Blow Out the Candles Oct 26

1971 Topps #320

Oriole great Dave Mcnally was born on this date in 1942. Dave was part of the great starting rotation for the Baltimore in the 60's and early 70's. He was 4-2 with a 2.34 ERA in 4 World Series. Lifetime, in 14 seasons he was 184-119 with a 3.24 ERA.

2006/07 Parkhurst #81

Eric Nesterenko turns 76 today. He played 16 seasons for the Blackhawks and was on their last Stanley Cup Championship in 1961.

1969-70 Topps #21

Phil Goyette also turns 76. He played 16 years in the NHL and was lucky enough to be on Stanley Cup winners with Montreal his first four. I'll have more to say about this card in a future post.


Astronaut Michael Collins turns 79 today. Mr. Collins was the command module captain on the Apollo 11 mission which landed the first men on the moon. He's one of only 24 humans who have flown to the moon and back.

Comedian Brian-Doyle Murray is celebrating his 64th birthday today. He's the older brother of Bill Murray. Of his many roles I remember him best as the bubble boy's father on Seinfeld, and the Mayor of Punxsutawney in Groundhog Day.


English poet John Keats was born in London on this date in 1795.

Check out this video. It's a little creapy but interesting.

BRIGHT STAR, WOULD I WERE STEDFAST

By John Keats

Bright star, would I were stedfast as thou art--- 

Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night 

And watching, with eternal lids apart, 

Like nature's patient, sleepless Eremite, 

The moving waters at their priestlike task 

Of pure ablution round earth's human shores, 

Or gazing on the new soft-fallen mask 

Of snow upon the mountains and the moors--- 

No---yet still stedfast, still unchangeable, 

Pillowed upon my fair love's ripening breast, 

To feel for ever its soft fall and swell, 

Awake for ever in a sweet unrest, 

Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath, 

And so live ever---or else swoon in death. 

1819

Lastly, folk singer/songwriter, Tom Paxton turns 72 today.

Buy a Gun for Your Son

Words and Music by Tom Paxton

Hallelujah, Dads and Mommies,
Cowboys, Rebels, Yanks and Commies
Buy yourselves som real red blooded fun.
If you want to make the grade,
You've got to have a hand grenade,
And a fully automatic G.I. Gun.

[Cho:]
Buy a gun for your son right away, Sir
Shake his hand like a man and let him play, Sir.
Let his little mind expand, Place a weapon in his hand,
For the skills he learns today will someday pay, Sir.

Pound that kid into submission
'Till he's mastered Nuclear Fission
Buy him plastic warheads by the score,
Once he's got the taste of blood,
He's gonna sneak up on his buddies
Starting his own thermo-nuclear war.
[Cho.]
Buy him khakis and fatigues,
And sign him up in little leagues,
Give him calisthenics as a rule.
Once you've banished fear and dread,
Then pat his seven year-old head,
And send him off to military school.
[Cho]
Once he's grown to be a man,
He might get tired of blasting Granny,
Then you'll see a crisis coming on.
Don't get worried, don't get nervous.
Send that kid into the service,
Let him rise into the Pentagon.
[Cho]
At the Pentagon he'll rise.
The President he will advise,
His reputation growing all the while.
With his picture on the wall,
He'll get that long-awaited call,
And press the firing buttons with a smile.
[Cho]