Archive for February, 2024

Well over a century ago Progressives began a systematic dismantling of the United States   These Marxists chose to operate slowly, by stealth and subterfuge to accomplish their fundamental transformation of our Constitutional Republic into a Socialist Democracy.  To accomplish this progressives have incrementally weakened all of the pillars supporting this great nation.  The founding principles, the Constitution, and the Christian heritage of the United States have particularly drawn the ire of the American political left.  With one video Heidi Przybyla of Politico demonstrated remarkable ignorance in her attempt to denigrate all three of these fundamental pillars.

HEIDI PRZYBYLA: I talked with a lot of experts on this and I have seen it with my reporting, Michael, which is that the base of the Republican Party has shifted. Remember when Trump ran in 2016, a lot of the mainline evangelicals wanted nothing to do with the divorced real estate mogul who cheated on his wife with a porn star, and all of that.

So what happened was that he was surrounded by this more extremist element. We are going to hear words like Christian nationalism, like the “new apostolic reformation.” These are groups that you should get very schooled on because they have a lot of power in Trump’s circle. And the one thing that unites all of them because there’s many different groups orbiting Trump.

But the thing that unites them as Christian nationalists, not Christians because Christian nationalists are very different, is that they believe that our rights as Americans and as all human beings do not come from any Earthly authority. They don’t come from Congress, from the Supreme Court, they come from God. The problem with that is that they are determining, men, are determining what God is telling them. In the past, that so-called “natural law,” it is a pillar of catholicism for instance, it has been used for good in social justice campaigns. Martin Luther King evoked it in talking about civil rights.

But now you have an extremist element of conservative Christians, who say that this applies specifically to issues including abortion, gay marriage, and it is going much further than that as you see, for instance, with the ruling in Alabama, this week that judges connected to the dominionist faction, and talking about a lot of other issues including surrogacy, IVF, sex education in schools, there’s a lot in addition.

Heidi Przybyla must not have been paying attention in history class when they discussed the Declaration of Independence.  Considering the abysmal state of our educational system it is also likely that that document was never discussed in any school she attended.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.

Thomas Jefferson openly borrowed from John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government, which was written in 1689.

The state of nature has a law of nature to govern it, which obliges every one: and reason, which is that law, teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions… (and) when his own preservation comes not in competition, ought he, as much as he can, to preserve the rest of mankind, and may not, unless it be to do justice on an offender, take away, or impair the life, or what tends to the preservation of the life, the liberty, health, limb, or goods of another.

Heidi Przybyla’s Christian Nationalism slur is particularly dangerous because it is meant to undermine one of our Constitution’s most important pillars, that of God-given Natural Rights. Heidi Przybyla is far from alone in her use of the Christian Nationalism slur. It has become all the rage on progressive faux news sites in an attempt to intimidate lovers of liberty into silence.

We weren’t expecting this but the draft has begun a couple of days early.

One draft day trade first. The Boston Red Sox Trade Starter Phil Niekro and a 3rd round pick to the New York Mets to get Yaz back in Fenway Park.

The official timed draft starts at 1:30 EST on Saturday but why wait if everyone is ready

Round 1 & 2

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1MontrealLou Brock OF1MontrealWillie MaysOF
2PittsburghHank Aaron1B2PittsburghBill RussellSS
3CincinnatiRon Santo3B3CincinnatiBill LeeP
4San FranciscoDarryl Evans3B4.SF Dave Cash2B
5St. LouisDon KessingerSS5StLDarold KnowlesP
6New York (Y)Reggie Smith RF6New York (Al)Danny ThompsonSS
7ClevelandJohn MatlackP7ClevelandBill StonehamP
8MinnesotaAl OliverOF8MinnesotaBob WatsonOF
9MilwaukeeDoug Rader3B9MilwaukeeEarl WilliamsC
10BostonGary NolanP10BostonHorace Clarke2B
11PhiladelphiaRudy MayP11PhiladelphiaTed AbernaphyP
12WashingtonMike Epstein1B12Washington SenatorsReggie ClevelandP
13CaliforniaDon Money3B13CaliforniaDave ConcepecionSS
14AtlantaRollie FingersP14AtlantaAurelio Rodriguez3B
15OaklandRoy WhiteLF15OaklandTed Sizemore2B
16Mil (Via NYM)Don Wilson P16New York (NL)Jerry ReussP
17Chicago (N)Jeff BurroughsOF17CubsLou PinellaOF
18Mil (Via Balt)Blue Moon OdomP18 NYY (via balt)Dave Nelson3B
19Kansas CityClyde WrightP19Kansas CityNelson BrilesP
20Los AngelesWayne TwitchellP20Los AngelesSteve RenkoP

