MLB, Blue Jays Banishment of Roberto Alomar Over Sexual Harassment Raises Questions

Today, Major League Baseball has put Hall of Fame second baseman Roberto Alomar on its "ineligible list" due to a workplace sexual harassment allegation which occurred in 2014. MLB retained outside counsel to investigate the allegation when it came to their attention earlier this year. As a result of the investigation, Alomar will no longer be working for MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred as a special adviser on baseball on Puerto Rico.

The Toronto Blue Jays, with whom Alomar earned World Series rings in 1992 and 1993, have severed ties with Alomar who has long called Toronto home. The team announced it would be removing his name from its Level of Excellence and taking down his banner at Rogers Centre. The Baseball Hall of Fame, while shocked by the news, has no plans to remove Alomar's plaque from Cooperstown.

All of this raises questions. Namely what the hell did Alomar do to effectively be banished by MLB and his old team? Neither MLB nor the Blue Jays have divulged the nature of the sexual harassment allegation against him. It also appears that the individual making the accusation plans to initiate litigation against Alomar, MLB and the Blue Jays. So perhaps MLB and the Jays are doing this to indemnify themselves. In any case, if the lawsuit does proceed perhaps we will find out more about what led today's decision.

But until then question remains. Did Alomar do something worse than send a "dick pic"? That's what got Jared Porter fired as GM of the New York Mets in January and got former Mets manager and current Los Angeles Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway suspended last month pending an investigation. At this point, Porter could still theoretically find work in baseball and so might Callaway. However, Alomar has been declared persona non grata and we don't know why.

For his part, Alomar said he was "disappointed, surprised and upset with today's news".  Alomar added, "With the current social climate, I understand why Major League Baseball has taken the position they have." He also expressed hope the "allegation can be heard in a venue that will allow me to address the accusation directly."

At no point did Alomar deny the allegation in any way. So perhaps Alomar did something he shouldn't have done. But does the punishment fit the crime?

Johnny Crawford, R.I.P.

Actor and singer Johnny Crawford, best known for starring alongside Chuck Connors in the late 1950's and early 1960's TV series The Rifleman, passed away yesterday of Alzheimer's Disease. He was 75.

Crawford was an original member of The Mouseketeers and later a pop singer with a few modest hits in the early 1960's. But it is The Rifleman for which he will always be remembered as it airs regularly to this day more than half a century after it ceased production. While many tune in to see villains foolish enough to mess with young Mark McCain and Luccas put them to an end, the father-son relationship between the two has given the show an endurance beyond its setting and time.

It is hard to think of Crawford as something other than a child. When you look at his innocence you don't think of someone who will grow old much less be afflicted with Alzheimer's. But the line between fantasy and reality is invariably erased. But our memories carry on. R.I.P.

Thoughts on NYC Fully Reopening By July 1st

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced plans that the city would be fully reopen come July 1st. Governor Cuomo hopes it will be far sooner.

Whenever that day comes it will be symbolic triumph over COVID-19. After all when the pandemic hit the United States it hit New York City the hardest. I was there during its darkest days when the streets were desolate, when businesses were boarded up and a short-lived curfew was imposed. 

I am happiest for my Dad. Of course, he walks at least 20,000 steps a day whether New York City is open or closed. But no doubt he will be happy to see more people milling about. 

While it might have been nice to see New York City reopen first hand a job in Atlanta came calling me and I have now been here six months plus a day. 

In any case, I liked New York City better as a visitor. 

U.S. Records 575,000th COVID-19 Death

Although vaccinations have helped slow the number of infections, hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19, I would be remiss if I didn't note the United States has topped 575,000 deaths. According to Johns Hopkins University, 575,052 Americans have died of COVID-19 out of 32,282,063 cases representing a mortality rate of 1.8%. 

Again the rate of COVID deaths have been slowing. For example, it took exactly one month for COVID deaths to go from 375,000 to 475,000. It took 77 days to get from 475,000 to 575,000. Of course, that is of cold comfort to the families of 100,000 Americans who have died of COVID since February 11th. It is especially cruel when we consider how close they might have been to getting vaccinated.

While we look forward to living something resembling the life we once knew there are too many of us who have nothing to look forward to at all.

Michael Collins Didn't Walk on The Moon But He Orbited It

Michael Collins, one of the three Americans on the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon in July 1969, passed away of cancer on Wednesday at the age of 90.

Unlike Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, Collins did not walk on the moon. After all, someone had to pilot the command module. However, he experienced the moon in a different way orbiting around its far side out of contact with NASA Mission Control. From there he could see Earth in a way no other person had ever seen it before. 

When one has such an experience nothing else one does could possibly match that exhilaration. Collins had quite the career after Apollo serving in the Nixon Administration as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, served as Director of the National Air and Space Museum and Undersecretary of the Smithsonian Institution before venturing into the private sector. For most people those positions would be the pinnacle of their career. But for Collins his pinnacle was out of this world experiencing a rarified air that even Armstrong and Aldrin didn't know. Tonight perhaps he has returned to those skies. R.I.P.

Thoughts on Biden's Address to Congress & Scott's Not So Great Rebuttal

On his 99th day in office, President Biden gave an address to a joint session of Congress albeit to a more sparsely populated room due to COVID restrictions.

Biden's address ran 65 minutes and was a largely a low key affair punctuated by phrases full of passion. Naturally there was talk about how his Administration managed to vaccinate 220 million Americans in less than 100 days along with the passage of the American Rescue Plan. Biden also spoke about the proposed American Jobs Act and the American Families Act. These are the most ambitious plans set out by an American President since LBJ. Of course, it is far from clear whether these proposals will see the light of day with Republicans unable to pronounce the word yes. There were also words about climate change, criminal justice reform, immigration, declaring white supremacy as terrorism, compassion towards transgendered Americans and championing democracy over autocracy. 

He did all this in as broad based and respectful way as possible. Biden is truly the anti-Trump.

Alas there were 74 million Americans who voted for Trump and South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott spoke to those Americans in his response to Biden's remarks. Unfortunately, Scott resides in a political universe where facts are at best optional. It is hard to take Scott seriously when he says Georgia is making it easier to vote and harder to cheat when voter fraud is statistically insignificant. It is even more difficult to take Scott seriously when he claimed:

This Administration inherited a tide that had already turned. The coronavirus is on the run! Thanks to Operation Warp Speed and the Trump Administration, our country is flooded with safe and effective vaccines.

When Biden came into office daily COVID infections were over 100,000 a day while 100,000 Americans were dying every 30 days. There were vaccines but they weren't getting into arms. The Trump Administration didn't even get halfway to its goal of immunizing 40 million Americans by the end of 2020. Biden's pledge of administering 100 million vaccines in 100 days was viewed as a pipe dream in many quarters. As we approach Day 100 of Biden's presidency we are now at 220 million vaccines administered.

Yet we should not underestimate Scott. He has a personable demeanor and could broaden the Republican Party's appeal to the African American community and beyond. But the jury is very much out as to whether the Republican Party would be smart enough to elevate Scott as a presidential candidate. At this point, if Trump wants the GOP nomination then he will get it without batting an eyelash. Although it would be intriguing if Trump selected Scott to be his running mate. Again, whether Trump would be smart enough to do such a thing very much remains to be seen.

