Author: fasted86

Briefly.

Me at 16: “This radio station is playing my song!”
Me at 21: “This bar is playing my song!”
Me now: “This grocery store is playing my song!”

Trivia #1: What MLB catcher has the most All-Star game starts?
Trivia #2: Who was the first Japanese player to play in MLB? – Hideo Nomo, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Masato Yoshi, Hideki Irabu, Takashi Kashiwada, Masanori Murakami

On this date: August 15, 636, Beginning of the five-day decisive Battle at Yarmuk: Muslim forces defeat the Byzantine army to take control of Syria for the first time
August 15, 1620, Mayflower sets sail from Southampton, England, with 102 Pilgrims
August 15, 1824, Freed American slaves establish Liberia on the West African coast through the American Colonization Society (ACS)
August 15, 1906, 1st freight delivery tunnel system begins, underneath Chicago
August 15, 1939, “The Wizard of Oz”, American musical fantasy film adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s book, premieres at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Hollywood
August 15, 1945, Victory over Japan Day, Surrender of Japan marks the end of World War II (August 14 in the Americas due to the time zone difference)
August 15, 1969, Woodstock Festival opens in Bethel, New York on Max Yasgur’s Dairy Farm; performers include Richie Havens, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie, Arlo Guthrie, and Joan Baez
August 15, 1975, MLB Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver is ejected from both games of a home doubleheader against the Texas Rangers
August, 15, 2008, Lee Berger and his nine-year-old son, Matthew, discover the two-million-year-old fossils of a new species of human ancestor (Australopithecus sediba) at Malapa Cave, South Africa

Stop complaining: A long-duration heat wave is underway across Denver and much of eastern Colorado, with 7 to 10 straight days of highs at or above 90 degrees expected.

Go away: Taylor Swift (Football season must be approaching)

Go Pats!

Taking care of yourself, you’re doing it wrong: Hayley McNeff, a nationally ranked bodybuilder, nutritionist and life coach, has died. She was 37. McNeff’s death was reported was described as “unexpected but peaceful.” 

The person who invented knock-knock jokes should get a no-bell prize.

Article I’ll skip: New research compares gut health effect ‘indicators’ of beef vs chicken

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: “Out of control” teens have turned community events into battlegrounds in one New Jersey town, prompting a new law that could send parents to jail for their children’s misbehavior. According to the Township of Gloucester Minors and Parents Responsibility Ordinance, if a child is repeatedly found guilty of loitering, repeated school absences, violating curfew, felonies or other offenses, their parents could face up to 90 days in prison and a $2,000 fine.

Good news: If you work at Walmart… Walmart Chief People Officer Donna Morris told employees in a Wednesday memo, that the company was simplifying and expanding its Walmart Associate Discount Card program, effective immediately, to all food categories. With the change, the associate discount now covers 95% of regularly priced items across the store. Previously, the discount only applied to fresh produce and most general merchandise. 

Trivia #1 answer: What MLB catcher has the most All-Star game starts? – Ivan Rodriguez (12)
Trivia #2: Who was the first Japanese player to play in MLB? – Hideo Nomo, Shigetoshi Hasegawa, Masato Yoshi, Hideki Irabu, Takashi Kashiwada, Masanori Murakami – Masatori Murakami (San Francisco Giants, 1964-1965)

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Lemon Meringue Pie Day!

I went to an antique auction yesterday… three people bid on me.

Santana (Soul Sacrifice)) – Crank it up!

Speaking of Earl Weaver… (Language alert. Be careful who’s in earshot!)

Briefly.

My wife says I can be an idiot sometimes. Pretty cool of her to give me permission like that.

Trivia #1: Who was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1972?
Trivia #2: In 1967, what pitcher struck out Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovery, Maury Wills and Harmon Killebrew, in order, during an exhibition game at Dodger Stadium?
Trivia #3: What golfer ranks No. 1 among all Fedex Cup money earners?
Trivia #4: On the Periodic Table of Elements, what chemical element does “TI” represent? 

