Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 482

A triple-header of newness at Laguna Seca this weekend

LAGUNA SECA — Out with the old asphalt and in with the new asphalt.

At least that’s the scenario for the next three events of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship — and for three different reasons.

The triple-header of newness, with 34 entries in three classes, begins Friday with a weekend of racing, highlighted the Motul Course de Monterey Powered by Hyundai N.
Grand Touring Prototype (GTP), GT Daytona Pro, GT Daytona will make their first official laps on the new surface at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.

Additionally, the Michelin Pilot Challenge, Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup will also compete on the new surface for the first time.
The series’ 26th consecutive season is scheduled to begin with a track inspection at 6:30 a.m. Friday. The crowded schedule concludes Sunday with the 2-hour-and-40-minute finale beginning at 12:10 p.m.

Numerous racing series have competed on the nearly one-year-old resurfaced track. It occurred just after IMSA weekend.

The $14.9 million project was approved in July 2022 by the County of Monterey Board of Supervisors. The first major changes to the track since 2006 also included a new pedestrian bridge. The upgrades were completed just before the MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest in July.

Following this weekend, the series moves to the streets of downtown Detroit. It’s a new venue following the Belle Isle Park street circuit where IMSA raced from 2007 to 2022.
The IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge will return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course after a year’s absence from the track an hour northeast of Columbus. The road course also has new asphalt.

The Motul Course de Monterey will be the series’ second straight race in California following last month’s Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Sebastien Bourdais and Renger van der Zande claimed their only win of the season last year in Monterey. But the Cadillac racing duo is favored in the GTP class after winning in Long Beach.

“We did come (to WeatherTech Raceway) and test with both Cadillacs, both BMWs and both Penske Porsches, so we did have time to experiment and try quite a few things,” said Bourdais on motorsport.com. “Grip has gone up a lot. It’s probably going to be at least a couple of seconds faster and it’s always an awesome feeling when you drive on a repaved track.

“I’ve always enjoyed Laguna, but tire degradation was high, and grip was quite low at the end of the cycle of the old pavement. So, now it’s full force, maximum attack and commitment, so it’s a ton of fun to muscle those GTPs around. You should see some pretty incredible speeds around the weekend.”

Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 with co-drivers Felipe Nasr and Dane Cameron leads the series this season with one win and two third places. It’s the only GTP car to finish on the podium in all three season races to date giving the drivers a commanding 58-point standings lead.

Ben Barnicoat of Vasser Sullivan Racing has won two straight races in different classes. In his full-season ride, the No. 14 Lexus RC F GT3 in the GTD PRO class, Barnicoat won at the Twelve Hours of Sebring in March.

With his regular class not competing in Long Beach, Barnicoat teamed with Parker Thompson to win in the GTD class. Barnicoat and GTD PRO teammate Jack Hawksworth finished second in Monterey last year en route to their season championship.

The Grand Touring Prototype (GTP) division made its WeatherTech Raceway debut last year. Drivers compete in vehicles with internal combustion engines paired with a hybrid electrified power storage and regeneration system for high-speed pursuits. The Mazda MX-5 Cup made its debut at Laguna Seca in 2006. The Lamborghini division is now in its 11th season.

The Mazda MX-5 Cup will not have two top riders, which means rounds 5 and 6 will open the 14-race series to championship hopefuls. The last six championships have been determined in the series finale.

Aaron Jeansonne, 25, of San Francisco, who competes for JTR Motorsports Engineering claimed his first win last year in Monterey after securing the pole position in the round 6 race. He finished second in the season-long championship.

Top drivers Connor Zilisch and Selin Rollan, both of BSI Racing, will not compete. Zilisch has a schedule conflict with another racing series; Rollan also has a conflict with his new job as a commercial pilot.

Rookie Westin Workman, also of BSI Racing, claimed his first series win in March in Round 4 at Sebring International Raceway in Florida. He’s never competed at WeatherTech Raceway.

For additional information, visit https://www.co.monterey.ca.us.

