dpberr

Gas prices will be $6 by July 4th, not Labor Day. Labor Day, it'll be at or near $8. I expect that to occur because this administration wouldn't have let the prices break the $5 barrier if they either knew how or cared to. They know they've crossed the political Rubicon with gas prices. Target having record inventory in TVs and house "stuff" is another microcosm sign of customers throttling down discretionary spending. It's not Target overreaction to COVID, it's customers cutting back. I've also noticed that for restaurants where you'd have to wait for a table, there's no longer a wait. In my area, people enjoy dining out on the weekend, and restaurants are usually quite full, even in previous downturns, they'd be busy. Past couple weekends, easy to get a seat without the wait, which suggests to me folks are beginning to throttle down that discretionary dining spending too.

San Francisco DA recall and LA mayor results are dead canaries in the coal mine for Democrats. Rick Caruso is as traditional Republican as one could be, and he beat Bass 42-37. I expected him to come in second to her, not actually be the top vote-getter.

I haven't played this year's version but I've always thought Madden could be the football "Show" if EA weren't so complacent. The Show to me, is the most complete sports simulation game that's out there. I've always appreciated that the designers behind MTS seem to listen to fans, add features to the game, and give fans some new things to experience.

I saw the movie this weekend. It was an entertaining movie, albeit one of the more vanilla ones I've seen recently. No major plot evolution or shocks. Good to see Ed Harris and Jennifer Connelly. Jon Hamm delivered. I remain curious as to why Jon Hamm has had such a difficult time getting lead roles in big movies - IMO, he could be the heir apparent to the Bruce Willis every man characters. It was good to watch a good non-superhero movie. I'm tired of superhero movies.

It's also not true. The vaccine manufacturers are protected by the US government. They aren't liable for damages from their products in the United States. For all vaccines besides Covax, the VICP covers damages brought forward by plaintiffs. For covax, the manufacturers remain free of any and all liability.

I think Lamar Jackson is doing exactly what the Ravens hope he'd do. They hope he leaves as a FA. I don't think Lamar Jackson is 100% healthy, nor will he ever be. The Ravens know this. This is why the Ravens are likely pitching a new deal that doesn't have a lot of guaranteed money but a lot of playing time and performance incentives. A deal he surely will never sign. They don't want to be attached to him as the QB on a long term deal, despite the public posturing. The Ravens can't trade him and get the value they seek, either. The NFL knows what the Ravens know. My guess is they will ride with him in 2022 and then let him walk.

One way to find out! Same could be said for dudes who play basketball overseas and manage to give the US "Dream Team" a good beating. It'd give the reason for the NFL players to show up so they aren't embarrassed.

NFL pros versus CFL pros (or USFL!) would be interesting if you could come to agreement on the rules and field dimensions. Back in the day I always wanted to see how the best NFL Europe had compared to the NFL. Move the Pro Bowl around to cities that do not have an NFL team but have a major college team (and stadium). Play it in Nebraska or Happy Valley.

Sweepstakes for a group of fans to coach the game and call all the plays. Flag football with teams comprised from each division only. (AFC East vs. AFC South) Can only run plays from a selected historical era of football (only plays can be from the 70s) Legends game (bring back TO!)

I have a feeling this was a battle of wills between two jerk personalities. The airline employee needed to de-escalate that situation as best he could, not escalate it. De-escalation skills aren't taught enough in customer service. The best people at that game are your bar/club bouncers. They are better than most police officers because they do it so often, that the fight/flight response you feel viscerally when threatened has been honed where they can control it. You don't lose your man card by doing it.

Anyone want to take wagers that the 2022 monkeypox was another lab accident? It's alarming at how fast this "novel" "rare" virus is spreading. Let me know if that sounds somewhat familiar.

Biggest weakness is the team reading and believing its own press, and not getting over their collective selves. All this Super Bowl talk can be dangerous to a team not accustomed to such air, as it can lull you into a false belief that your collection of superior talent will win out the day in the end, and you can turn on the intensity and focus when it's "needed."

The answer is simple. The train horn.

I feel Hollywood probably thinks audiences don't want to see a 51-year old woman in a bikini. They'd be wrong when it comes to her.

Top Gun + Christopher McQuarrie. Has he ever written a bad screenplay? Filled with great actors. Tom Cruise doesn't mail it in. Top Gun - the annoying political correctness. Can't wear the Taiwan flag on the jacket, cast "looks" correct. May make for a bland film so no one is offended. Likely no Jennifer Connelly in a bikini playing volleyball.

Too soon. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Yes. IMO, the classical analog watch separates the adults from the children in the room. I cringe when I see a man pay attention to every outfit detail but the plastic watch on his wrist.

His biggest detractor was the one that stared back at him in the mirror every day.

Dropping the car in TN is a rouse. IMO they headed west then south. They will ultimately try to cross the border via tractor trailer. Maybe Brownsville. Guys in prison that long have connections on the outside.

She won't last very long. She'll quit. Based on what I've read about her, she's quiet and doesn't thirst for the limelight. Being the center of attention every day will exhaust her. IMO, the best press secretary in recent times was Tony Snow during the GWB years. Second place, Mike McCurry. Obama's were terrible. Trump's were god awful terrible because they were interested in sword fighting the press. Psaki was the continuation of the terrible.

The truth is uglier - COVID is likely just the latest lab accident. SARS, MERS, 2009 flu outbreak, even the swine flu of 1976. All bugs with no known origin in nature - to this day.

Leaking a preliminary SCOTUS opinion is another piece of evidence that America is in a troubling decline. I didn't think someone working for the Court would do that.

I voted other. Dareus is my vote because he delivered on his potential and decided on his own to turn it off and stop being a great player. The interesting thing about all these busts is that the red flags about these players were well documented, in different draft evaluations. It wasn't just one scout or commentator saying it, multiple people said it.

CNN, in current iteration, is a money losing product nobody watches as it became a fever dream of Jeff Zucker's politics. The data shows that. I expect new ownership will make changes. I think streaming services are in for a long retreat due to 1) people cutting "easy" expenditures where they can and 2) people getting out of the house.

The Contractor is a bland movie with great actors mailing it in while on vacation in Europe. The only streaming service produced action movie that's worth anything remains Extraction. I'd argue it's one of Chris Hemsworth's best films to date.