When Oscar is laying, spread-eagle, on the couch I feel compelled to take his picture.  It’s one of the few times he’s not barking at me, stealing pillows, or counter surfing and I feel like a proud papa watching peace in action.  He appears so innocent.

It’s been 2 years now since I adopted him from Tender Care in Vancouver, WA and brought him to his forever home here in Portland.  I thought he was the most handsome dog I ever saw.  It’s a good thing because he’d be long gone otherwise.  One minute he’s sleeping peacefully on his back and the next he’s climbing into your lap trying to bite your knuckles off like your some great, big, hairless chew toy.  He flat out can drive you crazy.

We’ve taken him to not one but two rounds of training and both times he graduated with flying colors.  Becky, the trainer, said superlative things about him, like how lucky we were to find him, and that she wished she could take him home with her.  What she missed is the terrorizing of Grandma when the two of them were left alone and which left Grandma in tears and a tattered sweatshirt.  Which prompted a swift and definite relocation from home to doggie daycare.  So much for training.  What good is “sit” when he’s gnawing on your mother in-laws arm like it’s a rawhide?

At first, he seemingly thrived in daycare coming home at night with fur wet with dog slobber and completely worn out.  This was the perfect solution while Bon and I were at work.  At night, when his pack was all together again, he’d eat his dinner and sleep so soundly he’d whimper in his dreams until it was time for all of us to go to bed.  Only after about a year he seemed to get less and less interested in other dogs and preferred the companionship of the workers.  We decided to kennel him for a long weekend we spent with friends and we discovered he spent Saturday and Sunday snapping and growling and barking and scaring the hell out of some teenager newbie daycare worker so badly she probably is now thinking twice about going to Veterinary school.  Time to bring him home and to stay with Grandma during the work day.  We hoped the second time would work out.  It had to.

Oh, don’t get me wrong.  We all love Oscar.  He’s just the perfect companion, when he wants to be, and the Tasmanian Devil when he doesn’t.  We’ve gone through 4 leashes, 2 collars, countless stuffed animals and most of the furniture and all of the throw pillows bears his canine toothmarks.  As crazy as he can make us, this second time staying at home during the workday is working out OK.  At least, that’s what Grandma is saying.  If he’s still terrorizing her, she’s not saying anything except to admit Oscar is good company.  Generally, he is when he’s not bugging the shit out of you.

He is tall and skinny, so unlike our other labs Mabel and Hazel who were short, powerfully built females who loved to swim, Oscar is built like a runner.  Whenever we’ve had him off leash, he runs, and barks and is impossible to come back to you without high interest treats.  His sense of smell is beyond compare and his stare after birds in flight – even airplanes – tells me his real instincts are to chase flying objects.  The female dogs were more compassionate and independent than this boy.  They seldom looked interested in anything but getting in their naps on the couch. Not Oscar.  He is demanding activity 24 x 7.  His leap into your lap is a striking reminder to walk him or risk chasing him around the house until he finally drops your shoes, socks, sports bra, lunch, garlic bread, dish towel, insert item here.

In another year or so, he will like the others become the perfect dog.  I have no doubts.  It just takes an awful long time to get there.  It feels like dog years.  In the end, I know it will be all worth it.  There are just times you just want to scream or howl at the moon.

C’mon boy, I know you can do it.  Leave it!  Drop it!  Come!

 

This morning the San Francisco Giants are 33.5 games back of the 1st place Los Angeles Dodgers.  OMG, was that a hard sentence for me to write.  After 3 Major League Baseball championships in the last 7 years, my favorite team has fallen to the very bottom of the National League West standings and are headed toward the worst season in their history.  While our arch nemesis from Southern California are arguably the best team in professional baseball, the Giants have only been finding ways to lose ballgames with poor pitching, lousy hitting, and the fewest Home Runs hit of any other team in professional baseball.  With the July 31 st trade deadline fast approaching, there are some tough decisions that have to be made by the Giants leadership team and here are some suggestions that I think need to happen by 4:00 pm ET tomorrow.

Winning baseball requires great pitching, error free defense, and timely hitting.  Let’s start with pitching – the Giants need help.  This season, they’re currently ranked 20th in pitching with a Team ERA of 4.64 (the Dodgers are first with an ERA of 3.11).  In the World Championship years of 2010, 2012, and 2014, the Giants were 1st, 7th, and 11th but their ERA was no higher than 3.68.  This year, the Giants are giving up a full run more as a team than they did when they were on top.  No wonder they’re so bad.

