In Case You Missed It!

The Brits are going to spend a half billion dollars to refurbish Buckingham Palace.  I wonder if there aren’t a few people in the Sceptered Isle who think there are better ways to spend money other than propping up a creaky, outdated institution in a house that’s falling down.

Researchers in New York City swabbed the keypads of 66 A.T.M.s and found they were covered with microbes from human skin, traces of food and a mold associated with spoiled baked goods.  Icky, they said.  But not to worry – they’re mostly harmless.

Some scientists say that cockatoos are as smart as a 3-year-old human.  Example: In Vienna, a cockatoo named Figaro is fond of making tools.  When a pebble he was playing with fell outside his cage he used a piece of bamboo to try to rake the stone back in.  Terrific!  If your 3-year-old did this would you be impressed?

In the English Premier League last season’s wonder-team champions, Leicester City, is in 14^th place, just ahead of Middlesbrough and a point behind Stoke City.  Disappointing but not surprising.  Who’s on top?  The usual suspects.  Order, and money, again rule the day.

Staying with sports (laughingly said to be fair competition) an additional 75 athletes in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, mostly from Russia and Eastern Europe, have been found guilty of doping violations.  If you are shocked you’ve been living on another planet.

Regarding the stories that dominate the news these days, I’ve said I expect the worst and, for now, will shut up rather than comment.  I’m stickin’ with my story.

Sorting Through the Noise!

The clamor is deafening.  It seems that everyone has something to say.

Some are in one of the five stages of grieving.

Some are angry.

Some are worried.

Some are blissful.

Some are wondering who will be chosen.

Some are floating names of who might be chosen.

Some are appalled at who they think might be chosen.

Some are depressed and would rather not get out of bed.

Some are challenged and want to keep fighting.

Some caution patience.

Some are philosophical and say we’ve weathered worse.

Some say we should not compromise with evil.

Some say we should find common issues and work together.

Everyone’s got something to say.

Me?  I think I’ll just shut up for a while and live my life.

What Now?

It’s like waking up in the middle of a bad dream and realizing that it isn’t a dream.

It’s still like that.  The bad dream has not faded away, nor is it likely to any time soon.  So what now?

I have no interest in the conjectures, analyses, anguished screams that ‘the sky is falling’, or pollyanna-ish voices telling me that everything will be all right.  I’m only interested is seeing what is going to happen.

I expect the worst and hope I’m wrong.  I see no place to hide.  The three branches of government will be aligned to promote their agenda and thwart any opposition.  Promises that were made that tapped into widespread anger and discontent and yielded an electoral victory will not be kept.  So the anger and discontent will not disappear.

Watching the electoral maps on TV as the results came in and the blanks were filled in was surreal.  The urban enclaves in blue seemed insignificant as a tidal wave of red engulfed them.  It seemed inexorable – and it was.

A broader point of view is instructive, but it doesn’t help.  We’re just the latest example of a red tide that is sweeping the world.  Populism, dissatisfaction, nativism, authoritarian rulers – they’re everywhere.  Beyond Brexit we see examples all over Europe, and in Russia, China, India, the Philippines, and beyond.

So what now?  I think I’ll focus on what I care about most and can influence.  At the top of my list are those closest to me and being grateful for my well-being and good fortune.  Every day is a gift that I want to fully appreciate and enjoy.  All the rest is noise.

Sports Respite!

Today is a chance to talk about anything other than the election.  I choose sports.

The Santa Clara 49ers lost their seventh in a row yesterday.  What a shame!  Go Raiders.

Bob Bradley, first American manager in the English Premier League, has three losses and a tie in his first four games in charge of Swansea.  Calls to get rid of him are growing louder.

Andy Murray is now rated #1 in tennis.  He won’t be there for long.

Dale Earnhardt was pulled over for speeding.  He should do more of it where it’s legal.

The glow from the Cubs lingers.  Well deserved.

Speaking of the Cubs – Giants broadcaster Mike Krukow blasted Cub Manager Joe Maddon for bad decisions in the postseason.  Comments may be justified, but Kruk came off seeming petty.  And Maddon, after all, did win.

Can anybody beat Alabama.  Hope springs eternal, but not likely.  Roll Tide?

Tiger’s back next month.  Good for business and the fans.  I hope he does well.

The Warriors are not off to a great start.  Two losses already.  What’s going on, guys?

Juventus is still on top in Serie A.  Go Juve!

And my buddy Keefy is in Seventh Heaven because Leeds is up to 6^th in the Championship.  Go Leeks!