Weekend watchdog

The NFL preseason has begun.
Saturday, the stars of the past get their due.
The NFL inducts its newest class of Hall of Famers Saturday at 7 p.m. on NFL network and ESPN.
The Orioles host the Tigers, with Friday's game on MASN before moving to MASN2 Saturday and Sunday.
MASN has the Nationals' series with the Cubs Friday through Sunday, and TBS carries the Sunday contest.
The Mets host the Dodgers on FoxSports1 Saturday afternoon and ESPN Sunday night.
Senior League baseball has its international final Saturday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2, with the Intermediate championship game Sunday at 9 p.m.
NASCAR heads to Watkins Glen, with the Monster Series on NBC Sports network Sunday at 3 p.m. The Xfinity Series goes Saturday at 2 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
CBS has the World Golf Championship Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Fox has the German Super Cup between Borussia Dormund and Bayern Munich Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
It's the MLS battle of New York Sunday at 6 p.m. followed by Kansas City-Atlanta on FoxSports1. ESPN shows the Timbers and Galaxy Sunday at 4 p.m.
There's an international friendly between Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus Saturday at 12:25 p.m. on ESPN.
The Mystics host the Mercury Sunday at 3 p.m. on Comcast.
Junior League softball holds its final Saturday at 3 p.m. on ESPN2 and it's the Senior League title tilt Sunday at 2 p.m.
On the road to the U.S. Open, ESPN2 shows the Bank of the West Classic Sunday at 5 p.m.

Change in West Virginia

West Virginia governor Jim Justice took advantage of President Trump's visit to the state to announce he'll become a Republican.
Let the fun begin in the Mountain State.

Suit yourself

It's been less than a week since a construction crew cut an electrical cable on the North Carolina Outer Banks.
The lawyers are already hard at work.

The lawsuit alleges that PCL claimed it could save $60 million and work on an accelerated schedule to win a contract to replace the Bonner Bridge. It says that power lines were cut during construction work on the bridge, which crosses the Oregon Inlet from Bodie Island to Hatteras Island.

As a result of the cut cable, Hatteras and Ocracoke islands lost power and utility companies have used generators to provide power to the islands. The generators were not enough to provide sustained power to all of both islands, resulting in rolling blackouts. In a news release, Wallace and Graham said “tens of thousands” of residents and tourists have been forced to evacuate the islands since Friday.

Let's see the lawyers work through the night to build something.

Eclipsed

The Boston Globe tries to tie the coming eclipse with territory won by Donald Trump.
There's another eclipse coming in the spring of 2024.
That will cover plenty of Trump territory too, as we prepare to vote for a new president after Trump's eight years in office.

Road rage

Via Dustbury, a great highway sign.

Lower forever

Are you enjoying gas prices around $2/gallon?
Remember when Democrats didn't think that would ever happen?
The Energy Information Administration projects that, next year, U.S. oil production will average almost 10 billion barrels a day, which would beat the previous record of 9.6 billion in 1970. What's more, a quarter of this production is coming from one oil field: the Permian Basin in West Texas.
Those "obscene" industry profits? They've fallen as well. ExxonMobil's (XOM) revenue in 2016 was about half what it was in 2011. In its most recent quarter, the company earned $3.4 billion — or 78 cents share. In the same quarter in 2011 it earned $10.7 billion, or $2.18 a share.

Saturday song

Kansas haunts the airwaves with Dust in the Wind.

Facebook quote of the week

I'm pretty sure united is fitting people into the overhead on this flight.

