[Bar Chat returns on Wednesday]
U.S. Women”s Open Quiz: 1) How many titles did Chris Evert
win? 2) Steffi Graf? 3) Monica Seles? Answers below.
More Tales from the Deep
Pipefish: What do you get if you stretch out a sea horse? Why
you get a pipefish! Don”t let your kids try this at home, however,
because the pipefish doesn”t take too kindly to it.
Plesiosaurus: These were marine lizards, like the 40-foot-long
Kronosaurus (which had a 12-foot head). Alas, plesiosaurs have
been dead 150 million years. Or have they? Because there are
many who say the Loch Ness monster is really a plesiosaur!
Well, at least I”m saying that.
Portuguese Man-of-War: The tentacles on this killer “animal”
(it”s an animal, not a jellyfish) can reach 100-feet, and they are
loaded with harpoon-tipped suckers that inject neurotoxins into
the flesh. Man-of-wars are almost as dangerous dead as they are
alive (washed up on shore, that is). They eat fish up to the size
of a mackerel.
Robber Crab: Ooh, these are dangerous inhabitants of South
Pacific Islands. Measuring 40 inches from head to tail (!), the
robber crab can weigh up to 35 pounds. And its claws are strong
enough to open a coconut. Geezuz. They can also climb palm
trees and cut the coconuts down. Hell, if they have half a brain,
our military could use them to combat guerrilla movements.
Rogue Waves: Here we”re talking about waves not associated
with tsunamis. Just huge surface waves. And man, they can get
big. These are just a few of the more famous ones. In 1933 the
U.S. Navy tanker Ramapo encountered (and survived) the largest
recorded rogue wave, 112-feet high. In 1942, the Queen Mary,
while ferrying Allied troops across the Atlantic, was hit with a
90-foot wave which lay the ship so far over it was just a few
degrees from sinking. In 1966 the Italian passenger liner
Michelangelo was struck by a wave that tore a hole in the bow
and killed 3 people. And, of course, it is estimated that the
Andrea Gail, of “Perfect Storm” fame, fell victim to a 100-foot
rogue wave. Now this week you may have seen the stories
concerning scientific projections about the potential for a rather
special rogue wave should one of the Canary Island volcanoes
erupt. Now this is hard to imagine, but picture a mountain along
the water being shorn in half. All of the debris falls into the
ocean, setting off a chain reaction with one giant wave cruising
across the Atlantic at a speed of 500 mph. But here”s the kicker,
the wave could be up to 2,000-feet, yes, 2,000-feet high! Luckily
for us, this isn”t expected to happen this century…but living
fairly near the coast, myself, I”m sleeping with one eye open
from here on.
[Now to be fair, the BBC issued reports saying “2,000-foot” waves,
but other scientists say at least “130-feet” before it hits the
U.S. I kind of like the 2,000-foot scenario myself.]
Sailfish can motor up to 65 mph…so I wouldn”t try racing one in
a Yugo, for example.
Saltwater Crocodile: Assuming the plesiosaurs are really extinct
(a concession I”m still not ready to make), the saltwater crocodile
is the largest of all living reptiles, reaching 23- to 25-feet in
length. Inhabiting the waters of SE Asia, Indonesia and
Malaysia, it has a well-deserved reputation as a man-eater. But it
can also swim great distances in the sea and there is no real
reason why it couldn”t eventually make it to our shores. Plus, it
can also appear in freshwater rivers and lakes. My word…if the
robber crabs hitch a ride on the saltwater croc and head to the
U.S. mainland, we have no defense.
[Source: “The Encyclopedia of the Sea,” by Richard Ellis.]
Stuff
–The superintendent of Montgomery County (MD) schools is
recommending that the schools abandon use of all Native
American names for sports teams. Pressure had been applied by
the Maryland Commission of Indian Affairs.
But in reading the above in the Washington Post this week, it
was interesting that while similar bans are being enacted across
the nation, the North Dakota “Fighting Sioux” kept their
nickname after an alumnus threatened to withdraw a $100
million pledge if the name changed.
–My good friend, Dan D. in Oahu, bemoans the fact that I don”t
have any artist listings for music outside the rock and roll era.
Since Dan remembered that Bump Hadley”s real first name is
Irving (see the 8/29 Bar Chat), I can sympathize. So Dan,
herewith are the Billboard Top Twenty hits for Steve and Eydie!
