PEDAGOGICAL THOUGHTS AND OTHER RANTS

Because I am a great humanitarian, I volunteer twice a week (two hours total) at a 766 residential school that I once oversaw. I am not nor have I ever been a teacher. I still don't "get" how our granddaughter Lilli learned how to read. I don't "get" how the neurology or the biology or whatever works in a way that allows learning to take place. I go to Barbara for all that stuff. But twice a week, I help out in a classroom of 8 little kids (12 and under). I help with math and with reading. I love the kids but am getting more and more frustrated with the adults who seem to forget that it is not a prison but a learning environment. Let's take today as an example--ok, Alan, let's. Head Teacher out. Assistant Teacher was in charge and totally unprepared. Two child care counsellors were in the class room and then there was me. So 4 adults for 8 kids. Nothing unmanageable occurred during my hour there. The teacher took 25 minutes to set up the morning activities--meanwhile the longer he went, the more "itchy" the kids got. Movement increased--these kids are there for a reason and its not because they can manage all their behavior on their own.They started touching each other, they started yapping, they started making noises.In all he took too long and somehow did not get it. The two child care workers sat and manged behavior with voices without getting off their butts. I usually wait for direction but finally I got so pissed I got up and plopped myself between two of the kids who were getting the most "hyper". Not brain surgery but come on. Child care workers did not move. Teacher went on and finally read a story and gave them a reasonable assignment (according to my criteria). Then as they proceeded to complete the work, he did all the scissoring and the stapling and I did not see him "teach" for one minute. And the counsellors continued to sit--except for a bathroom break and use of their cell phones. I helped one of the kids who wrote his small "m's" upside down so they were "w's" and had no clue what an "n" was. I am not deluding myself into believing I taught him anything though I wish I could have. I did occupy him and get him through the assignment. Bummed out when I left and as per usual, I leave wondering where this kid and the others will end up educationally.

Onto bicyclists--another favorite topic. I am driving to the school this morning on Centre Street, go by the fire station, and obeying the lane set aside for cyclists. I quickly realize the fire trucks are rolling, the traffic is thick, and I got the bikers on the right of me--none of whom stop but all of whom keep on pedalling. I pull over; theydont. The Trucks go by and bam, one of the bikers decides to draft the truck as if he were in a NASCAR race at Daytona and he does his drafting right down the middle of the road. Please someone tell me why I should not get up close to this guy and scream. The guy by the way had a helmet and had his yoga mat strapped to his back. Must need a lot of relaxing after his speedway ride.

So the Herminator is gone and Jon Stewart continues to anguish over his comedic loss. But he apparently is feeling fairly confident Newt will help him get back on his comedy track. The Newt/Romney clash is hilarious--they are both scary men of the highest order and half as smart as they think they are--especially Newt who fancies himself a scholar on top of everything else.

Unemployment is down again and I know it does not mean much in and of itself but it sure must make Barack and the folks feel a bit optimistic. Can someone please tell me why the Brits are so married to their fucking Pound and out of all the countries in the Union, they were the only hold out and submitting budgets to some sort of central management. Ahh--among other things, the Brits have their own version of Ron Paul and Tea Partiers who want less of anything with government not more.

Been reading novels set in Glasgow--the folks there by the way are called Glaswegians which is kind of cute. Denise Mina is the author and Ilove her not as much as Rankin but close. I really am into European based mysteries. Have another Norwegian novel coming up and am taking an Icelandic novel to Cuba. I am missing Finland--so if you know a Finnish mystery writer, let me know.

Jess, Steffen, and the kids were here for 4 days over the past weekend. they are all great and we got to spend a lot of time with the kids who are growing and thriving down in there in Philly land. Anna got herself a car and loves just having it. Complained that she had to scrape off frost the other morning--poor baby. The next day it was 70

Have had Dominican, Mexican, and Italian food in 3 different neighborhoods of the city over the last 3 weeks. Kind of neat and feel kind of glad I live where I live.

SPORTS TALK

Don't know anymore what to say about the Pats and their defense. Both the Colts and Skins with mediocre (at best ) QB's could have beaten them. Brady was way off against the Skins and they seem to back off when they get ahead. I hate that religious zealot tebow yet am worried about the game itself. It is possible Brady and company will really run it up but it is worrisome. Also this weekend might be the last possible chance for either or both the Steelers and Ravens to lose.

The bruins are in a slight rut thought they have won 3 in a row. i worry about the top line. Lucic and Horton just are not scoring enough. Their depth and their goal tending are keeping them ahead of the field.

Bobby Valentine is not the cure folks--you got holes in right, behind the plate, shortstops who dont hit,pap is gone (boo hoo--he was overrated anyhow) and you better hope crawford's last year was an aberration. otherwise consider him Theo's real parting shot.

That's about it. to Cuba in a month.

Adios

I JUST FUCKING DELETED EVERYTHING

I cannot believe I hit some stupid key and everything went poof. Just sucks since I was really on a roll. but I'm thinking you have been spared a bit too much about Harvard.

Lets try again. Each major Harvard teaching hospital has its own training program. Mt. Auburn, Cambridge, MGH, Brigham and Women's,Children's, and Beth Israel/Deaconess--they each have interns, residents, and fellows. Additionally, they each have (for example) Departments of Psychiatry with a Chief Psychiatrist. This chief person by the way has a Harvard academic appointment which usually is at the full professor level. Know what all that shit costs and know where the costs end up? I don't know the exact numbers but I do know they are built into hospital rates. I also know the following--MGH and the Brigham are part of Partners. Yet both have now begun doing both face and hand transplants. Can someone please tell me why we need two hospitals (both in the same corporate structure)doing the same thing?

During my second year at BU, I lived at Myles Standish hall in Kenmore Square (former home of Willy Loman). I lived on the top (9th)floor in a room overlooking the river and Cambridge. Just gorgeous. Very often I would try to locate Harvard Square and get my righteous indignation worked up about the future masters of the universe living nearby. Prepared me very well for my thoughts on their hospitals.

No further thoughts from me about Penn State though I am surprised that another school had more of the same--Syracuse seemed to deal with it better in terms of its reaction. But really, none of us should be surprised.

Barney is retiring. He sounded kind of infantile complaining about his new district. On the other hand, he is 71 and who can deal with that DC shit for so long. I did love it when he basically told the press he could now talk even more freely and then went ahead and decimated Gingrich.

Speaking of which, Gingrich is flying high and tromping on the Mitter. I will say this--he is much more formidable that Mitt but he also has some ugly hstory that he will have to deal with. Still 11 months away though those primaries are just around the corner.

I drove back from NJ by myself this past Saturday and spent a lot of time listening to Bruce VERY LOUD. Loved it but found myself wondering what he will do without Clarence and his sax--never mind the lose of his friend. What does it do to the music?

In NJ, I experienced the following. My niece is a cheerleader and we went to her Turkey day game--her team got stomped by the way. But that was not what interested me. Tess' school is virtually 50/50 black/white. The team they played was all African American. Tess' team had no white players though 6 of 8 cheerleaders were white. On the other hand her education has been seriously and positively affected by the racial composition of her school. I really wonder what that does to her and her fellow students in the long run. For that matter, what does it do to the other school which has no white kids. Then I think: I went to segregated schools my whole life and still wonder how it affected me.

Breaking Bad and Homeland--my two new tv faves. You gotta see them even though I am worried that homeland is really a cover for right wing nuts who want us all to be quite paranoid about any Muslim we see.


SPORTS TALK
Michigan finally kicked Ohio State's ass though Dennard Robinson is still very erratic. If he were a bit stronger as a passer, they would have gone undefeated. But when he is on, he is very very good.

The NBA lock out is over and I don't care. Loving the Bruins though. I really love Lucic and Seguin--kind of like Mutt and Jeff. Watch how well they hold onto the puck and then hold on some more and some more--until you think they cannot possibly hold it any longer. But they do and then make the play.

Dan Shaughnessy and Mike Felger are the two angriest sports guys I have ever in my life experienced. They really need some professional help--no joke. Plus, they are often on TV together and it is impossible to turn down the volume enough.

Mr. Brady and the boys dismantled the Eagles but it is now clear the Eagles stink (sorry Steffen). The Patriots are no worse than a 12-4 team and more likely a 13-3 team. They don't give up much on the ground. However, they are giving up tons in the air and the question in the playoffs will be can they score 30 and win and yet give up 350 yards in the air? I am looking forward to the Bronco game if only to see what they do with Mr. Religion--that would be Tebow who makes me puke and not because of his skill.

Anna bought herself a car and now can tool around southern Texas in style. She was missed in NJ but it was great to see Lilli, Oliver, and their parents. Had a very nice time with all the Weiss' and everyone got everywhere safely.

Cuba in 6 weeks.
Sayonara

ENRAGED BUT NOT SURPRISED

Rather coincidentally, i found myself watching a documentary (part of the Boston Jewish Film Festival)last week just as the Penn State repugnancy was spilling out. More of a coincidence was the fact that the documentary was about the Orthodox Jewish community of Baltimore and a number of its rabbis who have been sexually assaulting adolescents for years. Then, there was this--more or less slipping under the radar--in the last few months male coaches training young women in both gymnastics and swimming as part of the U.S. Olympic training process have been fired wholesale for sexually molesting the young folks in their charge. And lest I forget, there is the Catholic Church. All I could think of was the title of a recent TV show called "Men Behaving Badly". Which is an oversimplifications and does not do these events justice. But it is men (very few women) who are in positions of power and authority and both abuse their positions and then abuse the young people. And all of the events are treated as idiosyncratic when in fact they are part and parcel of the same thing. Men (remember Woody Allen, anyone?)who consistently use their power to satisfy their sexual "urges". I am not smart enough to figure this out though it is also connected to the work I have done in the past. Men in positions of authority in families who similarly abused the young people in those families. There is more than something wrong here--this is related to how we men are raised and what we are taught and how we may have been been victims ourselves. In the end, treating these events as if they were unique misses the whole point. Until something is done earlier in our lives, we will continue to say "oh my, isn't that awful" and then move on. We do not respect children and until we really do, we will see another story like this next month or next year.

