Will President Biden's Anti-Semitism Strategy Address Hate Speech at CUNY & Other College Campuses?

Earlier this month, the graduating class of City University of New York Law School was treated to a virulently anti-Semitic speech by Fatima Mohammed, a member of CUNY's Students for Justice in Palestine. 

During her incendiary remarks, Mohammed claimed, "Israel continues to indiscriminately rain bullets and bombs on worshipers, murdering the old, the young, attacking the funerals and graveyards as it encourages lynch mobs.”

In case she didn't make her anti-Semitism clear, Mohammed also claimed CUNY "trains IDF soldiers" and "committed to its donors, not its students."

Needless to say, this sort of speech is defamatory and is intended to promote hatred of Jews. So how will President Biden's National Strategy to Confront Anti-Semitism address the hatred spewed by the likes of Mohammed and those who support the BDS movement. It is a question well worth asking when we consider that Mohammed was elected by CUNY law students to be their convocation speaker. 

While President Biden's strategy calls upon colleges to "issue clear and unwavering statements condemning all forms of hate, including antisemitism, especially in the wake of antisemitic incidents". CUNY did just that - the day before Mohammed's speech. So long as anti-Semitic views are tolerated on campus such statements are utterly meaningless. Indeed, it is the second year in a row that CUNY Law's commencement speaker focused nearly all of her speech blaming Israel for all of the world's ills. If hate has no place at CUNY then they must not provide a platform for hate speech. 

Of course, there are those who will argue freedom of speech. But this argument rings hollow. I cannot see those who support Mohammed and BDS permitting a white supremacist from speaking on campus. This has nothing to do with freedom of speech. The aim and objective to other Jews by means of exclusion and intimidation all the while spreading Palestinian misinformation creating and exacerbating anti-Semitism.

Unfortunately, it appears that left-wing organizations unsympathetic towards Israel convinced the Biden Administration to turn a blind eye to the kind of hate speech which reared its ugly head at CUNY. All of which means we are going to see a lot more openly anti-Semitic convocation addressing college graduates. 

In which case, it will be only a matter of time before someone who listens to an anti-Semitic convocation speaker sees fit to commit a lethal attack against a Jewish organization much in the way the white supremacist who is currently standing trial for killing 11 Jews at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. 

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad President Biden is addressing anti-Semitism. But in order for his strategy to work his administration must address all sources of anti-Semitism. 

Alberta Voters Choose a Leader Who Compared Them To Followers of Hitler For Getting Vaccinated

Yesterday, Alberta voters rewarded the United Conservative Party with a second majority government this time under Danielle Smith. This despite the fact that Smith once likened the 75% of Albertans who received the COVID vaccine to Nazis. 

The UCP was first elected four years ago under the leadership of Jason Kenney when they ousted the NDP led by Rachel Notley. However, Kenney would be heavily criticized for his handling of the COVID pandemic among his own ranks and would resign from office last October. Kenney was succeeded by Danielle Smith. 

Smith is no stranger to Alberta politics. In 2009, she became the leader of the upstart Wildrose Party, a conservative party which believed the Tories weren't conservative enough. In 2012, Smith would become leader of the official opposition. But then in a stunning move she and most of the Wildrose caucus would cross the floor to join the Tories in 2014 after Jim Prentice became Premier. The following the year, the Tories' 44-year grip on power was smashed to smithereens by Notley's NDP and Smith was out of the political arena.

Smith had spent most of the past 7 years in local talk radio peddling conspiracy theories when she re-entered politics last year. Shortly after becoming Premier, Smith called the unvaccinated, "The most discriminated against group that I've ever witnessed in my lifetime" and briefly considered amending Alberta's human rights code to include the unvaccinated as a protected group. 

The comment likening Albertans who received the COVID vaccine to followers of Hitler took place in November 2021 but resurfaced at the outset of the election campaign earlier this month. Smith did apologize for the comments, but it was hardly the first time she had invoked Nazi imagery with regard to COVID vaccines. Indeed, in a column Smith wrote for the Calgary Herald in March 2021, she likened the development of the COVID vaccines to medical experiments conducted on Jews by Nazi doctors. 

Notwithstanding Smith's kooky and unhinged views, she and her party won 52.6% of the vote last night capturing 49 out of 87 seats in the Alberta legislature. Perhaps the apology was enough for most Albertans. Or perhaps most Albertans don't mind when their leader likens them to followers of the Fuhrer. 

If Albertans are prepared to elect Smith as their Premier, then it is entirely possible Canadians at large will choose Pierre Poilievre as the next Prime Minister. In which case, Trumpism will have spread to my home and native land.

Celtics Fall Short in Comeback Bid Against Heat in NBA Eastern Conference Finals

The Boston Celtics fell short in their bid to become the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series losing 103-84 to the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

The Celtics appeared dead in the water but took the Heat to the brink highlighted by Derrick White's buzzer-beater in Game 6. A win tonight would have been reminiscent of the Boston Red Sox coming back from 3-0 deficit in the 2004 ALCS before going on to win their first World Series title in 86 years. 

Alas, the Heat are going to play in their 7th NBA Final, seeking their fourth title against the Denver Nuggets who are in their very first NBA Final. All I can say now is, "Go Nuggets!!!"

No, Robert Kennedy, Jr. Will Not Be The 2024 Democratic Party Presidential Nominee

I try to ignore really foolish thoughts. But occasionally, I'll read something so foolish that I just have to comment on it. 

Douglas MacKinnon, who worked in both the Reagan and Bush 41 White Houses, believes Robert Kennedy, Jr. will be the Democratic Party's nominee in 2024.

To be fair, MacKinnon does have a modicum of self-awareness and recognizes the absurdity of his thesis when he writes, "Cue the laughter and the prejoratives."

MacKinnon believes RFK, Jr. will win the nomination in part because he believes President Biden will drop out of the race due to concerns over his age. He bases this on polls and because of Hillary Clinton's recent statement that voters ought to take Biden's age into consideration. Mind you, this is the same Hillary Clinton who does not believe 89-year old California Senator Dianne Feinstein should not retire from office despite her serious health problems including those which have affected her short-term memory. 

Frankly, this is just wishful thinking on MacKinnon's part. Biden is running and so is Trump. Anyone who claims to be concerned about Biden being 80 but not concerned about Trump about to turn 77 next month is being disingenuous. 

But let's humor MacKinnon and say Biden does inexplicably withdraw from the race? What makes MacKinnon think Democrats will turn to a guy who thinks Tucker Carlson is "breathtakingly courageous"? MacKinnon also defends RFK, Jr. as someone who "dared to question the lockdowns, masking and vaccine mandates that came in the wake of the COVID-19 virus." Again, what makes MacKinnon think a majority of Democratic primary voters are going to support who not only opposed COVID measures but invoked the Nazis in doing so? Such rhetoric makes indistinguishable from Marjorie Taylor Greene, a figure loathed by Democrats. Indeed, RFK, Jr. just saw fit to defend Roger Waters' anti-Semitic behavior in Germany. 

