Blog

Briefly.

Autocorrect has become my worst enema.

Trivia #1: Speaking of Dick’s (see below), you know the yellow whiffleball bat and ball, sold together? How much are they currently going for? – $8.99, $9.49, $9.99, $10.49, $10.99, $11.99
Trivia #2: Who was the last player to be named All-American at two different positions in the same season? – Bronko Nagurski, Charles Woodson, Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Travis Hunter, Toney Pendleton
Trivia #3: How many cross-laces are on an NFL football – 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Instead of going to Starbucks, I make my own coffee, yell my name out incorrectly and then light a $5 bill on fire.

On this date: January 16, 27 BC, the title Augustus is bestowed upon Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus by the Roman Senate
January 16, 1492, the first grammar of a modern language, Spanish, is presented to Queen Isabella
January 16, 1688, Infamous sword duel between George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham and Francis Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury over Anna, Duchess of Shrewsbury and mistress of Buckingham. The Earl is mortally wounded.
January 16, 1868, Refrigerator car patented by William Davis, a fish dealer in Detroit
January 16, 1945, Adolf Hitler moves into the Fuhrerbunker, his underground bunker in Berlin, where he lives until his suicide April 30
January 16, 1985, “Playboy” announces the end of stapling centerfolds
January 16, 2016, First-ever flower grown in space: a zinnia aboard the International Space Station using NASA’s Veggie system

Go away: Mike Tomlin

Stop complaining: Unless you don’t like the cold weather but have to deal with it. Then go ahead, complain.

The month of January is half over.

Don’t be that guy. Mall food, it’s a thing. Stay away. Don’t do it!

Article I’ll skip: Kenny Chesley says he does “witchcraft stuff” in wellness confession

Lesser-known Knights of the Round Table. The knight who exceeded expectations: Sir Passed

My observation: Dick’s House of Sport (that’s correct, name change) has more mannequins than any other store, by far. They even have families of mannequins, and some move!

Patriots/49ers Super Bowl.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: A college basketball point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 players on 17 NCAA Division I teams resulted in dozens of games in the previous two seasons being fixed by a gambling ring that included a former NBA player. Twenty of the 26 defendants played college basketball during the 2023-24 and/or 2024-25 seasons. Four of the players charged have played for their current teams in the past week. (Folks, wake up. This is likely happening in any sport, at any level, that you can wager on.)

What does it mean when holy water sizzles when it hits your skin? Asking for a friend…

Good news: Historically, parents were advised to avoid feeding peanuts to babies for the first few years of life, but emerging research has confirmed that introducing them sooner — as early as infancy — could help stave off food allergies. A 2025 study led by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia analyzed medical records from dozens of pediatric practices across the U.S., finding that early introduction of peanuts resulted in a 27% decrease in peanut allergy diagnoses among children and a 38% decrease in overall food allergies.

R.I.P. Bob Weir (78) – American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. During his career with the Grateful Dead, Weir played mostly rhythm guitar and sang many of the band’s rock & roll and country and western songs. In 1994, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead and in 2024, he was awarded Kennedy Center Honors. 

Trivia #1 answer: Speaking of Dick’s, you know the yellow whiffleball bat and ball, sold together? How much are they currently going for? – $8.99, $9.49, $9.99, $10.49, $10.99, $11.99 – The bat and ball are selling for $8.99
Trivia #2 answer: Who was the last player to be named All-American at two different positions in the same season? – Bronko Nagurski, Charles Woodson, Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Travis Hunter, Toney Pendleton – Bronko Nagurski in 1929 (fullback and tackle at the University of Minnesota)
Trivia #3 answer: How many cross-laces are on an NFL football – 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 – There are 8

There are no atheists in foxholes.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Fig Newton Day!

It’s a wonderful life.

