National Hamburger Day

Today is National Hamburger Day. People on social media were telling of all these great deals, but it turned into a big dud. Supposed free burger deals at McDonalds, Wendy's, Steak & Shake, and Freddy's never materialized. A dollar off a $6.00 Dairy Queen burger wasn't worth it. Not worth it to spend $3-$10 for a free burger at Burger King, Sonic, or Shake Shack. Really only two decent deals: BOGO a $6 Hardees burger, or the usual free Whattaburger with purchase of fries and drink.

    

I drove all the way down to Sandy Springs for the Hardees deal - which didn't work when I got there. Drove 30 minutes up Johnson Ferry to Whattaburger. The funny thing about Whattaburger is that so many old white guys eat there. I think they're all getting the same deal I get. 

 

Braves: Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is batting .095 - 4 hits in 42 at bats. Kim's defense hasn't been great either. Not sure if Braves GM AA was desparate when he gave Kim a $20 million contract last December, but what's puzzling is that Kim's signing came one month AFTER the Braves traded 2025 weak hitting shortstop Nick Allen to Houston for SS/OF Maruricio Dubon, who's been playing great all year, as has SS Jorge Mateo. Kim was rushed back from injury, but if the Braves can't keep winning, something's got to change. What makes it worse is the lack of production from the catcher position, with Baldwin and Murphy both sidelined. 

I was worn out from spending yesterday out in the sun, even though the stands at Rickwood Field are in the shade. Went to bed before 10 pm but Winnie was stretched out on our tiny bed. Since I was waking up early this morning to play golf, I went into Ceil's studio bedroom and slept on the twin mattress we have in there.

I got a "late" start this morning - didn't tee off until a few minutes after 7 am. Lots of dew, and with the 95% relative humidity, I was soaked with sweat. Played 3-4 balls. No one behind me.

1. Two drives sliced right. My fairway shots were worm burners. Two great chips, though both settled past the narrow green. Decent chips back.

2. Pulled one 6 iron left, then hit one straight. Chipped one of three onto the green.

3. Actually hit two straight 9 irons off the tee (then a third went left). Okay chips. I made one of the "par" putts.

4. Hit three 6 irons where I aimed - two toward the right of the green that didn't bounce left, then the third was straight toward the hole, but short. Three good chips. I made one of the "par" putts. 

5. My normal good 4 iron was failing me today - none of my four tee shots were good. Did hit a few good chips onto the green. Sank a long "par" putt. 

6. Decent drive off the tee, then scalded a nice line drive 4 iron just short of the green. Hit 4 decent chips. Couldn't sink a "par" putt.

7. Didn't hit a good drive. i was under a tree, so I hit a low 3 iron down the fairway - one was great but two not so good. Then all three chips in and around the green. Sank the 15 foot putt for another "par". 

8. Drives were okay but not great. A 9 iron was too much club. Flubbed two, and hit two off the back of the green. Three great chips from the back fringe, but I couldn't sink a "par" putt.  

9. My shirt and hands and arms were dripping with sweat, and my usual hybrid tee shot failed me. Hit four flubs. From the fairway and under a tree, the 3 iron was too much club. Hit one that rolled past the green, and two just short. Decent chips. Finished at 8:45 am. 

    

After golf I went to the gym. After the sauna I hopped on the treadmill, but got a text from Ceil about coming to see the girls. She didn't say where - at our house? At Anna's? I tried to call but no answer. I hopped off the treadmill and drove home. C wasn't there. Finally got a text saying she was at W&MC's. Guess I should've figured that out.

Freddie Freeman recently welcomed a baby daughter into his family. At 36, with a contract expiring in 2028, Freeman expects to play three more years, though his age 40 season. He'll need all of that to reach 3000 hits.  

DRAKE BALDWIN [Wiki Bio] went deep on 15-May & 16-May-2026 in Atlanta, both to deep center field. Both of these home runs against Boston disappeared beyond the shrubs in straightaway center. In college, he played for the University of Missouri Tigers. College highlights (First 6 minutes). Starting at DH in the 2024 Futures Game, he grounded out against Caden Dana, then hit a sac fly off A.J. Blubaugh, and homered off Fernando Perez.

