Author: fasted86

Briefly. (Well actually, the longest one I’ve put together in quite a while. I hope you enjoy.)

Siri, how is it that I always miss it with women?
Ahhh, this is Alexa…

Trivia #1: What’s the only division in the NFL that features four teams that have all selected quarterbacks with the No. 1 overall pick at some point in the Super Bowl era?
Trivia #2: What team tied their franchise record with nine homeruns in a game this week on August 31^th and, at the same time, set the NL record for homeruns in one month with 62?
Trivia $3: On the Periodic Table, what does the symbol ‘ER’ represent?
Trivia #4: Which was NOT a member of the rock band ‘Buffalo Springfield’ – David Crosby, Neil Young, Richie Furay, Dewey Martin, Stephen Stills, Bruce Palmer

On this date: September 4, 476, Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman Emperor, abdicates after forces led by Odoacer invade Rome, the traditional date for the end of the Western Roman Empire
September 4, 1609, Navigator Henry Hudson is the first European to discover the island of Manhattan
September 4, 1807, Robert Fulton begins operating scheduled passenger service on his steamboat between New York and Albany
September 4, 1862, General Lee begins the Maryland Campaign, invading the North with 50,000 Confederate troops (U.S. Civil War)
September 4, 1886, Apache Chief Geronimo surrenders, ending the last major US-Indian war
September 4, 1920, Man o’ War wins the 1 5/8-mile Lawrence Realization Stakes at Belmont Park by 100 lengths, the largest winning margin in modern thoroughbred racing history, with a world record time of 2:40.8
September 4, 1950, NAZCAR’s first paved superspeedway, Darlington Raceway, hosts the Southern 500, the first 500-mile event in NAZCAR history; Johnny Mantz wins in a Plymouth
September 4, 1972, US 4 x 100 m medley relay team of Mike Stamm, Tom Bruce, Mark Spitz, and Jerry Heidenreich sets a world record of 3:48.16 to win gold at the Munich Olympics; Mark Spitz becomes the first athlete to win seven Olympic gold medals at a single Games
September 4, 1991, Gus Van Sant’s film “My Own Private Idaho,” starring Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix, premieres at the 48th Venice International Film Festival
September 4, 1993, MLB New York Yankees one-handed pitcher Jim Abbott no-hits Cleveland Indians 4-0 at Yankee Stadium
September 4, 2002, After blowing an 11-run lead to Kansas City, Scott Hatteberg’s bottom of the 9th walk-off home run gives Oakland a historic MLB victory, 12-11; A’s set an AL record 20-game winning streak (What??? You never watched the movie “Moneyball?”)
September 4, 2018, FBI announces it has recovered a pair of Dorothy’s ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz,” stolen 13 years earlier

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: The National Football League announced plans to elevate the Pro Bowl presented by Verizon selection as one of the league’s most meaningful individual honors, recognizing exclusively the very best players from each NFL season. Beginning with the 2026 season, 88 players will comprise the official Pro Bowl presented by Verizon class, with no replacement selections. As part of that focus, the NFL will no longer stage an AFC vs. NFC Pro Bowl game. Instead, the league will place greater emphasis on the moment a player is selected, the recognition that accompanies that distinction and bringing the Pro Bowl presented by Verizon class together to celebrate the achievement.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination, part deux: A record 15 rookies have hit homeruns this season in their first-ever MLB plate appearance.

Article I’ll skip: Deadly mosquito-borne virus claims first life in major US city as cases spread

Fall down, go boom! More than 14 million older adults fall every year in the U.S., perhaps none so often as 91-year-old Dale “Grey Beard” Sanders. By his count, Sanders fell 71 times while reclaiming his record as the oldest hiker to complete the Appalachian Trail. Six were what he calls hard falls, including one that led to a brief hospitalization and another just 200 yards from the finish. But none were enough to permanently divert him from the 2,193-mile (3,530-kilometer) trail that runs between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.

Don’t be that guy: Don’t spit on the putting green.

By this time next week, the Patriots will have played their season opener versus the Seahawks in a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl. Personally, I can’t wait for football!

Speaking of which, a full college slate began last night and runs through Sunday night.

Go Irish!

September… football… good! Nearing the end of summer… bad.

Staying within the salary-cap, you’re doing it wrong. The NBA stripped five first-round draft picks from the Los Angeles Clippers, fined owner Steve Ballmer $30 million and suspended key executives after a yearlong investigation found that the team circumvented salary-cap rules in connection with Kawhi Leonard. Ouch!

