It's Race, Stupid

Race

A new study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found what other studies have found: Support for Trump was largely motivated by white fear of displacement from dominance.

As the study put it:

“White Americans’ declining numerical dominance in the United States together with the rising status of African Americans and American insecurity about whether the United States is still the dominant global economic superpower combined to prompt a classic defensive reaction among members of dominant groups.”

This new study dovetails with an analysis of millennial Trump voters published last year in The Washington Post: “First, white millennial Trump voters were likely to believe in something we call ‘white vulnerability’ — the perception that whites, through no fault of their own, are losing ground to other groups. Second, racial resentment was the primary driver of white vulnerability — even when accounting for income, education level or employment.”

The idea that the primary motivator for Trump supporters was economic anxiety was a false narrative swallowed and regurgitated by a gullible media too afraid to call a thing a thing: racial resentment.

A 2016 analysis, also published in The Post, found that “economic anxiety isn’t driving racial resentment. Racial resentment is driving economic anxiety.”

When one accepts this rationale, the inexplicable becomes rather easy to explain.

How could anyone vote for this buffoonish character...?

Kelly calls Trump an "idiot;" Tillerson called Trump a "moron;" I call myself a moron and an idiot. Trump gives morons and idiots everywhere a bad name. :(

Kelly Called Trump "Idiot" Many Times

Kelly portrays himself to Trump administration aides as the lone bulwark against catastrophe, curbing the erratic urges of a president who has a questionable grasp on policy issues and the functions of government. He has referred to Trump as "an idiot" multiple times to underscore his point, according to four officials who say they've witnessed the comments.

Trump_Idiot

New York Times Gets Mueller's Questions For Trump

Here is the link to the entire article https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/04/30/us/politics/questions-mueller-wants-to-ask-trump-russia.html which attribution I hope shields me from copyright infringement for I am copying and pasting all the questions as well as the Times' take on the meaning of the questions. I don't think I have ever re-posted essentially an entire article but it is too important not to.

These are well-crafted and fair questions. They are open-ended, not cross-examination questions. They give the impression of being open-minded as well, i.e. they give the impression that Trump can still convince the Special Counsel that he, Trump, did nothing wrong. But, as the Times analysis makes clear, the Special Counsel knows from others what Trump's answers should be and there does not appear that there are answers that Trump could give that are consistent with any reasonable hypothesis of innocence. It seems to this idiot blogger that Trump has no way out on many of the questions. So, without further moronic commentary from moi, here they are:

• What did you know about phone calls that Mr. Flynn made with the Russian ambassador, Sergey I. Kislyak, in late December 2016?

These questions revolve around whether Mr. Trump tried to obstruct justice to protect Mr. Flynn from prosecution. His phone calls with Mr. Kislyak are at the heart of that inquiry. During the calls, Mr. Flynn urged Russia not to overreact to sanctions just announced by the Obama administration. But Mr. Trump’s aides publicly denied that sanctions were discussed and, when questioned by the F.B.I., Mr. Flynn denied it, as well. Mr. Mueller wants to know whether Mr. Flynn was operating on Mr. Trump’s behalf. Prosecutors may already know the answer: Mr. Flynn has pleaded guilty to lying and is cooperating with investigators.

• What was your reaction to news reports on Jan. 12, 2017, and Feb. 8-9, 2017?

In January, the Washington Post columnist David Ignatius revealed Mr. Flynn’s phone calls with Mr. Kislyak. Mr. Ignatius questioned whether those conversations had violated a law prohibiting private citizens from attempting to undermine American policies. In February, The Washington Post revealed the true nature of Mr. Flynn’s conversations with Mr.
Mr. Kislyak.

Mr. Mueller wants to know, among other things, whether Mr. Trump feared that his national security adviser had broken the law and then tried to shield him from consequences.

• What did you know about Sally Yates’s meetings about Mr. Flynn?

Ms. Yates, the acting attorney general for the first weeks of the Trump administration, twice warned the White House that Mr. Flynn was lying, and those lies made him vulnerable to Russian blackmail. No one from the White House has ever said how much Mr. Trump knew about those warnings.

• How was the decision made to fire Mr. Flynn on Feb. 13, 2017?

Eighteen days after Ms. Yates’s warning, Mr. Flynn was asked to resign. The White House said that Mr. Trump lost confidence in Mr. Flynn because he had lied. But the White House has never fully explained why, after learning about the lie, officials waited so long to act.

