Unsolicited Advice for the IOC from a Bostonian

A fresh coat of paint?  It could work. (Courtesy of/imagesdaily.blogspot.com)

Hopes for Boston 2024 have fallen through

Because local opposition to it only grew.

It became apparent that the city can't afford

Hosting the Olympic Games (despite claims from their Board.)

I believe the I.O.C. has got to reassess,

Sparing hosts, in future, from a huge financial mess.

Why not give the Games to Greece in perpetuity?

They could help to bolster up the Greek economy.

Winter Games on Mount Olympus* - Summers' on the isles...

Marathoners could retrace Pheidippides' long miles.

If the Games stayed in one place, a profit could be made

Which is not the case most times the modern Games are played.

*(Okay, not on Mount Olympus - but you get my point.)

Damage Done

(Graphic/Courtesy of FOX Business)

I still can't believe a little missing PSI

From a ball results in a suspension for a guy

That exceeds the one he'd get for beating up his wife,

Tarnishing a legacy he's worked for all his life.

Brady says he's innocent.  There's not a shred of proof

This was a conspiracy and not a harmless goof.

Pressure in the football didn't impact Brady's play;

NFL replaced the balls and he won anyway.

I'm glad Tom is fighting back but fear that it's too late...

Thanks to the Commissioner, the haters gonna hate.

Brady's reputation - even though it isn't fair -

Has been damaged by the NFL, beyond repair.

Unsolicited Advice for the Boston Red Sox

(Photo/Courtesy of Shanyn Kelly Walsh)

Boston Red Sox win their games when my sister attends;

They should give her tickets - free (plus extras for her friends.)

Don't know how she does it...  Could it be her Irish luck?

I just know that, when she's there, the Red Sox do not suck.

Iran - Give Peace a Chance

(Cartoon/Courtesy of  award winning artist Jimmy Margulies)

As Obama tries to sell this new, 6 Nation Plan,

Dealing with the problem of a nuclear Iran,

Members of the GOP - who want Obama's job -

Say that they could snap their fingers and their uncle's Bob.

They could make Iran obey our wishes, if they please...

Never mind the Russians, French, Brits, Germans, and Chinese.

Not one of the candidates who thinks the treaty's bad

Has a better plan than Secretary Kerry had.

They'd let petty politicking sabotage this deal

Proving that they shouldn't wield our Presidential Seal.

Given time to build some trust, plus diplomatic tact,

We could better influence the way Iran will act.

Oppenheimer's horse has left the barn and won't be back.

If Iran's determined, nothing - short of an attack -

Could dissuade them from a bomb but, maybe, this deal will

Help us solve our problems using diplomatic skill.

The Red Sox & The Bright Side of Reno

I don't plan to watch the Red Sox anymore this year;

It's no fun to see a team I've always held so dear

Flounder through a season - piling loss on top of loss -

Now, with renovations going, I don't give a toss.

Once I'd be depressed that Boston's season's shot to hell,

This year I don't have the time or energy to dwell.

Hopefully, by football season, all of this is done

And sports news is all about the games New England's won.

Kitchen Reno - Day 1

Demolition's started: power saws and bangs and thuds...

In less time than you'd believe they had it down to studs.

We still have a sink and a refrigerator but

My new kitchen's starting with an - almost - total gut

They tore up the front hall tile and found a damaged floor;

Water has been leaking in.  We need a new front-door.

3 more rooms to pack before the hardwood's put in place...

There are boxes everywhere.  I'm running out of space.

Bought the sink and faucet at a place I found on-line.

Fingers crossed that they'll arrive and everything is fine.

I will keep you posted on the process if there's time

And I find uncluttered space to sit and write a rhyme.

The Donald Pulls Ahead

(Political cartoon by Gary Varvel/Courtesy of www.cagle.com)

Donald Trump is polling 1st; he's pulled ahead of Bush;

Racist birther looking for more buttons he can push...

Offering new insults every time he flaps his lips.

Trump!? A guy I wouldn't trust with decorating tips.

He's the guy who leads the polls?  A clown so crass and loud

He even embarrasses the Honey Boo Boo crowd.

Could it be Republicans responding to the polls

Sit there laughing quietly into their Wheaties bowls?

Knowing that by answering The Donald's who they'd pick
All their other candidates look better?  It's a trick!

And a way conservatives can take a little poke

'cause they can't be serious; it's gotta be a joke.

