Blow Out the Candles July 7

Hall of Fame 2nd baseman Billy Herman was born in New Albany, Indiana on this date in 1909.

1954 Topps #86

 2005 UD Classics #7

Billy, Guy Bush, Bob Smith, Zach Taylor and Woody English

Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was born in Mobile, Alabama on this date in 1906.

2009 Tristar Obak #34

 1981 Cramer Baseball Legends #60

Satchel was the first of the Negro League players to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame (1971).

 Satchel and Jackie

1941

Satchel Paige's "Rules for Staying Young."

"Rules for Staying Young" appeared in the June 13, 1953 issue of Collier's.

"Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood".

"If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts".

"Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move".

"Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society — the social ramble ain't restful".

"Avoid running at all times".

"And don't look back — something might be gaining on you".

Artist Marc Chagall was born in Riozna, Russia on this date in 1887.

My name is Marc, my emotional life is sensitive and my purse is empty, but they say I have talent.

 In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love. 

When I am finishing a picture, I hold some God-made object up to it - a rock, a flower, the branch of a tree or my hand - as a final test. If the painting stands up beside a thing man cannot make, the painting is authentic. If there's a clash between the two, it's bad art. 

These are Chagall's America Windows at the Art Institute of Chicago

click to enlarge

All you need is love to help celebrate the next birthday.

 Ringo Starr is 72!

Can't Read Too Many Books -- January 2012

There seems to be a trend developing among card bloggers to share what books they've been reading.  I'm all for this.  I read four books in January.  (Click the covers for links to Amazon.)

This book was a Christmas gift.  Part history of the baseball, part ball-hawking primer it was a quick fun read.

My rating (1-5):

I found this in the biography section of my local library.  I've been a fan since the 70's .  I still have my vinyl album copies of Class Clown and Occupation Foole .   Published after his death (thus the title) it seems a very honest account of Carlin's personal struggles and successes.

My rating (1-5):

This was another library find.  Though it's been there for a couple of years I think I'm the first to borrow it.   I was interested in Chagall both for his Jewish and Chicago connections.  Here's a link to a post of mine that shows his America stained glass windows at the Art Institute of Chicago.  The book was over 600 pages long and though I found Chagall's life interesting I wasn't that impressed with the the author's writing.  As can be a problem with books about art, there was a lot of description of works without accompanying pictures.

My rating (1-5):

I was pleasantly surprised to find this in the new arrivals section at the library.  I really enjoyed Barnes' last book, the part memoir, part philosophy, Nothing to be Frightened Of.  This one was not a disappointment.

Here are a couple of blurbs from reviews:

“An elegantly composed, quietly devastating tale about memory, aging, time and remorse. . . . Offers somber insights into life’s losses, mistakes and disappointments in a piercing, thought provoking narrative. Bleak as this may sound, the key word here—the note of encouragement—is ‘insights.’ And this beautiful book is full of them.” —NPR

“Dense with philosophical ideas . . . it manages to create genuine suspense as a sort of psychological detective story . . . Unpeeling the onion layers of the hero’s life while showing how [he] has sliced and diced his past in order to create a self he can live with. —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

My rating (1-5):

(You go to the head of the class if you recognize this man.)

Blow Out the Candles July 7

 Hall of Fame 2nd baseman Billy Herman was born in New Albany, Indiana on this date in 1909.

1954 Topps #86

 2005 UD Classics #7

Billy, Guy Bush, Bob Smith, Zach Taylor and Woody English

Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige was born in Mobile, Alabama on this date in 1906.

2009 Tristar Obak #34

 1981 Cramer Baseball Legends #60

Satchel was the first of the Negro League players to be inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame (1971).

 Satchel and Jackie

1941

Satchel Paige's "Rules for Staying Young."

"Rules for Staying Young" appeared in the June 13, 1953 issue of Collier's.

"Avoid fried meats which angry up the blood".

"If your stomach disputes you, lie down and pacify it with cool thoughts".

"Keep the juices flowing by jangling around gently as you move".

"Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society — the social ramble ain't restful".

"Avoid running at all times".

"And don't look back — something might be gaining on you".

Artist Marc Chagall was born in Riozna, Russia on this date in 1887.

My name is Marc, my emotional life is sensitive and my purse is empty, but they say I have talent.

 In our life there is a single color, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the color of love. 

When I am finishing a picture, I hold some God-made object up to it - a rock, a flower, the branch of a tree or my hand - as a final test. If the painting stands up beside a thing man cannot make, the painting is authentic. If there's a clash between the two, it's bad art. 

These are Chagall's America Windows at the Art Institute of Chicago

click to enlarge

All you need is love to help celebrate the next birthday.

 Ringo Starr is 71!