Stewart Myrent

Janis, appreciated the comments from Rep. Amash.  However, my main reason for posting today, is to mention that I picked up a new book at the library yesterday: "Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Pleasures of an Old, Happy Dog".  I picked this book up for four reasons: (1) I was getting burned out on all the political books I had been reading (because they are extremely disturbing, disheartening & unsettling), (2) the book was available at the library, (3) I, also, want to be an old, happy dog, and (4) it was written by Dave Barry.  I used to see Dave Barry's columns in the Chicago Trib, but I haven't seen anything from him for quite a few years.  I know his column is syndicated & I  am presuming that the Tribune syndicate decided (for whatever reason) to stop featuring his columns, but he is one of the funniest writers, ever.  I started the book yesterday & have already gotten through the introduction & the first three lessons from Lucy.  I also have been laughing hysterically (non-stop) on virtually every single page of the book.  If you want to read a book that will entertain you & keep you laughing, I couldn't recommend this book any more highly. 

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Stewart - from Dave Barry to Wendell Berry and back again...

Dave Barry: “The four building blocks of the universe are fire, water, gravel and vinyl.”

Wendell Berry: “We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world.  We have been wrong.  We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us.  And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it.”  

Dave Barry: “Life is anything that dies when you stomp on it.”

First Democratic Debate - two nights in June - the 26th & the 27th

                                                        both Wednesday & Thursday nights

                                                              10 candidates each night

See Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar - all are climbing slowly, but steadily in the presidential polls.

To ensure that polling leaders and less well-known presidential candidates are represented fairly on stage each night, candidates will be randomly and evenly split between Wednesday and Thursday nights.  

The goal is to make sure there are top-tier candidates each night.  The polling leaders (presently Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren) would be randomly and evenly separated into two groups - one group to appear Wednesday, the other group, Thursday - with less well-known candidates both nights.

Stewart Myrent

I just wanted to mention that I finished Dave Barry's "Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Pleasures of an Old, Happy Dog" last night.  It was a very easy read, 230+ pages in large print format & I finished it in less than two days (but I did have time available).  I just want to say that it was probably the funniest book I've ever read, although I do not read much in the humor genre.  But I was laughing, uproariously, in every chapter & on almost every page.  In fact, I was gettimg embarassed & self-conscious about my loud laughing, despite the fact that I was basically alone.  I have a feeling that Dave Barry shares many of my most humorous thoughts, about many things, so I am wondering is it that I like his writing because we're on the same wave-length relative to said humorous thoughts?  I believe it's in the chapter about Lucy's 4th lesson, where he gets into this thing about waiting in (a long) line at the ice cream store, behind someone who's tasting samples with those little spoons, and his response & action/inaction are hilarious, but all too true.  The man realizes his shortcomings & in fact, deals with said shortcomings in the book (although not always successfully), because of Lucy's lessons.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

In an op-ed for The Kansas City Star titled “Trump, Pence are illegitimate. Impeach them” former Rep Tom Coleman (R-MO)(who served 17 years in the US House) is the second Republican to call for impeachment of Trump AND Pence (if Pence refuses to resign) because both have been disgraced and discredited.

Impeachment hearings are the most powerful way to find the truth.

Coleman believes the “only viable option is for the Democratic-controlled House to open its own investigation, hold public hearings, and then determine if they should pursue impeachment lest the public conclude Democrats are no better than the Republicans who have enabled Trump, putting party above country.”

Coleman is sympathetic to the argument that impeachment might initially be unpopular but insists that political calculations should take a back seat to the well being of the country, as well as basic morality.

“Failure to pursue impeachment is to condone wrongdoing.  To condone wrongdoing is to encourage more of it. To encourage wrongdoing is to give up on the rule of law and our democracy.  To give up on the rule of law and democracy invites autocracy and eventually dictatorship.  History has taught us this outcome.”

