Ben Franklin: Experience keeps a dear school, yet fools will learn in no other.
Many years ago my wife was a school nurse and once in a while I’d visit her at her school, usually when something had to be dropped off, a forgotten lunch or set of keys or occasionally flowers etc.
On the wall of her office were two charts. One was for alcohol and one was for pot. Each one had pointers to parts of the body that it’s use had a bad effect upon and stated those effects.
That chart stuck with me even as during the Obama years the best and brightest decided to push for legalization of pot all over the nation, pushing the myth that it is basically harmless and suggesting that it would be a cash cow for states. What was really amazing to me was the number of connected people who suddenly seemed to find themselves with licenses for the stuff.
What really interesting is that if you do any kind of web search there is no shortage of sites referencing government studies that confirm all of the problems that were still known 20 years ago before the woke crowd successful push on the subject. To quote a government site:
Marijuana use can have negative and long-term effects:
Brain health: Marijuana can cause permanent IQ loss of as much as 8 points when people start using it at a young age. These IQ points do not come back, even after quitting marijuana.
Mental health: Studies link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic episodes. It is not known, however, if marijuana use is the cause of these conditions.
Athletic Performance: Research shows that marijuana affects timing, movement, and coordination, which can harm athletic performance.
Driving: People who drive under the influence of marijuana can experience dangerous effects: slower reactions, lane weaving, decreased coordination, and difficulty reacting to signals and sounds on the road.
Baby’s health and development:Marijuana use during pregnancy may cause fetal growth restriction, premature birth, stillbirth, and problems with brain development, resulting in hyperactivity and poor cognitive function. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other chemicals from marijuana can also be passed from a mother to her baby through breast milk, further impacting a child’s healthy development.
Daily life: Using marijuana can affect performance and how well people do in life. Research shows that people who use marijuana are more likely to have relationship problems, worse educational outcomes, lower career achievement, and reduced life satisfaction.
“To my knowledge, it’s the first study looking at THC’s impact on vascular function in humans,” said senior study author Matthew Springer, professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.
“We’re looking at a window in the future, showing the early changes that may explain why smoking marijuana has been linked to later heart disease,” Springer said. “It appears the act of smoking and the THC itself both contribute to those changes in different ways.”
This has to be almost as big a shock to them as the news the Joe Biden wasn’t 100%!
Given that we had 12 of the previous 16 years with government by:
A corrupt Chicago leftist pol
An even more corrupt Washington pol
Whoever paid either one
I find the end results of all of this completely unsurprising and emphasizes why the culture war was worth fighting.
But the satisfaction of being right pales before the damage done to our country and the displeasure of being unable to drive through large parts of my city with the smell of Pot all around me.
I’d just as soon have been wrong and have things be OK.
It’s irritating to have to bring this up, but the Republicans have a 220-215 majority in the House and a 53-47 majority in the Senate which isn’t really 53 votes given that Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins, Thom Tillis, Mitch McConnell, Bill Cassidy and a few others seem to do everything they can to torpedo the conservative agenda. For the most part, they’re ineffective in that respect, because none of them are all that willing to be the one vote that kills a bill or a nomination. They know there will be consequences for that, and they don’t have the courage to face those.
Nevertheless, that 53? It plays like 51. And the 220 plays like 215; luckily, 215 was all the Big Beautiful Bill needed on Thursday morning.
You have the number of votes that you have. Then there is the reality of the the filibuster:
Mike Johnson couldn’t send a clean, stripped-down budget bill through the House, though that would have been easier, and the budget aspects of the bill might have been better. Know why? Because codifying Trump’s agenda through legislation in 2025 means everything has to be attached to a must-pass bill.
As in, budget reconciliation.
You have to force the agenda through an omnibus bill if you want to pass it, because Democrats will reflexively filibuster everything the rules allow them to.
There is zero chance of passing a bill in the senate that requires more than 50 votes and JD Vance. Which means it has to be done in a single bill.
