Building Bridges . . . to Mars (Ninth Inning Rally Update)
Well, we are currently half way through the Ninth Inning Rally, and things are shaping up great. Many of you have taken the time to vote for my question since Saturday, and I appreciate you putting my question back in the field of play. For your viewing pleasure (or disgust), I thought I’d provide a self-portrait in “rally mode” (check the rally cap baby):
Oh, I should mention this is my new “office” now that I have officially been given the boot by baby Nolan and mom. So, being the baseball statistician that I am, I thought I should provide a play-by-play report of the rally thus far. Here is how it has gone thus far:
Saturday 6:30 a.m. >> Position #10 :: Votes 15,236
Sunday 6:30 a.m. >> Position #7 :: Votes 17,036 (approximately, gain of 1800)
Monday 12:01 a.m. >> Position #4 :: Votes 18,179 (gain of 1143)
Tuesday 6:00 a.m. >> Position #2 :: Votes 19,602 (gain of 1423)
Wednesday 6:00 a.m. >> Position #2 :: Votes 21,281 (gain of 1679)
Thursday 6:00 a.m. >> Position#2 :: Votes 22,532 (gain of 1251)
Five-day rally: From #10 to #2 with a total of 7,296 votes.
Now, we have four days to go. Can we equal or top 4,300 votes in the last half of our “ninth inning rally”? The only way that will happen is if you help get the word out and encourage others to vote. Assuming that the votes are “true,” we are averaging at least 140 people a day voting for the question. 200 people a day for the next four days would bring in 8,000 votes.
I realize that there have been some folks who are really upset and disturbed by the ninth-inning rally. At this point, there have been 268 comments on my question, many of them by folks who think the issue of the regulative principle is ridiculous. Deeply troubled be the heightened rhetoric, I found counsel in my blogging partner, Hershey. When I shared with her the criticisms that were coming as a result of the rally, she seemed quite unimpressed. Here’s her response:
In any case, over the past three days I felt that it was incumbent upon me as the author of the question to visit Mars where I have been informed the source of the criticisms have been coming. It is my hope that the results of my galactic travels will disclose my interest in building bridges, yes even to Mars. I know the gap is wide, but hey, who thought the regulative principle would be back in the game? Call be a believer.
So here’s my postcard from Mars. Enjoy!
To VOTE for my question (ten times a day), CLICK HERE.
Note: If it happens that we somehow catch up with the #1 question and take the top slot, whoever is the person to cast that vote, I will send an autographed copy of this postcard from Mars. 🙂
Explore posts in the same categories: Miscellanies, Personal CommentaryTags: Building Bridges, Humor, Ninth Inning Rally, Trip to Mars
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Provocations & Pantings 
December 11, 2007 at 8:18 am
What you just did with the promised autograph picture is cause people to NOT vote because we will all be waiting to cast the vote that gets us the picture!
I think you should have quoted John Fogerty better and said “coach” instead of “the game.”
I do hope you make the top spot–it has been interesting to track the whole “ask anything” soap opera.
When is your baby gonna get here? I am praying for health and safety as well as sleep–even though you work midnights at UPS. God bless, brother.
December 11, 2007 at 8:27 am
Tim,
Where I come from, the rally cap is supposed to be a traditional ball cap flipped inside-out…then you smash the back of the cap back into the front of the cap, and put it on your head in a sideways-vertical-fashion, so that the bill is pointing straight up.
Good luck with the question!
December 11, 2007 at 8:30 am
19794, but still #2 after my contribution to the cause. I guess that I won’t get the postcard today.
December 11, 2007 at 11:11 am
ha…my first impression of the rally picture was when did Southern become a monastary.
December 11, 2007 at 12:47 pm
Yeah, my rally cap is all I have to work with. It is turned inside out and turned backwards. I felt kind of monastic wearing it. 🙂
December 11, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Hahaha, Mark – that trash was funny!!! I just thought with Alabama setting record highs at 78 decrees IN DEC. that it must be really cold there… like in the 50s 🙂
Tim, By the way, congrates on the question going back at the top. I possed a question on the comments page, I should have just asked you on your blog… but nonetheless, check it out and and tell me what you think?
December 12, 2007 at 2:46 am
[…] Tim Brister, the man who submitted the question, says it is a very important topic and has been rallying support for his question amongst bloggers, and seems to have all but made the cut (Nos. 4 through 10 seem to be playing musical chairs). […]
December 12, 2007 at 6:15 am
I have updated the results from yesterday’s (Tuesday 12/11) voting which were as follows:
Wednesday 6:00 a.m. >> Position #2 :: Votes 21,281 (gain of 1679)
Very cool. There is a spread of approximately 700 votes between #1 and #2. Yesterday, it was about 1300.
Don’t forget to vote (ten times) today!
December 12, 2007 at 7:25 am
By far, best post I’ve read on P & P.
From the sob story about the office-boot, to the rally cap, to the groveling cardboard sign, to the lugubrious canine, to the manipulated imagery, to the surge of hanging chads . . .
Well Played.
December 12, 2007 at 8:00 am
About 650 votes will push “the” question infor first place.
Vote early and vote often. (At least it is legal here!)
December 12, 2007 at 1:15 pm
Timmy,
Two things: 1) I have been able to vote about 20 times a day. For some reason there seems to be a glitch or something but I have been voting ten times in the morning and then ten more times around midnight. I am giving you 20 votes a day and should therefore get the autographed pic! LOL
2) Some knucklehead ripped into you and I just wanted to let you know I spoke in your defense. I only tell you because I do not want to over step any lines or anything. As silly as some people get about this, I am becoming more and more convinced that there is a lot of jealous Christians out there. Alas, who am I to say stuff like that?
December 12, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Ched,
I’m really glad you liked it. I bet Hershey won your heart over. 😉
Terry,
Thank you, brother, for being so kind as to chime in on the matter. It seems like it is almost daily that I get those types of comments there. I really don’t understand it. But no, I do not believe you stepped over any lines or anything like that. Again, I appreciate you taking the time to respond.
December 12, 2007 at 4:28 pm
I see that your question is over 22k now. It seems that you have won over some folks that were taking shots at you before.
Wayne
December 13, 2007 at 10:35 am
Timmy:
You can send the post card to my home address! I think I put you over the top (with a little help from my voting Ascol rascals!).
🙂
tom
December 13, 2007 at 3:45 pm
Tom,
So the Cape Coral constituency came through once again! The postcard from Mars is coming your way. 🙂
December 13, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Hey Timmy…totally off topic…but what kind of dog do you have there? My wife and I have talked about getting a pet but we want something small…like a small dog.
December 14, 2007 at 4:29 am
Jeff,
Hershey is a pomeranian. This month marks her 10 year birthday (that means she is ancient in dog years). Pomeranians normally do not get over 12 lbs., and much of their “fullness” is due to their fluffy coat of hair. Soaking wet, she looks like a big rat! Here’s an example:
March 25, 2008 at 6:04 pm
[…] realize that we have built bridges to Mars, put some grease and grime on glossy theology, and reintroduced 17th century giants in the midst of […]
April 5, 2011 at 8:21 am
[…] been some great moments over the past six years of blogging here at P&P. The Ask Anything 9th inning rally comes to my mind. So does the Puritan Reading Challenge. Then again there is P2R Memory […]