IT’S TOO EARLY…

A long and perilous recovery, calling into question his ability to play professional golf again??!

The old Lobsterman doesn’t have the slightest clue, and, you know something, NEITHER do you.

The serious lower leg injuries Tiger Woods sustained in a car crash on Tuesday has brought into chatter and speculation ALL kinds of “what ifs” and will continue to do so for months and months.

Tiger’s injuries are more extensive than first thought.

Meaning his path to recovery is strewn with serious obstacles: infections, inadequate bone healing and, in Woods’s case, previous injuries and chronic back problems may make a months-long or even years-long recovery more difficult, and may reduce the chances that he will play again.

But, like everyone else, I’m getting way, way ahead of myself.

What can be said, since others much more intelligent than me have ALREADY commented on it, the surgical procedures Tiger has successfully managed in the past are NOTHING compared to his current situation.

Let’s just hope there’s serenity in Tiger’s rehabilitation.

Yes, selfishly, we want Tiger to be that ‘once in a generation’ golfer AGAIN, but, why NOT catch our collective oxygen and just settle for his ability to walk/heal first; and, that he can control his pain during his recovery, and beyond.

The opportunity to witness greatness may now come in a different format, and discipline.

NOT enough to KILL the LIE

Dilution of blind loyalty, is it possible anymore??!

The selling of hoaxes has become a cottage industry under the presence of the bogeyman of ALL bogeymen: Donald John Trump.

As we inch closer and closer to the anticipated firestorm that will take place in Orlando this coming Sunday, enhanced fuel is being pored on the embers of The Big Lie.

But in the case of the Capitol assault of 1/6, a hoax is NOT harmless fun; it’s un-American and dangerous. 

Enter Ron Johnson (R-WI) falsely blaming the deadly violence that broke out on “agent provocateurs” and “fake Trump protesters” during this week’s hearing on security failures that allowed a Trump-backed mob to attack on 1/6.

There’s NO way to erase the countless Trump flags, or the dozens and dozens of videos of rioters screaming, with deep venom, “We were invited here! We were invited by the president of the United States!” 

It’s ALL documented, Ron!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The chants of “Hang Mike Pence!” won’t fade away!!!

Trump loyalists are blind to TRUTH.

It’s much easier to live in that Orange Universe!

What unfolded, on 1/6, right before their orange-tinted eyes didn’t, and doesn’t, matter.

Neither does the fact that NO one known to be affiliated with Antifa and/or BLM – left-wing political protest movements – has been arrested in connection with the Capitol attack.

Boy Orange’s second impeachment trial, which charged him with incitement of an insurrection and presented graphic evidence of the attack, did NOT register within the minds? of many of these Deplorables either.

It’s said that Johnson has a toy model of the Loch Ness Monster, painted in orange, at the foot of his bed…the old Lobsterman is having difficulty verifying its veracity.

POTENTIAL GREAT NEWS

The Food and Drug Administration’s staff endorsed Johnson & Johnson‘s COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, a critical step in bringing a third shot to the US marketplace.

The staff report released earlier this morning is meant to brief the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, which will meet this Friday to review J&J’s request for emergency use authorization.

NO specific safety concerns were identified when analyzed by age, race and comorbidities, according to the agency. There were NO reports of anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction, according to the report. The FDA said the most common side effects reported were headache and fatigue, followed by muscle aches, nausea and fever.

If approved, J&J’s application would be the third COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use in the US following those developed by Pfizer and Moderna.

NEEDED LIFE MESSAGE

Yesterday, on a day where a whisper in the ear, or a sight of goodness was needed, I got one at where I ALWAYS get such respites – at a stop light.

Back bumper sticker of a family SUV, to be specific.

The sticker had a large paw print on its left side, and it read: RESCUED – it’s our favorite breed!

EXTRICATION of TIGER

For the most recognizable athlete of his generation, with the greatest social impact on lives since Ali, yesterday was another day of infamy and injury and tragedy.

The laws of physics don’t care who you are…

Golf legend Tiger Woods underwent surgery yesterday after a rollover accident near Los Angeles left him with serious injuries to BOTH legs and required him to be extricated by firefighters and paramedics. 

The chief medical officer and interim chief executive at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center detailed the extent of the injuries, saying that a rod, pins and screws were needed to stabilize Woods’s injuries.

“Comminuted open fractures affecting both the upper and lower portions of the tibia and fibula bones were stabilized by inserting a rod into the tibia,” Anish Mahajan said in statement earlier this morning, local time, released by Tiger’s representatives.

“Additional injuries to the bones of the foot and ankle were stabilized with a combination of screws and pins. Trauma to the muscle and soft-tissue of the leg required surgical release of the covering of the muscles to relieve pressure due to swelling.”

The continual effort to be a great player for a long period has been accompanied by such an obvious price, BOTH physically and emotionally; the previous personal crackups/indiscretions and the numerous physical surgeries were the inevitable toll of a prodigy who became a galactical star – we had NEVER seen his like before. 

Tiger has had more than 10 surgeries, that we know of – and he’s just 45.

Genius talent is NOT an end run around pressure.

On the contrary…

NO DISSENTS NOTED

The Supreme Court has rejected a last-ditch attempt by Donald John Trump to shield his financial records, issuing a brief, unsigned order requiring Trump’s accountants to turn over his tax and other records to prosecutors in New York.

Do not forsake me, oh, my darlin’…Wait, wait along; I do not know what fate awaits me; I only know I must be brave…And I must face a man who hates me…

High noon, Donnie!!!

Privacy is NOT a valid reason because Americans have a right to know ! about certain aspects of a presidential candidate’s personal finances…

Even one as smelling as TFG‘s records!!!