MacKinnon adds the mystique of the Kennedy name while also likening him to Jimmy Carter. I can tell you the Kennedy name does not carry the same weight it once did. Just ask Joe Kennedy III after he unsuccessfully challenged Ed Markey for the Senate here in Massachusetts in 2020. RFK, Jr's nephew lost to Markey by double digits. 

As for Carter, MacKinnon says RFK, Jr. reminds him of the 39th President because the media also ignored him. The media ignored Carter simply because he was largely unknown at the time. The same cannot be said for RFK, Jr. As MacKinnon acknowledges, RFK, Jr. has the Kennedy name. He is trying to have it both ways but ends up with nothing at all. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think RFK, Jr. will be any more successful against Biden than Ted Kennedy was in challenging Carter in 1980. 

Whether MacKinnon likes it or not, President Biden is going to be the Democratic Party standard bearer come hell or high water.

Will Congress Pass The Biden-McCarthy Debt Ceiling Deal?

President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached a deal to increase the debt ceiling on Friday night. Congress is expected to vote on the measure on Wednesday. The question is will it pass. 

Of course, this is a crisis caused by Republicans. If Donald Trump were still President, McCarthy and his caucus wouldn't blink an eye at raising the debt ceiling let alone entertain spending cuts. But since Biden is President, Republicans must be repulsive and threaten the very foundation of our economy.

Nevertheless, a deal was made. To be sure, this is shotgun marriage and there will be aspects of unappealing to both sides at the wedding party. Such is the nature of compromise. But for many, compromise is anathema, and no deal is better than passing the deal. Yet should there be no deal by June 5th then it means the government runs out of money and a first-time default on the national debt. There are many Republicans won't vote for the deal no matter what as they do not care if we default. At the same, I also worry that some Democrats will cut their nose to spite our face. This means you AOC.

There are too many in this country who want chaos and instability so as to enhance their personal brand and to hell with us peasants who lose our jobs, homes and life savings in the process.

Boebert Claims President Biden's Strategy to Confront Anti-Semitism Targets Conservatives

Yesterday, I expressed my concerns with President Biden's strategy on confronting anti-Semitism might be too narrowly focused on white supremacists. While white supremacists are definitely anti-Semites, they are not the only anti-Semites. Activists for the Palestinian cause often engage in anti-Semitic behavior and I fear the Biden Administration may be inclined to ignore it.

But Colorado Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert objects to President Biden's initiative altogether claiming it targets conservatives. Boebert tweeted, "When they say stuff like this, they mean they want to go after conservatives. Their tactics are straight out of the USSR's playbook."

The report begins with a reference to the neo-Nazis who marched in Charlottesville. Does Boebert consider these neo-Nazis to be her fellow conservatives? Does she share defeated, former President Trump's view that there were "good people on both sides"?

Or perhaps Boebert thinks the Biden Administration is specifically targeting her. After all, in July 2021, Boebert described medical personnel carrying out Biden's COVID vaccination initiative as "Needle Nazis". Six months later, she also confronted a group of Orthodox Jews visiting Congress and asked them if they were doing "reconnaissance". If public officials see fit to engage in that kind of behavior, then yes they ought to be called out for anti-Semitism and if that offends Boebert's sensibilities such as they are then too damn bad.

It was left to White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates to defend conservatism when he stated, “Congresswoman Boebert is mistaken; antisemitism is not ‘conservative’ ― it is evil.” 

By decrying President Biden's initiative to confront anti-Semitism, Boebert is telling anti-Semites they have a home in the Republican Party. Now that is evil.

It was left to White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates to defend conservatism when he stated, “Congresswoman Boebert is mistaken; antisemitism is not ‘conservative’ ― it is evil,” 

Ed Ames Will Always Be Remembered For The Tomahawk Throw With Johnny Carson

A short time ago, I read that actor/singer Ed Ames had passed away on May 21st at the age of 95. 

A native of Malden, Massachusetts, Ames was part of The Ames Brothers as a singer and would later play Mingo, an American Indian on the TV series Daniel Boone. However, Ames will be best remembered for an appearance he made on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1965 when he demonstrated his tomahawk throw which he had mastered during his time on Daniel Boone.

If you've seen it then you know. If you haven't then I'm not going to give anything away other than you will have a good laugh by which to remember Ed Ames. R.I.P.

A Brief Thought on The Biden Administration's National Strategy To Counter Anti-Semitism

Today, President Biden unveiled a National Strategy to Counter Anti-Semitism in response to the recent surge of anti-Semitic incidents which have taken place in this country in recent years.

I am of two minds on the subject. On the one hand, I am glad the Biden Administration recognizes anti-Semitism and wants to take steps to combat it. On the other hand, I wonder if the Biden Administration is prepared to combat all forms of anti-Semitism. 

The preamble makes a point of mentioning the events of Charlottesville in 2017 when white supremacists chanted, "Jews will not replace us." It is a salient point since "white replacement theory" has gained currency among mainstream Republicans (i.e. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar) and the conservative ecosphere especially Tucker Carlson. Anti-Semitism inspired by white supremacy must be countered.

Yet it is equally important to combat anti-Semitism among those who support the Palestinians including among President Biden's own ranks in the Democratic Party such as Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Jamaal Bowman as well as among so-called progressives. 

It is worth noting that only last month that NYU held a symposium on anti-Semitism not unlike the one held today in the White House. Yet this symposium was disrupted by pro-Palestinian groups shouting, "Palestine will be free". By Palestine they mean all of Israel and a Palestine free of Jews. If that isn't anti-Semitism then nothing is. If the Biden Administration is serious about countering anti-Semitism then it must counter Palestinian activists who seek to disrupt discussions about anti-Semitism and must do so with the same vigor that they rightly confront white supremacists.

An 11-Year Old Boy in Mississippi Calls The Police For Help; Police End Up Shooting Him

Last Saturday, an 11-year old boy from Indianola, Mississippi called police for help in resolving a domestic dispute. Instead, police shot 11-year old boy was in the chest.

While the child who has been identified as Aderrien Murry will survive and is out of hospital, he has sustained a collapsed lung, fractured ribs and a lacerated liver. Aside from what is likely a long physical recovery, there will be emotional scars that will likely never heal. Murry asked, "Why did he shoot me? What did I do wrong?" He will probably ask these questions for as long as he lives.

Let's keep in mind this child thought the police could make things better. Do you think this child will ever trust the police again? If police are prepared to wantonly shoot an 11-year old African-American child for seeking help, then it is more than understandable why many in the African-American community want as little to do with the police as possible. The alienation will dig deeper should the D.A. in Sunflower County sees fit not to charge the officer with a crime notwithstanding whatever civil remedies the Murry family might attain down the line. No amount of compensation can make up for a loss of trust and an unwillingness to bring wrongdoers to justice because they wear a police uniform.

Roger Waters Dresses Up in a SS Uniform in Germany; Equates Anne Frank With Shireen Abu Akleh

While in concert last week in Berlin, former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters donned an SS uniform and projected an image of Anne Frank alongside Shireen Abu Akleh. 

