GOING HOME -WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!

My old neighborhood in Boston created an alumni association that has been active for about 40 years. I joined as a lifetime member in 1979 when I sent the association my ten dollars. Periodically they have reunions so that people can reconnect with other people from their school, their street, their club or pool hall. For me, the schools were the Bradford (gone) the Shaw, the Walcott (gone) and the Lewinberg. My street was Marden Avenue but I hung out on Lucerne Street, Willowood Street and Woodrow Avenue and the corners at Morton Street, Woodrow Avenue and Blue Hill Avenue. (There was a feature film entitled Blue Hill Avenue). Mickey’s Pool Hall on Livingstone Street is where I honed my skills with regard to those 15 numbered balls you heard about in the Music Man.

That was my immediate world as I matured into a teenager. Every few years I get to revisit that time and place. Times have changed and so has that place. This last visit was under the guise of attending my neighborhood reunion, but it was more than that. Five years ago I revisited my old neighborhood and my late wife’s neighborhood with my son and grandson.  It was very emotional, especially recounting the times I was in my late wife’s home, walking down her street, the local Howard Johnsons and the Circle Theater. When it came to my neighborhood we were quite cautious except for hot dog stand were we got out of the car had had foot longs.

My son and grandson got a taste of what it was like to grow up on my streets and my neighborhood back in the 50’s and 60’s. But during that visit I missed some things that have been a part of my psyche since I was a child. So, I did what I was told very dangerous – I was told that several years ago and it appeared to be the same after watching “Boston’s Finest” on TV recently. I did it anyway and it was terrific. I got out of the cah and spoke to the people.

The first place that I spoke to people was on Marden Avenue. That was, after getting my hot dog at Simco By The Bridge! I rolled down the street, which is maybe 100 yard long, and stopped by a man that was washing his car. I told him that where he is standing is about 30 feet from where I grew up. We got into a terrific conversation about the neighborhood and the condo he lives in that was the school yard for the Bradford. The layout of the complex followed the exact lines of the schoolyard.

One of the stories I related to the man was how the street was considered a “private way “  and after any snow storm the city would never plow it. The neighbors had to pitch in to get a snow plow on the street. There was always one neighbor that would never contribute and their Nash was not seen until April. The neighborhood was now almost entirely African-American but it was a much calmer place now.

There was one original building standing that was number 19. Numbers 3, 7, 11 and 15 were gone but there were some newer buildings, two family style not six family, were there where the originals stood.

Then I drove the three blocks (seemed longer many years ago) to the big shul on Woodrow Avenue, Within the radius of about two blocks from the big shul there were about five Orthodox synagogues. As I rolled by the big shul a young black man asked me if I needed help. I asked if I could go in and see the synagogue. I was invited in after I found very tight pahkin space!

This big shul  is now the big Seventh Day Adventist church. So being Saturday I wished the congregants I met a Shabbat Shalom. I explained it to them that this is s greeting wishing a peaceful Sabbath and soon many of the people in the church were speaking Hebrew! As I was escorted through the building related stories that were relative the shul. One such story was about the corner of Woodrow Avenue and Lucerne Street was Freddy Bloom square. The plaque is still there. (Remember Bloomie’s produce stand?)

The interior has changed as the sanctuary was built out from where the Torahs were stored and the rabbi gave you your Bar Mitzvah gifts to what would have been about the fifth row. Pews still had mogen dovids on the ends. The center bema was gone but the chandelier was still glowing above there it would have been. I then related the story of Rabbi Strasburg and his first Yom Kippur service as he was about to deliver a fiery sermon as he was sort of auditioning for the job of rabbi. He was standing under the chandelier on the center bema, the lights went out. Then I had to explain what a Shabbos Goy was. A non-Jewish neighborhood volunteer that could do work on the Shabbat or High Holy Days. That person was an essential and appreciated member of the community.

As the rabbi spread his arms punctuating his words in the din of the lightless synagogue, his white robes flowing as open windows provided for some air flow (there was no air conditioning then, and I was told there is still none now) his robes were flowing with the breeze. His head flung back with the big white yarmulke, his voice resonating and as he looked up at the chandelier he implored with a cry, “Let the light be kindled!” The chandelier came to life.

The three hours I spent in the synagogue were cathartic for me and informative for my new Seventh Day Adventist friends. As I walked down the steps out of the shul, I heard my black friend say “Shabbat Shalom.”

