The world will pick you apart before it will pick you up.

(Index: Quotes) 

Turn Hard Ground to Grass

When you defeat defeat, you conquer the past

  When you turn your losses to victories

You turn hard ground to grass

As hard as life is

  You can turn it around

Till everything's wonderful and victories abound

(Index: Poems) 

    Government by Political Party

Do We have it? Do We Want to Keep it?

    One thinks of the Richard Daley, the long-serving mayor of Chicago. Now, Chicago had a "weak-mayor" system, which means the mayor is not traditionally all-powerful. But, as the de facto head of the Democratic Party, Daley ruled the city as powerfully as anyone can rule.

    And, one thinks of the Communist Party in the Soviet Union. The Communist Party in the Soviet Union was the government of the Soviet Union. Same thing.

   Then, look at America, and what it has become. Look down the halls of our state capitals. Look at our national government, and how the government swings back and forth with the party in rule.

   Parties are the government, in America. Do we want to keep it that way? Or do we change it?

What Actions Will Davis School District Take?

    Five days, then, since news broke that a Department of Justice investigation of the Davis School District showed the district 1.) failed to address widespread race harassment, 2.) disciplined Black students more severely than White students, and 3.) did not allow Black students to form student unions.

   The district did respond, with a statement saying it "takes these findings very seriously. . . . They do not reflect the values of this community and the expectations of the district."

   But, have we heard of what the district plans to do?

   One thought would be to replace faculty members who have taken part in the discrimination. Another would be to teach the students not to be discriminatory. A third thought would be to let them form their student unions. 

How do You Ignore Right-Wingers Such as those Here this Weekend?

   How, then, do you handle such a conference as the one that marched into Salt Lake City this past weekend -- if you are the media? Do you ignore it, declining to dignify it with your coverage?

   Second question: What happened, that only a reported 1,000 attended, whereas organizers expected 10,000 at their WeCANAct Liberty Conference? I mean, this is Utah, home to some of the most faithful of America's right-wingers. How is it that a conference of such faithfuls would draw so few? 

   From what I am reading, the conference drew little attention from the local media -- even though it brought Michael Flynn to town, among other right-wing notables. I'm only finding one local media outlet that covered it -- the Salt Lake Tribune. Surely there were others, though. I must have put in the wrong search words in making my search of the Internet. I browse KSL and the Deseret News daily, though, and came across not a single story from them.

   Hey, some of the national media were aware of the conference. They covered it. How is it there was so little local coverage? "Yuge Flop: Michael Flynn Headlines Sparsely Attended Pro-Trump, Anti-Vaxx Event," says a headline in Rolling Stone. "Right-Wing Pro-Trump Event Aiming for 10,000 Attendees Sees Less Than 1,000 on First Day," reads a headline in Newsweek.

   Were some in the media not interested in giving a stage to a group that promotes what they believe is misinformation? My thought is, cover it. Michael Flynn is here. Frontline Doctor Simone Gold is here. How do you say that is not newsworthy?

  I say this as a person who is a Never-Trumper. I say it as a person who believes that such things as the election being a fraud are frauds, themselves. A convention such as this does spread misinformation.

 

Journalism and the Fall of Impartiality

    Journalism has had its loss. Too often, writers today fail to maintain neutrality. Open the paper today. "Conspiracy theory-fueled conference lands in Salt Lake," says the headline above the article.

   Of course, those at the conference would not consider it to be a meeting for conspiracy theorists. So, why does the article say that? If the writer is to be impartial, he doesn't brand it that way. If he quotes someone saying the conference was for conspiracy theorists, that is different, but he should not be passing judgement on his own.

   The event "offered up a large helping of misinformation about COVID-19, vaccines and the 2020 election" says the story. Is that impartial? Those at the conference do not believe it was misinformation. Should a straight news story be passing such judgement? Once again, if the reporter finds someone who calls it misinformation, let him quote that person's judgement. That is offering both sides and the story and covering both sides of the story is journalism.

 

Was Marijuana a Lead Factor in Parkland Shootings?

    We should consider, then, whether marijuana has helped prompt mass shooters to do their shooting. 

