Stewart Myrent

​I have an update on the Shingrixx (?) debate.   I was talking to one of our former classmates, Bob Lawrence (nee Fimoff) about the shingles vaccine.  Bob gets all of his medical care through the VA, and I must report, is very happy with the level of care & competence he gets at the Great Lakes facility.  Bob said that he has already had his first shot of the new vaccine, around 06/18, and needs to get the second shot by mid-Dec. & that he was going to be talking to his Dr. about when to get the 2nd shot.  I asked him to ask the Dr. two things: (1) does the 2nd shot have to be from the same batch as the 1st shot, and (2) do the components have to be mixed, right before getting the shot?  He just called me with the answers.  (1) The 2nd shot does NOT have to be from the same batch as the first (which makes a whole lot of sense, for many reasons), and (2) they DO mix the components, right before giving you the shot.   He also mentioned that the VA, currently, also has none of the new vaccine & also don't know when they are getting more.  So, I asked him to ask the Dr., what happens if the facility does NOT get more of the vaccine by mid-Dec.?  It seems that we have struck a chord that has (almost) universal appeal - this whole shingles thing.  Does it strike anyone else, as being weird, that we are of an age, that a raging discussion can be held about the scourge of shingles?  What's next - a discussion of where to buy the very best wheelchairs & at the best price?

Allan Norman Karlin

MEDITATIONS ON PITTSBURGH

The murders in Pittsburgh has forever affected me.  I am not a religious Jew although I do belong to a synagogue in Morgantown WV.  (Coincidently called Tree of Life.)  Being Jewish, to me, has always been more about a historic heritage and a view of social justice that I think I learned, in part, at the Passover Sedar table. 

I knew there were bigots out in the world, particularly in the radical Right.  But, on a day to day basis, the thought of a crazed bigot threatening my life or that of my family or friends, seemed a little paranoid.

Nonetheless, on the High Holidays, when I made one of my infrequent trips to the Synagogue, I sometimes found myself wondering what I would do if an anti-Semite burst in, guns blazing.  Where were the exits?  Could I somehow tackle the shooter?  But I would quickly convince myself that such thoughts were a manifestation of my self-diagnosed touch of obsessive compulsive worry disorder.

Well, that is all changed now.  It -- dangerous anti-Semitism -- can kill people in American in 2018.  The scary chorus of "Jews will not replace us" from Charlottesville has turned into the the murder of 11 at Tree of LIfe. 

And --  Carol -- I have tried to stay out of the polemics on the message forum, but I cannot stop thinking about how the President said there were good people on both sides in Charlottesville where one side was chanting "Jews will not replace us."  I don't care if he didn't mean what he said-- because he did say it.  I know that Ivanka, Jared and his grandchildren are all Jewish, but that does not get him a free pass on bigoted statements.

On the other hand, I went to a Vigil last night at Northwestern.  (I am visiting my brother in Evanston.)   I was pleased to hear the speeches of solidarity and support from people of all faiths.  And, in this world where Middle Easterners are often the target of derisive comments by the President, the first person to send a message of sympathy and support to me, his Jewish friend, was an Iraqi Muslim.  So there are signs of hope mixed in with the recognition that what happened in Pittsburgh could just as easily happen in Morgantown WV tomorrow. 

Stewart Myrent

​Allan, I read your post with great interest, as I am also, not a very religious Jew.  I don't even belong to a congregation & never go to temple, even on the High Holidays.  However, I have always felt that being Jewish, inplies way more than simply religious beliefs.  Even though I am not a religious Jew, I am socially a Jew & feel that being Jewish implies very much about being socially conscious about right & wrong, about inclusion of others (regardless of their religious beliefs) & the ability to see things, as others may see them.  Despite the fact that I never go to 'shul', I am proud to be Jewish, as were my parents & grandparents.  Did you know that Jews have won 25% of the Nobel prizes in medicine, economics, history, chemistry, physics & literature, despite representing 0.2% of the world population?  How does that happen?  So, for me, being Jewish has always meant something very special, despite the fact that I, personally, have never & never will, win a Nobel prize, in any category.  The mid-terms are now 1 week away.  VOTE!

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

In the midst of the horror of the past week, it can be difficult to feel hope and the energy to take positive steps forward.

Three generations of my family from Northeast Wisconsin spent the past weekend together in the heart of Chicago.  I love Chicago-- and immersing myself with my grandchildren in the diversity that is the great metropolis-- We were eight, so we walked and hopped on and off buses-- To hear the medley of languages, see the tapestry of humanity, taste the delicious flavors of many cultures all brought together in this one beautiful place is renewal itself.  

