Extremely Difficult Trivia About "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984)

      It's that time again.  Once again, a sequel in a film series that started back over 30 years ago is coming out, on July 3rd, 2024 to be exact.  That movie is "Axel F," the fourth in the "Beverly Hills Cop" series.  This original film was quite ground-breaking in its way, as it was one of the earliest (or at least one of the best) examples of the action/comedy hybrid.  Eddie Murphy was already a huge name, from "Saturday Night Live," and movies like "48 Hrs" (1982) and "Trading Places" (1983), but this one made him an even bigger superstar.  So let's return to that original, and dissect it.  As usual, it'll be incredibly detailed questions, followed by the answers, with many SPOILERS ahead.

Questions:

1)   In the opening scene, an undercover Axel Foley is trying to sell a truckload of cigarettes with federal tax stamps to the two crooks.  What brand of cigarettes? 

2)    How much money is he demanding for this truckload, and how much does the guy try to give him?

3)    What brand of cigarettes does Axel say he smokes?

4)    Where did Axel get the truckload of cigarettes?

5)    How long has it been since Axel last saw his friend Mikey?

6)    What is the name of the art gallery that Jenny Summers manages in Beverly Hills?

7)    What make of car did Mikey and Axel steal when they were teenagers?

8)    What detective is Inspector Todd putting on the Mikey Tandino murder case?

9)    Axel is wearing a gray t-shirt with writing on it during his first day in Beverly Hills.  What does it say?

10)   Which hotel does Axel stay at in Beverly Hills?

11)   How much is this hotel charging Axel per night for his suite?  (It's the single room rate.)

12)   What is Axel's suite number?

13)   What three types of beverages does Serge offer Axel in the art gallery?

14)   How much is the weird sculpture that Axel looks at, with the chain-wearing figure at the head of a table, with decapitated heads revolving on plates?

15)   What is the color, make, and model of Axel's car?

16)   What does Axel order for Rosewood and Taggart as a late supper (and as a distraction)?

17)   The actor who plays the employee who gives Axel the bananas later became famous.  Name him.

18)   How much does the fruit plate cost at the hotel?

19)   And how many bananas does this man give Axel?

20)   What is the address of Victor Maitland's warehouse?  (It's stamped on the crates.)

21)   Axel impersonates a U.S. Customs Inspector at the bonded warehouse. What fake name does he give?

22)   While waiting for Axel to return to the hotel, Rosewood reads a magazine.  According to it, how much undigested red meat does the average 50-year-old have in their bowels?

23)   What punishment do Rosewood and Taggart get for losing Axel?

24)   What is Axel's drink of choice?  (He's seen ordering it on two occasions.)

25)   What month does this movie take place in?  (Axel mentions it once.)

26)   What are the names of the two police officers who replace Taggart and Rosewood?

27)   What is the name of the club that Axel confronts Victor Maitland in?

28)   What fake name does Axel give himself at the club while talking to the Maitre d?

29)   What charges were eventually leveled against Axel, which will be dropped if he left town, and reinstated if he didn't?

30)   How do Jenny and Axel know each other?

31)   What magazine does Victor flip through while asking Jenny about Axel?

32)   What is Rosewood's police radio call sign?

33)   And what is Taggart's police radio call sign?

34)   What is the address of Victor's mansion?

35)   What is the stated Beverly Hills police code for officers needing assistance?

36)   Rosewood references a movie while he and Taggart are pinned down at Victor's mansion.  Name it.

37)   Where on his body does Victor shoot Axel?

38)   Of those that we see, how many of Victor's henchman/employees survive to the end of the movie?  (Not counting art gallery employees like Jenny and Serge.)  

39)   How many kilos of cocaine were found at Victor's warehouse?

40)   How much does it cost to buy one of the hotel's bathrobes?

41)   How many did Axel say he'd already stolen?

42)   Serge has trouble pronouncing Axel's name.  What three wrong approximations does he use, before giving up?

43)   How many people do Axel, Taggart, Rosewood, and Bogomil all shoot in the movie?

44)   Does packing coffee grounds around drugs really prevent dogs from smelling them?

45)   Axel tastes the powdered drug at Victor's warehouse and announces that it's cocaine.  How does he know how to determine this by taste?

46)   Director Martin Brest plays a small role in the movie.  Name it.

47)   What bar do Axel and Mikey go to?

48)   A famous actor was originally slated to play Axel in this movie, and he rewrote the script to make it more action-oriented.  After Eddie Murphy became available, this other actor gracefully bowed out, on the condition that he could take his reworked script and make a different movie from it.  Name the actor, and the eventual other movie.

49)   Can you really disable a car by sticking a couple of bananas in the tailpipe?

50)   Early in the movie, back in Detroit, why didn't Zach and Casey shoot Axel as well as Mikey?

Answers:

1)    Lucky Strikes.  There are also Pall Mall boxes seen in the truck, but he doesn't mention these.

2)    $5,000, and about $2,000.

3)    King sized Kents.

4)    From police evidence--they were part of the recent Dearborn hijacking.

5)    2 years.

6)    Hollis Benton.

7)   A Cadillac.

8)    Rand.

9)    Mumford Phys. Ed. Dept.  This is a real Detroit school.

