World Series: Game 5; Game 6

    So, Blue Birds sing, LA Dodgers, not singing. LA lost Game 5, 6-1. Toronto is now in the lead- the Birds only have to win 1 of 2 to clinch the title for 2025. They haven't won in 32 years. It's time. The LA team wants to repeat after last year. Not easy to accomplish that feat.

      Toronto is  hungry-they want this win, this Series. They are at home. They know what it could mean for the city, the province, the country. Ohtani didn't perform any miracles the other night, and the rookie pitcher struck him out among other batters he also fanned(12). First time in 75 year that a rookie pitcher fanned 12 opposing batters. The 22 year old former minor leageur  was in a fog after his team's victory. It will take a bit for this win to sink in. But Toronto will be at home and the fans will be the extra batter to assist when ever they can.

Watch it.  

Ukraine: We Hear You

    So, the Kremlin sends a message to Europe and the World: We are Rus. We care not for human life or humanity.  We care not for our own people. We care only about empire and the glory that used to go with the Rus double eagles and a crown of some sort. we want real estate. We want to be feared as a powerful entity. we will not be second to any other entity.

    Mad Vlad is in charge. Don't forget this. 

Shut Down Affects Whom?

    So, House Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to call his House mates back in session to pass a budget. Meanwhile, Federal workforce participants are in week 5 of their respective furloughs. This is government by Jackass. Remember JackAss TV? It was an early venture into bottom-feeding TV watchers. Now we have the equivalent in Congress. POTUS fled the country on a tour of Asia and a few other entities.

     He could care less about his constituents who are looking for financial security only to have been give the federal "Finger".   Politics ala BOOMER. The Orange -Haired Baboon has some other priorities: talking deals; preserving medical benefits for working families-hardly a concern. Let them eat cake on their way to the ER where they will not be turned away. No insurance; no problem-we'll get to you soon. No money- no problem- we'll send the bill to the state capitol and governor.

    So, Mike Johnson: in over his little pea head, taking orders from Pete Hegseth, Kristi Noem, Bobby Kennedy, Kash Patel, and VP Vance. Can you imagine?  Next thing, the Kremlin will be sending orders to Mike Johnson. Then Stephen Miller will send some orders. Then a few Rep. Senators will step in. 

    How about the private donation for the US military members waiting for checks on payday? No Federal money, but POTUS & Co., send the military to the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean to interdict suspected drug cartel delivery boats. Are they being paid? No.

    How about the State department employees posted all over the planet ? No pay-they are furloughed UFO(until further ordered). So, our embassy staff folks are still reporting for duty, answering  requests for info and data even though there aren't any employees to process and record the data. maybe the ambassadors will return home and tell POTUS to shove it. You know, give POTUS the finger. All well deserved.

    Maybe Mike Johnson will quit. He's not earning any accolades in his role as Speaker of the House. He's earning no accolades currently. 

      Time to Raise the bar on legislators who don't do the job. Republicans deserve all the opprobrium heaped on their respective heads. 

   Oh, flying these days? How about those air traffic controllers calling in sick? Maybe Pres. Reagan will come back and fire them to, and send the airlines into bankruptcy immediately. Long delays and many cancellations across the country. Thank you Republicans and Mike Johnson. 

Gaming and Gambling and Betting and Poker

      So, folks are betting on sports. Folks are betting on teams. Folks are going to casinos. Folks are playing poker. Nothing new here; been around since early civilizations found out there are risk takers among the human populations, everywhere. Front pages announced multiple arrests involving the NBA, players and coaches and hangers on. Additionally, many were involved in rigged poker games. Hmmmmm. How does one rig a poker game? Let us count the ways.

       First, befriend a few folks who probably have funds to put in play/at risk. Second, make plans to fleece the lambs of lots of cash by touting a high stakes environment with several other gamblers of means. Third, enlist those unscrupulous characters who know the game(s) and how to put on a performance that "appears' legit.

Fourth, and finally, enlist trustworthy compatriots who are techno savvy mechanics who can rig the table. Then, play until the 'marks' are broke or can't secure additional funds. Winner-crooks; loser(s) naive suckers looking for a possible big winning night.  Hmmmmmm. How does this happen?

