Schizophrenia in Congress

Congressional Republicans have a terminal case of schizophrenia.

It has become clear that many are not working in the best interests of the country, but rather for narrowly defined personal purposes. 

The situation with the currently proposed combined border control, Israeli aid, and Ukrainian aid bill is the case in point. 

Former Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, (R-WY) described the situation as follows:

“On Trump’s orders, Republicans  in Congress are rejecting the border security deal. They’re also abandoning America’s allies in Ukraine. Trump and the [Republicans] are losing the war on purpose in an inexcusable betrayal that will strengthen America’s enemies for years to come.” (X (formerly Twitter))

America needs to deal with the border, but I firmly believe that no one political party has the complete answer. It is through compromise bills where the most important issues of each competing view are addressed that the best and most enduring answers can be found.

America also needs to resoundingly and strongly support its allies Israel and Ukraine--let's stop playing around and get onto the playing field and make a difference. 

I remember that the congressional republicans have played this game before, during the end of the Obama administration when they failed to confirm a Supreme Court nominee, choosing instead to wait until after the election, which effectively hamstrung the Supreme Court for about 9 months. 

I sincerely hope that We the People can elect a better functioning Congress in November.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - February 5, 2024

 

1. Welcome to February and the first Monday of the month. This is the sixth Monday of 2024 and there are 47 Mondays remaining in the year. Can you believe that Valentines Day is next week?

2. It is Super Week! The Super Bowl is next Sunday and while I am very disappointed that the Ravens will not be playing in the big game, I am excited for the game and the eventual winner. Despite the bad taste left in my mouth from last week's game, I will be cheering on my boyhood favorite team, the Chiefs!

Capt Finn
Jupiter Sound, FL
January 31, 2024

3. Finnegan loves to pretend that he is captain of the boat and look over the bow when we are underway. I took this cute picture of him the last time we were out on the water.

4. Read an interesting response to a question on Quora about who was the worst president in U.S. history and why? The answer, written by William Weir Author, journalist, minister posted on Jan 17:

Who's the worst U.S. president in history?

There was this one guy who started a trade war that killed 300,000 American jobs in his first two years. Then he signed a tax bill that flatlined the stock market and forced the Fed to start lowering interest rates to try to prevent a recession. Then he said a global pandemic was a liberal hoax to kill the economy he spent three years destroying and he set records for the six worst point drops in the history of the Dow, most new unemployment claims in history, and the largest deficit in history. He was investigated and found to have welcomed and encouraged election interference by a foreign government and to have obstructed justice to cover his crimes. He got impeached once for abusing his office to try to coerce a foreign leader into helping him smear a political rival. Then he got impeached again for inciting an insurrection to try to stay in power after easily and predictably losing his re-election bid. Then he got indicted for almost 100 felonies after leaving office.

I forget his name. Draft dodger. Admitted sex offender. Painted himself orange and wore a dead rodent on his head. Wore elevator shoes. Misspelled three letter words on a smartphone. Kept filing bankruptcy. Called himself a winner. Dump? Rump? Plump? Chump? Something like that

5. The Brightline trains travel through our area at nearly 80 mph and they are relatively quiet. We are advised nearly every day of another accident, death, or injury caused by the trains. Many people blame the trains, but in reality it is the fault of those on the tracks. The tracks are a No Trespassing area and should be respected. This weekend when I was in Hobe Sound at the art festival, I saw young boy playing on the tracks. I was very concerned and then very relieved when his parents retrieved him. The trains are truly fast. I stood next the tracks and took a video of a Brightline train speeding by a short time later.

Trump, his lawyers and opponents braced for huge developments in legal battles - CNN

US strikes Houthi anti-ship and land attack cruise missiles, Central Command says - CNN

Palestinians hope Blinken visit can deliver Gaza truce before Rafah assault - Reuters

China's tumbling prices push some exporters to the brink - Reuters

AI chip demand forces Huawei to slow smartphone production - sources - Reuters

How the Funeral Industry Got the FTC to Hide Bad Actors - The Wall Street Journal

Home Buyers Are Shopping Again and Finding More Options - The Wall Street Journal

China Hands a Suspended Death Sentence to a Former Bank CEO - The Wall Street Journal

Zelensky Hints at Major Shake-Up of Ukraine’s Government - The New York Times

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#Brightline #trains #news #superbowl #worstpresident

Art Show Season is off and Running

Finnegan gets Hat and Glasses
Hobe Sound, FL
February 3, 2024

It is art fest season in South Florida.

