Author: boom booms room staff

Abby’s Picks

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Happy Friday.

Thanks to all who wrote to us concerned about Abby’s absence the last two Fridays.

She is fine.

However, we made a tough decision last week to send her down to the minors to work on her mound presence like some of her friends(pictured).  They’re tipping their pitches showing the ball way too early.

Her picks have made some of our readers poorer in a year that government recklessness has cut their 401k into a 201k.

She’s working on regaining that which she lost off of her fastball as well.

We wish her well in her future endeavors.

That’s it.  That’s the entire Friday post.

Except, Geaux Tigers!

Sailor’s Warning

Posted on by boom booms room staff

That red wave promised yesterday morning should have been a Republican sailor’s warning.  And, while the Democrats can’t sing “blue skies, nothing but blue skies, over me” just yet, they can certainly see a silver lining in the dark clouds.

What exactly just happened?  Or, what continues to happen today as those who can’t count continue to count?

What happened was America voted.  And, despite what many polls identified as major flaws in how they were running the country, they voted for a lot of the same as what they voted for two years ago.

Does that make sense?  Of course, it doesn’t.

If you were shocked that Trump came from no political background to win it all in 2020, you had to be shocked about last night into this morning.

Here’s what we know happened, and a few guesses on why it happened.

There is no red wave.  Yes, the odds favor the House turning red by a slim margin.  And the Senate could as well by the ever so slimmest of margins.  Or, it might stay purple.  Or it might turn blue.   That is not a red wave.

Ron DeSantis sailed far and away as the biggest winner on the Republican side.  He won four years ago by the slimmest of margins for his first term as governor.  It was a blitzkrieg this time.  He motored through Miami-Dade county, a 12-point Biden win county, in the most impressive of fashions.  He has to be considered the Republican frontrunner for 2024.

Has the population growth in Florida, mostly from the northeast and accelerated by covid hysteria, come in as transplanted conservatives?

Pennsylvania can’t count.  Also, they elected John Fetterman.  Sometimes if you have nothing nice to say you should say nothing at all.

Will Beto O’Rourke and Stacey Abrams finally go away?

Beto got a veto in Texas.  He’s ‘oh for” in his last three election at-bats.  In Texas, you don’t say out loud that you’re coming for the guns.

Abrams said last night that she’ll continue to do everything she can to right all of the wrongs in Georgia.  Sounds good until the DNC money goes elsewhere.

Arizona can’t count either.  And, they have broken machines in Maricopa County supposedly.  Does anyone think to give them a test run a few months back?  No.

And, if they don’t elect Kari Lake it will be the second biggest surprise of November.  She trails 51-49 with nearly 2/3rds counted this AM.

Republican leadership, we say again, is nonexistent, old, tired, white, and selfish.  Young adults aren’t buying what they are selling.

Mitch McConnell and his PAC cronies had a game plan.  Mike Tyson said everyone has a plan until they get hit.  McConnell and the RNC got pummeled.

The polls got it all wrong again.  Like the Republican leadership, it’s past time for them to look at their flawed ways.  They didn’t get to Trump voters in 2016.  And, they likely whiffed on Gen Z in 2022.  Calling landline numbers might be past its prime.  Get a TikTok account already.

Could control of the Senate come down to Georgia again in a Senate runoff?  Herschel Walker was once a hell of a running back.  There are holes in his candidacy as big as the ones his Bulldogs used to create for him to run through though.

So where does all of this leave one Donald J. Trump?  Today it is Mar-a-Lago.  Tomorrow it’s likely in some court.  By 2024, it’s likely on stage gunning for the White House.  The Dems can’t wait.

One thing about the weather “they” say.  It’s always changing.

The forecast from here till 2024 looks tough to call.   Red wave?  Blue Sky?  One fish, two fish.

Blame it on climate change if you wish.

 

 

 

Frick and Frack

Posted on by boom booms room staff

They were out in all of their glory doing what they think they do best last evening for their respective parties.  Trump and Biden.  Biden and Trump.

Donald Trump was in Ohio at a rally of his own, promising a major announcement on November 15th.  He even spent some time attacking Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan and boosting his GOP opponent JD Vance.

Meanwhile a few states over in Maryland, Biden headlined a last-minute get-out-the-vote rally at Bowie State University, stumping for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wes Moore.

Trump didn’t call anybody in his party a bad nickname.  Biden forgot the want to be governor’s name.

On his best behavior, as he went through poll numbers at the rally, Trump did not call Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis “Ron DeSanctimonious” as he did at a recent rally.

