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Book 7 (of 52) – The Secret Of Secrets

The Secret of Secrets – Dan Brown

Symbologist Robert Langdon is in Prague along with his new love Katherine Solomon, a prominent scientist about to publish a ground-breaking new book on the nature of human consciousness.  A brutal murder and an overzealous police officer turn the trip into chaos at the same time that digital copies of Katherine’s manuscript start to disappear.  Can Langdon and Solomon stay one step of the CIA and figure out why she, and her work, are being targeted before they both are silenced permanently?

The Secret of Secrets is the sixth work featuring Robert Langdon from best-selling author Dan Brown.  Nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award for Favorite Mystery & Thriller, Brown’s latest doesn’t break much new ground when it comes to Langdon and his adventures, aside from giving him a love interest, but does tackle some interesting theories about consciousness and the human brain.  I have no idea how much of that was based in real science and how much was fiction, but if even some of it was real, we are headed towards some amazing breakthroughs in understanding the human condition.

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All Time Pitching Leaders – Through 2025

White Sox pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to camp today, so that means it is time for our annual look at the pitching leaders in the now 1,149 games I’ve attended, and identified, between 1984 and 2025.  Very few changes from last year, although I did do some data quality cleanups last summer.  So, without further ado, let’s get things started with our first category, the always popular:

Wins

Name Total
Mark Buehrle 31
Gavin Floyd 24
Carlos Zambrano 21
Chris Sale 21
John Danks 19

Losses

Name Total
Mark Buehrle 18
Jose Quintana 17
John Danks 16
Carlos Zambrano 15
Gavin Floyd 15

ERA (>= 35 IP)

Name Total
David Robertson 2.13
DJ Carrasco 2.20
Nate Jones Continue reading →
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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #150-159

Music.  It is a powerful thing that brings people together, creates memories, and evokes emotions.  It is the universal language that speaks to the soul.  It forms the soundtrack of our lives.

It has now been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 artists in my iTunes library, featuring the songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which performers still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to artists, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2026.

We continue today with our next batch of ten artists, covering the genres of pop, alternative rock, and rap, plus some Saturday morning cartoon symmetry to round things out.

#159: B.J. Thomas
iTunes stats: 71 plays
Previous ranking: #154

A 16-play increase for the Oklahoma-born pop singer, who passed away in 2021.

#159: Poe
iTunes stats: 71 plays
Previous ranking: #152

The trippy singer, who became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2014, scores with four different songs to add fifteen listens over these past five years.

#157: KC & The Sunshine Band
iTunes stats: 72 plays
Previous ranking: #171

The disco stalwarts, founded in 1973 in Florida, added 21 new plays to the four songs they have in my collection.

#157: 2Pac
iTunes stats: 72 plays
Previous ranking: #140

The slain rapper, whose murder remains unsolved nearly 30 years later, picked up twelve new listens while dropping 17 spots in the rankings.

#154: Lita Ford
iTunes stats: 73 plays
Previous ranking: #176

The former Runaways guitarist moves up the list with thirteen new plays, driven mostly by her 1989 duet with Ozzy Osbourne, who passed last year.

#154: Lily Allen
Continue reading →

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Dodgers All Time Leaders – Through 2025

dodgersTo paraphrase from a famous movie, the one constant through all the years has been baseball.  As we head into 2026, we continue our look at the all-time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. Today, we take a deeper dive into the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers began life in Brooklyn in 1883, moving to their current home on the west coast, along with their rival Giants, in 1957.  I’ve seen 177 players wearing the Dodger blue in the 30 games I’ve seen them play live, including the first two games of their 2008 NLDS sweep against the Cubs and their pennant-clinching victory in the 2017 NLCS.

Home Runs

Name Total
Kiké Hernandez 5
Matt Kemp 2
James Loney 2
Manny Ramirez 2
Justin Turner 2
Cody Bellinger 2

Hits

Name Total
James Loney 20
Matt Kemp 14
Russell Martin 14

Runs

Name Total
James Loney 12
Russell Martin 8
Rafael Furcal 8

RBI

Name Total
James Loney 12
Kiké Hernandez 10
Matt Kemp 9

Doubles

Name Total
James Loney 5
Matt Kemp 3
Juan Pierre 3
Freddie Freeman 3

Triples Continue reading →

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Mariners All Time Leaders – Through 2025

marinersTo paraphrase from a famous movie, the one constant through all the years has been baseball.  As we head into 2026, we continue our look at the all-time leaders in both offensive and defensive categories for all 30 teams. Today, we take a deeper dive into the Seattle Mariners.

The Mariners began life in 1977, joining the American League along with the Toronto Blue Jays to settle a lawsuit over the Pilots move to Milwaukee.  I’ve seen 306 players wearing the Mariners uniform during the 46 games I’ve attended live, including the final night game at the original Comiskey Park, the first two games of their sweep of the White Sox in the 2000 ALDS, and a visit to T-Mobile Park in 2023.

Home Runs

Name Total
Kyle Seager 6
Franklin Gutierrez 3
Richie Sexson 3
Cal Raleigh 3

Hits

Name Total
Ichiro Suzuki 19
Kyle Seager 18
Michael Saunders 12

Runs

Name Total
Ichiro Suzuki 8
Raul Ibanez 6
Kyle Seager 6
Mitch Haniger 6
J.P. Crawford 6

RBI

Name Total
Kyle Seager 11
Mike Cameron 8
Alvin Davis 7
Mitch Haniger 7
Cal Raleigh 7

Doubles

Name Total
Michael Saunders 3
Mitch Haniger 3
9 tied with 2

Triples Continue reading →

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Selling Your Soul Part II

The White Sox finally made their deal with the devil, CME Group in this case, last Wednesday, agreeing to add an advertising patch to their jerseys as part of a multiyear deal to make the company the team’s “official global exchange.”  The patches are set to make their on-field debut on February 20, when Cactus League action kicks off.