For starters, wearing a SS uniform is a breach of German law. But I'm sure Waters figures he will get away with it. After all, he did it before. Officials in Frankfurt banned him from performing but Waters sued and won.

Of course, Waters' agenda is to equate Israel with Nazi Germany just as Mahmoud Abbas does in his role as President of the Palestinian Authority.  Hence placing images of Anne Frank and Shireen Abu Akleh side by side. Abu Akleh was the Palestinian-American journalist accidentally killed by the IDF in crossfire with Palestinians a year ago. Earlier this month, the IDF formally apologized for her death. 

Even if Israel is in the wrong where it concerns Abu Akleh's death there is world of difference between Israel and the Nazis who rounded up Jews for the purpose of sending them to their deaths until every last Jew on Earth was killed. Suffice it to say, the Nazis never apologized for killing Anne Frank let alone any of the 6 million Jews they slaughtered. Indeed, there were a great many Palestinians who cheered on the Nazis. Given Waters' apparent fetish with the SS perhaps he wished he could have done the same.

(Photo via i24news)

Tina Turner, R.I.P.

Rock 'n roll legend Tina Turner passed away today of a long illness. She was 83. 

The Tennessee native's musical career can be divided into very distinct phases. First, there was the nearly 20 years she spent with Ike Turner in The Ike and Tina Turner Revue. Their act was known for their scintillating live performances. They are best remembered for "River Deep, Mountain High" and "Proud Mary". The former was not a hit on this side of the Atlantic but covers by artists such as Eric Burdon and The Animals as well as Deep Purple gave it new life while the latter proved to be their only Top 10 hit.

Of course, Turner was subject to a torrent of physical abuse by her husband. In 1976, she finally left him virtually penniless. Turner would spend nearly the next decade toiling in obscurity until she signed with Capitol Records in 1983. After scoring a modest hit with a cover of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", Capitol would agree to do a full-length album Private Dancer which was released 39 years ago this month.

The album would begin the second phase of her career and launch the 44-year old singer into the stratosphere led by her biggest hit "What's Love Got To Do With It". Other hits would follow including "Better Be Good To Me", the title track "Private Dancer" and "Show Some Respect". 

In 1985, Turner would appear in the movie Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome and would score the hit "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)". She also collaborated with Bryan Adams on his song, "It's Only Love." Turner's follow up album Break Every Rule would also enjoy success when it was released in 1986 featuring her second number one hit, "Typical Male". During this period, Turner's popularity rivaled that of Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince and Bruce Springsteen. She would end the 1980's with the hit, "Simply The Best".

The hits would slow in the 1990's, but Turner would remain in the public eye with the 1993 movie What's Love Got To Do With It starring Angela Bassett as Turner and Laurence Fishburne as Ike Turner. Turner would continue to tour until announcing her retirement in 2000. She made a brief comeback in 2008-2009 beginning with a much-heralded appearance at The Grammys singing "Proud Mary" with Beyonce (with John Fogerty watching on in approval in the audience) before embarking on her final world tour. 

Turner would spend the last decade of her life in Switzerland with her new husband. During this time, she would put together a musical based on her life called Tina: The Tina Turner Musical which debuted on the London stage in 2018 and on Broadway in 2019. I leave you with Turner performing "River Deep, Mountain High" at the 1989 Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies. R.I.P.

DeSantis To Announce White House Bid With a Strong Odor of Musk

Tomorrow evening Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will announce his bid to be the Republican standard bearer in the 2024 election.

DeSantis will make the announcement on Twitter while in conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk. I’m not sure why DeSantis wants Musk to do him what he has done to Twitter other than to enlist him to fight his battles against Donald Trump. While Trump will likely call Musk overrated, Musk will simply remind people he is richer than Trump. All the while DeSantis campaigns as the two titans fight it out. But Musk won’t be on the debate stage with Trump. And Musk could cool on DeSantis if he underperforms and could champion someone like Tim Scott. 

I don’t see DeSantis defeating Trump. The only way DeSantis wins the Republican nomination is if Trump dies. And if DeSantis does win then he will lose to President Biden because he comes across like such an asshole. DeSantis managed to make a billion dollar corporation look like sympathetic underdogs. Hell, he makes Ted Cruz likable. Well, almost. The only way DeSantis beats Biden is if Congress refuses to certify the election which they could if Republicans are in control of either House.

Perhaps this is a dry run for 2028. But if DeSantis flops there won’t be a race to run in four years from now. I have a feeling DeSantis is going to learn the hard way and annoy a great many people along the way.

Rick Hoyt Lived a Full & Rewarding Life

Rick Hoyt, who partook in more than 30 Boston Marathons with his father Dick, passed away yesterday of   a respiratory illness. He was 61.

The younger Hoyt was born with cerebral palsy and his parents were told he would have no quality of life. The Hoyts would have none of that and did everything they could to integrate him as a full member of society. While still a teenager, the Hoyts began competing in local races eventually running the Boston Marathon together for the first time in 1980. Over the next three plus decades, Team Hoyt would compete in marathons, triathlons and numerous other races all over the world. The elder Hoyt retired in 2014 and would be replaced by a family friend named Brian Lyons from 2015 to 2019. Sadly, both the elder Hoyt and Lyons died within a year of each other in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Whatever limitations Rick Hoyt’s body placed upon him, he lived a full and rewarding life by any measure for he experienced things and went to places few of us ever see. I can only hope he left this world with those joys in his heart. R.I.P.

Like Nikki Haley, Tim Scott is Running To Be Trump's VP; Unlike Haley, Scott Has a Chance

On Friday, South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott filed the necessary paperwork to formally launch his bid for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. An official announcement is expected tomorrow morning. 

His forthcoming announcement will come a little over three months after his fellow Palmetto state resident Nikki Haley launched her presidential bid. My views of Scott's presidential bid are fairly similar to Haley's bid. When news came to light regarding Haley's bid, I figured he was in the running too. 

As with Haley, I don't think Scott has a snowball's chance in hell of winning the nomination. As with Haley, Scott will aim his barbs at other GOP hopefuls namely Florida Governor Ron DeSantis which Haley has been doing particularly where it concerns Disney. As with Haley, Scott is running to be Trump's VP pick. But unlike Haley, Scott actually has a chance of being picked.

While it is more likely than not that Trump will pick a woman to be his running mate (i.e. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kari Lake, Kristi Noem or perhaps even someone like Marsha Blackburn) I don't think it is beyond the realm of possibility that Trump could pick an African-American male like Scott to be his running mate. Aside from the fact that his profile will be increased considerably, should Trump pick Scott it could offset accusations of racism which have often been leveled at Trump. I think Haley is out of the picture because Trump does not perceive her as being loyal. At this point, Trump does not have such a problem with Scott. 

Following January 6th, Haley briefly broke with Trump. By contrast, Scott said that Trump "is the one person I don't blame" for the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Who do you think Trump would rather have as his running mate?

Jim Brown, R.I.P.

NFL legend, actor and civil rights activist Jim Brown passed away on Thursday night. No cause of death has been released. He was 87.

