Thank you Mr. Carrier

I can tolerate heat and I can tolerate humidity but I cannot tolerate heat and humidity at the same time.

And that, my friends, is why each and every summer I thank the air conditioner gods for Mr. Willis Carrier's invention.

⧫
The man believes he was saved by his god and given a divine mandate to rule.

It's a good thing for The Very Stable Genius that he caught God during a rare downtime.

Seems that God had plenty of time to save Trump from the shooter but was way too busy to save those 28 little girls in Keerville Texas from the flood or the 26 children and teachers at Sandy Hook school in Newtown Connecticut from the deranged shooter or the 5,000+ babies born in the United States who die from brain cancer every year...

I don't like muslim religious fanatics and I don't like christian religious fanatics. Trump is doing what scam artists have been doing since man first walked out of the primordial stew - he's using religion as one way to control his cult. He's not that much different than Jim Jones or David Koresh.

And that, my friends, is one of the many reasons I don't like organized religion in any form.

⧫
Yes, I watched a few minutes of the Home Run Derby last night. It was boring.

Yes, I'll probably watch a few minutes of the All Star game tonight.

⧫
Here are some links:

• I've said it before and I'll say it again, I didn't like it when Carter made it a cabinet-level department back in 1979. Education should be a state/local thing, not a federal thing.



• Ghost Galaxies would be a fantastic name for 1970s horror/sci-fi movie starring Charlton Heston and Ava Gardner.



• Key line in this story: "Ogilvie, who later admitted that the incident was 'not his finest moment' and that his 'mouth ran faster than is brain'..."



• It's the old disguise yourself by wearing a bikini ploy.



• Key line in this story: "Circumstances such as these raise serious questions whether these important public services should be left to private companies without state oversight."



• what the hell are you going to do with 1,500 tarantulas?



• Ain't nothin' lower'n a plant rustler.



• That equals 7 and 1/4 tons.

No good sportings

There is no sportages for me until at least Thursday when The Open kicks off its four day run. Friday is when the Red Sox start back up.

Thank goodness I have several hours of DVRs to watch.

⧫
I realize this may shock some you but The Very Stable Genius has once again won the golf championship at his country club.

That's right folks, for the fifth time this year Donald Trump has won a Donald Trump initiated golf tournament at one of the many Donald Trump golf courses.

I haven't even played golf five times this year but this highly-tuned specimen of athletic prowess as played enough golf to win five championships.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that every other member of his golf club is a paraplegic...

⧫
My town has released a new "emergency notification system". Hopefully they actually use it for emergencies because the old "emergency notification system" was used to let us all know about upcoming elections, school events, etc..

The first text message I get telling there is a bake sale at the high school, there is a town meeting that has been scheduled for at least a year or a road I never drive on is being paved will be the last text message I get from the town because I'll deactivate my account and live on in blissful ignorance of things going on around me.

If you are going to set up an emergency notification system, use it for emergencies. Tell me if there is a gunman running around town shooting at people or the a tornado is bearing down on us. Those are emergencies.

⧫
Here are some links:

• Gotta be honest with you, $2.5 billion is a lot of money to renovate a building.



• This is the guy who was responsible for cutting government services.



• Finally, research I can get behind.



• Bernie Madoff of Cows would be a great name for a 1990s rock-a-billy band.



• What kind of "covert military operations" can be performed by an insect that people instinctively want to kill when they see it?



• Oops.

Big family shindig today

We spent the day with my brothers & sisters today so this is short and late.

⧫
The Red Sox won yesterday afternoon and again this afternoon, giving them a 10 game winning streak, putting them only one game behind the second place Aaron Judges and only three games behind the first place Blue Jays.

Now baseball is on break while they play the All Star game. The Red Sox next game will be at 2:00pm on Friday, July 18th. I'm really hoping the Red Sox do not go through their usual "post all star game slump" this year.

⧫
Here are a couple of links:

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



• This is why they invented the internet.

Nice walk-off win

The Red Sox were down 3-4 going into the ninth inning and things looked bleak.

Then, with one out and no one on base, Anthony takes a walk. Now it's one out and Anthony on first.

Up comes Rafaela and with two strikes against him, he smashes a ball over the center field wall and wins the game 5-4.

This gave the Red Sox an eight game winning streak and put them into third place in the ALEast as well as into the second wild card slot.

And now for the bad news: Dobbins limped off the field in the second inning after running over to first to put a runner out. This afternoon, ESPN is reporting he has a torn ACL and is done for the season. The Red Sox have called Fitts back up from Worcester

As for today's game, it started at 4:10 and Giolito had the start. As I post this, it is 1-0 Red Sox at the top of the 5th inning.

