The Best and Worst of Times!

It was the Best of Times and The Worst of Times...the story of the last 12 months of my life.  As I look back on the last year, there are many things to be thankful for....  Healthy and beautiful grandchildren, children and their spouses, my forever partner Connie, my constant companion Jazz and countless friends and family that have been there for me through the best and the worst of times.

Its only been 4 months since I was first diagnosed with the kidney disease that came out of nowhere.  Now, I am at the stage where we are beginning dialysis and searching for a kidney donor.  The main lesson from all of this is that without your health, none of the other stuff really matters.  Often, when we know others that are suffering, it is easy to not fully comprehend how it takes over their life.  Unfortunately, though, it takes precedence over all of your activities, most of your thoughts and a lot of your interactions with others.

But, this post is not a "Woe is me" post.  Actually, as I reflect on the year and the last four months in particular, I am grateful and touched by the outpouring of love, compassion and caring from so many different people.  Whether it is close friends, family, extended family, casual friends, colleagues at FLMTC or just casual acquaintances, a day doesn't go by that I am not surprised by someone reaching out...and that makes the whole ordeal much more bearable.  I also believe that my health problems have made me more aware and much more compassionate about others that are facing challenges.

It was also  "the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity" ... in our country and in the world.  (Most readers of this Blog know that I couldn't go too long without being political!) The amount of hate and vitriol directed by the white supremacists and encouraged by the worthless imposter that sits in the White House is undoubtedly the worst of times.  The recent spate of Anti-Semitic and Anti-Muslim violence is reminiscent of Hitler's Germany and if that doesn't scare you, then something is wrong with you! The lack of any sort of morality coming out of the Washington Republican elite is repugnant and the lies and misinformation abhorrent.   Not to mention the Climate deniers that endanger the future of our planet.   Somehow, we have come to accept the idea that Party and getting re-elected is more important than doing what is right....and that just plain sucks!  Our Country's standing in the World is suffering...we are being laughed at by other countries and the Chinese and Russians are now the true Powers in this World...all because we have an administration that has no concept of World Affairs, except for sucking up to Putin.  There is no substitute for smarts, thoughtful discourse and an Administration that will listen to those more experienced and smarter...unfortunately we will never have that with Trump as President.  I cannot have any respect for Bad people, and Trump and McConnell are at the top of the Bad people list!  And, while I am always open for debate, using FACTS, I have lost all respect for anyone that supports the current administration based solely on their pocketbook.

So, as we head in to a New Year and a New Decade, I will be working hard to fight against those forces that endanger our Country, our World  and the future that I would like for my grandchildren to have.  All the while, I will take it step by step in fighting back to full health.   Those are my only New Year resolutions!

Happy and Healthy New Year wishes for all!

And The Journey Continues.....

The Search for A Kidney

Three months ago I was diagnosed with an unusual kidney disease, PGNMID, and began treatment.  So far, the four chemo treatments have netted no progress and I have now been in the hospital for a week trying to get the swelling throughout my body under control.  My arms look like Popeye’s and my legs and torso resemble the baby Trump balloon!  Unfortunately, my kidney function is continuing to decrease and the doctors have informed me that its time to move on to dialysis and to be put on the transplant lists.

So, that’s the plan....going to have a port put in my abdomen this week and begin home based dialysis and begin the search for a new kidney.  I am told that being on the list means that maybe a match can be found within 12 months.  Although some in my family have already volunteered their kidney, matching still has to be there and I have to be willing to avail myself of their incredible expressions of love.  That is a decision that I will wrestle with at the appropriate time and in due course.

One thing is for sure though....the importance of support from family, friends and colleagues has been a reward in itself. And that’s the purpose of this blog —- to thank everybody for the calls, texts and emails.  The level of love and concern has made the acceptance of this bump in the road a little easier.  I have to be honest - today’s meetings with the doctors have been difficult - Sometimes it is a little hard to stay positive but we are taking it day by day and will kick the hell out of this!

Thanks again for your expressions of love - please be understanding if I don’t immediately answer your notes, texts and emails...we will do our best in keeping you updated.

And the journey continues......

I Am Not Invincible!

At some point, all of us think that we are invincible!  Nothing is going to happen to me..I am strong, I am healthy, I take only calculated risks and generally take care of myself.  We all go along our merry way, not worrying too much nor fretting over our well being.  And then...BOOM!  That all changes in an instance.

