YUP, THERE'S MORE

I heard an interesting analogy the other day.  The Mueller investigation is like an iceberg--you see some of it above the surface of the water; but there is much more going on below the surface.  And the stuff below the surface could be worse than what we already know.  He is taking his sweet ass time and that must make our impulsive POTUS pretty berserk.  But those speedy lawyers down in Manhattan (led by a POTUS appointee) are going full speed ahead and have already got Cohen headed to the pokey.  I'd love to see Ivanka in an orange jump suit. Moving on.

Items of interest:
--You have got to read the Doonesbury cartoon of 12/2.  Hysterical but also scary.
--While you are at it, find a way to see Mrs. Maisel--an Amazon series about a Jewish comedienne and her family.
--A final cultural recommendation.  The play "The Man In The Ring" is about the boxer Emile Griffith.  But it is really about gender and family and dementia and a whole bunch of other things.  And it is very thoughtful.
--Lost and found department (Part one):  Evangelicals are ecstatic about the POTUS judicial nominees to all levels of the federal judiciary.  They love the Israeli capital moving to Jerusalem.  Given their religious fervor, why are they silent about payments made to two women POTUS had affairs with?  Affairs and payoffs are worth the trade off?
--Lost and found department (Part 2):  If you can find any Republican Senator with any guts (and do not tell me about Susan Collins) other than those retiring, send me their names.  Their silence makes them complicit.
--Lost and found department (Part 3):  The outgoing Governors of Wisconsin and Michigan are signing off on new legislation limiting their successor's ability to change certain laws. Didn't the voters kick them to the curb?  They lost but they are overriding the prerogatives of the voters?  EEK!
--Last Sunday, in the NYT, Frank Bruni penned an open letter to Joe Biden telling Joe how much he loves him and, because of that love, he does not want Joe to run for President (read it).  I feel the same about Elizabeth Warren--I love her but she should stay in the Senate.
--A reminder:  There are now about 15,000 unaccompanied minors in shelters across this country.  Just sayin'.  And a 9 year old in one of them has passed away. No uproar over that, huh.
--2 Million Americans would be affected by this federal court decision limiting Obamacare--many of them certainly are Trump supporters.  Better get in line at the ER early or show some blood if you want to get seen.
--PTI (Pardon the Interruption) is the only regular talking head sports show I watch.  Wilbon and Kornheiser are just very articulate and bright people.  Last week they were all over Steph Curry for denying the moon landing. They more or less said the following:  Kornheiser (he is a member of my tribe) said it was on the same continuum as holocaust deniers.  Wilbon (he is African American) said denying slavery was on that continuum as well.  They both said it was time for these sports stars to either shut up or start making sense.  And no, this was not a sport item.

Have a Merry Holiday.  Shalom

MY DOORS WERE DOUBLE LOCKED BUT THE CARAVAN NEVER CAME

Oops, I guess he lied about that too.  Those embedded Middle East terrorists must have returned to their Middle Eastern countries because they did not show either.  The soldiers stationed there without A/C and without cooking facilities in that fucking Texas heat must be happy they did not have to capture any children.  By the way, as of earlier this week, we (that means us, the citizen of the US) have 14,000 children in facilities where they are separated from their families.  That ordains a large future load of PTSD clients for therapists.  And the younger those kids are, the more they will be damaged.

Sure, we have a liar for President (he faintly just remembered a project in Russia; but just faintly);  a marbly mouthed Senate President; and a base which has a large percentage of neo Nazis.  But forgetting about them, I blame myself and my fellow citizens for the following:  We have moved on and forgotten about Parkland, Charleston, and the Tree of Life.  We have let them get away with too much and I am talking about you Evangelicals who care only about abortion (remember Kavanaugh?) and forgive all the sins of this President.

A very local aside:  I do not want to hear another word or read another sentence in the Globe about the murderer Aaron Hernandez; the criminal Whitey Bulger; or the art theft at the Gardner.  If we can move on from the deaths of students studying or adults praying, we can do without any information about those 3 items.

The following may seem like sports but truly it is not.  Colin Kapernick of the NFL has not had an on he field job since he knelt on the sidelines during the national anthem.  Kareem Hunt kept his job despite an ugly assault on a women last summer.  He only got suspended (with pay) when a video surfaced of the incident.  Reuben Foster was released by his team after his second incident of domestic abuse--only to be immediately picked up by another team not bothered by his history. The NFL continues to be in the dark about how it responds to this violence.  And it is worth noting that the good old boys (of NFL owners) are a bunch of white guy while the majority of the players are African americans--just sayin'.

Did you know there is much a thing as a dental studio?  Saw a billboard for one this week.  I can hardly wait to visit and just know they have a few artistic types filling cavities.

Had a gret turkey day in the nyc/nj metropolitan area and hope all your bird fantasies came true.  May your Hannukah lights burn bright the coming week.

Shalom

I'VE BEEN THINKING

Which sometimes is not a good thing.  We went to a gathering at our synagogue after the Pittsburgh massacre.  An overflow crowd; the event was streamed.  All the "politically correct" politicians were there and said all the right things--and I honestly appreciated that.  But this is what I was thinking:  what if the doors are locked from the outside and we are attacked--where do I go/what do I do?  That is what Pittsburgh did to me.  I am reminded of Pittsburgh when I see the police cruiser parked outside the synagogue.  I am reminded of it when I read that swastikas have been painted on public schools and at the UMass campus.  I will remember:  Parkland; Las Vegas; Charleston; Charlottesville; Thousand Oaks; Orlando; and Pittsburgh.  Angry white men with automatic weapons--a common theme.

Coincidentally, went on a road trip to the deep South a few weeks ago.  Spent time in Montgomery,
Selma, and Birmingham.  Visited places I had only seen on tv back in the day.  The bus boycott
museum is housed in the old bus station where the freedom riders were assaulted.  You do not forget that.  Rosa Parks is honored for not giving up her seat--you must not forget her courage.  Walked on the Pettus bridge in Selma where decades ago Federal troops had to protect the marchers on their way to Montgomery (Selma, btw, is an ugly decrepit little town though it does have a Rexall pharmacy!!).
Keep those old tv pictures in mind.  And never forget Lester swinging the ax handle or George standing in the door.  POTUS can draw a line directly to this two racist gangsters.

