Blog

Briefly (very)

Today is a good day to leave me alone.

On vacation, folks. Hope to see you all next Friday.

https://youtu.be/JzYf6qskdfA

Have a righteous day!

Briefly.

The hour we lost last weekend was the one when I was planning to go to the gym.

Trivia #1: Who was Maewyn Succat?
Trivia #2: In what year did the “Bloody Sunday” incident take place in Derry, Northern Ireland? – 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976
Trivia #3: According to Irish legend, St. Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to illustrate what?
Trivia #4: What is the nickname of Grand Canyon University, the #14 seed in the west region of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament?

Dinosaurs had no beer. How did that work out?

On this day: March 17, 1756, St. Patrick’s Day is first celebrated in NYC at the Crown & Thistle Tavern
March 17, 1861, Italy is unified into a single kingdom under Victor Emmanuel II following the campaigns led by Giuseppe Garibaldi

Go away: Aaron Rodgers

Cheers!

Of course size matters. No one wants a small beer.

In case you missed it, USA finished as the Pool C runner-up in the World Baseball Classic and takes on Venezuela in tomorrow’s quarterfinal game. The winner takes on Cuba on Sunday.

As for all-world Japanese do-all Shohei Otani, he’s just batting .438 after 5 games with 7 hits, 8 walks, a homerun and 8 RBI. Oh, and he’s 2-0 on the mound with 10 K’s in 8 innings. He also hit 102 mph on the gun!

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: The three Massachusetts casinos licensed to accept sports betting roped in more than $25.7 million in bets during the full month of wagering on games. That number was dwarfed by the $98 million the three casinos took in on slots and gambling revenue during the month.

Article I’ll skip: Ex-NFL quarterback sparks debate on towel etiquette
And: WHO issues warning about latest deadly health concern

If you haven’t seen it yet, google the end of the Virginia/Furman game from yesterday. (As a public service, let me recommend google.com as the best site to google things on)

Class Act: New England Patriots’ safety Devin McCourty is retiring but first he signed a one-year contract extension that is saving his (former) team $5.035 million in cap space. McCourty later posted a “Thank You” to Patriots’ fans on 40 billboards throughout the greater Boston area. What a guy!

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: After starting spring training 9-0-3, the Red Sox have gone 1-5-1

“Yeah, we won!”, you’re doing it wrong: The New York Mets will likely be without All-Star closer Edwin Diaz for the entire 2023 MLB season. On Thursday, GM Billy Eppler announced Díaz suffered a full-thickness tear of the patellar tendon in his right knee during Puerto Rico’s on-field celebration following their win over the Dominican Republic in Wednesday night’s win-or-go-home World Baseball Classic game. Díaz will have surgery Thursday and the recovery time is generally eight months. DOH!

Trivia #1 answer: Who was Maewyn Succat? – Later in life Maewyn Succat change his name to Patricius. He was St. Patrick
Trivia #2 answer: In what year did the “Bloody Sunday” incident take place in Derry, Northern Ireland? – 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976 – January 30, 1972
Trivia #3 answer: According to Irish legend, St. Patrick used the three-leafed shamrock to illustrate what? – The Holy Trinity (The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit)
Trivia #4 answer: What is the nickname of Grand Canyon University, the #14 seed in the west region of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament? – The Antelopes (“Lopes”)

A truck carrying Worcestershire sauce crashes. Dispatcher: “What’s the situation?” Deputy: “It’s hard to say…”

Let the madness begin!

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

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. “May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future.”

“And the battle’s just begun
There’s many lost but tell me, who has won?
The trench is dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart

Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday”

– U2

Briefly.

I planned to work out and have a nice body for people to look at this summer, and then I remembered that I like food more than I like people.

Trivia #1: Who was the only U.S. President to apply for a patent? Bonus: For what was the patent for?
Trivia #2: What does PFP stand for with respect to baseball?
Trivia #3: Who is Michael James Gubitosi?

It’s a long way to the top (if you want to Rock ‘N Roll)

On this day: March 10, 1876: during the first ever telephone call, Alexander Graham Bell says “Mr. Watson, come here, I want to see you” to his assistant Thomas Watson.
March 10, 2003: AC/DC is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Go away: Kendrick Perkins

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: USA Powerlifting was ordered to allow transgender women to compete with biological females in the women’s division after losing a discrimination case. Powerlifting, man!

Marymount University’s board of trustees drove the final nail in the coffin for nine majors and one graduate program on Feb. 24, when it unanimously voted 20-0 in support of the plan to end the degrees. The plan will cut bachelor’s degrees in theology and religious studies, philosophy, mathematics, art, history, sociology, English, economics and secondary education, as well as a master’s program in English and humanities. Students are still required to study the subjects as part of the school’s core program but are no longer able to select such areas of study as majors. (What??)