If privacy is a issue, there is a simple solution: Don’t seek residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!!!

This is one case where you and I have a right to know, given the lengths Trump went to evade public disclosure of actions that may have resulted in substantial costs to the public treasury and even more important, would have disqualified him from attaining the presidency.

I haven’t the word ‘audit’ from the echo chambers yet.

PRAIRIE CONVERSATIONS

As many of you know, faithful followers ALL, our Breakfast Club of septuagenarians has been suspended due to COVID, for the better part of a year.

But, occasions such as the ’20 election, and now the Arctic storms have mustered an influx of email/phone conversations amongst the group.

About what you ask?

Electricity and water and the grid.

America’s aging infrastructure matters are cropping up across the country…and collapsing before our eyes.

Our main focus fell on Texas being the text book case of failed policy [mostly GOP-centric]…wrapped around voter suppression. Remember the one drop advance vote box in Harris County for more than 4 million folks??!

I should add, at this point, our crowd has been/is Republican.

From these storms, one-third of oil production in the nation was halted. 

Vaccination efforts in 20 states were disrupted.

Growing stress placed on the foundations of the country’s economy: our network of roads and railways, drinking-water systems, power plants, electrical grids, industrial waste sites and, yep, our homes.

Failures in just one sector can set off a domino effect of breakdowns in hard-to-predict ways.

Much of this infrastructure was built decades ago!!!

Waiting until something dire happens and then putting Band-Aids on whatever the issue, because we don’t want to spend the $$$…those days are long-gone!

That gambit ALWAYS ends up with more money lost because of such tendencies!

The external costs for failing to look out for the greater good has become the ‘trail of tears’ for countless sections of the country.

Over the next couple of months, BOTH sides of the aisle will put colorful spins on the aftermath of this burgeoning crisis, you can be sure.

But, the horizon for an easy solution for a bankrupt nation is/will/could be bleak.

TEXAS STUPID!

“The Snake” just can’t get it right…

We’ve ALL seen the pictures of Teddy Cruz trying to display his Mea culpa in faux fashion over the weekend for his catastrophic Mexican F!#KUP!!!

Pop your trunk, sir, while I struggle to load water into the back, amongst your Lone Star empties, in front of the press…

Wearing his TEXAS mask, NO less.

Give me some oxygen, Pedro.

Teddy having crisis photos of how involved he is??!

Who on his staff took the pix??!

Why isn’t ‘Fled Ted’ in 14-day quarantine??!

Snowflake, go back to the shelter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE COVID COUNT(s)

The US death toll from COVID-19 is closing in on 500,000, even as newly reported cases and hospitalizations are, thankfully, falling.

While the daily tally of new cases is down sharply from peak levels reached earlier this year, it is still elevated compared with totals in the late summer and early autumn.

According to Johns Hopkins data, we saw more than 1,200 fatalities reported for yesterday, on top of the 1,821 deaths reported for Saturday.

Hospitalizations fell to 56,159 as of yesterday, down more than 53% from a month earlier, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

The number of COVID-19 patients requiring treatment in intensive care units was less than 12,000 for the first time since November 9th, with 11,862 people in ICUs across the country.

While the Arctic blast storms brought chaos to vaccine shipments in numerous parts of the country, vaccinations are still pushing ahead.

As of late yesterday, more than 14% of people in the country have received at least one dose of a vaccine.

h/t: Becker’s Hospital Review.

SPENDING PRIORITIES for DEMS

Dorothy, pull the curtain!

The Land of Oz is at it again…

As we’re starting to find, over this weekend, looking at the fine print, there’s a messy list of longtime Democratic spending priorities flying under the false flag of COVID-19 relief…the bill proposed at $1.9 trillion.

To be clear, the country, especially Main Street businesses, are beyond being in dire straits.

That said, our Congressional Budget Office (CBO) says the bill’s unemployment provisions will increase deficits by $246 billion, and that its $400 a week in federal “enhanced” unemployment benefits through August “could increase the unemployment rate as well as decrease labor force participation.”

Did someone say “economic stimulus??!“

To put a finer point on the situation, as I ponder and understand it, the House’s generous definition of COVID-related provisions tallies some $825 billion. The rest of the bill – more than $1 trillion – is a combination of bailouts for Dem constituencies, expansions of progressive programs, pork, and unrelated policy changes.

To name a few…

• Dems changed the funding formula to ensure most of the dollars go to blue states that imposed strict economic lockdowns;
• Here’s my personal favorite: The bill includes $86 billion to rescue 185-plus multiemployer pension plans insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. Managed jointly by employer sponsors and unions, these plans are chronically underfunded due to lax federal standards !!! and accounting rules; yet the House bailout comes with NO real reform;
• Elementary and secondary schools get another $129 billion, whether they reopen for classroom learning or NOT; higher education gets $40 billion; since Congress ALREADY provided some $113 billion for schools – and as “most of those funds remain to be spent”- it expects that 95% of this new money will be spent from 2022 through 2028 [I’ll be 85, hopefully];
• The package adds $35 billion to pump up subsidies to defray ObamaCare premiums, lowering the maximum amount participants are expected to contribute to about 8.5% of their income, down from 10%;
• And, don’t forget the $15 an hour minimum wage, which CBO estimates will cost 1.4 million jobs!!!

I’ve only touched on a few segments that jumped out to me.

NO matter which side of the side of the aisle you focus on – the Re’Trump’licans with their tax cuts worshiping at the alter of the 1%ers, or the Dems crushing grapes for their interest groups – history repeats!!!

It’s amazing how easy it is to make a “b” into a “t” when working on a spread-sheet in the Land of Oz!