ODDS AND ENDS

--Are we to be optimistic that the House is now in Democratic control?  I'm not there yet.  Not when RBG is in the hospital. And Mitch is in control there.
--And Jeff Sessions is not heroic just because he got his ass fired.  He chose his path and he did a lot of damage. No kudos for him.
--I do wish Nancy Pelosi would step aside if not now then by the 2020 election.  The Dems have to
get younger at the top.
--Anyone hear from Jared lately?
--Lock your doors and get extra food because the caravan is about to invade.  You do know that there are Middle Eastern terrorists mixed in among the Latin Americans, right?
--Read anything and everything you can that is written by Bari Weiss.  A Jewish woman who was a member of the Tree of Life temple.  Her words after that massacre were incredible.
--Brexit is a good example of what happens when the zealots (on either end of the spectrum) are in charge.  Things go haywire.
--I do love Southwest Airlines and how they load passengers.  I actually saw them turn people away who were trying to board out of order.  You can check your bags for free.
--Tomorrow, I will be paying a $71 co-pay for some medication.  I know it is socialism but shouldn't there be some government control over prescription prices.

Shalom and Happy Thanksgiving.

THIS MORNING I WAS IN A SYNAGOGUE ENJOYING A BAT MITZVAH

Then we went to a restaurant for a wonderful lunch and I even had a beer made by the monks in Spencer, Ma.  When I got home, I learned that while I was celebrating, Jews in Pittsburgh were murdered.  Other Jews in the same synagogue were seriously injured as were 4 police officers who rushed in at great risk to get the gunman and protect other attendees.  It was a bris for fucks sake--a celebration for the birth/naming of a child.  Coming into who knows what kind of world.  Me wondering what I can explain to grandchildren.

Don't tell me we need to have armed guards in my synagogue.  Don't tell me about the Constitution and the right to bear arms.  Don't tell me that the possession of an automatic weapon is protected by that Constitution.  Just don't.  They have made this very personal--those people hate  me and my tribe. Just don't.

Our former President (and let's not quibble about this ) sang Amazing Grace with the congregants at the Charleston church (as Joan Baez has sung).  What will this President do?  So far, he has told us that our synagogues should have armed guards.  Said the same thing about schools after the Parkland massacre.  Houses of prayers and schools once were safe places and now they are targets.  Innocent people--adults and children-- are slaughtered.

The context of course is the language of our President.  He is verbally fomenting fringe elements of his base.  He denies responsibility for anything and has no human empathy.  Don't tell me I should be compassionate--that I should try and understand and reach out to his supporters.  I won't and I can't. Just don't.

We returned last Saturday from our self guided and self planned tour of the Civil Rights monuments, memorials, and museums in the South--Montgomery, Selma, and Birmingham.  This South was way different than the South of my childhood.  These places continue to deal with the legacy of slavery and the subjugation and frequent murder of African Americans.  The places we went to were profoundly sad and deeply moving.

Now there will be other "memorialized" places in the Charleston AME church, Parkland High School, and the Tree of Life synagogue. I don't want anymore memorials. I don't want to understand.  I just want my leaders to step up and not be silent.  Be brave and not be chicken shits who want to be re-elected.

Enough.

LEST WE FORGET

Look, I know how important the Kavanaugh nomination is--but before I give you my take, I want to remind all of us about 4 things:

    1.  Too many (and one is too many) kids remain separated from their parents without a public crisis.
    2.  Woodward's book exposed many ugly things.
    3.  The op-ed by that anonymous person exposed many other ugly things.
   4.  Manafort is going to the pokey.

Kavanaugh is likely an alcoholic and a liar. and spare me the "boys will be boys" lament and the "that stuff happened in high school" as if that makes it any less despicable.  And I read today that the Republicans have told the FBI that his drinking is a non issue--which is pathetic since the drinking is very much related to the sexual assaults. POTUS himself is a perpetrator so having him give us his thoughts on the topic is like the old timey saying of the pot calling the kettle black.  The whole thing is sordid.  It has, however, at least made it clear that these nomination processes are very much political--to underline that, that Garland fellow should already be on the court.  My last thought on this topic (for now):  there is something scary that both Hatch and Grassley (as well as Biden) were involved in the Anita Hill nastiness and Clarence is still up there sitting oh so silently.

ODDS AND ENDS
--I forgot to mention that the guy POTUS believes is not very smart has funded a school in his hometown.  that serves not just the children but their families and the broader community.  His name is Lebron. So there.
--The media matters.  About 10 days ago, the Times (supposedly the failing Times) had a whole section devoted to a group of men and women service people who have died in either Iraq or Afghanistan.  A sobering piece about the loss of the some of our best and brightest.
--The New Yorker had a lengthy piece about Sarah Sanders--she is the mouth piece for POTUS.  That's bad enough but she is a fervent evangelical and that makes her dangerous.  Her pearls clash daily with her disdain for the media folks in the room.  She absolutely hates that Acosta.
--The animal report:  Bears are wandering in the suburbs of Boston.  Lock your doors but first take in your bird feeders. A gun toting resident of NH (live free or die) killed a mother bear and her cubs because they were killing his chickens.  Seriously, folks, if you live in rural NH, what can you expect except wildlife.  You can, as well, expect to see sharks in the ocean off Cape Cod.  Sadly, one of those sharks killed a swimmer recently.  In response, some 300 residents of the Cape attended a meeting to "get something done" about those sharks.  Maybe put up a fence!!
--Then, finally, we have the dead squirrel problem which merited an long article in, yup, the Globe.  Seems  due to an abundance of acorns (who knew), the squirrels are out of their mind with storing them up for winter.  Taking big risks like crossing the streets outside the pedestrian crosswalks.  Getting themselves killed in record numbers.  I suggest a fence for them too but a different one than the one for the sharks..

SPORTS TALK
The MLB playoffs begin this week.  Even if my boys beat Oakland, I think they are too inconsistent.  The Red Flops have some mighty good hitters but both Houston and Cleveland have much better pitching. We are no longer hysterical about the Pats since they won yesterday.  But I admit I was wondering if we were seeing the beginning of the end of Mr. Brady.  It is worrisome that  we are so optimistic about the Celtics and the Bruins.  Is disappointment around the proverbial corner?

Shalom

KIDS REMAIN SEPARATED

We have mostly forgotten that too many very young children are still separated from their parents.   Some of these parents are in other countries while the children are in our country.  This is not about "they knew it was illegal so they have to suffer the consequences".  That is a bullshit fallacious argument.  This is about child abuse; this is about children who in the coming years will likely have PTSD; this is about children being treated in places that might not be safe; and it is not so finally about what values our government does or does not have.  It is ugly and worthy only of disgust.