Bad news: Tiger Woods is losing his license for 5 years. Good news: He was cleared to drive a golf cart. Really.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Zoox announced that its driverless robotaxis will begin transporting passengers to and from Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, marking the company’s first airport service. The Amazon-owned company said that, beginning Thursday, riders can book trips between Harry Reid International Airport and the Las Vegas Strip. The robotaxis use lights and audio cues to help riders locate them in busy pickup areas. The vehicles seat four passengers and feature carriage-style seating, with two rows facing each other. The company said there is enough room for roughly one piece of luggage per person if the vehicle is full.

It’s better to burn out, than to fade away.

Trivia #1 answer: What’s the only division in the NFL that features four teams that have all selected quarterbacks with the No. 1 overall pick at some point in the Super Bowl era? – The AFC South: The Colts have made four such picks. The others are Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Cam Ward (Titans), David Carr (Texans)
Trivia #2 answer: What team tied their franchise record with nine homeruns in a game on August 31^th and, at the same time, set the NL record for homeruns in one month with 62? – The Chicago Cub(bies)
Trivia #3 answer: On the Periodic Table, what does the symbol ‘ER’ represent? – Erbia – It has a pink color and is used to color glass and glazes.
Trivia #4 answer: Which was NOT a member of the rock band ‘Buffalo Springfield’ – David Crosby, Neil Young, Richie Furay, Dewey Martin, Stephen Stills, Bruce Palmer – David Crosby was not a member

The Lord said to John; “Come forth and you shall receive eternal life.” But John came fifth and won a toaster.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Chianti Day!

“There’s battle lines being drawn
Nobody’s right if everybody’s wrong
Young people speaking’ their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

It’s time we stop
Hey, what’s that sound?
Everybody look – what’s going down?”

Buffalo Springfield (For What’s It Worth)

Bonus – B’52’s (Private Idaho)

 Briefly. (I’ve got “stuff” to do)

The word “retard” is not meant for people with handicaps. It is meant for non-handicapped people who are stupid. If you don’t understand this then you are a retard.

Trivia #1: What is a Marechal Foch?
Trivia #2: If you know anything about the Hartford Whalers (former NHL team) then you know Ron Francis is the leading scorer in franchise history with 821 points. Who is #2 with 503 points?

On this date: August 28, 475, Roman general Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his capital city, Ravenna, now seen as the end of the Roman Empire in the West
August 28, 1859, A geomagnetic storm causes the Aurora Borealis to shine so brightly that it is seen clearly over parts of the USA, Europe, and even as far afield as Japan
August 28, 1898, Caleb Bradham renames his carbonated soft drink “Pepsi-Cola” – (Editor’s note: I’m a Coke guy, not a Pepsi guy. You?)
August 28, 1907, United Parcel Service is founded by James E. Casey in Seattle, Washington
August 28, 1916, Germany declares war on Romania; Italy declares war on Germany. (Ya, take that!)
August 28, 1918, MLB Cleveland Indians outfielder Tris Speaker is suspended for the season due to an assault on umpire Tom Connolly
August 28, 1955, Chicago black teenager Emmett Till is kidnapped, beaten and shot dead by white men in Money Mississippi; his killers are eventually acquitted, but the case helps ignite the US civil rights movement.
August 28, 1973, Tamla/Motown releases “Let’s Get It On,” the 13^th studio album by Marvin Gaye
August 28, 1983, Joseph Kreckman sets a record of 2,215 clay pigeons shot in an hour
August 28, 1995, Northants 7-781 declared defeat Nottinghamshire 527 and 157. (Wait… what?)
August 28, 2018, Aretha Franklin lies in state at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit in a 24-karat gold coffin

Fun fact: “A nut for a jar of tuna” spelled backwards is “A nut for a jar of tuna.”

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Florida is becoming the first state to impose sweeping new limits on how welfare cash can be spent, blocking recipients from using cash-assistance benefits loaded onto EBT cards for purchases like tattoos, theme park tickets, video games, vaping products and other items not generally considered “basic needs.” – (How is it that I’m shocked this was/is happening in the first place?? Silly me.)

Don’t be that guy: Please don’t scrape the corn with a knife when eating corn-on-the-cob. Pick it up and eat it like a neanderthal. Eat it row-by-row or turn it as you eat, but no utensils, please.

Stop complaining: Rescue teams are now searching for the more than 1,300 people who went missing during the floods along the Nepal-China border. Many of them were foreigners and pilgrims. The catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet that have killed at least 273 people were triggered by a massive glacier collapse and debris flow that registered as a magnitude 5.2 landslide. Hydrological observations indicate the exceptional speed and magnitude of the flood wave. At one point, the water levels on the Trishuli River rose by as much as 27 feet in just a half hour. Wowza!

