Ernest Borgnine first appeared as PT-73 skipper Lt. Cdr. Quinton McHale in a one-shot drama called “Seven Against the Sea”, which aired as an episode of Alcoa Premiere in 1962, an ABC dramatic anthology also known as Fred Astaire’s Premiere Theatre. ABC management decided the show had more promise as a comedy than a drama, and turned it into “McHale’s Navy”.
Ernest Borgnine, I was once told by a licensed park guide at the Gettysburg National Military Park, was very interested in the Civil War, but had a poor memory and seemed to remember nothing he was told during his several tours there. He died in 2012.
“The Civil War” is a nickname for the annual Oregon-Oregon State college football game. Other nicknamesinclude “100 Miles of Hate” for Western Kentucky-Middle Tennessee State, “Bedlam” for Oklahoma-Oklahoma State, and “The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” for Florida-Georgia.
The ‘Border Showdown’ was a nickname for the athletic rivalry between the University of Missouri Tigers and the University of Kansas Jayhawks. It began in 1891 and lasted through 2012, when Missouri left the Big 12 to join the Southeastern Conference. Kansas won the last meeting in the rivalry 87-86 in overtime on February 25, 2012. Both teams were ranked in the top 10 at the time.
South of the Border, in Dillon, SC, owned and operated for years by Alan Schafer, began as the South of the Border Beer Depot. According to Nicole King, a professor at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County who has written about the creation of what is known as “S.O.B.”, Alan and his father Samuel had a successful beer distribution company and because they were Jews, could avoid the cultural stigma associated with beer sales that Baptists and other religious conservatives could not. Over the years, especially after the passage of the Interstate Highway Act of 1956, South of the Border grew from beer depot into a souvenir shop to catch the traffic going up and down I-95.
The business’s most famous former employee is probably the two-term Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, who during his high school and college years worked summers as a waiter at South of the Border.
The largest reptile exhibit in the USA is at South of the Border, in Dillon SC, at its Reptile Lagoon.
Iguanas, reptiles native to Central and South America and found in Florida, are reported to be ‘freezing’ in the cold weather this week in Florida. They are not actually ‘frozen’, but being cold-blooded, the colder temperatures inhibit their activities making them unable to move or react. Once warmed, they seem to resume their normal actions
Although naval and shipping experts long foresaw the value of an interoceanic canal through Central America, Nicaragua was for many years considered the most likely site, and Panama became feasible only late in the 19th century. Even after the recent expansion of the Panama Canal, there have been recurring proposals for a Nicaraguan canal, as well.