SF Giants call up Heliot Ramos for offensive spark, place Jorge Soler on injured list

Heliot Ramos will make his season debut tonight for the Giants, batting seventh as their designated hitter in Colorado.

To clear room for Ramos’ recall from Triple-A Sacramento, the Giants are giving struggling slugger Jorge Soler more time to recover from a shoulder strain.

In 30 games at Sacramento, Ramos has hit .296 with eight homers, 23 runs scored, three doubles, two triples and 16 walks.

“Everybody has been following it, so it’s been real good. Try to get him in there as quickly as we can,” Giants manager Bob Melvin told reporters in the dugout before tonight’s game. “The numbers have been impressive, for sure.”

Ramos, the Giants’ 2017 first-round draft pick, hit .158 in his big-league cameos the previous two seasons, consisting of 34 games (nine hits in 76 at-bats with one home run, two RBI and six walks).

Soler was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Sunday. The 11th-year veteran is off to a slow start in his debut season with the Giants, having totaled five home runs with just eight RBI and a .202 batting average, a .294 on-base percentage and a .361 slugging percentage. He has just three hits in his past 10 games (35 at-bats).

“It’s bothered him so there is no way it’s a couple of days away,” Melvin said. “We’ll try to let him rest and get past this thing without having anxiety and rush to get back in the lineup.”

After beating the Rockies 5-0 on Tuesday behind Kyle Harrison’s seven shutout innings, the Giants will send out Jordan Hicks (2-1) tonight for his eighth start this season, matching his career total prior to this season (all came with the 2022 Cardinals). Hicks’ 1.89 ERA ranks eighth-best in the majors this season.

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The Giants’ batting order for today’s 5:40 p.m. (PT) start against Rockies hurler Peter Lambert (2-1, 5.66):

Jung Hoo Lee, center field

Thairo Estrada, second base

LaMonte Wade Jr., first base

Michael Conforto, left field

Matt Chapman, third base

Mike Yastrzemski, right field

Ramos, DH

Blake Sabol, catcher

Nick Ahmed, shortstop

House rejects Rep. Greene motion to oust Speaker Johnson

By Lisa Mascaro and Kevin Freking | Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Hardline Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene stunned colleagues Wednesday calling for a vote to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, but lawmakers quickly rejected it.

Greene pressed ahead with her long-shot effort despite pushback from Republicans at the highest levels tired of the political chaos.

One of Donald Trump’s biggest supporters in Congress, Greene stood on the House floor and read a long list of “transgressions” she said Johnson had committed as speaker. Colleagues booed in protest.

It was the second time in a matter of months that Republicans have tried to oust their own speaker, an unheard-of level of party turmoil with a move rarely seen in U.S. history.

Greene of Georgia criticized Johnson’s leadership as “pathetic, weak and unacceptable.”

GOP lawmakers filtered towards Johnson, giving him pats on the back and grasping his shoulder to assure him of their support.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise quickly moved to table the effort — essentially stopping it from going forward. The motion to table was swiftly approved.

The Georgia Republican had vowed she would force a vote on the motion to vacate the Republican speaker if he dared to advance a foreign aid package with funds for Ukraine, which was overwhelmingly approved late last month and signed into law.

But in recent days it seemed her effort had cooled, as she and Johnson met repeatedly for a potential resolution.

Johnson of Louisiana marched on, saying he had been willing to take the risk, believing it was important for the U.S. to back Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and explaining he wanted to be on the “right side of history.”

“I just have to do my job every day,” Johnson said Monday.

In a highly unusual move, the speaker received a boost from Democrats led by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, whose leadership team had said it was time to “turn the page” on the GOP turmoil and vote to table Greene’s resolution — almost ensuring Johnson’s job is saved, for now.

Trump also weighed in after Johnson trekked to Mar-a-Lago for a visit, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee giving the speaker his nod of approval. And Trump’s hand-picked leader at the Republican National Committee urged House Republicans off the move.

The move now poses its own political risks for Greene, R-Ga., a high-profile provocateur.