Round 3 & 4

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1MontrealCarlos MayOF1MontrealEd Kirpatrickc
2PittsburghJim Barr P2PittsburghJose Cruzcf
3Cincinnati Al Kaline OF3CincinnatiMike CaldwellP
4San FranciscoEllie Rodriguezc4San FranciscoRick MondayOF
5Boston (Via StL)Bud HarrelsonSSSt LouisBob VealeP
6New York (A)Lindsy McDanielPNew York (A)Sklp LockwoodP
7ClevelandBill HandP7ClevelandWayne Garrett3B
8MinnesotaTito Fuentes2B8MinnesotaRay FossieC
9MilwaukeeEd BrinkmanSS9MilwaukeeCaesar Geronimoof
10New York (N) (via Bos)Ken HendersonOF10StL (via BostonMatty AlouOF
11PhiladelphiaSteve Arlin P11PhiladelphiaPaul LimbladP
12WashingtonTim Foliss12WashingtonEd HermanC
13CaliforniaManny MotaOF13CaliforniaBobby Valentine2B
14AtlantaToby HarrahSS14AtlantaSandy Alomar2B
15OaklandBoog Powel1B15OaklandLynn McGlothenP
16New York (N)Leron LeeOF16San Fran (via NY)Eddie WattP
17Chicago (N)Steve Braun3B17Chicago (N)Jose OrtaSS
18Mil (via Balt)Frank RobinsonOF18SF (via Balt)Tommie Ageecf
19KCduffy Dyerc19KCNorm Cash1B
20Los AngelesDave Roberts P20Los AngelesMike LumOF

Round 5 & 6 NOTE ALL TRADING ENDS WHEN ROUND 6 Begins

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1Montreal Frank DuffySS1MontrealRon Theobald2B
2PittsburghGray Ross P2PittsburghBob JohnsonP
3Cincinnati Paul Splittorff P3CincinnatiLuis Aparicioss
4San FranciscoCy AcostaP4San FranciscoTommy Harper OF
5St LouisBob Oliver1B5StLDick McAuliffe2B
6NYYJim McGlothlinP6NYYGene TenaceC
7ClevelandJim HickmanOF7ClevelandDave RaderC
8MinnesotaJohn BoccabellaC8MinnesotaDave LaRocheP
9MilwaukeeMike Jorgenson1B9MilwaukeeRay LambP
10BostonVada PinsonOF10BostonTom timmermanP
11PhiladelphiaChuck SeelbachP11PhiladelphiaElliott madduxof
12WashingtonCarl MortonP12WashingtonAndy EtchebarrenC
13CaliforniaJerry MoralesCF13CaliforniaTommy McCraw1B
14AtlantaDick BillingsC14AtlantaSonny SiebertP
15OaklandDennis Menkie3B15OaklandSteve DunningP
16Kansas City (via mets)Bob LockerP16 NY metsLeo CardenesSS
17chicago (N)John HillerP17CubsRich GossageP
18Mil (via balt)Darryl Porterc18BaltimoreGlenn Becket2B
19Mil (via KCGene Michaelss19Mil (via KC)Tom KelleyP
20Los AngelesBill Sudsakis1b20Los AngelesMerv Rettenmundof