That was my experience, I hope you enjoyed it.

WHAT DOES DOING THE JOB MEAN?

Whenever some one asks me to help in getting a job or a better position, here is what I counsel. Within your organization, department, etc. take the initiative. There is always something, some task that needs to be done that is either being ignored, not thought to be crucial or someone dropped the ball. No matter what it is, if it is part of the responsibility of that group, it needs to be done. If you recognize that then do it. Get it done. Do not do a Freddy Prinze on it by saying, “Not my job, man.” It is your job to see that your department or organization is successful.

When that task is done and done well, it is recognized by peers and superiors. Some peers may see it as power grab but superiors see it as taking the reins and leading the way. Leadership.  Doing hard things, small things, easy things that others don’t want to do or failed to do.

That is what I admire about this president. Yesterday he was criticized for not leading and today he was criticized for leading. The weak leader of the House of Representatives is also seeking to circumvent the president’s leadership by suing him for doing his job. I did find out that we cannot sue the Speaker for not doing his job. He has had oversight of the House that has the worst record in history regarding legislation. However, this majority has had the best record of creating scandals that don’t exist, wasting the legislature’s time in pursuing issues that are nonissues, ignoring the will of the people regarding gun laws, immigration policy and taxation. That is precisely the opposite of leadership and the Speaker wants to sue the president for doing his job when the Speaker won’t do his. The Speaker is another Horshack – “look, look what the president did.”

The president did what he felt needed to be done in order for the country to move ahead. Did he go too far in his interpretation of the law? Maybe? He did break any laws, no. So here is what the Speaker is complaining about: the president is doing his job. He is doing the job he was elected to do. Creating and implementing policies what the speaker and other members of the House were elected to do – they didn’t do any of that, well, very little, almost nothing.

They managed to shut down the government and cost you and I 24 Billion dollars for no reason nor any result worthy of talking about, except spending 24 billion dollars for nothing.

Remember what I said about peers not liking it. Well, that is what happened. But their superiors, us, the people who put them all in office loved what was done. The NLRB and the Consumer Protection Agency are now functioning and working on our behalf. The president did what they failed to do – their job.

The speaker and his colleagues are also ticked off about Executive Orders. Since this president has created less of them than any of this predecessors, what are the pissing and moaning about? They hate it that this president is competent and his competency is showing up their lack of any competency.

I don’t know what will happen next November.  If it is business as usual people will vote against their best interest and keep these clowns in their job so they can get a paycheck and do nothing for it except complain. I am really looking forward to the rhetoric that explains that doing nothing is helping the country. Maybe not authorizing another Iraq war is a good example of doing nothing that works. That would have been great ten years ago, not so much now.

I think that speaker needs another drink. Having his impotence exposed is most disturbing to him. I am sure he is looking for a little blue pill to create some blood circulation to his brain, either one. He is on a horse that is standing still, won’t run and can’t Cantor. (My apologies).

I suggest give it some thought. The speaker’s colleagues proposed legislation that when the president agreed with it, they now hated it. The obvious is out there.

What does amaze me that many of the ideas that have been proposed and the “no nothing at all Congress” opposed are now actually being done without them. States are increasing their minimum wage laws. States that did not like the AHCA are now creating the exchanges and embracing the new laws. The scary thing is that some of the populous think that access to better and more affordable healthcare is a bad thing, but they don’t know why it is. But these are the people that sent them to Congress. I guess you get what you deserve.

That is my take – you decide.

A FAR BETTER PLACE

I suggest a drink before reading this:

When we go to some funerals we hear these words. “He/ she is in a far better place.” Really?! How do they know that? Have they been there to witness the streets with trees and beautiful flowers adorning the paths? No traffic jams? No pollution? And the two things that are for certain in this life are death and taxes. Can you be dead twice?  When you are dead who is going to tax you? The Eternal Revenue Service?

So, it may be that when laid to rest or cremated or buried at sea you may find yourself in “far better place.” If you do, call me.

We talk about spirits never dying. I would love to believe that. The persons that have died leave their energy force for us to feel. That energy, as described by many, is available to us to tap into and we are able contact those that are in a far better place. If that is true and you believe it – great!

Here is what I see. Being in that far better place stops that person from growing older and gaining the knowledge and experience and sometimes the wisdom that age brings. That person is frozen in time and will be remembered as we last saw that person. The 21 kids at Sandy Hook will never go to college or even high school. They will never experience first loves, first heartbreaks, first sex, first R rated films. Maybe in that far better place they have theaters, young women that will provide for them. But they will have been too young to appreciate or even know what they are missing.

Their far better place is in a plot of land in Connecticut that is dedicated to interment. Lowered in a box down six feet and covered with soil with the hope that their spirit will somehow emerge and give us signs that they are with us. That would be very heartening – were it true.

I had attended a funeral for a young man that went to school with my daughter who was killed in a drug buy. We all went to the grave side and listened to the clergy talk about that better pace for this young man. I guess that there are no drugs in that better place. Now this "young man with is now with his savior." Where was the savior when he was being murdered?

Seventy two virgins are provided for Islamic men who die as “martyrs.” That, if true, is a better place. Not one Islamic man has returned for treatment for STDs. With 72 women at his disposal there has to be one that got something to transmit. What about Islamic women?  Is that a far better place for them? If they are not virgins can they be reassigned? What about Islamic women that are martyred? What does their “far better place” look like?

My point is that when someone dies they do not go to a “far better place.” They go to the local cemetery. They take with them all the life experiences they have had to that point. They take their loves that they have demonstrated to friends and family with them. They take their intellect, their knowledge, their desires, their personalities but not their worldly goods to that plot of land.

In one of the readings done during a memorial service, says “do not go there for I am not there. “ Then where are you? That plot of land is the last place I saw you. It is my hope that there is a spirit that lives and somehow we can experience that spirit or that energy. But, I still do not think that it is a far better place. We cannot touch them nor them us. We cannot hear them nor them us. We cannot see them nor them us. The best that we can hope for the energy that we feel when we think of the departed, the energy we feel when we touch what that they have treasured in this life.

Recently, I have read the obituaries in the Los Angeles Times. (If I don’t see my name I feel that his is a good day for me.) So many obituaries begin by saying “he/she is in a far better place.” But then go on about where the funeral will be.

To me the better place is in our consciousness. People who die live through us. When we discuss them, when we recall them, when we relate common experiences with them, when we cry for them and when we laugh recalling them. This is the one life we know and for the people who have passed on that better place may be in our hearts and minds.

We never think of the dead in negative terms (I am speaking of close friends and family. The better place may be the positive things that we recall.) That is the place, in our memory, that gives us joy by recalling the person in life.

Kabbalah teaches us that to be with the light is actual peace. I have experienced that on one rare occasion.  When a person dies they say they are at peace. That thought is comforting but misleading. When a person dies they are in absolute darkness. They experience no light, no pain – nothing sensory, so are they at peace. I do know that some people actually crave their moment of death because of the pain they are in. I truly believe that there is something in our brains that prepares us for that moment when there is no more pain. Remember Philadelphia Story with Tom Hanks? He was in a great deal of pain but clung to life then said,” I am ready now.” Was he going to a better place? He was about to be in no pain at all and that may be a better situation, but he had to lose life to achieve it.

There are stories of “near death” experiences. The operative words are “near death.” No-one who has died has come back at a later date in time and reported on what they experienced after being dead. Even the TV Show Resurrection does not tell you where the were only that they came back. The characters come back exactly as they were when they "died."

I have pondered these questions since the moment my wife died. I was looking for some comfort in knowing that she may be in a better place. I am not trying to make you uncomfortable with death as death is a very common part of life as we all will experience it at some time. From the very instant we are born we are journeying to our death. What we do in the time in between is what defines us and what we have done in life is what keeps us alive long after we have gone. Two examples: Jesus and Hitler.

That is my take – you decide.

ARGUMENTS I DON'T GET TO HAVE - THANKFULLY

I have imaginary arguments with someone that I know really wants to call and get down and nasty on some of the latest political issues. I have severed that relationship because I have lost faith, trust, respect and confidence in that person. But nevertheless, I miss proving him with facts when he provides me with Hannity, O’Reilly and other Fox misinformation generated by these guys and others. So, to compensate I have these imaginary arguments. These, believe it or not, are quite satisfying.

Here is what I mean: I imagine the call with the question, “So, what do you think of Obamacare and the sign ups so far? Not doing what they expected. It is a failure! ”My reply: “according to whom?”

Just the other day (April 16, 2014) the Gallup Poll says that there are several million people insured that were not insured just a year ago. Eight million have signed since last October. Having proper health coverage was brought home to the populous as a result of all the publicity, good and bad.

“It is a jobs killer.”  Hmmm. Just a couple of years ago Paul Ryan was saying the not getting health care that you can take with you is “job lock.” The AHCA will expand the job market, actually placing better qualified people where they are needed and making better money!

The rates are going up as we predicted.  Not really, according to OMB premiums are actually going down. “People lost their health programs. They were cancelled.” Right. The policies that were cancelled were sub-standard. That means any coverage that might have been provide was minimal and out of pocket would have also put the insured into bankruptcy for a major medical problem. Obama lied. Not really, he said if you like your policy you can keep it. He made the assumption that people understood the policy they had and would not like it. So, they wouldn’t keep it. And many didn’t keep because they saw that the insurers screwed them. Who lied, Obama or the insurers? The insurance companies didn’t like those policies. By the way these policies were sold after the AHCA went into effect. So, the insured were sold a bill of goods and this was a problem waiting to happen that was caused by the insurance companies hoping that it would create a real back lash. Not so much.

For the record, the AHCA (Obamacare) went into law in 2011. The insurance portion of the law went into effect in 2013.

Here is the argument I would have expected from my ex-friend with regard to the Ukrainian crisis. Obama is weak. He can’t stand up to Putin. Obama needs to be a stronger leader. That is this week. Before the right wing radio and TV (from which my ex-friend gets his opinions) was saying that Obama is a dictator, he is strong arming the U.S. with his policies. They try to have it both ways.

I have a simple question: Which of your two sons are you willing to lose in a war that you are so vehemently pushing for? That is what boots on the ground means.  WAR! Remember Benghazi! That was a failure of leadership or a stupid trip by a diplomat that was warned against going. That is the truth. The cover up never happened. Even Issa has stopped looking into it. “They haven’t shown us everything.” That is the cry. It must be a conspiracy of Clinton, Obama and Soros.  The Right always manages to get George Soros in the equation.

According to Newt Gingrich, a man of dubious character, we need to get government out of our lives. I agree that there may be too much government in some cases, like vaginal probes for women as the right wants, before a woman can exercise her right to control her own body.

“Food stamps are being abused by everyone who has them.”  I have seen the lady in the Congress show you a bottle of Vodka and caviar she claims were bought with EBT cards. They actually had one guy of questionable repute talk about how he abused the system – one guy, just one. That is right, just one!

I have been in line at the market and watch as the cashier as she pulled some items off the belt after they were rung up because the EBT card would not cover them. The customer either paid cash or didn’t buy the items at all. The cashier has no decision making to do, the bar codes on the product and the program in the system insures that abuse is minimalized. The SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) helps people feed their families. Beats dumpster diving! Just look at who is against the program, people that spend more on a lunch in D.C. that a family gets for a month with SNAP.

The argument to deter Voter Fraud is also a pet issue on the right. What we have learned, and people have gone to prison for it, is that there is little voter fraud, but immense Election Fraud. Ask the guy in Ohio that is still in lock up. Obama won by more than five million votes. Even if three million were based in fraud, he still wins. If we had three million fraudulent votes, that would stick out like a black man on a Darrell Issa committee.

So, my ex-friend I am waiting. But please don’t call; there is no point in it. You have access to the internet and access to news reports. Read them. Think about them and allow Sean Hannity escape from your brain.  Take some aspirin for you GlenBeckanaitis, use some Max Factor not O’Reilly Factor to cover up your inability to rationally think.

An educated opinion is always welcome. Believe it or not, I have changed my opinion when presented with facts. Vitriol does not influence my thinking. There will be and always will be someone that does not agree with me. That is OK. I had lunch with someone like that recently. We discuss other things that we can either agree on or require no agreement.

You see, I have these imaginary arguments with my ex-friend and if he still gets his misinformation from the “Fox and Friends” group, it will remain as is: no friend and still not informed. The good thing about having this one sided argument is that I get to win – every time. Believe it or not, I would rather that record for winning be for poker.

That is my take – you decide!

I NEED A BREAK!

Between Putin and his antics, McCain’s lobbying for a war and Rand Paul is trying to attack everyone, the intense search for MH670 is getting stupid, at least in the news media and listening to the talking heads that know less than I do about the situation -  I need a break. I turned to Facebook!

I often monitor my Facebook page to see what is going on in the immediate world of people I know, people who think they know me, and people I am not so sure about and just plain people who need to share too much data about themselves, I ran across a posting that caught my eye and got my attention. I was recently telling someone that I just met about how I try to behave in this new “dating world” I find myself in. My dad told me many years ago, whatever you do, “always be a gentleman.”

I am sure that there were times that the thought did not come through but when I am aware of my  situation I try to follow his sage advice.

There was a posting that there are 45 words of wisdom that should have been handed down. While I may not have heard them directly from my father, I may have gotten some of these from my mother. I won’t restate all 45 of these words of wisdom, but some need to be revisited and shared.

“Go for women you perceive to be out of your league, you will surprise yourself.” I totally agree. But I did get a form of that advise form Sammy Amalfi when I was 12 years old when I worked in the produce section of a local supermarket. He said, “Kid, never hang around people who are dumber than you, you will never learn anything.” Sammy was so right. I have applied that principle in my life with men and women. I have never feared smart women, I tried to engage them.

“Every hat should serve a purpose.”  My hats serve several purposes though I hate wearing hats. Bed head! Grab the hat on the way to gym – no combing required. Helmet - in combat or on a motorcycle. Support your team –Red Sox, The Boom, Crescenta Valley High, etc. I have a large collection – about 25 caps, but no “hats.” My dad wore a fedora and every year or two he bought a new one. The care he took of his hats was amazing. It was in the closet in a large hat box. That was the 50s when men wore hats and his purpose was to look good when looking good was required. I used to love to go the shop where they cleaned and blocked his hats.

Taking a woman to the movies on a first date can create conversation at dinner afterwards but if it was an NC-17 rated film, you many never see her again. That is a no-no!

 Looking badass in a well tailored suit is another axiom that should be followed. My grandfather, whom I never met, was always dressed well, I am told. I have a photo of him in very well tailored suit. He was a tailor in the US after serving in the Russian Army as a captain. I would love to have seen photos if him in his uniform. Nothing is sharper than a military uniform that is tailored well. My grandfather and my dad looked good in their suits.


Looking a person in the eye when you talk to them is a must unless they are sitting beside you. That is the only time that you don’t – but never talk and not try to look them in the eye – that is rude and cowardly.

“Buy a plunger before you need a plunger.” Nuff sed!

Learn to tie a tie. Clip-ons are not sexy. There are some basic knots you have to learn. My first was a full Windsor. They were great with Mr. Bs collars (from the 1950s – remember?) but with pointed collars, a half Windsor or four in hand is better and neater.  Bill Clinton once sported a full Windsor that could hide a family of four! Check the guys on TV. Many of them don’t know how to tie a proper knot, they don’t care or are just lazy. Brian William of NBC does know how to tie a proper knot as does our president. Local anchors look like local yokels with their ties. Even Bill Maher needs some education that area.

Handshakes must be firm. Always.  And always stand to give someone a handshake.

Ask questions, people like to talk about themselves. I knew someone that did not like to be asked questions and then complained that no one asked any questions. That person did not ask questions either and gave the impression that she didn’t care. You learn by asking and the when asked the learn.

Being a man means you can take care of yourself, but you can, when needed, take care of others. My dad rose to the occasion when he thought that I need some care. I was in my 50s and taking care of him and when I needed him most, he was there, he took care of me – my dad was a “man.”

You can’t see what is front of you when you walk looking at your shoes. Look ahead, that is what is coming next.

There is no work that is demeaning, all work deserves respect – just ask those that have no job. Everyone deserves your respect. Give and ye shall receive – simple.

Going back to Sammy Amalfi’s advise, if you find yourself as the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room.  Create opportunities to learn from others. Expand your interests. Spending time with like-minded people is great but nothing new comes from it.

I did not comment on all 45 of life’s rules as should be told by our fathers and mothers. There even more than 45 but these, that were listed, hit home. Most of us live by them whether we have the list in front of us or not. We were brought up that way and our behavior in life is governed by those principles.  There are those that do not realize them or honor those ideals.  I am talking about US, our culture, our country, our way of life.

The last principle is the best advise you can get, man or woman: Whatever you do in life be the best at it.

That is my take – you decide.


Please note: The photo above is of my grandfather.

MAKING UP YOUR OWN MIND

Whether it is a political candidate or the Affordable Health Care Act or a movie or play – I make up my own mind. You can’t really do that intelligently unless you research the subject in some depth. No, you don’t have to be an expert, but you should check the experts for their opinion and find out where that opinion comes from and why.

So many people who opine on matters don’t have the expertise or knowledge to actually opine with authority. Just replay the Super Bowl interview that O’Reilly had with the president. The president had facts and O'Reilly had opinions not necessarily based in fact and he got taken to the woodshed.

Look at the recent CBO report regarding “Job Lock.” Rand Paul who is knowledgeable said in a an interview that job lock was creating some bad productivity because the employee could not afford to lose benefits if that employee changed jobs. Paul thought that was terrible – that was a few years ago. Now that the AHCA allows employees to leave their jobs and either retire or seek new employment and take their insurance with them, Paul is saying that this law is a jobs killer – when it isn’t. In fact if job lock is now a thing of the past it will open opportunities for new employees and increase jobs. The CBO report said nothing about job loss, which is not “job leaving.” Read the report and make up your own mind.

The 24 hour news cycle and the need for headlines and “breaking news” distorts the actual events and the facts. That is why I like newspapers. You often get both sides of an issue with specific details and you are not restricted to a 30 second look at the story. Take all the time you want to learn the facts. The make up your own mind. Ah, but Fox loved it as they distorted the truth with glee.

I have been watching a National Geographic TV series on the “Monuments Men.” That was fascinating to watch. These well-educated experts in the arts and related field went into a combat zone, over age, out of shape and saved the culture of Europe by finding and protecting the arts that are appreciated worldwide. They went to basic training, even for a young man that is tough, carried weapons and at times, and had to use them in their pursuit. They are heroes.  Two of the men lost their lives in this effort – 33% casualties.

So, what did I read in the Los Angeles Times? It was an “Ocean’s Eleven” remake set in World War II. The critic did not like to flow of the film, he criticized the director, he criticized the script and ended saying that it was a good story, but . . . !

The next night the film premiered and I went to see it. I saw another film that evidently this critic did not see. I saw a great story with good direction with great acting and some wonderful facts that created a good outcome. It entertained me; it educated me and made me feel good after the film ended. I guess a critic needs to be negative in order to earn his pay.

In New York a critic can destroy a work of art with just a few words and often does. People will not go see a critically panned play because some blow hard says it is not what he thinks it should be. Or what the actor should be doing on stage is not what the critic thinks that actor should be doing. 

For the past several years I have seen so many films and plays that critics have attended and apparently not seen, or I believe they saw something different from what I saw or experienced.

“Gravity” was a marvelous film about a woman that needed to find her courage and use her expertise to save herself under some very trying circumstances. It was an amazing movie (I saw in 3D and I am not a 3D lover) that had suspense, drama, emotion against an amazing backdrop of space. The critics said that the story was lacking, one of the two characters was not deep enough, etc., etc. I walked out of that theater feeling great because I loved the story, the characters, the effects, because it entertained and educated me and the film had a great outcome. Critics be damned!

The “Sound of Music” on TV was wonderful except for the commercial messages. Even TiVo disrupted the flow, but the music and the story were quite uplifting. There was a Country and Western singer in the lead which lead s me to believe that talent always wins out. The critics did not see the same show that I saw. I was entertained, educated and uplifted.

“August: Osage County” was a depressing film. It seemed like it would take all of August to get through the film. It was a slow, agonizing, miserable story line with great performances by the cast. There are award winning portrayals in this movie and I am sure some will get an award for their part. I do not think that this was a good movie. I was not particularly entertained; I was not educated about life in Osage County, just about this family that was really screwed up.  I walked out of the theater and my first words to a stranger were I need a drink!” But the critics loved it!

In this day and age many of us defer to the “experts” to provide for our thinking. It is easier than thinking for ourselves. One friend derided me by asking don’t you want to know the facts? Yes, I do but not Fox Facts. Not MSNBC facts. I want the facts from the impartial reporting (not sure there is any these days) but I am smart enough to figure it out for myself – at least I hope that I am. I hope that you are, too!

That is my take – you decide (for yourself)