Whoddua thunk the Red Sox/Yankees series this weekend would be a thing 10 weeks ago? Bring it on!

Yankees suck!

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: When renewing my truck’s registration online and paying with a credit card, the maximum  payment allowed is $999,999.

Article I’ll skip: Jaxson Dart’s social media star girlfriend is turning into a fashion muse

R.I.P. – Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean (80) – an American singer-songwriter, actress and businesswoman. Dubbed the “Queen of Country”, Parton was one of the most honored performers of country music in history, earning eleven Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, six Golden Globes and a Tony Award. She was also known for her cultural influence  and Philanthropy via Dolllywood and the Dollywood Foundation. With more than 100 million records sold, Parton is among the best-selling music artists of all time.

Trivia #1 answer: What is a Marechal Foch? – An inter-specific hybrid French red wine grape variety. It was developed at the Oberlin Institute in Colmar-Alsace, at the beginning of the 20th century, then known as Kuhlmann 188-2, by Eugène Kuhlmann.
Trivia #2 answer: If you know anything about the Hartford Whalers (former NHL team) then you know Ron Francis is the leading scorer in franchise history with 821 points. Who is #2 with 503 points? – Kevin Dineen (followed by Pat Verbeek (403), Blain Stoughton (377) and Geoff Sanderson (352)).

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Red Wine Day! (Ya, baby! I’ll drink to that!)

Good news: Researches say dogs can detect prostate cancer.
Bad news: It’s really hard to get a dog to wear a rubber glove.

“I’ve been really trying, baby
Trying to hold back this feeling for so long
And if you feel like I feel, baby
Then come on, oh, come on, ooh

Let’s get it on, ow, baby
Let’s get it on, let’s love, baby
Let’s get it on, sugar
Let’s get it on, woo”

Marvin Gaye (Let’s Get It On)

Bonus! – Bad Company (Shooting Star) – It just happened to be “in my head.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWkpenUniVg&list=RDQWkpenUniVg&index=1

Briefly.

Remember, it takes two people to destroy a relationship. So, it’s not just her fault… it’s also her mother’s.

Trivia #1: What was John Henry “Doc” Holliday’s occupation? – Physician, Surgeon, Dentist, Apothecary, Accoucheur (physician-obstetrician), Alternative Practitioner, Plastic Surgeon
Trivia #2: Tropical storm Lala is expected to strengthen and develop into a hurricane as it approaches Hawaii. Prior to Lala, how many hurricanes have made landfall on the Big Island of Hawaii? – 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11
Trivia #3: What NFL team has the best preseason winning percentage?

On this date: August 14, 1040, King Duncan I of Scotland is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth, who succeeds him as king (not murdered in his sleep as in Shakespeare’s play)
August 14, 1820, the first US eye hospital, the NY Eye Infirmary, opens in New York City
August 14, 1873, Field & Stream begins publishing
August 14, 1908, The first beauty contest is held in Folkestone, England
August 14, 1932, Brooklyn Dodgers reliever Johnny Quinn, 49, becomes the oldest pitcher to win an MLB game in a 2-1, 10th-inning victory over the NY Giants at the Polo Grounds
August 14, 1937, The Appalachian Trail is formally completed, traversing 2,000 miles and 14 US states from Georgia to Maine
August 14, 1945, V-J Day, the Empire of Japan surrenders unconditionally to the Allies, ending World War II (August 15 in Japan and other countries depending on the time zone)
August 14, 1979, A rainbow is seen in the north of Wales for a three-hour duration
August 14, 1983, Ramones guitarist Johnny Ramone suffers a fractured skull from a kick to the head in a fight over a woman in Queens, NYC, and undergoes brain surgery
August 14, 1997, Convicted Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh formally sentenced to death by Oklahoma Court of Appeals

The woman who fell off the cruise ship last week has been identified. Her name was Eileen Dover.

It’s not heaven, it’s Iowa. Major League Baseball returned to the baseball movie version of heaven on Thursday afternoon, with the now-traditional Field of Dreams game. A tribute to one of the most iconic baseball movies in film history, the game started with a fitting, and fantastic, tribute to both the movie’s famous cornfield, and the history of real-world baseball. After the two teams walked through the corn to enter the field, Kyle Schwarber and Byron Buxton introduced a group of 26 Hall of Fame players who followed suit. Schwarber then led off the game with a homerun into the cornfield. Kinda cool.

