Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

The 2021 net migration rate for Iraq is 0.359 per 1,000 population. That means net more people are moving into Iraq than into California or New York. Think about that for a minute... What will history recognize as the worse fashion fad? Pussy Hats or bell-bottom corduroy's?... Seems unfair that people remember Wally Pipp as the man who was replaced by Lou Gehrig but hardly anyone remembers Babe Dahlgren. He was the man who replaced Lou Gehrig... Salt (NaCl) is the only family of rocks eaten by humans... There were a lot of happy New England Patriots fans last night as Bill Belichick selected Alabama QB Mac Jones with the 15th pick. Belichick wasted no time submitting the pick either an indication they were really happy that the QB dropped to them. I hope the second-guessers at least give us a day to enjoy the pick... Would love to see a reporter ask a confused Joe Biden if he owns a pussy hat. How do you think Kamala Harris would react to such a question? Please someone make this happen...  

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Seems unfair that people remember Wally Pipp as the man who was replaced by Lou Gehrig but hardly anyone remembers Babe Dahlgren who was the man who replaced Lou Gehrig... When it comes to politics I second this viewpoint 100%. As a reminder I am a registered Independent who tries to see things as they are not view things on how they'll help my Party or candidate... When I feel a little down or depressed - I picture Bill Belichick dancing to Dee-Lite's Groove is In the Heart. And I am made happy... I'm an awful person because if I ever did see Joe Scarborough out and about I'd probably yell "Murderer!" at him just for a laugh. Has nothing to do with politics just my strange sense of humor... Columnist Howie Carr has given Massachusetts Republican Governor Charlie Baker the nickname "Tall Deval" - that's going to stick... One of the bad things about living alone is there's nobody to blame but yourself if you happen to run out of toilet paper... If kids are forced to wear face masks at Disney World can you imagine how many will go flying off on Space Mountain and the other roller coasters? Could those masks get lodged into the tracks and become hazards? What about the water rides? Do you have to wear masks on those and then have the kid wear the soaking wet mask for the rest of the day? Wearing masks in this country is not going to last...

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Teddy Roosevelt thought Thomas Jefferson was an awful President and especially thought Jefferson deserved no credit for the Louisiana Purchase. Roosevelt argued that US settlers moving into the territory would have forced the matter anyway. It was far cheaper for France to sell us the "rights" to the land than to defend it militarily... This remains perhaps my favorite painting of President Obama... I'm still upset that Andre the Giant wasn't even nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his work in The Princess Bride... Who knew? Urban Meyer was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 1982 and spent a couple of years in their minor league system... The Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory). They were born of Memory so their arts cause the soul to remember a higher plane of being. The Ancients seem to have had a better grasp of what the arts do then we moderns... Baseball-Reference.com says that one of the nicknames for Lou Gerhig was "biscuit pants." There has to be a pretty good story behind that... One of my dream cars - Reggie Dunlop's GTO from Slap Shot... Quote for the day: George Bernard Shaw when asked to name a deceased man he missed the most said, "The man I miss most is the man I could have been"... 

Top 5 - Memorable Things that Happened on the 4th of July

Happy 4th of July. Here are the top 5 things that happened in US history on the 4th of July. Don't forget that July is American Beer Month.

1. 1776 Colonies declare independence
2. 1826 Presidents, patriots, rivals and friends John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both die on the same day
3. 1863 The surrender of Vicksurg to General Grant (Vicksburg would not celebrate the Fourth of July for the next 81 years)
4. 1831 James Madison, last of the founding fathers, dies
5. (tie) 1804 Lewis and Clark celebrate first 4th of July west of the Mississippi (tie) 1939 Lou Gehrig gives his "luckiest man alive" speech at Yankee Stadium

Top 5 - Memorable Things that Happened on the 4th of July

Happy 4th of July. Here are the top 5 things that happened in US history on the 4th of July. Don't forget that July is American Beer Month.

1. 1776 Colonies declare independence
2. 1826 Presidents, patriots, rivals and friends John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both die on the same day
3. 1863 The surrender of Vicksurg to General Grant (Vicksburg would not celebrate the Fourth of July for the next 81 years)
4. 1831 James Madison, last of the founding fathers, dies
5. (tie) 1804 Lewis and Clark celebrate first 4th of July west of the Mississippi (tie) 1939 Lou Gehrig gives his "luckiest man alive" speech at Yankee Stadium

Top 5 - Memorable Things that Happened on the 4th of July

Happy 4th of July. Here are the top 5 things that happened in US history on the 4th of July. Don't forget that July is American Beer Month.

1. 1776 Colonies declare independence
2. 1826 Presidents, patriots, rivals and friends John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both die on the same day
3. 1863 The surrender of Vicksurg to General Grant (the town of Vicksburg would not celebrate the Fourth of July for 81 years)
4. 1831 James Madison, last of the founding fathers, dies
5. (tie) 1804 Lewis and Clark celebrate first 4th of July west of the Mississippi (tie) 1939 Lou Gehrig gives his "luckiest man alive" speech at Yankee Stadium

Top 5 - Memorable Things That Happened on a July 4th

Happy 4th of July. Here are the top 5 things that happened in US history on the 4th of July. Don't forget that July is American Beer Month.

