Ten Toes Addendum

Here is a blowup of the photo Miz Linda suggested. This is, of course, another shot of Mercede holding Ruffles. In this version, the big toe of the right foot appears more average in length. You can also more clearly see five toes instead of only four. It is quite possible that my whole idea of a longer big toe is a mistake, that it only appeared longer in the other photo. The question is whether the toes are distinctive or not. At this point, I am not sure myself, but this is not really the point of this exercise.

What I really want to know is if: (a) There is only one Trig, and there has always been only one Trig; (b) There are two Trigs and they are related by blood in some way; or (c) There are two unrelated Trigs. I generally lean toward there being at least two Trigs, but I do not know that for a fact. A secondary question is when did each Trig appear? Was Ruffles Trig from early '08 until the GOP convention and then Round Ear took over? Was Round Ear ever seen by anyone outside the family between April and August 2008? Was Levi holding two babies of about the same age in that one infamous photo? Is there a somewhat more active, Batwing Trig that appeared on the book tour? Inquiring minds want to know.

Ten Little Toes

Someone sent me a rather cryptic Babygate message yesterday with a theory to which I had previously not allowed much credibility. That theory is not the subject of this post, but in my research of that theory, I stumbled upon something else that I had not noticed before. In this infamous photo of Ruffles, he seems to have an extra-long big toe on his right foot. In a photo of Round Ear held by Sarah on her left hip, he seems to have a long left big toe. That photo is a couple of years later than the first one, and no, I cannot find a single photo of the other foot of either child. I can verify that the earlier photo has not been accidentally flipped in processing because this a blowup of the shot in which Sarah is standing right next to Mercede and Ruffles with a big VANDALS printed on her shirt. I do not have a way to verify that the later photo has not been flipped, however. Maybe someone else can verify this.

A very brief bit of research stated that the long big toe is not a common trait. A longer second toe may actually be a more common condition. I am assuming for now that all two (or four) feet have the long big toe trait. I have not been able to ascertain if some people are born with only one long toe, but I do not think this is the case. I have not found any mention of FAS or DS being associated with this trait, either.

When I first noticed this issue, it looked to me as if Ruffles had only four toes on his right foot, but my better judgment tells me that that is just a distortion in the blowup of the tiny photograph, or the angle is distorting the look of Ruffles' toes. When you look at Ruffles' left foot, it appears to have a normal-sized big toe, but again, my best guess is that this is a distortion emanating from the angle of the photo. If anyone else has any better photos than I have, please chime in with your opinion. I am not the least bit certain of any of this. Is it just a figment of my frustrated imagination? Why has no one else mentioned it before?

This brings me to that other new theory, the one I am not yet ready to disclose until the dust has settled on this one. If these toes are indeed a distinctive trait, does that mean that there is only one Trig, or does it mean the two Trigs are related? Does anyone have clear photos of the other feet?

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Floyd M. Orr is available to speak for approximately one hour on any one of many subjects. These include Sports and Muscle Cars of the Sixties, High Performance Powerboats, American Pop Culture and Nostalgia, and of course, Feminine Sexuality & The Class System. Mr. Orr has been married only once (to a heterosexual woman) and he has no secret babies on the loose anywhere (that we know of). He is a Certified Abstinence Specialist, and he writes his own books, blogs, and articles. He has impeccable credentials as a graduate of only one university, also too.

We always offer suggestions for speaking topics to our customers. Floyd M. Orr is nothing if not opinionated. He has never approved of teenage drinking or drug use: these activities should be reserved only for individuals over 21. Home vandalism and destruction of private property are always frowned upon. All babies should be raised with complete and accurate knowledge of the identities of their parents.

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Palin Babygate

I want to especially thank Kellygirl, LisaBeth, and the others from Palingates and The Immoral Minority for responding to my rallying cry in But Seriously, Folks.... I have been working for several months on a detailed timeline of Babygate and some of SP's related shenanigans. (Update: This timeline was posted in a private blog entitled Palin Babygate. That blog was closed a long time ago. All the pertinent information contained therein, including a final edit of The Babygate Timeline, was included in the book Paradigm Shift.) Much of the material in this timeline is inflammatory and unsubstantiated. That is why I have kept it private. Until now, only Palingates and my wife have had access to it, but the time has come to release the hounds a bit.

The creation of this timeline has several purposes, but the most important one is to allow a forum in which all the anti-Palin tribe can participate in a somewhat different manner. Right now the blog contains only one very long post. Anyone who has more accurate information, or even somewhat speculative information, can comment on the many details contained in the timeline. Whenever comments are shown to be relevant, and at least more accurate than what has been noted, I can update the timeline with the new information.

The purpose of the blog is to expose SP as the fraudulent candidate and celebrity that she is, in all her incarnations. Like many others, I have felt for nearly two years now that Babygate is the string that will unravel the Plastic Public Palin Persona. Of course I would like to think that the proprietors of Palingates are correct, and that they will become the Woodward & Bernstein of this millennium, but I have my doubts. They are, after all, across the pond, while I live in the heart of Palin Country. For all the people who want to wave the racist flag at the Tea Baggers, I lived very close to the hot spots of the Civil Rights movement of the '60's, so I am familiar with that scenario as well. The foundation of how an attractive American can rise to an unforeseen level of sociopolitical power was described in my third book, so I have been studying this angle for a long time, too.

