HATERS HATE

(A cautionary note:  This might be especially long since I am just overflowing with important ideas/thoughts.)

I have few words in my vocabulary to describe the horror of the murders in Charleston.  I refer you to Jon Stewart who devoted his monologue that evening to the murders and to Charles Pierce in an Esquire online column. Their words are better than mine.  I will,however, say this.  I shall not ascribe this to some berserk individual with mental health problems.  I will not suggest that with better gun laws, this could have been avoided.  I will say that this is rooted the culture of the South and that, yup, that fucking confederate flag is a powerful message.

Speaking of which, I take no solace in the actions of politicians who want the flag taken down in tribute to the 9 parishioners.  Where have they been in, oh say, the last 150 years?  They are not leaders--they are sheep. Even now, some of them just do not get it and see no problem with the flag display.  Damn, even those NASCAR red necks are getting rid of it. So Lindsey Graham and Governor Haley are not to be admired. They are to be despised for failing to address the cultural issues only after 9 people lay dead.  They play to the worse instincts in their community and then are surprised that members of that community react with such venom.

An anecdote from reader DK:  The gun club in Powder Springs, Georgia was just granted a license to serve alcohol.  Really, they can now not just carry weapons but carry them while inebriated.  A terrific message to members of that place.  If I lived there, I would be locking my doors right now.

Then we have the recent decisions of the Supreme Court.  Jeffrey Toobin has said that it is a mistake to call this the Roberts court.  It is in fact Kennedy's court.  On almost every 5-4 decision, it is Kennedy who is the key fifth vote and joins the 4 Liberals. He was the fifth vote in the decision regarding gay marriage.  And he was one of 6 (joined by Roberts) in the decision regarding the Affordable Care Act.  Anybody still wondering why it is important to vote in Presidential elections should remember who gets to appoint judges--for life.  I was especially happy for Mary Bonauto, the lawyer who got to argue the case before the Supremes.  She is the woman who litigated the initial case here in Massachusetts and she has now seen it to the finish.  But, oh my and guess what?

Some of our nations finest politicians (most of whom are, yup, from the south and most of whom are running for the Republican presidential nomination) do not like either decision and are twisting themselves into pretzels to let us know how they believe in the law of the land but this might be going too far.  All of us need to respect the decision about PAC money having no limit and all of us need to respect other court decisions but we do not have to let the court interfere in our state in this case.  Just read what Jindal, Huckabee, Trump, and those other losers have to say about these decisions.  They really do hate poor people and that's why poor people do not deserve insurance.  And they hate gay people and that's why they should not have the right to marry.  Kick all of those yokels to the curb.  And they are the leaders of their party and get away with this shit.  More sheep.

Items:
--Neil Young told the Donald that he could not use Neil's song "Rocking in the Free World" in his campaign because Neil is supporting Bernie Sanders.  Neil is Canadian and does not vote here anyhow.  Trump is so angry about immigration from the south, he probably forgot Canada is a separate country. His language about Mexican immigrants is more hatred.
--I am worried about all these training bases we are setting up in Iraq.  If any of us think our soldiers will not suffer injuries or even die, we are mistaken.  Being there is a big time risk and I am very nervous.
--Hungary, one of Hitler's best friends, wants to put up a fence to keep immigrants out--I wonder who will pick their fruit.  If Hungary bordered the Mediterranean, they might want to put fences on the beaches of Southern Europe.
--Do all of you know there is such a thing as Pilates Gyrotonic.  What is that and why?
--There is also a national association of herbalists who do not believe in mainstream medicine.  What is that about and why?
--There is an association for the owners of school buses.  Guess what?  Their main objective is to avoid having to put seat belts in their buses.  You have any kids or grand kids who ride those big yellow buses?
--A great but deeply disturbing book by Jon Krakauer.  He "embedded" himself in Missoula, Montana to write about sexual assaults perpetrated by members of the University of Montana's football team.  This is an ugly disquieting story but perhaps is not surprising given the increase in sexual assaults on campuses.  Just check out the Vanderbilt situation and their football team.
--The FDA is banning trans fat--good for them.
--When this week and last week are taken together, the Prez has had a pretty good time.
--Shout out to H.  who followed advice and loved Key West.  I cannot wait to return.

SPORTS TALK
--One item. Grant Wahl writes for SI and is a soccer specialist.  He is just excellent.  But right after the Supremes issued their gay marriage decision, he did something very special.  He talked about the decision in light of the "out" gay women on the U.S. Women's National team.  And the coach of that team who is married to a woman and has a 12 year old daughter.  Just excellent journalism.

Sayonara

"YOU MUST BE A GRANDPARENT"

Fuck yes, I am a grandparent.  SHE:  full of venom screaming at me; clutching her cell phone; and driving not a crossover SUV but a big mother expedition or escalade.  ME:  a great humanitarian and a fantastic grand father picking up his grand son at school.  There is apparently a protocol to these pick ups which I was not worthy of knowing.  I wanted the last space so I could get out quickly without being blocked in.  Nicely enough, I left her space for her and the yacht to parallel park right in front of me.  Then she went berserk, powered down her window as did I, and ended up by kind of name calling me a grandparent.  My only comment (being a great humanitarian) was to advise her not to go there.  The glow of her lipstick and nail polish was blinding.  Give me a fucking break with this protocol bullshit.

Shout outs:  to H who found me in a Manhattan restaurant after sleuthing worthy of Sherlock Holmes because he wanted to meet the writer of this excellent screed; to J and S on their anniversary; to J for surviving and having a great conversation with me; to A and L for being great hosts.

