Weekly Mail July 28, 2019

Hey Everyone:

Thank you so much for your kind words and messages last week. They helped make a very sad time more bearable.

Last week I wanted to be all about remembering our Becky, so I avoided the news, but there are a couple things I'd like to discuss....




TRUMP VS. "THE SQUAD"

I'm sorry folks, finding someone to root for here is like trying to find someone to root for during the 1999 World Series. Of course I couldn't root for those scumbag Atlanta Braves, but rooting for the Yankees meant I had to ride the 7 train into work with a bunch of people decked in Yankee gear heading once again for the Canyon of Heroes, while my Mets had come so close.

I can't condone the President of the United States speaking to the 4 Congresswomen like he did, even though I can't stand two of them and don't have much use for the other two either.

Here is the tweet in question....

So interesting to see “Progressive” Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how....


I don't care if you are the President of the United States or some dude at a bar, you tell someone to go back where you came from, in a country like ours where we all came from somewhere, there's not much room for debate whether or not it's racist.

Let's put aside for a minute that 3 of the 4 members of the squad were born here in the US, including one from the same state and city that Trump was from. The President can't speak to anyone like that, much less members of Congress.

Having said that, I'll never support Ilhan Omar. Not after what she said about 9/11 (some people did something) and what she said about the Black Hawk Down soldiers (claiming they killed thousands of Somalis).

And Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez?  I'm trying with her, but like the President she so clearly despises, she's just in your face 24/7. I realize that's not entirely her fault, (but that's for another post)

Both Trump and Omar have said things that I find offensive. And both have said these things too many times for me to call it accidental. You go back to the campaign, with Trump calling Mexican 'rapists" and questioning President Obama's birth certificate, to his quote about very fine people on both sides that included amongst other groups, neo-nazi's and skinheads. As my lifelong friend James Tubridy asked, "Where does the line in the sand get drawn with him?"

You want to tell me Congresswoman Omar was quoted out of context? Sorry folks, I'm not buying it. Again there are just too many instances where she either defends countries who support terrorism or bashes countries who don't. Some of you thought I over reacted to her "Some people did something" quote. I'm sorry I respectfully but strongly disagree.

The problem as I see is is that in years past, we could chalk all this up as Trump and the Squad representing the extreme sides of their respective parties. Thing is, the extreme seems to be where everyone is going. Joe Biden suggests that by dealing with segregationists when he was a young congressman, it shows he can work with people who he disagrees with, and he gets painted as a bigot by Kamala Harris. How the hell can you question the man who served as the VP for the first African American President in our history about his policy on race?

But this is where we are at folks. Elizabeth Warren's got some good ideas. Joe Biden was our Vice President.  But they are being overshadowed by the squad. I fear 2020 is going to make 2016 look like a church picnic.

Scary.



THE MUELLER HEARINGS


Former FBI Director Robert Mueller is truly one of our country's great people.

A decorated Vietnam veteran, a former deputy Attorney General, and a successful attorney in the private sector. Mueller has led a life of patriotic service. And to have undertaken the massive job that was the investigation of Russian interference with the 2016 Presidential campaign is something all of us who want free and fair elections should be indebted to him forever.

I want my admiration for Director Mueller made clear. That way I don't come off as overtly cruel when I say that he did not do himself or Congress any favors during his testimony on Capitol Hill the other day.

I watched the replays on You Tube and listened during my lunch break as he was questioned and grilled by the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee.

And IMHO nobody came out ahead on this.

Mueller to me came off as aloof and unprepared, clearly not wanting to be there. In some ways, I can't blame him. Why would anyone want to have to spend any time talking to the likes of  Louie Gohmert. At one point Gohmert started ranting against Mueller and I was waiting for someone to say "Dude, is there a question in there?"

But even when Democrats were asking him questions, he had to ask them to be repeated, then in many cases either outright refused to answer or gave answers that weren't clear. It's quite possible that I missed something, but I have to be honest, I didn't come out of that hearing learning much more than I knew coming into it. To me, that kind of defeated the purpose.

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IF YOU BELIEVE, THEY PUT A MAN ON THE MOON....
-R.E.M

It was 50 years ago last week, that America scored one of it's greatest victories, winning the race with the Soviet Union to have someone step foot on the moon. There are many things that happened before I was born that I wish I had gotten to witness live. This one tops that list.

After everything that had taken place in the 60's, all the bad stuff, the Kennedy assassinations, the assassination of Dr. King, Vietnam, race riots, etc, how awesome it must have been to see Neil Armstrong take those first steps. It's one of those rare moments where even those with spotty memories know exactly where they were.

And that leads me to a question that I haven't gotten a satisfactory answer to.... How is it that we could accomplish something like this 50 years ago and if we wanted to do it against tomorrow we couldn't? Think about that for a second. Look at everything we can do now that we couldn't do 50 years ago. We can send an email to someone halfway across the world, we have made advancements in so many things. Medicines, machines, you name it.

But our space program has just stopped. That to me is almost as unbelievable as all the things we have accomplished.

I read somewhere that going back to the moon would be a waste because "there is nothing more to learn up there."  Really? The moon is a big place, surely there is more to explore. How about figuring out a way to sustain life up there. I mean Lord knows, the way things are going down here, we all may need to find another place to live.

I remember after the Space Shuttle Colombia exploded in 2003, people knocked George W. Bush for suggesting we head back to the moon and consider going to Mars. And again I got my chops busted for defending him, but why not? And since I'm being a real Pollyanna here, why can't it be a joint effort between countries? OK that might be asking to much, but my point is, why the hell not?

As JFK said, we don't choose to do these things because they are easy but because they are hard. I know this will probably cost a ton of money we don't have, but again I'm sure we are pouring money into things we don't need or want. Let's take some of that money and get our space program up again.

In these times of division. I bet this would unite us. And what could be better than that?




I've been hearing that the Mets are looking to deal Noah Syndergaard as well as Zack Wheeler, Jason Vargas and Todd Frazier. I don't understand why they are so hot to deal Thor. He's still under their control for another couple of seasons, and he still has really good stuff, though he's been inconsistent for most of the year. I'd hate to give up on him, and I can't see them getting anything good in return.

THIS JUST IN: Apparently he Mets have acquired pitcher Marcus Stroman from the Blue Jays in exchange for two prospects. So what's the deal here fellas, are we making a run for it or are we selling off like I keep hearing? The Mets make my hair hurt, they really do.


We'll wrap up the baseball trade deadline next week, unless the Mets really piss me off, then maybe we'll have a special on Wednesday.

Have a Great Week