“And, of course, you got that next governor. What’s his name? Wes… Wes…,” Biden said, turning to the audience as they held up “Wes Moore” signs.  “Wes Moore!” Biden said after reading a sign. “The guy’s the real deal, man.”

So on midterm election eve with a possible red wave on the horizon, you had an orange face stumping for himself and an ashen face who might be singing the blues hours from now just plain stumped.

The questions are “why now” for Trump and “why” period for Biden.  Haven’t we reached a point where we can agree on one thing?  That thing is one past president and a past prime current president are both more harmful than good for their sides’ cause.

It may have been fun to label Marco Rubio “Lil Marco” six years ago. How about “low energy Jeb?” Some smart money is now on DeSantis and calling him “DeSanctimonious” doesn’t draw the laughs these days.

It may have been fun for 81 million people to bounce Trump in favor of Biden two years ago.  Today that choice will cost the left the House for sure and the Senate is at best a toss-up.

Things are bad around these 50 states, or 54 if you ask Joe.  Only an ostrich can’t see that.  DeSantis and Newsom can.

The for-sure Republican that will get a Democrat elected to the White House in 2024 is Trump.  The for-sure Democrat that insures a Republican will move in is Biden.  Kamala is a very close second, but we digress.

The RNC and the DNC have quite a job on their hands.  The former needs to convince an egomaniac that it’s in the party’s best interest that he should have no interest in running.  The latter needs to finesse a sitting president and vice president straight to the curb.

That fact will never become clear enough in Trump’s cranium for him to see it.  That fact should become clear to Biden around 10 pm tonight assuming he’s awake and cognitive enough to see it.

Americans coast to coast can see it.  Especially the smart ones.

Toward the beginning of his speech last night, Biden reminded some just how smart they were.  He told the mostly Black audience at the historically Black university that – despite them not having the endowments other schools have – they were “just as smart” and “just as bright.”  Pandering much?

See.

 

Ten Piece Nuggets

Posted on by boom booms room staff

It’s been a while, but the recipe never changes and the spice is quite right.

  1.  Paul Pelosi did the right thing.  Six months after going out and getting hammered and stopped for a DUI, he had sense enough this time to stay home and get hammered.  Too soon?
  2. His wife Nancy Pelosi forgot to call the National Guard on January 6th back in 2021 for protection.  Apparently, she forgot to call Paul to set the ADT alarm at home.  Next time, Better Call Paul.  Still, too soon?
  3. Or did a silent alarm go off and she ignored it thinking it was false like her eyelashes, teeth, and mammary glands?  This has to be an eyebrow-raising experience for her, like many of her facelifts.  Definitely, too soon.
  4. You can expect a torrent of narrative that spews that the Republican’s call to arms, aggressive behavior, assault on our democracy, and fill-in-the-blank caused this break-in. There is no way this was just a homeless, deranged individual who descended on San Francisco due to their way too tolerant position towards abhorrent behavior is there?  Tis the midterm season.
  5.  Are the rats jumping ship?  There are less than two weeks till the aforementioned midterm exams elections. Democratic Ohio Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, who is trailing in the polls to Republican rival JD Vance, called for the next generation of leadership to take hold of the party when asked if he thought Biden should run for a second term in 2024.  Ouch.  In Ohio, some of the latest polls show just 37% of voters approving of his job performance as president.    Ryan hasn’t invited Biden to join him on the campaign trail.  Ryan has no coattails to run on as the Emporer has no clothes.
  6. Speaking of no clothes, is there any truth to the rumor that Paul Pelosi and the alleged assailant were both only clad in their underwear when police arrived?? Doubtful?  Salacious?    Blame Trump?
  7. Madonna found inspiration from the Paul and alleged assailant’s scantily clad rumors.  The 64-year-old Material Girl wants so desperately to remain relevant that she decided to post a series of topless pictures on her Instagram account.  We’re not here to judge, but a free consultation from Nancy’s plastic surgeon wouldn’t hurt.  The scalpel recommended might, however.  Her impressive 18.5 million followers can’t unsee it.
  8.  Skin, skin, skin.  The next thing you know taxpayer money will be funding drag queen shows at public middle schools.  Wait.
  9.  If you don’t recognize the name Kari Lake, you soon will.  She’s the hard-charging Republican candidate for Governor of Arizona.  She is at ease in front of cameras, well-spoken, effectively acerbic, and unafraid to spar.  A Liz Chaney-led PAC sent $500k to her Democratic opponent to run ads against Ms. Lake.  Lake sent Chaney a letter.  It begins, “Thank you for your generous in-kind contribution to my campaign. Your recent television ad urging Arizonans not to vote for me is doing just the opposite. Our campaign donations are skyrocketing and our website nearly crashed from traffic after the attack ads.”
  10.  Elon Musk spent $44 billion to return Twitter to a free speech vessel.  He would like to thank everyone who bought an electric car from his Tesla company which received billions and billions “free” from many of the same car-owning taxpayers to get started.  It sounds like a win-win-win for him.    Some Twitter employees don’t feel the same way about themselves.
  11. (Lagniappe) There is no truth to the rumor that Musk offered to buy the FBI from Zuckerberg but was emphatically turned down.

