Biden

3.14159265359

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Happy Pi day.

Happy birthday to Albert Einstein born on this day in 1879.

We’re serving up ten eleven skinnylichious nuggets that in theory would make Einstein proud.  It’s all relative.

  1.  Warren Buffett has famously said, “you have to wait until the tide goes out to see who is swimming naked.”
  2.  Well it looks like a couple of regional banks (no longer) were skinny dipping and we’re guessing a handful more are desperately looking for their trunks today.
  3. Not to worry, the Biden Administration jumped into action and will make everyone whole.  Actions used to have consequences.  The FDIC insurance only covers the first 250k that anyone or any entity had under one roof.  No more.  No more, that is, until yesterday.  So was it a bailout?
  4. “Investors in the banks will not be protected,” Mr. Biden said. “They knowingly took a risk, and when the risk didn’t pay off, investors lose their money. That’s how capitalism works.” So, no it wasn’t.
  5. “The Fed has basically just written insurance on interest-rate risk for the whole banking system,” said Steven Kelly, senior research associate at Yale’s program on financial stability.  “I’ll call it a bailout of the system.”  So, yes it was.
  6. “During the financial crisis, there were investors and owners of systemic large banks that were bailed out,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in an interview with “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “And the reforms that have been put in place mean that we’re not going to do that again.”  So, no it wasn’t.
  7. Who has been worse at their job?  Is it Pete Buttigieg?  Or, is it Janet Yellen?  Or…..   If you answered Joe Biden, you’d be with the 84% of Americans polled last week that do not want him to run for a second term.
  8. Yellen told us 15 months ago that this inflation was transitory.  She didn’t tell us exactly how long this transition would take, however.  Yellen is the poster senior citizen for white hair privilege.  Is her salon Hair by Einstein? Pete’s tenure as Secretary of Transportation, paternity leave aside, has been one train wreck after another.
  9. Those reforms didn’t stop Donald Trump from getting blamed for this in Biden’s opening remarks yesterday about the crisis.  When in doubt, blame Trump. “During the Obama-Biden administration, we put in place tough requirements on banks, including the Dodd-Frank Law, to make sure the crisis we saw in 2008 would not happen again.   Unfortunately, the last administration rolled back some of these requirements.”
  10. There is only so much time in a day’s work for Biden to reverse Turmp’s evil doings in the first 2 plus years of office.  This is especially true when Biden has spent nearly 40% of his time in office actually not in his office.  Official documentation shows that he has been either on vacation, at his beach house in Delaware, his main house in Delaware, or at Camp David, or biking, or skiing, or….
  11. President Biden’s former press secretary Jen Psaki said her ex-boss’s Monday morning speech on the stability of the US banking system demonstrates how important the issue is to him since he normally “does nothing at 9 a.m.”  Amen.

If you wish, go ahead and splurge with a good old slice of cherry pie to celebrate the day.

Ten Piece Nuggets

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

It’s been a while and you’ve likely got a hankering.  Ten Piece Nuggets are served below for the same low low pre-Putin Biden inflation prices.  As a bonus, we’re going to take it easy (somewhat) on Cali today.