• After the resignations, what efforts were made to reach out to Mr. Flynn about seeking immunity or possible pardon?

The Times recently revealed that, when Mr. Flynn began considering cooperating with the F.B.I., Mr. Trump’s lawyers floated the idea of a pardon. Mr. Mueller wants to know why.

Questions related to James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director

• What was your opinion of Mr. Comey during the transition?

The questions about Mr. Comey relate to whether Mr. Trump fired Mr. Comey last year to shield Mr. Flynn, or anyone else, from prosecution. Mr. Trump has denied that, saying he fired Mr. Comey
because of his mishandling of the F.B.I.’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.

This question is important because, if Mr. Trump truly was upset about the Clinton investigation, he would have shown an early distaste for Mr. Comey.

• What did you think about Mr. Comey’s intelligence briefing on Jan. 6, 2017, about Russian election interference?

The briefing revealed that American intelligence agencies had concluded that Russian operatives meddled in the election to hurt Mrs. Clinton and to boost Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on these conclusions and said he believes the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, who denies any interference.

• What was your reaction to Mr. Comey’s briefing that day about other intelligence matters?

This question addresses documents written by a retired British spy, Christopher Steele, who said that Russia had gathered compromising information on Mr. Trump. The documents, which became known as the Steele Dossier, also claim that the Trump campaign had ties to the Russian government. Mr. Comey privately briefed Mr. Trump about these documents.

• What was the purpose of your Jan. 27, 2017, dinner with Mr. Comey, and what was said?

A few weeks after his briefing, Mr. Comey was called to the White House for a private dinner. Mr. Comey’s notes say that Mr. Trump raised concerns about the Steele Dossier and said he needed loyalty from his F.B.I. director. This question touches on Mr. Trump’s true motivation for firing Mr. Comey: Was he dismissed because he was not loyal and would not shut down an F.B.I. investigation?

• What was the purpose of your Feb. 14, 2017, meeting with Mr. Comey, and what was said?

That was a key moment. Mr. Comey testified that the president told him, “I hope you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go.” Mr. Trump has denied this.

• What did you know about the F.B.I.’s investigation into Mr. Flynn and Russia in the days leading up to Mr. Comey’s testimony on March 20, 2017?

Mr. Comey’s testimony publicly confirmed that the F.B.I. was investigating members of the Trump campaign for possible coordination with Russia. Mr. Mueller wants to know what role that revelation played in Mr. Comey’s firing.

• What did you do in reaction to the March 20 testimony? Describe your contacts with intelligence officials.

In the aftermath, The Post reported, Mr. Trump asked the United States’ top intelligence official, Daniel Coats, to pressure Mr. Comey to back off his investigation. Mr. Mueller wants to ask Mr. Trump about his contacts with Mr. Coats as well as the C.I.A.’s director at the time, Mike Pompeo,
and the National Security Agency’s director, Michael S. Rogers. The conversations could reflect Mr.
Trump’s growing frustration with Mr. Comey — not about the Clinton case, but about his refusal to shut down the Russia inquiry.

• What did you think and do in reaction to the news that the special counsel was speaking to Mr. Rogers, Mr. Pompeo and Mr. Coats?

It is not clear whether Mr. Mueller knows something specific about Mr. Trump’s reaction to these interviews, but the question shows that Mr. Mueller is keenly interested in how Mr. Trump responded to each step of his investigation.

• What was the purpose of your calls to Mr. Comey on March 30 and April 11, 2017?

Mr. Comey said that Mr. Trump called twice to ask him to say publicly that he was not under F.B.I. investigation. In the second call, Mr. Comey said, the president added: “I have been very loyal to you, very loyal. We had that thing, you know.”

• What was the purpose of your April 11, 2017, statement to Maria Bartiromo?

While the White House ultimately said Mr. Comey was fired for breaking with Justice Department

policy and discussing the Clinton investigation, Mr. Trump expressed no such qualms in an interview with Ms. Bartiromo of Fox Business Network. “Director Comey was very, very good to Hillary Clinton, that I can tell you,” he said. “If he weren’t, she would be, right now, going to trial.”

• What did you think and do about Mr. Comey’s May 3, 2017, testimony?

In this Senate appearance, Mr. Comey described his handling of the Clinton investigation in detail. Mr. Comey was fired soon after. Mr. Mueller’s question suggests he wants to know why Mr. Trump soured.