The Merrimack College men’s basketball team won the regular-season Northeast Conference championship and then defeated Fairleigh Dickinson in the conference tournament. Next up? The offseason. Merrimack has fallen victim to the NCAA’s transition rule that has a four-year transition rule for team’s jumping from D2 to D1. My only guess is that this has something to do with a D2 school having a stud freshmen class and being forced to wait until that class has graduated?? All I know is that my alma mater got screwed as they sit and Fairleigh Dickinson advances.

Speaking of which, the Babson women’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet 16 of the Division 3 NCAA basketball tournament for the first time since 2017. Go Beavers!

To infinity… and beyond!

Communicating with the dead. You’re doing it wrong. Twenty-eight schoolgirls were hospitalized with anxiety attacks after allegedly playing with Ouija boards at the Galeras Educational Institution in Columbia. The girls reportedly suffered signs of fainting, anxiety and other symptoms.

Stop complaining. Nearly a quarter million Floridians are being warned to avoid washing their face with tap water after a man died from a brain-eating amoeba. The advice, which applies to the nearly 200,000 residents of Charlotte County, comes after a county resident died on February 20.

Article I’ll skip: 3 teams reportedly likely to pursue quarterback Jimmy Garappolo.

Apologizing, not enough: Mexican cartel ‘apologizes’ for kidnapping and brutal murders of Americans.

In shocking NHL news, the Bruins lost last night for the first time since February 11.

The Celtics have lost three in a row.

Good news: 98-year-old matriarch met with her great-great-great-granddaughter for the first time. The pair were joined by MaeDell Hawkins’ daughter, Frances Snow; her granddaughter, Gracie Snow Howell; her great-granddaughter Jacqueline Ledford; and her great-great-granddaughter Jaisline Wilson.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: The Red Sox remain undefeated. Now, everyone knows this is a useless record and many people remind me of that. But whoa, imagine if they were winless? Red Sox Nation would be in a tizzy.

Speaking of baseball, small sample size, I know. However, balls hit by left-handed batters to right field are hits as opposed to outs 15% more than last year. The shift is on gone.

R.I.P. Robert Perryman (58) – After graduating from the University of Michigan, Perryman played in the NFL for the Patriots, Cowboys and Broncos. After football, Perryman worked for the United Way, as a probation officer, and he coached youth, high school and college football teams.
R.I.P. Robert Blake (89) – Child actor in “The Little Rascals” and various others roles most notably “Baretta.” Before being acquitted for killing his wife, he was praised for his portrayal of real-life murderer Perry Smith in the movie of Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.” Go figure.

Trivia #1 answer: Who was the only U.S. President to apply for a patent? For what was the patent for? – In 1849, Abraham applied for a patent for a device to lift a boat over shoals and obstructions
Trivia #2 answer: What does PFP stand for with respect to baseball? – Pitchers’ fielding practice
Trivia #3 answer: Who is Michael James Gubitosi? – Robert Blake

The white snow is so beautiful. I love to watch it melt.

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

Happy International Bagpipes Day.

“Sounds of the drums
Beating in my heart
The thunder of guns
Tore me apart

You’ve been – thunderstruck”

– AC/DC

Briefly.

My favorite machine at the gym is the one where you put change in and snacks come out.

Trivia #1: What gas is “Tc” (atomic #43) on the Periodic Table
Trivia #2: What human made object was the first to break the sound barrier? – Whip, Car, Plane, Rocket, Nolan Ryan fastball
Trivia #3: What is the average salary of a Major League Baseball player? $1.4M, $2.9M, $3.0M, $4.2M, $5.7M, $6.2M
Trivia #4: Order the following in terms of cumulative weeks on the billboard 200 album chart: Legend (Bob Marley & The Wailers, 1984), The Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd, 1973), Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits (Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1976), Metallica (“The Black Album”) – Metallica, 1991, Journey’s Greatest Hits (Journey, 1988)

No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.

On this day: Congress authorizes a track width of 4’8 ½” for the Union Pacific Railroad. Also (close enough) Pink Floyd released its landmark progressive rock album, ”The Dark Side of the Moon” on March 1, 1973, 50-years ago.

Go away: Alex Murdaugh (apparently, 12 jurors think so too!)

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: University of Illinois guard Matthew Mayer said he had been suffering from a “hangover” the last few days – but not from alcohol. “I’ve been sick the last few days,” said Mayer. “I had caffeine poisoning. I had six Monsters the day of the game. I only had one before, but I had five after, because I had like a caffeine-induced euphoria to play video games. So, I could barely get out of bed the next day. It was basically like a caffeine hangover.” Kids today…

The Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving and are now 2-4 when he and all-world Luka Doncic play together.