On Saturday we went to the Adler Planetarium-- the immensity, magnificence, and power of the universe bring perspective which supports hope seeing that beyond the vicious moment in our history, beyond the power of our darkest side to destroy, there is a force of beauty and unity.  What’s required of us are eyes to see, hearts open to accept, and commitment to being energized by hope.

Perhaps it’s the historic heritage of Judaism and a view of social justice that motivates Jews, inspires those of us in your midst, and makes us all Jews in this moment.  (I have a personal friend who was a patient of Dr. Jerry Rabinowitz who was killed trying to help victims of the massacre at Tree of Life Synagogue, which is literally in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.) 

Alan A. Alop

If you called yourself a conservative BT (Before Trump) and you still support Trump, guess what? You are not a conservative. Let me explain.

Conservatives believe in free trade. Always have.  Trump has erected tariffs that threaten our economy. In attempting to protect a few industries he has damaged many others and every consumer in America. Conservatives do not do that.

Conservatives do not believe in unrestrained presidential power. When Obama signed an Executive Order clarifying environmental statutory provisions, conservatives accused him of running amok, abusing his power. Yet Trump has announced that he would issue an Executive Order reversing the constitutional provision of birthright citizenship, a pillar of the US Constitution since 1868. Conservatives don’t do that sort of thing.

Conservatives believe in fiscal responsibility. But the Trump tax break for millionaires and billionaires added 1.7 TRILLION dollars to our national deficit. And the White House proposal for a new federal department—the Space Force-- would likely add billions, if not hundreds of billions, to our budget. His much talked about but still unseen infrastructure plan would cost countless billions more. Conservatives want a smaller federal government, not larger.

Conservatives, since the 1920’s, have opposed Russian authoritarianism and aggressive Russian geo-political actions. Which is why conservatives helped erect NATO and a global alliance against Russian expansionism and thuggery.  This president has buddied up to Putin and eroded NATO, while unnecessarily offending long-time allies.  Conservatives do not do that.  

Face the truth: Trump is not a conservative. He is an authoritarian, an egomaniac, a pathological liar, a criminal, a self-confessed sexual predator, and a low-IQ individual. He is a demagogue--definition: “a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument.”  He is not a conservative—and if you support his madness, neither are you.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

What do American voters care about?

Trump’s closing argument is fear and divisiveness-- NOT Morning in America.  

He is sending 5,200 troops to the border with Mexico-- focused on a migrant “invasion” in Texas, Arizona, and California.  Trump warns 5,200 US military troops will be at the border waiting for the “invasion” with 2,100 National Guard members already there (sent by Trump in April)--

the migrants are 1,000 miles from the border--

American troops will be deployed by the end of the week with weapons, helicopters, airplanes, barriers, and miles of razor wire.  

Why the urgency?  It could be weeks, months before the migrants arrive at the border... many are falling back because of the length of the journey and the offer of Mexican asylum...

Trump seeks to paint the refugees as a national threat that he alone is willing to counter.  

Monday he tweeted: “Many Gang Members and some very bad people are mixed into the Caravan heading to our Southern Border. ... This is an invasion of our Country and our Military is waiting for you.”  

Under international law there is a legal obligation to hear asylum claims from migrants if they fear violence in their home countries-- they are considered refugees.  

Economic migrants seeking a better quality of life - even if they are fleeing devastating poverty - are not considered refugees and do not have the same protections.

Even now when guns and bombs have been dominating the headlines, Trump’s focus is on migrants rather than Domestic Terrorism at the hand of White Supremacists--

We have the opportunity to elect a US Congress that heeds our concern about gun safety in America.  

VOTE Tuesday, November 6th.  

