MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHINGS

THERE ARE TOO MANY BAD PEOPLE AND WAY TOO MANY STUPID PEOPLE

2022-08-17T12:02:00.011-07:00

It has been 12 years since I started to write this blog. I decided to look back at some of the blogs I wrote. Some were personal in nature, some were just observations, i.e Dodger Stadium., Thailand, etc. Other blogs look at the current scene and those are the ones that seem to hit home. The reason they hit home is that they illustrated the fears I have for our society and now I see the fears being realized. I do worry.

I never ever thought I would see what we all saw on January 6th. I never thought that I would have my president so blatantly lie to me. I never thought I would witness, experience and see mainstreamed AntiSemitism. I wrote about my not being big on G-d, but I love my tradition. I am a Jew.

The leadership we have in our Congress, for the most part, sucks. There are some good legislators. too few as of now and less, it appears after January 1, 2023.

As I look back I recall a blog I wrote in May 2017. It has been five years and the times are even more scary as nutty people think Trump is great, so do I . . .

except for the Flynn thing and the Manafort thing
and the Tillerson thing
and the Sessions thing
and the Kushner thing
and the Carter Page thing
and the Roger Stone thing
and the Felix Sater thing
and the Boris Ephsteyn thing
and the Rosneft thing
and the Gazprom thing
and the Sergey Gorkov banker thing
and the Azerbajain thing
and the “I love Putin” thing
and the Donald Trump, Jr. thing
and the Sergey Kislyak thing
and the Russian Affiliated Interests thing
and the Russian Business Interests thing
and the Emoluments Clause thing
and the Alex Schnaider thing
and the hack of the DNC thing
and the Guccifer 2.0 thing
and the Mike Pence “I don’t know anything” thing
and the Russians mysteriously dying thing
and Trump’s public request to Russia to hack Hillary’s email thing
and the Trump house sale for $100 million at the bottom of the housing bust to the Russian fertilizer king thing
and the Russian fertilizer king’s plane showing up in Concord, NC during Trump rally campaign thing
and the Nunes sudden flight to the White House in the night thing
and the Nunes personal investments in the Russian winery thing
and the Cyprus bank thing
and Trump not releasing his tax returns thing
and the Republican Party’s rejection of an amendment to require Trump to show his taxes thing
and the election hacking thing
and the GOP platform change to the Ukraine thing
and the Steele Dossier thing
and the Leninist Bannon thing
and the Sally Yates can’t testify thing
and the intelligence community’s investigative reports thing
and the Trump reassurance that the Russian connection is all “fake news” thing
and the Spicer’s Russian Dressing “nothing’s wrong” thing
and the Chaffetz not willing to start an investigation thing
and the Chaffetz suddenly deciding to go back to private life in the middle of an investigation thing
and the The Lead DOJ Investigator Mary McCord SUDDENLY in the middle of the investigation decides to resign thing
and the appointment of Pam Bondi who was bribed by Trump in the Trump university scandal appointed to head the investigation thing
and the The White House going into full-on cover-up mode, refusing to turn over the documents related to the hiring and subsequent firing of Flynn thing
and the Chaffetz and White House blaming the poor vetting of Flynn on Obama thing
and the Poland and British intelligence gave information regarding the hacking back in 2015 to Paul Ryan and he didn't do anything thing
and the Agent M16 following the money thing
and the Trump team KNOWING about Flynn's involvement but hired him anyway thing
and The Corey Lewendowski thing
and the Preet Bharara firing thing but before he left he transferred evidence against Trump to a state level Schneiderman thing
and the Betsy Devos' Brother thing
and the Sebastian Gorka thing
and the Greg Gianforte from Montana thing
and the Pence actually was warned about Flynn before he was hired thing
and the Pence and Manafort connection thing
and the 7 Allies coming forward with audio of Trump's associates in an incidental wire tapping thing
and the Carter Page defying the Senate's order to hand over his Russian contact list
and the Trump wants to VETO Sally Yates' testimony thing
and the Trump trying to discredit Yates thing
and the Obama told Trump personally about Flynn thing
and the COMEY thing
and the meeting with Russian foreign minister upon the order of Putin thing
and the sharing of highly classified top secret information to Russian Foreign minister thing
and the invitation and hosting of Turkey's dictator thing

and I just wanna find 11700 votes thing

and the taking of classified materials thing

and the threatening of a poll worker thing

and the withholding of support of Ukraine thing

AND THE JANUARY 6TH THING

SO yeah there’s probably no-thing there!

There are too many things that the Mango Menace did and wants to do, even as he is out of office (don't tell him that) that will help or accelerate the destruction of our democracy. Democracy is a fragile concept that has worked for 246 years so far. The US citizens have protected that democracy with vigilance but now the 2022 version of the Kool Aid drinkers wants to help him destroy the democracy in favor of an authoritarian type of government. (check the Mount Airy people's expression of support).

I cannot wait to see him in a jumpsuit that matches his complexion.

That is my take - you decide.

Now For These Messages . . .

2022-01-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

I have stopped writing my blog about the same time that the Mango Menace took office. There was nothing that hasn’t been written by some one that I could expand or expound on. He was an easy target so I said I would let others shoot the arrows.

But during the past two years I have realized a pet peeve, not a political peeve such as having a guy from a state with fewer people than many small cities deny rights and the ability to sustain themselves, to those few people and the other millions that he does not represent.

The peeve that really gets me is the number of commercial messages there are in between dramatic productions, talk shows and quiz shows. Thank heaven for TV recorders, but that works only when viewing a recorded show.

By the time you get back to the show you forgot the plotline, or where the show was in its presentation. On the View, which I love to watch, is one of the worst offenders. When Whoopi says we will be right back, who is she kidding? I understand this pays her and all the people involved in the show’s salaries. However, I cannot recall any of the some of the commercial’s brands. Except for one which is so annoying, I mute the TV and my radio when “1 800 Kars for Kids” comes on. They will never get my car!

When I did pay attention, I learned about various skin diseases, healthful drinks, Alzheimer’s disease, homes to put relatives in when they have the disease, which is the better burger, autos that you can’t afford but must have. There are so many commercials for prescription drugs, one could contract hypochondria. I could go on but I would be like the commercial break with 10 or more, yes 10, or more commercial messages and promos in one commercial break.

I have a DVR recorder and I love it. I can watch Jeopardy in just 20 minutes. That is how I survive watching that show. All the cop shows with various twists do not get lost on me because I can fast forward through the commercial break.

We are being bombarded. When I watch CNN I flip to MSNBC because their commercial messages are not on the same time. I have used the Channel button to move from one channel to another to see if there was something worthwhile to watch. I counted 12 selections and each time there was a commercial running. So, once again, thanks to my DVR.

Netflix, Amazon and other streamers do not have commercial breaks, yet! So, when I subscribe I am paying to avoid commercial breaks.

I recall when a 30-minute show had 27 minutes of content. In Europe you got all commercial messages prior to the show and shows were uninterrupted. Some of the commercial rules were are ridiculous. I recall being in Canada and commercial for Maidenform came on showed the lady in a bra. Just a bra. In the U.S. it was worn over a sweater. Thank heaven that rule changed. How about the rule about drinking beer or other alcoholic drinks? Never saw any one actually down the spirit did you, or do you? No, you don’t!

Yes, commercials are getting more modern. We see commercials for condoms, intimate fragrances, suggestive perfumes, but all right after Kars 4 Kids and a Place For Mom, Velveeta Cheese and Salsa.

So, once again the invention of the year was and is the DVR. The recent pandemic made DVRs popular and a necessity for mental health. So, if this pattern keeps up one day we will be reading a great book and after chapter one, we will get 10 pages of laxatives, ED Promotions, diabetes cures and skin solutions. Ridiculous, you say. So are 10 to 15 non-related commercial messages in two to five minutes while trying to enjoy a medical drama.

That is my take, you decide.

I will be right back after these messages

Courage

2021-10-25T15:31:00.001-07:00

Let me tell you about my friend, I will, for this article, call him Dave. He is a New York street smart lawyer who likes to teach, to tell jokes, Dave likes to write and likes the simple practice of the law. Especially entertainment law. Why is Dave worthy of my pen? (Now that is a statement just bursting with ego and self importance – BUT it is not that way).

I am happy to pen some information about my friend Dave because I find him to be courageous. It is that simple. He is, by definition, a simple guy who enjoys the simple things of life and values them more than others. He adores his wife and supports her idiosyncratic behaviors. He walks the malls with her. He supports his sons who are high achievers yet always show an immense respect for their father. I admire my friend Dave. He shows fortitude in the face of difficulty, he shows courage when others may cower, he shows support and consideration when others look the other way. He is a simple guy trying to make his way in life. He does it quietly and does is with class.

Dave is an intellect though he often does not give himself enough credit for being a creative thinker – for him it is sometimes easier to adopt ideas than create them. This is a guy that passed the BAR in two different states – the first time. He can create ideas. He has written situation comedies that were successful. He writes blogs on legal issues. He is published in a myriad of places where his ideas have influenced other’s thinking.

My friend Dave is loyal. He is always thinking of others and asking how they feel. But why am I compelled to write about my friend Dave – because he has courage to step out of his comfort zone, reach for the sky and do the most difficult thing any person can do deliberately – make someone laugh!

Stand on a stage and make someone laugh. You don’t know fear until you try that. You don’t know humility until you done that. You don’t know what it is like to be high until you have done that – no drugs required!

Think of standing at an airplane door, 30,000 feet, no parachute, no clothes, just you and the sky and you are ready to jump. If you think I am exaggerating – just try it. Either one, standing at the precipice and tell a joke before you jump or just stand alone on a dark stage with a key light and two hundred pairs of eyes daring you to make them laugh. Those eyes are taunting you, “Tell me a joke I haven’t heard yet – a funny one. Go ahead – try. I dare you.” My friend dared and he succeeded. That is no easy task and is worthy of all of our admiration.

When you do comedy, you are doing a “set.” In comedy, unlike tennis, you are a winner at “love.”

So, this is the type of guy that I admire - except when they spit out tidbits from Fox News. That is his one failing in life. I don't know what he believes as I haven't asked him in years. Maybe that is my failing, but it was hard for me to accept his points of view at that time as I heard them when I had the temerity to watch Fox.

The point is that a man of courage and intellect can be so influenced by a news organization as that is all the news he gets. Why?

Now we may understand last January 6th.

That is my take, you decide.

I LIKE DODGER STADIUM

2019-05-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

My son, who is making it a point of going to every major league and some minor league ballparks in the US and Canada does not agree with me. I have been to many ball parks over the years, many that are no longer there such as Yankee Stadium (first iteration), Braves Field (Boston), Sportsman’s Park (St. Louis), Candlestick Park (San Francisco), Shea Stadium (NY), Kingdome (Seattle) and Metropolitan (Minneapolis), to name just a few. Given my age I may have forgotten some.

As I said, I like Dodger Stadium. Great sight lines, easy access (I use the Red Line and the Dodger Express), and I go to the game to see a game. The hot dog, which I love is secondary but a priority. I don’t care what kind of food is available. (One exception – during a World Series game that went 18 innings and lasted till well after 1 am there was nothing at the stadium open and I was hungry. No food of any kind was available at that hour. As long as the game is being played food needs to be sold).

So, I am not a food aficionado at ball parks. I am a fan of the game and that is why I go to games and that is why I Iike Dodger Stadium, because it is there and baseball is being played there.

Nothing is perfect except the game itself. So, I have some gripes about the Stadium. Last year we spent an hour in the stadium lot navigating our way to our parking lot that we were assigned. The closed an access road. They know they are having a big turnout by tickets sold, so why do that? Why restrict traffic flow?

Once inside there are many other examples of Dodger insensitivity towards fans. They open just some of the concession booth lines – not all. You can spend two innings waiting for an overpriced coke (more of that later). Restrooms, depending on the level you are on, are quite far apart. If you got to go you got to go faster cause they are quite a ways away. Some have the same in as out so shoulders are bumped.

