Monday, March 18, 2024

Being Henry

Finishing up “Being Henry” read by the author Henry Winkler, the Fonz. Upbeat. Winkler struggled as a student, and was 35 before he figured out he had a learning disability. After finishing at Yale Drama and bouncing around Off Broadway, Henry flew to LA to audition for parts. His first audition landed him a one time appearance on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which was a big success. His second audition was for Happy Days. When Fonzie became the most popular TV character in America, Winkler worker hard to include the rest of the cast in his success. In this autobiography Winkler worked hard to remain politically neutral, which was admirable.

 


While MC was working, Will took the girls to the ACC Tournament, on Thursday I think. They sat in the upper deck. Millie was clapping. Shivonne was dancing.

 

Thursday I worked past noon. Wanted to leave for SC at 1 pm but C wasn't ready. Left at 145 but had to stop by Whole Foods. That took 30 minutes. By then traffic was so bad that the GPS routed us through downtown. 

 

Made it to Augusta by 530. Stopped at Publix but the sub sandwich line was too long. I walked Winnie and Okie at the same time. Drove past Augusta National and saw the new complex they'd built on the eastern side of Washington Road. 

 

Picked up burritos at a Mexican place. C wanted to look through a store. By the time we made it to the country roads past Camden it was dark. After driving in the sunshine all day my eyes just couldn't take it any more. I let C drive the last 30 minutes. The 7 hour trip wore me out. 

 

Spent all day today cleaning out Ceil's parents house. Up and down the stairs 25 times. 10000+ steps. Made 2 trips to the dumpster with Rusty and his pickup. Two other trips to Pageland as well, including picking up lunch at Beth's Country Kitchen. Got fried chicken for C and her friend Ann. I got BBQ chicken, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, baked beans. 

 

Supper at The Golden Nugget. Several people came up to speak to Ceil, who she hadn't seen in 40 years. I got chicken tenders, Cole slaw, and a baked potato. 

 

Saturday: another tiring day. Got going at 9 am cleaning and straightening. Got piles of trash piled up. Ceil’s friend Ann brought bacon egg & cheese biscuits from Bojangles. There was a BBQ fundraiser nearby, so that was lunch. Ham & cheese sandwiches for supper. The house is in better shape than when we started yesterday, but still a long way to go.

 

Returned to work to find 116 emails. Got it down to 30, then eleven.

 

One hundred great moments from Seinfeld.

 

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.cracked.com/article_41408_the-100-greatest-seinfeld-moments.html__;!!AE29DT8V!Wp8jkISQTXO6f51715WfBho2YiB26RBAlEZDmAnHAJ1BM6TWOmjGC1BBespRrPm2g0GRO7LJQJvFmCGCbKQ$

 

Young Sheldon introduces the boy genius’ college pals.

 

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://screenrant.com/young-sheldon-season-7-leonard-howard-big-bang-theory-original/__;!!AE29DT8V!WcXN72X5GDzBGQ4bUjHlEDLf5CVg9k1L276qGqtNDpVVIv0RBuyOReXQxnLdF79fMk6u1Ov-DyPxFf6ljv8$

 

DENISON: demographers predict the global Muslim population will grow more than twice as fast as the world population over the coming years. The percentage of Christians in America is predicted to decline to less than half our population.

 

https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/kevin-briggs-guardian-of-the-golden-gate/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Meet+the+%22Guardian+of+the+Golden+Gate%22&utm_campaign=03-14-24+DA+-++Putin+warns+that+Russia+is+prepared+to+use+nuclear+weapons+%28Copy%29

 

DUTCH LEONARD [SABR Bio] owned extensive California vineyards. Raised in Fresno, California, Leonard returned there after his playing days and ran a profitable enterprise for many years. Fellow Fresno HS alum Tom Seaver was also a successful vintner. He became a hero to Japanese Americans. His humane approach to previously interned Japanese American during and after WWII is a story worth reading. Leonard collected vinyl records, amassing as many as 150,000 at his home in Fresno. His  record of lowest ERA for a season: 0.96, his mark in 1914.

 

Sunday, March 17, 2024

St. Patrick's

 True confession: I did not wear green today.


Before picking up Drew Barrymore on her daytime TV show, The Rock asked her permission.
Re-watched "A Royal In Paradise" last night. Big news: it's sequel will be coming out soon.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Spring Has Sprung

Below: the tree outside our house.