Round 7 & 8

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1Montreal Jim FregosiSS1MontrealChris Chamblis1B
2PittsburghSteve Barber P2Pittsburghelrod Hendricksc
3Cincinnati Jim Ray Hart 3B3CincinnatiJerry GroteC
4San FranciscoJohn StrohmeyerP4San FranciscoTony TaylorInf
5St LouisDon McMahonP5St LouisPete BrobergP
6New York (AL)Jerry JohnsonP6New York (AL)Mark BelangerSS
7ClevelandRon ReedP7ClevelandTom GriffinP
8MinnesotaCito GastonOF8MinnesotaMike KekichP
9MilwaukeeJohnny Edwardsc9MilwaukeeBob HeiseInf
10BostonJoe HorlenP10 BostonStaeve KealyP
11PhiladelphiaLarvell BlanksUtl11PhiladelphiaPete RichertP
12Mil (via Wash)Ken SandersP12WashingtonRick Reichartof
13CaliforniaBill Faheyc13CaliforniaJim RookerP
14AtlantaTed FordP14AtlantaEd Krainpool1b
15OaklandChris ZacheryP15OaklandMike corkinsP
16KC (via mets)Bob Bailey 3B16New York (N)Dave LemondsP
17Chicago (N)John MilnerOF17Chicago (N)Mickey Stanleycf
18BaltimoreJuan MarichallP18BaltimoreBill ParsonsP
19Mil (via KC)Denny RiddlebergerP19Kansas CityJoe DeckerP
20Los AngelesGrant JacksonP20Los AngelesDiego SeguiP

Round 9 & 10

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1Montreal Bobby BrolinP1MontrealRon Hansen3B
2PittsburghRon Woods OF2PittsburghGary PetersP
3Cincinnati Ted Martinez 2B3CincinnatiBuckey BrandonP
4San FranciscoTerry Harmon2B4San FranciscoMaury WillsSS
5St LouisBill GogolewskiP
6New York (AL)ShellenbachP5New York (AL)Deron Johnson1B
7ClevelandBill SlaybackP6ClevelandGene AlleySS
8MinnesotaAngel Mangualof7MinnesotaDerryl Thomas2B
9MilwaukeeJack HiattC8 MilwaukeeJim SlantonP
10BostonDick DietzC9BostonKen BrettP
11 PhiladelphiaAndy KoscoOF10PhiladelphiaDeron JOhnson1B
12WashingtonVicente RomoP11WashingtonEddie FisherP
13CaliforniaJack AkerP12CaliforniaBob Robinson1B
13AtlantaCarmen Fanzone3B13AtlantaMonty MontgomeryP
14OaklandHoracio PinaP14OaklandDarrell Chaney SS
15New York (NL)lerrin LagrowP15New York (NL)Al SantoriniP
16Chicago (NL)Garry Jestdadt2B16Chicago (NL)Danny FrisellaP
17BaltimoreEric Soderholm3B17BaltimoreRich AuerbachSS
18Kansas CityEnzo Hernandezss18Kansas CityLuiz MelendezCF
19Los AngelesMickey Riverscf19Los AngelesFred KendallC

Round 11 & 12

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1Montreal Terry HumpfreyC1MontrealMilt Mayc
2PittsburghDave Leonard P2PittsburghSonny JacksonSS
3Cincinnati John Ellis C3CincinnatiAl FitzmorrisP
4New York (AL)Bill Melton3B4New York (AL)Wayne SimpsonP
5ClevelandHal King1B5ClevelandTom MurphyP
6MinnesotaRon Bloomberg1B6MinnesotaJim NorthrupOF
7MilwaukeeGeorge StoneP7MilwaukeeGary WaslewskiP
8BostonDon BufordOF8BostonGil Garrido2B
9 PhiladelphiaPat Corralesc9PhiladelphiaTony OlivaOF
10WashingtonEd FarmerP10WashingtonJohn LowenstienOF
11CaliforniaBill Plumberc11CaliforniaMike HedlundP
12AtlantaFrank RebergerP12AtlantaJerry MosesC
13OaklandDuke SimsC13OaklandJim StrictlandP
14New York (NL)Ray SadeckiP14New York (NL)Bill WilsonP
15Chicago (NL)Felipe Alou1B15Chicago (NL)Sam McDowellP
16BaltimoreBob MillerP16BaltimoreBen OgliveOF
17Kansas CityMike Andrews2B17Kansas CityDave Campbell3B
18Los AngelesGary GentryP18Los AngelesAl Gallagher3b

