Kinda busy with candy

I'm on candy detail this evening and we've already had a few visitors.

While I hand out candy, you can click on these:

• Remember yesterday when I said, "There are a lot of people in Boston who probably hope it was a slow, painful beating"? Yea, well I guess I wasn't too far off the mark...



• Actually, this makes sense.



• I'm not rich but even I don't think $11,000.00 is "an enormous sum of money".

Can I talk about the Patriots now?

They won last night and I gotta admit, I only watched it until the half.

The Patriots couldn't score a touchdown during the first half but neither could the Bills. The Bills have the second best defense in the NFL so I can't dis the Patriots for failing to cross the goal line. They did manage three field goals while the Bills only managed one.

The score was 9-3 when I went to bed

Turns out they did manage to score one more field goal and two touchdowns while the Bills were only able to get one more field goal.

The final score was 25-6 which isn't bad when you consider the Bills defense.

⧫

Someone decided to whack Whitey Bulger this morning.

They aren't really saying how he was killed but since it happened in a secure facility, I think we can rule out firearms and probably knives.

There are a lot of people in Boston who probably hope it was a slow, painful beating.

He was not a nice guy.

⧫

I'm going to start digging into some DVRs.

While I do that, you can do these:

• I would just let the monkey keep it.



• According to Hillary Rodham, it takes a village to raise a child.



• Key phrase in this story: "It’s kind of a slick way to get rid of a carcass."



• I am never going to visit South America.

Thus ends the baseball season.

The Red Sox defeated the Dodgers last night and became the 2018 World Series Champions. This is a good thing and it makes me very happy because now I can go to bed at a decent hour.

Except for tonight.

Tonight the Patriots are playing the Bills at 8:15 this evening and I'll try to at least watch the first half. I'll probably fall asleep during half time but that's okay. I'm hoping the Patriots are well ahead at the half.

But after tonight, I won't be staying up much past my bedtime during the work week and my brain is grateful for that.

⧫

So anyways, the Red Sox played like a great ball game last night with almost every pitcher out in the bullpen ready to step in and do their thing.

Price pitched a hell of a game up until the first batter in the eighth.

Then Kelly came in and made quick work of three batters in the eighth.

In the ninth, Sale stepped up, closed out the three Dodger batters in the ninth and sealed the win.

The Red Sox batters were hitting the ball well and other than one minor "oops" by J.D. Martinez when he lost sight of a fly ball in right field, the fielding was spot on.

All-in-all, they had a record-setting season and finished up the post-season like the champions they are.

⧫

Now we start be paying attention to the happenings with the free agents on the team this offseason.

Kinsler, Kimbrel, Sale (team option which will probably be picked up), Pearce, Pomeranz, Nunez (player option that he'll probably take), Evoldi and Kelly are all free agents and some of those guys are going to be looking for a big payday.

I'm hoping the Red Sox pursue Pearce, Evoldi and Kelly. I think they stand a chance at securing Pearce for a reasonable price but Kelly is going to be looking for some money.

Evoldi is a crap shoot. He's really good but he's also a bit streaky so he may take a reasonable offer.

Kimbrel is going to be one of those guys looking for a huge payday and I'm not sure he's worth it.

Kinsler is a gold glover but he's not a hitter. Besides, Pedroia should be back.

Pomeranz has fallen apart and I'm not entirely sure he'll even make a good reliever, never mind a starter.

We'll see what happens over the next few months

⧫

So now I'm going to watch some football and figure out what to do with my evenings until next February when the pitchers and catchers report.

While I do that, you should maybe take a look at these:

• Stay classy Boston. Stay classy.



• I don't understand kids these days. They do some pretty weird things.



• Here's a followup to KCs Stolen Colon post from last Friday.



• This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs.



• Key phrase in this story about the latest member of the A-Team: "Police indicate the father will not be facing charges at this time."

Yes, I watched the entire game

Last nights game was only nine innings long and I managed to stay awake for the entire thing. The best part? They won and now have a 3-1 lead in the best of seven series.

I will admit that at one point in the eighth inning I was concerned it was going to turn into another one of those extra-innings game but the Red Sox hung tough and they actually hit the ball.