The palindrome “A man, a plan, a canal – Panama!” was supposedly coined by noted British wordplay and recreational mathematics expert Leigh Mercer and appears in print in the November 13 1948 issue of Notes & Queries. However, there is speculation that it could have been composed decades earlier, when the canal was in the news.
From A 17,826 Word Palindrome (or Palindromic Sentence), a 17,826 Word Palindrome (or Palindromic Sentence) beginning with “A man, a plan” and ending with “a canal, Panama!” Is claimed to be this:
{
*But then I received *
so my initial play has been seriously snipped…
}
A man, a plan, a cameo, Zena, Bird, Mocha, Prowel, a rave,
Uganda, Wait, a lobola, Argo, Goto, Koser, Ihab, Udall, a revocation,
Ebarta, Muscat, eyes, Rehm, a cession, Udella, E-boat, OAS, a mirage,
IPBM, a caress, Etam, FCA, a mica, Ojai, Lebowa, Yaeger, a barge, Rab,
Alsatian, a mod, Adv, a rps, Ileane, Valeta, Grenada, Hetty, Fayme,
REME, HCM, Tsan, Owena, Tamar, Yompur, Isa, Nil, Lorrin, Riksdag,
Mona, Ronn, O’Conner, Kirk, an okay, Nafl, Lira, Robi, Rame, FIFA, a
need, Rodi, Muharram, Ober, a coma, carri, Hwang, Taos, Salado, Olfe,
Camag, Kdar, a hdkf, Jemina, Nadler, Ehud, Rutan, a baster, Ebn,
aedegi, a gals, Ira, Tepper, a minim, a gowd, Ulda, Ogawa, TSgt,
Callida, Rodl, Ewart, seraphs, Ain, Newgate, Vaden, navettes, Sabah,
Swat, Luci, Pam, Arda, pools, a boar, Akira, Gally, CSC, Avalon, a
tuba, AAM, Artima, AFB, Selah, wellies, Ronald, BArch, nullos, Uni, an
aet, Nadabus, Tyree, Poop, Sennar, CAB, a nanny, Let, Efahan, Dasya,
Moon, Ikaria, Nam, Lamar, Egor, Rover, Tanana, Loki, MIP, PharD,
endia, rates, Punan, Eba, Alva, Paine, BEF, Fagan, nugae, taws, Una,
Woll, a tab, CSE, Kamerad, YCL, a melt, Diehl, Lewellen, Sacci, Reggi,
RFA, BSA, naoi, Kuyp, Oceanic, Sipple, Yalu, Kosey, nota, talers,
Frida, a wab, Musset, Aoede, Erick, a reign, Attica, Marge, Leta, Mat,
Naboth, Saphra, Gila, Arany, Costa, Fasta, Mabel, Udine, Derte,
Medill, Erotes, RuPaul, Uzzi, Waler, Omak, a kaif, Freed, a doc, a
marga, Nilla, Dole, USPO, Ogata, tubas, somata, Dash, Danika, Salida,
Fiji, Emili, Kazak, Oder, CAC, Ilocanos, Nudd, Uda, Susette, Diskin,
Numitor, Munn, a tsarina, Valle, Soraya, Masan, Ezaria, Teri, Luks,
UNDRO, Naida, Wal, a major, Stelu, OGO, Dilan, Iapetus, an areg, a
jacal, Nessi, R. Bayer, Wotan, a tip, Tabb, a stonk, a habu, Salli,
Major, Berosus, a tepal, Layla, Gitana, Cold, Ogun, Sadie, Bowen,
Rock, Cila, Wey, a halo, Omari, Albniz, Osana, Illimani, Laura, Mitzi, …
<snip>
… Shela, Dupuy, Al Aho, Pike, Madi, Macur, Amato, Flyn, Resor, genae,
NMU, Hanako, an eric, a libretto, Cassil, Amann, an ihp, an atm,
Aidan, a hamulus, Wed, Kuo, Jawara, Sup, Ulani, Kristel, LaBaw,
Aurelie, Weir, a menad, Lorris, Sankaran, a drag, Tupi, Rheita, Chal,
Agadir, Balarama, Temesv, Dumm, an atar, a mack, Cupo, Gunar, Omero,
Irak, Reine, Dairen, a dogleg, an inner, a nos, Rosio, Risa, Mazatl, a
mitt, Aubarta, Nistru, Fredra, Zahavi, Vinn, Alanah, Taal, a mastaba,
Lae, Perseid, Dubai, an orig, a lyre, Vassar, Gelb, Osyth, Gilboa,
Katzir, Gallus, ape-men, a basic, a bhp, Larned, a gonad, Gog, Kenn,