While many may think the stadium is a great place to watch a game, there are some things missing. Even Angel Stadium has “tunnels” to get to the seats. As you walk through them to are anticipating the sight of the green grass, the infield dirt and then there it is, all in its glory in front of you. The same for Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and many other ball parks, but not Dodger Stadium. Yes, there are concourses that allow flow but no tunnels.

I have been accused of being a traditionalist. I am my biggest accuser. I like natural grass, check for Dodger Stadium. I like dirt warning tracks, ditto again. I also like white uniforms at home and gray on the road, one more ditto for the Dodgers. I also like high socks and stirrups, OK, some players are wearing them.

I am not in favor of the QVC approach to jewelry. Since when did gaudy jewelry become part of the major league uniform? Players are wearing the C-Flaps on their helmets, that is a good idea. But the drug dealer jewelry not so much. I can see the day that a player will be sliding head first in to second the gold chain around his neck is flopping in the wind the chain gets caught by the shortstop and the sliding body will be safe but his head will be out at third.

Also, I am not interested in your religious preference. That is between you and your god not me and you. By the way, the player’s number is always on the back of the uniform so a large diamond number around this neck tells you about his taste in jewelry, not his abilities. The waste management people wear uniforms but refrain from jewelry. Just below his neck is his shirt already fitted with buttons that should be used. If you are going to work, get dressed. If your work requires a uniform wear it proudly and correctly. That is why It is called a “uniform.” I hate the Yankees, but that team is a traditional team.

Buttons are buttoned. faces are shaved and religious preferences are kept personal. The players all look professional. Like I said, I am a traditionalist.

The cost of going to a ballgame is ridiculous. A hot dog and a drink comes to more than $10. Actually, nearly $12. A cold can of beer is $16. Yet, people are paying it. That is really taking advantage of your fans.

I have always liked that the Dodgers are a winning team, but when they are not it is better for the fan. Seat prices go down, there are half price days at the park. And there are more good seats available.

As I said, I like Dodger Stadium but I want to love it - but can’t. Here’s the rub. I don’t believe that management cares if I love it. The seven or eight games that I used to go to but don’t now are now big concern of them. The stadium is there, my Dodger Dog is there so I will go to some games but less than I did in prior years.

Again, I like the stadium but don’t love it.

That is my take, you decide.

Note:
Last August I vented on the wearing of the uniforms. I vented on the amount of jewelry and not much has changed since then, I am sorry to say. The Dodgers were voted the best looking uniforms by other MLB players recently. They do not need to be adorned by cheap or even expensive jewelry. They look so much better without that glitter.

FASHIONABLE BASEBALL - NOT

2018-08-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

I am an old fashioned traditionalist when it comes to baseball. It still bothers me some to acknowledge the four finger walk. It hurts to see designated hitters in the lineup. There is more but artificial turf and moveable rooves that is progress, I guess.

But seeing player wearing jewelry that would make Joan Rivers cry and open shirts that look like the 70’s disco era, that is not baseball.

When fielders get together with the pitcher, they look like an active Al Quaeda cell. Well trimmed beards, OK. But the scraggly beards (as Kershaw’s is) does not make the player a winner. There is an old saying that if you do not shave every day, you are a bum. Then there is the Chasidic look. Justin Turner, not being Jewish ( I think) has that look down very well. There are other players that have beards that are not even a little trim.

In no way am I a Yankees fan. BUT, they do look professional. Clean shaven faces, shirts buttoned up and the drug dealer jewelry is at home. They say that a uniform is a uniform not a background for bangles and beards.

I saw a St. Louis player with his shirt opened to his waist with no undershirt to absorb sweat. He also had a terrible beard.

Grandal has such a heavy chain around his neck he has trouble negotiating a swing. Sixteen ounces of jewelry and a 32 ounce bat – that is a load to carry to the plate. Bellinger has two necklaces, one black and the other gold.

Baseball is not clean cut – anymore. Tatoos up and down arms and necks. I know they say they have some significance but we as spectators have no idea what the significance is. I know that it is personal but I am not ready for my grandsons (one already has them) to have ink ornamentation over his body that he will regret later on in life. Let’s face it, trends come and go but the tats stay.

Religious symbols hanging from the players neck are nice when they are in the locker room or out to dinner. I am not impressed with the size of the cross, how much gold it is, from m experience the size of the symbol and the number of diamonds in it does not indicate the character of the wearer. It may be the opposite. Gang members sport large religious symbols - they don't appear to get in the way of their behavior or his character. The larger symbol is to show how dedicated he is to his faith but maybe his trying to say something that he feels inadequate in his faith and twenty ounces of gold will endear him to his god. A swing and miss won’t endear him to anyone, fan, players, managers or gods.

In the seventies MLB teams wore softball uniforms with the exception of a few teams such as the Yankees and the Dodgers. I hated the uniforms, as I said I am a traditionalist. I like stirrups not long pants. Some players are getting back to that and I enjoy seeing it. Since the softball uniform shirts had no buttons, they couldn’t be opened to the waist like in Saturday Night Fever.

The open shirt does not make Justin Turner a solid hitter (he is a favorite of mine – but not in a sartorial sense). The crazy beard does not make Turner a better third baseman, but he does look like a Chasidic Rabbi with a good arm. He is outdone by Charlie Blackmon in the beard department.

It is refreshing to a see ball players looking professional. Clean faces, clean arms and their uniforms worn as they were designed. When I visited the baseball Hall of Fame, I was struck by how the players dressed and comported themselves. The photos were inspirational. From their photos I had no idea what their religious affiliation was nor did I want to know. That was their business. My business was their wins and losses and batting averages.

The old wool uniforms got so heavy and hot hen the player perspired they weighed an addition few pounds, yet their shirts stayed buttoned until they reached the club house.

One last gripe. There are a few players that wear their cap cockeyed. That drives me nuts because I am disoriented when I see the player. I saw a pitcher not long ago with his hat to one side and he got clobbered. So, it is a fashion statement that is not fashionable. That includes flat bills on the cap. The reason for the curved bill is to reduce sunlight coming into the player’s eyes from the sides.

I have vented. I know I will change no players dress habits but they need to know I am watching.

That is my take, you decide.

LIAR, LEAKER

2018-04-20T12:58:00.001-07:00

Was the orange man looking in the mirror when he said those words? More than 2500 documented lies from Trump – but someone else who is not a fabricator is the “liar.” From someone who shared Israeli intelligence with Russian diplomats is not the leaker.

A man who has a record of not paying his bills calls out someone that fulfils his obligations in serving his country as weak and unreliable. A man who was so cowardly that he made sure he was deferred five times has no right to call out and criticize anyone. But he does. According to him, he would have gone into the high school to confront the shooter. That is so laughable it is beyond my comprehension.

Yet, there is about 30% of the population that loves this idiot, and that too is beyond my comprehension. My original theory was that those that support him, in addition to white supremacists, are people that want a major brown out. (That is, if you are brown – get out). I know many of these people and I am so disappointed with them.

The man has no moral compass, or maybe one that just points south. Where does he get off calling good people names? It is the mirror. He sees himself and knows what he is and then says I will call others based on what I am – not a good person. Not a person of value. He is actually a school yard bully – real scum.

I am anxiously awaiting the video from Moscow. Even if we see him in his birthday suit, he will claim it is not him just like to voice on the NBC tape is not him, according to the lying blowhard. This guy won’t see truth if it hit him the eyes.

He is also dangerous. He is dangerous to our democracy. He wants to jail reporters for reporting the news. Seems like Egypt, Russia just poisons them. He has no consistency and blames everyone else for the mess he creates. It come down to this, he talks we listen and then discount everything he says.

If his lips are moving and if his shoulder moves, he is lying. There is no doubt about it, he is lying. Or, he is exaggerating. Did you hear how he saved the Olympics? How? He didn’t go as president or an athlete. His second banana did go and blew a major opportunity to some diplomatic good.

According to some foreign diplomats he is a one man Saturday Night live sketch. He has them all laughing to the point of peeing in their pants. The hookers just peed on him.

We have lost the trust from the rest of the world. World leaders do not believe him. Prime Minister Abe came to the US for the food, his facial expressions told you how he was responding to Orange Man. Mira Lago serves great, tremendous food. So, why not go?

“Mission Accomplished.” President Bush tried that slogan and it diminished him. Having one airstrike is not winning the war, not even close. Next we will hear how he was in the Situation Room defining targets. His ego is his downfall or will be his major downfall. When he said he didn’t know about the $130,000 he threw his lawyer, not under the bus but in front of it.

There is no doubt in my mind that he will be remembered as a world class liar, world class ego maniac, world class betrayer of people and worst president that this country ever had. In that category he will be number one.

Another alarming thing is he love for “his generals.” He is undermining the Justice Department, the State Department and others so that he can dissolve his administration and replace the cabinet secretaries with “his Generals.’ Marshal Law is on its way, if it is up to Trump. U.S. Troops on the border is a start. Watch these words, I am so hopeful that I am wrong.

Bottom line is we created a big monster from a smaller monster. Now we have to find a way to destroy the monster we created. Maybe Mueller will chop him down to size. Maybe he will be wearing prison grays soon but not soon enough. The damage is ongoing and I see no let up from his destructive ways.

November seems so far away. If the government changes and we get legislators that put country before party we have a chance. So, let’s be hopeful that November brings about change, that Mueller gets his man and we, Americans, can get back to our way of life.

That is my take – you decide.

THE EMERGING AMERICAN VERSION OF TASS

2018-04-03T14:46:00.000-07:00

Tass, the wholly owned Russian News Agency is being replicated in the United States by The Sinclair Broadcast Group. Just as our president is a wholly owned entity by Putin, Sinclair outlets have to repeat their "must air" reports along with the same wording use by the wholly owned Russian entity, Donald J. Trump.

Soon, with our government’s blessing, the Sinclair Group will own about 70% of the news outlets in the United States. This will be our version of Tass. Our Sinclair friendly government is complicit in Sinclair’s efforts.

Yes, their TV stations are required to read “must air” reports that Sinclair sends to them. Now that is true FAKE NEWS. Our “genius” president thinks they are terrific doing tremendous reporting. He now has a second source for intelligence briefings. Fox and Sinclair. The caravans coming from Central America to overrun the US was first reported by Fax News and only reported by Faux News.

How stupid do we have to be to keep dealing with this stupidity? All of the Fox News people should wear a T-shirt saying ”I’m with stupid.” They have to air that shirt any time they talk about Trump. In fact, all of his “base” should wear that shirt along with the hat that says, “Make America White Again.”

For many years, decades actually, we had laws preventing one company or organization from monopolizing the media, printed or broadcast. We had these laws for a reason. Just look at Russia, Nazi Germany. China – Trumps idols.

When I studied Mass Communications we learned about the FCC rulings and why they were in place. It was comforting to know that we could go to Channels, 4 (WBZ), 5 (WHDH) or 7 (WNAC) and get three different sources of the facts. Now we have cable news, so we have traditional news outlets, religious news outlets and government news outlets (FOX and Sinclair).

If you are a Trumper you like the deportations, the browning of America has been curtailed as our government gets rid of brown and beige Americans. You are an American If you are from North America (even Canada and Mexico) you are American. If you hail from South America or Central America, you are American. “Americans for America.” A great idea. I am all for it. Explain that to the orange man.

The Trump base, on the other hand, doesn’t want brown Americans here, working or contributing to our society in any way. According to Trump some are good people – just some. Some have families, some work hard, some pay their bills on time, some are religious, some are actually American patriots – his “some” covers almost all of the people - like all Americans only 1% or less of us are not good people and some of them, I guess, even voted for Trump.

As I was writing this article, I got an email to sign the petition to stop Sinclair in their effort to create an Orwellian news organization. I signed, put it on my Facebook page so others can sign, too.

Our rights and our way of life are being challenged like never before. Trump idolizes Putin, Mouselini and Hitler along with the dictators in China, in Brazil, in Venezuela and the Philippines. Look out here he comes, Jack Boots and all. He wants a parade to show his strength. The parade according to him, will be largest show of force ever in the world, his will be the best Army, Navy, Airforce. He will have the “bigger dick.” His first step to dictatorship.