Boo!

Abby Picks, Year Five, Week Nine

Posted on by boom booms room staff

President Joe Biden said yesterday that the average national price per gallon of gas is $3.39 compared to when he took office when it was over $5.00/gal.  Congrats Joe!

Applying similar creative math, Abby won all of her bets last week and even some that she didn’t make.  Congrats Abby!

However, upon further review, it looks like last week was a tough one.  Only one win vs six losses and eight bones dropped vs only two won tell the tale that’s wagging the dog.  She did cash in on the first hunch bet offered this year thanks to an angry Nick Saban.

Onward.

  1. East Carolina at BYU -3 –  BYU has gotten beat down three weeks in a row.  Provo gets loud tonight and the Cougars win going away.  One bone.
  2.  Illinois at Nebraska + 7 1/2 – How far have the once mighty fallen?  And, how far up have the downtrodden climbed?  The Cornhuskers will find a way to lose.  But they cover.  One bone.
  3. Kentucky + 11 1/2 at Tennessee –  Abby thinks Tennessee is very, very good.  She also thinks that they may be looking ahead to a week off and a tussle with Georgia on 11/5.   Will Levis please be healthy.  One bone.
  4.  TCU at West Virginia + 7 /12 and ML–  TCU is good.  But, they’ve been winning from behind and/or in OT for three weeks now.  Maybe they’re running on fumes a bit.  One bone on the point spread and one bone to win two bones straight up on the money line.
  5. Wake Forest -3 at Louisville –  Number 10 ranked WF is the team that no one talks about.  Their only loss is to Clemson in Clemson in overtime.  The Deamon Deacons’ offense puts up points by the minute.  Which Louisville team shows up?  Two bones.
  6. Northwestern at Iowa -11 and over 37 1/2 – To win the bet Abby needs Iowa to score at least 12 points.  This hasn’t been easy for the Hawkeyes’ inept offense all year.  They find a way at home Saturday.  Parlay two bones to win six bones.
  7.  Oregon at California +17 – The Golden Bears are at home and Oregon goes on the road after a big College Gameday home win over previously undefeated UCLA.  Abby likes dogs named Spot and likes this spot as well.  Two bones.

Jimbo and Texas A&M have been getting roasted in the media all week.   On a hunch, Abby likes the wounded and once proud Aggie underdogs at home ‘mad as hell” angle and getting 2 points versus Mississippi.

Woof!

Boom Booms Life Lessons #10

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Last week’s post about the negotiated old floor mats drew a large and loud response.  We trust it brought a smile to Boom Boom upstairs.

We decided to offer another of our well-worn and well-learned lessons below.  It’s an easy read.  We hope that you do your best today.

One of the many gifts that Boom Boom gave us was the torrent of quips about how one leads one’s life.   He could say so much by saying so little.   A statement at just the right moment resonated in my young, eager eardrums.  How I interpreted or applied it was up to me.  No more words were spoken because no more words were needed.  Today we share a tough one and it’s quickly our 10th.

In the spring semester of eighth grade the PA announcement was music to my ears.   JV and Varsity baseball tryouts would begin that Friday afternoon and continue on that Saturday morning.  His years of hard work with me had reached a pivot point.

The ninth and tenth-grade competition would be tough.  I was confident, however.   I had been running, hitting, fielding, and pitching for weeks prior.  I was pumped.  Perhaps secretly so was he.

After Friday about a dozen were told thanks but no.  After Saturday’s practice, the herd was thinned again, and I was one of 18.  Fifteen would be kept.  So far so good.   Coach had settled me into first base more than anything else.  The competition there wasn’t too strong if you asked me.  As I hopped into the Jetstar 88 for the ride home I wanted to compare myself to others.  He didn’t.   “Did you do your best?”    I said yes.  “That’s all that you can ask of yourself,” he assured me.  “Do your best every day!”  “That’s what you can control.”

