Having a Twitter handle is like having a HAM radio license. You never really know who is reading your call letters. I have so few followers that if they were materialize in one spot they could all fit into a hospital elevator, as long as there was no one else in there on a gurney.
So, I was genuinely surprised when someone Tweeted an answer to my question: F. Lee Bailey! He's still with us? Turns out he is, and will be 84 this June. It is no small wonder that you might think he's already passed on. His law license has been revoked, and the big cases, even the Dream Team membership at O.J. Simpson's murder trial is ancient history. So, if he passes June 2017, and expires before the next June of 2018, he will fit the equation.
NOTE: In my Tweet I misstated the number. I wrote 84 rather than 86.
I have no wish that someone shuffle off just to fulfill my obituary equation. And anyway, my thoughts were someone who might be the third one soon after the second one, not having to wait till June 2017 for eligibility, and then only still qualifying for the next 12 months. That's stretching it.
But it does show you that the respondent to my Twitter question (@davetarrantnews) did have a handle on who might be the possible answer to B-84, even if I meant B-86.
The New York Times has set a record of having four straight days of front page obituaries. It started with the poet Derek Walcott, continued with Chuck Berry, followed by Jimmy Breslin and yesterday with David Rockefeller. All worthy of front page notice, but the consecutive days of their passing is probably statistically off the chart of probabilities. We may never see that again.
In fact, it has been remarked that obituaries are not fake news. If anything even approaches the current record of four, then Donald Trump might get knocked off the front page, which would be an absolute first. Much is being made of President Trump's first 100 days. I think 100 days is a nod to a book about JFK, but no matter, People like the number 100. It is the largest denomination of U.S. currency you can carry around, and certainly lovely to see when you cash your voucher out at the race track.
Without being too political, I think there were actual days when President Obama's name did not appear on the front page. Therefore, I think the 100 days is not really about administrative accomplishments, but rather smashing Joe DiMaggio's consecutive hitting streak record of 56, and going for the 100 hole in skee ball. Stay tuned.
Sometimes I scare myself. I've already mentioned I had Jimmy Breslin's name in a blog posting, and two days later he's dead. I propose an equation with B-86 as the answer and what do I hear this morning? Chuck Barris passes away...at 87!
He won't I'm sure make the front page of the NYT, but he will make the obituary page. Now, if only I could be that close to picking horses at the race track I might take home more Benjamins than I do. A hundred is a great number.
http://www.onofframp.blogspot.com
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