Get this

New ICE Challenge Coins.

 

Billy was a race car driver

The Fendermen

Calling B.S.

We have been hearing a lot about the scourge of voter fraud in this country. Something that by the numbers, hardly exists. 

We have a nation of approximately 340,000,000 Americans. Of these approximately 174,000,000 are registered voters.

The Trump administration has been doing everything it can to ferret out the scofflaws that vote illegally.

They have found a total of 160 voters in the last two years.

I am not a math whiz but if we put 160 over 174,000,000 in a ratio and then try to find x over 100 we end up with .0009195. Thank you to my old math teachers at Dwight York Preparatory School back in New York!

Now you can check my arithmetic but I think that is a shade under a thousandth of a percent. In fact it is nine hundred nineteen ten millionths.

Hardly enough to make a statistical difference, as awful as it might be. Beyond miniscule.

And I seem to recall that some of these miscreants voted Republican. Funnily, even anti immigration groups are in general agreement with this calculus.

Stop blaming your election losses on non citizen voting. It ain't happening. Statistically anyway. It is not an issue.

*

Daily Koz - Trump thwarted in hunt for rare noncitizen voters as midterms near

The U.S. Census in August identified about 24,000 instances of noncitizen voting in the 2020 election out of roughly 160 million votes cast, or 0.015% of all votes. One study of the 2016 election placed the prevalence of noncitizen voting at 0.0001% of votes cast.

But Homeland Security has suggested large numbers of noncitizens may be registered to vote. In July, the department said it had identified over 250,000 potential noncitizens on the voter rolls in California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania.

On Monday, U.S. Senate Democrats in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin wrote that they couldn’t trust those numbers. For instance, DHS initially floated nearly 16,000 possible noncitizen voters in Nevada. In the end, the agency provided state officials with a list of 185 people that officials said were noncitizens. All turned out to be citizens.

Similar thing happened in Utah, generally a conservative bastion but not always so keen on Trump.

Utah released the results of a year-long audit of the state’s voter rolls, finding that the vast majority of its voters are verifiably US citizens, amid an escalating legal battle with the Trump administration over access to voter registration data.

The audit, launched in April 2025, found that 99.72% of Utah’s registered voters are confirmed US citizens. Of the more than 2 million voter records reviewed, 27 individuals were identified as non-citizens and removed from the rolls. Only 13 of those individuals had ever cast a ballot. The review, released on Wednesday by Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson’s office, also flagged 25 probable non-citizens, who have been given 30 days to provide proof of citizenship or face removal from the voter rolls.

Get it? 

Dirty Business

Bad day at black rock

 

It was a tough weekend for me.

Blazing hot.

Padres took an epic dump, first with a home run that was stolen from them by a roof girder in Milwaukee and then their ace closer blowing up in the ninth inning in the second game.

We will get them tomorrow.

Another body part went on strike and I spent a good portion of the weekend in bed, feeling like shit.

Tried to take a shower yesterday, wait, no pressure, ran outside to see the main line break in the air like I had sprung an oil well.

Bad day for a break as only Ace was open and you should see what they charge for a single coupling these days.

Finally got water back around six o'clock yesterday evening.

My friend fixed another break for me the day before and I have to completely re-do it tomorrow as it is evident he does not understand irrigation 101.

If you want the job done right do it yourself and after 45 years or so I have fixed miles of pipe. Problem is that the old gray pipe is now splitting so I have a lot more fun to look forward to.

I am tempted to ask what next but don't want to jinx anything and am afraid I will find out.

10-5

DeGoff sent me the Heather Cox Richardson substack for today. It is a great column always but I rarely have time to read it. I have gone over most of this ground myself but was not aware of the Epstein "302" material.

Wyden has been doggedly following the money trail connected to sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein, noting that his operations, including human trafficking and sexual abuse, depended on the banks whose officers looked the other way as Epstein’s finances repeatedly indicated he was engaged in criminal activity. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has refused to give the Senate Finance Committee access to Treasury materials about those finances, including Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs). When Wyden tried to get Congress to pass a law forcing the release of those files, Senate Republicans blocked it.

Now Wyden’s investigators have discovered that the FBI conducted an interview with a banker tied to Epstein, but the bureau did not release the transcript of the interview, known as a “302 report,” as Congress required when it passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Wyden suggested that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI “are withholding key documents from Congress and the public.”

“Furthermore,” he added, “the existence of this 302 indicates that it is likely that the FBI possesses additional, related, FBI 302s that have not been released” as they should have been under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

How many more 302 letters have they buried? They've got more dirty laundry hidden than the Cornell Police Department.

*

When will they ever learn?

*

Are you happy with your tax money going to a government funded propaganda campaign that infers that Trump was made by God?

