WEDNESDAY'S HUM ( 5-17-06 )

SPELL KAI RYSSDAL
Interesting 'Switchboard on VPR Tuesday evening. The show, live from the Elley-Long Center at Fort Ethan Allen and featuring ' Marketplace' man Kai Ryssdal, was not just business and economic stuff. Much of the hour had to do with China, a country Ryssdal knows quite a lot about. Here are some tidbits:
* Everyone in China has a cell phone, even beggars!
* Ryssdal believes that China and US will vie for oil, and it's only just begun. We have been saying that for a year now; China's need for oil is only going to increase and it will soon be a major world issue. Ryssdal asked a caller where the Chinese PM went after his visit with Bush - he went to Saudi Arabia. The Chinese consume 13% of the world's oil right now - imagine 10 years from now, especially if their growth keeps humming along at 10%.
* Ryssdal was taken to task by a caller after saying China generally has a weak business management structure; caller had experience with biz in China and suggested otherwise.

BRONX BOMBER BABBLE
Have you listened to a Yanks game on the radio lately? My God, there is sponsor for everything!
Announcer: " That last strikeout was sponsored by Foxwoods".
Announcer: " The pitching change is brought to you by Ford."
Susan: " John Sterling's bathroom break was brought to you by Scott toilet paper."
Of course, the greedy corporate bean counters figured out long ago that they could make money during the play by play by insidiously slipping in sponsorships and quick branding, such as " We're coming to you tonight from the Lowe's broadcast booth ", or " Posada holds on to the ball, so we're going to give him the Allstate Good Hands award." but these days the 'sponsorships' have been taken to a different level.

ANYTHING'S POSADA
Catcher Posada hits dramatic HR in 9th to beat Texas 14-13. It was especially gratifying 'cuz he was hammered earlier in the game by a homeward bound Mark Texeira, suffering a swollen cheek. Yanks scored 14 runs without Giambi, Shef and Matsui. Radio announcer Sterling said it was the craziest game he's seen in his 18 years.

FIVE CORNERS UPDATE
It was just like high school at the Essex Junction Five Corners Light yesterday. A driver started a food fight and before you know it, the fries and burgers and peaches and tacos were flying through the intersection, creating a fun, messy ruckus. All the cars had their windshield wipers on and their windows rolled up. When the light turned green a couple of hours later, we all headed for the car wash. Just another crazy day at the Five Corners!