Bad Boys of Baseball

From the Washington Post this past Sunday, this list to help you feel a little better about Barry Bonds. He's not the first villain in baseball and by no stretch, the worst.

• Pete Rose (played from 1963-1686) holds the record for most career hits at 4,256. Nicknamed "Charlie Hustle," people were both surprised and disappointed when it was revealed that he had bet on baseball games he played in and managed. He was banned from baseball, locking him out of the Hall of Fame, where many feel he belongs.


• Jose Canseco (played from 1985-2001) was the first player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a season (1988). He also was arrested several times for assault and domestic violence, and has been in jail. There there is the book, where he admitted steroid use and painted baseball with a wide brush and splattered many players. Hall of Fame? Eligible, but received only 6 votes in the last election.


• The 1919 Chicago "Black" Sox won the American League Pennant in 1919. Eight of the White Sox players admitted to working with gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series. They were acquitted from the charges but still banned from baseball. Was Shoeless Joe guilty? Watch this movie or this one.


• Cap Anson is considered by many to be the greatest player of the 19th century. Only problem is he was also an overt racist. While he is in the Hall of Fame, his plaque forgets to note that he was instrumental in keeping black players out of baseball.


• Ty Cobb holds another hallowed record, highest career batting average, .367. The Post notes that "compared to Cobb, Bonds is Mister Rogers." Cobb is alleged to have attacked a night watchman, an umpire, a groundskeeper and his wife, a would-be mugger, and a disabled hecklers. Despite his charming personality, Cobb made it into the Hall in the inaugural class, getting more votes than Babe Ruth.

The IMAX of the Gilded Age

Hey, that's what the Post calls it. The Gettysburg Cyclorama is making a comeback. What is the cyclorama you might ask? It is a 360 degree oil painting depicting Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg. The cyclorama is one of the last surviving cycloramas in the United States. It is being restored and will be the showpiece in a new multi-million dollar building at Gettysburg National Military Park. The cyclorama used to hang in a 1960s building, where it was on display for more than 40 years. It had been painted in 1884 by French artist Paul Philippoteaux.

One of the pieces of the cyclorama is 26 feet long and weighs more than 950 pounds. It was hoisted into place that past week. When completed the new visitor's center will resemble a Pennsylvania farmhouse and will be far from the battlefield. The current visitor (read: not there during the battle) structures will be torn down. The cyclorama is not expected to be shown again until fall of 2008.

Cycloramas used to be all the rage. There were at least two in Washington, DC. One was on 15th Street NW, near the Treasury Building and featured cycloramas of the battles of Gettysburg, Shiloh, and Bull Run. There were nine Gettysburg cycloramas touring the country. Philippoteaux made four of them. And here is your MAC (mandatory archival content): When hired Philippoteaux hired a photographer to take pictures of the battlefield to ensure the accuracy; then he came to Washington and did research on the battle and examined maps.

This particular painting has had a hard life. First installed in Boston in 1890, it was cut into pieces, crated, and left in a vacant lot in Boston. It was set on fire twice, and exposed to the elements. In the early 1900s, it was acquired by a department store owner, who installed most of the pieces in his Newark, NJ store. In 1913, for the 50th anniversary of the battle, an unheated, tile-covered building on the battlefield was constructed and the painting was put on display. Finally in 1942, the National Park Service acquired the painting and built a cyclorama building in time for the 100th anniversary of the battle in 1963.

And now, the cyclorama is, ahem, coming around again. A new building for an old painting.

"How is Elvis? And Have you Seen Him Lately?"

First up, name the movie the above line comes from.

So today we mark the 30th anniversary of the "passing" of Elvis Presley. One could go on for hours on whether he is really dead, but I'm not going down that road.

I will however, focus on one event that offers some MAC (that's mandatory archival content for you newcomers).

When Elvis Met Nixon.

On December 21, 1970, Richard Nixon met with the "King" in the Oval Office. Presley had written to the President asking to be named a "deputy" on the federal war on drugs. (Now stop laughing, he was probably just trying to get better junk.)

After the meeting and a sit-down lunch with Secret Service agents, Elvis received his badge from the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

The question is, would these then be considered dangerous? And these just seem wrong.

The World's Hardest Quiz

I used to be a teacher. Part of that time I spent as the "In-School Suspension" teacher. (If you have to ask, you were never there - and that's good.) I accumulated over my teaching time a number of quizzes that I could give to students who were without something to do. I've kept them and am now sharing them with you. Here's another oldie, but a goodie. Answers next week.

1. Which is further west: Reno, Nevada or Los Angeles, California?


2. How many mules are on a 20-mule team?


3. For what kind of animal are the Canary Islands named?


4. In Mary Shelley's book, Frankenstein, what was the name of the monster?


5. Len has it before, Paul takes it after, Bryan does not take it. Girls only get in once, boys don't want it. The old must have it, the young can do without it. Mrs. Mulligan had it twice in succession, Dr. Lowell of Harvard has it twice as bad as at the end as the beginning. What is it?


6. If you travel directly south from Detroit, Michigan, what is the first foreign country you hit?


7. In what season does Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" take place?


8. What were the first words spoken when man landed on the moon?


9. How many of each species did Moses take on the ark?


10. Can a man in Texas marry his widow's sister?

A Sad Day for New York

A very sad day for New York today. First is the loss of the legend that was Phil Rizzuto. I could go on for hours about the Scooter, but if he talked first, everyone would have left by now. His Hall of Fame induction speech in 1994 is a classic. And of course, he will be forever memorialized with his words here. You can go watch the video here. An interesting fact I learned today, Rizzuto was the oldest hall of fame member still living. His loss leaves only Yogi Berra as one of the last members of the Yankee dynasty that won seven World Series in nine years.

I hate to mention that the Orioles were mean to the Yankees tonight, pummeling the boys from the Bronx, 12-0, while in Boston the Red Sox came back in the ninth inning to beat the Devil Rays, 2-1. The gap is back to 5 games.

Secondly, as an archivist who worked for the Rockefeller family, I noted with sadness the passing of Brooke Astor. At 105, she had become a recluse and was still in the news recently with allegations of elder abuse by her son. And for some mandatory archival content, her obituary in the New York Times, noted the following.

"Mrs. Astor kept the diaries, letters and drawings from her childhood travels squirreled away in Briarcliff Manor in a closet that she called her “archive room.” Some of her early drawings, poems and plays were reproduced in an illustrated edition of “Patchwork Child: Early Memories,” published in 1993."

Recipe: Creamy Potato Gratin

My mother-in-law was in town this weekend, to make dinner for Mrs. Brave Astronaut and for OSG and his new family. We had the great summer meal, flank steak, a tomato, mozzarella, and basil salad, and an outstanding scalloped potatoes. This recipe will most definitely appear again, but it is not on the heart-healthy menu. But, oh well.

Creamy Potato Gratin Drizzled with Truffle Oil
(serves 8 - I won't mention that the five of us ate the whole dish)

• 1/2 tbsp. butter for greasing baking dish
• 8 oz. Italian Fontina cheese, well chilled
• 3 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups creme fraiche (see note)
• 1 tbsp. truffle oil, optional (see note)
• 1 tbsp. chopped rosemary

Butter a 9x13 inch oven to table baking dish.

Remove rind and grate cheese using a hand grater. (Since Fontina cheese is a soft cheese, it is easier to grate with a hand grater than in a food processor.)

Place half the potatoes, overlapping slightly, in prepared dish. Salt and pepper slices generously. With a rubber spatula, spread half the creme fraiche over the potatoes. Then sprinkle half the cheese over the creme fraiche. Make a second layer in the same way using the remaining potatoes, creme fraiche and cheese.

Bake gratin on center rack of a preheated 400-degree oven, uncovered, 30 minutes. Then, lower heat to 350 degrees and bake until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife and a golden brown crust has formed on top, about 30 minutes more. Check occasionally, and cover with a sheet of foil if potatoes become too brown.

Remove gratin from oven and let stand 10 minutes. (Gratin can be prepared 4 hours ahead; cool, cover loosely with foil and leave at room temperature. Reheat, uncovered, in a preheated 350-degree oven until hot, about 15 minutes.) Drizzle potato gratin with truffle oil and sprinkle with rosemary.