‘God made Trump’ ad and at least 12 others are part of controversial taxpayer-funded ad campaign

The Trump administration has created at least 13 campaign-style ads as part of its controversial taxpayer-funded, multi-million-dollar effort to promote President Donald Trump and his policies.

Yet-to-be-aired spots include a trio of ads highlighting the US military and operations in Iran and Venezuela, one called “God Made Trump” and another recapping the UFC fight he hosted at the White House. Republicans and Democrats alike have questioned the wisdom of spending so much taxpayer money on the ads, which the White House has defended as public service announcements.

I don't do the god thing and even I am enraged at this. You hear any Republicans complaining about it? Not a one, they give him coverage for anything he does.

Of course after the midterms, the rats will all be scurrying off the ship and proclaiming all the things they covertly did to keep the orange one in check.

*

Read an interesting article the other day about Trump telling Blanche to go easy on the abortion stuff until after the elections. Probably smart to dial down right now but believe me, it is coming.

A senior White House official revealed to The Washington Sun that a message was directly delivered to Blanche by chief of staff Susie Wiles, suggesting an aggressive approach on abortion would generate unwanted attention, which might alienate voters in the already contentious elections. "No one wants us taking any real action before the midterms," the staffer told the outlet.

They will lock mifepristone down tighter than a drum. Just watch. ICE is dialing it back too.

*

I believe that the Dems will take back the house, not so sure about the senate at this point. Trump has hinted at triggering the Insurrection Act if the GOP loses Congress. Retiring Senator Tom Tillis thinks we might have another January 6th riot.

Of course, he was one of the people who let Trump off the hook.

The North Carolina senator said he’s still disgusted thinking back to that day of chaos on Capitol Hill, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Senate and House chambers.

“Look, this was the first time in the history of this country that we had not had a completely peaceful transfer of power on that day. And that was despicable,” he said. “The people that led the charge, the people that assaulted police officers, I wish they were still in prison and serving a very long sentence.”

Yet, Tillis defended his vote to acquit Trump on the charge of inciting insurrection, arguing that Democrats rushed the impeachment proceedings and pushed the charge to prevent the president from running for office again in 2024.

What a bunch of lily livered cowards these people are. How will we ever clean up their mess? 

Shake that fat

Back at the trough

U.S.-Russia Talks on Ukraine Now Involve an Oil Deal Tied to Trump Allies

Surprised? 

The Trump administration’s talks with Russia about ending the war in Ukraine have expanded to include a multibillion-dollar oil deal that would benefit Middle Eastern business executives with ties to the two main U.S. negotiators, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

The deal, which is contingent on approval from the U.S. government and the Kremlin, is for a sprawling set of oil fields, refineries and gas stations around the world owned by Lukoil, one of Russia’s biggest energy companies.

The leading group seeking the deal includes an American investor, Todd Boehly, who has donated $2 million to President Trump’s political causes; two Middle Eastern groups that have done business with Mr. Kushner or Mr. Witkoff’s family; and an arm of the U.S. government itself.

First thing today, Trump tries a $90 bribe to win back American seniors during the failing midterms, with 5k soon to follow if and when Republicans win.

Trump Promises $90 'Checks' to 20M Seniors From What He Called 'Dumocrats' 'Pointless Slush Fund'

Right.

Smacks of serious desperation. Okay. But wait. Now Putin tries his own bribe, directed square at Trumpworld's wheelhouse, their wallet.

Who stands to win on the Russian deal?

Witkoff and Kushner, the son in law. And this guy with the shiny white caps who owns Lukoil, Todd Boehly:

Another reason to hate the Dodgers. 

Adios Mario!

I had to fix irrigation this morning and was late getting into town. I stopped off at the donut shop and told Terry who works there that I was going to go next door and get a haircut.

I saw a pained look in the Cambodian woman's eyes. "Mario is not there," she told me."ICE picked him up."

I hurried next door and talked to the other barber. He told me that Mario, my haircutter, had been picked up by ICE at the casino last week.

Not only was Mario a great barber, he was great to me, a kind, wonderful person whose life had turned around when he quit drinking. Everybody liked him. The Guatemalan was the son of a barber and gave me the best cuts I have received in years.

He had a Guatemalan word for me which I don't quite remember but it was like Jefe, a townsperson who commanded respect.

I will really miss the hardworking guy and hope to see him again one day.

Heighty hi

Afternoon Delight

I was thinking about just how fast old age rushes up on you. 

Everything is going along all hunky dory, free as a bird for so long and then one day all the systems decide to fail in unison.

I never signed up for this shit.

I took a minor detour down memory lane this morning.

Thinking about some of the things I miss from my youth.

Like being able to clip my own toe nails.

And my young prostate.

And non woke shampoo that would actually lather and clean.

Ditto hand soap.

