Gabe Kapler's Protest Against The National Anthem Aims at The Wrong Target

In response to last week's school shooting in Uvalde, Texas which claimed the lives of 19 children and two adults, San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler has seen fit to refuse to stand for the national anthem only to stand on Memorial Day so as not to be disrespectful to the soldiers who laid their lives for this country.

Frankly, I don't see how refusing to stand for The Star Spangled Banner is going to end gun violence anymore than kneeling during its playing is going to end police brutality. It is nothing more gesture politics which draws attention to oneself rather than the issue at hand. 

Mind you, I don't question Kapler's sincerity or eloquence:

We elect our politicians to represent our interests. Immediately following this shooting, we were told we needed locked doors and armed teachers. We were given thoughts and prayers. We were told it could have been worse, and we just need love.

But we weren’t given bravery, and we aren’t free. The police on the scene put a mother in handcuffs as she begged them to go in and save her children. They blocked parents trying to organize to charge in to stop the shooter, including a father who learned his daughter was murdered while he argued with the cops. We aren’t free when politicians decide that the lobbyist and gun industries are more important than our children’s freedom to go to school without needing bulletproof backpacks and active shooter drills.

I’m often struck before our games by the lack of delivery of the promise of what our national anthem represents. We stand in honor of a country where we elect representatives to serve us, to thoughtfully consider and enact legislation that protects the interests of all the people in this country and to move this country forward towards the vision of the “shining city on the hill.” But instead, we thoughtlessly link our moment of silence and grief with the equally thoughtless display of celebration for a country that refuses to take up the concept of controlling the sale of weapons used nearly exclusively for the mass slaughter of human beings. We have our moment (over and over), and then we move on without demanding real change from the people we empower to make these changes. We stand, we bow our heads, and the people in power leave on recess, celebrating their own patriotism at every turn.

Kapler gets it right when he says, "We aren’t free when politicians decide that the lobbyist and gun industries are more important than our children’s freedom to go to school without needing bulletproof backpacks and active shooter drills." But by making the national anthem his target Kapler removes the focus away from the politicians beholden to gun lobbyists and manufacturers. It is they who would rather children be killed than enact laws that would keep weapons out of the hands of murderers. It is they who should be on the receiving end of Kapler's scorn rather than a song written more than 200 years ago.

If Kapler sincerely believes that our gun laws are keeping us from being free then he ought to use his public platform to advocate for better laws and elect officials who will enact them. I'm not suggesting this will be easy, but it will ultimately be more constructive. Focusing on the national anthem takes the eye off the prize and is simply unhelpful not only to our public discourse but to the families of those who lost loved ones in Uvalde, Buffalo and far too many other cities in the United States. 

One Year Back in Boston (Plus Cambridge & Somerville)

 

I have now been back in Boston for a year. Technically speaking my arrival was a year ago yesterday but I was in New York City at the time and wanted to wait until I got back here to properly reflect on the past year.

Actually this past year has been a tale of three cities - Boston, Cambridge and Somerville. I spend most of my days in all three cities as I work in Boston, live in Cambridge and do most of my shopping and dining in Somerville.

At this point, I can honestly say that I am very happy that I have returned to the Boston area. New York and Atlanta have their virtues, but this is home - even more so than my home and native land of Canada. It certainly helps that I have excelled at my present job in a way that I probably haven't excelled at work in a decade and have been suitably rewarded for this excellence. Nothing is forever, but I am savoring the moment.

The only edge Atlanta has over Boston is that I had my own apartment. I have spent the past year living in someone's house. Although I have less space with which to work it is a space that I can call my own. Nevertheless there are times when my landlady has company at the dinner hour and it is necessary for me to go out and eat. Fortunately, there is a Chinese restaurant, a Thai-Vietnamese restaurant and now a burger joint right around the corner from me. The funny thing is that although it is around the corner it is in the next town. The Cambridge-Somerville line has considerable charm. The amenities in the neighborhood are outstanding and I also do not have to spend a dime to wash and dry my clothes. This arrangement is working for now. In the grand scheme of things, I have little to complain about.

With that said, I do wish I renewed acquaintances with more people. I've had some but it has been sporadic. Some people lead very busy lives and time is in short supply. On the other hand, if you really want to spend time with someone you make the time to do it and I suspect there are some people who for whatever reason would rather not spend time with me. So be it. The last thing I want to do is to take up anyone's space. I am perfectly content to spend time on my own. On most weekends I go candlepin bowling, occasionally take in a movie and and engage in the simple pleasure of walking around Cambridge, Somerville and Boston. When I walk around Harvard, I am always on the look out for Remy The Harvard Cat and have had the delight to see him twice. However, I try to vary where I go so I don't wear out my welcome back here. I find it best to pick my spots before I return to the comfort of my room.

Now that I have back in Boston area for a year, I don't ever want to leave again. I say this with the understanding that nothing is guaranteed and circumstances could change in an instant. But the nearly 1,000 days I spent away from Boston was long enough. 

This isn't to say I couldn't have prospered in Atlanta had another opportunity come along. However, when I was offered work in Atlanta in October 2020 I was awaiting an offer from Boston which I ultimately didn't get. Even though the position in Atlanta ultimately paid more I was disappointed I wasn't coming back to Boston. Had I been offered both positions, I would have taken less money to come back to Boston.

As it turned out, things didn't go the way I hoped they would but I quickly landed on my feet back here. In this regard, I am grateful to my supervisor. My application to the job had initially been rejected because I lived too far away. But she liked what she saw and overruled the rejection. For this I am grateful. 

With that, I look forward to starting my second year back in the Boston area. I've already been in Boston longer than I've been anywhere else and in about six months from now I will have spent 20 years here. This will represent 40% of my life. I've made a lot of wrong decisions in my life, but two of my best decisions were to come to Boston. I hope I get to stay.

U.S. COVID Cases Surpass 84 Million; Nearly 5x Higher Than Last Memorial Day

On this Memorial Day, the United States surpassed 84 million cases of COVID-19. According to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, there have been 84,012,408 cases of COVID-19 in this country resulting in 1,004,760 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.2%. 

After taking 9 days to get from 82 to 83 million cases, it took 10 days to go from 83 to 84 million cases. However, keep in mind the holiday weekend probably slowed over the past couple of days. With people having gathered this weekend, I suspect cases will continue to accelerate. While COVID cases are nearly five times higher than they were on Memorial Day Weekend a year ago and hospitalizations continue to rise, the rise is a slow enough that hospitals are in a better position to manage the cases which are coming through their doors. But like everything else this can always change and not necessarily for the better.

Ronnie Hawkins, R.I.P.

Rock 'n roll pioneer Ronnie Hawkins passed away yesterday following a lengthy illness. He was 87. 

A native of Arkansas, Hawkins would move to Canada in the late 1950's on the advice of Conway Twitty where he would introduce rockabilly to Canadian audiences. Some consider Hawkins the father of Canadian rock 'n roll.

While Hawkins did not have huge chart success, he made his reputation through his live act (which included the camel walk - a precursor of Michael Jackson's moonwalk) and his penchant for developing talent with his band Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks. Some alum include guitarist Roy Buchanan and the five men who would achieve worldwide success as The Band - Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, Richard Manuel and Garth Hudson. 

My first memory of Hawkins was his TV show Honky Tonk which aired on CTV in the early 1980's. For his contributions to music and his philanthropic endeavors, Hawkins was bestowed with the Order of Canada in 2014. 