10)   The Beverly Palm Hotel.  (It's really the Biltmore, and it's in downtown Los Angeles.)

11)   $235.  Which doesn't seem that expensive at all.  I know, it was 40 years ago, and there's been inflation, but still.

12)   1035.

13)   Wine, a cocktail, or an espresso with lemon.

14)   $130,000.  Okay, this price still seems ridiculously expensive.

15)   It's a blue Chevy Nova, and not a particularly well-maintained one.

16)   A bay shrimp salad sandwich, a cold poached salmon in dill sauce, and "something for dessert."

17)   Damon Wayans.

18)   $12.95.

19)   3.

20)   9994 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA.

21)   Rafferty.

22)   5 pounds.  (This isn't true.  All food passes through your digestive system.  If not, it's a serious medical condition, and you won't be just walking around for years!)

23)   They're docked 2 days of pay.

24)   Scotch and soda.

25)   June.  Axel says this while figuring out the attempted strip club robbery.

26)   Foster and McCabe.

27)   The Harrow Club.

28)   Ramon.

29)   2 counts of disturbing the peace.  The possession of a concealed weapon charge was dropped when they found out he was a cop.

30)   They grew up in the same neighborhood.  Presumably in Detroit.

31)   Artfolio.

32)   DD-6.

33)   DD-13.

34)   609 Palm Canyon Road.  (It's really a private residence at 609 E. Channel Road.)

35)   998.  If you're curious, different jurisdictions have different codes.

36)   "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969).

37)   His upper right arm.

38)   Assuming all the guys who were shot died, only 6 remained.  2 were only knocked out at the warehouse, there were 2 security men who unsuccessfully tried to flee in the van, and 2 guys outside with guns surrendered as well.

39)   80.

40)   $95.

41)   3.

42)   Achmed, Achmel, Achwel.

43)  Axel shoots 4--2 unidentified gunman outside of the mansion, Zach, and then Victor.  Taggart isn't seen hitting anyone.  Billy Rosewood shoots 2--one guy (Casey) in the warehouse, and one more outside at the mansion.  Bogomil shoots (and kills) Victor along with Axel.

44)   From what I read, this wouldn't work, as drug sniffing dogs' sense of smell is excellent.

45)   He wouldn't--this is nonsense.  And is a cliche in a lot of television shows and movies.  Only a lab test could determine what a substance is for sure.  Also, you probably don't want your officers ingesting dangerous and illegal drugs, especially while working, of course!

46)   He's the hotel checkout clerk at the very end of the movie.

47)   Harvelle's.  Which is a real bar in Santa Monica, CA.  (Not Detroit!)

48)   Sylvester Stallone, and "Cobra," (1986).  The poster for Cobra, and its co-star Brigitte Nielsen, both can be seen in "Beverly Hills Cop 2" (1987).

49)   Sadly, no.  "Mythbusters" tested this, and I also watched a couple of other videos with people trying this.  The bananas are ejected from the tailpipe when the engine starts.   

50)  Obviously the real answer is, "so the movie could happen."  But it doesn't make much sense, when you think about it.  Zach and Casey clearly weren't worried about the noise of the gunshots--another 1 or 2 wouldn't make much difference.  And murdering 2 people instead of "just" 1 wouldn't make much difference in their punishment if they were caught.  Why leave a potential witness alive?  Especially if they knew he was a cop, as they might have.

  

 

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Australian Seeded Crisps

      This product caught my eye a few months ago because of its name, which was "seeded crisps."  Especially after I looked more closely at the box and saw that the crisps were made in Australia.  Obviously, as many (most?) folks know by now, "crisps" in the U.K. (and I think Australia, since it's a former British colony *), usually refer to thin cut, dry and crunchy fried bits of potato.  Or what we call "potato chips" or just "chips" for short in the U.S.  Anyway, to add to the confusion, the product I'm talking about appeared to be different from the traditional English-type crisps.  These seeded crisps were from the Olina's Bakehouse line, and I tried their cranberry & pumpkin seed kind and their cashew and rosemary ones.

     It took a little online digging to find out even the basics of the Olina's Bakehouse history, as the official company website was rather lacking in this regard.  However, it seems that back in 2010 a man named Todd Wilson and several unidentified friends started a food company, which I believe was then called Gourmet Food Holdings.  Their seafood brand, Ocean Blue, did well, and so the company expanded.  In 2015 Gourmet started making baked goods, such as crackers and crisps, under the brand names OB and Olina's Bakehouse.  At some unmentioned point Ocean Blue was evidently sold off to another business, as it's not listed as being part of the Gourmet Food Holdings holdings, if you will.  (The Ocean Blue brand still appears to be active, though.)  Aside from the two lines I listed, Gourmet also has Crispbic (crisps and crispbreads), and Gullon (biscuits, i.e., cookies).  Moving on, in March of 2021 Gourmet Food Holdings was purchased by the mammoth Mondelez company.  Other than these few details I didn't learn much.  Gourmet's wares are sold throughout Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Europe, and the U.S.  The company reportedly employs between 201-500 people, and has an annual revenue of 9.8 million (presumably in Australian dollars, since it's based in that country.  The main company headquarters are in Dandenong South, which is an industrial suburb of Melbourne.  All of their products are free of GMOs.  One business website I consulted listed a Brian Chua as another Chief Executive Officer, so maybe he was one of Todd Wilson's pioneering friends in 2010.  Finally, I don't know who "Olina" is.  Maybe Todd Wilson's wife, or mom?  There's not a photo of her on the box, or even a cartoon logo or anything.  It's a mystery.

