The Boston Celtics - 0 and 2

I don't think the officials like us very much.  (Photo credit: BleacherReport.com)

  I'm not optimistic for this series with the Heat

After watching last night's painful, overtime defeat.

Don't think the officiating helped us out at all...

But, I must admit, I'm not a fan of basketball.

Yes, I like the Celtics and I'm hoping that they win

(What I'm really praying for is football to begin.)

Basketball's exhausting - watching giant, sweaty men

Racing up and down and back and forth, then down again.

I'm just sitting in a chair and I am out of breath...

Celtics haven't had a rest; they've got to be near death.

'though they've played their hearts out - Rondo's been a joy to see -

I think they'll win 1 or 2.  At most - they might win 3.

Guess I shouldn't count them out.  The struggle will be fierce.

Still, we've got Garnett and Doc, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.

Even though they're tired and despite their nagging hurts

Those are proud and seasoned fighters wearing Celtics shirts.

Race for the White House - Romney and The Donald

(Photo credit: CBS News)

Texas helped Mitt Romney cross his "T"s and dot his "I"s;

Locked the nomination up - which isn't a surprise.

Reached the magic number 'cause he's running unopposed;

Knew the outcome well before the polls had ever closed.

Heck! Mitt wasn't even there. He hung with Donald Trump,

Who - despite his wealth and fame - I find a total chump.

Donald still insists the President's not qualified;

Says he's not a citizen - believes Hawaii lied.

Claims Obama's Kenyan; chose to disregard the proof.

Kinda wish that Mitt had chose to hold himself aloof.

One is known to others by the company one keeps,

But the folks that Romney's courting lately seem like creeps.

Sure, I know he's polling neck and neck but - hold the fort -

He's already guaranteed the loony, fringe support.

I think playing to them, still, is such a big mistake.

May be time for Mitt to give that Etch-a-Sketch a shake.

Across the Pond - Syria; "We're Gonna Need a Bigger Boat."

Photo credit/AP

 
Wish that I could say Assad has gone too far this time

And that he'll be punished for his latest, deadly crime.

Wish that little bodies were not lined up in the streets;

Shot or blown up babies hidden underneath those sheets.

True that Russia just condemned the massacre and yet,

Will they back that up with sanctions aimed at Assad? Nyet.

Everyone agrees that killing children isn't good

Even if they're living in a rebel neighborhood...

Saying only that and nothing more is not enough

But, without the full U.N., all we can do is bluff.

War's now spread to Lebanon as ethnic tensions flared;

Can't imagine other nearby nations will be spared.

Diplomats say Kofi Annan's plan is all there is.

I don't mean to tell the U.N. delegates their biz;

But, Assad's a killer shark.  The next  time that they vote

Hope they'll reconsider - think we'll need a bigger boat.

The Boston Red Sox - Curt Schilling

Sure, I could have gone with the more recent (angry) pictures of Schilling - leaving meetings with Rhode Island's Governor, while offering no comments and scowling at the press - for this rhyme, but I like this picture better.

Former Red Sox pitching hero has been less than willing

To disclose his finances and so Rhode Island's killing

Off the deal they made with him to move him to their state.

Think he should have stuck to throwing strikes across the plate.

Even after all the cash Rhode Island threw his way

Studio put out a game that few folks want to play.

(I have seen some clips of it and thought the graphics thrilling.)

Sorry that it hasn't worked out well for Mr. Schilling

For, he has the loyalty a bloodied Sox has earned...

Still, a snarky part of me just grinned the day I learned

He supports the Tea Party so I can't understand

Why he got so angry after he went, hat in hand,

Asking for  a bailout and Rhode Island turned him down.

Locked his doors, turned off the lights...  It seems he's skipping town.

Hope he finds investors 'cause that multi-player game

Could put Schilling's Studio back on the road to fame.

Is he too ambitious? Maybe... That's the way it goes.

How else does one reach the Hall of Fame, do you suppose?

I've seen Schilling down before and watched him climbing back.

Given time, I'm positive, he'll soon be in the black.

Across the Pond - Middle East Update

Cartoon Credit: Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press

 Looking to the Middle East, the news is pretty grim.

Breaking story; hopes for talks with Iran growing dim.

