ALMOST A NATIONAL EMERGENCY

I was getting lazy and nearly postponed this issue.  But, I then realized its absence in your life might have been an emergency of national proportions--kind of like that wall thingy.  So, here goes.

--When forced to choose between POTUS and his belief that there is a crisis at our southern border and, on the other hand, the reports from multiple news outlets that there is no crisis I'm with the reporters.  No surprise there.  But, listen carefully to the words of POTUS.  He uses words as weapons when he calls the emigres "aliens".  He is venomous and stoking the worst  fears among certain Americans.  Did you see the crowd behind him in El Paso?  Smiling and laughing as he lobbied demeaning words after demeaning words. The attack on the BBC cameraman followed.
--Mitch refuses to allow a vote on making Election Day a National holiday because it is a ploy by Democrats to increase participation.  Isn't it a sign of a healthy country when more people vote?  Not according to the Mitcher.  He also set a fine example to his constituents and his fellow Republican Senators when he agreed to support this National emergency bullshit.  Great role models we have in DC.
--Oh and Susan Collins is a bit upset that people actually remember her vote in support of Kavanaugh now that he has cast his first anti abortion vote.  Oh my, woe is me.
--Remember Ronny Jackson?  He almost got to run the VA.  But rumors swirled and he bailed.  POTUS decided he would be a fine primary care doctor.  So, now he is the PCP of our President.  I would not trust him to check my cuticles
--Bad optics for the Dems to get all flustered about Howard Schultz maybe running for President.  Sure, I get it that as an Independent, he will siphon off votes and if the goal is to get rid of POTUS, then his running is an issue.  But, really, figure some response out that does not include whining.

Then there are the items:
--Doonesbury this past Sunday was hysterical and sad.  Makes the silence of Republican Senators  quite nasty.
--I still miss Al Franken and believe he quit too soon.
--Why would anyone need an app to reach the company that fixes broken windshields.?  How many
times would you need to use it.  I just don't get it.
--Leave it to the Globe:  A horse named George (really?) was returned to its owner after 13 years.  Who knew this was news?
--Two excellent Japanese films.  The first is "Shoplifters" which forces you to re-think how families can be very different and still be emotionally strong.  The second "Ramen" leaves you starving but has a great ending.


SPORTS TALK
Felger at the local level and Kellerman at the national/ESPN level are ratings driven and do not care how offensive they have become.  Get off it, man. ESPN on line did have a great article about Bob Costa and why he left or was fired from NBC--had to do with his being outspoken about concussions in the NFL.  BC's football and basketball teams are bottom feeders in the ACC. Every once and a while, they may move off the bottom--but, in general, they are in it for the money not because they can ever compete in those two sports with lets say Duke.  And, yup, finally--The Pats won so all you haters can just be silent until the fall.

Shalom

GOD WANTED ME TO WRITE THESE BLOGS

And Sarah even told me so.  I have a number of questions about this God business.  How did he/she communicate this information to Sarah--in writing, verbally, telepathically?  And how is she so sure it came from God?  Perhaps POTUS whispered sweet nothings into her ear and mentioned that God spoke to him.

Listen, I get that the Christian faithful only care about judicial appointments and are in a very happy mood about all the conservative judges who now populate the Federal judiciary.  But, I honestly do not understand how they can tolerate God being used as a weapon to fend off the likes of me.  They have already tolerated all sorts of POTUS indiscretions and now God is speaking to Sarah.  And, before I get too crazed, how many sets of pearls does she own and are they real?  I need answers.

Moving on:
--The silence of Republican Senators continues.  In the face of lies and outright rubbish comments made by POTUS, these folks zip it up for fear of offending his base.
--Roger Stone is a true caricature.  His "V's" a la Nixon are hilarious.  Hope he can take a few of his suits to the pokey.  I want to see him in court or testifying.  A show it would be.
--No one asked me but the ban on transgendered people in the military its another brick in the wall of terrifying his base about the "other".  I personally would appreciate any person of any gender who gave up their life to protect me.
--A Go Fund Me campaign raised 268K to pay for the search for the body of a soccer player presumed dead in a plane crash.  So many other things go wanting and money pours in for this.
--Max Kellerman (I believe he was/is a college friend of a reader) is a sports talking head and appears with Stephen A. Smith daily on ESPN.  Does not like Tom Brady--fine.  But the two of them together are simpletons who (as simpletons do) oversimplify everything.  No gray in their world.  Loud mouths both.  And Max went to Yale!
--A quote from Doonesbury which sums up my thoughts:  "The creaky voices--the way everyone under 40 sounds like they're over 80".  He is taking about the NPR commentators.  I'm with you, bro.
--More yucky Boston Globe stories--a big feature about the best way to move your dog when you change abodes..  The world is falling apart (jPOTUS just cancelled a nuclear arms treaty) and the Globe gives us pap.
--On the other hand, a great article about the Boston Public School valedictorians and what has happened to them.  Not much in the way of good news.
--Maureen Dowd in the Times of 1/20 wrote an excellent piece.
--Do not watch the weather channel unless you have seat belts on your coach.  Everything is critical and dangerous.  Yikes.

Shalom.

SPORTS TALK
I am confirming that we need to restrict ourselves to what happens between the lines, on the ice, and on the court.  I fight any urge to find out tan athlete's opinions about anything.  The latest from Kyrie Irving who is an astonishing bb player.  He also believes the earth is flat and supposedly has us all worried about his impending free agency.  You know what, please do go to the Knicks.

I am narrowly optimistic about the Pats in the Super Bowl.