Eydie Gorme
“You Need Hands” (ain”t that the truth) 5/58 #11
“Blame It On The Bossa Nova” 2/63 #7
Steve Lawrence
“The Banana Boat Song” 1/57 #18
“Party Doll” 3/57 #5
“Pretty Blue Eyes” 12/59 #9
“Footsteps” 3/60 #7
“Portrait Of My Love” 4/61 #9
“Go Away Little Girl” 12/61 #1
Steve and Eydie were married on 12/29/57. He was born in ”35,
she in ”31. But I have to come clean here. I”ve always like Steve
Lawrence. He has a terrific sense of humor and those old songs
(like the ones above) are pretty solid. Of course we also all
know that Eydie is nothing without Steve.
But, wait…Dan, I did find more stuff.
–In July 1940, Billboard magazine began charting pop records.
The very first number one national hit was “I”ll Never Smile
Again” by Tommy Dorsey.
–RCA Victor pressed the very first 45-rpm single in April 1949,
“Gaite Parisienne” by the Boston Pops Orchestra, Arthur Fiedler,
conductor. The first “pop” 45 was “The Waltz You Saved For
Me” by Wayne King and His Orchestra.
–In 1950 disc jockey Alan Freed put together his first Moondog
Coronation Ball, also the first rock ”n” roll stage show. Acts
included the Dominoes, Varetta Dillard, Danny Cobb, Tiny
Grimes, and the Paul Williams Orchestra.
–In 1945 the following were breakthrough singles that helped
pave the way for rock ”n” roll.
“Caldonia” Erskine Hawkins
“Rock Me Mama” Arthur ”Big Boy” Crudup
“That”s The Stuff You Gotta Watch” Buddy Johnson
–Oh, what the hell.some of the top hits of 1950 were:
“All My Love” Patti Page
“Chattanooga Shoe Shine Boy” Red Foley
“The Cry Of The Wild Goose” Frankie Laine
“Goodnight Irene” The Weavers
“Harbor Lights” Sammy Kaye & His Orchestra
“I Can Dream, Can”t I” The Andrews Sisters
“If I Knew You Were Comin/” Eileen Barton
–On December 24, 1954, Johnny Ace accidentally shot himself
while playing Russian roulette backstage at the City Auditorium
in Houston, Texas. His song “Pledging My Love” then went on
to chart success in 1955.
–1955: The movie “Blackboard Jungle” premieres. “(We”re
Gonna) Rock Around The Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets is
heard at both the beginning and end of the film. After being
released as a single, the song becomes the first rock ”n” roll tune
to reach number one the charts.
–1956: George L. Wright III, 14, wins $100,000 on the TV quiz
show “The Big Surprise.”
[Source: “Rock On Almanac,” by Norm N. Nite]
–Porcupines: From Len McDougall”s classic tome, “The
Complete Tracker.”
“Porcupines can be very destructive. They”re extremely fond of
salt, and often fearlessly invade outbuildings to eat perspiration-
soaked wooden tool handles. They also like the varnishes used
to seal wood-sided houses and buildings, and one fellow I know
had a corner of his cedar cabin collapse after its wooden
foundation was eaten away by porcupines.”
Just in case you”ve seen them out and about, folks.
–True story: Before settling on G.I. Joe, the makers of the toy
considered such names as Skip the Navy Frogman, Rocky the
Marine Paratrooper, and Ace the Fighter Pilot. And in case your
kids ask you, Play-Doh didn”t start out as a toy. It was used for
cleaning wallpaper, until Joe McVicker (of Cincinnati, Ohio)
sent some to his school teacher sister-in-law, who was
complaining that modeling clay used in her class was too firm for
the kid”s small hands and fingers. By 1956, the product was
renamed Play-Doh. [Source: “Toys!” by Don Wulffson] Boy,
this is degenerating, isn”t it? Time to take a leave of absence.
Top 3 songs for the week of 8/28/71: #1 “How Can You Mend
A Broken Heart” (The Bee Gees) #2 “Take Me Home, Country
Roads” (John Denver) #3 “Signs” (Five Man Electrical Band)
U.S. Women”s Open Quiz Answers: 1) Chris Evert won 6 titles
(1975-78, 80, 82) 2) Steffi Graf won 5 times (88, 89, 93, 95, 96)
3) Monica Seles.grunt.won twice.grunt (91, 92.grunt).
The bar is closed on Labor Day.next Bar Chat, Wednesday.
Remember, kids, use a designated driver. [The preceding fulfills
the public service requirement for August as mandated by the
International Web Site Association.]