Scamming, you’re doing it right! The Boston Red Sox are selling SRO (Standing Room Only) tickets for $75 for ALL home games in April. That comes to roughly $5.35 per game. Come to our ballpark for the nominal fee, pay upwards of $60 to park, watch a game (while standing for 2 /1/2 – 4 hours), drink our $13 beers and pay exorbitant prices for all kinds of cuisine. Thanks for nothing!

The Celtics trail the Bucks for best record but the Bruins continue to be unbelievable! With their 7-1 buffaloing of the Sabres last night, they become the fastest NHL team ever to reach 100 points, doing so after just 61 games. Trades and the signing of David Pastrnak (goal, two assists last night) show that they’re going for it, now!

They said it: “I used to apologize for being on ‘Family Guy’ and I apologize no more because this world is a horrible native satire. Everybody takes themselves too seriously, and… I think in many ways become an overwhelming mess. But we need humor in our lives, and we need love and humor, acceptance. It’s all rather simple.” – Patrick Warburton, actor

To infinity… and beyond!

Stop complaining. Just stop.

In his first at-bat of 2023, San Diego’s Manny Machado was down 0-1 in the count before seeing a pitch, courtesy of the of the new pitch clock rule(s). Machado failed to bring his left foot into the batter’s box within the eight seconds he is allowed.

Filing a complaint, you’re doing it wrong. Belinda Miller, 50, was charged with criminal damage to property and aggravated assault after she drove her vehicle into a Popeyes restaurant on purpose after biscuits were mistakenly left out of her order.

An Italian soccer club received a delivery in the mail that included a severed pig’s head and a threatening letter. Sampdoria, a team in Italy’s Serie A, received the package that was delivered in a box to club headquarters this week from an unknown sender. In the box was the pig head and a note addressed to former club president Massimo Ferrero and current club vice president Antonio Rome. The note read, “the next heads will be yours,” according to a club spokesman.

Article I’ll skip: Everything to know about Meghan and Harry’s Frogmore Cottage eviction

Good news: It’s March, we’re almost there!

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Pittsburgh University’s defensive tackle Calijah Kancey ran a 4.67-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, beating Aaron Donald’s record for defensive tackles by one-hundredth of a second.

Trivia #1 answer: What gas is “Tc” (atomic #43) on the Periodic Table – Technetium
Trivia #2 answer: What human made object was the first to break the sound barrier? – Whip, Car, Plane, Rocket, Nolan Ryan fastball – The whip
Trivia #3: What is the average salary of a Major League Baseball player? $1.4M, $2.9M, $3.0M, $4.2M, $5.7M, $6.2M – The league average is $4.2M, up 14.8% from 2022.
Trivia #4: Order the following in terms of cumulative weeks on the billboard 200 album chart: Legend (Bob Marley & The Wailers, 1984), The Dark Side of the Moon (Pink Floyd, 1973), Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits (Creedence Clearwater Revival, 1976), Metallica (“The Black Album”) – Metallica, 1991, Journey’s Greatest Hits (Journey, 1988) – In order: Pink Floyd (970 weeks), Bob Marley & The Wailers (769 weeks), Journey (748 weeks), Metallica (698 weeks), CCR (628 weeks)

Remember when we had to smack the TV because the channel wasn’t coming in clearly? I feel that way about far too many people.

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

Happy National Day of Unplugging. (Well, so much for that!)

“Long you live and high you fly
Smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry
And all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be”

– Pink Floyd

Briefly.

There was a piece of chocolate cake in the fridge with a note, “Don’t eat me!” Now there is an empty plate with a note, “Don’t tell me what to do!”

Trivia #1: Who is Mac McClung?
Trivia #2: What does BAFTA stand for?
Trivia #3: The Beatles “Help” was filmed where? – Los Angeles, Liverpool, New York, Bahamas, London
Trivia #4: Which of these teams did the legendary Herb Brooks not coach in the NHL? – New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins
Trivia #5: Who won the 1993 championships in the NHL, NBA, MLB and the NFL (Super Bowl played in 1993)?

I get by with a little help from my friends.

On this day: February 24, 2022: Russian leader Vladimir Putin announces the start of a “special military operation” in Ukraine to “demilitarize” the country moments before Russia launches a full-scale pre-dawn invasion by land, air and sea, with bombings in several cities amid international condemnation
Also on this day, in 1965, the Beatles began filming “Help.”

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Parents at a Los Angeles area school district spoke out at a Tuesday school board meeting against the administration’s decision to eliminate honors classes in the name of racial-equity because they didn’t enroll enough Black and Latino students. Earlier this school year, the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) replaced honors classes at Culver City High School with a one-size-fits-all approach that officials said would give students of all races an equal education.

Go away: Vladimir Putin

The Celtics and Bruins both won last night. You guessed it, both still the best. The Bruins have the most wins and points through their first 57 of the season in NHL history.