⧫
I don't like Rosie O'Donnell. She is a lot like Trump. You know, a loud-mouthed, arrogant jerk.

Having said that, this is a really stupid thing for The Very Stable Genius to say:

If the president can arbitrarily take away someone's citizenship without due process and evidence of treason, we got a problem...

⧫
This made me smile.

It's possible that we've all been behind that guy at some point in our driving lives.

⧫
Here are some links:

• Key line in this story: "Trump’s recent moves underscore the growing unpredictability, incoherence and assertiveness of his trade policies."



• This is no big deal. Every dog I've ever had used gestures to communicate with me. They all made it abundantly clear when they wanted to be petted, when they wanted to eat and when they wanted to go out.



• Definitely Not a Bag Full of Drugs



• I can honestly say that I never once believed that peeing on anything is a good idea.



• Only in Pennsylvania.

Good start

The Red Sox beat the Rays last night, coming from behind in the seventh and taking a 4-3 lead that they held on to till the last pitch..

Buehler did "meh" once again but he did make it through sis innings.

Tonight sees the return of Bregman to the lineup. It also sees the return of Dobbins, who has the start.

First pitch is at 7:10.

⧫
Today was lawn mowing and getting the car inspected.

Normally I don't mind lawn mowing but today I found a new project - my walk behind mower is no longer self-propelled. That means I need to take it apart and see if I can figure out what broke. Then I need to figure out if I can fix it. Either that or I need to buy a new mower.

This mower has to be more than 30 years old. It's a Snapper and I have gotten more than my money's worth out of it so if I can't fix it, I'll do my research and buy a new one.

Normally I do mind getting my car inspected and today was no different. I hate sitting for a half hour in a room with a tv showing soap operas, waiting for some guy to tell me my car is okay.

I get it. I've driven through states that don't require an annual vehicle inspection and it's like driving through a demolition derby but Massachusetts takes it too far.

For instance, if any light bulb anywhere on the vehicle is burned out, you fail. That means if your taillight has three light bulbs in it and one bulb is burned out, you fail. It doesn't matter that the taillight still lights up with the other two bulbs, no sir, not one bit.

Don't misunderstand me, I maintain my cars as close to perfection as I can. If a bulb burns out, I replace it but fer cripes sake, lighten up a bit.

⧫
Here's today's truthee:

I'm not going to disagree. It was around 85° at my house today and don't get me started on the humidity...

⧫
I'm going to watch this ball game.

Here are some links:

• They need to outlaw those things.
  (And by "things", I mean kids...)



• I beginning to wonder if this might be a suicide...



• Key line in this story: "Following a short investigation, police concluded that the Paris man had genuinely forgotten his wife."



• Key line in this story: "Combine that with compression garments, bandages, and sweat – and you’ve got a recipe for olfactory disaster."

All the problems are solved

It was lunch with the boys this afternoon and once again, we have solved all of the worlds problems.

More importantly, we are all still able to get up and move with some level of enthusiasm every day.

⧫
Giolito threw a good game last night, facing twenty batters over six inning, giving up four hits, zero runs, zero walks and striking out six.

The batters were also hot as hell and the final score was 10-2 in favor of the Red Sox.

Tonight they start a 4-game series against the Rays. Buehler has the start and first pitch is at 7:10. It looks like the weather may cooperate but it's New England in July so that could change in a minute.

⧫
As I said yesterday, I no longer have access to the direct source but I did find a sight that claims to be copying and pasting the truthee's directly from The Very Stable Genius. Here's a post from yesterday evening:

Ron Desanctimonious has once again fellated Donny Boy.

I will never understand why these people would tolerate his nasty remarks, insults, name-calling and school-yard bullying and then suddenly worship the ground he walks on.

I guess they have no self-respect. Either that or they enjoy being abused by a fat, smelly, old guy with a spray-on tan and a goofy hairdo.

⧫
Here are some links:

• I bet it is going to smell pretty good in Monroe County for the rest of the summer.



• I'm guessing the first one didn't fit his style.



• Japan: It's not like where we live...



• Oh Canada.

So far, so good

The Red Sox won again last night, beating the Rockies 10-2. This gives them a 5 game winning streak and puts them 3 games over .500.

To add to the good news, Bello pitched a complete game so no one in the bullpen had to lift a finger.

That win put them one game behind the Mariners in the wild card:

If the Yankees beat the Mariners tonight and the Red Sox beat the Rockies, the Mariners and the Red Sox will be tied for the wild card.

Giolito has the start tonight. First pitch is at 7:10.

⧫
I tried to see what Donny Boy was posting on his truth thingee but apparently they now require an account.