I leave you with Hawkins reunion with The Band in November 1976 performing Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" in The Last Waltz. R.I.P.

NY Post Erroneously Claims Mass Graves at Kamloops Residential School is "Debunked"

A year ago, a mass grave of 215 children was discovered on the grounds of the former residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Several other mass graves were subsequently found casting a pall on Canada Day festivities.

A couple of days ago, I came across this headline from the New York Post:

‘Biggest fake news story in Canada’: Kamloops mass grave debunked by academics

This is a very misleading headline because when one reads the story one learns there are a group of academics who are questioning the existence of mass graves disputing the reliance on "ground penetrating radar".

These academics are making a claim which might be right or wrong or somewhere in between. But their claim has not been substantiated. The mass graves have been not "debunked." The headline ought to have read something like:

Group of Canadian Academics Raise Skepticism About Mass Graves at Residential Schools

The 'fake news' quote is attributed to Tom Flanagan, a retired professor at the University of Calgary. What the story doesn't tell you is that Flanagan is a well known Canadian conservative/libertarian intellectual who was involved with Canada's Reform Party in the 1990s and later served as an adviser to former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Nor does it disclose that Flanagan authored a book called First Nations? Second Thoughts in which he refers to Aboriginal peoples as "savages".

In view of these facts, it should not surprise one that Flanagan takes a benign view of residential schools. In the article, Flanagan claims Aboriginal people enrolled their children in these schools willingly because there was no other choice. Well, if you have no other choice then that isn't much of a choice at all. Flanagan also fails to take into account that the aim and objective of residential schools was "killing the Indian" in the child. In Kamloops, they evidently settled for killing the child. 

The article does cite Eldon Yellowhorn, the founder and chair of the Indigenous Studies program at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, who is skeptical of the mass graves claim. However, despite his skepticism, Yellowhorn hasn't called the mass graves story "fake news" and states it is possible bodies could be found if an excavation is ever done.

Yellowhorn's skepticism is academic while Flanagan's is political. To call the mass graves is fake news without the facts can only be meant to minimize the suffering of those children who died in Canada's residential schools as well as those who survived them. When you add in Flanagan referring to Aboriginal peoples as "savages", such remarks are also meant to deny the humanity of Canada's indigenous population.

Fanny Returns to New York

To quote Yogi Berra, it was case of deja vu all over again.

Back in November, I came down to New York City to see Fanny: The Right to Rock which was followed by a short performance by Fanny members June Millington, Patti Quatro and Brie Howard-Darling. 

Much the same happened on Friday night, but with some slight variations.

Last fall, Fanny: The Right to Rock was shown as part of the Doc NYC Festival at the Fashion Institute of Technology. At the conclusion of the show, staff practically ejected people from the theatre including those who were attempting to buy Fanny merchandise much to my annoyance and that of Fanny superfan J.C. Richards who was running the merch table.

This time around the film was being shown at The Quad Cinema in Greenwich Village. While the staff was friendlier, things were far less organized. The proceedings were delayed by 30 minutes which staff indicated was due to a sound check. Whatever sound check was done overlooked two amplifiers which didn't amplify. Two of the three microphones had to be held by hand. New York City might have removed the last public phone booth, but they overlooked the one Fanny had to perform inside. The ladies on the stage however made the best of things by reprising the three song set they performed last November ("Girls on The Road" and "When We Need Her" from the 2018 Fanny Walked The Earth album with "Butter Boy" sandwiched in between). In the audience was Vini Poncia who produced the song which appeared on Fanny's 1974 album Rock 'n Roll Survivors. 

The Q & A session (which also included Fanny: The Right to Rock producer and director Bobbi Jo Hart) also did not include any audience participation. However when June Millington expressed how much she missed playing with sister Jean Millington, someone in the audience asked, "How is she?" June indicated that Jean had celebrated her 73rd birthday this past Wednesday and was managing things while enjoying time with her grandchildren. 

This marked my sixth time watching Fanny: The Right to Rock. Yet it was the first time I truly noticed the scene before we learn of Jean's stroke. In it, we hear Jean's bass solo and see her hands playing the bass. In a sense that scene symbolizes the last time we ever see or hear Jean play bass. Jean's presence in Fanny is very much missed and June along with Brie and Patti agreed she was the glue who held the band together. Although Jean did sing during the L.A. premiere of Fanny: The Right to Rock last August, Fanny members and fans alike still hold out hope that one day Jean will be able to play bass once more.

Unlike last November, I did briefly meet Brie who called over Patti to have our picture taken together. I also spoke with June and she introduced me to her high school friend Judy who sang on the very first song she wrote more than 60 years ago, "Ms. Wallflower of '62".

Less than two years ago, I had never heard of Fanny. Today, I cannot conceive of rock 'n roll without them. But they were nearly consigned to the ash heap of history. But as June told the audience she didn't want to think about Fanny because the memories were "too painful" for her despite the efforts of Jean, June's late mother Yolanda, Fanny drummer Alice de Buhr and Toshi Reagon (who was in the audience) to acknowledge Fanny. It was only when June had to listen to Fanny material for Rhino's 2002 CD box set First Time in a Long Time: The Reprise Recordings did June appreciate the magnitude of Fanny and her contributions to it. 

I have certainly enjoyed my Fanny journey which has now twice given me the opportunity to travel to New York to see an iteration of the group. I look forward to my next stop on this journey. 

Alan White, R.I.P.

Alan White, who spent nearly half a century as the drummer for the prog rock group Yes, passed away on Thursday following a brief illness. He was 72. 

White began drumming in earnest when he was 12 and was in bands from his early teens. After cutting his teeth on the road with The Alan Price Set, White earned his big break when John Lennon invited him to join The Plastic Ono Band. White plays drums on such iconic Lennon songs like "Imagine" and "Instant Karma". That would be impressive on its own, but White also played drums on George Harrison's All Things Must Pass playing on equally iconic songs "My Sweet Lord" and "What is Life". And not to be undone, Ginger Baker invited him to play drums during a tour with Ginger Baker's Air Force. 

White joined Yes in 1972 replacing Bill Bruford who departed for King Crimson and would appear on a grand total of 17 studio albums between 1973 and 2021. During a Yes hiatus in the early 1980s, White and Yes bassist Chris Squire briefly collaborated with Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page in the short lived group XYZ. While the group never released any material their work would be realized on Yes' most commercially successful album 90125 which was released in 1983. 

Alan White is rarely mentioned in the pantheon of rock's greatest drummers but he certainly ought to be. R.I.P. 

Ray Liotta, R.I.P.

I learned of actor Ray Liotta's death riding the elevator back up to work after lunch on Thursday much in the same way I learned of the elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas earlier this week. Elevators aren't always so uplifting.

It was a rather shocking death as he was only 67. He passed away in his sleep while working on a film in the Dominican Republic.

I remember him from his breakout role as the villainous ex-boyfriend of Melanie Griffith in Something Wild starring Jeff Daniels. Of course, he is best remembered for playing Shoeless Joe Jackson in Field of Dreams and mobster Henry Hill in Martin Scorcese's Goodfellas. I also enjoyed his role in Corinna, Corinna opposite Whoopi Goldberg in the early 1990's. More recently, he had roles in the Oscar nominated Marriage Story with Adam Driver as well as The Sopranos prequel The Many Saints of Newark.