But let's say there is a Trump-Scott ticket. If Biden-Harris can deliver on their ambitious agenda and if they are associated with recovery from COVID-19 then they would be an even more formidable pair in 2024 than they were in 2020. 

HRW Claims It Isn't Comparing Israel to Apartheid South Africa Even Though It Mentions Apartheid 143 Times

To much fanfare, Human Rights Watch released a report titled "Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution". Yet HRW claimed it wasn't comparing Israel with Apartheid era South Africa:

The report does not set out to compare Israel with South Africa under apartheid or to determine whether Israel is an “apartheid state”—a concept that is not defined in international law. Rather, the report assesses whether specific acts and policies carried out by Israeli authorities today amount in particular areas to the crimes of apartheid and persecution as defined under international law.

Each of the report’s three main substantive chapters explores Israel’s rule over Palestinians: the dynamics of its rule and discrimination, looking in turn at Israel and the OPT, the particular rights abuses that it commits there, and some of the objectives that motivate these policies. It does so in terms of the primary elements of the crimes of apartheid and persecution, as outlined above. Human Rights Watch evaluates the dynamics of Israeli rule in each of these areas, keeping in mind the different legal frameworks that apply in the OPT and Israel, which are the two legally recognized territorial entities, each with a different status under international law. While noting significant factual differences among subregions in each of these two territories, the report does not make separate subregional determinations.

On the basis of its research, Human Rights Watch concludes that the Israeli government has demonstrated an intent to maintain the domination of Jewish Israelis over Palestinians across Israel and the OPT. In the OPT, including East Jerusalem, that intent has been coupled with systematic oppression of Palestinians and inhumane acts committed against them. When these three elements occur together, they amount to the crime of apartheid.

What chutzpah!!! HRW insists that this isn't about comparing Israel to Apartheid-era South Africa while using the word Apartheid 143 times. Apartheid carries with it a connotation of illegitimacy, ostracism and evil. When HRW deploys the word apartheid once to describe Israel much less 143 times is done so to inflame hatred towards it with the objective of dismantling it while whitewashing the actions of the Palestinians. 

If one reads this report one would never know the Palestinian Authority teaches its children to hate Jews and pays money to those who kill Jews while naming schools, streets and soccer fields after them. But that is not the point of the report. The point of the report is to promote a big lie and have people repeat that lie often enough until it is accepted as an unquestioned fact. This would explain why HRW uses the word Apartheid to describe Israel 143 times.

Human Rights Watch can call Israel an Apartheid state or claims it has committed crimes of Apartheid 143 times or 1,430 times. It doesn't make it a fact let alone the truth.

In Light of New CDC Guidelines I'll Slowly Begin to Unmask One Month From Today

The CDC issued new mask guidelines today for fully vaccinated people. Those who are fully vaccinated will not need to wear a mask outdoors unless they find themselves in crowded settings or venues.

In my case, barring any unforeseen developments, I will be fully vaccinated in exactly one month from today right before Memorial Day Weekend.

Thus on the morning of Thursday, May 27th, when I walk to work through Piedmont Park, I shall do so without a mask.

Now most people in Atlanta do not wear masks outdoors. However, having spent a good portion of the pandemic in New York City where a statewide mask mandate in all public places went into effect over a year ago, I did not see fit to change my habits when I moved down here almost six months ago. After all, I was healthy, wanted to stay that way and was disinclined to take any chances. But now millions of people have been vaccinated, community spread has been reduced as have hospitalizations and deaths.

Even when May 27th comes by I shall proceed cautiously. My mask will be close at hand. I'll still need it if I go into work or buy something from Whole Foods or any other indoor facility in Atlanta. I also suspect that I'll probably still sport a mask if I'm walking on the BeltLine which can get very crowded especially on a weekend. 

I am looking forward to not wearing a mask outdoors. It is an unnatural act which was borne by necessity. Of course, for some people, even the prospect of death wasn't enough for some people to be moved to wear a mask. 

What I look forward to the most when I removed my mask is to get compliments on my Rollie Fingers inspired handlebar mustache as I used to in Boston and in NYC. The people of Atlanta have not seen it in its full glory. Perhaps it will help break the socially distanced ice. 

Six Observations About Kerry Telling Iran's Foreign Minister About Israeli Covert Operations in Syria UPDATE

U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry is under fire from Republicans amid revelations from Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif that the former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential candidate informed him of over 200 covert military operations Israel was conducting against Iranian interests in Syria during the Trump Administration. 

New York Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik called Kerry's words to Zarif "a criminal act", called for his prosecution and for President Biden to remove him from his role. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley called Kerry's words "disgusting on many levels" and condemned him for stabbing Israel in the back. Meanwhile, Sean Hannity called Kerry "Tehran John."

With this in mind, I have six observations to offer.

First and foremost, Republicans and conservatives are taking Zarif's words at face value. At this point, Kerry has made no statement regarding Zarif's assertion although it would be helpful if he would. Nevertheless, it is entirely possible that Zarif is lying and Republicans have already made up their minds regardless of the facts.

Second, now let's say Zarif is telling the truth about what Kerry told him. In that case, I am in agreement with Stefanik, Haley and Hannity. This is an entirely contemptible act by Kerry against an ally to the very country which seeks its destruction.

Third, so where were Stefanik, Haley and Hannity back in 2017 when President Trump revealed Israeli covert operations in Syria to the Russians in the Oval Office? Did Haley resign over the matter? Nope. So while their criticism of Kerry is legitimate they are more than happy to look the other way when it is done at the top of their own ranks.

Fourth, I am inclined to believe Kerry told Zarif about Israeli covert operations. This is a man who doesn't care much for Israel. It has been almost exactly seven years to the day since Kerry likened Israel to an "Apartheid state".

Fifth, however stupid and contemptible Kerry was to reveal this information to Zarif there's not a lot he could have done with it. If Zarif is indeed being truthful about what Kerry told him about Israel then he is also being truthful about having very little power despite his title. Zarif also stated that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Revolutionary Guard have the real power in Iran and that they keep him in the dark.

Finally, I don't think much is going to come of it. It would be one thing if Kerry was still Secretary of State or if Iran was a part of his portfolio. But he is far removed from the process of re-entering the Iran nuclear deal at least in an official capacity. Yes, I would prefer if Biden rid himself of Kerry or if Kerr were resign to private life in his mansion on Beacon Hill but it's hard to take Republicans seriously when President Trump was all too eager to compromise Israeli covert operations in Syria too. So unless there is pressure brought to bear by Democrats (something which I highly doubt) Kerry is staying put.

UPDATE: Kerry put out a statement denying any such conversation took place. If Kerry is saying that Zarif is a liar then why did the Obama Administration see fit to negotiate a nuclear agreement with him?

MLB's 7 Inning Doubleheader Rule Costs MadBum a No-Hitter

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Madison Bumgarner did not allow a hit in his start against the Atlanta Braves this afternoon. However, he will not be credited with a no-hitter.

Bumgarner pitched the second game of a doubleheader and under MLB rules carried over from last year's COVID shortened season doubleheaders last only 7 innings apiece.

Now I think 7-inning doubleheaders are almost as stupid as putting a runner on second base during extra inning games. I mean MLB has been able to play 9 inning doubleheaders for well over a century. Why can't they do it now? Be that as it may, Bumgarner is going to be credited for a complete game and a shutout. So why can't he be credited for a no-hitter?