They were down 4-0 going into the seventh when Chris Sale decided he'd seen enough and basically called the entire team out for playing crappy. I think Alex Cora summed it up best when he described Sale's dugout rant as, "Chris, in the dugout screaming? My English is very limited, so I didn't understand what he was saying."

Don't worry there young Mr. Cora because right after that rant, Mitchy Two-Bags hit a 3-run homer to bring them within 1 run.

Then in the eighth, Steve "I've played on every ALEast team!" Pearce hit a solo home run to tie the game.

After that, Rafael "Baby-Face" Devers hit a single to take the lead

Then Pearce hit a double, driving in three runs, to solidify the lead and Xander "X-Man" Bogaerts hit a single, driving in one run, to put a cap on it. The Dodgers tried to make something happen when they scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth but it just wasn't enough and the game ended with the Red Sox winning 9-6 and me going to bed.

And for all those idiots from Southie and Dorchester that keep ranting about how they need to win it at home, screw you. I say win it wherever you can. Win it as fast as possible and then come home for the parade.

As a matter of fact, I say win it tonight, take Monday off to party like rock stars in sunny L.A. and then fly home Tuesday or Wednesday because I'm pretty sure the parade will wait for them. Hell, it probably won't get scheduled until the weekend anyways.

⧫

My lawn is mowed and it is currently leaf-free. I know that will change shortly but dammit, I'm going to enjoy it while I can.

While I watch baseball, you can click on these:

• If your criminal name is "The Loose Pants Bandit", I'm betting you are gonna have a hard time in prison.



• Face-Eating Squirrels would be a fantastic name for a 1950s 3D horror movie.



• You can look up what words were first used in print for any year. The year I was born, Bigfoot, Game Show and Sex Kitten were all introduced to our world.



• They have some odd wedding traditions in Iowa.



• Speaking of people with too much time on their hands.

No, I did not watch all of the game

Game 3 of the World Series set a record last when it went for 18 innings and 7 1/2 hours.

Neither the Red Sox or the Dodgers could hit anything the pitchers were throwing and as a result, they went into the 9th inning tied 1-1.

In the 13th inning, they tied it 2-2 and finally, in the 18th inning, the Dodgers won the game 3-2 with a walk-off home run.

Both teams used nine pitchers and I'm not entirely sure who is available to pitch out of the bullpen tonight. I suspect the winner of tonights game will be the team that can actually field a pitcher or two instead of having position players pitching.

As for tonight, I'm hoping for two things -

1. The Red Sox win.
2. The Red Sox win in nine innings.

I'm not sure I can stay awake to watch nine innings but I definitely can't stay awake for eighteen.

⧫

So some nutcase opened fire in synagog this afternoon.

I gotta tell you, we really need to reopen the insane asylums and start locking people up who are obviously criminally insane. This guys social media accounts were loaded with threats and violence against pretty much everybody.

He hated the Jews, the Muslims, the Republicans, the Democrats, it didn't matter, he hated everyone.

How come no one made his ramblings known to the police? If they did, how come the police didn't take this guys guns away from him?

Simple.

Because they aren't allowed to, that's why.

They need to be given the authority to take control of people like this and let the courts decide if they are a danger to others.

⧫

I'm going watch some bad TV until the game comes on. Then I'm probably going to fall asleep.

You can click on these if you want:

• Trolling the Red Sox worked out so well for the Yankees and the Astros, the Dodgers figured they'd try it out.



• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.



• Either Deandre France can't run very well or that is one really fast lawnmower.



• Only in Florida.

Yes, we still have heat

We're having some trouble figuring out how to set the thermostats to our liking and I'm trying to get used to not having a jet engine running in my basement.

But the way I look at it, those are good problems to have.

⧫

Tonight is game three of the World Series and it looks like J.D. Martinez will be playing. There was a little concern about a sore ankle but this afternoon he did a little field work and some running and everything looked okay.

I'm really hoping the Red Sox win tonight and take a 3-0 lead in the series. That would make me pretty damned happy.

⧫

While I watch a little bad television followed by some baseball, you can visit these links:

• Key phrase in this story: “Toronto’s Pearson Airport has been forced to clarify that the weed there isn’t just up for grabs.”