Most of the soap I use these days is environmentally sensitive and fairly worthless.

Might break down and buy something old school, like a bar of Irish Spring. It actually works.

And they sure don't make triple XL shirts like they used to.

Damned if they aren't fitting snugger.

I saw that Minute Maid is now getting out of the frozen citrus market. Hey those cans were our telephones when I was a kid, all it took was a long enough string.

Do we really need a sticker on every piece of fruit in the market, no matter how small?

I miss cd players in cars, hate apple car play and plugging my phone in. Miss the superdrive cd on my desktop too. Bring back tangible media. 

I miss Fireball XL5. And Malto Meal commercials.

Allison Steele, the Night Bird.

I hate being asked to give an online rating for every minor interaction in my life. Failure to do so might cause some poor bank teller her job or wreak havoc in the Philippines.

I miss talking to a doctor now and then instead of only getting to see the nurse practitioner. Haven't seen my cardiologist in over four years. Well nowadays you only get thirty seconds at best with them anyway.

I miss fudgesicles for a nickel and the wintergreen lifesavers that would spark in the dark in the sixth grade.

I miss the slow dance at the skating rink.

Remember when they would check your car's oil and fluids at the gas station? When was the last time you saw that?

I miss ten dollar cans and sticky roaches. And every friend having an acoustic guitar in their house and everybody jamming. And dining room tables made from old SDGE wire spools.

Watching demo derby on Saturday and Gene Scott at midnight.

I went to Grangettos today to buy a top for a busted sprinkler. 

Twenty cent part. 

Or it used to be anyway before the state mandated that every fitting now sold in the State of California had to have a pressure relief valve. 

Two bucks now minimum.

Preposterous.

Thank you, Nanny State.

*

Speaking of getting my fluids checked.

I was thinking the other day about all the cool stuff from my life that I can't really share because it was so racy or possibly illegal and maybe the statute of limitations hasn't expired yet?

This is such a story. One of life's tender moments.

No harm in spilling at this point.

I believe we need to go back to 1978 for this vignette, might be 79 but let's say 78. 

I am all of 20 or 21, and in a hospital bed in Point Loma at Sharp Cabrillo Hospital.

I have just undergone a radical knee surgery which involved repairing my anterior cruciate, medial collateral and meniscus.

Would put me in a cast for the next five months. 

Horrible doctor, the late David Handler, wanted to tell me about_____, well never mind...

So I am lying in the bed, feeling a bit sorry for my self when there is a loud rap on the door.

"Who is it?" I asked.

A lovely and sonorous canary chirped from the other side of the door, "It's your Aunt Betty."

I was stumped. Aunt Betty? I didn't have an Aunt Betty. No matter.  "Come on in."

A comely young lass opened the door, gave me a large wink, turned around and then locked it behind her in a single motion. She gave me a big smile, then unzipped her dress and joined me on the hospital bed to engage in all sorts of absolutely delicious fragrant delicto or as much as I could muster anyway at that moment with a large cast on my leg.

I can't give you all sorts of the ins and outs of the proceeding at this advanced date but do remember it really elevated my general sense of well being as well as some other things.

We got to talking later. It turns out that she had actually been a nurse once but found that her honest attraction and inclination was to making love to patients' bodies, not fixing them. Bless her. Have to find your place in this world.

Fair enough. Got to love it in fact. There is room for all sorts of personal interaction on god's good earth and she was an angel of heaven for me at that point. This Florence Nightingale was on a mission of mercy.

And just so happened to be an afternoon gift from my father and my heating and air conditioning man, George Morris and the boys at Poway Heating and Air Conditioning.

God bless you George. God bless you Dad. You were the best dad in the world, that week anyway. Will never forget that as long as I live. How could I? Just what I needed. Thank you too Aunt Betty, wherever you are. Appreciate the whole deal.

Kenny Burrell

Eternally Grateful

I looked at Padres Brewers tickets for next week and just don't think I can afford to go again. Anybody with a spare ticket that they don't want to eat, please let me know. I will certainly contribute.

Sizzling

Leslie and I needed a new nonstick pan. 

We have been doing our nonstick cooking with a teflon pan that has seen better days and frankly, is no longer safe.

I did some research and NYT Wirecutter really liked the inexpensive but super nonstick OXO Obsidian carbon steel pan.

The OXO Obsidian Carbon Steel Frypan with Silicone Sleeve is slick, lightweight, well balanced, and comfortable to grip. It’s one of the very few carbon steel pans we tested that were slick enough to fry an egg without sticking, right out of the box. It also produced a stack of fluffy pancakes, crispy-skinned chicken breasts, golden sautéed carrots, and a perfect soft scramble with ease.