Note: Creme fraiche is available in many groceries, but if you can't find it, you can make your own by whisking together 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup sour cream in a medium non-reactive bowl. Let stand at room temperature until thickened, 6 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate. (Creme fraiche can be stored up to 1 week, covered, in refrigerator.) Makes about 1 3/4 cups. Truffle oil is available in specialty food stores and some markets.

Hey! What's all the shouting about?

Looking on Spinner.com while writing this post, I found this list of the Top 20 Protest Songs. Review and discuss. As with the lyrics list, you can click here and and listen to the songs. It also list "who" or what the song was rebelling against.

I will say this is a good site, with lots of good lists. Including a "worst lyrics ever," the "saddest songs," the 20 "Killer B-Sides" and lots of others.

1. "What's Going On" - Marvin Gaye (1971)


2. "Fight the Power" - Public Enemy (1989)


3. "Take This Job and Shove It" - Johnny Paycheck (1977)


4. "War" - Edwin Starr (1970) (HUH! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR!)


5. "Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday (1939)


6. "Boom!" - System of a Down (2002)


7. "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" - James Brown (1968)


8. "Maggie's Farm" - Bob Dylan (1965)


9. "World Wide Suicide" - Pearl Jam (2006)


10. "Allentown" - Billy Joel (1982) (you betcha!)


11. "F*** tha Police" - N.W.A. (1988)


12. "Little Boxes" - Malvina Reynolds (1962)


13. "California Uber Alles" - Dead Kennedys (1980)


14. "Clampdown" - The Clash (1979)


15. "I Ain't Marching Anymore" - Phil Ochs (1965)


16. "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" - Kanye West (2005)


17. "We're Not Gonna Take It" - Twisted Sister (gotta love that Dee Snider!)


18. "We Shall Be Free" - Garth Brooks (1992)


19. "Minority" - Green Day (2000)


20. "Get Up, Stand Up" - Bob Marley and the Wailers (1973)

Happy Birthday Mrs. Brave Astronaut

Tomorrow is my wife's birthday. I won't divulge her age here, but we'll leave it at that I prefer older women. Since she came into my life, I have not wanted for anything. Yeah it's sappy, but she truly completes me. I don't know how I lived my life before her and I don't want to contemplate life without her. I truly love her without reservation.

She is the mother of my son and the as yet unborn child, which will make its appearance later this year. She is an outstanding mother and a wonderful wife and I wanted to make sure that everyone knows that she is the best and is celebrating a birthday today.

To celebrate, she is starting her day at the Motor Vehicle Administration to renew her drivers license. Once she escapes that circle of hell, we are going here. Meat on a stick, anyone? Funnel cake? Soft Serve!

Mrs. Brave Astronaut, I love you. Happy Birthday.

I Miss Vacation

When I was young, the family would all pile into the family truckster and head off to one of our two vacations. Vacation one was usually to Maine, where my grandmother had a house in Owl's Head. My parents, my three siblings and I, along with the family dog and usually a few cats (yep, litter boxes on the floor of the back seat and a dog on tranquilizers that usually wore off on Buttermilk Lane - where he would promptly throw up) crowded into an Oldsmobile sedan for the in excess of eight-hour trip to coastal Maine. Lunch was sandwiches my mother would have made the night before (we usually left at 0 dark 30), eaten on the side of the road, usually somewhere in Massachusetts. It was always nice to eat your tuna sandwich with the car exhaust assaulting your nose as you tried to eat your lunch. We would arrive in Maine in the middle of the afternoon for at least a week's stay in our own little paradise.

Our second vacation was often to Amagansett, a little town on the eastern end of Long Island, where my father would have secured a rental property from a colleague in "the industry." Another week of sun and surf in the Hamptons playground. I could start with stories of vacations that would populate this blog for weeks and perhaps will throw in a nugget here and there in the future.

Once out on my own, I managed to get away now and then, but never for the full two weeks a summer that I used to have. There just isn't the time (or the resources) anymore. And now that I work for the government, annual leave comes in a slow trickle. But we manage the long weekend now and then. Now our vacations often coincide with professional meetings (Chicago in a few weeks and Williamsburg, VA in the fall).

I spotted this article in the New York Times Magazine this past Sunday. It just made me sad. The article starts off with the statistic that "roughly 50 percent of working Americans won't take warm-weather getaways this year." Hey, I'm in the majority! WooHoo!

The article continues that we have that statistic because we are "a nation whose glob-gripping federal government is the only one in the whole industrialized world not to legally require generous periods of paid kick-back-and-hang time." Further we are "a nation that's socially screwed up, particularly in comparison with European countries like France, which orders its citizens outside to play for the entire month in August." I was in France for the summer of 1983 and they aren't kidding, you have to go to the country because there is no one left in Paris to help you.

There is an argument to be made that we are, as a society, not taking vacations because we are too in touch with our work. The other 50% of people that will take vacations, will likely bring laptops, blackberries and cellphones to make sure they stay in touch with their offices. As my wife and I like to say, at least we work in a profession where "there are no archival emergencies. Unless the records are wet or on fire, don't call me."

The article advances the notion that another reason we are hesitant to take vacations is that we are afraid of losing our jobs to the young guy down the hall (hey, he has no leave and evidently no life, so let's pay him less and jettison the dead weight, who wants to spend more time with his family).

So where are you going this summer? Do you need someone to carry your bags?

As Seen in DC Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to the DC Television quiz.

1. The West Wing


2. Murphy Brown


3. E-Ring


4. K Street


5. Wanda at Large (Wanda Sykes)


6. Chef


7. Scarecrow & Mrs. King


8. Commander in Chief


9. Get Smart


10. Hail to the Chief


11. Navy Yard


12. Bones


13. The District


14. The X Files


15. Langley and Great Falls (the show is set in Langley Falls)

Best Opening Lyrics

It must have been a slow news day in Washington. Perhaps it was too hot for anything to happen. I caught a piece on WTOP radio on my way to work describing the "Top Opening Song Lyrics" according to Spinner.com. Here for your enjoyment is the list. You can click here and start at number 25 and click your way through the list and hear the first line sung by the artist.

I think there's a few missing, but I will leave this to the collected group to discuss.

1. "She's a very kinky girl" - Rick James, "Superfreak"
2. "I was born in a cross-fire hurricane" - The Rolling Stones, "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
3. "Hey, ho, let's go!" - The Ramones, "Blitzkrieg Bop"
4. "Well, she was just seventeen - you know what I mean" - The Beatles, "I Saw Her Standing There"
5. "Don't call it a comeback" - LL Cool J, "Mama Said Knock You Out!"
6. "Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?" - The Carpenters, "Close to You"
7. "In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey" - Beck, "Loser"
8. "Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, cat, go!" - Carl Perkins, "Blue Suede Shoes"
9. "Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine" - Patti Smith, "Gloria"
10. "Tommy used to work on the docks" - Bon Jovi, "Livin' on a Prayer"
11. "Oh, I just don't know where to begin" - Elvis Costello, "Accidents Will Happen"
12. "A candy-colored clown they call the sandman tiptoes to my room every night" - Roy Orbison, "In Dreams"
13. "What's with these homies dissin' my girl?" - Weezer, "Buddy Holly"
14. "There must be some kind of way out of here, said the joker to the thief" - Jimi Hendrix, "All Along the Watchtower"
15. "She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene" - Michael Jackson, "Billie Jean"
16. "Pigs, they tend to wiggle when they walk" - Pavement, "Stereo"
17. "I was dreaming when I wrote this" - Prince, "1999"
18. "We don't smoke marijuana in Muskogee" - Merle Haggard, "Okie From Muskokee"
19. "Well, I guess it would be nice if I could touch your body" - George Michael, "Faith"
20. "I am an Antichrist" - Sex Pistols, "Anarchy in the UK"
21. "Hello, Darkness, my old friend" - Simon and Garfunkel, "The Sound of Silence"
22. "Go, shorty. It's your birthday" - 50 Cent, "In Da Club"
23. "You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips" - The Righteous Brothers, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin"
24. "I've been a bad, bad girl" - Fiona Apple, "Criminal"
25. "You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar" - Human League, "Don't You Want Me"

A Record for the Ages - Part III

So it's done. I couldn't help watching. For a while, I thought my watching was preventing it from happening, but then 755 happened. A man can dream that Juiceman will come to his senses and perhaps walk away tied. So, on a cool night in San Francisco, off a Washington Nationals pitcher, Barry Bonds finds himself in sole possession of one of the greatest baseball records ever, most career homeruns. And, by the way, how about that rookie John Lannan?!

