Here are this week's topics: GOP, round 1; another new world order?; springtime for ?; Canada's ACLU; Perry and Graham on Trump; the real Putin; and a replay 1992?

The "lucky" ten? Republicans "deciders" announced plans to limit to ten the number of presidential candidates who will participate in Fox News' first Republican presidential forum. One wonders just how much the various national polling agencies are looking forward their task. Seems it might be one of those "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situations; there are sure to be anguished cries of "foul" among those finishing out of the running with demands for do-overs. Only last week I had a topic about the freak show in the Aurora (CO) theater shooting trial. Seems that these early primary debates may be similarly viewed. 

The new Middle East? This linked article from Foreign Policy talks of what this contentious area will look like as the Iran agreements unfolds. What are the options for America? "Oh, what a tangled web we weave...."

Springtime. You may remember the unlikely hit song from the The Producers, "It's Springtime for Hitler in Germany." According  to Gary Kasparov, it is now springtime for regimes of which America should be wary, very wary! Kasparov, the former Soviet chess grandmaster who is now very much disaffected from his homeland, heads the New York-based Human Rights Foundation and is, to say the least, uncomfortable with America's recent overtures towards Cuba, the Kremlin, and Iran.

Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Canadian Journalists for Free Expression. Both organizations are parties to a suit challenging the constitutionality of Canada's recently passed Bill C-51. The Guardian article notes, "Supported by prominent legal scholars and a nascent crowd-funding campaign, the suit is the first and potentially most powerful of the so-called Charter challenges the law is expected to face." Journalists are concerned, saying “If you publish any information coming from a terrorist group, that is illegal under this law,” Henheffer [CJFE executive director] said. “That is astoundingly troubling....And the whole process is completely secretive,” he added. Sound familiar?

Better late than never. Various media sources were quick to find out just where The Donald was during the time when Senator John McCain (R, AZ) was being housed and tortured in the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Sadly, no Republican candidate immediately or vehemently condemned Trump, which can only bode ill for the party's first upcoming primary debate. Candidate Lindsey Graham's short comment ("He's a jackass!") was even late in coming.

     Former TX governor and candidate Rick Perry offered these belated thoughts on Donald Trump, thoughts no doubt issued only after being suitably scrutinized for effect. “[Trump] offers a barking carnival act that can be best described as Trumpism: a toxic mix of demagoguery, mean-spiritedness and nonsense that will lead the Republican Party to perdition if pursued...Let no one be mistaken...Donald Trump’s candidacy is a cancer on conservatism, and it must be clearly diagnosed, excised and discarded. It cannot be pacified or ignored, for it will destroy a set of principles that has lifted more people out of poverty than any force in the history of the civilized world — the cause of conservatism.”

John Kasich. Here is a link to an informative column from Margaret Carlson of Bloomberg News, a comfortably conservative news source, in which she makes the case for candidate John Kasich, former Republican governor of OH. Alas, she is probably right, that on several issues he is too moderate, therefore too toxic for the party's right wing.

Putin's muzzled press. Anne Applebaum is well known and respected for her books and articles on Russia and the USSR. In her latest column, she reviews -- and laments -- the passing of Russia's short-lived, post-Soviet, and now largely defunct, free press. In my last life, I often told my students that, try as they might, Soviet authorities were never able to cope with the many Russian readers who an acute ability to "read between the lines." It now seems that Applebaum and others have to hope for a re-birth of that ability. She writes that opposition journalist Yevgenia Albats's New Times is one of the very few dissenting voices still to be read/heard. Ms. Albat has received numerous death threats and, unfortunately, an English translation of her publication does not seem to be available.

Another "Ross?" In a Daily Beast article, columnist Eleanor Clift  recalls how Ross Perot, a neophyte politician, refused to effectively harness his followers, then ran a third party race that may well have thrown the election to Bill Clinton. She ponders the question, "Will The Donald make the same mistake?" She goes on to note, "How long he can keep his candidacy going depends on how long the free media continues, and how much of his own money he is willing to spend."

Thank you for reading and have an enjoyable week.

Correction: In my most recent blog, I was incorrect in stating that James Holmes had been given the death penalty after being found guilty (with indifference) of the Aurora theater shootings. Rather,  the jury is just now deciding his fate, death or life imprisonment.

