Day - 1398

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Chapter Five (249 Days Until the 2020 Election)

I listened to two more interviews with Anand Giridharadas today.

This first interview is an hour long and is at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics.  The things he says about Harvard being the great washing machine of bloody money is amazing.

The second interview is with Michael Moore and is about 100 minutes long.

This is really thought provoking and helpfu.  There is no win-win, according to Anand.  I think he's right on so many levels.  I'm totally into his message that  billionaires have been taking and controlling the American dream for decades now at the expense of everyone else, and use their philathropic enterprises as a means of continuing the control, continuing the taking, while posing as the good guys, the noble guys, the guys who are kind enough to donate millions to worthy causes while the game is set up for them to reep hundreds of millions.  His Winners Take All book echoes other books I've read about our winner-take-all society.  Will the masses finally react to this in 2020?  It's possible, but there will be profound pushback.  We'll see how effective the pushback has been on Super Tuesday when Dems go to the polls in 12 states.  Do they choose Sanders/Warren or Biden/Bloomberg/Buttigieg?

Capitalism and socialism work together in all countries. "This notion that we exist in a binary world is ludicrous." The language we use to explain how governments are run needs to change.  We need to come up with new terms that aren't so polarizing.  So many good ideas and thoughts in these interviews.

Here's one more I listened to:

My Uncle Chris sent me an OpEd from the NY Times about how Dems cave on every issue.

Quanifying Liberal Suckerdom

That's been an ongoing problem going back to the Clinton years when they tried to push Health Care through and wound up getting spanked real hard in the 1994 mid-terms.  Then came "The era of big government is over."

For many Dems, the fight against Team Orange isn't just a fight to remove from office.  There's a civil war also going on within Team Purple.  Do we go safe and moderate (Biden/Bloomberg), or do we go radical (Sanders/Warren) and really confront the inequality that exists in the U.S.  The problem with that is what's already baked in the cake, which is a mindset of me me me, money & power, money & power, money & power, that all of us kind of accept and have resigned ourselves to.  That's how this country operates, and the feeling is if you don't like it, too bad.  There's so much that's dysfunctional about this place.  If Sanders is the nominee, wow, that would be something.

So it was playoff night tonight.  Kirk and I had a bye in the first round.  In the second round, we faced Carlos and David.  We went on a run in game 1 and were up 10-6, then 12-8, but soon it was 13-13. They were playing great and some of our rallies were so much fun.  Luckily, Kirk served two great serves and we closed out game 1.  By game 2, Carlos was tired and started skipping the ball.  We finished them off pretty easily and face Tyrone and Gary in the finals next Thursday.

Day - 1399

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Chapter Four (250 Days Until the 2020 Election)

Anand Giridharadas is on to something.  Really on to something.

I listened to this interview twice.  At 19:24, he says this:

"There are people who clearly have Cold War trauma and I feel for them, but we're not actually in the Cold War anymore.  We're in just a completely different era.  And just as it would have been unhelpful in the Cold War to be like talking about what we need to do in the trenches of World War 1, it's just not a helpful framework for the Cold War, cuz it's just not now.  It's not particularly helpful now in 2020 to be reliving your own Cold War trauma as guidance for the United States....Michael Bloomberg is trying to present this old American talking point that you got two choices, people.  We can either be a Goldman Sachs country, or we can be Maduro's Venezuela.  Those are your choices.  We have come to a place in America where our understanding of gender is more fluid than our understanding of capitalism, socialism and democracy.  It's remarkable.  I never would have expected that.  We've made tremendous progress in understanding that it's not like men, women, nothing in between.  It's complicated.  People fall on all kinds of places on that distribution.  But capitalism and socialism, no no no.  It's one or the other.  The reality is for any person who's actually traveled or read a book, every country in the world, with maybe a couple of exceptions, has some mix of capitalism and socialism.  When you're on the highway, the thing beneath you...socialism.  The things on the highway, capitalism, the cars and the trucks carrying stuff.  When you are on Wall Street, the banks, capitalism. The regulators that make sure that brokers are not stealing your money, socialism.  When you work for 40 years at IBM, capitalism.  When you retire and have social security and medicare take care of you, socialism...All the ways in which socialism and capitalism are actually part of every hour of our lives, let's end this ridiculous binary and have some understanding of economic fluidity."

In a nutshell, Anand just laid out the battle plan for the 2020 election.  Last century's mindset vs this century's mindset, old vs young, Cold War thinking vs 21st Century thinking.  This can be applied to everything from economics to race to old fears (nuclear war/Red Dawn) vs new fears (terrorism/viruses/Putin's Chaos).  Not only should the Dem nominee bring together a Team of political rivals, the nom should also include scientists, activists, readers, thinkers, and especially the under-30 voting block who did not actually live through the Cold War.

When you think of it, the entire Trumpist mindset is stuck squarely in a Cold War/20th Century mindset.  Make America Great Again is an homage to a past that no longer exists...trench mentality and cold war mentality in an era that has no need for such antiquated thinking.

Perhaps this is why Bernie's appeal from the under-30 voter is so resilient and compelling. 

Day - 1400

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Chapter Three (251 Days Until the 2020 Election)

The South Carolina debate happened tonight.

It was another shout-fest early on, but halfway through things settled down to a reasonably substantive debate/discussion.  I'd say the smart money for Team Captain of Team Purple is Bernie, and in some ways I'm hoping he's able to solidify his nomination in order for us to move on to the next series of events, namely, a master game plan that features what Team Purple Op Ed maestro Tom Friedman penned in the NY Times today:

Dems, You Can Defeat Trump in a Landslide

Once the dust settles with our nominee, I hope we'll galvanize, strategize, and come together not only as a united party but a Super Hero Team of Rivals to create the landslide Friedman writes about.

My friend from 6th grade Jeff P. emailed this today:

This is a pretty decent piece: 

Who Would Win a Trump Sanders election?