• The Great Solar Sunspot Observatory mystery closure has finally been explained.



• KC's Stolen Colon would be a fantastic name for a 1980s porn movie.



• Our government in action.

The Red Sox are up 2-0 in the series.

As I had hoped, the Red Sox defeated the Dodgers and now have 2-0 lead.

Today is a travel day for the teams as they make their way out to sunny California where they are scheduled to play games 3, 4 and 5 of the series. I'm hoping they only need to play games 3 and 4 to finish off the Dodgers and win the World Series.

It would be nice to have them come home from LaLa Land this Sunday with that trophy in their luggage.

⧫

We have heat and hot water.

The old gas-sucking, water-spewing monstrosity of a boiler is gone:

And the shiny new high-efficiency, gas-sipping boiler is quietly purring away in our basement:

We're happy.

When the old boiler fired up, it sounded like a small aircraft was prepping for takeoff in our basement. Now, when the new boiler fires up, the only way we know it's running is if we happen to see the small amount of steam/exhaust coming out of the port on the back of our house.

And I'm really hoping our monthly gas bills make us even happier.

⧫

Someone has gone through a lot of trouble to send several "explosive" devices to some pretty high-level Democrats over the last few days.

I put the word explosive in quotes because none of them has actually exploded and the FBI keeps calling them "suspicious devices", not explosives.

The more that I learn about these things, the more it's beginning to look like they aren't explosives at all but are made to look like they would explode and are designed to scare the crap out of the recipients.

They are beginning to focus the hunt for the sender in Florida. If you are a regular reader of this blog, you are fully aware that I will not be shocked in the least if the sender turns out to be a resident of the great and whacky state of Florida.

On the other hand, there is a certain train of thought that says perhaps this is all a clever set up. Perhaps someone is trying to make the Republicans look like evil perpetrators and the Democrats look like sympathetic victims.

Personally, I think it's a whacko. There are more whackos in this world than there are intelligent people capable of pulling off a conspiracy of any magnitude.

⧫

While I enjoy the quiet of my new heating system, you can enjoy these:

• You've got to love dogs.



• Guys in action.



• Not sure I would call it "liquid gold".



• Presenting this episodes Brilliant Criminals of the Week.



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, is creepy as hell.

Red Sox are up 1-0 in the series

It was a great start to the World Series and I actually watched until the end of the game!

Wait, some of you might call that a lie.

It's really not a lie.

Yes, I fell asleep in the 4th inning but I woke up in the 8th and got to see all of the 9th inning so technically, I watched until the end of the game.

So I didn't lie.

Anyways, the Red Sox took an early lead in the 1st but the Dodgers tied it in the 3rd and then again in the 5th. The Red Sox retook the lead in the 5th and never looked back. The final score of the game was 8-4 and I went to bed happy.

I'm hoping tonight goes just as well.

⧫

Quick status on the furnace...

They were able to get the electrician on sight today, finish up the majority of the work and get the new system is up and running.

Looks like tomorrow is finish work and final payment.

Paying is important because the alternative is repossession of the aforementioned heating system sometime in January.

That would suck because as I've mentioned before, I like heat and hot water.

I'm particularly fond of heat in January.

⧫

While I watch as many innings as I possibly can of game 2 of the World Series, you can visit these links and ask yourself that age-old question, "What the hell was he thinking when he posted this crap?":

• Oops.



• Attention Pat: Don't you have a Yahoo account?



• Why won't Massachusetts officials do this?



• Key line in this story: "I got to keep the turkey, so that was good."

I was wrong and I was right

Yesterday, when I said I would be taking "tomorrow and Thursday off", I meant to say "tomorrow and Wednesday off". Turns out I was only a bit wrong since I am now taking today, Wednesday and Thursday off.

The new furnace is in my basement and some of the piping has been done. The fancy-shmancy intake/exhaust pipes have been run through the wall to the outside and the installer has all of the parts necessary to finish up the installation of the new furnace tomorrow.

Once the furnace is piped and ready to go, the electrician will be able to wire it.

Once the wiring is done, the plumber can cut the old water feed, pipe up the new feed and, ta-da, we have a new heating/hot water system.