  1.  One of our favorite government workers, Rep Eric Swalwell tweeted prior to a possible Texas rolling brownout on July 10th, “Texas.  Where Republicans provide plenty of energy to control your body, but no energy to control your thermostat.”  Yesterday he tweeted, “It’s time to rally, Cali.  We all need to do our part to help avoid power outages this week.  Before 4 pm pre-cool your home, after avoid using major appliances and turn your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher.”  Perhaps his own energy is misguided.
  2.  Two weeks after Liz Cheney took a victory tour on several networks after getting slaughtered by a 2-1 margin in the Wyoming primary she has vaporized into the background.  What do she and Swalwell have in common?  Too much.
  3.  After getting panned coast to coast for two weeks for the student loan forgiveness trillion dollar bailout, Biden went on offense. And, as Carrie Bradshaw would say, “just like that,” the narrative was changed.  “All Republicans are a serious threat to our democracy.”  “MAGA Republicans are a threat to our democracy.”  Some Republicans are a threat to our democracy.”  Well, at least all of them or either fascists or semi-fascists.
  4. Do Americans even know what fascism means?  It means “a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.”
  5. Did America get that vibe from Biden himself, all clench-fisted, podium pounding, and draped in red and Marines last week?  If we weren’t so dumb we might be insulted.  Maybe a poll can enlighten us.
  6. Meanwhile, a Rasmussen Poll released yesterday shows us that 60% of Americans feel like Joe Biden and his family have peddled influence and greatly profited by his positions over time in government.  Maybe it finally dawned on us after Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook restricting a story about Joe Biden’s son during the 2020 election was based on FBI misinformation warnings.
  7. How strong is it when 60% of America agrees on something?  In the most lopsided election victory since 1936, Ronald Reagan was re-elected to the presidency with 59% of the popular vote versus Walter Mondale in 1984. Reagan carried every state except Mondale’s home state of Minnesota and the District of Columbia.  That’s how strong it is.
  8. Nine illegal immigrants drowned in separate incidents over the Labor Day weekend in south Texas.  Chicago was worse.  Fifty-five people were shot and 11 killed in the three-day span.  Thankfully, none were shot with one of those terrible assault rifles in the city in the state of Illinois that has strict gun control laws.
  9. As Covid seems to be fading into the backdrop like Liz Cheney, the White House senses that America is vaccine weary.  So the Biden Administration put forth a new selling point Tuesday.  “View it as a first annual shot, akin to the annual flu shot,” they said.  It just took us two years to admit it.
  10. That record warmth in the Gulf of Mexico might yet get climate change advocates in their La-Z-Boy’s to remotely change channels to Jim Cacciatore and the Weather Channel before the season tuckers out.  Earl became just the second named hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic season late Tuesday.  It won’t swim in the gulf though.  A gradual turn to the northeast is predicted for Thursday sending the weak system to a tragic overwater death in the northern Atlantic.  Tic toc goes the no American landfall 2022 hurricane clock.

It’s already Hump Day.  Back to the salt mines.

Prop Bets Laced with Logic

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Super Bowl betting is expected to cross $7 billion this weekend.  BBR wants to do its part in ensuring that you’re on the winning side of your wagers.  We tackle a few below and the logic behind them.

Coin Toss–  Take Heads ($10.50 to win $10.00)  This one is a no-brainer.  The headwinds are blowing across the land on the economic/inflationary front.  And as a bonus, Team Biden is putting their collective heads together to solve this transitory situation.

Coin Toss Winner-  Take the Bengals ($10.50 to win $10.00)  This one is a no-brainer part two.  Per Dodge, there are no Rams on the lot due to supply chain issues.  Team Biden dodged the question about when the truck maker might see any chips or even bumpers for that matter.

First Score of the Game-  Take Anything other than a Touchdown or Field Goal ($10.00 to win $200.00).  Think Safety.  We’ve been thinking about safety for 24 months.  Surely all of these masks will pay off soon.

Total Combined QB Sacks- Take Under 5 and 1/2 ($24.00 to win $20.00)  This is the best bet of the weekend.  The world thinks Joey Burrow will get hammered six or so times himself.  Vegas is begging you to take the over.  Vegas knows.  Vegas always knows.

Will Either Team Score Three Unanswered Times in a Row-  Take Yes ($24.00 to win $10.00)  Think Jen Psaki for inspiration.  She “unanswers” three or more questions in a row daily.

Total Net Yards in the Game- Take under 769 and 1/2 ($16.00 to win $10.00)  Both offensive lines are like the Canadian Truckers.  They’re quite effective but moving far too slowly for some.

First Offensive Play of the Game- Take Rushing, not Passing ($12.00 to win $10.00)  Think Ukraine for inspiration.  We’re rushing in to help when we should be passing.  Some experts even recommend punting on first down on the frozen tundra of Ukraine.