Uncertainty is high but I think the point about Sanders potentially pushing out educated whites who know his 60 trillion dollars worth of plans are either going nowhere or are going to be paid for by them is real.  Educated white women in the suburbs is a pretty critical constituency that brought us the House in 2018 and inside the DCCC there is pure panic not just that Sanders loses but that he takes the House with him and we end up with nothing to block fascism.  The panic Sanders will put into GOP land will also drive their turnout big time. 

There is data to suggest Sanders gets Midwest working class whites that Trump won - but my worry is that is all theoretical and won;t hold up when the race card comes down hard.  I've seen the focus groups - I'd rather bet on the Obama coalition and keeping educated whites than to chase working class white voters.

Possible Bernie can win WI, MI and PA?  Yes - but that's a tough fight - it means one and only one route to victory.  Bernie could mean CO is in play for them too.  Bernie can't win FL, NC and AZ is likely only in play with a moderate I think (hard to see Kelly winning that Senate seat having to dodge questions about Bernie all fall).  Bernie might put Stacey Abrams on the ticket to try to GA - but she lost that race statewide already in a race where Trump was not on ballot driving their base.

It's also not impossible Bernie could win ME2 (given his proximity), lose WI and we end up 268-268.  Lot's of drama but we still likely lose in that scenario - the House breaks the tie but each state only gets one vote per delegation and GOP leads that 26-22.

Oh, and this is the new conversation: how will a potential pandemic impact the election:

 Coronavirus May Disrupt the 2020 Election. We Need a Plan.

It was a timely email and much appreciated.  Jeff and I have waged some intense email battles in the past, going back nearly 20 years when we took opposite sides of the second Iraq War.  We disagreed on the Clinton/Obama nomination in 2008, but this election season we're side by side in total agreement that Trump, his Trumpists and his Agent Orange V. Putin must must must be defeated this November.

I responded to Jeff's email later in the day:

I've been looking forward to this update, so thank you, Jeff!  The story in Wired is crucial and steps must be taken as the coronavirus could well be this year's great disrupter.  The US is not adequately prepared for this potentially explosive pandemic.  We'll see how fast Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar becomes the fall guy for Trump's incompetence.  If the repatriation of the US Diamond Princess passengers is any indication of the top-tier organizational skills and decision making we're using in containing this virus, we're in shaky hands.

Thus far, we have at least two major containment side issues to worry about:

1. Action plan for addressing potential coronavirus pandemic as disrupter in November election, ptentially undermining voter turnout, and
2. Action plan for Trump removal from office if he loses reelection (because he absolutely will not willingly leave office if he loses...this should be treated as a given).

I'm sure there will be more side issues of the utmost importance between now and November.  Jeff, please keep us abreast of them.

Now to Bernie.  Had I been a participant in one of those focus groups only ten days ago, I would have quoted former McCain strategist and vehement anti-Trumpist Steve Schmidt ("In this country, a socialist loses to a sociopath every day of the week and twice on Sunday") and, among other reasons we've all shared and acknowledged, considered Bernie a non-option as Dem nominee.  That was ten days ago.  Now on the day of the SC debate and one week before Super Tuesday, I am skeptical that any other candidate can stop Bernie's momentum.  Maybe Biden can, but the odds of that actually happening appear very low.  Maybe Bloomberg can, but those odds appear even lower than Biden's odds.  For all other candidates, I would put their odds in a box labeled "Pipe Dream."  So basically, it's either Bernie, Biden or Bloomberg.  Or brokered convention, but that feels suicidal, so I don't see a brokered convention playing out.  We won't know for sure until a week from now, but I suspect Bernie's momentum is simply unstoppable and as a result will become the Dem nominee and unlikely savior of democracy in America.  I never would have predicted nor imagined this ten days ago, but if that's the hand we're dealt, I'm 100% all in with Bernie and his rabid under-35 diehard supporters.  They earned the nom if Bernie's the one.  "I'm not givin' away...their...shot."  With no other choice, I'll embrace it.

And whether moderate Dems and true Republican anti-Trumpists can admit as much 250 days before the great election of our lifetime, they will have no choice but to swallow the pill, no matter how socialistically sour, and embrace Bernie, too, because their choice is as binary as any choice we've ever faced: either Trump is stopped and removed from office, or he is not stopped and validated with a second term, allowing him a bottomless pit from which absolute power, absolute corruption, absolutely purging and absolute destruction will be administered with absolute conviction.  Either we stop the inevitable reign of terror that comes from a malignant, increasingly paranoid, amoral narcisist reminiscent of Joseph Stalin in the 1930s, or we allow the US version of Stalin in the '30s to move forward with the blessing of the American People via the results of Presidential Election of 2020.

And if you think that's too hyperbolic to occur in this country, then you haven't been reading the daily newspapers or paying attention, because it's already happening.

Trump Demands 2 Liberal Justices Recuse Themselves From His Cases

Trump Accuses Schiff of Leaking Intelligence on Russia's 2020 Interference

Opinion: Awful new details about Trump's purge should alarm us all

Barr's internal reviews and re-investigations feed resentment, suspicion inside Justice Dept.

I'm finding the Gail Collins / Bret Stephens Conversation more of a must-read, because all of the anti-Trumpist Never-Bernies out there will at some point between now and Election Day need to make their own personal binary decision.  We have 252 days to convince all anti-Trumpists, every single one of them, to vote for the Dem nominee, whoever he/she is.  If it's Bernie, we all must vote for Bernie.  Period.  That includes Bret Stephens, Max Boot, Bill Kristol, George Will, and Mitt Romney.  They're not there yet, but there's still time.  252 days is years and years away in political terms, and never more true than in 2020.

Opinion: Imagine Bernie Sanders in the Oval Office

Looking forward to the debate tonight.

Michael

Another dear friend of mine, Ron C., who I've also known since 6th grade, emailed,

Michael, I love how you started this conversation with, "How's everyone doing?  Upbeat?"

and are now at, "...a bottomless pit from which absolute power, absolute corruption, absolutely purging and absolute destruction will be administered with absolute conviction."

