Yesterday, while you were doing whatever, I went to the ball park – Arizona Diamondbacks vs Chicago White Sox at Chase Field. It’s an enclosed stadium, making it realistic to enjoy a game on a warm Arizona day. Best snacks: carne asada nachos. Eight pounds of nachos served in a batter’s helmet.
Can I eat eight pounds of nachos during a baseball game? Does a snake slither through the Arizona desert? I bought indoor parking immediately adjacent to the stadium, so it wasn’t much of a walk in. I bought tickets in Row 1, Club level, along the third base line. I suspect that somebody sold back their season tickets because they were very good seats.
Major League Baseball is the official professional sport of the Virtual Mirage blog. Bozkushi (played with a detached human head) is VM’s unofficial semi-professional sport, in case you were curious. If you’re lucky, your head isn’t involved.
They didn’t offer human skulls filled with mead, so I contented myself with a Diet Coke to counteract the 8 pounds of nachos and the churro dog – more on that below.
If the eight-pound helmet filled with carne asada and nachos isn’t enough, you should think about ending the game with a churro dog (churro in a split chocolate doughnut topped with ice cream and whipped cream, slathered with chocolate and caramel sauce – below). Thus, the wisdom of parking close to the stadium and paying a little extra for parking is revealed.
The D-Backs are one of my favorite teams. I’m also a Phillies follower, and because I lived in LA as long as I did, I also follow the Dodgers.
Cuba
The communists in Havana are on the brink of total economic collapse, and the Trump administration just made it crystal clear: reform now or face the consequences. A secret U.S. State Department delegation flew into Cuba with a no-nonsense message. The regime’s socialist disaster has run out of road. Officials laid out a straightforward deal to avoid chaos just 90 miles from Florida.
On the table: Starlink satellite internet to shatter the dictatorship’s stranglehold on information. Full compensation for American property stolen after the 1959 revolution. Release every political prisoner rotting in their jails. Genuine economic reforms to let private enterprise breathe. And most critically, boot out all foreign spies, military advisors, and terror-linked groups operating on Cuban soil with regime approval.
The American delegation met privately with Raúl Castro’s grandson, “Raulito,” the key backchannel to the aging dictator. The signal from Washington is direct: President Trump prefers a diplomatic off-ramp, but he will not let a failed communist state turn into a national security nightmare on America’s doorstep.
This comes as Cuba’s own president warns his people to brace for possible U.S. action, amid backchannel pleas from Havana and Pentagon planning. Decades of socialist failure have left the island a bankrupt prison camp. Trump’s approach puts America First: offer a path to freedom and stability, but make it clear the old game is over. The ball is in the communists’ court. History shows they cling to power until the very end. If they refuse, the consequences will be on them.
I don’t see a need for military intervention beyond a blockade/quarantine. We could declare a no-fly zone. Though today, if aircraft fly in, there’s no way to refuel them for a return trip.
Bullet Points:
** Happy Birthday, Jules – one more time around the Sun. She split to Split last week to celebrate. (right) I know, she’s ageless. I suspect that there is a picture (it might be a self-portrait) in a closet somewhere that lends her eternal youth.
** Mission-driven storytelling – or why the media is so f-ed up.
** Importing Vikings for fun and profit. Varangians – The Byzantine Empire kept assassinating its own Emperors. So one Emperor decided to outsource security by hiring 6000 Viking warriors. You could look at Denmark today, where the national defense budget does not include ammunition, and they yell “bang” instead of practicing with live ammo. These are NOT the same people – the difference between a dire wolf and a chihuahua ankle biter. Ride the way back machine to when the Danes were not wimps. Think of the difference between the UK’s Royal Navy when it had ships that worked and today, when it can’t sail one warship to defend Cyprus without it breaking down halfway there. Same thing. In the words of Kosh from Babylon Five, “Once the avalanche starts, it is too late for the pebbles to vote.”