I wonder if it's because of this...

Since there is no way on earth I would create an account on his "social media" soapbox I guess my days of seeing what craziness he's posted are over with.

And so let me just leave you with that age-old classic, "covfefe"!

⧫
Here are some links:

• Looks like The Very Stable Genius is beginning to realize that Putin is playing him like a fiddle.



• I'm pretty sure they don't need a doctor to tell them he was a bit goofy.



• Pretty soon we're all gonna get flung into space.



• Key line in this story: "The two groups don't have any contact with each other, but they do share the same human keepers."



• This is a stupid idea.



• You know what I would call this? I'd call it "target practice"...



• Every time Texas has a disaster, Cruz leaves the country.



• Only in Pennsylvania.

Good solid win

Fitts pitched good last night and the Red Sox beat the Rockies 9-3, putting themselves only two games out of a wild card slot.

Tonight's game has Bello on the mound and my expectations are a mediocre first inning followed by five good innings. That is prety much how Bello has pitched this season.

I'm also hoping the bats stay hot and the batters turn themselves into runners numerous times each inning. The Red Sox have a habit of leaving runners in scoring pitching at the end of innings but lately they have stopped doing that. If they can keep it up, they will continue to win.

First pitch is at 7:10.

⧫
Numerous errands got run today and thankfully all of them were in air conditioned buildings.

I don't know about you but I've about had enough of the humidity.

⧫
Here are some links:

• I'm surprised no one mentioned all the money being given to spacex.



• It's about time they got rid of this.



• What kind of asshole does this...



• Now they're just making shit up.



• What is up with guys stuffing snakes in their pants...



• In case you were interested, there is a website dedicated to potato news from around the world.



• Only in Florida.

They better win this series

The Red Sox are back in Boston and tonight they start a 3-game series against the last place Rockies. And when I say last place, I mean in all of MLB.

Fitts has the start so as long as he can give them six good innings, they should be able to win tonight. If they win tonight, they should be able to win the next two games and sweep the series.

At least that is what my plan is.

I have no idea what Cora's plan is...

Anyways, first pitch is at 7:10 and the weather looks like it just might cooperate:

⧫
As I said in my previous post, I failed to click the "post" button last night.

Imagine my surprise when I logged into this platform and found the post hanging out like a teenager at a 7-11.

All it really means is you get extra links.

⧫
Speaking of which, here they are:

• The stock market is not happy about this.



• Muskee isn't helping himself.



• Oh Canada.



• Key line in this story: "Also, sexual activity is not permitted."



• Also Canada.



• Fortunately, I've never bought any of these things.

Oops

I discovered that I did not post this yesterday. It is my entry from July 6. That means you get two postings today.

⧫

Sunday, July 6, 2025

Another Snappy Title

The Red Sox beat the Nationals 10-3 yesterday afternoon and then beat the Nationals 6-4 this afternoon. That means they swept the series. It also means they are once again back above .500 for the umpteenth time this season.

I'm also thinking that yesterdays appearance by Buehler might have saved his career as a starter. He pitched okay and got the win so I suspect Cora will be keeping him in the starting rotation.

As for today's game, there was a brief 20 minute rain delay in the second inning that seemed to have screwed up both starting pitchers. The Nationals pulled their starter in the third inning.

Crochet looked uncomfortable when he came back out and that was when he gave up 2 runs to the Nationals. He eventually settled down and made it through 5 innings. He faced 26 batters, gave up 9 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks and struck out 7.

⧫
Enjoy these links:

• Seems to me that Russia has some seriously defective windows and some very uncoordinated executives.



• Before we discovered how bad Purina was for our dogs digestion, he could do this.



• There are a lot of people in the media that are blaming Trumps cuts to the National Weather Service for this but this story states what the NWS predicted and when they predicted it. Trumps cuts didn't cause this, local government ignoring the NWS warnings caused this.



• You just know that the researchers giggled like first graders when they released the results of their work.



• The New York Aaron Judges are not having a good month.



• Man, those California judges sure are friendly.



• Muskee is extra mad at his former BFF Donny Boy.

I have no snappy title

The Red Sox and the Nationals went at it at 4:05 this afternoon and Buehler had the start for the Red Sox.

This was do-or-die for Buehler because as he said last week, there isn't much room in the MLB for a 7.0 ERA pitcher.

Buehler made it through 5⅓ innings and he did "okay" at best. He faced 23 batters, gave up 8 hits, 3 runs and struck out 2.

The hitters, however, are doing stellar. It is currently the top of the seventh inning and the score is 9-3 in favor of the Red Sox.

