Just as he's readying to return for another Warriors basketball season, Klay Thompson suffers an achilles injury that will keep him off the court for another season. In the 2019 NBA Finals, he tore a ligament in his left knee that shelved him for a full season. This latest injury means he will miss back-to-back seasons due to injury.
It's a blow to us Golden State Warriors fans, but I'm sure a bigger disappointment to Klay as a basketball player. I can't imagine the relentless, physical rehabilitation work he has put in to get himself primed and ready for this season, only to see it neutralized by another injury. Only professional athletes know the deep regret and depression that comes with an injury that forces you out of the game you've played and loved since childhood.
Keep your head up Klay. You've got family, fans and Rocco all rooting for your recovery. Don't Give Up The Ship Klay! We still appreciate your services here in the Bay.
Raiders Defense stepped up to rule the day with four interceptions, two quarterback sacks and two forced fumbles (1 recovered). The offense continues to successfully pound the ball and control time of possession. Although the Raiders were only leading 10-6 at halftime, they made the necessary adjustments to come out and put up 27 points while giving up only 6 points to the Denver Broncos.
The Raiders need to clean up the mistakes and miscues that kept the game close early; dropped passes, untimely penalties, 3rd down inefficiency. Against a better team they cannot play like they did in this game and come out with a dominating win.
The 8-1 defending champion Kansas City Chiefs are coming to town next, and I'm sure they would like nothing better than to avenge their only season loss, courtesy of the Raiders in week 5. Bring'em On!
Today, After reading an Associated Press article of the passing of Lucille Bridges, I only felt it fitting to post my thoughts on it.
Lucille Bridges was a mother who allowed her six year old daughter Ruby to be one of the first black children to integrate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana. To be chosen as one of only a few black children to participate in early desegregated schooling required a bright and fearless child. But imagine the courage it took a mother and father to expose their little girl to the ugliness and potential violence of Louisiana white racism in 1960.
Lucille Bridges was that mother. Driven by a vision of equal opportunity for her daughter, a vision backed by the 1954, U.S. Supreme Court ruling on separate but equal schooling as unconstitutional.
Lucille Bridges, a mother who after proudly walking with her daughter on that first day (Nov. 14, 1960) would leave her in the hands of U.S. Marshals for protection while walking to school.
Lucille Bridges, who must've seen on television the ugly, intimidating faces of white citizens screaming and spitting racists epithets at her baby as she innocently entered what looked like a white fortress of enemy troops reluctant to surrender to the new law of the land.
After all, this wasn't the liberal northeast but the deep confederate south where blacks should know their place in a white supremacist society. Where everywhere a black citizen went publicly were reminders of the unequal terms they were expected to abide by at the risk of punishment and/or death. Water Fountains, Bathrooms, Restaurants, Stores, Theatres, Ballparks, and of course Buses.
Lucille Bridges knew the anger and ugliness her daughter would face desegregating an elementary school, and yet she convinced her reluctant husband to agree with such a dangerous undertaking for Ruby.
Without knowing Lucille, I am willing to wager the house that she was a strong woman of faith. Who else but an almighty God would a parent trust to guide and protect their child on such a perilous journey; alone.
A father and son might experience this same situation as just a right of passage on the journey from boyhood to manhood, but a little girl and her mother? Pigtails and baby doll shoes? Innocence?
Here's how Ruby remembered her mother Lucille in the article:
“Today our country lost a hero. Brave, progressive, a champion for change. She helped alter the course of so many lives by setting me out on my path as a six year old little girl. Our nation lost a Mother of the Civil Rights Movement today. And I lost my mom. I love you and am grateful for you. May you Rest In Peace.”
As I've stated earlier, I didn't know Lucille Bridges. I didn't grow up in the deep south nor experience early school desegregation. But I know the gut punches a parent takes every time their child has to face the cold realities of ugliness in this world. I know the pain of having no answer for a child's questions about racial discrimination. And fortunately for me, I know what its like to have a parent stand up and demand equality for their child.
Lucille Bridges is a symbol for the many, many black mothers who stood up for their children and took the gut punches so that one day a little black girl, like her Ruby, could walk proudly into the White House of the United States of America as Vice President, escorted by secret service agents. Without the courage, vision and persistence found in the likes of a Lucille Bridges, there could not be a Vice President-elect like Kamala Harris.
Mrs. Lucille Bridges, we the black , brown and white citizens of the United States of America Salute and Honor Your Service!