Brown came to prominence during his 9-year NFL career spent entirely with the Cleveland Browns establishing himself not only as the game’s greatest running back averaging more than 100 rushing yards for the entirety of his career but there are those who make the case that Brown was the greatest NFL player of all time. Brown earned Pro Bowl selections in all 9 seasons, thrice winning the NFL MVP and an NFL championship in 1964. Cleveland has not seen a football championship since. 

Brown gave up the gridiron to pursue acting appearing notably in “The Dirty Dozen”. With Brown’s passing, Donald Sutherland is the last surviving cast member. Other notable movies included “Ice Station Zebra” and “100 Rifles” which was notable for his interracial love scenes with Raquel Welch though the two did not get along well on set. Brown’s passing comes just over three months after Welch’s death also at the age of 87.

I did not know that Brown was an outstanding lacrosse player leading Syracuse University to three consecutive championships. Brown later became a part-owner of the now defunct New York Lizards of Major League Lacrosse.

In recent years, Brown courted controversy for his embrace of former President Trump meeting with him on several occasions. Of course, Brown was a significant figure in the Civil Rights Movement and notably debated Georgia’s segregationist Governor Lester Maddox on “The Dick Cavett Show” in 1970. 

It is worth noting Brown was charged with several violent assaults over his lifetime though he only two misdemeanor convictions for assaulting his golf partner in 1975 and for domestic violence in 1999. I mention it here because in this instance Brown showed remarkable restraint against Maddox who was baiting him with his bigotry. Here Brown took the higher road and hopefully it is on the higher road on which he is now ascending. R.I.P.

Haley Says NYC Subway Killer Should Be Pardoned

Taking a page from Ron DeSantis' book, GOP presidential hopeful Nikki Haley in an interview with Fox News called upon New York Governor Kathy Hochul to pardon the NYC subway killer Daniel Penny.

While Haley didn't call Penny "a Good Samaritan" like DeSantis did she sing his praises for taking a human life claiming, “He saw danger. He was trying to protect himself and the other people on that subway." Haley added that as a Marine it was in Penny's "blood to defend and protect".

So being a Marine gives one license to take someone's life? While Jordan Neely's behavior might have warranted an arrest for disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and uttering threats, he did not have a weapon on his person, nor did he initiate physical contact with anyone on the train. Daniel Penny wasn't protecting anyone on that train. Well, at least one witness saw things quite differently and informed Penny that he was in the act of killing Neely and could face a murder charge. But according to Haley, we don't need to bother with a trial because it is OK to choke a black, homeless person to death if you are in Marine and it is in your blood to defend and protect. It is OK to take the law into your own hands.

As with DeSantis, I don't think Haley honestly believes what she is saying. She just wants the MAGA vote and is perfectly fine to jump in on the NYC subway killer's bandwagon if it will get her votes. While Haley might not believe what she is saying she certainly hope that MAGA crowd does.

Mahmoud Abbas Has Been Comparing Israel to The Nazis His Whole Life

I am not shocked that Mahmoud Abbas would liken Israel to Nazi Germany in front of the UN General Assembly. That Abbas would say of Israel, "They continue to lie, like Goebbels, and they continue to lie until people believe their lies," is standard operating procedure for the Palestinian President whose term of office expired 15 years ago. 

Abbas used that office last August to claim Israel had committed "50 Holocausts" on German soil in the presence of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He is no different now than when he was 40 years ago when he wrote his doctoral thesis claiming Zionists had collaborated with the Nazis. 

While I am glad Deborah Lipstadt, the Biden Administration's Anti-Semitism Envoy, denounced Abbas' statement, he ought to be persona non grata in the international community. Yet it is the international community which feted him when the UN saw fit to observe "Nakba Day" which considers Israel's creation to be a catastrophe. Most EU nations were present for this observation where Abbas called for Israel to be suspended by the UN. 

Mahmoud Abbas is 87 and it is only a matter of time before he leaves the international stage. But the international community which enabled him will very likely continue to equate Israel with Nakba and thus indulge more comparisons to Nazi Germany. They shall do so until much of the so-called civilized world also equates Israel to Nazi Germany. This will be Abbas' ugly legacy. 

DeSantis Calls NYC Subway Killer "A Good Samaritan"; Accuses Disney of "Waging Jihad"

In a sure sign that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is seeking the 2024 GOP nomination, he has within a matter of days called the New York City subway killer "a Good Samaritan" and also accused Disney of "waging jihad."

On Friday, DeSantis tweeted, “We stand with Good Samaritans like Daniel Penny. Let’s show this Marine... America’s got his back."

When I think of a Good Samaritan, I think of someone who tends to the sick and injured, gives aid to a stranded motorist or provides food, water and shelter to those without. I don't think choking someone to death qualifies one as a Good Samaritan. I also don't think DeSantis actually believes it, but he knows other people do. And by tapping into that sentiment, he hopes he can thwart Donald Trump from being the Republican standard bearer for a third consecutive time. If that means perverting the concept of what a Good Samaritan, then so be it.

In an interview with The American Conservative, DeSantis claimed Disney with regard to Florida's "Don't Say Gay Bill" was engaging in a campaign “to wage a jihad against this bill legislatively" (sic). This "jihad" to which DeSantis refers consists of a tweet written by Disney CEO Bob Iger in February 2022 which reads, “If passed, this bill will put vulnerable, young LGBTQ people in jeopardy.”

Of course, jihad means holy war and most people associate jihad with Islamic terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda, ISIS, Hamas, Hezbollah and, well, Islamic Jihad. Contrary to what DeSantis would have us believe, Disney does not belong in such company. But if anyone is engaging in a "holy war" it is DeSantis by singling out Disney for having the temerity to publicly disagree with one of his measures. 

DeSantis' campaign against so-called "woke corporations" speaks to a philosophy of fundamentalism - at least for show. As with his support for the New York City subway killer, this is about trying to peel off Trump voters. Whether it works or not remains to be seen. But this won't be the last time DeSantis does his part to corrupt language, religion not to mention our civil discourse for the sake of his own petty ambitions.

Michael J. Fox is The Luckiest Man on The Face of The Earth

Earlier today, I went to the Kendall Square Cinema to see “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, the film documents Fox’s ongoing battle with Parkinson’s Disease which has now afflicted him for more than half his life.

Fox, who turns 62 next month, is now in an advanced stage of the disease in which he is now subject to frequent falls resulting in multiple broken bones and surgeries. There is a scene where he is walking on 5th Avenue in New York City and he falls to the horror of a woman passing by. Without missing a beat he says, “I’ve fallen for you.” To borrow a phrase from Lou Gehrig’s book, Michael J. Fox is the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.

The greatest source of his fortune is Tracy Pollan, his wife of 35 years and their four children. When Fox learned he had the disease she told him, “In sickness and in health.” Talk about marrying the right woman. Having a loving family as part of one’s support network is invaluable. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt to have financial resources.

Sadly, not everyone with Parkinson’s (or for that matter many other terminal diseases) is so blessed thus making the battle that much more arduous. How many afflicted with Parkinson’s suffer in desolation and isolation? I think it would be fair to say that absent these blessings Michael J. Fox would have left this Earth long ago.

