On 42

Saluting 42 means a celebration!

In Language

42 – forty-two, shi ni (Japanese), berrogeita bi (Basque), toogfyrre (Danish), corenta e dous (Galician), četrdesmit divi (Latvian), sorok dva (Ukrainian), XLII (Roman numerals)

In Mathematics

42 – an odd integer, perfect number, Catalan number, pronic number, abundant number, sphenic number, pseudoperfect number,alternating sign matrix number, and am open meandric number

42 – divisible by 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 21, 42

42 – the sum of the first 6 positive even numbers (2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 12)

In Science

42 – the atomic number of the element molybdenum (Mo), whose neutrally charged atom has 42 protons and 42 electrons

42 amu – the atomic mass of a naturally occurring stable isotope of calcium

42 degrees – the angle (rounded) a rainbow appears

42 – the normal number of chromosomes in each cell of wheat, rats, Rhesus Monkeys, wolverines, oats, fossas, and giant pandas

42 minutes – the theorized time it would take to fall through a vacuum tube from one side of Earth to the other through the center

42 – Determined by the Babylonians, the number of times Mars orbits the Sun in 79 years

M42 – a Messier object nebula in the constellation Orion

NGC 42 – New General Catalogue object, a spiral galaxy in the constellation Pegasus.

Kepler-42 – a red dwarf in the constellation Cygnus

42 Isis – a large main-belt asteroid

In Technology

42 – 00101010 (in binary code)

42 – an important number used by computer programmers

42 – the second 16-bit word in every TIFF file

42 – the root directory inode number in the reiser4 file system

42 days – the default password expiration policy for Microsoft Windows domains

ASCII code 42 – for the asterisk symbol, being a wildcard for everything.

ASCII “FORTYtwo” – identifies directory blocks.

In Religion

Interfaith graphic by Justice St. Rain (Bahá’í Community) of Interfaith Resources

Christianity

  • 42 generations (names) in the Gospel of Matthew’s version of the Genealogy of Jesus
  • 42 months the Beast will hold dominion over the Earth (Revelation 13:5);
  • 42 men of Beth-azmaveth were counted in the census of men of Israel upon return from exile
  • God sent bears to maul 42 of the teenage boys who mocked Elisha for his baldness (2 Kings 2:23)
  • The Gutenberg Bible is also known as the “42-line Bible” it contained 42 lines per page.
  • The Forty-Two Articles (1552), mainly by Thomas Cranmer, were intended to summarize Anglican doctrine

Others

  • “Forty-Two Lettered Name” given to God by Rab in 3rd-century Judaism
    The Sutra of 42 Sections – a Buddhist scripture
  • 42 – the number associated with God creating the Universe in Kabbalistic tradition

In Popular culture

T42 – the answer to the ultimate question of life in the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

People who died at age 42: Robert F Kennedy, Elvis Presley, Prince Albert, Queen Mary I, Gilda Radner, Gary Coleman, Ted Bundy

42 – a number Lewis Carroll frequently used in his writings

  • 42 illustrations Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
  • Rule Forty-two in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – “All persons more than a mile high to leave the court”
  • Rule 42 of the Code in the preface to The Hunting of the Snark:
  • “No one shall speak to the Man at the Helm”
  • “forty-two boxes, all carefully packed – The Hunting of the Snark”
  • 42 x 42 x 42 – the combined ages of the White Queen and Red Queen in Through the Looking Glass

In Music

Level 42 – an English pop/rock music band

42 – a song by Coldplay (2008) & Mumford and Sons (2018)

42nd Street – a Tony Award winning Broadway musical

In Television and Film

The Kumars at No. 42 – an awarding winner television series on British telly

“42” – an episode of Doctor Who, set in real time lasting approximately 42 minutes.

42 – the number of threads in Watson’s avatar (the IBM computer competed on Jeopardy!)

42 – a film on the life of American baseball player Jackie Robinson.