Total Fumbles Lost by Both Teams-  Take over 1 and 1/2 ($10.00 to win $19.00)  Close your eyes and think Biden with no teleprompter.  Fumble.  Or, think Biden with a teleprompter.  Fumble.  Winner.  Winner.

The Margin of Victory-  Take the Bengals by 7-12 points ($10.00 to win $65.00)  With the Rams favored by 4 and 1/2 this would seem to make no sense.  Channel the last two years of your life that make no sense and let it ride.

We’d like to give a special shoutout to the NFL for suspending any covid-19 protocols including testing and isolation for the big game.

They need to make money to pay off Brian Flores.

We need to make money to fill up our gas tank.

 

 

Big Stage, Bright Lights

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Be careful what you wish for.  Sometimes the big stage and the bright lights are too big and too bright.

Ask the Kenosha prosecuting attorney if he agrees with the above.  He’s either smart reaching for a mistrial or real dumb at his job.  We’re picking plum dumb.

The Rittenhouse case is going so poorly that you would think the witnesses he called were defense witnesses.  The judge has all but tossed him from the courtroom.

If you got behind a microphone and asked “why was Kyle Rittenhouse even there?” should you also ask yourself why were the protesters there?  Ah yes, they were protesting (rioting and burning down the town) because of perceived social injustice.

However, the video proved otherwise, and it’s not even debatable.  The DOJ investigated and declined to press any charges against the officer.  It was deemed a necessary shooting.

But, never, ever let facts get in the way of a good narrative, especially in an election year.

Well, if you can’t make a case against the officer, try the “white supremacist” AK-toting teenager. Somebody has to pay.

We would ask LeBron James, but we already know that he isn’t afraid of the bright lights.  He tweeted after Rittenhouse took the stand and broke down, “what tears?????”  There are plenty King, you just aren’t looking in the right place.

Blake is paralyzed.  Two protesters are dead.  Shop owners lost their place of business.  Employees lost their jobs.  All for nothing.  Nothing.   Maybe King James should devote more time to furthering his expertise on human relations in the People’s Republic of China.

There is blood on the hands of more than Rittenhouse in this one.

Ask Kamala Harris if she agrees with the above.

The VP, her nervous laugh, and “cringe-worthy” moments travel together.  This time she descended on France for whatever reasons that pale compared to the mess that this side of the pond is in.  Undeterred, Harris broke into some drivel about “The Plan” in front of worldwide cameras and decided now was a good time to throw in a bad attempt at a French accent.

You can run, but you can’t hide.  And, she can’t run for any office again and be taken seriously.  And, the race is on.  She’s trying to run from the Biden Administration and the Biden Administration is trying to run from her.  Ten months into the second-highest job in the land and her approval rating sits at 28%.

As a reminder, she was so popular in the party that she withdrew from the presidential nominee process before the first primary with a less than a 1% poll number.

Ask Joe Biden, when he wakes up if he agrees with the above.  His approval rating stands at 38%.

Why? Afghanistan, border chaos, vaccine mandates, out-of-control social program spending, decades high inflation, a November 2nd ballot box wake-up call, and Senator Joe Manchin comes to mind.

Sunday his Department of Energy Secretary took to the talk shows.  Jennifer Granholm said oil is a global market “controlled by a cartel, the cartel is called OPEC.”  To think that just a dozen months ago America was darn near energy independence.  Asked if she would ask the US producers to ramp up production, she laughed loudly and said, “that is hilarious.”

Folks paying $4-6 a gallon don’t get the joke.  Inflation is the biggest tax on the low to middle-income families you can assess.  They spend all that they make to provide for their families.  The more things cost, the less they can buy.

Be careful what you wish for.

 

 

The Friendly Skies

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

United Airlines marketed the jingle “fly the friendly skies.”   And, one pilot of United’s very worthy adversary, Southwest Airlines, should have taken note, perhaps.