Here are the topics for this week's blog: worsening weather; the Aurora (CO) freak show; the Iranian deal; the Cuban response; DAM, upcoming impressionist flower exhibit; Hudson Gardens, a summer wedding; the Iranian deal; new climate study; Justice Alito on gay marriage

Rain, winds, flash floods, and ruin. Lately the TV news has been filled with appallingly clear pictures of widespread destruction in the nation's midsection. Torrential rains caused creeks and rivers to quickly rise, trapping some, drowning others, destroying a multitude of homes, entire communities. Is the weather actually worsening, or are we just made more aware by today's instantaneous news cycle? "Good Lord willing and the cricks don't rise!" This old phrase is probably crossing more than a few minds.

The Centennial (CO) theater-shootings trial. It took the jury just a little over 13 hours to hand down their verdict: guilty with extreme indifference on all counts; now on to the sentencing phase: life imprisonment or death. Here, too, the verdict came swiftly: death. Now comes the seemingly interminable appeals process. 

Nucs or not. This NYT article attempts a layman's explanation of the most complicated Iranian arms arrangement. We know that the US is not all that keen about opening its nuclear facilities to foreign inspection, so why should the Iranians or Pakistan, India, North Korea, or Israel feel any more inclined. Why is a Pakistani nuclear weapon to be feared any less than an Iranian bomb?

Raul Castro. One wonders how long Fidel's now 84 year-old brother will hold on to power. Even more interestingly and importantly, who will govern Cuba when the Brothers Castro have passed from the scene? How steeped in the 1959 Revolution will that person/group be?
     Whatever terms of this Monday's reconciliation, they will be determined largely by the younger Cuban-American and Cuban political communities, none of whom will have been personally involved in the Revolution.
     An article in the Daily Beast notes that an "open Cuba does not mean [a] free Cuba." Here, the author sensed "...the self-evident problem with communism: communist economies produce not what the worker needs but what a government bureaucrat has decided to make available for purchase...The Soviet-style shortages persist, listless youth continue to mope everywhere on street corners and the octopus-like tentacles of the state still reach into every corner of Cuban life...“[R]epression inside the country has not diminished — it’s simply more sophisticated...For ordinary people, things go on almost as before, especially for those living in the interior of the island and in the east.”
     How true. On cannot help but wonder how long will it take for the Cuban government to see the light?
     Watching an old movie, it crossed my mind that the Cuban government is sitting on a veritable cinematic gold mine. The streets of its major cities are resplendent with vintage brownstones and automobiles, a visual treasure trove awaiting the movie industry. 
     On my recent visit to Russia, I stood in central Moscow's now very plush GUM department store thinking back to my 1984 visit. In the heyday of the USSR, GUM amounted to nothing more than a huge, drab, glass-covered flea market, shelves stocked with what you would expect to find at any shabby weekend flea market in the US. Now your door was opened by young, polished liveried, top-hatted men, ushering you into what amounted to an indoor Rodeo Drive.
     In 1984, if you wanted fresh vegetables, you visited an open air black-market tucked away on a well-visited side street. Now there was the Moscow equivalent of London's Marks and Spencers at GUM. 1984 -- 2004. This could have been present day Havana.

DAM. That's the Denver Art Museum. A new exhibit is opening, "Painting Flowers in the Impressionist Age." (If you are in the area, it is well worth a visit.) This past Friday evening I attended a preview for DAM members. These previews have become quite popular and not just about art. They also provide an opportunity for those who want "to see and be seen." Certainly, the fashionistas see preview evenings as a chance to see what's now in vogue. It is a very nice show and I will go back for a closer look when the exhibit is less crowded.

Hudson Gardens. Our neighbor's son was married last Friday evening at Hudson Gardens. Newly weds, Garrett and Amanda, were blessed with a splendid Colorado evening, a cobalt blue sky and light, cool winds. This garden is another of our little-known metro treasures. This from Wikipedia: "The Gardens began in 1941 as the private garden of Colonel King C. and Evelyn Leigh Hudson, and became public in 1996. They contain varied grounds ranging from high, dry prairie to river wetlands, and feature plants that thrive in the dry Colorado climate." I do hope you, too, have a similar hidden treasure and can arrange a summer visit.

Iran's final word. President Obama's thoughts not withstanding, remarks by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the end of Ramadan (the Muslim holy month) made clear his country's continued hostility towards the US. We are at once tolerated and vilified.
     In a corollary "would you believe" category: the Israeli ambassador to the US (Ron Demer) was born in FL and he has been quietly meeting with 30+ members of the Congressional Black Caucus. His visits are an apparent effort to counteract feelings among CBC members that the recent visit and speech to Congress by Israeli prime minister Netanyahu was disrespectful of President Obama. 