Forcing the vote could bring the House chamber to a standstill, as happened last year when eight Republicans voted to ousted Kevin McCarthy from the speaker’s office, and Democrats declined to help save him.

Ousting McCarthy resulted in a nearly monthlong search for a new GOP leader, and there is no immediate successor if Johnson is removed.

Monterey County officials wrestle with tax increases

SALINAS – Monterey County elected officials struggled on Tuesday to form a consensus on raising taxes to plug what are significant deficits in the county budget in coming years.

The forecasted deficits are pegged at $26.3 million for the coming fiscal year, $37.3 million in 2025-26 and $40.3 million by 2026-27, according to Ezequiel Vega, the assistant county administrative officer and the county’s budget director.

Much of the deficit is being driven by several key cost increases. Health care benefits continue to challenge Monterey County and every county in the state. Salaries, which are negotiated by labor unions, continue to climb and contribute to the deficits. Finally, pension obligations to county employee retirement plans are accelerating.

Another pressure on the county spending plan, which is also coming up for review in coming weeks, is dwindling revenue from the $84.3 million the county received from the American Rescue Plan Act, the federal funding designed to help local agencies affected by the economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The question for the Board of Supervisors is should they raise taxes? They could raise either sales tax or Transient Occupancy Tax, which is often referred to as a hotel tax. Hotel tax is charged to visitors as part of their room charges. Increasing the hotel tax would not have an effect on residents of Monterey County.

At a current hotel tax rate of 10.5%, the unincorporated part of Monterey County is on the lower end compared with cities in the county. The rates range from 8.0% in Gonzales to 14% in Marina. The cities of Monterey, Pacific Grove, Sand City, Seaside and Soledad all charge a 12% hotel tax.

Many competitors to Monterey County for tourist dollars have higher hotel taxes than Monterey County. Napa County, for example, stands at 13%. Board Chairman Glenn Church, who supports an increase in hotel tax, said he wondered whether higher hotel tax has had any impact on those destinations with higher taxes.

If the hotel tax is raised, the “difference of $7 amounts to a poor tip,” Church said. “If I had to pick one it would be (hotel tax). It doesn’t affect the residents and major competitors are considerably higher. It’s hard to imagine we are not seeing things filling up.”

But Supervisor Mary Adams, whose District 5 is more tied to hospitality dollars than Church’s northern Monterey County district, was less enthusiastic about raising the hotel tax, likening it to killing the goose that lays a golden egg.

Adams said that a $7 increase in a single room might not sound like much, but Monterey is a destination for conferences and $7 times 1,000 room nights is a major increase that convention planners will consider.

“We need to work with the hospitality associations,” she said. “Perhaps it’s time to raise the (hotel tax) but not without working with the industry.”

If the hotel tax was raised from 10.5% to 12%, the county yield would be roughly $5.5 million, a relatively small amount compared to the additional revenue a sales tax increase would bring in. Vega, the assistant county administrative officer, during Tuesday’s meeting put up a graphic for supervisors that showed sales tax rates among the 12 cities in the county.

At 7.75%, the county sales tax rate is considerably lower than any of the cities. Nine of the 12 cities have a sales tax rate of 9.25%. A 1% increase to 8.75% would bring in an additional $12.4 million, according to Vega’s graphics.

Church noted that among the five supervisorial districts, his north Monterey County district would be affected the most since it has the greatest population. He also expressed concern that sales tax increases are regressive by nature.

Sales taxes are considered regressive because they take a larger percentage of income from low-income taxpayers than from high-income taxpayers, according to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

Supervisor Luis Alejo noted that roughly 75% of county residents live in cities where they pay more sales tax than in the unincorporated areas of the country.

“The county is behind the times,” he said.

Sales tax increase must be approved by voters. A specialty tax earmarked for a new soccer stadium or a new county building – anything the tax increase would provide revenue for a single purpose – would need to pass by a two-thirds vote.

If the increase was for general purposes, a simple majority of voters would be able to approve it. There are deadlines supervisors need to follow. In order to qualify for the November ballot, a final ballot measure will need to be submitted to the Elections Department by Aug. 9.