MINNIE MINOSO [SABR Bioled MLB in being hit by pitch nine times. Once he led only the AL. He was "out hit" over in the NL in 1952 when Solly Hemus, with 20 bruises to 14. He once said, "There might be players who are better hitters than me, have more power, have a stronger throwing arm, are better fielders, can even bunt better, but nobody ever hustled more on the field of play. I'll admit that there are some who maybe hustled as much as I did, but nobody hustled more than I did. Nobody". Watch this video for the full quote. Minoso played professional baseball in parts of seven decades: the 1940s, 1950s, 1960, and had stunt appearances in 1976 & 1980. In 1993, he had an at-bat for the independent minor league Saint Paul Saints. In 2003 he made a one at-bat appearance for the Saints at age 77.

LUIS APARICIO [SABR Biois the only Venezuelian enshrined in the baseball hall of fame. There have been more than 500 Venezuela's major leaguers. He played for the White Sox 1956-62; for the White Sox again 1968-70, and for the Red Sox 1971‑73.

First time a Gold Glove was won at each position by a Hall of Famer

Player         POS   Year        Team      GGs     WAR

Mays........... OF........ 1957....... NYG........ 12..... 156.1

Kaline.......... OF........ 1957........ DET........ 10....... 92.8

Minoso........ OF........ 1957....... CHW......... 3....... 53.2

Fox.............. 2B........ 1957....... CHW......... 3....... 49.5

Hodges........ 1B........ 1957....... BRO.......... 4....... 43.8

Aparicio...... SS........ 1958....... CHW......... 9....... 55.8

Robinson.... 3B........ 1960........ BAL........ 18....... 78.4

Kaat.............. P......... 1962........ MIN........ 16....... 50.5

Torre............ C......... 1965........ MLN.......... 1....... 57.5

DENISON: New York Times writer Christopher Caldwell analyzes America's shift from a consensual, objective moral worldview to a relativism that is unable to "distinguish facts from wishes." Using our fracturing response to Russian aggression in Ukraine as an example, he writes: "Fighting a war based on values at minimum requires agreement on the values being spread. The US is further from such agreement than it has ever been in its history—further than on the eve of the Civil War. There are no national principles, only partisan ones.

There was a day when our "national principles" were clear and compelling. As set forth in our founding creed, the Declaration of Independence: (1) Truth is "self-evident," not subjective. (2) All people are "created equal" by God, not the product of chaotic or evolutionary coincidence. (3) We are "endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable Rights" which the government does not bestow but protects. (4) We each have the right to "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" Many have noted that our nation was birthed within the consensual morality of the Judeo-Christian worldview. Whether particular Founders were committed Christians or not, they lived in a culture where the biblical principles espoused in the Declaration were prevalent.

Oppenheimer wins seven Oscars: What "a movie of the moment" says about our cultural future (denisonforum.org)

Friday, March 15, 2024

Hot Stove

Left work at 445 Wednesday for Hot Stove. Didn’t get home until 1015 pm. Two special guests: the 74 year old author of a new book "715 at 50" by a photographer who took photos at the game when Hank broke Babe Ruth's record, and the 83 year old owner of a company who makes stadium models (below right, next to host Johnny). 

The company started by selling models of SEC football stadiums (like Sanford Stadium, below). These bad boys sell for hundreds of dollars.

In January Robbie (below, right) had brought a vintage Marty Marion mitt that he had restored. 

This time Robbie brought a baseball he had picked up at an estate sale, loaded with signatures of Hall of Famers.

Ted Williams, Luke Appling, Duke Snider, Billy Williams, Joe Sewell, Hoyt Wilhelm, Enos Slaughter, Joe Boudreau, Bob Feller, Al Kaline, Lefty Gomez, and others.

After Hot Stove, host Johnny Tallant gave me a unique winter Braves cap: heavier wool with a flap that covers the ears and back of the head. An “official” New Era cap I had only seen once before, and had been on the lookout for ever since. Someone had recently given it to Johnny. Sweet find.

Thursday: up early to run at the gym.

ED WALSH [SABR Bio] is the most recent pitcher to rack up forty wins in a single season, playing for the White Sox in 1908. Hard to imagine what the team’s 88-64-4 record that year might have been without him. Only one other pitcher won 40+ games in the Modern Era: Jack Chesbro won 41 in 1904 for the Yankees. Walsh’s career ERA of 1.84 is the best all-time. He is the only American Leaguer to pitch two complete-game victories in one day and then repeat that performance three years later. In game one on 26-Sep-1905(1), Walsh came in to relieve Doc White after White had surrendered a hit. Walsh pitched 9 complete innings. In game two (26-Sep-2905(2)), Walsh started and pitched a complete game. Then on 29-Sep-1908(1) & 29-Sep-1908(2), he started and finished both games.