Denison: Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill) condemned a Memorial Day social media post by the Democratic National Committee  that featured the images and names of 13 soldiers killed during the current military conflict with Iran, because it read “Remembering the Americans who have died in Trump’s war with Iran.” Duckworth is a Purple Heart recipient who lost her legs and partial use of her right arm when the helicopter she was piloting was hit by an RPG in Iraq. She said of the post, “It is incredibly distasteful to use our heroic dead for a political attack on Memorial Day. I’m a Democrat and I condemn this post by the DNC.” After similar criticism on both sides of the aisle, the DNC deleted the post.

The Rickwood Classic

You’d like this game at Rickwood Field. Lots of offense. Four of five home runs. One almost hit my car. They made me park beyond the right field fence. 

Manual scoreboard (below). National anthem sung by a barbershop quartet. One of the singers liked the Stripers shirt that I wore. 

Barons wearing the Black Barons uniforms worn by Willie Mays. Pensacola also wearing throwbacks. A charter bus of fans drove up from Pensacola for the game. 

Pensacola piled on the runs. Final score 23-4. 

I left home right at 7 am. Stopped at McDonalds for a $3 bacon egg & cheese biscuit. Didn’t stop by my Birmingham office because my friend Danny wasn’t available. Stopped by some thrift stores and an early lunch at Arby’s - two chicken sliders for $2 total. 

Then I drove up to the big Vulcan statue that overlooks the city, and checked out the museum. 

Arrived at the stadium parking lot at 1130. Should’ve gotten there earlier. Took me 45 minutes to park. The old school turnstiles weren't in use. 

On the way home I gassed up at Buccees. Got a $2 Sonic milkshake.

On the way back from Birmingham, after I passed Anniston and Oxford my GPS was telling me of trouble ahead, and to exit I-20 east of Heflin. Two other cars exited ahead of me, but the big trucks stayed on the interstate. Took the country road from the town of Abernathy past Fireworks City on across the Georgia state line all the way up to Tallapoosa (A), then north and east to Buchanan (C). Had the window down and was getting 38.6 MPG. Then basically took highway 120 basically all the way home.

Passed through Draketown and on to Dallas (D), then Macland Road (E) to Powder Springs Road into downtown Marietta - then east on 120 to the house. Took about the same amount of time it would've taken fighting traffic on 20 east, 285 north, and 75 north. A fun, relaxing trip. 

Whenever I take a road trip somewhere like Birmingham, it brings back all sorts of memories from previous trips, memories that I hadn't thought of in years. Above: the view of downtown Birmingham from Vulcan Park. Below: tickets weren't that cheap - but they were only ten bucks.

Tomorrow: National Hamburger Day.

The Good Old Days

Being a young adult these days is tough, especially financially. I get it. But. Back in my day it wasn’t exactly a bowl of cherries. 

Yes, houses were cheaper - but we weren’t earning much. When I finally landed a real job in 1985 my starting salary was $15000 - $1250 per month. Instead of traveling and buying a new car, I saved for a down payment for a house. I was single. Went on retreats with the youth and singles at my church. I was a frequent visitor to the numerous dollar theaters around town. 

Ate 19 cent macaroni and cheese, sometimes with a can of Kroger tuna fish mixed in. Canned chili or peanut butter with saltine crackers. Canned BBQ. Frozen pizzas. When I ate out, it was the fast food dollar menu, the Pizza Inn buffet, or the Western Sizzlin potato bar. But at least 4 days a week I’d take my lunch to work - usually keeping a pack of hot dogs and buns in the fridge at work. I don't see many young people doing this.

Didn’t play golf. When I finally took up the game, I cobbled together used clubs from my in laws and played at the cheapest course in town - which I still do to this day. General admission tickets to Braves games. 