“You imagine me sipping champagne from your boot
For a taste of your elegant pride
I may be going to hell in a bucket, babe
But at least I’m enjoying the ride
At least I’m enjoying the ride
At least I’m enjoying the ride”

The Grateful Dead (Hell in a Bucket)

Briefly.

I saw a guy going up a hill pushing a cart full of four-leaf clovers, horseshoes and rabbits’ feet and thought to myself; “Wow, that guy’s really pushing his luck.”

Trivia #1: On January 9, 1977, the Oakland Raiders beat the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 in Super Bowl XI. Who was the MVP? – Kenny Stabler, Cliff Branch, Fred Biletnikoff, Dave Casper, Mark van Eeghen, Phil Villipiano, Ted Hendricks
Trivia #2: How many NFL quarterbacks have had a regular season with >=4,200 passing yards, >=30 passing TD’s, >=400 rushing yards, >=4 rushing TD’s and a passer rating of 110 or greater? Name them
Trivia #3: What is the only NFL team with a left-facing logo? No hint!
Trivia #4: On the Periodic Table, what chemical element is represented by ‘V’?

Did you catch the ending to the Georgia/Ole Miss game on New Year’s Day? Sorry Scamp…

On this date: January 9, 475, Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople
January 9, 1349, Black Death Massacre: 700 Jews of Basel Switzerland, are burnt to death in a specially constructed building on suspicion of poisoning the community during the Bubonic Plague; part of a wave of pogroms across Western Europe
January 9, 1493, Christopher Columbus mistakes manatees for mermaids, describing them as “not half as beautiful as they are painted”
January 9, 1861, A Union merchant ship, the Star of the West, is fired upon by cadets from the South Carolina Military Academy as it tries to deliver supplies to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina; considered to be the first shots fired in US Civil War
January 9, 1880, The Great Gale of 1880 devastates parts of Oregon and Washington with high wind and heavy snow (6 feet of snow falls in Seattle in 5 days)
January 9, 1958, In basketball, Cincinnati’s Oscar Robertson scores 56 points, Seton Hall team scores 54
January 9, 1984, Rock band Van Halen release their most successful album “1984” (I don’t know, I still like their older stuff better)

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: A NASA team using the Hubble Space Telescope found an object in space never recorded before, nicknamed “Cloud-9.” Cloud-9 is a starless, gas-rich, dark-matter cloud considered a “relic” or remnant of early galaxy formation.

Stop complaining. Unless you live in Juneau, Alaska. A record-snowy December in Juneau, Alaska, wreaked havoc across the city with the unusually-deep snow sinking boats and causing roofs to collapse. Residents say there’s nowhere to put the cleared snow. This week, snow is starting to pile up again, with rain on the way making the situation even more dire.

“I’ll show you!”… You’re doing it wrong. Crystal D. Randall was charged in connection with a fire that tore through an apartment complex after she allegedly burned her boyfriend’s clothing in a barbecue pit. The flames “heavily and irreparably damaged” 13 apartment units.

Don’t be that guy. Don’t cut me off and then wave like I did you a favor. Don’t do that!

Article I’ll skip: Woman faces multiple charges after ‘mermaid’ skinny-dipping incident turns violent.

Lesser-known Knights of the Round Table. The knight who was never killed in battle: Sir Vivor

The Celtics have been playing remarkably well lately and are currently 3^rd in the East. The Bruins? Not so much.

But enough of that, it’s Wild Card Weekend! (With a CFP appetizer!)

Good news: Of the more than 50 types of robots developed by RobotLAB, there are some that are manufactured to enter burning buildings to protect firefighters.

