NYT obit on Dave Parker slugging outfielder for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Perhaps echoing Muhammad Ali he was once quoted "When the leaves turned brown, I'd be wearing the batting crown." R.I.P.
The Eagle Blue Chronicles
Musings and observations from T.J. Smith, commenting on the passing parade.
Monday, June 30, 2025
The Poet's Corner
Monday, May 26, 2025
May 26 from tjs
I once witnessed the launching of a USLines Containership at SunShipyard sponsor was Austronaut Jim Lovell. After the Champagne bottle was swung the vessel glided stern first down the ways to the Delaware River. Later our company built and launched a later edition of container ship at a South Korean yard and all went smooth. But recently North Korea built a new Naval destroyer and the "Baptism"didn't go well. They were launching it sideways and the stern went first into the water leaving the bow on the platform. Pres. Kim wasn't pleased so he arrested the shipyard execs - and that's the way it was! 5-26-25
Wednesday, September 13, 2023
The Eagle Blue Chronicles: O Dem Golden Slippers
Tuesday, November 22, 2022
Rivalry
With November winding down, this is the time for college football rivalries - in days gone by there was Penn vs Cornell followed by Army/Navy weekend. One of the oldest was Boston College vs Holy Cross - both Jesuit institutions in Mass. Eighty years ago, Nov. 28, 1942 they had suited up with BC heavily favored with their All-American halfback, Mike Holovak.
BC fans were so certain of the outcome that they planned a victory party at the Coconut Grove Supper Club after the game. But Holy Cross upset the favorites causing them to cancel the celebration.
That was the night of the famous "night club" fire that killed nearly 500 occupants. WWII was underway and Mike Holovak and many of his team mates went off to war. tjs
Saturday, November 19, 2022
Keep it simple
As Big Blue - Michigan continues on their winning ways it brings to mind the predicament of Joe the Plumber from Grand Rapids, Mich. who was approaching a complicated operation and needed to know the effect of sulfuric acid on lead. He decided to write the U.S. Labor Dept. in D.C. - they would know!
Their reply came in five days "Thank you for your inquiry - please know that sulfuric acid is contra-indicated for the use you intend." Joe thanked them and said "I have ordered a carboy of acid - it is due any day."
The agitated response from Washington read "Sulfuric acid is deleterious (?) to lead". Joe replied that the acid was due in two days.
Next came a Western Union telegram reading "DON'T USE THE ACID - IT EATS THE HELL OUT OF LEAD."
Monday, November 14, 2022
A.C./D.C.
If you are planning the purchase of an electric vehicle, consider the experience of this Ohio family. The wife was in love with her Volkswagen ID4 and planned a trip from Columbus to Toledo to ferry her daughter back to college.
She had planned where she would need recharging during the four hour trip but by overloading with school equipment and a tall husband in tow, the battery drained faster and they had to stop at a small Ohio town that had only four chargers which will describe below:
- #1 was behind a locked gate. #2 was with a Toyota dealership who refused to charge a VW. #3 would only charge Teslas and #4 had just been installed and not yet working.
So the family spent the night in a hotel and proceeded with a rental car. tjs
Sunday, November 6, 2022
The New York Subway
Nov. 6, 2022
Some people bad-mouth the New York City subway as being unsafe, yet my two grandsons - 5 and 2 - love the "A" train made famous by Duke Ellington. In the late 1970s (pre Bernie Goetz) I rode the Lexington Ave. train daily between the Battery and Grand Central Station. The only nuisance was a few harmless panhandlers and a few happy drunks. One evening on the northbound train a tipsy fellow got on and called out a riddle to all assembled - "What has four legs and chases cats?" He happily repeated the question and as he alighted at the next station, called out "Mrs. Katz and her lawyer!" I can still hear him laughing as he walked down the platform.