In a post-game interview, MadBum sarcastically thanked MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred for "making these seven inning games." In fairness to Manfred, however, this rule change was agreed to by the MLBPA. 

It is this sort of mucking around with baseball which makes me not want to watch it.

There's an Uptick in Community Spread as U.S. Surpasses 32 Million COVID-19 Cases

The United States now passed 32 million COVID-19 cases. According to John Hopkins University, there are 32,038,232 cases of COVID-19 resulting in 571,883 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.8%. 

When the U.S. reached 31 million cases on April 9th, I made this observation:

Over the past month or so there has been some degree of stabilization in new COVID cases. This country has been adding 1 million new cases every 16 days. It took 16 days to get from 30 million to 31 million new cases. It took 16 days to get from 29 million to 30 million new cases. It took 16 days to get from 28 million to 29 million cases after taking 13 days to get from 27 million to 28 million cases. 

I have a bad feeling it will take less than 16 days to get to 32 million cases. This bad feeling is based on superspreader events like the Texas Rangers home opener earlier this week which had a capacity crowd. Despite mask requirements, this was observed in the breach. 

Well, it took 15 days to get from 31 million to 32 million cases. Now some might ask what difference a day makes. It means we're heading in the wrong direction. Dr. Fauci has long said we need to get to a place where there are 10,000 or fewer new cases a day before lifting restrictions in a meaningful way. We're at 66,000. While that's certainly better than 100,000 or 200,000 new cases a day (much less the 350,000 cases a day that have been reported in India over the past several days) it demonstrates the spread of COVID-19 is far from over. 

It's entirely that this is an aberration and that it could take 16 days or longer to get to 33 million cases. But with all the re-openings which have taken place in conjunction with increased vaccinations I think the case numbers will soon accelerate again thus resulting in more hospitalizations and deaths. In other words, I think 33 million cases will be here in less than a fortnight.

U.S. to Resume Use of Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

After a 10 day pause, the CDC and FDA have recommended the resumption of the single shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine which will likely happen tomorrow.

Fifteen women who received the J&J vaccine developed blood clots which resulted in three deaths. Women between the age of 18-49 have a 7 in a million chance of developing these clots. While women might be more inclined to get the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, the benefits of the J&J vaccine outweigh the risks.

Although there were many who thought this pause was unnecessary, as I argued at the time the J&J vaccine, I think the pause will ultimately prove to be a bump in the road.

Navalny Ends 24-Day Hunger Strike After Receiving Independent Medical Treatment

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny ended a 24-day hunger strike after he was permitted to see independent medical treatment. Navalny was reportedly days away from death.

So what made Vladimir Putin blink? Was it pressure from the Biden Administration and the international community? Or did Putin conclude that if Navalny died in captivity he would become a martyr around whom Russia would rally? 

Whatever Putin's reasons, the fact remains that Navalny is still a political prisoner and international pressure should be brought to bear for his release.

At least we can take comfort this won't be the last the world hears from Navalny.

Les McKeown, R.I.P.

Les McKeown, former lead singer of the 1970's Scottish pop band The Bay City Rollers, passed away on Tuesday of unknown causes. He was 65.

McKeown took over as the group's lead vocalist in 1973 and the group would have a string of hits in the U.K. including "Bye, Bye Baby" and "Give a Little Love" before having a transatlantic hit with "Saturday Night" in 1976. 

I first heard "Saturday Night" as the lead off track on a compilation album called Knockout put out by TeeVee Records which was owned by my Uncle Andy. He and my Aunt Diane would send us their surplus. That album also included Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy", "Pilot" by Magic and Linda Ronstadt's version of "Rescue Me". But I digress.

McKeown would leave the group in 1978 but would reunite with them for a series of shows in 2015.

Saturday nights will never quite be the same. R.I.P.

Biden Exceeds Expectations Again as U.S. Reaches 200 Million Vaccinations

President Biden has exceeded expectations again.

When Biden took office, he set a goal of 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days in office. That goal was met on March 19th less than 60 days in office. 

At that point, Biden set a goal of 200 million vaccinations by his 100th day in office. With eight days to spare, 200 million vaccinations have been administered. 

A quarter of American adults are fully vaccinated while more than half of Americans adults have received at least one vaccine dose (yours truly included). 

Of course, even with the greater dissemination of vaccines, more than 50,000 Americans tested positive for COVID-19 today.

The fight against COVID-19 isn't over. But the country is much further along than it was 3 months ago. Beyond the statements Biden made today, he will remind Americans of this accomplishment while urging more Americans to get vaccinated when he addresses a joint session of Congress one week from today.

A's Win 10 Straight After Starting Season With a 1-7 Record

The Oakland A's swept a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins today winning 7-0 and 1-0, respectively. In so doing, the A's have now won 10 games in a row. They are now tied with the Seattle Mariners atop the AL West.

What makes this winning streak remarkable is that the A's began the season 1-7. 

Of course, winning streaks are nothing new to the A's. They memorably won 20 straight games during the 2002 season which was documented in the movie Moneyball.

Will history repeat itself? The odds are against it. But even so the A's are in far better shape than they were only 12 days ago. 

But it is a long season. Will the A's still be playing their A game 12 days from now?

Thoughts on the Police Shooting of Ma'Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio UPDATE

Before today's guilty verdict against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd, Anthony V. Clark tweeted, "Derek Chauvin is a symptom. He can be found guilty & another Black person will be killed next week by a cop."

To which I replied, "Perhaps even later today."

It would be even sooner than that. In Columbus, Ohio this afternoon shortly before the verdict was announced, a police officer shot and killed 16-year old Ma'Khia Bryant (some accounts describe her as 15). The deceased teenager is alleged to have been armed with a knife although her aunt indicated that she had dropped the knife prior to being shot.

At this point, we don't definitively know the facts of this case although the presence of a knife could complicate matters. Yet even if Bryant had been armed with a knife when police arrived on the scene it is unclear what threat she posed to the officer or to anyone else.

Regardless of the circumstances, given Bryant's race and tender age, this will not inspire the confidence of the African-American community in the police notwithstanding whatever measure of justice the family of George Floyd received today in Minneapolis.

UPDATE: Bodycam footage of the events which led up to the shooting lead one to wonder why the officer didn't try to de-escalate the situation or think to use a taser or pepper spray if physical intervention was warranted.

George Floyd Gets Some Measure of Justice - For Now

I was at work when I learned that former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin had been convicted on all three counts (second degree murder, third degree murder and second degree manslaughter) in the death of George Floyd.

This was the only verdict the jury could have rendered. To have render any other verdict would have been an injustice, sparked unfathomable anger and violence and perhaps would have caused irreparable damage to the U.S. justice system.

However, in light of the guilty verdict, George Floyd gets some measure of justice - for now.

I say for now because in eight weeks time (the week of June 15th) Chauvin will be sentenced. If Chauvin is given a light sentence this too will cause great anger and outrage. A sentence of less than 10 years would be a slap in the face. Chauvin faces a maximum of 75 years in prison - effectively a life sentence.

Let us suppose that Chauvin receives the maximum sentence or something very close to it. Will he be eligible for parole? If he is that will certainly cause some consternation. If not there is no doubt Chauvin will appeal both his sentence and his verdict for many years to come. 