So I was wondering how Jon Stewart would play this one. Wisely, I believe, he stayed away from it until last night and then got at it only indirectly. Turns out Sandusky (the perp at Penn state--no need for me to use the word alleged) decided to call into Bob Costas on an NBC TV show. Costas was sitting with the guy's lawyer for god's sake who presumably supported this conversation. Well Sandusky's lawyer, as it turns out, sexually assaulted and impregnated a young woman (below the age of consent) when he was 49 and then Sandusky sputtered when Costas (to his credit) directly asked him about the shower incident. Just "horseplay"--I thought Stewart would have a coronary.

Speaking of Elizabeth Warren (I was, wasn't I?), we saw her at an event in Roxbury this past weekend. She was quite the thing greeting each and everyone of us at the door and getting herself introduced by a recently elected African American City Councilwoman. She said all the right things to an audience of "right ons" and "whistles" and applause. I really liked her but of course have to add two concerns. I thought 3/4 of what she said, Scotty would have agreed with. Plus, her total embrace of unions left me a bit uneasy especially in Boston since I think the Boston Teachers Union is terrible. I just don't buy "all unions are good" position. Overall, I do hope she gets to be a bit more angry when Scotty is across from her. Then I remind myself that it is a year away.

On the same topic Doonesbury has got one of the character's grandmothers coming to Boston to work for Warren. The grandmother is living with her granddaughter who will be her driver. It is just terrific to see how these generations do or do not get along in the comic strip.

Congrats are in order to Allan and Lucy who have become grandparents. The baby is lucky to have those two around for help, support, and love. And belated congrats to Stef and Graham who are getting married. Very exciting and I am especially honored since they have asked me to lead the ceremony. All of us are very happy to all of them and their extended families. Kudos also to a certain Texan for settling in and managing such a large transition much more smoothly than I could have--cannot name the person since (s)he craves anonymity.

BTW, Whole Foods has opened here in beautiful JP but it is more like a mini version of their other stores. I was dying to cross a picket line the first time I went but no such luck.

SPORTS TALK

Since last we chatted, the Pats have lost to one NY team and beaten another. After the loss, for the first time in my memory, the Brady/Belichik love affair with the media started to show cracks. After the victory, all the critics went into hiding. There does seem to be some consensus that Brady has an injured throwing arm but a fool like me could not see it in the second half this past Sunday. Otherwise, I watched a news conference that Belichik is required by the NFL to hold--he absolutely intimidates the media. You have to see it because it is hard to describe except he has that look which says "I dare you. you assholes". And if you dare, you get a one word answer. I will say that if you look at the rest of their schedule, they should end up with 12 or 13 wins and a bye. The real question for me is if the defense over that time will coalesce.

Bye Bye Pap. Your nickname was the second worse on the team next to little ole "Pedey". I say, as a non Red Sox fan, that you can be replaced and Cherington was correct in not overpaying for a head case like you who basically has one pitch. As a balanced reporter, I will also say that Posada should not be brought back and may have done the Yanks a favor by saying so himself.

If Michigan had a QB who could throw, they might be undefeated. As it is, they will get to a good bowl game. BC--ha ha, going nowhere and I could not be happier.

That's about it. For those driving next week, good luck. And Happy Turkey Day to all.

Sayonara.

NOW I KNOW WHO ANN COULTER IS

I had only heard about her but now, thanks to my best bud Jon Stewart, I have actually seen and heard her. Stewart is going to be FANTASTIC between now and next November no matter who runs or who wins. He already is terrific just covering the crazy Republicans. So, in one of his recent eviscerations of the Herminator, he ran a video of Ann Coulter defending Herman by saying: "Our blacks are better than their blacks". Said on some sort of Fox show in defense of Herman's sexual harassment history. I cannot believe those words came out of any one's mouth in such a public way. Stewart was beside himself wondering if Eric Cantor was a better "Jew" than Joe Lieberman. If you cannot stay up too late, he has repeats on Comedy Central during the day--I know not when.

Alan Khazei must have heard me. He dropped out of the race for the Senate by taking a few mild swipes at Ms. Warren. But he now must be beating the bushes looking for the job I always thought he should have considering that he has done next to nothing since City Year. And we also have this guy Flaherty running for City Council--another person with no life and no job who only runs for office as if it were a full time occupation. I am totally confused still about what District I am in but I don't think I get chance to vote against old Charlie. But I do wish him good luck as he trudges along directly behind Khazei looking for those real jobs.

Then we have those Republicans who went after Barack because we are getting out of Iraq (as he promised for god's sake) and because we did not take the lead on Libya. There is nothing worse than spoilsports and these guys are real experts at it. Nothing will pass as a success. Even that great American soldier McCain had a few harsh words for these two issues. He needs to go back to Arizona and guard the border.

Anyone see the profits of Exxon/Mobil. I cannot count that high. The more we pay for gas the more they make. It is obscene but since no energy bill will pass, nothing will change. I am still not sure what to make of the "Occupy" folks but I kind of feel like they are bobbing in the middle of the ocean and being pulled this way and that by tides--not by a sense of direction. And yet I still find myself associating them quite closely with the Tea Partiers.

After being here 3 years, I may actually have warmed up to our neighbors down the path. I never made friends with neighbors on Walnut Street and overall do not have great social skills (anyone surprised?). But it has been nice to have Barbara and David right down the way who I can schmooze with, go out to dinner with, and have them know we might be out of town. They both come from similar professions as well. I am working hard to be a "good neighbor" in the best sense of the word. Nonetheless, for me, it is also about old friends. I have known Charles since kindergarten and Myra since the fabulous 60's. Having them here and spending time with them was like being in a cozy chair with armrests and an ottoman--easy and comforting.

Just returned from Philadelphia visiting Jess and the kids (Steffen was away)for Halloween. Everyone must know this is Barbara's favorite holiday but not mine. So she got to traipse around and I got to dispense candy. Lilli has turned into a terrific swimmer and Oliver is a warm independent kid. Great to see them all and great to see how good the parents have parented.

Meanwhile, Anna is on the ground in Austin and did a marvelous job dealing with the move, and getting there, and figuring things out, and not sweating the small stuff. She has a great apartment with a balcony, pool, and a/c--crucial down yonder. Very proud of her.

Speaking of which she turned me on to the series called "Breaking Bad". Barbara refuses to watch it but I am in love with it. I am not even sure what it is all about but it is very good.

Just finished the latest George Pelecanos novel. Another terrific artist who does to Washington DC what Robert Parker did to Boston. He also happened to write for Homicide, The Wire, and Treme. Such skill.

SPORTS

Did not watch one complete game of the World Series but saw just enough to know that a lot of it was bizarre and that both teams deserved to win.

don't you think it is quite providential that Lackey needs surgery? He may never come back.

Theo fired his manager right away which seems kind of cruel but at least it was quick and decisive. He had better take the long view over there in Wrigley because the Cubbies right now suck.

Michigan's last two games are against Nebraska and Ohio State. They could end up 10 and 2 which is way better than expected though I still think Dennard Robinson is too erratic to carry them much further.

Mr. Brady and the boys are really struggling and even though my theory is that Belichik knows more than me, what he has done to his secondary is totally mystifying.

That's about it--oh yeah, Whole Foods has opened and I am hoping I get to cross some sort of picket line so I can buy some of their pricey veggies one of these days.

Sayonara.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU SWALLOW A CHEWABLE ASPIRIN?

The answer to this and the other VERY IMPORTANT issues of the day will be yours, dear reader, if you tag along for the ride.

If you watch too much of Charlie Rose, then you know its all but over for Obama. The talking heads on that show (which is fairly middle of the road if not a tad liberal as opposed to Fox) regularly stomp all over the Prez and cannot see any way for him to win. I am beginning to make a conscious effort to avoid the show. Plus I keep hoping that the Prez and his boys (and they are mainly boys) know more than the talking heads. But I have an uneasy feeling about the whole deal.I did hear something interesting on the show however. This discussion was about the difference between the Tea Party folks and the Occupy folks since much of their language is very similar. This one guy (name naturally forgotten)more or less said that the Tea Party people are playing on people's fears while the occupy folks are playing on their hopes. I'm not sure about that.

Aw shucks, we won't have Governor Christie to kick around anymore --although some of you live in NJ and get to kick him around fairly regularly. I do get what people like about him--he is in your face with direct answers that I happen not to like but at least are not dances around the floor. His video singing Born to Run was enough, however, to make me puke. But we do have Mr. 9-9-9 Herman (the Munster) Cain and we can only hope we have a race between 2 African Americans. Cain is certifiable and in the same diagnostic category as Michelle. I wish that he is nominated. The two most dangerous ones are Perry and Romney. Both are suave and slick in a political kind of way. We can only hope that the right wing Republican fanatics will struggle to reconcile Perry's rigid fundamentalism with Romney's more moderate Mormonism. But don't be fooled, they both appeal to the worst instincts of mankind. OY--and Anna is moving to Perry's state.

I do love that fantabulous capitalist Warren Buffet--told Rupert what he pays in taxes and asked Rupert to do the same. No deal. Plus he thinks he should pay more taxes and has arranged for his inheritance to go to the Gates Foundation. If you have not heard him, try to. Next to Jon Stewart, he is the best commentator on what is going on--and he has none of the writers Stewart has. By the way, Stewart was on vacation last week and last night said he was gone because he was preparing his Sukkah--an inside Jewish joke on TV. But there was a relatively minor Jewish holiday last week and Stewart typically id'd it and in the process continues to id himself as a member of the tribe.