Olina's Bakehouse seeded crisps, cranberry & pumpkin seed:  These had a roughly circular shape, about 5.5 cm. (about 2.25 inches), in diameter.  Brown in color, with visible pumpkin seeds.  Dense, dry, and crunchy.  Pretty good, though.  I could definitely taste the pumpkin seeds especially.  They were good both plain, and with hummus on them.

Olina's Bakehouse seeded crisps, cashew & rosemary:  Same size, shape, and color as the previous.  Visible seeds, too.  Also were dry, crunchy, and dense.  Had a slightly sweetish taste as well.  They were tasty plain, or with hummus on them.

     So, in conclusion, I would recommend both of these, and would buy them again, and try other kinds.  A solid snack.

     I was curious, so I looked up the name "Olina."  There are a few explanations about what people came up with the name.  For one, it's a girl's name in Hawaii, which means, "joy."  (There's a famous Hawaiian resort named Ko Olina, which may be related.)  Olina is also a name of a village in Italy.  And some think it's derived from the Old Norse name Olaf.  Plus, according to what I read, The Norse variant has the weirdest, most obvious meaning of any name I've heard of.  It supposedly means "ancestor's descendant."  Really.  When you think about it, isn't literally everyone their ancestor's descendant, by definition?  Wacky.

   *  I did a little checking, and it's apparently even more convoluted than I imagined.  Instead of calling American-style French fries "chips," as they do in England and Ireland, and potato chips "crisps," reportedly most Australians call French fries "hot chips," and potato chips "crisps."  All meaning that when English, Australian, and American tourists want to eat freshly cooked, thick cut, soft-textured fried pieces of potato in each others' nations, they're bound to be disappointed due to cultural linguistic differences.  Part of me wants to blame this all on some ancient, and rather silly yet still annoying, food conspiracy.

MLB Umpires Who Were Also MLB Players

      Recently, reviled Major League Baseball umpire Angel Hernandez retired, which caused many/most fans to celebrate gleefully.  Including myself--he was terrible.  But, this incident caused me to think a little about umpires.  The stereotypical umpire is often old, and obviously out of shape.  (There are exceptions, of course, but the rotund ones are often the most famous, or infamous.)  Anyway, it was much more common in baseball's earlier days, but there were quite a few guys who played major league baseball, and then later umpired.  So I thought I'd take a look at these men.  In general, most player/umps were in one of two camps--they were either good or great players who then umpired briefly, or fringe players with brief careers that then umpired for decades.  And some had long careers in both, or neither.  A few players, notably Hughie Jennings, Willie Keeler, and King Kelly (and maybe Chuck Klein?) umpired a handful of games as a substitute when an umpire got hurt or sick during a game.  I'm not counting them, since they weren't official, full time umpires.  For the playing statistics, the slash--.200/.300/.400 is batting average/on base percentage/slugging average.  For OPS adjusted, 100 is average.  For pitchers, the average for ERA adjusted is also 100, so below is bad, and above is good.  Finally, I'm also including the statistic WAR (wins above replacement).

Guys with long playing careers and brief umpiring careers:

1)    William "Kitty" Bransfield.  Kitty was a first baseman who played in 1898, and 1901-11, with several teams, including the Chicago Cubs, Boston Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, etc.  In 1330 games he slashed .270/.304/.353, for an adjusted OPS of 98, and a WAR of 10.2.  He was a National League ump in 1917 only.

2)    Bob Caruthers.  Caruthers was an outfielder/pitcher from 1884-1893 with the St. Louis Browns (American Association), Brooklyn Superbas (later the Dodgers), and St. Louis Cardinals.  His lifetime won-loss record was 218-99, his ERA was 2.83, and his adjusted ERA was 122.  At the plate he slashed .282/.391/.400 for an adjusted OPS of 134.  His lifetime WAR was 59.5.  He was an American League ump from 1902-03.

3)    Thomas Corcoran.  Thomas was a shortstop/second baseman from 1890-1907 with Brooklyn and Cincinnati in the National League.  He slashed .256/.290/.335, for an adjusted OPS of 74 and a WAR of 20.2.  He was an umpire for the brief Federal League in 1915 only.

4)    Montford Cross.  Cross was a shortstop with the Philadelphia Phillies and Athletics, and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1892,  and from 1894-1907.  He slashed .234/.316/.313 for an adjusted OPS of 80, and a WAR of 16.7.  He was a umpire in the Federal League in 1914.

5)    John Doyle.  Doyle was a first baseman/catcher/outfielder from 1889-1905, with the New York Giants, Brooklyn Superbas, Philadelphia Philllies,etc.  He slashed .299/.351/.385, with an adjusted OPS of 105 and a WAR of 25.9.  He was a National League ump in 1911.