   Take Nikolas Cruz, who gunned gunned down 34 people (killing 17 of them and injuring another 17) at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. Today Cruz issued a statement of apology in which he said, "I believe this country would do better if everyone would stop smoking marijuana and doing all these drugs and causing racism and violence out in the street."

  No, Cruz did not come right out and say marijuana led him to kill the 17 people, but why else would he even be mentioning it?

   We know marijuana can affect your decision-making. It can affect how rational you are. It can bring you to do things you otherwise would not even consider. Certainly, then, it could have been a leading factor in Cruz's killing 17 people and injuring another 17.

   Many believe there is no harm in marijuana, so Cruz's comments are very notable.

History only gives lessons to those who don't live in the past.

(Index: Quotes)

That's When I'm Coming Through

When everyone has given up on me

  That's when I'm coming through

When dark of night is darkest

  And I'm lost in all the ruckus

That's when I'm coming through

When hope is lost and gallows sure

  When hits come so fast, they're all a blur

That's when I'm coming through

   That's when I'm coming through

Count me out, count me down

   Say I count for nothing

Count me for a fool 

   Count me due to have my roughing

But when your abuse is heaped the highest

  That's when I'm coming through

When your ridicule reaches the ridiculous

  And your scorn becomes a stench

When you've laughed at me your loudest 

  Thrown at me your last wrench

  That's when I'm coming through

That's when I'm coming through

When you say I'm done and through

  That's when I'm coming through

(Index: Poems)

He Came at Them Like a Rookie, Like a Ghost

    "Come in like a rookie," the coach told the thirteen-year veteran. "Come in with the same determination, the same eagerness to learn. Bring the same fervor."

    Ersiel Ilysiuak was a humble player. He wasn't against backing up in his career. He wasn't going to be hung up in the pride of saying, "Coach S, don't treat me like a rookie. I've been around. I'm good. In all the NBA, there isn't anyone better at taking a charge. Don't treat me like a rookie. I'm a proven player. I shoot the three as good as anyone."

   No. Not at all. Instead of all that, Ersiel said no more than, "No problem, Coach S."

   "No need to call me coach," Coach S replied. "S will do. Just call me S. We can be friends and call each other by our first names -- or nicknames. Oh, and when I say come in as a Rookie, spell that with a capital R -- Rookie. It's that important."

  "Call me Turk, then, if we are doing nicknames" Ersiel said, "and I'll be your Rookie, then."

   So, Turk joined the team and quickly found a spot -- on the bench. He didn't play much until 10 games in. When injuries set in, they gave him a chance to play. And, did he ever respond, scoring 20 points by halftime and leading the team with five rebounds, four steals, and three blocked shots. 

   But, come the second half, he found himself back on the bench, for whatever reason.  

   Turk didn't play much more for a number of games. And, when he did, his shot was off. His shooting percentage took a dive and his spot on the team was in jeopardy.

    Long about the end of the season, that changed. Now, this is where the story veers from what you understood to have happened, so hold on. 

   "Remember, Turk, how I told you to come in as a Rookie," S asked, taking him aside. 

   "Of course, Coach, I haven't forgotten."

    "Just S. I'm just S," Coach Schwinn Ryder replied. "Turk, when a Rookie is a Rookie, they are always ready. They sit at the end of the bench, but they are always ready to come in and play with a fervor and determination and belief in themselves -- at any moment, at any chance."  

   Turk hung his head.

   "And, they don't hang their heads," the coach said. "They might wait and wait. They might pine. But, they are always ready. There's a difference between a rookie and being a Rookie with a capital "R." That first letter stands for Ready. Rookies with capital Rs are always ready. And, they always believe in themselves. Small "r" rookies get to where they no longer believe in themselves, but big case that "R" and it means you are raring and ready.

   "Oh, and "R" means reachable, too. Rookies with the big case "R" are reachable, teachable. Big case Rookies are raring, ready, and reachable." 

  It would be playoff time before Turk had another chance to play. Then, in the seventh game of a series, another starter went down. S slid Turk into the starting spot. Turk tore up the game, going 14-for-22 from distance in route to a 50-point game.

   From there, there was no looking back. He won his spot. He didn't always start, but he was always in the rotation, reaching stardom well past his prime. And, he earned another nickname.

