everett died at the age of 61. Everett is best known for
“The Shoop Shoop Song (It”s In His Kiss),” which hit #6 in 3/64.
But I prefer to remember Ms. Everett for her brilliant duet with
Jerry Butler, “Let It Be Me” (#5 9/64), which is one of those
timeless tunes folks will be listening to 200 hundred years from
now…at least I hope so.
Atlanta Braves Quiz: 1) Bobby Cox replaced Russ Nixon as
manager in 1990. 2) Felix Millan is the 3rd Braves player to
appear in all 162 games, 1969.us Mets fans loved Millan when
we had him. Ah, I can see those hits now) 3) Home runs,
rookie: Earl Williams hit 33 in 1971. [30 years ago! Geezuz, I
feel old.] 4) Most games won, season: John Smoltz, 24 in 1996.
Next Bar Chat, Monday.the editor went to play the ponies the
other day. You”ll find out how he did.