I am deeply concerned about Bernie getting the nomination. I'm pretty convinced there is a large group of moderates who would vote for Warren, Biden, or Bloomberg but will stay home for Bernie. Yes, Bernie has a large and very loud coalition of under 25s. Exactly the demographic who historically doesn't actually show up on election day. On the other end of the spectrum, we have a set of declared "Never Trumpers" who would likely break their definition of "never" given the "socialist or sociopath" option.

I will continue to support Warren until the day she's no longer an option - I firmly believe she's both our best chance to take back the presidency and right the wrongs of the past three years.

I wrote a response, but didn't send.  I don't want to bombard my Bellingham gang with too many emails, at least not yet.  Maybe 30 days or 10 days before the election, but not 252 days before the election.  Here wrote I wrote back to Ron:

Haha, good call, Ron. It didn’t take long for my true hand to be revealed, and yet, like you and everyone else, I’m coming to terms with our present state of affairs, which has rapidly accelerated in urgency and fear since the week of Trump’s acquittal and the Iowa debacle. The fluidity of current events and our 252-day ticking clock has impacted all of us in different ways. The same is true for national figures, writers, personalities, strategists, and coalitions currently forming to decide the fate of the country in November. Just last week, Thomas Friedman of the New York Times sent out an S.O.S. emergency call to Mike Bloomberg to step in as savior to defeat Trump. Now, a week later, Friedman has dramatically revised his game plan to a Team of Rivals unity playbook that serves to defeat Trump/Trumpism. I’m on the same page Friedman’s on and everyone else who recognizes the titanic-size iceberg we’re heading toward if Trump wins re-election. For my part, I’m channeling my inner Risk-crazed competitiveness against Team Orange with the kind of maniacal intensity that throws opponents on the defensive and increases the odds of victory. If another million or so like-minded Risk-crazed believers in democracy harness a similar manic energy against Trump and the Trumpists, maybe just maybe it might not matter who our nominee actually is. We all have our skill set to bring to the table and all have a voice to include in our Team Purple coalition. Since so much of the next 250 days will be exasperating and awash with fear, worry, and overwhelming anxiety, I take comfort in our numbers and growing national coalition. The metaphor I’m using, more as personal motivation mixed with nostalgia, is a grand two-team national Risk game in which the good guys (us and the US as Team Purple) are up against the bad guys (Trump, the Trumpists and Putin/Russia as Team Orange). It’s easy for me to find inspiration with the mindset that all of us are on the same team, fighting in unison for the principles of our rotten-to-the-core yet exceptional, diverse, grand and glorious country. I see this mindset expanding exponentially to incorporate what Thomas Friedman is articulating in today’s piece. We’re going to win this thing, no matter who our nominee is. This is our moment, so let’s go ahead and meet it.

Enjoy tonight’s debate,

Michael

FYI, rotten to the core, because as I've been learning these few years while Trump has been in office, our American history as been awash, and I mean awash, in Emmett Till moments.  Speaking of which, I watched this the other night.  Wow.

Day - 1401

Monday, February 24, 2020

Chapter Two (252 Days Until the 2020 Election)

The knives were out for Bernie today.  In the Washington Post alone, a half-dozen or so articles were written about the inevitable Trump victory in November if Sanders wins the nomination:

Negative Bernie Article 1

Negative Bernie Article 2

Negative Bernie Article 3

Negative Bernie Article 4

Negative Bernie Article 5

Negative Bernie Article 6

The moderate Dem establishment does not want Sanders as savior of democracy.  But if not Sanders, who?  Biden?  I heard today that Biden hasn't won a primary...ever!  He must win in South Carolina, but beforehand, he needs to deliver a good performance tomorrow night.  We'll see if they all pile on Sanders or continue taking shots at Blumberg.

Meanwhile, Trump continues to dismantle the justice department:

Awful new details about Trump's purge should alarm us all

Just another news day at the Washington Post. 

It's impossible to keep up and go to work and live a life with all this news swirling around, and yet here's where we're at in the year 2020.  Oh, and let's not forget this thing that also happened today:

Market plunge over coronavirus fears underscores political risk to Trump

The pandemic is about to hit a new level, I'm anticipating. 

Today was a reading day.  My copy of the Mueller Report arrived today from Thriftbooks.  I figured I needed to read the report, deep-sixed by toady Barr, in order to fully appreciate the corruption and collusion of the Trump/Russia ticket.  Trumpists and today Barr really did a good job of controlling that narrative. 

What do you know, not all articles and opinion pieces were negative about Bernie.  Here's one:

Positive Bernie Article

Eugene Robinson is right:  if you want to get rid of President Trump, prepare to get behind Sanders and do everything you can to make him president.  Bernie haters have 252 days to come to terms with this.  Risk 2020 is a binary election...either Trump is removed from office, or he's given a second term and thoroughly legitimized in his own mind as orchestrating the greatest first term in American history.  Bernie haters can bemoan the possible 10-20% drop in their stock portfolio by voting for Trump or not voting at all, and risk losing everything they've ever known about their former life in America, which is what may very well happen.  Stalin in the 1930s, check it out moderate naysayers of medicare for all (a thing that will never pass anyway), because that's where we're going if this mad leader from Team Orange wins reelection.  We have 252 days to convince as many non-Trumpists as possible that it really doesn't matter who the Dem nominee is in this election.  It's about exercising the last remaining firewall to the kind of vindictiveness, purging, institutionalized dismantling and total breakdown of rule of law that we will face for the first time here from sea to shining sea.  The examples are littered throughout history.  It's already happening here.  If he's given a second term, it will get a thousand times worse.

It's really unfortunate that so much of this country hates intelligent people.  By so many accounts, Elizabeth Warren is the smartest of the lot, and would have made a good president.  So would Hillary.  Bernie will be fine in the grand scheme of things (all of them, in their own way, would be fine), but Trump with another term?  Oh my God, I really cannot stand stupid, blind, ignorant people who do not see the imminent, unprecedented danger we're in. If Bernie's the nominee, and it appears as though he will be unless something profound occurs, we all need to do everything we can to make it crystal clear that Trump must be voted out.