• Regarding the decision to fire Mr. Comey: When was it made? Why? Who played a role?

Over the past several months, Mr. Mueller has asked White House officials for the back story, and whether the public justification was accurate. He will be able to compare Mr. Trump’s answers to what he has learned elsewhere.

• What did you mean when you told Russian diplomats on May 10, 2017, that firing Mr. Comey had taken the pressure off?

The day after Mr. Comey’s firing, Mr. Trump met with Russian officials in the Oval Office. There, The Times revealed, Mr. Trump suggested he had fired Mr. Comey because of the pressure from the Russia investigation. “I just fired the head of the F.B.I. He was crazy, a real nut job,” Mr. Trump said. “I faced great pressure because of Russia. That’s taken off.”

• What did you mean in your interview with Lester Holt about Mr. Comey and Russia?

Shortly after firing Mr. Comey, Mr. Trump undercut his own argument when he told NBC News that he had been thinking about the Russia investigation when he fired Mr. Comey.

“I was going to fire Comey knowing there was no good time to do it. And in fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself — I said, you know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story. It's an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should've won.”

• What was the purpose of your May 12, 2017, tweet?

After The Times revealed the president’s private dinner with Mr. Comey, Mr. Trump responded on Twitter.

James Comey better hope that there are no "tapes" of our conversations before he starts leaking to the press!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2017

Mr. Comey appeared unworried. “Lordy, I hope there are tapes,” Mr. Comey said. The White House ultimately said that, no, there were no tapes.

• What did you think about Mr. Comey’s June 8, 2017, testimony regarding Mr. Flynn, and what did you do about it?

After he was fired, Mr. Comey testified about his conversations with Mr. Trump and described him as preoccupied with the F.B.I.’s investigation into Russia. After the testimony, Mr. Trump called him a liar.

• What was the purpose of the September and October 2017 statements, including tweets, regarding an investigation of Mr. Comey?

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, said that Mr. Comey had testified falsely to Congress and suggested that the Justice Department might investigate. Mr. Trump followed up with tweets suggesting that he should be investigated for rigging an inquiry into Mrs. Clinton. Such comments reinforced criticism that Mr. Trump views the Justice Department as a sword to use against his political rivals.

...people not interviewed, including Clinton herself. Comey stated under oath that he didn't do this-obviously a fix? Where is Justice Dept?— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2017

• What is the reason for your continued criticism of Mr. Comey and his former deputy, Andrew G. McCabe?

Mr. Comey and Mr. McCabe are among Mr. Trump’s favorite targets. Mr. McCabe is a lifelong Republican, but Mr. Trump has criticized him as a Clinton loyalist because Mr. McCabe’s wife, a Democrat, ran unsuccessfully for office in Virginia and received donations from a Clinton ally. This question suggests that Mr. Mueller wants to know whether Mr. Trump’s criticism is an effort to damage the F.B.I. while it investigates the president’s associates.

Questions related to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

• What did you think and do regarding the recusal of Mr. Sessions?

Mr. Trump has criticized Mr. Sessions’s recusal from the Russia investigation. The Times reported that Mr. Trump humiliated him in an Oval Office meeting and accused him of being disloyal. Mr. Sessions ultimately submitted his resignation, though Mr. Trump did not accept it. Along with the next two questions, this inquiry looks at whether Mr. Trump views law enforcement officials as protectors.

• What efforts did you make to try to get him to change his mind?

The Times has reported that Mr. Trump told his White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, to stop Mr. Sessions from recusing himself. Mr. McGahn was unsuccessful, and Mr. Trump erupted, saying he needed an attorney general who would protect him.

• Did you discuss whether Mr. Sessions would protect you, and reference past attorneys general?


Mr. Trump has spoken affectionately about past attorneys general who he said were loyal to their presidents. He cited Robert F. Kennedy and Eric H. Holder Jr. as examples. “Holder protected the president,” he said in a Times interview in December. “And I have great respect for that.”

• What did you think and what did you do in reaction to the news of the appointment of the special counsel?

In a twist, Mr. Mueller’s very appointment has become part of his investigation. Mr. Trump has repeatedly denounced the inquiry as a “witch hunt.” Mr. Trump blames the appointment on MrSessions’s recusal

• Why did you hold Mr. Sessions’s resignation until May 31, 2017, and with whom did you discuss it?

Mr. Trump rejected Mr. Sessions’s resignation after aides argued that it would only create more problems. The details of those discussions remain unclear, but Mr. Trump’s advisers have already given Mr. Mueller their accounts of the conversations.