Speaking of Celtics/Bruins, here’s just one difference between NBA players and NHL players. I watched two Celtics games earlier this year where Jaylen Brown was gunning for 40 points and Jason Tatum for 50. Both blowout games and both shooting away at the end. While on Monday afternoon, during David Krejci’s 1,000^th career game, David Pastrnak was trying to get Krejci the puck for an empty net goal while he himself had a chance for a hattrick and a tie for the league lead in goals scored.

Walking the dog, you’re doing it wrong. An 85-year-old Florida woman was killed Monday when an alligator attacked her as she was walking her dog.

Did you catch any XFL action?

They said it: “If you came here to have your morals or ethics or to become educated, you should know that, as a cohort, we’re some of the dumbest people on the planet. That’s why we’re comedians, OK? That’s why we’re not lawyers and doctors and we’re not scientists. We are all flawed in some way.” – Vinnie Brand, comedian and owner of Stress Factory Comedy Club

Stop complaining. While Turkey was still in the beginning stages of recovering from the 7.8 magnitude earthquake on Feb. 6, which left more than 45,000 people dead, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake ripped through southern Turkey on Monday.

Good news: Love letters from the World War II-era ( they were more than 80 years old) were found in the walls of a NY house that was being renovated. The letters were eventually returned to the author’s daughter.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Jason Tatum was named NBA All-Star game MVP after scoring 55 points.

Trivia #1 answer: Who is Mac McClung? – Mac McClung is the 6’2” point guard who won this year’s NBA dunk contest. McClung had just been called up from the G league.
Trivia #2 answer: BAFTA stand s for “British Academy of Film and Television Arts”
Trivia #3 answer: The Beatles “Help” was filmed where? – Los Angeles, Liverpool, New York, Bahamas, London – The Bahamas
Trivia #4 answer: Which of these teams did the legendary Herb Brooks not coach in the NHL? – New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins – He never coached the Philadelphia Flyers
Trivia #5: Who won the 1993 championships in the NHL, NBA, MLB and the NFL (Super Bowl played in 1993)? – Montreal Canadiens (NHL), Chicago Bulls (NBA), Toronto Blue Jays (MLB), Dallas Cowboys (NFL)

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

Happy National Tortilla Chip Day!

You call it nagging, I call it “Listen to what I f*n said the first time!”

“(Now) And now my life has changed (My life has changed) in oh so many ways
(My independence) My independence seems to vanish in the haze
(But) But ev’ry now (Every now and then) and then I feel so insecure
(I know that I) I know that I just need you like I’ve never done before”

– The Beatles

Bonus song that I should have had last week.

Briefly. (Hmmm)

Customer, older gentleman, at the pharmacy: “I have a few questions about my prescriptions. One pill makes me larger and one pill makes me small, and the ones you gave me last week don’t do anything at all.”
Pharmacist: “Go ask Alice.”

Trivia #1: Four former Celtics have one the NBA 3-point contest, two of them while with the Celtics and two while with other teams. Name them.
Trivia #2: Who received a then record 17 curtain calls at a performance at New York’s Metropolitan Opera? (not sure whether the record has been broken since)
Trivia #3: Who was the first man in PGA history to shoot nine under par for nine holes in a PGA tournament?

Just let me hear some screamin’ guitar.

Yesterday/ last night, Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy were grouped together and each birdied their final hole. Very cool. How is Tiger playing? He birdied the final three holes and outdrove big-hitter McIlroy on the 18. Great theater!

On this day: Frenchman Jean Claude-Killy completes a clean sweep of the alpine skiing events at the Grenoble Winter Olympics when he wins the slalom; also takes out the downhill and giant slalom.

How about those maggot Philadelphia fans at the Super Bowl (I assume it was them) who booed rival Cowboy Dak Prescott when he was presented the NFL Man-of-the-Year award. Disgraceful!

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Kourtney Kardashian has rolled out her latest vitamin called “Lemme Purr”. Said Kardashian’s Instagram post, “You know what they say…you are what you eat. We combined real pineapple and Vitamin C with the power of clinically-studied SNZ 1969™ probiotics to target vaginal health and pH levels that support freshness and taste.” Gynecologists and other women’s health experts promptly called out the reality television star and her new product and said the promises of the product were “purely misogynistic and anti-feminist.”

In a 4-game stretch last week, the Celtics made 81 3-pointers and 81 2-pointers. If I want to watch a 3-point contest, I’ll just tune in tomorrow night.

They said it: “Ever since I’ve been here, even as an assistant, I’ve always felt their support, I’ve always felt their communication, I’ve always felt their honesty.” – Joe Mazzulla, who had the “interim” tag removed and was named head coach of the Celtics.

Go away: Ime Udoka, former Celtics’ head coach suspended for banging two members of staff. Knucklehead.

