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Post Mortem – Splitting Up Together
ABC axed the comedy Splitting Up Together after 2 seasons. Outside of being Jenna Fischer’s first real post-The Office gig, there wasn’t much else going for it.
Crosstown Batting Leaders Revisited
The first round of the 2019 Crosstown Cup kicks off today at Wrigley Field, with the Cubs looking to take home the cup for the third straight year and the fourth time overall since its introduction in 2010. Let’s take a look at the offensive leaders for the 71 (out of 118) crosstown games I have attended since the start of interleague play in 1997:
Home Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 15 |
| Carlos Lee | 9 |
| Aramis Ramirez | 8 |
| Sammy Sosa | 8 |
| Jermaine Dye | 7 |
Hits
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 50 |
| Carlos Lee | 41 |
| Sammy Sosa | 29 |
| Derrek Lee | 28 |
| Magglio Ordonez | 26 |
Runs
| Name | Total |
|---|---|
| Paul Konerko | 26 |
| Magglio Ordonez | 19 |
| Continue reading → |
Post Mortem – Whiskey Cavalier
You would think a combination of Scott Foley, Lauren Cohan, and executive producer Bill Lawrence would produce a show worth watching, but Whiskey Cavalier was not it. I bailed partway through the first season and ABC was not far behind, deciding against moving forward with a second season. While Foley and Cohan certainly had chemistry, it wasn’t enough to fix everything around them.
Fitbit V: Week 20
Book 13 (of 52) – The Colorado Kid
The Colorado Kid – Stephen King
The Colorado Kid, a short novel by Stephen King, is a mystery about a mystery in a small, New England town. A young intern at the town’s small paper, finally earning the trust of her 2 bosses, is told the tale of a body that had washed up and was found by two local kids. The man, eventually identified, was from Colorado, where he was seen the day before. How did he get back east without anyone noticing he had left Colorado? How did he die? Why did he come?
The questions abound, and are not to be found within the pages of King’s first contribution to Hard Case Crime. It’s an interesting mystery, and there probably isn’t a satisfying answer to be found.
Fitbit V: Week 19
My best week ever, and my second ever week with over 100,000 steps, with every single day coming in well over 10,00 steps. Things got started on Sunday, when the whole family flew to Baltimore to celebrate Michael’s graduation. The boys made a trip to Camden Yards to see the Orioles take on the Giants before taking a bus to Washington, where we met up with the girls. All told, I ended up with nearly 12,200 steps. Monday was the big day of the week, thanks to a trip to Smithsonian Zoo, which netted me over 24,600 steps. Tuesday, we visited Museum of American History and went on a tour of the US Capitol, leading to 16,100 steps. Wednesday, we headed to Nationals Park to see the White Sox battle the Nationals, coming in 11 steps shy of 13,000. Thursday included a trip to the Newseum and the Jefferson Memorial, which left me 4 steps shy of 11,700. Friday combined the Lincoln Memorial with a tour of the White House and left me 2 steps short of 16,400. Saturday, the boys went on a walking monument tour before we all headed to the airport, finishing the week with over 11,800 steps.
Total steps: 105,924
Daily average: 15,132
Book 12 (of 52) – Codename Villanelle
Codename Villanelle – Luke Jennings
Codename Villanelle, by Luke Jennings, tells the tale of a Russian orphan who becomes a hitwoman and the MI5 agent who tries to stop her. Originally published as a series of Kindle singles, it is the basis for the television show Killing Eve, starring Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer.
Having recently caught up on both seasons of Killing Eve, this seemed like a good opportunity to dig into the source material. Enough about the story was different to make it a worthwhile decision, letting me enjoy both with them encroaching on each other. There is a follow-up available, with a third entry due in 2020, so I’ll have to keep my eyes out for them.
Fitbit V: Week 18
Week 11 of sheltering in place due to the corona virus saw a slight up-tick, thanks again in part to improving weather. Things got off to a decent enough start on Sunday, where I came in just under 4700 steps. Monday, with no work thanks to Memorial Day, saw a slight increase, up to 3600 steps. Tuesday was even better, with 4500 steps. Wednesday fell back down to 3100 steps. Thursday was the low point of the week, as I dropped back down to 2500 steps. Friday saw a big increase, jumping back up to 4800 steps. Saturday, I managed to improve that total all the way up to 6600 steps, tha
Another Mix Tape Monday Roundup
20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD. We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.
Last week, we finished up the last of the 20 volumes. The 287 songs from 144 different bands or performers have been played an average of nearly 16 times each, according to my iTunes stats, up from just over 8.5 times 3 years ago. Let’s take one final look back at the bands and songs that made up my youth.
Most Played Song
48 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye
43 – Tag Team – Whoomp! (There It Is)
42 – Veruca Salt – Seether
39 – Snoop Dogg – What’s My Name?
38 – Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back
Least Played Song
4 – TLC – Get It Up
4 – Warren G – Do You See
4 – Liz Phair – Whip-Smart
5 – Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
5 – Bon Jovi – Lay Your Hands On Me
5 – Shanice – Saving Forever For You
5 – Ace of Base – The Sign
Most Played Song – Largest Total Increase
30 – Tag Team – Whoomp! (There It Is)
24 – Snoop Dogg – What’s My Name?
24 – Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back
23 – Color Me Badd – All 4 Love
20 – Stone Temple Pilots – Creep
20 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye
Least Played Song – Smallest Total Increase
0 – Liz Phair – Whip-Smart
1 – Warren G – Do You See
1 – Gin Blossoms – Mrs. Rita
1 – Bon Jovi – In These Arms
1 – Frente! – Labour of Love
Most Played Song – Largest Percentage Increase
2000% – Stone Temple Pilots – Creep
1200% – Ugly Kid Joe – Busy Bee
700% – Paula Abdul – The Way That You Love Me
700% – The Simpsons – Do The Bartman
500% – Bell Biv Devoe – Something In Your Eyes
500% – Jodeci – Cry For You
500% – The Cranberries – Twenty One
Least Played Song – Smallest Percentage Increase
0% – Liz Phair – Whip-Smart
6.25% – Frente! – Labour of Love
9.09% – Bon Jovi – In These Arms
13.33% – Alanis Morissette – All I Really Want
16% – Mazzy Star – Fade Into You
Most Represented Band
11 – Poison
10 – Aerosmith
10 – Pearl Jam
7 – Def Leppard
7 – Guns N’ Roses