We write “perhaps” because, in spite of AP reporter Collen Long’s outrage expressed on her Twitter account, there is no clear-cut audio or video of the reported SWA pilot uttering “Let’s Go Brandon” as passengers were about to deplane in Alberquerque this past weekend.  Not yet.

Predictably both sides of the divided country quickly stepped up to either defend the yet unnamed pilot or want to have him fired by sundown in New Mexico.

Fox News had their roundtable of five on the Outnumbered show yesterday take turns citing examples of either Alec Baldwin or Robert DeNiro screaming “F Trump” into microphones, or even that has been redheaded comedienne (her name escapes us) that faux beheaded Trump as justification for the pilot’s behavior.

There are few more staunch supporters of the freedom of speech than BBR.

But, the above examples are individuals acting as individuals.  You don’t have to like what they said or did any more than watching the American flag being set ablaze. You just have to respect their right to do so.

So, simply stated he had a right to say what he said.  And, because of that, the airline has a right to take whatever disciplinary action it deems appropriate against the pilot.  He was on their time earning his dime.

The SWA pilot was representing SWA.  And a company spokesperson released the following statement yesterday.  “Southwest Team takes pride in providing a welcoming, comfortable, and respectful environment for the millions of customers who fly with the airline each year, and behavior from any individual that is divisive or offensive is not condoned.”

A wise owl once said, “you can say anything you want on your last day.”

Whether the purported incident did or did not happen is still for debate. What is not debatable is that a corporate line is a corporate line.

And, now a pilot, vaccinated or not, might have to join the unemployment line. His freedom of speech wasn’t free.

At a minimum he’ll get his wings clipped a bit.

Meanwhile, “Let’s Go Brandon” seems to have a lot of air under its wings.

 

 

Ho, Ho, No

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Yes DC, there is a Santa Claus.

“With holidays coming up, you might be wondering if the gifts you plan to buy will arrive on time,” President Biden said from the White House yesterday. “Today we have some good news: We’re going to help speed up the delivery of goods all across America.”

And ole Joe, one of Kris Kringle’s older elves is here to help.  The White House responded to the roughly 66 container ship backlog by finalizing an agreement for the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach to become a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week operation just like the hours that Santa’s helpers keep this time of the year.

The hope is that nighttime operations will help to break the logjam and get that temporary inflation, which isn’t so temporary, under control.

Want to know a Santa’s secret?  The port has been operating 24/7 for the last 21 days.  Want to know another?   Consumer prices climbed 5.4% from a year ago, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday, way above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.

Higher energy, food, and shelter costs were prime drivers of price increases in September.   There isn’t too much energy coming into LA’s ports.  And, it accounts for zero shelter cost increases.

Ah, but it’s been said before, and savvy politicians will say it again.  And, again.   Never, ever let a good crisis go to waste.  Alas, the president is trying to use the predicament as a selling point for his policy plans that are undergoing congressional scrutiny.

“We need to take a longer view and invest in building greater resiliency to withstand the kinds of shocks we’ve seen over and over, year in and year out, the risk of a pandemic, extreme weather, climate change, cyberattacks, weather disruptions,” he said.  That’s a mouthful of leftist cookies and milk if we’ve ever heard it.

What’s so weird about this is that Santa and his elves work in the harshest climate of all, the North Pole.  And, we’ve seen over and over, year in and year out that jolly ole Nick guy and his reindeer get to millions of homes, up and down chimneys, and deliver on promises all in one 24 hour window.  That’s a supply chain logistics model to emulate if ever there was one.  And, yet, it doesn’t work this year.  Hmm.

And, lost in all of this is that the ports are but one small piece of the puzzle.  Up and down the supply chain- wages, raw material shortages, manufacturing shortfalls, lack of truck drivers, lack of retail workers, etc all have a role.  Oh, and the government is stuffing money in the stockings hung on the mantle without care.

Rudolph’s red inflation nose is flashing so bright, that the Fed might need to deliver an interest rate lump of coal increase sooner than later.   That, of course, assumes coal is still an allowable fuel source should the Democrats pass the Reconciliation Bill, but we digress.