Oh, and the Aaron Judges have fallen out of first place in the ALEast:

⧫
I have baseball to watch so here are some links:

• Thank goodness Booby Bobby is driving the vaccination bus here ins the good old U.S. of A.



• It looks like Aaron Rogers / Pittsburgh Steelers relationship might not be all that stable.



• Oh Canada.
  (Key line: "...not prepared to continually fluff the cushions.")



• Seems like a fun vacation spot...



• Key line in this story: "She was very, very lively and quite animated and speaking with her hands."



• Apparently the Welsh do church differently than we do.



• Oh Canada.

It's Independence Day!

Go be independent...

⧫
Congress managed to pass the bill that shall not be named last night and now we wait for The Very Stable Genius to sign it.

I understand that he plans on having a couple of B-2 bombers fly over the White House while he's signing it.

What is that old saying about men with tiny dicks always making self-aggrandizing gestures to compensate for having to use tweezers to take a leak...

⧫
The Red Sox beat up the Nationals this morning/afternoon.

The game started at 11:00 this morning and the Red Sox went up 2-0 in the first inning. They remained in the lead throughout the entire game, beating the Nationals 11-2.

Giolito had a stellar outing, facing 29 batters over 7⅔ innings. He gave up 4 hits, 3 walks, 1 earned run and struck out 7.

Wilson came in to close out the 8th inning and then Whitlock closed the game in the ninth.

Buehler has the start tomorrow and I am not going to say I hope he does well. I'm going to say that he really needs to do well because if he doesn't, it might be his last game as a starter.

First pitch is at 4:05.

⧫
Here are some links:

• Near as I can figure, Trump needs to stop making phone calls to Putin...



• Key line in this story: "They’re a bunch of pissers."



• I'm pretty sure this is a good idea.



• I'm positive this is a good idea.



• Key line in this story: "It’s bigger than my birthday!"



• I have a feeling that one of these days, someone is going to take a shot at this guy.



• I've actually seen this event. It's an indication of how dumb we are a species but it's also funny as hell.



• The correct answer is, "Yes.  And you should buy several hats."

They lost the game but won the series

Despite my youngest son and his wife being present at Fenway last night, the Red Sox lost the game. But since they won the previous two games, they won the series.

The Red Sox had 3-0 lead through six innings when Weisert came in and gave up a grand slam followed by a bases loaded RBI. This made the score 5-3.

It looked like they were going to make a comeback when Gonzalez hit a RBI double in the seventh, making the score 5-4 but alas, it wasn't to be.

When the game ended, the final score was 8-4 in favor of the Reds.

They are off today while they travel to Washington. Tomorrow at 11:00am, they will start a three game series against the Nationals.

⧫
I follow a comic artist on substack named Stephen Beals. His comic is called "StBeals" and it is centered around life as a retail service worker. This may, or may not, be a copyright violation but since I'm giving credit to the creator and linking to his substack website, I like to think he'll be okay with it. If you have a substack account, you should subscribe and follow him.

I find almost all of his comics humorous but I found this particular comic relatable so you get to read it:

⧫
Everytime I hear the words, "One Big Beautiful Bill", I throw up in my mouth a little bit.

I have no idea what is in the bill and what impacts it will have on me. The media is too busy telling me about some ass-clown named Diddy. What I do know is that whenever someone continuously tells me how great something is, I can guarantee you that it sucks.

There has never, in the history of the United States, been a piece of legislation that is beautiful. They are all big but none of them are beautiful.

Every single thing done by our government has hurt someone, somewhere. Every thing they do costs someone money or time or services.

What I do know is that all those people ranting about how terrible this bill is have no idea what they are talking about and all the people claiming that this is the best thing for America also have no idea what they are talking about. Lawyers wrote this bill and they don't know what's in it.

I just hope I'm not the one hurt by this particular piece of incomprehensible bullshit.

⧫
So the guy that killed those four college students in Idaho is going to spend the remainder of his life in the Idaho Maximum Security Institution.

This is what solitary confinement looks like at the IMSI:

I've decided that his sentence may be more appropriate that the death penalty.

⧫
No Boston Red Sox for me to watch but there is a Worcester Red Sox on the NESN.

After that, I'll watch some of the John Deere Classic on the Golf Channel.

⧫
Here are some links:

• Researchers: Contributing to the betterment of our society or a complete waste of perfectly good oxygen?



• Let the brawling continue!



• Only in Florida.



• Oh Canada.



• Dak-Rats would be a fantastic name for a 1990s grunge band.



• Oxford's English Dictionary has released it's list of new words. My favorites are 'Bag Of Dicks' and 'PMSing'.

It rained.