• What discussions did you have with Reince Priebus in July 2017 about obtaining the Sessions resignation? With whom did you discuss it?

Mr. Priebus, who was Mr. Trump’s chief of staff, has said he raced out of the White House after Mr. Sessions and implored him not to resign. Mr. Mueller has interviewed Mr. Priebus and would be able to compare his answers with those of Mr. Trump.

• What discussions did you have regarding terminating the special counsel, and what did you do when that consideration was reported in January 2018?

Again, Mr. Mueller’s investigation intersects with its own existence. The Times reported that, in June 2017, Mr. Trump ordered Mr. McGahn to fire Mr. Mueller. Mr. McGahn refused. Though Mr. Trump’s own advisers informed Mr. Mueller about that effort, Mr. Trump denied it: “Fake news,” he said. “A typical New York Times fake story.”

• What was the purpose of your July 2017 criticism of Mr. Sessions? Mr. Trump unleashed a series of attacks on Mr. Sessions in July.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 25, 2017

Campaign Coordination With Russia

• When did you become aware of the Trump Tower meeting?

This and other questions relate to a June 9, 2016, meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer who offered political dirt about Mrs. Clinton. Mr. Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., arranged the meeting. He said he did not tell his father about it when it happened.

• What involvement did you have in the communication strategy, including the release of Donald Trump Jr.’s emails?

When The Times found out about the meeting, Mr. Trump helped draft a misleading statement in his son’s name, omitting the true purpose of the meeting. After The Times obtained the younger Mr. Trump’s emails, he published them on Twitter.

• During a 2013 trip to Russia, what communication and relationships did you have with the Agalarovs and Russian government officials?

The Trump Tower meeting was arranged through the Russian singer Emin Agalarov, his billionaire father, Aras Agalarov, and a music promoter. Mr. Mueller is scrutinizing the nature of connections between the Agalarovs, Mr. Trump and Russian officials.

• What communication did you have with Michael D. Cohen, Felix Sater and others, including foreign nationals, about Russian real estate developments during the campaign?

Mr. Mueller is referring to a failed effort to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Mr. Sater, a business associate, proposed the idea to Mr. Cohen, the longtime personal lawyer to Mr. Trump. Emails show that Mr. Sater believed that the project would showcase Mr. Trump’s deal-making acumen and propel him into the presidency.

• What involvement did you have in the communication strategy, including the release of Donald Trump Jr.’s emails?

When The Times found out about the meeting, Mr. Trump helped draft a misleading statement in his son’s name, omitting the true purpose of the meeting. After The Times obtained the younger Mr. Trump’s emails, he published them on Twitter.

• During a 2013 trip to Russia, what communication and relationships did you have with the Agalarovs and Russian government officials?

The Trump Tower meeting was arranged through the Russian singer Emin Agalarov, his billionaire father, Aras Agalarov, and a music promoter. Mr. Mueller is scrutinizing the nature of connections between the Agalarovs, Mr. Trump and Russian officials.

• What communication did you have with Michael D. Cohen, Felix Sater and others, including foreign nationals, about Russian real estate developments during the campaign?

Mr. Mueller is referring to a failed effort to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Mr. Sater, a business associate, proposed the idea to Mr. Cohen, the longtime personal lawyer to Mr. Trump. Emails show that Mr. Sater believed that the project would showcase Mr. Trump’s deal-making acumen and propel him into the presidency.

• What discussions did you have during the campaign regarding any meeting with Mr. Putin? Did you discuss it with others?

Journalists and lawmakers have uncovered several examples of Russian officials trying, through intermediaries, to arrange a meeting between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin. Senior campaign officials rejected some overtures, but Mr. Trump’s involvement has been a mystery.

• What discussions did you have during the campaign regarding Russian sanctions?

Even as the Obama administration stepped up sanctions on Russia, Mr. Trump struck a laudatory tone toward Mr. Putin.

• What involvement did you have concerning platform changes regarding arming Ukraine?

A portion of the Republican platform was changed in a way more favorable to Russia.

• During the campaign, what did you know about Russian hacking, use of social media or other acts aimed at the campaign?

This is a key question. Mr. Trump praised the release of hacked Democratic emails and called on Russia to find others. Mr. Mueller’s investigation has unearthed evidence that at least one member of Mr. Trump’s campaign — George Papadopoulos — was told that Russia had obtained compromising emails about Mrs. Clinton. But Mr. Trump has repeatedly said there was “no collusion” with the Russian government.