I have stayed up late the past week to watch the games from the West Coast. It's sort of like a train wreck, I just can't look away. Perhaps my love of disaster flicks is moving me, for Bonds is a true disaster to the game of baseball. I watched the ceremonies unfold on the field and the jumbotron message from Hank Aaron. Willie Mays was there, as he is Barry Bond's Godfather. I will even give you that what Barry said sounded almost sincere.

I don't like that he now holds the record. I will point out that on the same day that Bonds hit 755, a very young former shortstop, now third baseman for the New York Yankees, became the youngest player to reach 500 home runs. God willing, Bonds will become a footnote in a few years and A-Rod will assume the mantle of most home runs ever.

This has been a banner year for records in major league baseball. Tom Galvine's 300th, now Bonds, A-Rod's 500, Frank Thomas hitting his 500th earlier this year. There will be other records to fall and someday, someone will eclipse them and we will once again pause and celebrate. For now, I'll give Bonds his moment. Now, I'm going to bed.

A Bittersweet Anniversary

I noted today on my employee intranet page that August 7, 1974 was the date that French stuntman, Phillipe Petit, walked a tightrope strung between the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center. He didn't do it just once, either. He did it a dozen times in succession.

The following account comes from the "American Experience: The Center of the World - New York."

"In the course of a single morning, the unexpected - and illegal - actions of a daring young Frenchman and a few of his confederates would do more to change public opinion about the troubled billion-dollar project than anything else in its first years of existence.

"The episode originated six years earlier, in 1968, when an eighteen-year-old street performer named Philippe Petit, waiting in a dentist's office in Paris with a toothache, came across an article about the twin towers, along with an illustration of the project in model form. Suddenly, a daring, almost inconceivable thought came into his head.

"'They called me,' he later explained. "I didn't choose them. Anything that is giant and manmade strikes me in an awesome way and calls me. I could secretly . . . put my wire . . . between the highest towers in the world. It was something that had to be done, and I couldn't explain it . . . it was a calling of the romantic type."

"For the next six years, Petit patiently nurtured his dream, perfecting his skills as a high-wire artist and learning everything he could about the World Trade Center. In January 1974, now twenty-four years old, he flew to New York City for the first time in his life to put his daring plan into action. After months scouting the towers, including posing as a journalist to interview Port Authority executive Guy Tozzoli, he set to work on the evening of Tuesday, August 6. While one group of colleagues made its way up the north tower, Petit and two friends slipped up to the top of the south tower, carrying their concealed equipment, including a disassembled balancing pole, wire for rigging, 250 feet of one-inch braided steel cable, and a bow and arrow.

"It took all night to complete the rigging, securing the steel cable a quarter of a mile in the sky across the 130-foot gap separating the towers. Wall Street was just beginning to come to life when, at a little past seven on the morning of August 7, 1974, Philippe Petit stepped onto the wire stretched out across the void.

"On the street below, people stopped in their tracks - first by the tens, then by the hundreds and thousands - staring up in wonder and disbelief at the tiny figure walking on air between the towers. Sgt. Charles Daniels of the Port Authority Police Department, dispatched to the roof to bring Petit down, looked on in helpless amazement. "I observed the tightrope 'dancer' - because you couldn't call him a 'walker' - approximately halfway between the two towers," he later reported. "And upon seeing us he started to smile and laugh and he started going into a dancing routine on the high wire . . . And when he got to the building we asked him to get off the high wire but instead he turned around and ran back out into the middle . . . He was bouncing up and down. His feet were actually leaving the wire and then he would resettle back on the wire again... Unbelievable really.... [E]verybody was spellbound in the watching of it."

"To the delight of the Port Authority, the exploit made front-page news around the world, and Petit himself became an instant folk hero. Thanks to the immense outpouring of public adulation for his performance, all formal charges against him were dropped, and the 24 year old was "sentenced" to perform his high-wire act for a group of children in Central Park.

"Soon after his walk, the Port Authority presented him with a free lifetime pass to the observation deck atop the south tower -- where he was asked to sign his name
on a steel beam overlooking the vast canyon where he had danced among the clouds. In the years to come, he would often return to the breathtaking perch where he had captured the attention of the entire world, and, in the space of just forty-five minutes, accomplished a seemingly impossible feat: making two of the tallest, largest and most imposing structures in the world seem suddenly endearing and friendly."

Philippe Petit's book "To Reach The Clouds" was released in August 2002.

Recipes from a box in a Jiffy

I grew up with cake mix out of a box. My wife did not. When she bakes, she likes to do it from scratch. When I met her she would diligently make scratch brownies. Then we discovered these and we compromised that some box mixes are OK. Recently, I read with interest an article in the Food section of the Washington Post about Jiffy Mix.

Skeptical, I read on and found that another convert had been born. She spirited several boxes of the mix into her home and began to whip up muffins, cakes, pancakes, waffles, all sorts of starchy goodness. I am a fan of the corn muffin so here is the corn muffin mix recipe. But I urge all of you to feel free to make muffins and have me sample them. I am a big fan of the sweet bread breakfast food item.

CREAMY CORN MUFFINS
(Yield: 18 large muffins)

• 2 pkgs. "JIFFY" Corn Muffin Mix
• 2 eggs
• 1 can (12 oz.) cream style corn
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Grease one large muffin pan well, or use paper liners.


2. Mix all ingredients together, blending well.


3. Pour into prepared muffin pan, filling about 1/2 full.


4. Bake for 22-28 minutes.


5. Let cool before removing from pan.

Long Live the Candy Desk

The Washington Post reported this week that in addition to being the senior Senator from Ohio, George Voinovich (R), has a new title, the Candy Man. After Senator Craig Thomas died in June, the Senate's famous candy desk was given to the Ohio Senator. The owner of the candy desk is required to fill it with candy for the other Senators. Here's the hitch. There were no major candy manufacturers in Wyoming that Thomas could patronize. Senate ethic rules (really, even for candy?) prohibit accepting candy from other states.

The Senate historian reports that tradition was started by Senator George Murphy of California more than 42 years ago. The desk, located in the back row of the Republican side of the Senate, is now the official candy desk. The historian relates the desk has been assigned over the years to John McCain (R-AZ), Slade Gorton (R-OR), Robert Bennett (R-UT), and Rick Santorum (R-PA).

Possibly one of the few redeeming qualities of Santorum is that while keeper of the candy desk, is that he kept is fully stocked with one of Pennsylvania's greatest exports. Currently, Voinovich has stocked the desk with candy from Spangler (maker of the dum-dum - insert appropriate joke here), Mars, and Harry London, maker of the Buckeye, an Ohio tradition.

Tag, You're It!

Having already blogged about the dangers of Tag on the playground (it was one of my first posts), I shall not inflict this upon my readers, unless you are feeling particularly charitable. (Please know that I know that you know that I know who I would be send this to, so feel free to jump in if you thought you might have been tagged with this).

I was perusing one of the many other blogs I have started reading recently and in her words, "if you're reading silently, tag, you're it." Crap! So now I need to boil down blogging philosophy to a pithy statement. So here goes. I will avoid "Blogito, Ergo Sum" (I Blog, Therefore I Am), as it is on a T-Shirt I just bought and that would be copyright infringement and we wouldn't want to do that. No, never.

"It’s very simple.When this is passed on to you, copy the whole thing, skim the list and put a * star beside those that you like. (Check out especially the * starred ones.)Add the next number (1. 2. 3. 4. 5., etc.) and write your own blogging tip for other bloggers."