These are scary times. He just fired the VA Secretary because he did not want to privatize the agency. He is doing a good job so Trump can’t say it is a “dizaztah” and sell the idea that private companies can do a better job. That is part of his argument about the USPS. When actually the postal department, in spite of the rules on retirement funding, is doing OK and actually profiting from Amazon. Just a note: Jeff Bezos never filed bankruptcy as did Trump, several times.

The failing Trump presidency is really a mess. They lie like they no other group and when they do it makes me sick – so I have stomach problems daily. The only dizaztah I see is at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

If that Sinclair merger goes through, where will we get our news? John Oliver is just a half hour weekly. CNN is also a slave to ratings so they tread lightly on the truth. MSNBC appears to be more in touch, but still cable news.

The kids at the Easter Egg hunt are still trying to figure out what he said. So, is the rest of the population.

That is my take – you decide (soon, I hope)

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS - CHAPTER 18

2018-02-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

After an abundance of mass shootings our country” s “leadership” are still offering THOUGHTS and PRAYERS. The turtle , also known as the leader of the senate, reiterated that this is no time to politicize the issue. THEN WHEN? We have had enough killing just this year alone to create a political climate that could eliminate assault weapons and bump stocks. Start NOW!

Be a politician and get some political movement with some spine to make this problem go away. Be a righteous person and get your legislation in gear. Be a religious politician and get the bill going after Schleiisem, after the wake, after Shivah, after you get off the pot. Get a spine and balls, get it done.

But no. It is a mental health problem so Trumps reduces our programs that cover mental health. Look at the president’s budget. Our “leadership” does the opposite of what they say needs to be done. That makes them gold star with the NRA. Is it now being pushed in the Senate that a concealed weapon permit is good in every state? The same idiots in the Congress that offer their thoughts and prayers are pushing this through.

The orange rube in the white house never mentioned guns in his offering of consolation to the victims. We know he needs mental health treatments and he isn’t getting it either – because he is a stable genius. Hey genius, figure this out. Eighteen mass shootings this year alone and we are just six weeks into the year. Along with Trump University, Trump Vodka and Trump ties, sell Trump bullets. Let that enterprise fail as so many other Trump enterprises have failed (including this presidency). It is not funny.

The argument that good guys with guns can stop bad guys with guns is BS. At the Boston bombing, there were hundreds of good guys with guns – we call them police. The same in Las Vegas, the same each time. Give more people guns, give more people the ability to take lives, more lives will be taken, some of the good guys with guns will go down, too.

“A well regulated Militia” means police, National Guard, Army, Marines - not some uneducated white supremacists, even the ones, the president supposes, are “good people.” Who is kidding who? Guns are a big business and the guns manufacturers do not want to lessen their distribution. So, hence the GUN LOBBY.”

The kids in Newtowm and Parkland, the people in Las Vegas and victims in the other mass shootings are giving their lives so the Gun Lobby may live. It is sickening. I am also sick of the those that defend it.

The time is NOW. FDR condemned the Japanese on December 8^th. No one suggested that we cool off an then talk about the attack. The time is NOW. The events of yesterday will fade as Newtown did, as Las Vegas did and nothing will get done, as the idiots in Congress and in the White House wants. The time is NOW.

We have eight months or so the get rid of the weasels. The cowards that want only to be re-elected have to go.. Think of a gun as way to have a late term abortion. Maybe that way the lovers of their “second amendment,” the amendment that ignores the militia part, will be motivated to do something.

Again, the time is NOW. Today! Start NOW.

But we need leadership – something that this country sorely lacks. Our executive branch is in disarray. They are all, almost all are facing prison. Our legislative branch is cowering under their desks because of the hate mongers that don’t want immigration reform or less guns.

They got to get elected again and again because the perks of office are too good to pass up. No, they don’t and we do not have to elect them and we should not.

My thoughts and prayers are with the citizens of the United States – we really need them – especially the prayers.

That is my take – you decide -- PLEASE

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

2017-11-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

These are the two meaningless words I ever heard. Especially, when they are responding to a tragedy. They do nothing to calm the victims, the families of victims, the acquaintances of the victims. Save your breath. Better to say nothing than utter the words that are empty and devoid of meaning and actions.

“Our thoughts.” What are they thinking? Glad I am not a victim. Someone will ask for more laws to prevent this happening again. The speaker of the empty words wants to deflect the idea so they show some empathy, often devoid of any real caring. More thoughts, the “do gooders” are coming out of the woodwork to ask for and demand action. That is what the “TandP” idiots are thinking. These are their actual thoughts:

Come up with a talking point like “now is not the time to discuss gun control, opioid control."
Create alternative argument. That is a mental health issue not a gun issue. Or in the case of opioids, we can’t deny those that need them, they will suffer.
We need to enforce the laws we have already on the books.
We need more guns so good guys with guns can get the bad guys with guns. No good guy with a gun ever prevented an incident.
We need to build a wall to prevent opioids from entering the country.

These are their thoughts. There is nothing in their thoughts that comfort anyone or create action. Those that say, “our thoughts and prayers are with you,” are full of shit. In order to think you have to have a brain. When you see members of the government do you see any brains? (Do you see any spines?)

Unfortunately we live in a country with people in legislatures that are focused on staying there no matter what it takes. Remember Speaker Foley. He was replaced by a Term Limits guy who when his term was up wanted to do away with term limits as it applied to him. They want to stay in power. They are always thinking what they have to do to stay. Those are their thoughts. Those are their reasons for inaction. Don’t piss off the NRA, don’t piss off Big Pharma. So, we have an opioid crisis as a result. The NRA is the governing force behind gun laws or the lack thereof.

As the Las Vegas Massacre unfolded the Congress was trying pass a bill that will allow gun owners to buy silencers. So, when they kill you won’t have to deal with the sound of your death. Congress will not take away semiautomatic military rifles. The singular reason for that weapon is to kill people. The last eight mass shootings employed AR15 rifles. I haven’t heard of one AR15 used to get venison. Bump stocks – yes, you can still get them to upgrade your AR15 to increase the kill capacity.

WHAT THE HELL IS IT GOING TO TAKE? I guess as long as we are in their thoughts we are OK. NOT.

Because we are also in their prayers, it is most Interesting that two mass shootings took place in a church while people were praying. It must make them feel better to say they are praying for the victims when they are actually preying on them with the lack of any action on resolving the problems; Opioids or bullet delivery systems.

Prayers, while it sounds so wonderful, who are they praying to and for what? Allah, the god that the New York truck driver spoke of as he ran down the people. The god that was NOT at Sandy Hook? The god that was not at the Sutherland Springs church? Keep your misguided prayers and DO SOMEHTING.

I AM SO SICK OF HEARING THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS! I want some action. I want the action now.

Stop thinking and start to take actions like passing some bills. Stop calling the problems by what they aren’t. The only mental health problem hurting our society is borne by our president. His statement has created a wall between real action and bull shit. He actually cut mental health funding.

The gun problem is based in the need for manufacturers to make money, more than they need. They do it with the blood of our fellow citizens. The NRA stands for No Recent Action on any of this.

Bump stocks, silencers automatic rifles, expanded magazines, hollow nose bullets, armor piercing ammunition all legal because of our spineless Congress people, our mentally disturbed president and the NRA. Now, if the people on my block are going to war against the people on the next street, well that explains the need for war materials. I am for following the intent of the second Amendment and give everyone muskets.

That is my take - you decide. (I want to hear your thoughts and prayers)

TRUMPAREHA

2017-10-21T11:16:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to my gastroenterologist. My stomach has been in turmoil and I have explosive events when I am not at home or at a restaurant or a friend’s house. She asked me so many questions. Some of the answers were embarrassing.

I am a news junky so I am trying to see if that is the problem. I watch news daily and read the paper every morning cover to cover over my coffee, (which is now decaf thanks to the doctor). Yes, my stomach is better but not yet cured. I drink purified water, too! Lots of it. I am rid of fats, spices and intoxicants. Yet, the problem persists. There are no indications of any contaminants in my diet. Only in my political life.

There is one major contaminant on my screens. It is orange with small hands and blond rat wig on its head. That contaminant can create and upset stomach on any one. It is a disgusting, degenerate germ that is around. It is an epidemic causing viruses in all of our lives.

I will bet by now you have figured out what this germ is! That germ is somewhat tolerated with alcohol. Could I use a drink now! I usually have one drink day, around 5 or 6 pm. I just realized that the drink coincides with the news. My Trumpareha is becoming chronic.

OK, let’s give him the benefit of the doubt with regard to the phone call to the dead soldier’s wife. Is he that stupid that he can’t remember what his chief of staff told him to say – My guess is yes, he is. Chalk his bumbling phone call up to stupidity. Our Commander in Chief, if you haven’t yet decided that for yourself, is stupid. I wish there was some presidential form of Kaopectate. He is creating shit storms that make the recent hurricanes look tame. More trumpareha!

Our country is in much worse shape now that it was January 19 of this year. The decline continues with every boast, every lie, every tweet, every Executive Order, every appointment that has to resign or not get consideration, and every time he wakes up. Make America Great Again, how when he can’t keep America out of the toilet?

I did not know and was not aware of the fact that Trumpareha was contagious. Then I heard mush mouth Sarah Sanders tell us that a General cannot be questioned, then I heard the general. Here’s the thing: The general is paid with tax dollars and when he was a general he was under civilian authority. The general had no deity, only some stars and a good paycheck. He wore a beret not a pointed hat and robes. Sarah Sanders’ sanity needs to be questioned if she thinks the United States of America is religious institution. (Hmmm, her father publicly stated that he wanted the bible to replace the constitution).

The American public has not figured out yet that the orange contaminant wants to be El Deuce of the U.S. He is working the country in that direction and most of us don’t speak Italian. Only a few of our legislators have the guts to say what he is. Above all, he is a mentally impaired person. So, why hasn’t the cabinet thought about their actions under the 25^th amendment?

In the next election we will have no political ads just commercials for medicines that can cure Trumpareha. If trumpareha is not cured then we will all have to live through the smell. It stinks now, imagine a year from now.

My heart goes out to LaDavid Johnson’s family. In addition to the insensitivity they had to smell the residue of trumpareha.

I wonder what the smell is like in the Press Room at the White House. Sarah Sanders has done a great job of proliferating the trumpareha. At least Spicer, when he was there, looked troubled by what he was told to say. He damaged his reputation trying to be loyal to a very prolific defecator. I finally took the Imodium and left the job only to be replaced by the Mooch and no Sanders.

Three hundred and fifty million people cannot take daily doses of Imodium. So what do we do? Simple, make sure our congress people take action before we have a war with Iran, North Korea. Mexico, White Supremacists, and before we deport 800,000 good people, to replace this contaminant in our government. Soon, I pray.

Our country is in much worse shape now that it was January 19 of this year. The decline continues with every boast, every lie, every tweet, every Executive Order, every appointment that has mafe to resign or not get consideration, and every time he wakes up. Make America Great Again, how when he can’t keep America out of the toilet?

My heart goes out to LaDavid Johnson’s family. In addition to the insensitivity they had deal with, they to smell the residue of trumpareha.

Three hundred and fifty million people cannot take daily doses of Imodium. So what do we do? Simple, make sure our congress people take action, before we have a war with Iran, North Korea. Mexico, White Supremacists, and before we deport 800,000 good people. We need to replace this bacteria, trumpareha, quickly.

That is my take – you decide!

GETTING THERE IS NOT HALF THE FUN

2017-09-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

Last night three friends and I went to Dodger Stadium to see the Dodgers lose again. But we enjoy being under the stars and munching our hot dogs, so even if they lose we win. We arrived at the gate, showed the attendant our electronic parking pass and proceeded into the stadium area. That was exactly three minutes to seven. We had 13 minutes to get to our seats. In fact, we could see our seats from the parking lot. They were behind home plate but way above the plate area, yes, nose bleed seats.