***Trump amps up fear-- ramps up to 15,000 troops to protect border from migrant “invasion”.

****Trump ramps up the rhetoric-- that's how demagogues keep their supporters engaged.

*****Trump on Migrants: US troops on the border should treat rocks as rifles.

Nancy Doyle (Sudlow)

Stewart Myrent

​Alan, loved your post & Janis, loved your post, also.  I couldn't have said it better myself.  Met my daughter for lunch today & I was thinking about those kids from Stoneman H.S. in FL. on the way home, because I haven't heard much about them, lately.  The last thing I remember hearing, is that they were going to start mobilizing, to get people registered to vote in the mid-terms.  Haven't heard anything else about it, since then.  I am hoping, of course, that they will be successful in their efforts, as I hope that a participatory electorate will protect the country, from moving in a scarily wrong direction.  But, we'll know soon enough, if people care enough about their country, in particular, and democracy, in general.  I am keeping my fingers crossed that the American electorate will do the right thing.  If they don't, what does that say about us, as Americans?  And could I possibly be that wrong about this whole thing?  It's actually kind of scary.  I don't like being scared.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Stewart, Stoneman Douglas student activists are on a multi-city tour on college campuses across the country and in Florida which will end in Parkland on Election Day.  I do not understand why so little news coverage.

P.S. The newest release in Oprah’s “Winfrey’s food line, O, That’s Good!” is frozen pizza with a crust that’s one third cauliflower. 

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

Martin Luther King often described the human condition as being “caught in a network of mutuality so that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  Mother Teresa’s analysis of our world is that “we have forgotten we belong to one another.”  

We usually think of a tree as a tree... a dozen trees make a grove; a hundred, a wood; a thousand, a forest.

There is a quaking aspen - a single tree - that covers more than a hundred acres.  What appears to be 47,000 trees are NOT - the “stems” are connected by one root system - the trees are one - a single tree.

The quaking aspen is a tree of life-- the tree of life is one... we are all one.

Thinking about Tree of Life Synagogue reminds me we are all connected...

but somehow, on our “watch” our connections seem to be “coming apart.”

Much of our political discourse is more than divisive-- it is broken... resulting in broken hearts, broken relationships, broken families, broken communities, broken dreams, broken lives.  

We must tend the tree of life-- we must plant kindness, joy, and justice... together.

Vote for the future of America. VOTE Tuesday, November 6.

with attribution to Diana Butler Bass “The Cottage: Trees of Life”  October 31, 2018

Donald Henry Kuehn

Well, except for one event in Florida later this month, the regular local and state tournament season has (finally) come to a close. I’ve had 3 events in the past seven days. One individual (finished 6th) and one state team competition (Ryder Cup style) for which I was Captain of the West team vs the East side of the state of Missouri (we prevailed 16.5 to 7.5) and today, the Kansas Senior 4 ball. This one had been scheduled earlier, but was postponed when constant rain made the course unplayable.

My partner and I won the Super Senior (over 60) flight by a single shot, shooting 68 - 68 over the past two days. A nice way to finish the season. This is the 4th time I have won this tournament with four different partners.

Now a couple of weeks to rest and practice and play before I head to Florida for the Golfweek Tournament of Champions.

Sorry to interrupt the election/shingles discussion. You can go back to pondering the questions of the day now.

DK

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

DK --  Yes, a nice way to finish the season... I can’t help but wonder if you were playing 20 somethings when you finished 6th in the individual... three events in the past seven days-- you’re like the Energizer Bunny...  Congratulations!  

Hope you take a break from “going and going” to get out and vote on Tuesday.  (Undoubtedly some of our classmates are into fear and loathing a’ la Donald Trump.)  If you haven’t already, one day soon it’s time to get your flu shot... Have you been vaccinated for shingles?

You're looking natty and healthy.  Are you part of the Real Men Rally Against Breast Cancer Campaign?  Did your men’s apparel purchases go toward funding research and mammograms? 

A couple of weeks to rest and practice and play-- Enjoy!

before you head to Florida for the Golfweek Tournament of Champions. Enjoy and good luck!

Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

Stewart Myrent

​Don, I have no problem forgoing the shingles & political discussions, which do seem to take up a preponderance of time on this Forum, to delve into something that is, obviously, near & dear to your heart.  Namely, the royal & frustrating game of golf.  I read the account of your abilities on the golf course & frankly, I am amazed, awestruck, and jealous.  First of all, to captain the MO Westies over the Easterners (they're probably the snobby ones), you not only prevailed, you cleaned their clocks (16.5 to 7.5 doesn't sound very close to me.)  The part that really amazed me, though, was that you won the Super Senior (over 60) tournament with a 68-68 over 2 days.  When I played (every Sat. AM for 6 yrs.), I would have been thrilled to shoot 89-89 over 2 consecutive days.  So, something tells me that we were not really playing the same game.  I do have 2 questions, though, about the Super Senior tournament.  First, from the photo, it looks like your partner is approximately the same age, and, if so, and you are both early 70's, secondly, is it tough contending against those kids in their early 60's?  I was just wondering.  Two more comments, you've won the Super Senior tournament with 4 different partners.  I guess we know what the constant is there, but I have to tell you if I was your partner in any of those tourneys, you wouldn't have won anything & would have come crashing down in ignominious defeat.  By the way, I stopped playing golf about 6 years ago & I've never been happier.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

 It’s almost Election Day and every vote counts.