1. Look, read, and learn. ****** - http://www.neonscent.com/


2. Be, EXCELLENT to each other. ****** - http://www.bushmackel.com/


3. Don’t let money change ya! **** - http://www.therandomforest.info/


4. Always reply to your comments.** - http://chattiekat.com/


5. Develop your own "voice" don't "borrow" someone else's**** - Mizmouthy


6. If you don't have something to say, don't worry your loyal readers will wait** - Oldfashionmomma


7. Be yourself, don't be afraid to share who you really are **** - http://shibari-confessions.blogspot.com/


8. Figure out what you stand for, then try to master it.** - http://mornmeet.blogspot.com/


9. Post pictures when you can* - http://akadventuring.blogspot.com/


10. Talk about your boobs a lot.* - http://123valerie.blogspot.com/


11. If you must choose between living and blogging, choose wisely. * - http://thinin06.blogspot.com/


12. If you blog it, they will comment . . . sometimes. - http://braveastronaut.blogspot.com/

The Big Train Makes His Debut

100 years ago today, the pitcher from Idaho, Walter Johnson, strode to the mound to face the Detroit Tigers, who were playing the Washington Senators at Griffith Stadium. Johnson, a Hall of Famer, is regarded as one of the greatest pitchers to ever play the game. His legacy is somewhat murky as he played his entire career for the Washington Senators (first in our hearts, last in the American League), a team that fled the nation's capital, not once, but twice. There used to be a statue of Johnson outside of Griffith Stadium, but the stadium is no more and the statue is long gone.

Your mandatory archival content comes here: The only reason we know as much as we do about The Big Train, the nickname by which Johnson was known, were 30 scrapbooks that were kept in a cupboard of a built-in bookcase of the home of Carolyn Thomas, Walter Johnson's daughter. The scrapbooks were created by Johnson's wife, Hazel, and document the 417 wins, the 531 complete games, and the 110 shutouts. (And I agree with ADR, easily records that will not go by the wayside).

It is interesting to note that on that very first game against Detroit, August 2, 1907, Johnson faced off against Ty Cobb and the rest of the powerful Tigers lineup (Powerful Tigers lineup - isn't that an oxymoron?) . While the Senators and Johnson lost the game (Johnson had 279 career losses), Cobb later remarked about Johnson,

"I watched him take that easy windup - and then something went past me that made me flinch. I hardly saw the pitch, but I heard it. The thing just hissed with danger. Every one of us knew we'd met the most powerful arm ever turned loose in a ballpark."

Twenty-nine years later, Cobb and Johnson were two of the five inaugural members of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Hey, anybody wanna try for the other three (no googling! - one of them is easy, the other two are tougher).

Quiz: As Seen in DC

Following on the heels of the DC Movie post from last week, here is a quiz to check your knowledge of DC television. This "PopQuiz" appears in the current TV Week from the Washington Post. Answers, as always, next week.

From the White House to the Pentagon, the Metro to the monuments, Washington's distinctive look, historic significance and essence of importance have made the region an irresistible television backdrop. Check your knowledge of how the District plays out in prime time with this quiz.

1. Name the NBC drama that took place in the District's most famous home and whose nine Emmys in its freshman season set a record for most won by a TV series in one year (1999-2006).
2. Paula Korologos, the real-life daughter of a longtime Republican lobbyist, had a guest role as a conservative TV reporter in what CBS series (1988-1998)?
3. Name the NBC drama starring Benjamin Bratt and Dennis Hopper whose title referred to the offices along the outer edge of the Pentagon (2005-2006).
4. Identify the semi-improvised HBO series that boasted cameos from real-life political figures but lasted just 10 episodes. (Hint: It was named after an iconic DC thoroughfare.) (2003).
5. This stand-up comedian and former DC-area resident played a panelist on a fictional political talk show in what Fox sitcom (2003)?
6. In Disney Channel's "Cory in the House," Victor Baxter (the father from "That's So Raven") works at the White House in what capacity (2007)?
7. Kate Jackson played an Arlington housewife turned reluctant secret operative for the CIA-like "Agency" in which CBS series (1983-1987)?
8. Name the ABC Oval Office series that featured the first recent president (fictional or otherwise) to send the kids to DC public schools (2005-2006).
9. Name the spoof series (airing first on NBC, then on CBS) in which the District played host to a bumbling secret agent armed with gizmos such as a shoe phone (1965-1970).
10. Patty Duke rant the nation while dealing with a group of zany Cabinet members and a two-timing hubby in what short-lived ABC comedy (1985)?
11. CBS's forensic drama "NCIS" is based on a real-life agency whose offices are closest to which Metro station in the District (2003-present)?
12. Name the Fox forensic drama whose crime scenes have included such local sites as Arlington National Cemetery and the Chesapeake Bay (2005-present).
13. Which CBS drama starring Craig T. Nelson and Jonathan LaPaglia portrayed youth violence, political corruption, gang warfare and other gritty aspects of life in the nation's capital (2000-2004)?
14. A pair of FBI agents, one working strictly by the book and the other drawn to paranormal conclusions, made Washington seem eerie and exciting in which Fox series (1993-2002)?
15. Fox's animated series "American Dad," featuring a CIA dad and his wannabe-suave son, is set in a fictional town whose title combines which two real-life Fairfax County place names (2005-present)?

Recipe for a Rat: Ratatouille

My mother-in-law is in town, helping the Brave Astronaut family out as our nanny is on vacation this week. This is also the week our air conditioning unit has decided to die [GASP!]. So we now are seeking options to find cool all week. One of the summer movies out this year features a rat who really wants to be a chef. I resisted a ratatouille recipe because I have had it before (my French heritage and all) and was never all that impressed. Also, summer is not the time to be posting stew recipes, but here it is nonetheless. I think my mother-in-law is taking SoBA (Son of Brave Astronaut) to see Remy the Rat tomorrow.

A recent issue of the Washington Post Food section contained an article on the French staple. A search for "ratatouille" on epicurious.com yields 15 hits, but the article points out, there is no limit to the variety of vegetables you can throw into the pot.

This recipe is also a good option for my vegetarian friends and as the article points out, is cheap and good for college kids or anyone looking to whip something up for not a lot of money or preparation time.

Have fun in the kitchen - but please wait for the weather to break? Please?

Roasted Vegetable Ratatouille
(The author says that overcooking the tomato sauce is better than undercooking it. The finished ratatouille keeps well in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. It can be served hot, warm or cold. 6 side-dish servings or 4 main-course servings)

• 1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into very thin strips (julienne)
• 1 small, skin-on eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 15 cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 large red bell peppers
• 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1/3 cup capers or chopped kalamata olives
• 4 sprigs thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a large bowl, toss the zucchini or squash, fennel, eggplant and cherry tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil, salt to taste and the black pepper. Spread on the baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until softened and golden brown.

Meanwhile, char the peppers over a stovetop flame until they are black on all sides. Place in a bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap for 15 minutes. Peel and seed the peppers, then cut into 1/2-inch strips. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the diced tomatoes, the capers or olives and the thyme leaves, stirring to combine. Cook over medium-low heat for about 35 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the roasted vegetables and peppers, stirring gently to combine. Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve hot, warm or cold.

A Record for the Ages - Part II

Last night I went to the Orioles-Yankees game. Despite a rally in the ninth inning, the Yankees could not squeeze out a victory. Roger Clemens, a guaranteed first ballot Hall of Famer, was outpitched by a rookie Orioles pitcher. The Orioles have now won four straight. During the game, the jumbotron in Camden Yards featured highlights of Cal Ripken who will head to Cooperstown today to join the immortals.

So, today is Induction Sunday. For fans of baseball, you all know what that means. It is the day that the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will bring two more greats into the Hall of Fame. This year Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr., will attain legendary status.

Gwynn, "Mr. Padre," who spent his entire career with the San Diego Padres, enters the hall on his first year of eligibility, named on 97.6% of the ballots, the first player to join the hall wearing the interlocking SD on the cap. (Players elected to the hall may choose what cap to wear, if they have played for more than one team.) Gwynn amassed 3,141 hits over his 20-year career. He was named to 15 All-Star teams, won eight batting titles, and boasts a .338 lifetime batting average. In the strike-shortened 1984 season, Gwynn average was .394 and may believe he may have broken Ted William's record had the season been complete.