While Liotta wasn't a A-lister he had a long and distinguished career and was popular with the public. Now he takes his place among immortals in acting, baseball and otherwise. R.I.P.

Nolan Ryan Takes The Mound Again on The Big Screen

This evening I headed towards Fenway Park not to watch a Red Sox game, but rather to go to the nearby Regal Fenway RPX to take in a screening of a documentary about Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan called Facing Nolan which hit movie screens across the country for one night only.

Facing Nolan is a cut above most baseball documentaries I've seen as it featured a who's who of baseball luminaries (i.e. Pete Rose, Dave Winfield, George Brett, Craig Biggio, Rod Carew) old baseball favorites from childhood (i.e. Houston Astros teammates Enos Cabell, Alan Ashby, Craig Reynolds, Terry Puhl and Mike Scott) as well as former President George W. Bush who owned the Texas Rangers before his political career began. 

But the biggest star of Facing Nolan other than the Ryan Express himself is Ruth Ryan, his wife with whom he will be celebrating his 55th anniversary next month. She has been as much of a presence in Ryan's public life as any spouse in baseball has ever been. She often appeared in TV spots with her husband most memorably the Advil commercial where she is catching his fastball sporting a catcher's mask. If not for her not only would there be no documentary about Nolan Ryan, but he likely would have quit baseball while still in a New York Mets uniform. A competitive tennis player in high school, the Express' better half lamented there was no girls' baseball when she was growing up.

The Nolan Ryan baseball fans have come to know and love came of age in a California Angels uniform in 1973 when he threw two no-hitters and set a MLB record for 383 strikeouts in a single season - a record which still stands nearly 50 years and is as unlikely to be broken as his 7 career no-hitters and 5,714 career strikeouts. Some of Ryan's finest pitching came after the age of 40 during his years with the Texas Rangers including two of his no-hitters. It was during those years Ryan augmented his legend by pitching with blood on his uniform after have his lip split open on a hard groundball hit by Bo Jackson and, of course, his pummeling of Robin Ventura. Notably, Ventura declined to be interviewed for the film. 

Facing Nolan doesn't shy away from the disappointing aspects of his career such as his early struggles with the New York Mets, not being able to hold the lead in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Philadelphia Phillies and his last big appearance in 1993 against the Seattle Mariners in which he did not record an out and left the game when the tendon in his elbow popped. Despite the disappointing end to his career, Mariners fans gave Ryan a prolonged standing ovation in a measure of respect. With standing ovations in mind, I do wish there had been a bigger audience to enjoy the film as I was only one of five people in attendance at the screening. 

What also stood out to me was the use of technology to show Ryan's highlights. There was former President Bush trying to work an iPad to watch Ryan's 5,000th career strikeout. There was also Terry Puhl showing his catch which preserved Ryan's fifth no-hitter (and only no-no while a member of the Astros). While watching the film, I was surprised his cameo on the ABC soap opera Ryan's Hope wasn't shown. Well, as the credits rolled, Ryan's granddaughters watched his cameo and said they were grateful he stuck to baseball like only granddaughters could.

Watching Facing Nolan is probably about as close as I will get to Fenway Park this year. For those who did not see Facing Nolan, I hope it will be shown in the near future on a streaming service or the MLB Network. While Nolan Ryan is best known for strikeouts, in this instance he hit a home run.

19 Children Killed in Uvalde, TX in Worse Shooting Since Sandy Hook

While at work this afternoon, I learned of the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas which has now claimed the lives of 19 children and 2 adults. I was alone on an elevator and said, "Enough!!!"

But I know it isn't enough. It has been almost 10 years since 27 people including 20 children were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. If that wasn't enough to move Congress to take action the deaths of 19 children in a predominantly Latino community won't do it either. 

I say this with the full knowledge that even if federal gun legislation is passed it won't necessarily prevent what happened today from happening again. One can have expanded background checks, but a database is only as good as the information which is entered into it as was the case with the Mother Emanuel Church shooter in Charleston, South Carolina. 

Whatever the shortcomings of gun control legislation there is something terribly wrong when a country accepts the killing of schoolchildren as a fact of life. Or accept the killing of people who exercise their religious freedom, or accept the killing of those who attend a movie or a concert or accept the killing of people merely buying food at a grocery store as happened in Buffalo a mere 10 days ago. 

None of what I have described happens with any regularity in any other advanced industrialized democracy. Not Canada, not the U.K., not France, not Italy, not Australia. This is unique to the United States. 

As President Biden asked the nation tonight, "Why are we willing to live with this carnage?" The simple answer is the same reason why we are willing to live with 1 million deaths from COVID. Too many of us care only for ourselves and have no regard for the lives of others. 

Nine Observations of The Josh Donaldson-Tim Anderson Row

 

MLB has suspended New York Yankees third baseman Josh Donaldson for one game and fined him an undisclosed sum for calling Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson "Jackie" during a game on Saturday which caused a bench clearing fracas between the two teams.

Anderson, who turns 29 next month, described himself as "today's Jackie Robinson" in a 2019 Sports Illustrated profile. Donaldson acknowledged that was the reference and claimed it was in jest but Anderson was unamused calling it "disrespectful". White Sox manager Tony La Russa went further calling the remark "racist."

In view of the situation, here are nine of my own observations of the Josh Donaldson-Tim Anderson row.

1. When one compares oneself to Jackie Robinson whether as a player or as a man one is inviting criticism. Robinson was a Hall of Fame player. Anderson, who won the 2019 AL batting title, could be a Hall of Famer. But we're a long way from that. When it comes to being a man and specifically a black man, I have no doubt Anderson has had to endure his share of racism. But he has never had to drink from a separate water fountain nor stay in a separate hotel from his teammates on account of his race like Robinson did. While Jackie Robinson might be a role model, Tim Anderson isn't Jackie Robinson. He's Tim Anderson.

2. Notwithstanding the previous point, Donaldson would have been better off keeping his mouth shut which is something he's had trouble doing (i.e. Donaldson's now Yankees teammate Gerrit Cole). Donaldson might claim he was joking with Anderson, but it is more likely that he was taunting him. Anderson doesn't want to be Donaldson's friend and I don't blame him. 

3. It is very telling that Anderson's manager and teammates are sticking up for Anderson. The same cannot be said for the Yankees with regard to Donaldson. Yankees manager Aaron Boone made his displeasure with Donaldson known.

4. Despite his displeasure, Boone made a point of saying he did not believe Donaldson was being malicious. Frankly, I agree with Boone. I think Donaldson said this to Anderson not because he objects to the color of his skin, but because he knew he could penetrate its thinness. MLB said Donaldson made "inappropriate comments". If MLB suspended every player who made an inappropriate remark to an opposing player then there would be no baseball games being played tonight or any night. As such I do not think a suspension for Donaldson is warranted and Donaldson has appealed. However, White Sox reliever Joe Kelly thinks the one game suspension is insufficient.

5. If Donaldson's remarks were indeed racist then why did Yankees fans chant "Jackie!!!" every time Anderson went up to bat? Keep in mind that Yankee Stadium is located in the Bronx's Concourse neighborhood which is predominantly Latino. How many Latino and African-American Yankees fans were chanting "Jackie!!!" yesterday?

6. With that said, it has been scarcely a month since Yankees fans threw garbage at Cleveland Guardians players and Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton had to intervene to get them to stop. Yankees fans don't exactly have a lot of goodwill going for them at present and this doesn't help matters.