6)    J. Francis "Frank" Dwyer.  Dwyer was a pitcher/right fielder with the Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, etc. from 1888-1899.  His won-loss record was 177-151, and his ERA was 3.84 (114 adjusted).  He slashed .229/.273/.297, for an adjusted OPS of 52.  His lifetime WAR was 41.1.  He umped in the National League in 1901, and in the American League in 1904.

7)    Walter " Butch" Henline.  Henline was a catcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, Brooklyn Dodgers, and Chicago White Sox from 1921-31.  He slashed .291/.361/.414, with an adjusted OPS of 97, and a lifetime WAR of 7.7.  He was a National League umpire from 1945-48.  He lost his job for frequenting bars allegedly popular with bookmakers.

8)    Harry Howell.  Howell was a pitcher/outfielder/third baseman from 1898-1910 with the Baltimore Orioles and Brooklyn Superbas.  His lifetime won-loss record was 131-146, with and ERA of 2.74 (108 adjusted).  He slashed .217/.257/.319, for an adjusted OPS of 69.  His career WAR was 34.2.  He was a Federal League ump in 1915.

9)    Arthur Irwin.  Irwin was a shortstop/third baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies and Providence Grays from 1880-1894.  He slashed .241/.299/.305 (81 adjusted), for a career WAR of 15.2.  He umped in the National League in 1902.

10)   Sherwood Magee.  Magee was an outfielder/first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, and Boston Red Sox from 1904-19.  He slashed .291/.364/.427 for an adjusted OPS of 137, and a WAR of 59.4.  (He also won a batting title and a World Series.)  He was an ump in 1928, before dying tragically young.

11)   Frederick "Firpo" Marberry.  Marberry pitched for the Washington Senators, Detroit Tigers, and New York Giants from 1923-36.  His lifetime won-loss record was 148-88, and his ERA was 3.63 (116 adjusted).  He accumulated 30.7 WAR.  He umped briefly, in the American League in 1935.

12)  Al Orth.  Orth was a pitcher/outfielder from 1885-1909 with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Yankees, and Washington Senators.  His won-loss record was 204-189, and his ERA was 3.37 (100 adjusted).  At the plate he slashed .273/.298/.366 (92 OPS adjusted), and his career WAR was 51.3.  He was an umpire in the National League from 1912-17.

13)   George Pipgras.  Pipgras pitched for the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox from 1923-35.  His won-loss record was 102-73, and his ERA was 4.09 (99 adjusted).  His lifetime WAR was 10.8.  He umpired in the American League from 1939-45.

14)   James Scott.  Scott pitched for the Chicago White Sox from 1909-17, finishing with a won-loss record of 107-114, and an ERA of 2.30 (121 adjusted).  His career WAR was 25.4.  He was an umpire in the National League from 1930-31.

15)   Tim Keefe.  Keefe pitched from 1880-1893 with the New York Giants, Troy Trojans, Philadelphia Phillies, etc.  His lifetime won-loss record was 342-225, and his career ERA was 2.63 (126 adjusted).  His WAR was 86.9, and not surprisingly, he's in the Hall of Fame.  He umped in the National League from 1894-96.

16)   William "Spike" Shannon.  Shannon was an outfielder with the New York Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, and Pittsburgh Pirates from 1904-08.  He slashed .259/.337/.293 for an adjusted OPS of 96, and a WAR of 5.5.  He umpired in the Federal League from 1914-15.

17)   Bobby Wallace.  Wallace was a shortstop/third baseman/pitcher for the St. Louis Browns, St. Louis Cardinals, and Cleveland Spiders from 1894-1918.  He slashed .268/.332/.358, for an adjusted OPS of 105.  On the mound he had a won-loss record of 24-22, with a 3.87 ERA (125 adjusted).  His lifetime WAR was 76.9, and he's in the Hall of Fame.  He was an American League umpire for 1915 only.

18)   Edward Walsh.  Walsh pitched for the Chicago White Sox and Boston Braves from 1904-17.  His lifetime won-loss record was 195-126, and his lifetime ERA was 1.82 (146 adjusted).  If you're thinking, wow, that's a great ERA, you're right--it's the lowest ERA for qualifiers ever.  Walsh had a WAR of 66.5, and obviously is a Hall of Famer.  He umped in the American League in 1922.

19)   Lonnie Warneke.  Lonnie pitched with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals from 1930-43, and 1945.  His lifetime record was 192-121, with a 3.18 ERA (119 adjusted).  His career WAR was 45.8.  He was a National League umpire from 1949-55.

     Guys with brief playing careers and long umpiring careers:

1)    George Hildebrand.  George played outfield in only 11 games for the Brooklyn Superbas in 1902.  His lifetime slash was .220/.289/.244, for an adjusted OPS of 65, and a WAR of 0.2.  He then umpired in the American League from 1913-34.

2)    Bill Kunkel:  Kunkel pitched for the Kansas City A's and New York Yankees from 1961-63, finishing with a record of 6-6, and an ERA of 4.29 (93 adjusted).  His WAR was 0.3.  He was an umpire in the National League from 1968-94.

3)    Charles Moran.    Moran was a catcher/pitcher/shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1903 and 1908.  In only 25 total games he slashed .221/.221/.286 for an adjusted OPS of 61.  On the mound he had an 0-1 record, and a 5.25 ERA (63 adjusted).  His career WAR was -1.1.  He then umpired in the National League from 1918-39.