On this date: August 8, 70, Tower of Antonia destroyed by Romans
August 8, 1576, Cornerstone laid for Tycho Brahe’s observatory in Uraniborg, Denmark, when built becomes the world’s most advanced research institution
August 8, 1786, US Congress unanimously chooses the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America
August 8, 1844, Brigham Young chosen as head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following the death of Joseph Smith
August 8, 1911, The millionth patent is filed in the United States Patent Office by Francis Holton for a tubeless vehicle tire
August 8, 1929, German airship Graf Zeppelin begins the first round-the-world flight by airship, departing from Lakehurst, New Jersey
August 8, 1940, German “Aufbau Ost” directive is signed by Wilhelm Keitel, to mobilize German forces in the East before the start of Operation Barbarossa and the invasion of the Soviet Union
August 8, 1960, “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
August 8, 1976, Chicago White Sox suit up in shorts

Go away: Ozzy Osborne. OK, so now I’ve had about enough of Ozzy. Let’s move on, shall we?

Did you watch any NFL exhibition football last night? If not, you can watch it tonight, tomorrow and Sunday!

Go Pats!

Article I’ll skip: The 15 weirdest things you can buy on Amazon

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: More than 4,400 wildfires have been reported in California this year, an increase from 3,800 at this time last year. More than 221,100 acres have burned this year, exceeding the 83,200 acres burned through July of last year.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse, part deux: WNBA Indiana Fever superstar Sophie Cunningham appeared to be hit by a projectile sex toy during Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Sparks in the final minutes of the second quarter as the Fever prepared to inbound the ball.

Good news: More than 7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, and testing for it may soon be a lot easier: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first blood test that can help doctors diagnose the disease in some patients.

I tried to come up with a carpentry pun that woodwork. I thought I nailed it, but nobody saw it.

Trivia #1 answer: Who was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1972? – Larry Brown
Trivia #2 answer: In 1967, what pitcher struck out Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Brooks Robinson, Willie McCovery, Maury Wills and Harmon Killebrew, in order, during an exhibition game at Dodger Stadium? – Eddie Felger (The King and His Court)
Trivia #3 answer: What golfer ranks No. 1 among all Fedex Cup money earners? – Rory McIlroy ($69,515,615)
Trivia #4 answer: On the Periodic Table of Elements, what chemical element does “TI” represent? – Thallium

Don’t be that guy/gal! Don’t make that lefthand, 90 degree turn into a 45 degree turn, thereby making the car coming the other way stop so you can get through the corner. Jeez!

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National CBD Day!

I told a joke on a Zoom meeting yesterday. Nobody laughed. Turns out I’m not even remotely funny.

“It was an itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, yellow, polka dot bikini
That she wore for the first time today
An itsy, bitsy, teenie, weenie, yellow, polka dot bikini
So, in the locker, she wanted to stay”

Brian Hyland (Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini)

Note: I was expecting someone a little older in that video. Frankly, I find it all rather disturbing.

Bonus! “John Henry Bonham!”

                                    Good night, everybody!

Briefly. (It didn’t turn out that way…)

Read the vowels in Celine Dion out loud. Thank you and you’re welcome.

It appears that, from feedback I’ve received, my trivia has been rather easy as of late. Well…

Trivia #1: Currently, the amount of mail volume handled by the USPS is what? – 33%, 44%, 55%, 66%, 77%, 88%
Trivia #2: Which state became the 38^th state of the Union on August 1, 1876?
Trivia #3: On August 1, 1945, Mel Ott became just the third MLB player to reach 500 homeruns. Besides Babe Ruth, what other player had 500+ homeruns at the time?
Trivia #4: Who is Nick Kurtz?

