On Sept. 28, 1919, the New York Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 in a game that lasted 51 minutes – a record for a nine-inning game that has stood the test of time for 99 years.

Baseball’s longest single inning tick-tocked at 1 hour, 8 minutes on May 8, 2004, between the Tigers and Rangers, 17 minutes longer than baseball’s shortest nine-inning game.

I’m not really the type of person to get all freaked out about medical procedures. To me, they are what they are and you just keep moving.

But for years, I had been terrified by the prospect of my first prostate exam. It was as if every trip to the doctor throughout my 40s was a stressful countdown to that inexorable moment when my physician would strap on a glove and give me the look.

Facebook has allowed massive distribution of the personal data of its users! Hackers have stolen personal information about customers from retailers and banks! Privacy is under threat!

New European regulations will stifle the growth of social media companies! Regulation will stifle entrepreneurial development of new digital consumer products! Free enterprise is under threat!

Sometimes I wish I could dump the contents of my mind onto a coffee table and rifle through the detritus like I’m scavenging for the prettiest seashells among the shards. I’d collect the best ideas and aspirations, reinsert them in my head, scrap the rest and let the empty space sit as a beautiful expanse that attracts creativity and awe.

Unfortunately, I can’t actually do anything close to that; therefore, thoughts of tasks I need to get to, random observations, insignificant memories and jingles from television commercials of my youth meander around my brain like lost tourists. (“My bologna has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R. My bologna has a second name, it’s M-A-Y-E-R. Oh I love to eat it every day, and if you ask me why I’ll say, ‘’Cuz Oscar Mayer has a way with B-O-L-O-G-N-A.’”)

‘Cradle of Liberty’ inspires ‘citizen-soldier’

I was thrilled that Bruce Barton’s excellent story “‘Cradle of Liberty’ inspires gratitude, call to action” (July 11) was featured on the front page of the Town Crier. My husband and I attended the July 4 ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of the “Cradle of Liberty” statue’s installation in Shoup Park, and Barton’s article beautifully captured the spirit of that special event.

While all the speakers were moving (Judge Socrates “Pete” Manoukian’s story brought me to tears), sculptor Rebecca Truman’s speech was so powerful that I left the event feeling inspired to work harder to become, as she put it, a “citizen soldier.”

Why can’t MV open city lots to homeless?

In response to the Town Crier article “Lots of Love drives MV’s efforts to curb homelessness” (July 4):

The Lots of Love program claims, “All applicants will be screened to determine whether they are a fit for the program.”