** VDH’s three possible outcomes to the Iran War: Iran empties its arsenal in a blaze of glory — 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝟏𝟎 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬; They agree to negotiations on 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐩’𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐬; The regime 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩 and the people take over 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚. 𝐕𝐃𝐇’𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧.
** Thomas Sowell on Barack Obama: “I see him as someone who all his life has been associated with people who fundamentally don’t believe in the principles of this country. He always sought out the most radical people. He worked as a ‘community organizer.’ He doesn’t organize a community. He’s mobilizing all the resentments, organizing them in order to put them into battle to get what they want from other people.”
SPLC
The liberal crusaders against racism at the SPLC were allegedly funding the KKK. Why? According to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, it was to create a “work product that reported on these activities.” He said, “The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justify its existence. Using donor money to allegedly profit off Klansmen cannot go unchecked.” The SPLC’s justification for allegedly paying members of these groups was to infiltrate and expose them – but that would still be funding actual hate groups.
As has been reported on this blog several times, it’s an old tactic that I observed first hand. In my case, the Nazis and White Aryan Resistance were in bed with the Jewish Defense League. One plays against the other to raise money and they have a symbiotic relationship.
Identify the Aircraft
1
2
3
4
There were a handful of major modifications, and it never went into general production. Less than half a dozen built.
5
End
1 – Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker
2 – Yugoslavian Ikarus Orkan
3 – Martin T3M-2
4 – Consolidated XB-32 Dominator
5 – Tupolev Tu-2
Outstanding
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Mikoyan MiG-29 Fulcrum
2. need coffee
3. Martin T3M
4. XB-32
5. Tupolev Tu-2 Bat
Very Good. ML Thomas nailed #2 (above)
Random memory flashback: at one point I worked with a gal who, in her past, did a lot of volunteer work for a triple-A baseball team. She didn’t care for basketball, saying it was a bunch of guys running around dribbling in their shorts.
I’m not a big basketball fan. It’s sort of an inner-city sport these days. I agree with her about the dribbling.
Caption art; The dry snow highlights the red terrain. Beautiful. The pilgrim dress, or vintage attire is a pleasant contrast to the futuristic Habitation. Great work L.L.
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Bozkushi; Exibitions of this sport would compliment the rodeo circuit. Cowboys vs. Indians?
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Cuba; What are the resources that could benefit the USA? Tourism or industry? Are there viable ports? Thinking of the society and comparisons to Haiti and Dominican Republic. Economical labor? Just met a couple delivery guys from Puerto Rico. Somehow USA abilities to build or rebuild places like Venezuela is lacking the tools or training. Or is it a equatorial mentality where if the fruits on the tree eat it, in comparison to Northern Hemisphere of producing abundance to be prepared for winter or hard times?
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MLB; Thanks for the tip of the games available on prime. We attended a minor league game in Tucson a couple decades back. Very family oriented. The character of the players, who the kids can look up to, appear to be a notch up from NFL or NBA.
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Sowell; nailed it on the Obamanator. He and his tribe can go back where they came from and create a worker’s paradise on that continent.
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Thoughts on Montana from the other day; The Californication of southern Oregon in the 90’s frustrated a group of my friends. They grew up fishing the Rogue river and were feeling crowded in, waiting in line for their turn to cast into their favorite holes. Thus their migration to the big sky country. We invested in acreage near Plains but didn’t make the move. After working and visiting up there I saw what Paul commented on. The University cities could rule over the rural areas IF allowed. This relates to the L.L. dissertation on how Liberalism takes over, IF allowed by ambivalence. Cali home owners cashing in at a higher market price and investing in a lower market area such as Bend or Ashland OR seems to be a factor as well. Next thing you know, Montana voters have elected a young, former wrestler tranny.
Cuba (we have a military base there) is very strategic and always has been. If you put up hotels and condos, you’d fill them, so tourism would be big. Fixing the infrastructure would be costly, but these issues can unfold over time. Puerto Rico is sort of a hellhole. I view Cuba more favorably. Cuba has a lot of agriculture and can feed itself if the government allows it. Control immigration strictly and keep the other Afro-Caribbean types out.