This is an excellent carbon steel pan for all home cooks. But for those who are new to carbon steel and are looking for an alternative to nonstick-coated cookware, it’s an especially good choice because it comes ready to cook, no preseasoning required, and its silicone handle cover provides a comfortable grip.

Their favorite in fact. What the hell, why not? Carbon steel has been the European standard for a long time.

I would give it a shot. Under sixty bucks.

It showed up today. Just gave it its first rinse and dry. I have never used carbon steel before. Fried up an egg in it. Worked like a charm.

I had heard a false rumor that it was tough on glass cooktops but that was debunked. 

I know that you can't or shouldn't put too much overly acid things in them like lemon, tomatoes and vinegar. They get a funny metallic taste.

They should not be overheated or allowed to scratch the cooktop surface. This one is pre-seasoned and supposedly incredibly nonstick out of the box.

I had heard that it was a bit light but this 10" pan feels nicely weighted to me.

I don't think it will be much different than my Le Creuset skillet, although a bit more forgiving, I don't ever put soap in that one. Just baking soda in a pinch. Keep them oiled and seasoned. You can even use metal spatulas and tools with it.

If you are an old hand with carbon steel and have a good tip on its use, please comment.

Grifter in Chief

Immigration is such a hot button issue in this country right now. We certainly have the right to have secure borders but the immigration system that brought all of our forefathers (except you Native Americans) here is terribly broken and neither party has the political will and capital to fix it.

The Stephen Miller, Nazi like, let's throw the immigrant children out before they get any bigger attitude is beyond reprehension. Disgusting man.

Stephen Miller is leading an unprecedented and intense White House drive across a host of government departments to accelerate the removal of undocumented immigrant children from the US, using tactics that critics say are cruel and racist and, in some cases, flout federal law, the Guardian has learned.

As deputy chief of staff at the White House, focused on immigration policy, Miller is seen as the mastermind and enforcer behind Donald Trump’s hardline anti-immigration agenda.

He is directing a whole-of-government approach that has been ramping up throughout Trump’s second term and is targeting a vulnerable population of undocumented children. Many abruptly find themselves denied access to legal immigration pathways in the US, with their applications fast-tracked and then rejected before being forced out of the country.

Now the brutal and draconian nature of the Trump Ice Machine is starting to even rile his own base. 

West Virginia Senator Jim Justice serves on the Senate Ag committee.

He now complains that ranching groups are telling him that Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma are costing cattlemen millions of dollars and choking supply chains. And that might even mean he loses a key voting block, egads.

Now these people like to talk about Jesus but their real god is money and this type of enforcement action is going to be hard to sell when it hits their wallets. One thing to do it in Minneapolis...

Ice has struck hard at meatpackers in Kansas, especially Dodge City. Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall is trying to put the brakes on without ruffling Trump, saying that ICE has to now coordinate with local law enforcement before commencing actions.

This is hitting way too close to home for the longtime Trump ass kisser, who is real danger of getting defrocked and losing his job.

Kansas, which has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932 and has long been considered a GOP stronghold in federal elections, was recently moved from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican" by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.

An Emerson College poll conducted September 15-16 found Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton leading Republican Sen. Roger Marshall 45 percent to 43 percent among Kansas voters surveyed.

Truth is that agriculture in this country will dry up and wilt without foreign labor, either temporary, legal or illegal. 

Sorry Republican heartlanders, neither poor black people or poor white people are going to pick your crops at this point, no matter how hungry they get. They have lost the ability to work hard at manual farm labor. I know that you are yearning for the dust bowl times but that just ain't happening at present.

Blame what you want, video games, ADHD, permissive parents, I could care less. We have tried that. And all the trades are now suffering, not just farming. Texas latinos are now deserting Trump in droves.

Farmers and ranchers, most of whom voted for the orange one, are caught in a triple quadruple whammy, tariffs, foreign imports, the cost of diesel and the cost of fertilizer, much of which comes from Canada, the new "worst" country on earth. 

The Chinese are in no mood to buy soybeans from a man who demonizes them in such a public fashion, rightly or wrongly. And the American farmers mostly shut their mouths and those that don't go bankrupt can wait for the next fat government bailout check.

What I find funny is that for all the talk about immigrants, Trump wants to sell a card for umpteen dollars that will let them come to this country.

For a mere million bucks you can get a Trump Gold Card that will give you free passage. Plus fees of course.

Or you can go platinum if you are in the higher tier. It is almost comical but unfortunately true.

Foreign nationals can sign up now and secure their places on the waiting list for the Trump Platinum Card. When launched, and upon receipt of a $15,000 DHS processing fee and $5 million contribution, they will have the ability to spend up to 270 days in the United States without being subject to U.S. taxes on non-U.S. income.

Immigrants are all criminals, degenerates and subversives except of course for the ones that stick big money in our pocket. Come on in!

