Trump is Now Lumping Coronavirus Among His Latest Conspiracy Theories

Donald Trump has not been boasting quite as much lately.

Why?

Because suddenly, there have been a few disasters in miniature which have cast him and his presidency in a poor light. He has looked the part of an absolute fool in recent weeks.

First, he claimed that there were far fewer cases of the coronavirus than there actually were. Then, he said that a cure was coming soon, even though estimates at that one will not be available yet for a good year to a year and a half. Then he said that many Americans would not be able to afford to cure, even though he promised, as a candidate to the White House, to create a healthcare plan that would be more affordable and cover everyone, something that he claimed would be easy, and which he instead hardly lifted a finger to do.

After that, the stock market dropped over 1,000 points in a single day, over 2,000 points on the second day, and then had it's worst single day ever on Thursday, which meant that it had dropped well over 3,000 points in just three days, and 3,600 points overall for the week, as fears of the coronavirus, and the Trump administration's obvious inability to handle it with anything close to competence, stoked worldwide fears.

Trump tried to curb the criticism, and promised that the coronavirus would one day just disappear.

Poof.

Now, Trump and his cronies in the White House are claiming that it is a big hoax by the Democrats to make him look bad. As if he were not doing that very thoroughly on his own these last few days. Hell, for the past four or five years, from the campaign for the White House and right through his entire presidency.

This country has a lot of problems, but the easy playing around with the truth and/or outright lies, such as this latest conspiracy theory, are just sickening, and yet another reminder of how completely unfit this man, and many of the people he surrounds himself with, actually are.

What a bad joke this Fake President is! We need to shed ourselves of King Con Don. Regime change begins at home!

Trump says the coronavirus is the Democrats' 'new hoax' by Thomas Franck, FEB 28 2020:

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/02/28/trump-says-the-coronavirus-is-the-democrats-new-hoax.html?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR3pkxLbXbboKbJmIh4ctdpYHVZU8U4XG56kPFSDD8bPAYL2w1mV0ZrRsVw

🏈🏈 More News From the NFL: Preseason Might Be Reduced 🏈🏈

🏈🏈🏈🏈

 

           
One thing that I rarely like to talk about in sports are things that remind me too much of the real world. After all, sports is a form of entertainment, a chance to escape the pressures of the world, and of one’s life, at least for a couple of hours or so.           

Yet sometimes, you need to pay attention. That is true when there are athletes who engage in very despicable, even criminal, behavior. Ben Roethlisberger and Michael Vick come to mind, to say nothing of Aaron Hernandez or OJ Simpson.           

However, there are power plays going on in the NFL right now between the league and the players union.           

Not long ago, I reported that the NFL had gotten a new playoff format. As it turns out, that was not necessarily the case, because the union is apparently challenging that, and the courts might rule in their favor.           

So we shall see.           

Still, the NFL has the ability to do one thing: reduce the preseason, and apparently, they are seriously considering doing just that.           

Indeed, the preseason might be reduced to just three games, instead of the present format of four games for most teams, except for the two teams that play in the Hall of Fame Game, held in Canton, Ohio each year, which basically kicks off the NFL preseason every year.           

Both the NFL and the players would lose money, and it is not a certainty whether or not the NFL will go ahead and do this.           

Interesting. Let’s see what happens.


NFL may shrink preseason, even without expanded regular season  Posted by Mike Florio on February 21, 2020

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2020/02/21/nfl-may-shrink-preseason-even-without-expanded-regular-season/
    

East Bay Ray Still Hopes for Reunion With Former Dead Kennedys Bandmate Jello Biafra

Recently, I mentioned Jello Biafra, a punk musician and political activist who my brother got me into back in my teenage years. He is clearly supporting Bernie Sanders, which is not really surprising.  

Well, since I was on the subject of Jello Biafra and did some research, it seemed fitting to include something else that I came across this article about East Bay Ray, who used to be a fellow band member with Jello Biafra with the Dead Kennedys, back in the late 1970’s and well into the 1980’s. There has been some bad blood between Biafra and the other members of the Dead Kennedys, who continually sued Jello Biafra after the break-up of the band. They have not exactly been fond of one another since.  

Still, East Bay Ray hopes that this can all be put aside, and that a reunion with Jello can perhaps become a reality sometime in the future.  

I was really happy to get the chance to see the Dead Kennedys – sans Jello Biafra – back in 2002, which was the first of what turned out to be three times that I have seen the band. At the time, it was an absolute thrill, because I had not expected to be able to see the band…like, ever. I jumped on the opportunity, and saw them. That was with Brandon Cruz performing as the lead singer, in place of Biafra. Eventually, I saw them with other frontmen, as well.  

That said, admittedly, they are much weaker without Biafra, who brings an undeniable energy and intensity to his live performances. I have seen Jello Biafra a few times. Once, with my brother in a spoken word event in the city. Twice with the Melvins. And three times with his newest band, the Guantanamo School of Medicine. And despite his advancing age (he is 61 years old not), he does bring serious energy and political focus into his live performances.  

It seems that the other band members of the Dead Kennedys – East Bay Ray, Klaus Flouride, and D.H. Peligro – have tried to presumably make some money off the famous name of their band, releasing some live performances and DVD’s, as well as going on tours, again with various lead singers trying to take the place of the frankly irreplaceable Jello Biafra. All of that does not seem like it sits well with Biafra.  

East Bay Ray might hope that there will be a reunion with Jello Biafra at some point. Frankly, though, I would not hold my breath for that one.  

In any case, the link to the article with East Bay Ray is down below.  

Additionally, I added the video which recobngized and celebrated Jello Biafra’s Alternative Tentacles label, which regularly releases music albums, DVD’s, and even publishes some books, since this video seemed worth sharing.  

Enjoy!

