Pain

Stephen King, as a result of a hit and run accident, became something of an expert, on a personal and experiential level, on pain. In his fine novel, Duma Key, the main character goes through rehab from a horrible accident and points out that pain is the most powerful dictator on Earth. As I have pointed out a few times, I have issues,, big issues with chronic pain.
Pain, chronic pain, rules your life.When it strikes, and it does so almost whimsically, the rest of your life stios. Ohm you keep functioning, usuallt, but you are never fully present, Part of you, a big part, is taken by the pain. Do not give me that mind over matter nonsense. Do not tell me that you have to be string enough to ignore it. I used to say those things and I was an idiot. You can learn to tolerate pain, to work around it, but pain, when it hits, cannot be ignored or simply pushed aside, not for long. In an emergency, yes, for a very short time, then it is back with a vengeance.
Even when the pain is dormant, it rules you. You are thrilled that you don'y hurt, but you know it will be back and a part of you is wondering when that will be. A sneeze, a slight slip, a quick turn of the head and there it is. Psychologically, it preys on you. You begin thinking that the whole mess is your fault, that there is a punishment factor involved. This is a feature for those of us raised inn the remnants of the old fashioned fire and brimstone Protestantism. It takes a while to get past that one.
What can be done? Damned if I know. There are drugs that help for short periods, As we all know, they have some very nasty consequences if you do not handle them correctly, but they work. One reason I am writing this post is because of the uproar over opiate abuse. There is almost am attitude developing a moral attitude about addiction, a feeling that the addict is weak. morally, and this is wrong. Often, opiate addicts started by trying to deal with very real physical pain. Likewise, many self medicate with alcohol.
We must not make addiction a moral issue. At the same time, we need to find a way to deal with chronic pain. There may be some possibilities with marijuana and, blessedly, those are now being explored. There is also, out on the fringes of research, some evidence that tiny doses of LSD like drugs may have considerable value.
Or, maybe we just have to accept a certain level of controlled addiction. You cannot simply tell sufferers to live with it. That is not going to happen, nor should it. We are often, in these cases dealing with the elderly, the very young and potentially terminal patients and we mist never grow so Puritanical about drugs that we refuse pain relief. There will always be those who simply abuse the drugs because they like them, but that should not lead us to the denial of useful medicines to those who need them, Again, we may have to accept a certain level of controlled addiction, but I am afraid that, in our current political clinate, such reasoned response may be out of the question.
I have nothing left to say ob the matter, no magic answers, no pep talks, no sermons. All any of us can do is use our heads and ise compassion. I truly hope that no one out there suffers chronic pain, but that is a foolish wish. Many of you will and I hope that others understand. Bless all of you

The Ryder Cup

Once again, America, despite being a far superior team, has shown that it cannot win a Ryder Cup in Europe. It really has become quite a strange thing  I gave no idea what is behind this, but here goes.
It is true that the course was set up to favor Europe. We do the same thing when we host. In this case, the fairways were very narrow and the rough very high. This took driver out of play for the long American drivers, but it did the same for Europe's Rory McIlroy and John Rahm, yet they coped. The greens were very slow but that is needed in Europe because the courses are often in windy areas. If you have high wind s and fast greens, it is no longer golf' it is hockey. American players do not like slow greens. Why? Who knows? But, they do get testy when forced to play slow greens All such talk misses the point. The course is to be played as you find it and the player is there to adjust. In fact, that is almost the point of the whole silly game.
There were bad decisions by the American Captains. Tony Finau was playing great, yet was sat out for some matches. DeChanbeau was playing poorly, so, of course they kept plating him.. Tiger Woods was clearly exhausted, yet was sent out for all 5 sessions. Phil Mickelson, after an early season win, has played horribly and continued that trend throughout the tournament. He appeared to have no idea what he was doing on the course.
The big issue was the lack of enthusiasm. At any given time, about half of the Americans on the Course appeared about half awake  DJ and Koepka could not understand that in foursomes, if your partner is in trouble, you have to play safe. DeChambeau's mathematical approach to the game fails when he finds himself in wildly uneven grounds with knee high rough. Patrick Reed's Captain America routine finally ran out of gas when he found himself driving terribly. For a spell there, he couldn't have found the fairway with a bulldozer.
I really don't care about the whole Ryder Cup thing. I always have found it silly, but it does show the problem facing golf in the future, the very near future. The game is so dominated by power, that when the players can't just bomb the ball out there. They lose interest. Yet, the power aspect has to be reined in. We cannot keep simply making courses longer. Land costs too much to start designing 9000 yard courses. In addition, the upkeep, especially the irrigation, would be absurdly expensive. The whole game can be brought back into focus by changing the ball. It used to spin more and travel less and that can be done again. However, the modern players will scream like the spoiled brats that they have become. The game will grow less and less watchable on the pro level. However, there is an emphasis on building short, playable courses for families and friends to enjoy.  In the long run, who cares about the pros. Go have some fun yourselves. And, while you're at it, have a Blessed Day.