We proceeded to get into the traffic that would take us to the lot were needed to get to. Lot P. Normally, we would just drive around the park, pull into Lot P and walk into the stadium down a very steep set of stairs to our seats. Of course there would be a stop to get Dodger Dogs as walking up the stairs to get them would be a cardiac adventure. So, in addition to the Dodger Dogs a pit stop was in order. Simple, yes! Except that we spent an hour in traffic, in the park, to get to Lot P. It was 8:04 pm when we entered The ticket gate. We missed the first three innings and the first four runs that the Dodgers had score in some time.

It was fireworks night so they blocked off two or three large parking lots. As a result there was intense grid lock in the park. Like the Dodgers didn’t know that there would be a lot of people coming to the game. The Dodgers were taken by surprise. The organization that boasts the largest attendance of any major league team was not prepared – or they didn’t give a crap as long as you paid outlandish ticket costs, and parking cost that compare with your mortgage payments. The game was a sellout which they knew long in advance. So, they decided to reduce the parking capacity. What! planning? They had traffic going in every direction but the one direction that would take you to your lot.

I have a new car and enjoy riding in it. “Riding” being the operative word - not standing still for an hour or worse, not seeing the game I paid to see and not enjoying the brief success that the Dodgers had while inching along, while the whirling Darvish tried in vain to pitch a winning game.

When we finally got into the stadium I went to Fan Services and they gave me a form to fill out that would have taken 30 minutes. So, I opted to take the form with me and send it in after I get home except they don’t have where to submit the form on the form. They really don’t want to hear any criticism after all, they are the Dodgers.

We missed a third of the game and as it turned out to be the best third of a game in some time. For most Angelenos, there is no TV coverage, no Vin and an organization that doesn’t care enough to prepare. When you decide to come to the park, pay the outrageous ticket price, the $7 for a coke, $7.50 for a bottle of water and $12.00 for a beer, you would think that the Dodgers would prepare to accommodate their fans. The expression that a fool and his/her money are soon parted must be the mantra for the Dodgers.

It took more than 30 minutes to get from the freeway to stadium gate and an hour in the parking areas to get to the lot where we would have access to our seats. What fun – NOT!

Our seats were near the bottom of the section – good seats except if we wanted a drink during the game it was like climbing Mount Everest to get to the concession stands, or the rest rooms. The whole six innings (what was the remainder of the game) not one vendor came into this section. There was an exception, the fifty/fifty guy pedaling tickets. It appears that some form of gambling is allowed at the stadium, but the biggest gamble is parking.

Two weeks ago I was in New York for the US Open. We took the US Open shuttle from Central Park to Flushing Queens - a notoriously crowded route under the East River. We did It in less than an hour. Good thing the Dodgers were not playing there we would have missed the first round. If you care and you plan you can accommodate the anticipated crowds. Obviously the Dodger don’t give a rat’s ass about the fan.

A few years ago the Dodgers were floundering. Loved it. There were less people at the park, shorter food lines. – much more fun. Half price Wednesdays made taking the grandkids to a game was not going to be a life changing financial experience.

My point is that going to a game should be a fun experience. Yell at the umps. Boo the players state your opinions as to who should be in the lineup and cheer the good moments like the one we missed when Turner hit the home run. Not getting aggravated standing still in a road way to get to a parking lot. Not having a kid tell you that you can’t park there, or having no one try to sell you an ice cream bar because vendors don’t go to the “cheap seats”.

The Dodgers have found a way to take the pleasure out of what should be a fun experience.

That is my take - you decide!

OH SHIT - I MAY NEVER FLY AGAIN!

2017-06-08T16:27:00.002-07:00

This morning I heard the disgusting sound of Trump’s voice saying and explaining why he was privatizing Air Traffic Control in the United States. Holy shit! Does he have any idea of what he may be doing? Does this idiot have any idea of the consequences of this move? This was not a campaign promise, so why is he being so reckless with our lives?

The United State government is in business for one reason: to keep the population safe. Even from ourselves. The US government is not a profit making venture nor was it ever intended to be one. That is why it CANNOT be run as a business. (Has anyone counted Trump’s failure in business? I need to have a drink but won’t drink Trump Vodka – it is bankrupt). It is there to provide for the general welfare and in that effort to keep planes from hitting the ground.

By privatizing he will violate the principle that keeping planes flying safe is not based on a profit motive. Here is what I see: Trump Traffic Control, Inc. (no such entity, yet) takes over the obligation to keep airplanes flying.

He says we will be safer: How if there is no control of the hiring process? No control of the training process. Private businesses are “for profit.” So, the quicker that trainee is “ready” to assume the responsibility of the job the better for the company. So, they took a few training short cuts. But, there is a body on front of the screen. The TTCI is in compliance with their contract. The bodies are there. They may be under qualified, less than bright, but they are “trained“ and they are on the job. How will TTTCI vent their applicants? Which agency will do the background checks – not the FBI. He doesn’t trust the FBI and they do not trust him.

OK, the privately hired controllers are in place and there is a snow storm. TTCI get rated on the number of aircraft they let take off. Not so much how many land safely. In spite of the storm the TTCI people allow planes to take off. But because of the weather, the let more than the usual number of them head into the wild blue blunder. Oy!

According to his comments he believes planes are late and are grounded because the rules and regulations are not what he thinks they need to be. These TTCI controllers will let the planes crash on time. By the way, Trump airlines failed miserably..

I am also confident that he will indemnify the TTCI, so if you lost a loved one in a crash due to TTCI’s poor performance, TTCI will be in the clear and will continue to protect profits or non-profits as the case may be. It is supposed to be a joint effort with the government and the airlines.

If it is a joint effort who is in charge? The CEO of the airline you happen to be flying or Trump? This is a formula for disaster. Put your thumb and index finger together with palms out and say “dizzazztah!” You heard it here first.

There is no doubt that the air traffic control system needs to be updated. It is my understanding that this is being done, albeit slowly. Who will pay for the upgrades? If the airlines are not going profit from this then the government will have to step in. Has Trump redlined this yet?

Six years ago (April 11, 2011) I wrote a blog entitled WHO SAYS GOVERNMENT CAN’ T DO A GOOD JOB, THAT PRIVATE COMPANIES CAN DO IT BETTER? Try privatizing police, fire, emergency services, army, navy, air force, coast guard, IRS, FBI, CIA, NSA, FEMA, FDIC, etc.

I am not aware that the air traffic controllers are not doing their best to get you to the destination of your choice.

Our government is becoming understaffed and blatantly incompetent. Do we want to give our air safety to people like that? Not I, said me.

We just elected a member of the business sector. Look what we got in just four months: International intrigue like we never had before, a president who may be brought up on criminal charges for obstruction of justice, legislation that at best, is also “criminal,” a family run government who doesn’t have the skills or experience to run a nation, the most incompetent cabinet ever, I mean ever, a laughing stock among nations that no longer see the US as a leader. Should I go on?

Be sure that when you fly to pray. When you land kiss the ground and if you need some medical attention, well that will be problematic, too.

This is our new United States of America.

That is my take, you decide.

WHERE DO I START – AND WHERE DOES THIS THING END?

2017-05-18T11:45:00.003-07:00

I haven’t written anything in more than two months. Why? I didn’t know where to start and on what subject to write? These are the questions I asked myself. Yes, I am concernded, Yes, I am afraid. We have a president that likes to play “Who Has Got The Bigger Dick.” And every day, in some way, he whips it out. Comey firing. Sending an aIrcraft carrier the wrong way, at first. Fifty nine missiles to create pot holes on a Syrian runway. A Seal attack in Yemen that got us no Intel but did get a Seal killed. He has been whipping it out repeatedly but it is so limp as to be ineffective. But he does brag about his accomplishments. He knows how to open a can, but it is a can of worms.

You fire a missile, I will send an aircraft carrier. You got spies, I got better spies. You got intel, look at the intel I got! You got generals , I got more generals and they blindly obey me. You got oppressive laws, wait till you see what I do.

What is this “teenager” trying to prove? Even his wife will not be by his side. She probably does not want to be part of the threesome. Donald, Ivanka and Melania. She has distanced herself from Donald as many GOP lawmakers have. She is in New York,, the lawmakers are just down the 95. He is too far away to do to Melania what he does to his GOP legislators and his team..

Putin gets on the phone and tells Donny to get Labrov and the ambassador into the oval office. So, the Tas photographer can take photos and /or plant bugs. No problem for Donny. He just kissed the ass of his biggest adversary.

It is still all about him. He is pissed that the three million illegals (that never voted and don’t exist) didn’t vote for him.

(Please note that the ties he wears always point to his biggest dick).

The biggest dick now belongs to Mueller. Trump is the biggest dick, Mueller has the biggest dick. So, when the testimony starts, the papers come in –Trump will be toast. The best cottage industry right now is securing lawyers for the Trump team for a percentage.

I found the following essay on Facebook and I believe that is worth sharing – even with those supporters that say give him a chance. I would normally do that except for a few things:

I don’t know , it’s hard for me to see any U.S. ties to Russia…except for the Flynn thing and the Manafort thing
and the Tillerson thing
and the Sessions thing
and the Kushner thing
and the Carter Page thing
and the Roger Stone thing
and the Felix Sater thing
and the Boris Ephsteyn thing
and the Rosneft thing
and the Gazprom thing
and the Sergey Gorkov banker thing
and the Azerbajain thing
and the “I love Putin” thing
and the Donald Trump, Jr. thing
and the Sergey Kislyak thing
and the Russian Affiliated Interests thing
and the Russian Business Interests thing
and the Emoluments Clause thing
and the Alex Schnaider thing
and the hack of the DNC thing
and the Guccifer 2.0 thing
and the Mike Pence “I don’t know anything” thing
and the Russians mysteriously dying thing
and Trump’s public request to Russia to hack Hillary’s email thing
and the Trump house sale for $100 million at the bottom of the housing bust to the Russian fertilizer king thing
and the Russian fertilizer king’s plane showing up in Concord, NC during Trump rally campaign thing
and the Nunes sudden flight to the White House in the night thing
and the Nunes personal investments in the Russian winery thing
and the Cyprus bank thing
and Trump not releasing his tax returns thing
and the Republican Party’s rejection of an amendment to require Trump to show his taxes thing
and the election hacking thing
and the GOP platform change to the Ukraine thing
and the Steele Dossier thing
and the Leninist Bannon thing
and the Sally Yates can’t testify thing
and the intelligence community’s investigative reports thing
and the Trump reassurance that the Russian connection is all “fake news” thing
and the Spicer’s Russian Dressing “nothing’s wrong” thing
and the Chaffetz not willing to start an investigation thing
and the Chaffetz suddenly deciding to go back to private life in the middle of an investigation thing
and the The Lead DOJ Investigator Mary McCord SUDDENLY in the middle of the investigation decides to resign thing
and the appointment of Pam Bondi who was bribed by Trump in the Trump university scandal appointed to head the investigation thing
and the The White House going into full-on cover-up mode, refusing to turn over the documents related to the hiring and subsequent firing of Flynn thing
and the Chaffetz and White House blaming the poor vetting of Flynn on Obama thing
and the Poland and British intelligence gave information regarding the hacking back in 2015 to Paul Ryan and he didn't do anything thing
and the Agent M16 following the money thing
and the Trump team KNOWING about Flynn's involvement but hired him anyway thing
and The Corey Lewendowski thing
and the Preet Bharara firing thing but before he left he transferred evidence against Trump to a state level Schneiderman thing
and the Betsy Devos' Brother thing
and the Sebastian Gorka thing
and the Greg Gianforte from Montana thing
and the Pence actually was warned about Flynn before he was hired thing
and the Pence and Manafort connection thing
and the 7 Allies coming forward with audio of Trump's associates in an incidental wire tapping thing
and the Carter Page defying the Senate's order to hand over his Russian contact list
and the Trump wants to VETO Sally Yates' testimony thing
and the Trump trying to discredit Yates thing
and the Obama told Trump personally about Flynn thing
and the COMEY thing
and the meeting with Russian foreign minister upon the order of Putin thing
and the sharing of highly classified top secret information to Russian Foreign minister thing
and the invitation and hosting of Turkey's dictator thing
SO yeah there’s probably nothing there!

