M.A.G.A. Hats: Save 'Em-New Usage

        Well, dust off your MAGA hat Bunkie, we've found a new market for the old dust cover.  Yes, sir, right here in the old Western hemisphere.  Our South American orphan/stepchild/sad case,  Argentina, has elected new chief executives.  Rather, new/old executives.  Who might they be?  Christina Kirchner, the darling of the Old Peronists, has reinvented herself.  Now she's a Modern Peronist, dedicated to the populists who have been rediscovered in B.A. and its environs.  Now the Peronists have identity issues.  Nobody alive remembers Juan Peron or his partner, the well known Evita.  So, really, the only support of true Peronists comes from newly converted supporters of some fabricated ideology dedicated to....?.....?....?  the people, of course, I forgot.
      So, they want to make Argentina Great, again.  Let's make Argentina Great again----with hats!  A great publicity effort on the part of Peronists.  Her partner, Mr. Alberto Fernandez, a law professor who continued to teach during his campaign, has been in government for some years, serving as a minister of this and that.  So, he will commence the "new" reforms of the "old" economy, and make Argentina great, again.   Listen to the cheers, before, that is, the cheers turn to boos, and the voters, both of them, return to the streets to badger the executives who have no clues as to what a leader can do with this pathetic state.  Seems like the public debt has increased dramatically since 2015.  Who can forget the default of 2001?  It was only $100 billion.  And now what?  Kristina Kirchner is still under investigation for events during her last term as chief executive.  Will it be any different this time?  Don't hold your breath.  Her political opponents can be heard, sharpening their their stilettoes in the cantina.
      Maybe they'll sell the country to Trump.  If you see Rudy Giuliani board a plane for B.A., sell all your property in Patagonia, exchange your pesos,  and flee to Peru, or Chile, or Ecuador, or Brazil. In other words, get out of Dodge, Bunkie before the lights go out , again.

Rudy Giuliani

        Good night, Rudy.   Please go away.  You've done enough.  You had your day in the sun and more than your 15 minutes of fame.  Now leave, and leave us alone.  Go find a new wife, please.

Boeing: What's Up?

       Well, the industrial giant has taken to full page ads again.  Now they attempt to advise the public that they are setting up funds for the families of the victims of the two 737 MAX fatal crashes.  Our advice is simple:
DO NOT FLY IN A BOEING 737 MAX aircraft under any circumstances-ever.   Any questions?  Ask the pilots who have flown this bastardized model:  a 50 year old design outfitted with engines never intended to power this model.   The software can't fix a design flaw.
     BOEING exemplifies the problems in corporate America:  monopolies are not good for consumers.

Drama in South America

      Hey, Tahomans, did you hear about the election results in Argentina?  Yes, last weekend, the few Argentines who bothered to vote elected a new leadership team that will occupy the Pink Palace in B.A. for a few years.  It's de ja vous all over again.  The Lefties, aka Peronists, will get another chance to ruin the country again.  My, my.  What's the saying:   "continuing to do the same thing and expecting different results is a sign of.............Argentina?"  How sad.   With an economy sinking faster than a lead balloon, Ms. Christina Kirchner, the former president, will move back into her old home from the hovel where she has been mourning the loss of her late husband, Mr. Kirchner.  High on the list of priorities for the new executives will be to negotiate new terms on the existing bailout loan with the dreaded I.M.F., that bain of chief executives the world over.  Hmmmmm.  What will they offer to the executives at the I.M.F. this time?  More soybeans?  Maybe some beef?   Maybe a promise not to invade the Falkland Islands, the perrenial thorn in the country's backside.  Or perhaps an offer to withdraw from Venezuela's local organization that opposes everything north of Panama.
      Don't expect anything new to ooze out of Buenos Aries.  Same old, same old.
       Now, let's skip over the Andes and look into the eyes of Chileans.  Hmmmm.  Protests going on.  Citizens in the streets.   Inequality is the word on the lips of these protesters.  They want something different than what they have:  hope; a future; better medical care; better education; maybe even a responsible government.  Doesn't seem unreasonable.   The government has cancelled an international meeting do to this embarrassment in the streets.   We'll keep an eye on things Chilean as they unfold.