This was before thrift stores became more prevalent. Not sure how I looked, but I rarely shopped for clothes. What I got for Christmas and my birthday usually got me by. For a couple of years my only jacket was the free windbreaker I received for coaching Mighty Mites. I wore that sucker out. 

When we got married we spent a lot of time renovating the 40 year old house we’d bought, doing a good bit of the work ourselves. We rarely took vacations, thankful for the annual beach trip paid for by my in laws. 

These days I see so many younger people not scrimping and saving, but going out to eat lunch 4-5 days a week, spending sometimes $15-20 a day. Arriving at work with a cup of expensive coffee. Going on lavish vacations. I’d hear about everything they’d spend money on, then them complain because they can’t afford a house. Some don’t seem interested in getting married, and even fewer are interested in having children. For sure it’s a different world.

Not talking about any one person in particular. Not just coworkers, but relatives, and some of the kids of friends and acquaintances. 

Thankful and blessed that so far two of my three kids have gotten married, bought houses, and have children.

Monday evening and this morning I was sore from the Kennesaw Mountain hike. This morning C dressed for the gym but said she didn't want to take her usual class because her hip was hurting. I suggested we left weights together, since she had recently mentioned that she wanted me to show her how to use the machines. So we did. She had 30 minutes, and after she left I did some stretching, sat in the sauna, and cooled off on the treadmill. 

Listening to the Vince Flynn novel Oath of Loyalty, number 17 in the Mitch Rapp series. Very good, but lots of shooting and stuff. Not sure I've read all 17, but I've read several.

Ceil cooked lasagna tonight. Very good. Also grilled squash with onions, and a tossed salad.  

Memorial Day Hike

This morning I climbed Kennesaw Mountain, with several guys from Sunday School. Nice and not too misty. About 1-1/8 up and down. Brian, Dan, Steve, Jim, and David. Also Brian's dog, Winston. When we got to the top it was too cloudy to see anything.

The plan is to hike the mountain every Saturday morning, stretching it out to go up Kennesaw, then continue over to Little Kennesaw Mountain and down the other side, then hike back - a total of 6.6 miles. It’ll be good for me to add in a different kind of training. Gotta get some hiking poles. 

After the hike I stopped by the Goodwill just west of the Marietta Square, then across the street to McDonalds for a bacon egg & cheese biscuit. Then straight east back to the gym, for the sauna and treadmill. 

Stopped by the house, then made an afternoon excursion. Stopped by three more thrift stores looking for those hiking poles. Got a frosty from Wendy’s and a BOGO chicken sandwiches from McDonald’s.

Drove up to Beaver Mazda in Cumming for a presentation on their new CS-5 SUV. Those who attend are entered to win a 3 year lease. I was the only one at the 2 pm presentation, but they said about 50 had attended throughout the day. The drawing is Friday. 

After church yesterday we just hung around the house, watching golf and the Braves.

The Courage to Dislike This Book

I recently finished "The Courage To Be Disliked". The book was written from the point of view that Christianity is no longer a valid lifestyle in the world today, it is a thing of the past. The book tries to justify the Japanese premise that high productivity leads to happiness, that there is no meaning to life other than that. With Japan's skyrocketing suicide rate, how is their God-less society working out for them?

I asked AI to summarize the book. First time I'd ever used AI to cmplete so complex a task.  Here's what it said: The Courage to Be Disliked presents the ideas of Adlerian psychology, arguing that happiness comes from taking responsibility for one’s life, focusing on the present, and accepting that not everyone will like you. It challenges beliefs about inferiority and the need for others’ approval, and invites the reader to live more freely by contributing to community.

Format and premise: how to achieve happiness using Alfred Adler’s “individual psychology,” which emphasizes choice, purpose, and social connection over past causes like childhood events.

Key psychological ideas: “trauma does not exist” in a deterministic sense. People use past events as reasons to justify present choices, rather than being controlled by them. Feelings of inferiority are described as subjective interpretations; an “inferiority complex” becomes an excuse not to act. Life is reframed as non‑competitive rather than a constant comparison with others.

