Meet the Beatles

Started a new book: James Patterson's The Last Days of John Lennon. It's giving a history of the Beatles. Young Paul was a fan of John. John eventually asked Paul to join his band. A brilliant musician, George was even younger. Paul convinced John that George was needed in the band. Later George was deported from Hamburg for being too young to work with the band. Stuart Sutcliffe quit the band to marry Astrid, a German photographer. Then Stuart died of a blood clot in his brain, at 21. John named the band the Beatles because (1) he was a fan of Buddy Holly and the Crickets, and (2) Beatles (not Beetles) because he liked the play on words.

The band needed a drummer, and added Pete Best for the first two years. Best wasn't that good, and when the band landed a recording contract the poor drumming could no longer be tolerated. Originally the band slicked their hair back into ducktails. When they started landing better gigs they were instructed to ditch their leather and wear suits. That's when George showed up with the mop top haircut. John and Paul followed suit. When Ringo joined the band, he shaved his heavy beard and added the mop top. A young musician named Mick Jagger copied the Beatles look.

Unlike the quiet, brooding Pete, Ringo was smiling and outgoing, and fit in perfectly with John, Paul, and George. Ringo got his name from all the rings he wore. The early music wasn't great, but recording executives could see their personalities would attract the huge following. John and Paul couldn't read music, but worked hard to figure out cords and progressions - often whistling to tell the other what note they wanted.

Between Netflix and Hulu and Amazon and Hallmark, we have all kinds of movies to watch. Ceil remembers which Hallmark movies we've seen before, they're all the same to me. There are so many movies I haven't heard of, it's hard to find a good one. They're all so trashing – cussin' and drinkin' and using drugs and killing and such.

I never went to many movies as a kid or even as a teen. A few in college but more when I was single. One year I kept track, making an effort to watch as many movies as possible – more than one per day. Now we watch more Hallmark type movies than TV shows, which have all become so liberal and woke. Used to like The Neighborhood, but it got too political. Love Chicago Med but we always miss it. Ceil likes this frontier show called When Calls the Heart, which is okay but plodding.

Braves win again. Another grand slam. Fried looked good in his return. Still only 1-1/2 games out of first with 132 games to play. In the NL East only the Phillies have a better record in the last ten games.

These days with travel ball and elite teams , baseball has before too expensive for poor kids. So baseball players either come from the suburbs or from poor countries. In the US minority kids play basketball first, or them football. Like you said so many relivers throwing upper 90's has strikeouts up. Doesn't help that everyone swings for the fences, as opposed to line drives to the opposite field. That's why the Cardinals are so successful.

Wednesday night Ceil cooked Mexican for Cinco de Mayo: grilled chicken, rice, salsa, guacamole, corn. I made a quesadilla. No beans. A touch of BBQ sauce really added to the flavor. Brought leftovers today for lunch. After supper while I did the dishes, Ceil had to go to the grocery. After final Jeopardy I started up Chicago Med, which was good.

Had a dream last night that a hymn was being sung. Now I'm forgetting which hymn (The Old Rugged Cross?).

BOB TURLEY [SABR Bio] the former Trojan was the first New York Yankee to win a Cy Young Award. Born in Troy, Illinois. Won the 1958 CYA, the 3rd one ever awarded. Of his twenty-one victories that season, nineteen were complete games -  21-7 in 1958. He is the only 20th century pitcher to issue more bases-on-balls than he allowed hits per season in consecutive years for different teams (minimum 100 IP/yr). In 247⅓ IP for BAL in 1954, Turley walked 181 and gave up 178 H. In 246⅔ IP for NYY in 1955, he walked 177, giving up 168 hits. Only he and Matt Kilroy have led the league in strikeouts pitching a season for the Baltimore Orioles. Kilroy had 513 K in 68 games for the Orioles in 1886 in the AA. Turley led the AL in 1954 pitching for BAL of the AL w/185 K in 35 games. Sadie McMahon's 291 K led the NL in 1890. However, only 66 of them were while playing for BAL.

 

Things to do at the end of the work day:

1. Make sure you've read all your email.

2. Connect with a co-worker or colleague.

3. Check in with your boss.

4. Reflect on all you've accomplished that day.

5. Be honest about what you've been putting off.

6. Spell out what you have to do in the morning.

7. Log off at the same time every day.

8. Be sure to actually log off.

9. Add these end of the day items to your calendar.

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