Ready, shoot, aim. The new thought process when someone knocks on your door or pulls into your driveway when you were not expecting it. Assume they are threat to your safety. Shoot first, assess later. FUBAR and TFU.
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At the invitation of Pastor Barry Randolph of the Church of the Messiah on E. Grand Boulevard near E. Jefferson and the Belle Isle Bridge, Leah and I attended their worship service on Sunday and then participated in their “healing circles” following the service. We were asked to share how the murder of Leah’s mom has impacted our lives with some of the parishioners who have been victims of gun violence or have had family members who have been victims of gun violence.
One man, who was there with his wife and daughter, had spent time in prison for a murder he committed as a teenager. He shared his story and how he has turned his life around. Another witnessed the murder that occurred Saturday night in Greektown less than a mile from the church. She was in her car waiting to pick up her daughter, when she heard the gun shots and saw the shooter run into a parking garage.
The conversation centered around what can be done to curb the violence. There were four young men who shared their insight on the issue. One believed it was an issue of poverty and gangs. Another had an attitude of acceptance because there was not much that could be done because of the availability of guns. For the young men and the young women it has become a way of life in today’s day and age.
There were no answers, but Pastor Randolph is committed to helping his parishioners deal with the grief that comes from gun violence. He is also committed to be a loud voice in speaking out against violence.
For me, it was a rewarding experience.
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The more that comes out about Justice Thomas, the more disgusted I get. I find it ironic that a guy who has no qualms about imposing his will on the country related to his interpretation of the constitution, struggles with knowing whether he needs to disclose significant gifts and benefits he has received from a billionaire donor while he serves as member of SCOTUS. It tells me more about his character than any ruling he has ever made.
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I am rooting for Smartmatic.
As a businessperson, I understand why Rupert Murdoch and Fox News settled their lawsuit with Dominion out of court. After the judge’s ruling Tuesday morning on questions about what would be allowed in opening statements, Murdock had no choice. Fox News witnesses, especially Murdoch and his lead TV personalities, were going to be embarrassed by the Dominion lawyers in full public eye.
As a citizen of this country, I wanted those who perpetuated the “Big Lie” to be held accountable. I wanted to see them squirm.
I am holding out hope that Smartmatic’s $2.7 Billion will make it to court.
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I love the new pitch clock in Major League Baseball. Tuesdays DH between the Tigers and Guardians shows what a difference it means in the length of games. As the Detroit News reported, the Tigers completed the second game of the doubleheader, a 1-0 win, in one hour and 50 minutes. That was the fastest game the Tigers have played since Armando Galarraga’s imperfect game on June 2, 2010. They completed both ends of the straight doubleheader in four hours and 13 minutes. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, that was the shortest doubleheader in the big leagues in which both games went nine innings since July 29, 1984, when the Cubs and Mets took four hours and 10 minutes to play two.
More importantly the quality of play has not been impacted as indicated by Tiger manager A.J. Hinch in my Quote of the Day:
“I think all of us were a little naïve as to how much dead time there was around the game. We know the pace of the game is more important than the time of the game. But it has been a lot more dramatic than most of us expected. When it was first told to us about the pitch clock, it was all about pace and not about shaving 30 minutes, 45 minutes, and like Tuesday probably an hour off the game. It has been more dramatic than we thought. But I don’t think it has impacted the quality of play at all.”
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Quote of the Day: See above.
Orchid of the Day: Pastor Randolph Barry. See lead story above.
Onion of the Day: One more time for Justice Clarence Thomas
Question of the Day: How does a car full of teenage girls turning around in a driveway in a rural constitute a threat to someone’s safety? What is happening in our society?
Video of the Day: LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey highlights when she was a player at Louisianna Tech.
Kim Mulkey highlights as Louisiana Tech’s play-making point guard – YouTube