I always thought that if anything affected my health, it would be my heart.  After all, cardiac problems run throughout my family..my Mom, Dad and 3 brothers all had cardiac issues.  So, I was diligent in checking up on the ticker and everything has always been good!   And then a couple of weeks ago, I was just not feeling right.  Lethargic, loss of appetite, retention of fluids and just generally feeling punk.  Finally, after much prodding from my family and friends, I relented and went to the doctor to find that my blood pressure was through the roof.  Blood tests revealed that my kidney function was shutting down.

A week in the hospital and I went through a Kidney biopsy, Bone Marrow biopsy, complications from the biopsy...and the diagnosis is an uncommon Kidney Disease...PGNMID...  At this point, we hope it is treatable with chemo, as I have had my first round last week and am scheduled for the second round on Friday, September 27th.  I am told that about a third respond to this treatment and am trying to avoid dialysis and/or transplant.

So, I am at home, but expect to try to go back to work asap...this sitting around doing nothing is not for me!  Unfortunately, I am restricted in travel as the chemo leaves me more susceptible to infections...but keeping the Purel close at hand is not the worse thing in the world.  However, I am going to have to forego my 50th High School Reunion that I was so looking forward to.  To all my classmates, send pictures, I will be with you in spirit.

I have learned a few things during this ordeal.  First, listen to your body...if something isn't feeling right, then it's time to get it checked out.  Second, I have the best support group in my family and my friends.  The outpouring of love and concern has been overwhelming and that is probably the best medicine of all.

No matter what course I have to take to get there, I'LL BE BACK!!  Stay tuned!

And The Journey Continues!

The New Normal?

64% of American voters believe President Trump committed crimes before he became president, while just 24% believe he did not, according to Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday.

Voters are more divided on the question of whether or not Trump committed crimes during his presidency, with 45% responding yes and 43% no. Of those surveyed, 50% said they believe Michael Cohen — who detailed alleged crimes committed by Trump during his testimony last week — more than they believe the president. As he enters the third year of his presidency, 65% of Americans say Trump is not honest, including 25% of Republicans — "his worst grade ever on that character trait," according to Quinnipiac.

                                                                        AXIOS March 5, 2019

This would be very interesting if it really mattered!  It seems we have morphed in to a society that does not care about honesty…not from our politicians and not in our daily lives.  It has become the new normal to “shade the truth, tell little fibs, exaggerate, pontificate and out and out lie!  It has been estimated that, so far in his Presidency, Trump has uttered 7645 false or misleading claims and is averaging over 15 lies a day!

Why doesn’t this matter to the voters?  We already know that most voters are so under-informed about reality, that they will believe anything put in front of them if it fits within their narrow internet world.  Trump’s tax cuts are a great example.  These tax cuts were a fraud on the American taxpayer.  Benefits were only put in to place to benefit the top 1% and Corporations. BUT, Trump had the IRS adjust the withholding tables so that it appeared that working people were receiving a benefit. However, as these people are now finding out, their Taxes actually went up due to the elimination of certain deductions and now those same people are having to come up with funds to pay their taxes.  Not to mention the Trillions that it is adding to our deficit.  Just as he has done in ALL of his business dealings, Trump lied to fit the narrative he wanted the public to believe.

Yes, I believe Michael Cohen over Donald Trump.  Michael Cohen no longer has anything else to gain or lose, so lying does him no good at all. I agree that Trump is a racist, con man and overall bad person.

So, it is extremely hard for me to understand how anybody can defend this less than a man.  What has he accomplished?  A Tax cut?  No, that was a tax fraud on the American worker.  

Great strides in Foreign Policy? No, he is laughed at by every one of our Allies and only embraced by Dictators and Despots…and he embraces them in return over our own Intelligence Agencies.

 A great economy and unemployment numbers?  No, he had nothing to do with that…the previous administration dug us out of the hole and he has only managed to make things more difficult for our farmers and manufacturers with his phony trade wars.  

Immigration Reform?  No, “Build that Wall” is not immigration reform..it is only hate filled rhetoric designed to fire up his base and create an “emergency” over illegal immigration numbers that are at an all time low.  

Drain the Swamp?  No, he has created a Swamp so deep that 34 people and 3 Companies have been indicted from his administration (so far) and the revolving door that has been installed in the White House for his Cabinet and Advisors is moving at warp speed.  

Peace with North Korea…No, that is laughable.  North Korea has increased the pursuit of nuclear weapons and missiles that can reach the United States.  Complete failure!

Healthcare? Respect and belief in Science concerning the environment?  Education reforms?  NO, NO and NO!!!