 Two mottos reflect the American experiment--

"e pluribus unum" (out of one many)

          and

 "every man for himself"   

 Make your voice heard-- 

 your vote will be for one /or the other.

 VOTE Tuesday, November 6th.

Donald Henry Kuehn

Stewart,

I won the Senior division in 2003 and 2006 and the Super Senior in 2015 (and now this one). As for my partner, he’s a few years younger than me. He’s actually still working (and helping us all by paying into the Social Security Trust Fund!). He’ll retire in April. The “younger” guys, you know... like 60, 61 -  put up a good fight, but I manage to keep it in play and my short game is, frankly, quite good. As I have to remind them on occasion: “it’s not farther it’s fewer”  that matters in golf.

I don’t mind taking on the younger players since the ball has no idea just how old I actually am! I play with really younger guys all the time. Our weekend game spans the gamut from their 20’s to... ah, me! And I usually hold my own. I am the lowest handicap of any of the regulars. I take pride in staying in decent shape, will finish the season injury-free and get a certain satisfaction in beating the crap out of those “kids”!

The Hieronymus Cup (the team matches I mentioned) was a butt-kicking. The event is named for a former Missouri golfer who left most of his wealth to 3 causes when he died, one of which was the Missouri Golf Association. Our junior golf program is funded significantly by his generosity.

Janis, thanks for your concern. Yes, I have had the flu shot, I will be voting in one of the most important elections in recent history and my wife (the county Democratic Committeewoman) will be working the polls again.

DK

Stewart Myrent

Don, thank you for the clarification on the golf stuff, but I was very glad to hear you got your flu shot, as did I last week, and that you will be "voting in one of the most important elections in recent history", as will I.  I couldn't agree with you more.  I hope no one underestimates the importance of this impending mid-term election, and don't remember ever being so excited, or concerned, about the outcome.  I believe that something very existential, for this country, will be determined by the outcome.  On the plus side, everything will shake out only 5 days from now.  (That's right - I added an extra day for us to get definitive results & see the whole picture).  Good luck, whichever side you're rooting for.  By the way, forgot to ask in my last post, what is the 'Golfweek' Tournament of Champions in FL? 

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

and DK, please comment on the individual event (finished 6th) and if there's a message in your natty attire.  Thanks for keeping us in the loop.

Frances Garfield (Brown)

Don't forget to VOTE!!!

Donald Henry Kuehn

The other event this week was the Kansas City Masters, an invitation-only event one earns entry into based on tournament play through the year. There was an Open and a Senior division. Guess which one I was in!  No excuses, but several of the players who finished ahead of me were members of the host club... call it “home cookin’.” 

The clothing? While we are a “survivor family” there was no overt intention to plug breast cancer survivors in my selection of clothing yesterday . Every day is Breast Cancer Awareness Day at my house. It was just a nice, bright and uplifting choice for a cold, somewhat dreary day. Hey, it worked!

DK

Stewart Myrent

​Don, I was shocked to hear that you finished behind any players in the Kansas City Masters. I get the part about the "home cookin'", but I still figured you might find a way to defeat the "home field advantage."  By the way, I realized that if you & your partner won the Super Senior tournament with a 2-day aggregate of 68-68, you are, probably, both scratch golfers, individually, which I'm sure you know, leaves you with a 0 handicap.  Boo-hoo!  Also, you never informed me what the 'Golfweek' Tournament of Champions is.  One other thing - with Janis, fairly constantly, and me, occasionally, urging everyone to vote on Nov. 6th, and with Frances' exhortation "Don't forget to vote.", I find it hard to believe that any regular viewer of this Forum, would even consider not participating in the upcoming mid-terms, so, I will not re-double my efforts now.  You all know who you are & what you need to do, to become a promoter of democracy.  Do it!

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

If not now, when do we stand up for voting rights in America?

SCOTUS gutted the Voting Rights Act expecting Congress to take up the responsibility to correct voting issues with legislation... the default of Congress has caused voter suppression all over the country.

North Dakota takes away the vote from Native Americans who were here before we were...