Indeed, just yesterday, Judge Peter Cahill told Chauvin's defense attorney Erik Nelson that he had grounds for appeal with respect to comments made by Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters at a protest in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota over the weekend which some interpreted as advocating violence if a guilty verdict was not reached. However, there is no evidence to suggest that any of the jurors actually heard Waters' comments. 

Naturally there will be appeals. But for the moment George Floyd can rest peacefully while his family can better ease their pain. 

Of course, this verdict might very well prove to be the exception to the rule. More often than not most police officers who kill while on duty will not be charged much less brought to trial by virtue of qualified immunity. And if they are charged they are likely to be acquitted. 

What separates Chauvin's depravity from that of other police officers is that he didn't shoot George Floyd. The manner in which Chauvin caused Floyd's death was slow and agonizing. He could have listened to the crowd which had watched in horror and stopped what he was doing. But instead he dug in his knee a little deeper. This no doubt played a role in the upper echelons of the Minneapolis Police Department testifying against Chauvin.

It is obvious that policing in the United States has to change. If a significant segment of the African-American as well as the Hispanic and Native American communities cannot trust the police then law enforcement will be ineffective and inequitable. Interactions with the police on misdemeanor offenses should not result in death or in grave bodily injury.

However, defunding and abolishing the police will not solve the problem. There will always be a societal need for police and penitentiaries. If this is not done at the governmental level it will be done at the private level for profit or through street justice. I don't see how those scenarios will make things better for African-Americans and other minority communities in this country much less the general population.

Yet perhaps Gianna Floyd is right. Her Daddy may changed the world or at the very least changed America. The change might not be realized for some time to come. But there is always the possibility that in 25 years from now that policing in this country could be carried out in a more humane manner than it is now. If this does come to pass we can trace the first step to today's verdict.

Walter Mondale, R.I.P.

Former U.S. Vice-President and 1984 Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale has passed today at the age of 93. No cause of death has been released, but Mondale knew the end was coming as he penned a letter to his staff saying goodbye. 

Affectionately known as Fritz, Mondale cut his teeth in Minnesota politics as an organizer for Hubert Humphrey's 1948 Senate campaign and Orville Freeman's gubernatorial campaigns. Freeman would appoint Mondale as the state's Attorney General in 1960 winning the office in his own right in 1962. When LBJ tapped Humphrey to be his running mate in 1964, Mondale would be named his successor. He would be elected to the Senate in 1966 and again in 1972. 

During his second term in the Senate, Jimmy Carter would name him as his running mate during the 1976 presidential election. Although he only served a single term as VP, Mondale is widely credited for reinventing the position.

In 1984, Mondale would turn back strong challenges from Gary Hart and Jesse Jackson to win the Democratic Party nomination for the White House. Mondale would make history when he named New York Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro to be his running mate. Although he acquitted himself well in his first debate with President Reagan, his pledge to increase taxes didn't go over well. That November, Mondale earned only 13 electoral college votes winning his home state of Minnesota and the District of Columbia.

After a number of years practicing law, Mondale would be named U.S. Ambassador to Japan by President Clinton and later served as a special envoy to Indonesia.

In 2002, Mondale would re-enter the electoral arena following the sudden death of Minnesota Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone in a plane crash. However, Mondale would face a backlash when Wellstone's memorial service turned into a political rally. Mondale would lose by 3 points to Republican Norm Coleman. 

Mondale is survived by two sons. His daughter Eleanor died of brain cancer in 2011 and his wife Joan passed away in 2014. 

Walter Mondale will be remembered both by liberalism and by his honesty as exemplified in his concession speech to Reagan in 1984. R.I.P.

Death of Natural Causes Notwithstanding, Two Trump Supporters Still Assaulted Officer Sicknick With Bear Spray

In a story published by The Washington Post this afternoon, the Chief Medical Examiner in D.C. concluded that Officer Brian Sicknick died of natural causes after sustaining two strokes as a result of a blood clot. 

According Dr. Francisco Diaz, Officer Sicknick did not have any external or internal injuries nor did he sustain an allergic reaction to bear spray although Diaz acknowledged the events of the day indicating “all that transpired played a role in his condition.”

This was sufficient for Trump apologists to take to Twitter and dance on Officer Sicknick's grave.

Dinesh D'Souza: "Three and a half months after the massive media hoopla, the number of people killed by Trump supporters on January 6 can now be tabulated: Zero!"

Michael Tracey: "They killed a cop!" was repeated ad nauseum to drive home the narrative that everyone had to be extra fearful of the Jan 6 "insurrection" and accept all extreme retaliatory actions in its wake. Add that to the neverending stack of discredited falsehoods."

Newt Gingrich: "Why did it take over three months to determine how Officer Sicknick died? This doesn’t make any sense. Only person killed January 6 was an unarmed woman killed by a policeman. Imagine media outcry if she had not been a Trump supporter. The media narrative has now collapsed."

I'm not exactly sure what D'Souza, Tracey and Gingrich are crowing about. Nothing they say changes the fact that Officer Sicknick was assaulted with bear spray by two Trump supporters - Julian Elie Khater and George Pierre Tanios. Their actions might not have led to Officer Sicknick's death, but it is still a crime with which the two aforementioned Trump supporters have been charged. I'm not about to throw these guys a parade and nor should the former Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Numerous other police officers were also assaulted with weapons during the attempted insurrection including with "Blue Lives Matter" flags. D'Souza, Tracey, Gingrich and other Trump apologists can pretend this didn't happen all they want. Trump supporters engaged in violent political behavior for a case predicated on a complete and utter lie.

If not for this complete and utter lie, Officer Brian Sicknick would still walk among us.

What if Navalny Dies? And What Consequences Will Russia Face If He Does?

Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is said to be only days away from death. Navalny has been on a hunger strike since March 31st in protest of his captors not permitting him to see his medical team.

U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said that if Navalny dies in captivity that there will be "consequences".

This raises two questions. What if Navalny dies? And what consequences will Russia face if he does?

If Navalny dies he will become a martyr. His martyrdom will provoke Russians into the streets. Putin's forces will crush any such uprising. There will be howl of protests but Putin will not care other than to criticize our own police forces treatment of protesters. 

Which brings me to question two. Will the consequences be more sanctions? The Biden Administration imposed sanctions only a few days ago. The only consequence that will matter to Putin is if the U.S. finds a way to force Russian troops out of Crimea. But with U.S. troops soon to leave Afghanistan, I can't see the Biden Administration implementing a military solution. 

The Russian Ambassador to the U.K. says that Navalny will not be permitted to die in prison. But given how Russia tried to kill Navalny last year I'm not inclined to put much stock in those words. 

With all this said, I hope the Russians will allow Navalny's medical team to treat him and avert an international crisis. But I'm not holding my breath.

Jay Bruce Will Retire After Today's Game

New York Yankees first baseman Jay Bruce announced this morning that today's game against the Tampa Bay Rays will be his last as a big leaguer.

Bruce, 34, made the Yankees roster as a non-roster spring training invitee. Normally an outfielder, Bruce was filling in for the injured Luke Voit at first base. In 10 games with the Yankees, Bruce hit .118 with a home run and 3 RBI. It hasn't helped matters the Yankees are currently in last place in the AL East with a 5-9 record with four consecutive losses.