7. Prior to tonight's game against the Baltimore Orioles, the Yankees placed Donaldson on the COVID-19 injured list along with Joey Gallo and Kyle Higashoika. Does Donaldson really have COVID or are the Yankees trying to get him the hell away from everyone?

8. Since winning the AL MVP with the Toronto Blue Jays, Donaldson, 36, has toiled with the Cleveland Indians, Atlanta Braves and Minnesota Twins before coming to the Yankees in an off-season trade. Given the points made in 3 and 7, I would not be surprised if Donaldson is not wearing a Yankees uniform by season's end. 

9. I think this incident will make the Chisox catch fire. After a lackluster April, the defending AL Central champions are near .500. An incident like this is bound to bring the team even closer. Conversely, the Yankees who currently own the best record in MLB, will come down to earth and Donaldson will prove to be a distraction in the clubhouse. It won't be enough to keep the Yankees out of the post-season. But there's a good chance the Yankees could face the White Sox this October.

Australian Voters Return Labor to Power After 9 Years in Opposition

Voters in Australia have elected a new government by tossing out the Liberal-National coalition which had been governing the country since 2013 in favor of the Labor Party led by Anthony Albanese. Scott Morrison, who had been Prime Minister since 2018, promptly announced he was stepping down as leader of Australia's Liberal Party.

Labor last governed Australia between 2007 and 2013. Their tenure was marred by the seemingly never ending feud between Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. While Rudd ended more than a decade of Liberal-National rule by John Howard, the Labor Party caucus would oust him in favor of Julia Gillard in June 2010. Three years later, Labor would reverse course and oust Gillard in favor of Rudd.

Months later, Rudd lost the general election to the Liberals now led by Tony Abbott. However, the Liberal-National tenure was every bit as chaotic with Liberals ousting Abbott in favor of Malcolm Turnbull two years into his term. While Turnbull was elected in his own right in 2016, he survived one leadership spill before being ousted by Morrison in 2018. 

To the surprise of many, voters stuck with the Liberal-National coalition in 2019. However, Morrison's leadership style alienated as many Liberals as had Abbott and Turnbull. However, Morrison changed the rules to increase the threshold for future leadership spills. While Morrison won praise for his handling of COVID, he did not do well where it concerned natural disasters such as the brush fires as well as flooding in Eastern Australia. This made climate change a significant issue in the election. It also didn't help Morrison's reputation when he reneged on the submarine deal with France after signing a new pact with the U.S. and U.K. with French President Macron openly questioning Morrison's honesty. I will say this about Morrison. He lost, conceded the election and congratulated Albanese. Something Trump could never do for President Biden.

Of course, it very much remains to be seen if Albanese can lead a stable government through a full term. At this point, it isn't clear if Labor will get an outright majority or will have to depend on the Greens for support. But what is clear is that democracy in Australia is still going strong.

Where Does Downton Abbey Go From Here?

On Saturday night, I went to the Kendall Square Cinema to view Downton Abbey: A New Era. 

While I enjoyed the big screen debut of Downton Abbey in September 2019, I think this installment was an improvement. 

Spoiler Alerts to follow.

Downton Abbey: A New Era begins with a wedding as Mr. Branson finally remarries with Lucy Smith whom he courted in the 2019 film being his new bride.

From there we soon learn the Dowager Countess (played with typical aplomb by Maggie Smith) has inherited a villa in the south of France from a paramour from long ago and intends to give the property to Mr. Branson's daughter Sybbie whom he had with Sybil Crawley who died in childbirth at the conclusion of Season 3. This prompts a visit by Lord and Lady Grantham, Edith and Bertie, the Bransons and Lady Bagshaw to the villa along with Mr. Carson, Mr. Bates and Ms. Baxter. 

The most amusing scene from his story was a brief visit to a haberdashery by Mr. Carson who stubbornly insists on wearing heavy clothing in the summer heat. There he is met by Lady Bagshaw who picks out a summer hat for Mr. Carson. The storekeeper refers to them as husband and wife which elicits laughter from Lady Bagshaw. It also prompted laughter from the audience as Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton have been married for nearly 40 years. 

As for Downton itself, there is the ongoing struggle to keep the estate afloat. A financial opportunity comes along when a film company desires to use Downton as a location to shoot a new movie. Mary Crawley is given the Herculean task of managing the movie set, coordinating the downstairs staff while doing voiceover for silent movie star Myrna Dagleish who cannot shake her Cockney accent (until she gets help from Daisy). As usual, Mary cannot enter a room without some man falling in love with her. In this case it was film director Jack Barber played by Hugh Dancy. I knew I recognized Dancy from somewhere but could not place him. As it turns out he is part of the cast of the revived Law & Order playing Senior Assistant ADA Nolan Price. I had no idea he is British.

A few Downton characters have happy developments. Mrs. Patmore gets a new beau with Mr. Mason with Daisy once again pulling the strings while Mr. Barrow gets to leave Downton with leading man Guy Dexter (Dominic West) who is in the closet and looking for someone to dress him. But perhaps the character who gets the biggest push is the much maligned Mr. Molesley who goes from irritant to indispensable screenwriter for the movie being shot at Downton and, for good measure, finally asks Ms. Baxter's hand in marriage. I was also glad to see David Robb reprise his role as Dr. Clarkson in the movie as he was notably absent last time around. 

But all things must come to an end. The Dowager Countess draws her last breath. But there will be new Crawleys as the movie ends with Mr. and Mrs. Branson bringing their new child into Downton. 

The question is where does Downton go from here? Is this it? Or will there be another installment in 2 to 3 years from now? As long as it draws an audience I suspect this is more likely than not. However, I have a feeling the next installment will be more somber (although there is a brief reference to the Spanish flu as a nod to COVID). The next chapter of Downton will likely take place in the 1930's with The Great Depression and the rise of fascism. By the time this movie is released America might very well be going through a fascism of its own.

Downton Abbey might be entering a new era, but I suspect many of us watch it to escape to an era gone by.

Roger Angell Tried To Warn Us About Trump

Roger Angell, who wrote his first article for The New Yorker in 1944 and joined its staff as an editor in 1956, passed away yesterday at the age of 101.

Angell was best known for his essays and books on baseball. However perhaps the most important article Angell ever wrote was at the tender age of 96 when he tried to warn us about Donald Trump before the 2016 election. Of course, Angell was far from alone in issuing such a warning. But keep in mind that Angell cast his first presidential ballot for FDR in 1944 while serving in the Pacific Theater in the U.S. Army Airforce. Angell considered his vote for Hillary Clinton in 2016 the most important he ever cast:

My country faces a danger unmatched in our history since the Cuban missile crisis, in 1962, or perhaps since 1943, when the Axis powers held most of Continental Europe, and Imperial Japan controlled the Pacific Rim, from the Aleutians to the Solomon Islands, with the outcome of that war still unknown.

That danger was, of course, Donald Trump.

Angell strenuously objected to Trump wanting a Purple Heart as an insult to the thousands upon thousands of soldiers who have been wounded in war or killed in action as was the case of many of Angell's friends. A Purple Heart is neither a toy nor a souvenir much less just another a parcel of land. Of course, Angell had other objections:

Mr. Trump has other drawbacks I haven’t mentioned: his weird fondness for Vladimir Putin; his destruction of the lives and hopes of small investors and contractors unlucky enough to have been involved in his business dealings; his bonkers five-year “birther” campaign, now withdrawn, though without accountability—but never mind all this, for now.