Dead Kennedys' East Bay Ray on Their Explosive Live Legacy -- And His Hopes for Jello Biafra  4/10/2019 by Greg Prato:

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/8506510/dead-kennedys-east-bay-ray-dk40-live

Bernie Sanders Continues to Roll With Super Tuesday Fast Approaching

Bernie Sanders and me here pictured together in New York City, October 2016

Bernie Sanders has taken a lead nationally among African American voters, as his presidential campaign continues to surge. Up to this point, Joe Biden had pretty much had the advantage with African American voters, and for a long time, this was an area that many felt was a potentially crippling weakness for Bernie Sanders.  

That was always kind of a mystery to me, personally, though. After all, this guy was arrested while trying to actively protest racial segregation back in the 1960’s. He was there at the March for Washington in 1963 for Martin Luther King, Jr’s iconic “I have a dream” speech. And he has championed the vision of King consistently since then.  

Yet, some were trying ti imply that Sanders had some kind of problem crossing racial boundaries, claiming that he would not and could not appeal to minority voters, much like many establishment Democrats are now claiming that Sanders has a problem with Jews, that his campaign and/or his followers seem to have an anti-Semitic bent. Which is ridiculous, of course, since Sanders himself is Jewish, and had family members killed during the Holocaust.  

As for the problems with appealing to minorities, that seems to be a thing of the past. Frankly, I always thought that it was overblown by those establishment Democrats, anyway. Sanders had support from prominent members of the black community, including Dr. Cornel West, among others. Just yesterday, the Reverend Al Sharpton told the African American community not to fall into the trap of fearing Sanders because of the label “socialist” as he effectively endorsed Bernie Sanders.  

In his recent win in the Nevada caucus, Bernie Sanders won the majority of votes across the board, winning among African Americans, among Hispanics, among young people, among women, among white men, even.  

And just yesterday, the first very prominent establishment Democrat, Nancy Pelosi, just suggested that she would be fine with Bernie Sanders winning the Democratic nomination.  

Things are going swimmingly well for Bernie Sanders and his presidential campaign right now. That of course does not itself guarantee anything, but it sure seems to bode well for his chances for Super Tuesday, which is coming up fast now, being only five days away!  

Right now, Sanders holds leads in numerous Super Tuesday states, including a solid lead in the biggest state: California. He also is in a tight race with Biden for the lead in Texas, but has leads in quite a few other states, including, at least for now, the other New England states that will be up for grabs on Tuesday – Maine, Massachusetts (where he barely is clinging to a narrow lead over Elizabeth Warren, who comes from this state), and his own home state of Vermont, where he owns a commanding lead.  

At least for the time being, Sanders looks to be the frontrunner, and he looks likely to remain such, and hopefully to even strengthen his hand significantly in that role, after the votes on Super Tuesday.  

Because just like the supposed problem that he had with minority voters that has largely gone away, there once was this perception that Sanders was somehow unelectable.              

Hard to keep making that claim sound even remotely legitimate if he just keeps winning race after race, though, isn’t it?

Below are the links to the articles that I used in writing this particular blog entry. The first one is from The Hill, and it basically reveals the latest information available on where the candidates are in terms of chances in each state for the upcoming Super Tuesday primaries. The second link is also from The Hill, and it is about how Pelosi says that she would be fine with Bernie Sanders at the top of the ticket. Finally, the last two links are for articles showing how African American voters are increasingly favorable towards Bernie Sanders, and that this area, which once seemed like a potentially critical weakness for Bernie, is now increasingly being regarded as a strength and a boost for his campaign:

Where the 2020 Democrats stand in Super Tuesday polls by Tal Axelrod, February 26, 2020:

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/484716-where-2020-democrats-stand-in-super-tuesday-polls

Pelosi says she'd be comfortable with Sanders at top of ticket by Marty Johnson,  02/26/20

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/484699-pelosi-confirms-that-shed-be-comfortable-with-sanders-at-top-of-ticket?fbclid=IwAR3CuV0zv3GHjjN1CuJCFrcjT1lvY0iVgBDt1yQLW9lNQm3bvsQveO__xCs

Sanders surpasses Biden among African American voters: Reuters/Ipsos poll by Chris Kahn, February 26, 2020:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-democrats-poll-idUSKBN20J2J9?fbclid=IwAR2XQK5oBl28tgbfAWZNmSF6h1Km7CTJj6sus4ZHfYcDZPIfY3upGuqhYTs





BLACK VOTERS PREFER BERNIE SANDERS OVER ALL OTHER DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES, NEW POLL SHOWS BY SHERAZ FAROOQI ON 2/26/20:

https://www.newsweek.com/black-voters-prefer-bernie-sanders-over-all-other-democratic-candidates-new-poll-shows-1489209?fbclid=IwAR2lgl145VukU5dNce1-vLVhggySPlt2VPrrupXCqJN8jcmLKu1iGap_69k

A Response to a Self-Identified Anti-Bernie Democrat

There is someone who I mentioned here before, a Facebook friend of mine who identifies herself as a Democrat, and who's opinions I usually respect and even agree with. 

Usually, yes. But not all of the time.

She continues to disparage Bernie Sanders and his supporters, and seems to buy into the major media narrative of how dangerous he is, or would be, for the Democrats, and presumably, to the country. Her most recent fixation was to demonize his comments on Cuba.