Last night's baseball game was suspended after three innings when the rain arrived. The Red Sox were up 2-1 and Fitts was looking good.

The game picked up again at 2:30 this afternoon with Bello on the mound. He pitched pretty well, going five innings. Chapman came in to close out the ninth and he was on fire.

The Red Sox won the game 5-3.

It looks like tonight's game is going to be a "bullpen game" with Bernardino getting the start. First pitch is at 7:10. It appears my youngest and his wife will be at the game so I'll be paying attention to the crowd shots during the game.

⧫
Since there was baseball this afternoon and baseball again this evening, I didn't spend very much time on the interwebs.

Here are some links:

• GodDammitAllToHell_SonOfABitch etc...



• So this scumbag gets to admit he did it with no requirement that he tell the families why he did it.



• Just once I would like to see a story about the guy that lost his weekly paycheck playing video poker.



• This is not good news.



• Only in Florida.



• Yes, alcohol was involved.



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

Nice win

Crochet pitched pretty damned well and so did the new kid, Hicks, they got in the Devers trade.

Abreu hit an inside-the-park home run and then follwed that up with a grand slam.

When all was said and done, the Red Sox beat the Reds 13-6.

Tonight has Fitts with the start. First pitch is at 7:10.

Oh, and it looks like Buehler will remain in the rotation for now...

⧫
Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting the President of the United States of America...

The Very Stable Genius is using the most powerful office on the planet to shill his stink.

Based on the faces some people make when they stand next to him, one can only imagine what he smells like...

⧫
Here are some links:

• The Very Stable Genius & Ron DeSanctimonious have kissed and made up.



• But things aren't all sunshine and unicorns between Trumpee and Muskee...



• Key line in this story: "Youth sports (has become) a mess in general, dude."



• Sounds like Richard Sherman should get the uber app.



• Only in Florida.



• Some people have too much free time. Other people have a real talent and immense patience.



• Key line in this story: "It felt like getting hit by a car."

Keep on keeping on...

I need to get a permanent filling in my canaled tooth so I called the dentist today to set up an appointment. I was told, "We are waiting for the information from the endodontist. As soon as we get it, we'll call you and set up an appointment."

Until that happens, I guess I have to continue to restrict my chewing to the left side of my mouth.

Which is way better than dealing with the pain I was dealing with prior to the canaling.

⧫
I've always thought that members of the senate, the house, the judiciary and the executive (including cabinet members) should not be allowed to buy or sell stocks while in office.

They all sure seem to be able to "predict the future" while they are making decisions that effect the future.

This comes very, very close to what is known as insider trading and is illegal in the US.

⧫
Here are some links:

• I read the book Hail Mary by Andy Weir a few years ago and in my humble opinion, it was a good book.



• Key statement in this story: "...there’s not a lot of places for 7 ERA starting pitchers in the big leagues."



• Artificial Intelligence - It's the wave of the future!



• Speaking of AI, I predict this is going to end poorly.



• The New York Post actually seems kinda proud of this.



• Yes, alcohol was involved.

They lost the series

Yesterday, the Red Sox stomped on the Blue Jays, beating them 15-1.

Today, the Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays 5-3.

With their loss of the first game, today's loss means the Red Sox lost the series.

Yesterday, Giolito was great and the hitters were hitting the ball.

Today, Buehler was "meh" until the fourth inning when he went into full suck mode and lost track of the strike zone. The hitters got some hits but nothing that drove runs across the plate. As a matter of fact, there was more than one inning that ended with a runner standing on third.

It might be time for the Red Sox to reconsider Buehler's role as a starting pitcher. Unfortunately, they might not have anyone to replace him.

⧫
Not much else going on today so here are some links:

• I'm not normally a fan of the "Over The Monster" articles but this one kinda sums up how I feel about NESN ever since they fired Don Orsillo.



• I am of the opinion that if this guy wins, it'll be the 1970s all over again. He'll bankrupt New York City and this time, the federal government won't bail them out



• The man is 99 years old. He deserves a day off every so often.



• We have way too many people doing "gods work", whatever the hell that is...



• For the record, 13 centimeters is a bit over 5 inches.



• Australia: What doesn't try to kill ya, blocks the road and then tries to kill you.

Well that was awful.

Bello faced 28 batters over six innings, giving up 3 earned runs, walking three and striking out one. But that wasn't the worst part.

The bullpen faced 21 batters over three innings, giving up 6 earned runs, walking five and striking out one. But that still wasn't the worst part.

The batters got four hits and zero runs. That was the worst part.

The Blue Jays won the game 9-0.