The year’s biggest summer travel trends, according to Pinterest

Lacey Pfalz | (TNS) TravelPulse

Pinterest is home to over 1 billion travel-related searches and 10 billion travel saves in one year, making it an interesting playground for discovering the year’s new trends.

A new report by Pinterest identified the new summer travel trends that travelers — and especially younger Gen Z travelers — are seeking out more than ever before.

Adventure travel is here to stay

Travelers are seeking out ways to satisfy a craving for adventure. Searches for adventure activities on Pinterest increased 45 percent from 2023, and the natural world is once again top-of-mind for many travelers. Adventure travel also brings a sense of personal growth and presents a different sort of challenge for many, making it a fun, bucket-list travel experience.

Luxury safari lodge interest has grown 110%, with trending adventure travel destination Tanzania growing 60% year over year, largely in part due to its safari adventures. Water park rides rose 170 percent, while train journeys and hiking trails also rose 900 and 94 percent, respectively. Additionally, activities like mountaineering, trekking, adventure camping and caving grew in interest by around 40 percent.

Travelers are also more interested in traveling to the Amazon rainforest: Searches for travel within the Amazon grew 120% from 2023.

Travelers are seeking quiet wellness escapes

Travelers on Pinterest are getting more and more interested in leaving behind the hustle and bustle culture for something quieter and more serene. Searches for “quiet life” skyrocketed 530% year over year, and searches for quiet travel have also shown an increase in interest.

Quiet places and calm places have risen 50% and 43% each. Travel journal pages increased by 155%, showing a greater interest in recording travel experiences and in wellness travel and activities.

Additionally, travelers are seeking out more information on village vibes (145% increase), cabins in the mountains (180%), countryside (60%), national parks (250%) and glamping aesthetics (260%) than they did last year.

Trending quiet life destinations include Okinawa, Japan (35% increase) and the English countryside (31% increase).

Travelers are seeking out the unexplored

Along with an interest in slower, less crowded travel experiences also comes a different sort of travel inspiration: seeking out mysterious places that provide a sense of wonder and exploration.

Interest in places on Earth that don’t feel real grew 240% year over year. Additionally, calming nature grew 340%; exploring abandoned places grew 230%; beautiful places in the world grew 150%; ancient cities grew 75% and haunted places grew 155%.

Top trending mysterious destinations that are seeing newfound popularity include Machu Picchu, which saw 190% growth in searches, and Edinburgh, Scotland, which saw a 56% growth.

Trending Gen Z summer destinations

Jasper, Canada, is this summer’s hottest destination for Gen Z travelers, who desire greater connection with the world around them, outside of their phones. Home to Jasper National Park, it’s a breathtaking place that promises ample exploration and adventure travel opportunities, along with great photography opportunities. Searches for Jasper grew 155% year over year.

Interest in learning about other destinations also grew from last year. London lifestyle grew 340%; South African food in particular rose 320%; Santorini party grew 300%; Goa nightlife grew 270%; and summer in Brazil rose 250%.

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©2024 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. Visit at travelpulse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Column: About that ‘SNL’ student protest sketch — and a lousy time for political satire

Political satire, it wasn’t. The headlines from CNN, The Hollywood Reporter and many other media outlets — “‘SNL’ Takes Aim at Pro-Palestine Campus Protesters in Cold Open” reported The Daily Beast — framed it all wrong. It’s not political satire if you leave politics as well as satire out of it.

The sketch presented a community affairs panel TV show on NY1, featuring worried, conflicted parents talking about their confusion regarding the protests, police and administration retaliation, and encampments nationwide on higher-ed campuses.

