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Book 17 (of 52) – Infection
Double Helix: Infection – John Gregory Betancourt
When a virus breaks out that targets mixed species people on a racist Federation planet, the Enterprise is sent to help find a cure while quarantining the system. When the virus spreads to the Enterprise and takes down Troi, Dr. Crusher doubles her efforts to get to the bottom of it.
John Gregory Betancourt brings us back to the Star Trek universe with Infection, the first chapter of the Double Helix saga. It certainly wasn’t the best TNG entry I’ve ever read, with an ending that was very rushed. The other entries look to be spread across the different corners of the Star Trek universe, which is outside of my usual comfort zone, so we’ll see if picking up this series was worth it.
The Dog Days
As we enter the dog days of summer, we return to last spring’s trip to New York with a shot of Angelina and Danny sitting on a rock in Central Park.
Fitbit V: Week 26
Book 16 (of 52) – Modern Romance
Modern Romance – Aziz Ansari
I first started this 52 book challenge in 2010 and, for the first time, an audiobook makes an appearance. A conversation at work led to me finding out that Aziz Ansari had written a book about the trials and tribulations of finding love in the 21st century, titled Modern Romance. Val sent me a link to a free copy of the audiobook, which I started the next day and finished yesterday on my flight to San Francisco.
Ansari take a humorous look at how traditional dating has been turned on its head, and how mobile phones, apps, online dating, and changing social mores have made finding a life partner both easier and harder than ever. He also teamed up with a sociologist to look at the behavioral data behind the changes and comes up with useful advice on how to navigate the dating battlefield.
Normally, I am not a big fan of audiobooks (which is somewhat surprising given my daily commute), but I don’t think I would have enjoyed this one as much in text form. Hearing Ansari’s voice helped bring across some of the data driven points in a comedic way. As I start to explore some of these apps, this will be useful information going forward.
Fitbit V: Week 25
Hall Of Fame Batting Leaders
Today, former White Sox designated hitter Harold Baines joins long time Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, Orioles and Yankees ace Mike Mussina, Mariners star Edgar Martinez, Blue Jays and Phillies ace Roy Halladay, and well-traveled closer Lee Smith in taking their place in Cooperstown. With a single new hitter joining the list of Hall of Famers I’ve seen play live, let’s check back in with the new leaders on the offensive side of the ball amongst Hall of Famers for all of the games I’ve attended between 1984 and 2019.
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jim Thome | 35 |
| Frank Thomas | 15 |
| Vladimir Guerrero | 6 |
| Ivan Rodriguez | 4 |
| Chipper Jones | 3 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Jim Thome | 110 |
| Frank Thomas | 54 |
| Ken Griffey Jr | 32 |
| Continue reading → |
Hall Of Fame Pitching Leaders
This Sunday, the Hall of Fame class of 2019 will be inducted in Cooperstown and Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay, Lee Smith, and Mike Mussina will boost the number of Hall of Fame pitchers I’ve seen live to 10. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we will take another look at the pitching leaders amongst Hall of Famers in games I have attended between 1984 and 2019.
Wins
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Greg Maddux | 9 |
| Tom Glavine | 1 |
| Rich Gossage | 1 |
| Roy Halladay | 1 |
| Mike Mussina | 1 |
Losses
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Greg Maddux | 12 |
| Tom Glavine | 2 |
| Tom Seaver | 2 |
| Mike Mussina | 2 |
| Roy Halladay | 1 |
| Rich Gossage | 1 |
ERA
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Lee Smith | 0.00 |
| Mariano Rivera | 0.00 |
| Trevor Hoffman | 2.25 |
| Roy Halladay | 3.00 |
| Rich Gossage | 3.86 |
Strikeouts
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Greg Maddux | 92 |
| Continue reading → |
Fitbit V: Week 24
Book 15 (of 52) – Shoeless Joe
Shoeless Joe – W.P. Kinsella
W.P. Kinsella’s seminal book, which graced the big screen as Field of Dreams, tells the tale of an Iowa farmer who, listening to a mysterious voice that only he can hear, builds a baseball field on his farm for Shoeless Joe Jackson and the rest of the 1919 White Sox, drives to New England to kidnap J.D. Salinger, then heads to Minnesota to find Moonlight Graham, who played a single game for the New York Giants in 1905, before returning home to his family, his farm, and his field.
In what may seem to be a weird fact, due to my baseball fandom, I have never seen Field of Dreams. I was familiar enough (or so I thought) with the main themes of the movie, but never was interested enough to go ahead and actually watch it. So when I saw the book on sale through Amazon’s Kindle Store, I surprised myself by buying it. I enjoyed the book enough to consider watching the movie, should I come across it. I don’t know if I would go out of my way to find it, though.