Conclusions? None Today

I hate to admit this, but I watched the entire Senate hearing yesterday. It was a hell of a show. Mesmerizing. Ir was a dark drama that, when all is said and done, makes Macbeth look bright and cheery.
Did we find out what really happened? Not at all, nor should we have expected to. All we heard was 'he said' and 'she said'. This was not a trial and there was no presentation of evidence and no witnesses. It was a show, but a moving and well played show. All I can say is something happened. It is as definite as anything can be that Dr. Ford was assaulted, by someone at sometime and was left traumatized. For whatever reason, she associates Kavanaugh with that incident, and has done so for years.
He showed properly righteous indignation at being accused, but, as the day wore on, he seemed to grow a bit shaky and incoherent. He stopped answering questions and just kept repeating lines from his opening statement. He became apoplectic, then unresponsive,, when pushed about a possible further investigation, not a response you would expect from a man swearing his innocence. He also grew very touchy when pushed about his fondness for alcohol. I speak from experience when I say that such a response comes when you are indeed uncomfortable about your level of alcohol consumption. The point being made was, of course, that heavy drinking does wreak havoc with memory.
There are no conclusions to be drawn. In my own opinion, something happened and we will never know what because neither party really remembers. There are gaps that will not be filled in because they cannot be filled in. Should he be confirmed? No, because there will always be an overhanging cloud. That is not fair to him, bur life is not fair and it is not appropriate that a Supreme Court Justice is obscured by clouds. What I think does not make a bit of difference and he will be confirmed.
Still, it was great drama. But, when the dust settles and the uproar dies down, what will remain is the ugliness. This was American politics at its rawest. It is nothing new, but we seldom see it on such open display. There is not 1 Senator or lawyer who can, if honest, walk away with their head held high. I have seldom seen such stupidity and incompetence, such willful ignorance and stubborn nastiness. This is our Nation at its worst.
One last point. The Democrats have one chance to rake a lot of seats in the mid-terms. They must motivate young, left wing voters to get to the polls. If they play it right, the Republicans have dealt them a winning hand, 

The Destructive Lunacy of the News Media

I do not much care about the outcome of the Supreme Court Nominee. These things come and go and, most always, the opposition party acts like a bunch of buffoons. I expected no more nor no less than what is happening.
What is a disaster is the news coverage. On all news broadcasts, you are hearing pundits, commentators and reporters going on and on, over and over again about the facts of the issue. Guess what? None of them, not a single one, knows what happened at those parties.They were not there. I was not there and you were not there. Yet those in the media ramble on about the issue. The White House is throwing in random comments. A variety of Congress people (is that how we now phrase it?) are offering opinions and none of it means a thing. Commentary by Elmo and Big Bird are of equal worth. Let me say it again. None of us know what happened because we were not there.
The proper response to all of these accusations is, "Hey, here are some accusations. Let's have them investigated by the proper authorities and we'll let you know what they find. Stay tuned." Instead, the media goes on and on, just picking at sores and keeping everything on edge. They drag out all sorts of so-called experts, including some in Government on, nit a day by day, but hour by hour basis. Those idiots go along because it's and election year and this gets them on TV. And it makes things worse.
It is ironic that all of this is over a Judicial appointment and, instead of letting Judicial processes run the investigation, we have turned it over to the news media
The whole display, on both sides is sickening. My advice. Forget the whole mess. Go to work enjoy your day, go home, have some fun and get some rest. This stuff is lunacy and the news media, Congress, the White House and everyone else involved should hang their heads in utter disgust at a display that makes childish tantrums look like fine behavior. The whole mess is sickening and , ultimately is doing irreparable harm to the USA. As Jack Nicholson's character in Easy Rider said, "This used to be a damn good Country."
Hang on folks, it is going to get worse. The mid-terms are only a month and a half away and this will not be fun.