"As we've seen just this week, Trump will continue to law break with impunity while further endangering our Republic."

Read Rep Tom Coleman’s full op-ed in The Kansas City Star.  

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Natasha here.  Stewart is out delivering borscht pizza tonight.  He has been laughing “uproariously” with Dave Barry.  I have watched you guys play tag on the Forum - frustrated for both of you.  

Trust your hectic visit with family and Cubs, and MRI results were all you hoped for.

GO CUBSKIES GO! ! !

Good Health.  Be safe.  There’s no place like dacha.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

What words describe someone who considers pardoning war criminals on Memorial Day?

Marvin Irving Blusteln

Adolf von trumpster.

Donald Henry Kuehn

Well, I hope this is just the first of many summer postings (or you just want to tell me to shut the hell up,I will).

I got home from Chattanooga late last night where I played in the Lupton Memorial tournament at The Honors Course (number 28 on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Courses). This is by far the high water mark of my season: the best course and the finest organization and amenities of any I play in.

In 2013 I won this event in my first  try. I probably didn’t know how hard the course was back then, but I have found out every year since. This week I played well on two of the 3 days, and my putter kept me in the game during a sketchy second round. I shot 74 on Friday, 77 on Saturday and stood in a tie for 5th place going into the final day. The “Green Whisperer” (my caddie, Jason, see pic sorry, I can’t get this to stay vertical!) and I made some great decisions on Sunday and managed our way around the course in good fashion.

The Committee had volunteers assigned to every group during the last round to do “real-time” scoring, taking our scores after each hole and entering them into an app. Technically, I could have asked where I stood at any time during the round, but I just kept my head down and played. Them as we walked off of the 16th hole I finally asked the scorer how the others were doing. To my surprise, I was in 3rd place with 2 holes to play.

I made a great putt (about 20 feet, downhill) for birdie on 17 and hit a 6-iron to about 4 feet for a closing birdie on 18. Those two shots left me at 1-over par 73 and vaulted me into first place by one shot. In second place was the guy I defeated in a playoff in 2013 (coincidence? I think not!). I became the only player to have won this event more than once. (In the Super Senior division... over 65).

This was the deepest and strongest field in the 7 years I have played the Lupton. To win over this group does wonders for my confidence going forward and it sure made the drive home to Kansas City go a lot faster, too.

Now, if you want me to keep this kind of stuff to myself, just say so and I revert to lurker status.  

DK

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

DK, Bravissimo! way to go! 

As a “super senior” I applaud your confidence going forward and understand the drive home going a lot faster than the drive to Chattanooga...

There are those among us looking forward to sailing to 2020 together...  

I look forward to all your postings about events - and whatever...

Lurk no more in the midst of all that’s happening...

Alan A. Alop

Kudos to Don Kuehn! Age is no barrier to excellence.

Vic Stroetzel

In response to Don Kuehn and all other golfers. First of all, congrats to Don for his victory in Tenn.

 If anyone feels like playing a Donaald Ross golf course in N. Carolina and maybe spend a couple of days in the western Carolina area, please contact me. My telephone number is 828-692-7593. The course is The Hendersonville Country Club. Please look it up for all the particulars. If you are a good golfer I'll try to set you up with someone at your level since I suck. I'm in the 90's right now. We have other golfers in the seniors group which would make for a better group for people like Don. The airfare from Chicago to Ashville is somewhere around $250. I can pick you up and drop you off. We have 3 bedrooms.

Just a thought.

Vic Stroetzel

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

DK, why two trophies?  

DK & Vic, what percentage of golfers break 100? 