And then there is a reality:
The point is that while this thing could have been quite a bit leaner from a budget perspective, assuming it gets through the Senate and Trump signs it, Congress will have then codified the bulk of Trump’s agenda by the middle of the summer and there won’t be all that much to do for the rest of the year other than to shrink the federal government.
Which isn’t a bad place to be in.
And if you can’t understand why Vought would be so sanguine about the bill even though it doesn’t seem to be very aggressive in chopping down on federal spending, this is likely why.
Some of this is speculative, I’ll grant. But again, this is an ongoing process. And we are dealing in the world of what is possible with the Congress we have.
Within that world, this is a win. Sure, it’s probably not a beautiful win. It’s a 50-yard field goal with one second left to eke out a victory, and the team didn’t cover the spread.
But in the end it will be codified into law and let me remind you of something I said 15 years ago during the Scott Brown special election back in 2010:
…in an attempt to stop Obamacare. In a broadcast by 73wire with Stacy McCain and Ali Akbar (Brown’s new media guy) we talked about the healthcare bill and there was an interesting exchange. I stressed how important this election was because it was necessary to stop obamacare BEFORE it was passed prompting the following:
Ali: “And if it does pass, we will repeal it!”
DaTechGuy: “No we won’t.”
It was very telling that Ali (who is a really smart young man) didn’t argue the point with me and changed the subject.
It was six long years before there was a chance to get rid of Obamacare, and when that chance came John McCain with the applause of every Democrat in the Senate cast the vote to save it.
There is a lot that COULD have been in that big beautiful bill if we had more votes to spare in the House or the Senate but there is plenty IN that bill that the left loathes and that we have wanted to get done for a while.
Once those things are law it will be tough for Democrats to get the votes to repeal them. They’ll need the house and the senate and a President ready to sign and they’ll need majorities where even Democrats in swing districts will go along and you remember what happened last time swing dems did so.
Thus came the Stupak Amendment and the fig leaf he provided while proving disastrous to him and his followers was a Godsend to others as he said later:
“I had a number of members who thanked us after because they could vote no.”
But Stupak fig leaf would quickly wither. His seat and 62 others for democrats would not survive election day and even more shocking to the left the New GOP majority would remain even after the re-election of President Obama
I think putting the dems in this position is a good idea.
Now let’s go and check out the final division in our 1973 Dynasty the NL Beta division.
Team
Wins
Losses
Percentage
GB
WCGB
Los Angeles Dodgers
81
40
.669
—–
+22
Pittsburgh Pirates
74
62
.597
8 1/2
+13 1/2
Chicago Cubs
59
62
.488
22
—–
New York Giants
51
70
.421
30
-8
Montreal Expos
51
71
.418
30 1/2
-8 1/2
Los Angeles Dodgers:
LA has risen from the ashes of a last place season to the top of their division and like the Reds in the Alpha division has not been shy about big deals. Nolan Ryan dealt to the NY Giants while Tom Seaver and Denny Doyle acquired from the Daytraders. Vida Blue to the daytraders, Ted Sizemore from the Giants.
Some rookies have been dealt. Davey Lopes and Mickey Rivers to the Daytraders but others have remained to be the core with Don Sutton 16-7 2.15 ERA with 193 K’s leads the rotation while Wayne Twitchell 13-5 2.38 in his 2nd full season along with veteran Reggie Cleveland having the best season of his career and Grant Jackson has been perfect in the bullpen 12 saves in 12 chances and an ERA of only 1.25. Young J. R. Richard has not quite gotten there yet although he has 94K’s in. The team ERA of 2.53 is a full .7 runs less than every other team giving up only 63 home runs and the 307 earned runs are a full 100 less than any other MLB team.