On this date: August 1, 30 BC, Octavian (later known as Augustus) enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Republic (I’ve decided to include the oldest historical reference I can find, moving forward, useless as it may be)
August 1, 1774, English chemist Joseph Priestley discovers oxygen by isolating it in its gaseous state
August 1, 1789, US Customs begins enforcing the Tariff Act
August 1, 1867, Blacks vote for 1st time in a US state election in the South (Tennessee)
August 1, 1911, Harriet Quimby passes her pilot’s test and becomes the 1st US woman to earn an Aero Club of America aviator’s certificate
August 1, 1918, Pittsburgh and the Boston Braves play a MLB record 20 scoreless innings before Pirates win, 2-0 in 21.
August 1, 1992, American sprinter Gail Devers wins an incredibly close blanket finish in the women’s 100m at the Barcelona Olympics, with 5 athletes within 0.06 seconds of Devers (10.82)
August 1, 2016, Anthrax outbreak in Yamalo-Nenets, Siberia kills one and infects eight others, also kills 2,300 reindeer; global warming is blamed.

Go away: Craig Breslow, Chief Baseball Officer for the Boston Red Sox. Mindset: Sunday, July 27, you face a pitcher (the Dodgers’ Dustin May, no relation to Drake) and get to him for 4 runs over 5 innings with 5 hits including a homerun. Thursday, July 31; “Oh, what? Dustin May is available? He looked great the other night, let’s grab him!”

Go Pats!

Article I’ll skip: Justin Trudeau attends Katy Perry concert in Montreal after being seen dining with her.

Speaking of Scottie Sheffler (again) DYK…, 1,197 days went by between his first PGA major victory and his 4^th PGA major victory. Tiger Woods? 1,197 days between his 1^st and 4^th. Whoaaaa, huh?!

Turbulence, ya! 25 people were transported to local hospitals Wednesday when a flight from Salt Lake City experienced severe turbulence and rerouted to Minneapolis. Delta flight DL56 was carrying 275 passengers and 13 crew members from Salt Lake City to Amsterdam when it was forced to divert to Minneapolis Saint Paul International Airport after the flight encountered significant turbulence while en route. Flight attendants were sent flying when they were in the aisle with beverage carts. 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: The gunman who opened fire at a Reno casino on Monday fired 80 shots during a deadly rampage that left three people dead and several others injured. The suspect legally purchased 9mm handgun two years ago and had no criminal or mental health history. Where do these thugs come from???

Good news: Ten thousand steps per day has been widely recommended as the standard benchmark for physically activity — but a new study suggests that just 7,000 could be enough to boost essential health markers.

Get to the dentist! The majority of older adults have periodontal disease, the number one cause of tooth loss. Losing your teeth can dramatically affect more than your smile. It ups your risk for a whole host of late-life health hazards, from heart disease, to cancer to dementia. Follow me for more health tips…

Good news, part deux: An Iowa family recently celebrated a major milestone for a very special baby. Mollie and Randall Keen welcomed their son, Nash Keen, on July 5, 2024. He was born 133 days early, at just 21 weeks gestation. Guinness World Records has officially recognized Nash as the world’s most premature baby to survive.

Dan Shaughnessy, Leigh Montville, Bob Ryan and Peter Gammons threw out the first pitches on Tuesday night at Fuller Field (home of the Cape Cod Baseball League Commodores). That’s the Boston Globe Sports Mount Rushmore (no offense to the late, great Will McDonough).

Trivia #1 answer: Currently, the amount of mail volume handled by the USPS is what? – 33%, 44%, 55%, 66%, 77%, 88% – The USPS handles 44% of all mail in the US.
Trivia #2 answer: Which state became the 38^th state of the Union on August 1, 1876? – Colorado
Trivia #3 answer: On August 1, 1945, Mel Ott became just the third MLB player to reach 500 homeruns. Besides Babe Ruth, what other player had 500+ homeruns? – Jimmy Foxx
Trivia #4 answer: Who is Nick Kurtz? – The Oakland Athletics’ 6-foot-5, 240-pound rookie who went 6-for-6 the other night with four homeruns (only one player has ever done both in a single game), scored 6 runs (just the 9^th time that has happened), 8 RBIs, 19 total bases.

Don’t be that guy! “Reply all”, you know who you are. Don’t do it!

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Water Balloon Day!

I’ve made some bad choices in my life, but at least I’ve never owned a pair of crocs.