4)    Hank O'Day.  O'Day pitched and played outfield for the Washington Nationals, New York Giants, etc., from 1884-90.  He finished with a won-loss record of 73-110, and a 3.74 ERA (97 adjusted).  His career WAR was 6.3.  He then umpired in the National League in 1895, 1897-1911, 1913, and 1915-1927.  He's one of only 10 men to be named to the Hall of Fame as an umpire (see list below).

5)    Ralph "Babe" Pinelli.  Babe played third base and shortstop with the Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago White Sox  in 1918, 1920, and 1922-27, finishing with a slash of .276/.328/.346 (79 adjusted).  His career WAR was 6.0.  Babe was better known as a National League ump from 1935-56.

6)    Frank Secory.  Frank was a pinch hitter and outfielder in 1940, 1942, and 1944-46 with the Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, and Cincinnati Reds.  He slashed .228/.302/.389, for an adjusted OPS of 94, and a WAR of 0.2.  He umpired in the National League from 1952-70.

7)    William "Ken" Burkhart.  Ken pitched from 1945-49 with the St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds, finishing with a record of 27-20, and an ERA of 3.84 (100 adjusted, or exactly average).  His career WAR was 6.8.  Ken was then a National League umpire from 1957-73.

8)    John "Jocko" Conlan.  Jocko was an outfielder and pinch hitter for the Chicago White Sox from 1934-35.  Lifetime he slashed .263/.328/.334 (70 adjusted), with a WAR of -0.6.  He was much better known as a National League umpire, serving from 1941-64, and being named to the Hall of Fame.

9)    Jack Egan.  Egan pitched in 1 total game with the 1894 Washington Senators (NL).  His 5 innings produced an ERA of 10.80 (52 adjusted), and a WAR of -0.1.  Next, he was a National League umpire in 1903, and an American League one from 1907-14.

10)   Bob Emslie.  Emslie played as a pitcher/outfielder from 1883-85 with the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia A's (AA).  His won-loss record was 44-44, and his ERA  was 3.19 (107 adjusted).  He slashed .186/.204/.242 (42 adjusted).  His career WAR was 5.6.  Much more accomplished as an umpire, he served in the National League from 1891-1924.

11)   Thomas Gorman.  Gorman pitched very briefly for the 1936 New York Giants, accumulating a 0-0 won loss record, a 7.20 ERA (59 adjusted), and a WAR of -0.1.  He umped in the National League from 1951-76.

12)   Vincent Smith.  Smith caught for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1941 and 1946, accumulating a slash of .259/.286/.278 (59 adjusted OPS), and a WAR of -0.4.  He then umpired in the National League from 1957-65.

     The next four men had both brief, undistinguished playing careers, and brief, undistinguished umpiring careers:

1)    James "Harry" Colliflower.  Harry played only 1 year, with the 1899 Cleveland Spiders of the National League.  Who, were infamously the worst pro baseball ever, with a won-loss record of 20-134!  (Or way worse than the 1962 Mets, and all the other legendary terrible teams.)  Anyway, Harry pitched, and also played outfield and first base.  He slashed .303/.321/.355 (94 adjusted OPS), and went 1-11 as a pitcher, with an ERA of 8.17 (45 adjusted).  His WAR was an abysmal -2.6.  He then umpired in the American League in 1910 only.

2)    Charles Ferguson.  Charles pitched very briefly, 1 game, for the 1901 Chicago Orphans (later the Cubs).  In 2 innings pitched his WHIP was 1.5, but his ERA was 0.00 (so no adjusted ERA).  His WAR was 0.1.  He then umpired briefly in the American League, in 1913-14.

3)    William Friel.  Friel played second base/third base/outfield for the St. Louis Browns, and the American League's Milwaukee Brewers from 1901-03.  His career slash was .245/.292/331 (80 adjusted OPS), and a lifetime WAR of 0.3.  Later he umpired in the American League, in 1920 only.

4)    Howard "Ducky" Holmes.  Ducky caught for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1906.  In only 9 games, he slashed .185/.267/.185 (adjusted OPS of 44).   His career WAR was 0.0.  Ducky later umpired in the National League in 1921, and the American League from 1923-24.

     Finally, let's list the five guys who had decently long playing careers, and decently long umpiring careers.

1)    William "Barry" McCormick.  Barry was a third baseman/second baseman/shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns, and Washington Senators from 1895-1904.  He slashed .238/.297/.303 (71 adjusted OPS), and finished with a WAR of 3.0.  He umpired in the Federal League from 1914-15, the American League in 1917, and then the National League from 1919-1929.

2)    George Moriarty.  George was a third baseman/first baseman/outfielder in 1903-04, and 1906-16 with the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, etc.  He slashed .251/.303/.312 (84 adjusted OPS), and had a career WAR of 14.1.  Then he umpired in the American League from 1917-27, and 1929-40.

3)    Edwin Rommel.  Rommel pitched for the Philadelphia A's from 1920-32, finishing with a won-loss record of 171-119, and a 3.54 ERA (121 adjusted).  His lifetime WAR was 49.7.  As an umpire in the American League, he served from 1938-59.