Weekend watchdog

With July 31 looming, the major league baseball deadline for non-waiver trades has everybody thinking of the postseason.
Washington hosts a pair of teams aiming for October baseball this weekend as the Nationals host the Rockies on MASN.
The Nationals have a big lead in the NL East, while Colorado battles Arizona for the two wild card spots - several games ahead of the defending champion Cubs.
The Orioles visit Texas for the weekend on MASN2.
FoxSports1 has the Dodgers against the Giants Saturday at 4 p.m., followed by the Marlins meeting the Reds. The Cubs take on the Brewers Sunday at 2 p.m. on TBS, with the Dodgers facing the Giants on ESPN Sunday at 8 p.m.
NASCAR's Monster Cup Series heads to Pocono for the weekend, with coverage Sunday at 3 p.m. on NBC Sports network. The Xfinity Series will be in Iowa Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC and the Truck Series goes Saturday at 1 p.m. on Fox.
NBC Sports network carries the Hungarian Grand Prix Sunday at 7:30 a.m. There's qualifying Saturday at 8 a.m. after practice Friday at 8 a.m.
North of the border, the PGA Tour's Canadian Open will be on CBS Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
British Columbia clashes with Edmonton Friday at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Baltimore battles Philadelphia in the Arena Football League Saturday at 1 p.m. on Comcast.
It's Real Madrid-Barcelona in the International Champions Cup Saturday at 7:55 p.m., while ESPN2 has Chelsea's clash with Internazionale at 7:30 a.m. and Manchester City taking on Tottenham Hotspur at 6 p.m. Roma faces Juventus Sunday at 4 p.m. on ESPN.
Atlanta takes on Orlando City on Fox Saturday at 5 p.m. The Galaxy goes against Seattle Saturday at 10 p.m. on ESPN and it's Toronto-New York City Sunday at 4 p.m.
FoxSports1 carries the U.S. Girls Junior Championship Saturday at 2 p.m. The semifinals are Friday at 3 p.m.
The Mystics host Connecticut in WNBA play Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
The road to the U.S. Open starts with the Atlanta Open on ESPN2 Sunday at 5 p.m.
The World Aquatics Championships continues on NBC Sports network Thursday at 11:30 a.m., with more action Friday at 11:30 a.m.

Another Meh movie

This weekend, moviegoers have a choice.
They can watch "The Emoji Movie," starring Meh.
Or say "Meh" to another Al Gore environmental disaster movie.

Gore is a smug man, and he perhaps reaches peak smugness in the new film when he is seen telling an audience: “Ten years ago [now eleven], when the movie An Inconvenient Truth came out, the single most criticized scene was an animated scene showing that the combination of sea-level rise and storm surge would put the ocean water into the 9/11 memorial site, which was then under construction. And people said, ‘That’s ridiculous. What a terrible exaggeration.’” Smash cut to: Hurricane Sandy, and the flooding of downtown Manhattan and the World Trade Center area, in October of 2012. If Gore had a sense of humor, he would play a sample of Nelson Muntz’s iconic “HAW-ha” from The Simpsons. 

Except Gore is here misleading us about his own earlier prediction. In An Inconvenient Truth Gore didn’t say anything about lower Manhattan getting inundated because of a passing storm. He showed the tip of the island disappearing underwater because of melting ice in the North Atlantic, not because a hurricane happened to strike the area at high tide and during a full moon. There’s a fairly critical distinction between the two scenarios: One is permanent. Lower Manhattan may someday be uninhabitable by anyone who doesn’t have gills, but it’s silly for Gore to claim this happened five years ago.At least there's baseball and Big Bang Theory.

The real collusion

Want to hear about a real threat to our national security involving foreigners and technology?
How about the Democratic IT staffer trying to leave the country under questionable circumstances?
So let's digest this story. In a media environment obsessed with the DNC hack, it turns out five individuals were abusing their access to the DNC email system while -- possibly -- committing an assortment of crimes.
* Imran Awan's wife (herself one of the IT 5) already fled to Pakistan, carrying $12,000 in cash with her.
* Imran Awan man himself wired $280,000 to Pakistan, then attempted to flee there.
Read the whole thing, at a site that really cares about the country.

They must be crazy

Althouse lets her commenters loose on the idea that psychiatrists can give their professional opinion on President Trump.
Let them speak, and then the rest of us will speak about whether they are professionals deserving of deference or human beings like the rest of us who can't keep our political preferences from skewing whatever it is we might think about some pressing issue of the day.
And her readers oblige.
The percentage of hacks, cranks and fools in the mental health "profession" is stunningly high. And many of them are in a position to make individual lives worse.