So I decided to respond. I posted something about how President Barack Obama had praised Cuba's education system under the Castros (and communism, in other words). She then mentioned how Trump supporters are already going over the top on their attacks on Bernie Sanders, almost painting him as a communist. Here was my response:

I've seen plenty of Trump cult propaganda. More than enough, frankly, and debated a number of them, which is something that I find increasingly pointless. Right now, I am more worried about those people who literally seem to fear Sanders becoming the Democratic nominee. Have you even listened to what he actually is suggesting, instead of relying on major media figures who try to convince you just how unelectable Sanders is? After all, if Sanders is not electable - a label that they slapped on him as soon as he ran back in the summer of 2015 - then why is he winning? The polls clearly show him beating Trump more convincingly than any of the other Democrats in the field, and this has consistently been the case since 2015. Don't take my word for it, look it up yourself. That is why I feel we need someone like Bernie Sanders, who has the energy and directness to take on Trump & his cult followers. Sanders could energize an anti-Trump base in ways that other candidates cannot. Do you think young people are going to feel motivated to vote for Joe Biden? As for the fear that many are expressing regarding the recent comments praising Cuba's literacy, surely then you also attacked Obama when he made similar remarks praising Cuba's public education system. "Cuba has an extraordinary resource -- a system of education which values every boy and every girl." - Barack Obama, Havana, Cuba, March 22 2016   When major news media sources - people we are supposed to rely on for serious news - suggest that Bernie supporters are like a "brownshirt brigade" (Chuck Todd) or suggesting that there might be execution squads in Central Park (Chris Matthews) or that his victory in Nevada is like Nazi Germany taking over France (again, Chris Matthews), does it not seem over the top? To me, that is slanderous and seems to borrow directly from the tactics of FAUX News.  Again, I urge you to look up and challenge anything that I am saying. I could be wrong. Who knows? I'm not interested in attacking anyone or calling anyone names, but am open to other points of view. Enlighten me as to why I should fear Bernie Sanders, as you apparently do.

Dr Cornell West Describes How Bernie Sanders Can Defeat Trump & His Supporters

In the video below, Dr. Cornell West describes precisely how Bernie Sanders has what is required in a Democratic nominee to defeat Donald Trump and his mass following of blind supporters, which would allow the Democrats to regain the White House.

How?

And why Bernie Sanders?

West explains:

"You have to have enthusiasm, energy, to counter the escalating Neo-fascist energy and enthusiasm of a Donald Trump with all the xenophobia, with all the talk about working people, but very much tied to big military, very much tied to big money. That's Donald Trump."

Yup. That sounds about right.

Can you imagine someone else among the Democrats beating Trump? Warren already fell into a trap set up by Trump, with the whole Native American blood and Pocohantas thing. She has not been the same since, and has looked shaky. Joe Biden is a standard politician, with a standard politician's approach and, if the Democrats have learned anything from 2016, they should then realize that this will not work against Trump, because the whole appeal of Trump for many is precisely that he is not just a typical politician. That is also why I cannot see someone like Buttigieg, much less Bloomberg, beating Trump, either. In Bloomberg's case, he already was clearly bested in debates, receiving a verbal beatdown in the Las Vegas debate, and hardly mounting much of a defense. Klobuchar also just seems to lack any kind of impressive energy that could seriously get the better of Trump. And let's face it: Tom Steyer just does not feel like someone who is suddenly about to surge ahead and take the Democratic nomination. Neither does Tulsi Gabbard.

On the other hand, I see Sanders taking a very direct, unapologetic, and very unorthodox approach. Not being polite and merely relying on facts to prove that Trump is wrong, because neither Trump nor his loyalists care about facts. If we have learned anything about them in the past four years, from the 2016 campaign to the first three years and change of his presidency, we should understand that much, at least.

Yes, I see Bernie Sanders directly attacking Trump and exposing him for the fraud that he is. I see Trump losing his cool, perhaps even losing his shit, during one of the live debates. I see Bernie Sanders leading all of the polls right now against Trump by a wider margin than any other Democrat, much like he was doing in 2016, and how as he is seen as more viable by even reluctant mainstream Democrats, he gains even more momentum, and hands the Democrats the convincing win that they could only dream about with one of the more conventional politicians.

Right now, I see Bernie Sanders winning the White House, and for precisely the same reasons that Dr. Cornel West mentions here.

Please take a look at the video below, which was put up by the Bernie Sanders campaign, and in which West explains specifically why Sanders can defeat Trump like no one else. This is the moment, and Bernie Sanders is the candidate. 

Trump Allies Create List of Officials Deemed Disloyal to Trump

If this is not authoritarian behavior, I do not know what is.  

Political allies of Donald Trump have been creating a list of officials who are deemed to be disloyal to President Trump.  ''

Frankly, you do not create such lists just for the fun of it, or just for some kind of personal records, or such. Hell, this is not even so much political strategy, as much as it feels like a clear attempt at political retribution to those officials, as well as a form of intimidation for any officials who might now think twice about going against the Trump political machine.

Here is the link to this depressing story. It serves as still further proof (as if we needed any) of, yet again, the increasingly grotesquely authoritarian direction that Trump and his cronies are taking this country in presently:

Trump allies assembled lists of officials considered disloyal to president: report  BY JOHN BOWDEN - 02/23/20:

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/484292-trump-allies-assembling-lists-of-officials-considered-disloyal-to?fbclid=IwAR1ofEvHuFRG5jFgHyLRw6JEBNNmz5RlTcTcngC9uTWque9Xu7f4CxiBGKw

Chris Matthews Apologizes to Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders and me here pictured together in New York City, October 2016

Chris Matthews infamously compared the victory of Bernie Sanders in Nevada on Saturday to the Nazi takeover of France in 1940. This was not the first time that Matthews attacked Bernie Sanders with ridiculous comparisons. I wrote a blog entry in response to comments that he made, either earlier this month or late last month, when Matthews seemed to suggest that Bernie Sanders was the kind of socialist that might bring about execution squads in New York’s Central Park.              

Well, Matthews apologized to Bernie Sanders on air. And it seemed more or less legitimate and heartfelt to me when watching.              

Please feel free to watch the video yourself, as I made it available here. It is from The Young Turks Youtube channel.              