Beside creating City Year, which is important and good, does Alan Khazei have a job or has he done anything since then except come up with ideas kind of like Chris gabrielli? As you know, I love Elizabeth Warren and she actually has a job (albeit at HAHVAD)and actually did something in Washington. On the other hand, I have been trying to volunteer for her campaign and they simply do not return emails. Makes me wonder.

Is it ok to kill American citizens with drones (or with anything) in a foreign country when we know they are terrorists? I need to consult with an ethicist on that one but it should raise some questions for all of us. Plus these drones are all over the place in the Middle East (and Pakistan/Afghanistan) and are so coldly surgical, its almost like a video game that no one thinks twice about playing.

So the Republicans killed the jobs bill--what else is new? Nothing will get by them between now and the election. I only hope their intransigence will not play well but I worry that Herman's simple solutions and the desire for them will dominate even if Herman does not.

SPORTS

Well, at least as far as we know AJ Burnett was not drinking beer in the clubhouse. I think the Sox and Yanks should package Lackey and Burnett together and make some deal with someone agreeing to eat salaries. Maybe some foolish club will take both on if they are free. The Yanks shoulda and coulda but did not because they did not have starting pitching and because ARod and Texeira choked. I would put ARod in that package by the way. Let Nunez play and get rid of ARod. He was pathetic and anyone who chews gums and seeds at the same time deserves to be kicked to the curb.

I'm thinking Theo will be better off personally in Chicago--maybe even have a life. Bigger city, more things than baseball on people's minds,and the Mid West is different/people are nicer and less frenetic. If any of you have heard/seen either Felger, Shaughnessy, or both (Dan is frequently a guest on Felger's TV show) they are venomous/ugly know it alls. They want to be the MANAGER but not really because then they could not do what they do now. Which is second guess everything and everyone with malice aforethought.

Mr. Brady had "a mediocre" day against those dastardly Cowboys Sunday. Mediocre meaning they won the game in the last 20 seconds as he completed 8 of 9 passes and threw for 289. But all the yakkers wanted to know was why Rex's bro has stymied him. Come on, the game was won. Enough.

Of note: Tom Verducci is rapidly ascending my "who can replace Peter Gammons as the best on air baseball person" ladder. He is just terrific. Second, I just finished(or nearly finished) this 700 page book about ESPN (called These Guys Have All the Fun). Two comments about it: Gammons comes off as a major prima donna and this characterization takes the shine off his apple. Ditto for Olberman who is less a prima donna than a prince. A terrific book nonetheless.

And then there is this: Anna leaves this coming Monday. We will see her Sunday in NYC for a farewell family brunch. Cannot hardly discuss it but I remember when Jessica left for Germany--Barbara wisely said two things. It is an adventure for her and we will just have to visit often. While I agree, it does not make it easy.

I still have no answer to the chewable conundrum.

Sayonara

I NEVER KNEW AUSTIN WAS CLOSER TO SAN ANTONIO THAN IT WAS TO DALLAS

This is now important because Anna is headed there to work--to Austin that is. Everyone keeps telling me it is like going to Ann Arbor or Madison or Cambridge--that people who live in Austin actually pretend they do not live in Texas. But they do allow you to carry your weapon in full view, they do have the worst health care in America, and they are in a race with Florida to see who can execute the most people in a year. But they now will also have my wonderful daughter who by her arrival there will improve the whole city and state immeasurably. Anna will be working at the Blanton Museum which I know nothing about but do know it is part of the University system. I have already directed her (and I am sure she will listen) not to become a fan of any sports team in that state--perhaps UTEP (the former Texas Western which was the first big time basketball program to put 5 African Americans on the court at the same time) would be ok but certainly not the Cowboys or Longhorns. But wise readers will know all of this rhetoric is but a subterfuge--Anna is getting a great job and has a great opportunity but I will miss her "east coast" presence and I am already looking up flights--turns out once a day Jet Blue flies non stop to Austin. Who knew. Jessica of course lived in Germany for many years and Austin is closer---but still. Our Rosh Hashanah celebrations were noticeable to me for both their absences. Enough--ride 'em cowgirl.

Speaking of Rick Perry--I am rooting for him especially after reading Doonesbury all week. Trudeau is really after him and this is after Trudeau spent a week going after Palin. Here is hoping he wins and says nationally that we should be a Christian nation. One of those other bright lights (either Sarah or Michelle) referred to the president (come on, no respect at all- so fucking personal it is almost ominous) as the anti christ whatever that is (though I can guess).

For the first time in a long time I am worried about Israel's isolation. New regimes in the Middle East, Israeli intransigence, instability in Syria, the break up with Turkey, and the erratic behavior of Iran--let alone Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah In Lebanon. I am very afraid someone (including the Israelis) might just do something and spark a big time war over there. Then I see Netanyahu on Charlie Rose--"I will go anywhere and negotiate anything" he says. Next day in the paper: Netanyahu approves settlements in Jerusalem. Very disheartened. Jon Stewart had a terrific piece about the Israelis and the Palestinians last week--hilarious but oh so scary.

Let's talk about something a bit lighter--casinos. Hah, some of you fanatic anti casino people were fooled. On a recent trip to Scranton, Barbara agreed that if you oppose casinos, you need to opposed the lottery. And she does oppose both--she is consistent and though I disagree I respect the consistency. Keno, the lottery, casinos--all part of one strand. But the 365 cities and towns in the state would go bankrupt without Keno and/or the lottery. Ahhh, you say--just raise taxes. To that, I say--read the papers. There will be no new taxes. Won't happen and unless you replace the revenue, the city/town where you live will be in big trouble. There would only be cuts and classroom sizes would likely double. So, aside from my own opinion about gambling, those who oppose casinos better have some thoughts about financing since it is fanciful to believe taxes will offset the losses.

SPORTS

I hate the Red Sox but even I did not foresee their total collapse. However, I did predict that Pedroia being on the SI cover would jinx him and I got that right. Ellsbury is the MVP of that team even if Pedroia is the leader. By the way, their pitching died--some due to injury and some due to bad pitchers (no offense, it is nice to love Wakefield but he is finished). John Lackey is in the race for the AJ Burnett I suck award. I might pull out a few of my remaining hairs if Burnett gets a start in any of the upcoming playoff games. Colon and Burnett should be bullpenned. And I was shocked to hear Francona fess up that he kind of lost control of the clubhouse--until then I thought he was being scapegoated by the likes of Shaughnessy; but that confession was startling. Finally, the big boys (Big Papi and the rest) totally choked.

Speaking of which we now know what happens when Mr. Brady has an off day--31 points becomes too few with a porous defense leaking both in the front four and in the secondary. Plus Ochocinco is not Randy Moss and one day Welker will get hurt again if they insist on having him run so many over the middle routes. This kid Mcfadden from Oakland could run up some big yards if they are not careful. But did you notice they are almost America's team--I think their next 7 games are either at night or at 4. Everyone gets to see them.

The Bruins are back this coming week--and if you haven't seen that pest Marchand, give it a shot.

One further thought: No "inside" section because really the whole first section is about that. Second further thought: I welcome an additional reader--enjoy, Frank.
Demand is high but I still have room for increased readership!! Get well, Charles and you better hope Phil Kessel learns to back check.

Sayonara.

IT'S ANTHONY WEINER'S FAULT

OUTSIDE
First of all, there would have been no special election if Weiner did not have the same disease as a lot of politicians which is egomania coupled with "I'm special". Then a 70 year old beats an Orthodox Jew for a lot of reasons one of which he is perceived to be stronger on Israel. OY--Obama better get a move on.

Boehner announces that this super debt committee cannot discuss taxes even before they start meeting--no response from Obama. He simply cannot negotiate everything. Some things require that you step on the neck of the opponent. James Carville sounded a big time alarm today and suggested Obama start firing people if only for symbolism. Jon Stewart showed clips from Obama as the "negotiator" and Obama as the "leader" and the differences were amazing. And your humble servant believes it's stepping on the neck time to show he is the leader. Even when he led, as in the jobs speech, the Republican's silence, if not indifference, was deafening. A great, but depressing, article in the recent New Yorker by George Packer about what has happened since 9/11 in terms of the political discourse--There is simply no common ground anymore and each party has just given up on certain states and/or issues.

As an aside, is Wales part of England or a separate country or is it kind of like Scotland? I just don't get it.

Going to Cuba in January which is very exciting and probably means we will get there before it turns into Las Vegas South. It's a trip with the narrow focus of connecting to the remnants of the Jewish community there--but it is CUBA and I will get to see the Malecon and the rest of Havana. My major question since I quit smoking cigars is whether or not I can have just one cigar without a full scale fall off the smoking wagon.

INSIDE

A reader wondered if I was struggling with my mortality--first of all thanks for the question (don't get many) and the answer is yes and it is a struggle that has been part of my life (!) since adolescence. Hard not to now when there is more behind me than in front of me. My fantasy is that I have a neighbor who is a physician/friend and who examines me daily for all the terminal illnesses I imagine having. Then I could probably relax but I am not even sure about that. Plus I would need attention in the middle of the night when the god awful nightmares hit.

One of my current goals is to be able to take a solo trip on my own for a number of days. Have not quite pulled it together but must do it--probably take my fantasy physician with me!! Have been immobilized by fear every time I approach it.


SPORTS
OK, I do believe the SI jinx is alive and well as "Pedey" slowly falls apart and Cano now (among other things) is leading the league in RBI's. Oh by the way, anyone notice Jeter is flirting with a .300 batting average. I should add that I don't believe either team will win the AL--I believe that it will be either Detroit or whoever represents the West. Both my boys and the red flops have falling apart pitching which will hasten their departure. I would like to thank Charles and the rest of the Blue Jays for what they did at Fenway this week. Three thoughts on the US Open (that would be tennis): I want Sharapova to stop grunting each time she hits the ball; I want Roddick to quit sweating so profusely; and most of all I want Nadal to quit pulling out his wedgies in full view of the camera. I happen to like Nadal but detest Djokobvic due to some of his more right wing political thoughts about the war in the former Yugoslavia.

