Today on Math and Musings Franklin and I discuss our recent trip “south of the border.”
Actually, we don’t really cross any borders to get to Norfolk, Va., and vicinity, but given what we witnessed during our few days there we might have well been in another world.
But you’ll have to tune in to find out.
Enjoy!
I’m currently reading a book called Thank You, Teachers, purportedly written by James Patterson, which is to say James Patterson has permitted use of his name on the cover. (Wish I had that kind of pull.)
It’s actually written by teachers themselves, a few dozen of them each contributing a few pages each to what amounts to a series of short stories. There’s the usual feel-good business of inspirational stories, teacher to student and vice versa, but the best vignettes are the straight-up rants and gripe fests teachers have submitted as though posting anonymously to woe-is-me Reddit threads. It’s kind of hilarious, actually, and makes me (and presumably other teachers) feel… good? Is that the right word? Anyway, quality work from Team Patterson collecting these essays from whatever Facebook group got shut down for being too hostile and mean or wherever they got these from.
Funny, most of the complaining teachers are noting something along the lines of not enough young people are entering the profession these days.
Promote this book and ain’t nobody gonna enter the profession ever again!
P.S. Enjoy.
Here are two things I really love to do.
The last line of text for my Toy Story 4 synopsis in The 365 Greatest Movies Ever Made and the Days You Should Watch Them reads: “And when Toy Story 5 comes out, I’ll see it the first day.”
Well, it wasn’t quite the first day, though seeing a morning showing the second day I suppose counts as the first 24 hours. Yup, I was there, fulfilling a several-year-old prophecy, and let me say Toy Story 5 did not disappoint. It will definitely be in the second edition of 365, though the jury is still out on exactly where. It would make sense to have it on a Friday, completing a business week of Toy Story movies, no? Or do you break these things up, as time passes between the action of the movies as well?
I’ve got some time to think about it. All I can think about now is how great Toy Story 5 was. Hard to believe they’ve been at this for 31 years now, as I’ve gone from barely-too-old for their target audience back in 1995, to exactly in the middle of their target audience in 2026. How, you say? I’m the dad in the story now (and the guy who pays for the movie tickets), and they’re speaking to me in the film as much as they’re speaking to the kids. Without giving anything away the conflict in Toy Story 5 is a battle between the toys in “real life” and the various devices of the digital world. Talk about art imitating life… didn’t need to dig too far into the imagination for that one. Needless to say as you watch the movie you root for the toys, and the real-life relationships they foster. I guess that’s been at the heart of all five of the Toy Story movies, and what puts them a notch above your usual kid-themed drivel.
And when Toy Story 6 comes out… I’ll see it the first day.
My son pointed out to me at the beginning of this month that every product and company logo in June of 2026 is branded with one of four labels: the World Cup, Pride, America 250, and Toy Story 5.
My initial thought was, Damn, why didn’t I think of that?
Second thought? My son, the insightful observer.
Third thought? That’s this week’s episode of Math and Musings.
Enjoy.
I’ve pooh-poohed soccer for decades and now I find myself caught up in it, celebrating World Cup action along with everyone else.
Yup, I’m that guy.
In what other sport could you have a day where each of four games ends up in a tie and it was all still pretty interesting?
Part of me was like, what are the odds all four games would be ties?
Actually not that unusual.
And I didn’t mind.
And I can’t wait for today’s action.
Even if the games end in ties.
It was one of the greatest sports weekends of all time.
The New York Knicks win their first NBA Championship since 1973, exorcising demons I’ve encountered since 1994.
The Carolina Hurricanes went to Vegas to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their only Stanley Cup… and came home with another Stanley Cup.
The U.S. men’s soccer team played its first match of the 2026 World Cup, a convincing win that had me practicing my cry of gooooooal on multiple occasions.
All of this upstaged, of course, by the event of the century, UFC Freedom 250, a full slate of mixed martial arts contests held on the South Lawn of the White House. God that’s gotta be the most awesome thing anybody’s ever come up with.
Summer, we have set the bar high.
I don’t pretend to be an expert on soccer.
I can easily fake it for 15 minutes though.
Today on Math and Musings Franklin and I discuss this year’s World Cup, pretty much reaching the extent of our soccer knowledge.
Enjoy!
Early June is birthday season ’round these parts.
I suppose it started last Friday, with the 5th anniversary episode of Math and Musings.
Sunday was my actual birthday (written comments here, video here) Monday was my good friend Doug Hill’s birthday, and yesterday Doug dropped an anniversary episode of his podcast, Conversations with Sports Fans.
I’m a big fan of Doug’s show… and on this particular episode I happen to be one of the guests. There are six of us in total, conversing about, among other things, what it means to be a sports fan in 2026.
The answer to the trivia question of which one of those will you enjoy?
Answer: all of the above.
Yesterday I turned 44 years old.
As is now my yearly habit, I dropped a new episode of Politics After Dark on YouTube, episode #327 if you’re counting. (I’m always counting.)
It’s only seven minutes long, but pretty much summarizes the year. Some ups, some downs, some smiles, some frowns.
This week? Last week of the school year and a possible Knicks championship?
That’s a big smile.
Today on Math and Musings Franklin and I toast the show’s 5th anniversary, five years of Fridays 15 minutes at a time. The whole enterprise has been an immensely enjoyable experience, even more so since I started doing the episodes with my son.
Here’s to another five years, and another, and another…
Enjoy.