X2. Puerto Rican friends have told me they’ve received mail from España, asking if they would like to apply for an EU passport. I wonder what that’s all about?
We should have taken Cuba instead of Puerto Rico at the end of the Spanish-American war. Imagine no Castro offering a foothold in the Caribbean and Central America to the Soviets!
X2
We need to ditch the ‘Rico. Why? The only reason to have the ‘Rico was as a naval coaling station and gunnery range and the Ricans got rid of the naval gunnery range.
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Less than 5% of ‘Ricans speaka da English. In comparison, Guam, which was acquired at the same time as ‘Rico, has a roughly 50% rate of English speaking and comprehension. Don’t wanna speaka da Enlish? Then go f your collective selves.
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And the ‘Ricans have proven themselves to be worse than socialists in maintaining their island. Corrupt, dirty, nasty, one step above Haiti. My nephew who is in a FL Nat Guard construction unit got deployed down there after that big-arsed hurricane. He said he was treated worse by the ‘Ricans than by the Iraqis when he got deployed to Iraq.
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And yet there are dems who want statehood for the ‘Rico. No. Not just no, F NO!!!!
The Puerto Ricans had every chance to display their metal and they never rose to the challenge. Weak gene pool? Like the Haitians? Don’t get me wrong. A lot of them left the island and did well for themselves, but those who remained back home – are what you see they are.
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I put it down to Island Living. Which is one of the Bean’s Rules.
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If it’s too easy to get food, don’t have to worry about freezing to death or cooler temperatures and overall live in a place where you don’t really need much for shelter, then there’s no incentive to evolve and develop.
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I saw it at Kwajalein Atoll. Kwajalein island was a slice of 1950’s US culture in the early 1970s. Basically “Kwajalein, RFD” for all purposes. Three islands north is Ebeye, where the Marshallese lived in island ‘it’s too easy to exist’ squalor.
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You see the same thing amongst native Hawaiians or most of the Caribbean cultures. Or anywhere else where Island Living is easy.
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No incentive to do more than get today’s food and water. Shelter? Yeah, don’t really need much more than rain protection, which is easy enough using palm fronds. Other than that? Screw around, pop out children, beat up other people for fun and resources. No reason to develop the wheel (though I do applaud the Marshallese in using rollers to move boats, something that most Africans never realized or realize or will realize they can also do.) No reason to develop lighting systems, heating systems, medicines and medical practices. No reason to think big thoughts.
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Which explains ‘Island Time,’ which is pretty much the big thing all island cultures have in common. “Eh, I can do it tomorrow, or the next day, or next year, no pressure, Man.”
Mission Driven Storytelling: So that answers the question of ‘who watches The View’…basically those who used to have time to watch Oprah now zero’d in on that bunch. Makes sense.
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GFW2, re: Oregon/Montana: “Ambivalence”. 100%…because The Locust Hoard will descend on any new target locale then undermine its ideals. Ask any local; started with Ted Turner, then his pals came, then the underlings (aka useful idiots) came. What happens is people believe…and used to be rightfully so…because 85% of the state is rural that the urban centers couldn’t possibly overshadow…but they do. First thought: When you think of Colorado – politically – what come to mind? Boulder usually first (it is a cool city..,but for the lunatics and trust funders), then Denver. Those two places are small compared to the state, but they run roughshod over everyone else…including election fraud.
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Sowell on B.O, so right…That bum, from the first time I saw him win the Illinois Senate race to this day always ID’d him as a grifter poseur ‘married’ to another ‘whatevertheheck’ country-hater. Proves Limbaugh’s ‘low information voter’ point in spades. Yet, even those three elections, Senate race and both presidential races, could have been the beginning of the larger fraud machine ramping up. We’ll never know.