This is a copy and paste that says it all. The Donald is in big trouble and his ego is eating him up. He'll resign before he "looses". Only took 120 days to destroy his place in American History!

That is my take - you decide.

FACEBOOK: A NEW WAY TO CRY WOLF - AND OTHER NEEDY THINGS!

2017-03-16T09:19:00.000-07:00

Last week I got a call from my dentist. She was really pissed off. Someone posted on Facebook, “Share if you love your dentist.” I didn’t share. She thinks I don’t love her. I guess showing up for appointments in time, paying my bill on time and not asking for parking stamps is not a display of love. While my dentist is a lovely looking lady with great skills, I do not love her. I am sure her husband feels secure in that knowledge.

I get a lot of information on Facebook but also so much crap. It is filled with GINGO. Garbage In and Garbage Out. Here is a list of things I did not share:

Love my son
Love my daughter
Love my dog (I don’t have one)
Love my refrigerator (That one I have)
Love my son-in-law
Love my daughter-in-law
Love my grandchildren, both sexes
Love my synagogue/church

Also share if you agree with:

Weekend voting
Abortion rights
No abortion rights
You have the greatest bakery
You have the best grocery store
The best plastic surgeon.
The worst plastic surgeon

. . . and on and on.

Facebook is a good idea but some people need it to fulfill their need to be loved or admired. I had one ex-friend that filled my screen with how her elderly father is wonderful. He had two whole bowel movements today – the best father in the world. How do I know, she posted more than100 times before I shut her off. How about the posting about a favorite grandchild just peed in the toilet. (He is 20) Then you get to comment on the posting. Depending on the number and tone of the comments, you will know if you are loved, believed, admired or people will think you are full of shit.

Then you get, “Agree if you support . . .” that is playing to your emotions. If you don’t agree then you support child beating, breast cancer, colon cancer, skin cancer and any other malady that some one has and wants you to know they have it so you can feel bad for them. I do feel bad for them, even if I don’t know them. They do not have to advertise or get “likes.” What about that is there to like?

Last week I got a blurb from a lifelong friend about having cancer. I just read the first sentence and I was on the phone looking for her. She told me to read the whole thing. I don’t want to read the whole thing, the first sentence was enough. She was passing on a note someone else wrote, who, by the way did not have cancer to encourage people to have empathy for those that have breast cancer. I do and I don’t need to be alarmed and scared to acquire that empathy. This crying wolf crap got to stop. Stop sharing the bull shit. No, you are not a good friend when you do that.

Stop helping bad dudes who want to steal your stuff. There has been a marked increase of burglaries due to the increasing need to tell people where you are. Especially if you are not home. “I am sitting at Moscow International Airport waiting for Uber.”

The bad dudes go to Bing and get your address. That is all it takes. You can be cleaned out. They scroll down your page and read about your new Audi. You use Uber so the car should be at home. Got my drift? If your spouse and your kids are at home they are also in jeopardy thanks to your ego.

“Friending” and old friend you hadn’t seen since the 4th grade. Then you go to their page and discover that nothing has changed. They are still idiots. And still fat. There are stories of people reuniting and it changed their lives. That does happen and that is good.

Yes, Facebook is great for disseminating some important information. This blog and other news items are posted there. During the last election cycle many, no, most people got their news on line. I learn about new products. New government programs and I get to enjoy the fact that my friend is also growing older. And I get to mourn their loss. That is what the FB is all about.

Actually, I will share articles that are time sensitive and socially sensitive because I do believe that healthcare is a right and not a privilege. I do believe that the ability to vote is also a right. Yes, Facebook can be a great asset in our lives, just use it as it was intended, a means of communication not a tool of self -promotion. Or self- aggrandizement, or a tool to make me guilty for not sharing your guilt.

Share if you agree.

That is my take – you decide.

HOW YOU START IS HOW YOU FINISH

2017-01-31T13:08:00.000-08:00

We are in for a very rough ride for the next four years because of the rough start that the Trump administration generated. WOW! Who could have predicted that he would throw the world and our country into chaos in just seven days? The Donald is just another, bigger version of Dennis the Menace.

He bans people from countries that have done us no harm and welcomes people from the countries that did do us harm. They are countries where Trump has large business interests. No conflict there, right?

He sees himself as a “strong man” in the images of Stalin, Putin, Batista, Castro, and some of the Eastern European leaders and Central and South American leaders of yesteryear. He is Nixon with much less sophistication. All that is wrong and all that is bad in a leader resides in that orange cocoon. I see him as a virus with no antibiotic that can neutralize it. He truly believes in doubling down – make it bad now and worse later.

He thrives on incompetence. Look at the cabinet appointments. They are all inept at running the agency to which they are appointed. One such example is Rick Perry. OK, another is Betsy diVoss. Out of 14 appointments not one is capable of running their agency. NOT ONE. This come from the top as Trump is inept at running the country.

Like Nixon, he is a crook. Steals from his sub-contractors, pays no taxes. When George W. Bush said running the country would be easier if he was a dictator, Trump heard him. So, the Constitution be damned, executive orders are the law of the land now.

Will our elected representatives speak up – hell no, if they are on the right. They want a white America. Trump is helping them get there. They want an oligarchy, Trump is helping get that – just look at the Cabinet - Goldman Sachs is well represented. Women’s rights are in jeopardy. Check the Supreme Court nominees. Look at his advisors, hate is well represented. How do we keep America safe – from Trump? I am not sure that we can right now.

In just one week, OK, ten days, he has showed us the way an American dictator works. That is how he is starting. How will it be in four years when he finishes? Tyranny comes to mind.

He thinks he has a mandate. His mandate is a kiss with O’Bannon. The three million votes he didn’t get really irks him. The lack of a decent crowd at the inauguration also irks him. No A list celebrities also just stuck in his craw. He will try to find a way to get even.

World leaders are nice to him now (except for Pena). Wait! They will turn him inside out. I believe that even Putin at some point, will do him some bad turns. Trump is scared Sh---tless of Putin and will try to macho up to him. Putin, I believe, like others thinks he is a fool.

NATO and other alliances are in jeopardy. NATO is weak, Trump is strong. According to Trump. The countries have to pay up like he does with his taxes! Oh, I forgot, he pays no taxes.

So, domestic policy is a weak point as is Foreign Policy. That is how he is starting. How will he finish? Will he get us into a war? He could and probably will. Will he create an economic meltdown, he could and probably will. The people who created the 2008 recession are back in charge. Eliminate the regulatory safeguards is their mantra and they have a Howdy Doody (also a red head) in the White House. Who will be pulling Trump’s strings?

Extreme vetting! What we should have done with him. Not one of the Syrian refugees has been involved with any act of terrorism. The countries that have produced domestic terrorists are not on his list. He is targeting a religious group rather people of a national origins that we know did perpetrate domestic terror. So, he is a bigot, too.

It appears that he also got another message from Nixon. “If the President does it, it is not illegal.” We know Trump’s penchant for Nixonian actions and ideas. The only questions are which ideas, which actions, which one will get him impeached or jailed? Do we have the guts to follow through and insist that Congress take action? I am not confident that they do have the guts.

That is my take – you decide!

THE DONALD WAS RIGHT

2016-11-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

The election was rigged. But how was it rigged? Not sure, but there is no way he won. I have asked so many people, did you vote for Trump? The answer was always ,”NO!” So who did cast their vote for him? Actually more people voted for Hillary than Trump. She won the popular vote.

Why did those people who ignored the 70% of lies he told vote for him? Why did they ignore the misogyny , even those that had wives, sisters and daughters? Why did they ignore the antisemitism? Why did they ignore the xenophobia about Hispanics and Asians? Why did they ignore the anti- black sentiments (even African-Americans)? Why was his failures, and there were many, ignored? Why was his dubious business practices ignored? He pays no taxes and is proud of it.

I don’t really have any answers for any of these questions. It defies logic and common sense. I do believe that some people actually had faith in his message. But they were so few and far between, that I have to believe that his messages pierced their psyches where idiotic reasoning resided. He tapped into their hates and prejudices and made it alright to have them. That is scary – frightening, in fact. These are my suppositions, not answers because these suppositions add some terrible thoughts to my mind regarding some people I had admired and respected.

“I could not vote for Hillary!” That was I heard so you voted for the devil incarnate instead? He just tweets, no e-mails. She had 30 more years of experience and understood how the word worked. But you wanted “change” so you replaced her with an idiot. Not even an idiot savant, just plain idiot. Actually, that begs the question, who is the idiot here? Thanks, now he is my idiot president!

I cannot figure this out and I am not alone in that quandary. He had nothing positive to say – about anything – except himself. I guess people like gloom and doom. When the fact checkers checked he failed at veracity and his lack of any was ignored. “I can’t trust Hillary!” “She lied about her e-mails.” Trump lied about everything! The only time he wasn’t lying is when his mouth was not moving. Or his when his hands were in his pocket!

The military is not depleted. I know he doesn’t know more about ISIS than the generals. I know he does not know all of the trade treaties. I know he has no knowledge of the Iran nuclear deal. Some said he is a voracious reader . How is that possible when he just tweets? And after reading his tweets I see how he has little command of the English language.

It has been reported that 49 million people did not vote. I always admonish people that did not vote, “Didn’t vote, don’t complain!’ I did vote and I am complaining. It will get worse as time goes on. Based on what I hear about his nominees for positions in his administration, we are in for a rough ride.

With the entire government swaying to the right, they don’t have to rig it, it already is rigged. With a campaign like that who would want to run except for people in need of adoration, power and attention – the wrong people will run as we have seen on the Right.

When Trump reported many years ago, that is he ever ran he would run as a Republican. Why? Because of Fox News. They say anything, lie, distort and demean and their audience eats it up. They believe anything. He got that right, too. He is the world’s biggest and greatest con man. He did a magnificent job conning his supporters. It was something to behold and it continues on. The establishment he railed against is in the Transition Team. So much for outsiders! Ok, you trump supporters check your wallets and your brains, you have just been picked clean. The Donald was right!

In the words of Vincente Fox , “I am not going to pay for that f----king wall.” The deportation squads reminiscent of Nazi Germany are waiting to be formed. Replacing the AFHCA with something “terrific” is a reality check. For more than 70 years the Republicans offered no health care reforms of their own and now suddenly Trump has something terrific. He said he knows more about Isis than the Generals. WOW, that is chutzpah. If he is so good at military solutions why was ISIS celebrating his election?

He wants to unite America. With Steve Bannon? The Alt Right demagogue? The anti -everyone except whites? Ivanka should invite him for Passover, not.

Yes, Trump got it right! They say you can’t bet against him after defeating so many candidates and the former Secretary of State. I truly believe that the Donald has reached his level of incompetence and the country will pay a price for that. As a relative of mine reminded me recently, you cannot believe anything that he says or his people say. He is so right. Just today Trump said the transition is going smoothly when the world knows the transition is in chaos.

Hopefully, we will not be screwed over by the Con Man in Chief. Lets’ wait and see but also be vigilant. The person he deports could be you.

That is my take – you decide.

Please note that this is my 100^th blog. I would have really loved to write something positive, but the world is becoming a scarier place. He wants to give his kids TOP SECRET clearances. So much for blind trusts. The only trust that was blind was that of his supporters.

MUCH ADO ABOUT SOME THINGS - MY BLOGS

2016-10-29T12:23:00.004-07:00

This is the 99^th blog that I am publishing. That number astonishes me as a while ago I wrote a blog entitled “CTOS” which stood for I Can’t Think of Shit. Since this is the 99^th offering, I guess there is no Imodium for the brain.

Yesterday, a friend with whom I often, regularly do not agree with, especially when it comes to politics, said to me that he doesn’t read my blog because it is too political. True, I express my thoughts very succinctly and with some basis for why I do think that way. It is OK to disagree with me. In fact at the end of each bog I say “That I My Take You decide.”

