Fiscalini Preserve Cambria Ca
intolerable
What a transsexual California inmate and Donald Trump are doing is intolerable. Our explanation is on the way, but first....
for the love of the game
Photo by Greg Baker, Associated Press, China
Under assault by all manner of absurdity we can shelter safe in the glow of this extraordinary image captured by Greg Baker on assignment for the AP in China. These lads have fashioned a basketball court near a community encampment in a cave.
That the game James Naismith created at a YMCA in 1891 has penetrated deep into China is hope for this world.
Naismith a Canadian-American, the son of immigrants from Scotland was a physician, chaplain and physical educator. He was 30 when he invented basketball in Massachusetts. He said in the first game the boys began tackling, kicking and fighting, ending up in a free for all. He changed a few rules and the game evolved. It became a kind of religion in Indiana.
Most large high school field houses and gyms are in Indiana the state that provided the truth for the movie Hoosiers. I shoveled snow and ice encrusted driveways to play in the dead of winter wearing galoshes, stocking caps and gloves. We played on uneven alleys with busted cement and one with a hill, in barns-dirt floor and barn flooring-uneven bounces, but we never played in a cave.
Good things can happen when a game, like basketball, is part of our international conversation. Is it possible to have too much in common with our planetary brothers and sisters?
intolerable, continued
Given the narcissism it's simple to understand why Trump would be displeased by the fact Vladimir Putin directed a campaign to defeat and discredit Hilary Clinton and to elect him. He does not want to accept that his election is illegitimate. I presume he wants to believe the outcome was of his own doing. Truth interrupts Trump's pipe dream.
Putin manipulated the American election but still a majority of voters rejected the vulgarian. He is not only a minority President, but his administration will always be regarded as illegitimate. That's not the worst of it.
Trump has openly demeaned and ridiculed our intelligence community. As a journalist with familiarity I understand the community is neither perfect, nor has it always been right but it, like everything else in government, is a human endeavor. And successes go without credit. What is different here is the unanimity of the multi agency community, where competition and budget envy exist. The truth, the findings, the facts are a bitter bill for a man of his character. A President may have differences and criticisms with his intelligence agencies, but they should be a matter for private conversations. Doing otherwise is stupid, disrespectful and is dangerous. It accomplishes precisely what Mr Putin delights in, seeing our nation loose confidence in itself and it's ways.
The Russian cyber operation was designed to cause Americans to loose faith in their government. Donald Trump is trying to make that happen. He operates as a Russian stooge. We are witnessing an historic open war between the man to be inaugurated and the American intelligence and security community. What could go wrong?
There is at lest hapless Mike Pence. He's been around long enough to know. He's back pedaled on some of Trump's statements, trying to bring a touch of big boy reality to Donnie's "I know more than they do" bluster and nonsense. We are about to turn the keys over to a stooge, though the trumpster might say idiot. Either way Mr Putin is sleeping well.
also intolerable
California prison officials have agreed to pay for a sex change operation for a 57 year old killer with no hope for parole.
Shiloh Heavenly Quine was convicted of first degree murder, kidnapping and robbery for ransom. He is serving a life sentence. It is thought this first such approval will allow other transgender inmates to apply to receive state funded sex reassignment surgery. It doesn't take long to calculate the cost.
If you want elective surgery which government agency can you to turn to get it paid for? Hmmm. Guess you could commit a serious crime?
Does anyone think longitudinally?
Government has better and more deserving ways to spend its money, don't you think so, or not?
See you down the trail.
You may love your bucket ball but baseball is still the national pastime.
ReplyDeleteI like the game, but is surely is a way to pass a lot of time. There is a sense of history laced into baseball, but for athleticism and the fun of playing, I'll stay with hoops.
DeleteHoops it is! As for the sex change.... I love my progressive state but there are limits!
ReplyDeleteHoops are probably a piece of our DNA, being hoosier boys that we are.
DeleteRick, below, makes a good human decency argument, but there are limits indeed, especially financially. It is vexing.
Tom. I think you're missing the big issue here -- Is Meryl Streep, as the Trumpster says, one of the most overrated actresses in Hollywood? Is fiction stranger than truth or is truth stranger than fiction? Trump's answer: there is no truth; only Tweets.
ReplyDeleteWell, Meryl is one of the all time bests! Trump is an historic con artist and liar.
DeleteA friend has begun to refer to him as a Twitler!
In 2014, 35 percent of fans call the NFL their favorite sport, followed by Major League Baseball (14 percent), college football (11 percent), auto racing (7 percent), the NBA (6 percent), the NHL (5 percent) and college basketball (3 percent).Jan 26, 2014. So, 46% football vs 14% baseball.
ReplyDeleteno doubt there are other great sports with enthusiastic followings, but I love to watch a well played college or high school basketball game. as a participant I loved hoops.
DeleteI don't think the state of California should pay for a sex change for a convicted murderer. Absurd. As for Trump, I can only hope our government has enough checks and balances to prevent this Bozo from doing serious harm.
ReplyDeleteRe surgery and treatment for transgenders, I believe that transgender status is a medical condition not unlike other medical conditions and that transgender surgery and treatment should be available on the same basis. The fact that insurance won't pay for it is not, in my view, a justification for any government agency, including corrections departments, to refuse to provide it.
Deleteyour legal argument is sound, still it is improper for a law abiding citizen who, by your standards also needs the surgery, not to be able to attain it while hard pressed state tax dollars will pay for a convicted killer to get the operation. You are right on issue and I agree with the rationale of your logic, but where the tires hit the road there is a disconnect, the sort that drives a wedge between people and government practice.
DeleteSteve-perhaps we should refer to him as President Bozo.
DeleteAfter yesterday's report, the Whitehouse staff ordered rubber sheets for the Lincoln bedroom.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they need to line the oval office with rubber walls.
DeleteI think things are getting more and more absurd by the minute. :D
ReplyDeleteYes, Lux, I think so too. Guess the best we can do is stay true to our values and smile as much as we can.
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