I don’t believe starting pitching is the problem.  It’s middle inning relief that’s killing the Giants.  Players I’d go after include Neftali Feliz of the Pirates, Brett Cecil of the Blue Jays, and Jerry Blevins of the Mets.  The Giants may have to trade some prospects to get these guys but without a lights out bullpen, like we used to have, the Team is going to continue to languish near the bottom of the standings.  It’s time for Matt Moore, Matt Cain and Josh Osich to go.  Trade or release them.  Thanks for the efforts, guys, but it’s time to say goodbye.

The Giants are a respectable 8th in Fielding this season.  In 2010, they were part of a 4-way tie for the best fielding team in baseball with the Yankees, Padres and Reds.  Two years later, they were just 26th best (defying my argument), and in 2014, they were in the upper half of the league (14th to be exact).  Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford, and Joe Panik are Gold Glove winners and Brandon Belt deserves one.  The only position I would upgrade, if possible, would be Center Field.  Denard Span is 6th in Fielding Percentage, but I’d go after the best, Ender Inciarte with the Atlanta Braves.  An upgrade to a younger player with Gold Glove potential ensures a strong middle defense and will equal more wins.  A straight up trade wouldn’t work, so I’d throw in a 2  or even 3 for 1 deal to get Inciarte.  He would be worth it.

The Giants are the next to last hitting team in all of MLB (above only the Padres) and they’re hitting a paltry .244 with just 81 homers (dead last).  By comparison the Astros are hitting .291 as a Team and have hit 168 HR’s.  That’s 50 percentage points in average and more than half the Giants total dingers.  Our boys in black and orange need hitters.  Big time.  But who isn’t looking for guys to put the ball in play?

Here’s one big name I’d go after – Manny Machado of the Orioles.  He’s only 24, a helluva hitter and a free agent at the end of next season.  Again, I would trade prospects – a lot of them – for Machado.  He could be a cornerstone at the hot corner for years to come and would position the Giants extremely well for next season.  I don’t know what his asking price would be but the Orioles are going to probably have to sink a lot of money into him next year if they want to keep him.  Why not send him West to a team which also just so happens to wear Orange and Black?  A Giants fan can dream can’t he?

So, there you have it sports fans.  My take on how the Giants in the next 24 hours can build something out of nothing this year.  Sadly, for the rest of the season, I have to reinstitute the “wait until next year” saying.  For the next 57 games, all my Team is playing for is pride.  Let’s see what transpires.  I don’t think any of my suggestions will come to fruition, but if they do, you heard it here first.  At this point, I’d take anything to improve the team.  The Giants are definitely sellers in this market and hopefully they can bring home some winners for 2018.

Is it time for Spring Training yet?

Motivated by the Women’s March on Washington, I’ve been actively stating daily in social media my opposition to President Tweet and his alternative facts administration.  Perhaps not so clear are my own positions on a variety of issues which, once you read them below, are diametrically opposed to the leader of the United States of America.  This month’s blog will reveal the light on what I stand for.  I hope you enjoy it.

Taxes

I do not support lowering taxes, especially not, for the wealthiest 1% of the population.  Sure, the tax code is complicated and some general cleanup of existing law is probably warranted, but not to take from the middle class and poor and give to the rich.  I believe the very purpose of why a government imposes taxes is to build infrastructure, maintain public security including retaining a strong military, and maintaining general services like healthcare, social security, clean energy, parks, and clean water.  Cutting taxes makes only the wealthy wealthier and reduces Federal services for you and me.  Time and again, trickle down economics has proven to be a total failure and will not improve our economy and create jobs.

Healthcare

I can’t even believe we are having a debate over healthcare.  Universal healthcare for all Americans should be a given.  I support the Affordable Care Act but I also believe in a single-payer system funded by taxpayers as the ultimate win-win solution.  As  UC Berkeley Professor Robert Reich states, “The real choice in the future is either a hugely expensive for-profit oligopoly with the market power to charge high prices even to healthy people and stop insuring sick people.  Or else a government-run single payer system – such as is in place in almost every other advanced economy – dedicated to lower premiums and better care for everyone.  We’re going to have to choose eventually.”  My position is I do not support Trumpcare, an awful bill that will be voted on later this week, which will not solve the problem of healthcare for all Americans.

Climate Change

I believe that climate change is real.  I believe in science.  I believe the USA should be leading the world in innovative green technologies and using this expertise to drive economic growth and jobs.  This is where investment in our tax dollars will pay back huge dividends.  Not only should we maintain our participation in The Paris Accord, but our goal should be to eliminate all greenhouse gasses before it is too late.  We will not be given a do over.  It is our time now to take care of our planet.  It is time to stop using Coal as an energy source!  It is time to believe and act and not bury our heads in the sand.