1. 1776 Colonies declare independence
2. 1826 Presidents, patriots, rivals and friends John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both die on the same day
3. 1863 The surrender of Vicksurg to General Grant (the town of Vicksburg would not celebrate the Fourth of July for 81 years)
4. 1831 James Madison, last of the founding fathers, dies
5. (tie) 1804 Lewis and Clark celebrate first 4th of July west of the Mississippi (tie) 1939 Lou Gehrig gives his "luckiest man alive" speech at Yankee Stadium

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Ha ha - I haven't watched a single episode of The Killing. That puts me just as close to knowing who killed Rosie as someone who spent every Sunday watching every episode of the show. WINNING!!... Very cool story. UK Marine leaves £100k to buddies for Vegas holiday. David Hart seems like he was one hell of a guy. The world is a poorer place for losing him... In 1892 Benjamin Harrison became the 1st President of the United States to attend a baseball game. Jack McKeon managed one of the teams... The Six Million Dollar Man was on air for 101 episodes and I watched it all the time - yet today I can't recall the plot to even one show... The Go-Go's had a hit with 1981's Our Lips are Sealed. For the longest time I thought they were singing "Honored to see you". When I hear the song today I cannot for the life of me understand how I made that mistake... Davis Love III has a commercial for Dove Soap where he mentions he once had a lemonade stand but drank the profits. John Daly had similar commercial but for Hooters... Quote for the day: George Bernard Shaw when asked to name a deceased man he missed the most said, "The man I miss most is the man I could have been"... This will always be my favorite painting of Obama... I think that every non-appointed lawyer in the Justice Dept should have to pass the bar exam every 6-years or lose their jobs. Lawyers who can't pass a bar exam have no business in Justice Dept determining what is and is not important law. This change would also help weed out those trying to become permanent un-elected policy makers... Some sabermatrician should figure out a new adjusted OPS+ by removing players found to have used steroids or admitted to steroids use. Just take them out of the numbers altogether. Better to have them gone then to have them distorting the numbers of players who didn't cheat... I feel dirty for even writing this but Johnny Damon is just 9 hits away from passing Ted Williams on the all-time list... Baseball-Reference.com says that one of nicknames for Lou Gehrig was "biscuit pants". There has to be a pretty good story behind that...

Top 5 - Memorable Things That Happened on a July 4th

Happy 4th of July. Here are the top 5 things that happened in US history on the 4th of July. Don't forget that July is American Beer Month.

1. 1776 Colonies declare independence
2. 1826 Presidents, patriots, rivals and friends John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both die on the same day
3. 1863 The surrender of Vicksurg to General Grant (the town of Vicksburg would not celebrate the Fourth of July for 81 years)
4. 1804 Lewis and Clark celebrate first 4th of July west of the Mississippi
5. 1939 Lou Gehrig gives his "luckiest man alive" speech at Yankee Stadium

Lou Merloni - the Luckiest Man in Massachusetts

Many people remember Lou Gehrig's "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech that he gave on July 4th in 1939. Not as famous is the speech Lou Merloni gave Friday at Framingham's American Legion Post #74.

"Fans, since the beginning of spring training you have been reading about the bad break I got in not being picked up by a major or minor league team. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I have been in ballparks for fifteen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

"Look at the great players I got to watch. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Nomar Garciaparra when he was a god in Boston? Also, the builder of baseball's best strip club guide, Mo Vaughn? To have spent five years with that wonderful little fellow, Pedro Martinez? Then to have spent three of the next four years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Eric Wedge? Sure, I'm lucky.

"When the Syracuse SkyChiefs, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and peanut vendors remember you with requests for Nomar's autograph - that's something. When you have a wonderful friend like Mia Hamm who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own husband - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.

"So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

Top 5 - Memorable Things That Happened on a July 4th

Happy 4th of July. Here are the top 5 things that happened in US history on the 4th of July. Don't forget that July is American Beer Month.

1. 1776 Colonies declare independence
2. 1826 Presidents, patriots, rivals and friends John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both die on the same day
3. 1863 The surrender of Vicksurg to General Grant (the town of Vicksburg would not celebrate the Fourth of July for 81 years)
4. 1804 Lewis and Clark celebrate first 4th of July west of the Mississippi
5. 1939 Lou Gehrig gives his "luckiest man alive" speech at Yankee Stadium

Baseball Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous baseball thoughts and observations.

Sidney Ponson with 8 strong innings? Just 6 hits and one earned run? This has to be a tease... I was wrong about Josh Hamilton setting a record for RBI in April. He doesn't even have the team record. Hamilton ended up with 32 RBI in April but Juan Gonzalez owns the big-league and Rangers record with 35 RBI in April... On this day in 1939 Lou Gehrig takes himself out of the line-up for the good of the team. His record of 2,130 consecutive games played is considered unbreakable until Cal Ripken comes along... With all the news about Roger Clemens having "relationships" with all sorts of women - I have to wonder if Wade Boggs was talking about Roger when he had threatened to release his Delta Force secret videos of married players cheating on their wives on the road way back in the day...