The Baltimore Orioles "Iron Man," Cal Ripken received 537 votes of the 545 ballots (98.5%). He is most know for "The Streak." Ripken broke the record of most consecutive games held by Lou Gehrig (2130) playing in 2632 games for the Baltimore Orioles. The Streak took sixteen years, from his first game on May 30, 1982 until his finally said stop on September 20, 1998. Ripken is also a 19-time All-Star and holds a lifetime average of .276 and 431 career home runs.

Another Oriole was the only one closest to taking a shot at the Streak. Miguel Tejada, until he was injured earlier this season, had played in 1152 consecutive games. He would have had to play every single game for the next nine years to catch Ripken. The next closest now is Juan Pierre of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who better pace himself - he would need fourteen more seasons to surpass Ripken.

There are other records in baseball that will likely never be broken, but Ripken's tops the list. Here are two others that I think (and others agree) will likely be untouched for years to come. I am leaving off a few to get your brain juices flowing to see if you have other thoughts.

• Cy Young's 511 wins (not in this day and age - pitchers are now considered "too delicate" to last that long)


• Joe DiMaggio's 56 game consecutive hit streak (you hear about players coming close, and this would be the one that might fall)

Shark Week on the Discovery Channel!

"You're gonna need a bigger boat." By far one of the greatest movie lines ever. It appears in Jaws, spoken by Roy Scheider. Later in the movie, Robert Shaw's character, Quint, relates the story of the USS Indianapolis [This is a really good site dedicated to the story of the ill-fated boat and crew]. The story is the first entry in the 20th Anniversary "Shark Week" festivities on the Discovery Channel. The documentary is narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, who also appeared in Jaws. One of the best things about the story that Quint relates, is that is was revealed later that Robert Shaw was drunk most of the time, including when he did this scene, and improvised most of the dialogue. The soliloquy appears below.

The story of the Indianapolis was also documented in a book, In Harm's Way, which I read and highly recommend. And here's your mandatory archival content. A few years ago, a twelve-year old boy from Pensacola, Florida, began to look into the incident. He had seen Jaws and wanted to know more about the Indianapolis. As it turned out the captain of the Indianapolis, Charles McVay, was found to be negligent and tried for "hazarding his ship by failing to zigzag." He never recovered professionally and personally, and took his life in 1970. The 12-year old, Hunter Scott, took up the cause of McVay, and was instrumental in getting the captain's name cleared in 2001.

"Japanese submarine slammed two torpedoes into our side, Chief. We was comin' back from the island of Tinian to Leyte... just delivered the bomb. The Hiroshima bomb. Eleven hundred men went into the water. Vessel went down in 12 minutes.

Didn't see the first shark for about a half an hour. Tiger. 13-footer. You know how you know that when you're in the water, Chief? You tell by looking from the dorsal to the tail. What we didn't know, was our bomb mission had been so secret, no distress signal had been sent. They didn't even list us overdue for a week.

Very first light, Chief, sharks come cruisin', so we formed ourselves into tight groups. You know, it was kinda like old squares in the battle like you see in the calendar named "The Battle of Waterloo" and the idea was: shark comes to the nearest man, that man he starts poundin' and hollerin' and screamin' and sometimes the shark go away. . . but sometimes he wouldn't go away. Sometimes that shark he looks right into ya. Right into your eyes. And, you know, the thing about a shark . . . he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living . . . until he bites ya, and those black eyes roll over white and then . . . ah then you hear that terrible high-pitched screamin'.

The ocean turns red, and despite all the poundin' and the hollerin', they all come in and they. . . rip you to pieces. You know by the end of that first dawn, lost a hundred men. I don't know how many sharks, maybe a thousand. I know how many men, they averaged six an hour.

On Thursday morning, Chief, I bumped into a friend of mine, Herbie Robinson from
Cleveland. Baseball player. Boatswain's mate. I thought he was asleep. I reached over to wake him up. Bobbed up, down in the water just like a kinda top. Upended. Well, he'd been bitten in half below the waist.

Noon, the fifth day, Mr. Hooper, a Lockheed Ventura saw us. He swung in low and he saw us. . . he was a young pilot, a lot younger than Mr. Hooper. Anyway, he saw us and he come in low and three hours later a big fat PBY comes down and starts to pick us up.

You know that was the time I was most frightened . . . waitin' for my turn. I'll never put on a lifejacket again. So, eleven hundred men went in the water; 316 men come out and the sharks took the rest, June the 29th, 1945. Anyway, we delivered the bomb."

A Record for the Ages - Part I

While [some] people wait for the Steroid King to break the Home Run King's record, sure to happen soon, another milestone was surpassed in the past week. Since the Philadelphia Phillies began play in 1883, they have lost a lot of games. Last week, they lost their 10,000th. So far, no team has sucked more, yet.

The Phillies have only one World Series Championship, which they won in 1980, although they have been to the series five other times (losing to the Red Sox in 1915, the Yankees in 1950, the Orioles in 1983, and the Blue Jays in 1993).

Closing in on the Phillies, albeit with some room to breathe, the Braves with 9,681 defeats. Over their history in three cities (Boston, Milwaukee and Atlanta) the Braves have lost a lot of games all across the county. At least the Phillies never left Philly. Third place goes to the longtime bridesmaid, the Chicago Cubs, at 9,425.

If you are wondering, considering the season the Nationals are having, they have a ways to go before they reach the heights of the venerable Phillies. They hover around 7,400 losses. From 1886 to 1899, four DC teams (Nats, Senators, Statesmen) racked up 1,241 losses in three different leagues. The American League Washington Senators (1901-1960) ("first in our hearts, last in the American League") lost 4,864 before leaving for Minnesota. The expansion Senators (see: the Texas Rangers) lost just over 1,000 games before running for Texas. Losses by the current Nationals sits around 230 since the team arrived from Montreal. So we've got that going for us.

An Internet Quiz for the Rest of Us

I found this quiz on another library/archives blog I read. The first time I took it I came out as "Les Miserables," by Victor Hugo. Man, you change one answer and this is what you get? There are evidently 64 different options. Meredith, the owner/author of the above blog came out as Howard Zinn's "A Peoples History of the US."



You're Catch-22!
by Joseph Heller

Incredibly witty and funny, you have a taste for irony in all that you see. It seems that life has put you in perpetually untenable situations, and your sense of humor is all that gets you through them. These experiences have also made you an ardent pacifist, though you present your message with tongue sewn into cheek. You could coin a phrase that replaces the word "paradox" for millions of people.

Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

Recipe: Carrot Cake

This recipe comes from epicurious.com and is in the "cakes" section of our homemade cookbook. I like carrot cake and have a fair amount of carrots in the crisper. Maybe I should whip up a cake. But first I have to deal with some overripe bananas.

Carrot Cake with Maple-Cream Cheese Icing

For the cake:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups grated peeled carrots
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger

For the icing

• 10 ounces cream cheese (such as Philadelphia), room temperature
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 12 walnut halves (for garnish)

Preparation for the cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and ginger. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.

For the icing: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until well blended. Beat in maple syrup. Chill until just firm enough to spread, 30 minutes.

Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 3/4 cup icing. Top with second layer. Spread remaining icing over entire cake. Arrange walnut halves around top edge. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.)

I'm Back - What Did You Do?

I am back home after another fun-filled weekend. On Thursday night, I attended a Washington Nationals baseball game, where the Nats pulled out a victory in the bottom of the 10th inning. This coming on the heels of the extra inning victory of the O's last weekend, I have been getting my money's worth of baseball games. There are a few baseball posts coming up soon (Barry Bonds-related and 10,000 losses for the Phillies) and they will appear soon. Of course, next weekend with be the Yanks and the O's at Camden Yards, always a good time.

Friday night, my family traveled to Wilmington, Delaware to spend the weekend with my sister-in-law's family. My wife and sister-in-law were going on to their family reunion on Saturday and the boys were playing golf at Bulle Rock, recently home to the LPGA Championship. My sister-in-law's husband and I were being treated to a gift certificate from my mother-in-law for a round of golf at the first-rate course. While we both agreed our games were nowhere near the caliber of the ladies who had recently played there, we had an outstanding time. I would like to say I scored well, but let's just say I scored more than the temperature and less than it normally costs to play there. The highlight for me was chipping into the hole on two holes. It's funny how you can post a lower score when you don't have to use your putter.