   "We'll call you Ghost," S told him after the NBA championship game. "That's what you've been. Seven different teams you've played for -- plus others overseas. Nobody saw you. Nobody saw what was coming. You came at us like a Ghost.

   ". . . all because you were willing to come at us like a Rookie."

 Rumors need not truth to make them fly. Falsehood has its wings.

(Index: Quotes)

 Truth's only protection is more truth.

(Index: Quotes)

The truth always confesses a lie.

(Index: Quotes) 

No Harm in 'Diversity,' 'Equity,' and 'Inclusion'

I see an ad from The Heritage Foundation for a book titled "Critical Race Theory: Knowing It When You See It And Fighting It When You Can." From the ad, I learn that using words like "diversity," "equity," and "inclusion" are wrong -- or considered wrong by many conservatives. I find myself wondering if I have used these words. I mean no harm by using them. I do not have any hidden agenda. I simply believe in diversity. I believe in equity. I believe in inclusion. Should I be shamed for using those words? Does it make me a conspiracist? Does it mean I am contributing to the downfall of America? I'm afraid we are too quick to find fault in our society today. And, those things that are good are often portrayed as bad. Believing in diversity, equity, and inclusion are good things. To say they are harmful seems a strange twist. To suppose our schools that use of such words in their training are wrong makes me wonder who is indoctrinating who.

Still, the ad for this book says, "You know that critical race theorists are good at disguising their indoctrination. They often hide it behind words that sound harmless, like “'diversity,' 'equity,' and 'inclusion.' But there are other ways to identify critical race theory."

Each Race Deserves its Own Stage

  One of the biggest misses in the way we set up our Democracy is that we elect everyone all at once. Everyone running for federal office, everyone running for state offices, and everyone running for county offices -- we vote on them all on the same day.

  Have you ever heard of information overload? Do we really expect voters to sort through all the myriad of races and make educated decisions when we hit them with so much at once? 

  Democracy organized this way loses much of its meaning. If you go to the polls, but vote in a meaningless fashion -- not knowing anything about the candidates you are voting for -- that cheapens what democracy is all about.

   No, everyone should not be elected on the same day. There is an element of chaos in this. Rather, each race should be given its own attention, its own stage, its own election day.

   Elections every month, perhaps. One scenario is instead of Nov. 4 each year, the fourth day of each month.

   Not this also: Now, we often (perhaps, usually)  cast our ballots knowing no more about the candidates than what party they belong to. We say, Vote the person, not the party, but there is often no more to go on than that. This increases the political divide in our country. If voters had time to study the candidates, they would be less inclined to vote based on no more than which party the person belonged to. 

   Someone will shout that having elections every month is going to be too expensive, but democracy is worth this dime.

  Democracy can be practiced more than just once a year. It will greatly benefit our nation if we were to split up our elections to more than just once or twice a year. 

 What Once Was A Flag That Flew Over All

The symbol of unity is being used to divide

  We each suppose that the flag is clearly on our own side

We wave it at each other and in each other's face

  We insist its on our side and argues our case

And if the other side tries to claim it, we say, Oh no, no, no

  It's my flag, its my flag -- I won't share it, you know

What once was a flag that flew over all

  Is now used to divide us, it's now used to brawl

(Index: Poems)

Pharmaceutical Companies Break the Law with Expensive Drugs

    If you go to emergency, they cannot reject you for lack of insurance, or lack of money. Then, there is the Hippocratic Oath, one of the oldest binding documents in history. The doctors pledge to treat the patient to the best of their ability.

   One wonders, then, if the pharmaceutical companies are breaking the rules when they charge $500 for such drugs as Eliquis and Entresto. If you cannot reject a patient for lack of insurance, nor for lack of money to pay for emergency services, how are you allowed to get away with charging $500 for a drug necessary to keep them alive? One situation is the same as the other: You turn someone away from emergency care due to lack of insurance or money, and you are breaking the law, and if you turn someone away from a life-saving drug for lack of insurance or money, you are also breaking the law. 

   And, the Hippocratic Oath, where you pledge to treat the patient to the best of your ability, and to provide whatever medical assistance you can, also requires you to make these drugs available to save their lives.

