This past weekend my family and I had to be on the road at the ridiculously early time of 5 am.  We decided to buy a dozen donuts the day before so we could get a quick start, and not have to get up even earlier than necessary.  I was absolutely flabbergasted when the cashier informed me that the dozen donuts would cost $23.  That was twice the price I paid for a dozen donuts at the same establishment just a year ago. 

I was quite outraged over the drastic price increase.  I did not take out my anger at the cashier because I know that store employees have absolutely nothing to do with our nation’s inflation crisis.   I wonder how many customers vent their rage at these hard-working individuals who are absolutely blameless.

The next time we need to be up at an ungodly hour we will not be buying a dozen donuts.  We will seek a much cheaper alternative.  We no longer eat at McDonalds, or any other fast food restaurants, because $20 is way too much for a value meal. Also, we have drastically cut back on our pizza purchases.

We are far from alone when it comes to scaling back on our eating out.

American consumers love their fast food but price hikes are preventing them from enjoying a burger or burrito as often as in years past. 

Traffic to big fast food chains has dropped 3.5 percent in the first three months of 2024, compared to 2023. McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Popeyes, Pizza Hut, and Chipotle have likely sold millions fewer burgers, pizzas and burritos. 

How long before Bidenomics causes a complete collapse of the fast food industry?  It probably won’t be too far in the future.

It’s been an interesting season in our 1972 Draft league here is where we stand so far

Team AL Alpha DivisionWinsLossesPCTGBWild Card GB
New York Yankees3614.720—-n/a
California Angels2519.5688+1 1/2
Cleveland Indians2723.5409+ 1/2
Kansas City Royals (Kansas shitty)1832.360188 1/2
Baltimore Orioles1334.27721 1/212

The Yankees hold the best record in baseball thanks to the 2nd best ERA in the AL (2.65) the 3rd best fielding percentage .986 and a team that leads the majors in slugging percentage by almost 40 points thanks for Bobby Mercer and John Mayberry California and Cleveland continue the fight for the wild card while last years top dogs KC & the O’s are both falling behind. Interesting stat KC while having a horrible record are 3rd in the AL and 4th in the league in walks

Team AL Beta DivisionWinsLossesPCTGBWild Card GB
Milwaukee Brewers3215.681—-n/a
Boston Red Sox2522.5327—–
Minnesota Twins2324.48992
Oakland A’s2227.44011 1/24 1/2
Washington Senators2027.426125

Milwaukee leads the pack based on Pitching, Pitching and Pitching. Last years NL Cy Young winner Don Wilson (1.24) & Ken Holtzman (1.44) are 2nd & 4th in the Majors for ERA While leading the majors in doubles and sitting 3rd in OBP (.320) & 4th in OPS (.688). Boston hold the last wild card but is poised to advance leading the majors in OBP (.339) and just behind NY in OPS (.712) thanks in part to a rookie named Carlton Fisk. The twins remain in the hunt despite a -17 run differential. Oakland started strong but is fading thanks to an injury to ace Vida Blue. The Senators seem poised to take advantage to climb out of the cellar and back in the wild card race.

Team NL Alpha DivisionWinsLossesPCTGBWild Card GB
St. Louis Cardinals2918.617—-n/a
Cincinnati Reds (cin city)2522.5324+1
Atlanta Braves (Bananas)2423.5115—
Philadelphia Phillies2225.46872
New York Mets (Daytraders)2126.44783

The Cardinals hold a 4 game lead despite Bob Gibson’s complete inability to get run support in his starts (5-3 1.79 ERA ) fortunately the team 2.54 ERA has made the difference. Cincinnati has thrived under new management this year, of course Johnny Bench’s Major league leading 14 HR might have something to do with it. The Atlanta Braves (Bananas) Billy Williams is helping them keep a grip on the wild card. The Phillies with an off season from Torrie but a powerful rookie Named Luzinski are right there and with Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton going 1,2 the Mets (Daytraders) aren’t far behind. Both the wild card and indeed the division are wide open.

Team NL Beta DivisionWinsLossesPCTGBWild Card GB
Pittsburgh Pirates2918.617—-+5
San Francisco Giants2918.617—-+5
Montreal Expos2126.44783
Chicago Cubs1829.38311 6
Los Angeles Dodgers1430.31813 1/28 1/2

Pittsburgh and the Giants are locked in a battle for 1st. The Pirates trying to make up for a disappointing 1971 and the Giants trying to return to the world series winning glory of 1970. Gaylord Perry (Pit) & Jim Palmer (Giants) leading the fight. The Montreal Expos despite having issues holding managers have been a surprise only 3 out of the wild card thanks to Lou Brock’s hitting and speed. The Chicago Cubs are top 5 in the majors in OBP (.315) & top 10 in slugging (.351) but are dead last in ERA (4.85). The Champion Dodgers have two great arms in Nolan Ryan (ERA 1.63) 2nd in NL and Wayne Twitchell (ERA 1.72) 3rd in NL but nothing else.

I am so glad I wasn’t drinking anything when I read this:

PA leaders are pleased with the anti-Israel protests at American universities but are unwilling to tolerate similar demonstrations at their own universities, fearing that they could be used by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) to create instability and insecurity.