*

Yesterday Trump was miffed about the court’s ruling on birthright citizenship in June, which upholds the Constitution’s guarantee that those born in the U.S. are U.S. citizens. In the 6-3 decision, Coney Barrett ruled that Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship violated the 14th Amendment. Kavanaugh concurred while Gorsuch dissented.

“It’s unfortunate what they did—not to me, to our country,” Trump told Time.

“Birthright citizenship. It’s becoming a major industry now,” the president claimed. “People are making millions and millions of dollars, and we’re losing trillions of dollars. And it’s become a corrupt business, all because of the Supreme Court decision.

Listen too him, he is not upset that about babies getting born here, he is sad that he is missing out on the grift. Someone is making shady money without him. Horrors!

And that is something he will not stand for.

*

The Trump administration is facing growing questions over whether it illegally used taxpayer money to air television ads promoting Donald Trump five weeks before the US midterm elections.

*

This is my favorite - Trump Reprograms Government AI Chatbot to Stop Fact-Checking His Lies

After the tool’s launch on Tuesday, if you asked whether there was “widespread voter fraud” in the 2020 election, the chatbot would state that “No. Official findings did not show widespread voter fraud that changed the 2020 presidential election result.” On Wednesday, however, the chatbot refused to answer, CNN’s Daniel Dale wrote on X.

“I help with official U.S. government services and information. I do not provide political commentary. If you have a question about a federal program, benefit, form, or how to use a government service, ask that and I can point you to official sources,” the chatbot now replies.

The platform provided the same answer to a question about whether Trump had truly inherited the “worst inflation in history,” even though it had originally stated that inflation was not at a “historic high,” Dale posted on X.

Facts are so inconvenient, so political. So are lies, evidently. 

Bad behavior

There's a good article at the New York Times on settlers in Israel not letting Palestinians back into their homes on the West Bank. The far right settlers are supposedly stopping Israeli soldiers from helping the Palestinians return.

The military said in a statement that soldiers had been unable to permanently return the family to their home, but also noted that troops had stopped a more serious incident from taking place. After the family entered the home, the military said, more than 100 “rioters” arrived and “severe violence” started, with rocks thrown at security forces, roads blocked and tires set on fire. The military said that additional personnel had been called in to try to disperse the settlers and that those forces had intervened to prevent the family from being harmed.

Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has soared, according to U.N. data, especially since the start of the Gaza war, which was ignited by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. So far in 2026, at least 23 Palestinians have been killed in incidents linked to clashes with settlers, according to the U.N. humanitarian office.

Netanyahu is continually minimizing settler violence but I think it is perpetuated by a handshake deal and a wink with the Israeli government. And I for one, think that it is disgusting. 

There are some very good comments here but this one caught my eye particularly:

I believe Wally knows exactly what is going on here. And we all know that if the roles were reversed and Palestinians kept Jews from their homes in Israel they would be shot dead on the spot. They wouldn't put up with it for a second.

Israel is losing diaspora jewry on many fronts. This disgusting behavior only amplifies our disgust at the over reaction in Gaza that killed so many innocent people. Lose 1200 and kill 50,000 sounds so biblical. I feel no mandate to regain Judea and Samaria because we lost it two thousand years ago. 

Tel Aviv and Haifa were fine.

Israel's close tryst with Trump will alienate many previous backers of Israel in the United States in ways that also can not be overstated.

You are losing us, Netanyahu. This may work with your supporters in certain parts of Brooklyn but you are alienating huge numbers of previous supporters of Israel who belong to reform and conservative Jews who know exactly what you are doing here.

And there are way more of us than there are of them.

Midnight Blue

Brown Bombers

Nice to see the Padres win the division last night. 

I watched it on Peacock. 

Looking forward to the Brewers series. 

Everything seems to be clicking right at the moment.

As for the Cubs:

Crow-Armstrong, who could be the unanimous NL MVP, went 0-for-7 across the two games against San Diego, striking out four times in the process. Bregman, the veteran leader in the clubhouse, went 0-for-8 with four strikeouts as well.

Hey Chicago, don't focus on that. Be happy that you actually scored a run.

*

That loud noise you hear in the background? That's all the Cub fans who have suddenly become South Siders. Go Sox.

*

Some faint but snarky praise from up Dodger's way.

Ultimately, it's bad news for the Dodgers that the Padres are moving on (though we can probably trust Milwaukee to make quick work of them), but it's still delightful that they helped to silence a common enemy.

Quick work of them? We swept Milwaukee at home this year in three games, 4-2 overall.

*

No way Palencia didn't intend to hit Cronenworth in the back last night after the Sheets home run. What an a-hole.

Speaking of Sheets, everyone is acting like the home run was a surprise. He did the same thing four days ago against the D-Backs. Guy is so strong.