 

 That which we say we can't do, we can't. But, that which we say we will try to do, often becomes that which we can.

(Index: Quotes) 

Too Much of a Good Thing -- Potassium -- Can be Fatal

   Too much of a good thing, they say, can bad. So, let's talk potassium. If you are a heart patient, your doctor -- realizing you aren't getting enough -- might prescribe it. It seems potassium is a chemical critical to nerve and muscle cells -- including those in the heart.

   But -- listen to this -- you can get too much potassium. Hyperkalemia, they call it, and it's when your potassium level gets a little too high. Too much, and you can die.

  When you are in the hospital, they can monitor your potassium levels. But, what of the heart patient once he is home? He can't monitor his own levels, as home health suppliers sell no such product.

   Now -- reminder here -- potassium levels are critical to the life of a heart patient. One wonders if he should be getting his potassium checked weekly or maybe even more often. How much do potassium levels vary? If we junk up on potatoes on some days -- which are full of potassium -- are we endangering our lives? 

  Yes, we are: "Eating too much food that is high in potassium can cause hyperkalemia, especially in people with advanced kidney disease. Food such as melons, orange juice, and bananas are high in potassium." (Healthline.com) 

  Keep that Internet going. What it says will shake you some more. "It can be difficult to diagnose hyperkalemia. Often there are no symptoms."  No symptoms, you say? That would seem to make monitoring it all the more important.

Vallow Case Shows Danger of Our Stand-Your-Ground Laws

    We have a rule: If your life is threatened by another person, you can kill them. No, correction: If you say your life was threatened, no one can question your right to kill them.

   It has been two years this past month since Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow came up missing, believed to have been killed by their parent figures, Chad and Lori Daybell. Perhaps you have heard about the case, if you follow news much at all. 

   A string of other deaths are connected to the story, including the killing of Lori Daybell's fourth husband, Charles Vallow. (Chad is her fifth husband). Charles had been killed months earlier during a heated exchange between him, the Daybells, and Lori's brother Alex. Alex said he shot Charles in self-defense, as Charles had hit him with a baseball bat.

  Police took Alex's statements and closed the case. 

  Months later, Alex died. So, even when they eventually got looking into the case again, Alex was not around to be charged.

  The point is, if you allow someone off the hook just because they say they killed in self defense, you might be letting a murderer off the hook. We have laws that say if someone believes he or she was just defending themselves, they can legally kill the other person.

  If we don't see the danger of this law, and change it, we leave on the books one of the most terrible of laws. Yes, allow a person to shoot the other if it is truly necessary. But, do not allow them to be their own judge and jury. Do not allow them to get off the hook just by saying they believed their well-being was threatened.  

An Idling Body is not as Hungry

   When I rise in the morning, usually I am not immediately hungry. Five minutes, a half an hour, or however much later -- but not long -- my appetite sets in.

   Could it have something to do with when you get up moving around, your organs and muscles then need the nutrients to do their functions? Some organs and muscles are somewhat dormant during the night. A car parked and turned off in the garage needs no fuel. And, an idling car needs less than one running down the road.

   Our bodies, perhaps, are the same. 

Who Knows the Workings of the Heart

    Who knows the workings of the heart. No -- I mean the real heart, this time. 

   If a heart beats too fast, it doesn't get all the blood required to feed the organs. Now, here's what I wonder: If that is true, isn't it logical the organs might signal for more food? Might not your appetite increase? So, you start eating more food.

   All because you've got a bad heart.

   Then, of course, your doctor is likely to come along and tell you you need to lose a few pounds. Doc will explain that that extra weight means extra work for the heart. He'll explain that it's just like carrying a five-pound barbell around: Carrying a weight is harder than carrying no barbell at all.

   True, no doubt. But, I wonder if the one reason weight might increase, is that the organs are not receiving enough nutrients, because the heart isn't pumping as efficiently. Of course this could be wrong. Still, it does make sense. 

These Areas Cry for Protection

  Speaking of the national monuments in this state, Utah's Congressional delegation points out the need to protect ancient ruins from raiders. Despite the problems we've had with graffiti and such, no congress member (from Utah or elsewhere) has stepped up to create a policing effort against such vandalism and looting. One helicopter in the sky would likely suffice. 