There are multiple art fests every weekend during this time of the year, while the "snow birds" are in residence. The festivals provide a reason to get out and mingle in the crowds while looking at the works of art, or in some cases works of I am not sure exactly what.

Yesterday we attended the 23rd Annual Hobe Sound Festival of the Arts.

We walked the fest, with Finnegan, and enjoyed the sights and sounds. There was a steel drum band putting out the sweet Caribbean sounds.

Finnegan bore the brunt of the visit. He was the recipient of a new hat and glasses, which he dutifully wore for more than 30 minutes before deciding they were more trouble than they were worth. He was, however, a star of the show--it seemed everyone wanted to pay attention to him and he was on his best and cutest behavior. 

We saw a few items that tempted us, but I'm not of a mind to put a $1,000+ piece of art in a bathroom. It would have been perfect, however!

I shot a short video of the steel drum band, The Gratitude Steel Band.

My only comment was that the shuttle service from the parking area was terrible. We spent more time waiting for the bus than we did at the festival. Two busses is just not enough.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Trucks N' Tunes Returns

 

The Village of Tequesta is a great place to live! During the winter months they sponsor a Trucks N' Tunes on the first Friday of the month. They sponsor a variety of food trucks and a  band plays in the Constitution Park gazebo. It is a fun time and it is free, well except for buying food from the trucks. 

Tequesta Trucks N' Tunes After Dark
Tequesta, FL
February 2, 2024

We went to the February version of Trucks N' Tunes last evening. The food trucks offer a wide variety of food choices. Chris and I had pulled pork sandwiches which were excellent. Next month we may try some Latin offering.

We had a great time celebrating the pleasant weather and Groundhog Day! The evening temperature was in the low 70s and it was almost invigorating to see the kids running around the park. And there were a lot of kids with their families. The band was great and played a variety of rock music. 

I took a short video of the band and their music. They had a great rock sound. Maybe the bass was a bit overpowering, but given that I was a distance from them, it was nice background music and did not detract from our conversation. I took the video at the beginning of the evening, while it was still daylight and before the crowd arrived. We like to arrive early to get the best parking and we also have Happy Hour while listening to the music. About 30 minutes after I took this video, all of the space between me and the gazebo was filled with families. It is a family friendly event.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#tequesta

#tequestatrucksntunes

Spring is Near!

Punxsutawney Phil

 Happy Groundhog Day!

Punxsutawney Phil is predicting an early Spring!

Yay, we need it!

According to the New York Post:

The cold weather and snowfall may soon come to an end, at least according to the region’s fluffiest weather predictor.

Punxsutawney Phil, the 132-year-old world-famous groundhog, failed to see his shadow when he was abruptly woken from his sleep in Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania early Friday.

I have to say, had I been abruptly woken from my winter nap, my eyes would likely be too bleary to see anything, let alone my shadow. Good on ya Phil!

I am glad that people gathered at Gobblers Knob for the annual rite of Winter. And I am very glad that Phil is predicting and early Spring. That is good news!

So my recommendation is to celebrate this Groundhog Day Friday! Spring is on the way!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Cold Boat Day

Chris and Finn on Tide Runner
Jupiter Sound, FL
January 31, 2024

 It had been since early December that Chris and I had checked out a boat and spent some time on the water and so we decided to hit the high seas yesterday. 

It was cold in the morning and so we delayed checking out or trusty boat, Tide Runner, until the afternoon. By the time we departed the dock, the temperature was about 70 degrees. The wind was still cold, but the bright sun mitigated the discomfort. 