Trivia #1 answer: On January 9, 1977, the Oakland Raiders beat the Minnesota Vikings 32-14 in Super Bowl XI. Who was the MVP? – Kenny Stabler, Cliff Branch, Fred Biletnikoff, Dave Casper, Mark van Eeghen, Phil Villipiano, Ted Hendricks – The MVP was Fred Biletnikoff
Trivia #2 answer: How many NFL quarterbacks have had a regular season with >=4,200 passing yards, >=30 passing TD’s, >=400 rushing yards, >=4 rushing TD’s and a passer rating of 110 or greater? Name them – There’s been just one – New England’s Drake Maye this past season
Trivia #3 answer: What is the only NFL team with a left-facing logo? No hint! – The Philadelphia Eagles
Trivia #4 answer: On the Periodic Table, what chemical element is represented by ‘V’? – Vanadium – It is a hard, silvery-grey, malleable transition metal. Wait… what?

Until they invented the other side of Velcro, it never really caught on.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day!

It’s a wonderful life.

“I live my life like there’s no tomorrow
And all I’ve got I had to steal
Least I don’t need to beg or borrow
Yes, I’m living at a pace that kills

Runnin’ with the devil
Runnin’ with the devil”

OK, let’s slow it down a little, shall we?

Briefly.

I tripped over a box of Kleenex the other night. I thought I was really hurt but it turns out that it was just tissue damage.

Trivia #1: Derrick Henry became the fourth player in NFL history to have 1,000-plus rushing yards and 10-plus rushing touchdowns in at least seven seasons. Pick the other three. – LaDainian Tomlinson, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Adrian Peterson, Tony Dorsett, Eric Dickerson, Edgerrin James
Trivia #2: The soft drink Dr. Pepper has how many flavors? – 1, 4, 9, 12, 18, 23, 30

Keep your expectations low and they’re easier to meet.

On this date: December 12, 627, Battle of Nineveh: Byzantine Emperor Heraclius defeats Sassanid forces during the Byzantine-Sassanid War
December 12, 1858, 1st Canadian coins circulated (1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent & 20 cent)
December 12, 1901, Guglielmo Marconi receives the first wireless signal, the Morse code letter “S,” from England at a receiver on Signal Hill in Newfoundland
December 12, 1930, Baseball Rules Committee greatly revises the rule book; a ball bouncing into the stands is now a ground-rule double, not a home run
December 12, 1968, Rolling Stones film TV show “Rock and Roll Circus”- guest performers include The Who, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono; the program never airs
December 12, 1980, Apple makes its initial public offering on the US stock market; 38 years later, it becomes the first US company valued at over $1 trillion, first over $2 trillion two years after that, and first over $3 trillion three years after that
December 12, 1997, Red Sox sign Pedro Martinez to record 6 year $69 million contract. (How’d that work out?!)
December 12, 2024, Six-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill Belichick is introduced as next head coach at the University of North Carolina. (How’s that working out?)

Last season, Detroit’s James Wood led the National League by striking out 221 times and Washington’s Riley Greene led the AL with 201. During the entire decade of the 1990’s, San Diego’s Tony Gwynn struck out 188 times.

Stop complaining… Super Bowl champion running back Kevin Faulk suffered a tragic death in his family for the second time. The former New England Patriots and LSU star’s 30-year-old daughter, Tanasha Faulk, has died. She is the second daughter of the former football player who has died. Kevione Faulk died in 2021 at the age of 19. Sad.

Go away (again!): The NBA Cup (A useless ploy to attempt to get more viewers)

Don’t be that guy. Don’t order red wine in an Irish pub.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: The Seattle Seahawks’ kick returner Rashid Shaheed covered 121.81 yards of total distance on his 100-yard kickoff-return touchdown on Sunday, hitting a max speed of 20.80 mph.

Article I’ll skip: Food and drinks that you should skip when you’re sick, according to doctors.

Lesser-known Knights of the Round Table. The knight no one believed – Sir Real

Playing pickleball, you’re doing it wrong. CCTV footage (in Malaysia) shows a 32-year-old player leaping over a safety rail at a Kuala Lumpur pickleball facility to retrieve a ball. The video then shows him jumping onto mesh netting that covered an open gap, but it tore under his weight and he plunged three stories to his death.

