Not the Issue

Whether or not illegal aliens are obtaining commercial driver's licenses from American driving schools is not the Issue. The issue is in fact, what are "illegal aliens" doing here in the first place after several years of Trump in charge of immigration (albeit separated by the interval of the Biden administration). We should have the most secure nation on earth with all the Trump tough talk and bloviating. 

Too Early Predictions

I attended my first Titans game of the season, that happened to be the last of the preseason. Has Tennessee improved? Probably, but not enough to have a winning season and certainly not transforming into a playoff contender. I was also struck that so many of my fellow attendees were sporting Bears colors. I would say half the crowd was rooting for the visitors. Will Levis does not look like a quarterback who is capable of success in the National Football League, but then again Cam Ward has not looked much better in his preseason appearances. Chicago looked dominant at the line of scrimmage, but of course, the Titans best linemen did not even play. I say the Bears are an NFC playoff team, but the Titans regrettably will earn an early draft pick again as they further slip into the category of perennial losers. 

Absolutely Pernicious Influence

Qatar is against the West. Qatar purchases clout, such as their "investment" of buying 17 percent of Volkswagen, then demands VW not participate in building Israel's purely defensive Iron Dome missile systems. The Qataris give Trump an Air Force One as his opulent Presidential jet. Did they do that because they liked his Apprentice episodes so much? No, they did that to curry favor with Team Trump while they continue to be the second most generous funders of terror, just behind Iran. Qatar is no ally to America but a malignancy infiltrating the body politic from universities they donate to, to companies they buy into, to leaders they compromise through their "gracious generosity". 

Are We Moral?

At this time of reflection about our shortcomings and atonement for them, we Jews must remember it is a constant effort to remain among the righteous. We will surely fall short but must know our Creator is aware of that, and as Yom Kippur approaches, Hashem is willing to forgive our sins. 

World's Preposterous Demands

Did the Allies actively feed the German People while they were battling the Nazis? No, and no sane person would have expected them to make sure the enemy's noncombatants did not suffer. There were no giant airdrops of food to Hitler's nation, just bombs, day and night and many tons of them. So why should Israel be told to provide aid to Gaza whose residents carried out the largest Nazi-style massacre of Jews since the Holocaust? Those Gazans that did not actively participate in the mass rape and slaughter of Israeli civilians did absolutely nothing to help the IDF recover the hostages seized on October 7, 2023. There was not even one Gazan "righteous among the nations" helping a Jew escape the hell of captivity. How is the Jewish State responsible for feeding a hornets' nest of fanatics who want to burn our babies in ovens? 

A Tennessee Original

Beyond any measure, Dolly was a Tennessee treasure. She came from humble beginnings and in many ways stayed humble as she built an entertainment empire. She didn't have a Harvard MBA or even an associate degree. What she did have was a creative mind, a good voice, and dedication to pleasing her audience. She also possessed a generous heart, perhaps from growing up without much but never being bitter about it. Some might say Parton had "the common touch", but what she had was uncommon gifts the Lord had bestowed upon her that she felt were given to her to uplift others, and she did by making millions of lives better. Dolly Parton will surely be missed, but her legacy will live on for generations

. 

Uniquely Aggressive Religion

In the modern context, not going back to the Crusades and Inquisition, only one major faith is called upon to gain converts "by the sword". Christians today do proselytize but that is relatively innocuous, discipleship without coercion in almost every instance. It is only Muslims who impose their religious will through violence, from Nigeria to the Sudan and beyond. Islam is after all not only a religion but a judicial and political force advancing "submission" to its uncompromising doctrine. 

Titans Are Back!

Not meaning to tamp down the enthusiasm folks, but it must be tempered with reason. Yes, my hometown team did just defeat the defending world champions, but the Seattle starters mostly sat out the game, so the victory was not against the top tier players but only back-ups and athletes that are about to be cut, many of whom will not be on any NFL active roster. By the way, former starting quarterback Will Levis looks like he will be lucky to end up on a practice squad. Are the Titans improved? Probably, but it is hard to say for sure after two preseason contests that will NOT count in the record book. 

Another Palestinian Attack

A Jewish father taking his family on vacation was stabbed multiple times by a terrorist, but thankfully the wounded Israeli is in stable condition. Remember that at almost any opportunity to harm Jews, Palestinians will. That is why the so-called "two-state solution" is a non-starter. The other side does not want peace with Israel or a piece of the Holy Land, but only to eradicate the Jews in the Middle East. 

On Medical Error

Mistakes in hospitals are horrible, but people are fallible and some foul-ups are inevitable. What is not certain to happen is the choice some healthcare institutions are making to impose "futile care" when a patient or that individual's representative(s) want life-sustaining care continued. One course is accidental, the other is a deliberate decision to allow a patient no chance for survival. 

A Triumphant Return

Harry and Meghan are coming back to the United Kingdom having won the hearts and minds of the New World. They will be returning to the unreserved adoration of the British People. Actually, the not-so-royal couple have a popularity hovering just over cancer and COVID wherever they inflict themselves. America won't miss them at all, and England was not yearning to take them back. 