That said, let me make one thing clear: while I appreciate his apology, and it is to his credit that he manned up, I do not for a moment believe that this apology – which admittedly must have been a bit difficult for him – was actually based on his own sense of sense of having overstepped. Frankly, it seems obvious that Matthews felt pressured into this apology, and made sure that it sounded as legitimate and sincere as possible. But let us not forget that Matthews only congratulated Bernie Sanders on his Nevada win (and not the other primary wins) after the pressure he received from not mere criticisms, but over the top, outlandish comparisons to horrific historical events. Suggesting that Bernie Sanders might bring about Communist-style execution squads, or likening his win in Nevada, and the clearly strong political momentum that it represents, to the Nazi Germany takeover of France in 1940, is just inexcusable and, frankly, unforgivable for someone who is allegedly a professional journalist. I understand having opinions, but what he said not only was not fair, or even slightly irresponsible.  

No, it went far beyond that.  

What he said was downright slanderous. Much like Chuck Todd’s equally stupid and frankly slanderous analogy of Bernie Sanders being like a “brownshirt brigade,” Matthews quite transparent insinuation that political wins by Bernie Sanders are somehow similar to the Nazi military takeover of Europe go well beyond any reasonable or rational bounds. This is the height of media hypocrisy, and these are perfect examples of why the media need to be approached with caution these days, and why they have gained such a reputation for being untrustworthy. After all, Matthews is supposedly considered a "liberal" and thus "open-minded" journalistic figure by some. Does this strike you are either liberal or open-minded? Does this even qualify as serious journalistic commentary? Comparing a popular candidate trying to win a primary for an election in (what for now remains) a democratic society?  

I have no doubt that the petitions and backlash reached him via his bosses at MSNBC, and I am proud to have signed one of those petitions that called for him to be fired, frankly. There simply is no other way to curb, let alone get rid of, this kind of irresponsible, slanted, transparently biased “news” coverage.

Jello Biafra & Many Other Punk Musicians Endorse Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders and me here pictured together in New York City, October 2016

When I was younger, one person who seemed to get a lot more right than wrong about this country and the direction it was heading in was Jello Biafra, the former frontman for the punk band the Dead Kennedys. He has corroborated with plenty of other artists, as well, briefly forming the temporary band “The No WTO Combo” during the so-called “Battle for Seattle” which took place late in 1999, during the anti-WTO protests in the Emerald City. He also more recently had albums with himself and the Guantanamo School of Medicine.  

Jello Biafra can be overly dramatic, and sometimes he can be over the top. But if you listen to what he is saying with an open mind, you find that, more often than not, he makes some very valid point, and is often right on target. For example, back in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, when I considered myself a Democrat, he mentioned something that seemed almost unthinkable, and which I was shocked to hear, having never heard anyone say it before: that the Democrats and Republicans tended to agree with each other too much, and were essentially different wings of the same political party. At the time, it seemed impossible, and yet, when he mentioned just how similar they were, there was almost no denying it. Within 10 years, many others would start to point out this same thing, particularly with the administration of President Bill Clinton, who was sometimes dubbed as “Republic lite” and similarities between Al Gore and George W. Bush during the 2000 race.  

He also mentioned something that haunted me, as he suggested that the powers that be were slowly but surely making the United States a dictatorship. This, he suggested, was being done with such slow increments, that it was barely discernible, so as not to raise any alarms. But step by step, he suggested, a dictatorship was being put in place, so that this mission, if you will, would make the country a de facto dictatorship within 40 years. Indeed, there were pretty clear and alarming indications that we were moving in that general direction shortly after the turn of the century, and the more recent political rise of Donald Trump, and the increasingly authoritarian  policies that his administration keep pushing, have many Americans worried that a de facto dictatorship may already be in place.  

I still sometimes turn to Jello Biafra for political views, although admittedly, not as often as I once did. However, it was not all that much of a surprise to find out that he is supporting Bernie Sanders in his run for the White House. Frankly, it would have been more surprising had he not endorsed Sanders, for whatever the reason.  

This is not new, as it actually came a while ago. The below article was from 2015, but I am almost positive that the support for Bernie Sanders still stands. Jello is not the only punk to endorse Bernie Sanders. There are plenty of others, including Mike Watt and Anthony Keidis, the frontman for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.  

Jello yesterday posted a picture of Nancy Kerrigan and Tanya Harding, and suggested that Kerrigan was Bernie Sanders, while Harding was the DNC.  

Sounds about right.  

In any case, here is the link to the admittedly dated article, which still seems to be relevant, as Sanders likely still has the support of these punk rockers.

Jello Biafra, Wayne Kramer, Mike Watt, others endorse Bernie Sanders published by Punknews.org,  December 1, 2015:

A host of punk rockers (and other musicians) have signed a document endorsing presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. According to a post on Sanders' website, hundreds of artists state "We — the undersigned artists, musicians, and cultural leaders of America — are excited to endorse a new vision for our country." Following that is a list of musicians who support Sanders, including Jello Biafra, Wayne Kramer, Thurston Moore, Killer Mike, Anthony Keidis, Mike Watt, Lou Barlow and others. See the list here.

https://www.punknews.org/article/59479/jello-biafra-wayne-kramer-mike-watt-others-endorse-bernie-sanders

Shaq Recalls Humorous Story With Kobe Bryant

Last night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, there was a memorial service for the late Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna Bryant, who were killed a few weeks ago during a helicopter crash in southern California.  

There were many very famous people, including star basketball players, who seemed to have stories to share about memories with Kobe.  

That included Shaquille O’Neal, who obviously used to be a teammate with Kobe when they played together on the Los Angeles Lakers. They won three straight NBA titles together from 2000-2002, something that O’Neal clearly still took pride in.  

But he had a funny story to share about Kobe, one that seemed worth sharing here, as well.  

According to O’Neal, some Lakers players asked him to talk to Kobe about passing the ball, so O’Neal said that he would. According to him, he told Kobe that there was no “I” in team.  

Kobe agreed with him, but he then said that there was a “ME” in team.  The crowd laughed.              

