Wednesday, May 30, 2018

The Jump-off: Act IV

It's time to Break It Down!

The wait is almost over. The NBA Finals begin tomorrow. Under most circumstances, there is a good chance I would have penned a written homage to Memorial Day for this space. The Holiday, which was Monday, kicks off the summer season, but more importantly, is a federal holiday in the United States, observed on the last Monday in May, honoring the memory of people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. These brave men and women not only served, but also made the ultimate sacrifice.

As regular readers of this blog know, I’m a hoops fan. I have multiple rooting interests, including my collegiate alma maters, Fayetteville State University, and the University of North Carolina, and two professional squads, the Lakers (life-long), and the Timberwolves (familial connection). The college season ended long ago, and tomorrow, the NBA’s piece de resistance kicks off. The T-wolves endured an inglorious First Round exit. Although, by becoming eligible for postseason play for the first time in 14 years, even though it took all 82 Regular Season games, plus a five-minute overtime to do so, the organization likely considers the season at least a qualified success. However, the reward, dubious though it may be, for earning the eighth and final seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, is to begin by playing the Top Seed. It’s a system designed to reward the higher seed, and Houston, which earned the best record in the NBA this year, prevailed easily. 

The Lakers, on the other hand, missed postseason play for the fifth year in a row. Oy vey!

Putting all that to one side, it’s about to go down! Prime Time starts tomorrow night at 9:00 p.m. For the first time since 1979, both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals required 7 games to determine which team would represent their respective Conference in the NBA Finals. Both higher seeds went up 3-2, only to lose games 6 and 7, including the last one at home. In the end though, the basketball gods had their way, and for the fourth year in a row, the Finals included some variation of the best player in the world (today) slotted against the best team in the world. Moreover, for the first time in history, the same two teams are meeting in the NBA Finals for the fourth year in a row. 

One more time, the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Golden State Warriors for the Title. On paper, neither the Cavaliers, nor the Warriors were overwhelming favorites to advance to the Finals. The Cavs fell behind the Pacers 3-2, and then fell behind the Celtics 2-0, then 3-2. Needless to say (they’re in the Finals, after all), they rallied to win the last two games against both teams. Then there was Toronto. The Caves played the Raptors after the Pacers, and before the Celtics. The Raptors had the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs swept them. Rumor has it; somewhere, at some point, the Cavs ripped out the Raptors’ collective heart, and ate it…or tossed it into the sea, or something to that effect. Anyway, the end result is, the Finals start tomorrow and LeBron and the Cavs (in that order) will be present, accounted for at 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland, CA (Oracle Arena), home of the Golden State Warriors. Along the way, at every point the Cavs were counted out, LeBron did what LeBron does, and as a result, they are making what has become an annual trek to the Finals.

The Warriors did not have the torturous journey the Cavs had in reaching the Finals. In the First Round, they fell behind the Spurs 1-0, then 2-1, before winning three straight to close out the series. In Round 2, the Pelicans were able to tie the Series at 1-1, before the Warriors closed out with three consecutive victories. Then came the League leading (record-wise) Rockets, who took three of the first five games before one of their most pivotal players (Chris Paul) went down to injury. Houston partisans will insist Chris Paul’s hamstring is the only thing separating the Rockets and this year’s NBA Finals, and probably a Championship. While that may be true, we’ll never know. What we do know is the Rockets will have the off-season to think about it, and…Andre Iguodala missed more games than Paul. Now, if the Cavs beat Golden State, and Iguodala doesn’t play, well…

By the way, don’t even mention Haywood and Irving in Boston. But really, that’s an entirely different story.

In full disclosure, I have a highly diversified skill set. Unfortunately, master prognosticator is not in the package. Nonetheless, if I were to make a projection about the outcome, just as Vegas is doing, I’d pick the Warriors. Even without Iguodala, they have four All-Stars, in Curry, Durant, Thompson, and Green. Let’s not kid ourselves though. The Cavs have LeBron, and there is a good chance they will have Kevin Love, sooner or later. Once again, on paper, they will be overmatched. However, the truth is, it’s been a long time since a team with LeBron has been truly overmatched. He routinely bends the curve on the unexpected, and as he proved against the Pacers, and again against the Celtics, he can often transform the improbable into the, been there, done that.

Let’s be clear, though. The Warriors present a different kind and level of challenge. If he’s unable to go, they will miss Iggy. He has established himself as the team’s most effective Lebron defender. Still, they have four aforementioned All-Stars. They also have experience playing the Cavs on the biggest stage of all, and have prevailed when doing so, two times out of three over the past three years. They’ve now even won a game 7, on the road. 

In the event the Finals should require 7 games, the Warriors would have the small comfort of playing the game at Oracle, rather than at Quicken Loans Arena. There is a reason I say small comfort. The fact is, despite my previous assessment, there is a caveat. If the Cavs and Warriors find themselves in a Game 7, all bets are off (figuratively speaking, of course, as I am not betting). In other words, if it should come to Game 7, I would expect LeBron and the Cavs to prevail. To be perfectly clear, I do not expect it to come to that, but if it does, go with The King. “The Jump-off: Act IV!”