Moving on:

--The anonymous op ed writer was gutless. If the writer was so worried he or she should quit and then tell us all about it.  I am not feeling safer.  I will say this:  that op ed piece combined with the Woodward book confirmed many things we have thought but were not sure about.  Mainly, that the man in the White House is not a stable individual and he is very likely in need of some serious medication.  That is scary.
--For the first time in way too long, the people I voted for on a local level actually won.  As of 1/1, my State Rep and the District Attorney will both be women of color.  It also turns out that the Police Chief is a man of color as is the local sheriff.  This old timey city is becoming more like the rest of the country--a city that has a population that is majority minority.
--Plus a woman of color ousted a long term incumbent.  Its a new world.
--Kapernick may never play in the NFL again but he has a good shot at wining his legal battle.  When you see what passes for quarterbacks who do play, you have to believe Kapernick is better than many of them and is getting royally screwed.
--Culture update.  "The Black Clown" is a drama/dance/ musical based on a Langston Hughes poem and is as superb as it is sad.  Saw Joan Baez last night.  Supposedly, this is her farewell tour.  Maybe maybe not. She was glorious.  Plus I was way on the young side!!.
--For god's sake they are Canada geese--not Canadian geese and they do not go South for the winter.  They are here forever.
--I'm not a big tennis fan and I certainly do not understand the rules.  But I have watched enough to
know that all those coaches coach from the stands.  I also know that Serena acted like a diva and took some of the attention away from the performance of the young woman from Japan.
--The Globe has been beating us down with all the shark sightings and wringing their hands at the "what do we do" about this problem.  Then lo and behold someone died from a shark attack.  It is very sad I know.  But the Globe rally went to town with it being as how they are the best paper for animals in the country.
--Hurricanes are awful--I get it.  But the folks at the weather channel could barely keep it in their respective pants they were so excited.
--If you are fasting, have an easy one.

SPORTS TALK
I am writing this in lieu of watching Mr. Brady and they boys being thrashed by the Jags.  Me thinks the Pats will forever be over rated as long as Brady is here.  My Yanks are dying on the vine as their pitching implodes.  Not sure how good my Wolverines are but OSU may not be as good as first thought.

Shalom

SOME NOT SO RANDOM THOUGHTS

I know it seems like forever when last you heard from me.  And yet, it has only been a month.  Let's start with this:

--The dump in Tyringham (look it up) pales in comparison with the one in Monterey (look that up also).  Plus it is staffed by one virtually silent guy--as opposed to the talkative "dumpster"  attendant in Monterey.  As a bonus, there is a shed in Monterey which functions like the Salvation Army thrift store.  No contest.
--My correspondent in New Mexico had some concerns about how I have used those 3 good ole boys to stereotype Southerners.  Not too many of you have written let alone written so thoughtfully.  Truth is, I am a child of the segregated South and do have some rather villainous thoughts about those folks.  But, truth also is, that I don't have any recent experience with white Southerners--except of course with Beauregard Sessions which is a whole different story.  But in light of the correspondent's comments and my recent experience at two dumps (what, you didn't think there was a connection to the first paragraph? Shame shame), I will henceforth use those two geezers as a point of reference and stay away from the good ole boys--good riddance.
--Seems as if the "successful" deal with North Korea made by POTUS is no longer a deal and might even be dead on someone's doorstep.  But he is not called on it.  He tells the evangelicals that they have to vote for him otherwise the non believers will take over.  They ignore all his non Christian peccadilloes and move in lockstep with him.
--My correspondent on Lung Island (don't look that up) believes the NRA will support your right to carry 3D guns.  Betsy will probably add them to the list of weapons school districts should have on hand.  It's safer don't you know.
--We will eliminate $200 million in UN funding for aid to the Palestinians.  Netanyahu loves us even a he allows the Orthodox rabbis to more and more narrow the definition of who is a Jew.  As those rabbis might say, Lord help us.
--On 9/11, we loved Rudy.  Now he is a frothing at the mouth, wild man, defender of POTUS.  Hunter Thompson would have had a field day with him.
--Did you see the rally in Evansville?  The happy faces behind him?  The lock her up cheers?  The ugly scapegoating of the media?  Did ya?  Did ya?  I honestly do not remember anything so ugly in politics.
--Then today, to honor John McCain, did you see Obama's speech?  Did ya?  Did ya notice a difference between him and POTUS--I mean beside the fact that POTUS was not even invited?  It is so embarrassing. Those are the people who would not convict him if he murdered someone right in front of them--would just blame the media and their fake news.
--Had a great time in our rather tiny mountains this past month.  Bears, deer, wild turkeys, porcupines.  And no tv for the whole month.  Just luscious along with a very wonderful  announcement.
--I also lost an avid fan during the past month--RIP, Aliyah.
--For those who celebrate, have a happy and healthy New Year.  Be strong.

SPORTS TALK
--Its fall and you know what that means--it's time for Michigan football!!  Plus the Yankees are in deep doo doo.

Shalom

IRAN IS THE NEW NORTH KOREA

Now that POTUS thinks he has settled all our differences with North Korea, he has decided to move on and threaten Iran with annihilation. Those three old boys down there in bumfuck Louisiana are just itching to take on the Ayatollah--'cept of course they will still just be sipping their bourbon while a bunch of young Americans actually do the fighting.

What POTUS has succeeded in doing is letting Netanyahu loose to wreak havoc on the Palestinians.
Even as he does that, Netanyahu is compromising all the ideals that Israel was founded on as he begins to narrowly define what it means to be a Jew.  The ascendancy of the ultra Orthodox right wing in Israel has given him "permission" to target the Palestinians, allow more settlements, and allow the Orthodox rabbinate to define the nature of the country.

Moving on:

--On our most recent flight to the great state of Texas, we had a all female crew--both in the cockpit and in the cabin.  Kind of interesting.
--Two strong thoughts about attire coming from an expert in the field.  Men should not have cuffs on their shorts--way too weird.  Second, I have seen a woman twice in the last week who is at least 10 months pregnant (!) and wears a halter so that her belly is right out there.  What are we to do other than stare?
--Karl's Sausage Kitchen is well worth the trip to Peabody--simply has the best non kosher hot dogs I have ever eaten.
--Boston Globe--a big article about a raccoon biting a child.  This was in the same week POTUS tripped over his tongue in Helsinki.  Priorities?
--A factoid--The NY Times had an article in yesterday's edition about the bus station in McAllen, Texas.  This is the station where immigrants go if they are cleared by the Border Patrol.  They put 12 staff onto this two page story.  And the Globe gives us raccoon attacks.
--And contrary to yet another lie from the White House.  Both the Times and the Post are making money if only because of who is living in that white house.
--Words cannot do justice to the spectacle of our President interacting with Putin.  It is an embarrassment.  and there is worse--the Republican conservatives in Congress, who are virulent anti-Communists, are silent.  Not a peep from Ryan or McConnell.
--Did ya see that Beauregard toady joining in the "lock her up" chants?
--We have managed to lock up children and now seemingly cannot locate their parents.  Isn't that child abuse?
--Off to the west.  See you in September.