Ahkbar loses a round

Those evil Israelis are at it again. 

They beat up a poor Omani co-pilot on the Dubai to Tel Aviv run who was merely trying to make a political statement.  

By stabbing the Indian pilot and several passengers and seeking to crash the plane that had 174 people traveling on it and to kill all the Israeli passengers on board.

The plane was traveling from Dubai to Tel Aviv when it plummeted 17,000' in less than two minutes, before being diverted to Saudi Arabia.

The descent was so steep that most of the rudder was ripped off the tail and experts were confounded by the plane's ability to even land.

Israeli passengers ultimately stormed the cabin to subdue the perpetrator. Israeli passengers tied the poor and misunderstood attacker up with zip ties and iphone cables. 

Footage shows the injured pilot lying on the cabin floor with several stab wounds, and a passenger with a bloody wound to the head. 

He was trying to disable the controls so everyone on board would die.

Purportedly he screamed "Alahu Ahkbar" before sending the plane into a tailspin.

Isn't this a freedom of speech issue? Since when is it illegal to make a political statement and invoke Allah?

Can't wait for the U.N. to take the passengers to the I.C.C. and try them for interfering with the co-pilots self expression and religious rights. We must of course evaluate him first and see if he is indeed an actual jihadist or perhaps just the victim of an unhappy childhood? 

Bet you it was the jews fault. I also bet Tlaib will want to give the guy a hero's welcome and sanctuary in Michigan.

All the small things

Go Pads!

My friend BigDave flew down yesterday from San Francisco. I picked him up at the airport, we had a nice dim sum lunch and then proceeded to the ballpark for the opening game of the Padres and Cubs Wild Card series.

Dave is a Cubs honk but likes the Giants equally well, although his favorite team of course is the one currently winning. 

That is certainly not the pitiful Giants right now.

Anyway I was reluctant to have Dave come down because I don't think I have ever seen a Cubs Padres game with him where the Padres have won and I just can't take all that glee anymore.

Gets tiring of being on the wrong end of the stick.

He booked the Hotel Indigo, a mere two blocks away from Petco Park. 

We found a metered parking space on Market and stuck his handicapped placard on the mirror, saved me a bunch of money.

We checked into his room after lunch and chilled for an hour.

We get down to the game on a warm evening and Dave is not alone, there are a lot of Cub fans representing.

Padres fans being quite San Diego friendly, for the most part.

Dave of course has his special Finally Cubs jersey, Cubs hat and who knows what else on?

Probably his Cubbie jockstrap.

I had of course foreseen his sartorial choices and that it was perhaps wise to publicly differentiate my choice of teams from his.

I went to the local discount store, C &C, and found the cheapest Padres shirt I could find, which had the largest logo imaginable in my very large size.

Probably could spot me from space.

I really wasn't sure how the game would go? 

The Padres are playing the best baseball in the majors the second half of the season and all cylinders are firing perfectly right now.

Great hitting top to bottom, great relief corps, some great starters.

But they have a history of getting real quiet with their bats in the playoffs.

I predicted 6-4 Padres, mostly predicated on their home team advantage.

We had good seats on the third base side, Loge section 112.

Not cheap.

The game was amazing. 

I am not going to do a full re-cap but I have never seen anything quite like it.

First pitch changeup - Tatis puts it over the fence. 

Crowd goes nuts.

Soon after Machado does the same and we are off to the races, never looking back.

Michael King is pitching like Koufax, no hitter through seven and then King gives up a close one to Machado at third.

Nothing hit out of the infield.

Matsui come on, they give up another hit or two, still no runs.

The rally towels are flying, place is going berserk. 

Tatis gets a hit, steals second and then comes all the way home on a throw to second.

The whole place starts singing a song in the seventh and I realize that I am the only guy there who has never heard it, let alone knew the words. Was it Taylor Swift? Turns out to be Blink - 182. I guess there are serious holes in my music game.

The other thing I realize is that there is now a name for a pitch which I have no idea of, a sweeper. Sinker, cutter, curve, splitter I got, but what the hell is a sweeper?

The best came last. 

San Diego hometown boy Joe Musgrove, out for two years after Tommy John surgery, just named to the roster, comes in in the ninth and gets the final three outs.

Place went wild, emotion at a fever pitch, people were crying. It was epic.

Not counting debuts, only one player had previously appeared in a playoff game directly after not appearing in any game of the two prior regular seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau (relayed by MLB.com's A.J. Cassavell on Twitter/X).

That player — Chicago Cubs catcher Clyde McCullough — missed the 1944-45 regular seasons due to military service, then struck out in his only at-bat in the 1945 World Series.

Dave took it all very well, like a man. It was one game, might be a different story tonight. 

But it was sweet.