Your Boston Bruins have won 6 of 7 and are tied for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, while your Boston Celtics have won 5 of 6 and are tied for 3^rd in the Eastern Conference. And let’s not even mention the storming Patriots who have a humungous game on Sunday against the Bills.

Good news: Legislation was introduced last week to require airlines to provide passengers with cash compensation and free rebooking for hours long flight delays. Under the bill, dubbed the Flight Delay and Cancellation Compensation Act, airlines would need to pay passengers $300 if their flight is delayed by more than three hours and $600 if their flight is delayed by at least six hours.

Incorrectly is the only word, when spelled correctly, is still spelled incorrectly.

Trivia #1 answer: Derrick Henry became the fourth player in NFL history to have 1,000-plus rushing yards and 10-plus rushing touchdowns in at least seven seasons. Pick the other three. – LaDainian Tomlinson, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Adrian Peterson, Tony Dorsett, Eric Dickerson, Edgerrin James – LaDainian Tomlinson (8), Emmitt Smith (7) and Adrian Peterson (7)
Trivia #2: The soft drink Dr. Pepper has how many flavors? – 1, 4, 9, 12, 18, 23, 30 – There are 23 flavors

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Ding-a-Ling Day!

Come on down this afternoon and let me pour a drink or open a beer for you. It would be my pleasure. If you can’t make it, tomorrow morning I’ll be ringing the bell next to the Salvation Army bucket in front of Market Basket in Riverside Plaza. Come on by and say “hello” and make a donation… you cheap prick.

Life’s too short to be miserable.

“I get off on ’57 Chevys
I get off on screaming guitar
Like the way it gets me every time it hits me
I’ve got a rock and roll, I’ve got a rock and roll heart”

Eric Clapton (I’ve Got a Rock ‘N’ Roll Heart)

Bonus! Come on now, get in the spirit!

Briefly.

I accidently drank a bottle of invisible ink last night. Now I’m at the hospital… waiting to be seen.

Trivia #1: What was the first college football team to use numerals on their uniforms (1908)? – University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Harvard, Yale, University of Chicago
Trivia #2: Who became the first former major league player to commit full-time to Banan Ball? – Jackie Bradley Jr., Johnny Damon, Kevn Pillar, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Matt Carpenter, Daniel Bard

So, you knew last Friday was Black Friday. Did you know it was also Brown Friday? The busiest day for plumbers in terms of emergency calls. Last year, emergency calls to plumbers were up 27%. We won’t get into the reasons…

On this date: December 5, 63 BC, Roman consul Cicero delivers the last of his famous Catiline Orations before the Senate on the fate of the Cataline conspirators
December 5, 1349, 500 Jews of the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg are massacred during Black Death riots, part of a wave of pogroms across Western Europe
December 5, 1792, George Washington re-elected as US President
December 5, 1848, US President James K. Polk triggers the Gold Rush of 1849 by confirming a gold discovery in California
December 5, 1933, Prohibition ends in the US at 5:32 PM EST when the 21st Amendment to the US Constitution is ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment
December 5, 1971, Ian Drury performs his first gig with Kilburn and the High Roads at Croydon School of Art
December 5, 1974, Final episode of Monty Python’s Flying Circus airs on BBC TV
December 5, 2008, Former NFL star OJ Simpson is sentenced to 33 years in prison for kidnapping and armed robbery
December 5, 2024, Mathematicians solve a 122-year-old puzzle known as “Dudeney’s dissection” on how to dissect an equilateral triangle into a square using the smallest number of pieces

Who doesn’t root for Peyton Pritchard?

Stop complaining… Unless you have tickets to an NFL game at the end of this season. 5 of the 32 games in week #17 have not yet been scheduled for either the specific day or time, and zero of the games for week #18 have been scheduled. Pack your bags? Not yet!

Don’t be that guy. Clear the snow off your vehicle. Not half-assed, clear it off!