SPORTS TALK
--The French won the World Cup.  Hope you noticed that a significant number of the players were either first or second generation immigrants.  Wonder if the La Pen family noticed that.
--I'm all agog and trembling at the return of Mr. Brady and the boys.  But truly sickened by Mr. Bill and his arrogance.
--Red flops playing really well but Mookie is not the MVP.  My boys struggling mightily but did make some good trade moves.

Shalom

"1-YEAR OLD IMMIGRANT APPEARS FOR DEPORTATION HEARING"

Took me a while to come up with a title until I decided to steal a headline from the Globe.  You know that when you drain a swamp, smallish objects can get can swept away.  Like one year olds who have been separated from their parents and cannot explain why they are sad. And those 3 fuckwads in Louisiana sipping their bourbon and smoking their cigarettes --those guys are part of the base which needs to know that this is child abuse plain and simple.  This is not just a culture change; this is trauma.  And HHS cannot even locate all the kids.  How does POTUS explain all this to little Baron?

And a few other things:
--When in doubt, blame Obama or Clinton.  The indictments recently announced could have been avoided if only Obama had been tougher/stronger.  The reality is quite different and the lies only increase the damage done to the country's image.
--During the NATO summit, aside from his vile speeches, the person POTUS cozied up to was yet another bully--Erdogan (of Turkey) who has created a virtual dictatorship.  When Putin is added you have the Mo, Larry, and Curly of bully boys.  That's who our friends are--tough guys.
--Unlike the House Intelligence Committee (led by the idiot Nunes), the Senate's Intelligence Committee blasted the Russians and the Republican campaign committee. The work of the Senate was bi-partisan and supported the efforts of the Special Investigator.
--Trey Gowdy is an asshole and watching him and Louie Gohmert berate that FBI agent was pathetic.
--Pruitt is gone but Betsy survives and, if she has her way,  affirmative action will not be used as an admission criteria for colleges and universities.  They will just end up being campuses for the privileged.
--The Times and the Post are thriving in this environment.  Yet in the face of attacks by POTUS on the media (even to the point of refusing to answer questions posed by CNN reporters and bragging about it), the Globe devoted its entire Sunday editorial section to animals.  Seriously.
--On the much brighter side--it is good to have nerdy friends to help those of us with limited technology skill.  So thanks to RD who figured out our Amazon TV problem.  That allowed us to watch Mrs. Maisel which is hysterical.  And Bosch which is not.
--This week I am making my annual pilgrimage with BB to pay my respects to family no longer with us.  Bringing a special guest.

SPORTS TALK
I am decidedly not a Red Flop fan.  But now that we are post 7/4, I will say this.  They have some very good hitters.  The Yankees are power hitters but have no really good hitters.  I think both teams (except for Sale and Severino) have sketchy starting pitchers and I will take the Yanks bullpen.  But the big advantage goes to the Red Flops in terms of having a better 9 man batting order.

Aren't you tired of waiting for the Bruins to make that BIG trade?

Shalom

LIVES IN THE BALANCE

That's stolen from the title of a song by Jackson Browne.  It was released in 1986 so it is a bit more than 30 years old.  Go find the lyrics because it has not lost its bite.  I have been thinking a lot about that title and the lyrics over the last few weeks.  The decision, consciously made to reduce the flow of "immigrants" from the South, put the lives of children and their parents in emotional jeopardy.  Their lives were in the balance.  There now is a documented record of:  disrespecting children; demeaning the motivation of the people hoping to come into this country;  and fracturing the parent/child bond.  Even as the attempt is made to "fix it", there are no apologies.  A skeptic might think the color of their skin was also a problem.  Woody Guthrie nailed it with this line from one of his songs:  "All they will call you will be deportee".  They have become the other.

It only got worse when the SCOTUS voted to allow the ban on Muslims from certain countries.  Grouch voted with the majority in a 5-4 decision as did Kennedy who promptly retired giving POTUS yet another vacancy.  Why Kennedy could not wait until the mid-terms is beyond me.  Why he could not vote the other way is also beyond me.  Why the words of POTUS during his campaign were seen as irrelevant is beyond me.

Beauregard has announced that being the victim of gang violence or the victim of sexual assault is no longer grounds for your seeking asylum in America.  One of my parents escaped the violence of the pogroms in Russia way back in the day.  Lucky for me, she got here back then but might not have been allowed in today.

Odds and Ends:

--Old Mitch McConnell refused to fill a SCOTUS seat when Obama had one year left in his term--he felt with an election coming up, we should wait and see how the vote went.  Well we know how it went and we got Neil.  Think he will agree to wait for the midterms to see how that vote will go?
--I am not into civility and do not want to hear that we should be nice to Sarah Huckabee Saunders.  She has swallowed the kool aid and is a liar. Let her eat some place else.
--And for all the excitement about that woman in NYC upsetting a Democratic Congressman,  the Dems better get their act together pretty soon because they will not have an easy time in November.  I think Nancy has to go away.
--Did I imagine that IHOP is changing its name to IHOB--as in B for burger.  I think it was a dream.
--The soy bean farmers and the pig farmers are not happy campers now that other countries have specifically targeted their products for tariffs.
--But then there is some redemption as Paul Simon said:  "old friends sitting on their park bench like bookends".  I spent time with one of them a while back.  Went to kindergarten with him which means I have known him for about 65 years.  Important stuff,  that.


SPORTS TALK
When you watch the Euro teams in the World Cup, you are reminded of how immigrants have improved all of their soccer teams.  Mainly from Africa, the teams from Germany, Spain, Portugal, and especially France all have key players who are either the children of immigrants or immigrants themselves.

I might have a thought or two about baseball in a few weeks because it is not 7/4 as you know.

Shalom

IT HAS COME TO THIS

The Department of Health and Human Services its part of OUR (yours and mine) government.  You and I should both be embarrassed and furious.  They have an explicit policy of separating parents from their children when they are court on our Southern borders attempting to cross"illegally".  This is being done to force parents to return from whence they come if they would like to be reunited with their children.  One of their bright spots person also said (not in these words) that they tell the parents that the kids are being taken away in order to get them showered.  When some of my relatives were taken by transport to the death camps, they too were told that they were headed for showers as they stepped off the boxcars.

I know a thing or two about the mental health of children having spent more than a few years of my professional life working with kids and their families.  The government's policy is trauma inducing and heartless. Beauregard has further told us that the policy is supported by biblical texts--as if his religion provides the rationale for this decision.  His religion but not mine.

And let's be clear:  we are not just talking about almost adult 16 or 17 year olds which would be bad enough.  We are talking also about toddlers and little kids.  Even with the furor over immigration in Europe, I have not seen or read any European policy which separates children from their parents.  We stand alone.