So, exactly what has he accomplished besides embracing the Neo Nazi’s, the KKK and others that are filled with hate?  Yep, I now believe that Trump can shoot somebody in the middle of 5^thAvenue and his supporters will find that to be okay!

What a terrible thing to have our new normal be one of lies, deception and general dishonesty rather than real accomplishments, truth, civility and inclusion.

And The Journey Continue…………….

Glory, Glory!

Although I can't promise that I will never write another political post, I am so damn tired of the political landscape and the political conversation, that I am just plumb tired, period.  So, while I haven't written a blog post in some time, it is about time that I jump back in and ramble on about something....

When I was growing up, the Sports scene in Atlanta was pretty minor league.  Before the mid 60's, professional sports in Atlanta consisted of the minor league baseball team, The Atlanta Crackers, playing in Ponce de Leon Ballpark...and many fond memories of going to games there still rattle around in my head.  There was not a major league team in any sport until I was about 15 years old...that's when the Braves moved from Milwaukee and the Falcons were born as an expansion NFL team.  A couple of years later, the Hawks moved from St Louis and Atlanta became big time with 3 major league teams.

I fondly remember seeing my first major league regular season game on Opening Day for The Braves on April 12, 1966 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.  It was against the Pittsburgh Pirates and the starting pitcher, Tony Cloninger, pitched a complete 13 inning game, only to endure a 3-2 loss. The Braves featured players Henry Aaron, Eddie Mathews and Joe Torre along with Felipe Alou and other role players like Rico Carty, Frank Bolling and Dennis Menke.  I have won a lot of drinks in bars betting people they can't remember who the opening day 1st baseman was....Lee Thomas.

In that same year, The Atlanta Falcons were born and drafted Tommy Nobis, Linebacker from Texas,  as their first draft choice and had a bonus 1st round pick, Randy Johnson, QB from Texas A&I.  The first exhibition game in Atlanta Fulton County Stadium was against the Johnny Unitas led Baltimore Colts and I was at that one too!

It wasn't until 2 years later, 1968, that the NBA arrived in Atlanta when the St Louis Hawks became the Atlanta Hawks.  They played the first 5 years in Alexander Memorial Coliseum on the Ga. Tech campus before moving to the "new" Omni.

So, that's how Atlanta became a "Big-League" city.  But before that, we had College Sports....Football, in particular.  And since the Ga.Tech Yellow Jackets were the "home team", that's who we initially rooted for.  I could even sing all of the words to "I'm a Ramblin' Wreck from Georgia Tech!"  That's the only reason I know the obscure fact that Billy Lothridge was the guy that finished 2nd to Roger Staubach in The Heisman Trophy race.  He was the QB, punter and place kicker for The Jackets.  I have fond memories of going to Grant Field to see Bobby Dodd's Tech teams play...both Varsity games and the annual Freshman Game against the Georgia Bulldogs.

I am not sure when I became enlightened and became a Georgia Bulldog fan, but I am sure it was well before I was accepted and went to The University of Georgia.  Since that time, I began to bleed Red and Black and became a devoted fan...as a student in the late 60's and early 70's, as a season ticket holder,  reveling in the Herschel Walker years and The National Championship, mourning the retirement of Vince Dooley, suffering through the tough years, not quite getting to the pinnacle during the Mark Richt years (although there were a couple of SEC Champ years in there) and now reenergized during the beginning of the Kirby Smart years.

What a year 2017 was...winning the SEC Championship,  and The Rose Bowl and taking Alabama into overtime before losing the National Championship...way beyond our pre-season expectations and exciting beyond reason!  Kirby followed that up with great recruiting and great prospects for seasons to come.  It would be terrific if 2018 is a repeat or better, but I really believe we are a year away...there are a lot of stars that have graduated and will be playing in the NFL this year.  Is it too much to expect that those young pups can instantly fill the voids left?

Whether they do it this year or not, I will continue to wear the Red and Black, sing Glory, Glory to Ole Georgia, and teach my grandsons to do the same.  That is a requirement as the opening game on September 1st will be Elie and Zev's first live football game ever and I expect them to be able to sing out loud and clear: Glory, Glory!

And The Journey continues......

I'M MAD AS HELL!

Shame on me!  When a tragic event happens hundreds or thousands of miles away, it has been far too easy to detach my feelings and emotions from the event.  However, since this latest  senseless act of mayhem happened in my own backyard, it takes on whole new feelings of anger, sadness and that overwhelming sense of helplessness.   I have friends and associates who have been directly impacted by the shooting yesterday in Parkland, Florida.  And, yes, I am angry and extremely sad, but I pledge to not be helpless.  Because, I’m Mad As Hell!