BTW, the Celtics swept this year’s season series with Detroit. That is just nice to hear for those of us who remember the rivalry from the 80’s.

Are you ready for the XFL which kicks off tomorrow?

Congratulations to the Northeastern Huskies’ men’s hockey team, I guess, for winning the Beanpot championship 3-2 over Harvard… in a shootout. Under the new rules regarding overtime in the Beanpot, this was the first-ever shootout in the tournament’s history. In the eyes of the NCAA, both teams were credited with a tie. DOH!

There was an article out last Saturday about George Toma, otherwise known as the “God of Sod.” The 94-year-old had tended to every Super Bowl field over his career and announced that this year’s would be his last. Well, what a way to go out as players were slipping and sliding all over the State Farm Stadium on Sunday. The field was a disgrace! The Sodfather, meh.

New Mexico State fired first-year men’s basketball coach Greg Heiar on Tuesday, days after the school canceled the remainder of the Aggie’s season. Yet another casualty of hazing allegations across the country, all sports, all levels. Too bad.

Nettie’s House of Spaghetti in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, has decided to ban children under 10 from its restaurant citing noise levels, lack of space for high chairs and “crazy messes” kiddos sometimes leave behind. “We love kids, we really do!” said the restaurant’s social media accounts. Ya.

Ndamukong Suh (big punk in my book), had chosen Tampa Bay, the LA Rams and this year the Philadelphia Eagles as teams to sign with over the past few years. Each team went to the Super Bowl. An article I read questioned what his secret was. His secret!? This past season he signed with Philly after week 10 when the Eagles were 9-1 and then favored to win the Super Bowl. Secret my ass!

Stop complaining. Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, are continuing to speak out about the health effects they’re experiencing after toxic chemicals were released in their community in early February. A Norfolk Southern train carrying toxic chemicals such as vinyl chloride, benzene and butyl acrylate derailed, forcing officials to burn the roughly 20 cars to prevent a deadly explosion.

Good news: Michael Jordan donated $10M to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Man, that guy has given away a lot of money over the years to countless causes.

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: The Kansas City Chiefs are favorites (+575) to win the Super Bowl next season.

R.I.P. Raquel Welch (82) – The legendary bombshell actress of film, television and stage, in 1979 was named the most desired woman of the 70’s by Playboy magazine. (She was certainly on my list!)

Trivia #1 answer: Four former Celtics have one the NBA 3-point contest, two of them while with the Celtics and two while with other teams. Name them. – Larry Bird (1986-1988), Ray Allen (2001 with the Bucks), Paul Pierce (2010 – Celtics), Kyrie Irving (2013 with the Cavaliers)
Trivia #2: Who received a then record 17 curtain calls at a performance at New York’s Metropolitan Opera? (not sure whether the record has been broken since) – Luciano Pavarotti after his performance of “La fille du régiment”
Trivia #3: Who was the first man in PGA history to shoot nine under par for nine holes in a PGA tournament? – Billy Mayfair at the 2001 Buick Open

Those who like my posts are happier, more intelligent, and better-looking than those who don’t; according to a study I made up.

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

Happy National Cabbage Day!

“Purple Haze all around
Don’t know if I’m coming up or down
Am I happy or in misery
Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me”

– Jimi Hendrix

Briefly.

Kids today are so open to experiencing culture. They’ll try anything, from chicken tenders at a Mexican restaurant to chicken tenders at a Mediterranean restaurant.

Trivia #1: What was the first year of the World Baseball Classic and which two of the following countries have never won a championship? – USA, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Japan, Dominican Republic
Trivia #2: What NBA player was recently traded twice on consecutive days?
Trivia #3: Who is credited with coining the term “Super Bowl?”
Trivia #4: The Philadelphia Eagles have never lost to which two teams?
Trivia #5: Who wrote the song, “Spirit in the Sky?”

Chris Stapleton, please don’t let me down. Just sing the damn song.

Good luck on all of your Super Bowl wagers. According to the American Gaming Association, a record 50.4 million Americans (20%) plan to bet an estimated $16 billion on the game – a 61% and 110% increase over 2022 respectively.

On this day: February 10, 1971, the Royal Albert Hall banned a scheduled concert featuring Frank Zappa as management was outraged over Zappa’s lyrics.

My guitar wants to kill your mama

Yes, LeBron James broke Kareem’s all-time scoring record. The next night, before the game, he was honored by the Lakers at halfcourt. LeBron was so touched that he sat out the game with an apparent ankle injury. Yes, the night after breaking the record. What a fraud!

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: From a survey in our local newspaper: In December 2022, Oddspedia.com surveyed 1,053 people about their Super Bowl plans – 50% were male, 49% female and 1% non-binary/non-conforming.
Part duex: 12 Red Sox players will be playing in the World Baseball Classic next month, none of which are from the U.S.
Part trois: There is a Super Bowl prop bet on what color Rihanna’s hair will be during her halftime show.