      FBI Director Kash Patel outlined the scheme(s). Get the electric wizards to install various devices to make key observations of all the players all the time. In real time, of course. Modern technology does it quite easily. RADAR is used to observe the cards held by all players.   This is accomplished by inserting cameras under the playing surface. The automatic shuffling machine is actually a recording machine with chips that record each card dealt and whose hand receives what cards. To add another layer of secret sources, eyeglasses are also computers gathering subtle notes from players and machines. The results are what you might expect: winning and losing is easy when the info gathered is given to the schemers. 

       Is this all there is? Hardly. Now we know for sure that gambling has entered a new era, and the "mob" is in on the action. The names of many of those arrested reads like a play list from a Mario Puzo novel(see Godfather). Name ends in "O", arrest that man. About 30 arrests have been made; more to come.

     Enjoy the game. 

World Series; Game 2

       So, Dodger pitcher Yamamoto took the wind from the Toronto sails as he cruised to victory 5-1 going the distance. LA was fortunate because the bullpen pitching staff had been used up the night before.

      The teams are traveling today to Los Angeles for Game 3 tomorrow on the West Coast, or Blue Coast if you will, Land of The Super Majority legislature where all laws are calculated to raise taxes on every last penny.

     Maybe the Blue Jays will turn this Series around, but don't bet against Freddie, Mooky, Ohtani, and Dave.  In Sacramento, the Forever Candidate Gavin Gruesom announced he might run for President in 2028. Sad how brains deteriorate so quickly politics.

Grand Opening in Tahoe City

     Long suffering residents of the West Shore, including Tahoe City, will now have new possibilities for modern convenience shopping. Safeway has announced a grand opening of their new store on West Lake Blvd. near the west entrance to Tahoe City.

      It is located in the old Save Mart site that has been under renovation for almost 3 years after Safeway beat Save Mart to sign a new lease.

      Locals have been traversing Tahoe City to gain access to the old Safeway store at the east end of town in the shopping center near the harbor. On weekends and during the summer season, making that drive was discouraging to say the least. Now, right at the convergence of Highway 89 and Tahoe Blvd one can park and shop with abandon. This is great during the winter season when that extra driving across town can be slippery at best and icy and dangerous at worst. 

     Safeway management noted that the wekk long Grand Opening will feature tasting sites, give aways, discounts and bargain pricing to introduce the new site. Plans for the old site have not been voiced, but, it can be assumed that some group will take advantage of the vacancy. 

World Series: Game 1 in Books

       So, Blue Jays v. LA Dodgers; David v. Goliath, etc, etc. US. v. Canada, etc.,etc. North v. South, lalalala. Money v. Grit, ha ha ha. Pundits v. AI, how technical. Blue Birds v. Urban Blight. And on and on and on.

       What are people thinking these days about baseball. Hmmmmm. The NBA season just started with some terrific competitive contests. However, the Feds came in and threw a wet blanket over the gambling scandal involving coaches, players, and organized crime. Now the best start for any league. The first game of the Series featured stars(Ohtani/Betts/Freeman) and some Blue Jays. 

     Dodgers scored first in the first inning-1-zip. Then scored again, 2-zip. Then, Blue Jays awaken: home run, tied 2-2. And then, Birds started chirping. 3-2, Toronto, fans getting excited. Then 5-2, then 8-2, then 11-2. Fans going crazy, standing, yelling, dancing, screaming. Pitching change(s). Can't stop the bleed.

Ohtani at bat, 0-3, bang, home run, 11-4. It ended at  that. A sound defeat from the Canadians, a humbling slap in the kisser. Who Dat team? Birds.

      So, the Series is off to a great, entertaining beginning as fans absorb what will be the end of baseball as we know as rules will change next season. Last week the Mayor watched Tom Hanks in "A League of Their Own", about the women's baseball league started during WW II and lasted until 1954.  The quote that has lasted continues today; 'There's no crying in baseball!" Classic. Watch it just for the sake of the period, especially in light of the beginning of a new League of Their Own, starting right now as teams are created out of thin air.