Patterson's Blow Back

I am reading James Patterson’s novel “Blow Back: An American President Goes Insane”. Not similar to any actual events or people in real life, but still fast-paced and very good. The real-life story below seems right out of the pages of a spy novel I might read. Never used to hear about strange, sudden disappearances and deaths of prominent people in real life until the past few years. It’s an evil, crazy world we live in.

I tried to link an article about the Belarus minister and Putin ally who died after secret talks to end the war in Ukraine. Had problems with this post, and finally deleted the link. Later today there was another article about one of the top cryptocurrency dealers whose helicopter crashed. Perhaps I should reconsider my grandfather name (Krypto).

Speaking of my grandfather name, I think it's ahead of its time. Some people (like Ceil) just can't handle it because it's so unorthodox and non-traditional. Just hope the new world order doesn't erase me, like in Blow Back.

At work I had to take the 50 minute class on inclusion, diversity, harassment, etc. and pass the test at the end. I answered all but one correctly. Interesting photos and videos of a diverse set of employees of all nationalities and colors, but the only white faces were my age and older. Most of the bad examples were provided by actors either white or older, or both. As an older white male, I can feel the target squarely on my back, as if all eyes and ears are on me, just waiting for me to say something politically incorrect. I can handle 99 situations correctly, but is HR is waiting for me to slip that one time? Such is corporate America in 2022.

BREAKING: Shivonne is officially a walker.

As The Jackets Turn: okay so now the reports say GT is finalizing a deal to hire interim coach Brent Key for the permanent job, “to be finalized within 24 hours”. That’s what they said about Coach Willie on Sunday. This Key report seems credible, as GT waited until the middle of the USA soccer match to leak the news. Not the first time Tech announced something while everyone was tied up with something else. Then the new AD with the funny name introduced Key as the new coach, so it's a done deal. But will the wide receiver pull out of the portal? Highly unlikely. We shall see what tomorrow brings, on the next episode of “As the Jackets Turn”.

The Braves were one of 30 teams to pass over drafting Aaron Judge. The pitcher the Braves picked instead is no longer in baseball.

Ronald Acuna won the Venezuelan home run derby, and was mobbed on the field.

Economic Author warns ‘I believe the economy is the biggest bubble in world history,’, "God have mercy on us all".

Anna and Ceil ate at Taqueria on Sunday while they were shopping. 

A good small group meeting last night with John, Reid, and Robert. Then home to let Ceil watch two episodes of Peyton’s Places. 

Lifted weights this morning with Reid at the gym. Will work late today and hopefully vote on the way home. 

Might have to watch Saturday Night Live for a change.

WALTER JOHNSON  [SABR Bio] is the only pitcher to lead his league in strikeouts as many as twelve times, in 1910, 1912-19, 1921, 1923-24 – all with Washington. He is the only pitcher in the Modern Era with more than 150 career extra-base hits as a batter, with 159 XBH. Red Ruffing (148) and Cy Young (140) are the only other pitchers with more than 125 career XBH. Johnson was nicknamed before interstate freeways existed.  “Big Train” was the nickname bestowed on Johnson by the sportswriters of the day. Interstates became a thing in the Eisenhower administration.

At work today I was forced to watch a soccer game again, so I shared a couple of tweets with my coworkers.