Stop complaining: (I thought this was worth repeating from last Friday.) A good friend of my wife’s house burned to the ground last weekend. Thankfully, no one was hurt but most everything was lost. Her husband and 23-year-old son didn’t even have time to grab their wallets. Clothes, furniture (some antique), pictures, food, heirlooms, etc., gone. So, whatever you’re bitching about this morning, you might take a minute and reassess.

Article I’ll skip: Old WNBA post resurfaces as league stalls on whether males are eligible to play.

Headline of the week: Women’s Tour de France hit with scandal as teams accuse riders of waring padded bras to gain an advantage.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: August 14, 1979, a rainbow is seen in the north of Wales for a three-hour duration.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: U.S. demand for electricity is expected to hit an all-time high both this year and next, driven by the data center buildout of Big Tech. This is the latest in a series of record-demand projections by the Energy Information Administration. There is one problem, though. That problem is the grid. Electricity consumption in the United States has already had two record-breaking years: 2024 and 2025. The trend is seen extending and possibly accelerating because of the IT industry and its artificial intelligence race, hitting 4,268 billion kWh this year and rising further to 4,391 billion kWh in 2027. But for that to happen smoothly and without blackouts, the grid needs to start getting upgraded.

Gotta do what you can just to keep your love alive.
Trying not to confuse it with what you do to survive.

Good news: Massachusetts (Bridgewater, to be specific) has advanced to represent New England in the Little League World Series. Good luck to them.

Trivia #1 answer: What was John Henry “Doc” Holliday’s occupation? – Physician, Surgeon, Dentist, Apothecary, Accoucheur (physician-obstetrician), Alternative Practitioner, Plastic Surgeon – He was a dentist
Trivia #2 answer: Tropical storm Lala is expected to strengthen and develop into a hurricane as it approaches Hawaii. Prior to Lala, how many hurricanes have made landfall on the Big Island of Hawaii? – 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11 – Zero. Lala would be the first.
Trivia #3 answer: What NFL team has the best preseason winning percentage? – Who cares? I mean really, who cares?

Life is short. Go to the game, eat the hot dog, yell at the ump.

I was thinking… If I was a major league baseball player, my “walk-up” song would be “Happy Birthday.” That way, everyone would sing along each time I went up to bat and I would be pumped!

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Navajo Code Talkers Day!

“Hey ho, let’s go
Shoot ’em in the back now
What they want, I don’t know
They’re all revved up and ready to go

They’re forming in a straight line
They’re going through a tight wind
The kids are losing their minds
The Blitzkrieg Bop”

Ramones (Blitzkrieg Bop)

Was that a little much for you? How about we slow it (way) down a bit. Say… a little Billy Joel?

Now, come on. Doesn’t he look a little like Rocky Balboa here?

Briefly.

Wife: “I came home to find our son’s been on eBay all day.”
Husband: “Maybe you should lower the price.”

Trivia #1: What is the Russian word for “traveling companion?”
Trivia #2: Which MLB player is NOT in the top 10 in career saves? – Jeff Reardon, Lee Smith, Francisco Rodriguez, Trevor Hoffman, Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel
Trivia #3: Which NFL team had the most wins in the 2000’s?
Trivia #4: Walter Payton had a brother who played in the NFL. He played as a running back for the Lions and the Vikings in the late 70’s and early 80’s. What was his name? – John, Tyrone, Gus, Paul, Clark, Butch, Eddie

Try not to get TOO excited. The Red Sox record after 108 games this season was 57-51. In 2025 it was 57-51. In 2024 it was 57-51. In 2023 it was 57-51. Really!

Having said that, don’t look now but your Boston Red Sox have gone from 32-46 to 63-51! (31-5!) Last night’s come-from-behind, 13-inning win over the ChiSox was an all-timer. Resilient!

There was a football game played last night!

On this date: August 7, 322 BC, Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great
August 7, 1620, Battle at Ponts-the-Ce, Poitou: French king Louis XIII defeats his mother Marie de Medici
August 7, 1782, Commander of the Continental Army, George Washington, creates two Honorary Badges of Distinction and a Badge of Military Merit (now the Purple Heart). First time military awards are presented to common soldiers.
August 7, 1927, Peace Bridge over the Niagara River between the US and Canada is dedicated to commemorate 100 years of peace between the two countries
August 7, 1967, Fantasy Records releases “Green River”, the third studio album by the American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival, featuring the title track and “Bad Moon Rising”, and “Lodi”
August 7, 1987, Javed Miandad becomes the first to score 6,000 Test runs for Pakistan as he scores 260 in the drawn fifth Test against England at The Oval. Wait…what?
August 7, 2015, Former NFL football wide receiver Irving Fryar (52) and his mother Allene McGhee (74) are found guilty of mortgage fraud for obtaining multiple home equity loans totaling $1.2 million using the same collateral; he is later sentenced to 5 years in prison, and she to 3 years of probation, while both are held responsible to pay $615,600 in restitution to affected lenders

If you ever need me, I’m always just 3 missed calls and 4 text messages away.