Stewart Myrent

Steve, this post is from Ivan, (make that Vlad), posting to apologize for missing your call AGAIN on Sat. night.  I was working that night (delivering borscht pizzas), here in Stalingrad & I usually leave my cell phone in the car (that would be my late model Volga - that's right - no cheapass Lada for me).  Because it's almost June, it was a balmy 38 degrees on Sat. night, but who really cares when you get as much borscht pizza, as you can possibly eat.  I'm not sure which Cubs game you went to, but considering their last homestand was relatively disgusting, I hope you at least got to see a victory.  Well, you finally figured out that this whole personna of Stewart Myrent, was a grand conspiracy to fool you gullible Americans.  Hey, it worked in 2016, so we figured you simpletons will fall for anything.  I don't know when you are heading back to Thailand (perhaps you are already heading west), but have a safe trip back & hope if you return to Chgo at any future point, you will let me know.

Donald Henry Kuehn

The larger trophy is the permanent championship trophy with the names of all previous winners in the division engraved on it. The smaller one goes home with the winner. Since both were at the table when our division finished, the Director of Golf at The Honors Course decided to use both in the pics.

DK

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

“Bob Mueller brought a ‘book’ to a twitter fight.”

Justin Amash read the book - and thankfully brings courage and clarity to Mueller’s investigation -

and (I believe)(after 40 days) prompted Robert Mueller to break his silence with a “farewell address” on his resignation  

(and let loose the galloping horse of history) -

Mueller said, “There were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election, and that allegation deserves the attention of every American.”

The assault on our elections need to be investigated and stopped. That was among the reasons for the special counsel’s investigation.

Mueller said if his team had confidence Trump did not commit a crime, they would have said so -

(he disputed Barr’s claim that Mueller had not made a determination there was a crime:

“Due to DOJ policy, charging Trump with a crime was not an option we could consider”).

Mueller said the (investigative) report speaks for itself.

Read the report and go forward.  This is not a hoax.

Mueller referred the report to Congress (many of whom have not read the report) and our Constitutional process which requires Congress to “accuse a sitting president of wrongdoing.”  

If Donald Trump cannot be impeached for all he’s done, what kind of conduct would warrant impeachment of a president?  (The “I” word is in the footnotes.)

Day 860 of the Trump presidency.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

QUESTION: "If Donald Trump cannot be impeached for all he's done, what kind of conduct would warrant impeachment of a president?"

Both former Rep Tom Coleman (R-MO) and Professor Allan Lichtman believe unless the Democrats impeach Donald Trump they will be handing him re election.

There are serious Americans who know nothing about the truth of the Mueller Report - they listen to conservative news and all they've heard is Trump's and Barr's pronouncements of "total exoneration".

We need gavel to gavel television coverage of impeachment hearings and trial to educate the public about Trump’s wrongdoing.

As Justin Amash tweeted: "The ball is in our court, Congress."

AG Barr lied to us.  We should have heard from Special Counsel Robert Mueller weeks ago if not at a press conference when he completed his report.  This is not a hoax.

FOX journalists recognize Barr has misrepresented Mueller's work product - FOX News opinion makers continue with fake news.

Read the report.

Justin Amash serves Grand Rapids, MI - a Trump district.  His constituents gave him two standing ovations for revealing the truth of the Mueller Report.

Stewart Myrent

Steve, thank you for the message in my native Russian, but we don't need no stinkin' Google translate to understand.  Hope you had a great time during your recent visit to Chicago (don't know if you saw a win during the recent homestand), but I'm sure you were very happy just to be at Wrigley Field.  I was very happy to see they avoided the sweep in Houston yesterday & they are still in first place.  Just returned a book to the library, "The Depression and New Deal: A History in Documents", by Robert S. McElwaine & published by Oxford University Press.  We are all too young to remember the Great Depression personally (which is why I picked up the book), but we all should be very thankful that we missed that part of Americana.  As you all probably know, the unemployment rate in the U.S. was 25% during the depression.  It is because of FDR that I receive a monthly payment from our gov't, without which it would be very difficult for me to get by.  Our parents' generation is known as "the greatest generation" & I have no problem with them having that designation.  I'm just really glad we missed out on being part of that generation.  But, I'm guessing that each generation has their own issues & problems to deal with.  So, how are we going to deal with our current problems?