--Not a peep from the Republican conservatives or for that matter from liberal Democrats about POTUS cozying up to a dictator who has executed hundreds of his opposition and disregards human rights.  POTUS demeaned us (as in America) by his boorish behavior in Canada but his comfort with the worst leaders in the world is equally repugnant.
--I am actually more pissed at the silence of the Democrats than that of the Republicans.  I expected more and am getting much less.
--BTW, the staffer who said something like "McCain is dying anyway"--that young woman we now learn has left her job but Kelly Anne has informed us that she will be welcome somewhere else in OUR government.
--RBG has to stay alive and the November midterms are getting more important by the day.
--Best of luck to LH and OH as they continue to take risks and move on out into the world of new experiences.

SPORTS TALK
We really do not "get" how important the World Cup is to the rest of the world.


Shalom

FOUR CAVITIES, ONE ROOT CANAL, AND ONE EXTRACTION

That's the summary of my first appointment with a new dentist after being with the old one for almost 50 years.  It turns out that I may almost be a Luddite; but my old dentist was a dental Luddite.  The new guy actually uses digital x rays that he can see and review in real time--as can the patient.  Plus, he has this funny little gizmo which he shoves in your mouth to take pictures also digitally.  It's like the 21st century.  Now I just have to have the work done and me without dental insurance.  Moving on.

--Congratulations to recent graduate TW and welcome to new subscriber EF.
--Samantha Bee did not help.  I happen to like her a lot and feel like she and John Hodgkin are the best fruits that came from the Jon Stewart tree (btw, I miss him).  But her ugly Ivanka comments only confirm what POTUS and his base believe. The media is out to get them.  And it distracted from Roseanne's disgusting rant.
--If you tried really hard, you could not imagine or create in your imagination characters like Michael Cohen or Roger Stone.  Stone always is tanned up and walking around with his man bag.  Cohen cannot possibly be any more shyster like.  And, alas and alack, I am almost certain they are members of my tribe.  EEK.
--"I'm Phil Swift".  That's how the ad opens.  I used to get hysterical with those knives advertised on late night tv.  But Phil's ads are even more hysterical.  He saws an aluminum boat in half and then uses this special tape (and you can get two rolls for the price of one) to repair the boat before getting in it and supposedly motoring across a lake with no leaks.  It also can patch underwater leaks in your pool.  You gotta see Phil.
--The drug company "Sanofli"had a great response to roseanne blaming one of their medications for her craziness.  They more or less said the drug has many side effects none of which was racism.
--Apparently, not only are immigrants "criminals and rapists", they are also "animals" according to POTUS. And there is no reason infants and toddlers cannot be separated from their parents.  After all, they are "illegals" also.
--I get a lot of emails from the Democratic party asking for money.  First of all, I am only giving money directly to candidates I like.  More importantly, I have taken to responding to these requests. In my own small protest, I am telling them they get none of my money until one of the Democratic leaders takes on POTUS verbally and publicly.  Just won't give.
--Beside his attacks on the environment, Pruitt also does not believe too much in free speech barring reporters from certain speeches he gives.  Doing the job he was hired to do.
--I refuse to feel any sorrow, any embarrassment, any empathy for Beauregard--he wanted the job, he got the job, he is attacking immigrants, and he gets the venom of POTUS.  Tough.
--Your tax dollars helped us submerge the expressway which ran through the heart of downtown (btw, thanks).  But i don't care how much it cost because every time I walk on the Greenway which now covers that road, I enjoy it and find every penny well worth it.  Plus it is mobbed.

SPORTS TALK
--The Celtics finally faded but they were enjoyable to watch.  Why does that little person inside my head worry that neither Kyrie nor Hayward will ever be as good as they once were.  You do know that Lebron played every single minute of Game 7, don't you?  He is unimaginably good.

See y'all.  My plane is warming up.

NO MAS

How much more can there be?  The swamp has not been drained but I feel like we are all wallowing in the mud created by POTUS and his cronies stirring up the swamp.  Ivanka and Jared (two people who are old before their time) represent us while, nearby, Palestinians are killed.  And yup, I know all about Hamas, their violence, their relationship with Iran, their corruption, and their complicity in not supporting negotiated peace efforts.  But POTUS started this latest conflict by moving the capital to Jerusalem.  That city has historically been the sacred "home" for three religious groups:  Jews, Christians, and Muslims.  In an effort to prop up Netanyahu and throw a bone to certain Jewish groups, POTUS has moved the capital, damaged any hope for peace, and created a context for the latest uprising.  It is truly painful.

--Two people who must go are Pruitt and Devos.  Every move they make eradicates the progress made and the changes implemented by Obama ands crew.  In Education and the Environment, these two are taking us backwards in time to the good old days. They are kicking sand in our faces.
--What to say about the White House staffer saying about McCain--he is dying anyhow?
--I'm finished with Cohen and Avenatti.  They need to get off my television and go back to work or something.  I may be repeating myself but someone mentioned (way back when) that the Stormy business could be more impactful than the Russian investigation.  Avenatti needs to keep releasing all that info but silently, please.
--Animal updates from the Boston Globe.  Big story about seals who have survived winter storms despite being physically hurt and were being released after recuperating.  Another big one: UMaine students who are stressed out now have a herd of goats on campus to ease that stress.  I knew goats ate poison ivy but did not know they are similar to anti anxiety meds.  And, finally, not too far from here, a  wild turkey was shot in a drive by.  The paper is pencil thin but manage to bring us these nuggets.
--Dr.  Bernstein just told me I was the healthiest 72 year old he had ever seen.  Plus he gave me some special drug to grow my hair back like his.  EEK.
--The missus and I volunteer at a food pantry in a nearby church.  So do about 15 others.  It is a small effort but I love it.  Problem is some of the volunteers monitor the food like it was being taken off their table--"only take two of those, dear".  I make sure they get 4.
--POTUS wants to "close the country"  Where were his forebearers from anyway?  They were certainly not on the Mayflower.  And, therefore, they were immigrants who might not have gained entry if we closed our borders.
--Does POTUS really think his base wants to do the work of hospice aides or hospital janitors?  Are those the jobs they are dying to do so that we can force out the immigrants currently doing them?
--And Rudy is an asshole.  As is Kanye.
--Congrats to 3 relatives:  one leaving middle school for the big wide halls of her local High School; one getting a job at a large news organization; and one getting a Master's Degree on her way to a big
job in sports management.

SPORTS TALK
The Bruins were fun to watch and next fall will even have more young gifted players on the team.  I am not sure how the Celtics will beat Lebron but whoa are they fun to watch.  The two J's (that would be Jaylen and Jason)  are just terrific.

Shalom

WHAT'S GOING ON?