Interpersonal problems and “tasks”: the authors claim that virtually all problems are interpersonal relationship problems that arise from comparison, approval‑seeking, and power struggles. Each person is responsible for their own life tasks and emotions. Suffering comes from trying to control or solve what actually belongs to someone else. 

Community feeling and contribution: a central goal of life is to gain a sense of belonging or “community,” seeing others as comrades rather than threats or competitors. A person finds value and happiness by contributing to others and the wider community through work, relationships, and everyday actions, rather than chasing status or recognition. 

The “courage to be disliked”: real freedom means acting in line with your own convictions even when this leads some people to dislike you, since their opinions are their own “task,” not yours. Letting go of the desire for recognition and practicing self‑acceptance—acknowledging both strengths and limits as they are—allows one to live fully in the here and now instead of anxiously performing for others. 

Article: a gay "bishop" at an Oakland United Church of Christ says the Bible has become problematic, and not the word of God. Who moved?

Noah's Ark: researchers investigating a massive boat-shaped formation near Mount Ararat have uncovered what appear to be underground corridors and chambers, raising fresh questions about whether this site could be linked to the biblical Ark. Advanced radar scans revealed tunnel-like structures and a central cavity that strikingly resemble the internal layout of a vessel described in ancient texts.

There's a hundred year old castle worth checking out at Huntington Beach State Park, just a few miles north of Pawley's Island.

There's a Bob Uecker movie coming out soon. Watch the trailer and sign up for updates.

Quote for the day: “Truth is the agreement of our ideas with the ideas of God.” — Jonathan Edwards

Caitlin Clark: Admirable?

Caitlin Clark is indeed great. People flock to see her. The straw that stirs the drink. Truly the goose that laid the golden egg. Sure there are other players who are talented, other stars. But what's with the effort to downplay Clark's accomplishments? Allowing the thugs in the league to beat Clark up, night after night? The NHL never allowed Wayne Gretzky to be beat up. 

I will admit - Clark doesn't shy away from contact - she goes after it. The drives to the basket. The glare. She initiates contact, and complains to refs - almost incessantly. Not exactly the type player that I usually admire. But the type tough player that you'd think would earn the respect of the other players. Notice I didn't say peers.

Why do other players have Clark in such contempt? Such a bad look. Sure looks like jealousy. Would they rather play before fewer fans, get lower TV ratings, have less money for player salaries? From the outside, this contempt doesn't make sense. What changed that caused the sudden surge in WNBA popularity? Sure there are other new players coming into the league, joining a galaxy of established stars, but so many refuse to give Clark the credit that she so obviously is due. 

When Tiger burst onto the golf scene, winning tournaments and majors and sucking up the attention and sponsorship revenue - how did the other players react? They didn't tear him down. They reveled in the higher purses. They worked on their games, raising themselves to higher levels in an effort to compete. Together, Tiger and his contemporaries reinvented an even greater PGA Tour. Would be nice if the WNBA could be able to do the same.  

How will this end? Will the WNBA figure out that Caitlyn is a treasure? Will Clark's attitude change? I'm sure it's frustrating to get beat up so much. Seems like Clark and the league need to meet somewhere in the middle. For sure the WNBA is more watchable when Clark is playing, as opposed to when she is sitting on the sidelines.

Similarly, a website ranked Arch Manning as only the tenth best player in the country. Perhaps just an effort to get clicks. Arch is the odds on choice to win the Heisman, and will most probably be the number one overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. 

Saw a list of great Great UGA baseball players. Of course all were from the last few years. Notable omissions: Derek Lilliquist. Jeff Treadway. Jeff Pyburn. Buck Belue. Dave Fleming. Chris Carpenter. and Glenn Davis. Spud Chandler was an AL MVP with the Yankees. He still owns the MLB record for the highest winning percentage in history. 

Article: the time John Wilkes Booth’s brother saved the life of Abraham Lincoln’s son.