UGA’s top ten prospects in the NFL draft.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://theathletic.com/5339341/2024/03/13/nfl-draft-georgia-bulldogs-pro-day/__;!!AE29DT8V!XAoCb3pC1s3sWn3RgmAm3i-SnrK9eRchxKHCjhvXZKt2ZktJ1gFGredVDiR5DVZvJsYQ1o6JYqw4Wzli5BQ$

Due to mismanagement, Family Dollar will be closing hundreds of stores. Too expensive anyway. But it’s owner Dollar Tree (my favorite) will also be closing 30 stores when their leases expire. Horrors. Fun fact: I visited Dollar Tree twice today, a new record.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://endtimeheadlines.org/2024/03/family-dollar-and-dollar-tree-set-to-close-1000-stores/__;!!AE29DT8V!WvUctGY6wQpnupqqd5JEtfrwBdnczLzAeXmSu7ekcMF2eUkwZbxxK7EAd9oi4MvRR2_TalgYzHGCCOUUAZc$

DENISON: I believe God redeems all he allows. One way he does this is by using our challenges to rescue us from challenges, and our suffering to save us from suffering.

Putin warns that Russia is prepared to use nuclear weapons (denisonforum.org) 

Yesterday was Pi Day. Today, the Ides of March. Beware.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

My "Truth"

Tuesday night on The Voice, Dan and Shane called their team diverse. Perhaps diverse genres. Their team is mostly men with a few women. But all white. Five minutes later, Reba called her team diverse. She was more accurate. The exchange got me thinking.

I am diverse, and other lies I present to the world as “my truth”: I love everyone. I’m okay with people being lazy not doing their job and expecting me to do their job for them. I am not old fashioned. I’m a good husband and father. I’m good at my job. I dress fashionably. The jokes I tell are funny. I am good looking. I is a good writer.

Would be good to use some of these facts the next time I play “Two facts One Lie”. I’m a strong Christian. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am righteous. I pray without ceasing.

Not sure if I said, but I do know my sense of humor is a little off kilter. Many may not think I am funny, but I just enjoy thinking up the joke and telling it. The best jokes have an unexpected / unpredictable punch line. Oftentimes a joke is even funnier if it falls flat, when no one gets it. Makes me laugh inside all the more.

How do you define love? Reminds me of the St Jude’s Hospital commercial with the little kids trying to say what love is. One replies “puppies!”

DENISON: French philosopher Jacques Ellul wrote a book 70 years ago that could have been published yesterday. Titled The Technological Society, it is considered one of the most important works of the second half of the 20th century. Ellul explains our technologically obsessed civilization has become “committed to a continually improved means to carelessly examined ends.” Modern society has commodified not just things but people. Everything—and everyone—is now a means to our personal ends”. Denison’s point: our transactional culture tempts us to do the same with Lord Jesus.

NASA is sending a poem to Jupiter’s moon Europa (denisonforum.org) 

Today is 3/14, also known as Pi Day. An oldie but a goodie:

Tuesday: worked past 630. Ceil had taken Anna’s wedding dress down to Sig Samuel’s cleaners on Monroe, next to Grady Stadium. I got home just before she did. Leftovers for supper.

Wednesday: lifted weights at the gym this morning.

Fitness after 40: lift weights, do cardio, and stretch. I need to get better on the stretching department.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.boxrox.com/unlock-fitness-after-40-the-3-essential-exercises-every-man-needs/__;!!AE29DT8V!Q0kVJyOO5KcIcsffh3rhYPhfLhEjh1caOrIDsfm0x7_UCzQOoauHpM3KtuqdVSRu6nhr7pstuwSNISHc5MU$

NELLIE FOX [SABR Biostrikeout rate is 5th best all-time, behind Joe Sewell and Willie Keeler, but ranking ahead of Tony Gwynn, Charlie Gehringer, and Joe DiMaggio. The year Fox won MVP, Luis Aparicio was second in the 1959 AL MVP voting and the only other player receiving first-place votes. Hall of famer Early Wynn was third; CF Jim Landis 7th; catcher Sherm Lollar 9th; pitcher Bob Shaw tied for 20th; and pitcher  Gerry Staley was the last on the list at 28th. Paul Richards, Fox’s manager from 1951-54, decided to rest Fox for a couple of days, but soon lamented his decision, saying, “I took it for a couple of days. Then I had to put him back in the lineup. On the bench, he was driving me crazy.” In postseason play, it was a fortified wine from southern Spain that took the go out of his team’s “Go-go”. Dodger Pitcher Larry Sherry was the 1959 World Series MVP, with two wins and two saves against the White Sox. Sherry is a sweet Spanish wine enjoyed by many. That White Sox team was dubbed the “Go go Sox” & had convincingly won the AL pennant.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Falcons Sign Old White Guy

