"Why Not Catch-21?"

Why not, indeed? Seeing as how 21 is my favorite number, and "Catch-22" is my favorite book, wouldn't it have been great if they could have gotten together and created "Catch-21"? But, alas, it was not to be.

"Why Not Catch-21?" is the title of a book about book titles by Gary Dexter. To tell you the truth, it's something I had never really thought about before. I read a book, I either like it or dislike it, but I never think about how the author chose the particular title for his book. But now, after reading Gary Dexter's book, I'm sure it is something I will think about.

The book comprises 50 chapters, each one discussing one famous book and how it got its title. It starts with Plato's "Republic," which was not about a republic but about a dictatorship of the philosophers, and works its way up to such modern classics as "A Clockwork Orange," a disturbing book with an intriguing story behind its bizarre title.

Now back to our title question. It seems that Joseph Heller's comic masterpiece was originally titled Catch-18, and evolved through Catch-11 and Catch-14 before Heller and his publisher finally settled on Catch-22. In Gary Dexter's opinion (and I have to agree) it was a brilliant choice. One of the themes running through Heller's book is repetition: events occur twice, things are said twice, there is a soldier who saw everything twice. The digit 2 signifies repetition, and a repeated 2 (22) strengthens the association. I have to admit, I have read "Catch-22" several times (it really is my favorite book), and I had never thought about that.

Anyway, now that it's summer and you might have some time for leisure reading, I have two great books to recommend to you. First read "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller, then read "Why Not Catch-21?" by Gary Dexter. I guarantee that you'll love them both.

Bastille Day
Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité
July 14, 2008

Good News for Debajit Basumatari

For some reason, Rvijay did not respond to my repeated emails, and he has unortunately forfeited his $2,000 referral prize. I didn't want to keep the money myself (that wouldn't be right), so we held a random drawing. And the winner is: Debajit Basumatari. Bad news for Rvijay turned out to be good news for Debajit. Congratulations, Debajit Basumatari!

June 22, 2008

Congratulations to Cheryl C.

As I guess everyone knows by now, the big winner of the first Number 1 in 21 trivia competition was Cheryl C. of Colorado, USA. Cheryl tells us that she just turned 50, and she intends to use part of the prize money to buy a nice gift for herself.

I would like to convey my own personal congratulations to Cheryl. Cheryl, I'm really proud of you! By the way, if you play golf, I would suggest a set of element 21 scandium golf clubs.

Winners: Give Me a Call

A couple of winners still haven't claimed their prizes. Rvijay, I owe you $2,000 for referring Cheryl C. to us. Vishnu and Nidhi, I owe each of you an iPod for referring so many of your friends.

I have a feeling that you guys have not been checking your inbox. Please respond to my emails so I can get your prizes to you.

The Competition Continues

The Number 1 in 21 trivia competition is not over, folks. We have another competition under way at this very moment. The competition closes on June 30. Top prizes are $2,100 for the difficult questions, $1,400 for medium, or $700 for the easy ones. The person who refers the winner to us gets a $500 referral prize. The three people who refer the most friends will each receive an iPod.

There's only two weeks left, so play the June Number 1 in 21 trivia competition today, and refer your friends too.

Good luck to all!

June 16, 2008

A Toast to the Twenty-First Amendment

As I sit at my computer, writing my blog and sipping a beer, I am thankful for the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which allows me to write what I please, and I am even more thankful for the Twenty-First Amendment, which allows me to enjoy this nice cold frosty beer.

The Twenty-First Amendment was enacted in 1933, and it repealed the Eighteenth Amendment - the infamous Prohibition amendment. The Prohibition Era was truly a dreadful time in America. Prohibition made the manufacture, importation, or sale of all alcoholic beverages illegal. Sure, there were ways around the prohibition - there were bootleggers and speakeasys and such - but for most ordinary Americans, it meant doing without one of life's great pleasures. It was not much fun being an American, until the Twenty-First Amendment made drinking legal again.

Now, I am still opposed to underage drinking, drinking and driving, and drinking to excess (as I did on my 21st birthday). But, when used moderately and responsibly, a cold beer, a nice glass of wine, or a good stiff drink can lift the spirits, dissolve tension and stress, ease social interactions, and just make you feel good. I am all in favor of that.

Upon the enactment of the Twenty-First Amendment, President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "What America needs now is a drink."

I say, "Let's all drink a toast to the Twenty-First Amendment!"

May 21, 2008

P.S. I went golfing with my new Element 21 golf clubs last weekend, and the experiment was a success. I lowered my previous best score by four strokes, and I felt really good and comfortable with the new clubs.

Element 21 Can Improve Your Golf Game

As you might remember from high school chemistry, every element is known by its atomic number. The element with atomic number 21 is scandium, and scandium is the latest and apparently the greatest thing in golf club technology.

