Thoughts for the Day, December 13, 2023: Record high stock market.

Inflation went down last month which led to the Feds leaving interest rates unchanged, but announcing they plan on dropping interest rates three times in the next year.  This is a sign the Feds are shifting toward a less aggressive phase as they fight to get inflation back the range of 2.0 to 2.5%

All major stock market indexes reacted positively to this news. The DOW closed today above 37,000 for the first time.  This is good news for people who are planning on buying a house in the next year. It also created a nice jump in peoples’ retirement funds. 

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Thanks to subscriber Deanna K, I learned something yesterday.  I found out that former president Jimmy Carter is known as the “Rock and Roll President.”  I had no idea. 

He was close to fellow Georgians, the Allman Brothers, during his time as governor of Georgia.  During his presidential campaign and in his time in the White House he became close friends with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. After the White House his friendship expanded to include Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Larry Gatlin, Nile Rodgers, Jimmy Buffett, Rosanne Cash, Bono and others.

Here is a link to the full article. 

https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-the-south/jimmy-carters-rock-and-roll-legacy?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_032723&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&utm_term=tny_daily_digest&bxid=5df8cb01fbd297766812cccd&cndid=59409237&hasha=e95bafe232c92b01cac8177d79185b11&hashb=87b2080e0d7669c92a34fb5fed4a2e063bffbb39&hashc=11a2dcc2cb942213ec6f377bf3fd2fd3e2d71554453a028d811616613ad5ab75&esrc=OIDC_SELECT_ACCOUNT_PAGE

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Former MSU star and Golden State Warrior star Draymond Green did his thing again last night.  He was ejected once again for a flagrant 2 foul, his third of the season.  Per ESPN, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from Tuesday night’s 119-116 loss to the Phoenix Suns after receiving a flagrant foul 2 for hitting Jusuf Nurkic in the head.

The ejection is his third of the season, and he now will have to await a league review for the possibility of another suspension.

Green was ejected with 8:23 left in the third quarter after he swung and hit Nurkic in the head while defending him. At first, while Green’s back was turned to Nurkic, he repeatedly held Nurkic off him. Eventually, Green turned and hit Nurkic in the head with his hand. Officials deemed the foul a flagrant 2 after a video review.

“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green said after the game. “I sell calls with my arms … so I was selling the call … and I swung and unfortunately I hit him.”

Green’s three ejections are tied for his most in a season. His first came after he picked up two technical fouls against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 11. His second came against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 14 when he put Rudy Gobert in a headlock. The NBA suspended Green for five games after the latter incident, with the league citing Green’s history as a repeat offender for the length of the suspension.

I hope the NBA gives Green the maximum penalty allowed.  This has been an ongoing issue with Green.  His temper is a danger to his opponents as well as his teammates.  His action should not be tolerated.  If he was to do the same thing outside of the arena, he could be charged with assault.

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James Hoye is one of my favorite major league umpires. He was one of the regular instructors at the Southeast Michigan Umpire Camp which I attended.  He helped me in many ways with his one-on-one instruction.

Hoye, like so many of the MLB umpires, works with Umps Care charities, which was founded through the compassion of Major League Baseball (MLB) umpires. UMPS CARE provides financial, in-kind, and emotional support for America’s youth and families in need. Founded in 2006, UMPS CARE provides VIP experiences to participants from youth-based organizations and military families, visits to pediatric hospitals (complete with Build-A-Bear furry friends) and college scholarships. In addition, UMPS CARE supports families facing financial need within the baseball community. Here is a link to the UMPS CARE website.  

https://www.umpscare.com

Jim Hoye and the MLB umpires get my Orchid of the Day

In my Video of the Day, Hoye joins the Hot Stove show to look back at the Jim Leyland ejection and discusses the “100 Bears for the holidays” initiative.  The first minute of the video is classic Jim Leyland. 

Feel free to share my blog.  To receive it in an email, please see the subscribe button below the Video of the Day.

Quote of the Day: “There’s many sides to him. He’s a nuclear engineer, woodworking carpenter. He’s also a poet. He’s a dirt farmer. If you told me he was a race-car driver, I wouldn’t even be surprised. The first thing he did was quote my songs back to me. It was the first time that I realized my songs had reached into, basically, into the establishment world.” He called Carter “a kindred spirit to me of a rare kind. Bob Dylan being interviewed about his relationship with Jimmy Carter.

Orchid of the Day: James Hoye and MLB umpires for their work with Umps Care.

Onion of the Day: Draymond Green. See above.

Question of the Day: Did you know that Jimmy Carter was the “Rock and Roll President”?

Image/Video of the Day:  MLB umpire James Hoye on the Hot Stove show

James Hoye on Leyland, Umps Care | 12/12/2023 | MLB.com