World Series 2019: It's Over

      It's over for the Houston Astros, that is.   They had the lead, then they didn't.   Displaying a talent for comebacks,  the Washington Nationals did it again-they came back in the late innings to record a victory that made them World Champions for the first time.   Down 2-0, it began to look like this score would stand until the game ended.   Astros pitching had limited the Nats to only 1 hit through 6 frames.   Those Nat fans in Houston and in D.C. began to worry:  are we toast?  Is it over?  Well, as we know:  it's not over until it's over.
    It began with a solo homer, a shot over the fence, now 2-1, Houston.   New pitcher for the 'Stros.  Then a walk.   Then a shot down the foul line that carried over the fence.  The Nats dugout collectively leaped to the rail to cheer the latest comeback, now 3-2 Nats.  The locals were stunned into silence, sitting in disbelief, fearing the worst: they would be witness to another remarkable  effort by "The Comeback Kids" of 2019.   It is the hallmark of the Capitol's team: when they are down, they are not out, but get up, dust themselves off, and proceed to swing at pitches with a renewed vigor, a new precision, a new attitude of "can do".
     As the game continued now into the 8th inning, desperation reigned in the 'Stros dugout.  Manager A.J. Hinch went to his bullpen again, hoping for a stopper who could buy the team time for its own comeback.  It was not to be.   Walks, hits, errors became the scenario on the green landscape.  Combines with another blast from the Nats bats, now the score stood at 6-2, Nats.  Despite these pitching changes, the Astros could not equal the tempo of the surging Nationals.  The 7,8, and 9th hitters of Houston only produced 3 more outs.  Going into the top of the 9th,  Nats were up 6-2.  To add insult to injury, the Nats added another run in their half of the inning, making the score 7-2, which would hold up for the final frame and the game.
       So, put it in the books:  Nats win it all in 2019, a team that was 12 games under .500 at the All Star break in July.  The "Comeback Kids" earned the nick name, to be sure.
      Field manager Martinez expressed his opinion by simply stating that this victory is sweet, indeed.
Longest serving member of the team, Ryan Zimmerman, said much the same after enduring 14 seasons as a Nationals player.  Patience is his watchword.
     Congrats to all D.C. fans, even those members of the U.S. Congress who may or may not be aware of the outcome of the Series this year for a variety of reason.

W orld Series: Game 7 Tonight

     Well, now.  The World Series comes down to a Game 7.  This is the epitome of baseball lore:  after 162 league games, a dozen or more playoff games and 6 Series games in the books, it will finally be over some time tonight in Houston, Texas.  The 'Stros won 3 in a row after dropping 2 at the onset.  The Nats were reeling, but not quite ready to concede.  They came roaring back last night behind excellent pitching by Stephen Strasburg, who went 8  and 1/3 innings.  The long ball figured prominently in the Nats victory as a couple of Nationals went long when needed to provide a cushion for the team in the late innings.
      Tonight will be an exciting climax to a great Series.  Watch it.  8:00EDT/5 PDT

Castle: Familiar :Ludwig's Castle

Ludwig's Castle: Schloss Neuschwanstein

     The Mayor took a nice walking tour of this fine example of late 1880's romantic home building

Back From the Road Again

       The Mayor has returned.  After a long road and exciting trip, the Mayor is up and running.  Lots of things to discuss, amplify, expound on, and otherwise get up to date.
      Most recently, California residents have been again subjected to harrowing images of wildfires, especially in SF Bay Area, Sonoma, Marin, and Mendocino counties.  The Diablo winds have returned and were the cause of a rapid spread of fires, possibly begun when PG&E transmission wires failed and sparked the initial blazes.   Media coverage has been extensive, owing to the spectacle of flames destroying structures in the paths of marching blazes. 
      Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency to facilitate the response of service providers.   Over 240,000 residents have been forced to evacuate and over 2 millions have been without power since last Saturday.  Welcome home Mr. Mayor.
More to follow.