Got My Attention!

These have got my attention today:

They say they have a way to stop the 58-story Millennium Tower from sinking.  Right!  Seems like we’ve heard this story before.  Good luck to them.

The Warriors have lost three in a row.  The dynasty needs help to stop it from sinking too.

The Facebook bosses are scrambling to cover their asses.  Will their incompetence and duplicity keep them from sinking?  Let’s hope not.

The Argentine submarine that sank a year ago has been found and family members want their loved one’s remains brought home.  It is 2,975 feet down in a deep canyon.  Maybe ‘no can do’ says the navy.

Trying to keep their governments afloat:  The Brexit-burdened Theresa May in Britain and the corrupt Netanyahu in Israel.

Michael Bloomberg has donated $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins University.  Now that’s a serious gift.

My favorite from the Bad Poetry Contest at Columbia Univesity:

Your pith in my nails

As I peel you, stinging juice

Squirts into my soul

From “A Story of Unrequited Love in 5 Haikus,” by Dylan Temel

Election Post Mortem!

While I was happy the House flipped, I noticed that overall I was not thrilled, since there doesn't seem a clear repudiation of the path we're on.  And the real game changers, in Florida, Georgia and Texas, all lost.  My mood improved when I read what my friend Sheila posted on Facebook:

Celebrating the incredible victories of these Democratic women of color. Her story was made tonight — the youngest person elected to Congress; the first Native American woman—and the first openly gay lawmaker—to represent Kansas in Congress; the first Somali-American Muslim woman in the House and the first woman of color to represent Minnesota in Congress; the first Black Congresswoman from Massachusetts, the first Native American woman to represent New Mexico in the House; the first African American woman to represent Connecticut in Congress; and the first Palestinian American Muslim woman in Congress. Yes! Yes! Yes!

Then, when I looked at more election results this morning I saw some bright spots.  Walker in Wisconsin lost.  Rohrabacher in Orange County lost.  The Democrat in Nevada flipped a Senate seat.  And more . . .

Onward . . .

There Are No Easy Answers!

The focus is again on the violence that has erupted in this land of the free.  Blacks shot in a grocery store because the guy couldn’t get into a church that he had targeted.  Bombs sent to
Trump critics by a MAGA true believer.  Old people slaughtered in a synagogue by a virulent anti-Semite.  And those are just the ones in today’s headlines.  Less visible is the long line of others wanting to do the same.

So the commentators, the survivors, the politicians and the 24/7 media are trying to figure out what’s going on, why, what can we do, what does all this mean, who’s to blame, etc. etc.  Trump is the easiest target.  For sure his divisive, bigoted rhetoric of hate deserves to be called out and deplored, but he’s the messenger, the accelerant, for what’s already going on in this country, not the source of it. 

I would argue that as Americans we have much to be proud of – from the beginning to the present.  But we also have an incredible ability to buy into the myth we’ve created about how wonderful we are.  America First.  American Exceptionalism.  Leader of the Free World. Gleaming City on the Hill.

In fits and starts we’ve acknowledged the dirty underbelly of America the Beautiful, but we’ve never really fully confronted it.  The racism.  The religious prejudice.  The income inequality.  The discrimination against the ‘others,’ whoever the latest ‘others’ may be – especially if they aren’t white and don’t speak English.

Is it worse now than in the past?  Not really.  Just more obvious given 21^st century communication.  Will we wake up in time to reverse direction and come closer to realizing our American Myth?  I’d like to say I’m hopeful.  But I’m not.

There are no easy answers!

Thoughts for Today!

The Saudi explanation about what happened to Khashoggi is ludicrous.

In tonight’s game, there is one more chance to send the Dodgers home for the year.  Go Brewers!

In Yemen, 14 million people – many of whom are children – are at risk of dying from lack of food and/or bombs, and the world is looking the other way.

About the midterms, they say all politics is local.  Dems better hope that’s true because at the national level they have neither a compelling narrative nor leader.

Why does it seem like every Saturday I read that the Israelis killed more and more Friday demonstrators on the border with Gaza?  Why?  Because every Friday more and more people are killed.

Watch “Leave No Trace,” a wonderful film.

I see that Apple is offering a new OS for Mac – Mojave.  From what I’ve heard I see no reason to hurry and download it.

Surprised?

Does it surprise you:

That right wing governments are turning up all over the place?  Hungary-Poland-Italy-Brazil-Turkey-Myanmar, etc. etc.  And of course, in the United States – or at least on the way.

That homelessness is pervasive in my lovely San Francisco?  For decades local politicians have toured the Tenderloin, witnessed the drugs, debris and despair, wrung their hands at it all and failed to come up with viable solutions.

That people around the world don’t trust their governments and institutions?  Why should they trust when corrupt and self-serving “leaders” are running things?  When income inequality is on the rise?  When they work hard and don’t see the fruits of their labors?

That church attendance is down?  That schools are underfunded and overcrowded?  That an average family can’t afford to buy a house?  That there is an opioid epidemic?  That climate change goals are not being met?  Oops – stop seeing the glass is half empty you say?  Sorry – that’s just the way it looks from here.

Is there hope for the future?  Sure, hope is always possible.  Trouble is, as the old proverb says:  If we don’t change our direction we’re likely to get where we’re headed!

Have a nice day.