"How high's the water, mama?" The answer from a new sure to be controversial climate study seems to be "10 feet high and rising." A friend who follows these studies professionally believes this report is likely "spot on." The report does, however, outline some steps that can be taken to lessen these dire predictions. But, only if there is a concerted world-wide effort to lessen mankind's dependence on fossil fuels.

Gay marriage. In an interview with conservative columnist, Bill Kristol, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito took the unusual step of commenting on the Court's recent Obergefell (gay marriage) decision. Looking beyond this specific issue, Justice Alito said the "decision effectively annihilated any sort of limits on constitutional protections."

Thank you for reading and may your upcoming week be pleasant.

Here are the topics for this week's blog: Cuba bound; the American middle class; justice in India; Donald vs. Bernie; Pope Francis; the Greek bailout.

Havana or bust! It was inevitable, just a matter of who would be first and Carnival cruise line appears to be the winner. On a trip quite a while ago, the cruise director mentioned that every major cruise line was "in line," so to speak, vying for dock-dates in Cuba. The major problem was obvious,  the US embargo, which is now being slowly lifted. The other problem about which there has been little discussion was/is Cuba's limited pier space ability to accommodate the large numbers that would come streaming off the ever larger cruise ships. The Carnival ship chosen for initial entry is one of their smallest.
     The further good news is that the looming end to the travel embargo will undoubtedly have a price effect on the educational and cultural tour that are now provide the only legal access for most Americans.

The poor and middle classes and the lotteries. In a recent column, Michael Gerson, a prominent conservative pundit, posits these questions: "Can the United States go on as it has been with a good portion of its working class almost entirely isolated from the promise of our country?" He continues, "It is a yes or no question. A “yes” involves the acceptance of a rigid, self-perpetuating class system in a country with democratic and egalitarian pretentions — a system upheld and enforced by heavy-handed policing, routine incarceration and social and educational segregation. A “no” is just the start of a very difficult task.The mixed legacy of the Great Society — helping the elderly get health care, it turns out, is easier than creating opportunity in economically and socially decimated communities — has left the national dialogue on poverty ideologically polarized."
     Gerson then discusses some particular odious financial predations against the poor. "I am referring to a broad and growing collaboration between government and business to systematically defraud and exploit the poor through state lotteries, payday lending and payday gambling." The emotional pull is ever present. For example, the Mega Millions jackpot for Friday, July 10th is an estimated $106M. Gerson finds state lotteries and payday lending to be especially -- attractively -- pernicious. 
     CO is one of 36 states that allow payday lending where triple-digit annual interest rates are common. There are now more payday lending sites in the US than McDonald's franchises, a $46B industry legally engaged in what used to be called loan sharking and usury.

Advertising. Those who dream up advertisements are nothing if not inventive. In the above blog segment, a side ad in the Gerson story touts Viagra, in the new, improved ad. Forget that old ad with the virile, mud-covered male who has taken his team of horses from the trailer in a rain storm in order to pull the stuck pickup truck out of a massive mud hole. The new print ad for Viagra features a comely lady stretched on a bed with a come hither smile. In the same TV ad, she languidly strides across a deck before ending up on the bed.

Indian justice. Just when you thought you had heard all you needed about Bill Cosby's foibles, comes this story from New Delhi, India. "Judge asks rapist, victim to reconcile...A judge in India recently released a rapist from jail so he could attend mediation sessions with his victim, in the apparent hope that the two could put their differences aside and possibly marry." We can only hope Cosby's lawyers do not hear about this.

The Socialist and the ??. What is one to make of the contest between these two unlikely candidates, both of whom are "inching" up the in the polls? Senator Sanders (I, VT) revels in his designation as a socialist, a nasty word that would normally render him unthinkable. The Donald revels in his own outlandish persona which should be equally unthinkable. The Daily Beast: "Put it another way: When Democratic base voters flock to Sanders, they are expressing dissatisfaction what current Democratic policies. When Republican base voters flock to Trump, they are expressing dissatisfaction with Republican rhetoric."

Pope Francis' Latin American tour. Latin Americans are appropriately delighted with welcoming the Church's first pope from South America. This article begins with this undeniable truth: "Francis’s apologies for the sins of colonialism in Bolivia are as much about the future as they are about the past."

The Greeks, the Euro, and drachma. This story, "The Berlin bulldozer and the the sack of Athens," takes an unfavorable look at the Euro zone and it future. The subtitle and subsequent comments say as much.