Today's game started at 4:10 and Giolito had the start. As I post this, it is the top of the 2nd inning and the score is 3-0 in favor of the Red Sox.

⧫
Here's some kinda good news:

The DJIA is only down 1/2% since The Very Stable Genius took office.

That is way better than the 9% it was down a few weeks ago.

⧫
The biggest problem I have with my freshly canaled tooth is remembering that I should not chew on that side of my mouth.

Considering the last week or so has been less than enjoyable for me, I can say this is not a bad problem to have.

⧫
Here are some links:

• Snakes get blamed for everything.



• These things are worse than Starbucks.



• Apparently in Germany they have a "sport" called "Even Splitting".
  It is both boring and fascinating.



• I said goodbye to it a long time ago.



• No, I did not buy a megamillions ticket in Virginia.



• Texas: It's not like where we live.

Sorry about that

There was no posting yesterday simply because I didn't feel like it.

Late last year, I cracked a tooth and had to have a crown installed. Life was good for a while until February of this year when I suddenly started to experience some pain when anything cold touched the tooth.

I went to my dentist and he sent me to another dentist who specializes in tooth pain. That dentist said, "This is not uncommon and there is a 50/50 chance it will either go away or get worse. If it goes away, great but if it gets worse, you have three choices - live with it, extract it or get a root canal."

I should have known that even with 50/50 odds, I was going to lose.

Fast forward to two weeks ago and the tooth decided that now instead of flashing pain when something cold touched it, it was going to flash pain when anything hot touched it. It also begun to flash pain for no reason at all.

In other words, it hurt all the time and it hurt a lot when I drank coffee or ate hot food.

I made an appointment with the specializer and yesterday at 2:00, I sat down in his chair.

He ran his tests of tapping on various teeth, putting ultra-cold que-tips on various teeth and generally abusing my teeth while I said things like, "Nope", "Nothing", "Holy Shit! That's the one!"

After he finished his torture session, he said, "You really only have two choices now - extraction or root canal. Since you have a crown, the tooth is stable and I recommend the root canal."

So yesterday afternoon, I got myself a root canal.

I should note that this particular dental office is staffed with some decent and funny people. At one point, the tech who was helping the dentist insisted that I take a selfie to send to my wife.

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting my tooth (and a little bit of my mustache) in the middle of a root canal:

This morning I woke to find that there was a dull ache in my jaw from the root canal but when I drank my morning coffee, it did not feel like a large man with brass knuckles was punching me in the face.

⧫
I will never understand why gambling has become news ever since Massachusetts legalized it.

Do I gamble? Yea, rarely.

I occasionally buy a lottery ticket when one of the games gets into the "billions" range.

If I'm at a bar with friends and everyone is playing Keno, I kick $5.00 into the pot.

So I guess, yea, I gamble.

Do I go to the casino? No, I do not. I went into MGM one time. It was two or three years ago in early March to place a $10.00 bet on the Red Sox winning the World Series because the odds were something like a bazillion to 1. They did not win the World Series and I did not win a bazillion dollars but that is the only time I've been to MGM.

I've been to Vegas numerous times on business trips and the time I spent there was usually spent exploring the desert, or looking for Elvises on the strip, or generally just people watching because trust me, there are some really interesting people walking around Las Vegas.

To me, gambling is just another thing that people get addicted to like booze, tobacco and drugs. You never see a news story that says, "Heroin user celebrates another day of not overdosing!" so why are there news stories about gamblers not losing their money?

Understand, I have nothing against gambling, it's just not my thing. I just wonder about the shit that the media feels the need to report on.

⧫
The Red Sox are back in Boston to play the Blue Jays. That means the game starts at a decent hour.

First pitch is at 7:10 and Bello has the start.

I'm really hoping they don't lose...

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Here are some links:

• Some times I find an astronomy article that hurts my brain. This is one of those times.



• I believe I may have said something before about this being a bad decision. He's kind of crazy. And not in a good way.



• Key line in this story: "PEOPLE reached out to Waffle House for details but did not immediately hear back."



• This piece of shit threw away $182 million dollars.



• "You people need to stop listening to the experts and start blindly believing what we tell you!"



• She must have gone with the extraction instead of the root canal.



• No shit, Sherlock.

Last day of heat

Today is predicted to be the last day of heat for us

They are saying that tomorrow will not get above 72°.

This will make me, and everyone else I know, very happy.

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Despite Crochet turning in an outstanding seven scoreless innings, the damned Red Sox lost the damned baseball game to the damned Angels 3-2 last damned night.

Dammit.

They are once again below .500 and are now 2½ games out of the wild card.

And last night's game was their 81st game which is the midpoint of the season for them. Being below .500 means they have had a losing first half of the season.