Article I’ll skip: Could Schwarber go to another NL East team?

A mysterious vomiting disorder tied to long-term marijuana use is now formally recognized by global health officials, a move experts say could help save lives as cases surge nationwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has formally added cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) to its diagnostic manual, giving the mysterious disorder a dedicated code for the first time. CHS is a dangerous and sometimes deadly syndrome that affects chronic cannabis users, causing severe nausea, repeated vomiting, abdominal pain, dehydration, weight loss and, in rare cases, heart rhythm problems, seizures, kidney failure and death. 

Lesser-known Knights of the Round Table. The undercover knight: Sir Veillance

Good news: None. It’s f’n cold out!

The Patriots have recorded 10 straight games with 23 or more points scored and 23 or fewer points allowed, the longest such streak in NFL history. The previous two teams to achieve such a streak for eight or more games went on to win the Super Bowl (1984 San Francisco 49ers) or an AFL/NFL Championship (1961 Houston Oilers). Just sayin’.

A contest was held to choose the best neckwear. It was a tie.

Trivia #1 answer: What was the first college football team to use numerals on their uniforms (1908)? – University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Harvard, Yale, University of Chicago – The University of Pittsburgh
Trivia #2 answer: Who became the first former major league baseball player to commit full-time to Banana Ball? – Jackie Bradley Jr., Johnny Damon, Kevn Pillar, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Matt Carpenter, Daniel Bard – Jackie Bradley Jr. (The evolution of Banana Ball has been rapid since 2022 and is only growing, with the Banana Ball Championship League set to play in front of 3.2 million fans next year)

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Bartender Day! (No, I am not serving today, but next Friday.)

Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience, worst days give you lessons and the best days give you memories.

There is a ghost in your home and it loves you. It gazes longingly from the doorway, yearning to know what you’re thinking. When walk through it, the ghost tastes your freshest thoughts. This is why you don’t remember why you walked into the kitchen.

Are you living or are you just alive?

“In the deserts of Sudan
And the gardens of Japan
From Milan to Yucatán
Every woman, every man

Hit me with your rhythm stick
Hit me! Hit me!”

Ian Dury (Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick)

Bonus!

Jimmy Cliff died several days ago. For him…

Briefly. I really tried…

Do you know what was more useful than the first telephone? The second telephone.

Trivia #1: The New England Patriots now have 20, 10+ wins in a season since 2000. What team has the second most (16) since during that period?
Trivia #2: What country was the first to grant women the right to vote (in 1893)? – Austria, Denmark, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, New Zealand
Trivia #3: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seattle Seahawks) now has 1,313 receiving yards on the year, putting him on pace to top the NFL’s single-season record of 1,964. Who holds that record?

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving yesterday! You know, you really can’t beat a good drumstick. (See what I did there?) Seriously, drumsticks are the best. I just rip it off the turkey, start chomping on it and hold it up while I walk around the kitchen like a Viking.

On this date: November 28, 587, The Treaty of Andelot: signed between Queen Brunhilda of Austrasia and King Guntram of Burgundy; King Guntram names his cousin Childebert II as heirNovember 28, 1520, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan begins crossing the Pacific Ocean
November 28, 1720, Anne Bonny and Mary Read are tried, found guilty of pirating, and sentenced to death in Spanish Town, Jamaica, although their discovered pregnancies win them stays of execution
November 28, 1932, Groucho Marx performs on the radio for the first time
November 28, 1958, Legendary cricket fast bowler Wes Hall makes his Test debut for West Indies v India in 1st Test at Bombay; Hall’s match figures 4/107 – Huh?
November 28, 1974, Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn suspends New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for two years due to his federal conviction for illegal contributions to political campaigns – Yankees suck!
November 28, 1978, Atlantic Records releases “Briefcase Full of Blues,” the debut album by The Blues Brothers (Dan Akroyd and John Belushi); the album tops the chart and becomes the best-selling blues record of all time

“I just found out that my father was a mime.”
“You just found out??”
“Ya, he never spoke about it.”