Shaq then ended this humorous story by saying that he told those teammates just to hang keep the ball when they could, because Kobe was not going to pass the ball to them.              

Just a humorous story that seemed worth sharing.

My Girlfriend Gets a Promotion

In recent weeks, even months, my girlfriend has been itching to get something new in terms of a job. She works at a retirement home, and it is not an easy job. Frankly, I do not even know how she does it. Her job is to give medicine to old people, to bathe and take care of them, often including their bathroom needs. Many of them have dementia, which makes it especially difficult to do. Often, she has to lift (or help lift) heavy patients, and this is something that has hurt her back numerous times.

This might not qualify as literally "back-breaking work, but it comes fairly close. Especially since she has had to endure sometimes severe back problems over the past year or two. She never used to have back problems and, in fact, wondered why I seemed to have back problems so often. But she found out herself, and the hard way. She had problems after lifting a particularly heavy resident at the retirement home, and has consistently suffered problems since. In fact, like me, she learned that she has sciatica, which is a particularly painful ailment when it comes to back problems, and this stretches beyond the back. Just lately, she had problems with her foot, and was limping at times noticeably. She openly wondered just how long she could keep working at the job, and there was little keeping her there, specifically, especially with how she is treated by both residents and the management.

In short, it is a difficult job, and a thankless one, to boot. I'm not kidding! You know how she and the other caretakers at the place were rewarded shortly after the holiday season? They were told that they were getting their hours cut by four hours per week. They had already gotten their hours cut earlier, I believe it was last year at some point. It was a decision made by the top brass, presumably, and they were not even told in a dignified way, like with a meeting, since people probably would have spoken out. Each employee was called into the boss's office and were then informed of their new schedules, or at least the new schedule options.

This was something that just pushed her too far. She would come home loathing her job, dreaming of leaving. She asked me to write an anonymous letter, which I did, and we were going to write that letter to the local Hillsborough newspaper.

Well, there was a position that opened up last year, and which she applied for. She asked me for help in updating her resume and cover letter, which I did. But they gave the job to another.

Apparently, that did not work out, and so she asked me to again update her resume and cover letter, which I did. Before she could even submit her letter, though, they inquired if she was still interested in the position. There was supposed to be an interview, and we went over some of the likely job interview questions, and how best to answer them.

The big boss, the regional manager of the company she works for, had asked to talk to her. That was on Friday afternoon, and so on Monday, she expected to be interviewed. When she came home after work on Monday afternoon, nothing had happened, though. She was worried.

I was feeling tired on Monday, and went to sleep a little earlier than usual. Maybe an hour into my nap (I usually take a three hour nap just before leaving for my overnight shift, after usually about four or five hours sleep in the morning), she woke me up. This was unusual, but when she told me the good news, I was very happy.

She was beaming. That big boss had called her up, and told her that the position was hers. They would go over the paperwork and other details in the morning. There would be training. But the position was hers.

The details are yet to emerge, including specifics about salaries and benefits, although by and large, they will be a step up. 

But she got the position that she wanted, and she is extremely happy. She actually was crying when her boss told her on the phone. I woke up, and we went out to celebrate with dinner, my treat.

A special night for the both of us, with this bit of good news.

Congratulations to her!

George Harrison's Birthday is Today - February 25th

Image courtesy of niteprowl3r Flickr page -  beatles: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sreichenbach/3025971406/in/photolist-5BoTSN-6Kp6DG-9oQPyZ-6Kp8vw-6Kp9oJ-6KjXm4-6KoV2S-6KjVca-eC4tTE-6Kp3Qm-6Kp3hq-6KoWdy-6KjLZg-6Kp5yf-6KjUgt-6Kp6TN-6KjXdM-6Kp45N-6Kp1WY-6KoUGs-6KoVYG-6KoUx9-6Kp153-6KoX3q-6KoZUu-6KjLoH-6KoVv9-6KoXvh-4vA8mP-6Kp4SW-6KjWq6-6Kp4xm-6KjVXZ-6Kp4hS-6Kk1G6-6KkdtD-6KjMRH-6KoVS5-r1ZqRn-6KjZfx-6KjMrx-6KjZue-6KjYzt-6Kp7D9-bCr2k3-aWjPYX-6KvxqP-6Kp7R7-aUXW5n-6KjZW8

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Image courtesy of niteprowl3r Flickr page -  beatles: https://www.flickr.com/photos/snouty/5494369894/in/photolist-9nw5Kq-aRwNez-aR9uw4-aR9u4B-aR9nqB-aR9jhx-aR9nbV-aR9jVx-aR9o46-aR9nE4-aR9jyD-aR9nR4-aR9org-aR9rHR-aR9jJ2-aR9umZ-aR9ogv-aR9oJr-aR9ueT-aR9kSt-aR9k3X-aR9rpz-aR9kaK-aR9m2T-aR9kGD-aR9ku8-aR9rg2-aR9kiM-6Kk94T-aRvkDn-aRvkm8-aRv85M-aRv7Qk-aRv8t2-aRv8hK-aRvkSp-aR9wok-aR9wyp-91hv7a-aRvB94-aR9tKr-aRvADV-aR9tTi-aRvBsp-aRvAPr-aRwVba-aRwVjF-nNusiV-aRwVt2-aRwV36

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

I try not only to acknowledge, but also to honor the birthdays of the Beatles, since they are all not only decent guys, but had such a profound impact on the world, both with their music, and with their passion outside of music. They not only were from the sixties, a time of turbulence, experimentation, and change, but they also helped to mold the sixties, to let it become what it became. It remain influential and provocative to this day.

George Harrison was known as the "Quiet Beatle" and was also the youngest member of the Fab Four. He was particularly known for his spirituality, and bringing an Indian influence to the Beatles, with the sitar in particular, something that had not been heard in western music before, but became popular afterwards.

