December 6: St. Nicholas's feast day. John Zmirak writes everything you need to know. Excerpt:
The association of Nicholas with gift-giving isn't entirely arbitrary. Some of the earliest accounts of his life include the charming suggestion that he would throw money through the windows of impoverished girls so their fathers could afford dowries and they could be married–instead of lapsing into lives of prostitution. It's said that in one household he tossed three bags of gold–one for each endangered daughter. This inspired pawnbrokers ever after to hang three golden balls outside their windows. So the next time you swing by a pawn shop to pick up, say, an engagement ring or a .38, remember to say a little prayer to St. Nicholas for success in marriage or marksmanship.
This excerpt is an excerpt from his wonderful book, The Bad Catholic's Guide to Good Living. I read the Nicholas entry in the hard copy of the book and thought, "Man, I don't want to re-key all that." I ran a simple Google search (Zmirak and Nicholas), and this entry at "Taki's Top Drawer" popped up. That's a two-for-one: I saved the hassle of re-keying, and I discovered that Mr. Theodoracopulos has his site humming again. That's good news. I used to visit a couple of times a week, but it went dormant so I stopped. I'm glad to see it has erupted.
__________
A Polish janitor overheard playing Chopin on a grand piano is giving up his cleaning job to begin a career as a pianist.
Aleksander Kudajczyk, 28, was playing the piano in the chapel of Glasgow University, where he was employed as a cleaner, when he was spotted on a webcam.
As word of his talent spread, hundreds of staff and students logged on to listen to him, reports the Daily Telegraph.
__________
More evidence against the wisdom of multitasking: A pedestrian apparently absorbed in a cell phone call was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in San Leandro today after he walked around a lowered crossing gate and onto the tracks. My thoughts on the matter: 1, 2. More discussion.
__________
Driver arrested for .42 BAL. The driver was female. Here's my question: How could the cops be sure she wasn't just a normal female driver? (combox open for hate mail, ladies)
__________
Breastfed babies whose mothers eat fruits and vegetables are more inclined to like those foods themselves, a new study has found. Great, just great. My wife likes beer . . . and she often drank a beer while she breastfed. The shock value in public places was great ("Look at that white trash drinking while breastfeeding!"), but the mothering books say it takes awhile for a mother's oral intake to get into breast milk, so Marie concluded it was the safest time to drink a beer (yes, just one beer; please don't call the local social services agency).
__________
If you like unique slants on sports, read Allen Barra (I know he's smart; he subscribes to Gilbert Magazine and once told me he likes my writings . . . what an incorrigible name dropper I am). Anyway, he has a great piece today at the Wall Street Journal: Why many Heisman winners don't make it in the NFL. Excerpt:
Ӣ In the past half-century, scarcely one in five Heisman winners has become a major pro-football star. Of the past 50, only four--O.J. Simpson, Earl Campbell, Marcus Allen and Barry Sanders--have gone on to be voted the NFL Most Valuable Player by the Associated Press.
Ӣ Only seven of the past 50 Heisman Trophy winners--Roger Staubach, Mike Garrett, Jim Plunkett, Tony Dorsett, George Rogers, Marcus Allen and Desmond Howard--have been starters on Super Bowl-winning teams.
Ӣ Three of the past seven Heisman winners--Chris Weinke (2000), Eric Crouch (2001) and Jason White (2003)--are no longer even playing with the NFL. Last year's winner, Troy Smith, who won by the widest margin of any player in Heisman history, is on the roster of the Baltimore Ravens this season but has not yet thrown a pass.
Ӣ The last Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback to win a Super Bowl ring was Jim Plunkett in 1981, playing for the Oakland Raiders.