But Mr. Brady and the boys were pretty good and the defense will get better. Otherwise, the Chargers will eat them up. And oh my--those mighty Wolverines in front of 114,000 in the big house--kicked Notre Dame right down Interstate 94. Loved it.

That's about it. If you celebrate it, l'shanah tovah (that would be happy new year for any non believers). Peace.

Sayonara.

HAVING AN EMPTY MIND MAY BE AN OK THING

I am aware of how lucky I am to be retired. But contrary to popular opinion, retirement is not the same as being on vacation. Being on vacation means not seeing a newspaper for days on end; it means not watching one tv show let alone CNN or even Jon Stewart; it means eating very bad things at very odd times; and it also means NO ERRANDS. Had great weather in a new spot--the town of Monterey which gave us a whole new orientation from being in Lee. Our focus became Great Barrington where I could see myself living--got up "north" to Lenox just twice and one of those trips was to Tanglewood. Anna takes a train from NYC which lets her off in NY just across the border so it is very convenient for her. Jess and the kids were there for 3 or so weeks and Steffen joined us on the weekends. Susan and her family, Steven, Eve, and assorted hangers on also came and went. Hectic at times but a fine time.

Returned to Irene and the attendant hysteria. These meterologists--I am not sure how to criticize them though I want to and will. We want them to predict these things (and snowstorms are part of this) and warn us. But there is almost a joy they get from all the hype and from standing on a beach as the waves crash in. Reporting it is hard enough but they seem to "Kvell" (that would be yiddish for taking pride or joy in something) in how bad things are. And I swear I will never watch the Weather Channel again--they are the worst offenders though I did see a guy on ABC discuss how Irene was targetting 5th Avenue in Manhattan and its course would put it directly on that street. Give me a break.

All that crap about the debt is over (not that i ever really understood it since everyone has credit cards and isnt that the same thing except on a larger stage?) but not the Republican's distaste for Barack. Boehner reallly dissed the office (let alone the person) by forcing a change in the date of the speech so we could all watch Rick Perry. The government's Office of something or other checked its records and could not find another instance of not honoring a presidential request. Barack seems so weak kneed so often--I just hope he has a plan and it is better than mine since I still believe he and his folks are smarter than me.

And get this--you know that big prayer rally Rick Perry had in Houston. Financially supported by this group from Tupelo, Mississippi which believes the freedom of religion clause in our constitution applies only to Christians. I want him or Michelle to win. That would be a big favor to me personally.

Retail stores were unundated with buyers in advance of Irene but then the Globe reported they were pissed that it negatively affected return to school purchasing. This in the face of a "major" hurricane with all sorts of hysteria around it. What, they wanted folks to buy sump pumps and pencils. People sometimes should just shut up and take things as they are. Ugh.

Please let Elizabeth Warren run. I will sign up immediately to work for her (especially since my gig at The Home is over). I just worry that I will be backing another loser though she will be very different than the white guys currently representing us.


THE INSIDE
I realized that much of this stuff I write is about what is going on out there in the world with very little about what is going on in here--in my head or my soul as it were. Now this is a risk and none of you may be interested and, if so, let me know and I can delete you right out. But I am going to try and share a bit.

Saw "The Help" which I really liked and had an aha moment in it. I remembered having a maid in Miami before my parents divorce--I believe her name was Mary. I remember it was pre divroce because I used to drive with my father to take her home. Had no car after the divorce. The movie really resonated for me and perhaps for anyone else who grew up with signs reading "colored only".

Starting to worry about my short term memory--could not idenitfy the word for cookbook last week so I referred to it as the thing with recipes. Scared the shit out of me. Frustrates me as well.

My self perception is so out of whack with the perception others have of me that I am not sure what to do. I want to run away and hide when I get feedback about how family members perceive me and my behavior.

Have to move on.....

SPORTS TALK
Come on Pedey for a nickname? Like that old tv show "Lassie". Pedey is a dog's name not a person's nickname. Maybe June Lockhart is in the Red Flops dugout looking for Timmy or Tommy or whatever that kid's name was. But dont worry--being on the SI cover will screw him up big time. By the way, anyone notice Jeter is closing in on batting .300. And Cano will likely drive in 100 and score 100. Nor even close.

But this is a misdirection. If I were a fan of either team i would worry big time about starting pitching. The yanks have one (CC) and the flops have two (Beckett and Lester)--and then it is time for prayers.

Hoping Mr. Brady and the boys rebound tonight or else Belichik might start spitting blood.

Also hoping The Wolverines do better with this new coach so that my ugly memories of RichRod will fade.

Thats it.
Sayonara

WELL, OUR BAGS ARE PACKED AND WE'RE READY TO GO AND OTHER HIGHLY PERTINENT INFORMATION

Have to imagine Mary Travers singing that line. We head out to Monterrey tomorrow--that would be in the Berkshires not Mexico. I missed it mucho last summer and was determined to return. Turns out , a number of others agreed and so a cast of thousands (ok, perhaps a handful) will re-assemble to play games, eat too much, and get a big dose of a varied cultural menu. In advance of that, I have some assorted (but highly relevant and crucial) information to share.

Determined as I am to use local resources and in spite of Thalia's departure (you remember her, right?), I returned to the JP post office to check on something. Was third in a very short line when I got there. In no short order, the line extended nearly to the door and was occupied by the usual eclectic blend of JP residents. I was then 4th having given up my spot (being you know that great humanitarian--the same one who gave the kid a foul ball)to a woman who proceeded to yak my ear off about the debt business. Then lo and behold, the only clerk disappears and does not reappear . A second clerk arrives and the first person to go up has a HUGE PROBLEM which can only be solved by the second clerk's disappearance. Now, no one is there and every so often the youngish manager sticks her head around the corner to see whats up. Clearly not enough for her to help out at the counter because she disappears. I leave.

Go to get my car looked at in advance of the trip west. My man at the station (in JP) is off the charts angry because a older guy he knows (older than me for god's sake) is worried about not getting his social security check--yup, like the woman in the post office, we are back on the debt issue. But this is where it gets interesting. He starts off expressing outrage that someone who has worked his whole life will miss a check. Then, without skipping a beat, he is off on what we "give" to immigrants who are here illegally. Now I have to say this guy has been here awhile but is not native born. Then that light bulb goes off and I realize this is who the tea party appeals to--angry angry people who want simple answers and see no contradiction in yelling about the checks not coming and then moving onto "illegal immigrants". Oh my, he did a great job on my car but my head was baked--it was one of those ugly hot days as well.

Two fine women, Elizabeth Warren and Sheila Bair, have lost their battles not just with Congress over re-nominations but also with Geithner who is starting to look like a twerp/bully if you can be both. They did great jobs and Obama let them go rather than fight which is starting to become a theme. I worry very much about Warren running for Senate here and losing but I would work for her in any case. Anyone hear from Senator Scottie on anything lately. I think he is hiding.

One of my out of state readers (there are multitudes of them) believes the passage of the same sex marriage law in NY is more important than what happened in Mass. despite us being first (Hello there NYC--we did go first) because NY is so much more important in terms of the rest of the country--point taken and accepted.

Felt awful about Myra Kraft (and I am still not sure why it hit me that way) though hearing about Mr. Kraft taking a "break" from sitting shiva was kind of dopey. You don't take breaks from that. Some screwball from the Boston Herald was at her funeral and tweeting updates about who he saw. yuk.

Ditto about Norway's massacre--and I do believe the right wing over there in Europe is getting more and more out of hand.

The cemetery visit was on the short side though important. Its been 25 years and obviously the acute sadness has passed--I was just 40 when my mother died. She is buried with her sibs and lies a short distance away from her mother--my grandmother who I never knew. It was good to be there with Babs. Ane yup we loved the lobsters.

A really bad sign that Boehner (He who has a perpetual tan) could not get the votes he needed because of the right wingers in his party.

SPORTS

Big debate rages among readers (or at least one reader) about Cano vs. Pedroia. But how can anyone whose nickname is "Pedey" be better. What a pathetic nickname--compared to "Big Papi"? Not even close. Those first 3 red flop batters are just wonderful hitters. Gonzalez reminds me of Mattingly. Pitching wise, CC Sabbathia is just overwhelming despite looking a tad overweight.

Belichik must be brighter than the rest of us. Taking on two head cases like chad and albert makes me think he is fully confident in the positive locker room culture of the team and, second, that if either crosses some imaginary line, they are gone. The talking heads believe he is a genius and has nothing to lose. We shall see.

Sayonara--and as the song says--"See You in September".

THALIA, THALIA, WHERE ART THOU THALIA?

So Centre street runs from the heart of Jamaica Plain through the heart of West Roxbury--or at least the commercial hearts of both. Each neighborhood contains a large Post Office. The one in JP is like the United Nations. A lot of customers do not speak English and very few if any of the clerks speak any language other than
English. Unfortunately, this creates major back ups on all runways especially when only one clerk is even there. But Thalia was a special clerk. Though she speaks only English, she acted almost like a hostess--taking care of each "guest's" problems calmly and soothingly. Even when language was a barrier, she was able to bridge that with her demeanor. Having said all that, the place was nuts. And then one day Thalia was gone. So, in the process of renewing my passport(don't worry this story is almost over), I decide to avoid the JP post office because of its chaos and go to West Roxbury. VOILA!! My hostess re-appeared. Thalia had transferred out and was now hostessing in West Roxbury. I felt such relief and familiarity and she took good care of me. Now my big issue is whether to abandon my neighborhood post office altogether and follow Thalia. What a dilemma.

These next two anecdotes seem like they are about sports but read on you avoiders of all things sportish. Watching the Women's World Cup, one of the differences between the Northern Europeans and the Central Europeans was quite evident. The Norwegian and Swedish women were all blond blue eyed stereotypical Norsewomen. The Germans, English, and French had players of color and players with names that obviously were not French/German/English in origin. If those countries ever change to more restrictive immigration laws, I am not sure what their soccer teams will do.