Urbai, Fatah, Carissa, Matless, Elfreda, Nazi, Violle, Janot, Rohn,
IATSE, Gereld, a sika, Weil, a row, BSJ, BLL, a peng, a bleb, a glebe,
Babur, Adao, Latif, a senna, Gij, a tensor, a prob, a tor, a crap,
Pero, Romanov, Adai, Raviv, Arrio, DEI, Romeu, Hild, Hite, Betsy,
stamnoi, a tissue, Rinna, Deems, a resist, a pleb, Issi, Pelag, a
weir, AHSA, Wisd, Labuan, Iredale, a farl, Osorno, McAllen, Odets, a
rec’d, Etti, Minho, Jaf, Herod, a rasa, Soo, Rabah, Ceram, a hanap, an
occas, an iguana, a scf, Minot, a casaba, Jarek, Irma, caci, Sadiras,
Sasebo, Zeb, an impv, Claire, Glaab, Belloc, a we’d, Algoma, Sera,
Lyell, OSB, Frayda, Limassol, Farra, Mir, United, Samanid, a birr,
Hatasu, an arcade, Harod, a sign, a snort, Sewoll, a ware, Diana Sno,
Comus, Sneed, a gula, an era, an ital, a saleroom, Heyde, Haiti,
teals, Oneill, Ibsen, ACW, Yeh, Teagan, a kat, Shilh, a parole, Lev,
Elyn, Amy Lynn, a gleba, Dianne, Hegyera, Cad, Amen-Ra, a kinema,
Damali, Brigid, a kelt, Rafael, Eudoca, a love, MBA, Harts, an areca,
Amata, Merill, a cobra, Gati, Vega, BALPA, Rhu, BAO, Neely, a dal,
Hamed, a stall, a bul, Huda, Genoese, a bai, Tyra, Maritsa, an inn, a
manner, Amador, a ballad, Eugen, a lunes, Seal, Uta, Mraz, ibises, a
rcd, Lower, a daraf, Fendig, a sop, a kakapo, Six, a zany, Urbannai,
Rok, a mabela, Derian, a gold, Donati, a tail, Gayel, Tutt, a wait, a
liana, Kelsi, a samfoo, Ratib, a viz, tragi, a pood, an amah, an
amatol, Abu-Bekr, a peh, Tuonela, Cdr, a llama, Truc, APSA, Susy,
Lait, Clo, Nieberg, a pip, an elytron, Einar, a ryke, Kolar, a nidana,
Genolla, FERA, Horeb, a brob, a typ, Surinam, Holmen, Tupis, a kilo,
Praha, Mora, moduli, Gyas, Nemery, Belg, Acre, Modla, Weihs, a roti,
Nada, a retd, Ald, Rayne, Grimm, a pail, Upali, Brezin, Biela, Lloyd,
Nicolle, Benil, Martainn, a loca, a pignus, Noh, Kroll, a bet, Isaak,
an ake, Kajaani, Wenona, an isogriv, Pool, a snag, Haydn, Ogpu,
Caetano, Albi, Binah, Susu, Sakai, a kabob, Kai, WPB, Lalu, a fueller,
Evan, an eyecup, a sir, For, a heb-sed, a vinyl, Lepp, Ansilma,
Hardden, Artina, Alkoran, Garrek, caballeros, Alsip, Ohara, Gainor,
Bodnar, Willem, an ogre, Basir, Demus, Neda, a coryza, Jataka, Zaneta,
Maya, Seta, Cdoba, Krebs, Aisne, Burner, Hamsun, Most, a rump, CCR, a
barih, Savona, nates, Craner, Evatt, Edla, Belak, a scud, a ruse,
Case, Slavonic, a play, Piero, Karol, Yank, Isac, Sotho, Bellew, Sorb,
Daisi, Viyella, Mozart, a claro, Aneto, Vano, Michale, Legra, Syr,
Walburga, a daw, Zebadiah, Mana, Leor, SJD, a citadel, a metrise, a
frt, an ogle, Nero, Kavla, Caen, ACLU, a barbut, a sei, Groscr, Foy,
Harden, Kiah, a natl, USN, Caz, Agni, Tad, Deryl, Canad, Elam, a
karma, Taino, Tirol, a valet, Tiphani, Dann, a soup, Mallina, Mientao,
Buff, a ryot, a sumo, Nama, Zapata, Myrtie, Dreann, an alamo, an anil,
Sim, a girosol, a patin, Ruel, FDR, a reverend, a koto, paratroops,
Liv, Asur, a topman, AKC, a pol, a borage, IrGael, Ardussi, Pos, Lim,
Bme, Ismaili, Tori, Pasadis, a novel, Sucre, Caleb, a rockoon, a bad,
a nil, Bomu, Tatia, Hopeh, Talos, a tuatara, a desmid, a veil, Riane,