I also read in that same newspaper as above: Top Super Bowl party cities across the country are Minneapolis, Atlanta and Raleigh, NC. Says who?! How was this determined??

Speaking of which, it’s probably not a bad time to be in Phoenix, AZ with Super Bowl weekend and the PGA’s Phoenix Open in nearby Glendale.

They said it: “China’s balloon saw more states than Forrest Gump on a jog.” – Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld

It’s Beanpot season! It’s hard to imagine that in the 70 years of the storied history of the Beanpot hockey tournament, Harvard and Northeastern are squaring off in the final for the first time, eva!

Stop complaining. Rescue teams battled snow and freezing temperatures to search for survivors following two earthquakes in Turkey and Syria as hopes fade of finding people alive on the fourth day. The death toll is more than 19,000!

Useless information supposed to fire my imagination: Jupiter now has 92 moons after new discovery

Article I’ll skip: Middleton’s chess move amid Prince Harry PR war, Markle sisters meltdown

Unfortunately… I do find everything funny.

Trivia #1 answer: What was the first year of the World Baseball Classic and which two of the following countries have never won a championship? – USA, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Japan, Dominican Republic – Puerto Rico and Cuba have never won
Trivia #2 answer: What NBA player was recently traded twice on consecutive days? – Jae Crowder was traded from the Nets to the Suns on Wednesday and from the Suns to the Bucks yesterday.
Trivia #3 answer: Trivia #3: Who is credited with coining the term “Super Bowl?” – Chiefs founder Lamar Hunt
Trivia #4 answer: The Philadelphia Eagles have never lost to which two teams? – The N.Y. Jets (12-0) and the Houston Texans (6-0)
Trivia #5 answer: Who wrote the song, “Spirit in the Sky?” – Norman Greenburg

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

Vegans confuse me with their fake meat. I don’t understand why someone would want to eat something that mimics an item that they don’t want to eat.

Happy National Bubble Gum Day!

I couldn’t find a Frank Zappa video worth posting.

“Prepare yourself, you know it’s a must
You gotta have a friend in Jesus
So you know that when you die
Gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky

Gonna recommend you to the spirit in the sky
That’s where you’re gonna go when you die
When you die, and they lay you to rest
You’re gonna go to the place that’s the best”

– Norman Greenburg

Briefly.

It’s so cold, people are starting to wear two pairs of pajamas to Walmart.

Trivia #1: Who is Julius Russell?
Trivia #2: Super Bowl LVII will be played on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The stadium previously hosted Super Bowls XLII and XLIX. What teams won each of those Super Bowls? Bonus: Who did they beat?
Trivia #3: Before becoming a broadcaster, Billy Packer was the head men’s basketball coach at what school? Bonus: Where did he attend college where he was All-ACC in 1961-62?

I’d lay my head on the railroad tracks and wait for the Double “E”…

On this day: February 3, 1887, the U.S. Congress creates the Electoral Count Act to avoid disputed national elections. (Now, isn’t that funny!)

Wanna get away: Joseph Ossai, after his late hit on Patrick Mahomes late in the game last Sunday.

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: Money matters – @CircaSports announced the opening line for the Super Bowl at Kansas City -2.5. 21 minutes later, due to the influx of opening bets, the line shifted to Philadelphia -2.5. That’s crazy!

A 66-year-old woman at Glen Oaks Alzheimer’s Special Care Center was mistakenly pronounced dead and taken to a funeral home only to wake up when she “Gasped for air.”

They said it: “I told him he can find another place to play. … I’m not paying a kid a bunch of NIL money before he earns it.” – I’m not a fan of Nick Saban, well maybe now I am. He said this referring to a player who requested $800,000 in NIL money before signing on to Alabama. (He also told another to take a hike when he requested $500,000)

Are you ready for the Kelce Bowl? Jason, a center for Philadelphia and his brother, Travis, tight end for Kansas City. Jason is two years older though they didn’t play together in high school because Travis couldn’t play in his sophomore year. Trivia here: Why couldn’t Travis play that year? – He flunked French, he torn his ACL/MCL, he had the measles, he got in trouble with the law. Answer below.

No airbag needed: A 25-year-old Ugandan human rights activist and her husband were on vacation in Utah just months after their wedding. On the edge of Arches National Park, a metal gate that was normally secured with a lock was left untethered. As Nakajjigo and her husband were leaving the park, gusting wind flung the gate around rapidly. The force was enough to slice through the passenger side door of their car, decapitating Nakajjigo as her husband sat in the driver’s seat.

Global warming my ass!

It’s Beanpot season!

