Ain’t nothing about this phony – redux

Posted on by
Reply

That was the statement by Cliff Floyd when the Mets surged to the top of the NL early in the 2006 season. Well there ain’t nothing phony about the 2009 Mets’ 50-56 record. It’s so bad that:

  • Giving up 1, 2, and 5 runs in the eighth, ninth, and tenth innings, respectively, to lose to St. Louis tonight doesn’t even qualify as a major disappointment this year.
  • Not making a deal at the trade deadline represents ‘good judgment’ for this management.
  • Gary Sheffield is the second best hitter on this team.
  • The Mets traded for this guy, and he has only walked once for New York, and that was an intentional walk. Adding to my exasperation, he does not consider this a problem.

What ever happened to Shirley Temple?

Posted on by
3

Shirley Temple would make for a great entry in an alive or dead. She was a huge star in the 1930’s as a kid (won an Academy Award at age 6) and then basically retired from show business in 1949. She turned her attention to politics and eventually served as ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia. Occasionally she will make an appearance, but otherwise she’s stayed out of the public eye. And yes, she’s still alive…

Yea wikipedia!

Quantifying American Arrogance

Posted on by
1

As a scientist, I’m always looking for ways to quantify the seemingly unquantifiable. I think it’s safe to say that Americans are, whether justifiably or not, arrogant. But what portion of Americans are arrogant? A recent CBS poll finally revealed the answer:
[Palin Poll]
That’s right, 76% of Americans think they can decipher the capricious whims of Sarah Palin. The best I could manage was something about the industrial revolution and a puppy.

In other news, by CBS News math, 52 + 24 + 14 = 100. Furthermore, showed their financial prowess by ritualistically setting more than $732,000 on fire.

Why I Listen to NPR and You Should Too

Posted on by
Reply

In preparation for the 4th of July, NPR had a special Science Friday segment on homemade fireworks. Some of the highlights:

  • A guy on the northern border called in to say that his 4th of July tradition is to shoot fireworks at Canada.
  • Steel wool is not only flammable but makes a great display when ignited by a 9-volt battery and swung around on an unfolded wire hanger.
  • Host Ira Flatow loves hitting a whole set of caps with a hammer.

What a great country.

Long Live Lawn Bowling! Down with Bocce!

Posted on by
Reply

Golden Gate Park has lawn bowling greens where bocce playing is specifically prohibited. Did you know that lawn bowling and bocce are different things? I didn’t. But I have since learned that in bocce, the balls are spherical, but in bowling, the balls are asymmetric, having a flat side that can be used to curve the balls’ trajectory as they roll down the green. Hence, lawn bowling is the land equivalent to curling. Which makes it inherently better than bocce. Thus, only lawn bowling is allowed in this American town.