Thanks to the fabulous Marvin Gaye for the title.  My head is spinning.  And I am not sure what is going on.  The questions are out but who leaked them?  If the leaker (or leakers) ever get identified, I am hoping it is not Mueller or members of his team.  That would ruin and de-legitimize the investigation just when it seems to really be focusing on POTUS.

No collusion/no obstruction.  The only people who believe that are members of his base who really do believe it is just a sinister DOJ effort to undermine POTUS.  He can do no wrong and the media are out to get him.

As pieces of my body literally fall off or get broken, I wonder why, when I was young, no one warned us this would happen.  Gotta move on.

--Domino's now offers pizza insurance.  Why, a naive person might ask?  Because what if you have bought a pie from them and you drop it?  A disaster.  Who cares about shit like that a more immature person might ask.
--Fashion advice:  When you wear clogs, please do not wear a cowboy hat along with them.  And if you do, do not hold up the line at the bank whilst you chat up the tellers.  EEK.
--If you want to be scared shitless category:  The latest NY Times magazine has an article about Devin Nunes, the California congressman who chaired the House Intelligence Committee.  He and his cronies cleared POTUS.  He is a conspiracy theorist who has much more nonsense up his sleeves.
--If you want to be scared shitless category (Part Deux):  McMaster being replaced by Bolton will lead us to some very bad places.  The first might be the Iran nuke deal which, by the way, has been successful. With Bolton's new role and with Netanyahu essentially scaring everyone with info years old, POTUS has the support to crater that deal.
--There is a daschund museum in Germany.  Seriously.
--Every time I see Macron, I wonder what it was like to have a relationship with one of your teachers.  Problem is I cannot remember any of them well enough.
--I do hope Macron and Merkel have some leverage with POTUS but I am skeptical.
--Even if you only drink tea or even if you do not know where Yemen is, you just have to read the Dave Eggers latest book about a man who sets up a business to export Yemeni coffee to the states.
--Travel note:  Spent 5 days in London with no rain.  Temps in the 70's and 80's.  Actually, without knowing it, saw the Queen herself.  Excellent travel companions and good food.
--Barbara Bush struck me as a kind and elegant woman.  POTUS blew off going to the funeral.
--He is a fucking bully.

SPORTS TALK
Good time to be in Beantown.  Bruins and Celtics both in the playoffs with strong young teams.  Very sick of the Brady drama and the Gronk soap opera.

Shalom

"OF COURSE WE SERVE CRABS. IN FACT, WE SERVE ANY0NE".

HAH.  A great ad for Legal Seafood.  Kind of right up my alley.

Moving on to some matters of import if only to me:

--A great visual of what is so enriching about the place I live.  At a mall in Cambridge (home as you know of the world's greatest university).  It is a Saturday night and the mall is bustling and buzzing and I am the oldest person by a good ten years.  It is a United Nations of people mostly older adolescents all bopping around with bags and packages and having a great time in THIS COUNTRY AND NOT IN WHATEVER WAR TORN COUNTRY THEY CAME FROM.
--Second visual.  This also in a mall and, as I write that, i wonder why I have been in two of these fucking malls in the last ten days--yikes.  Two young adolescent girls with long flowing dresses and wearing hajibs.  Accompanied by an older gentleman who I presume to be their father.  Buying athletic gear (I believe lacrosse stuff).  Could not do that wherever they came from.
--I wil just say it:  WE ARE A BETTER PLACE WHEN WE LIVE WITH THOSE "OTHERS".
--The city of Boston just approved kind of like an excise tax the proceeds of which will go to culture, the arts, and the environment.  it is based on your income and the value of your property (I think!!)  I thought it was a great idea since it could not be used, as an example, for salary increases.  But then the lunatics came out of their nice little homes with their nice little proposals.  One of which is something along the lines of the following:  use the dollars to creates a food forest for pollinators.  Umm/hmmm.  There are people who want to use the money so bees can make honey--I think thats what this means.  EEEEK, get the butterfly net out and not for the bees.
--A while back one of those talking heads on MSNBC casually mentioned that this Stormy Daniels business might turn out to be more damaging than the Russian business.  I'm starting to believe.  Would you hire Michael Cohen to be your lawyer?
--Pruitt is doing exactly what the boss wants done in terms of anti environmental action.  He may never get fired but even if he does, he has already done some serious damage.  They are so intent on undoing what Obama and his crew did.
--The Globe continues to barrage us with animal stories and stories about the Pope.  They may have no foreign correspondents but they obviously have a full timer working on animal issues and another working on issues related to the Catholic Church.
--Culture tip 1:  Watch the Chris Rock concert on Netflix called "Tambourine".  Hysterical while also dealing with issues of race as a black father.
--Culture tip 2:  The NY Times magazine of 4/8 has two great articles.  One about the boys basketball team on a reservation in Montana.  The second by and about a gun owner who is thoughtful and not a robot for the NRA.
--Our bags are not packed but we are ready to go across the pond hoping to see the royals.  Taking a close relative.

SPORTS TALK
Both the Bruins and the Celtics are a joy to watch.  However, the upside for the Bruins is much higher and the NHL has no equivalent team like the Warriors.  Get your parade gear ready.  I wish Gronk would just go ahead and make movies--screw him.

Cheerio

IS IT NOVEMBER YET?

I guess not.  POTUS continues to fire people and depend even more on amateurs to run our government.  If I knew he would appoint a doctor with no management experience to run the VA, I would have referred my primary care doc.  Or, better yet for me (which is what this is all about),  I would have referred myself since I have more management experience than his personal physician.  Being universally well liked is NOT a qualification. Moving on.

--The Easter message to us was that DACA will not be extended and the wall will be built.  Mexico is a bad country and there is a caravan of immigrants on their way here.  I locked my front door immediately.  How the religious right/evangelicals continue to give this guy a free pass is beyond me.  All I can get is that they are wishing for another vacancy on the Supreme Court.
--Remember Governor Maddox of Georgia who swung ax handles at people of color?  Remember George Wallace who tapped into the racist instincts of Northerners including those in this state.  This is what POTUS brings to mind as he goes to Ohio and lashes out at all of the "others".  We repeat the past at our own peril.
--I can no longer listen to the excuses of Republicans in Congress--or, worse yet, their silence.  They continue on their gutless wandering.
--Never liked Ted Nugent's music and never listed to Laura Ingraham.  So vindictive as if they had relatives on the Mayflower.
--It is worth noting that the ugly Easter tweets came from Mar A Lago where POTUS is accompanied by Stephen Miller a member of my tribe who might be the worst of the group still left.
--It is beyond dangerous to have Miller and John Bolton in the White House advising a POTUS who is child like in his inability to read let alone comprehend.
-- The Austin bombs hit home being as how a close relative of mine lives there.  I think a lot of "unstable" people have been unleashed by Presidential rhetoric.  Did you see the crowd in Ohio cheering him on?  He is, to be fair, delivering a message that is hitting the same chord as the one George Wallace hit.
--On a cultural note, I am heading off to the newly opened dog museum in North Adams.  Seriously--there is such a place and it was a big story in the Globe.
--On the big time crowded (and very famous) 39 bus the other day and was treated to overhearing a young woman screeching into her phone for the whole ride.  It is a kind of cultural arrogance that I detest.  I guess it was her bus after all.
--Happy Easter and Happy Passover.  I'm already sick of matzah.