The coronavirus and the November 2020 election should be taken very seriously and a plan needs to be put in place in case the pandemic disrupts voter turnout.  The pandemic is already a major global disrupter. It will get worse before it gets better.  What a Monday.

Day - 1402

Sunday, February 23, 2020

Chapter One (253 Days Until the 2020 Election)

I'm writing a new novel, a non-fiction historical narrative set in America in the year 2020.  The working title is Risk 2020 - The Great Civil Vote.  It's about the continuation of democracy in the  United States, or the end of it.  It's about the survival of the US Constitution and rule of law, or its inevitable demise if Trump is allowed a second term.  It's a real-time online work-in-progress contemporary novel spread out across social media sites I've hardly used until now.  It will be my contribution to the Great Civil Vote of 2020, the vote that determines the direction of the country and the rest of the world.  It's a numbers game that does not determine a winner based on the total number of votes from votes cast, but an elaborate, traditional, perhaps antiquated system of electoral votes distributed among the 50 states of which 270 (of 538 total) is required to win the presidency.  That's the game.   Because of demographics, history, the lay of the land, gerrymandering, tribal tendencies and state rules and laws, only a handful of swing states will determine the election's outcome.  I know bits and pieces of the overall history of our battleground states since 2000, and don't yet know current forces at work to leverage/influence/manipulate battle-state outcomes this November, but I'm sure I'll learn all about the frontline conflicts that will occur in Florida, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Ohio, North Carolina and Minnesota.  These states decide if Trump is defeated or wins reelection.  For me, this is the only real contest that matters.  Defeat must happen.  He cannot be reelected.  There are degrees of victory or defeat, but this binary decision (Trump wins or Trump loses) is paramount.

The working title, Risk 2020, comes from a board game I played with my friends growing up in Bellingham, WA in the 1970s and 80s.  The object of Risk is world domination.  Winning involves luck, diplomacy, deception, manipulation, cunning, alliances, betrayals, and smart decision making, essentially, a sociopathic mindset.  I loved playing Risk when I was younger and welcomed the intensity, insanity, and emotional thrill of this brutal, exhilarating game of power, chance and warfare.  Back then, winning was all that mattered.  I was born with the competitive drive to win when it mattered.  That drive isn't as strong anymore, but in certain activities it comes back to me, the need to compete and seek victory at all costs.  America is a country obsessed with winning.  The most perceptive line about America in the entire Hollywood film canon comes from Patton, 1 minute and 46 seconds into this clip:

It explains so much about so many things.  It explains Lance Armstrong.  It explains the Houston Astros.  It explains who we worship, who we pay the most millions to, who we revere and erase from history.  It will explain what happens in the next 253 days until November 3, 2020, Election Day.

This line from Patton also explains so much about me.  Given the family I come from, the parents I have, and my natural internal hard wiring as a white male Canadian who immigrated to the United States at five and fell in love with chess, checkers, Ants in the Pants, Don't Break the Ice, football, kickball, squareball, the Game of Life, Monopoly, Careers, Stratego, poker, Battleship, Risk and an unusual political board game about presidential elections and electoral voting totals called Landslide, I understand the full meaning of what America loves and will not tolerate.  At 56, I still clearly have this essence inside me, together with a fundamental adherence to fairness, facts and the truth.

And so, I'm joining Team Purple against the dreaded Team Orange in this two-team Civic Battle for the future of America.  Whichever team wins becomes the writers of history and the deciders of the heroes and villains of our present day drama that has unfolded like the most outrageous made-for-TV fever dream any writer from any era could have imagined.  My fiction reading has all but stopped of late because, seriously, how can fiction compete with the utter lunacy of real life as reported in the NY Times and Washington Post since the day after the last big election 39 months ago.

Day - 1403

Saturday, February 22, 2020

Up around 8 or so.  It felt good to sleep in.  We went to In-n-Out for lunch, a hambuger each, fried onions for Alice, then Bath, Bed & Beyond for a new Black&Decker Dustbuster to replace the one that no longer charges properly.  After BB&B, we headed to Straud's for taco fixings for tomorrow's dinner.  We also went to Ross for a few other items like tongs (for me) and scissors (for me and Alice).  Alice bought a bread pan to bake her almond bread.  We'll do that tomorrow, too.

We came back home around 1, did our thing for several hours, then took MUNI and BART to 19th Street Oakland for the Paramount Theater performance of the Oakland Symphony's Violins of Hope that included a Vivaldi concerto for three violins, a ballet piece performed by the Oakland ballet, and Mahler's 4th Symphony.

The performance was very moving.  Violins of Hope features violins used by actual musicians at the Death Camps during the Holocaust.  The instruments were restored and are now part of a traveling collection. 

Wonderful performance.  I never tire of Mahler's 4th Symphony.  Took BART and MUNI home and in bed by 11:30. 

Day - 1404

Friday, February 21, 2020

Finally saw Hamilton.  I knew I would love it.  I did love it.  Loved everything about it.  Inspiring.  I can feel the spirit of Alexander Hamilton channeling through me. 

I went with Lillian and Jessica.  Jessica has seen it four times.  It was my and Lillian's first time.  The cast was spectacular, the songs amazing.  Truly memorable.  We ate dinner at Brenda's on Polk . Wonderful evening.

Day - 1405

Thursday, February 20, 2020

Our last regular season hit & switch session before the playoffs.  My goal was to secure first place but after going 4-0, I then lost the next three games and finished second behind Gary.  I'm not sure how that happened, but I don't mind as my partner for the playoffs is Kirk.  We're also playing in Saturday's doubles tournament, so it's a win-win for us.  We'll have Monday and Wednesday to talk strategy.