Second sportish anecdote: Barbara and I made our annual summer excursion to a low level minor league baseball game. Saw the Brockton Rox of the Can Am League. This is a league which is independent. That means they have no affiliation with any major league team and the players have no contracts with any of those teams. $7.50 for a seat in the first row just beyond first base. A beautiful little field on the campus of Brockton High whose teams play there. Maybe 200 people there. Miracle of miracles--I got my first foul ball ever. One hop and into my hands without me having to push any kid aside. I did, however, being a great humanitarian, give it to the first kid I saw. A great night.

So Eric Cantor (he who is a member of my tribe) was disturbed at how the President treated him at one of those debt meetings. He is lucky the Prez did not kick his ass out. Eric needs to get a grip and quit whining. I happen to believe he is also mis reading people about revenue especially tax breaks for the wealthy. Be that as it may, it is beyond me how these guys get away with such disrespect of the President. I have seen disagreements before; but this borders on malice and in my deep dark paranoid recesses, I am convinced the issue of skin color is right below the surface.

I happen not to understand this debt shit anyhow though the end of the world as we know it apparently is tied up in resolving it. I get social Security but don't rely on it as a primary source of income. Some people do and that is probably the only reason I believe this will get resolved--no one wants to run for re-election having made a bunch of poor retirees miss a check. Or at least I hope that is true.

OK, we have the return of great white sharks off the Cape. Panic set in just like last year and it's the fault of those damn seals. If they would just stop reproducing and then lolling around with their kids just off shore, then the sharks would go bye bye. Some people have suggested the resolution is to shoot the seals. People are so needy for the simple. You say things are complicated and the glaze settles in over their eyeballs.

I did it again: I love most of Neil Young's song especially his acoustic stuff. On "Prairie Wind" which is one of my favorite discs, there is a song called "I'm Here for You". Its about a child (in his case his daughter) who is leaving home. And what I did again in the car as I listened was start to cry. I mean I love the song but it hits me on so many levels. I can almost predict these outbursts.

SPORTS TALK

So the American women played great but did not lose because of the penalty kicks. They lost because of the same reason many teams lose--they could not hold a late lead. That is primarily due to the part of the game played from the neck up. And Solo was not as strong as any of the talking heads had us believing.

ARod and Jeter, though elected, had no business playing in that all star game and I am glad they missed it. On the other hand, forget the home run contest, but Mr. Cano is the best second baseman in the game. And as I have said before, Dustin is not in the same boat as Cano and it is not close.

What is also not close is that the Yanks pitching sucks and I have seen Mariano look way too normal. Papelbon is not much better but if the red flops ever get Bucholz and Lester back, its theirs to lose. Lackey and Burnett cancel each other out since each is horrid. CC is the best of the bunch but can only go out every 5th day and that's not enough. My boys will have trouble being the wild card.

Great nickname: Ryan Braun is a member of my tribe as well as an outfielder with the Milwaukee Brewers though I cannot for the life of me imagine Jewish people naming their son Ryan but that's for another day. His teammates have nicknamed him "(He)Brewer". Is that great or what?

Off to Maine Wednesday to the old stomping grounds including a visit to my mother's grave--its been 27 years. Will say a memorial prayer/visit a few other relatives buried there and have some lobster on the return. My mother loved lobster.

Sayonara.

"TENTH AVENUE FREEZE OUT"

"Changes were made uptown and the Big Man joined the band". I don't have a clue if Clarence Clemons was a good sax player or not. I do know, having seen the E Street Band a few times, that he and Bruce had fun up there. I also believe that this was no ebony and ivory (tickling the keys) kind of thing--these two were like brothers on the stage. They were in the foxhole together and made wonderful music while there. A major loss to the Band, his friends/family, and those of us who love the music of the E Street Band.

I might be one of only a few people who was hoping Whitey would never get caught. I do understand that the families of his victims care deeply and have that right. But come on he is 81, walked into Tijuana to get his meds (one of which I take with a prescription and it costs a bit more), had $800,000 in that one apartment, and assorted guns. Probably had some other places to live too and he paid our fine city a few visits during his little escapade. And did you see the bios of his victims? 90%were thugs just like him. Now he takes a helicopter up from Plymouth and he gets lawyers at our expense. Bizarro.

My man Jon Stewart took on Chris Wallace a couple of weeks ago and the clips I saw were grand. Apart from the fact that he is a great comedian, he is extraordinarily bright and was more than a match for Mr. Wallace who must embarrass his father daily. I get the news from Stewart now and, as I have said, I can barely tolerate any other talking heads--even in sports. Stewart got Wallace to admit on air that Fox believes its mission is to present the "other side" because the rest of the media is so liberal. Oh my.

And yet I happened to catch Charley Rose a week or so ago--heavyweight panel of Tom Friedman, David Brooks, Roger Cohen,and Dave Leonhardt. All from the NY Times and all down on Obama not so much for his decisions but for his lack of leadership. The four sit on different points of the political spectrum and disagreed about some substantive stuff--but on leadership they were united. I have to say I am with them on that one.

So Eric Cantor (he who is a member of my tribe) walked out of the negotiations on the debt ceiling. Took the coward,s way out and showed no leadership. Now it takes a mad scientist to even understand this issue though it does seem to get a bunch of folks all worked up--but if he is a leader, shouldn't he lead and not run back to Richmond?

I continue to root for Michelle Bachman since I fear Romney as a much more worthy opponent for Obama. She will, if we are all patient, start saying stuff that will confirm her need for some serious medication.

And Mr. Weiner (to be fair, he is also a member of my tribe) resigned. No surprise nor is it a surprise that political men act so badly when their egos are as big as this room. Party affiliation has nothing to do with it--just more men acting badly.

SPORTS TALK

I remember, but not perfectly, a quote from Larry Bird which went something like this--I want the pea at the end of the game. Pea meaning the ball. Lebron wanted it anywhere but in his hands and absolutely choked. If the NBA ever plays another game (and as I said about the NFL, I don't care), someone down on South Beach will be looking for work and I'm betting it will be Chris Bosh who proved his worth but must feel like the odd man out--I predicted this folks so pat me right on the back. Wade on the other hand played up to his potential.

Ah, the Bruins bringing the Cup back home. Another prediction: If the Canucks and Bruins play against each other during the next regular season, there will be a brawl. There was no retaliation for the ugly (and I mean ugly, scary, and my eyes were closed) hit on Horton. But they won,t forget and someone will instigate something. All four lines played above their skill levels but Bergeron's line with that pest Marchand was just special. And then there was Thomas. Watched it and enjoyed it with Steffen down there in the South!! By the way, for better or worse, the NBA owners are looking jealousy at the NHL hard cap situation and love it.

The Vancouver riots. At first, I was ready to blame alcohol and youth. But then I read some more (Imagine) and realized Vancouver has had these things before (and not just about sports) and people in the crowd were prepared with gasoline and rags to burn things. So it was a fore thought. Given the history, it was a symbolically combustible event which good city leadership might have predicted. Not to belabor it, but on the night the Bruins won, the mayor ordered all bars locked and all patio furniture brought in and sent out gobs of cops. Even the patrons inside the bars had to stop drinking. That,s thinking ahead. Without leadership of some sort, then the alcohol and the energy of the young lit the place up. That's the most I can make of it.

No baseball comments since it is not quite 7/4 but I will say Sabbathia is a horse and the Yanks are exceeding expectations with an elderly corps of starters.

Enjoy the 4th.

Sayonara.

"TENTH AVENUE FREEZE OUT"

"TENTH AVENUE FREEZE OUT"

ANY DAY IS A GOOD ONE WHEN LEBRON LOSES

WARNING: This first paragraph is about sports. I never liked him, thought he was awfully overrated, and especially hated the "theatre" and drama surrounding his departure from Cleveland. He is the literal bull in the literal china shop. Also, the best player for the Heat was the third of their so called big three--that would be Chris Bosh. As predicted here first, he was an afterthought throughout the whole season and then presto he outplayed the other two in the finals. Lebron absolutely choked in every fourth quarter and his post game comments were offensive. Enough.

I think I mentioned back in the fall after we returned from Turkey that we went to a wine shop in a small village and immediately after we entered, a busload of Syrian women descended on the same store. A close drive our guide said. I thought of this recently as the Syrian government proceeded to murder its own citizens--survivors fleeing into Turkey. I almost can envision some of those border villages despite not having gone there. A close drive indeed.

Watching Charlie Rose last week after Netanyahu left was soooo depressing. Rose had 4talking heads from a range of political view points including an Israeli journalist. The only point of agreement: Sometime before the end of the calendar year, it will blow up into another intifada. Pains were made during the show to share the responsibility for that between the Israelis and the Palestinians. But there it was in its bleakest incarnation. Turned it off very fast.

We had a group os Sisters living here in JP who sued the Cardinal and the Archdiocese about some retirement benefits for their lay employees. Ultimately the Archdiocese caved and the employees got whatever they were looking for. But the Cardinal got the last laugh. The Sister in charge (there is a title for her but I cannot seem to remember it)was transferred to Rome permanently one day after the verdict. These guys never learn. HUH.

Then there was congress. Democrats were feeling pretty good after that election in upstate New york which turned on the Democratic candidate attacking her opponent for wanting to eliminate Medicare. A great boost for the Dems until Mr. Weiner exposed himself on line (got the right name for that!!). Oh my, do these guys have egos or what. I'm hoping he gets to room with Tiger down there in Mississippi when he goes for treatment to the place that seems to be the only one in the world for sex addicts. Assuming Tiger has a relapse or two.