*

I should mention that I go back a long way with the Padres. When I first saw them it was at Westgate Park, now Fashion Valley Mall. They were a Coast League farm club for the Phillies.

This is somewhere between 1964 and 1967. Tony Perez was on the club but my favorite player was the now forgotten Roberto Pena.

We had season tickets and I was there with my brother when Buzzie Bavasi had his famous meltdown on the field. 

I remember Clay Kirby and Cannizarro, Ollie Brown, Cito, Nate, Enzo, all the old guys. Grew up with this team, a lot of pain mixed in with the great Gwynn and Caminiti years. Had drinks with Randy Jones and Rollie Fingers on a wild plane ride back from Vegas once.

Wishing the Padres the best here on in.

What a special night.

Thanks for coming down Dave and being a good sport.

Cardiac Kid

It sounds almost suicidal to talk about food after a sobering visit to the cardiologist. 

I had a nuclear stress test Friday and thought that this morning's visit was going to be a perfunctory sign off for my pending knee replacement.

But what can I say, I got no clearance, Clarence. 

Apparently there is some arterial blockage in my lower heart area that is going to require an angiogram and further remediation of some sort. 

The upshot is that there will be no new knee in the foreseeable future for yours truly. 

They were not sure that my heart could make the trip. 

Nervous Nellies.

They like to use a bunch of big words and try to scare you but I know their game. Here is half the list anyway...

1. Dyspnea on exertion

2. Abnormal nuclear stress test

• left heart catheterization (SURG)

3. CAD, multiple vessel

4. Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

5. Hypertensive disorder

6. Mixed hyperlipidemia

• Leqvio 284 mg/1.5 mL subcutaneous syringe

7. Bilateral atherosclerosis of carotid arteries

8. LVH (left ventricular hypertrophy)

I ain't a scared. That's all you got? You know who you are talking to?  Pffft. Truth is, I have been a bit lethargic of late so maybe a cardiac tune up is in order? First thing I did after calling Leslie was to make sure I could still do the Santa Barbara show I was going to have to previously miss on my three month knee recovery hiatus. 

I called Gae and she assured me I still had a booth. Cool. Show must go on. Architectural Digest is coming, want to look good.

Kind of weird to think I could have heart problems with my careful and almost monastic diet but hey, if Adele Davis can get sick, so can I. 

Might have a short stint with a stent or two, we shall see.

*

Speaking of food, after my meeting with the nurse practitioner (not the cardiologist, haven't seen her for about four years because she has been in the baby making mood and ready for yet one more maternity leave) I high tailed it over to Frazier Farms to pick up something for Leslie and saw this lady in the hat.

I applaud her sentiments and conviction.

After I drove to a market that Valerie had told me about. She knows that I love whitefish and tribal food from the diaspora.

It is called European Food Market. 

She actually goes to the one in Poway but this sister location is on Oceanside Blvd.

It is known online as Fish delights. 

She buys pate there.

Here you get an idea of some of the stuff they carry.

This is not a big place, Poway might be larger but it was sure chock full of wonderful and unusual fare.

I ended up getting a large smoked whitefish, a large piece of unsliced belly lox, cheese blintzes and smoked salmon pieces. 

Very reasonable actually. 

There are shelves of really cool looking dumplings, danish bacon, lots of pickles, definitely want to go back one day with my wife.

*

She brought some wonderful things from the market home too. 

We had elk sausage and lamb basil sausage tonight which were both fabulous.

She made a great salad and marinated cucumbers.

I am having a premonition that I will be seeing a lot of salad in my future.

*

BigDave is flying down tomorrow, we are going to catch the first game of the Padres Cubs together.

He is sort of a jinx, Cubs always win when he shows up, hope to break the spell.

My world is your world

Thank you, President Trump

The measles is officially back.

Pennsylvania has confirmed 890 measles cases as of September 26, with four deaths — the state’s first measles fatalities in 35 years. Nationally, the United States has recorded 3,659 cases across 47 jurisdictions as of September 24. For most of the quarter-century since measles was declared eliminated in 2000, outbreaks were relatively small and quickly contained. The resurgence of 2025 and 2026 has changed that: each major outbreak — in Texas, Utah, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania — has been larger and longer than anything in the post-elimination era.

The Trump/Kennedy post covid, anti vax hysteria is on full display. Less than one percent of the subjects infected in the new measles cases in Pennsylvania were vaccinated. 

State health officials said fewer than 1% of reported cases have occurred among individuals vaccinated against measles. And according to the state data, 31% of the cases are among people younger than 18.

The nutcases who pushed the narrative as one of religious choice and personal freedom have managed to turn a once vanquished disease back into an epidemic killer.

What new epidemics can we now look forward to in the future? Polio, Typhoid, the Black Plague? Immunity requires individual buy in and sacrifice, something we contribute to the collective hive. These selfish folks will be the death of us all.