SHOHEI OHTANI  [B-R Bio] is the only player to win more than one MVP unanimously. All four of Ohtani’s MVPs, 2021, 2023, 2024 & 2025, were unanimous. He is the only player to win a National League MVP after winning an American League MVP. Only he and Frank Robinson have won MVPs in both leagues. In 2025 Ohtani's three bBobblehead days were 02-Apr, 15-May, and 27 Aug.

The All Time All Madden Team

Thursday: Anna and baby Miller visited us for several hours. We got Millie to take a much needed nap. I was worn out from the long Wednesday, and sleeping on the couch. Ceil just had to wake up early Thursday morning to see Will off to work - which led to Shivonne and Millie waking up earlier than they would have. 

I took an afternoon nap as well. C took the girls to Target without me. They bought a stomp rocket, which was lots of fun out in the driveway. You load the little rocket on the launchpad, then stomp on the attached air cushion - shooting the rocket over 20 feet in the air. Ceil didn't see how the rocket plummeting straight back down to earth could pose a safety issue for a 2 year old looking up in the sky, too young to be able to catch the rocket before it hits them in their eye.

Matthew stopped by. We loaded our old bed frame into his truck, and he helped me carry our box springs upstairs. Later Will helped me carry the mattress upstairs, as well as Ceil's cedar chest. Getting closer to being able to get one car into our 2 car garage. 

  

After Will took the girls home, we crashed onto the couch. Watched Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy, and the Braves game.   

This morning Ceil had to drive down to W&MCs to keep the girls. I did 5 miles on the treadmill at the gym, plus sat in the sauna. 

Lunched at Whataburger. Patty melt, tasteless fries, and a Coke Zero. I may be finally outgrowing my constant search for fast food deals. The food just isn't that good. Should've realized this years ago, I know.

Not everyone named to the 1997 Madden All Time Team was able to make the photo. Dick Butkus is a notable exception. I  still recognize most of these guys, but did had to look up a couple.

Front row: Willie Lanier, Walter Payton, Joe Namath, John Madden, John Mackey, Willie Wood, Don Maynard. 

Middle: Mike Curtis, Larry Little, John Stallworth, Larry Csonka, Roger Staubach, Paul Warfield, Herb Adderly.

Back: Mark Bavaro, Gary Clark, Mike Haynes, Jack Young blood, Jerry Kramer, Jackie Slater, Mike Webster, Buck Buchanan, Randy White, Joe Jacoby, Anthony Munoz.

David Hurt's oldest daughter Haley bought a condo. Somewhere in Buckhead I think. Not sure. maybe near Chastain Park. She actually frequented Bellwood Coffee.

Denison on why The Late Show matters to our culture and our souls: "I think the show’s ending is relevant not because it was losing millions, or that CBS allegedly acted for political reasons, but for a different reason. As Elahe Izadi reports in the Washington Post, “We no longer choose from a handful of late-night hosts to get our fix of breezy celebrity interviews; there’s an endless supply of podcasts for that.” She quotes Robert Thompson, a Syracuse University professor of television and popular culture: "Like all broadcast television, it was cultural glue. We all fed from the same cultural trough. That is gone and only remains in a few pockets, and those pockets are falling one by one. When Colbert leaves, another one of those important pockets will have fallen". 

Denison: "I’d like to suggest that losing such “cultural glue” is good for our culture. And for our souls".

Colbert, a professed Catholic and former Sunday School teacher, recently stirred controversy by opining a more Buddhist view of life after death. 

CARL YASTRZEMSKI [SABR Bio] had more at-bats than any other left-handed major leaguer, with 11988. Only Pete Rose and Hank Aaron had more. Yaz was the first American Leaguer to earn a Gold Glove and win the batting title the same season, in 1963. He hit .321 and also led in hits (183), doubles (40), walks (95), OBP (.418), and made the first of 18 All-Star appearances. Yaz was the only player to collect a hit against Satchel Paige upon Paige's return to the majors after a 12-year absence. On 25-Sep-1965, Paige was brought in to open for the Kansas City Athletics. Paige pitched 3 shutout innings, and a double by Yaz in the first was the only hit. Read here.