Day - 1406

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Working at home today and catching up on things, including some practicing.  The Beethoven's coming along, but I'm still a bit weak on the Strauss and Hindemith. 

The Nevada debate began at 6 p.m. and I had rehearsal at 7:30, so I wasn't able to watch all of it until later in the evening at 10 p.m.

Oh, boy.  Oh, man.  I did not like what I saw tonight.  I started off an email to the B'ham gang that I'll send tomorrow:

"Anyone watch the debate last night?  I found myself unraveling as I watched.  Unraveling, because Trump was largely ignored as a target.  Elizabeth Warren was effective in taking a blow torch to Bloomberg, but why not include Trump as well?  Why not mention Trump as a target in every talking point raised?  The Healthcare nitpicking/PowerPoint/Post-It Note criticism was utterly lost to me when Trump wants to dismantle healthcare completely.  Where was that reminder?  Where was the reaction to Trump's dismantling of the entire credibility of the federal judiciary system  and the clemency he gave to convicted felons this week?  I get that they all want to be the nominee/savior of the Democratic party, and perhaps need to knock out the late-to-the-party billionaire ASAP; however, last night felt like a profoundly lost opportunity in positioning this larger contest as a battle to preserve American Democracy, rule of law and the US Constitution by defeating the most malignant un-American president in our history.  Since Trump was largely absent from last night's debate, that equals a win for Trump.  Warren, who was on fire last night, spent less than five seconds focusing on Trump.  Unbelievable.  The petty swipes and barbs they all rattled off at each other left me uninspired and angry for all the wrong reasons. They looked like fools up there, all of them, for not targeting their sites squarely on the greatest threat to democracy since the Civil War.

Bloomberg looked rusty, detached and indifferent, somewhat out of touch and didn't respond well to Warren's attacks (his NDA response was just awful).  He'll get better, but I don't see him getting any big bump from last night.  If anything, his numbers might go down.  Warren was strong but all that fire went everywhere except at Trump.  How is that a good thing?  Her numbers might rise a bit, but perhaps not enough to justify the firebomb she delivered to each one of her comrades. She may be smarter than everyone else on stage, but my God she sure channeled her inner Tracy Flick last night.  Klobuchar appeared off her game and also said nothing about Trump. She let Pete get under her skin and for a few moments we saw her unhinged and defensive, kicking in her mean mode.  I don't see her on the stage after Super Tuesday.  Buttigieg gave a typical Mayor Pete performance and at this point needs to bring out a much bigger gear if he has one. His petty attacks against Klobuchar seemed gratuitous.  I wish he would launch a full frontal assault on the con-artist commander in chief who protects soldiers who commit war crimes while punishing those who follow procedure, rule of law and chain of command. Biden is trying as hard as he can to be the focused, experienced leader we need to defeat Trump, but he's simply not projecting that in his words, tone and demeanor.  Aside from Trump, the night was ultimately won by Sanders, who delivered what he always delivers, a strong, steady, consistent message that speaks to the unfairness of our system.  I don't see his numbers going down and it makes me wonder if America's version of Jeremy Corbyn is simply one day closer to the nomination.  That's what it feels like the morning after, a rising nominee who has the truth on his side, who is skilled and articulate in these debates, but who is polarizing to centrists and allows Trumpists to toss out easy distraction material to help deflect all of their deceit, racism, amorality and rottenness.

I don't know how many new viewers tuned into last night's debate, but the program they saw was NOT the program they should have seen.  It felt much more like a self-inflicted firebomb at the Dems than a firebomb directed at Trump."

I watched the FiveThirtyEight podcast to listen to their take.  I agreed with most of their reactions.  We could be in serious trouble.  My panic attacks are continuing!

Day - 1407

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Back to work.  Love those three-day weekends.  Work was quiet, nice!  Gave me some time to think about all the things I'm thinking about.  And update Quicken.  Trump granted clemency to a couple of felons today.  I encourage him to do much more of this between now and Election Day 2020. 

Came home, had dinner, watched a few YouTubes, practiced, then called it a night.  Tomorrow is the next debate, this time with Bloomberg.  Should be a lively show.

Day - 1408

Monday, February 17, 2020

President's Day

In honor of the holiday, I posted an email to the Bellingham gang with links to an opinion piece in the Atlantic Monthly by Donald Ayer stating Bill Barr must resign, as well as YouTube links to Donald Ayer discussing his piece. 

Bill Barr Must Resign

He's a former Jones Day partner who has joined the fight against Trumpist insanity.    It's another example of the erosion of norms in our institutions. 

Last week, my friend Jeff mentioned how Russia is everywhere on the campaign trial.  My response is as follows:

Red Dawn came true, I guess.  No surprise, considering how phenomenally successful Putin's small 2016 investment turned out to be.  We're under siege and need to come to terms with this.  Putin's Russia and other autocrats aligned with Trump will do everything in their power to ensure Trump is reelected.  They will cheat, lie, mislead, break, distract, and do Everything to keep the orange American dictator in office.  This global social media war is being played out right here in America and most Americans don't even know it.  That needs to change.

Everything needs to change.  Colors and party names need to change.  This is not a left vs. right, Blue vs. Red, or Democrat vs. Republican contest/election.  That old mindset helps Trump/Russia and hurts us. 

This is a Purple Party (Blue + Red) vs. Orange Party (Trump Supporters/Enablers) election.  This new distinction hurts Trump/Russia and helps us.

Trumpists call themselves Republicans, but they are not true Republicans.  Not anymore.  They don't deserve to be Republicans.  Today, they're the new RINOs.  Trumpists place their loyalty to Trump above everything, above the United States of America, the constitution, and the rule of law.  Let's start calling them what they are: Trumpists. 