I am not sure what my next move with the Palin Babygate blog will be yet, but for now, I am opening it up to public access for two hours only. It will be returned to its private access at midnight tonight. You may comment only with a Blogger username (Google account) on any of my blogs. If I use my real name, you can at least make up an alias. Anyone who wants to study this material at length is encouraged to copy and paste the current status of the timeline into a Word document. As I said, I am uncertain what the future of this project holds. Thank you.

Special Price on Ker-Splash 2

Ker-Splash 2: The High Performance Powerboat Book has just arrived today at Barnes & Noble online. B&N is currently the only retailer offering this new 400-page reference guide at a discount price, $17.95 with free shipping over $25.

The title of this book can be perceived in several different ways. Yes, the Sonic 38 Cat on the cover costs more than my house and the cover does imply that this is a book about high performance offshore speedboats. The book actually covers this type of boat and many others, too, however there is a heavy page count favoring these speed-demon monsters in the last two chapters. You could also think of Ker-Splash 2 as a high performance book, since it is very detailed and complete, intended as both an entertaining read and a long-term reference. The third meaning is that there is a lot of emphasis on the drive trains of the boats. Recreational powerboats are defined and priced according to their engines and drive systems. Although there is some overlap and few absolute rules, boats are generally categorized by the particular combinations of their hulls, engines, and drives, and Ker-Splash 2 covers these interrelationships in detail.

Ker-Splash 2 will be available in Kindle and other e-book formats by the end of April, but I think the appeal of this reference work will probably always be stronger as a print version. That has certainly been the case with its predecessor, Ker-SPLASH! Recreational Power Boaters Guide. If you are in the market for a new or used boat, or you just like to read fun facts and entertaining stories about boats, grab a copy before B&N changes its mind and raises the price to the $19.95 retail like everyone else!

Ker-Splash 2 Released Today

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400 pages in a 7" x 10" format

135 large B&W photographs

152,000 words

$19.95 (plus shipping)

NIAFS Press (Nonfiction in a Fictional Style)

Available now only directly from the publisher!
Ker-Splash 2 will become available from Amazon, B&N, Kindle, and Smashwords (probably in that order) over the next several weeks. This time frame could be as long as two months, but you can get your copy in a few days! Right now my copy is the only one in existence. Yours can be the second!

Ker-Splash 2 Soon to Launch

The exciting new hobbyist/reference book, entitled Ker-Splash 2: The High Performance Powerboat Book, will be available later this month. This is Floyd M. Orr's fifth book and the sequel to Ker-SPLASH! Recreational Power Boaters Guide of 2002. This new release seeks to be the ultimate reading and reference guide for potential buyers of new or used boats, experienced powerboat owners, and recreational readers. Ker-Splash 2 contains 400 pages, over 150,000 words, and 135 B&W photos that span the width within the margins of the 7" x 10" format of the book. ISBN 978-1-449-54337-2. $19.95. Kindle and Smashwords editions are planned for later release, probably in March or April. There will have to be compromises and certain decisions made concerning the number, size, and quality of the photos to be included before the e-book editions can be released.

Ker-Splash 2 is the culmination of an intense year of research, compilation, composition, and editing. The first Ker-Splash is still in print, but the material has become quite dated since its 2002 debut. Both books include corporate contacts for all the major boat builders, but the changes, both large and small, between then and now have been numerous, to say the least! The NASDAQ crash of 2000 and the Dow crash after 9/11 set the stage for all the changes described in Ker-SPLASH! Unfortunately for all of us, Depression 2.0 reset the stage again, making the time ripe for an update on the state of the industry. One of the key purposes of both editions has been to inform both potential buyers and seasoned enthusiasts of the business status, both past and present, of the multitude of boat builders and associated companies.

Ker-Splash 2 attempts to be many different things to different readers. The main focus of the book is on the major types of recreational powerboats other than those designed primarily for fishing or any sort of utilitarian purposes. The fishing and utility types simply could not have been included without doubling the size and cost of the book. You would be shocked to learn just how many fishing boat builders there are in the USA! The major types of non-fishing boats covered are: runabouts, jet boats, jet skis, offshore performance boats, California Customs, speedboats, towboats, cabin cruisers, and deck and pontoon boats. The multitude of engines and outdrives especially designed for the various types of powerboats are described. Family tow sports are detailed in extensive instructions concerning how to teach a beginner to ski, learning to ski, towing technique and tips, and a chapter on water toys. This includes a complete breakdown of the skis, wakeboards and other towables available, tips on selecting them, and descriptions of the retailers that market them. As in the first edition, capsule historical background details of the sport, the boat types, and the brands are sprinkled throughout. Many brands that have been out of business for years are at least briefly described, including the most recent contact information in case a reader is trying to track down a rare part or service. Also as in the first edition, the author entertains his readers with humorous, autobiographical anecdotes and socioeconomic commentary. That's why the book, the series, and this blog are called Nonfiction in a Fictional Style!