4)    Bill Dineen.  Bill pitched from 1898-1908 with the Washington Senators, Boston Braves, Boston Americans (later Red Sox), etc.  His lifetime won-loss record was 170-177, and his ERA was 3.08 (107 adjusted).  His career WAR was 39.4.  He was an American League ump from 1909-37.

5)    Charles Berry.  I'll end with the most interesting story.  Berry played catcher for the Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia A's in 1925, 1928-36, and 1938.  He slashed .267/.322/.374 (adjusted OPS of 84), and had a career WAR of 5.9.  He then umpired in the American League from 1942-62.  But we're not done.  He also both played in the NFL, and was an official for the NFL.  In 1925-26 he played left end for the Pottsville Maroons.  Statistics from this time are limited, but we know he started 16 of 20 total games, and scored 6 receiving touchdowns, had 1 fumble return touchdown, and returned 2 blocked punts for touchdowns.  He was named first team All Pro both years.  From 1941-64 he was a head linesman in the NFL.

  

     Finally, I'll end with a list of the 10 umpires who have been named to the Hall of Fame.

1)    Tommy Connolly, National umpire from 1898-1900, and in the American League from 1901-31.

2)    Bill Klem, National League umpire from 1905-41.

3)    Billy Evans, American League umpire from 1906-27.

4)    Jocko Conlan (see above), National League umpire from 1941-64.

5)    Cal Hubbard, American League umpire from 1936-51.  Also an NFL Hall of Famer (player).

6)    Al Barlick, National League umpire from 1940-43, 1946-55, and 1958-71.

7)    Bill McGowan, American League umpire from 1925-54.

8)    Nestor Chylak, American League umpire from 1954-78.

9)    Doug Harvey, National League umpire from 1962-92.

10)   Hank O'Day (see above). National League umpire from 1895, 1897-1911, 1913, 1915-27.

 

 

    

Exotic/Disgusting Foods and Beverages Forum--Pre and Probiotic Soft Drinks

      Several weeks ago, I was browsing the shelves at the alternate Shop-Rite when something caught my eye.  Soft drinks which had either probiotics, or prebiotics in them.  This was all new to me, so I snapped up a few.  Specifically, the cranberry iced tea from Halfday, and two Culture Pop ones--the orange mango & lime kind, and the wild berries & lime one.

     Halfday's prebiotic offerings were inspired by an unfortunate incident when Kayvon Jahanbakhsh was 18 years old.  Due in part to overwork and stress, he was hospitalized for ulcerative colitis, which eventually caused him to lose 80 pounds (about 36.29 kilos).  Understandably, after this ordeal Kayvon was very focused on digestive health.  So, he and his close friend Mike Lombardo started to make soft drinks which had prebiotics in them.  If you're unaware (I was), prebiotics are essentially food for probiotics.  Probiotics are the beneficial, "good" bacteria which live in healthy people's digestive tracts, and help with their digestion and immune system health.  There are a few competing bits of information about Halfday's founding, though.  Some online sources peg this as being in 2017, under a different name--Topos Tea.  Others claim that it's 2021.  The headquarters of the company are debated as well.  The label on my can notes that it was made in Laurel Springs, NJ, and some sites have this as the company's headquarters, too.  But others say that it's Blackwood, NJ, and yet others claim that it's across the river in Philadelphia, PA.  Maybe the headquarters have moved around a little.  Wherever the headquarters are, and whenever the company actually began, alternate flavors of Halfday are raspberry iced tea, peach iced tea, lemon iced tea, and green tea.

     The origins of Culture Pop, which is a brand of GuTSY, Inc.  (no, that's not a typo--that's how they capitalize the letters in the name) are even murkier.  I had to consult alternate business websites to even learn who the founder is.  It's a man named Tom First, and the founding date appears to be 2020.  Although one website noted that First may have purchased Townshend's Tea in 2018, so maybe he renamed it, or at least utilized the existing drink manufacturing facility.  Also, Gutsy (with traditional capitalization) is unfortunately a rather common company or organization name.  It stands for the Guyanese United To Serve our Youth program, as well as being a computer security company.  So, short story even shorter, I can't say much about the brand or the company behind it, other than its base is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and its workforce is reportedly 11-50 people.  Alternate flavors of their sodas are ginger lemon, strawberry rhubarb, black cherry, watermelon & lime, and pink grapefruit.  Culture Pop's sodas contain probiotics, or the bacteria itself, and not the food for them like in the Halfday drinks.  If you were wondering, the bacteria put in their products is Bacillus Subtilis.

Halfday cranberry iced tea:  Had a reddish brown color.  It had some cranberry flavor, but was too "tea-y" for my taste.  (I don't like plain iced teas, just flavored ones.)  It tasted carbonated, with some white bubbles present.  So not as good as a regular flavored iced tea like Snapple.  Maybe if you like more tea-forward iced teas you'll like this better.  Not terrible, but not that good, either.

Culture Pop orange mango & lime soda:  Had a dull orange hue.  Smells fruity.  Taste is weird.  I detected a fruity, orange and mango taste, I guess, but it then had an unpleasant aftertaste.  Not very good at all.  Maybe it was all the probiotics?  (Just joking, I realize those don't affect the taste.)  But it was very disappointing.  I couldn't finish the 12 ounce (355 mL) can.