And the Republicans kept pace. Michelle Bachman fancies that she and Barack are alike because they came from such humble backgrounds. Senator Shelby blocks Diamond's nomination to the Fed despite the fact that the guy is a Noble Laureate--and Diamond finally bailed this week. Please give us Sarah or Michelle or another nut case to run--I worry more about Mitt but hope the entire Right Wing of his party demolishes him for the one good thing he did here with Health care.

Been to two great restaurants. The first, Darryl's Corner, is owned by the guy who owns the Beehive in the South End which is also great. He had owned Bob the Chef's which is where Darryl's is sited. Great "down home" food and live jazz. And then right here in little JP, down the block from Martha's, is Tres Gatos. Tapas and very good ones. Loved them both.

NOW FOR MORE SPORTS:

I am writing this before the face off for game 6. I am not sure the Bruins will win the Cup but if they lose it tonight, I will be sorely disappointed. After all, they are at home and Thomas has stood on his head here to make saves. If they win tonight and then lose in Vancouver, I somehow will be less disappointed since that is just how the whole series played out and I actually think the Bruins have over achieved anyhow. The hit on Horton was sick--what was worse was watching him on the ice so obviously out of it and with movements that looked totally involuntary. I really thought there was something worse happening.

Good riddance to that god fearing Jim Tressel. Yes, he beat my Wolverines umpteen times in a row but so self righteous and pious praying with his players who then went out and sold stuff just to get more tattoos. Screw him and the other Division I cheats. And yes, I believe it happens all over the place.

It is not July 4th so no baseball chat though my boys are in deep doo doo with that crumbling pitching staff.

Off to Philadelphia tomorrow to see the new house and the folks who live in it. Training down and have missed them terribly.

Sayonara.

I,M ALAN ONE OF THE COUNTY CORK O'BERNSTEINS

How great was it to see the Prez in Ireland lifting a Guinness in a small village pub. And then paying for it. Those scenes of him squeezing flesh made it seem as if people "over there" like him more than some of us here. Hope that Icelandic ash does not prevent him from getting more hand shakes and hugs from some of his other newly found relatives.

So how can you figure Scotty, our Senator. He opposes Paul Ryan's budget because of it Medicare impact. This after some more of his serious deliberations. Anytime the guy veers off from his Republican brethren, he needs to deliberate. Its like a sign to them that he is about to go off on his own. On the other hand, finding someone to run against him will not be easy because some of these issues are near and dear to us. So he gives us a few crumbs. I did see a tidbit on line that Elizabeth Warren is being pushed to run. Now I almost don't believe she could win; but I seriously would love to see her run. She is just wonderful and if you have ever seen her on Jon Stewart's show, you know how serious, smart, and funny she is.

So, "Common", a rapper, performed at the White House. Won two Grammys and appears in Gap ads. But the right wing crazies went after Michelle and him like piranhas. Karl Rove and Sara led the pack just shooting at anything that moved in an effort to paint this guy as a misogynist and a cop hater and a threat to our very lives. Hate to repeat myself, but Jon Stewart really got on their asses hysterically.

To further repeat myself (to begin a sentence with a preposition would send all my high school teachers over the edge)Stewart gleefully wished the other night that both Huckabee and Trump stayed in the race because they would give him so much material--especially Huckabees rock and roll relationship with Ted Nugent who basically believes you should be able to keep cannons in your house since it is your right to bear arms. Any of you buying his albums?

What to make of Cornel West and his criticism of Obama ("my dear brother") for not being "black" enough. Ironically, I have heard this in a sports context but cannot place it though it involved one player criticizing another for the same thing. I think it is a puddle I should not step in though today's Globe (the same paper which hates Larry Summers) praised Larry for his decision to let West go to Princeton and not grant him tenure. It does seem very ugly. Kind of like some of the pejoratives hurled around when some of us don't support everything about Israel politics.

Speaking of which, couldn't Netanyahu waited more than a day or perhaps until he went home to criticize Obama's proposal. We knew he would not agree but come on give the guy a break. To his credit, Obama then went in front of AIPAC (these are the big Machers of pro Israel advocacy and financial support) and did not back down. Guys like Kraft, Sumner Redstone, and Sheldon Adelson are probably falling over themselves to give big bucks to the Republicans immediately. I am nearly at the point of saying the Issraelis, like us, got what they voted for and if they don't like his policies, they can un-elect Netanyahu next time around. Almost, I said.

Along semi-similar lines, I read in the NY Times (or somewhere) that there is worry among French Jews that this disgusting sexual assault in NYC will cause anti-semitism to rear its head in France--apparently it lies very close to the surface and Strauss Kahn is unfortunately a member of my tribe.

SPORTS TALK

So anyone doubting that Tiger is officially a "head case"? Sure he has physical injuries but his head is so addled, I am surprised he can even utter a coherent sentence. He may need to return to the woods of Mississippi for more "treatment of his sex addiction". I think I have said this before but--does it strike anyone as weird that this is the state with the worst Health Care in America, with a Governor who blasts Obamacare at any opportunity, and it is the only place where you go when you are a famous "sex addict".

No baseball chat but I will say Adrian Gonzalez is a big time player for the red flops. On the other hand, I would be worried about both Beckett and Lackey. The Yanks look no better than a .500 team though I will take Cano over Pedroia any day.

The Celtics got old and tired looking very fast. And I don't know what to make of Rondo. I hope his total inconsistency (good one night and bad the next) was due to injury and not to pouting over the loss of his best bud Kendrick--who by the way has just been benched by the Thunder. I do think Jeff Green is a keeper though I would get rid of everyone else they can.

Tim Thomas stole another one last night and also has been tres (my French is so good) inconsistent--last night he was brilliant but prior to that he stunk up the joint. Ditto for Lucic. But I like their odds to get past Tampa--and anyhow, one of the original six should be in the finals.

That's it. Sayonara and good luck to all those folks in Joplin.

I TOLD YOU SO--MORE OR LESS

I semi-predicted that once the U.S. went into Libya with NATO and the UN and once the Republican support for that decision was a few days old, I opined that there would be partisan criticism of something. Sure enough, Lindsey Graham and old Joe Lieberman immediately decided we should find and then kill Qaddafi. Then the Trumpster spoke up and said we should go in just for the oil. Bright lights all of them. All of which was predictable and did not take a brain surgeon to anticipate--its all about getting at Obama no matter what he does.

Speaking of which, I have no qualms or second thoughts about Bin Laden's death and would have pissed my pants to have been in one of the helicopters landing in that compound. So kudos to those folks. On the other hand (don't you just love that!!), I was very uneasy about those crazed and probably drunk flag wavers in front of the White House the night it was announced. Like it was some big football game on a Saturday afternoon. And those TV folks just lapped it up as they awaited Obama's appearance. Something was off about that whole scene.

And now we should see the pictures just to make sure he really is dead and to make sure (I guess) that the President is not deceiving us. Palin and Graham (again) are leading that parade. After all, Sara can see Russia from her house and Lindsey can see what from South Carolina? Flags of the Confederacy on the state house?
They make me want to puke.

Speaking of the Trumpster--he gets the birth certificate and now wants to see academic records because how could someone like Obama go from Occidental to Columbia and then to Harvard. Bob Schieffer called it for what it was--a tacit racist request. I do hope he gets the nomination and, if not him, then Michelle Bachman. Both lunatics.

Saw Inside Job the other day on DVD. Very scary and personally very embarrassing since almost everyone of the villains is a member of my religious tribe.

A great white shark was cited off Cape Cod and made the front page of the Globe along with the usual front page articles about corrupt politicians and the Archdiocese. Now if the shark were on Commonwealth Avenue, I think that would be a front page story--but where the fuck is the shark supposed to be and what is the point? A warning so we don't swim there or something? I am so persnickety.

Let it be known far and wide that I hate groupons. Cannot even figure out the bill when it ultimately arrives.

This is semi-sports: Peter King writes a regular column on the Sports Illustrated website. Today, he quoted a second journalist (David White of the SF Chronicle) who is leaving the profession to become a minister. In his last column, White left his readers with a bunch of wishes. One of which was the following (not a perfect quote): he does not want to see any player who scores a touchdown or crosses home plate pointing to the sky unless they also point to the sky when they make an out, or fumble, or screw up in some other way. Seems fair to me and has always been something I wondered about.


NOW SOME SERIOUSER SPORTS

Watched Real Madrid and Barcelona in one of the 4 games they played against each other in the last month. Mostly great games--I love David Villa of Barcelona. However, the acting and the diving and the phony pain was unbearable--made the game almost a sideshow. I want blood or exposed bones or nothing. And why don't they have a diving penalty. These guys are flopping all over.

Any day the Lakers get swept is a better day in America. Kobe deserves anything bad that happens to him after that sexual assault in Colorado. and Bynum and Odom are no better. They acted like thugs at the end of yesterday's game.

The Bruins will have their hands full with Tampa--much like Montreal with a bunch of little guys zooming all over the place. Not very big but oh so fast and adept. The Bruins matched up much better with the Flyers. A note: watch the first game next year between the Bruins and the Flyers. That hit on Bergeron will not be forgotten even if it was clean and Giroux will likely be susceptible to revenge.

Very worried about the Celtics. They did come back Saturday but looked decrepit the first two games. Just don't know which team will show up tonight.

How long will we be talking about Jeter's age? Being a leader from the neck up is unrelated to age--he could bat .250 and he could be carrying the team. Mind you, I am not sure they have enough pitching to do much but lets not get him an AARP membership just yet.

Adios.

WHY I LIVE WHERE I LIVE

I definitely stole this title from some column previously appearing in the Globe--I think. Or perhaps the National Geographic. Just not sure but I want to be sure I acknowledge the theft. The question arose for me as we arrived in Boston to temps in the 40's and ugly cold rain. This after a week in Key West where it was in the mid 80's and sunny for 7 straight days. Seven nights of wonderful meals; 7 days with a minimum of one serving of boiled shrimp daily; 4 days with Anna joining us; and some very good music in every bar we were in. Now I grew up 160 some odd miles north of there and would never think about why I don't live in Miami anymore--I know the answer to that. But, for me, the juxtaposition of leaving Key West and arriving in Boston was unpleasant. Of course there are a bunch of reasons we are here and have been here for more or less 45 plus years. Seasonal changes in weather is actually one of things I like. But let me tell you that after 7 days having "fun in the sun"--it makes me wonder.