• What knowledge did you have of any outreach by your campaign, including by Paul Manafort, to Russia about potential assistance to the campaign?

This is one of the most intriguing questions on the list. It is not clear whether Mr. Mueller knows something new, but there is no publicly available information linking Mr. Manafort, the former campaign chairman, to such outreach. So his inclusion here is significant. Mr. Manafort’s longtime colleague, Rick Gates, is cooperating with Mr. Mueller.

• What did you know about communication between Roger Stone, his associates, Julian Assange or WikiLeaks?

Mr. Stone, a longtime adviser, claimed to have inside information from WikiLeaks, which published hacked Democratic emails. He appeared to predict future releases, and was in touch with a Twitter account used by Russian intelligence. This question, along with the next two, show that Mr. Mueller is still investigating possible campaign cooperation with Russia.

• What did you know during the transition about an attempt to establish back-channel communication to Russia, and Jared Kushner’s efforts?

Mr. Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, has testified that the Russian ambassador proposed getting Mr. Flynn in contact with Russian officials to discuss Syria. In response, Mr. Kushner said, he proposed using secure phones inside the Russian Embassy — a highly unusual suggestion that was not accepted.

• What do you know about a 2017 meeting in Seychelles involving Erik Prince?

The meeting was convened by Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates. It brought Mr. Prince, an informal adviser to Mr. Trump’s team, together with a Russian investor close to Mr. Putin.

• What do you know about a Ukrainian peace proposal provided to Mr. Cohen in 2017?

Mr. Cohen, the lawyer, hand-delivered to the White House a peace proposal for Ukraine and Russia. This unusual bit of backdoor diplomacy is of interest because it involved a Ukrainian lawmaker who said he was being encouraged by Mr. Putin’s aides. Mr. Cohen has said he did not discuss the proposal with Mr. Trump.

I am a known moron. An idiot. I know myself to be. "Hello, moron," I say in the morning. "Hello, idiot," the mirror says back.

So, this is a moron writing here: Peace in Korea is real. Kim Jong Un is sincere. No non-moron has written this. Every informed, wise person has written caveating "promising," "hopeful", "optimistic" with "cautious," "wary," "suspicious," "skeptical," and like that. 

The wise people are wrong. Every village needs an idiot. This is real.

Hello My Dear.

Please do not feel disturbed for contacting you, based on the critical condition I find mine self, though, it's not financial problem, but my health, you might have know that cancer is not what to talk home about, I am married to Mr. Abaul karim Farah who worked with Tunisia embassy in Burkina Faso for nine years before he died in the year 2012.We were married for eleven years without a child. He died after a brief illness that lasted for five days.

Since his death I decided not to remarry, When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of US$ 9.2m (Nine million two hundred thousand dollars) in a bank in Burkina Faso, Presently this money is still in bank. And My Doctor told me that I don't have much time to live because of the cancer problem, Having known my condition I decided to hand you over this fond to take care of the less-privileged people, you will utilize this money the way I am going to instruct herein. I want you to take 30 Percent of the total money for your personal use While 70% of the money will go to charity" people and helping the orphanage.

I don't want my husband's efforts to be used by the Government. I grew up as an Orphan and I don't have anybody as my family member,

I am expecting your respond.

Regards,
Mrs.Fareeda Farah

written from Hospital.
That's a Chinese person trying to write persuasively in English as a Burkina Faso-ite. That's a fail. Man, there is some inspired spam out there, or in there actually, in my Gmail Spam folder.

He was -2.

Will you do the fuck away with that goddamned stat?!

"That Man" had 45 points in 43 minutes. 105-101 the final. The Mistake moves on to Toronto.

clevelandbeatindiana

Mother.

Was It Not Real?

Today at Old Trafford...

Arsene Wenger's last appearance there as Arsenal manager...

with his once bitter rivals Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho...

who presented Wenger with a gift of a trophy.

"It is as if there were a restlessness...

"and a capacity for violence at the center of the human spirit that can never be contained...

"Yet in every country, too, humans have shown a...gentleness...

"and a yearning for justice...

"that have cut across the darkness and filled their world with light."*

*The Search For Modern China, Jonathan D. Spence.

FT West Ham 1 Manchester City 4

Fernandinho in the 63' accounted for the final margin.