Orange Team Roster:

Trumpists (Supporters/Enablers)
White Supremacists/Nationalists
Putin/Russia
Saudi Prince Mohammid bin Salman who murdered journalist Jamal Khashogghi
North Korea
China
Authoritarian Regimes

Purple Team Roster:

Democrats
Republicans (Romney/George Will/Bill Kristol et al who aren't Trumpists)
Independents
NATO Nations
All democratic countries

Trump's impeachment and acquittal was a foregone conclusion, but rather than a disaster, it should be used as an effective weapon. All Senate Trumpists who voted No on witnesses, No on Article 1 (Obstruction of Justice) and No on Article 2 (Abuse of Power) officially lost their status as Republicans when they placed Trump above the rule of law, above their country, and above the U.S. constitution in violation of their oath of office.  They are no longer Republicans.  They are Trumpists.  We should hammer that point home over and over and over ad nauseam for the next 258 days.  Trumpists are on the same side as Putin, Russia, North Korea and the Saudi Prince who murdered journalist Jamal Khashogghi.  Trumpists are anti-patriots who place cult of personality and fear of other Trumpists over country and constitution.  Impeachment was a necessary political act that forced 52 United States Senators to officially betray their oath of office.  That's certainly a disaster, but for whom?  Moscow Mitch should be expanded to Moscow Joni, Moscow Cory, Moscow Lindsey, Moscow Martha, Moscow all of them who voted against witnesses in a Senate Trial for impeachment.  They are on the same team as Putin and Russia, a natural antagonist of the United States, and for that they must be called out and held accountable. 

If they lose, they WILL be held to account for their official Senate vote.  If Trump wins, they'll be seen as heroes along with Rudy Guliani, Roger Stone, Paul Manifort, and all the other Trump loyalists, while the villains will be Nancy Pelosi, Adam Shiff, Lt. Col. Vindman, and all of us.

Day - 1409

Sunday, February 16, 2020

We had hotpot again at the house with Austin and Hannah.  It was nice catching up with them.  It was a quiet relaxing day spent reading, catching up on a few YouTubes, writing in this journal, and thinking about the future. 

Day - 1410

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Went to Diamond Heights this morning for some hottub for Alice's back, then came home and tackled a few chores, including clearing out the floor drain with a 25ft snake drain auger.  It worked like a champ! 

We visited Soren and Patrick for dinner and had hot pot.  A very nice evening.  Played some mahjong, a game Alice enjoys.  I should learn this game a little better.  Alice would like that!  Lots to remember though, and my memory's not at good as it used to be.

Day - 1411

Friday, February 14, 2020

Happy Valentine's Day!  Alice always tell me, "Hagan, do not get me flowers, please," and I always ignore her.  I've told her many times that on Valentine's Day, she's getting flowers, a V day card, and we're going out to dinner.  She says she doesn't need any of that, but I suspect she secretly loves being reminded how much I love her, so every Valentine's Day we do this routine in which I bring her flowers and a card and we go out to dinner.  It works and I love it and I suspect she loves it, too.

Usually, I get Alice roses, but I mixed it up this year with a beautiful orchid, one of her favorite flowers.  Alice has a way with orchids and keeps them alive seemingly indefinitely.  I like the colors on this one.

This year we had the added bonus of going to the SF Symphony as well, which meant dinner was at Max's Opera Cafe on Van Ness, our go-to spot when we're eating out before the symphony.  We always order the same thing at Max's: we split everything, the Stella Artois beer, the deep fried calamari, and the prime rib dinner.  We ordered all that plus the NY cheesecake for dessert.  Max's was crazy busy (good thing I made reservations), so we didn't leave the restaurant until a little before 7.  The Symphony talk started at 7 so we missed the first 10 minutes.  The program was a good one:

I chose this concert back in August for the Saint-Saens Organ Symphony.  I was not disappointed.  Not only is this one of the classic masterworks in the western repertoire, every movement is exciting, thrilling and filled with special moments.  It looks difficult to perform, fast, delicate in spots, and also majestic.  I guess there are many symphonies featuring organ that were written in the 19th century, but this is the lone organ symphony standing, with good reason.  It's just a magnificent, beauty, wonderful piece of symphony music and a total crowd pleaser.

The Dukas piece was fun and full of life, and the US premier of Tangos Manos was very flamboyant, fast, and audacious, exactly what you would expect from a tango concerto.  What a wonderful night at the symphony and a perfect evening with my sweetie on Valentine's Day!

Day - 1412

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Had a decent night in racquetball tonight, going 5-2, which appears to me my average.  Next week is the final round or regular season play.  Since we keep the top 6 scores, I can do no worse than 102.  My worst week was week 1 when I went 4-3.  If I go 7-0 next week, I'll have 108 points.  Kirk's worst week was 3-4, which means the best score he can achieve is 104 if he goes 7-0 next week.  If he goes 6-1 and I don't go 5-2 or better, we tie.  If Kirk doesn't go 6-1, I'm automatically 1st seed.  Gary can had one very bad week in which he only scored 10 points, so if he wins all 7 games next Thursday he'll also be at 104.  If he wins 6 will be at 102.  I need to go 6-1 to guarantee top seed.  I can do that.

Day - 1413

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

Day - 1414

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Day - 1415

Monday, February 10, 2020

Day - 1416

Sunday, February 9, 2020

Oscar night tonight.  Had a haircut this morning, then we left SF around noon for Oakland.  The place was already clean from last week's Super Bowl and I didn't need to buy anything. I still had drinks and chips, etc., and Lisa and Richard were bringing Star Pizza and salad, so Alice and I hung out at Peet's from 1 to 2.

All I had to do was hook up my ABC app. to my TV.  Well, it was easier said than done.  Last week's Fox app was so easy on my Amazon Fire stick.  Not so with the ABC app.  I asked Lisa to bring her Apple TV, and after a few attempts with Alice's iPad, then my iPad, I finally got the app to work on my iPhone 7+.  Crystal clear reception and all systems were a go.  The Oscars was on!

There were some surprises tonight.  I can't believe Parasite won Best Picture over 1917.  And Best Director.  Hmm.  Sam Mendes already has his Oscar so I could live with that, but 1917 was definitely a Best Picture film imho.  I enjoyed Parasite, but didn't think it was that good.  The last 20 minutes are still a little confusing to me.