Passover came--by the way happy Easter to those of you celebrating today. We had a very nice Seder at our place but there were no kids--which is not to diminish those in attendance but it was very different. On the one hand there were fewer distractions and much more attention to the process. But on the other hand, the Seders in my life has always had kids in attendance even when they were adult kids. But a 40 year old read the 4 questions since he was the youngest. Very odd and only heightened for me the absences of Jessica/Stefan/the grandchildren/Anna.

So that twerp Paul Ryan from Wisconsin (I know it is boring but I still have not figured out how both Wisconsin and Minnesota have moved so far right) gives us a budget. I will grant you he is bright and can add a column of figures but of course he wont tax the rich, wants to privatize Medicare but protect those of us already on it, and then make Medicaid a block grant under gubernatorial control. Now apart from the numbers, what he did very successfully was set the table for the discussion. He forced Obama to be reactive which seems to be his style. I dearly hope that as we get closer to 11/12, Obama will get more and more pro-active. But meanwhile, when he did respond, he did happen to kick the shit out of Ryan's plan and tried to appeal to the best in us. I just have many doubts about my fellow citizens.

If you missed both Colbert and Stewart getting all over Senator Kyl for his addition problems, they were terrific. Kyl was after Planned Parenthood and blatantly lied about the percentage of their budgets which fund abortions. They tore into him hilariously. I am going to have to find a serious alternative to them as we get closer to the election. Because that period of time will not be all fun and games.

John McCain goes to Libya, gets his picture taken with the rebels, and wants us to do more which I guess means put troops on the ground. Then when he gets back I guarantee he will be all over the Prez no matter what Obama does. McCain is a fool and I don't know who even let him go there.

Now to something much more important and serious--I learned this week that Rosemary had died. She was my right had woman for a long time when I worked at The Home. She was a friend, a confidant, a hand holder, and a bright articulate hyper-thoughtful woman who helped me (along with a bunch of others) survive as long as i did. I always apologized when I swore in her presence and she would pat me on the arm and tell me it was ok. She was "proper" in the best sense of the word. I missed her when she left, missed her when I left, and miss her now.


SPORTS TALK

The Celtics will advance but I believe at some point Shaq has to appear. I'm hoping that Doc knows he can beat the Knicks without him and the more rest he gets, the better. It is a hope.

I had given up on the Bruins--I pulled a "Dan Shaughnessy" and wrote them off after they fell behind two games to none. And now they might pull it off in spite of playing what I consider mediocre hockey. But my friend Danny called me on it and now I know better. Shaughnessy is a fool and I fell in with him--ugh.

So the Sox have been resurrected and the season is not over. Miracle of miracles.

That's about it.

Sayonara.

WHICH END IS UP--AND IM NOT REFERRING TO THE FURNITURE COMPANY

I am sooo confused about world events--I don't even know where to begin. But here, in the lower level, are some of my random thoughts in no particular order.

--According to my computer, at exactly 8:02 on the night Obama spoke to the nation about Libya, Boehner (he who has a perpetual tan)and Cantor (he who is a member of my tribe)issued a statement calling the speech inadequate. Now maybe since the White House seems full of all these good government/lets be nice people,they gave the guys a copy of the speech so they could prepare a response. But if not, they simply, pulled it out of thin air in anticipation of what he would say. Before the U.S. intervention, these guys were yakking about going in and saving the Libyans. After the speech, they were yakking about how there was no exit strategy.

My problem is I don't get how we can help the Libyans but not the Bahrainians (did I spell that right?). But even so, at least we are not in Libya on our own and are operating under a UN resolution with some other countries. And, as I write, NATO is in charge. But I still don't get it about Libya except for oil and Khadafy. Which might just say it all.

--The senate continues to hold up two key Obama appointments. One, a guy named Daimond, won a Nobel in economics but the right wing Senators think he is a commie or something. The other, Berwick, is supposed to be in charge of Medicare and Medicaid . But since those some folks want to repeal Obamacare, they don't want anyone in there who actually might do something to move it along. At a minimum, in 2012, these guys better not get control of the Senate--otherwise we should all go into our bunkers.

--Anna sent me a great article from the NY Times about the difference between the disaster in Haiti and the one in Japan. Without diminishing either, the article did point out how different the two countries were before the earthquakes and how that might mean they required different kids of assistance from abroad after the earthquakes. I am always very cautious about giving to the Red Cross or the United Way for anything since they skim money off the top for their administrative costs. Usually you can give directly to a group and not go through the big boys. There are still administrative costs but you are only paying once for them and it increases the amount that reaches the ground.

--So the Governors of 3 states (Wisconsin, NJ, and Ohio) hate teachers and anyone with a public sector job--must really feel good to be working in the public sector these days. Have to give my governor credit for not taking the easy way out by scapegoating any group. The guy in NJ gave back money for a new tunnel (the guy in Florida gave back money for commuter rail) and he is a big bully--literally and figuratively. Kick em while they are down and if in doubt, blame the victim.
I am not a dupe for the unions but give me a break--if it were as simple as eliminating collective bargaining, all state budgets would be in balance--duh, its all about health care at the state level.

--Speaking of which, my insurer Blue Cross/Blue Shield just gave a departing CEO an $11 million dollar severance package for doing nothing except raising the rates charged to consumers. Plus they pay board members even though they are a non profit.
Our AG is after them but there are more of them where they came from. It is pathetic.

--I continue to be distressed about Israel. The situation with the Palestinians and them continues to deteriorate. Hamas does not help with its new found rockets but neither do the ultra orthodox Jews who lay claim to all sorts of land because it is a biblical "right". But don't have to serve in the IDF because they are ultra Orthodox--go figure. Read a brief article about Netanyahu and his father which only reminded me that the only way out for him is to pull a "Nixon"--go to Abbas secretly and cut some sort of deal. But do it. Im betting he will not.

--I really hope the Republicans nominate Michelle Bachman. Huckabee, Palin, and the others are a bit crazy. But Michelle is truly a candidate for the butterfly net. She cannot help herself. I still am embarrassed to admit I thought both Minnesota and Wisconsin were bastions of Mid West liberalism; but nooooo, they are tuning into bastions of right wing tea party crazies.

--Got my senior Charlie card for the "T". Much like applying for Social Security, except for a wheelchair bound woman, I was the lone white person amongst a veritable tribe of people from around the Globe. I do get quite a discount and it was surprisingly efficient.

--We take that big silver bird next week to Key West--where it has been sunny and in the low 80's all week while our weather map looks like slop with low temps. In between, to Scranton for Yvette's 90th!



SPORTS TALK

I admit to the following--I could not care less if both the NBA and the NFL have lock outs which end their seasons. I am so sick of these stories--the only worse thing is who cares about Bonds and Clemens and their trials. Puke.

No conversations about baseball until 7/4--however I will say that the Red Flops are way overrated and I just saw the new Yankee set up man (Soriano) who looks immense--then Mo got his first save.

The Celtics have looked god awful and I worry their age is catching up. They miss a big post presence but I continue to believe the Perkins trade was a good one. I love Jeff Green and this Krstic fellow ain't bad either.

If Tim Thomas stays hot, the Bruins could go far especially since no other team looks so spectacular--except perhaps for the Canucks with those twins.

Happy 65th up there in Toronto.

Sayonara.

EL JEFE

So I am one day post this very important birthday. As days passed leading up to it and even now, I have had the following recurrent fantasy. I have never been to China and therefore have never seen the Terra Cotta soldiers. But here is the fantasy: I am the Commandante and all my little pill boxes are the Terra Cotta soldiers. They line up each morning, salute me, and prepare themselves for the battle they are about to wage in my body. They fight on my behalf and hold the lines against the enemies within. If I include the support regiment (those would be my vitamins), I go into battle each day with 8 fighters side by side following the instructions written on their backs. I continue to win those daily battles and hope, as i have celebrated this birthday, that I win the war. Enough.

North Africa and the Middle East is blowing up. Dictators and crazy men (that would be Khadafy--and if you have not read his words, find them so you can confirm my diagnosis). Obama of course is getting his ass kicked by Republicans who have no ideas of their own but are sure he is doing everything wrong and are talking about it QUITE LOUDLY. I may sound like a broken record but first of all I am not sure what he is supposed to be doing--invading all those countries? Second, I think he is doing stuff and it is called quiet diplomacy. Let the thing play out and keep the Israelis and Saudis (who are as worried as the Israelis) cooled down. I mean Sara and Michelle (Bachman) have no clue and yet swipe out at him a minute after he does or says something. What I don't get is why he (or some attack dog on his staff) don't go after them. You can be too passive also. The "coolest" thing for me so far was to see these women in Bahrain with their black burkhas covered head to toe but with designer sunglasses, make up on, and cell phones--all protesting in the streets.

What to say about the once great state of Wisconsin. Russell Feingold gets kicked out, the Governor is a Tea Party person, and the legislature is now Republican. If I were the Democrats I would go further than Chicago. I am not a total union guy--but the Wisconsin public unions have agreed to very important financial give backs. Walker is out to bust them and wants more.

The good news for Obama (and I suppose the rest of us) is that the economy is coming back and if it comes back consistently, he may have a shot in 2012 especially if the Republicans bring on someone resembling this guy Walker.