In recent weeks, PA security officers have been removing Hamas flags from electricity poles in villages and towns in the West Bank. PA security forces have also foiled attempts by some students to set up encampments at Palestinian campuses similar to the ones at Columbia University and other campuses in the United States.

So let me get this straight. As far as the Palestinian Authority in the west bank is concerned here in the US it’s perfectly OK to target Jews to tear down the US flag and fly the Palestinian flag instead and to blockade and occupy college buildings, property and even set up checkpoint to restrict people in support of Hamas and to oppose any of that stuff is “islamophobic”

If however you are in lands that are actually controlled by the Palestinian Authority, well we can’t have that since it might help Hamas who they really don’t like much anyways.

Oddly I don’t think I’ve heard a single member of the press or congress who have been defending these “protests” in the US object one bit to their repression by Palestinians in the area where they wish to create a Palestinian state.

Discuss.

Madam Kovarian: You appear to be closing down, Dorium. What have you heard?
Dorium: That you pricked the side of a mighty beast, Madame Kovarian, and entirely failed to run. I admire your courage. I should like to admire it from afar.
Madam Kovarian: We’ve been waiting a month. He’s done nothing.
Dorium: Do you really think so? There are people all over this galaxy that owe that man a debt. By now, a few of them will have found a blue box waiting for them on their doorstep, poor devils.
Colonel Manton: You think he’s raising an army?
Dorium: You think he isn’t? If that man is finally collecting on his debts, God help you, and God help his debtors.
Colonel Manton: Why?
Dorium: Colonel Manton, all those stories you’ve heard about him, they’re not stories, they’re true. Really. You’re not telling me you don’t know what’s coming?

Doctor Who, A Good Man Goes to War 2011

A lot of people have talked about “consequences” for the various Student “protestors” but there is one set of consequences that nobody seems to have considered.

The basis for this set of consequences is inadvertently made by, Victor Davis Hanson, who continues to be a national treasure, in his latest piece as he nails the single most important take-away from these campus protests:

Remember, the protests started on October 7, not on October 27, when the IDF went into Gaza. At that point, campus and street protests merely changed from euphoric triumphalism on the news that Hamas had slaughtered, decapitated, mutilated, raped, or kidnapped hundreds of Jews (“exhilarated,” a Cornell professor gushed of the carnage), to furor and violence. So after three weeks of celebrating dead Jews, the street protests grew furious only when the IDF finally began fighting back and destroying Hamas, even as its terrorists cowardly hid beneath mosques, hospitals, and schools to ensure enough collateral damage to incite pro-Hamas Western throngs.

This raises an important question about these “spontaneous protests” that nobody seems to be asking:

To what degree where were they actually coordinated with the Hamas attack, that is, where they PART of attack, planned to demoralize Israel and gather support for the slaughter of Jews as it happens?

This is an important consideration because if they were an integral part of the Hamas attack, then those participating in them are in fact Hamas.

Why is this important? Let’s turn back the clock to October 12th and this speech by Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu (emphasis mine):

“We saw the beasts. We saw the barbarians we are facing,” Netanyahu said in a televised address, according to The Times of Israel. “We saw a cruel enemy” which was “worse than ISIS.”

“How staggering the atrocity. How great the pain,” Netanyahu said. “We are fighting with full force, on every front, we have gone onto the attack. Every member of Hamas is a dead man.”

Bibi didn’t put a limit on who these Hamas members are, where they were or if they materially participated in the attack, if you’re Hamas you’re dead and given the amount of Israeli soldiers who have tried to bring this about, I suspect the Jewish state is not going to be all that picky over any person who proudly proclaims themselves Hamas.

Do I think that means that IDF soldiers are going to suddenly turn up at US campus’ and start killing students? No, Israel is going to have plenty to do in cleaning up the mess in Gaza they will be tied up for years.

That being said Israel as a state has a long memory and if they haven’t raised October 7th to the level of the Holocaust to them it’s just a tiny bit below it. If you don’t believe me ask those who served as guards in the death camps or those involved in the 1972 Olympic attack. Ask them if the Jewish state ever forgot.

If you’ve been arrested and your name taken down don’t doubt for one minute that the best intelligence agency in the world will know that name. Odds are if your just some dumb kid who doesn’t know better they’ll pass on you, remember your name but pass on you. The worst you’ll face is a blacklist at particular jobs and companies, but if you’re an organizer if you had a hand in this, if the Mossad decides for one moment that you were part of the overall plan right from the start, well I’d be very careful if I travel outside of the US from this point on because I suspect your name is now on a list to die.

You’ve declared yourself Hamas and Israel is going to take you at your word.

It might take 5 years, it might take 10 years it might take 20 years but when it comes to long term revenge we Sicilians have nothing on Israel. I don’t care how much the Arab states are paying you. I don’t care how much George Soros or the Tides foundation or Arabella have kicked in. I don’t care how comfortable a life they’ve given you. Speaking as a guy working long hours and struggling financially who can only dream about getting something like the $8K for one days work that some of those folks got, let me say this.

I wouldn’t trade places with you for all the treasure on earth.