Roger (Finally) Answers Your Questions, Scott

On the top of your web site, under the title, there reads: "B1 d- t- k+ s-- u-- f+ i o x- e- l c--" What does that mean?

Why thanks for pointing it out! It now reads B6 d- t k+ s+ u- f+ i o+ x- e+ l c-- Good catch!

What is your favorite baseball memory?

I had a hard time with this. Certainly, the 1962, 1977, or 1995 Yankees, or the 1969 or 1986 Mets winning the Series, or the 10-inning Jack Morris win in 1991 or the game I saw on 6/14/91 between the Red Sox and Angels. But the first thing that actually came to mind was Sid Bream sliding into home in the 1992 NLCS. Maybe it was because I hadn't gotten sick of the Braves yet, since they'd been so bad for so long. But I think it was just such a terrible slide against his old team, and how Barry Bonds' throw beat him to the plate but was just a little off line. The unlikely hero.

What is the last good book of fiction that you read?

Seldom read fiction at all at this point. Probably A Handmaid's Tale.

Do you think that finding an alternative fuel will become a government priority in the next ten years?

Yes, if some palpable disaster strikes. Don't know what that is yet.

Name something that you like that others think is uncharacteristic of you.

I don't think it's true across the board, but there are lots of people who think of me as a sweet, laid back, easy-going kind of guy. These people have never played cards with me. Or racquetball. Or softball. Or volleyball.
To that end, I seem to be in the minority of people who thought that the guy on JEOPARDY who had the lead, then initially bet to finish in a historic three-way tie bugged me. To use a sports example, it'd be like someone coming up in the 9th inning of a baseball game, already having hit a double, triple and home run, therefore needing only a single for the cycle, hitting the ball into the gap so that he'd surely get a stand-up double, but instead stopping at first.

What former (dead or alive) US President would you like to sit down and talk with?

Well, I've answered this before, and picked Jefferson and/or Lincoln. I think this time, I'll pick Teddy Roosevelt. He was an environmentalist. Maybe he has some ideas about how to create the political will in this country to actually fight global warming. I'm not sure Al "He's A Movie Star" Gore's recent visit to Capitol Hill will do the trick.

If Lydia had been a boy, what name did you and your wife have picked out?

Well, we had a bear of a time with boy's names. I think the only one that one of us hadn't yet vetoed was Micah. Not so incidentally, the snowperson is one she and Carol did after the Valentine's Day that resided in our front lawn. It was gone, though, by the time of the St. Patrick Day's storm.

I'll bite, but am interested since you brought it up) What is your favorite verse from the Bible?

We sang last week in church Stainer's God So Loved the World, which is based on John 3:16, what one former pastor described as "the Bible in a nutshell". I've been more partial to the next verse, also in the Stainer piece: "For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." It speaks to me about those finger-pointing "gotcha" people.


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Since you're a sports guy, I'll note it here:
All four of my teams are in the Final Four. Can't remember that happening, ever. I'm in first place in my pool, and only the commissioner (who picked Florida) or I (who picked Georgetown) can win. If Florida wins the championship, I lose. If Florida wins and Georgetown loses on Saturday, I can still win if Ohio State beats Florida on Monday, because we both picked Florida to beat UCLA. If both Florida and Georgetown lose on Saturday, I win. So, I'm still in it.

Oh, you wanted to know the MEANING of the code. You don't remember that I described it in July 2005? I don't either. Anyway, here's the translation.

ROG