We have a serious problem in this country…and it all stems from a government that has been bought and paid for by lobbyists.  We are all complicit…we have allowed this to happen by not exercising the right to vote against those that refuse to protect the people of this country.  Our elected officials are only interested in getting elected, and could care less about doing what is right.  I am not only talking about the 2^nd Amendment fanatics and their refusal to consider any common-sense gun laws, but also those officials that refuse to consider anything that is an antithesis to their largest donors – whether it is the NRA, the Koch Brothers and their fossil fuel interests, the insurance industry or the entire military-industrial complex.

Today, we are talking about a 19 year-old, who can’t even legally buy a beer, having had the ability to buy a military style assault weapon.  An assault weapon that should not be legal for any individual to own is too prevalent in our society.  I am not talking about taking away your hunting rifle or even your personal protection handgun.  But, there is no reason for an individual to own an assault weapon, except to cause havoc – this is common sense.  But, common sense is not something that is ever applied to policies that are in opposition to the ideals of those that donate large sums of money to own our politicians.

Mr. Trump has said that we will do “anything” to help.  I am calling bullshit…. you won’t even address common sense gun laws.  That might upset your overlords at the NRA.  Our “esteemed” Junior Senator, Marco Rubio, won’t even say the words, “gun control.”  He started to stammer when asked to address the problem.  Since he has accepted over $3 million in donations from the NRA, HE IS part of the problem – a gutless, less than a human being parasite, that could care less about doing what is right.

In 1976 – 42 years ago – The movie, Network, was released and the main character, Howard Beale provided a famous rant…it is eerie how 42 years later, it is still apropos……

I don't have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's worth, banks are going bust, shopkeepers keep a gun under the counter. Punks are running wild in the street and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it. We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat, and we sit watching our TV's while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be. We know things are bad - worse than bad. They're crazy. It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we are living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, 'Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone.' Well, I'm not gonna leave you alone. I want you to get mad! I don't want you to protest. I don't want you to riot - I don't want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you've got to get mad. You've got to say, 'I'm a HUMAN BEING, God damn it! My life has VALUE!' So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell, 'I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!' I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell - 'I'm as mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Things have got to change. But first, you've gotta get mad!... You've got to say, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!' Then we'll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

So, today we sit watching our TVs and listen to CNN or MSNBC or, god help us Fox News, and hear some newscaster tell us that there are 17 fatalities and 14 more injured and that there has been a school shooting every 60 hours since the beginning of the year and all we say is please leave me alone with my TV, my Ipad, my Iphone , my Facebook and I won’t say anything. Just leave me alone!

Well, I am not going to leave you alone.  I am mad, and I want you to get mad!  You’ve got to say, ‘I’m a HUMAN BEING, and my children and grandchildren are HUMAN BEINGS, Damn it!  Our lives have value!  So, Get up out of your chairs, and say it:  I’M MAD AS HELL AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!  And then, use YOUR POWER – your vote - and let’s find people that want to do the RIGHT THING and truly drain the swamp of ALL of the miscreants that have become the ruling class.

And The Journey continues………………

How Much More Proof Does One Need?

The recent remarks by Mr. Trump about Jemele Hill, the NFL players and Steph Curry should come as no surprise to those that have been watching and listening.  Simply said, Trump is a racist, with admiration for white supremacy groups and a desire to deride anyone that doesn’t look like him.

How much more proof does one need?  His and his family’s track record as slum lords and discrimination against blacks as landlords in New York are well known.  The Justice Department sued his company twice for not renting to black people, Puerto Ricans or other minorities.   And anyone that thought that didn’t matter when they voted for this unqualified TV performer were just kidding themselves…or they share his misogynistic and racist views.

How much more proof does one need?  His statement that the torch wielding mob in Charlottesville chanting against blacks and Jews had some “very fine people” among them should give you a clue as to his mindset.

How much more proof does one need? His hiring of Jefferson Beauregard Sessions as his Attorney General should have given you some clue as to his mindset.  Sessions was nominated in 1986 to be a Judge in the US District Court and wasn’t confirmed due to his contentious racist policies and views.

How much more proof does one need?  Trump’s retaliation against the Gold Star

parents of a Muslim US Army officer should have tipped you off about his hateful stance against anybody that doesn’t look like him.  Trump’s disregard for civil liberties and bigoted rhetoric  are obvious.