Round 13 & 14

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1Montreal Earl StephensonP1MontrealWillie HortonOF
2PittsburghCurt Blefary C2PittsburghJoe LahaudOF
3Cincinnati Steve Mingori P3CincinnatiMike KilkennyP
4New York (AL)Dal MaxvillSS4New York (AL)Oscar GambleRF
5ClevelandBilly ConigliaroOF
6MinnesotaEd Spiezio3B5MinnesotaBuzz CapraP
7BostonRick MillerOF6BostonBrock DavisOF
8PhiladelphiaBill ButlerP7PhilladelphiaDan McGinnP
9WashingtonFrank Howard1B8Washington
10CaliforniaRusty TorresRF9CaliforniaTed Kubick2B
11AtlantaTim Cullen2B10AtlantaKen ReynoldsP
12OaklandCecil UpshawP11OaklandEd Goodwin1B
15New York (NL)Pat JarvisP12New York (NL)Eddie LeonSS
16Chicago (NL)Ray CulpP13Chicago (NL)John StephensonC
17BaltimoreFred SchermanP14BaltimoreJim RayP
18Kansas CityBill GreifP15Kansas CityKen SwarezC
19Los AngelesMarty PerezSS16Los Angeles

Round 15 & 16

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1MontrealOrlando Cepeda1B1MontrealNorm AngliniP
2PittsburghJoe NiekroP2PittsburghJuan PizzaroP
3CincinnatiRickey ClarkP
4New York (AL)Phil Roofc3New York (AL)George Hendrickcf
5MinnesotaDwayne AndersonInf4MinnesotaLarry Bitnerof
6BostonJoe Pepitone1B5BostonJerry McNertleyc
7WashingtonChuck TaylorP6WashingtonBobby Knoop2B
8CaliforniaMike StrahlerP7CaliforniaChris ShortP
9AtlantaCleon JonesOF8AtlantaVince ColbertP
10OaklandIke BrownInf9OaklandKen TatumP
11New York (NL)Joe Hague1B10New York (NL)Steve Bryeof
12Chicago (NL)Moe DrabowskyP11Chicago (NL)Mike Ryanc
13BaltimoreJeff Torborgc12BaltimoreBernie Allen3B
14Kansas CityAlan FosterP13Kansas CityMike Hegan1B
15Los AngelesKen WrightP14Los AngelesWalt WilliamsOF

Round 17 & 18

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1MontrealHal Lanier3B1MontrealGates BrownOF
2PittsburghLloyd AllenP2PittsburghCoco Laboy3B
3BostonAl SeverinsenP3BostonTommy MooreP
4CaliforniaBob Bartonc4CaliforniaTom PhobousP
5AtlantaDon CarrithersP5AtlantaOscar BrownOF
6OaklandDick Green2B6OaklandDanny Cater1B
7New York (N)Joe Lis1B7New York (N)Don Minchner1B
8Chicago (N)Tom DukesP8Chicago (N)Lowell PalmerP
9BaltimoreRoger FreedOF9BaltimoreClyde MashoreOF
10Kansas CityJim Spencer1B10Kansas CityJohnny JeterOF
11Los AngelesAlex JohnsonOF11Los AngelesJackie HernandezSS