He grew as a songwriter, with the obvious privilege of working under legendary songwriters John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Eventually, he wrote some of the most iconic tunes that the Beatles are known for in his own right, and went on to have a pretty amazing solo career as well.

His concert for Bangladesh set the tempo for tribute concerts since.

Years later, he joined numerous other legendary musicians to form the Traveling Wilburys, a "super group", if you will, for it's day.

Harrison died of cancer in 2001, but his music and memory lives on in so many ways.

On this day, what would have been his birthday, I pay tribute to him.

Attacks on Bernie Sanders & His Supporters Are Growing as He Gets Closer to Democratic Party Presidential Nomination

Bernie Sanders and me here pictured together in New York City, October 2016

This story is not much of a surprise.  The attacks have grown relentless. The mainstream Democrats – including many baby boomers – are attacking Sanders without shame, claiming that his supporters are mean, when in fact, his supporter are really just sick of everything and trying to explain the truth about how mainstream Democratic candidates have grown too comfortable with the bad habit of taking big money from private vested interests, and then serving those interests to maintain their good relations and keep their own selfish ambitions intact once they are elected and in power. Many of these mainstreamers are unwittingly saying, basically, that the United States cannot do what had been done in literally every other industrialized nation. That affordable, universal healthcare and a cleaner environment with sensible laws reigning in big polluters is essentially a pipe dream, and that a more measured response by the money takers is what is required. After all, this is how things have always been, have always worked.              

Of course, the problem that supporters of Bernie Sanders have been pointing out, again repeatedly and without any ambiguity, is that this is not working. If it ever has, it certainly has stopped working for the majority of Americans a long time ago now.              

It seems like the trend these days among mainstream Democrats and their supporters is to suggest that Bernie Sanders supporters are mean and aggressive. That they are borderline militant, which is to suggest radicals, reinforcing the notion of Bernie Sanders and his political movement being somehow communist, which in itself is quite ridiculous.              

When asked about this phenom (the most militant people have been referred to as “Bernie Bros.” in social media and mainstream media), Bernie Sanders himself said that these people are not, in fact, part of his movement, and that he wants nothing to do with them. They do not represent anything that he really stands for.              

Here were some of his comments when asked about it:      

“We have more than 10.6 million people on Twitter, and 99.9 percent of them are decent human beings,” Sanders said. “If there are a few people who make ugly remarks, I disown those people.”  

“They are not part of our movement,” he concluded.     

Sounds about right to me.

And then, there are emerging reports that Russia is trying to help the Bernie Sanders campaign. Apparently, this is not brand new news, but was something that the Sanders campaign was informed about over a month ago. Yet, as he continues to emerge as the clear Democratic frontrunner in the White House race, these kinds of desperate attacks and attempts to discredit him, or cast shade upon his legitimacy.

Increasingly, though, people are wising up. I think that they are tired of the traditional politicians seeking big money sponsors and relying on character assassination and smear campaigns. Bernie Sanders has stayed on message, not just throughout this campaign, or even just since his 2016 campaign. What he is running on now in hopes of gaining the presidency is what he has believed in and consistently championed his entire life, even before it was "cool" to do so, as Buttigieg suggested on the debate stage days ago.

You just can never tell what to believe these days.

Frankly, as the saying goes, haters are going to hate. There are some mainstream Democrats who absolutely loathe Bernie Sanders with a passion, and some have gone so far as to suggest that they would not support him even if he wins the Democratic nomination. But Bernie Sanders is simply stating outright what almost everybody really is thinking and knows already. He is exposing the corrupt core of both parties, and the American political system more generally, and he is not pulling his punches. And those who are protesting the loudest are the ones most guilty of this corruption and  general conduct that is unworthy of the trust that Americans are supposed to have in their elected officials and so-called leaders. Hillary has been one of his most vocal critics.

But you know what I think?

To borrow from the words of Shakespeare: "The lady doth protest too much, methinks."  

Here are links to articles about the smear campaign being waged against Bernie Sanders. The first one is a recent piece by Kara Voght of Mother Jones which was just recently published, where I took the quotes from Bernie Sanders about disowning the so-called "Bernie Bros." The second one is an Op/Ed piece published in USA Today a couple of weeks or so ago, from an author who admits that Sanders is not his personal first choice, but who nevertheless suggests that Democrats need to take Sanders seriously. Finally, the last piece is from the New York Times from spring of last year, and as the title suggests, it is about mainstream Democrats who are pulling their hair out when it comes to the momentum that Bernie Sanders had back then, and which has obviously only grown since. Please take a look at these articles, as they are worth looking at, each for their own insights:

Bernie Sanders Was Called Out for Online Supporters’ Vicious Behavior. He Shut It Down. By Kara Voght, February 19, 2020:
“They are not part of our movement.”

https://www.motherjones.com/2020-elections/2020/02/bernie-sanders-debate-condemn-twitter-supporters-attacks/?fbclid=IwAR06HuhCwI0av8WuHYANqEZzBqa_EoSjSRoE6I7L9Is7de4bz6oidHWvvuw




Moderate Democrats have a duty to consider Sanders. He has a clear path to beating Trump. by Jason Sattler, Opinion columnist February 9, 2020:
Bernie Sanders isn't even my favorite senator running for the 2020 nomination. But I see his potential to unite the Democratic Party and oust Trump.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/02/09/bernie-sanders-could-beat-donald-trump-2020-column/4694526002/?fbclid=IwAR0JOlYIip9A_XQIkx5MZexaSf2BwAaawtopZdDHjkTNHhS4b13UdCKTtEk




‘Stop Sanders’ Democrats Are Agonizing Over His Momentum by Jonathan Martin, April 16, 2019:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/us/politics/bernie-sanders-democratic-party.html?fbclid=IwAR0imK61GbMmo6MmP6sjvFLmom5tPqmenxdIhY5xC2Hm92kpSKTVPFLkZQc

Miracle on Ice - 40th Anniversary, Part 2: The U.S. Men's Hockey Team Clinches Gold Against Finland

The biggest and most iconic moment from the incredibly memorable run by the United States men's hockey team was clearly when they defeated the seemingly unbeatable, prohibitive favorites, the Soviet men's hockey team.