Go away: All things WNBA. The league is in the news almost daily and almost always for controversial or political reasons. It’s a show that I don’t need.

Being neighborly, you’re doing it wrong. A mother and her teenage daughter were shot dead inside their Missouri home by a neighbor who stopped over to complain about a “dispute.” Robert Winkelman, 73, walked down the street to his neighbor’s House Springs, Missouri, home and confronted 38-year-old Jessica Lashly about what was going on at her house on July 25. When Lashly responded, Winkelman pulled out a gun and shot her in the head. When the victim’s 17-year-old daughter, Jersey Greer, tried to help her mother, Winkelman shot her in the head as well.

Stop complaining: A good friend of my wife’s house burned to the ground last weekend. Thankfully, no one was hurt but most everything was lost. Her husband and 23-year-old son didn’t even have time to grab their wallets. Clothes, furniture (some antique), pictures, food, heirlooms, etc., gone. So, whatever you’re bitching about this morning, you might take a minute and reassess.

Article I’ll skip: State fair survival guide: 23 essentials you’ll actually use (Unless you just don’t go to the state fair)

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Rory McIlroy was named as the most hated PGA tour pro in a recent survey. BFD! Does he even care??

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Wingate University told thousands of high schoolers some good news: They were already accepted into the class of 2030, and they’d be receiving $24,000 of scholarships. No application required. The private college outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, with some 2,600 undergraduates, is one of hundreds of universities that are admitting students who haven’t even applied. While some colleges have been using the tactic — called direct admissions — for years, many more are now trying it out, as they fight for a shrinking pool of prospective undergraduates.

Gotta do what you can just to keep your love alive.
Trying not to confuse it with what you do to survive.

Trivia #1 answer: What is the Russian word for “traveling companion?” – Sputnik
Trivia #2 answer: Which MLB player is NOT in the top 10 in career saves? – Jeff Reardon, Lee Smith, Francisco Rodriguez, Trevor Hoffman, Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel – Jeff Reardon is #13 with 367 saves.
Trivia #3 answer: Which NFL team had the most wins in the 2000’s? – The Indianapolis Colts
Trivia #4 answer: Walter Payton had a brother who played in the NFL. He played as a running back for the Lions and the Vikings in the late 70’s and early 80’s. What was his name? – John, Tyrone, Gus, Paul, Clark, Butch, Eddie – Eddie Payton

Life is short. Go to the game, eat the hot dog, yell at the ump.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Lighthouse Day!

So “naked hiking” means no GPS, no music, no distractions… I really wish someone would have clarified that sooner…

“Just about a year ago, I set out on the road
Seekin’ my fame and fortune, lookin’ for a pot of gold
Things got bad, and things got worse, I guess you will know the tune
Oh, Lord, stuck in Lodi again”

Creedence Clearwater Revival (Lodi)

Briefly.

I overheard a couple of jerks in a bar last night saying they wouldn’t feel safe on an aircraft if they knew the pilot was a woman. What a pair of sexist a-holes. I mean, it’s not as if she’d have to reverse the thing.

Trivia #1: ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky played his college football where? – UCONN, Rutgers, UMASS, URI, George Mason, UNH, Dartmouth
Trivia #2: What was the first capital of the United States? 

On this date: July 31, 432, St Sixtus III begins his reign as Catholic Pope
July 31, 1498, Christopher Columbus is the first European to discover the island of Trinidad on his third voyage
July 31, 1853, First nighttime surgery performed at Lychakiv Hospital in Lemberg (now Lviv, Ukraine) using new kerosene oil lamps invented by Ignacy Lukasiewicz
July 31, 1893, Gaelic League is founded by Douglas Hyde and Eoin MacNeill in order to encourage Irish people to speak the language and take a greater interest in their culture
July 31, 1988,  Last Playboy club in the US closes in Lansing, Michigan
July 31, 2012, Michael Phelps becomes the greatest medal winner in Olympic history as part of the winning American 4 x 200 m freestyle relay team in London, earning his 19th career Olympic medal and 15th overall gold (That’s a lotta medals)
July 31, 2023, City of Phoenix, Arizona, experiences a high temperature of 108°F (42.2°C), ending a heat record of 31 consecutive days of temperatures at or above 110°F (43.3°C) – (That’s a lotta hot!)