I’ve said this before but I don’t see Tom Brady as a good television analyst. I guess we’ll see soon enough as he begins his stint on Fox next season. That is of course if he doesn’t change his mind on retirement.

They should announce a sequel to the movie Groundhog Day (Groundhog Day II) and then rerelease the original.

Stop complaining. Organizations from Jackson, Mississippi are asking for help from other states as the water crisis dries up resources. It’s been over five months since the Pearl River crested and Jackson’s water system failed. Now, crews are working to replace the entire pipe system, but families and businesses are prepared to go without water periodically for up to 10 years!

Warren Zevon has finally been nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I’ll report back in May concerning the outcome.

It’s so cold, Richard Simmons is wearing shorts that come nearly to the half-thigh region.

Article I’ll skip: LeBron James, NBA world react to horrific Tyre Nichols video AND Fungal illness that mimics COVID could spread across US, experts warn

R.I.P. Billy Packer (82) – The voice of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for more than 30 years.
Cindy Williams (75) – First starred in the movie “American Graffiti”, the sitcom “Happy Days” and later her most famous role as “Shirley” in “Laverne & Shirley.”
Bobby Hull (84) – He scored a wicked lot of goals

Trivia #1 answer: Who is Julius Russell? – Julius “Nipsey” Russell, was an American actor, comedian, poet, and dancer best known for his appearances as a panelist on game shows from the 1960s through the 1990s, including Match Game, Password, Hollywood Squares, To Tell the Truth, and Pyramid
Trivia #2 answer: Super Bowl LVII will be played on Feb. 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The stadium previously hosted Super Bowls XLII and XLIX. What teams won each of those Super Bowls? Bonus: Who did they beat? – XLII -The Giants beat the Patriots 17-14, XLIX – The Patriots beat the Seahawks 28-24.
Trivia #3 answer: Before becoming a broadcaster, Billy Packer was the head men’s basketball coach at what school? Bonus: Where did he attend college where he was All-ACC in 1961-62? – He coached at Lehigh and attended Wake Forest.
Bonus Trivia: Why couldn’t Travis Kelce play football during his sophomore year in high school? – He flunked French, he torn his ACL/MCL, he had the measles, he got in trouble with the law. – He couldn’t play because he flunked French.

Fun fact: Alcohol increases the size of the “Send” button by 89%.

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

Happy National Bubble Gum Day!

In tribute:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJzF8_df1R8

“There were Swedes to the left of him
Russians to the right
A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight
Brains over brawn – that might work for you
But what’s a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do
But what’s a Canadian farm boy to do
What else can a farm boy from Canada do”

– Warren Zevon

Briefly.

If 4 out of 5 people suffer from diarrhea… does that mean that one enjoys it?

Trivia #1: What 4 teams have never appeared in a Super Bowl?

On this day: January 27, 1591, as part of the Berwick witch trials, Scottish schoolmaster Dr. John Fian is burned for witchcraft at Castle Hill,  by order of King James VI.

I’m beginning to think that the Bruins are for real but the Celtics are not.

I went 3 for 4 in my NFL picks and are still alive for Philadelphia to beat Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: I honestly don’t know where to start. This world is going to shit. I guess I’ll pick one: Renovations on Splash Mountain, which many fans consider a Disney staple, began on Monday. Disney announced in June 2020 that it was planning to reimagine the ride after growing complaints due to its associations with the 1946 film Song of the South, namely a Change.org petition with over 21,000 signatures stating that the ride is “steeped in extremely problematic and stereotypical racist tropes.”
This week’s sign of the apocalypse, part deux: DMT, a hallucinogenic drug and schedule I substance, could be legal if a bill is passed in New Hampshire. The House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee heard from several people who said they were ministers of a nontraditional church, who claim the drug allows people to find God and should be legal for spiritual reasons.

After the Cowboys collapse last weekend, Dak Prescott threw his helmet in disgust. It was intercepted.

Good news: The FDA last Friday approved the use of Alzheimer’s drug lecanemab, the first drug clearly shown to slow the progress of the debilitating disease.

So, I was channel surfing the other night and came upon a WWE match. There was actually a commercial break in the middle of a match! WTF!

Don’t allow a job to stress you out because your job will be posted online before your obituary.

With 16:30 left in the second half of Loyola-Chicago-Duquesne game the other night, with the ball down near the right baseline, an Uber Eats delivery man waltzed onto the court looking for someone to claim the McDonald’s he was holding. 

The NFL dodged a bullet with Cincinnati beating Buffalo thereby avoiding the AFC Championship being played at a neutral site, Atlanta, due to the Damar Hamlin incident.

Have you seen professional “Slap Fighting?” Google it. Holy shit!

Speaking of which, I recommend google.com as the best website to google stuff on the internet.