For the home pinstripes, the blue logo will be set against a white background and black border with “CME” in black lettering.  On the road grays, the blue logo will appear on a matching gray background, again with “CME” in black lettering.  The alternate black jerseys and the City Connects will feature the blue logo on a black background with “CME” in white lettering.

The White Sox become one of the last MLB teams to strike a uniform patch deal, worth an average of $7-8 million with the largest deals, believed to be with the Yankees and Blue Jays, worth over $20 million.
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Fitbit 12 – Week 2

Despite sub-freezing temperatures for the entire week, I managed to extend my streak of 30,000 step weeks to nine thanks.  The week got off to a good start on Sunday, as two rounds of snow blowing helped me finish just 12 steps away from 6500.  A drop-off on Monday, as single digit temperatures kept me inside all day but still garnered 4500 steps.  Things were slightly worse on Tuesday, falling 13 steps shy of 4200.  Wednesday turned into the low point of the week, ending with 3300 steps.  A mere 2 steps kept me away from 4000 on Thursday.  A post-work trip to the Ramova Theatre for a season ticket holder event in advance of Sox Fest on Friday propelled me to exactly 5600 steps.  A lazy Saturday to wrap up the week ended with 3400 steps.

Total steps: 31,584

Daily average: 4512

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Fitbit 12 – Week 1

Year twelve on the Fitbit platform gets off to a good start, thanks to a well-timed trip to southern California.  The week got off to a decent start on Sunday, where breakfast out and finding a charger for the rental car left me 35 steps shy of 6600, with some additional effort of an afternoon swim not included.  A trip to the beach followed by a tour of Sony Pictures Studios on Monday put me above goal with 8000 steps.  Tuesday was even better, jumping up to 8500 steps thanks to a tour of Dodger Stadium followed by a trip to Pauley Pavilion to see UCLA steal a victory against Purdue.  The trip to LAX for the flight back home on Wednesday left me with 5200 steps.  Returning to work, and getting a bit of rest, on Thursday led to a big drop, coming in with 3900 steps.  Bitter cold temperatures on Friday kept me inside all day, leading to 4300 steps.  The low point of the week came on Saturday, where the ongoing polar vortex left me 31 steps shy of 3700

Total steps: 40,230

Daily average: 5747.1

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Welcoming A New Class

Two weeks ago, the attention of the baseball world turned to the small hamlet of Cooperstown, New York and to summers past as the votes for the 2026 Hall of Fame class were tallied and the results announced.  Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones join Jeff Kent, who was elected by the Veteran’s Committee last month, in obtaining baseball immortality.  Beltran was on his fourth year of eligibility while Jones was in his ninth.

Chase Utley was the only other player to score greater than 50% of the vote, finishing with 59.1%.

Aside from Jones, who spent the 2010 season with the White Sox, things started looking up for our local heroes.  Manny Ramirez, who spent a little more than a month with the White Sox at the tail end of his career, saw another small increase in support, finishing with 38.8% of the vote thanks to his multiple PED suspensions. Jimmy Rollins, who spent the final 41 games of his career on the south side, picked up 25.4% in his fifth go-around.  Cole Hamels, who spent a little less than a year and a half with the Cubs, debuted with 23.8%.  Mark Buehrle saw a strong increase, jumping up to 20% in his sixth go-around.  The disgraced Omar Vizquel, accused of both sexual abuse of an autistic teen and spousal abuse since being added to the ballot, stayed stagnant with 18.4%.  Former Pale Hose Edwin Encarnacion and Gio Gonzalez nabbed six votes between them.

Eleven players will fall off the ballot after failing to score 5% of the vote.

As for the newest Hall of Famers, I’ve seen Beltran play nine times and Jones 37.  They will get their day in the sun on Sunday, July 26.

Carlos Beltran’s numbers in games I’ve attended were:

Continue reading →

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #161-170

Music.  It is a powerful thing that brings people together, creates memories, and evokes emotions.  It is the universal language that speaks to the soul.  It forms the soundtrack of our lives.

It has now been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 artists in my iTunes library, featuring the songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which performers still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to artists, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2026.

We continue today with our next batch of ten artists, covering the genres of pop and rock, with an actor and a stadium organist for good measure.  We have a single group making their debut on the list this week.

#170: The Rembrandts
iTunes stats: 67 plays
Previous ranking: #186

Formed in 1989, the band combines the totals from their first single, which hit the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990, with various forms of the Friends theme song to rise up the chart, increasing their plays by nearly 43% over these past five years.

#166: Blur
iTunes stats: 68 plays
Previous ranking: #161

The English foursome, formed in London in 1988 and a key contributor to the Britpop genre in the 1990s, added only fourteen new listens over the past five years.

#166: Republica
iTunes stats: 68 plays
Previous ranking: #164

The technopop punk rock band from the UK added fifteen new plays, an increase of over 28% over the past five years.

#166: Tag Team
iTunes stats: 68 plays
Previous ranking: #154

Thank to their inclusion on my Cubs victory playlist, the one hit wonders from Denver, Colorado, who I have seen perform at half time of a Bulls game and before a White Sox game, increased their listens by thirteen.

#166: Dean Martin
iTunes stats: 68 plays
Previous ranking: #176

The Rat Pack member, who passed away in 1995, picked up 18 new plays over the past five years.

#165: Belinda Carlisle
Continue reading →