Wife: Shouting from upstairs; do you ever get a shooting pain across your body, like someone’s got a voodoo doll on you and they’re stabbing it.
Husband: No…
Wife: How about now?

Don’t be that guy: At least make an effort.

Go away: Fauci. Gahd, get your face off my television.

Ruh-roh. Older adults who take five or more prescription medications face a significantly higher risk of death compared to those taking fewer drugs. The research highlights the growing concern over polypharmacy, the medical term for taking five or more daily prescriptions, and its long-term effects on aging populations. (Looks as though I’m OK as it refers to “older adults” as age 65. Phew!)

Article I’ll skip: Hidden in plain sight: Scientist discover ‘demon’ catfish tucked away in cave

Circus act, you’re doing it wrong: A circus performer at the Orange Conty Fair (New York) was airlifted to a hospital after his colleague missed her target and hit him in the neck with an arrow while performing.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Regulators OK ESPN’s deal for NFL Network, RedZone rights from NFL. (Really, blah, blah, blah. The bottom line is, we will be paying more to watch less.)

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Multiple eyewitnesses say a fight between dueling 15U parents from Texas and Louisiana boiled over into an all-out fistfight at a so-called World Series event in Laurel, MS. Children could be heard screaming. Some cried. One even took what is believed to be a cleat and threw it at a parent.

Crying won’t help you, praying won’t do you no good.

Trivia #1 answer: ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky played his college football where? – UCONN, Rutgers, UMASS, URI, George Mason, UNH, Dartmouth – He played at UCONN (2001-2004)
Trivia #2 answer: What was the first capital of the United States? – New York City.

Peace, love and bacon!

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Avocado Day!

I hope you’ve all had a great July. If you haven’t, then go ahead and light it up today!

“And where do we go from here?
Which is a way that’s clear?
Still looking for that blue jean baby queen
Prettiest girl I’ve ever seen
See her shake on the movie screen, Jimmy Dean
(James Dean)”

David Essex (Rock On)

Bonus!

Briefly.

Instead of a condom, I carry a moist towelette in my wallet. The odds of me finding delicious chicken wings are far greater than my chances of getting laid.

Trivia #1: In 1968, who pitched in a record 907th major league game breaking Cy Young’s record for pitching appearances?
Trivia #2: Who won the 1979 championships in the NHL, NBA, MLB and the NFL (Super Bowl played in 1979)
Trivia #3: What is “CN” on the Periodic Table?
Trivia #4: Which of the following animals CANNOT be owned in the state of New Hampshire: Reindeer, Camel, Bison, Alpacas, Guinea Pig, Yak

On this date: July 24, 1139, Hartbert van Bierum becomes bishop of Utrecht
July 24, 1525, Second attempt to circumnavigate the globe as seven ships departs Corunna headed by García Jofre de Loaísa on orders of King Charles I of Spain for the Spice Islands (only one will make it)
July 24, 1660, Great Fire of 1660 in Constantinople: two-thirds of the city is destroyed, including 280,000 wooden houses, with a death toll of around 40,000
July 24, 1870, First trans-US rail service begins
July 24, 1956, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis stage their final show as a comedy team, at the Copacabana Club in New York City; performance ends in early hours of July 25, exactly ten years after their first gig together in Atlantic City, New Jersey
July 24, 1965, British rock group “The Animals” appear for the first time in the British charts
July 24, 1967, First modern hospice, St. Christopher’s, is founded by Dr. Cicely Saunders in London, beginning modern palliative care and the hospice movement
July 24, 1983, Pine Tar Game: George Brett’s home run is disallowed against the Yankees (overturned)
July 24, 1998, “Saving Private Ryan,” directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, and Matt Damon, is released (Academy Award for Best Director 1999) – One of my favorites… and not just because it makes me cry every time.

It appears that the 99 Restaurant in Haverhill is closed temporarily. I understand there is no truth to the rumor that they closed because they ran out of food due to kids eating for free following a Red Sox win.

But really, how ‘bout dem Red Sox!? I’m personally regressing more than 30 years ago when I/we continually got dragged into the Red Sox vortex only to be kicked in the nuts. I hope I’m wrong this time.

And speaking of the Red Sox, NFL training camps begin over the next few days.

Good news: Eko Health co-founder and CEO Connor Landgraf  showcased their AI-powered stethoscope that helps detect early signs of heart disease and arrhythmias in just 15 seconds. He described how their AI-powered stethoscope is revolutionizing cardiac care and improving patient outcomes. This innovative device amplifies heart and lung sounds, analyzes them in real-time and detects early signs of heart disease and arrhythmias in just 15 seconds. The technology offers physicians consistent, reliable insights, enhancing early diagnosis and intervention.