“SNL” veteran Kenan Thompson, playing the father of a Columbia University undergrad senior, was the Black exception to the white panelists, busting his Uber-driving hump to cover the near-$70,000 in tuition charged by his daughter’s school. “Nothing makes me prouder than young people using their voices” for dissent, Thompson’s character said. Then, the punchline: Not his daughter, of course! Protesting the war on Gaza, or the Hamas assault on Israel, or anything, really — those are white-people problems, which of course they’re not, but …

Topical humor? Sort of. Satire? AWOL. And in 2024 America, says Anne Libera, associate professor of comedy writing and performance at Columbia College Chicago and Second City’s director of comedy studies, “satire is not a useful tool. When we create comedy, we’re using recognition; pain; and some form of psychic or temporal distance.”

Libera told me Monday that with student protests preceded by the worst of a pandemic, preceded by the first of potentially two Trump administrations, “what we have is the pain. But no distance.”

Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

 

Q: Anne, about that “SNL” cold open — I don’t know if it’s even possible to find anything funny in Gaza or Israel or even campus responses right now.

A: That is correct (laughs). The sketch wasn’t particularly good. If I had to guess, I’d guess that Kenan’s character was originally going to be part of  “Weekend Update,” and then they thought, huh, maybe we could do something with this for the cold open. The frame for it, and the way people weren’t quite on their lines, suggests to me they rewrote it as a cold open after it was conceived as just a monologue.

Related ArticlesEntertainment | ‘Interview with the Vampire’ review: One of the best shows on TV is back for Season 2 Entertainment | Column: An ode to failure: Some classic movies were flops when they first came out Entertainment | Photos: Best and worst looks from the 2024 Met Gala Entertainment | How the Cat King in ‘Dead Boy Detectives’ captures a familiar queer dynamic Entertainment | ‘Hacks’ review: Jean Smart’s Deborah Vance sets her sights on a late-night talk show gig in Season 3 I’m directing one of the Second City touring shows right now, and we’ve got a lot of original material. So I’m in the theater, watching comedy being improvised in front of audiences on a regular basis. I can tell you these audiences respond really strongly to absurdity and silliness, and when we become a little more direct about things that are happening in the world, they just seem a little exhausted.

Steve Martin has talked about when he started to change his standup act, and got into the ridiculous, wild-and-crazy persona. It came out of a feeling that the audience was getting really tired of the world (after Vietnam), which was serious and complicated and dark. People were ready for absurdity.

Right now, for better or worse, I don’t know if “SNL” is doing political satire particularly well. It’s a difficult time for that. We’re exhausted from the last few years. And let’s be really clear on this: Trump is in fact a satire of himself. It’s no use exaggerating Trump behaving like a mafioso because he’s already the exaggerated version of a mafioso as president.

The real American heyday of political satire happened earlier than the Vietnam War era. We didn’t have great political satire during Vietnam for the same reasons we don’t have it now. Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Nichols and May, they all came up in the late ’50s and early ’60s, when there was this tremendous focus on conformity in America, and on what everybody was afraid to talk about. And now? There’s so much talking.

Satire is meant to afflict the comfortable. And I don’t know if any of us are comfortable.

Q: Back to the “SNL” sketch: To me it felt closer to some generation-gap father/daughter comedy from the ’60s like “The Impossible Years.” Thompson is skillful enough to have gotten every available laugh he could. But was there any satire?

A: If there was, it was very faint. I suppose there’s a satiric point to be made about the space white privileged children and parents have that allows them to protest, versus students of families of color, where the idea is there’s no room or time for them to protest in a student encampment. But that element wasn’t teased out at all.

Q: The film critic Pauline Kael wrote this back in 1970, after the major Hollywood studios flopped with campus revolt movies like “The Strawberry Statement” and “R.P.M.” and one success in that sub-genre, Elliott Gould in “Getting Straight.” She wrote that student unrest “should have been a great subject: the students becoming idealists and trying to put their feelings about justice into practice; their impatience at delays; the relationship between boredom and activism; and what Angus Wilson has called ‘the mysterious bond that ties gentleness to brutality.’ To your point, Anne, about audiences feeling beaten down by the news, every time one of those films got to its campus riot/police assault climax, it must’ve felt like: Another one?