One thing comes to mind is that if you don’t agree find out why. I just saw Michael Moore’s “In Trumpland.” That film is a great expression and illustration of divergent views. (Even Trump loved it – not for the content, because his name was in the title). So many times in my life people who knew more than me about an issue convinced me to look at an issue in another way – or re-enforced my reasoning.

I started writing this blog to vent, to get stuff off of my chest. The fact that this is number 99 blows my mind as I didn’t think I had that much stuff on my chest. So, I tried to categorize my blogs to what I really write about. I put them in three categories although there could be more. I simplified the categories into three areas:

Political
Personal
Travel

In the past 16 years we have had two presidents. One of no ability and one of amazing intellect and a great communicator. There was and is so much fodder to write about how could I not write about the political scene. Frankly, the election that we are involved in now is ripe for writing. However, of the 99 blogs, only 27% were political.

Daily events generate some much news that it is hard to decide what is worth writing about. Today’s issue evaporates as another open mike recording presents itself. Or an e-mail that has you reading between the lines. So, what is good content? I am at a point now that I cannot listen to the pundits. Kelleyanne is the ultimate blond joke. Mayor Gulliani is the ultimate Italian joke. Are there idiots on the left, sure but they are kept quiet. Ok, so now I have written about them!

However, more fulfilling is the Personal Category. That is 53% of the bogs that I wrote. In the Personal category I could have broken the blogs down even more to Religion, Memories, Family, etc. All of that is included in that Personal blogs.

I wrote one blog of how telephone numbers from the past generate wonderful memories. I actually remembered the numbers and that too, blows my mind. One of the most read blogs was, “Hi I Am Peggy.”

That was fun to write. I had occasion to talk to “Peggy” yesterday. No, the issue wasn’t resolved he told me to talk to another “Peggy.”

I got nostalgic one February as I pondered the upcoming baseball season and why I always feel good about that. As that was coming to fruition, I wrote about the Pitchers and Catchers starting their Spring Training as that is when it actually kicks in.

I even wrote about the time I felt I had nothing to write about. I used to have friend that told that I like to talk. He was half right. I like to listen, too. I get feed back from around the world. I have been read in more than 30 countries – some are surprising. My second largest audience is in Russia. I guess there is an ego factor at work here.

Within the Personal Category I discuss religion. I have come to conclude that Religion is wonderful for many reasons, but G-d (I am still careful, just in case) I am not so sure of. Some of the traditions within my religion are going away and that disturbs me – so I wrote about it. I vented and pissed some people off. It was on my mind and still is but I have come to realize that my generation did similar things of which my parent’s generation was disturbed by. A woman on the bema – Nooooo. But Dad, that is your daughter-in-law up there! “She looks good up there,” he replied. End of controversy.

I wrote about seeing a psychic. I was very doubtful but indirectly it saved my life. It was very moving, strange and weird at the same time. I am keeping an open (slightly) mind. It was another experience that I had that I wanted to share, so I did.

I wrote about returning home to my old neighborhood. The street, the schools, the Synogogue the people there now.

The last Category is Travel. Travel amounts to about 20% of my writing. That could also be lumped into Personal but I have been lucky enough to travel to so many countries all over the world. Egypt and Israel in the Middle East. More than 20 countries in Europe, India, China and several other far eastern countries. Thailand is one that I really like and enjoy going to so I have spent some time typing about Thailand.

I even rode the train over the Bridge at the River Kwai. The movie does not do that event of building the bridge justice. It was gruesome.

After spending time in Eastern Europe I wrote a blog about that experience – especially about the Concentration Camps. No matter how it is presented now, Eastern Europe is a living memorial to the Holocaust.

The bottom line of this blog is to explain that in my writing that I am trying to share my opinions, my experiences and my emotions. My opinions are mine – if you share them, fine, if not let me know why not. My emotions are also mine. This blog lets me deal with them. My travel experiences are made even more wonderful sharing them and reliving them as I write.

Those are my reasons – you decide

MY DIAMOND YEAR

2016-10-26T10:01:00.003-07:00

Ok, so you all know how old I am! It is hard to fathom that I am this old. It does get you thinking: It gets you pondering about all you missed all you did and all you wish you did better. The latter is everything, except maybe my kids. I could not have done any better. Lucky, I guess but I will take some credit.

What other things could I have done better? Planning a career, but time is the navigator and what happens in time dictates your path. There are so many influences along the way. My late wife really fought me on one career move and she was so right. I did better, I followed her loud but precise direction. Without her support I would have not taken advantage of other opportunities. We moved to the east coast because she said we should (and I wanted the promotion). Was it a great move? No, but I did get some great learning experiences which helped later in my career path.

It may not have been great but my wife and I got take our first trip to Europe and North Africa I got to travel to Japan for the first time. All as a result of the move to the east. My kids got to go to Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. They got the Christmas Experience of New York City. They got closer to east coast relatives on my side and my late wife’s side. These relationships now span two generations and are still strong. Bottom line, in retrospect, it was a great move.

There is a lesson here: If you make the best of the situation you get good outcomes. So, for the first 75 years I tried to make the best of all situations. It is not always easy. Basic Training and Combat Engineer Training was hard and different but I grew up and became self- sufficient. I even learned to sew. Good decision, I guess.

College was also interesting. My kids all had better college experiences than I did. But I did get through my senior year with my sweetheart that I married after six years. So, my senior year in college was outstanding as I had an amazing support system and a good typist at home.

That was the first 21 years of the first 75 years. What did I miss? Can’t think of a thing.
Next came kids - all good decisions.

While living on the east coast, my wife and I made the decision to return to California. It took 10 months to sell our home. My eldest daughter declared her life to be over. It was a temporary situation as in 2 .5 years she had a Sweet Sixteen Party with 200 of her closest friends. The high school basketball team were the bouncers that kept order. – life rejuvenated .

All three had school trips to Washington DC. Yes, it was a good decision but one nerve wracking trip till they get home.

Moving on in the 75 year journey got all three kids educated by the time I was 52 years old. All of us were really educated. My wife got sick two months after my 48^th birthday. The journey of a life time begins. Until just after my 52^nd birthday the journey was intense. I could not have done any better than the friends we had during that time. The support the love the attention, the emotions, the laughter and The tears were also quite intense. No, there were no better people anywhere. Having all those people in our life at that time was a great decision or circumstance. I look back with pride and with warm feelings.

At my 50^th birthday party, one that I did not want because of the health ramifications with my wife, but she made it anyway, many of the people who were there are no longer with us. There are no regrets just happiness that I fought her wishes and I let her win – a good decision on my part. I look at the photo of that party and there are so many stories emanating from the friends and family that were there.

The good news for me is that I am still here pondering the past 75 years, the bad news is that I am doing It alone. The good news is that many of the people in the photo are still with us today. I still have the Dodger Cap and jacket that were my birthday gifts from the Screwpals (and I still have the T shirt, too).

From 48 to 52 life was a major rollercoaster ride. My eldest got married and I was so worried about my wife’s condition in making the wedding, but I don’t regret letting her do it. During that time my younger daughter graduated from her college, my son went to the University of Arizona and my eldest started her career in the medical field. The graduation at San Francisco State was a giant memory that generates smiles and great feelings from the breakfasts at the Marriott where the Myers and the Freedmans drove the staff crazy to the ceremony at the stadium where my daughter was honored.

What highs!

More highs, I took my wife along with my cousin and his wife to Hong Kong where we had a great Experience. Shopping in crazy places. Touring Macau and SzenSzen, Stanley Market and out of the way places that the concierge suggested, looking for bargains.

More highs.

A month later – real lows!

1989 was the start of the four year ordeal where decisions would be made, questioned, re-evaluated, second guessed all in the hope of a positive outcome – not knowing when and how that will happen.

I don’t know how we would have made better decisions. Our principal doctor who my wife did not like, at first, became her best friend and nurtured here through this ordeal. Most of the time I just nodded in agreement because the path was clear. The goal was simple – life! It was a complicated and intense process that spanned four years. The outcome was not what we hoped for but I cannot look back and say what I might have done different.

After ten years I remarried. That I can look back say that I should have done it differently. Or, not done it at all.

There were clues. I watched how my new wife and her mother treated and talked about her step sister and step brother and their kids. That was a revelation that I did not pay close attention to, till it was too late. So, I ended up on a very uncomfortable sofa bed that was designed to discourage her step sister from staying at our house. What I did better was not spending my nights on the sofa bed without an air mattress.

Free from that entanglement, my life got so much better.

That was up until age 70. In the meantime, my kids made me a 60^th birthday party where my late daughter-in-law was the bartender who mixed a great martini. Like my 50^th, there were so many people there that was important in my life. So many that are not here now. I have grandchildren named for so many:

Myles Parker and Cate. Spencer Logan, Jacob Samuel. What would I have done different? Not tried to sing like Sinatra.

Since the 65th surprise party many have left us. All the memories are still there. Those people that are still here bring happiness and provide for new and exciting times. For twenty four years, with the exception of that nine year mistake, my life has been so much better. Traveling to far away places, experiencing new things, meeting new people, making new friends in countries I only dreamed of visiting has added so much color and so many new tchotchkes for my bar.

Yes, there were close calls. My son-in-law and I shared hospitals while he had brain surgery then I had heart surgery. We made good decisions as we are both doing quite well. We are all celebrating his Golden Birthday as we celebrate my Diamond Birthday.

As I look back, I have no regrets. Oh, there are moments on that time span that I wish I had dealt with better. There is a cure for that – time. As I hit 75 I am looking ahead to my next destination, to my next tennis match. My next bar or bat mitzvah of a grandchild and may be I will get to see a granddaughter get married. Those events have nothing to do with decision making. The decisions that got to this point have been made years ago. I just want to lean back and kvell.

See you in eight years at my next Bar Mitzvah.

That is my life – you decide.

I AM ONCE AGAIN, I AM SCARED

2016-09-01T15:48:00.001-07:00

Wednesday I had a meeting on the west side of Los Angeles. I left the meeting at 6:25 pm and turned on CNN on my cable radio in my car while enduring late afternoon traffic on Wilshire Blvd., the 405 and then the 101. If you are not from the west coast, that is commuter hell at that hour. My personal hell got even hotter when I started to listen to Donald Trump and his immigration “policy” speech.

It is hard to listen to him as he doesn’t talk, he yells. Then punctuates the point with a normal voice and often repeats what he says. Like it didn’t nauseate me the first time. It was not easy to listen to this speech as it contrasted with what he said in Mexico that day. Even the Mexican president gave a different report from what Trump had said. I’ll bet he says he now knows more about Mexico that all the generals, oh, that was ISIS. There was a major protest in Mexico over his visit. That was in spite of his idea that they love him in Mexico – not.

That Mexican trip was a photo op, nothing more. He brought some play-dough toys to Louisiana so that makes him a hero to the people of the US Gulf – a photo op. Trump is a psycho opportunist. He panders to other psychos. His supporters can argue they are not psychos. OK, they are just bigots who look crazy.

Ignore history and you will then repeat it. I recall all the films after WWII about the Nazi rise to power. These films scared me then and still do. I recall seeing Hitler’s rants that went on for more than an hour and often longer. He, too, did not talk – he yelled. He repeated themes over and over again. He got his audience riled up so much that they went out and killed people without mercy. ( Guess they thought that they had second amendment rights). I heard the same frenzy during Trump’s rant. “Lock her up.” “Kill her.”

During the “speech” he cited some statistics and ignored so many other facts. He is the savior. “I alone can do this,” he has said. So his facts are his alone, too.

His “idealology” test is also frightening. How do you determine who loves you? Consider that at the Wannsee Conference in Potsdam, the Nazis were trying to accomplish the same thing. Loyalty, heritage and other attributes that would determine whether you lived or died. I am I sensitive to this manner of interrogation? You bet your ass I am and you should be, too.