Incredible tributes out there for the late, great Ozzy Osborne. Several musicians attended his private funeral, some played tribute. Others offered words. Jam packed streets of Birmingham, England for the funeral procession. Bear with me through one more listen to Black Sabbath…

“Take me through the centuries to supersonic years
Electrifying enemy is drowning in his tears
All I have to give you is a love that never dies
The symptom of the universe is written in your eyes… yaaaa”

– Black Sabbath (Symptom of the Universe)

And for those of you who are sick of Ozzy (blaspheme!), here you go.

Briefly. I gotta go climb a mountain with my wife.

I’m getting to the age where it’s rude to pull out a bottle of ibuprofen if I don’t have enough for everyone.

Trivia #1: What is the average weight of a hummingbird? – .04-.06 oz, 0.9-.11 oz, .14-.16 oz, .17-.19 oz, .2-.22 oz, 11-13 lbs
Trivia #2: What was the first trophy given to the British Open champion? – A championship belt, a claret jug, a silver sword, a plaque, a trophy, a life-long membership to St. Andrews Golf Club
Trivia #3: Who is the player with the most runner-up finishes at the British Open? – Harry Vardon, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Sam Snead, Tom Morris, Greg Norman, Dane Hubbard

On this date: June 18, 64, Great Fire of Rome begins under the Emperor Nero
June 18, 1768, Boston Gazette publishes “Liberty Song,” America’s first patriotic song
June 18, 1896, George Giffen is 1st to complete 1000/100 double, in 30th Test Cricket (Wait… what?)
June 18, 1913, MLB New York Giants pitcher Christy Matthewson gives up a walk for the first time in 69 innings
June 18, 1938, Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan arrives in Ireland after a 28-hour flight, supposedly leaving New York flying for California
June 18, 1953, Elvis Presley pays $3.98 to make his first demo at Sun Studio in Memphis, recording “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” and reportedly gives the record to his mother as a belated birthday present.
June 18, 1966, Carl Sagan turns 1 billion seconds old (Hey, I read it on the internet)
June 18, 1976, Nadia Comaneci (14) becomes the first gymnast in Olympic Games history to score a perfect 10 score (doing so 7 times) at Montreal Games
June 18, 1980, Billy Joel’s “Glass Houses” album tops US charts, featuring “It’s Still Rock ‘n’ Roll to Me”
June 18, 2008, Billy Joel performs last of two concerts dubbed “The Last Play at Shea”; the final concert event before demolition of the 1964 baseball stadium in Flushing Meadows, Queens, NYC; featured guests include Roger Daltrey, Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, and Paul McCartney
June 18, 2013, Detroit, Michigan, files for bankruptcy, becoming the largest US municipal bankruptcy ever at $18.5 billion

Go away: Stephen Colbert. Well, at least he’s been told to go away.

I watched some of the homerun derby the other night. It is just not the same without Chris Berman.

Article I’ll skip: Former Epstein attorney reveals what he knows about sealed ‘client’ names

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A surging wildfire ripping through eastern Utah wilderness over the weekend triggered a rare “firenado”, unleashing a terrifying mix of wind and flames that left one home and several other outbuildings severely damaged.

We should start referring to ‘age’ as ‘levels’. So when you are ‘level 80’ it sounds more badass than just begin an old person.

Just when I went on trashing on my Red Sox, they’ve won 10 games in a row. Pennant Fever, baby!

Flying, you’re doing it wrong. Felix Baumgartner, the Austrian skydiver best known for his record-setting dive from space, died in a paragliding accident in Italy Thursday. He was 56. Baumgartner was reportedly flying a motorized paraglider in the coastal town of Porto Sant’Elpidio in the Marche region of Italy, where he was said to have crashed into a hotel pool. 

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Charles Schwab said that Americans now view $2.3 million as the benchmark for counting as wealthy, pointing to what they see as a worsening economy. That marked a $200,000 decrease from 2024.

Good news: The Open Championship is live, now!