On the other hand a fine example of the Health Care mess. When you receive Medicare, in most cases you need also to purchase a supplement to cover the gaps in Medicare coverage. I got one through Blue Cross. Then just before my birthday, I get a nice letter from them wishing me a happy birthday and asking me to see my doctor and have a bunch of tests. The same tests I had in November when I saw the doctor. So I call Blue Cross and tell them this story. Their response: "you are new to us and we treat you like a brand new recipient". I tell them they have my permission to get the records from my doctor. Nope they want the tests done again unless I decide not to follow up--which as my little protest, I have decided not to have them done. But this kind of crazy duplication without regard to cost is killing the states and the feds.

Bob Kraft (owner of my beloved Patriots) and his wife put their money and their public face where their pocketbook is. Two examples. They gave a bunch of money to MGH not for a building but for Community Health Center fellowships--to encourage and pay physicians to practice in them. Then they got a big award from the state wide LGBT advocacy group for their contributions and their support. Gotta love them


SPORTS TALK

Proud to say I did not watch the Super Bowl. So disappointed at the Pats loss especially to the fat guy from the Meadowlands. The worse game I have seen Brady play and it had nothing to do with a stress fracture.

I have often said that once athletes reach a certain level of skill, 90% of their performance is related to the area from their neck up. Watching Tiger Woods almost cements this theory. The guy is a soft boiled egg and could fall apart any minute. He is unhardened jello. It is almost sad. And what about those prissy guys at the PGA--on top of everything else fining him for spitting on the golf green. Come on is it a sport or some sort of white glove evening dance. Give me a break.

I never did like Perkins but for the life of me I cannot figure out who will get a rebound or push Dwight Howard away from the basket. Jeff Green may help Paul Pierce but I am not sure how they get rebounds when that was already a major weakness. I think the Bulls are now even a tougher series given their height. And then I end up saying they still have roster spots and perhaps Ainge knows something I don't know. My fingers are crossed.

Was with Jess, her family, Anna, and Babs in NYC this past weekend. I miss not having Anna and Jess et al closer. What to do?

Sayonara.

THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF MY LIFE

I positively/absolutely hate that phrase. And yet, as of this particular moment, I am the recipient of not one but two federal programs. They shall remain nameless but obvious. I wish to add that one of them is related specifically to a certain age--but I will not reach that momentous age until the end of the month. One other thing--I continue to be impressed that so far both of these programs seem very consumer friendly.

So we have been to Philadelphia--delayed going by one of these monster snow storms. Be aware that once the airline declares a weather advisory, you can change your tickets for free (most of you probably knew that but I did not). We had to do that and otherwise the change would have cost $150 each for a round trip. It's all about the money, honey. But the point is that all is well in the city of brotherly love. The weird thing is that Jess and her family will have to move again in the late spring so while they are settled in, they are settled only for a respite and still have a basement full of boxes. I had been to Philadelphia about 45 years ago so I felt like a newbie. First of all, it is way bigger than Boston in terms of both area and population. Second, there are way more African Americans than in Boston. Lastly, all 4 pro teams play adjacent to each other in 3 virtually brand new stadia (ah, good old Mrs. Reynolds teaching us that the plural of words ending in "um" is an "a")sharing a mammoth parking area. I still wonder what was there before. We had a great time and the flying time is only 45 minutes which makes it feel very close.

Meanwhile, Keith Olberman got his ass fired--no matter what nice words were put to his departure. Not surprising and yet Rachel is still on in spite of being nearly twice as progressive as he was. She does have softer edges and somehow a more intellectual take on the issues. Keith was both visceral and vitriolic--don't you just love alliterations.

Speaking of harder edges, I get a bazillion comments from readers of this blog--not really but I do get a few. One of you took me to task about the horrific shootings in Arizona. My problem (according to this reader) was not attacking the gun lobby and the availability of guns for causing that disaster. Point taken but not so fast. I still believe leaders shape these events both before and after they occur and bear a special responsibility to actually lead. But keep those cards and letters coming.

I was already feeling helpless about the situation in the Middle East and now we have Egypt erupting. Cairo is a city of 20 million--can anyone imagine that if you have not been there? I have not been there and I can't. Egypt is one of our "allies" over there. But most importantly, it actually is an "ally" of Israel. If I am Netanyahu, I have got all my soldiers on very high alert and I am a very worried President. Especially since I just read that the King of Jordan just appointed a brand new cabinet. Egypt also has tons of our military equipment and utilizes our military as advisers. It would not surprise me if some of our boys are over there right now trying to facilitate some sort of smooth transition. Very very ugly/scary.

I was disappointed by Obama's State of the Union speech. Tossed too many bones to the Republicans and to the right wing of his party. Plus, it seemed as if he was speaking in platitudes. Too pie in he sky for me. Now he has to deal with the Egypt mess. I almost feel bad for him. But then the economy seems to be creeping back up and I believe that is all that will matter come 2012--or at least I hope so. My other hope is that Eric Cantor and John Boehner actually hate each other as much as some articles have said. Maybe they will divide and fail to conquer.

Anna is heading to Iceland for a 5 day adventure. Plans to eat whale while there. Good luck to her--I don't even want to know about it.

SPORTS TALK

Ok, so Brady had a stress fracture in his foot. Let me say this right now (boy am I bold or what?)--they lost because he had a terrible day fracture or not. And because Belichik got out coached by the big mouth in NY. I have the full support of two readers on this one. Sounds like the majority I need.

Slowly but surely, the Celtics are pulling things together. Garnett and Rondo remain for me the keys. It will help when West returns in the sense that the rotation will be clearer. But they do not miss Jermaine O'Neal. It is also worth noting that their first draft choice (Bradley) is virtually absent while this Wafer kid is getting more minutes. My big worry in the East is actually Chicago--not Miami or Orlando. Rondo has big time trouble with Derrick Rose and Noah is just the kid of active player that causes them fits. We shall see.

Just finished that 700 page book by Bill Simmons--aka "The Sports Guy". Terrific and so funny. Laughed out loud regularly. Discovered his web site and it is equally funny.

That is it for now.
Sayonara.

DING DON, RICH IS GONE, WICKED OLD RICH WICKED RICH; DING DONG RICH IS GONE FOR GOOD

The above title must be sung by every reader to the tune of the wicked old witch in the Wizard of Oz. Even those of you non-sports fans MUST sing this to read any further--I demand it. On the other hand, only those interested in the sports section down below need to have more information.

Moving on. As regular readers(are there any?)know, I have sworn off TV yakkers. But on the day after the killings in Arizona, Barbara was watching Rachael Maddow and I dropped by. The main point that I got and that I believe is important is that words do matter. That cross hairs(as in aim your gun here)shown on a map matter. That talk, language, words matter and they especially matter to people who are susceptible to external direction fueled by vitriol. Then you have facts like Arizona was the last state to designate MLK Day as a holiday; that Arizona is the center of all things anti-immigration; and that their murder rate per capita is almost 10 times higher than here (even though ours is high enough)partly due to the ease of purchasing guns. All of that matters and sets a tone.

It supposedly should give us all pride and pleasure that we in Mass.virtually have universal health coverage and that the President has acknowledged us for that. I want to take pride in that and other laws which make this state different. But unlike the same sex marriage law(which I am proud of),this coverage primarily via Medicaid actually costs tons of money. There will be more budget cuts coming up this July. There are very few places to cut and those of you in the non profit and/or public sector know that. Yet all the insurers and the big hospital groups continue to be cash cows. It is wonderful to have world class hospitals but if you have had the unhappy experience of being in one, you know that you are paying for medical students, interns, residents, fellows, and the actual "real" doctor. That costs money. I am not sure what the answer is but part of it lies in managing the care better and forcing more people to go through primary care physicians or health centers before they even approach those big ER's. This is one area where I am glad I am not King of the Universe in spite of wishing for that role in most other instances.

I am glad Vicki Kennedy is not going to run against Scott Brown. I think it has to be someone who is willing to get ugly and dirty and mean and go after that sucker. She seems too nice and almost too proper for that kind of fight. I blew it the last time with Coakley and I am determined not to do that again. It is un-fucking believable to me that Alan Khazei is considering another run. It is a loser's bet and he should just stay on the sidelines and maybe hope for an appointment as something or other. Big Poobah with LARGE ideas maybe.

The intractability of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict continues to depress me. Have no other words or insight. And it seems to worsen regularly.

Obama is making a nice comeback and all of us need to hope the economy continues its slow improvement. As someone said(perhaps James Carville),it is the economy stupid. If it is better by November 2012, he may actually prevail.

SPORTS TALK

First a book recommendation. I don't read much non-fiction but I have two sports books to suggest. George Dohrman, an SI writer, spent about 8 years following a young African American basketball player starting when he was an 10 year old phenom. He got complete access from his AAU coach if he did not write anything until the kid went to college/left high school. It is called "They Played Their Hearts Out". It is about the ugly relationships between coaches, sneaker companies, the AAU and pushy parents. Most of the kids are African American and most of everyone else is white. It is very unpleasant but just excellent journalism. Second, I had heard about the "Sports Guy" but never read anything by him. I have begun his 700 page book on the NBA (I forget the title) and it is both insightful and hilarious--but it is 700 pages.

So RichRod has been kicked to the curb. I was wrong--Michigan paid West Virginia 2.5million(not 1 million)when they bought out his contract. Those would be two public universities. I wonder how the CPA's booked those dollars. He left the program in tatters and it will take a while to rebuild. He deserves no sympathy because by breaking his contract, Michigan had to pay him another buyout. Just disgusting.

If I had written this 24 hours ago, I would have been full of optimism and braggadocio. Now, not only have I sworn off socio-political talk shows, I am swearing off sports talk shows. The Pats simply sucked. I had not seen Brady look so befuddled all year. Since I believe at this level 90% of the game is played from the neck up, the Pats were ill prepared in terms of intensity/concentration/other intangibles. No mas.

With Garnett back, tonight could be both a good and an important game for the Celts against the Magic. They got beat down there in the South on Xmas and owe them one.

To Philly on Friday. Skype seems like science fiction but actually works/helps. Think you can get a Philly cheese steak hold the cheese?

That's it.
Sayonara