The game came down to TWO defensive plays in the final SIX seconds with the Chargers at the Raiders FOUR yard line. TWO fade passes thrown toward the corner of the endzone against Raiders second year defensive back Isaiah Johnson in man coverage.
Using all his skill, technique, athleticism and sheer "will to win" nerves of steel, Isaiah outmanned both Chargers receivers launched to sink the Raiders. It was Isaiah Johnson who saved the Raiders flagship from destruction on the battlefield Sunday afternoon, and by God we the Raider Nation are proud to stand and salute his heroic contributions.
"The fire that burns brightest in the Raider organization is the Will to Win"
When the Wicked Witch of the East suffered her tragic ending, the cowered citizens of the land came out from their hiding places in disbelief. Once convinced the reign of tyranny had come to an end, the citizens were overcome with giddy celebration of song and dance.
Today's Election Results finally brought the house down on Donald Trump and his wicked administration, setting off dancing and celebrations in cities across the nation. An era of tyrannical leadership over the land of the free and home of the brave will come to an end on January 20, 2021 (Inauguration Day).
Celebrations recognizing the end of this incurable era and the beginning of truth & hope were a beauty to behold today. Citizens of the United States gathered in the streets, in parks, in civic centers, waving and dancing as if a long fought war had ended; V-J Day 1945 revisited.
On Inauguration Day, President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris will take over the highest offices in the land and begin implementing America's long road to recovery. And if any stragglers from the dead era of Trump try resurrecting divisive and ugly attacks so common in his day, I quote Belinda the Good Witch's warning:
He's being compared to the Energizer Bunny. You know, the drum-beating rabbit that just "keeps going and going and going." What sets him apart from all comparisons is his passion and persistence in providing viewers with much anticipated updates to the 2020 Presidential Election. His name is Steve Kornacki, and he's admirably manning the volatile Presidential election board on msnbc.
Steve is proving to be a master navigator of mathematics, U.S. political geography, state and federal elections laws and projections based on real voting ballot numbers. While others mostly discuss and speculate swing state numbers, Steve keeps us engaged visually, pointing out and comparing current counts with past numbers and calculating gains and losses as reflected on his digital battleground map.
During this tense and challenging election his reporting talents are being recognized by both colleagues and viewers alike. As he fields electoral questions from some of the best msnbc news personalities, nothing is left in the shadows. He reports very clear and enlightening answers on the Presidential race.
Somehow, this momentous occasion has targeted Steve with his impeccable presentation talents. It has placed him at the center of this elections storm with nothing more than a big, touchscreen elections map to navigate the ebb and flow of electoral waves. He resembles a weatherman at his command center post tracking a Category 5 Hurricane while updating, alerting and highlighting affected areas viewable on his map. Thanks to Steve's intellect and insight he excels as a national guide through this whirlwind of a Presidential Election.
He steers our ship with a joy and seriousness that must make other countries envy American liberty as well as freedom of the press. A nod to his cameraman, who is adding Hitchcock-like drama with camera angles and zoom-in/out artistry.
With all the crazy political and legal actions our President is saying and doing to thwart the election, our man Steve has kept even keel in his reportage of votes and electoral points. He just "keeps on going and going and going."
Though from outside looking in he may appear overwhelmed trying to maintain order on the ship, Steve just might be our only American newsman so focused on the task at hand that the tossing and turbulent accusations being made by a disgruntled incumbent President has no sway over him. Our loyal and trustworthy elections navigator has only one concern and goal; getting us safely through the fog of information and docked soundly at home port.
Meanwhile, we voters must hold on and weather the dizzying seasickness that comes from riding the waves of a hellacious race to the Presidency.
Eric Liu, former White House Speech Writer, talks about how America can overcome divisive ideologies for the greater good of the United States of America. In this short interview with NPR's David Green he highlights where we are at this moment as a nation, then he shines a positive light on the unique opportunity for change lying at our doorstep.
Eric's book, "You're More Powerful than You Think," is a citizen's guide to making change happen in America. And it appears change does not involve armed revolution, anarchy or walling ourselves off from one another. Actually, positive change in America will require majority citizen participation in seeking common sense solutions to problems our society is facing. "I Claim America"
Book Overview
Is this the America you want? If not, here's how to claim the power to change your country. We are in an age of epic political turbulence in America. Old hierarchies and institutions are collapsing. From the election of Donald Trump to the upending of the major political parties to the spread of grassroots movements like Black Lives Matter and $15 Now, people across the country and across the political spectrum are reclaiming power. Are you ready for this age of bottom-up citizen power? Do you understand what power truly is, how it flows, who has it, and how you can claim and exercise it? Eric Liu, who has spent a career practicing and teaching civic power, lays out the answers in this incisive, inspiring, and provocative book. Using examples from the left and the right, past and present, he reveals the core laws of power. He shows that all of us can generate power-and then, step by step, he shows us how. The strategies of reform and revolution he lays out will help every reader make sense of our world today. If you want to be more than a spectator in this new era, you need to read this book.