City now own the record for most wins in a Premier League season, 30, with three matches left, 102 goals, one shy of Chelsea's record 103, and 92 points, three off the record 95, also Chelsea's. City will own all of those by the end.

The Arch Angel Gabriel makes it 3-1 in the 52nd.

goal

That own goal ironically is City's 100th on the campaign...Oh West Ham have scored. 2-1 now in the 42'...Anyway City are the fastest team in EPL history to 100 and can break the record of 103.

Goal! West Ham 0-2 Man City (Rice own goal 27)

Oh dear, dear, dear. Sterling is sent away and touches the ball past Adrian, well out of goal. There are a lot of defenders back and one of them, I think Ogbonna, blocks his attempt to score. But City get the ball back and eventually De Bruyne, overlapping on the right, centres and the ball dribbles apologetically in off the hapless Rice, who may not have been helped by Zabaleta getting in his way. Comical, all of it.

Good writing there: "the ball drinbles apologetically."

Public Occurrences delivers you news on Man City's goals so quickly
the scorer has not been identified. Happened just now, 32'.

goal

Bad, bad Leroy Sane, baddest man in the whole damn gam-ay in the 12' and City of Champions lead the Hammerheads 1-0 at Hammerhead Park.

goal

Klopp at It Again

The point isn't going to help Stoke and three points would have secured the Champions League for Liverpool. How dare Stoke try!

"We met Stoke in the moment when they thought a point could be enough [to stay up] still otherwise they had to play different, but if they think they can win the next two games and have a chance with that then we cannot change that opinion."

I have never detested a club, its fans, the city it represents, the people in that city, and increasingly the club's manager, as I do Liverpool and all associated with it. For me, it is as if all Trump voters were in one city and had their own sports team. I loathe them, both of them.

Bawston Ousts Milwawkee in 7, Gets Phila

112-96 was the final in the Gawden or whatever the name is. The "Bucks" are comin'. Good young team up there. Golden opportunity to catch the "Shamrocks" minus Kyrie Irving but couldn't quite do it. First series in the 'loffs to go 7, I think.

Leicester, Newcastle Go Splat; West Brom Still Alive

I'tis ovah. I'tis ovah in London, Child Porn have mugged the "Foxes" five nil; on Tyne; West Bromwich Albion have prevailed one nil; and in Southampton where the home side shook and stirred Bournemouth 2-1. 

Leicester, Newcastle Go Splat

In stoppage time now Crystal Palace lead the 2016 champions 5-0 in London. My goodness.

Those wild and crazy "Baggies" are stayin' alive, stayin' alive. West Brom went to St. James Park today and lead Nuevo Castillo 1-0 deep into stoppage time. They drew last Saturday against Liverpool and won the Sunday before at RayJay. 

In Denial In Miami

"As he addressed the media Friday, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra noted, "It's been well documented since our 11-30 start two years ago that we've basically been playing .600 basketball."

...
"...is that what the Heat saw, and could that lead to a repeat of what now comes off as the irrational expectations of last summer?
...

"...if you instead pick up from the start of this past season and factor in the 1-4 just-completed playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers, the percentage drops to .517.
...
"The end of this season, in light of a dreary playoff showing, came with a sense of submission; the talent deficit against the 76ers was undeniable.
...
"Spoelstra said he sees otherwise.

"We see progress," he said. "We see growth.

...
"We now have Spoelstra's policy statement.

"We believe, as much as anything, you grow through continuity," he said. "It's hard to start over."

"It also is hard, perhaps harder, to admit it's also not good enough."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/fl-sp-ira-nba-column-20180428-story.html

Strange, Strange Liverpool

They did it again. A draw, 0-0 today, at home against a relegation-threatened club, this time Stoke.

     After a 5-2 Champions League semi-final win at Fenway over Roma.
          After leading 5-0, allowing two away goals to toss Roma a lifeline.
     Ahead of the second leg of the Roma tie Wednesday.
          After a 2-2 draw at dead last West Brom.
               After knocking Man City out of the UCL 11 days earlier at Etihad.

This--A.D.D.-afflicted? Schizophrenic?--team now sit a squirmy fourth in the Premier League, the last slot for automatic qualification into the group stages of the 2018/19 UCL.
     Four points ahead of Spurs.
          Who have two matches in hand.
          Who have earned exactly two points per match through 34.
          Which would put them exactly level on points with LFC with the added matches.
               Liverpool would claim the fourth spot on a projected five goal difference.