As an old white guy, I am liking the Falcons signing of QB Kirk Cousins. Any QB signing was going to be expensive. Cousins is a proven winner. Falcons are better today that they were yesterday. Cousins married a UGA grad from Alpharetta. Active in church and other charities. A better choice than Russell Wilson.

Justin Fields had one of the lowest QB stats for any NFL QB. Some blame the rest of the Bears team, but Fields would be coming in to a similar situation in Atlanta. Difference between Cousins and Ritter or Fields – Cousins can make quicker decisions, and get rid of the ball to avoid sacks as opposed to sitting in the pocket just holding the ball. Fields is known for too often settling for the short throw, and rarely stretching the defense with longer passes.

Caleb Williams is asking too for much. Skipped the bowl game. Transferred. Not working out for teams. Will he be this much trouble for his pro team? Probably. He’s asking for a percentage of ownership in the team. Phenix has an odd throwing motion, and is injury riddled. His stock is dropping. LSU’s Daniels is the best prospect, but trading up to get him would be too costly. Is JJ McCarthy worthy of such a high pick? Cousins looks like a good choice. The Vikings sure wanted to hold on to him.

True, the Falcons had recently let one aging, high priced QB go. But the team was in a different situation then. Now they’re in a better situation to be able to advance in the playoffs. Kinda like when an uncompetitive Braves team traded Craig Kimbrell so they could also rid themselves of BJ Upton.

One dilemma: Cousins has long worn number 8 – the number worn by TE Kyle Pitts. Supposedly there’s been conversation between the two about a possible number change. We shall see.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.si.com/nfl/falcons/news/atlanta-falcons-kyle-pitts-teases-number-change-kirk-cousins-signing-free-agency__;!!AE29DT8V!Ti3SgvdZXHcCrItJoM_2gXOUK7qDRNTG_s0FMYYwR_kqxRlckIt5dZWO0sFhWvQ5wTJ6myAD7hfVBfnJSc8$

In other Falcons news, the team signed a former Bears receiver known for dropping passes. One step forward, one step back. Actually the QB throwing the passes may have been the problem:

And the Falcons traded QB Desmond Ritter to the Cardinals for another WR, and signed two former 49ers: TE Charlie Woerner from UGA and WR RayRay McLoud from Clemson.

Would be nice to have an office at home. Right now I don’t. Will need a space when I retire for sure.

I read on the internet that Kate Middleton had surgery to remover her public eye.

Monday: worked until 620. Chicken stir fry over jasmine rice. Ceil watched The Voice.

Tuesday: up early to run at the gym. Told you I've getting my posts out of order.

I may not be the best worker in my office, but I’d like to think my work is making an impact. Moving millions of pounds of metal though 15+ plants to produce millions of parts, helping keeping people in jobs, solving problems. I pray that I provide helpful and useful information – helping to make other people’s jobs and lives easier. I don’t want to just be a bureaucrat, taking up space and covering my own butt. Because some people I have to deal with sure fit that description.

WALTER JOHNSON [SABR Bio] is the only pitcher to hit more than 200 batters in his career, with 205. Eddie Plank & Randy Johnson are tied for 2nd with 190. Walter had 38 victories where the final score was 1-0. He also lost 27 games by a score of 1-0. Of his 12 season strikeout crowns, eight were in consecutive seasons, from 1912-1919.

DENISON: French philosopher Jacques Ellul wrote a book 70 years ago that could have been published yesterday. Titled The Technological Society, it is considered one of the most important works of the second half of the 20th century. Ellul explains our technologically obsessed civilization has become “committed to a continually improved means to carelessly examined ends.” Modern society has commodified not just things but people. Everything—and everyone—is now a means to our personal ends”. Denison’s point: our transactional culture tempts us to do the same with Lord Jesus.

NASA is sending a poem to Jupiter’s moon Europa (denisonforum.org)

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Fight!