Veteran slugger Willie McCovey meanwhile has done the job with 29 HR and Dave Roberts has put up fair numbers but the offense has not been the star of this show but they’ve managed a bit of slugging 3rd in the NL
The Dodgers have winning records against both the Braves and the Dodgers and every current playoff team except Baltimore (1-2) and Pittsburgh (3-4) with a series left against each. This bodes very well for the post season in a division that they have pretty much locked up.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh surprised everyone by easily eliminating Cincinnati last season and fought the Giants in one of the most epic playoff series in league history. This year they’re led by Hammering Hank Aaron who leads the majors with 40 Home Runs and 112 Runs Batted In while Rod Carew sets the table hitting .349 with 172 hits and 14 triples all best in the majors and OPS of .948 and 92 runs scored (4th in the league). Rookie Dave Parker looks promising, Bill Melton’s 16 HR are below is peak but up from last year’s injury prone season, George Scott keeps flashing the glove with enough hitting to go along with it
On the mound Gaylord Perry is having another great year, 12-6 with a 2.41 ERA 5th in the majors. Bill Singer 13-9 with 2.61 8th in the majors. Starters Jim Colburn 12-6 2.98 & Tom Bradley 11-6 3.45 are both having career years. And keeping the games they pitch in hand at 9-5 with 21 saves blowing only 3 is Mike Marshall.
Put simply Pittsburgh has the stars and the pitching to win any series they’re in and only Cincy is more deadly on turf.
Between LA & Cincy they are .500 and as well managed as they are will be a deadly threat to any team that faces them in the playoffs. They have the stars and the pitching to carry them all the way all they have to do is get past the two best teams in the league and I wouldn’t want to be the guy who has to bet against them.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are an enigma. While Starters Burt Hooten & Rick Reuschel have done yeoman’s work Jerry Koosman is still not up to his days with Oakland although in fairness he’s doing better than last season’s disaster. Fortunately John Hiller 25 saves with only 5 blown means if Chicago can get a lead to him they’ll usually keep it.
Le Grande Orange Rusty Staub has been instrumental in getting those leads, his numbers .320 17HR 63 RBI are the best he’s had. Young Jeff Burroughs 20 home runs are making Washington regret not keeping him and Steve Garvey is also putting up the best numbers of his career. With a supporting cast hitting .259 as a team (2nd in NL 3rd in majors) they’re getting on base a lot but not enough. Their -44 run differential does not impress.
Nevertheless they have a commanding lead for the final wild card spot but are the same distance away from Atlanta for the 2nd. So a playoff spot is nearly assured, what remains to be seen is if they can do better than just a playoff spot. They’ll have to punch up to win a wild card series but with the potential competition they’ll have to get by (LA, Pittsburgh & Cincinnati) they’ll really have to go above their weight grade to even think about going farther.
New York Giants
The only thing more surprising than the the franchise swap between the A’s and Giants was the decision to return to NYC and share the Polo Grounds with the Yankees.
It’s very clear the Giants are building for next year and their acquisition of fireballer Nolan Ryan is a real sign of it. His 4-2 record and 1.67 ERA since joining the team and his .185 avg against leading the Majors means the NY ace is capable of stealing a game from any team they face by pitching alone.
But he’s not alone Reggie Jackson’s 39 HR and 98 RBI and .305 avg is just behind Aaron for the lead and Craig Nettles, now playing for his 3rd NYC team keeps improving. but this is a team building for the future. Their team ERA of 4.69 is rock bottom despite
the top rated Defense in the Majors
Bill Freehan who, while not hitting remains one of the best game callers in baseball
The addition of Ryan
Unless the young bats develop and the pitching improves It will be a while before we see this team back in contention for a pennant.
Montreal Expos
On paper Montreal should be a lot better team that it is. Rookie Starter Steve Rogers 10-6 2.74 ERA WHIP 1.02 is top 10 in multiple categories. They boast of Luis Tiant with a 2.81 ERA despite a 10-12 record and Lou Brock who has stolen 39 bases while hitting .315 and Dave Nelson stealing 29 of his own while only being caught 4 times.
Alas closer Tug McGraw has an ERA over 5. Rookie Ron Cey while showing power (14 HR) has not reached anywhere near his potential and the rest of the batting crowd while hitting a respectable .251 and driving in runs above the league avg just aren’t getting it done. The .980 fielding percentage tied for 3rd worst in the Majors might have something to do with it.
They’re good enough to make a team pay that takes them lightly but they’re just as likely to let a game get away. By the numbers they should be doing better perhaps even contending for a wild card spot, but the breaks just haven’t been there.