Monday, coach approached after practice.  I got the bad news.   As I hopped in for the drive home my face told the story.  Silence filled the car.  After a few minutes, Boom Boom asked, “Did you do your best?” I didn’t want to hear that at that moment.  “But, I was better than David.”  He didn’t want to hear that at that moment.  He asked again.  I finally mumbled a weak “yes.”  “That’s all anyone can ask son.  Do your best!  And let the chips fall where they may.”

Next spring’s tryout was but 362 days away.

 

 

Good Night Everyone

Posted on by boom booms room staff

John Fetterman stumbled and bumbled through his debate last evening with Dr. Oz for the Pennsylvania Senate seat.  At least he has an excuse.  If his family, friends, and for that matter the DNC had a conscience, they would follow the science.

Speaking of doctors and following the science, Joe Biden, the CDC, and the NIH seem to be stumbling and bumbling with this pesky covid 19 pandemic.

It started about a year ago right now when the President, who stumbles and bumbles a bit himself, said, “For unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm.”  Looking back that seems overstated.

By June of this year, he was promoting a safe vaccine for children ages five and under.

The President then pivoted in a 60 Minutes interview in early September. “We still have a problem with Covid. We’re still doing a lotta work on it. But the pandemic is over. If you notice, no one’s wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape.”

And, yesterday, in remarks on Covid, before he rolled up his sleeve for yet another booster he said, ” Americans have a choice as to how bad COVID-19 could be this winter.”  He also warned, yet again, that more people are likely to die.    Maybe we aren’t in pretty good shape?

Giving a boost to the booster effort he continued, “It’s incredibly effective, but the truth is, not enough people are getting it,” Biden said.  “Now we need a shot just once a year.

Noticeably absent was CDC Director Rochelle Walensky from the group gathered to support Biden and his remarks.   Last Friday night the good Dr. Walensky tested positive for COVID-19.  She is up to date with her vaccines.  Consistent with CDC guidelines, she is isolated at home.

Remember, it’s incredibly effective.

Dr. Anthony Fauci was behind the President and smiling from ear to ear.  He misses the spotlight ever so much.  With Cuomo and Lemon off of CNN at night and Rachael Maddow seldom seen on MSNBC most evenings now, his path to a live camera to tell us “I am the science” is tougher.

Will Dr. Oz defeat Fetterman in two weeks?  If he does, the Senate is one big step closer to Republican control.

And, if they get that control, another good doctor will find a path to a live camera.  Dr. Rand Paul promises a full Senate investigation by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions into the origin, treatment, payouts, and results of the last three years of the virus and the subsequent billions of jabs to save us all.

Susequently, that will get Dr. Fauci plenty of the live air time he covets whether he wants it then, or not.

“Goodnight everyone,” Fetterman said as the debate began last evening.

Kudos to him for stumbling into correctly reading the exhausted American psyche.

We’re all looking for a few good nights right about now.

 

 

Abby Picks, Week Eight, Year Five

Posted on by boom booms room staff

What kennel cough?  That was now two weeks ago!  And, Abby is got a little pep in her step and a little bite in her bark after following up week six winners with a fine week seven.

She won five games while losing four.  Importantly, she put the right bones on the right games including hitting a parlay.  She gathered ten bones while only giving away five!

Week Eight looks tricky.  She’s taking a road less traveled.

         UAB +1 1/2 at Western Kentucky– Take the road dog if you need a little Friday Night Lights action.  UAB is the better team.  One bone.

         Texas A&M -3 at South Carolina- Everyone is writing off the Aggies at 3-3.  Maybe so for the national picture, but they still have plenty of talent to handle a pesky Gamecock.  One bone.

         Houston -3 at Navy – This line almost seems like a steal for the Cougars.  Abby will bite, well not in real life.  Two bones.

         UCLA +6 at Oregon -6 –  This is where it all started for Chip Kelly.  And this is where the Bruins’ 7-0 start is left in last-minute ruins by a FG.  But, nonetheless, they cover.  Two bones.

         Ole Miss + 2 1/2 and under 67 1/2 at LSU –  Abby is making this road trip this AM.  LSU has trouble with mobile QBs as well as stopping the run.  Ole Miss does both well.  One bone to win three bones.

         Memphis +7 at Tulane –  Tulane is ranked for the first time since 1998.  Memphis has lost two straight heartbreaking buzzer-beaters.  A straight-up win would not shock Abby.  One bone.

         Purdue +3 at Wisconsin-  Purdue is pretty good this year for Purdue.  Wisconsin is pretty bad this year for Wisconsin.  A straight-up win would not shock Abby.  Two bones.