Immigration

I oppose a Muslim ban.  There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and just like any other group, they are not all bad.  I oppose a border wall with Mexico.  Frankly, I fail to connect why immigration is even at the forefront of the national debate.  According to an article by the Council for Foreign Affairs, “Immigrants comprise about 13 percent of the U.S. population: some forty-three million out of a total of 321 million people, according to Census Bureau data from 2015.”  A majority of Americans consider immigration a “good thing” for the United States and so do I.  In my view, we should be building a path toward citizenship for undocumented citizens if they meet expected requirements and not blocking immigrants from entering the United States.  We are a nation of immigrants!  Our government needs to lead like one.

Terrorism

I agree with Gandhi that an eye for an eye leads to blindness.  I believe in talking to my enemies.  I would ask the leading Imam’s around the world to denounce Islamic terrorism.  I would call for an immediate dialogue with all Islamic terrorist enemies  of the United States, including the leaders of Al Qaeda and ISIS, to seek ways to put an end to all of this senseless violence.  The only path to success is to talk to one another.  The terrorists agenda cannot be put forward by consistent killing innocent people and, quite frankly, we can’t “bomb the shit out of them” either.  We need to seek to understand our enemy.  Having a conversation doesn’t mean submission, it simply sets the groundwork for a potential peace by trying to come to some common ground.

The Rule of Law and the Constitution

I believe in the rule of law and in upholding the Constitution.  Our frightful leader thinks he’s above the law and so far he’s been allowed to get away with it.  His lies are remarkable and yet, his supporters blindly allow him to get away with everything.  The Republican-led Congress has failed the American people because they don’t know how to govern and won’t reel in  this reckless, heartless, sexist, racist, and narcissistic leader.  All Americans must be bound by the rule of law and our governmental leaders must uphold the Constitution as the law of the land.  Only the Judicial branch of the Federal Government has, so far, done the right thing.  Let’s hope the Supreme Court this week strikes another blow to the President’s crazy agenda by upholding the Appeals Court’s rulings against the Muslim ban.  Justice must prevail.

Stop the Hate Speech & The Lies

What will truly make America Great is to stop the hate speech and the lying.  It is frightening to note, according to NBC News, that hate crimes have gone up 20%.  It is no doubt caused by the Trump effect with his divisive speeches and hateful comments during the campaign and continuing today.  He lies more than any public figure I have ever seen and it’s affect on Americans is encouraging the most deplorable amongst us, instead of hiding in the shadows (where they belong), to be emboldened to come out and share their vile prejudice.  This must stop.  I would hope all Americans would feel like I do that there is no place for hate no matter your gender, age, sexual orientation, education, religious beliefs, or color of your skin.  Hate brings more hate.  Black lives matter.  Words matter.  Truth matters.

Country over Party

Nothing frustrates me more when I hear conservatives not getting angry about Russia meddling in our country.  Damn it, I believe it’s time to put our country over your party!  We have become the laughingstock of the world and must not allow a foreign government to influence our political process.  For 241 years, this country has been the model of democracy and let’s fight to hold on to our principles even if we may debate and disagree on the issues, we all love this country.  So, let’s all start acting like it.  Take a stand.  Who’s with me?

This is indeed an international distress signal to all human beings who love America.  Since the Women’s March in January, I have joined the resistance movement against President Tweet because I am deeply concerned about the direction of the United States.  Who among us can simply go about our daily business and accept the bombastic, unconstitutional, and selfish acts by this administration?  I can’t.

Despite my liberal point of view, my perspective is not Democratic or Republican.  The President’s role in government should be about doing what’s right.  It should be about respecting truth, the rule of law, and the media.  It should be about global leadership.  It should about being a role model to our youth and to our allies.  It should be about compromise and seeking common ground.  Since the election, all anyone can talk about or post on Facebook is the latest alternative fact from Tweet’s administration and his latest flip of his middle finger to the American public.  Yes, I’m distressed and so are millions of Americans.  Haven’t you had enough?  So, what can we do about it?