I like heat and hot water but just as importantly,  I'm hoping I will also like having a lower gas bill. The old system is a thirty year old oil burner that was converted to gas and it's about as inefficient as you can get. We are hoping that we see a noticeable decline in our monthly gas bills this winter.

Hopefully all goes well and this job is done by Thursday.

⧫

Well, tonight is the big night.

The World Series starts out in Boston at 8:09 this evening. At least I hope it starts at 8:09. The weather dweebs keep saying it might get delayed a bit because of some rain.

Either way, since I don't have to work tomorrow morning, I'll be able to watch most of the game. I'm not gonna lie to you, there is very little chance I'm going to stay awake to see the end because even though I didn't work today, I still woke up at 5:00 this morning.

As for the game itself, the people that predict winners/losers are all saying that this series is probably going to go seven games and it's anyones guess who will win.

I'm saying it's probably going to seven games but the Red Sox will win it all. I say that because I'm a Red Sox fan and it's what I'm supposed to say.

⧫

While I watch baseball and contemplate my life after I win the Mega Millions, you can click on these:

• Wasn't this a scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey?



• The Farting Felon would be a fantastic name for a Sam Spade novel.



• I've come to the conclusion that the New York Times is a complete waste of raw materials.



• I have never been this drunk. Ever....



• I'm also probably never going to fly commercial ever again...



• As a matter of fact, you probably shouldn't fly commercial either.

Time off

I will be spending tomorrow and Thursday sitting around the house trying not to annoy the guys who are installing our new furnace because, well, it's cold out and the sooner they get the job done, the sooner we get heat.

We've been working on this project since July when we had MassSave over to do an evaluation and tell us what we qualified for. Turned out that since our furnace was not only old, it was also a oil-to-gas conversion, we qualified for some rebates and some interest-free financing.

We filled out all the paperwork, submitted our data to the state and then we waited.

And we waited.

And we waited.

Finally in September the state got its shit together and we then started the process of scheduling an installer. We had already decided on a someone and he had given us a quote back in July but we needed to get a slot on his schedule once the state approved everything.

Well, after several weeks of phone calls and emails, we ended up on his schedule tomorrow.

Hopefully he can tear out the old system in less than one day and get the new one installed the next day because we don't want to be spending more than one night without heat.

If things don't go well, I'll be making reservations at a hotel.

⧫

I'm going to watch some tv and fall asleep early because I need to be as wide as awake as possible for tomorrow nights game one of the World Series. They need my sage advice.

You can visit these if you want:

• Presenting this episodes Brilliant Criminal of the Month.



• I'm torn. I can't decide if he's a moron or an asshole.



• If you have one, get it checked.

There was no baseball...

...but there was football.

The Patriots managed to defeat the Bears this afternoon. It was a pretty good game and the Bears made it interesting in the first period when they they scored a quick 10 points but the Patriots got their shit together pretty quick and, despite the Bears almost pulling off a last minute miracle, the game ended with the Patriots winning 38-31.

Also, since the Dolphins lost to the Lions today, the Patriots are now alone in first place in the AFC East.

I'm going to make sure I let Artie, the maniacal Dolphins fan, know this.

⧫

As for me, I'm freakin' tired.

We were in Easthampton last night listening to our youngest do his band thing. The show ended sometime around 10:30 and we made it home around 11:15. That is way past my bedtime.

We decided to meet up with him before the show and grab a bite to eat. He's a vegetarian so we try to find restaurants that offer a decent selection so he has choices.

We found a great little restaurant called the Easthampton Diner. It's a combination greek pizzeria, italian pizzeria, fish place, breakfast joint and sandwich place. There is a huge selection and our meals were really good.

If you find yourself in Easthampton and you are hungry, go there. They will feed you and will no longer be hungry.

⧫

So now I'm going to grill up some steaks and then plow through some DVRs before my DVRmachine overflows.

While I do that, you can visit these links:

• If you ever find a skeleton buried under your porch, don't tell anyone.



• Driving drunk is stupid. Crashing into a parked cruiser while driving drunk is extra stupid. Crashing into a parked cruiser while driving drunk with a wanted felon in your car is just plain redneck stupid.



• This why I don't go to stag parties.



• Based on what I've seen on SNL over the last few years, I wouldn't brag about it.