University of Michigan economist Betsey Stevenson noted on Twitter the “economy is in a very fragile and unprecedented place.”  “No one really knows what’s going to happen,” wrote Stevenson, a former member of the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Barack Obama.

Maybe Santa could trade in his old, old sleigh. We hear used vehicles are commanding top trade-in dollars these days.

The problem with that is he’d need to buy a pricey new one.

And, those come from China, through the LA port, and are back-ordered until mid-2022 we heard.

Buy Today, Deliver Tonight

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Those “come on” deals always sound so tempting.  You know the ones.

Buy this entire room of furniture today, have it delivered tonight with nothing down, no interest, and nothing to pay until…….

Until.  That’s the rub.  The bills always come due.  And, if you sell your soul to the devil(or Tony Soprano types) they never end.

Do take our word for it, ask POTUS.

He promised it all, or at least his team did, to the left of the left inside of the Democratic Party to get elected.  They wanted that room full of furniture.

So, they took to the streets, lit fires, threw rocks, looted, had mostly peaceful protests, told you that Black Lives Matter, wanted to defund the police for social justice, complained about the rich getting richer, needed tuition debt forgiven, wanted free preschool, and need to end this pesky climate change(hurricanes included) all to get Biden in office.  And it worked in record voting numbers we are told.

All of this unrest when unemployment was at record lows, the stock market was at record highs, interest rates were at record lows, companies building new in America were at record highs, illegal border crossings were at record lows.  We could go on.

But, the Trump world was a terrible one and we need to Build Back Better they said.  And, now the bills are due.

So, with one enormous spending bill followed by another, he’s attempting to pay off the debts of gratitude.  Like hurricanes, each bill had(Covid relief) or has(Infrastructure, Reconciliation) a name to remember it by.

But, a funny thing happened these last several weeks.  Controlling the House, the Senate, and the White House the party in power can’t agree on how much, how fast, when, where, and why.

The further left you are, the more you “need” for all of the minions that elect and reelect and reelect you.

The furniture hasn’t even been delivered yet.  Yet, Bernie Sanders wants to remodel and nearly double the size of the room (5 tril he says).  AOC scoffed at 3.5 tril on the Reconciliation Bill sarcastically asking if this was rent to own by month money.  Nancy Pelosi wants until the end of October to appoint the joint.  She’s trying to get the kids to agree on adding the love seat and dropping out the recliner.

And two Senators (Manchin and Sinema)aren’t sure if we need all of this new free stuff.

One of them, Sinema, made the mistake of getting up from the sofa and heading to the bathroom where she was accosted by malcontents likely hired to act like imbeciles.

Biden said yesterday that all of this stalling was the Republican’s fault. He really did.  He also said that he needed them to get out of the way as our nation’s economy was at stake over this.  He actually may be so wrong about the economy that he is right.

With gas prices at seven-year highs, supply chain issues across numerous industries, food prices skyrocketing, labor shortages everywhere, and the Fed carefully considering when(not if) to raise interest rates perhaps the last thing we need to do is print more money to create more demand and higher costs of living.

At least soon enough we’ll be able to forget about these squabbles over money we don’t have and buy some Christmas presents for our loved ones with money that we don’t have.

On Monday Dr. Fauci said we could have Christmas celebrations this year.  That was a relief because on one of Sunday’s morning shows he said it was too soon to tell if we could gather with our loved ones.

He also said that his comments were taken out of context. His problem is a lot like Urban Meyer’s problem.  Roll the videos.  But, we digress.

For now, the conservatives can tell the woke that we are going broke and the woke can tell the conservatives that our country is broken.

Buy today and we’ll deliver tonight!

 

 

 

Yesterday’s Questions, Today’s Thoughts

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Questions we had a few.  Fifteen actually.  That was so yesterday.

Thoughts, we have a few.  Today.  Five only.