Fitts is back and he's got the start today. Hopefully he has a good outing, the batters can get some runs and the bullpen doesn't implode on them.

I'm posting this before the game starts so I have nothing else I can say about it.

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My father had a friend who he had known since his childhood. I called his friend Mr. Clark. My dad called his friend Click.

Whenever we would go visit Click Clark, it was always the same process. We pulled up out front of his house and my dad would always say the same thing, "No running around like a maniac."

He said this to me for the same reason he called his friend Click. Anytime he got out of his wheelchair to stand up, the braces clicked into place.

You see Mr. Clark was the only person I'd ever met that had polio. He had partial paralysis in his legs and one arm. He could walk when the need arose but his main mode of transportation was a wheelchair that he managed to muscle along with his one good arm.

In 1955, Jonas Salk gave the world a vaccination that effectively eradicated polio in the modern world and my parents generation was the last generation that lived in fear of it. No one in my generation, and the generations after me, had to live in fear of catching polio because when we were kids, we were given a drink of something that tasted like watered-down, extra-weak, unidentifiable fruit juice.

Why do I have a feeling that is about to change...

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Here are some links:

• I love reading The Onion. They have some of the funniest stuff on the internet.



• Coventry Chris and The Giant Gritty Sausage would be a great name for an inappropriate 1970s childrens book.



• Everything Trump does is the biggest and everything Musk does is successful.



• They take the threat of inflatable crocodiles very seriously over there.



• Only in Florida.



• No word on his sister, Merrie Melodies.

It's a bit hotter today

Here's what the extra-fancy thermometer says today:

Yes, I put a new battery in the outside sensor.

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I watched one inning of baseball last night and all I have to say about that is Buehler sucked during that inning.

The offense drove in 3 runs in the top of the first inning so when Buehler came out, he had a three run lead.

His first pitch got sent into the stands for a homerun but that was okay because he still had a 3-1 lead.

He got the next batter to fly out to center field. It was 3-1 Red Sox with one out.

He walked the next two batters but got another out when the next batter hit a pop foul that the catcher grabbed. It was 3-1 Red Sox with two outs and runners on 1st & 2nd.

The next batter hit a line drive into the outfield and one run scored. It was now 3-2 Red Sox with two outs and runners on 1st & 2nd.

He hit the next batter. It was still 3-2 Red Sox with two outs and the bases loaded.

He walked the next batter to force in a run. It was now tied 3-3 with two outs and the bases loaded.

He walked the next batter to force in another run. It was now 4-3 Angels with two outs and the bases loaded.

He hit the next batter to force in yet another run. It was now 5-3 Angels with two outs and the bases loaded.

Mercifully, the next batter flied out, ending the inning and sending me to bed.

Amazingly enough, he went three more innings and did not give up another run but that first inning was more than enough. It was his third bad outing in as many outings and in my opinion, it might be time for him to go pitch for someone else. Something isn't right with him and I don't the Boston coaches know how to fix it.

So anyways, tonight is another 9:40 game. Crochet has the start for the Red Sox and I will once again try to watch the first inning.

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I was going through some old pictures and I ran across this one:

The longer I look at it, the more I laugh.

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Then I found this picture I took of the toilet paper aisle at our local grocery store during covid:

I suppose I can laugh at it now but back then, it was not a pretty sight.

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And last, but not least, let me be among the first to inform you that the Atlantic Hurricance Season has officially begun.

Meet Andrea everybody:

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Here are today's links:

• This is actually a well-thought out and concise letter.



• Also, I'm not entirely sure this is a bad thing.



• What the hell is up with Chinese bats...



• Man, they got world records for everything.



• I heard he changed his name to Penis Foreskin.



• I'm thinking this might be true for almost everything the government tells us.

It's hot.

I took the following picture of my extra-fancy thermometer at 4:40 this afternoon:

Three things I noticed -

1. It's freakin' hot & humid outside.
2. My air conditioners are doing an excellent job.
3. I need to put a new battery in my outside sensor.

Pat and I both agree that it is too hot to golf. I'm sure Willie also feels the same but he's probably out of town on one of his numerous trips.

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Attention website owners/designers/coders.

If you have this pop-up notice, or one similar to it, on your website, you can kiss my ass:

I do not accept cookies from most websites and you have provided me no method to decline your cookies so screw you.

This particular website was given to me in a link from an email my town government sent out. It supposedly connects to a website that will show me the spread of the Spotted Lantern Fly.

As much as I would like to see the spread of this pest, I don't want to accept cookies from an unknown website.