Guess I have to buy another lottery ticket.

MegaMillions is up to $1.6 Billion dollars if you take the 30 year annuity. It's at $904 million dollars if you take the lump sum. The drawing is next Tuesday so there is a fairly good chance that the lump sum payout will grow to exceed $1 billion dollars.

The current maximum federal tax rate is 39.6% and the Massachusetts tax rate is 5.1%. That means the most you'll have to pay in taxes is 44.7% of the lump sum payment or the monthly annuity payment.

If you take the lump sum and it does become $1 billion dollars, you will take home $553 million dollars after the taxes are withheld.

If you take the monthly annuity and it is $1.6 billion dollars, you will get $53.3 million a year for the next 30 years. After taxes, you or your heirs will receive a check each year in the amount of $29 million dollars.

No matter which way you decide to go, that works out to a shitload of money and I know that if I hit it, everyone in my family will be happy, some schools will be happy and some hospitals will be happy.

I will be very happy.

They say money can't buy happiness. I say that is bullshit. Money can indeed buy happiness. I know some fairly wealthy people and they are all pretty damned happy.

⧫

Having said all of that, I'm going to add that we spent the evening listening to our youngest play music tonight and we didn't get home until 11:15.

That means you get no links.

Oh, and it looks like the Red Sox will be playing the Dodgers in the World Series.

Welp, they won

The Red Sox won last night, securing the American League Championship, which means they advance to the World Series and I can get some sleep until then.

The Word Series starts on Tuesday the 23rd in Boston and I'm hoping I will stay awake for most of that first game.

I hope.

⧫

Yes, I bought a ticket.

No, I don't expect to win.

But it sure would be nice....

⧫

While I try to catch on my sleep, you can click on these links:

• Only in Massachusetts.



• Pfffttttt..... Rednecks.....



• Key phrase in this story: "I saw one of my guys running towards us shouting ‘cow, cow, cow’"



• Key entry from our favorite police log: "5:13 p.m. Someone was worried about the “Hippie Bus” in Whitefish."

Busy evening, again.

Last night I sat through an FAA presentation on complacency (it's bad) and being diligent (it's good). Tonight I'm sitting through a web presentation on flight briefings (weather, traffic, notices, etc..)

That all means you get a shortened post.

It also means I am trying to remain a safe pilot.

⧫

The Red Sox won last night despite the fact I fell sound asleep well before the 6th inning. This means the Red Sox now lead the best of seven series 3-1 and if they win tonight, they take the American League Championship.

I really hope they win tonight because that will mean two things:

1. David Price will get his first post-season win as a starter
2. I will be able to go to bed at a decent hour until Tuesday, October 23rd when the first game of the World Series kicks off.

I would be pleased as punch to see Price get hsi first win and I would be a happy guy to catch back up on my sleep.

⧫

Speaking of sleep, it's not gonna be easy tonight. The game starts at 8:10 and I'm going to try and make it until at least the seventh inning.

While I do that, you can do these:

• Meet John Waddell, one of the toughest men alive.



• Smart cookie....

No, I didn't forget.

I went to a FAA presentation up at Northampton Airport this evening and I didn't get home until 9:00.

Then I had a bite to eat.

Now I'm watching baseball.

I will have links and stuff tomorrow.

I caught up on my sleep

I watched some of the NLCS last night (the Brewers won) but I was in bed, sound asleep before 10:00 and I slept the entire night.

I like sleep.

⧫

The Red Sox and the Astros are playing now and as I type this, it's the 3rd inning and the Red Sox are up 2-1.

They are going to need more than 2 runs if they want to win this game but 2 is a start.

I'm hoping they score at least 5 runs over the next six innings. That will probably be enough to get the win.

⧫

While I watch the rest of this game, you can visit these links:

• Turn your sound on for this one.
  Caution, it's got a lot of very, very bad words.



• The Influential Mangudadatu Clan would be a fantastic name for a 1990s alternative rock group.



• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.



• Only in Florida.



• China: It's not like where you and I live.

Well, they both won last night.

Thank goodness for Picture-In-Picture technology because that allowed me to pay attention to both the Patriots (they won) and the Red Sox (they also won) last night.