Today we spent part of a lazy Sunday before heading home (avoiding at all costs the toll in Delaware and the traffic that comes with it) and making a stop at the home of OSG, checking in on LSG. He is very cute. My son got to meet him for the first time and was very good with him. This certainly bodes well for the sibling that is on the way, although he isn't aware of that, nor for that matter are many of the readers of this blog. Do you read all the way to the end of my posts? I guess I will find out shortly.

Back to work tomorrow and I need to find a recipe to post. Perhaps a good cake recipe? I'll have to go looking.

So Did You Vote?

In March, I pointed you all to a website and asked you to go and vote for your favorite "new" Wonders of the World. Well the results are in.

Here are the "New" Seven Wonders of the World:

1. The Great Wall of China


2. Petra (Jordan)


3. Christ Redeemer (Brazil)


4. Machu Picchu (Peru)


5. Chichén Itzá, Mexico


6. The Roman Colosseum (Italy)


7. The Taj Mahal (India)

And the voting continues. The site is now devoted to nominating candidates for the "New 7 Wonders of Nature." Nominations will be taken until August 8, 2008, (08/08/08) at which time a panel of experts will come up with a list of 21 wonders to vote and elect the 7 wonders of nature. You may not nominate the Northern Lights or the Gulf Stream, but Kilimanjaro and the Great Barrier Reef are fine. It has to "exist." So get out there and pick your favorite "nature thing."

"The Movies Go to Washington"

On Friday, the Washington Post Weekend section had an article about movies about our Nation's Capital. The article discussed briefly the National Treasure movies, including the upcoming sequel, "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." You can see the trailer here - and there will be an outing when the movie opens in late December. If you want a seat, you let me know. I arranged an outing for about 100 people for the first film, so I am certainly looking forward to doing it a second time.

This blog and others have been discussing movies a lot lately, although the focus has been on comedies. The article had a list of the "The DC Dozen: 12 Films to Catch." Here's the list and my take on them.

• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - I love this movie. But I am a sucker for Capra movies and Jimmy Stewart. The movie premiered at DAR Constitution Hall, with many members of Congress and the press in attendance. Some walked out in the middle of the movie. Interestingly enough, some Members of Congress took offense at the depiction of corrupt.
  

• All the President's Men (1976) - The movie that told the story of taking down a President is just really good, gritty drama. I love how Dustin Hoffman smokes throughout the movie, including walking into someone's house and helping himself to cigarettes on the coffee table, like they're mints.


• The American President (1995) - Precursor to "The West Wing," Aaron Sorkin puts Michael Douglas in the Oval Office and Annette Bening in his bed. Nothing wrong with that at all. Except it bugs Mrs. Brave Astronaut to no end when Annette Bening "gets stuck on DuPont Circle" coming from Capitol Hill to the White House. If you live here, it probably bugs you, too.


• The Exorcist (1973) - Never a fan of this movie, but I used to drive past the steps on my way home from work. I could see where that would hurt.


• Born Yesterday (1950) - Never saw this one.


• Advise & Consent (1962) - It's a great book (by Allen Drury) and a really good movie.


• The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) - Do you think if this were to happen today . . . and we were given a choice of "world peace or obliteration," what do you think a certain someone would choose?


• Dr. Strangelove (1964) - "There's no fighting in the War Room!" - it's a great quote, but not really a Washington movie (not filmed here).


• Broadcast News (1987) - Taking place in the Washington bureau of a major network - it's not really like that - is it?


• No Way Out (1987) - Before I moved to Washington, I had no problem with a Metro stop in Georgetown - hey, it made sense, why wouldn't there be? And hey, I might have a little thing for Sean Young.


• Being There (1979) - Hey, Peter Sellers gets two movies on the list? What's up with that?


• Slam (1998) - A very hard look at the African-American experience in Washington, DC - it also features Marion Barry as a judge, now there's a twist.

Missing from the list is one of my favorites (and a really great comedy!), Dave. Filmed in Washington and around the region, it's a great movie! There's also the Clint Eastwood movie "In the Line of Fire," where Eastwood's character plays the piano in the bar of the Old Ebbitt Grill. Then there is Wedding Crashers (again, funny) and another good drama, Enemy of the State.

Thoughts? Comments?

Recipe: Pistachio Shortbreads

Here's a cookie recipe from the new issue of Bon Appetit. You gotta love the pistachio nut. The recipe makes lots, so send extras home (if there are any) with guests.

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tbsp. salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup natural unsalted pistachios, lightly toasted, chopped (you can get them at Trader Joes)
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix flour, powdered sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter, pistachios, egg yolk, and vanilla. Using on/off turns, mix until moist ball forms. Transfer dough to work surface. Form each dough half into 8x1 1/4 inch log (if dough is too soft, chill until firm, about 30 minutes). Wrap logs in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. (This can be made 5 days ahead, keep chilled.)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Slice logs into 1/4-inch thick rounds, rolling log after every few slices to retain round shape. Place rounds on ungreased baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake shortbread until barely golden, about 18 minutes. Cool shortbread on baking sheets. (Shortbread can be made up to 4 days ahead. Store shortbread in airtight container at room temperature.)

Baseball with Anna

I went to my first Orioles game of the season yesterday. It was an opportunity to help out a fellow blogger, Anna von Schurman, who has an extensive list of things she wishes to accomplish. So this Brave Astronaut got tickets for me and Mrs. Brave Astronaut and Anna and the Dude for a game at Camden Yards (number 19 on her list).

We started off our day with a visit to see OSG and Mrs. OSG, who brought LSG into this world on Thursday. My goodness, what a cute baby! From there, we traveled to Baltimore to meet Anna and the Dude. Once there, I left two extra tickets at Will Call for a nice girl who bought them from me on eBay (Thanks sparklineyes!) and then the four of us took the Water Taxi over to Fells Point for a great dinner at Bertha's Mussels.

We took the water taxi back and settled into our seats in left field. These seats are a favorite of mine and we were in the second row and had two home run balls land near us. The game was mostly White Sox until the ninth inning, when the Birds managed to tie it up on a few gritty singles and a wild pitch. Off to "Free Baseball!" In the bottom of the tenth, the O's managed to pull it out with a few more singles and won the game 7-6.

I will return to the Yard in two weeks to see the Yankees take on the Orioles. An interesting trivia note - a capacity crowd at Camden Yards is just over 48,000 people. When the Yankees come to town, the Birds have set attendance records in Camden Yards, putting more than 50,000 people there, including those standing out on the Flag Court. "It's 'cause the other teams can't stop staring at those damn pinstripes."

Tanned, Rested, and Ready

[you can read the full press release about this event here.]

In 1968, Richard Nixon returned from the political wilderness, declaring himself a candidate for the presidency. Of course, he buried Hubert Humphrey in November, reelected in 1972, until he was forced to resign the office in August 1974, amid the Watergate scandal. The 38th President of the United States began a long rehabilitation after leaving the White House. He even became a respected elder statesman, prior to his death in 1994.

Yesterday, July 12, 2007 (34 years after the last Presidential conversation recorded on the secret taping system took place - and the anniversary of the fire at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis), the National Archives and Records Administration took formal control of the Richard M. Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California. The Richard Nixon Library and Museum joins the other 11 presidential libraries in the National Archives system.

The ceremony yesterday also allowed staff to highlight 11 1/2 hours of newly-released tape-recorded conversations revealing Nixon's thoughts on the 1972 Presidential and Congressional elections and his plans for the reorganization of his administration in its second term. The materials in the library are available due to a deed of gift from the private Nixon Foundation to the National Archives.

So, love him or hate him, Nixon's been given a new place to continue to work on his image, even from beyond the grave. To paraphrase New York City's energetic mayor, Ed Koch, "How's He Doin'?"

Lady Bird Johnson, 1912-2007

[There is no shortage of testimonials about Lady Bird Johnson. The majority of the biographical information below comes from the Lady Bird Johnson Final Tribute page, being hosted on the website for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.]