It is very rare in this league that a team repeats a division win but Milwaukee has managed to sneak by with pitching (WHIP 1.26 best in AL fewest hits given up in the league) despite the 4th fewest k’s in the majors. They also are 4th in RBI’s and 1st in walks in the majors and 3rd in the AL in hits thanks to Pete Rose (169 2nd in majors 1st in AL). And Ron Fairly tied for the MLB lead in walks (101). All of this is despite being 2nd to last in homers.
There are some weak spots. Don Wilson despite a 14-7 record a .201 avg against (7th in MLB) and a no-hitter thrown this season has given up 27 home runs in only 192 1/3 innings and Ken Holtzman 221 2/3 innings and 20 home runs. Jerry Bell 2nd year man has been 8-13 with a 5.31 ERA. Elias Sosa has been on and off with 10 saves but seven saves blown. Dennis Menke has 88 walks but is only hitting .152 and has been a defensive liability but his move to DH with the Harrelson & Davis for Carbo trade will mitigate this at least vs RHP
The lead is only six games and Washington, Boston and Minnesota are all only one good run away from catching up so if Milwaukee is going to pull this off their huge trade of on base Machines and incredible arm Bernie Carbo for SS Bud Harrelson and CF Willie Davis is going to have to pay off in addition HR’s and better defense
Washington Senators:
Washington has spent a ton of time in the cellar this season, due to the worst defense in the AL (.980) and a team batting avg (.233) tied for worst in the majors. However in their last mainly to their inability to get on base.
Yet they’ve gone 19-10 in their last 29 games including series wins against the powerhouse Reds, and Boston and sweeps of both Cleveland all teams that are either playoff teams or were playoff teams at the time of said series wins. They now hold the 3rd wild card sport and are only 6 games out of first.
Del Unser’s 11 triples (tied for the AL lead) and Dave Kingman’s 33 HR leading the AL have something to do with this along with the steady numbers of Jim Northrup along with Bob Johnson’s 19 saves in 22 chances and the workhorses of the staff, Bill Lee, Joe Coleman and Carl Morton have made a big difference.
The wild cards? Jim Kaat missed some time due to injury and Blue Moon Odem who was a winner in Milwaukee last season has been a bust at 1-10 his only win coming in relief. Furthermore while Washington is only a game behind Cleveland for the 2nd wild card spot and 6 out of 1st in the division they are a full 13 games behind the Royals for the top spot and Boston and Minnesota are right on their heels.
In short with 4 teams vying for 2 playoff spots and less than 3 games separating the top from the bottom there isn’t a lot of margin for error but so far Washington’s determination to keep fighting has paid off
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox started the season at the top of the division and then began dropping, first slowly then faster till at the moment they find themselves a game behind Washington for the final playoff spot and the Twins right behind them. How far has Boston fallen? You won’t find a single Red Sox player on any of the leaderboards.
Still Carlton Fisk has 20 HR in his sophomore year and they have a great crop of young players from Dave Winfield to Dwight Evans to Cecil Cooper. If Yaz and Petrocelli can start hitting a bit more anything can happen but Boston seems to be selling rather than buying trading starter Claude Osteen who was 9-3 for Boston and closer Lindy McDaniel to Pittsburgh and veteran Slugger Willie Davis and slick fielding but fragile SS Bud Harrelson for young on base machine Bernie Carbo all sings seem to be a youth movement for 1974 rather than a run in 73.
Oddity: Despite the green monster in left Boston is in the bottom half of the league in doubles.
Minnesota Twins
Minnesota is the epidemy of what you would call an average team. In all kinds of offensive categories they are at or near the league average with one exception this is true on the pitching side as well. The exception is walks allowed. They lead the AL in fewest walks allowed and both Jim Barr (1.80 per 9 innings) and Ross Grimsley (2.11 per 9 innings) are among stingiest in the majors on free passes. This explains their 6-1 record vs Milwaukee which lives by the walk who had the previous year swept the season series against them but in a team that is mostly average closer Sparky Lyle shines with a 6-1 record 24 saves in 30 chances, a 1.16 ERA and not a single home run given up in 38 relief appearences.