Bruce spent the bulk of his big league career with the Cincinnati Reds where he was a first round pick of the team in the 2005 MLB Draft. He made the roster in 2008 and would be named to 3 NL All-Star Teams in 2011, 2012 and 2016 before being traded to the New York Mets at the trade deadline that season. Since the end of the 2016 season, Bruce has played with the Cleveland Indians, had one more stint with the Mets before stints with the Seattle Mariners and Philadelphia Phillies before making his way to the Bronx. Entering today, Bruce played 1650 games collecting 1455 hits for a lifetime batting average of .244 with 319 HR and 951 RBI.

Of those 319 home runs, his most memorable was the one he hit to clinch the NL Central title for the Reds in 2010. Bruce won't have a plaque in Cooperstown, but he will soon have a spot in the Reds Hall of Fame.

NYC Mayoral Candidate Morales Calls Israel an "Apartheid State"

Dianne Morales, a NYC mayoral candidate, called Israel an "Apartheid state" in a conversation she had with Jewish high school students last December.

Last I checked, Arabs can vote in Israeli elections, comprise more than 10% of the Knesset and sit on Israel's Supreme Court. The same cannot be said of Apartheid-era South Africa. But Morales does not let facts get in the way of an argument.

Morales also described a 2015 trip she took to Israel sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York as "propaganda."

Of course, I had strong reservations when Reverend Raphael Warnock deployed such language regarding Israel back in 2016. Despite my dismay, I decided to vote for Warnock.

Now there's a world of difference between voting for Warnock and voting for Morales. If Warnock hadn't been elected there would be no $1,400 stimulus checks nor funding for vaccine distribution. The same cannot be said for Morales as there are plenty of other options on the ballot. Morales would not be getting my vote if I were still living in NYC.

The only thing I worry about is Morales taking a stand like this might earn her an endorsement from AOC and lead to a surge in the polls.

COVID-19 Has Now Claimed More Than 3 Million People Worldwide

Early today, the COVID-19 global death toll eclipsed 3 million people. According to Johns Hopkins University, as of this writing, COVID-19 has claimed 3,007.957 lives out of more than 140 million cases (140,410,266). This represents a mortality rate of 2.1%.

The COVID-19 death toll hit the 1 million mark on September 28, 2020 and then hit the 2 million mark on January 15, 2021. It took 109 days to go from 1 million to 2 million deaths. It took 92 days to go from 2 million to 3 million deaths. I shudder to think how long it will takes to go from 3 million to 4 million deaths.

The United States represents the highest percentage of the global death toll at 18.8%. This does represent a drop from 20.5% in September and 19.5% in January. However, deaths in Brazil and India are increasing at an alarming rate. The presence of vaccines has not yet offset the spread in cases and with it hospitalizations and deaths. 

Felix Silla, R.I.P.

Actor, stuntman and circus performer Felix Silla, perhaps best known for his recurring role as Cousin Itt in the 1960's sitcom The Addams Family, passed away today of pancreatic cancer. He was 84.

I remember Silla best for his portrayal of the robot Twiki in the late 1970's-early 1980's action adventure TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Silla donned the costume while Mel Blanc supplied the voice. His passing was announced on Twitter by Buck Rogers himself - Gil Gerard. 

Silla retired from acting in 1995, but spent many years on the convention circuit with his former co-stars on The Addams Family and Buck Rogers. 

I leave with you a short interview Silla did at one of these conventions back in 2015. R.I.P.

The Shooting at The FedEx Ground Facility in Indianapolis That Killed Eight People Barely Registered a Ripple

On Thursday night there was a mass shooting at the FedEx ground facility in Indianapolis which claimed the lives of eight employees - four of them members of the Sikh community. 

The suspect committed suicide at the scene. He was identified as 19-year old Brandon Scott Hole, a former employee at the facility. The assailant's mother contacted law enforcement last year fearing he would try "suicide by cop". Authorities confiscated his weapon and he was subsequently interviewed by the FBI who concluded he was not driven by racially motivated ideology. One wonders if the FBI might have to reassess their report. When I heard that half the victims were Sikh it made me think of the massacre at the Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin in August 2012 which claimed the lives of six Sikhs. The perpetrator in that incident was a white supremacist.

What astonishes me is how little attention this story received in comparison to recent mass shootings here in Atlanta and in Boulder, Colorado which occurred last month. Indeed, the Atlanta spa shootings occurred exactly a month ago today.

You would think this story would garner more attention given a white perpetrator and half the victims members of a religious minority. But this massacre has been overshadowed by the police shootings of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and Adam Toledo in Chicago in conjunction with the ongoing trial of Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd. 

Is this because Sikhism is far removed from the lives of most Americans? Or is it because we have become so inured to this bloodshed that we simply didn't bother to notice? This could change in the coming days with new information. For whatever the reason a tragedy of this proportion barely generated a ripple. This just doesn't seem right. Of course, nothing is right when it comes to murder.

"Rusty" Young, R.I.P.

Singer, songwriter and pedal steel guitar player "Rusty" Young, co-founder of the country-rock band Poco, passed away of a heart attack on April 14th. He was 75. 

Young co-founded Poco along with Richie Furay and Jim Messina in 1969 following the dissolution of Buffalo Springfield. Young had been the band's roadie and was asked to play pedal steel guitar on the Furay penned "Kind Woman" which was the last song on the final Buffalo Springfield album Last Time Around. Young would play his pedal steel guitar through a Leslie speaker which gave it the effect of sounding like a Hammond B3 organ.

Although Furay and Messina were initially the star players in Poco, Young was the group's constant member appearing on all 19 of their albums and would write and sing on Poco's two biggest hits - "Rose of Cimarron" and "Crazy Love". I leave you with Young later in lifie singing "Crazy Love" on his own. R.I.P. 

Canada Has a COVID Crisis - Especially in Ontario

On Canada Day last July 1st, I wrote about missing my home and native land and contemplated moving back there.

At the time, I was unemployed and the Trump Administration was still in office. Both of those conditions have changed. Canada was doing significantly better when it came to COVID-19. Alas this too has changed. 

It wasn't so long that former President Obama and the head of the WHO praised Canada's COVID response. Perhaps it was premature but on September 11, 2020, Canada actually had a day where no one died of COVID-19. Back then there were slightly over 135,000 cases. Today, it's approaching 1.1 million cases with 23,500 deaths. That might pale in comparison to the U.S. But consider the factoid. Whereas the COVID mortality rate in the U.S. is 1.8%, it is 2.1% in Canada.

The crux of the problem is that Canada has a vaccine shortage in large part due to the fact it cannot produce its own vaccines which has been a failure of government policy going back decades but right now the buck stops with Justin Trudeau's Liberals. Simply put, Canada must import its vaccines which would be fine if the supply chain was working effectively but just today Moderna announced it would be cutting shipments of its vaccine to Canada, the U.K. and several other countries. Throw in the pause with the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines due to blood clotting issues and we can expect to see more clinics closed and appointments cancelled.

This compounds an already bad vaccine distribution situation. My mother received her first Pfizer vaccine last week. But she is not due to receive her second dose until the end of July. Given the current problems it is entirely possible that date could be pushed back. 

No Canadian province has been harder than my native Ontario where most of immediate family and maternal relatives live. There have been a litany of lockdowns. Today, Ontario's Tory Premier Doug Ford announced a two week extension on the lockdown giving police the authority to question people who are outside their homes and compel them to provide their address. Many fear that police will disproportionately target Aboriginal and visible minority communities many of whose members are in jobs which preclude them from working at home. However, provincial and local police forces use this power it is a power they ought not to have. Canadians are not getting peace, order and good government from the Liberals or the Tories and probably wouldn't fare any better with the NDP either.