If you can’t beat em, then fight them. SC outscored LSU in each of yesterday’s four quarters. SC completed an undefeated season and SEC tournament. The loss was LSU’s sixth of the year. Last year's LSU team captain called out her former teammates, saying they were scared in last season's game against the Gamecocks - and that LSU needed leadership from the upperclassmen. 

The uniform guy posting a column today about all the fights and poor sportsmanship in sports these days. Lots of commenters agree. Many say it is a decline in culture in general. No one mentions how America has turned away from God. They need to read Denison.

https://uni-watch.com/2024/03/11/sports-culture-is-getting-seriously-ugly-these-days/

I got back home Sunday in time for most of the second half of Iowa / Nebraska. Good game. Just when I thought the Hawkeyes had pulled away in the 4th quarter, back roared the Huskers. Same in OT. Then I left it on CBS for Drake vs Indiana State. Drake shouldn’t be the Bulldogs, they should be a duck.

In team sports the best superstars work to elevate teammates, so the entire squad is better. Have a team first attitude. Not in it for themselves. No excuses. Don’t blame others. That’s what Michael Jordan did. Patrick Mahomes. Caitlin Clark has led the nation in assists for the past two seasons. She ranks sixth all time in career assists. When she’s not playing, Clark is cheering on her teammates. Brock Bowers was the highest paid UGA player, but he opted out of team NIL deals so his teammates could earn more money.        

Jordan: by practicing hard and being unbearable to teammates like Pippen and Steve Kerr, don’t you think it helped make them better players? Didn’t MJ once dish off to Kerr to hit a game winning shot in a playoff game. That’s what I was thinking about.

Many of the kiddos on social media weren’t born when MJ played, and think LeBron is better. I got those Bulls games on WGN as well. Most were on NBC, before ESPN was born. Pretty much knew the entire Bulls roster. The Bulls, Hawks, Lakers, and Celtics. Most of the Sixers. A few of the Knicks. Several Cavs. Knew a lot more about the NBA back then.

Memories: in 7th grade recess at Springdale Elementary School, when we weren’t playing football we’d shoot half court basketball shots, baseball style. I was second best in my class, behind my classmate Bill Yancey. Made me mad, because Yancey didn’t even wear sneakers. He wore these boot things. He looked like one of the Beatles.

When I was single back in the 80’s somehow I came into possession of a key to the old SPdL gym. Don Head probably gave it to me. On some Friday nights we’d have singles gym nights. But other times me and maybe a roommate would go to the gym. I liked to kick volleyballs soccer style from the front door up into the balcony. Never broke anything that I can remember.

But years earlier when I lived in the GT BSU, I used to practice kicking real leather footballs in the main meeting room, which had a high ceiling. My usual old school straight on toe kicking. Only thing was the football would leave marks on the wall – high up. Finally the campus minister made me climb up on a ladder to wash off the marks.

Sunday night Shivonne made her first basketball shot, where she shot the ball toward her little toy hoop instead of just dunking. Pretty sure that Charles Norman’s 3 year old son Peter loves to play basketball. Sunday afternoon we hsd driven down to W&MC’s to play with Shiv & Millie while W&MC worked.

Young Sheldon news: next season CBS will spin off a show starring young Georgie and his bride. Doubtful Missy and Sheldon will be regulars. No word about mom, Meemaw, or Craig T Nelson. A good chance Georgie’s in-laws will return. Also: in May “old” Sheldon and his bride Amy will appear in the Young Sheldon series finale.

https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.cbr.com/young-sheldon-star-not-return-spinoff/__;!!AE29DT8V!R58Ux1mvsQxYx3sOcKXZSpZCzozfR9wxm2_IwyGnVj8-FgwfMnSQJYxuKdWkial9lv3PDIpTERWxJtmuebE$

It was March 10 or 11 in 2020 four years ago when Bruce and I were visiting L&I in Memphis and went to the Grizzlies game – the last NBA game before the season was shut down for covid. Bruce and I had to drive back and find a restaurant that wasn’t closed. Weird times.

JIM KAAT [SABR Bio] was the first pitcher to win ten Gold Gloves, in 1970. He won 16 in all, passed only by Greg Maddux’ 18. Kaat surrendered Bert Campaneris’ first home run on first pitch Campaneris saw in the majors, on 23-Jul-1964 - the KC’s SS Campaneris’ MLB debut. He homered in his first at bat in the 1st inning, and took Kaat deep again in the 7th. Al Kaline had 10 career HR off Kaat, the most one player hit off him. Kaat worked as a minor league analyst for the Home Team Sports network during the 1981 players' strike.