Article I’ll skip: Burger King makes major changes after thousands of customers sounded off. (I cannot recall the last time I either set foot in a Burger King or went through their drive-through. We’re talking decades.)

They said it: “I’ve never wished a man dead but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.” – Mark Twain

Headline of the week: Heidi Klum goes topless on the beach with nothing but a potato chip bag cover-up

Congratulations to Haverhill’s own Jordan Harris for getting resigned with the Boston Bruins. Best of everything to him.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Spain conceded 2.3 xG across the whole tournament – an average of 0.3 xG per game – the best recorded by a team in a World Cup since 1996.

The owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant in South Korea is facing up to a year in jail and a fine of roughly $13,510 after the eatery allegedly served ants atop its sorbets. The proprietor of the Seoul restaurant, acknowledged serving ants, which are not among the insect species approved for human consumption under South Korea’s Food Sanitation Act. The law approves 10 other insect species for human consumption — but not ants. Wait… what?

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A repeat from most summers… last week Little Rock, Arkansas reported the 14^th child hot car death in the United States this year. The US averages 37 per year. Come on, people!

The adjective for metal is metallic, but not so for iron, which I find ironic.

Trivia #1 answer: In 1968, who pitched in a record 907th major league game breaking Cy Young’s record for pitching appearances? – Hoyt Wilhelm
Trivia #2 answer: Who won the 1979 championships in the NHL, NBA, MLB and the NFL (Super Bowl played in 1979) – Montreal Canadiens (NHL), Seattle SuperSonics (NBA), Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB), Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)
Trivia #3 answer: What is “CN” on the Periodic Table? – Copernicium: A synthetic chemical element, its known isotopes are extremely radioactive, and have only been created in a laboratory. 
Trivia #4 answer: Which of the following animals CANNOT be owned in the state of New Hampshire: Reindeer, Camel, Bison, Alpacas, Guinea Pig, Yak – Reindeer are prohibited

When a fly flies through a fart, do you think they feel the same way we feel when we drive past a BBQ place?

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National Tequila Day! (What could go wrong?)

BTW, come on down for a beer this afternoon. It’s been a while…

“Come on and dance, come on and dance
Let’s make some romance
You know the night is fallin’
And the music’s callin’
And we’ve got to get down to Swingtown”

The Steve Miller Band (Swingtown)

Bonus, because you can’t have enough music in your life! (The Aniamls)

Briefly.

The bank just called and gave me the biggest compliment. They said my balance was outstanding!

Trivia #1: What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common?
Trivia #2: Who is the only MLB player to play for all four original expansion franchises and ONLY those franchises?
Trivia #3: Which country produces more major-leaguers per capita than any other country in the world?
Trivia #4: Who won the 2020 championships in the NHL, NBA, MLB and the NFL (Super Bowl played in 2020)

On this date: July 10, 48 BC, Battle of Dyrrhachium: Julius Caesar barely avoids a catastrophic defeat to Pompey near the city of Dyrrachium (in what is now Albania)
July 10, 1040, Lady Godiva rides naked on horseback through Coventry, according to legend, to persuade her husband, the Earl of Mercia, to lower taxes
July 10, 1796, Carl Friedrich Gauss discovers that every positive integer is representable as a sum of at most three triangular numbers
July 10, 1890, Wyoming becomes 44th state of US, the first with female suffrage
July 10, 1923, Two-pound hailstones kill 23 people and many cattle in Rostov, Russia
July 10, 1925, Meher Baba begins his silence of 44 years. His followers still observe Silence Day on this date in commemoration.
July 10, 1936, state record high temperatures were set in Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia
July 10, 1943, Singer Judy Garland (21) headlines her first solo concert, with an orchestra led by conductor Andre Kostelanetz at the Robin Hood Dell in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park; sell-out crowd of 15,000 augmented by additional 5,000 outside the open-air venue
July 10, 1975, Gladys Knight & the Pips Summer Series premieres on NBC-TV
July 10, 2018, Drake surpasses The Beatles’ record of most singles in the Billboard Hot 100 with seven from his album “Scorpion” against their five. (Drake? Who knew?)

Her: Why is your password “snowwhiteandthesevenswarfs?”
Me: I was told it had to be at least 8 characters.

Go away: Soccer (I know, not a popular comment but, gone away for a while in my world)

Article I’ll skip: World Cup teams move into the quarterfinals: Here’s how to stream every match without cable – Ya, I might watch the final, maybe. Until then, I’m good.