While Georgia isn't always peachy where it concerns efforts towards voter suppression, a high rate of crime and not to mention being last in the nation in terms of fully vaccinating its adult population, I am at least for the moment better off here in the Deep South than in the Great White North.

Chicago Police Officer Who Killed 13-Year Old Adam Toledo Minimized His Behavior

I've seen the video of 13-year old Adam Toledo being fatally shot by a Chicago police officer Eric Stillman and am sickened by it. 

The video was released today by the Chicago Office of Police Accountability followed by a press conference Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The homicide occurred in the early morning hours of March 29th. 

I am sickened not only by Stillman's act but by his efforts to minimize his actions. While it is true that Stillman attempted to administer aid to Toledo and called an ambulance he said, "Shots fired by the police." Stillman did not disclose he was the "police" who fired the fatal shot.

Stillman was pursuing Toledo in an alleyway demanding he stop and show his "fucking hands." Toledo stopped and showed his fucking hands and now he is dead because of it. The poor kid should have kept on running.

Yes, it does appear that Toledo had been armed during the pursuit but did not fire at officers nor was he armed at the time he was shot. Indeed, a county prosecutor erroneously claimed that Toledo was armed when he was shot further damaging the credibility of the authorities.

One can argue that Stillman had a split second decision to make but why shoot Toledo after he had complied? There are times when police must use lethal force but the use of lethal force is far too commonplace in America. The police are far too trigger-happy and these are the consequences when police shoot and ask questions later.

The releae of this video will only exacerbate tensions surrounding the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd as well as the police murder of Daunte Wright in neighboring Brooklyn Center. Kim Potter, the officer who shot and killed Wright, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. However, there are many including members of Wright's family who believe the charges should be greater given that former Minneapolis officer Mohamed Noor was charged and convicted of second and third degree murder in the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Damond.

I have a bad feeling that Officer Stillman won't be charged in connection with killing Toledo and that authorities in Illinois will call it a justifiable homicide. At the pace this keeps going, sooner or later someone is going to take out their anger on police officers just like when two NYPD police officers were ambushed and murdered inside their squad car in Brooklyn in December 2014. This would be a deplorable thing to do and only make matters even worse than they already are. But if people think police can get away with murder there are bound to be people who will see fit to discard justice in favor of revenge and act accordingly. 

On Getting My First Dose of the Moderna Vaccine

 

Earlier this afternoon, I received my first shot of the Moderna vaccine at a clinic here in Atlanta.

I left work early so I could have something to eat before proceeding to the appointment as it is strongly recommended that one does get vaccinated on an empty stomach let alone dehydrated. 

When I arrived at the clinic I made the mistake of walking through the front door and saw someone about to get their vaccination. The nurse told me she would be with me in a moment. A couple of minutes later she opened the door and told me to come in and have a seat. She was about to inject me. I knew something was amiss and asked her if she needed my identification. 

"Weren't you sent here by the registration desk?" she asked. When I replied in the negative she told me to go to the rear of the building where I could register at a volunteer table. It would have helped to have had a sign warning people not to enter. But at this point I wasn't in any mood to make waves.

After filling out the appropriate paperwork, I waited in line. My anxiety was going into overdrive. I don't care for needles too much. So I did a little tai chi to calm myself. One of the volunteers looked at me funny, but I was undeterred. I did this when I got my flu shot last September when I was still in New York City. It did the trick back then and worked its charm today. 

While I waited a photographer from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution approached me and asked if he could take pictures of me getting the vaccine. I readily agreed. If I'm going to get my picture in the paper it should be for some kind of good deed. It should appear in tomorrow's edition. Hopefully they spell my name right.

I then went into the clinic to get processed at the registration desk and then went back out to be escorted to the front door. But there was one problem. I wasn't given a vaccination card at the registration desk nor did any of the volunteers have one. After some hesitation, one of the volunteers figured there would be one in the vaccination area and she was correct.

I actually enjoyed having my picture taken during the vaccination. It made me feel like a celebrity with my own personal paparazzi. I just hope I don't look goofy in these pictures.

From there I went into the waiting room, turned in my paperwork and sat for 15 minutes before I was free to go.

Aside from some mild soreness in my left arm and feeling a little warmer than I would like I don't have any significant ill-effects. I'll take a little soreness and a little excess warmth over getting COVID, being hospitalized and put into morgue any day of the week.

My second Moderna shot is scheduled for May 13th - four weeks from today. Barring any unforeseen circumstances (such as a pause in the administration of the Moderna vaccine) this means I will be fully vaccinated just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. Yay!!!

Come Memorial Day Weekend, I plan to resume bowling more regularly and getting out beyond Midtown Atlanta. I've been here almost six months and have yet to step foot in Downtown Atlanta. I'll probably use the MARTA a little more frequently. The only time I used it was when I took the train up to Buckhead to get my COVID test back in December. I hope to soon use the MARTA for more pleasant things like a jaunt to Decatur. 

Mind you, even when fully vaccinated, I still plan to wear my mask in public until Dr. Fauci or Dr. Walensky say there is no further need to do so. Most folks in Georgia don't wear a mask outdoors. But I've never shaken the habit I acquired in New York of not going out in public without my mask.

COVID-19 isn't done with us, but for the most part Americans are better off now than we were six months ago. As for me, I'm certainly better off today than I was yesterday. One down, one to go.

Injury Prone Carlos Rodon No-Hits Tribe; Narrowly Misses Perfect Game

Chicago White Sox southpaw Carlos Rodon, a 2014 first round draft pick whose career has been plagued by shoulder injuries and Tommy John surgery, has no-hit the Cleveland Indians. Rodon, 28, came within two outs of a perfect game but hit Tribe catcher Roberto Perez on the heel with a slider. Undeterred, Rodon retired the final two batters earning his no-hitter and giving the Chisox an 8-0 victory.

The North Carolina raised Rodon's no-hitter comes only five days after Joe Musgrove threw the first no-hitter in San Diego Padres history. 

We are scarcely a fortnight into the 2021 MLB season and there have already been two no-hitters. Will there be more? Or will this be it? Whatever the case might be, Carlos Rodon will never forget this day as long as he lives.

A Brief Note On My Dad Turning 80

Today, my Dad turned 80 years old. I had hoped to be with him but with work requiring my attention, COVID complicating travel, my first vaccine scheduled for tomorrow and that his birthday fell in the middle of the week conspired against me making my way back to New York City. Maybe I could have done it if I were living in Boston. I know I could have because I did that when I came down to NYC from Boston and took him to see Jerry Seinfeld at the Beacon Theatre for his 75th birthday. Hard to believe five years have passed. I could have popped into NYC if I were living in Boston. That option is not available in Atlanta.

This notwithstanding I spoke with him on the phone during lunch and he was taking a walk through Central Park making his way to Matto Espresso on Lexington Avenue and East 79th Street. That he is keeping active is great. Indeed, it has been a great six and a half years after he nearly lost his life. Dad has been grateful for every day and I have too. I hope to have my Dad's constitution should I be fortunate enough to reach 80. Happy Birthday Dad. May there be many more.

Thoughts on The Pause of The Johnson & Johnson Vaccine

My first reaction to the news that the CDC and FDA had recommended states pause the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine due to a rare blood clotting disorder was how glad I will be getting a Moderna vaccine in a couple of days. 