A Reel Funny Thing Happened While Seeing Rushmore at The Brattle

On Saturday night, I went to the Brattle Theatre to see a 25th anniversary screening of Wes Anderson's Rushmore starring Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray and Olivia Williams.

I had never seen Rushmore before, so I figured now was as a good a time as any. What made the screening unusual was that only one of their projectors was working. As a result, when a reel finished the screen would go black and it would take a couple of minutes for the projectionist to add the new reel. It made for an interesting format as people would talk in between reels as if it were a brief intermission. 

The reel would last 20 minutes so this happened during the film five times. During the fourth change, the projectionist made some kind of mistake and as a result the reel we had just watch began playing in reverse. So the movements and dialogue were all backwards. It took a good minute for the projectionist to realize that something was amiss. When the screen went black it resulted in the loudest applause of the night. 

While Rushmore was a good movie, it was this unusual way of viewing it which made it memorable.

Don Denkinger, R.I.P.

Former big league umpire Don Denkinger passed away on Friday at the age of 86. No cause of death was released. 

Denkinger umpired in the American League for 30 seasons from 1969 to 1998. During that 30-year career, Denkinger was a highly regarded umpire. Yet highly regarded umpires are seldom remembered by name. 

For the 4,000 plus games, Denkinger umpired he will be forever remembered in infamy (especially by St. Louis Cardinals) for his blown call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series between the Cardinals and Kansas City Royals.

The Cardinals were three outs away from winning the World Series in the bottom of the ninth. Royals pinch hitter Jorge Orta began the inning for the Royals by hitting a weak ground ball fielded by first baseman Jack Clark who tossed it to pitcher Todd Worrell. Denkinger called Orta safe but the instant replay clearly showed Orta was out. However, in 1985, there was no mechanism to appeal a bad call. Orta was safe and all hell broke loose for the Cardinals. 

Clark and Cardinals catcher Darrell Porter had a miscommunication on a foul ball hit by Steve Balboni. On the very next pitch, Balboni single. Porter then allowed a passed ball which set up Dane Iorg's game winning hit to send the World Series to Game 7 in which the Royals trounced the Cardinals 11-0. Denkinger would work Game 7 behind home plate and would toss both Cardinals manager Whitey Herzog and pitcher Joaquin Andujar. Fair or not, Denkinger's call is widely credited for the Royals winning their first World Series title.

In the years that followed, although Denkinger would acknowledge his mistake, he would persistently get death threats. Yet Denkinger would continue in the game and umpire in the 1991 World Series between the Minnesota Twins and the Atlanta Braves. Indeed, Denkinger was behind home plate when Jack Morris tossed a complete game, 10-inning shutout to give the Twins their first World Series title. This ought to have been a crowning achievement, but umpires are not remembered when they do their job. 

Fortunately, Denkinger found a way to live with his mistake and could handle being reminded of it. R.I.P.

Bernie Sanders Gave Rashida Tlaib a Platform To Spread Anti-Semitism

I seldom agree with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on anything, but he did the right thing not allowing Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib from hosting an "Nakba Day" event in the House Visitor Center. "Nakba" refers to the creation of Israel as a "catastrophe". 

In point of fact, the UN created two states in 1947 - one Jewish and one Arab. The only catastrophe was the refusal of Arabs/Palestinians to accept this fact and share the land. For this, they have only themselves to blame. "Nakba Day" is little more than an opportunity to defame Israel by falsely accusing it of ethnic cleansing and being an apartheid state. So McCarthy did the right thing and instead hosted a bipartisan event celebrating Israel's history.

And then along came Bernie Sanders who offered Tlaib the use of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee room. Sanders is the Chair of this Committee and can welcome anyone he sees fit. But by Sanders seeing Tlaib as fit he thus gave her a platform to spread anti-Semitism. Yes, Sanders is Jewish but he has long minimized his Jewish identity and spread misinformation about Israel.

For his part, Sanders did not attend the event. The only other member of Congress present was Missouri Democrat Cori Bush though she did not speak at the gathering. Among those speaking at this event was Rutgers University professor Noura Erekat who a year ago declared "Zionism is a bedfellow of Nazism." As Tlaib and company were engaging defamation against Israel, hundreds of Palestinian rockets from Gaza were being shot at civilian targets into Israel. 

Notwithstanding my agreement with McCarthy on his decision, I know full well he is selective in his outrage on anti-Semitism as he is perfectly happy to let anti-Semites like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar to serve on committees. If either were to host anti-Semites on Capitol Hill, I doubt McCarthy would be so eager to take action. 

From where I sit it is equally irresponsible to give a platform to Palestinian inspired anti-Semitism as it is to give a platform to anti-Semitism inspired by white supremacists. Bernie Sanders is guilty of doing so. However tenuous his Jewish identity might be the fact that a Jew would give anti-Semitism a platform is utterly reprehensible. 

NYC Subway Killer Charged With 2nd Degree Manslaughter in Death of Jordan Neely

Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg will charge Daniel Penny with second degree manslaughter after he choked Jordan Neely to death on the MTA on May 1st. Formal charges will be laid after Penny is arrested, taken into custody and arraigned possibly as soon as tomorrow.

Second degree manslaughter is a Class C felony in New York State and, if found guilty, Penny could face up to 15 years in prison. Of course, the key phrase here is “if found guilty”.  The sad truth is there are a lot of New Yorkers who think Penny is a hero for choking a black, homeless man to death. They look upon people like Neely as subhuman savage who deserved to die. 

With that said, there are also many New Yorkers who are appalled by Penny’s actions and would like to see justice served for Jordan Neely. The burden is on Bragg’s office to convince a jury of reasonable people to unanimously agree that Penny acted unreasonably. This is, of course, assuming a jury of reasonable people can be found.

Alabama GOP Senator Tuberville Calls White Nationalists "Americans" Who Should Be a Part Of Our Military

In an interview with a NPR affiliate in Birmingham, Alabama Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville was asked if white nationalists should serve in the U.S. military. To which Tuberville replied, "They (The Biden Administration) call them that. I call them Americans."

In other words, white nationalists are "very fine people." There's more:

We are losing in the military so fast. Our readiness in terms of recruitment. And why? I’ll tell you why, because the Democrats are attacking our military, saying we need to get out the white extremists, the white nationalists, people that don’t believe in our agenda, as Joe Biden’s agenda. They’re destroying it.

Tuberville's staff realized the shit sandwich their Senator had prepared and tried to make it into a tasty cheeseburger, but what they came up with was equally hard to swallow:

Sen. Tuberville’s quote that is cited shows that he was being skeptical of the notion that there are white nationalists in the military, not that he believes they should be in the military.

Nice try. But Tuberville wasn't questioning if there were white nationalists in the military. Tuberville very clearly objected to the Biden Administration weeding them out and went as far as to say to weed them out would be to destroy the U.S. military. Tuberville knew exactly what he was saying. 