Abby is feeling frisky enough to drop a hunch bet as well.  Bama is a big 20 1/2 point favorite over Mississippi St.  It won’t be enough.  Saban is rabid after the Vols scored 52 a week ago.

Holy Schmolly seven roadies.  Five dogs, two chalks, one under, and a hunch.

Woof!

 

 

 

How Bout Dem Boys?

Posted on by boom booms room staff

A known serial womanizer/assaulter squared off against a known massage parlor frequenter yesterday and the result was not a happy ending.

The NFL fall meetings took place in New York Tuesday.  And the fireworks were glorious.

The owner of the highest valued franchise, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, exchanged a few heated words with the owner of the most historically successful franchise, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

The catalyst was a motion to permit the owner’s compensation committee to begin negotiations on a new deal with commissioner Roger Goodell.

Jerry Jones was the one dissenter in the 31-1 vote in favor of beginning.  He wants Goodell’s next contract to be more performance incentive-based and less salary guaranteed.

If Jones, as President and GM of the Cowboys, was compensated that way he would be far less wealthy than he is, but we digress.

Jones told Kraft, “don’t f… with me.”  Kraft uttered, “excuse me?”  And Jones countered with “don’t mess with me.”  What started this?  Does it matter?

Boys.  Boys!  BOYS!  How bout dem boys?

Billionaires arguing about a two-three hundred million dollar compensation package is unseemly.

But wait, there’s more.

Colts owner Jim Irsay contended out loud that he believes there’s “merit” to consider the removal of Dan Snyder from the Washington Commanders’ ownership.  In an effort to oust Snyder over a series of serious internal missteps that there is now an investigation into whether Snyder was actually privately investigating the other owners so that the dirty ones would have dirt on the other dirty ones.

What’s Snyder getting the most heat for?  The heat stems from a steamy boy’s club front office that serially harassed female employees when the Commanders were the Redskins.  He should get heat for running a once proud franchise straight into the Fed Ex Field dirt, but we digress again.

It seems that DeShaun Watson’s off-of-the-field dalliances should immediately qualify him for ownership once his playing days end.  Of course, the NFL will allow none of his bad behavior to go unpunished.  It tarnishes the image of the game.

We ask once more, “how bout dem boys?”

 

Boom Boom’s Life Lessons #7.

Posted on by boom booms room staff

By request from not one, but two readers, we share the previously published article again for your perusal.  It must be sales meeting time for some.  We hope you’ll enjoy it.

 

One of the many gifts that Boom Boom gave us was the torrent of quips about how one leads one’s life.   He could say so much by saying so little.   A statement at just the right moment resonated in my young, eager eardrums.  How I interpreted or applied it was up to me.  No more words were spoken because no more words were needed.

Boom Boom bought a new car when, and only when, the need arose.  He bought American.  And, he bought Oldsmobiles.  Mom would get the new car and hand Boom Boom the keys to the old one.   He included me in the conversations with the car salesmen and management from a very young age.

In the mid-sixties an on and off again negotiation with the local dealership involved us walking out twice and resuming the deal-making the next day and then the day after.  Finally, exhaustively, the terms were agreed to on a new Jetstar 88.  “We’ll clean it up for you and you can pick it up tomorrow Mr. Johnston,” said the exasperated car salesman.

After his work and our dinner the next evening we drove in the old trade-in Olds to pick up the new Olds.  After the final paperwork was signed we joyfully opened the doors to get into the new shiny ride.  One problem.  There were no floor mats.  “Where are the floor mats,” Boom Boom inquired.  “Mr. Johnston, there were none in the car as it was offered to you.  Floor mats will be an extra $36, said the soon-to-be more exasperated car salesman.”  “Keep the car,”  Boom Boom evenly retorted.   “Let’s go,” he said to mom and I.   Silence abounded.  And, off we drove in the old Jetstar 88 back home.  The silence was still plentiful well into the evening.

The next evening our phone rang.  Boom Boom answered.  Boom Boom listened.  Then, Boom Boom spoke.   We could only hear his side of the conversation.   “So, now you want to include the floor mats?”  Pause.  “Ok, well, tell your manager that I now need another $150 off of the car for my inconvenience in addition to the floor mats.”  Long pause.  “Tell him thank you.”

“Let’s get the car,” he said.  Mom decided to drop him and me off and head back home.  She may have had a wee bit of buyer’s fatigue.  As dad and I waited for them to bring the car around to the front he looked at me(all of six or seven years old) and said, “Never be afraid to walk away from a negotiation.  Never.”

The new car smell filled my nostrils on the ride home.  The lesson learned fills my mind to this day.