A: And think about this: Around the same time, on TV you had “The Carol Burnett Show,” “Laugh-In” and “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.” Carol Burnett just ignored (the issues of the day) in favor of parodies of movies from the 1940s and ’50s. ‘Laugh-In’ is just cringe-y now. The attempt to make jokes about ‘what’s happening,’ Goldie Hawn, in a bikini, dancing with PROTEST NOW! written on her midriff — that’s not satire. That’s not even parody!

Q: Just referencing.

A: Right. The Smothers Brothers did actually address what was going on, and their show was the most popular of those three. And then they got taken off the air because they wouldn’t censor their material (at the CBS network’s demand). It really comes down to who’s making the movies, or the TV shows, and why. In TV they’re making it for the customer, which means the advertiser. Not the viewer.

Q: Is that another way of saying “SNL” guru Lorne Michaels has every reason to offend as few people as possible?

A: In many ways he has the one last spot available for semi-topical sketch comedy. And he’s not going to rock that boat. He is the establishment.

There was space for satire in the student protest sketch we’re talking about. But they couldn’t find it, or couldn’t get there. It was comedy. But no teeth. Maybe because these days, everyone’s teeth are already bared.

Anne Libera’s book “Funnier: A Theory of Comedy with Practical Applications” will be published by Northwestern University Press in early 2025.

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

Winner, winner, saucy chicken dinner

Beth Dooley | (TNS) Star Tribune

Here are two great reasons to cook chicken thighs in a heavy skillet: the crisp skin and the fabulous fat it leaves behind. That fabulous fat is the base for a lush sauce that has endless variations; using this method, you’ll never eat the same dish twice.

The only things you need are a heavy skillet, quality chicken and patience. First, cast iron is perfect because it will distribute the heat evenly and help keep the chicken skin from burning. It also ensures that the meat cooks slowly and all the way through.

For the chicken, please choose one that’s free-range, or pastured. These healthy birds are free from antibiotics and have been raised outside in fresh air. Their thighs are meatier and tastier, and the meat is high in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins.

Take your time when cooking skin-on chicken in a skillet. Keep the heat low and an eye on the pan. You want the skin to turn a lovely deep brown while it releases the fat that will baste the meat so it becomes tender and succulent. Do not try to sear the chicken as you would a steak or thinner skinless, boneless, chicken breasts.

The fun is in deciding how to season the sauce. The fats and juices will impart that rich chicken-y flavor and are perfect for sizzling up whatever you toss into the skillet — vegetables, sliced citrus, fruit, tangy, hot, savory, sweet, umami. In today’s recipe, we used a fruit jam and stone-ground mustard.

To finish the dish, add cooked or canned beans, rice, pasta or whole grains right into the pan before plating; or just serve with hunks of crusty rustic bread. Dinner in one; dinner is done!

Skillet Chicken in Jammy Sauce

Serves 4.

Be patient as you cook the chicken in a heavy skillet over low heat. Allow time for the skin to become super crisp and render all that luscious fat. Then, toss sliced onion and garlic cloves into the skillet to caramelize, add a little wine for deglazing, and a spoonful or two of fruit jam (cherry, here) mixed with mustard, for a sweet-rough sauce. Serve with hunks of rustic bread. From Beth Dooley.

1/2 c. fruit jam of choice (cherry, apricot, orange marmalade, etc.)1 tbsp. coarse Dijon mustard, or more to taste2 to 2 1/2 lb. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 4 to 6Salt and freshly ground black pepperOlive oil1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced2 cloves garlic, peeled1/2 c. dry white wine or stock

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the jam and mustard and set aside.

Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Film a heavy skillet with the oil and set over medium heat. When the oil begins to ripple, add the chicken, skin side down, pressing it into the pan. When the skin is a deep brown, after about 8 minutes, and most of the fat is rendered, use tongs to flip the chicken over and continue to cook through, about 10 to 12 minutes. (The chicken is cooked when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165 degrees).

Use the tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 2 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by about half. Return the chicken and coat with the jam mixture allowing some to drip into the pan, cooking until the chicken is nicely glazed. Serve with additional sauce passed on the side.

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Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.