We will not lift sanctions - not until they compromise.

They want some concessions first, but we don't trust those guys.

Syrian regime continues shelling with their tanks

As its citizens begin to join the rebels' ranks.

Tighter that he grips his fist, the more folks slip away;

Assad's growing strangely more like Vader every day.

Pakistan has sentenced a physician who they said

Broke the law by helping us to see Bin Laden dead.

Gave him more than 30 years and then they wonder why

We don't tell them when a drone-strike mission's gonna fly.

Egypt - there's a ray of hope - election's underway.

Voters lined up in the streets to have a chance to say

Who will be the President...  I hope their choice is good.

(I am rather fearful of the Muslim Brotherhood.)

Overall the region's still a powder keg and we

Would be well advised to not forget the history...

Yes, I know it's ancient and our grasp is incomplete

But, if we don't learn it fast, we're destined to repeat.

You Get What You Pay For? - Part II?

Charts are from the Senate Hearing on Income Inequality

 Anybody still believe the Nation doesn't need

Legislation to protect us all from Wall Street greed?

Facebook's shares have plummeted to 31 and change;

And it looks like Morgan Stanley managed to arrange

Special deals for wealthy folks...  You know - the 1%.

Don't know if the law was broke but looks like it was bent.

Meanwhile, all the rest of us (again) were on our own;

Well aware the gap between the rich and poor has grown

Out of all proportion to the contributions that

Benefit society...  I think I smell a rat.

Does that make me Socialist?  I never thought I was;

But, according to FOX News?  They're positive it does.

The One Hundred and Twelfth - Drama Queens

Don't think that the Tea Party has looked across the pond,

Noticed how the policies - of which they're all so fond -

Have been working over there for, if they had, they'd learn;

Voters do not like it when austerity's too stern.

Even Catholic Bishops, who are not Obama's fans,

(Suing him in court to not pay for birth control plans)

Said the current right-wing stance would devastate the poor

If it stood a chance of ever passing on the Floor.

Maybe the Republicans are posturing right now;

Only acting crazy?  If so, they should take a bow;

Wrap up these performances and get back to real life

Where we need solutions - not another round of strife.

Can't refuse to compromise; that's not how Congress works.

Have a more important role, along with all the perqs,

Work behind the scenery; don't wait until the Fall...

Reach across the aisle or else it's curtains for us all.

You Get What You Pay For?

As of 10:00 on Monday morning, Facebook is down about $4.00 from its initial price...  Just sayin'.

 I just do not understand the Facebook I.P.O.

Can't see how investors think the profits there will grow

Big enough (100 times what Facebook made last year)

To make their purchase worth it... We plan on steering clear.

"Put it into real estate", my father always said.

Glad we didn't listen to him now, 'cause we'd be dead.

Summer place I wanted then? About a quarter mil...

Watched the prices tumbling the last 6 years, until;

We could buy that same place now for half what it was then.

But, with college for 2 boys...  Excuse me - 2 young men -

And a kitchen, screened in porch, and deck we want to build

I think our financial dance card is already filled.

In Memoriam - Donna Summer

Donna Summer (1948 - 2012)

Still the spinning disco-balls and bring up All the Lights.

Donna Summer, voice behind so many Boogie Nights,

Died at only 63 - that's much too young an age -

Joined the growing list of those who've exited the stage.

People who I danced to in a, mostly, misspent youth.

WoMan in the Mirror's getting longer in the tooth.

If I tried those dance moves now, I'd need to use a crutch.

Last Dance? Maybe. Last chance? No... though, romance - not so much.

Working Hard for Money so I haven't danced in years;

Don't play disco here at home - my hard-rock husband sneers.

But, I Loved to Love You Baby, back when I got down.

Thank you for the music of my wild nights on the town.

The Boston Red Sox - Streaks, Slander, and Sports Gods

Thoughts and prayers are with Will Rhymes, who collapsed during last night's game.  Be well. (Photo credit; CBS)

 

I am rather superstitious when it comes to sports;

Even without evidence that holds up in the courts,

I believe that sports gods lurk around the fields of play

Taking note of everything a Faithful fan might say.

Therefore, I've not said one word, at all, throughout the week

Out of fear that I would break the Red Sox' winning streak;

But, last night against the Rays - the score at 2 to 1

(Still without a peep from me) that lovely stretch was done.