But first a request.   BBR management has been actively seeking council both from the medical and legal community with concerns for our loyal reader’s safety.  As a result, beginning 8/1 it is our policy that we respectfully must require you to be masked when visiting this website.  Advances in internet interaction have reached a point where concerns about the ability of our virtual community to spread the dreaded Covid-19 or its variants are real.  Al Gore is both proud and saddened at this development.  Thank you for ensuring your safety and the safety of others.

We have a few observations.

  1. President Barrack Obama and his foundation joined forces to promote NBA Africa.  In a joint statement, the league and Obama look forward to promoting equality, wellness, social reform, and opportunity on the continent.  The NBA took it a step further by awarding the Obama Foundation a minority ownership position in NBA Africa.  That all sounds hunky-dory.  We wonder when Obama will use the enhanced pulpit (as if he needed an enhanced one) to denounce the NBA’s romance with and of Communist China.
  2. Eighteen Republicans signed on for a $1.2 trillion infrastructure Senate bill sight unseen. The needed 60 votes are there.  The bill actually hasn’t even been written yet.   The country’s debt is $30 trillion and counting.  The infrastructure bill will inevitably have as much to do with pork for representative’s pet projects as it will coast-to-coast infrastructure.
  3. One of our staff members is often asked what the difference between conservatives and Republicans is.  The answer in part is that no true conservative would vote for the above measure for a multitude of reasons.  Leading the charge is the biggest spending RINO(Republican In Name Only) of all, Mitch McConnell.  Lapdogging at his heels are Bill Cassidy, Lindsey Graham, and Mitt Romney.  Conservatives should and will vote against these bloviated elephants in their next bid for reelection.  Incumbents rarely lose in primaries.  We are in rare times.
  4. Since when does a vaccine need to be administered to 100% of the population for it to be effective?
vac·cine
vakˈsēn
noun
a substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease, its products, or a synthetic substitute, treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease.
      5. President Joe Biden used a visit to a Mack Truck facility in Pennsylvania on Wednesday to roll up his sleeves and assert solidarity with the workers, telling                them “I used to drive an 18-wheeler, man.” He offered no evidence to support the boast.  Should we call this a gaffe?  Or, an outright lie?  Does it matter?
In the movie The Karate Kid, did Mr. Miyagi tell Daniel Son, “wax on, wax off,” or was it “mask on, mask off?”  TGIF is only 15 hours away.

 

Knock, Knock. Who’s There?

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Police Chief Martin Brody, played quite well by accomplished actor Roy Scheider, warned us in Jaws way back on July 4th, 1975 that it might not be safe to go back in the water yet.  And, he was right.

Now, as fireworks were lighting up America from coast to coast, the Delta variant swam ashore.  Is it the next great white, or is it just a piece of the Covid wave?

The percentages indicate that it’s rapidly becoming a bigger part of the problem, but the overall problem isn’t becoming bigger.  At least, it isn’t yet.

The Delta strain is even infecting vaccinated individuals at a rate that seems headed to the “troublesome” quadrant.  What to do?

Another accomplished actor Joe Biden, er, Mr. President, and his team are pushing the (take your pick-Moderna, Pfizer, or J and J) vaccine.  It’s the only bullet in the shark gun, isn’t it?

Or, we could wear a mask again.  The World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending that vaccinated individuals do just that because of the Delta noise.  But, is anyone listening?

What about social distancing?  If six feet was good, twelve feet should be better.

Biden meanwhile is doubling down.  He said Tuesday that he would be sending officials out to knock on people’s doors across America to pressure them to take the coronavirus vaccine.  “Now we need to go community by community, neighborhood by neighborhood, and often times door by door – literally knocking on doors to get help to the remaining people,” Biden said during his speech about coronavirus.

“Get help to the remaining people,” sounds so empathetic, doesn’t it?  Or, pathetic?

So, we should get the vaccine that doesn’t work on the Delta variant, and wear a mask that didn’t stop the virus the first time?  Got it.  No wonder, for the most part, that America is ignoring this and swimming in the supposedly infested waters of gyms, planes, hotels, bars, and restaurants.