Vins, a caracara, Borg, Adlei, a bed, Yenisei, Latini, Kibei, Docile,
Kaila, a lav, Aili, Reni, a genre, gymsia, Maleki, Tatman, a toom,
Allah, Sansone, Loy, Nellir, Gaye, Cadiz, Timaru, Alina, Millian, a
sozin, Blair, a moolah, a yew, a lick, Cornew, Obeid, a snug, Odlo,
Cana, Tiga, Lyall, a petasus, Orebro, Jamill, a subah, a knot, Sabbat,
Pitana, Towrey, abris, Senlac, a jager, a nasute, Pain, a lido,
Goulet, SRO, Jamal, a wadi, an ord, Nusku, lire, Taira, Zenas, a maya,
Rosella, Vanir, a stannum, Roti, Munniks, Idette, Susa, Dud, Dunson, a
colic, a credo, Kaz, Akili, Meiji, Fadil, a saki, NADH, Sadat, a moss,
a butat, a goop, Suelo, Dallin, a gram, a coda, Deer, FFI, a kaka,
Morel, a wiz, Zulu, a purse, Torelli, Demetre, Deni, Duleba, MATS, a
fatso, Cynara, Aligarh, Pashto, Bantam, a telegram, a cit, Tangier, a
kCi, Reede, Oates, Sumbawa, a dir, FSR, Elata, Tonye, Sokul, a yelp,
piscinae, Cop, Yukio, an asb, a frigger, ICC, a snell, Ewell, Heidt,
Lemal, Cyd, a remake, ScB, a tallow, an usw, a tea, Gunn, a gaffe,
Benia, Pavla, a ben, an upset, a raid, Nedrah, PPI, Mikol, an ana,
Trevor, Roger, a malm, an air, a kinoo, Mays, Adnah, a fete, Lynn, an
abac, Rann, Espoo, Peery, tsuba, Dantean, Ainu, Soll, UNHCR, a bdl, an
orseille, whales, BFA, a mitra, MAA, a butanol, a vac, Scylla, Garik,
a raob, a sloop, a dram, a picul, Tawsha, Bassett, Evanne, Daveta,
Gwenni, a shp, a restr, a weldor, a dill, a ctg, Staw, a goad, Ludwog,
a minima, Rep, Petar, Isla, Gaige, Dean, berets, a banat, Urdu,
Hereld, an anime, JFK, Dhar, a dkg, a mace, Flood, a lasso, a tgn, a
whirr, a camoca, Reb, Omarr, a humidor, Deena, a fife, Maribor, a
rill, Fanya, Konakri, Krenn, Oconnor, a nom, Gad, Skirnir, Rollin, a
sirup, Moyra, Matane, Won, ASTM, ChemE, Remy, a fytte, Had, an ergate,
Lavena, Elis, Pravda, Dom, an ait, a slab, a regr, a barege, a yaw,
Obelia, Joacima, a cfm, a tessera, Camb, Piegari, Masao, Tao, Bealle,
Dunois, SECAM, Herse, Yetac, Sumatra, Benoit, a coverall, a dub, a
hire, Sokoto, Gogra, a lobo, Lati, a wadna, Guevara, Lew, Orpah,
Comdr, Ibanez, OEM, a canal, Panama!
Line palindromes are an interesting form, for example the one named Doppelgänger:
Entering the lonely house with my wife
I saw him for the first time
Peering furtively from behind a bush –
Blackness that moved,
A shape amid the shadows,
A momentary glimpse of gleaming eyes
Revealed in the ragged moon.
A closer look (he seemed to turn) might have
Put him to flight forever –
I dared not
For reasons that I failed to understand,
Though I knew I should act at once.
I puzzled over it, hiding alone,
Watching the woman as she neared the gate.
He came, and I saw him crouching
Night after night.
Night after night
He came, and I saw him crouching,
Watching the woman as she neared the gate.
I puzzled over it, hiding alone –
Though I knew I should act at once,
For reasons that I failed to understand
I dared not
Put him to flight forever.
A closer look (he seemed to turn) might have
Revealed in the ragged moon
A momentary glimpse of gleaming eyes
A shape amid the shadows,
Blackness that moved.