Former Clemson wide receiver Hunter Renfrow, known as "3rd & Renfrow" during his college days, scored on 3rd and Goal in the Raiders win over the Cleveland Browns today. It was the only touchdown in a game that saw blustering autumn winds along with sleet and snow affect passes, catches and kicks. And the temperature at kickoff was 35 degrees.
It was a close battle, but the Raiders revitalized running game with Josh Jacobs (137 yards), Devontae Booker and a dominating patched up offensive line took over. The Browns had no answer for the visiting Raiders running game down the stretch. However, they did produce a goal line stand, forcing the Raiders to kick a late field goal when a touchdown would of iced the game. But the day belonged to that Raiders O-Line leading them in doing what they do best, control the line of scrimmage and time of possession. Its a winning formula.
As for the 3rd down specialist from Clemson, the more I see him make plays, the more I'm convinced the Raiders have a playmaker ready and waiting to bust out. You simply don't get the football nickname "3rd & Renfrow" without consistently converting crucial 3rd down plays. Clemson knew what they had in Renfrow. He'd become a sort of college cult legend. Now Raiders fans are chomping at the bit wanting to see more of what made Clemson fans so fanatical watching the 5'10, 185lb receiver play football.
Into only his second NFL season he has teased us with flashes of his great route running, catching and overall athletic ability. Actually, he had a few 100-yard reception games in 2019 and was third in team receiving yards and touchdowns for the season. He missed three games last season due to injury. So far this season he's second in receptions and third in receiving yards on the team. For this young Raiders team so full of promise, "3rd & Renfrow" is destined to be a big part of its future success. Thanks Clemson!
In 2018, Renfrow won the Burlsworth Trophy, given to the best college player who began his career as a walk-on.[7] In his final collegiate season in 2018, he recorded 49 receptions for 544 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.[8]
a Yankee, a Westerner, a Klansman, and a Jew changed America."
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Still reading this in depth book about FDR and his relationship with four of his Supreme Court nominations. The beauty of reading history as a hobby is you'll pick up a book just out of curiosity and discover within its pages an entire treasure trove of hidden historical facts. It is partly coincidence that I'm reading this book on the night of Amy Coney Barrett's Senate confirmation and the controversy surrounding it all.
Though the book is a long, dry read, the language of power and its use in manipulating politics is laid bare. Politics, if nothing else, is about favors and compromise. And support from a politician comes with a cost. As for a Supreme Court appointment, again, its about politics.
Two topics discussed in the book I found very interesting are the proposal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to "pack the supreme court," and the nomination of a former Ku Klux Klansman, Hugo Black from Alabama.
The story of Hugo Black is one that would have to be read to be believed and understood. He did not reveal his former KKK membership until after his Supreme Court confirmation in 1937. Here's the story as told by Thad Morgan of NPR.org:
While Black’s liberal leanings during this New Deal era, would not seem to fit with membership in the KKK, part of his motivation for joining in 1923 was political. Following years of working as a trial lawyer, Black was attempting to appeal to southern Democrats as he planned his run for the U.S. Senate from Alabama.
The KKK's membership was rising.
The Klan had recently undergone a resurgence, following the success of the controversial 1915 epic, The Birth of a Nation, which glorified Klan members as valiant saviors of the white South. An increase in the numbers of Jews and Catholics immigrating to the country was also triggering more interest in the Klan as some white Americans felt threatened.
With their membership on the rise, Klan leaders sought to become a more visible and respected organization throughout the country. In 1925, members even went so far as to stage a parade featuring some 60,000 Klansmen in front of the White House.
An estimated 60,000 Ku Klux Klan members marched along Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. in 1925.
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
“The Klan was making a play for respectability and that march down Pennsylvania Avenue and other state capitols in 1926 kind of indicated that they had done pretty good at establishing themselves,” says Tony Freyer, professor emeritus at the University of Alabama and author of Justice Hugo L. Black and the Dilemma of American Liberalism.
