Bob Tacto's columns

There is a costume hanging on the back of my closet door, and it is not good. It is the kind of costume that requires confidence, a sense of humor, and possibly a backup plan involving a black hoodie. This week, we are going to a Halloween party, and I am absurdly excited about it—not ironic-excited, not “I’ll go for an hour” excited, but genuinely, childishly excited. The kind of excited that makes me check the weather, rehearse bad jokes, and wonder whether I can still pull off eyeliner without looking like a raccoon who lost a fight with a yard sale. It reminds me of being a kid, which is probably the point. When I was young, Halloween began in September with a catalog and ended with a pillowcase full of candy. But the real soundtrack of the season was television. Beetlejuice was on after school—the animated series, all green hair and gravelly voice and gleeful gross-out humor. I did not know then that he was a cartoon spun off from a Tim Burton movie, or that “the ghost...

Walk into almost any American pool hall and you will see a familiar sight: a row of seven-foot bar boxes, a handful of nine-foot tables, and a lone figure or two quietly running racks of eight-ball. It is a comfortable, familiar scene—and it is also a symptom of a sport that has settled for a fraction of its own inheritance. The United States is the world’s largest market for pool by participation, with millions of casual players and a formidable amateur league infrastructure. Yet the American cue sports imagination has been narrowed to a single, pocketed discipline while two of the game’s richest and most demanding forms—snooker and carom billiards—languish on the periphery. The remedy is not another incremental league expansion or a tweak to tournament rules. It is a bold, new event: a billiards triathlon that brings snooker, eight-ball, and carom together under one roof, one scoreboard, and one champion. Such an event would not merely ...

  Growing up, I always had a passion for bowling, but my love for the sport wasn’t just confined to the commonly known Tenpin. I discovered the joy of Candlepin and Duckpin bowling, each offering its own unique challenges and excitements. Unfortunately, these varied forms of bowling remain virtually unnoticed and unappreciated in many parts of the country. It feels almost isolating to have such passion for games that too few people know or care about. That’s why I believe we need a National Bowling Triathlon League, to get people engaged and interested in all three forms. A National Bowling Triathlon League would not only promote diversity within the sport by showcasing Candlepin, Tenpin, and Duckpin bowling, but would also provide an inclusive platform to bring people together, transcending gender, including spaces that are welcoming to transgender individuals. This league could be a crucial step in expanding sports opportunities for everyone, regardless of gender identity, encour...

  The moral dilemma of a real-life Dexter Morgan Kill bad guys in his spare time? Tick. Claim you’re doing a good deed for society? Tick. I’m not referring to the character Dexter from the successful television series of the same name. I’m talking about a real man by the name of Edgar Matobato a former hitman who was ordered by the Duterte family to kill people in the Philippines because it was a Davao city law at the time Rodrigo and Sara Duterte were in city government. Let me get the differences out of the way: Edgar Matobato killed multiple of people under the orders of the Duterte Family and Police he was told to be criminals via allegations mentioned Philippine congressional hearing. Dexter killed approximately 135 people according to the undisputed reliability of an Internet discussion forum. Matobato killed rapists, murderers, terrorists, drug dealers, pedophiles, psychopaths, political opponents , police officers and politicians accused of corruption under orders or face a...

  Korfball is a sport that transcends traditional gender boundaries, focusing not on who you are but on what you bring to the game. As an individual who values inclusive sports, I believe that introducing professional korfball to the United States would not only diversify our sports culture but also champion inclusivity, especially for transgender individuals. In korfball, each team consists of two men and two women, or players identified as such, in both offensive and defensive roles. This unique structure makes it a perfect platform to advocate for gender inclusivity in sports. But korfball remains largely unknown in the United States. To successfully introduce this sport, the approach should be strategic. Targeting areas without an NBA team could be an excellent start. Cities like Louisville, Rochester, Fresno, Austin, Raleigh, Springfield, Oakland, Seattle and Virginia Beach are vibrant sports cities ready to embrace new opportunities. Bringing pro korfball to these areas would...