I can understand the arguments of some who think this is an overreaction. You basically have a one in a million chance of being afflicted with this disorder if you get the J & J vaccine. There is also concern that this will promote vaccine hesitancy and/or create a vaccine shortage.

However, there were going to be fewer J&J vaccines available due to a manufacturing snafu anyway. And I have little doubt Pfizer and Moderna will pick up the slack. Depending on how long the pause is there is always a chance the FDA could give emergency use authorization to another vaccine such as Astra Zeneca though it too has had its challenges where it concerns blood clots as well.

Perhaps I'd be more worried had I been scheduled for a J&J vaccine. But I have a feeling this will prove to be a small bump in the road against COVID-19. My far greater concerns is the haphazard reopening process underway in various states and the continuing rate of community spread. How long will it be before we're recording 100,000 new cases a day? Should that happen I will truly take pause.

Memo to Rashida Tlaib: We Will Always Have Police & Prisons

In response to the murder of Daunte Wright at the hands of police in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib tweeted:

It wasn't an accident. Policing in our country is inherently & intentionally racist. Daunte Wright was met with aggression & violence. I am done with those who condone government funded murder. No more policing, incarceration, and militarization. It can't be reformed.

My reply on Twitter read, "One can be angry at the killing of Daunte Wright without endorsing the sheer stupidity of Rashida Tlaib."

Indeed, I am appalled at what happened to Daunte Wright. A traffic stop for a low level misdemeanor should not result in a fatality. There is a significant problem with policing in this country especially where it concerns the African-American, Latino and Native American communities. The problem is such that there has been significant erosion of trust in law enforcement and law enforcement has been slow in addressing these concerns.

But the idea that we ought to have no more policing or prisons is just rubbish. Policing and prisons are a part of all functioning civil societies and always shall be. We can no more abolish policing and prisons than we can abolish food or water. If the state saw fit to defund and disengage from such activity someone else would fill the breach be it a private company or a street gang and turn a bad situation into a far worse one.

The fact of the matter is that people commit crimes. Granted some crimes are more serious than others. Those who commit serious crimes and represent a threat to the peace of the community must be incarcerated - possibly for the rest of their lives if the crime is serious enough.

I'm not going to argue that law enforcement and the administration of justice are carried out fairly. The punishment administered by the Brooklyn Center Police did not fit Daunte Wright's crime - if he committed a crime at all. But the abolition of police departments and prisons isn't going to bring about fairness let alone justice. It certainly isn't going to help the family of Daunte Wright let alone the family of George Floyd.

Congresswoman Tlaib's ideas are incoherent and irrational should be given just the attention they deserve.

How is Shooting Someone In The Back 7 Times At Point Blank Range Consistent With Police Training?

Rusten Sheskey, the Kenosha police officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times at point blank range paralyzing him, is back at his old job without even so much as reprimand. Sheskey returned to work at the beginning of the month.

Although the DA declined to charge Sheskey back in January, it is customary for a police officer who has been involved in this kind of act to never work in law enforcement again. Not so in Kenosha.

Kenosha Police Chief Daniel Miskinis said of Sheskey, “He acted within the law and was consistent with training.”

How exactly is shooting someone in the back at close range consistent with police training let alone acting within the law?

If the Kenosha police teach their recruits to shoot people in the back at close range then I would be a lot more scared of law enforcement than I would be of criminals if I lived in Kenosha, especially if I was African-American.

If shooting people in the back at point blank range is consistent with Kenosha PD police it reinforces the argument I made last August that the Kenosha PD should be disbanded and rebuilt. 

The reinstatement of Officer Sheskey to the Kenosha PD is an affront to decency. The police are here to serve and protect. They can do neither so long as the likes of Sheskey are allowed to return to the police force without consequence.

Patriots Wide Receiver Julian Edelman Retires After 12 Seasons

New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, a three time Super Bowl champion and the MVP of Super Bowl LIII, has retired after 12 seasons in the NFL - all with the Pats. Edelman announced his retirement on social media with a four minute video which I have posted above.

Curiously, Edelman, who turns 35 next month, never made a Pro Bowl appearance. Somehow I think three Super Bowl rings will keep him satiated.

In recent years, Edelman has identified as Jewish and has made a point of reaching out to professional athletes who have made anti-Semitic remarks such as Los Angeles Rams wide receiver DeSean Jackson (then a member of the Philadelphia Eagles) and former Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard. 

Both on and off the field, Julian Edelman was quite the catch.

Police Shooting of Daunte Wright Exacerbates Tensions in The Twin Cities

The fatal shooting yesterday of Daunte Wright, a 20-year old African-American male, by a female police officer in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota - a suburb of Minneapolis, has exacerbated tension in the Twin Cities as the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin enters its third week. Chauvin, of course, is charged with second degree murder, third degree murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd last year.

Wright was killed during a traffic stop due to an air freshener hanging in the back of his car. Making matters worse is while Wright resisted arrest the officer in question intended to pull out a taser but instead reached for her gun. Brooklyn Center PD have deemed this shooting to be accidental. Given that guns are heavier than tasers one wonders how such a mistake would be possible. 

The mistaking a gun for a taser also occurred in the 2009 shooting death of Oscar Grant by BART Transit Police in Oakland, California. The officer involved in that shooting was convicted of involuntary manslaughter but served less than a year in prison. While California and Minnesota law may differ, at the minimum, the officer responsible for killing Daunte Wright should spend time in prison for manslaughter. 

The tension in the Twin Cities might ease if Chauvin is convicted. However, this tension could return if Chauvin is given a light sentence. If this is the case then there is a very good chance that Daunte Wright will not get justice as has been denied to so many African-Americans wantonly killed at the hands of police who effectively have a license to kill.

What is saddest of all is that there must remain a suspicion that if Wright were white the police would not have stopped him for a such a trivial matter. Alas when it comes the African-American community and the police everything is a matter of life and death.

WARNING: I have included bodycam footage of Wright's shooting. The video is very graphic!!!

San Diego Native Joe Musgrove Becomes 1st Padres Pitcher to Toss No-Hitter

San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove not only hurled the first no-hitter of the 2021 season last night, he also threw the first no-hitter in the 50 year plus history of the Padres. 

Musgrove, 28, no-hit the Texas Rangers in Globe Life Park en route to a 3-0 victory for the Friars. It was only Musgrove's second appearance as a Padre as he was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates in a multi-player deal which also involved the New York Mets. Originally a first round draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2011, Musgrove was dealt to the Houston Astros the following season and would make his big league debut in 2016. After earning a World Series ring with the Astros in 2017, Houston sent him to the Pirates in the Gerrit Cole deal where he would pitch for the next three seasons. 

Aside from being the first no-hitter in Padres history there are several others noteworthy things about this accomplishment. First and foremost, Musgrove is a San Diego native. The last Padres starting pitcher to take a no-hitter into the 9th was Chris Young in September 2006. Fifteen years later, Young is now the GM of the team Musgrove just no-hit. Finally, Padres catcher Victor Caratini also made some history becoming the first catcher to be behind the plate for back to back no-hitters with two different teams. Caratini caught Alec Mills' no-hitter last September when he was a member of the Chicago Cubs. 

Rangers fans sure got their money's worth last night. I just hope they took the necessary COVID precautions.