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Jules is a jewel. Have one of her exceptional Winter scene paintings at the ready for a wall on the new hovel.
Glad you had a good time at the ball game, LL.
Did it cost like $9000, or is it different from going to see the Sox at Fenway?
– Kle.
It’s entertainment, Kle. I had 2 premium seats, premium parking in the structure – maybe 100 paces from my car on the third floor across the Club-Level bridge, food and beverage, and I was out about $225.00. I could have gone cheaper, walked three miles from the parking lot, and sat in the nosebleed section, but I don’t roll that way.
When my sons were younger playing Little League, I would take them to watch the Tacoma Tigers, now the Rainers, AAA team. Easier on the wallet, still good baseball, and watching baseball in the Kingdome didn’t feel right. I’ve never been a big fan having no opportunity to play due to a torn rotator in my right shoulder while working livestock as a kid.
I watched the Storm at their stadium in Elsinore, CA. They’re a single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. My grandson (high school team) played there last week. It’s a very nice stadium, and as you say, easy on the wallet and you’re close to the action.
I was never good at sports as a kid, being a bit of a spaz due to some really good allergy meds that basically turned me into a klutzy shaking spaz.
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Though I enjoyed watching baseball, especially when using a scoresheet that tracked all the action. Which made watching minor league teams that much more enjoyable.
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But that’s all in the past. Sigh.
Actually, that’s a pretty good price for good seats, LL, at least by local standards.
My wife and I and my visiting great-nephew went to a Sox game maybe 10 years ago,
we only got mediocre seats, and I think we were out over a grand.
He had a good time though, so totally worth it.
– Kle.
Went to many Cleveland Indian ballgames as a youth. Always got free tickets. A hotdawg was 35 cents and smothered in Stadium Mustard. I keep a stash at home. Can’t find the Indians in any ball lineup today. I think they changed to some faggot name. I don’t follow pro sports anyway.
A large group of associates (from Colorado at the time) went to England in 2000 on a canal boat trip into Wales. I found out he was employed by SPLC. When I told him I thought they were a left wing commie hate group he became incensed. Imagine.
Most of the Cali’s moving to Idaho run double time to DMV to get rid of those license plates. All that I’ve met in the last 28 years have been ultra conservative. The liibbies move to Sun Valley so they can be contained. Sort of like fish in a barrel. Know what I mean.
Yes, I get you. The Portillos sells (very good) Chicago dogs there. You can go to a regular Portillos off-site to eat, and it’s 1/2 the price, but if I couldn’t afford a hot dog, I don’t think that I’d go to the game. I’d watch on TV. One of the reasons I watch MLB these days more seriously is that I have two nephews in the game. One plays for the Texas Rangers and one for the Las Vegas A’s in their minor league teams. I have a grandson who might end up on the draft next summer. Last summer, one of the said nephews was selected in the first round of the draft and signed a $5 million contract. But I’ve always liked baseball. I have another 8-year-old grandson who has been scouted. I know you may think that’s BS, but in some areas, they start tracking promising kids that early. The grandson in high school (junior year) has been scouted by the Brewers and others. He’s had scholarship offers and is weighing his options.
Ahhh, thank you so much, LL! And, if I’d been at that game I know you’d have made me try and eat a helmet full of nachos washed down with a root beer float! It should be mead though as it was st. George’s day yesterday. 🏴
The sun is shining, it’s a glorious day, and I’m off to a jazz club with speak -easy vibes. You may find a portrait of me later with an old fashioned and a trumpet!
Try to remain out of custody, Jules. If they lock you up, I’ll send you a cake with a file in it.
Forget the cake, send a dozen ‘Churro Dogs’…yum…with the added bonus of long enough to hide a file or hacksaw blade.
Happy Birthday! 25 plus shipping and handling, right?
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Enjoy the club!
Seems no one is asking if you wore your rainbow shades to the game…
Indoor stadium…roof closed.