After all, this is hardly the first time Tuberville has blown the dog whistle. At a Trump rally in Nevada last October, Tuberville equated African-Americans to criminals:

No, they're not soft on crime, they're pro-crime. They (Democrats) want crime. They want crime because they want to take over what you've got. They want to control what you have. They want reparation because they think the people that do the crime are owed that. Bullshit!

If one believes white nationalists (or white supremacists) should be in the military because they are "Americans" then at the very minimum one has demonstrated their tolerance of racism and anti-Semitism. Because if one believes white supremacists should be in the military and other arenas of public life then there is a very good chance one is in fact a white supremacist. In the case of Senator Tuberville, I would say those chances are very good.

It Would Appear People of Color (Particularly Asians) Were Targeted in The Allen, Texas Massacre

At first glance, it was not clear what motivated someone to get out of their car and start shooting people in a mall parking lot. Even when it became clear the shooter had neo-Nazi and white supremacist sympathies it wasn't immediately evident who he was specifically targeting. 

However, with the names of the victims having been released, 7 of the 8 people killed were persons of color. Of those 7, four were of Asian/South Asian descent. To make matters worse, three of the fatalities were children. The shooter also planned his attack to inflict the maximum number of casualties. 

While authorities in Texas won't officially declare a motive in this case, if one sports tattoos of swastikas, engages in racist rhetoric on social media and then sees fit to target minorities for extermination then I don't think we have to look very far. That is unless the authorities in Texas insist on not looking at all. 

The Allen, Texas Massacre Appears To Be Yet Another Mass Shooting Motivated By Neo-Nazism & White Supremacy

It appears the man responsible for yesterday's mass shooting in Allen, Texas which claimed the lives of 8 people had neo-Nazi and white supremacist sympathies. The shooter was found with a patch on his chest with the insignia "RWDS" which is popular in neo-Nazi and white supremacist circles and stands for "Right Wing Death Squad".

In recent years, a number of the mass shootings which have plagued this country have been motivated by neo-Nazi and white supremacist sympathies such as the 2015 mass shooting at Mother Emmanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, the 2018 mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the 2019 mass shooting at the Chabad of Poway Synagogue in Poway, California, the 2019 mass shooting at the Walmart in El Paso, Texas and the 2022 mass shooting at Tops Friendly Markets in Buffalo, New York. 

The aforementioned shooting targeted specific groups. The mass shootings in Charleston and Buffalo targeted African-Americans, the mass shootings in Pittsburgh and Poway targeted Jews while the mass shooting in El Paso targeted the Hispanic community. 

At this point, it is unclear who the shooter in Allen was specifically targeting. Authorities might ultimately end up treating it the way the mass shooting in Highland Park, Illinois on the Fourth of July was last year notwithstanding the fact it has a significant Jewish population and that the shooter made an eerie visit to a Chabad synagogue the previous Passover. 

The fact that it was done on a national holiday where a large gathering of people was occurring might have been motive enough. For the shooter, a large crowd in front of a shopping mall on a Saturday afternoon might have been the equivalent of a Fourth of July parade. Even if the Allen shooter wasn't targeting any specific group, neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideology espouses violence, and we should not be shocked when it adherents deploy violence in a lethal manner.

While gun control measures such as red flag laws can help, they might not be sufficient to stop those who adhere to violent ideologies be it neo-Nazism/white supremacy or Islamic radicalism (lest we forget the mass shootings at Fort Hood and San Bernadino). In which case, we are presented with the difficult task of preventing radicalization and the willingness to deploy terrorism against innocent civilians. As always there are never any easy answers.

Lawyers Claim NY Subway Killer "Could Not Have Foreseen" Jordan Neely's Death is Nonsense

Lawyers representing Daniel Penny, the man who choked Jordan Neely to death on the New York City subway on May 1st., put out a statement on Friday claiming the 24-year old former Marine "could not have foreseen his untimely death".

Nonsense. 

From The Daily Mail:

'He's defecated on himself... you're going to kill him now,' he said.

Another man who was helping Penny restrain Neely replied that it was an old stain on Neely's trousers, and that Penny was no longer 'squeezing'.

'He's not squeezing? All right. Because after he's defecated himself that's it. You've got to let him go,' he replied.

He then warned of a 'murder charge'.

The second man turned to Neely and said: 'Hey can you hear me?'.

Met with silence, the man told Penny to stand up.

Penny does not speak, but releases Neely and springs to his feet.

That witness certainly foresaw Jordan Neely's death and will make a compelling witness for the prosecution. Granted the charge would more likely be involuntary manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide. Both crimes require "a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe under the circumstances." That witness is a reasonable person, and he witnessed a gross deviation by Mr. Penny as he choked Mr. Neely to death. 

With that being said, convincing a jury of this is another matter. There is the possibility that societal contempt for the homeless combined with prejudice against African-Americans could result in an acquittal. 

Nevertheless, the claim that Daniel Penny could not have foreseen Jordan Neely as a result of his actions is not supported by the facts and, in a perfect world, ought to be sufficient for a conviction. 

Vida Blue, R.I.P.

Former MLB pitcher Vida Blue, best known for his unworldly season in 1971 with the Oakland A's in which he won the AL Cy Young Award and AL MVP, passed away yesterday at the age of 73. No cause of death has been released. Blue's passing comes less than three months after the death of his A's teammate Sal Bando. 

A native of Louisiana, Blue excelled at both baseball and football in high school as a pitcher and a quarterback. Although Blue was recruited by colleges such as Notre Dame to play football, he signed with the Oakland A's after being selected in the 2nd round of the 1967 MLB Draft. 

Blue would make his big-league debut with the A's in 1969 at the age of 19. The young southpaw would turn heads late in the 1970 season after tossing a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins. Blue remains the youngest pitcher in the live ball era to throw a no-hitter. It would be a harbinger of things to come.

In 1971, Blue had a season of which few could dream. Blue went 24-8 with a league leading 1.82 ERA along with 301 strikeouts while also leading the AL with 8 shutouts. Not only would this earn Blue a start at the 1971 All-Star Game, the AL Cy Young Award and AL MVP and the A's first post-season appearance in 40 years, but the cover of Time. 

Following a salary dispute with A's owner Charlie Finley, Blue slipped to 6-10 albeit with a respectable 2.80 ERA in 1972. However, Blue would earn the first of three consecutive World Series rings with the Swingin' A's. Blue would enjoy 20-win seasons in both 1973 and 1975. At the end of the latter season, Blue threw a combined no-hitter with Glenn Abbott, Paul Linblad and Rollie Fingers against the California Angels.

As with most players on the A's, Blue had a volatile relationship with Finley who twice attempted to trade him to the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds only to have those deals vetoed by MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. Eventually, Blue was traded to the San Francisco Giants prior to the 1978 season in a multi-player deal. 

Blue enjoyed a renaissance on the other side of the Bay becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to start the All-Star Game in both leagues. After an 18-win season, Blue finished third in NL Cy Young balloting to Gaylord Perry (who passed away last December). Blue would earn two more NL All-Star selections with the Giants in 1980 and 1981 before being traded to the Kansas City Royals.