Rock the Senate

An interesting first poll from Michigan - Kid Rock leading incumbent senator Debbie Stabenow.
Lots of undecideds in this poll.
Lots of proof the Trump effect will be alive and well in 2018.

How's he doing?

DaTech Guy and his writers look at the Trump presidency at the six-month mark.
The good news is I trust President Trump to be smart enough to adapt and will recognize these problems and act.  The bad news is I can’t say the same for the GOP caucus.

The media's problem

The media dislikes President Trump.
But is their dislike causing them more trouble than it's causing Trump?
Everything they do, they do as a herd – even when it’s running headlong over a cliff.
Then he compares Trump to comedic icon Rodney Dangerfield.
It’s about legitimacy, of course, and what’s left of the respectable press is utterly captivated by the theme. It completely defines their war on Trump, for example. They know what a politician is supposed to look like and act like and sound like; they know that Trump does not conform to those rules; and they react to him as a kind of foreign object jammed rudely into their creamy world, a Rodney Dangerfield defiling the fancy country club.
Dangerfield got no respect, and playing that game got him a long career.

Saturday song

Toto sings about Roseanna, not Roseann Roseannadanna.

Facebook quote of the week

97, feels like 113. That's a lie! I'd say it 117, feels like 235.

Weekend watchdog

The best golfers in the world have gathered across the pond in search of the Claret Jug.
NBC has coverage of the third round starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, with the final round Sunday at 7 a.m.
The Golf Channel has coverage of the second round Friday morning, and early coverage Saturday and Sunday starting at 1:30 a.m.
Royal Birkdale hosts the tournament for the first time since 2008, when Padraig Harrington won his second Open title.
FoxSports1 carries the United States Junior Amateur, with finals Saturday at 2 p.m. There's semifinal action Friday at 3 p.m.
The Orioles host the Astros on MASN for the weekend. TBS also carries Sunday afternoon's contest.
The Nationals visit Arizona for the weekend on MASN2.
The Cubs host the Cardinals Saturday at 4 p.m. on FoxSports1 and Sunday night on ESPN. FoxSports1 also has Rangers-Rays Saturday at 7 p.m.
NASCAR has its big weekend at Indianapolis, with the Brickyard 400 on NBC Sunday at 2:30 p.m. The Xfinity Series goes Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
The Tour de France arrives in Paris for the final stage Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on NBC Sports network. Friday and Saturday stages start at 8 a.m.
FoxSports1 has a Gold Cup semifinal Sunday at 9 p.m.
Juventus takes on Barcelona in the International Champions Cup Saturday at 6 p.m. on ESPN and it's Paris Saint Germain against Tottenham Hotspur Saturday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
Orlando City faces Atlanta United Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN and Minnesota United meets the Red Bulls Saturday at 4 p.m. FoxSports1 brings Vancouver-Portland Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
The best of the WNBA gather for the all-star game Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
Comcast offers World Team Tennis play between Springfield and San Diego Friday at 8 p.m.
The Diamond League track and field competes in Monaco Friday at 2 p.m. on NBC Sports network.

Memories of O.J.

O.J. Simpson returned to the news today, a big story like he was in 1994-95.
We all remember the Bronco chase, the trail, the verdict and the years of his vain search for the real killer (which he saw in the mirror every day).
I still remember a few days before the media storm broke.
I had just returned from vacation, and had three pages to fill with sports news at the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.
In a time when there wasn't much local competition going on.
I struggled to find AP wire stories and I got down to one small corner at the bottom of the third page.
The story of O.J. Simpson's wife being killed in L.A. filled that final spot for that Tuesday morning edition.
A few days later, O.J. took over the front pages.

Failing grade

Via Althouse, the story of a college professor who decided to grade his ex's apology letter.
He's accused of cyberbullying her for posting the letter — marked up with mock pedantic comments — that she left on the windshield of his truck after he'd blocked her on his phone and on social media. He didn't reveal her name or any other information about her. He didn't threaten her. He just put up her words on a document that she'd given to him and his own humorously distanced commentary.