Culture Pop wild berries & lime flavor:  Had a light purple color, and a slight berry-ish odor.  I could detect a berryish tang, but the aftertaste ruined it once again.  Maybe it was the lime flavor?  Whatever it was, the effect was very unpleasant, almost metallic.  I found this to be very off-putting, and I would never willingly drink it again.  Not shockingly, I drain poured much of this.

     Therefore, I wasn't very impressed with these, especially the Culture Pop ones.  Personally I'd rather help my out my gut health by eating a tasty yogurt, or some sauerkraut, or a nice soft cheese, or a sour pickle, and washing it down with a beverage that I actually enjoy.  But others may disagree, as always.

Extremely Difficult Trivia About "The Road Warrior" (aka "Mad Max 2") (1981)

      Since "Furiosa" was just recently released, I thought I'd go ahead and do a trivia quiz about the 2nd film in the "Mad Max" universe, which in the U.S. is known as "The Road Warrior," and in much of the rest of the world is called "Mad Max 2."  This film bucked the usual trend, and is almost universally regarded as being better to the original (at least from what I've heard and read).  So let's get into it.  Same drill as always--questions first, followed by the answers, many SPOILERS ahead.  Also, the early reviews of "Furiosa" are looking stellar, so George Miller may have succeeded yet again.

Questions:

1)    How many vehicles are chasing Max in his opening scene?

2)    What message is painted on the wrecked semitruck/rig?

3)    Wez is accidently hit by a crossbow bolt.  On what part of his body?

4)    What song does the small windup metal music box play?

5)    As Max approaches the gyrocopter, we see a photo of a naked woman on the right rear panel.  Who is this woman?

6)    According to the Gyro Captain, how far away is the oil derrick/refinery compound?

7)    According to the Gyro Captain, how many days did he spend watching the compound?

8)    Again according to the Gyro Captain, about how many people are in the compound?

9)    What game does the Gyro Captain say he played up on the hill while he was observing the compound?

10)   What brand of canned dog food do Max, his dog, and the Gyro Captain eat?

11)    How many vehicles leave the compound to scout for a rig big enough to haul the tanker?

12)   Max rescues one of the wounded scouts, and brings them back to the compound to trade for gas.  What is this scout's name?

13)   What two colorful expressions does the Toadie use in introducing Lord Humungus?

14)   What is the deal that Max strikes with the compounders?

15)   According to Pappagallo, how many people did the compound lose that morning?

16)   What does Max need to take to retrieve the rig?

17)   While walking back to the gyrocopter, the Gyro Captain talks about the things he misses most from the old world.  Name them.

18)   According to the Mechanic, what are the problems with the rig?

19)   How long does the Mechanic say it'll take to fix these problems, and how long does he get?

20)   According to the Curmudgeon and Pappagallo, where are the compounders headed?

21)   According to the Curmudgeon, how far away is this location?

22)   After escaping the compound, its people are planning to meet up at a rendezvous point before moving on.  What is this meeting place, and how far away is it?

23)   What named member of Lord Humungus's gang is killed in the Interceptor's explosion?

24)   How many people make up the rig escape crew, and who are they?

25)   What company name is on the tanker?

26)   Who kills Pappagallo, and how?

27)   After the final crash of the rig and Lord Humungus's vehicle, how many gang vehicles are left?

28)   At the end we learn the Feral Kid grows up to be a leader of a group.  Name it.

29)   According to the credits, what is the name of Wez's companion?

30)   How do the Broken Victim and Defiant Victim (two of the captured compound scouts) die?

31)   Aside from the names listed in the credits, two more compounders are mentioned in the movie.  Name them.

32)   Was Lord Humungus a Neo-Nazi, or even an actual Nazi?  (Conjectural)

33)   Speaking of Lord Humungus, what kind of gun did he wield?

34)   Was Wez's companion on his cycle his gay lover?  (Conjectural)

35)   Why did Lord Humungus drive head-on into the rig?  Was this suicidal? (Conjectural)

36)   Was Lord Humungus's gang progressive about acceptance of homosexuals?  (Conjectural)

37)   Where does this movie take place?

38)   Could the Gyro Captain really train wild venomous snakes?  (Conjectural)

39)   If the compounders had just surrendered and left the compound, would Lord Humungus have kept his word and let them live?  (Conjectural)

Answers:

1)    3--2 four-wheeled vehicles, and 1 motorcycle, ridden by Wez and his companion.

2)    "The Vermin have inherited the Earth."  The "earth" is written on the shotgun side cab door.

3)   His right bicep.  It doesn't appear to faze him.

4)    "Happy birthday to you."  Max later gives this to the Feral Kid.

5)    It's Karen Price, Playboy's Playmate of the month for the January 1981 issue.  Price was a busy actress and stunt performer as well, appearing in such films as "Invasion USA" (1985), "Less Than Zero" (1987), "The Running Man" (1987), "Maniac Cop 3" (1992), and "Cyborg 2" (1993).

6)    20 miles away.  Weird that he doesn't use kilometers in Australia, but whatever.

7)    4 days.