Stop complaining… unless you’re traveling today. A large winter storm that could bring some of the biggest snow of the season to the Central U.S.. and Rockies is expected to significantly impact travel plans for millions of people across 40 states returning home from their Thanksgiving holiday starting on Black Friday.

Don’t be that guy. Pass the goddamn gravy!

Article I’ll skip: Wisconsin lake reveals ancient vessels that predate Egyptian pyramids

Making money, you’re doing it wrong. San Francisco 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk has been out all season with a knee injury he sustained during the 2024 campaign and was expected to return at some point in 2025. Apparently, the situation has become so strained that San Francisco has voided the guaranteed money in his contract for 2026, a $24.935 million option bonus. Aiyuk reportedly “failed to attend meetings and declined to participate in other team activities in recent months,” which led to frustration within the organization.

Good news: The are a ton of leftovers in our refrigerator!

A king and a queen walk into a bar. The bartender says; “I can’t serve you. You’re not 21.”

Trivia #1 answer: The New England Patriots now have 20, 10+ wins in a season since 2000. What team has the second most (16) since during that period? – The Green Bay Packers
Trivia #2 answer: What country was the first to grant women the right to vote (in 1893)? – Austria, Denmark, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, New Zealand – New Zealand
Trivia #3 answer: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seattle Seahawks) now has 1,313 receiving yards on the year, putting him on pace to top the NFL’s single-season record of 1,964. Who holds that record? – Calvin Johnson

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National French Toast Day!

Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience, worst days give you lessons and the best days give you memories.

I got fired from my job as a masseuse. Apparently, I rub people the wrong way.

Are you living or are you just alive?

Come on downtown this afternoon, I’d love to serve you. Bruins at 1pm, Bears/Eagles at 3pm. What an afternoon!

“Welcome to the Grand illusion
Come on in and see what’s happening
Pay the price, get your tickets for the show
The stage is set, the band starts playing
Suddenly your heart is pounding
Wishing secretly you were a star.”

Styx (Grand Illusion)

Bonus!

Briefly.

I lost three fingers on my left hand and asked the doctor if I’d still be able to write. He said; “Maybe, but I wouldn’t count on it.”

Trivia #1: Who was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1975?
Trivia #2: Who won the 2022 championships in the NHL, NBA, MLB and the NFL (Super Bowl played in 2022)
Trivia #3: What is Ds on the Periodic Table of Elements?

On this date: November 21, 164 BC – Judas Maccabeus recaptures Jerusalem and rededicates the Second Temple during the Maccabean Revolt, commemorated since as the Jewish festival of Hanukkah
November 21, 1787, Future US president Andrew Jackson admitted to the bar aged 20
November 21, 1902, 1st night football game, Philadelphia Athletics beats Kanaweola AC, 39-0 
November 21, 1905, Physics journal Annalen der Physik publishes Albert Einstein”s paper “Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?” His general theory of relativity introduces the equation E = mc²
November 21, 1931, Horror film “Frankenstein” is released, starring Boris Karloff as the monster, directed by James Whale and based on Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel “Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus”
November 21, 1949, Bill Veeck sells MLB Cleveland Indians for $22 million, to fund his divorce settlement
November 21, 1976, Sports action film “Rocky,” directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Sylvester Stallone, premieres in New York (Best Picture 1977)
November 21, 2013, “Happy” single is released by Pharrell Williams (Billboard Song of the Year 2014, Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance 2015)

I heard my first Christmas tune of the season last Friday, in a CVS pharmacy, 41 days before Christmas.

Go away: Kevin Spacey (again)

The baseball season is over but one more shout out to Shohei Ohtani. The two-way Ohtani was a unanimous winner for his third straight MVP (two straight in the NL) and fourth in the last five years. No other player in history has been voted MVP unanimously multiple times; Ohtani has been unanimous every time.