Round 19 & 20

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1MontrealBuddy BradfordOF
2PittsburghJerry Jeneskip
5CaliforniaMike McQueenP1CaliforniaRon SwabotaOF
6AtlantaMike CosgroveP2AtlantaRich MoralasSS
7New York (N)Ron PerranoskiP3New York (N)Ed AscostaP
8Chicago (N)Jerry KenneySS4Chicago (N)Steve HamiltonP
9BaltimoreJim HardinP5BaltimoreJohn KennedySS
10Kansas CityPaul Popovich2B6Kansas CityJohnny Grubbcf
11Los AngelesBilly ChampionP7Los AngelesBart JohnsonP

Round 21 & 22

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1AtlantaJohn BatemanC1AtlantaRich Reese1B
2New York (N)Steve HovleyOF2New York (N)Dwayne Josephson1b
3Chicago (N)Terry CrowleyOF
4BaltimoreJimmy Stewart1b3BaltimoreDon Clendenon1B
5Kansas CityChris Canazarioc4Kansas CityBrent StormP
6Los AngelesJim YorkP5Los AngelesEd SpragueP

Round 23 & 24

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1New York (N)Bobby FloydP1New York (N)Hoyt WilhelmP
2BaltimoreCasey CoxP
3Kansas CityJesus Alou1B2Kansas CityJoe HornerP

Round 25 & 26

Pick # TeamPlayerPositionPick #TeamPlayerPosition
1New York (N)Jim HoltOF1New York (N)Hal Breeden1B
3Kansas City Tom BurgermeierP

Round 27

Pick # TeamPlayerPosition
1New York (N)Bob MontgomeryC

With the league Draft a few days away ( and a 2nd league draft one week farther out) let’s turn to twitter for some updates on the war between Israel & Hamas:

A really big roundup here

Check out #7 from the above tweet:

7. Mid and upper-level Hamas government administrators, political members, and families of senior Qassam Brigade fighters & commanders are super set with access to all the tents, aid, food, supplies, medicine, and resources needed to sit the rest of the war out.

Cue my shocked face


What’s that old saying? Familiarity breeds contempt.

Well in fairness none of the leaders in the middle east jobs are at stake over this war.


Perhaps he should be called an anti-social worker

However bad you think the UN in general and UNRWA in particular are, it’s not enough.


A tragic reminder of the dangers of delusions:

Reality doesn’t care what positive attributes you assign to those trying to kill you.

Although some people are capable of learning after the fact:


Help Help I’m being repressed!

Do you really want to live in a society where you can’t hijack planes and throw Molotov cocktails? If you don’t the US won’t stop you from leaving.


And finally in response to the insane lionization of the fellow who burned himself to death.

That fellow was the ultimate useful idiot.

Econ 101

Posted: February 27, 2024 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
Tags: ,

By Christopher Harper

Joe Biden complained recently about “shrinkflation,” when consumer products become smaller in quantity, size, or weight while their prices stay the same or increase.

“Some companies are trying to pull a fast one by shrinking the products little by little and hoping you won’t notice,” said Biden, who called for the companies to stop the practice.

Here’s a classic example of why it happens at a local eatery near my home. When Ingrid Callenberger, the co-owner of The Tria Prima in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, went to place her regular sugar order in mid-February, she was startled by a near-double price increase.

“I knew it was going to happen, but then it happened, and I wasn’t prepared,” Callenberger said. “I felt a lot of panic because the train keeps going. We can’t stop to figure this out.”

Small businesses like The Tria Prima, which serves tea and sweets, have limited business choices.

“Because we’re so small, we can’t afford to buy at volume. Sometimes I don’t order for three months,” she said. Buying larger portions would reduce costs, but the goods could spoil before use.

Callenberger said she believes in supporting small producers, so she buys bulk sugar from smaller-scale companies, not industry giants like Domino Foods. Turning toward alternative sugars like maple syrup and honey is an appealing but pricey move, and using less sugar would limit the variety of products the business can offer.

When goods and shipping costs increase, retail prices must rise, Callenberger said. “When we have to charge more, we’ll charge more.” To support the consumer, The Tria Prima may maintain prices but switch to smaller portions or shrinkflation.

Callenberger said she fears unpredictable market changes will force small businesses like hers to shutter. “We’re fighting something bigger than us to keep going.”