Sad news: A decorated former police officer and ex-Baltimore Orioles minor league player tragically died while rescuing swimmers from a rip current off the coast of South Carolina. Chase Childers, 38, is being called a hero after he drowned while trying to help several swimmers in distress near Pawleys Island in South Carolina on July 13. The former police officer was not the only one to go help the swimmers, but unlike the others, Childers did not return to shore. During his time as an officer in Cobb County, GA., Childers received a lifetime achievement award.

Trivia #1 answer: What is the average weight of a hummingbird? – .04-.06 oz, 0.9-.11 oz, .14-.16 oz, .17-.19 oz, .2-.22 oz, 11-13 lbs – The average weight of a hummingbird is .14.-.16 oz.
Trivia #2 answer: What was the first trophy given to the British Open champion? – A championship belt, A claret jug, A silver sword, A plaque, A trophy, A life-long membership to St. Andrews Golf Club – A championship belt
Trivia #3 answer: Who is the player with the most runner-up finishes at the British Open? – Harry Vardon, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Sam Snead, Tom Morris, Greg Norman, Dane Hubbard – Jack Nicklaus

Just another tricky, just another tricky day for you… you’ll get through.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Tropical Fruit Day!

I wasn’t making any progress with my Bucket List so I just changed the “B” to an “F” and I feel a whole lot better about it.

“We didn’t start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world’s been turning
We didn’t start the fire
No, we didn’t light it
But we tried to fight it”

– Billy Joel (We Didn’t Start the Fire)

After a weekend wedding in VT, I’m tucked into the White Mountains of NH and this is where my head is really at…

Briefly.

The meteorologist who devised the wind chill factor has died. He was 86… but felt like 75.

Trivia #1: Who is Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco?
Trivia #2: Who was the first professional basketball player to be drafted straight out of high school?
Trivia #3: What two things do Damian Lillard, Jason Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton all have in common?

On this date: June 27, 1358, Republic of Dubrovnik is founded
June 27, 1778, Liberty Bell returns home to Philadelphia after the British departure
June 27, 1864, US Civil War: Atlanta Campaign – Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia: Union General Sherman makes unsuccessful frontal attack on Confederate defense
June 27, 1940, USSR returns to the Gregorian calendar, using Sunday as a rest day, after 6 years using a Russian six-day calendar
June 27, 1950, North Korean troops reach Seoul, causing the UN to ask member states to aid South Korea. Harry Truman orders the US Air Force and Navy into the Korean conflict.
June 27, 1970, Festival Express opens in Toronto, Canada – The Grateful Dead, The Band, Janis Joplin, Flying Burrito Bros, Buddy Guy, Great Speckled Bird, and Delaney & Bonnie & Friends cross Canada together by train, for 5 shows in 3 cities
June 27, 1980, 1st female state police graduates (NJ)
June 27, 1994, Aerosmith is the first major band to let fans download a full new track for free from the internet

Go away: Stephen A. Smith. ESPN re-signed Stephen A. Smith to a five-year, $100 million contract earlier this year. Smith’s role at ESPN was a frequently discussed subplot of the NBA Finals, during which he served as ESPN’s lead pre-game and halftime analyst. His coverage was met with near-universal disapproval from fans, commentators, and former players.

My interest in the current state of the NBA is such that I didn’t even know the recent draft was happening.

Article I’ll skip: John O’Keefe’s family breaks silence after Karen Read’s murder acquittal 

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff revealed the software company uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to perform a good deal of its work. He said that AI “is doing 30% to 50% of the work at Salesforce now.” The company has been using AI to automate in areas such as engineering, coding and customer service tasks.

 Skydiving, you’re doing it wrong: A champion wingsuit flyer who featured in a BBC documentary called The Boy Who Can Fly has died after he was critically injured in a jump last weekend. Liam Byrne, 24, was taking part in a high-risk jump at nearly 8,000 feet above sea level in the Swiss Alps on Saturday when tragedy struck. Byrne, of Scotland, was wearing a wingsuit, a specialized webbed-sleeved jumpsuit with membranes between the arms, body and legs which allows a diver to glide flight in the air.