Black calculated it was worth appealing to the growing KKK crusade. While campaigning, Black gave several anti-Catholic speeches at Klan meetings, according to Hugo Black: A Biography by Roger K. Newman.
Even as the Klan’s numbers grew to more than 5 million nationwide, Black knew that he could only get so much political leverage from associating with the KKK and that public knowledge of his Klan membership could sink any chances of his winning a Senate seat. So as he readied his Senate campaign, he sent a letter of resignation to the Klan in order to officially cut ties with the organization, while still maintaining their support.
Black then shifted his focus to rallying against out-of-state corporations that, he argued, siphoned money from Alabama’s working class. By setting his crosshairs on big corporations, he avoided publicly targeting minority groups.
His plan worked. Black secured the democratic primary and cleared the way for an easy win against his Republican opponent in 1926. And while he had provided his letter of resignation from the Klan the year prior in 1925, his time as a member of the Klan would eventually come back to haunt him.
Black supported FDR and the New Deal.
As Alabama Senator, Black became an avid supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and FDR’s New Deal. In particular, Black supported Roosevelt’s “court packing” bill, which would have increased the number of members on the Supreme Court in support of the president. Although the bill failed to pass, Black’s consistent and public support of the president helped earn him a nomination to the Supreme Court in 1937.
Since 1853, every candidate nominated for executive or judicial office was confirmed without hesitation. But the Senate took a different approach when approving their former colleague. Black was sent before the Judiciary Committee before gaining their recommendation and moving forward with a contentious confirmation hearing with the Senate.
Justice Hugo Black surrounded by journalists with whom he declined to discuss his Ku Klux Klan membership.
NY Daily News/Getty Images
Although rumors of his allegiance to the KKK began to surface during the hearing, it was his time as a Senator that became a point of debate. As a senator, Black voted to recognize retirement laws that would benefit those on the Supreme Court. Since Black would become a beneficiary of those new retirement perks upon his confirmation, it was argued that his appointment would present a conflict of interest. Under the Constitution's guidelines, no member of Congress would be allowed to take U.S. office if they are the beneficiary of regulations made by the same Congress.
However, after six hours of debate, Black was confirmed to the Supreme Court on August 17, 1937.
Black's KKK past was revealed after his confirmation.
Then the other shoe dropped. Just a few weeks after getting confirmed, a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette revealed Black’s history with the Klan. The Pulitzer Prize-winning report by journalist Ray Sprigle featured Black’s 1925 resignation letter from the Klan as proof.
Outrage erupted. Senators who voted for his confirmation argued they would have voted differently had they known Black was a Klan member. Even Black’s strongest supporter, FDR, claimed to have had no knowledge of his KKK roots before nominating him to the highest court in the land.
In response, Black addressed the public in a radio broadcast that reached some 50 million Americans. He admitted to being a former KKK member, but spoke briefly on his feelings towards minority groups.
“I did join the Klan. I later resigned. I never rejoined,” said Black. “I number among my friends many members of the colored race. I have watched the progress of its members with sympathy and admiration. Certainly, they are entitled to the full measure of protection accorded to the citizenship of our country by our Constitution and our laws.”
“Some of my best and most intimate friends are Catholics and Jews,” he went on to say, adding that that he had hired someone Jewish to officiate his will. And although the response was tumultuous from the press, Black’s response appeased the public enough that there were no official calls for his impeachment or resignation.
As he began to rule on the bench of the Supreme Court, some of Black’s biggest critics would eventually become his greatest supporters. Placing the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights above all else—he carried a copy of the Constitution in his pocket—his vote fell on both sides of the aisle, but typically leaned in favor of more liberal decisions.
As a justice, Black voted to support the separation of church and state in Engel v. Vitale and ruled in opposition to segregation in the unanimous Brown v. Board of Education case. On the other hand, he also voted in favor of sequestering Japanese Americans in internment camps during World War II, reasoning with the majority that, in a time of war against Japan, taking “proper security measures” was justified.
After 34 years on the bench, Black retired from the Supreme Court in 1971 and died shortly thereafter. In his career, Black had both fiercely advocated for Civil Rights and the Bill of Rights and he had been a Klan member and filibustered against an anti-lynching bill in the Senate. His checkered legacy reflected not just a changed man—but a changed nation.
It was bottom of the ninth, two outs and a 3-1 World Series lead in the bag should a game ending third strike materialize. The Dodgers had out-battled the Rays 7-6, deserving of the team with the best record in major league baseball 2020. One out away from everyone outside Tampa Bay baseball crowning their asses champions early, the boys from SoCal were on the cusp of driving a dagger into the heart & hopes of this formidable opponent. It was truly the best of times for the "better luck next year" L.A. Dodgers.
