Mitch Lerner

When Roman Anthony's new contract with the Red Sox ends, the Mets will still have one more year of paying Bobby Bonilla.

Roughly 100-120 billion people have existed on earth since its creation. With numbers of that magnitude, it seems possible that at least 2 or 3 or maybe even 4 people in that group were at one point as sick as I am right now. But, it's doubtful. Damn COVID! Someone bring me some horse de-wormer!

To be clear, the orange felon fired the Head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics hours after producing a truthful jobs report because he wants to hide how badly he’s crashing the economy and he’ll install one of his minions to produce fake numbers from now on. Fascism.

Monthly reminder: Many people have a book in them, but it takes a special kind of freak to leave the Land of Laziness, cross the Plains of Procrastination and Insecurity Mountain, find the Blade of No One Made You Do This, and use it to cut your chest open and yank that book out.

It has been the honor of my life to serve as Commissioner of BLS alongside the many dedicated civil servants tasked with measuring a vast and dynamic economy. It is vital and important work and I thank them for their service to this nation.

My week in Taiwan was great, but it also made me appreciate the simple joys of coming home to your loved ones. That's right: the air conditioner and I are going to spend some serious quality time together for the nest few days.

My week in Taiwan included meetings with officials from KMT and DPP as well as political activists, scholars, etc. I now feel ready to talk about the recall election results, if anyone wants an inside perspective. I can also talk about what it feels like to be roasted alive by the Taiwan heat.

I learned some really important things about diplomacy on my trip to Taiwan, but this lesson from the restroom at a prominent think tank is perhaps most impactful.

In case anyone is worried that I didn’t represent the finest Ohio fashions while I was meeting government officials in Taiwan.

So this weekend is my daughter’s bridal shower in Ohio and my wife just told me that the sewage line backup up in the basement this morning. I told her that the wine in the VIP lounge in the airport in Taipei was kind of warm so I was suffering too, but I don’t think it helped.

After last night’s win, the Red Sox—over their last 800 games covering almost 6 seasons—have 400 wins and 400 losses. That’s pretty incredible. And pretty depressing.

The Yankees finished the game with a bigger number than the other team. Unsure what this means. Will research.

Sure, sex is great but have you seen Spinal Tap on the big screen? I will be able to answer "yes" to that in about 5 hours, and I can't wait. One of the great mockumentaries ever made. It's an 11.

We base much of our political system on the idea that the Founding Fathers were brilliant people with a keen sense of what was needed for the nation’s future. But if they were so smart, why didn’t they declare independence in April? No one should attend an outside celebration in this heat.

Because I have nerve damage in both feet, I’m pretty selective about my shoes, and there’s one kind that I like enough so that I own two pairs of them. Unfortunately, when I packed for the conference that I am currently attending, I grabbed the two right shoes.

Checking out the very cool Star Trek exhibit at the Lancaster design museum. This quote is on the wall at the start. Gene Roddenberry was certainly prescient in a lot of ways.

Arrest quotas are fundamentally evil.

Feeling like SB1 signatures are easy to get in Columbus, I headed to redder counties. This “No Kings” rally in a small town an hour northwest of us was a great experience. It was a small group and they got heckled by plenty of locals, but they were passionate and knowledgeable and happy to sign!

You can't liberate a city from its democratically elected leadership.

Did they not invite Bobby Bonilla because he is still being paid by the team?

At boxing today, I sparred with a young woman who had had a good amateur boxing career. Of course, because of our different physical abilities, I took it easy on her. And by that I mean that every time her punches crushed my face, I pretended it didn't hurt that much, so she wouldn't feel guilty.

OH SB 1 Petition Higher Education is not a business

Message to those in the Columbus area: I am one of the signature collectors for the SB1 group trying to get this abomination of a law paused and put on the ballot for voters. Let me know if you are interested in signing, and I will happily come to you to get your signature. ohsb1petition.com

Sentence from an email today from a student who is protesting his grade:
"I was under the impression that attendance was encouraged but not required—more of a bonus or reward rather than a penalty."

I worry a lot about the impact of AI and other emerging technologies on future employment opportunities. Truck drivers and waitstaff and writers and more are going to be replaced by robots. But, based on the baseball games I watched this weekend, robot umpires can’t get here fast enough.

My allergies are getting worse as the week goes on. I am mentally foggy, totally unfocused, and verbally incoherent. If only I had a worm in my brain, I could be Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Over the past year, I have seen the Trump election, measles outbreaks, the rise of right-wing authoritarianism across the globe, devastating attacks on education, and the Celtics losing to the Knicks. None of them compare to the atrocity that is the new Mission Impossible movie.

Whatever you do, do it with the confidence of a terrible idea moving inexorably through the Texas Legislature.

The GOP’s Big Medicaid Idea Was Tried Before—And Failed Badly Arkansas and Georgia tried work requirements, and the results were not pretty.

"Work requirements" for Medicaid might sound good, but in practice they lead to more bureaucracy for worse coverage that drives up costs for everyone.

I am checking out hotels for my trip to DC tomorrow. An online review for this one is generally positive, giving it an 8/10, despite noting that it has “too many rapes and robberies.” I suppose if there was a child sex ring or a slave labor camp, it might have fallen to a 7?

2025 Home Attendance
Vs. Capacity (Rounded):

100% TB
94% LAD
91% PHI
90% SD
87% BOS
85% NYY ATL
84% NYM
83% SF ATH CHC
76% HOU
74% LAA
68% TEX
67% TOR
66% ARI
62% MIL
60% STL WSH
58% CLE
56% SEA
54% DET
52% COL
50% BAL
48% CIN
47% KC MIN
45% PIT
41% CWS
35% MIA