8)    30.

9)    Mahjong.

10)   Dinki-Di.  Which is reportedly Australian slang for "genuine" or "real."

11)   4.

12)   Nathan.

13)   "The Warrior of the Wasteland," and "The Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rollah!"

14)   In exchange for bringing back a rig big enough to haul the tanker, he receives his car back, plus all the gas he can carry.

15)   8, or 2 per scout vehicle.

16)   5 gallons of diesel, and high octane gasoline.

17)   Clean women, nail polish, perfume, the smell of bicycle seats, cocktails, desserts, and lingerie.  (Presumably many of these being utilized by the clean women and not himself, but let's not kink shame.)

18)   It has a cracked timing case cover, has some broken teeth off the timing gear, the radiator is damaged at the core, it has a cracked water pump, and a fractured injector line.

19)   24 hours, but he agrees to do it in 12 hours.

20)   The Sunshine Coast.  Which is a real place, near the city of Brisbane.

21)   2000 miles.  Which appears to be incorrect, it's probably more like 1000.  See question #37.

22)   At a place with a bridge called Powder River, about 200 miles north of the compound.

23)   Toadie.

24)   ^ originally, with a 7th eventually joining.  Max is driving the rig, and the Mechanic, Warrior Woman, and Zetta are the armed guards on the tanker.  Pappagallo is driving another vehicle alongside, and the Gyro Captain is accompanying them in the air.  And of course the Feral Kid joins unexpectedly as well.  

25)   7 Sisters Petroleum.

26)   Lord Humungus throws one of this 3 pronged harpoons into Pappagallo's back, killing him, and causing him to crash.

27)   4--2 four-wheeled vehicles, and 2 motorcycles.  At least 5 guys, maybe 6.

28)   The Great Northern Tribe.

29)   The Golden Youth.

30)   They're crushed when Lord Humungus's vehicle hits the back to the tanker.

31)   Timbo and Derek.  If you're curious, the other named members are Pappagallo, Big Rebecca, the Warrior Woman, Zetta, the Captain's Girl, the Mechanic, the Mechanic's Assistant, the Curmudgeon, Nathan, Quiet Man, Broken Victim, and Defiant Victim.  Plus, eventually, for a time, Max, the Feral Kid, and the Gyro Captain.

32)   Possibly.  In his gun case we see what looks like a Prussian Totenkopf (Death's Head), which was a symbol for the Nazi SS.  We also see photos of someone in a British military uniform and an Australian military insignia.

33)   It's a Smith & Wesson Model 29, .44 Magnum.  Or the same gun that Clint Eastwood's "Dirty Harry" character famously used.

34)   Vernon Wells, who played Wez, claims that in an early version of the script it's explained that Wez rescued a boy and raised him as a son, not a lover.  But, this can't be corroborated by anyone else, such as George Miller, etc.  Personally, Wez doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would do that.  He's the opposite of a fatherly type--he's a raving hyperviolent lunatic even by the low standards of Humungus's group.  So I think it's much more likely that The Golden Youth is a sex slave.  Hopefully at least somewhat consensually.

35)   On IMDB there's a good explanation for this.  Recall that during the final chase, Lord Humungus dropped out of the chase briefly after the Gyro Captain firebombed him.  Then, unbeknownst to Lord H, up ahead Max turned the rig and tanker around, and started driving back toward Lord H..  Lord H, trying to catch up. used his nitrous boost, which made his vehicle go extremely fast, and hard to steer off a straight line.  There's also a bit of a hill between Max and Lord H right until the last moment.  So I don't think it was a suicidal charge, but just bad luck for Lord H.

36)   Possibly.  Wez appears to be openly gay, and is a top guy in the Humungus crew, maybe being the #2 man, even.  One of the other gang subgroups is named "The Gayboy Berzerkers," so maybe they are too?  But, this could have a dark side.  Maybe the Berzerkers (and Wez?) just like to rape both female and male victims, similar to some guys in prison.  It seems to fit in more in with the gang's otherwise generally psychotic and cruel behavior.

37)   Surprisingly this is well established.  The movie was shot in and around Broken Hill, New South Wales.  And the movie is set around there, too.  We see a sign for Mundi Mundi Lookout by the rig in the beginning, and this is a real place roughly near Broken Hill.  Max meets the Gyro Captain shortly after escaping Wez and company, and the compound is only 20 miles away from there.  Therefore, it takes place in the general area around Broken Hill.  And the Sunshine Coast is about 1000 miles away, from this area, not 2000.

38)   After some looking online, the consensus seems to be no.  Certain species are more friendly than others, and individuals raised by the Captain might be less aggressive than a wild counterpart.  But "training" the snakes seems pretty doubtful.  For the record, the snake we see Max grab early on isn't venomous--it's a carpet python, which is a species known for being fairly docile, and a good pet.

39)  Maybe I'm cynical, but I don't think there's a chance in Hell that he would have.  Even if he wanted to, I think that Lord Humungus would have lost the respect of his savage gang if he did.  So I think the compounders were wise not to trust Lord H. 

     Hope you enjoyed this.  And if you're wondering, I will be doing trivia quizzes about the 3rd and 4th Mad Max movies, too.  2024 will be a Mad Max kind of year.