Yet, it is interesting to note that the American team had not clinched a gold medal after that game. It maybe feels like it should have been the case, given the magnitude of that win. But that was for the American team to have a chance to clinch the gold medal when they played Finland. And while the United States had beaten the Soviet team, which was widely considered the best in the world, Finland was a very good team as well. They still had a tough game to win.

Win they did. They managed to defeat Finland to fulfill the tremendous promise of the previous match, and win the gold medal, once and for all.

Interestingly, it should be noted that this was not a given. After all, the effort that they had put in to defeat the Soviets must have been exhausting, and they did not have much in the way of recovering time until that match against Finland. Plus, the Finns were a solid team in their own right.

However, the American side played very well once again, and were able to keep the high from the win over the USSR just days earlier in finally clinching the gold medal.

It happened exactly four decades ago on this day.

Bernie Sanders Wins the 2020 Nevada Democratic Party Caucus

Bernie Sanders has won the Nevada Caucus. If there was some ambiguity in Iowa, because that race proved close enough to justify doubts and muddied waters, than there really are absolutely no doubts after this one. 

So far as I write this (a little past 3:30 after being sound asleep until just about half an hour or so ago), roughly 50 percent of all votes have been confirmed, and Sanders has a very wide lead. He has more than double that of the next closest candidate, former Vice-President Joe Biden, and triple that of the man who, until recently, seemed to be emerging as the possible closest contender in the Democratic White House race, Pete Buttigieg, who nevertheless placed third.

Here are the more precise numbers thus far according to the Associated Press, as reported by the New York Times (see link below):

Bernie Sanders  - 46.6 percent of the vote

Joe Biden - 19.2 percent of the vote

Pete Buttigieg - 15.4 percent of the vote

Elizabeth Warren - 10.3 percent of the vote

AmyKlobuchar - 4.5 percent of the vote

Others - 4 percent of the vote

Interestingly, the candidate who's official emergence into the Democratic White House race caused such a huge sensation for a while, Michael Bloomberg, was a complete non-factor. Many so-called moderates had great hopes for the former Republican Mayor of New York City, but the widespread public perception was that his performance on the debate stage in Las Vegas last week proved disastrous. He was targeted by pretty much everyone on the stage, and painted as an arrogant, self-serving billionaire with a false sense of entitlement, and no real answers to the huge number of problems facing this country. Some people expressed cynicism about his poor showing in the debate, wondering how he could hope to take on Trump in the general election debates, if he was so thoroughly beaten in the primary debates. Bloomberg himself even admitted later that it had been a rough night. He apparently had another one last night with these results, which will cast still more doubts on the legitimacy and viability of his self-funded campaign.

These results bode well so far for Sanders, and is the latest confirmation that he is emerging as the solid  and clear frontrunner among Democrats. He has now taken the first three primaries, and poll numbers show him surging, as he has pulled close to Biden in South Carolina, taken a lead in Texas, and currently enjoys a huge lead in the biggest and probably most decisive state, California.

Some of the past winners in both parties who have won the Nevada Primaries have gone on to receive the nomination from their party in the summer, and that includes some who went on to win the White House. They include both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in 2012, John Kerry in 2004, and both Al Gore and George W. Bush in 2000 (although it should be noted that Republicans opted not to have a contest in Nevada in 2000, although the state's delegates went to George W. Bush in the primary).

Below is the link to the New York Times piece that I used in obtaining about these specific results, as well as some of the historical data which I also used in writing this particular blog entry:

Nevada Caucuses 2020: Live Results and Coverage: Bernie Sanders has won the Nevada caucuses, according to The Associated Press, Reported by the New York Times, February 23, 2020:

Sources: Election results and race calls from The Associated Press.  By Sarah Almukhtar, Michael Andre, Aliza Aufrichtig, Matthew Bloch, Larry Buchanan, Andrew Chavez, Nate Cohn, Annie Daniel, Andrew Fischer, Will Houp, Jonathan Huang, Josh Katz, Aaron Krolik, K.K. Rebecca Lai, Jasmine C. Lee, Rebecca Lieberman, Denise Lu, Jaymin Patel, Charlie Smart, Ben Smithgall, Rumsey Taylor, Isaac White and Josh Williams  

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/02/22/us/elections/results-nevada-caucus.html

The Beatles Met Muhammad Ali Back in February of 1964

Photo by Luiz Fernando Reis (Bealtes cor 36 on Flickr)  Creative Commons License -https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

February 18, 1964. 

Just days earlier, the Beatles had just broken big in America. And they were creating huge waves of news with their every move.

The Beatles seemed to have a chance to meet the participants of a huge fight that was about to take place between heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, and upstart challenger Cassius Clay, who would come to be known soon as Muhammad Ali. 

Liston was in the audience for their appearance at the Ed Sullivan Show

Now they were in Florida, soaking up the sun and relaxing after a second Ed Sullivan show appearance. The boys requested to meet the world heavyweight champ- the surly, misanthropic Sonny Liston. But Liston quickly replied that he had no desire to meet “those bums.”  

Interestingly, Liston was in the crowd watching their second Ed Sullivan appearance on Feb. 16th. Nevertheless, he was not exactly a “fan” calling them “sissies” and saying, “My dog can play drums better than that guy”- referring to Ringo.