Mr. Trump is endlessly on record as someone who will not back down, who cannot appear to pause or lose. He is a man who must win, stay on the attack, and who thinks, first and last, “How will I look?” This is central, and what comes after it, for me, at times, is concern for what it must be like for anyone who, facing an imperative as dark and unforgiving as this, finds only the narcissist’s mirror for reassurance.

Trump's fondness for Putin continues unabated even after his invasion of Ukraine. The defeated former President characterized as an act of genius but Ukrainian resistance has demonstrated otherwise. Trump is also a man who demands credit for COVID vaccines his own supporters refuse to take while going to great lengths to minimize a disease which has killed more than twice as many Americans than died in WWII and in half the time.

While we can be grateful Trump is out of the White House at present, the fact remains he has not only never conceded but he insists that he has won despite all evidence to the contrary. The most dangerous thing of all is that Trump has convinced millions of Americans he was robbed of the presidency. Thousands of these Americans were prepared to prevent the peaceful transfer of power and are prepared to do much worse come 2024.  

Perhaps we can be grateful that Angell won't live to see what might come in 2024. But this is cold comfort to the rest of us as his warning was not heeded by nearly enough Americans. The best we can do to honor Roger Angell's memory is to get out and vote. R.I.P.

Bernie Sanders' Top Foreign Policy Adviser: Opposing Palestinian Right of Return = Replacement Theory

Matt Duss, Senator Bernie Sanders' top foreign policy adviser, has claimed that Israel's opposition to the Palestinian right of return is the equivalent of replacement theory:

In the Israeli-Palestinian context, the great replacement theory is expressed as opposition to the Palestinian right of return, which treats Palestinians as a ‘demographic threat. US leaders condemn the former while constantly declaring support for the latter. It’s fine and appropriate to discuss the historical context for Israel’s restrictive immigration policies, which is different from the US.

What absolute rubbish!!!

Five years ago, white supremacists in Charlottesville chanted, "Jews will not replace us!!!"

Today, the objective of the Palestinian right of return is to replace Jews and thereby dismantle the world's only Jewish homeland. 

Let us never forget that there would be no Palestinian refugee crisis had the Arabs accepted the 1947 UN Partition Plan which established the State of Israel. But those who support the Palestinian right of return want a world without Israel and indeed a world without Jews. Palestine from the river to the sea.

It would be suicidal for Israel to embrace the Palestinian right of return. But left-wing anti-Semites like Matt Duss want to liken Israel to white supremacists for having the temerity to want to live in a country the size of Vermont.

I cannot stress enough that equating opposition to the Palestinian right of return to white replacement theory is rubbish and such thinking deserves to be treated in that manner.

U.S. COVID Cases Pass 83 Million As Hospitalizations Start to Climb Among Americans 70 & Over

Yesterday, COVID cases in the United States surpassed the 83 million mark. According to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, there have been 83,237,592 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. resulting in 1,002,020 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.2%. 

After taking 15 days to go from 81 to 82 million cases, it took only 9 days to go from 82 to 83 million cases. As we get back to daily cases in the six figures, hospitalizations have increased by 25% among Americans aged 70 and over. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky is urging older Americans to get COVID booster shots. The question remains as to how far hospitalizations will climb and if that rate will increase across all age groups. I suspect we are in the midst of taking two steps back.

AOC, Without Evidence, Claims Israel Killed Journalist Shireen Abu Akleh

Scarcely a couple of days after voting in favor of a resolution calling upon "elected officials, faith leaders, and civil society leaders to use their bully pulpit to condemn and combat any and all manifestations of antisemitism", New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez manifested some anti-Semitism of her own.

In an Instagram video released this morning, AOC claimed, without evidence, that Israel was responsible for killing al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh last week:

I think it's really important for us to have eyes on what happened with Shireen Abu Akleh in Palestine, she was killed by Israeli forces — A venerated journalist, a US citizen. We can't allow this stuff to be happening with our resources. Our tax dollars are a part of this...we can't even get healthcare in the US, and we're funding this. There has to be some sort of line that we draw.

AOC doesn't know this for a fact. While it is possible that Akleh was killed by Israeli forces it will be impossible to prove unless the Palestinian Authority turns over the bullet for forensic analysis. Alas, the Palestinian Authority will not cooperate in any investigation. If the Palestinians are so sure Israel is responsible for Akleh's death then why are they withholding it? 

But AOC isn't interested in facts any more than Trump supporters who claim the election was stolen are. The objective of AOC's statement is to enflame and promote hatred of Israel and consequently hatred of Jews. When AOC says "we can't even get healthcare in the US" she is holding Jews solely responsible for this state of affairs even though one has nothing to do with the other. Expressions of such attitudes will invariably lead to violence against Jews and perhaps this violence will be committed by her own constituents. 

And just what if it turns out Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by a Palestinian? Will AOC apologize? Absolutely not. Because her objective is to dismantle Israel and do so by any means necessary.

The Squad Supports Resolution Against Anti-Semitism After Introducing an Anti-Semitic Resolution

Much was made of Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie being the lone vote against a House resolution condemning anti-Semitism and violence against Jews in America. 

And not without justification. Massie's vote comes as no surprise as he has also voted against funding Holocaust education and Israel's Iron Dome. As stupid as Massie's vote is at least we know where he stands.

The same cannot be said of some of the 420 Congressmen who voted in favor of the resolution which in part "calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil society leaders to use their bully pulpit to condemn and combat any and all manifestations of antisemitism."

Indeed, a day before the passage of the resolution against anti-Semitism, seven Democratic Congressmen saw fit to lend their support to an anti-Semitic resolution.

Michigan Democrat Rashida Tlaib, a member of The Squad, introduced a resolution calling upon the United States to recognize Israel's creation as a catastrophe or "Nakba" as the Palestinians like to call it. Nakba coincides with the anniversary of Israel's founding. Joining Tlaib in support of her resolution were fellow Squad members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Cori Bush of Missouri along with Congresswomen Marie Newman of Illinois and Betty McCollum of Minnesota. Surprisingly, Squad member Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts did not sign on in support of the resolution (at least not as of this writing).

Tlaib's resolution, in part, calls upon the United States to "commemorate the Nakba through official recognition and remembrance". Of course, Nakba is inherently anti-Semitic as it singles out Israel. The seven Congressmen do not consider the establishment of any other country in the world as a catastrophe. Many events commemorating Nakba promote hatred and explicitly call for violence against Jews - exactly the sort of thing the Resolution against anti-Semitism condemns. As such their support for the Resolution against anti-Semitism is meaningless.

Nakba's aim and objective is to for Palestinian refugees to return and effectively dismantle Israel out of existence. There is nothing peaceful about this objective. As I noted earlier this month, Palestinian refugees are different from every other refugee in the world as they exist in perpetuity. One can be born and raised in the United States and be elected to Congress like Tlaib and still be deemed a refugee. 

Fortunately, this resolution is unlikely ever to come to the House floor for a vote. But I suspect that Tlaib will keep introducing this resolution in Congress on or around May 14th and with every year she will get more support. And if we are not careful Nakba could become official U.S. foreign policy.