After a decent season in K.C. in 1982, Blue was released by the Royals during the 1983 season. Following that campaign, Blue received unwelcome headlines for being among several MLB players who had purchased cocaine. As a result, Blue was sentenced to three months in prison and was suspended for the 1984 season. Blue would return to baseball in 1985 with the Giants and pitch two more seasons. 

In 17 MLB seasons, Blue went 209-161 with a 3.27 ERA along with 2,175 strikeouts. Although Blue never exceeded 10% of the vote on the BBWAA Hall of Fame ballot, he would later be inducted into both the A's and Giants team Halls of Fame. R.I.P.

8 Killed Outside Mall in Allen, Texas; Second Mass Shooting in Lone Star State in 8 Days

On Saturday afternoon a gunman got out of his car and opened fire on people outside Allen Premium Outlets in Allen, Texas - a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb. The gunman killed 8 people and wounded 7 others before being killed by a police officer who was on-site on an unrelated call.  As of this writing, the gunman has not been identified and not motive is known. 

It is the second mass shooting in Texas in 8 days. On April 28th, a man executed five people including a child in the Houston suburb of Cleveland in a neighborhood dispute. In recent years, Texas has seen some of this country's worst mass shootings. In November 2017, the Sunderland Springs Church shooting claimed 27 lives. In May 2018, 10 people were killed at Santa Fe High School. In August 2019, 23 people were killed in a Walmart in El Paso in a racially motivated attack. Then in May 2022, 22 people were killed at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde including 19 children. 

I suppose we can praise Texas Governor Greg Abbott for not mentioning the immigration status of those who died today in Allen. But all Abbott and Ted Cruz can offer are empty words. For them these mass shootings are the price we pay for the liberties enshrined in the Second Amendment. At the rate things are going, we might not have to wait a week for the next mass shooting in Texas and with it their next helping of meaningless thoughts and prayers. 

Linda Lewis, R.I.P.

Singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist Linda Lewis passed away suddenly on Wednesday. She was 72. No cause of death has been released. 

I must confess that I was completely unfamiliar with Lewis until I read about her in June Millington's autobiography Land of a Thousand Bridges: Island Girl in a Rock 'n Roll World. Lewis was signed to Reprise Records as was Fanny and the two acts shared the same bill several times in Lewis' native U.K. as well as in New York.

June likened Lewis to Minnie Ripperton. I'd go a step further. Think of a Minnie Ripperton who could play guitar like Nick Drake and you've got Linda Lewis. 

She recorded 10 solo albums, the bulk of them between 1971 to 1979 having most of her success in the U.K. with singles like "Rock a Doodle-Doo" and her cover of "It's in His Kiss" first made famous by Betty Everett. Lewis also toured extensively with Cat Stevens and was romantically involved with him for a time before his conversion to Islam. She also collaborated with Stevens as a backing vocalist and did the same with David Bowie, Rod Stewart, Al Kooper and Joan Armatrading among others. Earlier this year, Lewis contributed vocals to "Earthling" by The Paracosmos. 

June was particularly fond of "Reach for the Truth" which appeared on her second album Lark. I leave you with her performing it on British TV. R.I.P.

Why Jordan Neely Being Choked To Death On The NYC Subway Is So Deeply Disturbing

I find myself deeply disturbed at the choking death of Jordan Neely on the New York City Subway earlier this week. 

It is true that Neely had a lengthy arrest record including several assaults (though it is unclear if there were any convictions). It is also true Neely was behaving erratically and frightening people and evidently had made threats to hurt people. This probably would have led to yet another arrest. 

But before police showed up, Neely was attacked from behind and put into chokehold and held down by two other passengers. Mind you, at no point, did Neely assault anyone. Neely's actions, however deplorable and unlawful, did not warrant losing his life.

At this point, all we know is that the man who choked Neely to death is a 24-year old, former Marine who lives in Queens. It is entirely possible this individual did not intend to kill Neely. But this man chose to escalate the situation and one can no more survive being in a chokehold for 15 minutes than one can survive having a knee on one's neck for 8 minutes. At the very minimum, this behavior is negligent and reckless and warrant criminal charges. To not do so will likely encourage further vigilantism against homeless people especially if such vigilantism has no consequences.

Of course, further exacerbating matters is the fact the victim is African-American while the perpetrator is white. Again, we know almost nothing about this 24-year old Marine from Queens who was summarily released and thus the lack of consequence. But if we learn of his identity and his social media profile contains racist commentary then watch out. New York is going to explode. 

And what the hell took authorities so long to get there? Again, this man was in a chokehold for 15 minutes. There is no reason for such a slow response to such a volatile situation. Had they arrived sooner perhaps Jordan Neely would still be alive with the chance to turn his life around.

I say all this with the understanding that the man who put Neely into a chokehold might not be charged and even if he is charged might very well be acquitted. In which case, there will be a civil suit brought by Neely's family against the perpetrator as well as the NYPD and the MTA. Still, the anger will remain. So too will the bloodlust. 

The amount of glee at the death of Jordan Neely online is utterly appalling, but not surprising. Public expressions of hatred towards African-Americans and homeless people and praise for those who murder African-Americans and the homeless are a legacy of Trumpism.

I lived in New York for two years and have lived in Boston on and off for 20 years. I've heard my share of homeless people yelling and threatening people on public transit. In fact, it wasn't long ago while I was on a Silver Line bus a homeless, African-American man called me a racist because I would not sit down next to him. The reason for this is that I was only on for a single stop. However, when he confronted me, I simply told him, "You can do better than that." I don't think he was expecting that because he stopped ranting and my day went on without incident. Hope that was true of him as well.

Unfortunately, we live among people who escalate situations whether its shooting someone for coming to the wrong house or getting into the wrong car or, in this case, try to play action movie hero. These are the consequences of teaching our children war and anger instead of peace and calm.

Thoughts on The Mass Shooting at a Medical Facility in Midtown Atlanta

One woman was killed, and four others were wounded in a mass shooting at Northside Hospital Medical in Midtown Atlanta this afternoon. Three of the women are in intensive care. The suspect, who had an appointment, was apprehended near Truist Park in neighboring Cobb County.

Northside Medical is situated on West Peachtree Street between 12th and 13th, less than two blocks from where I used to work during my time in Atlanta in 2020 and 2021. I occasionally walked past the building during my lunch hour. West Peachtree Street also saw violence visited upon it during a shooting at a high rise in October 2021 resulting in the death of both the victim and the suspect followed by the murder of an Atlanta attorney by her boyfriend in February 2022. 

Mind you, Midtown Atlanta is considered a safe area and West Peachtree Street is in the heart of Midtown. Nevertheless, there is a kind of danger ever present that I felt in Atlanta that I have not felt in Boston or even in New York. The closest call I had was when our building went into lockdown during a shooting at the nearby Midtown MARTA station in March 2021. There were no fatalities, but the incident came just over a week after the Atlanta Massage Parlor shootings which left 8 people dead. I remember the police sirens making their way north when I left work that day which had such an ominous sound. 