So clearly, the Beatles would not get to meet Liston. Liston believed himself to be an unstoppable boxer, and he also clearly did not think much of the Beatles as a band. The Beatles would not meet Liston, and had to settle for the challenger, who at that point, seemed destined to lose by knockout, according to most people. Obviously, things would turn out very differently, and it was Clay/Ali who actually would become a legend far bigger than Liston. Liston would also be proven wrong in his judgement of the Beatles, as well, as they became music legends in their own right. 

The Beatles were expecting the boxer to be a big, dumb jock. But Clay/Ali was far from that, much to their surprise and apparent horror.

Here is some of how that meeting went down:

Clay was training at the Fifth Street gym and the Beatles casually marched in. Clay was cordial at first, calling them “the greatest” and saying they “shook up the world.” He reportedly also called Paul McCartney, “The prettiest, but not as pretty as me!”  

But soon, the general tone changed and it was clear who the real “star” of the show was. The Fab Four and Clay posed for several photo ops, during which Clay brusquely ordering them around. The Beatles obeyed and seemed to take it all in good humor.  

Clay posed over them as the Beatles laid flat on the ground. (John Lennon comically praying in the photo.)  

It got slightly uncomfortable when Clay barked “Squirm, you worms!” to the surprised quartet. Finally, as the boys were getting ready to leave, Clay picked up Ringo and tossed him up in the air a bit, then caught him.  

Clay then wished Ringo and the others good luck.  

He even recited a trademark poem: “When Liston reads about the Beatles visiting me, he’ll get so mad I’ll knock him out in three!”

According to the Beatles’ famed photographer, Harry Benson, who set up the meeting, the boys did not enjoy the meeting as much as it appeared. “They were expecting to meet a dumb boxer,” he explained, and were caught off guard by Clay’s glibness. He went on to state that the Beatles were “stunned” when they left, and that, “It was the first time someone else had taken over.”

Interesting. I had seen pictures of the meeting before, and had assumed - wrongly, it seems - that everything was well rehearsed and done in good humor. But apparently not. Also, I had assumed that Clay/Ali was already the heavyweight champion of the world at the time, and did not know that he was still officially a contender, and a heavy underdog that was dismissed as having too big of a mouth, at that.

The information used in writing this particular blog entry about the Beatles meeting with Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali was taken from the following source:

When The Beatles Met Muhammad Ali in 1964  May 16, 2013

https://www.vintag.es/2013/05/the-beatles-met-muhammad-ali-1964.html

“Miracle on Ice” - 40th Anniversary

Entering this game, the Soviet team, which was considered, and still sometimes is considered, one of the greatest hockey teams of all time, had not lost in like forever. And Team USA was a relatively weak and mostly unknown team by way of comparison. It was virtually unthinkable for Team USA to pull off a win this improbable, as almost anyone who understood anything about sports saw that the Soviet side just had too much talent and experience. By all rights, it seemed that they would mop the ice with Team USA.

Results this improbable were probably best left for Hollywood.

Which is why what happened still resonates in a way that perhaps no other single sporting event is remembered, even decades later.           

In recent times, perhaps the only sports story that quite reached this level of shock value was when the previously undefeated 2007-08 New England Patriots, who many were already crowning the Greatest Team in History, shockingly lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII, ending their dreams of completing the very rare “perfect season.” Like the “Miracle on Ice” game, the Patriots shocking loss was in one all-important game, and like the Soviet team, they entered that game as prohibitive favorites, with many feeling that their opponents had no real chance to pull off an upset of that magnitude.           
You could suggest the collapse of the 2016 Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, and indeed, that was close. But the Warriors also lost three straight games, and they lost to LeBron James, who was a powerhouse. Also, the Warriors had shown vulnerabilities earlier in the playoffs, so it was not as much of a shock to see them lose.           

The Soviet hockey team was supposed to crush Team USA. They already had done that in an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden by a score of 10-3 just a few days prior to the start of the Lake Placid games. It seemed unlikely, to say the least, that the United States team, which was filled with young talent but lacked experience, and which entered the Olympics not particularly highly regarded, would pull off such an amazing upset.           

Yet, they played with tremendous heart, and managed to keep the game close, and give themselves a chance. As many expected, the Soviets took an early lead with the first goal, but the Americans responded with a goal of their own. Still, the Soviets managed to score again to take a 2-1 lead, but again the Americans managed to tie the game by the end of the first period. However, the Soviets had completely dominated the Americans during that period, having outplayed Team USA, yet settling for the tie.           

There was a key change in lineup for the second period, one that would play a deciding factor in the game. The Soviets pulled Vladislav Tretiak and replaced him with backup Vladimir Myshkin, a move that came as a big surprise for both teams.  Still, the Soviets completely dominated the second period, outshooting the American squad, 12-2, yet only had a narrow 3-2 lead to show for it by the end of the second period.           

The third period would prove to be the miraculous one for Team USA. Mark Johnson fired a shot during a power play that went past Myshkin and tied the game at 8:39. A few minutes later, Mike Eruzione managed to get another shot past Myshkin, and shockingly, the Americans held a 4-3 lead against the might, and seemingly unbeatable, Soviet team.           

It was time for the American side to kill as much of the clock as possible, and they pretty much did that. They were assisted by the Soviet coach, Viktor Tikhonov, albeit unintentionally. The change in goalie in the second period had changed the complexion of the game, and ultimately helped the Americans. So did another decision, which was not to pull Myshkin out of goal and allow the Soviets a 6-5 chance very late in the game, when they desperately needed the tying goal. Team USA successfully held them off, and iced the historic win.

They outplayed the Soviets, albeit narrowly, and put themselves in position to win. They managed what seemed an unlikely win, and shocked the world. It inspired many Americans, as well, as there had been an obvious rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union for decades, and then President Jimmy Carter was seriously contemplating a boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games later that year (in the summer) in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.

How historic was the victory? Sports Illustrated rated it as the most memorable sports moment of the 20th century.

Now, that is truly huge!

And it happened exactly four decades ago on this day.