Trump wants to weed out the “bad” guys. His selective interrogation could be transferred to the populous. He can get all the “bad” guys or those he thinks are bad. Your neighbor suspects that you are a Muslim and turns you in to Trump’s deportation corps. I don’t think it will go that far, but that is what some thought back in 1939 – more than six million people later they found out they were wrong.

This is what demagogues do and we cannot in way see that Trump is anything but a raving demagogue.

His ten point plan is just about five points as they are very similar but it allowed him to rant on and yell

He looked presidential according to some of the brainless media and his supporters. You don’t look “presidential.” You have the look of being a leader. He signs so many paychecks that his subjects are afraid to criticize him. That is not leadership that is fear. I fear him and he signs nothing for me. His ego and his money are his license and authority – as he stated, “I alone can do this.”

As I drove through the traffic I was shaking. Not for myself, but for my children and their children. For my generation this is a repeat of history. For the next generations this is new stuff, they hadn’t dealt with it before. They see a TV star trying to be a dictator – a reality show.

What if the Toronto Blue Jays are playing the Yankees and I root for the Toronto team am I being disloyal to the U.S.? ( I always root for the team playing the Yankees). Is that his idealology test? That is what it sounded like in his rant about Extreme Vetting. Can we trust that is not what he means when he changes what he means hourly?

So, after more than an hour listening to this and dealing with traffic to get home I was shaken. The traffic is expected and experienced but his Hitlerian rant was not. I ran in to my house from the garage, poured some Canadian whiskey ( is that going to be part of his test)? Sat down and calmed down. But, yes, I am scared.

That is my take, you (have a drink) and you decide.

A DIME IS MORE THAN TEN CENTS

2016-08-24T13:20:00.002-07:00

Last week I dreamt about my late wife as I often do. She has been gone for more than two decades but it still seems like it was yesterday when she instructed me to make sure I bring her mirror. I was told that when I do have dreams of her she is visiting me. As I outlined in an earlier piece I am skeptical but somewhat open to the idea that people who were close to you and are now gone are not really “gone” but are here in some form of spirit or energy or mental manifestation.

I do get some comfort in the dreams. I relive some of our best moments over the nearly 36 years we were important to each other. There were other moments that are not worth reliving so I don’t. Selective good memories. There is no doubt that we laughed a lot during those years. When I was selling our dining room table the lady that was considering buying it said to me I can feel laughter in this table. The story of how and when we bought is also funny. Edited version: I was banished from the store while she negotiated the purchase. I was having a very irreverent day. She was giving me hell and I couldn’t stop laughing.

One of my fondest memories was the impromptu Labor Day weekend trip to Santa Barbara. All five of us just driving from the Valley to Ojai to Santa Barbara. We were enjoying the scenery and the day. The “hotel” where we got a “suite” was also a source of laughter. But we had a place to stay and it was not the Ritz it was more like to Rotz. It was a weekend of laughter even after we were almost lost at sea. (what does the dime have to do with this – I will tell you later, read on).

After almost being lost at sea my sailing skills were assailed by my family as being poor if no- existent. During our sea odyssey I learned what a jib is. I am still not sure what it is but someone yelled, “pull on the jib.” I asked the four experts on the boat what the f%#&k is a jib? Things went downhill from there. I guess we had no idea how much trouble we were in because we all hysterical with laughter. We finally made it to the dock – alive.

Each of us was recalling the events of the day and the belly laughs did not stop. On this beautiful street we had to navigate back to the Hotel Rotz, my wife, who had a notoriously weak bladder, went . Yes, she went. We still laugh at that moment, I still see her almost bent over from laughing so hard. In fact, we are all still laughing at that fun moment when we recall that day to this day.

Most of my dreams that include her are like this one. I still recall her thinking that the lever to self-clean the oven was for making sure the door doesn’t open. After the fire department left we had a great laugh over this, but not right away. It took a few weeks. We had to get past the fire department’s fans to get rid of the smoke, the smoke on the walls and the very shriveled up steak that was the ultimate victim. We actually got to meet our new neighbors.

So, after reading the reports that my daughter and son wrote about their experience with a psychic I was curious. (See my blog of January 25, 2015 “I AM (WAS)A SKEPTIC”). In that session Susan came through and implored me to get the GERD I was experiencing checked out. I knew it was GERD as I know people at that time also experiencing it. TUMS seemed to work. Some events were not as troubling as others. I went through Vietnam from Hanoi to Saigon and many stops in between popping TUMs or TUMs like discs. Yes, I told my fellow adventurers, I will get this checked out again after I get home. There was a little whisper in my head and the notes that my daughter took at the psychic's session reflecting her mother’s advice to me also tweeked the idea of another endoscopy.

A week or so after I got back I had the endoscopy as I promised in the session, as I promised my fellow adventurers and my family. Two days later I was admitted to the cardiac unit at the hospital and a week later I got by-pass surgery. Susan came through and substantiated the need for attention to my heart, the heart she owned since she was 14 years old.

What about the dime? As I said I often have dreams of Susan and when I do, I feel better as the dreams are of fun filled and light hearted moments of our lives together. We had some not so great moments but who can remember them, who wants to?

My kids tell me that their significant people who come to them in dreams also have some form of physical manifestation to let them know they are there. Flicking lights, door sounds, etc. Last week I had a great series of dreams in one night that when I woke, I had a smile on my face and felt really good.

As I walked down the stairs to have breakfast I looked down and there was a shiny new dime centered on the second from last step. Smack dab in the middle. I could not miss that shiny new dime. I picked it up and put it in my pocket. I didn’t give it much thought but all day I kept feeling for the dime. When I felt it there I got a good feeling and smiled.

Last night I played in my tennis league and after winning my service game we changed sides. As I walked to the other side of the court, I looked down and smack dab in the middle of the service box was a shiny new dime. It wasn’t there when we warmed up. No one spotted it during the game. It was just there as I walked to other side of the net. I picked it up and put it in my pocket and I smiled. Susan was there with me. I smiled as I won my service three other times. It was nice to have a family member come and see me play, finally.

That was my experience – you decide.

ONE PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS ... OR MORE

2016-07-15T08:13:00.003-07:00

Most of my blogs are from 900 to 1400 words. This blog will be a little shorter. One of my fellow travelers to India took a great photo, upon review actually reflects what is happening in our country. This photo is great metaphor. I asked if I could use it in this blog. Mauge Wevar de Rosenberg said yes, and I thank her for the use and for getting this photo.

April we visited some iconic places in India. The location where Ghandi was assassinated, Rathambore National Park to observe animals in the jungle and hopefully see some tigers, Agra Fort, float along the Ganges Rivers and of course the Taj Mahal. All of these places and others were breathtaking. Say what you want about India, you see and experience things like no other place on earth. The strings that the Hindu priest tied on my wrist are still there. The little container of Gange water is still on my book shelf, the other container I brought back, according to a friend and professional caretaker, helped a dying woman in need of some pain free moments.

One of the shocking things we experienced was the SheRoes Café where we met, talked with, danced with young women who were the victims of acid attacks. SheRoes is an example of surviving and rising above adversity and pain. Needless to say, it was quite an emotional experience.

What we saw on the street upon leaving SheRoes really lightened the mood.

When I saw Mauge Wevar-Rosenberg's photo I bust out laughing. saw a depiction and representation of what was happening in the U.S. There was a big blond bull trying to defile an innocent cow that happened to be of darker hide. A big blond guy wants to defile the U.S. Got the picture? Mauge did get it and we all thank her for it.

That is my take – you decide

Note: Mauge Wevar de Rosenberg became a U.S. Citizen just after returning from India

I AM HAVING A HARD TIME RECONCILING WHAT I HEAR WITH WHAT I SEE

2016-05-27T12:25:00.001-07:00

According to Trump, the economy stinks. It is rigged (for people like him). It is not what the Obama administration promised. Again, according to Trump, the unemployment rate is 10 percent, maybe 20 percent and he even heard up 42%. We know he is nuts but the people are starting to believe this crap. It comes down to an old joke where a wife comes home and finds her husband in bed with another woman, as he steps away from the bed he asks, “Are you going to believe me or are you going to believe your eyes?”

In this case, the economy, I am opting for what I see. Not what I am hearing. Yes, you can make the argument that there are people hurting, there are always people hurting. The reasons are not always of their own making, but many are because they won’t “flip burgers.” There are so many people who are under qualified and won’t take the job that is there – hence migrant workers, braceros on the street looking for manual labor, handymen and women without green cards. They get jobs.

If Trump deports the 11 million “illegals” I am confident that the people who are out of work, will still be looking for a job. That is not the answer.

So, if this economy is so bad why are the 38 million people going on a trip this Memorial Day weekend? Why are the security lines so long at the airport? People without money don’t travel. The planes are full. They don’t go Disney Land or World. They don’t go camping. They don’t spend billions at the movie box office. This is not the top 10% is the “middle class” that is being destroyed in s systematic way by the Right. They, the Right, are trying hard but 20 million more people are enjoying health insurance for the first time in spite of the Right.

Is the economy a state of mind or is it really bad? Make your own analysis. Next time that you are stopped at a traffic light look at the ten cars around you? (Remember, many of the foreign brands are built on the US by us). How many cars are three years old or younger? I will bet that you will be astonished at what you see. I had a guy tell me yes, but they are all leased and the payments are lower. There are two things wrong with that argument: 1. There are still payments to be made 2. The lessee needs a better credit score to lease than to buy. You get a better score by paying your bills.

Trump and others tell you how bad it is so often you almost have to believe it. Believe nothing of what you hear and half of what you see. Maybe then you won’t let the politicians on the left and right depress you.

Go to a major league ball park and see how many people, not in the 10%, are there. With their kids, buying six dollar water (I have written about this), wearing logo shirts and having fun. They are the working class that the pundits says are angry. Really! Angry? May be pissed at $15 parking, but angry they are not.

I often hear that college kids that are graduating can’t get jobs. True, they can’t get the jobs that pay what they are expecting. I am not saying we don’t have problems within the economy, but we are better prepared to deal with them. We must not let the Right increase interest rates on student loans or prevent them from adjusting them as the economy may dictate. We, the people, are aware of the solutions but look at who are stepping in front of the way to solve the problems. There is the Tea Party, the ultra-right, our right wing congress members who won’t raise the minimum wage but give themselves enormous raises to do nothing and they appear to do nothing quite well. They have created the appearance of a negative economy so they can install their solutions – privatize it.

Take the TSA for example. They, the right (they are in control of Congress) cut the TSA budget. So, we get longer lines and poorer security. What did they suggest? Yep, privatize it.

The US Postal Service is doing well, well enough to drop the rate of a first class stamp. No one is going “postal” these days. That is killing the right that imposed major financial regulations that required the USPS to prefund all pensions. So, even with one hand tied behind their back, to the Right’s chagrin, there is no need to privatize.

Social Security is not broke, it could be better if the cap was lifted. The Right and some lefties, won’t do that either. The Social Security program is one of insurance not investment. Since its inception, not one Social Security check has ever bounced or been missed.

Will Hillary, Bernie or the Donald fix any of that? For sure, the Donald won’t. Our best bet is with someone from the left. That is for you to decide, but they and us, feel that America is great now, but it could be greater. Listen to the issues not the propaganda.

What makes America great is the fact that I can write this blog, you can read it, and you can agree or not agree.

I want a leader to lead us, not a conniving business man with a record of distortion, a record of deceit. Not someone with a record of cheering for our misfortunes so he can make a larger fortune. Not a bully that wants to dominate other world leaders. That is a recipe for disaster and Trump, using that word to describe everything but his ideas, will be the largest, and biggest creator of disasters. They will be “huuuuge.”

I just drove down a major thoroughfare here in the San Fernando Valley. There are several large “Now Hiring” signs displayed. Go the mall and see the “Hiring Now” signs in the windows. Need a job, you can get a job. Don’t blame the other guy for your situation. Take charge of yourself and change it. The guy with the different color skin is not causing your problem, you are.