SPORTS TALK
I am not optimistic about my Wolverines tomorrow night.  Villanova shoots so well, I am not sure how you can stop them.  Never figured them as a final four in my brackets--did have both Kansas and Villanova.  And if any of ;you had Loyola, you must ben related to the Sister who is their chaplain.  No baseball talk until 7/4 but I am loving the Bruins.

Shalom

"ADULTS LIKE US WHEN WE HAVE STRONG TEST SCORES BUT THEY HATE US WHEN WE HAVE STRONG OPINIONS"

That's an accurate and direct quote from Emma Gonzalez who is a survivor of the Parkland massacre.  Beyond its accuracy, it's also quite to the point about how we (as adults) interact with and view children/adolescents. Obey the rules, make us look better, but shut up.  I have yet to answer for myself the question of "movement vs. minute".  But most of the heroes in this story are kids of school age and most of the gutless ones are adults most of whom are beholden to the NRA.  And those adults were voted into office by us.

Florida is in my head a lot these days.  Part of this is due to the fact that I grew up there.  Part of it is due to the bizarro things that happen there.  Parkland. Alligators in canals.  A city (Miami) which is really a county (Dade) and folks who live in South Dade are almost closer to Key Largo than they are to downtown Miami if such a place still exists. Move on, I say.

Three literary recommendations:
      --One of the best pieces of journalism I have ever read was in the March 4th NY Times.
         It was written by a guy whose last name is Weiser and it was about a homeless woman.
        The Times started it on page one and then it spread over two whole pages inside.  Just
        stupendous and has to be read.  The Globe continues to be an impostor paper focused
        more on animal stories.
     --John Hodgman's book called "Vacationland"  is a hoot especially if you have spent any
        time in Maine.
     --Speaking of Maine, Amy Bass has written a book about the Lewiston HS boys soccer team
        which is mainly composed of Africans most of whom are from Somalia.  How these kids
        showed the adults (back to that again) in Lewiston how to "play nicely" together is wonderful.

That Nunberg had quite a day for himself and whoever asked if he was drunk was being brutally honest which I guess is what we want (?) journalists to be. Bye bye Rex and Hope. Seems like you might have some company pretty soon.  And if Sessions fires that FBI guy who now is two days away from his pension, it will be a brutal gesture from a small man.

But hello Stormy!! Should be fun listening to the talking heads try to chat about her without saying anything naughty.  But let's be clear about one thing:  saying she is a adult film star is being kind.  Helen Mirren is an adult film star.  Stormy is a full on multi faceted porn star.  Bam.

Lawrence O'Donnell from MSNBC is from Dorchester and John Kelly (Chief of Staff to POTUS) is from Brighton--both places are neighborhoods in Boston.  I really believe Lawrence is blasting him so much because of some ugly neighborhood feud--apart from how big a disappointment he is.

Did you know that the guy in Pennsylvania who won the special election won because he is kind of like a Republican according to POTUS and Speaker Ryan.  I wish the November elections were tomorrow.

SPORTS TALK
No one can explain to me what Belichik is doing to the Patriots roster.  No one.

Happy Passover and Easter.
Shalom

BREAK OUT THE BEER AND THE BRATS

It's time to join the celebration with those folks up there next to Lake Superior.  I'm talking the fine residents of Duluth.  The American men won gold in Curling which is now my favorite sport though i have to take a language course in order to fully understand what the hell is going on.  But the Duluthians know that language and love their brats and beer so I am excited to join them.  Most of those curling guys are from that area. The only other Olympic note is that except for these men, the women Olympians from the USA out performed the men--and if that is not related to Title IX, nothing is.  Moving on to other items of major import.

--Went to see on of my favorite doctors a couple of weeks ago.  He is from India, his Resident is from Eritrea, the receptionists wore hajibs and were from Muslim countries, and the blood tech was from the Caribbean. The obvious point is all of them are immigrants as many staff are in the hospital. Now that it is clear that we (as a country) are not so welcoming, I am sure we will see POTUS supporters lining up to do those jobs--especially the more menial ones.
--Those memos released by both Democrats and Republicans were a lot of verbiage over nothing.
--The continuation of the demeaning of the poor remains a depressing feature of this Congress.  Food stamps will be reduced if not eliminated and something like Blue Apron will end up on your doorstep.  Don't want those folks showing up in the store and actually picking out their own food.  Plus the lines they create.  So sad.
--The Boston Globe's recent animal feature:  A local teen had a rooster as a "comfort" animal due to her psychiatric history.  The town she lives has banned it.  A big spread in the paper also.  What if you were flying to LA and the teen bought a seat for her rooster--oh my.  I do wonder if that bird is toilet trained. And, if so, my boys in Louisiana do not want him in the men's room.
--Collusion or Obstruction--I will leave that decision to smarter people than me.  But the Russian business gets me more and more scared.  70,000 votes in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania determined the election.  Maybe POTUS still would have won but don't tell me the Russian influence was not a factor. You know, that old "where there is more, there is fire" business.
--And Jared has got to go.  He is old before his time and maybe he can be like his father the felon.
--So a porn star and a Playboy bunny get paid off by lawyers for POTUS and Congress does not even say anything let alone say anything.  You cannot make this shit up.  It is so embarrassing.
--Lebron should not shut up just because Laura Ingraham decided players should not have opinions.  As he said, who is she anyway?
--A close relative asked:  "Is this a moment or a movement?"  Referring to the Parkland massacre.  I worry that it is a moment but I wish it were a movement.  Hard to imagine POTUS being more outspoken than Congress.  But remember, Paul Ryan leads with his ass and not his brain.

SPORTS TALK
The Pats lost and now we have drama about next year.  I will not spend a minute on listening and will not care until it is kickoff time in the fall.  Mainly I am loving the Celtics and the Bruins--both young teams and very athletic.