Article I’ll skip: NASA’s Perseverance rover discovers shiny object scientists say isn’t native to Mars

Parenting, you’re doing it wrong. A California mother and father were convicted on Tuesday of stabbing and decapitating their 13-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, then forcing their two younger children to look at the bodies.

The wealthy oceanfront town of Carmel, California, has banned pickleball in its public park after residents complained that the constant sound of paddles striking balls was too noisy. The Carmel City Council voted earlier this month to permanently prohibit the sport at Forest Hill Park, the only public pickleball location within city limits, marking the first such ban in the state.

Good news: Hooters is making a comeback, and its new owners are updating its menu and changing the image that once defined the restaurant chain. Original Hooters LLC, the founders and original investors behind the very first Hooters restaurant, acquired Hooters of America during its bankruptcy restructuring earlier this year. The group now plans to return the chain “to its roots as a local beach-themed hangout.” 

Jeez, Ed, grow up.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Jordyn Brooks led the Dolphins with 20 tackles in their win over the Commanders making him the first Miami player with at least two games of 16-plus tackles since Hall of Famer Zach Thomas in 2006.

If you boil a funny bone, if becomes a laughing stock. That’s humerus.

Trivia #1 answer: Who was the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1975? – Fran Tarkenton (Minnesota Vikings)
Trivia #2 answer: Who won the 2022 championships in the NHL, NBA, MLB and the NFL (Super Bowl played in 2022) – Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Golden State Warriors (NBA), Houston Astros (MLB), Los Angeles Rams (NFL)
Trivia #3 answer: What is Ds on the Periodic Table of Elements? – Darmstadtium (named after Darmstadt, Germany, where the element was first produced.)

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Gingerbread Cookie Day!

Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience, worst days give you lessons and the best days give you memories.

I met a girl who runs a battery kiosk in a local park. So basically, she sells C cells by the seesaw.

“It might seem crazy what I’m about to say
Sunshine she’s here, you can take a break
I’m a hot air balloon that could go to space
With the air, like I don’t care, baby, by the way”

Pharrell Williams (Happy)

RISE AND SHINE MY FRAGILE FRIENDS! WHAT SILLY NONSENSE ARE WE OFFENDED BY TODAY?

When I get bored, I call Best Western Hotels and when they answer; “Best Western,” I say “High Noon with Gary Cooper” and hang up.

Trivia #1: Where is the main campus of Mercer University and what is the school’s nickname?
Trivia #2: Since 1940, which MLB pitcher had the lowest ERA in a season (1.123) with 200+ innings pitched? – Bob Gibson, Greg Maddux, Leroy Matlock, Max Manning, Luis Tiant, Satchel Paige, Ric Accardi

On this date: November 14, 1666, English writer Samuel Pepys writes the first report of a blood transfusion (between dogs) in his diary
November 14, 1732, First professional librarian in north America, Louis Timothee, hired in Philadelphia
November 14, 1834, William Thomson, later scientist Lord Kelvin, enters Glasgow University at just 10 yrs 4 months
November 14, 1856, American Gail Borden is issued a patent for technology related to his invention of condensed milk
November 14, 1922,  BBC begins daily radio broadcasts from the 2LO transmitter at Marconi House
November 14, 1965, US government sends 90,000 soldiers to Vietnam
November 14, 1993, Puerto Rico votes against becoming the 51st US state
November 14, 2018, Astronomers announce the discovery of a Super-Earth planet (3.2 times bigger than Earth) orbiting the red dwarf Barnard’s Star, 6 light-years away – I’m sure…
November 14, 2022. Earliest evidence of fire used to cook by humans found in study of fish remains 780,000 years ago at Gesher Benot Ya’aqov in northern Israel