It should be noted that some sites  definitely deserve as much protection as possible. Moon House Ruin has been called, "literally a vast outdoor museum of Anasazi ruins and rock art." When you have a museum, you protect that which is in it. When you carve such sites out of the monument, and Biden puts them back in, that is a good thing.

Bears Ears is said to contain the largest concentration of archaeological sites in all of North America, and maybe all the world. And, what of Grand Staircase-Escalante? It is known for its geology and fossils, scattered about. 

These areas cry for protection. From what I know of the matter, they are well-deserving of national monument status

Do We Need the Fossil Fuels from Such Places as Bears Ears?

    President Biden is expected to restore protections to Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Northeast Canyons, and Seamonts, all which have served under federal designations that provide such protections. 

   I wonder if in today's age, we can justify mineral extraction from such places. Do we need fossil coal and fossil oil in today's age? Or have fossil fuels become about as outdated as the fossils, themselves?

   Plus, the extraction often comes on land sacred to the Native Americans. We took the whole of America away from the native Americans, leaving many of them cornered off on reservations. What once was theirs, is ours -- taken from them. Do we not at least owe them the respect that comes with being amenable to their request to not violate the lands?

And Soon They are Forgotten (Haitian Episode)

   One news story rivets the nation, then is forgotten. One group of people tears at our hearts with the dire straits they are in, then we move on to other concerns.

   Would be great if we did not forget them, these Haitians. What becomes of them? What of those who were deported back to Haiti? Do we know how they ended up? When they arrived back in Haiti, did they end up back on the streets? Are any in such deep need that they are dying? Or, are charity organizations taking care of them?

  Of course we should care. Of course we should wonder. Would be good of us to pray for them.   

Gunsmoke's Doc Adams didn't Practice Assembly Line Medicine

    Sometimes, I wish there were just Gunsmoke's Doc Adams -- just a medic who looked up and down at his patients, scratched his jaw, and came to his own decision on what they needed.

   Somehow, it seems maybe the old days did it better, in some ways. Back then, there wasn't so much training, with doctors being taught, "You do it this way." Learning all about medicine in medical school is obviously a plus -- a big plus -- but it does have this one disadvantage.

   You are taught to follow the book. Not too much rubbing your chin and figuring it out, like Doc Adams used to do. Patients were individuals. Now-days, the book tells you what to do in each case, and you pull the closest fit out of your doctoring book and apply it. No room for saying, "I think we need to vary just a bit from the book, in your case."

   Assembly line medicine, corporate medicine.

And Soon They are Forgotten (Cuban Episode)

    And, soon they are forgotten. Protesters in Cuba rose up against their oppressive government in July in the most significant revolt there in at least a decade. Now, silence. Would be wonderful to have news on what became of the movement.

   Silence often silences justice, often silences freedom. Would that news outlets were more tenacious. Would that they did not abandon these stories so quickly. A free press has long been lauded as a protectorate of and bastion of liberty. Where, then, is the press? Is it protecting the Cubans? Or, has it rushed off to other stories, neglecting to follow the plight of the Cubans?

   In a world of suffering, how soon they are forgotten. 

   News did come today about 16 refugees who sailed a make-shift raft to arrive at Key West -- the second such landing in two days. And, news came of almost a dozen baseball players defecting in Mexico. Neither of those stories made national news, though you could look them up with a a search on the Internet.

   And, neither of those stories related whether the defections grew out of the July protesting. If anything, having these defectors provides opportunity for us to learn what became of the protesting. News personalities could ask them. 

 

 

And Soon They are Forgotten (Afghan Episode)

   And, soon they are forgotten. The world was aghast as many of those who had helped the United States were left behind in Afghanistan. And, many were aghast at the Afghan nationals, who feared for their lives with the Taliban taking over, also being left behind.

   Have we forgotten them? So soon? Where are the news stories telling us what is happening? Would that our level of care would pass. Would that we still cared, still were trying to save them.

 When we rise in the judgement of others, it marks the fall of ourselves.

(Index: Quotes) 

 You get to heaven only if you try to bring others along. 

(Index: Quotes)