August 26, 2023

I follow track & field. The 2023 World Track & Field Championships are taking place as I type in Budapest, Hungary. The athletes are laboring in sweltering heat, which is causing many of them to leave the track in wheel chairs, but that is another story. The USA won both the men’s and women’s 100 meter sprints, and the team as a whole has a substantial lead in the medal count.

So, I was a little disappointed this morning to read the headline in today’s sports section that “Richardson finishes third in 200 meters at world championships.” I have nothing against Sha’Carri Richardson, who won gold in the 100 meters, but the headline in the Springfield Republican should have read, “Harvard graduate Gabby Thomas of Florence, MA finished second in the 200 meters.”

Thomas’ mom moved the family here in 2007 to accept a teaching position at U.Mass. Before attending Harvard, Gabby spent four years at Williston Northampton. She won a bronze and silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In her spare time, she is studying for her Ph.D in Epidemiology at the U. Of Texas. Gabby Tomas should be the headline.

August 25, 2023

I am confident that the media will do an effective job of slicing and dicing the Republican presidential debate, and there is not much I can add to the discussion. The talking heads and editorial writers will tell us who won and who lost. They will tell us about the effect that a 6’3”, 215 pound, strawberry blond elephant not in the room had on the proceedings.

Moderator Brett Baier asked for a show of hands about who was willing to support Donald Trump if he were to become the Republican candidate. Almost every hand went up. In reality, Baier didn’t have to ask the question because all seven men on stage were wearing a red tie, which is all you needed to know. It was the same tie that Trump wore in his thug shot. They all know that they can’t win so they are all in with Donald Trump. The red tie tells MAGA Trump supporters better than a wink and a leer that they believe the election was stolen, and that Donald Trump is their redemption. Better red than dead, I guess.

For the record, I threw my red ties away in 2016.

August 21, 2023

We have finally fallen into the abyss. According to a CBS (lame stream) poll, Trump voters believe that what he has to say is more truthful than what they hear from family, friends, the media and religious leaders. This despite the thousands of lies that he has told as verified by the Washington Post fact-checkers. These sickophants obviously know what they know, and don’t want to be confused by the facts.

I guess they are hoping that Trump will join them for Thanksgiving and bring an apple pie like Aunt Mabel, or maybe give them a loan when they hit hard times like cousin Ed. Maybe Trump will friend them on Facebook. They are expecting Trump to give them comfort in times of need, and forgive them of their sins. They don’t believe religious leaders because priest and ministers are still flogging the Sermon on the Mount, which is way too woke for the true believers.

As Chico Marx said in “Duck Soup,” “Who you gonna believe, me or your lyin’ eyes?”

August 14, 2023

Donald Trump is allegedly a racketeer, and the head of a corrupt, criminal organization according to Georgia’s RICO Act and Fulton County DA, Fani Willis. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. Donald Trump and his eighteen co-conspirators are not exactly on a par with the Biden crime family, but that will be up to the state of Georgia to decide.

If you are keeping score at home, we have two impeachments, Trump University, the Trump Charitable Foundation, E. Jean Carroll, Stormy Daniels, tax fraud, classified documents, January 6th, and now Georgia. The cherry on top will be the House investigation into the conflicts of interest of the Trump children, Jared Kushner, and Trump’s businesses. On the other side of the ledger, we have Hunter Biden’s laptop.

So who do you believe? According to Trump, every political figure, government official, judge, lawyer, witness, and private citizen, who has taken part in any of his investigations and convictions, is corrupt and part of the deep state. What are the odds?

August 15, 2023

I am an habitué of Smith’s Billiards in downtown Springfield, and a follower of pool on YouTube. In the pool world, Efren Bata Reyes of the Philippines is known as The Magician. His skills are amazing. He recovers from impossible situations. He is famous for his bank shots. He plays shots that seemingly have no chance of succeeding.