Daytime TV

I have been sick for a couple of days with God knows what. The flu, a cold. some exotic mosquito borne disease from a far off tropical land, whatever it was, it hut me like a ton of bricks I/m still not back to normal, so I have nothing of importance to say.
But, maybe I do. When you are ill, the temptation is to get bored, bet up and get busy and there are 2 possible results from those actions. !, you will make yourself sicker or 2, you, being contagious, will make others sick. Now that I think of it, there is a third possibility. You may will do both of the above
But, help is on hand. Daytime TV has something for everyone and is a fine way to pass tome when you just cannot do anything else.
Soap operas, old comedies and drams, and game shows have been around since the 1950s. Talks shows seem a bit scarcer than they used to be, bit they are still around, along with the Judge Judys and other pseudo-court room battles.
My usual choices are the History Channel, The Travel Channel. The Food Channel,  and  the Golf Channel. I can, when sick enough, watch hours of Ancient Aliens, Chopped, Bizarre Foods ot Feherty.
Today, thankfully, I am a bit better. Still, I am a little tired and have some congestion, so, after lunch, I am going to lie down for an hour or so. I wonder if Chopped is on.

The Big Cat is Back

Okay, I was wrong. Tiger Woods did win another tournament, and did so in fine style. I never thought he could overcome the enormous physical challenges and, as I know from personal experience. constant pain takes a psychic toll. Remember, he has a whole bunch of metal in his back. But he did it.
A year ago, he could barely stand and was developing a pretty strong drug problem. But, when given the all clear from his doctors, he went to work. He returned to the gym an d the golf course and worked. He had to build a new swing when he had no idea how far he could push things. He is 42, a time of life when pro golfers don't win a lot. He was able to do this for a couple of reasons.
First, at this point, no one in the game knows the game better. He has hot and practiced every shot imaginable and know every bump on most of the courses
Second, sheer will power. Once he saw he could play, he was determined to be competitive. Once he was competitive, he was determined to win. Here's an example. At some tournament earlier in the year, the weather was rainy and cold by the time dusk was falling. All the other players were in for the day. No one was on the practice area, except Tiger. He was on the putting green, in rain gear, by himself, hitting purr after putt.
If he can stay healthy, next year's golf season may be very interesting. Today's young stars will have to step it up because, Tiger will not back off.

Look to the Rabbit

Americans and may other folks are going to have to change their eating habits. The main issue is beef. I love beef. When I was a kid, its was cheap and I was brought up on huge roasts and sirloin steaks and huge hamburgers. It was great and I still lobe them. But, here is the problem.
It takes a lot of land to raise cattle, along with a lot of feed and a whole lot of water (for both the feed and the cows). Potable water is an issue around the World. As the climate changes, and make no mistake, it is changing rapidly (sorry Mt. President. You are wrong about this issue). drought is affecting huge American farming area. California, where they grow a lot of produce is in a long drought and the Midwestern farmlands where they grow all the grain are also lacking rain. When less feed is grown, you must raise fewer cattle and it will soon become a question of whether we want water and produce for humans or feed and water for cows.
To those who say, as some always will, 'That won't happen in the USA," well, it has. Read your history books and learn if the Dust Bowl days of Oklahoma. The difference is that there were a lot fewer people than there were then
Beef will likely nit go away entirely, but it will grow monstrously expensive. Pork is an option but, again, there is a problem. Free range pork is a wonderful meat. Pigs raised on today's factory farms have a nightmarish life and, the ensuing karmic issues aside, they have little flavor. Same for poultry. We have fushed the oceans literally to bear death and while farm raised fish is fine, you had better look closely ar the farming conditions, unless you enjoy eating hormones and pesticides.
So, I believe that we must turn to the rabbit,, It takes very little room, food or water to raise them and the meat is tasty and wonderful, lean and healthy. They are easy and cheap to raise, in part because they breed like, well, rabbits. You have a continuously self replacing crop.
All you have to do is get people to stop thinking of them as Bugs Bunny or Peter Rabbit. Those who raise them. my Dad did when he was young (it was during the Depression and they raised them for meat) will tell you that to know them is not to love them. Dispelling the myth of the cute little bunnies should not be difficult.
So, I say to you, Look to the Rabbit, unless you really want to live on tofu. Have a Blessed and fun weekend