I’m going to buy a driving range and add a mat on one end that is all caged in and would be used solely for throwing clubs. Hit your bucket, then let it all hang out in the “throwing area.”

I’m still torn whether I like about the Jaylen Brown trade. I can tell you this, Paul George has played in more than 56 games in a season only once in his past 7, ½ the season or less in three of those. He’s 36.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: The average new car payment rose to an all-time high in the first quarter as American households continued to face affordability challenges in the economy. The average monthly payment for a new vehicle rose 2.9% from a year ago to a record of $770. And you don’t think credit scores matter?? Among borrowers with varying tiers of credit scores, the borrowers making the highest average monthly payments on new vehicles were nonprime borrowers with scores in the 601 to 660 range, who paid $811, followed by subprime borrowers with scores between 501 and 600 who paid $792.

Trivia #2 hint: The teams were the Angels, the Rangers, the Mets, and the Astros.

Contract dispute, you’re doing it wrong: Willard Gary Black, 85, a furniture manufacturer, allegedly shot and killed his business partner after a court ruled against him in a contract dispute. The shooting happened at the Old Hickory Tannery, where Robert Rogers Arguelles and Black were co-owners of the business. Earlier in the day, Black was ordered to pay Arguelles $310,882.74 after a contract dispute between the two men.

While some NFL team rookie camps begin as early as next Friday, most NFL camps start by the 21^st. Let’s go!

I have a friend who write songs about sewing machines. She’s a singer-songwriter, or sew it seems. – Wait… what?

Trivia #1 answer: What do Alexander the Great and Winnie the Pooh have in common? – They both have the same middle name
Trivia #2 answer: Who is the only MLB player to play for all four original expansion franchises and ONLY those franchises? – Nolan Ryan
Trivia #3 answer: Which country produces more major-leaguers per capita than any other country in the world? – Curacao
Trivia #4 answer: Who won the 2020 championships in the NHL, NBA, MLB and the NFL (Super Bowl played in 2020) – Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL), LA Lakers (NBA), LA Dodgers (MLB), New England Patriots (NFL)

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!)

Happy National French Fry Day!

“He’s leaving
(Leaving)
On that midnight train to Georgia, yeah
(Leaving on the midnight train)
Said he’s going back
(Going back to find)
To a simpler place and time, oh yes he is
(Whenever he takes that ride, guess who’s gonna be right by his side)
I’ll be with him
(I know you will)”

Gladys Knight & The Pips

Briefly. (Very!)

It’s so hot, my shadow is seeking shade.

It’s so hot, I’m sweating in places I didn’t know existed.

This is certainly day-drinking season. Have at it.

Trivia #1: What are the only two states in America that have recorded high temperatures of less than 100°.

On this date: July 3, 324, Battle of Adrianople: Roman Emporer Constantine I defeats his co-emporer Licinius, who flees to Byzantium

July 3, 1754, Severn Year’s War: George Washington surrenders to the French, Fort Necessity

July 3, 1861, Pony Express arrives in San Francisco with overland letters from New York

July 3, 1968, Cleveland Indians pitcher Luis Tiant strikes out MLB record 19 Minnesota Twins in 1-0 win; record for 10 inning game; also record 32 Ks in consecutive games

July 3, 1976, Brian Wilson joins the Beach Boys for the first time after his 12-year stage absence, at Anaheim Stadium in California

July 3, 1977, Triple Crown champion Seattle Slew’s 9-race win streak ends in the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park, finishes 4th

July 3, 2019, US produces the most waste per head globally and recycles the least at 35% according to new research by Verisk Maplecroft, Germany recycles the most at 68%

Worst Sign I ever(?) seen? Outside a small church in Ossipee, NH the other day. “God is not a pizza. He can’t be topped.” Are you shitting me? Is that all you got?

Headline of the week, courtesy of the New Post. The Yankees, marred in a 7-game losing streak and 13 straight scoring 4 or fewer runs, fell ill when leaving Boston after a recent 4-game visit. Several players contracted food poisoning prompting the Post to write; Finally, some runs for the Yankees

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: I entered a World Cup soccer contest on Draft Kings.

And anyone saying Jaylen Brown couldn’t play with Jason Tatum, maybe if Tatum kept his ass on the  court more often, we’d have a better look at that theory.

Article I’ll skip: Hollywood  stars turn on Dwayne Johnson over nhis new political decision

Trivia #1 answer: What are the only two states in America that have recorded high temperatures of less than 100°. – Alaska and Hawaii

As a public service, if you’re going surfing anytime soon in the north east, watch out for the poop!

It’s hot out there.

That’s all I got.