A significant loss for our country this week. With the passing of Lady Bird Johnson, America is down a first lady, and a real lady at that. Lady Bird Johnson died this week at her home in Austin, Texas. In failing health for several years, she was 94 years old, but that does not earn her the record as the longest-lived First Lady. That record is held by Bess Truman, who died in 1982 at the age of 97. Lady Bird lived nearly 25 years longer than her husband, who died of a heart attack in 1973.

Lady Bird inspired the passage of the Beautification Act of 1965, which made environmentalism a top priority in the United States. The Johnsons had a true political marriage, serving as Lyndon Johnson's closest advisor as he rose from Congressman to Senator to Vice President to President.

Claudia Alta Taylor's mother died when she was five years old. She graduated high school and enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin, graduating with two Bachelor's degrees, one in journalism and the second in History.

Lady Bird met a tall, ambitious man when Lyndon Johnson was a Congressional secretary visiting Austin on official business. They were engaged just seven weeks after their first date and married in November 1934. Mrs. Johnson recalled that “sometimes Lyndon simply [took] your breath away.” Her life with Lyndon Johnson was one of such achievement in politics, business and philanthropy it left those around them breathless, too.

Lady Bird was a tireless campaigner and political "operative." While Lyndon served in World War II, she ran his Congressional office singlehandedly. In 1960, she covered 35,000 miles for the Kennedy/Johnson ticket. When Lyndon ran for election in his own right in 1964, she campaigned independently on a whistle-stop train throughout the South for the ticket.

There is the indelible image of a grim-faced Lady Bird Johnson standing next to her husband on the fateful November day in 1963 when Lyndon Johnson became the 36th President of the United States after the assassination of John Kennedy. There was a recent exhibit at the National Archives in Washington, DC, "Eyewitness to History," in which Lady Bird captured her thoughts on the days events. You can read them here. You can hear her words here.

There has been a fair amount of archival content in the news this week. More to come tomorrow. For now, rest well, Lady Bird.

Update on the All-Star Game

Yes, so the American League won again. Yawn. Now only if I had read this blog yesterday. It would have made the game so much more exciting.

The All-Star Game Drinking Game

Separate into two teams, National League and American League. If you can't decide, the older drinkers are the National League and the younger ones are the junior circuit.

Team Rules (only drink when these apply to your team)

• Two drinks for every time a new player enters the game.
• One drink every time your team gets an out.
• Three drinks if it's a double play. Six if it's a triple play.
• Two drinks for every nice catch. (Multiple replays)
• Two drinks every time your pitcher strikes out a batter.
• Two drinks if your pitcher tops 100mph on the radar gun.
• Two drinks if your pitcher doesn't reach 60mph on the radar gun.
• One drink when your pitcher gets ahead in the count. (0-1,1-2)
• One drink when your pitcher throws to a base instead of pitching. Double the amount of drinks if he throws over twice in a row. Keep doubling per throw until the pitcher throws home.
• One drink every time a batter on your team walks.
• One drink for each pitch above six a batter on your team sees in at-bat.
• Two drinks if a batter on your team gets hit.
• Two drinks for every opposing player's error.
• Two drinks when your team steals a base. Five drinks if it's home plate.
• One drink every time your team gets a hit equal to the amount of bases the hitter advances. Add a drink if they get any RBIs on the hit. Add a drink if it's an infield hit.
  Four drinks if your team hits a home run. Eight if it's a Splash home run. 12 if It's Barry Bonds. Finish your drink if Willie McCovey catches the ball.

Universal (everyone drinks for these)

• Two drinks every time someone on TV mentions home field advantage.
• One drinks every time someone on TV mentions Barry Bonds chasing Aaron's home run record.
• Two drinks if someone states an opinion on whether Bud Selig or Hank Aaron should be in attendance when Bonds breaks/ties the record.
• Two drinks if a fan makes a great catch on a foul (or fair) ball.
• One drink every time they show a non-baseball celebrity in the crowd.
• One drink for every replay of a close play at the base.
• One drink per commercial.(Just to keep the drinks flowing)
• One drink for every shot of the San Francisco area that doesn't include the ballpark. Two drinks if they show McAfee Coliseum.
• One drink for every clip of a past All-Star Game.

We may need to tailor these for a World Series Party.

It's the Mid-Summer Classic

It is nearly 10:00pm here in the East and the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is in the bottom of the third inning. I could go on to rant how there are millions of children who will never know about All-Star Games and World Series games until they are older and are allowed to stay up late. But I won't go down that road. Just know that I could.

I will say that I like baseball. I love the spectacle and tonight's opening ceremony with Willie Mays was one to remember. Ted Williams is reported to have said they created the All-Star game for Willie Mays. He played in 24 of them. He is a legend in the game and should be celebrated at a time when the game is poised to honor a player who will break Hank Aaron's homerun record. Wouldn't it be nice if pitchers refused to pitch to Barry Bonds for the remainder of the season?

On Saturday, I will attend my first Baltimore Orioles game of the season, when the Birds will face off against the Chicago White Sox. I am doing my part to help Anna Von Schurman with her list of 1001 Things To Do (see #19). The following week, I will return to RFK Stadium to see the hapless Washington Nationals.

This is all in preparation for my trip to Chicago in late August, where I will attend a Chicago Cubs game with a large group of archivists when we converge on the Windy City for the Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting. It should be a good time for all!

A Toast to the Bubbly!

At the end of June, one had the opportunity to celebrate the invention? discovery? of champagne by the Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon in 1682. I have just the recipe to do just that. And with our recipe this week, a bonus quote. Lord John Maynard Keynes, the British economist, is reputed to have said on his deathbed in 1946, "My only regret in life is that I did not drink more champagne."

CHAMPAGNE FRAMBOISE
Bon Appétit, June 1997

• Ice cubes
• 12 tablespoons framboise
• 8 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 750-ml bottles (about) chilled Brut champagne
• Garnish: 3/4 cup fresh raspberries (about 24)

Fill 8 champagne flutes with ice cubes. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons framboise into each flute. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to each. Fill flutes with champagne. Garnish with raspberries and serve.

The Plan for a Plan

I was recently going through my "archives" and found this little nugget in my "humor" files. I thought I would share.

The Plan

In the beginning was the plan.

And then came the Assumptions.

And the Assumptions were without form.

And the Plan without substance.

And darkness was upon the face of the Workers.

And they spoke among themselves, saying, "It is a crock of shit and it stinketh."

And the Workers went unto their Supervisors and said, "It is a pail of dung, and none may abide the odor thereof."

And the Supervisors went unto their Managers, saying, "It is a container of excrement, and it is very strong, such that none may abide by it."

And the Managers went unto their Directors, saying, "It is a vessel of fertilizer, and none may abide its strength."

And the Directors spoke amongst themselves, saying to one another, "It contains that which aids plant growth, and it is very strong."

And the Directors went unto the Vice Presidents, saying unto them, "It promotes growth, and it is very powerful."

And the Vice Presidents went unto the President, saying unto him, "This new plan will actively promote the growth and vigor of the company, with powerful effects."

And the President looked upon the Plan, and saw that it was good.

And the Plan became Policy.

This is how Shit Happens.

A. to the I. Q. (Answers to the Initials Quiz)

So how'd you do? Here are the answers. And if you liked it, don't worry, I've got more. It seems that people have been able to get most of them, with the exception of number 9.

1. 366 D. in a L. Y. - 366 Days in a Leap Year
2. 5 T. on a F. - 5 Toes on a Foot
3. 3 S. (S., M., and L.) - 3 Sizes (Small, Medium, and Large)
4. 100 Y. on a F. F. - 100 Yards on a Football Field
5. 360 D. in a C. - 360 Degrees in a Circle
6. 2000 P. in a T. - 2000 Pounds in a Ton
7. 7 B. for S. B. - 7 Brides for Seven Brothers
8. 3 L. P. - 3 Little Pigs
9. 144 I. in a G. - 144 Items in a Gross
10. 26 L. of the A. - 26 Letters of the Alphabet
11. 12 S. of the Z. - 12 Signs of the Zodiac
12. 54 C. in a D. (with the J.) - 54 Cards in a Deck (with the Jokers)
13. 88 P. K. - 88 Piano Keys
14. 13 S. on the A. F. - 13 Stripes on the American Flag
15. 3 S. Y. O. at the O. B. G. (3 Strikes, Your Out at the Old Ball Game)

For God's Sake, John, Sit Down!