©2024 StarTribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Horoscopes May 8, 2024: Stephen Amell, make yourself heard

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Stephen Amell, 43; Enrique Iglesias, 49; Melissa Gilbert, 60; David Keith, 70.

Happy Birthday: Put your higher mind to work and make things happen. Step into the spotlight, share your thoughts and plans, and find out who is ready to support your actions. It’s time to lead the way, to make yourself heard and to make your pursuits a reality. You can make a difference within your community, family or globally. Personal changes and self-improvement will lead to satisfaction. Your numbers are 5, 16, 24, 29, 33, 41, 48.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Pay attention and do your best. How you handle matters will influence your success and how others view you. Don’t hesitate to voice your opinion, ask questions and listen to responses to ensure you hold the interest of those you need by your side. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Discipline and reaching out to people you know you can count on will pay off. Explore how you can use your attributes to enhance a project that encourages progress. Focus on something that requires physical agility, strength and courage, and you will succeed. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Keep an open mind, but when it’s time to make a move, do so for the right reason. Following someone else’s dream isn’t going to satisfy your needs. Take time to figure out what makes you happy and focus on the path that takes you there. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Get involved in something that makes you feel good about yourself and the contributions you make. Creative thinking will help you decide how you can make a difference. What you discover about yourself will build confidence and help you excel. 4 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Watch your step when dealing with professional, legal or partnership issues. Letting your emotions take over can affect your reputation or status quo. Pay attention to detail, and choose your words carefully. Don’t share secrets. Someone will make you look bad if given the chance. 2 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Do what excites you, follow your heart and connect with someone from your past. Sign up for an adventure or learn something to help you raise your profile or earning potential. Opportunity is apparent; it’s up to you to make things happen. Romance is favored. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Don’t stop short of achieving your goals. Look for a way to turn something you enjoy doing into a lucrative pastime. Open a discussion with someone you trust to offer stellar feedback. A partnership that can help you advance looks promising. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You’ll gravitate toward people with an unusual profession or hobby. Learn all you can, and you’ll discover you have a hidden talent. Express your feelings, and you’ll get a response encouraging you to change your lifestyle. Romance is in the stars. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Keep busy. The less time you have to spare, the harder it will be for someone to confront you with something you aren’t ready to discuss. Sign up for events or activities that offer a physical or intellectual challenge. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Be observant and helpful, but keep your opinions to yourself. Arguments won’t solve problems, but they will distance you from someone you love. The best help you can offer is to be positive and tell someone how much you care. 3 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Test your intelligence, knowledge and ability to do something physical to help you stay in shape and live a healthy life. The changes you initiate will set the stage for future opportunities that combine learning, earning and personal freedom. Do your research and make a lifestyle change. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t get caught in someone else’s dilemma. Distance yourself from drama and focus on what you can do to get ahead. Attending an event, activity or conference will open a window of opportunity you didn’t expect. Try your hand at something new. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are passionate, disciplined and original. You are thorough and sympathetic.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes. 2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others. 3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals. 4 stars: Aim high; start new projects. 5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

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Pro Soccer: Monterey Bay FC ousted from Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

SACRAMENTO — Putting the ball through the net for Monterey Bay F.C. must feel like it’s kicking it into the size of a water polo cage instead of between the pipes.

Held scoreless for the third straight match on the pitch, the Union have been eliminated from the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, falling 2-0 Tuesday to host and rival Sacramento Republic in the Round of 32.

For Sacramento, it is now 7-0 lifetime against opponents from the United Soccer League Championship in the U.S. Open Cup, as it will host the San Jose Earthquakes in two weeks in the Round of 16.

The Union, meanwhile, are searching for answers offensively, having now gone over 275 minutes without a goal, although it sits just two points out of second place in the USL’s Western Conference.

Having suffered its first home loss last week at Cardinale Stadium, Monterey Bay F.C. (4-3-2) will host Memphis (3-5-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The two teams met on April 20 in Memphis, with the Union (5-4-2 overall) rallying for a 2-1 road win — the last time they won a match.