The great thing about scandium is that it combines high strength with light weight. In fact, scandium has a higher strtength-to-weight ratio than titanium, graphite, steel, or any other material used in the manufacture of golf clubs. Tests have shown that golfers who switch to scandium clubs can hit the ball both further and more accurately than they could with other golf clubs. In addition, a scandium club produces less vibration when it makes contact with the ball, resulting in a more comfortable feel, less fatigue, and fewer injuries.

Many golfers - including top-ranked professionals as well as ordinary recreational golfers - are switching to Element 21 golf clubs. I intend to buy a set myself and try them out next weekend. I'll keep you posted on how I do.

May 11, 2008

21 Trivia Hits the 50,000 Mark

When I started the 21 Trivia Competition, I had no idea how big it would get. Sure, I was hoping a lot of people would log in and play, but you can never be sure. Well, I am proud and excited to report that this thing has gotten bigger than I ever would have imagined. More than 50,000 people have registered and played the Trivia Competition! And there is still more than a month to go before the final draw to pick the winner of the big cash prize. So keep playing 21 Trivia, and keep telling your friends to play. Have fun, and good luck!

April 22, 2008

21 Is Number 1

Hey fellow 21 fans, guess which movie was number 1 in the box office for two weekends in a row. That’s right: 21! In two weeks, it has grossed more than $46 million.

I saw 21 the first day it was released (naturally) and I’m telling you: You must see this movie. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will tell you that this movie has everything – excitement, suspense, greed, fear, sexy women, even some mathematics. And of course, a great title! But most of all it has a great story with great acting. I’m not kidding, you absolutely must see this movie. You won’t be sorry.

I said it before and I’ll say it again: 2008 is the year of 21! Go see the movie, and send me your comments.

April 8, 2008

THE 21 TRIVIA COMPETITION IS TAKING OFF

Before we get to the subject at hand – the great and sorely missed number 21, Roberto Clemente – let me update you on the 21 Trivia Quiz. Apparently, I am not the only person in the world who loves the number 21. More than 2,500 people have completed the quiz already, and we’ve hardly started. People have played from the US, Canada, the UK, India, New Zealand, and other countries as well. I am truly overwhelmed. If you haven’t played the 21 Trivia Quiz, come on and join the fun. If you’ve already played, get your friends involved too. Let’s all play 21 Trivia.

ROBERTO CLEMENTE

Now I want to write about one of my all-time heroes, Roberto Clemente. Roberto Clemente, number 21 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, was a great baseball player and, even more importantly, a great human being.

A GREAT BASEBALL PLAYER

Roberto Clemente played Major League Baseball for 18 seasons, from 1955 through 1972. He played his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing right field and wearing uniform number 21. He was one of the greatest baseball players ever. Here are a few of his baseall highlights.

National League batting champion four times.
Highest single-season batting average: .357.
Career batting average: .317.
Career hits: 3,000.
National League Most Valuable Player in 1966.
World Series Most Valuable Player in 1971.
Selected to the National League All-Star Team 12 times.
Won the Gold Glove Award for fielding excellence 12 times.
Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame

As a baseball player, Roberto Clemente had it all: great hitter, great fielder, and great team leader.

A GREAT HUMANITARIAN

Clemente’s accomplishments on the baseball field were outstanding, but his accomplishments off the field were even greater. Whenever he wasn’t playing baseball, he was busy helping other people.

In December 1973, a major earthquake hit Nicaragua. Clemente immediately went to work organizing relief shipments to the earthquake victims. On December 31, 1972, Clemente and four others loaded a DC-7 cargo plane with thousands of pounds of food, medicine, and other supplies, and took off for Nicaragua. The plane crashed into the ocean shortly after takeoff, and all five people on board were killed.

Roberto Clemente, baseball superstar and humanitarian, number 21 for the Pirates, was dead at the age of 38. He was a great man, an inspiration to millions, and a credit to the number 21.

March 27, 2008

A while back, I read that Sony was releasing a movie called "21" in 2008. I knew immediately: 2008 is the year of 21. I decided that now was the time to take my hobby public, and I decided that the way to do it was with a 21 trivia competition. This trivia competition would have 21 questions, they would all relate to the number 21, and the top prize would be $21,000.

Still, I knew that I couldn't make my dream a reality unless I had a sponsor. I called around to various corporations and philanthropists, but I got nowhere until I called the nice folks at WildJack.com. WildJack.com is a little 21-crazy too, and they agreed to sponsor my 21 trivia competition. So this is a heartfelt "Thank You" to WildJack.com.

By the way, I'm aware that not everyone in the world is obsessed with the number 21, and you might find some of the trivia questions a little difficult. But don't worry - you're allowed to look up the answers with Google or any other search engine. So if, by some chance, you don't happen to know which chemical element has atomic number 21, just Google it and you'll find the answer easily.

Welcome to Number 1 in 21. Please take the 21 Trivia Competition. I think you'll enjoy it, you're sure to learn something, and you could win some money. And stay tuned to my 21 blog - I'll be sharing a lot of fascinating stories about my favorite number.

March 19, 2008

Kevin Miller