Kept Her Nail

Through diligent effort and good luck, Mom still has her nail. This may only be of interest to my cousin Larry who retired from podiatry but who has always kept his feet on the ground (except when he is in an airplane or kicking up his heels dancing). 

Hump Day Chronicle

My poor beset mother may have the toenail removed from one of her"big toes" this afternoon (although if you wear a six-quad (4-A) shoe, I don't know how big that particular toe might be. I do know it sounds more like a medieval torture than a modern medical treatment. I lost a toenail once I visited the Opryland Hotel and an employee swung a heavy door into my foot. It was no fun. I pray Mom has a better experience. 

The Traveling Man

Jake Rogers is no Johnny Bench or Yogi Berra, but he has entered the record books just the same by suiting up for four different Major League franchises in twenty-one days. The light-hitting Rogers has become the ultimate "journeyman" player. He is known as a decent fielding catcher who handles pitchers well, but I suppose he has to know the pitcher a bit to form an effective battery, which with so many moves between teams so quickly would be a feat.

A Tragic Passing

I had the opportunity to see Hayden Panettiere (and the rest of the cast and crew) film several episodes of the television series "Nashville". I then watched the broadcasts and thought she had quite a bit of talent. I hoped I would see and hear great things from her for decades to come. Sadly, that was not meant to be. May her soul find peace and her young daughter enjoy a long and happy life. 

An Unparalleled Debut

Joshua Baez has done something no other Major League player has ever accomplished, not Babe Ruth or Barry Bonds, or anyone else. He slammed three homeruns in his first game in the Bigs. He may never hit another dinger, but Baez has already etched his name in the record books. (Incidentally, I believe he will send many more out of the ballpark.) The Cardinals found a gem in Joshua, and he has the talent to be mentioned alongside Stan Musial and Bob Gibson, if he remains healthy. 

Unjustified Early Optimism

"Wow", say some delusional die-hards, the Titans won their first game of what will be a brilliant new era. Indeed, my hometown team under a new coach went out and won a road game, but what these Pollyanna fanatics fail to notice is that it was a preseason game that will NOT count in the standings, and that while the Titans played many starters including quarterback Cam Ward, San Francisco used mostly bench players and others who will not make their or any NFL roster. So, yes, a victory is preferable to a loss, but this "win" means next to nothing. 

A Guilty Plea

The murderer of the United Healthcare Chief Executive Officer Brian Thompson has entered a guilty plea. That does not mean the gunman is in any way remorseful. I think the assassin still believes he was in the right. The disgusting aspect is so many people have expressed support not for the slaughtered executive but for his killer. I doubt the criminal will ever see the light of day again as a free man, but that will not bring the father and husband back, a man who was committed to delivering healthcare efficiently and did not deserve to be shot in the back. 

No New Normal

My daughter has missed her first week of sixth grade, which in and of itself is not good, but after the untimely death of one of her aunts, was inevitable. It is vastly worse of course for the poor lady's husband and must be almost unendurable for the children of someone who was simply attempting to cross a street and had her life taken. Please keep Andrew and the boys in your prayers, along with my eleven year old. 

"With the Band"

The end of the happy REM story was delayed by sad "family" events, Holly Sue being struck by the car and cousin Leslie's husband Jim passing. So, here goes. The Rem boys told Cantrell's staff Gary and yours truly were "with the band" to open the proverbial taps for us. I have often wondered if Michael Stipe has any recollection of performing in Nashville at Cantrell's. As many people with whom he has met and interacted, I seriously doubt he remembers me. If I ever had occasion to run into him, I would ask if he recalled performing at a club near the Vanderbilt campus in the mid-eighties. 

A Somber Season

The end of summer has become more bleak than the simple coming of Autumn. Fall is considered by some the "dying season", but this year the loss came early with the passing of Holly Sue Engelman. I never had the opportunity to meet her, but from all reports she was a giver of unsurpassed generosity. My former brother-in-law eulogized her beautifully, and I know he will never be the same after such an unexpected severing of what Hashem had so recently joined. May the memories of happier times bring comfort to the many who loved Holly. 

Please Be Careful

A tragedy has befallen my circle of relations. The wife of my former brother-in-law (my daughter's aunt) was walking to synagogue on the Sabbath when she was struck by a car in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Drivers please remember you must maintain control of your several thousand pound vehicle and avoid distractions like looking at your cell phone (which I am in no way alleging happened here). If you are a pedestrian, please remember to look both ways and never chance thinking you will be able to beat a car as you rush to cross a street. 

