Stranger in the Lifeboat

Just finished Mitch Albom’s “The Stranger in the Lifeboat”. Very good. Read by the author.

R.I.P. Jerry West. The logo. Pretty sure L gave me a Jerry West Grizzlies bobblehead. Sept 4 the Braves are giving away Ludacris bobbleheads. Braves lose again. Everyone is still panicking.

All my social media algorithms make WNBA updates pop up on my social media. I’m getting text messages from the Atlanta Dream. Their game was a sellout last night. Saw where one of the Dream players made the Olympic team.

Still gets my goat when people sit in their cars with the engine running, or wait 30 minutes in a drive through line in a gas guzzling SUV – then support global warming “climate change” initiatives without doing their part for the environment. Actions speak louder than words.

It is so hard for kids these days, much harder than when you or I grew up. Our kids grew up going to the beach every year with their 9 cousins. Twelve cousins and Will is the only one with kids, though only 7 are over 30. Only 6 are married or engaged. Young people today are getting married later (if at all) and aren’t having as many children, and when they do they’re only having one or two. The US population is getting older. We’re not replacing ourselves. The birth rate is in decline worldwide, except for the Muslims. Young people are saying they don’t want to bring a child into this world. It’s tougher for them to buy a house. Denison talks about this stuff all the time. I’ve thought how the military would help so many young people these days. Might’ve helped Matthew. Surely would’ve helped me.

I did good skipping my Diet Mtn Dew again this AM. I’ve been mixing VitaminWater Lemonade Zero with a splash of Gatorade for flavor. I am missing the caffeine.

Tuesday: worked past 7 pm. Wasn’t hungry because there were leftovers from Jason’s Deli: sandwiches, pasta salad, a tossed salad. Stopped by Dollar Tree on the way home. Got home at 8 pm. C had fixed pork chops, so I nibbled. We didn’t even turn on the TV. I didn’t get out my laptop, just played on my phone.

Wednesday: up early to lift weights at the gym. My old boss brought me in an apple fritter. Family dinner at W&MC’s tonight. Not sure what’s on the menu. Will is cooking.

NAPOLEON LAJOIE  [SABR Bio] holds the record in organized baseball for the single-season highest batting average in the 20th century. His .426 in 1901 for Connie Mack’s freshly minted Philadelphia A’s has never been topped in the AL, NL or PL. Craig Biggio hit his 658th double to become the right-handed batter with the most career doubles, passing Lajoie’s 657 total. Brett has since been passed by Albert Pujols. Nap was the first American Leaguer with a WAR of 10.0 in one season. His 10.0 WAR in 1906 led both leagues.

DENISON: many are mourning the loss of civilians who died during the rescue operation (including the US VP). The Israeli military reported that Hamas sought to fire at Israeli forces behind civilians. Some voiced anger at Hamas for holding hostages in residential buildings.

ME: the AP had been reporting erroneous and inflated casualty figures they’d received from Hamas.