Peering furtively from behind a bush,
I saw him, for the first time
Entering the lonely house with my wife.
Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 47 in G, probably written in 1772, is nicknamed “the Palindrome”. The third movement, Menuetto e Trio, is a musical palindrome. The second half of the piece is the same as the first but backwards.
In late August and September 1972, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was presented at the Edinburgh International Festival by the Young Vic Theatre Company, directed by Frank Dunlop. It starred Gary Bond in the title role, Peter Reeves as the narrator, and Gordon Waller as Pharaoh; Alan Doggett was the music director. In October the production played at London’s Young Vic Theatre, and in November at the Roundhouse. The production was part of a double bill called Bible One: Two Looks at the Book of Genesis. Part I was Dunlop’s reworking of the first six of the medieval Wakefield Mystery Plays, with music by Alan Doggett. Part II was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The Young Vic production was recorded for an LP released on the RSO label in 1972. This production was also broadcast in the UK by Granada Television in 1972. This Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical owes its success to the controversy of their next musical Jesus Christ Superstar.
Dunlop sporting goods company specializes in tennis and golf equipment and has been in existence since 1910. They started first with golf balls. Dunlop Maxfli golf balls were first manufactured in 1922. Dunlop started manufacturing tennis balls in 1924.
Dunlop is headquartered in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, England.
Notable players that have used Dunlop tennis rackets include Steffi Graf, John McEnroe, Amélie Mauresmo, Mark Philippoussis, Pat Rafter, Evonne Goolagong, and Martina Navratilova.
In 1988, Steffi Graf became the first and only tennis player to achieve the Golden Slam by winning all four Grand Slam singles titles and the Olympic gold medal in the same calendar year. Furthermore, she is the only tennis player to have won each Grand Slam event at least four times.
Tennis has several flavors of “slams”. It can get a little confusing.
◆ Grand Slam: win the four majors, which are the Australian Open (hard courts, mid Jan), the French Open (clay courts, May & Jun, Wimbledon (grass courts, Jul), and the US Open (hard courts, Aug & Sep) in a single year — and a win can be in either singles or doubles
◆ Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam: win the above consecutively but not in the same year
◆ Career Grand Slam: win those majors over the course of one’s career
◆ Golden Grand Slam (or, Golden Slam): adds the Olympic Gold Medal to the Grand Slam
◆ Super Slam: win the year-end finals (ATP for men, WTA for women) in addition to the Grand Slam
◆ Boxed Set of Grand Slam titles: in the four majors, win the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles for them in the same year
◆ Career Boxed Set of Grand Slam titles: same as directly above, but over the course of one’s career
Nobody has ever achieved the Boxed Set of Grand Slam titles.
As for the Career Boxed Set of Grand Slam titles, only three women have ever achieved it:
► Margaret Court
► Doris Hart
► Martina
Serena Williams has come close.
No male has even come close.
Margaret Court? She’s done it twice.
The seal of the U.S. Supreme Court bears 14 stars (13 in a constellation over the eagle’s head, and a single one at the base of the seal), while that of the President of the United States bears 63 (50 around the eagle, and 13 arrayed over it) and that of the Vice President 13 (again, over the eagle).
Hope there can be a seal of approval for mentioning that a so-called “Serena Slam” is the holding of the four “major” titles at the same time although the victories did not occur in the same calendar year.
Some members of the Ukrainian Othodox church in Canada continue to use the Julian calendar for church festivals. By that reckoning, today is Christmas.
Serena Williams has been fined and censured several times for unsportsmanlike conduct: in 2009, for screaming “I swear to God, I’ll f— take this ball and shove it down your f— throat” at a lineswoman, in 2011 for a rant against an umpire that included “I truly despise you. . . You’re totally out of control. You’re a hater and you’re just unattractive inside. . . what a loser” and in 2016 for repeatedly smashing her racket into the turf (at Wimbledon) and then tossing it into the stands.
ETA: As a Jehovah’s Witness, Williams does not celebrate Christmas.