Thank you for the ride sports gods; I like the winning kind...

Losing streaks cause local sports-talk guys to lose their mind.

They get nasty to their callers...  Maybe it's their jobs.

Baseball's just a game we play; they needn't be such snobs.

If you don't agree with them, they think you're pretty dumb.

(Tell them that you love them first; they may throw you a crumb.)

Wish they'd give the Sox a break because, from what I hear,

You should be encouraging when there are sports gods near.

Across the Pond - Birthplace of Democracy (Yikes!)

A supporter of Golden Dawn, the Greek Neo-Nazi party; just one of the losers who were winners in recent elections...  In the end, everyone lost.  (Photo credit: Reuters)

Greeks, who'd like to have their cake and also get a taste,

Failed to reach a compromise; election was a waste.

Have to do it all again; their coalitions failed.

Want restructured bail-out terms... That ship's already sailed.

When a Neo-Nazi party looks for common ground

With some far left radicals, the only thing - I've found -

Both sides can agree upon is that the other guys

Are a bunch of lunatics and, thus, it's no surprise

That (with their economy contracting by the day,

And a massive debt the country's still obliged to pay)

Citizens of Greece are angry... But, I find it sad;

Birthplace of democracy - elections went so bad.

hmmm...

Maybe I should take a lesson. We are in a mess;

And I'm also guilty of some bias, I confess.

Wonder if the FOX and Friends and I could get along

If I just ignored the fact they're almost always wrong?

Life Gets In The Way

Sister's having surgery and so I don't have time

To sit down and think about the latest news to rhyme.

I'll be at the hospital to hold my sister's hand.

Should be back tomorrow, though. I hope you'll understand.

JPMorgan Chase and Dodd-Frank - Remember the Titanic

Jamie Dimon - looking surprisingly cheerful after reporting $2B in company losses.

 

Jamie Dimon (he's the head of JPMorgan Chase)

Has revealed a problem, I think, makes the Dodd-Frank case.

Hedging on derivatives; $2 Billion, plus, in losses.

His solution to the crisis? Firing 3 bosses.

Plan was barely understood with little oversight.

Took a while for him to see that something wasn't right.

Wonder if the folks at Chase are wishing that they had

Got behind the Volcker Rule before things got so bad.

Seems to me this news is proof that Wall Street hasn't changed.

Drive into an iceberg? Get the deck-chairs rearranged!

Have to shift their current course; stop fighting tooth and nail.

Europe's looming up ahead...  We're not too big to fail.

Bankers and Republicans and major CEOs

All agreed to stall on legislation they oppose.

Think it's time we got together; implement Dodd-Frank.

Don't forget; the last time something couldn't sink...?  It sank.

"Untergang der Titanic" by Willy Stöwer, 1912 (artist's conception)

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mother's Day to my mom; Laurel.

Wishing Happy Mothers' Day to those of us with kids...
Even those, like me, who wish (at times) to open bids;
Sell the rotten child who's talking back to me... And then,
I remember why I love the stinker once again.

May be something simple like an extra hug or kiss...
Thank yous you do not expect; the fact they didn't miss
Telling you, on Mothers' Day, how special that you are.
Little things like that (with mothers) get you pretty far.

Hope your children don't forget... And, for the rest of you;
'though I'm not your mother and can't tell you what to do,
Still, I'd strongly recommend that you take my advice;
Call your mothers Sunday... And, some flowers would be nice.

This Week in Boston Sports

Perhaps we were a (trifle) too cocky?

Summing up this week in Boston sports is not much fun.

Only good news to report is that the Celtics won;

Beat Atlanta's Hawks to make it to the second round.

They're the only Ray of light, in Boston, to be found.

Carl Beane - he's the Voice of Fenway - died; a heart attack.

Matt Light just retired; Brady's sure to feel his lack.

Seau's dead.  The Red Sox are imploding.  Holy crap!

Watched the news the other night and saw Josh Beckett snap.

He is taking lots of heat for playing golf when he

Should have been recovering from recent injury.

Fenway's Faithful booed him off the field and he was mad.

Can't say that I blame him; stuff like that makes me feel bad.