This means the Red Sox are now tied with the Astros 1-1 and the Patriots are now tied for first place in the AFCEast.

The Red Sox and the Astros are off tonight while they travel to Houston where they will play the next three games. Assuming one team does not win all three games, the series will return to Boston next Saturday for the final two games of their seven game series.

I'm kind of glad there is no baseball tonight because I'm tired. I stayed up watching baseball until midnight on Saturday night and until 10:30 last night. This late night baseball crap is killing me.

I need my sleep.

⧫

I'm going to watch a little bit of the Brewers / Dodgers game and maybe fall asleep at a decent hour.

You can visit these links if you would like:

• Bummer. He was a Nerds-Nerd. Technology and sports were his forté. And he bought the coolest toys.



• Only in Florida.



• Also only in Florida.



• True....



• Apparently the government officials in Savannah, GA do not have a sense of humor.

Busy day today

Got the lawn mowed today along with some basement cleaning.

Now I'm watching baseball and really hoping they don't suck like they did last night.

While I do that, you can do these:

• Kids do stupid things. This is one of them.



• Only in Florida.



• "Clueless" isn't the word I would use to describe him.

The Red Sox are playing baseball tonight

It's going to be a bit cool at the ballpark this evening so expect to see players wearing long sleeves and turtle necks. I also hope to see Red Sox players stepping on home plate more often than Astros players. Those Texas boys ain't used to the cold and I really hope it causes them problems.

As for the NLCS, the Brewers took game one from the Dodgers, giving them 12 wins in a row. That means the Wisconsin hamburger chain, George Webb Restaurants, will be serving free hamburgers to everyone that walks through their doors on the afternoon of October 18th.

I wonder if any burger chains will be giving away any free burgers if the Red Sox win the World Series?

Come on Max Burger, Plan B, White Hut or Local Burger, fire up those free burgers for us! If they won't do it, then maybe we can convince Five Guys to step up to the plate.

Any place except McDonalds...

⧫

I'm going to try and stay awake for some of tonights baseball game.

While I do that, you can enjoy these links:

• Pfffttt..... Rednecks....



• There is only one explanation for this: Idiots.



• Key phrase in this story: "...so he could pick up a few groceries."



• I don't know if this is a good idea.



• Don't worry. I bet they'll open dozens of these things in Florida.



• It doesn't say it but I would guess that drugs were involved.

There is baseball tonight

The NLCS kicks off tonight with the Brewers hosting the Dodgers. It won't be the Red Sox but it will be baseball.

And I'm kind of hoping they have Bob Uecker involved in this somehow. I'd love to hear him call an inning or two.

⧫

Other than that, there really isn't much going on. Life in general is good and I'm hoping it stays that way.

While I watch baseball, you can click on these:

• If I live to be 129 years old, I'll probably be a little bitchy too.



• Key phrase in this story: "'Do not flush in the station' signs are, apparently, largely ignored."



• Another reason I'm glad I got my pilots license.



• Key phrase in this story: "...myself and Mark thought that it would be a brilliant idea to buy it - because we were so drunk."



• Only in Florida.

I'm having baseball withdrawal

The NLCS will start tomorrow and the ALCS will start on Saturday. Until then, I'm dealing with a lack of televised entertainment.

Fortunately, Last Man Standing is back on and I've been DVRing it.

Also, at some point in the recent past, I apparently scheduled the recording of any new episodes of Outrageous Acts of Science and that show has finally kicked off its new season.

Between football, my DVRs and Netflix, I should be able to make it through the off season.

It's a long stretch between October and February.

⧫

The rapper Kanya West went to the White House today and he, along with Trump, put on a show for the media. I have no idea what they talked about but I do know that the password to his iPhone is 000000.

When I saw that, all I could think of was this scene from Spaceballs.

And for the record, I think Spaceballs is one of the great movies of my generation.

⧫

While I see if there is any money left in my retirement account, you can visit these links.

You might find them entertaining:

• Only in Florida.



• Also only in Florida.



• STD Riddled Ladybirds would be a great name for a 1950s all-girl lounge band.



• This sounds like a terrible idea.

Back to Boston

The Red Sox defeated the Yankees last night and they now return to Boston where this Saturday they will start a seven game series against the Astros.