Richard, Lisa, Trey and Margaret watched with me and Alice, so it was a very small, lively crowd.  After the show, we went back to San Fran, hitting light traffic.  I was in bed by 10:30.

Glad Joachin Phoenix won Best Actor.  Haven't seen Judy yet but know Renee Zellweger is always good.  Laura Dern's acceptance speech and the way she acknowledged her parents was so touching.  I loved Best Score going to composer Hildur Guonadittir for The Joker.  Not only was the award presented by women, she was the first woman to win Best Score since 1997 and the fourth ever.  Her speech was beautiful, and her score was indeed the Best Score of the year.  It was haunting, scary, beautiful, and perfectly reflected this amazing film.

Day - 1417

Saturday, February 8, 2020

Day - 1418

Friday, February 7, 2020

Work was pleasant today, not too bad and steady.  After work, I had two Arizmendi slices for dinner and watched my first Democratic Debate of the year.

There are still too many candidates on stage so it's still a little bit unwatchable, but it's getting better.  The problem is who's the front runner. Who's going to be the nominee (i.e. savior of the Union)?

Mayor Pete is enormously talented and has a wonderful response to nearly every answer.  He's a good debater, can take a punch and throw a punch, but his response to the most important question thrown at him lacked emotion and didn't in any way bridge the wide gap he faces with black voters.  He was asked why he's not resonating with black voters and what his record as mayor says about his inability to connect with this all-important voting block.  His answer was detached, lacking in emotion, full of statistics, and tonally about as off key as Moscow Mitch singing the National Anthem.  For someone so savvy and smart, he's not properly articulating the disconnect.  He's not fully appreciating the  profoundly different life experiences Black Americans face and the constant repression and institutionalized racism that has impacted their lives from day one.  He's not communicating that he gets it, and that's a real problem.  He may not yet.  Black America and White America represent two different Americas.  Has he asked and truly listened to any negative interactions South Bend black residents have had with the police, versus white South Bend residents?  Is he missing something Cory Booker might be able to offer him?

Bernie is the old time piece that keeps on ticking.  He was strong on his key points and he has a loyal, enthusiastic fan base, but is Bernie seriously the answer to defeating Trump?  Bernie Sanders?  I don't know.  Middle America won't see it.  His rise in the polls makes me nervous.  If he's the nominee, I'll vote for him.  If a bag of ice is the nominee, I'll vote for the bag of ice, but can the bag of ice win?  Can Bernie win?  Is he the answer to the future of this country?  One thing Dems need to wrap their minds around is that this country has historically always been a very racist, capitalistic, winner-take-all country that doesn't care about the poor even a fraction as much as it cares about money and power.  Sad to say, it's not about creating a fair playing field and protecting everyone and allowing health care for all.  It's about protecting what everyone already has, preserving our own self-interest and keeping us all comfortable with a minimum of change.  Bernie Sanders will be positioned as ten times more radical than Trump, and knowing the razor sharp intelligence of the American people, many of them will believe it and either vote for Trump or not vote at all (which would be a disaster).

Elizabeth Warren suffers from a voice and mannerisms that will turn off so many swing voters so quickly that seriously, she's simply not the savior of the Union.  As much as I appreciate her incredible energy and attention to details, she'll lose to Trump.  If Hilary loses to Trump, she'll lose worse.  That's just a hard and solid prediction based on the American people and their past performance on election night.  She had a soft night tonight.  Along with race, this country is so damn sexist, and the sexism exists in the marrow of our bones.  All you have to do is read American history to understand the reasons why Hilary lost in 2016 (aside from running such an f'ing weak-ass campaign and not going to Wisconsin since April, 2016).  Once Warren was the front runner, her numbers tumbled, and it didn't help that she pushed a healthcare proposal the sounded extreme.  Dems need to wake the f up...America is not into extreme policies that will save everyone from everything.  America is the land of self-interest and frightened ignorant followers who would rather undermine their own self-interest than deal with radical change.  Warren and Sanders represent solid, healthy, good, fair, appropriate policies for an appropriate nation.  America is not that nation and never has been.

Tom Stier has zero chance at being our savior, but I like what he says, appreciate his passion, and enjoy his few moments on the stage when he's allowed to speak.  Same with Andrew Yang.  His numbers were really bad in Iowa, which is too bad.  I like the things he has to say and appreciate when he's allowed to say them, but eventually he will no longer be on the stage with the others.

Amy Klobucher lost me when that NY Times article came out last year about how she treats her staff.  Sorry Amy, but that disqualifies you from being savior and/or commander-in-chief.  Being tough is one thing, but being abusive and mean in the ways described in the Times piece disqualified her last year, in my opinion.  I like that she's tough, articulate, and practical, but abusing the teammates who carry her water is an absolute deal breaker.  She should have known years ago that you treat your staff like gold every day.  Like gold, Amy Klobucher.  What a disappointment it was reading that article.  Her numbers reflect that article, I'm guessing.  I know I haven't forgotten it, and I'm sure others haven't either.  Growing up in an alcoholic family is no excuse.

That leaves Joe Biden.  Jesus Christ.  OMG times 100!  Is he 77 or 97?  Bernie Sanders is one year older and twenty years younger (and Bernie had a heart attack last fall!).  Joe's a good guy.  He's a public servant in the best sense of the word, and he's got the support of African Americans, which is key.  He was Obama's Veep, another key.  He's savior material and yet...damn...he's just not competitive anymore.  The numbers reflect as much.  Please refer to the movie Patton:  "America loves a winner, and will not tolerate a loser."  On the debate stage, Biden is not winning.  Not even close to winning.  So in all seriousness, the nominee will not be Biden.  Maybe ten years ago, but not now.  I love Joe Biden, but I don't see him winning.  I just don't.