Just an old song reference :)
Churros, yeah buddy, now you’re talking. We found this place that serves churros and super thick hot chocolate 24/7 in Madrid when we went to Spain in 2017. Been open since 1890-something and I like to foundered myself there. The morning we flew home, I got up an hour early at 3 AM to get one last hit before we had to leave. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_4LOtlcO4E
You’re speaking my language.
I’m going to show this to a friend and see if I can talk her into reproducing it… We who are not about to diet salute you!
The chocolate is VERY thick. A spoon would nearly stand vertically in the cup. And, needless to say, very rich.
Mexico City, the Hilton at the Reforma, ground floor, “The Cardinal” – same thing. Call for reservations. They open early for breakfast.
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EL CARDENAL Calle de la Palma 23, Col. Centro Histórico, 06000 Ciudad de México, CDMX, México, 938
When I worked in Mexico City, I lived at the Hilton and went there all the time. Food is outstanding and so is service, but it’s popular.
A good substitute is Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Syrup. It’s not as good as real home/store made chocolate dipping sauce, but it’s a good substitute for those not wanting to spend time melting and tempering chocolate dipping sauce.
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Now, I’ll make dark chocolate fondue for our wedding anniversary (banana slices, strawberries, marshmallows and pound cake) to complement the cheese fondue for dinner. One recipe of chocolate fondue makes, oh, about 4 days worth which, being so rich, is usually 2 days too much.
SPLC
Hyundai has a factory in Montgomery and Kia just a few miles away in West Point, GA. Working for Roush test driving pre and production cars, we spent a lot of time there. When we mentioned the SPLC to any local resident, we got a shrug or a pained expression. Nobody seemed to take pride in their presence.
Maybe someone can hack them and get the email addresses of donors. Imagine the fun when they start getting a thank you from the Klan and request for more support.
Cuba:
The 51st state – it’s about the same size as Tennessee
we can all learn Cubañol, even los Mexicanos.
can fly tourists to HAV or VRA to stay at TCI (Trump Cuba international) situated somewhere between Havana and Santa Marta for short weekends
what a kick to bring their economy up quick
No kidding.
If post-communist Cuba is anything like pre-communist Cuba, the survivors of communist Cuba will gladly learn English in order to become better with the US. Unlike those feckless a-holes in Puerto Rico.
That’s how I see it.
Not a baseball fan anymore after the strike. My grandfather ‘hated’ the Dodgers for moving from Brooklyn. He’d lived there as a child, and often went to games at Ebbets Field. He got to see Jackie Robinson play in 47, and at one time had a baseball signed by Peewee Reese.
I know, bums from Brooklyn. I still like them.
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To your point, the current Major League Baseball (MLB) collective bargaining agreement (CBA) expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on December 1, 2026. The agreement, ratified in March 2022 to end a 99-day lockout, covers the 2022–2026 seasons.Due to major disagreements regarding a potential salary cap, labor experts and officials, including MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer, have indicated that a lockout following the 2026 season is highly likely. I had no idea how COMPLICATED those player contracts were until I had family involved. The boys have an agent, a manager, a CPA, and so on. They pay tax at every venue separately. Government is part of the problem. MANY MLB contracts that sound so large are paid out over 40 years or more.
I knew the SPLC was a pack of leftist grifters when I got hired by the local PD and started reading the SPLC’s newsletter/magazine and found that little old unracist me was considered a racist by SPLC because I was a white male married Christian who owned a home and wanted to own guns and believed there wasn’t any real racism except against whites. And this was back in 1995.
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What a pack of jerks. Would not be surprised if they were originally funded by the KGB like so many other leftist groups were back in the day.
The seed money? Now that would be interesting to know.
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Yep. After all, the KGB started and funded the western world’s anti-nuke movement and Students for a Democratic Society and The Weathermen and the IRA in Northern Ireland and, well, pretty much any other anti-Western Culture and anti-develop/tech group.
Blog post for April 25 ,,is hitting a content blocker,, wassup widat?