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Are we willing to endure all the wrongdoing Mueller laid out in his investigative report?

More than 1,000 former federal prosecutors (both Democrats & Republicans) signed a letter stating:

“We all strongly believe that there is more than enough evidence to indict President Trump for multiple felony counts of obstruction of justice.  If he weren’t in the White House, President Trump would be charged with serious crimes.  This isn’t even a close case.  If you or I did what President Trump did, we’d be facing prison.”  

The presidential campaign is in its very early stages -

the first Democratic debate will take place over two nights:

Wednesday, June 26th & Thursday, June 27th  

It’s possible the current polls bear little resemblance to the eventual primary results.  If you’re frustrated or disappointed the candidates you favor aren’t doing better, hang in there - at this stage, the right approach for voters is to figure out who you would want to win.

(We are NOT pundits - do NOT think who is likely to win or seems most electable.  

(At various points in their primary campaigns, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and Ronald Reagan were all dismissed as unelectable.)

In contemporary politics nominating the “electable” candidate has not resulted in candidates who are elected president.

Day 862 of the Trump presidency.

Stewart Myrent

Roger, I wanted to let you know that I picked up "Commander In Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump", by Rick Reilly, a couple of days ago.  It's a very easy read & I am over halfway through it.  Apparently, the library has only one copy of this book & it was available, when I returned the book on the Depression.  I'm fairly sure that the appeal of golf to Trump, is that it is probably the only sport that relies on self-reporting on rules violations, which is fine, if you are dealing with honest & honorable individuals.  People have lost tournament titles & have dropped several places in tournaments (and the $ that comes with the higher finish), as a result of self-reporting on rules violations (even very minor ones).  As a former regular golfer, I understand that the game depends on the integrity of everyone playing.  What's kind of shocking, is that Trump violates all these rules of integrity, pretty much out in the open.  According to the book, he regularly declares any putt of his (that's less than 6 feet) to be a "gimme".  What's weird about that, is that you don't declare your own put a "gimme"; the "gimme" has to be awarded by your opponent.  "Gimmes" are not even allowed in tournament play.  The other thing that's totally weird, is that not only does he regularly improve his own lies (or has his caddy do it), but also, messes with his opponents' good shots.  One tale in the book recounts how someone else put a beautiful tee shot right on the green, bur when they got closer to the green, the opponent's ball was sitting in the sand trap.  How do you think that ball got there?  Supposedly, he's a fairly decent golfer, most people crediting him with being a 8-10 handicap (not bad at all), despite the fact that he claims to be a 3 handicap.  The book says he's a very decent driver, but the weakness in his game is his 'short' game around the green.  I think it's the perfect game, for someone who, during his entire life, has always found ways to get around the rules, because the rules (laws) don't apply to him.  Sad!

Roger C. Kaage

Glad you're enjoying it, Stuart.  As you get further into the book, you see how his personality defects are revealed in how he wields/sees his presidential powers.  It's hard to finish that book without feeling complete contempt for the man.  

Also, further reading will reveal why my scotch of choice changed from  Macallan to Glenfiddich!

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

(Yesterday was) “the darkest hour in the history of Virginia Beach.”        -- Mayor Robert M. Dyer

There have been more than 150 mass shootings in America in 2019;

the shooting in Virginia Beach the most deadly.

We must act to stop the epidemic in America.

It is not acceptable for America to be the only developed country where gun violence is routine.  

Our country is framed by the NRA -

the days of an NRA controlled Congress writing our gun laws must end: 

more people with guns is not the answer.

Love for our country manifests in justice.  

Somehow - guns blazing (with sound suppressors and extended magazines) - the GOP is rolling back voting rights, LGBTQ rights, women’s reproductive rights...  

The House has passed background checks, Mitch McConnell refuses to put the bill forward.  

Gun violence is a public health problem in the US.  