Of course, the one that hit home the most for me was the stabbing death of Kate Janness and her dog at Piedmont Park in July 2021. This occurred exactly two months after I returned to Boston, but the incident took place only two blocks from where I lived. Nearly two years later the murder is still unsolved, and the public is still demanding better surveillance in Piedmont Park. 

Mind you, I am well aware that awful things can happen anywhere at any time. Today's shooting took place at a medical facility. I remember the murder of an ER doctor at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital in January 2015. 

Yet notwithstanding that horrific incident, it would seem there is a far greater chance of something going horribly wrong in Atlanta than in Boston and the stats would seem to back that up. With that said, there are a lot of American cities even more dangerous than Atlanta. This is not a comforting thought. Nor is the thought but for the grace of G-d go I. 

An Amusing But Comforting Thought for Michael Palin

Michael Palin of Monty Python fame announced this morning that Helen Gibbins, his wife of 57 years, had passed away following several years of chronic pain and kidney disease. 

Aside from Monty Python, Palin is remembered for his various travelogue series. In April 2000, not long after I first moved to Boston, I saw and met Palin at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline. Palin was promoting his Hemingway Travels series for PBS. I asked him question about Hemingway's relationship with Canadian writer Morley Callaghan and his work at The Toronto Star. 

Yet what I remember most about that afternoon was another question from an audience member who had asked Palin of all the places he had traveled where he would like to live. Palin replied, "I like it in London where I've lived in the same house with the same woman for the past 30 years - my wife doesn't know."

I have no doubt that everything up to the punchline was and remained true. I also have no doubt that house will never feel the same to Michael Palin ever again. My condolences. R.I.P.

Going To The Harvard Square MBTA Station Can Be Hazardous To Your Health

It would seem that going to the Harvard Square MBTA station can be hazardous to your health.

Yesterday afternoon, a woman was hospitalized after some equipment no longer in use by the MBTA gave way and fell on her. The equipment was installed in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security back in 2011 to detect biological agents but this program was discontinued two years later. The T simply hasn't bothered to remove them - until now.

This incident comes less than two months after a ceiling panel narrowly missed hitting a woman also the the Harvard Square T stop. What other hazards can be found at the Harvard Square stop? Things like this happen in threes and I'm afraid the third time might cost someone their life. 

Gordon Lightfoot, R.I.P.

I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Canadian folk music legend Gordon Lightfoot. He died in a Toronto hospital tonight at the age of 84. 

No cause of death was given. However, Lightfoot had cancelled his 2023 concert schedule less than three weeks ago due to health issues. In the grand scheme of things, it is remarkable that he lived as long as he did. In 2002, he survived a ruptured aortic aneurysm. 

I also remember the death hoax from 2010 in which Lightfoot had to call a Toronto radio station to assure everyone he was alive and well. I was hoping for another hoax, but it was not to be.

As with many Canadians, Lightfoot and his music held a special place in my heart. I had the privilege of seeing him in concert four times - at the National Arts Center in Ottawa in 1993, at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston in 2005, at the Shubert Theatre in Boston in 2013 and at The Town Hall in New York City in 2019 with my Dad. You can read my review of the New York concert here.

My favorite Gordon Lightfoot album is Sit Down Young Stranger (which was subsequently retitled If You Could Read My Mind). Our family had a copy of the album with its original title which I saved and is somewhere in my Dad's apartment in NYC. My favorite song that album is "Minstrel of the Dawn" which was the song which revived him from his coma after his 2002 near death experience. Sadly, the dawn did not rise tonight. R.I.P.

The Pittsburgh Pirates Are The Only Good Thing About The 2023 MLB Season So Far

Prior to Opening Day of the 2023 MLB season in late March, I indicated I would not be following the proceedings and I have not done so. 

However, I did make a few qualifications. Here is one of them:

I plan to acknowledge the winner of the World Series but won't dwell on it at length. There might be some smidgen of interest if it's something out of left field like a Baltimore Orioles-Pittsburgh Pirates World Series and we can party like its 1979. 

Well, with April come and gone, the Pittsburgh Pirates own the best record in the National League at 20-9. The return of Andrew McCutchen has brought out some good feelings and he has responded accordingly and is playing like he did when he won the NL MVP ten years ago. Then there was the feel-good story of the Bucs calling up 33-year old Drew Maggi to make his MLB debut after 13 years in the minors and responded with a couple of hits and a couple of RBIs. 

Of course, the Pirates could come back down to Earth in May. Maggi has been sent back to Double-AA Altoona. Perhaps McCutchen's legs will grow heavy. 

Then again, McCutchen might have a season for the ages and maybe Maggi will be back in September. 

I won't be following but I will keep my eye out and perhaps have a patch ready.

Bruins Unceremoniously Ousted While Celtics Playoffs Hopes Still Alive

I haven't honestly been paying much attention to Boston sports since my return to this area nearly two years ago.

However, the Boston Bruins did make headlines last night for blowing a 3-1 series lead against the Florida Panthers only to be ousted in overtime in Game 7. The first-round exit renders their NHL record single season record of 65 wins and 135 points but a footnote. 

Whatever dismay there was with the Bruins has been mitigated by the Boston Celtics beginning the NBA Eastern Conference Semi-Final against the Philadelphia 76ers. Alas, the Celtics dropped Game 1 by a score of 119-115 which is bound to make the natives restless. But the Celtics still have time to rebound.

My attention for the Bruins and Celtics is only aroused when I occasionally bump into Bruins and Celtics fans on the way to the Garden. Of the two fan bases, the Celtics are less obnoxious. The Bruins fans have too much blood in their alcohol and seem eager for a fight. At least to this point, I can put up with Celtics fans.

It's been 15 years since the Celtics last won the NBA Title. Should the Celtics win the NBA Title and if the parade is on a weekend and it is a nice warm, comfortable day then I might go. But I will cross the Mass Ave Bridge when it comes.

Several Sad & Angry Thoughts About The Massacre in Cleveland, Texas

Last Friday, five people were killed execution style at a home in Cleveland, Texas (north of Houston) including an 8-year old boy by a man after he had been told to stop shooting his gun on his property.

I want to share several sad and angry thoughts.

First, there was Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott characterizing the victims as "illegal immigrants" thus denying them their humanity. Of course, Abbott's characterization wasn't accurate. It turns out at least one of the victims had permanent resident status. But since when do Republicans let the facts get in the way of things?

Second, Abbott's characterization of the victims might very well explain the response of local authorities or lack thereof. One of the survivors of the shooting has stated he called the authorities five times to no avail. It has now been established it took authorities 20 minutes to respond. One must ask if the immigration status and/or the ethnicity of the complainants was a factor in the slow response. 

Third, the perpetrator who remains at large of this writing was deported four times. I'm sure Fox News and various right-wing media outlets will be clamoring for the wall to the built. Defeated former President Trump and the Republican Congress had their chance and did nothing. Ditto for Steve Bannon and his cronies behind We Build The Wall though they did build their financial portfolios. These people don't care about securing the border any more than they care about the people who were murdered in cold blood in Cleveland, Texas because they wanted to some peace and quiet.