That is my take, you decide

THE MIRACLE OF THE GANGES

2016-05-16T13:51:00.001-07:00

I just came back from two and one half weeks in the heart of India. As someone pointed out India is an acronym for I WILL NEVER DO IT AGAIN! Wrong, it is a country and culture that one trip just won’t cut it. It is a very large country (with just one time zone) allowing for many religions and varied cultures all in one large place. All are welcome. (Deal with that Trump!)

One of my fellow travelerseloquently journalizied what we learned and experienced over the 17 days we were there. This blog is about just one aspect of the adventure – the waters of the Ganges River.

Here are some “facts” related to the Ganges that were told to me by people who either did not know, never been there, never read anything about the river or wanted to let me know that based on their knowledge, I was crazy to go there. I am so glad that I did not listen to them.

Yes, the Ganges is quite crowded during the day as Indians bathe in the Ganges. Others are washer people doing laundry in the Ganges. No, I did not inquire as to whether that is where my hotel got their laundry done. Others are steeped in prayer, kids are diving in and women are bathing in their saris.

In the spring, the Ganges water level is quite low. When the monsoon season hits the Ganges will rise up to 30 feet above the current level of the water. The Ganges is actually wider than what it appears because of the sandbar that the low water level exposes that makes the opposite shore look closer.

The water Is not a pretty color. However, the water comes from the Himalayas and some say it is clean. I saw the people who bathed in it also drank it. Not for me. BUT, I had to put my feet in the water just to report that I did get some experience in the Ganges.

The night before we visited the Ganges and saw funeral pyres along the Ganges River. I did not see any bodies floating by as I was told I would by some back home. I did see bones that did not incinerate in the funeral fire being thrown into the Ganges. In one crematorium I counted 11 pyres going and more being built. It is a three hour burn. The families attend the cremations.

Further down (or up) river there were daily religious ceremonies being performed with 30 to 40 thousand people in attendance. About half of the people were in boats as we were. The boats were jammed in together – most full to capacity and many were way over capacity. It was a beautiful ceremony with fire, lights, bells and chanting. It was enchanting.

As we sailed back to our departure point, the sky was dark and the river was dark save for the lights on shore which went out as we were approaching our “docking” point. We navigated by the lights in our smart phone. Imagine Holland America announcing all hand on deck and light your iPhones, we are at the next port of call!

We safely navigated our way off the boat, up the stairs and down the crowded dark streets to our coach. Everyone made it back safely and when we took a count, we found a cow also joined our group. Not really, but it was possible.

The next day it was back to the Ganges for a ride back to where we experienced the pyres and the religious ceremonies to experience the Ganges in the daylight. I had just spoken with a lady friend back home. She is a Registered Nurse and asked about the Ganges experience. When I told here we would be back to Ganges she instructed me to obtain Ganges water to bring home. I said,”OK!” When I mentioned this to our trip leader he said some people think that Ganges water can cure you of ailments. Hmmm. How would Gina know that? He also told me that they sell containers to take Ganges water back. (Not in my carry on bag!)

As you float in your man powered boat other boats , like floating souvenir shops come by and they sell everything including little brass containers which they will fill with about an ounce of Ganges water for you. Problem solved. I will carry it on.

If the water will cure ailments I figured I will dip my legs in it. My knee has been hurting, so why not? The water did feel good, but my knee still hurt. Along the shore area there were Hindi priests painting faces, chanting prayers, tying strings on your wrist. Once again, why not? I did all that and my knee still hurt! But, I had my Ganges water to take home.

A few days later and a 13500 mile flight, I was home. I actually forgeot about the two little Ganges brass bottles until I got to the bottom of my tchochke bag. When Gina came by I gave her the bracelet, the necklace and the blouse I got for her and one of the brass containers. With the Ganges water.

After dinner last night she said, “I have something to tell you.” Hmmm. She is too old to have a baby, or she might have won the lottery, I was curious. When she said it had something to do with the Ganges water I was nervous as I told her it could give you severe Delhi Belly. No, she said. If you recall, she is a registered nurse who works in an assisted living facility. It is an expensive facility, apartments can run up to $7000 per month or more.

Gina’s friend, also a nurse with a patient in the same facility . She asked Gina to rub some of the Ganges water, our Ganges water, on her patient with Pancreatic cancer. What could it hurt? Gina took her finger and dipped into the brass container, rubbed the liquid on her hand and then rubbed her hands on the lady with the cancer.

Later that day, her friend said the lady wants to talk to you. The cancer patient reported that she did not need any pain medication for more than six hours. She felt good for the first time in a long time. Gina, a devout Catholic, saw it as matter of faith and a miracle for the lady who has limited time on earth as her cancer has spread. But the six hours were wonderful for the patient. Gina felt so uplifted as I did because I was able to bring the water home with me and have it do some good.

India, I know I will Do It Again.

July 15, 2016 - the lady succumbed to her cancer.

That is my experience, you decide.

THE BASEBALL GODS MUST BE CRAZY

2016-03-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Another season. I wrote about why I get excited when the next baseball season is on the horizon. That was five years ago – my how time flies. And in those five years tickets have become more complicated than my 1040 tax return. I just counted more than 50 levels of pricing for a single ticket at a Dodger game. That doesn’t include the ticket pricing for parking. The two hours and 56 minutes is a very expensive proposition.

If I want Dugout Club Seats for myself and two grandchildren I need to spend my social security check – really, and that does not include parking or a hot dog. There is nothing like being there. Be there or be square – remember that phrase? Now it is “be there and be poor, very poor.”

Of the 50 or so levels of pricing, the lowest cost seats are in the top deck areas and they do not include tissues for the nose blood. What have the Dodgers and what has baseball done to people like me who are life long fans. We enjoyed a day at the ball yard. We loved the night games, we loved the people we sat next to. Now I can’t afford to go to a game and I am not poor, yet.

Next time I hear about a $15 million dollar contract I will realize that I am and many of those like me, are subsidizing this payoff. No, it is not the billion dollar TV deal, though that has not reduced any ticket prices, it is the salaries of these fragile performers that have a strained oblique, calf that hurts, or a tooth ache and they make hundreds if not thousands sitting in the dugout.

It is a shame. I recall taking my grandkids to games. We sat in the bleachers for six bucks. Got to talk to the pitchers warming up. Shmoozed with the other fans with their kids. What a wonderful experience. We were not Hispanics, not caucasians, not African Americans, we are FANS. It is hard to cheer for a ball club that is made up of greed.

Kershaw, a great pitcher but is he worth my not being able to go to a game with my grandsons? No way.

Yasiel Puig, a sometimes great outfielder, but not worth the price to pay to see him sit on the bench most of the time. Is the value of my ticket diminished because he didn’t play – yes it is. Kershaw plays once every five days.

It appears that America’s past time is past its time and being priced out of existence. If I cannot afford to go to a game, the game does not exist for me. It is hard because I love the sport. I grew up first in Braves Field where we went to the game for a dime including carfare. Yes, I know that was the olden days as I have been told by my middle aged kids. The point is even then I could afford to go to a game. A few years ago the Dodgers had half price Wednesdays. I took my grand kids and they ate well at the game and I was able to eat the rest of the week as I was not broke.

I am surprised that the Dodgers did not sign Greinke. We would have all paid for it. We are paying for all the multimillion dollar contracts for the run of the mill players, whether we like it or not every time we buy a ticket.

Back in 1966 Koufax and Drysdale got $167,000 for the year after a tough negotiation. Today a rookie gets more than three times that his first year. What does the average family man that attends a game make? I would venture a guess and say somewhat less.

This is Vin Scully’s last season. He will be missed. But here is the good news, I can watch the game and listen to Vinny without buying a ticket. I do lose the excitement of being there. But I have enough money to go to an Angel game (I had better check their prices). I did – they are not much better. They televise Angels games, too.

Here is the tragedy of all this: When I was a young boy my dad would take me to a Red Sox Game. I loved going and spending the time with my dad who was an avid fan. My father was a working man, blue collar, but he was able to take me to a few games each year. Now, I want to share the events with my grandkids but it is price prohibitive. And the teams don’t give a damn. Both the kids and me are losing out to greed. It is hard to enjoy the game when these players are not performing up to their incomes. Right now there is an equivalent of a major league team unable to perform because of minor tweeks, hurts and boo boos and this is just the Dodgers. And they want us to pay big bucks not see these guys.

If I am invited I will go to a game or two. But I hope the Dodgers understand that my loyalty goes to event not the team. Fresh air, friendly fans and hots dogs are the attractions. Not just the Dodgers, but this is where I live – so it is the Dodgers.

My son just wrote a blog about how the Dodgers got more for their money by not signing Grienke. It is our money they spend when they buy contracts. So, who cares? They may be financial wizards but they could care less about the fan base.

Dodger Blue is now Dodger Green – more than ever.

That is my take – you decide.

REMEMBRANCE

2016-02-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

I have been writing about some things that stir emotions in me. My last blog was about tradition. I have written about why I like religion and G-d not so much. I have written about things in my past that stir memories and then the emotion kicks in. I was reading an article about reciting the Kaddish after a death.

The Kaddish, for the unannointed, is said after a member of your family passes away. It is usually, a mother, father, brother, sister or a child. That is the tradition. I have been watching that tradition fade as many synagogues do not have minions in which the Kaddish is recited. The minion is traditionally a meeting of ten men who gather in a place where there is a Torah scroll or any place that will hold ten men of like religion. (The Torah scroll is the tenth man if needed).

I watched my dad when his mother died. I was about ten years old and what he did has stuck with me for more than 60 years. I was very impressed by the fact that my dad went to the shul for a morning minion and he stopped at the shul for an evening minion on his way home. I often went with him. Even though as I grew up I was told, “you shouldn’t know of such things.”

When he passed away I was recalling his devotion to that minchag so I went about looking for minions that I could attend to honor his memory. I lived in the Conejo Valley at that time. I belonged to a Reform Congregation, so there were no minions at my shul. There was a weekly minion at the Conservative Congregation, so that is where I went – weekly. The rabbi recognized this dilemma for me and tried to make the minion as meaningful as possible – 10 people or not. He often asked me to lead the service. I felt I was honoring my father’s memory in a way he would appreciate and I felt good about it.

It was emotional. The service, whether at a Shiva house or at a shul, is emotional. This is a time when your neighbors and friends and family provide their support. It is a time of immense grief and also the time when the healing starts and a time for remembering. The Kaddish is never said alone as there are built in responses that come from the community and as you hear the “Omains” and the “Borachus” you know that you are sharing this moment.

This service and the prayer should not be diluted. In order to make the mourners feel they are a part of the community, some rabbis ask all the members of the congregation to stand and recite Kaddish. That is a major dilution of the moment, a dilution of the prayer, of the remembrance. Your fellow congregants do not know who is in mourning and who is not. That is not support that is recitation that makes the rabbi feel good, not the mourners.

To take this further, I was standing by a young woman who was reciting the Kaddish. I asked her who she was remembering. Was it a family member? Was it a close friend? She was remembering the six million that died in the Holocaust. Did she know any of the people that died in the Holocaust – no.

Saying the Kaddish, in my view, is an obligation for the blood relatives of the immediate family to remember their loved ones. It is an obligation that is to be avoided as long as you can. When you are obligated to say Kaddish it is when you have experienced some sever amount of grief. The young woman grieved for no one.

In keeping with remembrance there are three times each year, in addition to the deceased yahrtzeit (anniversary of death) that you remember. It is the Yizkor service. Until I had someone to remember I was not allowed to be in that service. I waited outside. My late wife lost her father and I waited in the foyer till Yizkor was over so I could give her a hug. Parents are bringing children to Yizkor services. They have no sense of piety. The whole event is somewhat diluted and losing the meaning.

There are many prayers you can recite during the year for departed loved ones. But the Kaddish has most meaning. Even in a Rocky movie the Kaddish was recited for Rocky’s manager. It was a moving moment because the words that start the prayer are recognized everywhere as sadness and the defining moment for emotions. Yiskadal yiskadosh . . . I remember. (Today my dad would have been 106 years old).

That is my take you decide