Alex Cora announced this morning that Chris Sale will be the starting pitcher in game one and David "I haven't ever won a post-season game!" Price will be the starter in game two.

This does not sound like a great plan to me but since I'm not the manager, my opinion doesn't matter.

⧫

I'm going to see if I can find something to watch over the next three evenings. Maybe I'll take a look at something on Netflix. Maybe I'll watch some DVRs.

Here are some links that you might find interest:

• Most news organizations use the Saffir-Simpson scale. USA TODAY uses the Waffle House scale.



• In case you ever need to know how to remove a ankle monitor, here's a helpful video from one who knows. To be honest with you, it doesn't seems that difficult....



• If you are over the age of thirty, do all of your fellow human beings a favor and please do not wear these.



• Facebook posts never seem to end well for criminals.



• Holy crap, that's a big mosquito.

They scored early and often

The Red Sox managed to kick the crap out of the Yankees last night and I'm really hoping they do it again tonight.

If they win tonight, they win the series and move on to the ALCS. If they lose tonight, they return to Boston for game five on Thursday.

I hope they win tonight because I don't think I can wait until Thursday for the end of this series.

⧫

The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Hailey, resigned today. She'll be stepping down at the end of the year.

This is a shame because if there was one voice of reason in the Trump organization, it was Nikki Hailey. She is a brilliant woman with strong ethics and a level head.

I'm kind of hoping she runs for president one day because I would vote for her.

⧫

I'm going to watch a few innings of baseball. If it turns out to be a blowout, I'll fall asleep. If it looks like it's going to be a close game, I'll struggle to stay awake and watch as much as I can.

While I do that, you can do these:

• Someone really doesn't like Ted.



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, makes ya live in the outback.



• Yes, alcohol was involved.



• Florida politics are the best politics.



• This global warming thing is getting out of hand.

They need to score early and often.

The Red Sox will win tonight if they can score at least one run in each of the first three innings.

By scoring at least one run, they will demoralize Severino and give Evoldi that mental boost he needs to go at least 6 innings.

They need to win tonight.

In the other ALDS race, the Astros have won their series against the Indians and Terry Francona is now on vacation. That means the Astros will face either the Red Sox or the Yankees, depending on what happens there.

On the national league side, the Brewers have won their NLDS series against the Rockies and Bob Uecker is probably still partying like a rock star.

The Dodgers are up two games to one against the Braves and as I type this, the Brave lead tonights game 2-1 in the 5th inning.

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I managed to change the oil on my tractor this afternoon. When I say managed, I mean this could have gone badly because I drained the oil from the engine before verifying that I had enough oil to refill it.

Fortunately I had two quarts left in the case and that is exactly how much the engine takes.

Guess it's time to buy a new case of oil because both the snowblower and the generator need an oil change.

I am a firm believer that as long as you change the oil on a timely basis, those machines will run for a good many years. My push mower is almost 25 years old and it still starts on the first pull.

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While I continue watching baseball, you can click on these:

• What do you do with 20 tons of lead?



• They have their own trade journal?



• Key entry from our favorite police log: "10:57 a.m. A man and a woman were fighting in Kalispell. One was armed with a cane and the other was armed with a garden hose."



• Key phrase in this story: "Police say there’s no need to call law enforcement about the birds..."



• This describes Maine perfectly.

Long Day

My brother-in-laws mom passed away the other day and we went out to the wake today. She lived in Rowley Mass and if you are wondering, it takes two hours to get to Rowley Mass from where I live.

That means I spent the day not at home and not surfing the internets.

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Despite my yelling at the TV last night, Price and the bullpen stunk the place up and the Red Sox lost. This means they go to New York ties 1-1 with the Yankees.

The Yankees now have home field advantage and if they take both games, they win the best of 5 series.

I'm really hoping Evoldi is up to his old self and performs at a high level on Monday because if they lose on Monday, Tuesday becomes a do-or-die situation.

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I managed to find a couple of links for you:

• Mom of the Month.



• Only in Florida.

The Red Sox are up a game

Last nights game went great through the 6th inning. When Sale left the game, he was up 5-0. Then the bullpen took over and before you knew it, the Yankees scored four runs and damn near won the game.