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So Iran launched a bunch of missles at air bases in Qatar that house US Military. Please note that I did not say US military bases. Iran has launched missles at Qatari military bases.

No one was hurt and none of the missles actually hit their mark but I can tell you that the Qatari's are pissed. I can also tell you that I'm betting The Very Stable Genius is trying to figure out what to do next.

I sure hope his next move is to call the Iranian grand pubah and say, "Okay, are you happy now? Do you want to stop this shit and talk about things or do you want to hide in a bunker for the rest of your short life?"

Oh, and heaven forbid anyone should question the great and powerful Oz...

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Buehler has the start tonight. Hopefully he performs a lot better than he did during his last outing when the Red Sox lost 8-0 to the Mariners.

I'll know tomorrow how things went for him and the Red Sox.

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Here are some links:

• In all honesty, it's well past time for Ortiz to shut the hell up. The man can't stand not being the center of attention.



• Imagine being 24 years old and out of the blue, you get handed $6,500,000.00.



• Now they are just making shit up.



• Aggressive Catfish would be a great name for a 1970s southern rock band.



• Tasmania: Australia's weird little brother.



• Only in Florida.

They lost the series

The Red Sox lost to the Giants 3-2 yesterday and 9-5 today. That means they lost the series.

Not only that, the Mariners have moved into the thrid wild card slot, half a game ahead of the Red Sox.

Tomorrow they start a three-game series against the Angels. Since it's still a west coast game, it won't be on until 9:40. That means I'll find out what happened on Tuesday morning...

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Well, The Very Stable Genius bombed Iran and his minion Hegseth gave a speech about it.

When I heard this line,

"Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the final blow to Iran's nuclear program, and none could, until President Trump. The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. When this President speaks, the world should listen..."

I said, out loud, "Jesus Hegseth, why don't you just give Trump a blow job live on television."

Aside from Hegseth gagging on Trump, I also recalled that Trump once said this:

Funny how well that twit aged...

Oh, and on more thing - Homeland Security says, "Heads up everybody."
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Okay, it's late.

Here are a couple of links:

• Cops: We don't pay them enough.



• Or maybe you could bathe more than once a week....

Good start

I was pleased to learn that while Dobbins didn't make it out of the fifth inning last night, the Red Sox did win the game, beating the Giants 7-5.

They are now only one game behind the Blue Jays, three games behind the Rays and four games behind the Judges in the ALEast.

They are slowly creeping up the ladder and it is my belief they stand a very good chance of winning the division this season.

Todays game started at 4:05 and Bello had the start.

It is currently 3-0 Giants in the sixth inning.

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I'm was not an english major in college so "words" are not my strong skill but I'm pretty sure "mindbogglingly” isn't a real word.

Once again, The Very Stable Genius is just making shit up.

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We finished trimming the bushes this morning so the yard work is completed.

We are ready for the heat wave to arrive!

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Here are some links:

• Yes, alcohol was involved.



• Key line in this story: "He was again freed on supervised release."



• Looks like Vermont is the place to live. Massachusetts not so much...



• If I'm reading this correctly, his mom named him "Loony Toon". I wonder if his sister is named "Merrie Melody"...



• Oh great. One more thing to worry about.



• Only in Florida.

Happy Summer Solstice

At 10:42 pm our time (EDT), the earth will be tilted in relation to the sun so that the sun will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer and summer will officially start in the northern hemisphere.

The closest human settlement where it will be noon on the Tropic of Cancer when it is 10:42 pm here is the island of Miyakojima in the Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Also, it will be tomorrow there when the solstice happens so that's kinda weird.

Anyways, I sure hope they have air conditioning there.

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The Guardians lost last night which means that as of this morning, the Red Sox had sole possession of the third wild card slot.

Tonights game against the Giants starts at 10:15 so I won't be watching any of it.

Dobbins has the start and I will be happy if I find out tomorrow morning that he held the Giants to zero runs over seven innings.

They need to win this series if they want to hold on to that wild card.

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The lawn is mowed and half of the bushes have been trimmed. Tomorrow morning, we will finish up the last four bushes.

In case you haven't heard, we are expecting temps in the upper 90s on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

That, my friends, is what is known as a heat wave and if you know me at all, you know I hate heat waves.

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Here are some links:

• Heath Edward Bumpous and The Woody Wallace Singers would be a fantastic name for a rock-a-billy band that made regular appearances on The Lawrence Welk Show.



• Key line in this story: "They usually use these talks in order to deceive, in order to waste time."



• Key line in this story: "They also reportedly found drug paraphernalia inside Laird's bag."



• Apparently it is manatee sexy time down in Florida.



• Oh Canada.



• In Hong Kong, the monkeys can read.