Living in the U.S. we cross bridges at our own peril and know not when/where we will face gunfire.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Congress has a constitutional decision to make.  

We all want the right thing to happen - problem is we don’t agree on what the right thing is.  

Sound bites sound definitive in contrast to a 448 page report.

Trump and Barr ignore the national security issue Mueller documented - we were attacked by Russia.

Why not give Trump a nickname? - “Unindicted Donald” - compliments of Barney Frank.

Mueller made the mistake of trusting Barr.

He also did not interview Trump or other targets.

Stewart Myrent

Just saw a story this AM, that the city of El Paso billed the Trump & Beto O'Rourke campaigns for city services provided to both campaigns for competing rallies this past February.  O'Rourke's campaign paid up, just before the deadline (approx. $28,000).  Can you guess if the Trump campaign has yet paid one penny to El Paso?  Guess what, you're right.  The deadline has passed & Trump's campaign has paid $0 to El Paso, complaining that they were overcharged (almost 1/2 million dollars).  Sound familiar?  Trump is doing what he has always done, stiffing virtually anyone who has provided him with services, always complaining that he was over-charged, ripped off.  Some of these unfortunate businessmen/businesswomen wound up losing their businesses, because they couldn't afford to stay in business, absorbing the Trump losses.  I doubt that this will happen to El Paso, but I did read that the amount Trump owes them, represents approx. 2/3 of their total annual emergency/contigency fund, that wound up paying for public services that resulted from the competing rallies.  I am somewhat mystified as to why the O'Rourke campaign was billed $28,000, as opposed to 1/2 million for the Trump campaign, but I do think that 1/2 million seems like a lot for a political campaign/rally.  However, I am not at all surprised that Trump's rally wound up costing 1/2 million dollars, as I'm pretty sure that Trump's campaign never had any intention of paying ANYTHING to the city of El Paso, as this man has been stiffing people his entire life.  So, what else is new? 

Marvin Irving Blusteln

If there were term limits on congress, I don't believe there would be any doubt congress would protect our democracy.  They are all to busy worrying about relection strategy.

Stewart Myrent

Roger, since my last post, I have finished "Commander in Cheat", and I loved the book.  It is my new favorite Trump book, of the (now) 4 I have read.  There are nuggets in every chapter, too numerous to recount here, but I feel compelled to mention four items.  The past few years, I have been taking notice of the dedications in books.  Usually, they are dedicated to someone I don't know, but the dedication in Reilly's book is: "This book is dedicated to the truth. It's still a thing."  I loved that, and Chapter 1, "The Big Lie", has an epigraph, a quote from P.G. Wodehouse, "To find a man's character, play golf with him."  In the penultimate Chapter 15 "Little Ball, Big Ball", "...But you can't kick and throw and foozle your way through a presidency.  You can't cheat and fudge and fake running the world, for one good reason: You don't own the course."  And, finally, from the final Chapter 16, " You might be thinking, 'What does golf have to do with being president?  What does it matter that he cheats at it?  What's it got to do with leading the country?'  Everything.  If you'll cheat to win at golf, is it that much further to cheat to win an election?  To turn a Congressional vote?  To stop an investigation?  If you'll lie about every aspect of the game, is it that much further to lie about your taxes, your relationship with Russians, your groping of women?  If you're adamant that the poor don't deserve golf, is it that much further to think they don't deserve health care, clean air, safe schools?  I'm glad my dad didn't live to see a Commander in Cheat like Trump.  It would've turned his stomach.  Somebody who wins club championships from the next state is not a gentleman.  Somebody who makes his caddies cheat for him to earn their tip is not a gentleman.  Somebody who bullies and manipulates and yells that his courses are the best in the world when that world absolutely knows otherwise is not a gentleman."  I, however, in a perverse way, am glad I lived long enough to see a Commander in Cheat, because, otherwise, I probably wouldn't have believed it.