Dealmaking in a land of no compromise

The travails of the House and Senate dealing with Obamacare show the weakness in President Trump's way of governing.
You can't make deal with people who won't compromise.
Democrats won't compromise - Obamacare's good ideas are ours and problems due to Republicans.
Republicans won't compromise - at least enough won't to prevent a deal.
Why?
For both sides, no compromise benefits them.
Trumps used to deals where both sides benefit from getting a deal done.
Democrats think they'll benefit if they don't deal with Trump on anything.
Thus stalemate.
That costs all of us.

Song for the week

The Trump administration wants us to talk about "Made in America" this week.
The Oak Ridge Boys tried a few years ago.

Wait til next year

The Baltimore Orioles just finished a terrible weekend series, basically dooming their chances to make the postseason.
I tried to encourage my family.
I said each Sunday, why don't you buy a dozen crabs for each time the Orioles lost during the week.
They didn't think they could afford that many crabs.

Facebook quote of the week

It was a perfect summer day to take a day trip to one of our favorite towns: Harper's Ferry, WV. (The yard work can wait.)

Saturday song

Bruce Hornsby tells us that's the way it is.

The B-I-B-L-E, yes, that's the book for me

DaTechGuy visits the Vatican's website and makes a surprising finding.
The link to the Bible had been taken down.

The Holy Bible is available in almost every language on earth: the Episcopal Conferences take care of the continuous updating of the translations. In order to have access to the latest Bible version, kindly consult the website of your Episcopal Conference. 

Yes, the Bible is everywhere.

Can't the Vatican webmaster spend a few minutes a week to make sure the Bible link takes visitors to the right place?

 

Weekend watchdog

There's a Williams sister in the women's finals.
No surprise.
There's an American man in the semifinals.
A surprise.
Venus Williams vies for the championship Saturday at 9 a.m. on ESPN. It's the 14th time in 17 years that a Williams sister has reached the final, but the first trip for Venus since 2009.
On the men's side, Sam Querry ousted top-ranked Andy Murray Wednesday to advance to Friday's semifinals. ESPN has coverage starting at 8 a.m. with the final Sunday at 9 a.m.
The Orioles start the second half by hosting the Cubs on MASN this weekend, while the Nationals visit Cincinnati on MASN2.
The Yankees and Red Sox get plenty of coverage, with Saturday afternoon's game on FoxSports1 before the Sunday day/night doubleheader splits between TBS and ESPN. The Rangers meet the Royals Saturday at 7:15 p.m. on FoxSports1.
NASCAR visits New Hampshire this weekend, with the Monster Series on NBC Sports network Sunday at 3 p.m. The Xfinity Series takes the track Saturday at 4 p.m.
CBS has the PGA tour's John Deere Classic Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m.
Fox carries the U.S. Women's Open Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. FoxSports1 has the second round Friday at 2 p.m.
Stage 13 of the Tour de France starts Friday at 8:30 a.m. on NBC Sports network. The race continues Saturday at 8 a.m. and Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
ESPN2 has NBA Summer League games Saturday at 4 p.m. and two games Sunday at 6 and 8 p.m.
The Galaxy face Manchester United in an international friendly Saturday at 10 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Gold Cup continues as Costa Rica clashes with French Guiana Friday at 7:30 p.m. before Canada takes on Honduras. Mexico meets Curacao Sunday at 8:30 p.m. on FoxSports1.
There's X Games action from Minneapolis Thursday and Friday at 9 p.m. on ESPN. Coverage continues Saturday at 3 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Future pissed away

Via Instapundit, the travails of the failing Epicopalian Church.

Somehow slipping out of the headlines is a harsh reality that the denomination has been deserted in droves by an angry or ambivalent membership. Six prominent bishops are ready to take their large dioceses out of the American church and align with conservative Anglican groups in Africa and South America.

If you want an inclusive church, join one that includes churches in Africa and South America.

Not one that thinking inclusive is picking up any group that clashes with years of Christian doctrine.

Complain, shout, repeat

Another day on the Trump trauma wagon.
His opponents only see the worst.
His supporters want him to continue making America great again.

Trumped up charges

Donald Trump Jr.'s emails have Democrats giddy.
Could this be the item they are looking for?
Doubtful.
But it won't keep Democrats from pushing it.