"DR. BERNS' 101 SECRETS TO MENTAL HEALTH"

These secrets are so secret they have been kept secret even from me.  Yet, the title comes from an ad in the Berkshire Eagle--the newspaper of record in Western Mass.  But, alas, I am not a doctor nor am I the idiot who headlined his ad with the phrase. Moving on.

The man whose name will not be mentioned was demolished this past week.  He sniffled, made faces, interrupted, and generally made a nuisance of himself.  All of you undecideds, or third partiers, need to seriously consider what this person might do if elected.  Then, he went on a middle of the night tweeter escapade in which he continued his verbal assault on women in general and Hilary in particular.  Nate's maps in the aftermath of that performance started going blue again.  Don't get me wrong. I do not believe this is over but we did get an insight about his response to pressure and what he might do if Angela suggest that maybe we should take in more refugees.

Speaking of which....I have very many mixed feelings about my synagogue.  Too much back slapping about how great we are and how unique we are and how special we are.  But every so often we are that and more. Once you kind of accept the minimal numbers of Syrian refugees this country will be taking (especially in light of our neighbors to the North), it was kind of neat to attend a meeting at my synagogue to discuss our sponsorship of two Syrian families, with children, who will be arriving here in the next few months.  We, meaning my synagogue, do a great job making our tent very big and inclusive. Was listening to a cd by the Byrds--must be 30 years old--and they are singing even then of the plight of refugees.  This is not new, folks. This country did not want too many Jews to enter during WWII even as they were being annihilated in Europe.

Other Items of Varying Import:
--Send money to democratic senatorial candidates and don't stop just in case you know who wins.  A great article in the recent New Yorker by Jeffrey Toobin (who is just excellent) about how the election of Hilary and a Democratic Senate might actually lead to the first liberal majority on the SCOTUS in a very long time. We will not have to squirm and wait while Justice Kennedy decides which side of the bed to get up on in the morning.
--My local rag of a newspaper does not have one article which does not trash any effort at change--this neighbor is fighting that; this community group does not want that; this issue must be fought.  I believe the horse and carriage will return soon--but then we will at least have horse shit for our organic gardens.
--I get it that utility and other workers who toil on our streets need protection and that is why we have police details.  I may not be sure if that needs to be provided by actual police but I am such a humanitarian, I will go with it (as if).  But please tell me why, when they are on details, they are on their cells, they are talking to the workers, and they doing everything but providing safety.
--That gutsy great Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz, has endorsed the man whose name will not be mentioned.  He is such an ass kisser.  Probably wants a job in the administration.  And Marco makes two--had no employment future and so decided to run again after saying he wouldn't.  And those fools from my former home state will likely elect him.\
--I know not how to react any more to the shootings of African Americans by the police.  I do know this:  No matter what else, I will never know what it is like to stand in their shoes--either the police or the men who have been shot. I am too scared to be a cop and I am not a person of color.  It is just different.
--One definition of retirement is that money does not come in; it only goes out.

SPORTS TALK
So, Phil Mickelson is another idiot and he is way past his prime.  But since he is the great white hype, we all MUST love him.  Me, not so much.  Steve Goodman (he wrote "City of New Orleans"), like a lot of folks, died way too early.  But he was a fanatic Cubs fan and a fanatic baseball fan.  After playing a set at Passim's on a Saturday night way back in the dark ages, he used to invite his audience to meet him on the Cambridge Common for softball on Sunday morning.  Oh, how he would be loving what his Cubs are doing.  Can we get real about BC football?  Wagner last week and Buffalo this week? Real tough.  No one up here gets it about the South and football--BC should have joined some other conference for football--perhaps the conference of the Great White North.  Watch the tv documentary "Last Chance U" to get a sense of what football means down yonder.

Happy New Year to those of you who share my religious persuasion.

Adios