Europe’s creditor-in-chief [Germany] has trampled over values like democracy and national sovereignty, and left a vassal state [Greece] in its wake. Which country will be next?...Yes, small countries such as Slovakia and Finland agreed with Germany. But their voices are hardly decisive. From Berlin’s perspective, they are the useful idiots who provide cover for its narrow interests. Remember that, through their loans to Greece, Finns and Slovaks bailed out German banks, not Finnish and Slovak ones. It is naïve to think that Berlin wouldn’t bulldoze them if they stood in its way."

The Germany has, of course, by far the most robust economy in western Europe and jealously guards its overall worth. Time will tell.

Thanks for reading. Have an enjoyable week.

July 7th Here the topics for this week's, post-holiday blog: voting rights; meditation anyone?; Cuba; "tighten up" D.C.; sounds of the universe; five Democrats; Greek debt.

Your vote. A major voting rights decision was lost amid the flurry of headline news about the Supreme Court's last few, eagerly awaited decisions. KS and AZ had challenged an earlier (2013) decision about whether or not the state could require proof of citizenship for people registering to vote using the standard issue federal form. The Supreme Court said it would not hear the appeal, thus affirming the decision of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals (located in Denver) that such proof could not be required. No need to get your birth certificate out of the safety deposit box.
     In one of its last decisions, the Court affirmed the AZ law which established an independent redistricting commission to draw the state's US House congressional districts. The 5 member commission has 2 Democrats, 2 Republicans, and 1 independent member. CA, which also has an independent commission, with 53 congressional districts (vs. 9 in AZ) was also an interested party. It now seems less likely that the CA commission setup will be challenged.

Congressional relaxation. You need not worry about the hectic work pace of your representatives and senators because, in addition to their normal 4-days-a-week schedule, there is now a relaxation and reflection movement afoot on Capitol Hill. Sadly, these sessions are only for elected officials and staff, so there will be no chance to drop by, relax with, and chat-up your "people."

South of the Border.......  At present a small, quiet storm is brewing over the Straits of Florida. By announcing that the US and Cuba will reopen their long-shuttered embassies, President Obama added one more piece of tinder to the flames with which the Republican presidential candidates now have to talk about/around. Weren't same sex marriage, the Confederate flag, African American church burnings, and Obama-care enough?

July 4th in D.C.  Perhaps you are old enough to remember some of the lyrics for "Tighten Up," Archie Bell and the Drell's "one hit wonder,." It came to mind while reading how the nation's capital was preparing for the July 4th holiday. Add to that the doleful comment by a former CIA official regarding the prospect of a terrorist holiday incident in the US and you have enough to considerably dampen your holiday spirit. Sadly it seems we are learning to live like the Israelis, Pakistanis, Iraqis, et. al. with that ever present cloud of worry.

Sound. One of the joys of the PBS New Hour programming is their wide diversity. On Thursday, July 2nd, there was a segment that covered, would you believe, sounds of the universe. Grateful Dead drummer, Mickey Hart, talked about how he visualizes, creates, and then plays distinctive primal sounds. His use of visual images from the Hubble telescope's look back to the big bang are simply spectacular.  So, too, are the investigations by neuroscientists into the brain's reaction to his sounds.

Now there are the big five -- Democrats, that is. Former Navy Secretary, US Senator and ex-Marine Jim Webb tossed his hat in the ring last week. His campaign theme revolved around what he called the need to remember and work towards "the American Trifecta — opportunity, fairness, and security."

The 11 "other" declared Democratic candidates get little, if any, press; in fact, most voters are unaware that 16 have declared their desire for the office. In alphabetical order here are the five major Democratic candidates:

• Lincoln Chafee (former Republican, Independent, now Democrat) 
• Hillary Clinton (you know her)
• Martin O'Malley (former democratic MD governor) 
• Senator Bernie Sanders (I, NH)  
• James Webb (former Democratic VA senator, ex-Marine)

Over the July 4th holiday, Senator Sanders drew impressive crowds in IA. Other candidates, of all stripes/parties will be visiting IA and the other early primary states. Among Democrats, it appears there is indeed a hunger for someone other than Hillary.

Greece's debt. This linked article discusses Greece's looming national insolvency problems. One wonders, though, what problems might be found if some US areas were similarly investigated. After all, the Government Accounting Office has found that  social security and disability checks continue to be mailed to deceased recipients.
    This past week I received a "hacked" email from a former student saying that he was stranded, "cashless," in Cyprus where the ATMs were all empty due to Greece's financial crisis. A quick check with a former colleague confirmed that she, too, had received the former student's plea for cash.
     Good news: virtually instantaneous internet communication with friends. Bad news: all the scams associated with the internet.

I hope you had a safe, "firecracker" of a 4th! Thanks for reading.