Spotting unbeaten and Western Conference leader Sacramento Republic two goals in the first half proved to be an uphill climb for the Union, who sent them to their first home loss of the season last year in USL Championship play.

In an effort to shake up the lineup, as well has keep players fresh, Monterey Bay F.C. made 10 substitutions, including 19-year-old midfielder Xavi Gnaulati making his debut.

One of Sacramento’s goals was self-inflicted by the Union.

 

 

High School volleyball: Carmel, Monterey advance in CCS playoffs

CARMEL — Perhaps the final league meeting between the two rivals provided incentive for both volleyball programs, albeit from a different mindset.

Humbled in its last match by Carmel last week cost Gabilan Division champion Monterey an undefeated season. At the same time, it provided more fuel for the Padres going into the postseason.

The rivals are one step closer to a possible rematch in the Central Coast Section tournament after Carmel and Monterey both opened the Division II playoffs Tuesday by sweeping their opponents.

Having their best season in 14 years, the No. 3 seeded Toreadores improve to 11-1 on their home floor after sweeping No. 11 Del Mar 25-21, 26-24, 25-21.

Carmel, who ended Monterey’s season last year in the CCS Division II semifinals, opened the postseason party with a 25-20, 25-23, 25-15 win over No. 5 Gunn of Palo Alto.

Owners of six straight wins, the No. 4 seeded Padres (19-11) will line up against No. 1 seed Monta Vista of Cupertino (17-13) on Thursday, while Monterey (23-12) will visit No. 2 seed Aragon (30-2).

“They swept us when we went up there for a preseason match,” said Monterey coach Dave Swartz, in speaking about Aragon. “No question they’re good. But we’re not the same team. We just have to figure out how to bring our energy to another gym.”

If the Toreadores and Carmel can pull off mild upsets, the two county powers will meet on Saturday for a section title for the third time this year — having split two head-to-head Gabilan Division matches.

Monterey 3, Del Mar 0: What was anticipated to be a rebuilding year resulted in the Toreadores first league championship in 14 years.

Getting a taste of the postseason last spring has been a springboard for those that have returned this year for Monterey, who is in the semifinals for the second straight year.

“The reason we’re league champs is we don’t have any stars,” Swartz said. “It’s been a team effort. It’s been distributed equally all season.”

Noah Bigelow recorded 14 kills for Monterey, while setters Jonathan Companion and Andres Espinoza combined for 45 assists. Duran Lemasters, PK Swartz and Espinoza merged their efforts for 31 digs.

Never was the effort more equally distributed than in the second set when the Toreadores rallied twice from four-point deficits to pull out a 26-24 win and open up a 2-0 lead.

“We had more fight in us tonight,” Swartz said. “In that second set, we just pushed back. Once you have had a taste of the playoffs, you want more. We wanted them to play loss with confidence. That’s the frame we put on it.”

Carmel 3, Gunn 0: Section finalists last year in Division II, the Padres are riding a wave of emotion, having relied all season on arguably the top player in the county in Sebastian Daste.

Daste, however, was battling a flu, to where it was unsure if the Princeton bound standout would be able to suit up.

“I didn’t think he could go more than three sets,” Carmel coach Jim Airola said. “It was urgent for our boys to win that third set. We came out really strong. I think we scored the first 10 points.”

Daste, who will take a gap year and play in Europe next season, still finished with 17 assists, 17 digs and seven kills for Carmel, who is chasing its second straight finals appearance.

Gunn was no stranger to the Padres, having beaten them in two sets in a tournament earlier this year.

“I think we’re peaking at the right time,” said Airola, whose son was on the 2018 Carmel CCS title team. “We’re coming together as a team. We’ve been getting a lot better.”

Zachary Speakman added seven kills, 13 assists and seven blocks for the Padres, while Nate Campbell and Jacob Burton combined for 12 kills. Nico Vitiello solidified the back row with 11 digs.

“I don’t know anything about Monta Vista,” Airola said. “I’ll do some research in the next 48 hours. I know they play in a really tough league.”