Tonights game features Mr David Price, a guy who as never won a post season game as a starter. A guy who seems to have a mental issue when it comes to pitching against the Yankees.

Between Price as the starter and bullpen that isn't up to the task, I do not have high hopes for the Red Sox tonight...

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Two years ago, my youngest made me a baseball bat because he knows I love baseball.

Today, I finally mounted it to the wall in our secondary entertainment facility:

It's at just the right height for me to grab off the wall and use it to defend my home from intruders.

Just kidding.

It's there for me to admire.

I'll use firearms to defend my home from intruders...

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I'm going to see if I can coerce Price into pitching well tonight.

While I do that, you can look at these fine examples of internet information:

• Key phrase in this story that proves Michael Mugavero of Tucson, AZ is a moron: "...using social media including posting videos to advertise the sale of drugs..."



• Here's your Naked Guy In The News story.



• Only in Florida.

They kicked the Colts ass

The Patriots now stand at 3-2, in second place behind the Dolphins.

They played pretty damned well last night.

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The Red Sox and the Yankees start their best of 5 series tonight and you cna bet I'll be watching as much of it as possible.

Which won't be much because I'm tired. The bottom line here is that I'm hoping to watch at least 6 innings. Anything more than that is a bonus for me.

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Here are some links:

• Presenting this episodes Brilliant Criminal of the Month.



• Here's your Naked Florida Guy In The News story.



• Here's a bunch of memes for you to click through.

Football tonight

Baseball is being played but not by the Red Sox.

Todays baseball games are the start of the NLDS with the Rockies in Milwaukee to play the Brewers and the Braves in Los Angeles to play the Dodgers. I'll watch some of the Rockies/Brewers game since it's on at 5:00 but I won't be watching the 8:30 Braves/Dodgers game.

Instead I'll be watching the Patriots host the Colts at 8:20 this evening. And since it's football, which is played on a timer, I might actually be able to watch the entire game.

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I forgot to post this yesterday:

I got two of those FEMA Presidential Notices yesterday about 20 minutes apart.

Leave it to the government to screw something as simple as a text message....

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You can visit these if you want:

• Only in Florida.



• This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs.



• I wish they would do this in Massachusetts.

I stayed up too late

I stayed up watching baseball last night and I'm going to do it again tonight.

As a result, I'm tired and I don't have much to say.

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While I watch baseball, you can click on these:

• I've been to Coraopolis, PA and I can assure you, they love strippers and hockey.



• I've also been to Naperville, IL and this is pretty normal for them.



• For the record, this did not happen in Australia.



• I don't know why but I think I want one of these.

Trouble in paradise

The city of Agawam is crying over the recent traffic jams caused by the Eastern States Exposition. They are accusing the Big E of causing more problems than the new casino and they want the exposition to do something about it.

Here's a thought Agawam: Stop being shocked by this 100+ year old event that comes around every September and start being prepared for it.

Start thinking about how to maybe improve your road infrastructure in the hopes of alleviating the traffic headaches instead of whining about things.

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I got a little wet walking to my car this afternoon.

And by "a little wet" I mean "Holy crap, it's freakin' pouring!"

The drive home was kind of exciting.

And be "exciting" I mean "Jesus! I can't even see out the windshield."

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I'm going to watch a couple of innings of baseball this evening. The Rockies are in Chicago to play the Cubs in the NL Wild Card and I'll watch some of that game.

While I do that, you can click on these:

• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, entertains ya.



• Australia: What doesn't kill ya, tries to kill ya.
  (Caution: foul language)



• Key phrase in this story: "Anyone who recognizes the barking dogs is asked to call the county non-emergency number..."



• Key entry from our favorite police log: "3:08 p.m. A Kalispell man called 911 because his neighbor’s cows were drinking out of his cows’ water trough."



• Pffftttt..... Rednecks.....

Once again, I forgot.

I got kind of wrapped up in normal everyday life this evening and forgot to see what the news held for us today. I bet it had something to do with democrats saying bad things about republicans and vice-versa.

I guess you'll just have to go exploring on your own.

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I did find a few links for you:

• Turn your sound on for this.



• Hey, it's New Haven. What did you expect...



• Only in Florida.