The fan who yelled derogatory comments about Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte’s late mother during the team’s 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field Tuesday is banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks. The 22-year-old fan admitted to taunting Marte. Marte, 31, was left in tears after the fan yelled derogatory comments about his late mother, Elpidia Valdez, who died in a car crash in the Dominican Republic in 2017. Editor’s note: I say to bring back public stoning for this bastard.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: New England Patriots’ quarterback Drake Maye got married.

Good news: The Red Sox season is more than half over.

Nutritional fact of the week: Hostess Twinkies, per serving (2 “cakes”), have 9g of fat, 30mg of cholesterol, 360mg of sodium and 31g of sugar. Yummy!

Trivia #1 answer: Who is Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco? – Lugee was known professionally by his stage name Lou Christie, an American pop and soft rock singer-songwriter widely known for hits in the 1960’s.
Trivia #2 answer: Who was the first professional basketball player to be drafted straight out of high school? – Moses Malone in the 1974 ABA draft.
Trivia #3 answer: What two things do Damian Lillard, Jason Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton all have in common? – They all tore their Achilles tendon in this year’s NBA playoffs and they all wear the number “0”.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up. (About those Red Sox… I’m trying…)

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

Happy National Onion Day!

I might not be a 10 on the beach, but I’m a solid 8 at Walmart!

“Listen to me, baby, you gotta understand
You’re old enough to know the makings of a man
Listen to me, baby, it’s hard to settle down
Am I asking too much for you to stick around?”

– Lou Christie (Lightning Strikes) – R.I.P.

Bonus!

Briefly.

Sad news. I broke up with my girlfriend, Lorraine. She found out I was seeing another woman, Claire Lee. But the good news is I can see Claire Lee now, Lorraine is gone.

Trivia #1: The Stanley Cup weighs how much? – 17 lbs., 21 lbs., 26 lbs., 32 lbs., 37lbs., 41 lbs.?
Trivia #2: Whose name has appeared on the Stanley Cup the most times? – Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Claude Provost, Scotty Bowman, Red Kelly, Yvan Cournoyer, Richard Sprague
Trivia #3: What is the nickname for Coastal Carolina University? – No hint, you either know it or you don’t.
Trivia #4: What team won the UFL Championship last Saturday? – St. Louis Battlehawks, Michigan Panthers, Memphis Steamboats, Houston Roughnecks, Arlington Renegades, San Antonio Brahmas, DC Defenders

On this date: June 20, 1756, Black Hole of Calcutta: 146 British soldiers, Anglo-Indian soldiers and Indian civilians are imprisoned in a small dungeon in Calcutta, India where most die from suffocation and heat exhaustion
June 20, 1819, The SS Savannah reaches Cork in Ireland after a 29 day and 11-hour voyage from Savannah, Georgia to become the 1st steamship to cross the Atlantic or any other ocean
June 20, 1867, US President Andrew Johnson announces the Alaska Purchase
June 20, 1893, Lizzie Borden acquitted of the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother in Fall River, Massachusetts
June 20, 1949, Tennis star Gussie Moran shocks Wimbledon by wearing a short dress “to look good” and “move more freely on the court”
June 20, 1969, 200,000 attend Newport ’69, then largest-ever pop concert in Northridge, California. Jimi Hendrix gets $120,000 to appear
June 20, 1980, Musical comedy film “The Blues Brothers”, starring Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, and featuring appearances by Aretha Franklin; Cab Calloway; and Ray Charles opens in 594 theaters
June 20, 1999, ICC Men’s Cricket ODI World Cup, Lord’s, London, England: Australia wins its second trophy with 8 wicket win over Pakistan; Player of the Match: Shane Warne (AUS) 4/33 (9) – Wait… what?

Go away: Rafael Devers (Oh, he already left?)

Article I’ll skip: Petition started to banish Sophie Cunningham from WNBA for her ‘violent’ Caitlin Clark antics.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A family of five’s breakfast at Disneyland in California has gone viral after a father shared a photo on social media of the meal’s pricey nearly $1,000 receipt. The father took to social media to share his sticker shock after he received a $937.65 bill for breakfast at Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures. The guest said that the meal was for two kids and three adults, with the total including a $150 tip — just over 20% of the original amount.