No team out there wants to lose.  Let's give the guys a break.

Not dissect their every foible, error, and mistake.

Give them time to work it out; watch basketball instead...

Thank God for the Celtics and the fact that you're not dead.

Carl Beane; the Voice of Fenway for the last 10 years, dead at age 59.

Race for the White House - Profiles in Courage

President Obama expresses personal support for gay marriage in a recent interview with ABC.

In a recent interview, Obama said that he

Had been reassessing his views on equality.

Said that his opinion now's that marriages are for

Everyone who is committed - whether rich or poor,

Sick or well - 'til death do part... No matter if your mate

Has the same anatomy as yours.  Whatever. Great!

President has made me proud and has my full support.

Disagree with those who say his words have fallen short.

Presidents don't go there; think he's showing leadership.

Can't go any farther when the Nation's in the grip

Of a massive culture war...  And that  road we've been down.

If he'd called for federal law they'd run him out of town.

And, in related news...

Wondering if Shepard Smith still has a job today?

Pretty sure that FOX employees aren't allowed to say

Anything that's positive about the President...

Last night though, Smith (like Obama) set new precedent.

Phrases like "courageous" and "historic" crossed his lips.

Careful Shep! I don't think Murdock likes those kinds of slips.

He prefers his guys just shy of foaming at the mouth

Fomenting another war between the North and South.

In Memoriam - Maurice Sendak

Maurice Sendak (1928 - 2012)

Rolled my eyes and gnashed my teeth and voiced a saddened roar

Hearing Maurice Sendak isn't with us anymore.

Although other Maxs will command the rumpus "Start!"

Losing such a gifted man has kinda broke my heart.

In an interview I heard on WBUR

Terry Gross paid tribute as I listened in my car.

Sendak had released a book about a year ago

And the things he said to her made my eyes overflow.

Maurice was then 82 and he'd just lost a friend;

Spoke about the knowledge that his life was near its end.

In the light of recent news I'd recommend that you

Take the time to listen to this brilliant interview.

God Bless The CIA

CIA just foiled a plot to bomb a U.S. flight...

Warning to the terrorists; they've got you in their sight.

Still, what is the deal with bombs in underwear? It's strange;

I would bet that  detonator's tricky to arrange.

Credit, though, where credit's due and thus, I have to say;

Job well done! They kept us safe. God bless the CIA.

(Bet they never worry how a bomb like that would feel

Sewn into their underwear, 'cause they've got balls of steel.)

Plus, have guys in Yemen never heard; the TSA

Took away our privacy on airplanes anyway?

If you're wearing diapers now - and past the age of 4 -

You'd have very little chance of getting through the door...

Not without a pat-down that would make a sailor blush

And, if someone starts in to complaining; tell 'em "Hush!

(Even those with leaky bladder syndrome like my aunt's)

"Sorry, but some morons wear explosives in their pants."

Across the Pond - Elections

French voters celebrate François Hollande's victory. (Photo credit: BBC.com)

 

Very busy weekend for our European friends;

Several key elections that reflect disturbing trends.

Nicolas Sarkozy lost in France, across the pond;

President's now Socialist.  The first since Mitterrand.

Greece has also voted and they're facing quite a mess.

Parliament's divided so there's no chance of success

Implementing anything.  They'll have to try and make

Allies out of enemies... Won't be a piece of cake.

Putin's Russia's President - again.  He took the oath.

Germany and England held elections where they both

Saw that parties now in charge are losing their support.

E.U. is in trouble, I am sorry to report.

British do not like the cuts their government has made.

Merkel's in hot water for extending German aid.

Seems that Europe isn't thrilled with being so austere.

Worried 'cause what happens there effects what happens here.

Markets will not like this news, I bet... You wait and see.

They believe that those across the pond want lunch for free.

Can't blame hungry Europeans voting for a break;

But I'm still afraid they've made a terrible mistake.

Race for the White House - Guantanamo Bay

Photo credit: Associated Press

 Some folks say Obama lied; they say he broke his word.

Didn't close Guantanamo - I think that that's absurd.

Every time he tried to shut it down he faced attacks.

Congress wouldn't let him move it to a Super Max.

