Mardi Gras is a big deal down here in Alabama. Parades are in most communities. Schools are closed today, Fat Tuesday. Beads and moon pies are a staple at every parade. Parades in Mobile and Pensacola are covered completely by the local TV stations. Mobile claims to have had the first Mardi Gras celebration in the U.S. It is fun to be here.
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It is time for the House Democrats and the moderate Republicans in the House to come together like the Senate and create a bi-partisan bill for aide to Ukraine, Israel, the Palestinians and to address immigration and border security. The Senate has already passed bills for each of the two important items. There is no reason a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans couldn’t develop a plan which could overcome the objections of Speaker Johnson and the MAGA extremists in the House. These are important items that must be addressed sooner rather than later. See my Quote of the Day
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When the Hamas attack on Israel occurred in early October, I wrote in this blog that for the first few weeks, public sentiment was going to be on the side of Israel. I also said that once Israel used their superior military might on Gaza and the Palestinians, the images of death and devastation would change public opinion.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is not going to stop his attacks until he runs the Palestinians out of Gaza. He is not going to stop his attacks until Israel has full control of Gaza and a two-state solution is no longer feasible. Netanyahu has no incentive to stop the war. It has been a rallying cry that has temporarily shored up the PM’s support within the country. If he stays in power, he will not face prosecution on the charges which have been levied against him. No outside influence is going to cause the PM to change his strategy on Hamas and Gaza. Like the U.S. in Vietnam, it will require pressure from within Israel by the people of Israel to stop the attacks on Gaza.
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Pitchers and catchers report tomorrow as optimism abounds throughout all the major league baseball camps, especially our Detroit Tigers.
It will be changing of the guard for the Tigers, Miggy is gone, and it is time for the young guys to step up and take control of the team and the clubhouse. Last year the Tigers exceeded Vegas odds by winning 77 games. They finished on a high note by going 18-10 over the last 28 games to finish second in the division. They have a strong starting pitching rotation, an experienced bullpen, and should have a strong middle of the order batting line-up. They also appear to have the depth to overcome a normal number of injuries. Anything less than becoming Central Division Champions will be a disappointment.
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Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day. I will not be writing my blog tomorrow night as Leah and I will be doing our annual Valentine Day celebration. The celebration includes a home cooked meal, followed by a trip to Target where we each have $50 to spend on each other. We shop separately, check out separately and then come back to the condo and share our gifts with each other. A card must be included as part of the $50 budget.
It is have been a fun tradition which we have been doing for the last 8 years.
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Quote of the Day: Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic leader, said in a letter to his colleagues on Tuesday that Democrats would “use every available legislative tool to get comprehensive national security legislation over the finish line. The stakes are high and failure in Ukraine is not an option. Traditional Republicans must now put America first and stand up to pro-Putin extremists in the House who apparently want Russia to win.”
Orchid of the Day: My sister Nancy Berge, who is recovering well from her hip replacement surgery on Friday. She is the best.
Onion of the Day: Israel PM Netanyahu. It is time to stop the unnecessary deaths of women and children in Gaza.
Question of the Day: What are you doing for your Valentine on Wednesday?
Video of the Day: In honor of pitchers and catchers reporting tomorrow.