Long Time Passing

Back in the day, I was a dilettante musician who had training in C-tenor trumpet and picked up cornet and flugelhorn as friends of mine were (much more skilled) jazz performers. I helped carry instruments and amplifiers and helped set up stages for their shows and even occasionally was permitted the honor of being before the audience with them, not for a whole set, but for a couple of well-rehearsed songs, or a very brief freestyle session. Anyway, I could stack and connect speakers and drove a Jeep Wagoneer large enough to haul most of a band. One night in the mid-eighties, I was going out to party with a friend of a friend who also dabbled in music, though Gary and I never jammed together, and I think I saw him perform exactly once, but Nashville was and is a big music town, and a lot of folks put an oar in the water, though few have their ships come in from strumming or singing, So, Gary and I ended up at a place called Cantrell's near the Vanderbilt campus before they opened for the evening, and we were milling around an area where at one time a restaurant that had previously been where the club now was had car hops bringing out orders. I noticed someone had abandoned a three quarters empty VO bottle at one of the delivery stands. I would not have touched the filthy thing much less drank from it, but Gary and I were just biding time before the doors opened when a big 70's van with Georgia plates pulled up to the last car hop station. The boys from the Georgia band were around our age and asked if we were with Cantrell's and in finding out we weren't, wanted to know if we knew anything about setting up a stage. We told them "sure" as we were both also musicians (after a fashion at least). They offered us ten bucks each and all the beer we could drink to help them set up, so we became their one night roadies. In carrying equipment in, one of the Georgians saw the abandoned liquor bottle near me and asked if it was mine. I told him no, and that it probably had been left by "some syphilis sufferer" to wit, the young fellow replied "nah"', opened it and finished the bottle. His band mates who were all also watching were laughing it up, and one said "yeah, Michael will drink anything". So we hung with them that night, had several beers, and got ten bucks each. That group we set up one Nashville night was REM. 

A Relative Improvement

My hometown Tennessee Titans earned the top draft pick a couple of season's back by posting the worst record in professional football. At the conclusion of last season, the boys in Columbia Blue did not reach the nadir of absolute worst record but still managed to earn an early pick by being just awful on the field. This season, they may tally five or even six wins in the seventeen regular season games. Wow- what an improvement- at this rate Nashvillians in the year 2500 may finally witness Titans earning Super Bowl rings, but I wouldn't hold my breath. 

The Aggressor State

Russia has earned the Graham sanctions. The Ukraine did NOT attack Moscow. Putin started an unprovoked war against a peaceful neighbor. The aggressors thought they had easy pickings and would win a quick victory, but they didn't factor in the fighting skills and spirit of the Ukraine. It is a fitting tribute to the late South Carolina Senator to pass a law with the real teeth to punish the worst troublemaker in Europe since Hitler. 

Politician of Conscience

I believe John Fetterman has a heart for humanity and is trying to do good for his constituents and our nation. He recognizes that when a candidate praises Mao, he is endorsing the murder of tens of millions. The Pennsylvania Senator understands that when he hears a member of his own party say "the US deserved 9/11"that is not some abstract statement but support for the worst terrorist outrage ever visited on America. Fetterman stands tall literally but also as the one upright moral beacon of a political party that has descended into Hades of hating their own nation. 

The New Masters

The Democratic Socialists were once a fringe within that larger party. They then grew to a faction of the Party, but now have burgeoned so much as to subsume the Party itself. They now set the agenda, and more mainstream figures like Chuck Schumer dance to their tune as the longtime Senator knows AOC can defeat him from the Left if he seeks to leap off their anti-American, Israel-hating train as it surges to the end of the line. Either the few normal Democrats like John Fetterman become resurgent and save the Party, or it will be a tragic defeat for the Party, or worse, a victory for the hard Left that ends up destroying America as it was founded. 

An Editorialist Only

I am NOT a journalist. I do ask "who, what, where, when, and why". I am rarely on the ground when events occur, unless by absolute happenstance, I am where a news event takes place. I do my best to convey the truth, and report accurately, but I admit from the start, that I am biased. I am proudly a hard Right conservative. I am also Jewish and support the existence and safety of Israel. If you want news, go to a network, but if you seek an informed opinion with Republican and Zionist leanings, you may find https://despotinwaiting.blogspot.com meets your interests. 

No News Organization

Citizen journalists do not have stringers, fact-checkers, or lawyers to assess stories before they are published. What they do have is the ability to be there on the ground when events happen. Sometimes early information and preliminary reports turn out to be way off base. It is important to spread the word fast, but more so to be accurate in what you are telling the public. 

Making It Right

When I convey information that turns out to be wrong, I admit it. My initial post today was based on reportage I read on multiple other web pages. I repeated what I thought was vetted and factual. It was not, and for that, I am sorry. 

More Spontaneous Jihad?

Editor's Note: The following report was based on information that was wrong. The identity of the shooter was misreported on other sites. The motivation for the attack has not been released.    Could the Idaho shooting have been an act of Islamist terrorism? According to some early reports, the attacker is the son of a Muslim refugee from Bosnia, who emigrated to America and became a police officer. These postings go on to indicate that the alleged gunman developed recent interest in his Bosnian heritage and in Communism. The shooter had apparently expressed support for "Palestine" after the October 7, 2023 invasion of Israel and sympathy for Iran since strikes by American forces began against the mullah regime. It is too early to label the shooting a jihadist event, but that cannot be ruled out. 

Kentucky Needs Representation

The Commonwealth deserves two functioning Senators, not a doctor and another who needs a doctor. I do not agree with Rand Paul on much but at least he is capable of returning a constituent's call. Old Mitch seems about ready to answer Saint Peter's call at the pearly gates. The Bluegrass needs a full contingent working to further the interests of the people, not a frail absentee Senator, who might not even be alive for the next vote.