Amarillo, Texas (population 190,695 (2010)) is the 14th most populous city in Texas, and the most populous city in Potter County, except that part of it is not.
Amarillo grew to prominence in the late 19th century because the desire for railroad lines to be straight-ish meant that they had to pass through it. The city is in the Llano Estacado region, which means Stacked Llano, to be distinguished from Galveston and its stacked guano. Llano is Spanish, as Amarillo is too. The city is named for the charming armored animal that scurries hither and yon, selling unauthorized knock-off T-shirts at flea markets and standing in Home Depot parking lots in case work occurs. (more...)
In the sport of baseball, a massive rulebook delivers the high level of boredom that fans and players expect. The principle underlying the Official Baseball Rules is that no one on the field should do anything until everyone is completely ready.
Fans used to say lovingly that "there are no clocks in baseball," especially fans who stopped punching theirs two decades ago, but now there are several. Having extended commercial breaks from 30 seconds to 3 minutes (6 minutes in the playoffs), Major League Baseball at the 2006 winter meetings set out to "speed up the game" with new demands on the players. The pitcher must now pitch promptly after receiving the ball, unless there are baserunners or other excuses to justify stalling. Prima donna players who bask in fan adulation for longer than the commercial break can be fined and psychoanalysed.
On a ball hit into the air, runners must return to their bases and wait for the ball to be caught. During this wait, one of very many in baseball, the runner can ask the opposing infielder for a loan, maybe ten or twenty bucks; you know, just enough to tide him over until payday; or for the loan of his comb, since running the bases does tend to make you look scruffy and this is hardly the image you want to present to the television audience. Once the ball is caught, the runner may be able to take the next base. (more...)
Featured today, a long long time ago
Did you know...
...that the man on the left is admiring the bare torso of the man on the right in a purely non-sexual manner? (pictured)
The Pontius Pilot is infamous for some functionality issues. One typical complaint is that the Microsoft Crucifixion program often crucified incorrect and important data, such as the Messiah. Thankfully for its users, the file would miraculously reappear two days later after descending to the Recycle Bin, not three as some mathematically illiterate biblical scholars would tell you.
