Day 530

• Onto the shitlist goes REDCON1, a sports supplement company.  Cut ties with Arnold over his "Screw your freedoms." comment about the coronavirus and vaccines.

• 75 doctors in Florida have finally had enough of "FREEDUMBS!".  They walked out today in a symbolic gesture, stating that the overrun of unvaccinated COVID patients has exhausted them.
• Iraan, Texas -- 1200 strong -- has had to go into total shutdown.  HALF THE TOWN HAS THE VIRUS!!!  At least one case had to be airlifted OUT OF STATE to get treatment.  (MSN)
• 3 Houston emergency rooms have closed due to a similar strain on the medical community.  These fuckers might succeed.  We might well get total collapse of the US medical system...   
• The Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii is being harassed by anti-vaxx protestors at his home.  He has an interesting response:  That he, as a doctor, will be treating them for COVID soon enough!!
• At least one hospital in Elko, NV is being overrun with COVID patients, doctors begging people to get vaccinated.  County's vaccination rate:  26%.  State's vaccination rate:  43%.  Debbie...  Joey...  CANCEL THESE DAMN SHOWS!  The situation is not ready for large gatherings in Nevada.  (I know they'll never see it, but the fact is I do want it said in case either of them end up in a future Day post as a COVID positive.  For Debbie, it would be a SECOND this year.)

• Racial slurs at African-American cheerleaders in a Southern California early-season high-school football game last weekend...
• To give you an idea of how bad things are getting:  $100,000 in stolen property has been found near a homeless encampment in Southern California -- but the homeless are not suspected in any of the thefts.  It appears the encampment is being used as a cover for a massive shoplifting ring.
• Vice-President Kamala Harris has called on Americans to start Christmas shopping early -- but not for the materialistic reason you think!  She's basically saying she believes the supply chain is breaking down and they don't know what's going to be available by December.  And sorry, Fox News Oreos -- I have anecdotal from my grocery trips indicating she's RIGHT!!!   
• Beginning to get some idea that the Yankees are getting the skids greased, including a very questionable third out at home by Freddie Freeman of Cobb County in the 5th inning, where it looked like he not only beat the tag, but ALSO didn't have a lane to slide in and had to create one!!  Yankees won their 11th straight, by one run.

Might as well, since we're now about 35 or so to go...

• The 11-game surge has brought the Yankees within 4 of Tampa, with Boston 6.5 back.
• The White Sox are the only team above .500 in the AL Central, and double-digits up on everybody else.
• Houston is 4.5 up on Oakland after the A's have dropped 4 straight.  Seattle only one game behind Oakland.
• Wildcard:  Boston at Yankees.  (And who might love all that???   Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...)  Oakland 2 games out, Seattle 3.
• #1 AL seed:  Tampa up 4 on Houston, 5.5 on the White Sox.
• Over to the National League:  Cobb County 4.5 up on the Phillies, as the LOLMets (6.5 out) are so bad now that their owner has called the team out -- 13-23 since the break, 9-20 in the last month.
• Brewers are 8.5 up on the Reds.
• Giants are 2.5 up on the Dodgers, and the Padres are fading out fast (14 out).
• Wildcard:  Reds at Dodgers.  San Diego one back of the Reds.  Dodgers are 10.5 up on the Reds.
• #1 NL seed:  Giants 4.5 up on the Brewers.  The Dodgers have the second best record in the NL, but would have to face the Giants in a 5-game series because of how the playoffs are set up.
• The Giants are 3.5 up on the Rays for the best record in baseball.
• On the other side of the ledger:  Baltimore has lost NINETEEN IN A ROW.  As such, their 38-86 record is 27 games out of fourth in the AL East, and is 5.5 "ahead" of the Rangers for worst record in the AL, and 2.5 "ahead" of the Diamondbacks for worst record in the majors.  The D-Backs are 4.5 "ahead" of Pittsburgh for worst in the NL.
• Tragic number (the number for elimination from the playoffs) for the Orioles is FIVE vs. Boston.  On August 24th.
• The D-Backs Tragic number is nine.