Bridge Road Drawbridge Opening
Intracoastal Waterway, Jupiter, FL
January 31, 2024

We went out and motored around for about two hours before calling it a day and heading back to the dock. I had planned on heading out to a restaurant for lunch, but with the later departure time that plan was scrapped. The highlight of the day was seeing a manatee right about in the area where I took the image of the drawbridge. 

Tide Runner is the same make and model as my favorite boat, Sea Bean, that we take out from Port Salerno. It is convenient to take Tide Runner out because the marina is within walking distance of the house, but given the chairs and bags we take with us walking is not an option. Port Salerno is about a 20 minute ride away. I prefer the docks at Port Salerno because they do not require the 90 degree turn to enter or exit like those in Jupiter. The turn into or away from the dock is always complicated by wind and current.

It was a nice afternoon diversion on the water as we enjoyed the blue-crystal sky and the warm sun on our faces.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Constitutional Crisis

 The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, is violating the U.S. Constitution and Texas Constitution by attempting to thwart the Federal efforts to remove barbed wire he directed to be installed at the border with Mexico after a recent Supreme Court Ruling. 

Sadly, a number of other Republican governors are supporting the Texas governor against the ruling of the Supreme Court. 

This is bad!

Where are we as a nation and a society headed if the rule of law is disregarded in America?

An opinion piece in The Washington Post describes the dangerous situation:

In a jaw-dropping statement last week, Abbott echoed the secessionist rhetoric of the Confederacy. He claimed that the federal government“has broken the compact between the United States and the States” and that, therefore, Texas has “the right of self-defense.”

But no state has the right to defy the Supreme Court. Abbott’s unhinged declaration came two days after the court issued a 5-4 decision in the Biden administration’s favor. By law, that ended the months-long standoff between the governor and the president.

Incredibly, however, 25 other Republican governors issued a statement Thursday endorsing not just usurpation of presidential power, but also defiance of the nation’s ultimate authority on the Constitution and our laws. “We stand in solidarity with our fellow Governor, Greg Abbott, and the State of Texas,” the GOP governors proclaimed.

Article 1, Section 1 of the Texas Constitution is quoted below:

Sec. 1. FREEDOM AND SOVEREIGNTY OF STATE. Texas is a free and independent State, subject only to the Constitution of the United States, and the maintenance of our free institutions and the perpetuity of the Union depend upon the preservation of the right of local self‑government, unimpaired to all the States. (Feb. 15, 1876.)

I am concerned that the Republican Party is laying the foundation for disregarding the constitutional authority of the Supreme Court. The only way to thwart that is to begin removing, through impeachment, those officials who have taken an oath to support and then choose not to support The Constitution.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

NFL Conspiracy--The Fix is In?

 I have lost respect for NFL officiating as a result of the Chiefs vs Ravens AFC Championship Game Sunday. 

I question whether the NFL, by assignment of referees,  tried to engineer a Super Bowl match-up between the 49ers, with their West Coast market; and the Chiefs,  who are seeing increased the merchandise sales due to the Kelce-Swift connection? 

Fact: the Ravens lost and left at least 14 points on the field as a result of two ugly second-half end zone turn-overs, I got that, but . . . 

. . . were the odds manipulated before the game was played by the NFL when they assigned Shawn Smith as the referee for the game?

When fans have serious doubts about the fairness of the games based upon statistics and a review of the actual plays it means that perhaps, just perhaps, the NFL needs oversight!

Right out of the gate as the game began, I wondered why the Ravens went away from their season-long game-winning strategy of running the ball. I believe that change may have been a result of the referee assigned to the game who has a documented tendency to call more false starts on the home team than the visitors. False starts, I believe, tend to happen more on running plays because the offensive line is being asked to pull and block and may tend to jump the snap early. 

Sharp Football Analysis provides the following insights about Referee Shawn Smith, assigned to work the Chief-Ravens game:

He ranks #1 out of 24 referees in road team win percentage since 2018.

Home teams have won only 40.8% of games in the last three years with Smith as referee.

Across the NFL in the last three seasons, home teams have covered 49.4% of spreads. Under Smith, home teams are only 17-29-3 against the spread (37.0%) in the last three years.

This is the second-lowest mark among 19 referees.