In Video games

42 Entertainment – a company creating reality games

Tokyo 42, Squadron 42 – video games

In Sports

From allfreevectors.com

42 – the now retired number of Jackie Robinson that MLB permanently retired

The last professional baseball player to wear 42 – Mariano Rivera (New York Yankees)

Retired Numbers in Professional Sports

  • MLB – Jackie Robinson (Dodgers), Mariano Rivera (Yankees), Bruce Sutter (Cardinals)
  • NBA – Nate Thurmond (Cavs, Warriors), James Worthy (Lakers), Connie Hawkins (Suns)
  • NFL – Sid Luckman (Bears), Charlie Conerly (Giants), Ronnie Lott (49ers)
  • NHL – none

42 – the number of laws in cricket

Rule 42 – the historic name of a Gaelic Athletic Association rule prohibiting the playing of “foreign sports”

Super Bowl LXII – Giants defeat the Patriots (17-14) in Glendale, Arizona

In Culture

42 – an unlucky number In Japanese culture because shi ni (four two)—sound like the word “dying”

42 questions – In Egyptian mythology, the questions asked of persons making their journey through Death

42 in Chinese reads sì èr, which is very close to shì a that means ‘yes’ – so some Chinese text 42 for ‘yes’.

In US History

42nd state – Washington (1889)

42nd President – Bill Clinton (elected 1992)

42nd Congress – Served 1871-1873 during the third and fourth year of Ulysses Grant presidency

Miscellaneous

42 – the historic country calling code for the former country of Czechoslovakia.

42 – number of US gallons in a barrel of oil

Tower 42 – a skyscraper in London that used called the NatWest Tower

42nd Street – New York City location for the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal, the main branch of the New York Public Library, Times Square, the UN Headquarters, some Broadway theaters, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal

Forty-Two Gang – A Chicago teen street gang since Prohibition

42 Center of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence, based in Vienna, Austria

42 – the name of the private computer science school located in Paris, France and Fremont, California

42 – the number of elevators in Rockefeller Center (New York City)

42 – the number of years of our 42nd wedding anniversary, which we celebrated during the recent blog break on a cruise ship with a sea day (2 April 2019).

Top Songs on Our Wedding Day (2 April 1977)

On 90

In Language – 90 is ninety, nëntëdhjetë (Albanian), noranta (Catalan), novanta (Italian), devetdeset (Slovenian), naw deg (Welsh), and XC (Roman numerals)

In Mathematics

90 – divisible by 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, 18, 30, 45, 90

90 – a natural number, unitary perfect number, a semiperfect number, a pronic number, a nontotient number, a Perrin number, a Harshad number, and a palindromic number and a repdigit in bases 14, 17, 29, and 44

90 – the number of degrees in a right angle

In Science

90 – the atomic number of thorium (Th), whose neutrally charged atom contains 90 protons and 90 electrons

90 – the number of chromosomes in cells of moonworts, African hedgehog, Grape fern, and Sweet potato

In Sports

Nike Total 90 Apparel – a brand name of football apparel and equipment

90 feet – the distance between bases on a Major League Baseball diamond (27 m)

90 – the car number most associated with former NASCAR team owner Junie Donlavey

90 – the number of minutes in a football (soccer) match

90 Retired sports numbers: only NFL: Dennis Byrd (NY Jets)

In Geography

Photo from pexels.com

90 – the latitude in degrees of the North and the South geographical poles

90th Meridian West crosses land in Canada, United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador

90th Meridian East crosses land in Russia, Mongolia, China, Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh

I-90 – the longest interstate highway in the US system (3,020.54 miles/4,861.09 km) connecting Seattle and Boston

90 – national highways in Canada, Israel, New Zealand, and the United States

In Entertainment

Joe 90 – a sci-fi series on British television (1968-1969)

90th Academy Awards (2017) with Shape of Water winning 4 Oscars

Image from vector-images.com

In Music

Route 90 (Johnny Winter)

The Ninety and Nine (Tennessee Ernie Ford)

‘90s is not 90

In Literature

The First 90 Days (Michael Watkins)