COVID Claims Chariots of Fire Composer Vangelis

Greek composer Vangelis, best known for his Oscar winning score to the 1981 film Chariots of Fire, passed away on Tuesday in a Paris hospital due to complications from COVID-19. He was 79.

Vangelis was also noted for his score for Blade Runner starring Harrison Ford and his collaborations with Yes lead singer Jon Anderson in the duo Jon & Vangelis. Together they released four albums during the 1980's and early 1990's. 

My first introduction to the music Vangelis (without knowing it at the time) was for the music used in the 1980 PBS TV series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage by Carl Sagan including the theme song "Heaven and Hell" which was the third movement of title track on an album recorded by Vangelis in 1975.

You could truly say that Vangelis' pioneering use of electronic music was out of this world. R.I.P.

Locked Out of Twitter Again & I Can't Get Back In; Perhaps It's Best I Stick With Facebook

Here is something I wrote last month in response to Elon Musk's imminent purchase of Twitter:

At this point, I have no plans to quit Twitter. I got locked out of Twitter twice before finally getting back on shortly after moving to Atlanta. If the Elon Musks of the world want to litter Twitter with MAGATs and Russian bots then they will have to put up with me until they see fit to lock me out once more.

Well, evidently someone in the current regime beat Musk to the punch because as of last night I am once again locked out of Twitter and I cannot back in. I'm not sure what crime against humanity I committed. But whatever it was it led to this response:

So I don't have a verified email address, but Twitter will email that address anyway. It's a bureaucracy and you can't talk to anyone.

Considering I got kicked out the same day defeated former President Trump was welcomed back to Twitter perhaps it is best that I stay out and stick with Facebook.

Twitter is useful in getting breaking news and in getting a few more people to view these posts. Yet Twitter is a very toxic place, Musk or no Musk, Trump or no Trump. There are a few good people on Twitter but for the most part I am also connected to them through Facebook. Although I will miss seeing all those beautiful cats on Twitter especially on #Caturday. Orange cats are the best.

To be sure Facebook has its own share of problems, but my experience on that platform has been far more meaningful and satisfying as I have renewed acquaintances with people I haven't seen since childhood while getting acquainted with people who enjoy Fanny as I much as I do. In view of these facts why would I stick with a social media platform in which the vast majority of my interactions are negative? 

Perhaps these posts will get fewer views, but quantity is no match for quality.

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Confirms 1 Million Deaths in U.S. From COVID-19

Although it was five days ago that President Biden marked the deaths of 1 million Americans from COVID-19, it was only today that Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine made it official. 

As of this writing, 1,000,167 Americans have died of COVID-19 out of 82,720,354 cases representing a mortality rate of 1.2%. However, many experts have concluded that 1 million deaths were surpassed "weeks or months ago."

Whenever that ominous figure was passed most Americans aren't giving much thought to a disease which has killed more Americans than any other disease or for that matter war or natural disaster in such a short period of time. It is true that COVID-19 is more manageable now than it was even at the start of 2022. Even as cases surge once more it has not been accompanied by a spike in hospitalizations as was the case following Delta last summer and fall and with Omicron late last year and early this year. At least for the moment.

While two out of every three Americans is fully vaccinated (66.98%) this puts us only slightly higher than Mongolia (66.36%) and slightly lower than Sri Lanka (67.55%). What if the United States had Canada's fully vaccinated rate of just under 82% (81.96%)? There are some estimates that at least 300,000 of these deaths were preventable.

In which case, we would not have been marking 1 million deaths in this country - at least not today. But millions of Americans have chosen not get vaccinated and for many of them it is now too late to change their minds. But it isn't too late for everyone.

Laguna Woods Church Shooter Targeted Victims For Supporting Taiwanese Independence

It turns out the shooting at the church yesterday in Laguna Woods, California in Orange County which claimed one life was every bit as politically motivated as the shooting at the Buffalo supermarket the day before which claimed 10 lives.

While the shooter in Buffalo was a white supremacist who targeted black people, the shooter in Laguna Woods is Chinese and he targeted the church because its congregants are Chinese and support Taiwanese independence. Fortunately, the congregants fought back and subdued the shooter before authorities took him into custody. If not for their swift actions the death toll would have been undoubtedly higher.

These attacks took place on opposite sides of the country with a different set of victims. While the two perpetrators are of different races they hated the just the same and used lethal violence against innocent civilians going about their business. 

The one other thing these two acts have in common is that they could have only happened in America.

David Milgaard, R.I.P.

David Milgaard, who spent more than 20 years in prison for a murder he did not commit before spending his remaining years trying to prevent injustices against others, died yesterday of complications of pneumonia. Milgaard was 69. He spent 23 years in prison - exactly one-third of his life. 

His name might not mean much to most Americans, but if you are a Canadian of a certain age Milgaard's name is one you will never forget. Milgaard was accused of murdering a nurse while visiting Saskatoon in January 1969 and would be sentenced to life in prison the following year at the age of 17. 

The case came to national attention in Canada in the late 1980's through the tireless efforts of his mother Joyce Milgaard. In 1990, when Milgaard's mother approached then Minister of Justice (and future Prime Minister) Kim Campbell about her son's case, Campbell tersely brushed her off leaving the elder Milgaard in tears.

The ensuing public backlash against Campbell would eventually force her to refer Milgaard's case to The Supreme Court of Canada who upon reviewing the case recommended the conviction against Milgaard be set aside. Campbell then ordered a new trial for Milgaard. However, the Government of Saskatchewan stayed the proceedings which would see Milgaard released from prison in April 1992.

However, it would be five more years before Milgaard would be exonerated through DNA evidence. It would be DNA evidence which would convict Larry Fisher of Miller's murder. While Fisher would be sentenced to life in prison he served only 15 years before passing away in 2015. Milgaard spent 8 more years behind bars than the man who actually killed Miller.

In 1999, Milgaard was given compensation by the Government of Canada and Government of Saskatchewan in the amount of $10 million. Both Milgaard and his mother devoted their lives to freely the wrongfully convicted until she passed away in March 2020. 

While Milgaard would never get those 23 years back, he made the most of the time he had and spent much of that time in service of others who had nowhere else to turn. R.I.P.

Yesterday a Supermarket in Buffalo; Today a Church in Laguna Woods, California

Less than 24 hours after 10 people were murdered by a white supremacist at a supermarket in a predominantly black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, another gunman opened fire at a church in Laguna Woods, California killing one person with four other people in critical condition. 

The suspect has been taken into custody, but has not been identified. The motive for the attack remains unknown at this hour.

For far too many years now, America has faced an epidemic of mass shootings which seem to occur on a weekly, if not daily basis. These shootings have happened in our houses of worship, grocery stores, shopping malls, public transportation, movie theaters, concerts, nightclubs and, of course, schools - be they elementary, high school and universities.

Now mass shootings are not confined to the United States. Indeed, the Buffalo shooter was inspired by the 2019 attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. However, this attack was New Zealand's first mass shooting in more than 20 years. Between those two New Zealand mass shootings, America had endured more than 90 mass shootings. It is the frequency of mass shootings in this country which sets the United States apart.

Something has to change. But what exactly?

While stricter gun laws might be of some help chances are they wouldn't have prevented most of the mass shootings which have taken place over the past three decades or so. Back in January 2016, when President Obama had a town hall summit on CNN in the wake of the ISIS terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, I made this argument in The American Spectator:

Let’s be clear. No background check known to man would have prevented the San Bernardino attacks. To start with, the terrorists had a straw buyer. Then let’s add the fact the perpetrators were affiliated with ISIS, an organization which seeks to spill American blood. Do you think expanded background checks are going to deter ISIS in any way shape or form from killing Americans?