How much more proof does one need?  Trump claimed that a judge was biased because “he’s a Mexican.”  He implied that a federal judge presiding over a class-action suit against his sham university could not fairly hear the case because he was of Mexican heritage.  “He’s a Mexican and we’re building a wall between here and Mexico….giving us unfair rulings.”  When asked whether he would trust a Muslim judge, Trump suggested that such a judge might not be fair to him either.

How much more proof does one need?  Workers at Trump’s casinos in Atlantic City have accused him of racism over many years.  In fact, he was fined by the Casino Control Commission because managers would remove Black card dealers at the request of other bigoted gamblers.  Trump disparaged his black casino employees as “lazy” in vividly bigoted terms according to a former president of Trump Plaza.  According to a 1991 book written by John O’Donnell, the former president of Trump Casinos, Trump said that a black employee was lazy, “and it’s probably not his fault because laziness is a trait in blacks.”

How much more proof does one need?  Trump refused to condemn the white supremacists who campaigned for him.  Three times in a row Trump sidestepped opportunities to renounce white nationalist and former KKK leader David Duke.  While later on he tepidly disavowed Duke, he has said nothing about the Daily Stormer, a leading neo-Nazi news site, or several other white supremacist websites and newspapers.  A leader of the Virginia KKK said, “The reason a lot of Klan members like Donald Trump is because a lot of what he believes, we believe in.”

How much more proof does one need?  Long before he called Mexican immigrants “criminals” and “rapists”, Trump was THE leading proponent of birtherism, the racist conspiracy theory that President Obama was not born in the US and was thus an illegitimate president.

How much more proof does one need?  In answering accusations of bigotry, Trump often professes love for the Blacks, the Hispanics or the Muslims, treating all the members of the group – all the individual human beings- as essentially the same or interchangeable.  All you have to do in look at his tone deaf infamous Cinco de Mayo taco bowl tweet to understand his mindset. 

How much more proof does one need?  At a campaign rally, in Alabama, he condoned the beating of a Black Lives Matter protestor:  “Maybe the protestor should have been roughed up.”  He also called supporters who beat up a homeless Latino man as passionate:  He did not even bother to distance himself from them, suggesting they were well-intentioned and simply got carried away. 

How much more proof does one need?  He stereotyped Jews in an address to a Republican Jewish Coalition and then tweeted an anti-Semitic Hillary Clinton meme during the campaign.  The meme, incidentally, was originally created by white supremacist and could be found on a neo-Nazi website a week before Trump re-tweeted it.  In his book, O’Donnel relates the comment Trump made about his casinos: “And isn’t it funny. I’ve got black accountants at Trump Castle and Trump Plaza. Black guys counting my money! I hate it,” O’Donnell recalled Trump saying. “The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day.”

How much more proof does one need?  Trump has repeatedly blamed Blacks and Hispanics for violent crime across the country.  He makes up statistics to support whatever lies he tells and ignores the outbreak of violence perpetuated by those alt-right groups.

How much more proof does one need?  The White House said that Jemele Hill’s remarks that Trump is a racist is a fireable offense.  And exactly how is this different than Trump once calling Obama a racist and accusing him of treason?  I guess he feels that what he says and does is not allowed by anyone else…especially if they are black.

So, how could you possibly be surprised at his inappropriate remarks about Jemele Hill, NFL players or the Golden State Warriors and Steph Curry?  It doesn’t matter that you agree or disagree with the peaceful protests these athletes are participating in.  It DOES matter that their protests are protected by our Constitution…a document that Trump has never read or, at the very least, doesn’t understand. 

It is obvious why Trump has attacked the Black athletes.  It is all a part of his larger culture war.  Trump wants to divide, confuse, inflame and divert any attention away from the fact that he has accomplished exactly zero on the legislative front and has brought us to the brink of nuclear war with his un-presidential tweets, uneducated bullying, and ill-informed world view.  He is desperate to distract his base from his myriad failures of policy, from health care to immigration to world diplomacy and his inability to build a team that is anything but a reflection of his misguided views.

Our forefathers tried to protect us from bad people like Donald Trump.  But those protections will never be put in to play because the Republicans in Congress have no desire to “do what’s right.”  Their base is his base and they will never jeopardize their cushy jobs, their pensions or their perks to oust one of their own.  Our only slim hope is that the American people will finally say “enough!” and flip the House and the Senate in 2018. 

And The Journey continues……….