But the hardest job right now, for military men,

Is the JAG's who has to step into the lion's den

And provide a strong defense for guys the CIA

Have detained, while classifying everything they say.

Have to give a trial that's fair to every detainee

O.B.L. is dead and gone - they buried him at sea.

Anything that these guys know is old, outdated stuff.

Give the JAG Corps guys a break; their job is tough enough.

Across the Pond - Chen Guangcheng

Chen Guangcheng says he wants to leave China.  (Photo credit: ABC.com)

Have you heard what's happening in China? What the heck?

Talk about confusing...  For, when Clinton made the trek

Over there for meetings, found herself the center of

Major controversy after push came down to shove.

Chen Guangcheng's an activist for Chinese women's rights

Who escaped imprisonment and fled.  He set his sights

On the U.S. Embassy; of course, we took him in.

That is where the problems Mrs. Clinton has begin.

Politburo wasn't thrilled the U.S. got involved

But, when Chen said he'd go home, we thought the problem solved

Brought him to the hospital - united with his wife...

Felt we had agreements he could get on with his life.

There it gets confusing 'cause, in less than half a day,

Chen Guangcheng began to claim we'd made him go away.

Said the Chinese had reneged and now he wants to fly

Out on Mrs. Clinton's plane.  What is it with this guy?

First he's blowing kisses; then he says we let him down.

Now he wants asylum; 'Can we get him out of town?'

Can't say that I blame him though for, just because he's blind,

Doesn't mean he isn't smart enough to change his mind.

The New England Patriots - In Memoriam; Junior Seau

Junior Seau (1969 -2012) in happier times.  Photo credit: Reuters

Chargers, Dolphins, Patriots (the team for which I cheer)

Mourn the loss of Junior Seau; loved when he played here.

At the age of 43 - with 20 as a pro -

Seau's not the first to take his life this way, you know.

Football fans around the world, when told how Seau died,

Saddened - but not really shocked - to learn by suicide

(Junior, not too long ago, had driven off a cliff)

Faced the truth that penalties for players are too stiff.

Seau must have thought so too; he left his skull intact.

Pretty sure the autopsy will show that it's a fact

After one has played the game as long and hard as he

Almost every tackle does the brain an injury.

Don't know how we fix this; only know it must be done

Before other players blow their chests out with a gun.

I love football just as much as any other fan

But we have to change the game...  We owe it to the man.

Race for the White House - Across the Pond

Photo credit:  Associated Press

President Obama has received some recent flack;

Once again, the target of a partisan attack.

Romney says the choice to kill Bin Laden was a snap...

Angry that Obama seemed to take a victory lap.

I did not see any ships or flight-suits on the man,

Just a simple speech he gave while in Afghanistan

Where, again, he thanked the troops; saluted SEAL Team 6.

While, at home, Republicans got in some dirty licks.

Romney once claimed capturing Osama wasn't worth

U.S. forces trying to move heaven and the earth

Going into Pakistan; but - now - he says he would.

Won't acknowledge that the President did something good.

Mr. S. accuses me of favoring a side.

It is his opinion every politician's lied.

Says the fact Republicans, of late, have made me nuts,

While forgetting Democrats all hated Bush's guts,

Means I'm being partisan; as bad as FOX and Friends.

I think he's too cynical, for one side clearly bends

All the facts to "talking points" they parrot endlessly.

"Spiking footballs"? They should check the mirror, seems to me.

Across the Pond - China

Secretary of State Clinton (Photo credit: Associated Press)

 

Secretary Clinton is in China for the week

And things could get tricky when the two sides meet to speak.

Chinese have their problems; situation's pretty tense

After a blind lawyer they'd detained climbed out his fence.

No one's saying where he is but China thinks that we

Have him hiding, right now, in the U.S. Embassy.

When you add the scandal that's surrounding Xilai Bo

(Murder allegations, wire tapping) chances grow

Ever slimmer we will get concessions from them now

As they deal with changes more profound than those since Mao.

Balances of power at the top are shifting fast.

Maybe the reformers are ascending there, at last?

Either way, I'm betting that the Syrians are screwed.

(Sorry for the language there; I'm usually not rude

But, I'm so disgusted with the "peace plan" now in place.)

Think the Russian/Chinese stance about it's a disgrace.