Shalom

DATELINE: OSLO

Being a member of the 1% club, i stepped off my private jet to see what all this fuss was about Norway and getting a bunch of them to come on over.  My three fellow social security recipients from bumfuck, Louisiana, accompanied me.  Being as how we were on a private jet, they were all good and liquored up.  Almost set the plane on fire when they continued to smoke their big fat cuban cigars on the tarmac.  This is what we fond out.  They have national health insurance which covers everyone--and everyone gets the same basic coverage.  People like me can buy supplements but everyone is covered.  Universities have no tuition.  So, me and the boys really could not cogitate this state of affairs.  One of them had this funny story:  "Went to see his primary care doctor who told him he needed a tetanus shot but it would not covered if it was given in the office.  Was told to go to a pharmacy where it would be covered.  Now even more confused, he went to CVS and was told yup they could give him the shot and yup it was covered but only after he paid a $60 co-pay. He called his doctor and told him he would stay away from rusty nails and not get the shot". Norwegians do not comprehend co-pays or partial coverages or any of our incomplete insurance plans.  The boys and I do not feel as if many Norwegians will be coming over here unless we open up the Alaskan coast line to whale hunting.  We said ta ta and told our hosts POTUS might just do that.

Moving on:
--Cory Booker was in an uproar when the head of Homeland Security could not "remember" what was said or who said what in the meeting when POTUS used the word shithole.  She can remember most everything in her job one would hope--like how to harass immigrants--but at this meeting, nope she just ould not remember.
--Central American individuals (legal or not) send remittances home to their families.  The money is a major support to those families and the money makes up almost 5% of a nation's GDP.  It will be ugly if the remittances stop because those folks are deported.  And don't even start talking to me about how they are all criminals.
--Time to put your trees and wreaths on the street.  Seriously.
--I now believe he was right--he could go out onto Fifth Avenue and murrder somebody and not get arrested.
--Never thought I would say I am a big fan of the FBI.  My only experience with them was during the fabulous 60's.  Details will have to wait.  But I love hem now.
--Entirely too much self satisfaction and gloating on MSNBC.  Meanwhile, nothing has changed and I am more skeptical than ever that POTUS will be removed from office.
--Which means continue to pray for RBG and be ready to work as the November election process begins.

SPORTS TALK
Briefly, I am way too optimistic about Mr. Brady and the boys.

Speak to you again at the end of February.
Shalom

WHERE TO START?

Maybe here:  Somewhere in the fabulous 60's, I marched with Dr. King down Commonwealth Avenue through Kenmore Square to Columbus Avenue.  Not sure what happened next but am very clear about doing it even to the point of knowing what jacket I wore since it was cold.  Pretty clear this has jogged my mind because today is MLK day. I am also very mindful about what is and what is not leadership/being a role model.  Just saw Obama on the David Letterman new Netflix show.  If you want to see what a leader looks like (even forgetting what he says and whether you agree with him) check out the show. Obama led and was nuanced and had BIG ideas about what we are as a people.  POTUS not so much--very SAD. Just sayin'.

Here goes:
--"A person , a dog, and 100 chickens die in a fire".  A direct quote from the Globe featured in a small story.  A dog and chickens sharing the lead with a human.  OMG.  At least, once every edition, we are treated to what seems to be an important story about animals while they send no reporters farther then route 128 to cover happenings in the bigger world.
--Do not know where this is from:  POTUS plays whack-a-mole not chess.  Right on target.
--Anybody see Jake Tapper and that creep Miller go at it?  Miller scares me.
--When did the word "bombogenesis" come from and who invented it.  The Weather Channel folks virtually pee in their pants at the prospect of yet another disastrous storm.  Unseemly.
--I believe Dick Durbin and not that twerp Cotton from Arkansas.  Cotton is a rigid "I wanna be President" type who apparently has some smarts and is vitriolic in his desire to return to the good old days, get rid of those "other" immigrants, and undo Health care.
--Saw a quote from a Norwegian something like this:  We have universal health care and free college, Mr. President, why would I come to America?
(Sneaking this in:  Happy Birthday to anyone out there about to celebrate their 70th)
--Do you know that the USA has more Ethiopian doctors than Ethiopia?  Maybe the next time you are in an ER and dying, you should ask where the MD is from.  You should definitely ask the maintenance staff because I am almost 100% sure they are immigrants--legal or otherwise. Also means it is not a good idea to get sick in Ethiopia.
--BTW, if you are not a Native American, you and your ancestors are immigrants--legal or otherwise.
--But, but, they were not from shit hole countries and they did not look different and they spoke the right language. My ancestors were from shit hole countries, did look different, and wrongly spoke Yiddish.
--Puerto Rico is still a mess and its post hurricane treatment by POTUS was majorly different that the post hurricane treatment of Houston. It is an island, ya know.
--His Haiti comments just happened on the 8th anniversary of the devastating earthquake.
--Great and, yet again, a depressing article in the NY Times about the National Park in Utah being reduced in size to exactly the size recommended by uranium mining companies.  Another coincidence.
--And the members of Congress who let this shit go on and say nary a word need to move on.  Pretty pathetic that I find Romney a welcome sight.
--Ten months to the mid-terms.

NO SPORTS BUT GO PATS!!

SHORT AND NOT SO SWEET

Just in case you are worried, I am bundled up in layers and have hiked the heat.  Can hardly wait to see the electric bill for the last two weeks.  Woke up this morning in the Berkshires to face a temp of minus 6.  Enough.

--A friend has gone through all sorts of clinical trials--all of which have failed.  His prostate cancer has spread and there is no other intervention.  He is facing the prospect of his demise with more courage and strength than I can imagine.  I would likely be in bed sucking my thumb.  This is the second peer who I have seen go through this hell and it is not pleasant.  I aim aware there will be more.
--Susan Collins caved and got nothing in return.  She should be embarrassed and the Maine voters ought to be angry.  The tax bill, apart from being so overwhelmingly pro business, eliminates the individual mandate.  I dare not brag too much but I do know what that means.  The mandate forced healthy (especially young healthy folks) to get health insurance thereby balancing the pool of those insured.  An insurance pool needs healthy people in it to keep rates low.  Otherwise, insurers will get out of town and not participate because there are only sick people .  It is god awful and, separate from POTUS, we should all be angry at the members of Congress who are gutless wonders.
--According to Fox News, a coup is coming and we should get in our bunkers--the sales of which are booming by the way.
--Who is Jillian Michaels and why is she in my tv so much?
--Enos Kanter is a Turkish behemoth who plays in the NBA.  He apparently said something naughty about the Turkish President and now is banned and could be arrested if he returns to his homeland.  Kind of like a fatwa. Th same Turkish president who pretty much is an asshole dictator.
--POTUS did an interview with the NY Times.  An analysis documented 24 lies in the interview.  And we continue to let him get away with that shit.
--The POTUS wall will prove nothing except that his rabid fans will see some bricks and can pretend it will matter.  The Dreamers are flesh and blood teenagers and young adults.   To essentially offer a trade of the wall for support of the Dreamers is beneath our dignity and ugly.

Happy New Year to all.