Yuk! Lay’s Bacon Grilled Cheese potato chips were selected as the winner of the 2025 “Do Us a Flavor” fan contest. Paula George of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, submitted the winning flavor, which received the most fan votes.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are finally getting a significant bump in pay after years of lobbying. Squad members are getting a 400% increase in pay. 

Colloge Baseball World Series? Come on, Coastal Carolina!

Good news: Bill Gates is speaking out about his personal experience with Alzheimer’s — and his hope for progress in fighting the disease. Gates lost his father in 2020 at the age of 94 after battling Alzheimer’s. Today, motivated by his own experience with the common dementia, Gates — who serves as chair of the Gates Foundation — is committed to working toward a cure for the common dementia, which currently affects more than seven million Americans, or one in nine people over 65. Gates expressed optimism about the “massive progress” being made in the fight against Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

How about PGA golfer, US Open winner, J.J. Spaun! His last shot went in for the longest putt of the day – 64’ 5”!

Trivia #1 answer: The Stanley Cup weighs how much? – 17 lbs., 21 lbs., 26 lbs., 32 lbs., 37lbs., 41 lbs.? – It is 35 ¼“ tall and weighs 37 lbs.
Trivia #2 answer: Whose name has appeared on the Stanley Cup the most times? – Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Claude Provost, Scotty Bowman, Red Kelly, Yvan Cournoyer, Richard Sprague – Henri Richard (11 times)
Trivia #3 answer: What is the nickname for Coastal Carolina University? – The Chanticleers
Trivia #4 answer: What team won the UFL Championship last Saturday? – St. Louis Battlehawks, Michigan Panthers, Memphis Steamboats, Houston Roughnecks, Arlington Renegades, San Antonio Brahmas, DC Defenders – The DC Defenders defeated the Michigan Panthers 58-34 (I imagine only degenerate gamblers got this answer)

I hope you have a bright, bright, sun-shining day!

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Hike with a Geek Day!

When scientists said the universe is made up of protons, neutrons and electrons, they forgot to mention morons.

“I can see clearly now, the rain has gone
I can see all obstacles in my way
Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It’s gonna be a bright, bright sun-shining day
It’s gonna be a bright, bright sun-shining day”

– Johnny Nash (I Can See Clearly Now)

 Bonus tune!

Briefly. (Very! I mean, it’s Penta Day) We’ll get back at it next week.

Welcome to the Karma Café. There is no menu… you get what you deserve.

Trivia #1: Who was the only player under par after 72 holes in three straight U.S. Opens? – Ben Hogan, Curtis Strange, Xander Shauffele, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Fuzzy Zoeller, Dane Hubbard

Yankees/Red Sox… all weekend, again!

Go away: Phil Mickelson

Article I’ll skip: Archeologists uncover 4,500-year-old rattles that reveal ancient parenting techniques.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A recall of mislabeled cases of Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar has been upgraded amid a serious health risk. The FDA and Dr. Pepper announced a voluntary recall last month of 19,203 12-pack and 24-pack cases of 12-ounce cans of Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar. The cases of soda were found to contain “full sugar.” The FDA defines a Class II recall as “a situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: The tees at Oakmont Country Club are Perennial poa annua/bentgrass. Really, this is pertinent information?

Good news: Good weather forecast for The Penta today!

Trivia #1 answer: Who was the only player under par after 72 holes in three straight U.S. Opens? – Ben Hogan, Curtis Strange, Xander Shauffele, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Fuzzy Zoeller, Dane Hubbard – Curtis Strange

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Golf Cart Day! (really!) And of course, Happy Penta Day!!!

Remember, if you have one foot in the future and one foot in the past, you’re shittin’ on the present.

Yankees suck!

To the person who stole my anti-depressants: I hope you’re happy now.

Here’s to Charlie!