It's the Fourth of July. Independence Day. A day to celebrate the 231st year of our independence from King George. No, not that one, this one. I will celebrate by attending a parade where our friend (known on other blogs as OSG) will march with his fife group. There may be an opportunity for typical 4th food (barbeque, anyone), and if my toddler will cooperate, fireworks.

I, of course will look forward to the yearly viewing of this.


Happy Fourth Everyone!

Getting More Out of It For More Than 80 Years

Grandma: You know, when I was nineteen, Grandpa took me on a roller coaster.

Gil: Oh?

Grandma: Up, down, up, down. Oh, what a ride!

Gil: What a great story.

Grandma: I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting to me that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like it. They went on the merry-go-round. That just goes around. Nothing. I like the roller coaster. You get more out of it.

The above comes from another great comedy, Parenthood. It is a good lead in to remembering that on June 26, a famous roller coaster celebrated its 80th birthday. There was an article in the Washington Post last week that talked all about Coney Island and its most famous structure, one that will likely be the only one there soon. The Cyclone in Coney Island was declared a historic landmark in 1988, so it is protected. But the rest of Astroland is threatened by, what else?, development - housing and shopping.

I have a Cyclone story. When Mrs. Brave Astronaut and I were dating, we went to Coney Island for the day. At the attendant's suggestion, we removed our sunglasses and I put them into my jacket pocket. They were fine until a turn at the top of the coaster sent them careening off into the air, never to be seen again. For me it was OK, as my sunglasses were cheap street versions, but Mrs. Brave Astronaut lost her prescription sunglasses. Luckily, she had her regular glasses, which I then fetched for her, so she could see.

I like roller coasters. This was even a topic of conversation at the lunch table the other day. I declared it to be a good blog post topic. The conversation moved to people's first loop roller coaster. Mine was the Super Dooper Looper in Hershey Park, PA. I got the opportunity to ride on a trip with my parents from our home in New York to Chagrin Falls, OH.

Recently, another amusement park of my youth crossed my radar screen. While watching Music and Lyrics, Hugh Grant's character gets a "gig" at Adventureland, "the biggest small amusement park east of Rye Playland." My Adventureland story takes place in June of 1985. I went with three friends to the park for an afternoon of fun. One of the first rides we went on was the "deadly" Flower Jet. A small circular roller coaster with a train of cars. I went up to the front of the train, trying to secure the front car. The attendant yelled to me and as I turned, I fell from one platform next to the cars to a second one about three or four feet below me. My right leg went under me and I heard a distinct crack. The attendant then said something to me of the effect of "that's why you shouldn't be up there." He finished filling up the ride and then came over to ask me if I was alright. I looked up at him and told him, "No, I think I broke my leg." Now thinking he was in trouble, he left the ride (unattended) to go and get help.

Enter the VP of Adventureland, who arrives with two or three burly security guards. He asks the same question posed by the attendant. He gets the same answer. To which he says, "I'm sure you're fine, let's get him up." The burly security guards stand me up and I collapse again. So VP has the burly security guards carry me off to a park bench (in a hand chair, with my right leg dangling unsupported). They put me on the bench and VP sends one of the guards to fetch me a Coke. VP examines my legs and again diagnoses, "I am sure you're fine, but you should go to the hospital anyway. Do you want an ambulance?" As I am now feeling the full effects of the break and a little woozy, I decline, saying I have my mother's car and my friends can drive me to the hospital. VP is of course, pleased at this, so no screaming emergency vehicle will arrive at his park. They put me in a golf cart (in the front seat, leg still bent) and drive me out to the car (over the speed bumps). They put me in the FRONT seat and my friend drives us off to the hospital.

Upon arriving, my friends go into the emergency room and return with a nurse who brings a wheelchair. She asks what I am doing in the front seat, and I reply, this is where they put me. She gets me into the wheelchair and moves to straighten my leg (which has now been bent for about 45 minutes). She may have said something to me along the lines of, "this might hurt a little" and straightens my leg out. I nearly pass out from the pain. She rolls me into the wheelchair.

Now the story gets fun. As I start the paperwork, it becomes evident (well I already knew) that my sister is in charge of me (I am not yet 18) and my parents are in Hawaii and, wait for it . . . they have not given my sister medical power for my care. The on-call orthopedist refuses to even come to the hospital without parental consent. Finally, another orthopedist, who was there repairing a girl's knee cap, which she had fractured in a soccer game, takes pity on us and slaps the x-ray up and tells my sister, who has since arrived, "it's a simple break, want me to do it?" My sister says please.

Several hours later (did I mention it was a Sunday afternoon in June), we are released with the recommendation to go to the drug store and get some crutches. Problem is, in those days, drug stores closed at a reasonable hour on Sundays and there were no crutches to be had. Luckily, a neighbor saw us arrive home and brought us a pair he had in his basement. We called my parents in Hawaii to let them know what had happened.

In the end, VP got his and I got mine. We sued Adventureland for negligence and I got my first car out of the deal. So beware the Flower Jet, but I will still ride the rails every chance I get.

It's Gotta Be Flag Cake

When choosing a recipe for this week, it's got to be one that works for Independence Day. This is one that I had nearly every year growing up on the Fourth. The cake usually came compliments of one of my mother's friends. There was usually a party at our house as the Fourth is also my father's birthday. One year, I even staged a small fireworks display in the lot across from my house. Other years, we would often gather up the street at the homes of two families that would often stop at South of the Border and buy fireworks for the neighborhood display. This of course, in the days before people got "concerned" about hands getting blown off and stuff.

But anyway, here is one recipe. You can alter to your taste, but you got to get the fruit placed right.

• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Cake (get a yellow cake mix, or make from scratch, if you're devoted)
• Whipped cream icing

Make two rectangular cakes (13x9). Let cool. Slice strawberries lengthwise from the stem. On top of one layer of cake place strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream. Place second layer of cake on top and frost with whipped cream icing. Decorate with blueberries in a star field (upper left) and use strawberries slices to make stripes. Serve. I prefer stripes over stars. Enjoy.

Weekend Wrapup

So my father leaves tomorrow. After a stop in the morning at the College Park Aviation Museum, I will take him to the airport for his trip back to NY. We had a very nice weekend. On Friday, we went to the National Building Museum to take in the exhibitions there. My father has a model, architecture thing. From there we had lunch at Gordon Biersch (which my father remembers we went to before - and I remembered as well, but we were already sitting down), I do love those garlic fries. After that it was off to the National Archives and the Charters of Freedom and the Public Vaults. Everybody should go - and there were lots of you there on Friday. Thanks. Go on Wednesday, it will be a great time.

Saturday we got an early start (well, sort of) and went over to Arlington National Cemetery. It had been years since either my father or I had been there and I learned that Mrs. Brave Astronaut had never been there! Well. There was even something for her there as the Arlington House was celebrating the 176th wedding anniversary of Robert E. Lee and Mary Custis. Mrs. BA has a thing for weddings.

Saturday night was the highlight of my father's visit. A trip to Wolf Trap for a concert by the Kingston Trio and the Smothers Brothers. (I've already asked you to stop laughing at me). I went willingly and really enjoyed it. You have to understand, growing up in my parents house, it was the "Make Believe Ballroom" and the "Sounds of Sinatra" rather than classic rock or god forbid, WLIR. While I expected to be the youngest in the house, I was not. Two rows behind me sat to pre-teens who looked absolutely miserable. Earlier I had spotted two late teenagers and constructed a whole back story for them. (Their parents had died tragically, but in order to receive their inheritance, they had to attend every Kingston Trio concert until they turn 25).

Today, we did a little house hunting, with the hopes of crossing off one of those items on the list at right. Then we had a nice dinner in Bethesda, again at a place my father swears he has been too, but he's old and he forgets. Now there is some lounging going on until we head off to bed. See you all tomorrow!