90 Minutes in Heaven (Don Piper and Cecil Murphey)

90 Miles to Havana (Enrique Flores-Galbis)

Ninety Percent Mental: An All-Star Player Turned Mental Skills Coach Reveals the Hidden Game of Baseball (Bob Tewksbury and Scott Miller)

Ninety Degrees North: The Quest for the North Pole (Fergus Fleming)

In Business

90 Minute IPA (an ale brewed by Dogfish Head Brewery)

90+ Cellars (an online wine retailer)

In History

Year 90 CE

  • A common year starting on a Friday
  • Assyrian calendar year 4850, Discordian calendar year, 1256, Holocene calendar year 10090
  • Cologne becomes the capital of Germania Inferior
  • Young Flavian Woman sculpture made (now kept at Musei Capitolini, Rome)
  • Drafting of the Gospel of John and the Acts of the Apostles
  • Born – Ptolemy, Greek mathematician, geographer, astronomer, and astrologer (d. c. 168)

Year 90 BC

  • Ab urbe condita calendar year 664, Korean calendar year 2244, Holocene calendar year 9911, Berber calendar year 861
  • Rome grants the Etruscans Roman citizenship
  • Cicero starts to serve in the Roman army

Miscellaneous

90 – the calling code for international direct-dial phone calls to Turkey

Change 90 – a right-wing political party in Peru

90 proof – the measure of alcohol in Maker’s Mark Bourbon

GE 90 – a family of jet engines built by GE Aviation in Cincinnati

TAZ 90 – the camouflage pattern used as on the battle dress of the Swiss Armed Forces

90 – how old my mother would be if still living today (she died in 1984). Her birthday was a month ago (23rd Sept), and the day our Eastern Europe tour started.

This song does not have any version of ninety in the title, but my mother would have loved this singer and his son. Thinking of her when I first watched this video caused a few tears.

On the Nightmarish Debacle

Embed from Getty Images

That’s the view of Cincinnati as one approaches from the Kentucky side of the river on I-75. Paul Brown Stadium is on the left – home of the Cincinnati Bengals.

I didn’t plan this post, but events in recent days motivated this post. Some are curious on my take of the craziness that was the Bengals-Steelers game at the stadium this past weekend. After all, some readers told me they thought of me during and after the game. So, pardon me as I stray from my normal routine in order to get things off my chest. My audience isn’t sports-based, but they know I enjoy sports.

It’s been interesting to read and hear the trashing aimed at the team, it’s coaches and players, the city, and the fans. I try to go beyond the surface where most of the comments reside. Most of the national press doesn’t tell the reaction here … the reaction by the fans, players, coaches, and writers. Actually, the news here has been much deeper and profound than most of the commentaries from anywhere else … and certainly including the Pittsburgh paper that I’ve purposefully read.

To loyal fans, this loss not only hurt, it left us frustrated and embarrassed. After all, we’ve been waiting for the next playoff win since 1991. Bottom line – the Bengals lost, and the Steelers won. Since the game ended, the city, the fans, the coaches, the players, the organization, those attending the game, and anyone I’ve left out has been battered and bruised by many … as if losing wasn’t enough.  So here’s a Cincinnati perspective – a reasonable one – an honest one – and one not filled with fan bias.

Two Bengal players lost their composure. They let their emotions overcome professionalism. No excuses because one must take responsibility for their own actions. Take the Bengal who fumbled late in the game. He’s feels the weight of all the subsequent events on his shoulders – yet accepts the blame.

A Bengal player who made the flagrant hit on a Steelers receiver near the end of the game. Unnecessary and horrific! The NFL suspended him for three games – but for this fan, that is not enough.

Referees are responsible for controlling the game, enforcing the rules, and protecting the players. The referees tried to control the game, but they let get away from them by the judgmental decisions they make. There were two clear instances of Bengals being targeted with helmet-to-helmet, but neither called. Helmet-to-helmet contact is in the rules, but like any rule, enforcement is left to the judgment of the enforcer. These misgivings by the referees increased tensions, not defusing them.