“Misty morning, clouds in the sky
Without warning, the wizard walks by
Casting his shadow, weaving his spell
Funny clothes, tinkling bell

Never talking
Just keeps walking
spreading his magic”

– Black Sabbath (The Wizard)

Bonus: The Beach Boys (Surfin’ U.S.A.) – R.I.P. Brian Wilson

Briefly.

Yes, English can be weird. It can be understood through tough thorough thought, though.

Trivia #1: Thalassophobia is the fear of what?
Trivia #2: What player has hit the most extra inning homeruns (22) in MLB history? – Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Alex Rodriquez, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Jim Thome
Trivia #3: What is the most popular pet in the United States? – Dogs, Cats, Fish, Hamsters, Gerbils, Zebras

Yankees/Red Sox… all weekend!

Go away: This is a very, very long list. Thankfully, you are not on it.

On this date: June 6, 1716, French transport the first African slaves to Louisiana
June 6, 1752, 3rd great fire in Moscow in 2 weeks; 1/3 of city destroyed
June 6, 1795, Fire destroy 1/3 of Copenhagen; 18,000 injured
June 6, 1844, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) formed in London
June 6, 1925, Walter Chrysler reorganizes the failing Maxwell Motor Company and founds automobile manufacturer Chrysler Corporation in Detroit, Michigan
June 6, 1941, MLB New York Giants use plastic batting helmets for 1st time
June 6, 1944, Operation Overlord: D-Day begins as the 156,000-strong Allied Expeditionary Force lands in Normandy, France, during World War II
June 6, 1946, Henry Morgan is 1st to take off shirt on TV
June 6, 1965,The Rolling Stones release music single “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
June 6, 1994, West Indian cricket batsman Brian Lara hits world 1st-class record 501 not out and 390 runs in 1 day for Warwickshire vs Durham at Edgbaston; only quintuple-hundred in first-class history (He did, really!)

“Do not touch” must be one of the scariest things to red in braille.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A woman in Texas has died after contracting a fatal brain amoeba from contaminated water. The patient, 71, had used a nasal irrigation device filled with unboiled tap water from an RV’s water faucet. The woman was staying at a local campground at the time.

Edmonton wins, Pacers win. Yawn.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Fox News Channel beat all broadcast networks in a key metric last week as CNN had its lowest-rated week of the year. I really don’t care.

Here’s a cool tidbit I came across. You’d think a homerun in the 20th inning would be a game winner. Tommy Harper hit one for Seattle on July 27, 1969, but Joe Lahoud of the Red Sox hit one with a man on in the bottom of the 20th and they won.

Good news: Some World War II veterans have landed in France to mark the 81st anniversary of D-Day. A group of about two dozen veterans who served in Europe and the Pacific traveled back to the once bloody beaches of Normandy. The veterans in Normandy are reportedly treated like “rock stars” in the region, being handed notes and hearing many “thank yous.”

Don’t look now but the Colorado Rockies have won 3 games in a row! It was their first series sweep in over a year.

Article I’ll skip: Rare 5,000-year-old burnt bread discovered in Turkey stuns archaeologists.

Trivia #1 answer: Thalassophobia is the fear of what? – An intense, persistent fear of deep water, particularly the ocean or sea.
Trivia #2 answer: What player has hit the most extra inning homeruns (22) in MLB history? – Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Alex Rodriquez, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Jim Thome – Willie Mays
Trivia #3 answer: What is the most popular pet in the United States? – Dogs, Cats, Fish, Hamsters, Gerbils, Zebras – Dogs are the most popular

I’m reading a book, “How to Be Humble When You’ve Never Been Wrong in Your Life”

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Doughnut Day!

Remember, if you have one foot in the future and one foot in the past, you’re shittin’ on the present.

Yankees suck!

Many years ago, I may have smoked a little pot while listening to this tune… once or twice.

“Look over yonder
What do you see?
The sun is a-risin’
Most definitely
A new day is comin’, whoo-hoo
People are changin’
Ain’t it beautiful, whoo-hoo
Crystal blue persuasion”

– Tommy James & The Shondells (Crystal Blue Persuasian)

Bonus! (Classic video)