Monday marked the 50^th anniversary of the sinking of the SS Edmond Fitzgerald. a tragedy on Lake Superior that claimed the lives of 29 men. In the days following the calamity, songwriter Gordon Lightfoot read about it in Newsweek and immediately put his God-given gifts to their highest and best use. Once the Edmund Fitzgerald’s sinking was confirmed, the rector at Mariner’s Church in Detroit rang its bell 29 times to honor the life of each member of her crew. Of this mournful and lonely labor, Lightfoot elegiacally sang “the church bell chimed ‘till it rang 29 times” in his ballad. This lyrical salute was not forgotten by the stalwart Anglican congregation. Every anniversary, Mariners’ Church rings its bell 29 as a memorial to the crew. After Lightfoot’s death in May 2023, the bell was rung a 30th time, the last peal to honor the songwriter who used his gifts to ensure their fathers, sons, brothers and husbands would never be forgotten.

I’m very much a traditionist, however… The New England Patriots debuted their “Nor’easter” uniforms last night as part of the NFL’s “Rivalries” program for their game against the New York Jets. The Patriots wore “Storm Blue” color jerseys with white helmets and pants. There were six stars on the uniform to signify six New England states and a unique “NE” logo on the shoulder of the uniform, featuring nautical lettering and compass points. The uniform had features a fan wouldn’t be able to see by the naked eye. There was a hidden message inside the collar. On red fabric, the words “We Are All Patriots” were stitched into white lettering. Now that’s pretty cool!

And… the Pats won their 8^th straight!

Article I’ll skip: Travis Kelce’s ex expresses remorse as offensive tweets resurface

Record! Notre Dame junior guard Hannah Hildago turned in an epic performance with an NCAA-record 16 steals, in 28 minutes, and a school-record 44 points in the No. 18 Fighting Irish’s 85-58 victory on Wednesday night.

Good news: An experimental drug has shown promise in fighting a hard-to-treat form of bladder cancer known as BCG-unresponsive high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin) is an immunotherapy drug that is often the first-line treatment for certain early-stage bladder cancers. The new drug, TAR-200 — which was evaluated in a trial sponsored and conducted by Janssen Research & Development, LLC, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson — may offer a less invasive alternative to bladder removal surgery.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Last Sunday the New England Patriots scored three scrimmage touchdowns that each reached a speed of at least 20 mph, a feat that is tied for the most in a single game by any NFL team since Next Gen Stats began tracking in 2016. 

What a couple of prime-time duds came out of the NFL last weekend. First, the Broncos beat the Raiders 10-7 on Thursday night, then the Eagles beat the Packers 10-7 on Monday night. Gross.

Speaking of the Thursday night game, only two times in the past 40 years has an NFL team had a game with: 10+ penalties, more penalties than points, more penalties than 1^st downs, an entire quarter without a 1^st down, under 100 rushing yards, under 150 net passing yards and a missed field goal. Both happened last Thursday night!!!

NASA is launching a satellite to say “sorry” to the aliens. They’re calling it Apollo G.

Trivia #1 answer: Where is the main campus of Mercer University and what is the school’s nickname? – It is located in Macon, GA – The Macon Bears
Trivia #2 answer: Since 1940, which MLB pitcher had the lowest ERA in a season (1.123) with 200+ innings pitched? – Bob Gibson, Greg Maddux, Leroy Matlock, Max Manning, Luis Tiant, Satchel Paige, Ric Accardi – Bob Gibson (1968)

R.I.P. Natalie Jean Moses (58) – A beautiful person who simply left us too early.

Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.

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

Happy National Seat Belt Day!

Adulthood hits hardest when a smell, a song, or a sunset takes you back to what’s gone.

Someone asked me to name two structures that hold water. I was like well, dam!

If you were subscribed here back in May, 2023, and paying attention, you’d recall this song first appearing in this post, just after ‘Old Gordo’ passed at the age of 84.

“In a rustic old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors’ Cathedral
The church bell chimed ’til it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald
The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early”

Gordon Lightfoot (The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald)