I Won’t Let Them Get Me Down! Observations on a bright spring day.

A little verse for when things look worse.

I’ve written much the last few days
Of courts and cults and horrors.
I’ve slung the mud,
Not toed the line,
I chose to take no quarters.

“You’re far too mean,” was said to me
By Barb, my sharpest critic.
“The things you say
Are very harsh.
Your tongue is too acidic.”

And so it’s time to calibrate,
To find some sweeter words.
To find the good
In what I see,
The moon, the grass, the birds.

We took a walk around the loop,
That’s the border of our ‘hood.
Our dog was prancing
At our side.
His temperament was good.

A gorgeous day, the sky was blue.
Not a drop was raining.
80 degrees
With a freshening breeze.
It was time to stop complaining.

So I thought about the many things,
That make my life completer.
Our family blessed
With all its health.
There’s nothing could be sweeter.

The friends we’ve had for a thousand years,
At least that’s how it seems.
And the new ones in
Our neighborhood.
With whom we share Canasta schemes.

The trips we take, and those we plan
For someday around the corner.
We’ll see the Arctic
When I retire
Or visit someplace warmer.

The films we watch, the books we read,
Shows on Hulu, Max, and cable.
Give our minds an escape
And open our lives
When Closed Captioning we enable.

We volunteer and donate blood and stuff
To help those who need a hand.
Those things bring good
Into our lives
And allow our horizons to expand.

Best, there’s this blog, this thing I do
Because for me, to write’s a pleasure.
And to hear your responses
And your points of view
Provides my thoughts with a refresher.

So I’ll be kind, no venom breathe
I’ll be no rabble rouser.
Until the next piece
Of vile Fox news,
Appears on my M’soft browser.

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A Look At The Week That Was. Donald Trump Emails Donny Jr.

Donald Trump in Illinois–photo courtesy Chicago Tribune

Les is More readers: I found this email in my inbox this morning. I don’t know who leaked it to me, but thanks.

Hey Donny,

What a week, hey? It’s the hugest since the Dems and Libtards and the LGBTQholes “stole” the election.

Just think, it is almost two years later and half the country still believes that bullshit. But as long as it keeps adding to my bottom line and keeps these idiot hicks chanting my name we’ll keep pushing the story. Good thing they aren’t watching the Congressional faux hearings, not that those cretins would understand a thing being said.

Speaking of those hayseeds, I just spent the day in Quincy, Illinois endorsing morons. What a shithole downstate Illinois is. Christ, it’s practically Iowa. If they allowed abortions after incest the population would be zero.

And while ~~incest~~ family is on my mind, what do you think of that crap from Ivanka? Doesn’t she know that if she stops the steal story she stops my money machine? And if she stops my money machine she stops the cash flow into her trust. What an airhead. She’s gotten to be as goofy as Jared, not that she was ever particularly bright.

How’s Kimmy? Still hot?

Gotta love the Supreme Court though. Thanks to my humongous nominations of Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and that Coney Barrett chick I get to take the credit, not that I give a rat’s ass about abortion rights. If I get anyone in ‘the family way” I can still fly ’em off to some other country for the necessaries…you don’t have to worry about any new brother or sister brats. I made THAT mistake 16 years ago.

But how about those back-stabbers McConnell and McCarthy letting some new gun legislation pass? I haven’t read it but I hate it. Like I said before, I could shoot either of them on Time Square and not lose a single vote. MTG would probably pin a medal on my chest–not that I would let that face within ten feet of me.

OK, I’m tired of writing. Carlson is on.

Dad

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Supreme Court Reinstates Slavery; Follows Up Roe V Wade by Declaring 13th Amendment Null and Void

(Washington, DC, Special to More about Les) In a surprise but unsurprising move, the Supreme Court today invalidated the 13th Amendment, returning to each state the right to declare slavery legal within its own borders. The Court also declared the Fugitive Slave Act, an 1850 law requiring all states to return runaway slaves to their owners, as the “law of the land.”

Although no legal case involving slavery was before the court, Associate Justice Sam Alioto told reporters “we are merely reestablishing this great nation, the nation that the Founding Fathers created. We feel this Court has that right, and that responsibility.”

The majority opinion, written by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, stated that since nowhere in the original Constitution was slavery banned, Congress did not have the right to do so.

In a supplement, the Court stated they would be reviewing and potentially discarding all Constitutional amendments, except for the short portion of the 2nd amendment dealing with the right to bear arms, which the supplement states is a “God-given right inadvertently left out of the original Constitution by an inebriated James Madison.”

The majority opinion and supplement were signed by Associate Justices Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett. The minority opinion, written by Associate Justice Sotomayor, and signed by Sotomayor and her fellow liberal appointees Associate Justices Kagan and Breyer read in its entirety “These guys are f-ing crazy.” Chief Justice Roberts signed neither opinion and was seen wandering the halls of the Supreme Court Building babbling incoherently.

Justices Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett stated that though their confirmation hearings were contentious, no one had asked them their views on slavery, so no one could complain about their opinion on this ruling.

Former President Donald Trump speaking at an NRA convention in rural Mississippi praised the move, stating “It was Giuliani’s idea, but I made this possible, I get all the credit. Hang Pence.” NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre announced the organization would consider changing its name to NRSA, the Nation Rifle and Slavery Association.

In an immediate response to the ruling, Governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas announced they will offer tax incentives to any company within their states operating with slave labor. Other state governors and legislatures will likely follow suit.

In a possibly related event, a giant tear was seen on the cheek of the Abraham Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial.

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Mr. Reinsdorf, It Is Time. This Pathologist Says So.

Loyalty. Forgiveness. Redemption

I rarely write about sports, but today I am compelled to do so, feeling a parallel in my life to something happening with my beloved Chicago White Sox.

In 1986 Tony La Russa was fired as manager of the White Sox. He went on to have a wonderful managerial career for other teams, winning three World Series and being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Before last year’s baseball season, Jerry Reinsdorf, the long-time owner of the White Sox (and Chicago Bulls) stated that firing La Russa was the biggest mistake of his career. In an effort to do a “make-good” and turn back the clock, Reinsdorf made an unpopular choice and rehired La Russa to manage the team.

For those who don’t follow the fortunes of the Sox, the team is populated by several young stars. Going into this season the Pale Hose were considered a strong competitor for their first World Series championship since 2005. But so far, this season has been mired in mediocrity.

Injuries have played a big part in this season’s disappointing results, but much of the blame needs be laid at the feet of La Russa. In the fairly unanimous opinion of fans and sportscasters, both local and national, many of his managerial decisions have been wrong, bizarre, and have cost the Sox victories.

Mr. Reinsdorf’s loyalty and desire to right what he perceives as an almost 40 year ago mistake have kept La Russa in his job, despite an outcry from most of us to dismiss him, hire a better manager, and give the team a chance to fulfill its destiny.

So where is the parallel to me? Almost twenty years ago shifting loyalties and relationships led to the ending of my partnership with a large pathology group. I went on to create and direct the UroPartners Laboratory, and while I may not be in any Hall of Fame, I think I have done a pretty, pretty, pretty good job.

And since then two of the principals in the group that “divorced” me have told me it was the biggest mistake of their careers. Just like Reinsdorf’s comment about La Russa.

But you know what? Neither of my former partners had any inclination to bring me back. Nor would I have wanted to. My time with them was in the past, and I would have had no business looking at a brain or bone biopsy after my years immersed in prostates and bladders. They told me they were wrong, I appreciated it, and that was that.

So, Mr. Reinsdorf, I understand you are trying to make up for what you perceive as your past mistake. But you have made your apology. La Russa’s time as an effective manager has passed. Now it is time to move on…and that means moving on without Tony La Russa managing the White Sox.

I am waiting.

The above is the opinion of the author and not UroPartners LLC.

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What’s Wrong With These Doors?

“Beep, Beep.”

No, It is not the Roadrunner. It is the refrigerator is beeping at me. Once again I have left the freezer door open. Not even our upscale wood-paneled, state-of-the-art side-by-side refrigerator-freezer can keep things cool if I keep doing that.

Leaving doors open is a tendency of mine that has become frightfully frequent. And it does not stop with the Sub-Zero. I have bruised hips from kitchen drawers I only partially close and then bump into. I have suffered innumerable near concussions hitting my head against the cabinet door above my microscope, the one I perpetually leave half-open.

Of course, not all of my door-closing forgetfulness leads to bodily damage. This weekend I left the trunk lid open while shopping at our favorite Sunset Grocery Store. Sure, in the past I have left the gas cap cover open. Who hasn’t? But the whole trunk lid? A new low for me. Fortunately, no dishonest shoppers decided to borrow any of the fold-up camp chairs that were stored in the “boot.”

But I have to confess, all these dooritos have gotten me to start worrying. Is my inattentiveness to closing doors and drawers and trunk lids the start of a previously undescribed neurological disorder? Is it akin to one of those rare entities like prosopagnosia (the inability to make out details in faces,) or Capgras Syndrome (the belief that someone you know has been replaced by an imposter?) Will I soon mistake my wife for a hat? Does this condition have a name? Am I suffering from Doorignorsia?

Barb says not to worry. She says I have never been any good at closing things. Or at turning off lights when I leave the room. It’s all just part of my absent-minded-professor persona, just like the emails I send without the promised attachments or the black suit I forget to pick up from the dry cleaner in time for the important dinner. Details, details, details.

Just to be safe and in the interest of continuity, I had better end this blog before I lose track of where I started. And oh yeah, I’m going to try to remember to close the door when I go to the fridge for a snack.

.For our previous blog on early reading, click HERE!

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Early Reading Should Be One Thing: Fun

Banning books. Burning books. Books pushing agendas. What about books that teach kids that it’s fun to read?

Growing up in the city, I always got such pleasure reaching for a favorite book. It was just as much fun as a game of fastpitch at the Field School schoolyard, or hoops at Leone Fieldhouse. And that passion outlived other time-passers. I don’t play baseball or basketball anymore, but I still love curling up with a good novel in the sunroom.

Plenty of the books I read in those formative years came from Scholastic Books. Our classroom teacher would distribute the company’s flyer to our classroom. I would pore over each book description, trying to make the best choice for the 3 or 4 books I would convince my parents to order for me. And I felt darn proud when the teacher told the class that I could choose anything I wanted, even though some books were a year or two above our grade level.

My penchant for mystery stories came early. I remember being in 2nd or 3rd grade hunting for clues in The Secret of Black Rock, The Dugout Canoe Mystery, and Emil and the Detectives. Those were but precursors to my discovery of Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Sherlock Holmes. Highpockets and other books by the prolific author John R Tunis were my passageways to sports fiction.

There were kid-geared biographies, too. After one School Parent’s Night Book Fair, my folks surprised me with a biography of Helen Keller. It was paired with a Thomas Edison biography containing the story, probably apocryphal, of the young inventor being pulled onto a train by his ears.

When I was eight my Swiss uncle gave me the English translation of the German children’s book Lottie and Lisa by Erich Kästner. While the title may not seem familiar to you, I assure you that you crushed on either Hayley Mills or Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap, movies based on that Kastner story.

Not every book had a story to tell. I memorized volumes filled with jokes, riddles, and whimsical verses. The first poem I could ever recite?

The Thunder God went for a ride,
Upon his favorite filly.
"I'm Thor," he cried.
The horse replied,
"You forgot your thaddle, thilly."

Now ask me how much of The Wasteland from my college English Lit of the 20th Century course I can remember…

Yes, I understand that early reading needs to be inclusive and non-stereotypical. But please, please, please let it be fun. What is more effective than instilling the joy of reading to produce a loving, caring, open-minded person and citizen?

Are you a music or radio fan? Check out our previous post here.

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WXRT Hires New Jock–A Greeting To Her From the Program Director.

Getting More from Les Blog Readers: You might have read that WXRT has hired a new DJ, AnnaLisa Parziale, a radio veteran with stints in San Francisco and Boston. Somehow, an email from ‘XRT program director Laura Duncan to Annalisa wound up in my inbox. I reproduce it below with only slight editing for brevity.

******

Dear Annalisa,

Welcome to Chicago and WXRT. As your program director, I am sure that I will be your new best friend in the whole world, no matter what Lin Brehmer tells you.

I know that throughout your career you have heard great things about WXRT and that you are looking forward to all the freedom and variety that you will have while programming your show. There are just a few little rules, or as I like to call them, suggestions, that will help you fit into our family.

You are required to play one song by The Cure on each shift. We have six tracks to choose from. I prefer if you don’t play Friday I’m In Love on Fridays. It is just sooo cliche.
The Clash must always be referred to as The Only Band That Matters, even though we only have two of their songs on our allowed playlist.
Terri plays the Beatles. Period.
We feature a heavy rotation of one Grateful Dead song a month. Last month’s selection was Touch of Grey. This month I haven’t yet decided between Uncle John’s Band or Touch of Grey. I will let you know when I make up my mind. In the meantime, in case you have any inclination to play Truckin’, don’t.
Sprinkle in a few anecdotes of the first time you heard a particular band in concert. It doesn’t have to make sense, but it shows the listeners you are just like them.
Playing Chicago music means playing Smashing Pumpkins, or occasionally Wilco. And a couple of blues guys to prove how hip we are. Their names escape me.
For the first 45 years of this station, Aerosmith was just the misspelling of a Sinclair Lewis novel. But ever since The Loop, Chicago’s harder rock station, shut down, we at XRT have been courting their Incel former listeners. Therefore we have been rocking Dream On every other Tuesday. Ditto, I’m looking for a slot to crank out some Van Halen. You good with Panama?
We don’t do news, Huey Lewis or otherwise. Mary Dixon has left the building.
In view of your recent history in Massachusetts, and because our listeners fantasize over Phoebe Cates, you may play The Cars Moving in Stereo as often as you desire. On the other hand, playing the band Boston is strictly verboten. So is playing Chicago.
Måneskin. Always more Måneskin. I’m begging.

Good luck and welcome.

REM forever,

Laura

Read our take on the Supreme Court.

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