While the Buffalo shooter appears to have acted alone, he was every bit as fanatical as the perpetrators of the San Bernardino attack. The Buffalo shooter traveled more than 200 miles to kill his victims. No expansion of background checks would have deterred him either.

What also hasn't changed over these past six and a half years is that nearly 2 out of every 3 gun deaths in this country are suicides, not homicides. If one wants to significantly reduce the number of gun deaths in this country then one must address our collective mental health. But even there we must keep in mind there are many other ways to end your own life.

Nevertheless mass shootings in the United States cannot be ignored at the public policy level. While some problems are global in nature such as inflation, when it comes to gun violence it is an American problem. 

Unfortunately, we are also a country which has accepted the deaths of 1 million Americans from COVID-19 and have more or less shrugged our shoulders. If we can do that then we should not be surprised if we are not moved into action by the deaths of tens of thousands Americans.

Hunter Greene & Art Warren Don't Allow a Hit...And The Reds Still Lose

If it wasn't for bad luck the Cincinnati Reds would have no luck at all.

This afternoon Reds rookie pitcher Hunter Greene and Art Warren did not allow a single hit to the Pittsburgh Pirates. 

And yet the Reds lost to the Bucs 1-0. 

The Pirates lone run came when Bucs second baseman Rodolfo Castro scored on a fielder's choice hit by third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes in the bottom of the 8th inning. 

To make matters worse, it will not count as a no-hitter in the record books because Reds pitchers only threw 8 innings as Cincinnati failed to score in the top of the 9th. It was only the fourth time in MLB history this has ever happened. This last happened in 1992 when Boston Red Sox pitcher Matt Young lost to the Cleveland Indians 2-1 despite not allowing a hit over 8 innings. 

Still, it was Greene's best outing of the season as he struck out 9 batters while walking five over 7.1 innings pitched before giving way to Warren. The number two pick in the 2017 MLB draft is still struggling with a 1-6 record along with an ERA of 6.21 although it had been 7.62 prior to the start of the game.

Nevertheless, the game was emblematic of the Reds season. Although the Reds have been better in May, Cincinnati still owns MLB's worst record at 9-26, 12.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central. Despite winning 6 of their last 10 games, the Reds still have a chance to eclipse the 1962 New York Mets as the worst team in modern MLB history. 

But of all their losses so far this one is the most painful.

Nebraska GOP Governor Ricketts Calls for Total Abortion Ban if Roe v. Wade is Overturned

In an interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts said he will call a special session of the state legislature to enact a total ban on abortion in the very likely event Roe v. Wade is overturned. Ricketts told Bash:

Nebraska is a pro-life state. I believe life begins at conception. If Roe v. Wade, which is a horrible constitutional decision, gets overturned by the Supreme Court, which we're hopeful of, here in Nebraska, we're going to take further steps to protect those unborn babies.

Bash asked Ricketts about cases of rape and incest. Ricketts replied, "They're still babies too. Yes."

So Governor Ricketts will have the state compel women to give birth even if they are impregnated by a relative or a rapist.

If the law passes, Nebraska would join 13 other states which presently have trigger laws on the books which would enact abortion bans in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned. The 13 states in question are Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming. This number could grow to more than half the states in the Union with Florida, Indiana and Montana likely next in line.

Mind you, Governor Ricketts only seeks to protect babies who are "unborn." Once you're out of the womb then you are on your own.

As the late George Carlin said, "If you're pre-born, you're fine. If you're pre-school, you're fucked."

White Supremacist Livestreams Murdering 10 People at a Buffalo Grocery Store UPDATE

Ten people were murdered this afternoon at a Tops grocery store in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. 

At this hour, the victims have not been identified nor has the shooter who was taken into custody. All that is known about the shooter is that he is an 18-year old white male who livestreamed the killings on Twitch and published a manifesto lauding white replacement theory, a thesis promoted by the likes of Tucker Carlson which advances the argument the government is trying to replace the white population through immigration.

This was one exclusively the province of the likes of white supremacists like the Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. Now it has become mainstream conservative thought in this country with nearly half of all Republicans on board with it.

Now the consequences of this theory have been taken out on people who were going about their business buying groceries. The Carlsons of the world and those who accept his views at face value have blood on their hands. 

Mind you this isn't the first time the ravages of white replacement theory have resulted in bloodshed. Think of Charlottesville, El Paso, Pittsburgh, Poway, California and Christchurch, New Zealand. The attack in El Paso took place at a Walmart, at synagogues in Pittsburgh and Poway and a mosque in Christchurch. The attacks in Christchurch  and El Paso were also livestreamed. The Poway shooter wanted to do the same but was unsuccessful. These white supremacists are proud of ending innocent lives and want to show the world what they did in real time.

The awful truth is this won't be the last time something like this happens. Indeed, this might very well only be the beginning.

UPDATE: The suspect has been identified as Payton Gendron who resides more than 200 miles away in Conklin, New York near Binghamton. Gendron describes himself as a white supremacist and was in part inspired by the Christchurch attack.

Two hundred miles is a long way to go grocery shopping. But when one hates someone, in this case due to the color of their skin, such a person will walk to the ends of the Earth in order to commit murder and mayhem.

Russia's Little Helpers: Senator Rand Paul & Turkish President Erdogan

Russia's nearly three month old invasion of Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of several thousand Ukrainians and the displacement of more than 12 million. 

Most Western leaders are trying to help Ukraine in good faith. But there are those within the West who are acting at the behest of Russia.

President Biden recently pledged $40 billion of military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. This passed the House but it has been blocked from proceeding by Senator Rand Paul (Republican - Kremlin, er, Kentucky). Paul is objecting on account of fiscal responsibility complaining that, "Congress just wants to keep spending, and spending."

But Paul is a longstanding apologist for Russia. It was only last month that Paul told Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Ukraine was "part of Russia". Somehow I doubt Paul would be arguing fiscal responsibility if the military and humanitarian were headed to Moscow. Paul's stonewalling is no surprise given his ongoing blockage of military aid to Israel for its Iron Dome. 

However, Senator Paul is far from alone in aiding and abetting Vladimir Putin's cause. Russia's aggression in Ukraine has prompted Finland to formally apply for membership in NATO with Sweden expected to follow suit. But Turkish President Erdogan announced his opposition to Finland and Sweden's entry into NATO effectively quashing the effort to expand the alliance. Erdogan claims Finland and Sweden are "home to many terrorist organizations" in reference to its support for the Kurds. But this is nothing more than a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black given Erdogan's long standing support for Hamas.

While it is true that Turkey has provide some military aid to Ukraine it has refused to impose sanctions on Russia. At best, Turkey is playing both sides of the fence. But to have a NATO member refusing to accept expansion serves only Russian interests. Frankly, Turkey ought to be jettisoned from NATO but they won't kick out a country with such a large military. 

The long and short of Senator Paul and President Erdogan's actions is that Russia gets to continue its aggression and more Ukrainians will be forced from their homes while others will die.

Reflections on 1 Million COVID Deaths in The United States

In prerecorded remarks before the COVID-19 Global Summit, President Biden noted the United States had reached 1 million deaths because of the pandemic:

Today, we mark a tragic milestone here in the United States: one million COVID deaths, one million empty chairs around the family dinner table — each irreplaceable.  Irreplaceable losses, each leaving behind a family, a community forever changed because of this pandemic.

My heart goes out to all of those who are struggling, asking themselves, “How do I go on without him?”  “How do I go on without her?”  “What will we do without them?” 

To commemorate the lives of the 1 million Americans who have died of COVID, President Biden ordered the White House flags and all flags on federal property to be lowered to half staff until next Monday night. 

According to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, the death toll from COVID-19 in this country as of this writing is 999,111 out of 82,325,687 cases representing a mortality rate of 1.2%. This number will likely climb above 1 million tomorrow although truth be told we very likely surpassed this tally weeks ago. 

It cannot be emphasized enough that no other event in American history has cost so many lives in such a short period of time. No war, no natural disaster and no other disease has caused so much loss of life. 

While many Americans share President Biden's lament for what our nation has lost, many other Americans have a very different view ranging from indifference to outright denial including by defeated former President Trump who questioned the death toll when it surpassed 350,000 during the final weeks of his presidency calling it "exaggerated". 

These sentiments might not represent the view of a majority of Americans, but they represent more than a critical mass and are expressed by those who yield power and exert great influence. Indeed, voting behavior is now the single most reliable indicator of one in this country saw fit to be vaccinated. If you vote Democrat you're probably vaccinated. If you vote Republican you're probably not. If Republican voters had their way we would still be fighting measles, polio and smallpox.

Many Republicans such as Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick are now reveling in the likelihood that Roe v. Wade will be overturned all in the name of the sanctity of life. Upon learning of the leaked draft opinion, Patrick proclaimed the decision would be "a great day for life...a great day for innocent babies in the womb." This would be the same Dan Patrick who said in the early days of the pandemic declared "there are more important things than living".

Pro-life my ass!!!

Let me say it again!!! COVID-19 has killed more Americans than any other disease, natural disaster or war and in such a short period of time. The United States not only has more COVID deaths than anywhere else in the world but that second place Brazil (which had an utterly horrendous response to COVID) has one-third fewer deaths. If so-called pro-lifers were truly believed in the sanctity of life then they would move Heaven and Earth to save as many lives as possible. 

Alas a great many Americans look at our mortality rate of 1.2% and see a 98-99% survival rate regardless of vaccination. If a significant number of Americans cannot bring themselves to get vaccinated to save their own lives then how can we expect them to care about 1 million Americans who have lost theirs? R.I.P.

Detmers' No-Hitter for The Angels Was More Joyous Than Their Previous One

When I read about Los Angeles Angels' rookie pitcher Reid Detmers no-hitter last night against the Tampa  Bay Rays what immediately came to mind was this was a far more joyous occasion than the team’s last no-hitter in July 2019.

When Taylor Cole and Felix Pena tossed a combined no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners it was the team’s first game back after the sudden death of pitcher Tyler Skaggs. The Angels wore Skaggs’ 45 jersey & placed their jerseys on the mound at the conclusion game reflecting the somber mood of the evening.

This time around there was no pall of grief. Detmers got to experience baseball immortality in only his 11th career start and became the team’s youngest pitcher to throw a no-no at the age of 22. Mike Trout, who was on hand for the misery, hit 2 HRs without a worry in the world while Anthony Rendon slammed a HR in his first MLB at bat as a left-handed hitter. Of course, it doesn’t hurt the Angels are atop the AL West.

Detmers’ no-hitter comes 10 days after five New York Mets pitchers combined on a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies. 

U.S. Passes 82 Million COVID Cases Amid New Surge

The United States has now passed 82 million COVID cases. According to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, there have been 82,107,519 cases resulting in 998,346 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.2%. 

After taking 29 days to go from 79 to 80 million cases and 27 days to go from 80 to 81 million cases (essentially four weeks), it took 15 days to go from 81 to 82 million cases. Of course, this is a far cry from the 1 million plus cases a day which were being recorded at the height of Omicron in early January. Though it is reasonable to ask if two new Omicron variants accelerate this pace. It is also reasonable to ask if the surge which has taken place over the past 15 days is a consequence of last month's federal court decision to overturn the mask mandate on public transportation and in public transportation facilities. 

At this point, the key question is hospitalizations. There has been a slight increase in hospitalizations over the past month though this has gone from just under 10,000 to a little over 15,000. The question remains if hospitalizations will spike like they last summer during Delta when it neared 100,000 hospitalizations and at the beginning of 2022 when it exceeded 150,000.

A great deal of the answer is up to us. In which case, it probably won't be a good answer especially among those of us who are no longer asking the question.

Miguel Cabrera Collects 600th Career Double

Last month, when Detroit Tigers DH Miguel Cabrera was chasing his 3,000th career hit, I mused that I hoped it would be a double as it would be the 600th of his career.

That 3,000th hit would turn out to be a single. The double would have to wait until his 3,009th career hit which came yesterday when he doubled in two runs off Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez at Minute Maid Park. Alas, the Tigers fell short 3-2. 

That double made Cabrera only the third player to record 600 doubles, 500 homeruns and 3,000 hits. The others are the late Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols. It also gave him 1813 career RBIs - one more than the late Hall of Famer Frank Robinson. Cabrera needs 16 RBI to pass another Hall of Famer the late Al Simmons and place him 20th on MLB's all-time RBI list. 

With the Tigers currently owning the worst record in the AL, all Tigers fans have to look forward to in 2022 is for Cabrera to pass new milestones.

Kremlin Denies Putin Apologized to Israeli PM Bennett Over Lavrov's "Hitler Had Jewish Blood" Comments

On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett issued a statement indicating that Vladimir Putin had apologized to him for Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's "Hitler had Jewish blood" comments last weekend.

However, the Kremlin denied Putin made any such apology.

Could it be something was lost in translation? Or is one or both of the parties lying?

Somehow I cannot see Putin issuing an apology to anyone for any reason. It isn't that Lavrov made a flippant remark. The Russian Foreign Ministry subsequently criticized Israel for supporting a neo-Nazi regime in Ukraine. I simply cannot see Lavrov going into business for himself and making these statements without Putin's blessings. There's also no reason to believe that Lavrov has fallen out of favor with Putin. 

Let's assume Putin offered no apology. Why would Bennett say that it did? Is it because as offensive as Lavrov's comments were Israel is in greater need of Russia's co-operation in striking Iranian targets in Syria?

Now let's assume Putin did apologize but the Kremlin is lying about it. The only reason I can think Putin would do this is because he does not care for the current Israeli government and would prefer to see the return of Benjamin Netanyahu. It's not so much a question of Bennett but rather Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid who has been far more publicly critical of Russia for its actions in Ukraine. Russia has not shied from blasting Lapid for backing its ouster from the UN Human Rights Council. Under the terms of the power sharing agreement, Lapid is due to become Prime Minister in August 2023. 

Of course, this might not come to pass because the coalition lost its majority a month ago following the resignation of Idit Silman although it is possible Lapid could head a caretaker government if new elections are forced. If Putin is happy to interfere in American and French politics why would he refrain from doing so in Israel? There are no limits on his power and he can play the long game whereas Israel does not have this luxury. 

In the meantime, while Israel provides Ukraine humanitarian aid there will be no military aid forthcoming let alone sanctions on Russia.