Our Founding Fathers built into the Constitution a lifeline against demagogues like President Tweet.  We can be saved through voting for the politicians who abhor what is happening right now in Washington, DC.  The most important date on every American’s calendar should be November 6, 2018.   That’s the date 33 Senate seats, all 435 seats in the House of Representatives, and 14 Governorships will be up for re-election.  We, the people, need to speak with our VOTES.  If you’re as distressed as I am, not voting is no longer an acceptable option because our freedom will perish from the earth.   According to the Constitution, the House must start impeachment proceedings and the Senate convicts.  So, unless, we vote out the current Republicans who support President Tweet, we have 3 years and 8 months or more of this disaster.

The majority of Americans can see exactly what President Tweet is doing.  Every false word, every signature, every hate filled rally, every golf outing, is used only to pander to his base, to feed his narcissism and to make himself richer.  When has he ever tried to build consensus and compromise and save those things all Americans hold dear like health care, the environment, good schools, and a strong economy.

There are people suffering no doubt but to those Tweet supporters who thought their rescue boat had arrived, it has sailed right on past you.  Storm clouds are gathering and America’s future is looking bleaker for you unless the tide turns in 2018.  If you’re drowning, do you really think Tweet’s going to save anyone but his own ass?  I urge you to no longer be misled.

America’s lifeline is going to have to be thrown by someone other than Tweet.  We need leaders in Congress, at the state level, and a President who is truly going to live up to the lofty ideals of our Founding Fathers.  In a July 2015 article from Forbes magazine, Paul Laudicina poses the following questions:  What is our vision for the future? How are we setting a course for a better tomorrow, the way the nation’s founders did? What is the strategic narrative around which all Americans can rally as one nation?  I don’t think President Tweet has any idea how to answer any of those questions.

We need a leader who can inspire the dreams of a better future, not nuclear war with North Korea.  I hope we will find that person in 2020.  In the meantime, let’s cling to hope there is a beacon of light coming in 2018 and that through voting for politicians who oppose tyranny, we can all be saved.

#resist and I stand #indivisible

In a hastily arranged press conference this afternoon, President Tweet tearfully addressed the United States of America and the world with remarks you would have to read to believe. He admitted that the first ten weeks of his administration have been a total failure and promised to do better. He looked right into the camera lens and apologized for this childish behavior and begged for forgiveness.

He explained how he stole the election from Hillary Clinton by working with the Russian government to guarantee his success on November 8, 2016. He admitted his backroom dealings enabled Putin to blackmail him and that he is in a very compromising position.  President Tweet said he didn’t know how he was going to get out of his predicament except to continue to cosy up to Moscow and treat him as our friend and not our foe.  He said it was a real pisser.

He announced that overnight he had fired Mike Pence as the Vice President and named his daughter Ivanka to replace him. He cited that Ivanka was a great person — always pushing him to do the right thing.  Chief Justice Roberts swore her in as the 49th Vice President. The fact Mr. Pence will not have dinner with any woman other than his wife was something President Tweet just couldn’t stand for. The President cited his deep appreciation and respect for women as the reason he could no longer work with Mr. Pence. President Tweet acknowledged he pays quite a lot of money to make sure he has a meal with different woman every night.

Sensing the probable filibuster of his Supreme Court nominee, the President removed Neil Gorsuch from the nomination process and instead decided to nominate Merrick Garland. Citing former President Obama’s superb judgment and that Mitch McConnell was an asshole for not even considering Mr. Garland as the Supreme Court nominee, President Tweet concurred with the majority of Americans this was only the right thing to do.  Gorsuch couldn’t be reached for comment.

He next tackled the environment and confessed that climate change was in fact real. He announced a new plan to cut all forms of energy harmful to the environment like coal and oil production. Instead, President Tweet announced the United States of America would use wind and solar power to service the needs of the entire country. The budget dollars to pay for this change in strategy would come completely from the military budget and from increased taxes on coal and oil industries.  He wanted America to become known for its hot air.

Turning to foreign affairs, the President bowed deeply and said he was sorry for all the offensive things he has said about other countries. He said the United States would rejoin the Transpacific Trade Partnership (TPP) and he would drop his idea to renegotiate NAFTA. Trump said his administration would continue to support NATO at all costs because he recognized the United States needs a strong Europe. He condemned the British government for Brexit but said he would make sure to help both England and the EU in the transition.

He said he would stop calling bad news stories about his administration as fake news.  The president talked warmly of the press and realizes now how important it is to get the reporters on his side.  He sharply criticized Sean Spicer for trying to make excuses for his bad behavior and asked him to step down.  It was then that Bernie Sanders emerged and introduced as the new White House Press Secretary.