Ford County Clerk in Kansas sends “lol” message to Kansas Secretary of State, running to be Governor of Kansas, that Dodge City, Kansas, residents want to vote in General Election Tuesday...

Two Federal Judges in Georgia ruled against Georgia Secretary of State, running to be Governor of Georgia, who has been restricting voting by purging and flagging the voter rolls, and discarding absentee ballots...

We are in a Reconstruction shift.  Shame on us for giving up health care coverage to suppress the vote.

Voter suppression works when we let it work.

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

What Ronald Reagan said about immigrants--

“They came here to work, they came under often harrowing conditions.  They didn’t ask what this country could do for them but what they could do to make this refuge the greatest home of freedom in history.  

“They brought with them courage, ambition, and the values of family, neighborhood, work, peace, and freedom.  We all came from different lands but we shared the same values, the same dream.”  

Contrast Reagan’s words to Trump’s message amping up fear about immigration and migrant caravans - the caravan is coming, they are going to take what’s yours, you better be scared - the key issue in his closing argument to activate his base to vote in the midterm election... going so far as allocating government resources and thousands of troops to stave off an “invasion” at the border.  Can we agree? No one has been as brazen as Trump in using the powers of the Office of President to aid his political goals.

Back to Ronald Reagan--

“I want more than anything I’ve ever wanted, to have an administration that will, through its actions, at home and in the international arena, let millions of people know that Miss Liberty still ‘lifts her lamp beside the golden door’ ... let us send, loud and clear, the message that this generation of Americans intends to keep that lamp shining; that this dream the last best hope of man on earth, this nation under God, shall not perish from the earth.”  

The interest in this midterm election seems as high as for presidential elections-- it’s a referendum on Trump, on Congress, and what kind of country we want to live in along with the need to defend everything upon which our democracy depends.  Moms and grams and teachers of all affiliations are eager for our children and grandchildren and students to grow up to recognize our country as a “symbol of freedom and guardian of the eternal values” that inspired our forbears to come to America.

VOTE Democratic with Pilot “Sully” Sullenberger - he prides himself in “always voting as an American” and since Tom Hank's portrayal in "Sully: Miracle on the Hudson" he feels a duty to say, "This is not the America I know and love." 

VOTE Tuesday, November 6.

Donald Henry Kuehn

Yes, my partner is about a 2 and I am a “plus 1” (just better than 0). The Golfweek ToC is an event put on by Golfweek magazine, one of several tournaments they do throughout the year. This one ends the season and at the conclusion, they name their Players of the Year in each age division. This year we are playing at Black Diamond Ranch (2 courses) in Lecanto, Fl. I’ve played there once before and remember it was a top-notch layout. Part of one of the courses is built in and around an old quarry. Stunning design (as I remember).

I usually play in about 8 - 10 “national” tournaments each year. This year I will have played in South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, New York, Arkansas, North Carolina, Tennessee, Florida and Pennsylvania. And, of course, Kansas and Missouri. Last year I also had the honor of playing in the Canadian Senior Amateur in Montreal. With the exception of the North & South (at Pinehurst) I was not out of the top 10 in any of those. I won 4 times this year in major, multi-day tournaments around the country (and a bunch of local one-day events).

2018 was a very good year.  

DK

Janis Kliphardt (Emery)

DK, much as I enjoy the green grass in your profile picture, I find myself looking back at your picture perfect Real Men Wear Pink photo.  It's a keeper.  I encourage you to crop the photo to use as your profile picture, otherwise to please include the photo in your profile gallery. 

Stewart Myrent

​Don, I never even sniffed a 0 handicap, so I didn't even know about a +1 handicap, but I'm guessing you'd have to give a stroke to a scratch golfer.  By the way, even though I haven't played regularly for the past 6 or 7 years, I always have my clubs in the trunk.  Thanks for the info on the 'Golfweek' ToC; I wasn't aware of that, but I do have a question about playing in the Canadian Senior Amateur in Montreal.  Are there qualifying tournaments to get in, or as I suspect, is it an invitational?  Janis, your quotes from Reagan were great; I guess I get why they called him "the great communicator", but I have to say, I think he was one of the more principled Republicans in memory.  He was almost a Republican I could vote for, for president.  But I didn't.  However, I would easily take him over any prominent Republican today, now that John McCain is gone.  Thanks for the hopeful & inspiring words, from Reagan's lips.  I have to say, he got it.  Mid-terms are now 3 days away.