Cup of Coffee

March 23, 2016: An OK day

46 Comments

"On this day in 1839, the initials “O.K.” are first published in The Boston Morning Post. Meant as an abbreviation for “oll korrect,” a popular slang misspelling of “all correct” at the time, OK steadily made its way into the everyday speech of Americans." --history.com

46 thoughts on “March 23, 2016: An OK day”

      1. I cannot accurately recall, a voice reading something like the text on the "coincidence" label?
        Someone's theory was that the beverage was due to a manufacturing plant screwup that mixed a huge quantity of orange and cola, so they decided to market it. The fact that it disappeared as quickly as it appeared seemed to give credence to this.
        The name was an accurate description of most people's assessment of the product.
        We knew we were being marketed to by it's unmarketing and went along with it because hey it was a refreshing alternative to regular marketing.

        You want some? Go to a soda fountain and mix about 60% cola, 40% orange.

        At least Charles Burns got paid from the whole deal.

        1. How did I miss this!?
          Oh, I know. Because while OK was marketed to edgy, cynical, anti-corporate Gen-Xers, I was living in a house that limited access to "pop" for special occasions in a city just far enough behind popular culture to have made my exposure to something like this unlikely.

          AMR - you're not far off.

          1. I should mention that I also drank the hell out of it. Tasted better out of the (glass, back when that was a thing) bottles than the cans.

            1. I was also a big fan of the stuff back in the day. I also have fond memories of creating it at Old Country Buffet in Maplewood.

            2. Pretty sure I only had it from cans, but I was also a big fan, and remember being really disappointed when it disappeared. Right up there with Surge for me, as far as defunct weird sodas go.

                1. Oh, man, I had no idea! Unfortunately, their website says the closest store to get it is about a thousand miles from me.

                  1. Need a care package? We can trade some Surge for whatever you've got local that might be interesting.

              2. Surge soda: What if Mountain Dew were green and cheaper?
                (IIRC, also had a slightly more acid/less smooth flavor that I'd probably like now. I can't imagine drinking MtnDew: it now tastes like soap to me.)

                1. Mtn Dew is pure gut rot to me these days. I can still drink just about any other soda (I actually enjoy Diet Mtn Dew quite a bit), but can't stomach that. I accidentally bought a regular instead of a diet a few months ago and was very rudely surprised with the first sip. I figured I'd drink it anyway, but could only finish about a quarter of it before giving up and pouring the rest out.

                  1. I've been on Diet Dew almost exclusively for 15 years. I had almost the same experience drinking a regular Dew a while back. I didn't even bother past the first sip. Mountain Dew Throwback is tolerable, but I still prefer Diet. And Diet Mtn Dew Code Red is the greatest.

  3. The competition for a spot in the Twins bullpen as a situation left-hander was reduced to three on Wednesday, when the team announced a half-dozen cuts, including lefties Taylor Rogers and Buddy Boshers. Those departures leave Fernando Abad, Dan Runzler, Ryan O’Rourke and perhaps Logan Darnell in the running for a bullpen job.

    Rogers is likely to move back to the starting rotation at Class AAA Rochester after being optioned this morning, while Boshers, reassigned to minor-league camp, works out of the Red Wings’ bullpen.

    Righthander J.R. Graham, who spent last season on the Twins’ roster as a Rule 5 pick, was optioned to Rochester as well. Reassigned to the minors: catcher Carlos Paulino, shortstop Wilfredo Tovar and first baseman Buck Britton.

    1. No big surprises. I suspect a lot of these cuts are pretty much decided before spring training even starts, and somebody would have to be exceptionally good or exceptionally bad to change anything.

  4. I remember learning in seventh grade history class that O.K. came from the nickname Old Kinderhook, which referred to Martin Van Buren. To the OED!

      1. Thanks for the OED lookup. It does make sense as an origin theory that the abbreviation was boosted in popularity from a political campaign.

  5. Trey's Majors Astros team went to 5-0 with an 8-1 win over the Angels last night. Trey came off the bench and struck out in his 1 PA. He did catch a fly ball for an out in right field. He also ran for the catcher in the sixth inning and scored from second base on a two-out hit.

      1. Felt big at the time. They had a 5-run sixth to break the game open. Trey and his coaches were more excited about his catch in right field even though it was pretty routine. Trey told me he "messed up" at the plate (he took two hittable pitches for strikes after getting ahead in the count and then swinging and missing at the fifth pitch), but he made up for it with the catch, sort of.

  7. Wild Playoff Watch - That Felt like 2015 Edition

    The Wild beat the Kings last night by basically letting Dubnyk do all the work (shot attempts were 23 to 4 in the first period, and not in Minnesota's favor).

    That win put them ahead of Colorado (although the Avs have a game in hand and hold the tiebreaker).

    8 - Minnesota - 81 points, 8 games remaining
    -----------------
    9 - Colorado - 80 points, 9 games remaining

    NEXT GAMES: Both teams play at home on Thursday
    Calgary @ Minnesota - after Calgary blew a lead against the Avalanche last week, it's only fair they let the Wild win as well.
    Philadelphia @ Colorado - Philly is also in a fight for the final Eastern playoff spot.

    In other news, Chicago lost to Dallas last night, effectively ending the Blackhawks chances of winning the division (6 points back in 3rd place with 8 games to go). Which means a Wild-Blackhawks first round series is almost impossible. I'm viewing this as good news.

  10. Prayers appreciated for my godson, the one born with half a heart. Sounds like he took a swift turn for the worse today, and is in the hospital, and it's not good, and that's all anyone knows as of yet.

  11. You know it's going to be one of those flights when they tell you even before we got on the plane that there will be no services and the seat belt light will remain on the whole flight.

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