So if not Joe, who?  Mike Bloomberg?  Pete's star will continue to rise.  Pete has a chance.  Bernie has a chance.  It will be Bernie, Pete or Mike.  Of those three, who has the best chance to win?  My heart says Pete, but my mind and odds on favorite says Mike.  South Bend is not NYC, and Bloomberg has unlimited resources to defeat the evil Death Star.

Don't be surprised if Mike Bloomberg becomes our nominee in June.  The Dems don't like the idea of a billionaire savior buying the nomination, and yet, that's sort of what America is all about, right?  Buying whatever you want.  The way I see it, Mike Bloomberg is so much better than a bag of ice.

Day - 1419

Thursday, February 6, 2020

This is a bad week for Dems.  Impeachment acquittal and Iowa debacle in the same week.  I can feel the building anxiety.  Iowa was such a disaster.  He cannot win in November.  If he wins, the country is doomed and George Orwell's 1984 and Donald Trump's lying, venal ways become one.  No hyperbole, unfortunately, just an honest assessment.

Work was fine.  I started tonight's racquetball session with three quick losses but picked up steam afterward with five straight wins, maintaining maintain my place atop the leader board.  Two more weeks and then the playoffs begin. 

Loved watching the Tenacious D YouTube on Hot Ones!

Day - 1420

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Spent the morning reading to first graders and fifth graders at the Tenderloin Community School.  I read a picture book about Frederick Douglas.  I enjoy reading to students and introducing them to our national's real heroes.

After the reading, I came home and worked, practiced, and went to rehearsal.  I did not watch any news.  I may not listen to or read any news the rest of the week.  This is a dark week for me.  I'll be in better spirits next week, or the week after.  Right now, I'm in great despair. 

Day - 1421

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

I did not listen to the State of the Union speech tonight, though I did see a clip of Nancy Pelosi ripping it when it was over.  I'll watch it later when its contents can be used as ammunition for the great Election 2020 in nine months. 

This is quickly becoming a horrible week for those who want Trump gone in November.  

Day - 1422

Monday, February 3, 2020

I stayed up close to midnight waiting for the results of the Iowa caucus.  WTF, Iowa?  WTF!  For the love of God, no unforced errors, please.  Jesus!  You're fired, Iowa.  You're fired!

Day - 1423

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Up at 6:30 to finish up a work-related project, then from 8-11 I continued cleaning and preparing for the party.  Alice came over at 11 and we went to Arizmendi for a slice of pizza.  From 12:30 until game time, I was busy getting everything ready.

I was rooting for the 49ers, even though I enjoy rooting against them when the Seahawks are in contention.  They were ahead 20-10 going into the 4th Quarter, but then they experienced about the worst quarter ever.  It was awful, and suddenly they were behind by 11 points.  Too bad, SF.  I'm not sure KC deserved it so much as SF just lost their momentum.  A few horrid calls certainly didn't help.  At any rate, it was fun having Richard, Lisa, Sophie, Sydney, Rodney, Rossana, Margaret and even Bonnie over.

After the game, I cleaned up a bit, then we headed back to SF for the night.  Alice has an endoscopy procedure tomorrow, so I'll take the day off to be with her.

Day - 1424

Saturday, February 1, 2020

 Up early for a full day of shopping, cooking and cleaning.  I hit Safeway hard with five full bags of groceries. 

Once I was home, the cooking began.  I put together my Best Damn Chili recipe, which is always so good.

I also prepped the chicken for my chicken tikki masala recipe, which has become one of my and Alice's favorite dishes. 

I borrowed Alice's Roomba electric vacuum.  It did a great job!

At 4:30, it was time to stop and head back to SF for Alice's mother's birthday.  I arrived at Hong Kong Lounge at 6.  We spent two hours eating some very tasty food. 

After dinner, I headed back to Oakland to continue prepping for the Super Bowl.

Day - 1425

Friday, January 31, 2020

Busy weekend ahead, prepping for the Super Bowl party, etc.  Quiet morning, which was nice.  Lillian and I went to Lyft Headquarters for lunch where Jessica works.  Setup is similar to Twitter where workers have all sorts of perks to work hard and stay near the building, offering free lunch options that are so good.  I had African food and it was delicious.  I've never seen so many rows of monitors and tables before.  It was great catching up with Jessica.  She seems so happy and has a wonderful job. 

Afternoon was active with lots of jobs coming in after 3.  I managed to finished all but one, which I'll wrap up over the weekend.

Alice and I met her accounting client Michael for dinner at the new Italian restaurant called Che Fico on Divisidero.  It was spectacular.

Our first course was a very soft cauliflower sformato or flan type dish.  It was wonderful and light, with crunchy bread crumbs on top.  What a way to start.

Along with our sformato, we had assorted Italian dry salamis with sliced pear, all very tasty.

Michael ordered a carrot dish that was different, inventive, and very good.

Our waitress recommended a pineapple pizza that was very good.  Michael was dubious about pineapple on a pizza, but it worked.

Our final entry, a wonderful rock fish, was a bit hit.  All dishes were absolute winners.  I love this place!

For dessert, we shared a deep dish crostata with a scoop of ice cream.  Heaven!

Michael  has become a dear friend to us.  He lost his husband two years ago and has carried on bravely through grief and loneliness.  We love his company and cherish his friendship.  This was a night to remember!

The atmosphere at Che Fico is infectious, lively and fun.  It's like we're in New York on a Saturday night.  It's one truly happening spot.  I loved being part of it!

Day - 1426

Thursday, January 30, 2020

I spent the day in the San Rafael office helping Kimberly and Sabrina with a few formatting questions they had.  We hit the training hard throughout most of the day.  I had a chance to walk around the main street during lunch and bought a book on Beatles lyrics on sale for $8 at a very nice local book store. 

I left San Rafael at 4.  Traffic wasn't too bad.  League night was tonight and I started out 4-0 before losing my next two out of three.  I'm still atop the leader board, but with one week to toss out, Tyrone has gone undefeated in 3 weeks.  If he plays the next four weeks, he'll be the No. 1 seed.  I'm betting he'll miss another week though.