Ross Grimsley, Gary Gentry and Stan Bahnsen , Doyle Alexander are all average pitchers who have performed as advertised only Dave McNally has disappointed with a 4.00 ERA and a record near .500. At the plate they have guys who can get the job done. Al Oliver’s 21 HR & 83 RBI’s lead the team and both he and Richie Hebner (18 HR 71 RBI) are flirting with .300 and Lou Piniella has been destroying left handed pitching (.352 4 HR vs southpaws) but on the down side young Jose Cruz is suffering sophomore blues slumping to .190 and committing 9 errors in the field, while Luis Aparicio has gotten his avg back to his career level from last seasons low with the Reds (.272 vs .193) he hasn’t been the spark plug he has been in the past.
In the field Aparicio and young Bobby Grich have been double play machines but Hebner’s 24 errors are a bit much but at the other corner the platoon of Mike Hegan & Oliver have put up range numbers through the roof
In short the Twins are good enough to win games but have not managed to get beyond that level. But being only 2 games out of a playoff spot they like Boston, Washington and Cleveland are just one big streak away from a return to the postseason while one bad streak away from obscurity.
Oakland A’s
It was a wild time when the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s last season swapped names. The A’s moved east to become the NY Giants back in the polo grounds while San Francisco abandoned the city by the bay to take advantage of the DH rule.
SF had been a solid playoff team last season playing in two of the most exciting series of the year, their victory vs the Pirates and their defeat by the Daytraders and they brought some of their star power to the AL with Bobby Bonds (.288 23 HR 88 RBI) and five outfield assists in right against the few who dare run against his arm. Darrell Evans adds 24 HR and 86 RBI’s of his own.
Alas while Ron Hunt at 2B has as usual been an on base machine (.440) he missed three full months due to injury and while Bill Sharp has done yeoman work getting on base at a .375 clip the rest of the supporting cast have not given the stars what they need to shine. They are dead last in the majors in both average at .233 and first in strikeouts. Of course when they hit the ball they can move their 41 triples are 2nd in the majors
The downturn in the pitching hasn’t helped. While Ron Bryant’s 13-11 record & 3.81 ERA is not bad it’s a far cry from last season’s 14-7 record and 3.44 ERA while ace Jim Palmer seems to be keeping up his pattern of outstanding seasons (26-5 1.87 last year) followed by mediocre seasons (11-12 3.04 this year). Their team ERA of 4.12 is not inspiring and while Dave Gusti does have 18 saves in 23 chances holding batters to a .203 avg he has given up six dingers this season so far while surrendering only a single one in 1972.
In theory Oakland is close enough to have a shot to return to the post season but has too many teams ahead of them to get around and no thump to get there. With a better supporting cast next season via the draft there is every chance that they will return to their winning ways as long as they can get Giusti, Palmer and Bryant back to their 1972 form.
Brain health: Marijuana can cause permanent IQ loss of as much as 8 points when people start using it at a young age. These IQ points do not come back, even after quitting marijuana.
Mental health: Studies link marijuana use to depression, anxiety, suicide planning, and psychotic episodes. It is not known, however, if marijuana use is the cause of these conditions.
Athletic Performance: Research shows that marijuana affects timing, movement, and coordination, which can harm athletic performance.
Driving: People who drive under the influence of marijuana can experience dangerous effects: slower reactions, lane weaving, decreased coordination, and difficulty reacting to signals and sounds on the road.
Baby’s health and development: Marijuana use during pregnancy may cause fetal growth restriction, premature birth, stillbirth, and problems with brain development, resulting in hyperactivity and poor cognitive function. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other chemicals from marijuana can also be passed from a mother to her baby through breast milk, further impacting a child’s healthy development.
Daily life: Using marijuana can affect performance and how well people do in life. Research shows that people who use marijuana are more likely to have relationship problems, worse educational outcomes, lower career achievement, and reduced life satisfaction.
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