Then came the two out base hit from seldom used Rays outfielder Brett Phillips to drive home the classic Dickens quote; it was the best of times, it was the worst of times. And just like that a classic baseball game became a classic novel; "A tale of two cities."
One hit, two errors, a tumbling down baserunner and a two run walk-off in the most zany, improbable World Series game ending play ever. Anyone who watched last night is waking up and replaying video of that play just to be sure what they saw actually happened the way they think it did. But as Freddy Krueger once said, "This is not a dream!" It was however a Nightmare for Dodgers fans on Elm Street and beyond. The thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.
For baseball fans not wearing Dodger Blue, do yourself a favor and check out the play that may go down as one of the most tragic, and at the same time celebratory moments ever to play out on any championship baseball stage.
It was the best of times, It Was The Best of Times!
Moderator Kristen Welker's guiding words were definitely a welcome tool that kept this Presidential debate on track and tolerable for American citizens to watch. There were times though that the incumbent rambled on like a runaway truck with no brakes. But Kristen never let it get to where the truck ran through the guardrails to smash-up the debate like it did in the first meeting. Nor did she let some of his deflecting answers go unchallenged.
Welker question to the President:
“As of tonight, more than 12 million people are out of work,” she said. “Eight million more Americans have fallen into poverty, and more families are going hungry every day. Those hit hardest are women and people of color. They see Washington fighting over a relief bill. Mr. President, why haven’t you been able to get them the help they need?”
Yes, Kristen deserves a Certificate of Achievement for her handling of the Presidential Debate last night. And what Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank wrote in his opinion piece yesterday may have come to fruition:
America, and this includes Trump Supporters, saw a President unable to state any truthful facts to defend his record while in the Oval Office. Whether it was about Covid-19, Immigration, Healthcare, Race or the Economy, the President seems allergic to the truth when it comes to his own accountability. Former White House counselor, Kellyanne Conway, was known for giving us Alternative Facts (lies). Now we know with little doubt just who commanded her to deliver those untruths to the American public; her commander-in-chief.
Americans continue to die while the President continues his alternative facts show.
When all the rallying ploys and bullying pulpit maneuvers of an unscrupulous showman are muted, we are left watching a poor, pathetic opportunist stripped down to his truly miniature size. It's almost painful and embarrassing to watch. America came face to face with part of an unmasked falsehood in our government last night. If truth and justice are to prevail in the future of this country, falsehoods must begin to be eradicated starting Nov. 3, 2020.
The main thing is to have a soul that loves the truth and harbours it where he finds it. And another thing: truth requires constant repetition, because error is being preached about us all the time, and not only by isolated individuals but by the masses. In the newspapers and encyclopedias, in schools and universities, everywhere error rides high and basks in the consciousness of having the majority on its side.
The Atlanta Braves are one more Tomahawk Chop away from their first World Series since 1999. And they have the overhyped, highly paid L.A. Dodgers to thank for it. Granted, it was just twenty-four hours ago that the Dodgers delivered a historic 15-3 slugfest win. But these Braves have proven themselves resilient and now have a 3 games to 1, seven-game-series lead on their side.
Meanwhile, Da'Bums are facing yet another disappointing post-season ending series. At least when the Cubs wore the curse their chances seemed few and far in between. Da'Bums have participated in twelve post-seasons since the year 2004, twice making it to the World Series. And yet, the championship ring continues to somehow elude them.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, it couldn't happen to a better bunch of bums. Go Braves!
QB Derek Carr and the Raiders were on a mission this weekend. They went into Arrowhead Stadium to let the SB LIV champs know the AFC West will concede nothing without a fight. Instead of the Kansas City Chiefs hosting a familiar Raiders team known for penalties, blown coverages and unable to finish games, they got a silver and black juggernaut hungry for KC's championship lunch. The Raiders took that lunch in convincing fashion, both offensively and defensively.
The league no longer need look at the Chefs as some unstoppable football powerhouse to be feared on Sundays. The Raiders did everyone a favor by disproving all the KC dynastic hype and reminding us that on any given Sunday, anyone can Get Got. And yes, the Raiders Got nasty on the Chefs with a convincing victory that knocked the undefeated out of them.
It was by far the most balanced Raiders team effort this season. The Gruden & company gameplan was sound and aggressive as the players executed it with hungry precision. We knew when healthy they could score with the best.