Leaguewide over the last three seasons, in games Smith did not officiate, the following false start penalties were flagged:

• 843 false start penalties on the home team
• 882 false start penalties on the road team

That’s 4.6% more false start penalties on the road team.

Note: All penalty stats per TruMedia

But in the last three years, Smith has called:

• 62 false starts against home teams
• 46 false starts against road teams

Bucking the average of 4.6% more on the road team, Smith has called 34.8% more false starts on the home teams.

But a couple of penalty types stand out [2023 season]:

• False start: 22 home, 13 road (69% more on the home team) whereas the NFL average this year was 7.6% more on the road team.
• Holding: 17 home, 10 road (70% more on the home team) whereas the NFL average this year was 17.2% more on the home team.

In total this year, Smith called 924 yards in penalties on home teams and 709 penalty yards on road teams.

That’s 215 more yards on home teams or 30% more yards on home teams than road teams.

Across the NFL in games he didn’t officiate, there were 12,113 penalty yards on home teams and 12,636 penalty yards on road teams, or 4.3% more yards on road teams than home teams.

This penalty disparity in favor of the road team for Smith games is part of the reason home teams went a dreadful 3-11-2 against the spread (21.4%) and won just 3 of 16 games he called.

In the playoffs, is it really Shawn Smith’s crew?

This is a big question that is frequently asked about refs and the playoffs.

Sure, these Smith penalty stats and the strong results for road teams are eye opening, but is it really his crew calling the AFC Championship?

I asked our ref expert Joe Gibbs. His response:

Largely, yes. 

They will swap out a couple of officials, but usually, most of the crew is the same crew the head referee worked with during the season. 

These are just a some of the more salient statistics about the referee assigned to the Chiefs-Ravens game there are many more listed in the article I cited. And all of the statistics heavily favor the road team.

The proclivity to favor the road teams beg for an answer from the NFL, why was this referee working a Championship Game?

But wait--it is almost as bad, in reverse, for the referee assigned to the 49ers-Lions game!

The short summary from Sharp Football Analysis reads:

Making things more interesting is the other ref who was assigned to the NFC Championship Game, Clete Blakeman.

Blakeman is the exact opposite of Smith.

Home teams with Blakeman are 31-19 (62.0%) the last three seasons, the #3 highest win rate in that span.

And home teams under Blakeman have covered the spread in 57.1% of games, the #2 highest rate.

So, out of eight possible referees the NFL could have assigned to Championship games this weekend, the NFL selected the most road-friendly ref available (Smith) and put him on the Chiefs’ road game.

The NFL had the most home-friendly ref available but selected him to work the 49ers home game instead.

Was the fix in? Were the Ravens and the Lions afforded impartial and unbiased officiating?

Sporting News called it a "Taylor's Swift Conspiracy Theory."

NJ.com asked if the "Taylor Swift fix is in?"

The Kansas City Star even postulated that the Chiefs may have had the advantage going into the game because of the referee.

And I believe the "fix" goes deeper. Gene Steratore, a former NFL official who provides CBS with expert analysis of questionable officiating calls, is not unbiased. He clearly demonstrated a bias for the NFL and the officiating crews while botching the no pass interference call in the end zone on the Ravens drive. He said the possible interference happened after the interception--a replay clearly shows that the Chiefs neutralized the received before the ball arrived. Steratore remarked:

“There is some contact with the receiver, but in my opinion, I think this contact is occurring after the interception has taken place,” Steratore said on the broadcast. “You see the bump right there, it is a little early, but now you got a play that’s behind the receiver, the ball behind him and that reception taking place. I think it’s a good no-call for pass interference.”  (New England Sports Network)

If there was contact with the receiver, as he says, then where was the illegal holding call--which is a five yard penalty and first down?

I know many will say that I am a grieving Ravens fan--and I am. I own that, but I should not have this many questions about officiating in any football game. As I wrote earlier, the Ravens lost, nothing will change that; but was it fair and square?

The NFL has a serious problem. I suspect they will sweep it away and ignore it? The question remains, with all of the money at stake, who exactly is watching for the fox in the henhouse?