Donald Trump is trying to pull off his own magic act. He is running for President in hopes that he can pull a rabbit out of the hat. Some say that his efforts to stay out of jail are a bank shot at best. However, Trump is no Bata. The Magician spent countless hours every day for years honing his craft. What looks like magic to the untrained eye is actually skill at the highest level. Trump, on the other hand, is a ham-fisted, TV personality, who has spent no time learning the science and art of government. He confuses salesmanship with statesmanship.

Trump is behind the eight ball with his multiple indictments and numerous felony counts. The Magician would know what to do. Trump will most likely scratch.

August 11, 2023

In a famous scene from “Seinfeld,” George Costanza, when asked what his TV show concept was about, said it was about nothing. One could say the same thing today about the Republican docudrama concerning Hunter Biden. The point of the exercise is not to find wrong-doing. The point is to smear Joe Biden, sow confusion, and deflect any criticism from Jared Kushner and the Saudis, Ivanka Trump and the Chinese, and the Trump boys and the Trump properties.

Staying on brand, Republicans have been very good over the years at making something out of nothing. Years ago, we had Presidential candidate Michael Dukakis being tarred by Willie Horton. Candidate John Kerry was swift-boated. The biggest nothing burger of all time was Hillary Clinton and Benghazi, which Republican leader, Kevin McCarthy, admitted at the time was all about politics. Let’s not forget Vince Foster and Whitewater. Now we have to decide whether or not to watch the Hunter Biden Laptop show. We will see, but, so far, it is all about nothing.

August 3, 2023

Reports are that Donald Trump is financially bleeding to death from the many lawsuits and legal expenses he is facing. He has spent over $400 millions dollars on lawyers and counting. In business, this would be considered an unsustainable burn rate. However, there is another business concept called “other people’s money.” It refers to using other people’s investment capital to achieve growth and innovation while shielding yourself from financial risk. However, it could also be used negatively to criticize using someone else’s money recklessly or unethically.

Trump has been actively soliciting political contributions from his loyal followers, a certain percentage of which goes to pay his legal fees. Whether they realize that this is where their money going is an open question. Regardless, Trump hasn’t spent a nickel of his own money in his own defense. It’s the same way he runs his business. He puts his name on stuff without any investment. A quote from the movie of the same name seems appropriate. “Money don’t make you fat, and it don’t poop all over the living room floor. The only thing I like better is other people’s money.”

August 2, 2023

As a rules official for Mass Golf, I am very familiar with the definition of “known or virtual certainty.” The definition states that “Although there is a very small degree of doubt, all reasonably available information shows that it is at least 95% likely that the event in question happened.” As a multi-time club champion golfer and a former head of the Justice Department, Donald Trump is certainly familiar with the concept of known or virtual certainty (KVC.)

Donald Trump has been indicted for his illegal activities surrounding his “Stop the Steal” campaign after the 2020 election. The independent counsel is saying that, despite Trump’s claims that he believed what he believed, it was known or virtually certain that Trump knew he lost the election, and knew that he was lying. Dozens of Republican officials have testified under oath to this effect.

On the golf course, a player running afoul of KVC typically gets either a two stroke penalty in stroke play or a loss of hole in match play. Donald Trump is looking at what we call in golf a disqualification.

August 1, 2023

Show business is replete with aging singers, who didn’t know when it was time to give it up. We recently lost crooning legend, Tony Bennett. I think it would be fair to say that his best singing days were behind him. Towards the end, he was yelling his parts as he sang duets with Lady Gaga. He left his voice in San Francisco. Elvis was a mess as he gyrated and sweated on stage. Sirupy Paul has had difficulty carrying a note for years, and the other Paul, Simon, pushed the envelope to bursting. Despite the degrading vocal chords, however, everyone wanted to hear them sing the hits.

And that brings me to Trump because you know it would. Trump is just a tired lounge act that appeals to people mostly of his generation. Like Tony, he was one big hit that he keeps reprising. Like Elvis, he is overweight with bad hair and bad make-up. Like the Paul’s, his notes crackle. His fans want him to “sing” the hits, but the hits seem old and in the way. His rallies are like rock ‘n roll, fund-raising shows on PBS where the fans sing along to the stars, all pretending to be fifty years younger. When it’s over, the fans want more, but can’t remember why. The red hats will help.