Notwithstanding what may have happened in the stands doesn't take away from Musgrove's magnificent accomplishment.

Why The Retail Wholesale & Department Store Union Might Get The Last Laugh on Amazon in Alabama

Efforts to organize workers at Amazon's fulfillment center in Bessemer, Alabama, just southwest of Birmingham, have gone unfulfilled as more than 50% of the workers appear to have voted against unionizing their workplace.

However, the Retail Wholesale & Department Store Union (RWDSU) might get the last laugh. The RWDSU plans to file a series of unfair labor practice complaints with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). These complaints include Amazon getting USPS to install a special mail box for the union vote despite NLRB telling Amazon not to do so. Amazon also actively campaigned against the formation of union through mandatory meetings, social media posts as well as phone calls and text messages. A pro-Biden, pro-labor NLRB might not like such heavy-handedness and seek out judicial intervention.

This could result a new vote free from shenanigans. In which case, the RWDSU might get the last laugh and Amazon workers would get some fulfillment of their own.

U.S. COVID-19 Cases Top 31 Million; Will We Add Our Next 1 Million in Less Than 16 Days?

This morning, the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 31 million. According to Johns Hopkins University, there are 31.069,653 cases resulting in the deaths of 560,953 Americans representing a mortality rate of 1.8%. 

Over the past month or so there has been some degree of stabilization in new COVID cases. This country has been adding 1 million new cases every 16 days. It took 16 days to get from 30 million to 31 million new cases. It took 16 days to get from 29 million to 30 million new cases. It took 16 days to get from 28 million to 29 million cases after taking 13 days to get from 27 million to 28 million cases. 

I have a bad feeling it will take less than 16 days to get to 32 million cases. This bad feeling is based on superspreader events like the Texas Rangers home opener earlier this week which had a capacity crowd. Despite mask requirements, this was observed in the breach. 

If the Rangers home opener does prove to be a superspreader event and results in adding another 1 million new cases in less than 16 days there does a remain a question of whether its impact will be mitigated by the increasing number of vaccinations and eligibility for the same. As of this writing, Texas has 17.27% of its population fully vaccinated ranking it 45th out of 51 states (including the District of Columbia). 

Sadly but not surprisingly, Georgia is dead last at 14.35%. If Georgia spent as much time and energy in getting people vaccinated as it did to prevent people from voting we would be number one in the nation. This notwithstanding, I am scheduled to get my first COVID vaccine in six days from now. Still, I shall tread lightly. I wish more among us would do the same.

James Hampton, R.I.P.

Character actor and TV director James Hampton, best known for his work in the 1960's sitcom F Troop, passed away of complications of Parkinson's Disease. He was 84. 

After F Troop, Hampton would join the cast of The Doris Day Show as a regular before being relegated to a recurring role in the show's second and third seasons. In 1974, he had a prominent role The Longest Yard starring his close friend Burt Reynolds earning him a Golden Globe nomination as Most Promising Newcomer. Hampton appeared with Reynolds in several other movies including The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing, Hustle and W.W. and The Dixie Dancekings. During the 1980's, Hampton would direct multiple episodes of Reynolds' sitcom Evening Shade. 

Hampton other TV credits include Mannix, Love, American Style and a memorable role as Aaron Ironwood, the con artist cousin of James Rockford on The Rockford Files. He also appeared on the silver screen in The China Syndrome, Sling Blade and Teen Wolf with Michael J. Fox. Ironically, Hampton would be afflicted with the same disease as Fox. In lieu of flowers, Hampton requested that donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.

In addition to Evening Shade, Hampton also directed episodes of Boston Common, Sister, Sister, Grace Under Fire and The Tony Danza Show. 

I remember Hampton appearing on a 1977 episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Hampton spoke with Carson about how people would recognize him but not know his name. This included fellow guest Richard Pryor who remembered him from The Longest Yard. 

Last February, Hampton published his autobiography What? And Give Up Show Business? People might not have known James Hampton by name, but he spent more than 50 years as a working actor. No wonder he didn't give up. R.I.P.

A Year of Social Distancing: A Part of the World But Apart From It

One year ago today, with COVID-19 in its early days, I began social distancing in earnest when I moved out of the apartment I shared with my Dad to an upstairs apartment. 

At that time I was in New York City only 72 hours removed from having lost my job. I spent nearly seven months in that apartment. While I was not housebound, on most days, I only spent an hour outside the apartment running errands and/or going for walks although I did manage to join a bowling league shortly before my departure. Although walking through Times Square felt like going through an enormous ghost town. Contact with my Dad was sporadic up until my final days in New York City as I embarked upon my new adventure in Atlanta.

In a little over three weeks from now, I will have spent six months in Atlanta. The social distancing has remained intact. I live in a large studio apartment above a garage where I have very little interaction with my landlords. I did engage in bowling (both duckpin and tenpin) when I first arrived but pulled back when COVID cases surged and because of the lack of public safety. I did spend some time with family but this would lead to a COVID scare which would result in me taking a lot of heat at work.

As for work, I go into the office rather than work remotely. Yet on most days I have little or no direct physical interaction with anyone. Most of my contact with the outside world is through Microsoft Team meetings with colleagues and supervisors spread out all over the country. When I do have direct interactions with people I find myself very easily startled. This has made for a difficult adjustment. 

It should be said I have done more than my fair share of social distancing before the pandemic. I spent most of my Saturday nights alone before the pandemic and I spend them alone now. It has been more than five years since I've been to a party on a Saturday night. With the exception of a few concerts, I have spent most Saturday nights at home by myself watching MeTV. On weeknights in both Boston and New York, I took pleasure in swimming. During the course of this pandemic, I have become quite passionate about reaction videos, tai chi and especially Fanny, the 1970's all-female rock band. Writing, as always, remains a constant.

These things bring me joy. I don't drink and don't like loud places where I can't hear myself think. And when I am among people I feel like I am taking up space and in the way. At other times, I find that I wear out my welcome in very quick order. The last thing I want to do is be somewhere I'm not wanted. So I'm more than happy to live tweet cheesy episodes of Buck Rogers in The 25th Century. 

Over the years, I have become more uncomfortable in crowds. I can't quite pinpoint when it happened. Maybe it began after the Boston Marathon attacks. I used to love going to the St. Patrick's Day Parade in South Boston. But the last year I went in 2017, I nearly suffered an anxiety attack when I got stuck in a large swarm of people between West Broadway and East Broadway. I would feel nervous going to concerts especially as venues tightened security measures. It was like boarding a plane. When I would be out I couldn't wait to go back home.

I would estimate that during the course of these past 365 days I have been alone between 90-95% of the time. I'm not unaccustomed to being alone and do not have the need to be around people or talk all the time. But I also recognize that this is not a healthy thing at least at the rate I've been going. I hope to alleviate this after I'm fully vaccinated. My first vaccination is scheduled to occur on April 15th. Best case scenario this would mean I'd be fully vaccinated by Memorial Day Weekend. Assuming this comes to pass perhaps a trip to Decatur would be in order. A trip to Savannah on or before Labor Day Weekend or my birthday would be nice. I will also probably resume bowling on a more frequent basis. I also hope to swim at the outdoor pool in Piedmont Park provided that it is open.

If I do get out more chances are I won't have a great deal more interaction with people and it's probably for the best. I am a part of the world but am apart from it.