I FEEL LIKE CHICKEN LITTLE

I think Chicken Little was the character from my childhood who always thought the sky was falling.  And even if it was not Chicken Little, it was some dumb character that I feel like right this very minute. As if Nice was not enough, we now have the attempted coup in Turkey.  Now a wise person once told me that the Turkish military was one of the most democratic sectors of that government.   The generals were all apparently trained here and believe, more than the politicians, in a democratic state.  Meanwhile, over the last year, the politicians leading the country (especially Erdogan) have taken a turn into the land of right wing repression. And this from a country which is part of NATO, which wants to be part of the EU, and which is our strongest ally in the area. Internationally, all of this came on the heels of terror attacks in Bangladesh and Iraq. I worry.

Domestically, we have witnessed the killings by police of African American men in Louisiana and Minnesota and the murder of Dallas policemen.  It frequently feels as if things are out of control both here and abroad.
It seems as if both institutionally (i.e. the military/police) and intra-personally (i.e. we the people), there is a belief that the only recourse is violence.  That violence gets fueled by easy access to weapons and mixes with fear of "the other" to deliver a volatile brew. This is not a safe country if you are a young person of color or if you are a cop. I worry.

Items of Note:
--All of the above plays right into the messages of the candidate whose name will not be mentioned.  People want simple answers and he is giving it to them like a good demagogue.  Hilary is way too nuanced and way too complicated for these folks.
--Yet, Nate the Great still believes she wins even though she has slipped after the DOJ investigation and in advance of the Republican convention.
--It took Bernie long enough before he got off his fat ass and endorsed Hilary.  As if he had some other better choice.  Now he just better get moving and motivate all his followers to get off their asses and vote for her.
--Ruthie, my most beloved Supreme, really needs to shut up and be a Justice.  And Mr. Bill needs to stop meeting people on airport tarmacs.  Both of these stupid "foot in the mouth" events play right into that guy whose name won't be mentioned and his already paranoid supporters.
--Saw the Yo Yo Ma documentary about his work as a member of the Silk Road Ensemble.  In the context of all this violence, it was especially reassuring to see these eclectic musicians (who first of all are superb at their craft) playing together in so many different locales--including refugee camps.  And who knew that Yo Yo is virtually a stand up comedian.
--Another great BBC detective show with a leading woman. "Marcella" is more tense than the "Americans" and the lead (Anna Friel) is just terrific.
--Spent a wonderful day in Newport with friends one of whom is a friend from kindergarten.  Very, very comforting.
--You wont have me to kick around until the fall.  Have a great summer.

SPORTS TALK
Brady's case is done and who knows what it means for the Pats.  This is what it means for other fans--Confirmation that the Pats cheat and an opportunity to hate the Pats and Brady some more. Claude Julien is still the Bruins coach and they seem to be bringing in some younger more skilled and less defensive minded players.  Let's see how Claude ruins their careers.  Serena Williams, a la Lebron, is so dominant when she is on that it is almost unfair.  Finally, my suggestion to Brian Cashman:  time to deal and get younger.  Eat some contracts if anyone will take Texeira or even ARod because the Yanks are going nowhere.

Adios