Are coaches responsible for the actions of their players? Absolutely, but not totally. Coaches don’t run, pass, catch, or tackle. They don’t interfere, jump off-sides, or fumble. They try to teach players the right way. It’s important they create the balance for a competitive environment. In the end, it’s on the players to execute their tasks and be responsible for their behavior. Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis is a respectful coach, and he certainly isn’t about disrespectful and irresponsible behavior. I wonder if those head coaches even exist.

A certain Steelers assistant coach frequently harasses opposing players … and on the crazy play in the final 30 seconds, he was on the field around Bengals players (yes, a clear violation of Rule 13, Section 1, Article 8). For whatever reason, no penalty was called (another referee judgment that would have offset the second Bengal penalty during the incident.). Keep in mind that when this coach was a player, referees threw him out of a game before it even started.

The NFL has created a macho-fan culture that leads to disrespect, harassment, and even violence. It’s not just in Cincinnati, it’s league wide. Finding fan-on-fan incidents is easy, let alone the throwing of batteries, beer bottles, snowballs, and whatever is available – and let’s not forget verbal abuse. The NFL, in their ever-pursuit of maximizing revenue, scheduled a playoff game between two bitter rivals on a Saturday night – thus creating an opportunity for an all-day tailgating experience. Not a good idea.

The majority of the players on both teams are good people, thus are not representative by the stupid. Anyone thinking that the Bengals organization is a house for thugs is extremely misinformed. Outside of the game, more players make the news because of bad off-the-field behavior than good – but those players are a small percentage of the whole – and this is true in all NFL cities – so is the fact that the good guys get involved in the community. After their playing careers are over, many stay in that city and remain good examples. Others return to their hometowns to build a successful life.

The majority of the fans in the stands are good people, not represented by the people jeering or throwing objects at an injured player. Sports fans can be terrible, and anyone thinking that bad fan behavior in the NFL is limited to Cincinnati is either naive or misinformed. As do the majority of fans across the nation, Cincinnatians condemn the behaviors of the few.

In the end, I think about these what-ifs. What if the Steelers  assistant coach would have been penalized, and the Steelers lost the game?

  • Would there be talk about the Steelers head coach who couldn’t control two assistants who received misconduct penalties?
  • Would anyone be talking about the two Steelers players who danced on the field while a Bengal player lay motionless on the ground?
  • Would anyone be talking about the Steelers hits to the head if they were called?

I think not … but as I said to others starting the day after the game, there is a lot of blame to go around on this one – and they all should not be pointed to Cincinnati. Interestingly, Cincinnati has owned up to their role – something that none of the other parties have done – not the NFL, not the referees, and not the Pittsburgh coaches, players, or organization.

On 36

cooltext36The following past post marked the occasion of our 36th wedding anniversary. Given that I also enjoy saluting numbers, here’s my toast to 36.

In Mathematics

  • Divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, 36
  • Is a perfect square (of ±6), a triangular number, a square triangular number, a 13-gonal number, a highly composite number, a semiperfect number, a Harshad number, an Erdős–Woods number, the sum of a twin price, and the sum of 1-cubed + 2-cubed + 3-cubed
  • The degrees of the interior angle of a regular pentagram
  • The number of possible outcomes when rolling two dice
  • Number of sides on the truncated cube and the truncated octahedron
  • 36 squared is 1296
  • The sum of integers 1 to 36 = 666

In Chemistry
Atomic number of Krypton, whose neutrally charged atom has 36 protons and 36 electrons

In Space

  • Messier object M36 is in the constellation Auriga
  • New General Catalogue (NGC) object 36 is a spiral galaxy in the constellation Pisces
  • 36 Cancri is an A-class star in the constellation Cancer.
  • Discoverer 36, also known as Corona 9029, was an American optical reconnaissance satellite launched in 1961\
  • Soyuz 36 spaceflight was in 1980
  • Expedition 36 to the International Space Station is scheduled to begin in May 2013

In Standards

  • In the US (and very few other countries) 36 inches = 1 yard
  • IBM System/36, a minicomputer
  • Refers to a 36 inches long pipe wrench
  • In the UK, a standard beer barrel is 36 UK gallons, about 163.7 liters
  • Many early computers featured a 36-bit word length
  • ASCII code for the symbol ‘$
  • The number of characters required to store the display name of a UUID or GUID (e.g., 00000000-0000-0000-C000-000000000046)
  • IBM System/36 (S36) was a minicomputer marketed from 1983-2000
  • 36-bit computer architecture
  • In temperatures, 36 C = 96.8 F, but 36 F = 2.2 C

In Music

  • 36 is a punk band
  • 36th Grammy Awards were in 1994 with Whitney Houston as the big winner
  • 36D is a song written by Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray and performed by The Beautiful South.
  • 6-C is an album by Fifth Column
  • Mozart wrote Symphony #36 in 1783
  • Berlin 36 is a 2009 German film about a Jewish athlete in the 1936 Olympics

In Art

  • 36 Views of Mount Fuji
  • 36 Views of the Eiffel Tower

In Literature

In Film

  • The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (1978) is a kung fu film
  • 36 is a movie (2010) directed by Martin Campbell
  • 36th Academy Awards held in 1964 with Best Picture nominations to Cleopatra, How the West Was Won, Lillies in the Field, America America, and Tom Jones (winner)
  • 36 Pasos (36 Steps) is a 2006 Argentine horror film
  • North of 36 is a 1924 silent film Western Drama

In Entertainment

  • Watch Channel 36 in Charlotte, Lexington (KY), Oakland
  • Canal 36 is a television station in Honduras
  • The Incubator was the 36th episode of M.A.S.H, which aired December 1, 1973
  • 36 is a sports documentary show on NBC Sports Network and TSN
  • The 36th season of Saturday Night Live was 2010-2011
  • The game of roulette has ’36’ numbers on the playing grid and roulette wheel
  • Rollorpoker, a roulette-based game, uses ‘36’ playing cards on the wheel and playing grid, instead of numbers

In Language
Thirty six, trente six, dreißig sechs, kolmekymmentä kuusi, tretti seks, talatin da shida, XXXVI

In Sports

  • Retired jerseys of MLB’s Robin Roberts (Phillies) and Gaylord Perry (Giants), NFL’s Mack Lee Hill (Chiefs), and NBA’s Lloyd Neal (Trailblazers)
  • The Adelaide 36ers are an Australian Pro-Basketball team
  • In NASCAR, #36 has raced 633, never won, finished in the top 5 32 times, and driven the most by Ken Schrader (106)
  • Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots 20 – St. Louis Rams 17, played at the Louisiana Superdome on February 3, 2002

In Religion

  • In the Jewish tradition, light created by God on the first day of creation shone for 36 hours
  • The Torah commands love, respect, and protect the strange 36 times
  • There are 36 righteous people in every generation
  • 36 candles are in a menorah over 8 days
  • In the Māori legend, 36 gods were involve creating the first human before receving the breath of life from Tāne
  • In Shavism, 36 tattvas describe the internal aspects of creation
  • In Christianity, Psalm 36

In US History

  • Nevada is the 36th state (1864)
  • Lyndon B. Johnson served as the 36th US president
  • The 36th US Congress (1859-1861) during the last two years of James Buchanan’s presidency
  • Alexander Hamilton wrote Federalist Papers 36, The Same Subject Continued: Concerning the General Power of Taxation, the last of the seven papers on taxation

In World History Year 36 BC

  • Buddhist calendar year 509, Korean calendar year 2298, Thai solar calendar year 508, Chinese calendar year 2601/2661 to 2602/2662
  • Mark Antony married Cleopatra VII while still married to Octavia

In World History Year 36 CE

  • A leap year that started on a Saturday
  • Bengali calendar year -577, Berber calendar 986, and Iranian calendar year 586 BP – 585 BP
  • Historical figures include Pontius Pilot, Emporer Tiberius, and Herod Antipus
  • Some say this is the year of Jesus’ crucifixion

In Geography

  • The 36th parallel south only across land in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, and Argentina
  • The 36th meridian east passes through Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Mozambique
  • US Route 36 runs 1,414 miles from Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado to Uhrichsville, Ohio

In Business

  • The Thirty-Six Bisto in Anchorage, Alaska
  • Thirty-Six, a camera boutique in Singapore
  • Thirty-Six Peonies Publishing Company
  • Studio Thirty-Six – spa, beauty, and personal treatment in Santa Rosa, California

Miscellaneous

  • A perfect score on the ACT
  • In French-speaking countries, 36 is often used as a placeholder number
  • International phone code for Hungary
  • The 36 pounder long gun was the largest piece of naval artillery for French war ships in its time
  • TI-36 calculator made in 1986
  • The 36 Boys were a gang of primarily Turkish immigrants from Berlin-Kreuzberg involved in criminal activities
  • The 36-line Bible, the second printed edition of the Bible and known as the “Bamberg Bible”, is named after its 36 lines of text on each page. FYI: The Gutenberg Bible had 42 lines per page

On the Approaching Traditions

NOTE: This post is about college football in the U.S., but there is something here for everyone!

Saying that college football is big in the U.S. is an understatement. Not only is it popular, it is also big business – actually ginormous! Nonetheless, with the 2012 season starting toward the end of this month, fan excitement is building.

I like the traditions of college football – and oh my, there are many – but one post cannot capture them all. Much like politics, one’s favorite traditions stems from their loyalties. Simply put, here are some of my favorites.

Colleges have their collection of spirit songs, fight songs, and alma maters. Here’s mine – a song that I played many times in my time as a member of the BGSU Falcon Marching Band – Forward Falcons. (Yes, that’s me on the album cover here.) BTW – Here’s a site where one can find a plethora of college spirit songs.

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From the Michigan’s “Big House” hosting 110,000 to the small stadium holding 4,000, fans file into colossal venues across the land to watch their gladiators. One of my favorite venues is also one of the oldest in college football. Nippert Stadium , located in the center of campus at the University of Cincinnati, is a cozy place with great site lines for fans. Given a full house and a raucous crowd, it’s a tough place for opponents. (My past post on Nippert) The band racing down the old concrete steps is always a risky venture, but a traditional pre-game entrance.

More on Nippert

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Avid fans help create an atmosphere that seems unique to college football. Some say that game day in Madison is the place to be because those fans know how to have a good time while intensely supporting their Wisconsin Badgers. I’ve been there once, and what an experience – and witnessing their eruption in song was both a surprise and a treat!

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Teams have nicknames (my past post) and mascots, such as Herbie Husker, Bucky Badger, Freddie Falcon, Puddles the Duck, Tommy Trojan, Benny Beaver, Buster Bronco, or single names as Smoky, Cocky, Testudo, just simply The Bearcat … animals as Bevo (longhorn steer), Uga (bulldog), Ralphie (Buffalo), Tusk (bore hog), Traveler (horse), and many more.

Before you get to the video, here are a few other links about mascots: Wikipedia list of mascot names , a photo gallery of mascots , a video of bad mascots, and my post on nicknames. Meanwhile, I gotta love this short video about Puddles, the Oregon Duck.

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As the home team finally enters the field shorting before kickoff, fans erupt! I’ve never been to Clemson University, but someday I want to be in the stands as their Tigers enter the famed field known as Death Valley.

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Pregame and halftime is for the college bands, which add to the atmosphere and have historic traditions of their own. I may live in Ohio, but that does not mean I root for Ohio State. Nonetheless, as a former band member, I respect their long-standing tradition of Script Ohio.

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Meanwhile, the college football season starts by the end of this month. Good luck to your favorites, and if my team plays yours, I wish you the best with the other games.