We shouldn't still be having these stupid arguments. The science is clear. Vaccinate. Or we go back to the middle ages.

*

Now, noise cameras.

*

FCC considers cuts to funds for internet access at public schools and libraries.

Like a Willys in four wheel drive

There is nothing more boring for people who do not care for the Grateful Dead than reading about them. 

I get it. 

The chasm is impossible to span.

I have been listening to some jams they did with Duane Allman of late. 

I was so lucky to see Duane twice when he was alive and his brilliance should not be forgotten. 

The story of his playing on Hey Jude with Wilson Pickett is legendary, knocked Clapton off his feet.

I read an interview with someone talking about a discussion they had with Duane once about Hendrix, he picked up a guitar and did Hendrix pefectly, note for note and set it down. The man could play anything in any way he wanted to.

That is why I like this Sugar Magnolia so much. 

I have seen Jerry play with so many guest guitar players including Carlos Santana, John Cippolina, Gary Duncan, Mick Taylor, Steve Miller, Steve Winwood, etc.. None of them could match his genius or energy standing beside him.

Duane could and so could Peter Green.

Duane takes the reigns here and doesn't let go.

Friday Mosh Mish

 So, what's up?

My buddy Jeff in Fairbanks sent this beautiful picture. He didn't take it, a friend did. Alaska is on my bucket list.

And speaking of buckets how long before a certain Senator kicks his? You think there is a betting pool with an over and under out there? I want in.

Mitch has been fairly decent the last year or two regarding the Orange regime but I will never forgive his Merrick Garland perfidy and lies.

*

My buddy Mick is in the Sierras with his son. Caught a nice trout yesterday.

I saw blast reader Valerie at the nail salon yesterday. 

It was time for the farrier to trim my hooves. No color.

*

Leslie found racks of lamb at Sprouts for $4.99 a rack. She bought seven of them at that price. The Super Shopper.

This is super cheap, I  have seen them for $35.00.

Yesterday she soaked a rack in a cumin soy lemon marinade all day and I cooked it up on the trusty Weber last night.

Three minutes a side direct heat and then about twenty minutes to 125° on indirect. I parboiled Yukon potatoes that I had tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary for fifteen minutes and stuck them on a grill pan next to the lamb on the indirect side. 

I have never done them in the charcoal Weber like this. Leslie caused a near explosion hitting the fire with duck fat spray. But it all worked out beautifully.

Just have to watch the potatoes and keep turning them.

Really good!  Make sure you don't overcook, you have to find the magic pink zone.

*

What else?

I ran into an aging Superman at the swap meet the other day.  Sad when they go to seed. But let's face it, who hasn't? Takes a lot of commitment to get the eponymous tattoo, even for a superhero. Wouldn't be racing any locomotives at his age, I will tell you that.

Sad to hear that my old swap meet pal David Lido had perished in a car wreck recently. Great guy.

*

I love that Premier Xi brought up Thucydides yesterday with President Trump.  I am sure he lost him on the first syllable. Thu - what?

Interestingly, the Thucydides trap was first conceived by the author Herman Wouk at the Naval War college.

The expression was inspired by the ancient Athenian historian and military commander Thucydides (died c. 400 BCE), used first in a speech by Herman Wouk in 1980, and then revived by the American political scientist Graham Allison around 2011. Wouk described the trap as a precedent for the 20th-century Cold War:

You remember that Athens and Sparta were the two great adversaries, the 'superpowers' of the Greek world; that they had allied themselves to fight off and defeat a common enemy, Persia; and that after the victory their alliance fell apart in a cold war.

Wouk lamented the recurrence of superpower rivalry, particularly in the nuclear age, but concluded that he found hope in two sources. First, he pointed backward in time from Thucydides to the Biblical age, and specifically to Isaiah's prophecy:

And they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, nation shall not lift up its sword against nation, nor will they learn war anymore.

Good luck with that. 

*

Let's hear it for the Padres, they just clinched a playoff berth for the third straight year. 

They have the best record and have been playing the best baseball in either league for the last half of the season after a horrid start.

Not how you start, it is how you finish and everybody is getting hot at the right time.

Cubs lost the first game of a doubleheader in Boston today. Padres might be hosting the wild card series with a couple more timely wins and losses.

*

I was driving to work this morning when I found myself behind a dark full sized truck making the left on Brandon.

It was a red light but the truck didn't care, crossed right in front of two oncoming vehicles, right through the red.

I had two immediate thoughts, either a deranged patient or employee at the Fallbrook Hospital or a cop?

After the green I saw the truck pull in behind the Sheriff's office, through the employee gate. 

Bingo.

Because we all know that to law enforcement there's two types of people, cops and criminals and they think that the rules that apply to the rest of us do not apply to them.