Before you know it some imbecile like NY Mayor Bill de Blasio will recommend that we wear two masks all over again.

The government is always trying to help, aren’t they?  Or, they are at least trying to control, aren’t they? Or, they are at least wanting to have that power, aren’t they?

You wonder if the US Postal Service could kick in too.  They’re already going door to door daily.

In fact, they even deliver the mail down into the Grand Canyon via pack mule three times a week.  True story.

The government helps the mail carrier business every year or two by giving them tens of billions of dollars (they’ve been insolvent for decades) to continue to go door to door.

It’s an ongoing public service that’s as beneficial as a knock on your door vaccine reminder (or coercion).

Did you know that most shark attacks occur in three feet of water or less?  A government public service announcement said it was so.

 

 

Limit-Five Nuggets per Reader

Posted on by thependulumswings staff

Happy Fourth of July soon enough!  BBR starts its midyear conference tomorrow through 7/6.  It will be replete with sand, sun (hopefully), food, adult beverages, and fireworks.

Our intent today, getaway day, was to bring you a serving of Ten Piece Nuggets.  But, with inflation the way it is trending, and labor and commodity shortages what they are, we are forced to limit the product much like toilet paper of a year gone by.

So, as they say-eat slowly.  You’ll get filled up unless you’re looking for gasoline.

Five nuggets follow.

  1. Gas prices across the United States are at their highest level since late 2014 with shortages predicted in the run-up to the Fourth of July holiday weekend.  According to AAA, the national average on Tuesday is about $3.11 per gallon and by this weekend, that figure may rise another nickel. Gas station signs in LA yesterday showed $5.29 a gallon, while prices topped off at $5.95 a gallon in NY to top it off.  The Yankees might be fourth in MLB’s NL East, but they’re first in price per gallon. Tell the last person leaving NY to turn out the lights.

  2. The World Health Organization (W.H.O.), warned Monday that the pandemic is not over and said it is not yet time to return to normal and “encourage a lot of social mixing.”   Good luck with that.  Last week, W.H.O. officials began urging vaccinated individuals to wear masks again over variant concerns.  Good luck with that as well.  According to CNN, the rise of the Delta variant could have Biden administration officials rethinking public health measures.  Didn’t they just pat themselves on the back with the nation’s vaccination milestones?  Enter the Delta variant.

  3. The old and successful tactic of doing one thing and blaming/accusing the other side of doing it was on full display earlier this week.  When the latest city homicide figures splashed across the various mediums, the Dems went on the offensive.  The trigger(pun intended)?  The year-over-year death totals spiked dramatically.  The Democrats then took to the airwaves blaming the Republicans for wanting to defund the police.  What’s scarier than soaring homicide rates?  People believing the Democrat’s line is what is scarier.  Most interesting of all is that nearly all of the cities with runaway percentages are run ship to stern by the party whose mascot is a donkey.
  4.  Turning to sports-the Indianapolis Colts received approval Tuesday to host full capacity crowds at their home games this season, becoming the final NFL team to receive approval from their local government.  We’d have bet money that one of the left coast or NY teams would have been the last.  Maybe that’s why they’re referred to as progressive after all?  We’ll soon see if one or more of the 32 teams craters to the big variant scare.
  5. And, in the dog days of summer, the Mississippi St. Bulldogs have an opportunity tonight to accomplish a first in school history.  Moo St. has never won a major college title in any of the big-time sports.  Never.  After getting walloped by Vanderbilt in the College Baseball World Series game one (8-2), the Bulldogs growled last evening.  They evened the series at one apiece with a 13-2 blowout of the Commodores.  Errors and walks have dominated both lopsided scores.  Tonight, both teams throw their aces on short rest.  We can’t envision a blowout tonight.  But, we could see a third straight rain-delayed start.  Vandy has a chance to go back to back as they won it all in 2019.  The 2020 season, like Democrats’ cries to defund the police, never happened.

Enjoy the fireworks.  And, enjoy not wearing a mask at least for now.