Article I’ll skip: Here’s who Americans want to see in Super Bowl LVII matchup

Trivia #1 answer: What 4 teams have never appeared in a Super Bowl? – Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars

Fun fact: Alcohol increases the size of the “Send” button by 89%.

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

Happy World Breast Pumping Day!

“They’re dancin’ on the ceilin’
they’re dancin’ on the floor
People everywhere comin’ through the door
They knew there’s a party goin’ on
Do the dancin’ romance all night long
C’mon baby, I’ll keep you satisfied
All you gotta do is move
Every time you feel that groove
Ain’t nothing but a house party”

Briefly. (kinda)

People say “I would never…” then here they come nevering like they never nevered before.

Trivia #1: What does WIPO stand for?
Trivia #2: What team(s) did Chris Ford coach in the NBA?
Trivia #3: Who won the 1981 championships in the NHL, NBA, MLB and the NFL (Super Bowl played in 1981)?

On this day: January 20, 1930 – The first radio broadcast of “Lone Ranger.”
Also on this day in 1982, Heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne allegedly bites the head off a bat onstage in Des Moines, Iowa.

Go away, Brian Walshe. Walshe is the psycho, A-hole, moron who, along with being accused of assaulting and beating his wife with the intent to murder her, Brian Walshe is charged with moving her body or remains. I say moron because he made a number of disturbing searches Google searches including “10 ways to dispose of a dead body if you really need to” and “how to stop a body from decomposing”.

I can’t believe I didn’t make picks for last weekend’s Wildcard Weekend in the NFL, but that was last week. Next weekend’s games will be Philly/Dallas, Cincinnati/Kansas City and Philadelphia will beat Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII

This week’s sign of the apocalypse: “Not all students who menstruate are female.” – Said DFL Rep. Sandra Feist said during a hearing to consider a bill that would provide menstrual products in all school bathrooms, including boys’ bathrooms.

Let’s talk “beatdowns.” Dallas Cowboys kicker, Brett Maher, missed 4 of 5 extra points last Monday Night. The final score was 31-14 and the over/under was 45.5 points. 77% of bets were on the over. Also, there was a prop on Maher for more than 2.5 extra points in the game. He had only missed three extra points all season.

Article I’ll skip: Celebrity captains for All-Star game announced

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tom Brady fired offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.

For just the second time, since the merger, all 8 quarterbacks in the divisional round of the playoffs are <= 30 years old. (the only other year was 2004) I think that’s good for the NFL.

They said it: “I’ve always said that I picked up the guitar as a shortcut to sex and after my first joint I was sure that if everyone smoked dope there’d be an end to war” – David Crosby in his 1988 autobiography.

If Tom Brady started playing in the NFL when he was 35 years old, he would still be 9^th all-time in touchdown passes in the regular/postseason. Wowza!

Speaking of Tom Brady (again), it’s time to step away.

The Bruins and Celtics? Well, old news but they are still the best in the NHL and NBA, respectively. Both were victorious again last night.

Several teams have tried to contact recently fired Arizona Cardinals’ head coach Kliff Kingsbury about vacant coaching positions. I say “tried?” Yes, as Kingsbury bought a one-way ticket to Thailand and is unavailable. Really.

R.I.P. Chris Ford (74) – Drafted by the Detroit Pistons, Ford spent most of his career with the Boston Celtics, winning a championship in 1981. In 1979, he made the first three-pointer in NBA history. He later compiled a 222-188 record as Celtics head coach.
R.I.P. – David Crosby (81) – Legendary singer/song-writer, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN & Young years later), Crosby was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice, once with each band.

Trivia #1 answer: What does WIPO stand for? – World Intellectual Property Organization. The Global Design Database is a library that acts as protection for the designs of various products.
Trivia #2 answer: What team(s) did Chris Ford coach in the NBA? – Somewhat of a trick question as he coached the Celtics, Bucks and Clippers, and was an interim head coach of the 76ers.
Trivia #3 answer: Who won the 1981 championships in the NHL, NBA, MLB and the NFL (Super Bowl played in 1981)? New York Islanders (NHL), Boston Celtics (NBA), Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB), San Francisco 49ers (NFL)

Have you ever met someone and immediately thought to yourself, “this guy drank the water at Camp Lejeune!”?

Be careful out there. (It’s a jungle!) – (Happy 60^th, Iceman!)

Happy National Disc Jockey Day!

“Take my hand, my child of love, come steps inside my tears
Swim the magic ocean I’ve been crying all these years
With our love we’ll ride away into eternal skies
A symptom of the universe, a love that never dies

Yeah”

– Black Sabbath

That’s right, bonus Friday!

“Wooden ships on the water very free and easy
Easy, the way it’s supposed to be
Silver people on the shoreline let us be
Talkin’ ‘bout very free and easy”

– Crosby, Stills & Nash