Finally, he asked that a formal meeting with the Democratic and Republican Party leadership be held on Monday at the White House so that he and Republicans can come together, reach mutual ground, and move the country forward.  It was an incredible about-face from a man who has discounted every liberal idea as simply un-American.

The president’s final remarks were the most shocking, “Thank you, may Allah bless you, and may Allah bless America!”

APRIL FOOL!

Given the current status in the United States of America , I thought Leadership would be a compelling subject for this month’s blog post. In a recent poll of 91 historians, C-SPAN ranked Abraham Lincoln as the greatest US President of all time. By the time President Tweet is either impeached or voted out, I believe he will be rated the worst president ever.

According to a whitepaper by Catherine L. Moreton, J.D., Managing Editor of HR.BLR.com, here are the 10 qualities that made Lincoln a great Leader and my thoughts on how the Tweet measures up.  It may seem unfair to some to compare and contrast the Tweet to Lincoln but I think this post will demonstrate what I feel is so lacking in his narcissistic leadership.

1. Capacity to Listen to Different Points of View

President Tweet is incapable of seeing any perspective other than his own. His misguided belief in his own judgement has proven so far to be disastrous. The ban on Muslims for example assumes every Muslim is bad. This could not be further from the truth. If he was serious about really bringing this country together, he would take time out to listen, understand and embrace divergent perspectives.  This isn’t going to happen.

2. Ability to Learn on the Job

Misstep after misstep during these first five weeks of his administration indicates to me that he has no ability to learn on the job.  Leading the Executive Branch of the Federal Government is not like being the CEO of your own corporation and I think this is why he has lashed out at the Judiciary Branch and the Media. Soon, he will lash out at the Legislative Branch whenever the majority members of Congress reject some of his outlandish proposals, investigate his wrongdoings, and/or try to impeach him.  The day of reckoning is coming.

3. Ready Willingness to Share Credit for Success

There may indeed come a time where President Tweet might accidentally do something good for all Americans and, if he does, do you really think he’s going to share the credit?  Enough said on this one.

4. Ready Willingness to Share Blame for Failure

Quite frankly, President Tweet has not demonstrated the ability to admit failure.   Oh, every US President faces failure but the Tweet will have none of it.  Read up on the Yemen Raid.  During his presidency, there will come at least 2  judgement days in 2018 and 2020.  If the Democrats retake the majority in Congress and the White House, who do you think he’s going to blame?  It certainly won’t be himself.

5. Awareness of Own Weaknesses

Quite frankly, I think President Tweet thinks he has no weaknesses.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone so lacking insight.

6. Ability to Control Emotions

This one almost makes me laugh out loud.  All I need to do here is direct you to is his Twitter feed.  Read a few of his Tweets.  Controlling his emotions isn’t in his DNA.

7. Know How to Relax and Replenish

OK, I’ve got to give the Tweeter one.   He’s already taken more vacations to his own Mar-A-Lago resort in one month than President Obama did in a year.  This guy knows how to relax and replenish alright.  He’s a professional.  He even thinks he has a 9-5 job and doesn’t have to work on Saturday and Sunday.

8. Go Out into the Field and Manage Directly

I think President Tweet likes to go out into the field alright as long as it’s a home game.  He’s more than willing to sit down with his Conservative base but let’s see him visit the inner city, go to a Mosque, or set up a meeting with the Black Caucus.  He’s afraid to go anywhere but where he’s adored.

9. Strength to Adhere to Fundamental Goals

Chalk up another one to the Tweet.  He has stuck to his fundamental, albeit misguided, goals from day one of his campaign and presidency.  He doesn’t waiver from his principles and does what he says.  One could argue it’s his best quality.  And yet it will also result in his greatest downfall because of his unlikely ability to check and adjust.

10. Ability to Communicate Goals and Vision

I would give President Tweet half credit on this one.  I think his style of communication is very measured and incites fervor amongst his base but also his opposition.  His style of communicating is not unlike that of a tyrant and has empowered haters.  This vision sells well to Wall Street because he speaks their language.  But what will happen to his supporters when many of his proposals don’t come to fruition?

By my own account, President Tweet has 2.5 qualities of Lincoln and that is being generous.  We don’t really know what will become of our great country except if he continues to go down this awful path there is nothing but death and destruction of our country ahead of us.  The very principle of checks and balances in our democracy is what makes America great.  It isn’t dictatorship.  It isn’t limiting the press.  It isn’t building walls.  It isn’t about banning immigrants.  It’s the rule of law and adherence to our Constitution which makes America great.  It’s our diversity in thought, in skin color, in education, in age ,in who we love, in religion.  It’s not in hate.

Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”  President Tweet, compared to Abraham Lincoln, you’re failing.  Bigly.

#indivisible

@IndivisibleTeam

 

Who knew?  I certainly didn’t but buried deep inside me is an activist.  I believe in fairness, equality, the US Constitution, diversity, international trade, peace, inclusion, a woman’s right to choose, black lives matter, love is love, women’s rights, science is real, and kindness is everything no matter what your religious beliefs are.  Since November 8th, all of our freedoms are at risk.  I’ve shared daily on my Facebook profile the audacious real, not fake, news stories of the new administration’s agenda and the implications of his misguided actions.  I’ve gone from disbelief to sheer disgust and now it has spurred me to act against hate, against division, against tyranny by speaking out.  Dear reader, I’ve joined the resistance movement.  The new President must be checked and balanced or impeached.

For the first time in my life, I’ve submitted e-mail’s to my 3 Members of Congress urging them to resist President Tweet’s agenda.  I’ve signed up to receive their newsletters so that I can receive their e-mail updates.  I’ve downloaded a resistance guide at http://www.indivisibleguide.com.  I’ve even set up a Google News Alert to know when my representatives in Washington are in the news.  I’ve found out where they stand on the issues of the day.  I’m doing all this so I will be better informed and to more eloquently advocate my position.  With this Blog post I’m telling all my friends, my family, and my members of Congress why I feel President Tweet must be stopped.

I know I have conservative friends and family who urge me to give the new administration a chance but I just can’t sit idly by any longer with positions I am not in favor of.  Since November 8, literally everything the Tweeter has said, tweeted, or issued an executive order against causes dismay.  His actions aren’t making America great, they’re putting all of us in danger, will ruin our economy, and cost us our  jobs and retirement savings.  The scariest of all is his belief in alternative facts.  WTF!  This isn’t your crazy Fox News loving brother in-law, this is the President of the United States making policy based on his own made up lies!

To be frank, the 4.5 million women who marched around the world also inspired me.  Their message was heard around the world and voiced peacefully, thoughtfully, and directly.  I loved reading their stories on social media and seeing their pictures on Instagram have compelled me to act.  I’m now going to do my part to ensure the continuity of our democracy.  I’m going to work harder to advocate for diversity and inclusion, for human rights, for international trade, for a strong educational system, for a strong military, for infrastructure improvements, for the environment, for affordable health care for all Americans.

Yes, it may surprise you, I actually do agree with President Tweet on a couple of issues like a strong military, border security and improved infrastructure.  It is his means to that end to which I oppose.  A wall built between Mexico and the United States is not a solution I support.  Along with everything else he tweets about.

Where are the moderate Republicans in this debate?  Where does the Congress stand? The Judicial system’s voice has finally been heard.  Federal Judge Donnelly’s block of the Tweet’s  executive order on immigration is what I want to see more of because it is the right thing to do.  I think most Americans would agree with me.

Like my wife has said, at what point did the Germans in the 1940’s recognize that their leader was a crazy megalomaniac?

Are you with me?  Write your members of Congress.  Join the resistance.

#indivisible

@IndivisibleTeam

I must apologize to regular readers of my Blog.  I am profoundly sorry.  I owe you this apology for not posting anything since September 5, 2016.  These last 3 months, I confess, I was overly obsessed with the US Presidential election and overly despondent of the outcome. Today’s post won’t all be about politics. No, this is my yearly review.  I owe you one.

I started 2016 off strong with a post about my continued membership of the Rhythm Nation. Janet Jackson and the San Francisco 49ers inspired me to greatness as the 1980’s ended. Love trumped hate in 1989 and I wrote I still believed that.

My February rant was an admission I love to dance. I wrote about an incredible road trip with work colleagues who joined me in an after work night out on the town and loved and laughed at my funky gyrations like I was putting on a show just for them. It’s good to let off a little steam now and then and dancing is a tremendous stress relief.  Just ask my co-workers who saw my show.

In March, I was appalled with a suicide bomber’s killing of 60 innocent Christian men, women and mostly children celebrating Easter in a park in Lahore, Pakistan. I argued that the strategy of suicide bombers is flawed because their senseless murders don’t result in real change for their cause and only inflames their enemies. At some point, wouldn’t it make sense to change tactics? I guess to these people rational thought doesn’t cross their minds and perhaps never will.

At the end of April, I responded to a Daily Prompt e-mail by WordPress because I was flat-out of ideas to write about.  My words were all about how I didn’t feel “Stairway” was a good enough prompt and I begged my audience for innovative ideas to write about.  Only a few responded and I chose one idea.  A good one.

In May, I wrote about what it feels like to still be playing baseball at my age.  Not softball, baseball.  I dedicated my post to my friend Ronda who generously and genuinely wanted to know.  So, I told my baseball story.

On Father’s Day, I dedicated my writing to Oscar Boy, my then 14-month old Black Labrador Retriever.  I laid down some rules for him that, if only that damn canine of mine could read, would result in a better behaved domesticated animal.  I wrote about his predecessors, Mabel and Hazel, and shared how much better behaved they were and to model their behavior or risk getting cooked alive by me, Mommy Dog, and/or Grandma Dog.

I started leaning a little more to the left with my post in July about how I questioned when was it ever OK to be an asshole?  I wrote then that we had one running for President of the USA and his supporters were absolutely OK with that.  The criticism I had read about President Obama, our military, Hillary Clinton, and others was at such an unprecedented, disrespectful level, it seemed Trump-supporting Americans were becoming immune to disrespect.  Along with John Lennon, I imagined what living in peace would be like.

After my Fantasy (American) Football League draft and my grade of “A” I wrote in August about how great work would be if all I had to do was put a team together of the greatest players on the planet.  I wrote about how addicted I was to the fantasy game and how many teams I was participating in.  I thought then and still do now admire the so-called “experts” whose profession it is to recommend to Gamers like me the professional football players to add to their teams.  Talk about a dream job!

Which brings to my last entry.  For the first time in my life, on Labor Day of all days, I started to think about retirement.  It’s still probably ten years away but I spent the day writing and dreaming about what the next phase of my life would be like, where I would live, and what I would do.  It’s not a bad thing to get to this stage of life.  I’ve been super lucky and will put a game plan together.

In October, November, and December, I’ve gone through nearly all 7 stages of grief.  I stayed up until well past midnight on November 8th until CNN projected Donald Trump the winner of the US presidency.  Paralyzed at this news, I hardly slept that night.  I was in a fog for probably the next week.  I’m still not at the acceptance stage and probably never will be.  Not even after January 20, 2017.  Trump’s election had killed all my hopes, my dreams, and my creativity.  I couldn’t write.  I couldn’t sleep.  I couldn’t believe my country had elected this buffoon.

So, there you have my year in review.  What did you think?   I feel like this year my writing improved and maybe there is something in that.  Fewer better.   Over the last 3 years, I’ve gone from writing weekly to bi-weekly to monthly blogs.  To me, one post a month feels about right.  What we both don’t know is what stories 2017 will bring.  It’s time to move on to the new year.  Trump’s no longer going to get me down.  It’s time to get writing.

Thank you for reading.

When you’re young and just starting out you don’t think about retirement. That’s for old people and many years away from your right now reality.  I used to believe I’d worry about it in 20 or 30 years and I was super confident back then everything would eventually turn out OK.  When you’re young, everything is idyllic, even your inevitable withdrawal from work.  Well, here I am, two or three decades from those first thoughts and on Labor Day ironically all I can contemplate is retiring.

Some of my friends and family members are already retired. The big joke of retired folk is a cliché, “I guess I’ll take today off” they say.  It’s like a fantasy coming true when all of sudden it hits you that you could really be taking every day off for the rest of your life. For someone like me, this is going to hit particularly hard. I’ve always been a hard worker, I’ve mostly enjoyed working and I’m someone who has identified personal success with work success. What if that is soon gone?

Oh, realistically I’m still probably about 10 years away from finally hanging it all up but my dear wife is talking about it seriously in like 4 years when she’ll have completed 35 years as High School Counselor extraordinaire. So, then what will she do? She’s got it all planned out to work in a local Oregon winery and pour wine. Sounds fantastic.  For her.

I remember when her father retired. It was a monumental event after all his years providing for his family. In retirement, he kept to a routine and left each morning like he was going to work but instead would visit his old buddies, drink coffee, and B.S. with them while they were still working.  He came back home by noon to a hearty lunch, an hour-long nap, and a cocktail or two promptly at 7:00 pm every night, dinner than bed at 10:00 pm.  He treated each day like he never stopped working.  It was to me, his young naïve son-in-law, a dream come true. He did this same thing, day after day, for 25 years until he died at 87 having lived a full life without regret or compromise.

They say a third of your life should be getting an education, a third working, and a third in retirement. I haven’t the foggiest idea what I’ll do with myself after my work life is over. I’ve been almost religious with my saving, so money shouldn’t be a problem unless of course the economy has a precipitous turn for the worse. I can’t possibly be the guy who just sits around counting the hours away until my last breath.  I never have been and never will be a guy who sits idle.  I also know I can’t be working forever, so I will have to do something in retirement!

I’ll exercise. I’ll travel. I’ll write. I’ll play baseball and golf.   I’ll drink wine.  I’ll read.  I’ll go to professional sporting events.  I’ll attend concerts.  I’ll even puddle around the house maybe even throwing away a thing or two from my past and doing the chores I probably should’ve done years ago. Still, I haven’t thought about retiring much before this weekend because despite all of the stress and late nights and cross-country moves, I’ve genuinely enjoyed working. My extended work family has been important to me. Sometimes, I can’t imagine not seeing some of my work friends perhaps ever again.  Silly me.  Getting all sentimental.

With social media, I’ll always have an opportunity to connect with work friends near and far. We’ll just not have the same ridiculous deadlines, average performance reviews, and wildly successful projects to keep us going. I’ll spend more time with my wife and my dog and my retired friends who live nearby. I don’t yet know if we’ll stay in Oregon or move back to my beloved San Francisco Bay Area. That’s another thing to think about. Where do I want to spend my last years of life?  No matter where it is, I will create a plan and execute like I always do.  For my dear wife, it will be a home with a view.  Ah, a view.

I just don’t want to ruminate about retirement any more.  I just want to get to work.

Over 25 million Americans play Fantasy Football. It is the ultimate reality game where you can play against family, friends, and strangers by selecting professional players like you were the General Manager / Owner of a real team. It’s your wits against your opponents and your undeniable belief your selection process is better than theirs. With 3 teams on 3 different websites I AM HOOKED!

It is estimated the average age of a Fantasy Football participant is 33 years old and 20% are Female.   I don’t quite fit this demographic.  In America, your team’s performance becomes the water cooler conversation every Monday morning at work.  Favorite teams have almost (or maybe already have) been replaced by the individual performances of your players and there’s nothing like a good brag about how ‘your’ Antonio Brown went off on Sunday.

Oh, when you’re putting your team together there’s a Drafting strategy but you need a lot of luck your guy is still available.  You want to select always the highest ranked veteran players with successful track records, the best rookies, and your estimated “Sleeper.”    The Sleeper is always an interesting assessment.  This is the athlete who everyone thinks will be good only if the moon and stars align.  Usually, this is a second stringer who is lower ranked than the top players and you ‘steal’ him away from the teams drafting ahead of you.  When the starter goes down, you look like a genius!

Some of the leagues I play in are for money and some just for bragging rights.  The bottom line is, I take it seriously and my compulsion to win is greater than ever.  I’m constantly tweaking my lineup.  I drop players after bad performances and constantly look for replacement players because you never know when an injury will shatter not only your favorite player’s knee but also your chances to win.  Football is a rough game but so is Fantasy.  You don’t ever want to finish last.

For my non-American or non-Football fan friends, the game is really quite simple.  You are awarded points for individual and Team Defensive performances.  You score points for Touchdowns, Field Goals, Yards gained, etc.  There’s no less than 25 scoring categories.  You compete against another team in your league each week by selecting a starting lineup and the highest number of points wins.  Usually the top 4 teams make the playoffs and winner takes all.  The websites from the likes of CBS Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo, and NFL.com all offer games free of charge and they do all of the calculations for you in real time.  You can check for up to the minute results on your mobile device, tablet, or PC.  When I’m walking the dog, going to the grocery store, or even leave town, I’m not far away from seeing how my team is doing.

The brilliance of this strategy for the NFL, television networks, and advertisers is this – I now watch more games than just the one for my favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers.  My “man cave” has DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket where I can flip to any game my player is playing in and can even set the Fantasy Football Tracker channel to proactively notify me when my player has scored.  Oh, man, this is so fun.

I’ve played other fantasy sports like baseball and golf but nothing compares to football.  I think because there are so few games and the outcomes so unpredictable.  Not that baseball and golf are all that predictable, it’s all just a big fat guess really.  No one really knows who on any given Sunday is going to do well.  But, there are websites and television programs dedicated to providing you with all of the statistics you need to make the best educated decision.

Or you can simply come to the guru of the “Portland Gamers” and I’ll give you my rankings like I’m Matthew Berry, who has made a living of such a thing.  A Fantasy Pro.  Now, that is what I call a dream job.