Possibly lost in the noise is that this casts doubt on whether the correct teams are really playing in the Super Bowl, or were they picked in advance because of $$$$?

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#nflreferee

#nflchiefsravens

#nflfix

Monday Musings - January 29, 2024

 

1. The fifth Monday of January has arrived. There are 48 Mondays remaining in 2024. My, time is surely flying past. 

Gopher Tortoise in a Hole
Cove Road, Port Salerno, FL
January 28, 2024

2. The Super Bowl teams are set and I am sorry that the Ravens came up short. They played hard, but could not overcome critical errors. In the game between the 49ers and the Chiefs, I will be cheering for the Chiefs, the favorite team of my youth.

3. Chris and I relished in the warm weather yesterday and completed a 12.5 mile bike ride through some local parks. Along the way we spied 10 gopher tortoises--a personal record for both of us ,.I am guessing the tortoises were eating up before the cold weather that arrived this morning. 

4. My only comment on the AFC Championship Game loss suffered by the Ravens is that I still find the NFL officiating to be inconsistent and a joke. Nuff said! OK, maybe I have a second comment--the NFL managed to get the dream matchup between the big market 49ers and the reigning champions. Coincidence? I think not.

5. Explain something to me--Why are Republicans, who have been clamoring for stronger border controls now putting personal pettiness ahead of real paths forward and not getting behind the bipartisan border control bill being hammered out in the Senate? Oh wait--then it won't be an election year issue. News Flash--that will backfire.

6. Today in History. On January 29, 1936, the U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects its first members in Cooperstown, New York: Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Matthewson and Walter Johnson.

The Hall of Fame actually had its beginnings in 1935, when plans were made to build a museum devoted to baseball and its 100-year history. A private organization based in Cooperstown called the Clark Foundation thought that establishing the Baseball Hall of Fame in their city would help to reinvigorate the area’s Depression-ravaged economy by attracting tourists. To help sell the idea, the foundation advanced the idea that U.S. Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown. The story proved to be phony, but baseball officials, eager to capitalize on the marketing and publicity potential of a museum to honor the game’s greats, gave their support to the project anyway.

'We shall respond,' Biden says after US troops killed in Middle East - CNN

Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ robot explorer resumes operations on lunar surface - CNN

Ukraine says it uncovers mass fraud in weapons procurement - Reuters

Hungary making talks on EU aid for Ukraine 'more complicated' - senior EU official - Reuters

Danish frigate departs for the Red Sea to assist US-led operation - Reuters

For Retailers, Business Is Back and Landlords Say No More Rent Discounts - The Wall Street Journal

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Look at What I Saw

Cow by the River
Jupiter, FL
January 26, 2024

Friday was a diverse day. I completed a 21.64 mile bike ride covering areas that I don't normally ride while enjoying a beautiful morning. For the afternoon, Chris and I headed off to the South Florida Fair, which I have already written about.

But it was during the morning ride that I discovered a something new and one very depressing. First, I saw a never seen before animal during my ride. It was a cow! I do not typically ride along pasture lands, except this one piece of field has been undergoing a transformation over the past months and I now understand what for--a cow! Yup. On one side of the road is a branch of the Loxahatchee River and on the other is a small pasture complete with cow! It was very different. Of course I had to take an image with my Smart Glasses. 

Newly Cleared Land
Tequesta, FL
January 26, 2024

One very depressing aspect of my ride was when I passed a field which was formerly very wild. It used to contain grasses and trees. Unfortunately, a developed decided to plant houses and the plot has been cleared displacing the gopher tortoises and other wildlife which previously resided there. I enjoyed riding this infrequently traveled road which is near the center of Tequesta. Sadly, now it is becoming a development. I wish there were a way to protect wild lands from indiscriminate development. The roughly one acre lots go for $3.5 million! Yup--prime real estate. I wonder how much the houses will cost?

There is nothing exciting, for me, about looking at cleared and formerly wild land.

That was near the end of my ride. I will not ride down this street much anymore because I used to enjoy looking for the tortoises--which have been displaced.

Overall, though, it was a great Friday. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL