Smart Jaws Scientists are now claiming that a reduction in the size of the primate jaw led to the large human brain that lets us think our way out of, and into, trouble. Here's the logic. The large ape jaw requires strong muscles which must be wrapped around the skull to provide the necessary mechanical advantage. With smaller jaws the muscles atrophied, permitting the brain to grow larger.  ¶ 4:36 AM

  The Little Airline That Could

I saw Airline on A&E for the first time last evening, and I think it is a terrific program. Airliine is a reality program based on daily operations of Southwest Airlines. I did not expect much despite the gushing reviews broadcast by A&E. but by the end of the show I didn't want it to be over.

Especially amusing was the indignant lady who thought her luggage had not arrived at LAX from the East, leaving her on a South Pacific vacation without a change of clothing. While she groused about her fate and grumbled that she would never fly Southwest again, her bag circled round and round on the carousel right behind her. Even when the bag was presented to her, she denied it was hers. Only when the baggage agent read the name tag to her did she realize she had forgotten which bag she had packed!

Through the delayed flights, "lost" luggage, and bees in the jetway, the good humor and humanity of Southwest Airlines shines through. No wonder they are such a success.

PS. I flew Southwest in 1973 when they had only three airplanes that served only Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio and were in a legal fight for their life with Braniff and Texas International, who by the way have long since gone on to that great hangar in the sky. The Southwest story is entertainingly told in Nuts! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success. I highly recommend it.  ¶ 10:55 AM

  Asterisk Added to Maris Asterisk Story

Everyone knows that Commissioner Ford Frick added an asterisk to the official Major League Baseball record book to indicate that Roger Maris' record 61 home runs in 1961 were hit in 162 games while Babe Ruth's 60 were hit in 154 games. The asterisk challenged the legitimacy of Maris's feat until 40 years later when Mark Maguire hit 70 homers followed shortly by Barry Bonds' 75. The Wall Street Journal (3-7-04) reports that what everyone knows to be true isn't--there never was an asterisk! Why? Because there is no official record book. All baseball records are kept by private companies, such as The Sporting News, and the Commissioner has no control over how they keep records. Frick stated as much in his 1973 autobiography Games, Asterisks, and People, but the myth has proven far more durable that the facts and still persists in the minds of many fans.  ¶ 10:11 AM

  Starring Jerry Parr

When he was a boy, Jerry Parr saw a movie starring Ronald Reagan called Code of the Secret Service about a superagent named Brass Bancroft. Parr was inspired by the movie and later joined the Secret Service. Years later Secret Service agent Jerry Parr was the one who was guarding President Ronald Reagan when he was shot by John Hinckley as Reagain was entering the Presidential limousine. Parr is creditd with saving Reagan's life by shoving him into the limousine out of harm's way when the first shots rang out.  ¶ 1:57 PM