     Liverpool's last two league matches are at fifth Chelsea and home to 13th Brighton. Who's to predict those?
     Spurs last four matches are Monday home to 12th Watford (win), next Saturday at West Brom (win).
          Which would put them two points ahead of Liverpool after playing the same 36 matches.
     Home to 10th Newcastle (win).
     Home to 9th Leicester (draw, let's say they slip up and draw that one).

Those projected Spurs results would net them a final 78 points. Liverpool would match on points if they win their final two league matches. And claim the fourth UCL spot on goal difference. But if Liverpool slip...Slip?! Hit it! 

Que Gerrard, Gerrard,
He fell on his bloody arse,
He passed it to Demba Ba,
Que Gerrard, Gerrard.

If Liverpool slip up again (say, at Chelsea?) and don't win their final two matches they would finish fifth and have to play in the qualifying stages of next year's Champions League.

Squirmy. Strange. Strange, strange Liverpool.

What Donald Trump, the illegitimate president of America 2.0, has done in Korea is the most stunning foreign policy achievement in the combined history of the former United States and its successor. It is a miracle. Xi Jinping was great help. Moon Jei-in played an even greater role. But it would be spreading the Nobel Peace Prize too thin in my eyes to award a four-way or even a three-way prize. It is Kim and Trump who have worked this miracle, they should share it together.

Know what though? I don't see the Nobel committee omitting a Korean head of state for peace on the Korean peninsula. And Trump is not the Nobel Committee's cup of tea. It's going to stick in their craw to award a share of the Peace prize to a guy who a year ago vowed to "totally destroy North Korea" and who brought the world to within 2 1/2 minutes of nuclear midnight. Not the Nobel Peace Committee's way of doing things. That however is how this miracle was birthed, there is no denying it and to omit Trump would be an outrageous injustice. I would take a Trump-Kim-Moon three-way right now even though I think it should be Trump-Kim. I'm afraid what the committee might do if they decide to award only two. 

LBJ's block the last game? Officially a goal-tend. The Land has gotten scorched in two of their three losses, Indy has lost three squeakers and should have won the last game on the missed call. This should have wrapped up the series. One of their blow out wins was in Cleve in Game 1. You have to expect LBJ to go all Superman on Indy in Game 7 and he could probably win the game and series for them, he's that much better than everyone else...It's over 121-87, it's over with extreme prejudice... But it is clear--Lesson of the Series--LBJ has to go all Superman for Cleve to win. He did in Game 2, 46 17/24, 40", 12, 5, 2, 0, 3(TO), a three point Cleve win, and in Game 5, 44 14/24, 42", 10, 8, 1, 1, 5(TO) (remarkably similar stats), another three point win. Jeez! Identical margin of victory. That means we have a more precise lesson, Lesson 1-A: LBJ will have to play nearly the whole game and score in the mid-40's for The Land not to be used as the garbage dump of the nation that it is. And even then, they may need a crucial call down the stretch to go their way to win a squeaker. Sounds like a tall order but LeBron is a tall guy. Prediction: He will go all Superman on the "Pacers" but this time his team will come up just short. Indy to win Game 7 in the Pawn Shop Sunday.

"Lancers" BLOWing LeBron James Out

Oh my God, they're killing them. 107-79, under 6 left in game.

LBJ is saving himself for Game 7. He has only played 31" and there are under 3 to go. Now 114-83.

Indiana 57 Cleveland 47 HT

Do I have faith in the "Lancers"? Hmmm comme ci comme ca. How many points does James have? 14 4/7. 3, 5, 1, 2(TO). 19 minutes. That's pretty quiet. 19 out of 24 minutes, that's "only" 38 over a whole game. That would be fewest of the series. I feel a second half eruption coming. But Cleve hasn't been Team Comeback in this series, they've been Team Collapse. Indy has been Team Comeback. A 10 point deficit is a significant half time deficit in this series. But James...James can do it. Still comme ci comme ca.

Trump deserves credit for Korean thaw

(Stephen Collinson, CNN)

He ABSOLUTELY does.

"...would rank as one of the top presidential achievements since World War II.
"...a feat that has eluded all of his most recent predecessors."
"[IllegiTrump] and other key players in the initiative would also be shoo-ins for the Nobel Peace Prize..."

You read that first at Public Occurrences...Actually, probably not since nobody reads Public Occurrences. But if you had read Public Occurrences you would have read it here first.