  Gene therapy is a highly controversial topic and there are reasons why people are either for or against it. All of us carry defective genes and may not know it. Gene therapy is a route to tackle the fundamental biological cause of the disorder: the faulty gene being replaced by a healthy gene. Genes are the fundamental physical and functional unit of heredity. Each genetic makeup of a person is unique and this is what makes us different from one another. A mutation in any one of these genes can result in a disease, physical disability or shortened life span. These mutations can be passed from one generation to another. With germ-line gene therapy, the inherited diseases or physical conditions due to these mutations could be eliminated. Germ-line therapy should be practiced despite the ethical claims, because it is a long-term solution to save the future generations from dealing with the defective gene pool. Gene therapy is an experimental form of treatment that uses gene transfer...

  This time Neville Chamberlain is in the White House whining about Putin attacking Ukraine. I remember every United States President from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Joe Biden feared being labelled like Neville Chamberlain when it came to defense and diplomacy issues. That label was considered the death of their reputation in past cases and especially true when it came to the lead up to World War II. Appeasement and Isolation has been revelaed to be some of the causes that made World War II into the biggest war of the 20th century. Now the Associated Press and Reuters even with limited White House access managed to dig more dirt on Trump. This time showing how Trump was begging for Putin to stop the attacks in Ukraine. However this is not how you deal with Putin because Putin will do whatever the Duma and his mercinaries tell him is the best move here. Previous Presidents, Pentagon leaders, diplomats and members of congress have suggested two things like sanctions to Russia, boyc...

  Back in the late 1980’s to the mid 1990’s there were sitcoms like Full House that were oriented towards families on a Friday Night. I especially remember the time when the writers used core cities as its setting and had characters who had some wit with them. Yes the characters won’t work today like it did in the area when it was originally filmed. Some of the plotlines won’t work today too given how culture and customs has changed in the past 40 years. In this case we will focus on location. One the median price for a home in places like San Francisco where Full House was set would be at $1,234,246 as of 2023. Also in able to live in places like San Francisco you would need to work at a Venture Capitalist operation given it is one of the main industries in the city. Back when the show was done it was likely that the average middle class family could live in the city. Today in able for an average middle class family that Full House wants to portray on TV to live they would most li...

  Boycott Amazon? When Entertainment, Politics, and Power Collide There are moments when consumer choices stop being just about convenience and start becoming about conscience. Amazon’s reported exploration of a reboot of The Apprentice —the reality show that helped launch Donald Trump’s political career—may be one of those moments. People.com The Guardian The Daily Beast MarketWatch Let’s be clear about the facts. Amazon says the reboot is not currently in active development , and any details about hosts—such as Donald Trump Jr.—are speculative. ( People.com ) But the company has confirmed that internal discussions have taken place since it acquired MGM and the rights to the franchise. ( The Guardian ) That alone would be unremarkable in Hollywood—studios revive old IP all the time. What makes this different is the political context. From Reality TV to Real Power The Apprentice was never just another reality show. It was central to Trump’s transformation from businessman to poli...

  There’s a cruel arithmetic to the politics of the current moment. In the machinery of the modern MAGA movement, enemies are not just opponents to be debated—they are human targets to be eliminated. And right now, two very different groups are being subjected to the same vicious playbook: Americans who are transgender, and Republicans who dared to say “no” to Donald Trump. The idea that these two groups could, or should, form an alliance might seem fanciful, even offensive to some. A painful history exists here. Many of the same establishment conservatives now being driven from office were, at best, silent on the dignity and civil rights of transgender people, and at worst, they echoed the very stereotypes that have made trans Americans one of the most maligned groups in the country. That sin is real and must be confronted. Yet, the stark political reality of 2026 demands a brutal honesty. The Trump machine has made it clear: it intends to purge both groups from public life. In th...