Ends and Odds:
--I think Vince Vaughn is very funny.  I also think he is a lunatic and now I have to decide if I boycott his work.  Seems he thinks school personnel should be required to carry guns.  Say what?
--Kerry had his leg repaired while awake, was up on his feet the next day, and is home less than a week later.  He is 70.  I would remain in bed for the duration and drive everyone crazy.
--Florida, that no regulation state, apparently lets any old hospital do any old surgery if they just "want" to.  So an alarming incidence of death from pediatric cardiac surgeries at one of their fine hospitals generated this comment beginning (more or less):  "Florida does not regulate".  Seriously?
--Both Qatar and Russia ended up as World Cup sites via bribery.  But I doubt those yokels at FIFA will do anything to change locations.
--Two notes for all of you keeping track of Catholic issues:  The Pope is about to issue an encyclical on climate change and some of the Republican boys running for Prez are already disputing his role in that debate.  Plus, the Archbishop of Minneapolis and his top aide resigned after yet another sexual abuse scandal.  Too bad this Pope cannot be everywhere.
--And to balance the ledger:  an eminent rabbi up here is involved in a sex scandal of his own which also involved money he embezzled from his synagogue.  Fair is fair.
--That fine school called FSU has offered a football scholarship to a 14 year old who already wears size 18 shoes and weighs 300 pounds.  Nothing in the story about health implications.  It is a sports story.
--Ted Cruz insulted all of us but especially Joe Biden by making a hideous joke after the death of Biden's son.  And he wants to be President.
--We in the Commonwealth have totally screwed up this casino business but the slots parlor will open in two weeks for all the losers who think they will win big on those machines.  I am not smart enough to operate the new fangled version of one armed bandits since you mostly push buttons.

SPORTSTALK
--One item:  Serena is really good.  But I have to say I am really tired of her moaning and groaning and the worst cold she had to overcome.  Play tennis damn it.

Sayonara

DON'T CALL ME BRUCE

I'm Caitlyn.  The picture of Caitlyn on the cover of Vanity Fair is just stupendous--both in terms of the photography by Annie Leibovitz and the amazing changes to the person who previously was know as Bruce Jenner.  I do hope this furthers the issues, concerns, and causes of and for transgendered folks.  And yet....this is a person who was part of that whole Kardashian publicity hound crew.  He is already signed to do a reality show based on the changes and he will be getting an award at the ESPYs.  Maybe this will all be good; but maybe there are many other trans people out there who will not be bringing in the big bucks and who may not even be able to avoid the surgeries.  It makes me a bit nudgy.

Kudos:  to  CP for making that lizard look like he is climbing up a wall; to  R and M on the arrival of their first grand child whose parents are those yummy M and M's; to the nation of Ireland for okaying gay marriage in the face of fierce Catholic church opposition.  It did not help the church that many of its priest and nuns engaged in abusive behavior to those most vulnerable members of its flock.

Fucking Texas.  How about inviting three different biker gangs to a mall in Waco to lick ice cream cones and just hang out for the afternoon.  Maybe they will make peace with each other.  OOPs--nope they just have a shootout and 9 of them die while innocents and the police manage to escape.  What city in its right mind would even allow this--Waco and its elected officials knew about the meeting and then express shock at the result.  Then a terrific article in the Boston Globe about the belief of a bunch of Texans that they are about to be invaded--and not by Mexico but by the good old U.S. Army.  At a meeting, 30 miles east of Austin (ahem), they even shouted down a high ranking Army officer who was trying to defuse the whole thing.  They hate the government (though they love their Social Security benefits) and they specifically hate Obama. Their fine Senator, Ted Cruz, gave a little impetus to the crazies by saying he would look into it.  As if.  (By the way, almost 20 million of us are now covered by Obamacare.  I almost hope the Republicans try to repeal it.)

How can the city of Boston approve a car race along city streets without a public hearing but continue to struggle with any approval for the Olympics.  Good luck if you are here in September of 2016--wear earplugs.  Speaking of the Olympics, I happen not to give a shit but this city has such a sucky attitude we are about to kill the possibility of having it here.  And the Mayor continues to fight the casino location in a nearby suburb.  Fucking up everything seems to be the theme of the moment.

Ends and Odds:
--There were "spectators" hanging outside the federal court awaiting the Tsarnaev verdict.  Ghouls every one of them.  Not relatives of the injured or dead; not connected in anyway; just get me some tv time and I am there.
--CNN posted 171 mugshots of the bikers involved in the Waco fiasco.  Why?  I am surprised Wolf Blitzer did not fly down to interview some of them.
--More domestic assaults, sexual assaults, and animal cruelty incidents amongst the fine group of NFL players.  But Brady gets 4 games for supposedly screwing around with a football.  Priorities.
--Good news: Russ Feingold is running for the Senate.  We need to give him money especially if that screwball governor Walker runs against him--need to give him money no matter who runs against him.
--Bad news:  Don't expect the Iraqi Army to defend you if you are in danger.
--More bad news:  Netanyahu shoots his mouth off again about the world being anti Semitic when it supports the rights of Palestinians.  He needs to shut up.
--Letterman is gone and I have to say I don't miss him.  I just wonder how "tame" Colbert will have to be to
 survive.
--Cuba is no longer a terrorist state.  When I read that ferry service was about to start, I was quite happy that we went when we did.  Its about to get a bit touristy.  But you know what, they need the dinero.

No sports talk except to smile at the anguish of Red Sox fans.  Tough luck.

Sayonara