Take The Deal

The former Persian Empire. (Map/Courtesy of parsaworld.com)

Picture us a thousand years from now - if we're still here -

Former super power which the world regards with fear,

Being forced to let some other countries tell us how

We should act... That's how Iranians are feeling now. 

Judging by the shouting overheard when parties meet

What John Kerry got them to concede was quite a feat.

Now their Ayatollah and our Congress must agree,

Meaning that the deal is far from done, if you ask me.

I hope they don't blow it; it's the best we're gonna get.

If positions were reversed, I think it's safe to bet

In a thousand years from now, should we decline and fall,

Countries would be lucky if we made a deal at all.

A Reprieve for Pluto?

Close up of Pluto and the NASA team.

New Horizons should arrive at Pluto and its moons

Tuesday, sending scientists at NASA into swoons.

They're beyond excited at the data they'll receive;

Spacecraft will take pictures clearer than you would believe.

Far ahead of Voyager in its technology,

New Horizons will let planetologists  now see

If Pluto and Charon share a common atmosphere...

Whether it's a double planet system we've got here.

With respect to Dr. Tyson, who says Pluto's not

Quite a planet, because it's too small (by quite a lot)

If we add the planet to its moon, the total mass

Might change Tyson's failing grade for Pluto to a "Pass."

Boston 2024 - 2.0

(Courtesy of/theawesomeboston.com)

I feel kinda bad for Boston 2024.

If I weren't so sure the Games are gonna cost us more

Than what they're predicting, I might even change my mind...

They're in need of all of the support that they can find.

Their new plan to spread the Games throughout the Commonwealth

(Hoping local cities see a chance to share the wealth)

Hasn't won them much support; the polls are trending down

'cause it's costly hosting the Olympics in your town.

Holes the size of stadiums appear throughout the plan.

They say they can solve the problems; I don't think they can.

Wish their proposition wasn't such a risky one;

Boston 2024 could be a lot of fun.

No Room At The Inn... Still?

Half of Syria's "displaced" - 4 million refugees -

Overwhelming efforts by our relief agencies

To give food or shelter; offer help of any kind.

Countries who will take more in are getting hard to find.

There's no place to put them all but overcrowded camps,

In a leaky tent and suffering from hunger cramps,

But those are the lucky ones 'cause they survived the trip;

Slipping out before ISIL can catch them in its grip...

They got past the traffickers who'd sell them off as slaves,

Weren't among the many drowned - an ocean for their graves.

Lucky them.  I bet they're thrilled to make it out alive

Only to be turned away the moment they arrive.

Dear HGTV... I'm Not Buying It

Just heard from our builder who's agreed that, late next week,

He'll begin the process of the havoc that he'll wreak

On the kitchen I have used for over 20 years...

Now I find I'm overwhelmed with renovation fears.

Everything's chaotic 'cause the schedule's been changed

As contractors try to get vacation plans arranged.

I still haven't bought a sink or faucet or the tile.

Don't know what I'm doing (and I haven't for a while.)

It's been months and months but we have yet to see the start.

I'm a wreck before they've even torn the place apart.

HGTV makes it look so easy but it's not...

3 days for a kitchen renovation? Not a shot.

Beach Rentals?

The beach house we'd come to love has recently been sold

And the other place we rented in the days of old

Is too small to fit us all now that the kids are grown,

So - this year - our annual vacation plans are blown.

Started the tradition back in 1998;

All of us together at the beach and it was great!

Couldn't find a house to rent this year that's big enough,

Plus we're busy with this kitchen renovation stuff.

My whole clan's in mourning for our weeks spent at the waves;

Whole days at a stretch when everybody's kid behaves...

Does somebody know a place?  Has anybody seen

Somewhere on the beach, that welcomes pets, and sleeps 15?

Congratulations Team USA

To the chants of U.S.A. our women's soccer team

Celebrated on the field, achievement of their dream:

FIFA World Cup Champions...  Again! That's number 3,

But the most exciting plays were ones I didn't see.

We were stuck at traffic lights that I could not avoid.

Only 15 minutes late.  Already, Carli Lloyd

Scored 2 goals...  We barely made it home to see her third!

Had to wait until the half to see what else occured.

It was clear before the game was more than halfway done

That Japan could not catch up...  That we'd already won.

'though I'm disappointed that I missed it, I'll survive.

After all, I got to see the celebrations live.