I’m done’ holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the linkhttp://thesphinxofcharlotte.comFind a new post each Wednesday.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Ollie North: At It Again

It's time to Break It Down!

I hadn’t heard or thought about the name Oliver North in many years. If and when I did, it was in relation to the ill-fated Iran-Contra affair, which was a political scandal that occurred in the United States during Reagan’s second term. The CliffNotes summary of the matter is that the United States, aimed to free 7 American hostages held in Lebanon by Hezbollah, a paramilitary group with military ties to the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. Senior Reagan official secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, which at the time, not unlike now, was the subject of an arms embargo. The intent was to fund the Contras in Nicaragua while simultaneously negotiating the release of the hostages. 

Ultimately, it was determined, subterfuge notwithstanding; that by making large-scale modifications to the plan, then Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North of the National Security Council played a central role in executing a covert and prohibited arms for hostages deal. On March 4, 1987, Reagan hit the airwaves in a nationally televised address, taking full responsibility, and saying, "what began as a strategic opening to Iran deteriorated, in its implementation, into trading arms for hostages.”

Fast forward, On May 7, 2018, the National Rifle Association (NRA) announced that North would become the organization's next president within the following weeks. He will succeed Pete Brownell, the incumbent President, who did not stand for re-election.

After last week’s school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, in which 10 students and 2 teachers were killed, and a dozen others injured, North cited “a culture of violence” as the culprit in school shootings. He mentioned the drug Ritalin, TV, and movies, as causes for such shootings, which after last week, the 20thweek of 2018, numbered 22. Not surprisingly, he did not mention guns, lax gun laws, or any aspect of the Second Amendment, which the NRA vigorously supports at all costs. But there was one other NRA and gun lobby scape-goating favorite that he conveniently failed to note: violent video games. 

At an NRA forum, North had this to say:

"The problem that we've got is we're trying like the dickens to treat the symptom without treating the disease. And the disease in this case isn't the Second Amendment. The disease is youngsters who are steeped in a culture of violence."

He indicated, in a Fox News interview last Sunday, that prescribing of the attention deficit disorder drug Ritalin was partially responsible for violence such as that at the Santa Fe, Texas high school. North also gave violent movies specific mention. Commentators from a variety of media outlets were quick to point out that the former Marine was not only featured as a voice actor in "Call of Duty: Black Ops II Video Game," but he also served as a pitchman. Undoubtedly, for North, it’s a case where, like beauty, violence is in the eye of the beholder.

There is little question, North created wide ranging parameters for creativity when he orchestrated the little known moving parts of the Iran-Contra scandal. In ascending to a pivotal leadership role with the NRA, he will almost certainly be called upon to match, if not exceed that level of mental legerdemain in his defense of all things NRA, including a relentless series of school shootings.

The constant barrage of shootings, especially at schools, but also in clubs and at concerts, has sparked a call for changes in gun laws. The NRA has been front and center in blaming culture, and in lobbying against any substantive changes. Now Oliver North stands front and center for the NRA. 

Everytown for Gun Safety, a group which promotes stricter gun laws, said in a statement Monday that "The American people know who bears the most blame for gun violence: the NRA apologists who are always pointing their fingers at everyone else."

The terms of engagement are different, and many more than 7 lives are at stake. It’s been more than 30 years, and once again, Oliver North stands in the midst of a controversy that roils the nation. Ollie North: At It Again!”

I’m done; holla back!










Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Happy Birthday: A Year In The Life of Special Counsel Mueller

It's time to Break It Down!

Tomorrow will mark the one-year anniversary of the Justice Department’s appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to oversee the government’s investigation of possible Russian interference in our 2016 Presidential Election, including, but not limited to collusion between Donald Trump’s campaign and Russian officials. How one assesses the fruits of Mr. Mueller’s efforts very much depends on where one sits.

The feverish and frenzied fanatical Fox News viewers see every act that Mueller has taken (and some that he hasn’t) as evidence of a deep state, democratic, liberal media conspiracy. Let’s take a moment to consider the upside down nature of that reality. If you have anything other than a short memory, you may recall that it did not begin that way. 

Conservatives and Republicans were, if not giddy, at least satisfied that their interests were being served by getting rid of Comey, who despite his arguably malevolent actions against Hillary Clinton, had managed to find himself in persona non grata time out with Republicans. Here’s are 10 observations made about Mueller’s appointment in one Fox News story, the day after it happened, asserting that Democrats AND Republicans should be happy:

1.    First, the Attorney General’s wise recusal and Deputy’s swift appointment moves this distraction from politics to legal inquiry– where it belongs. This is good for the country.  Leaks may happen, but the White House and Congress can get back to legislating.
2.    Second, the media can sniff, but Mueller is a consummate professional, which is why two presidents appointed him FBI Director.  Expect front pages to yield thin pickings.  This too is good for America. It turns down the post-election hysteria on this issue.
3.    Third, Mueller’s reputation for being thorough, as well as efficient, offers light and quiet at the end of an unusually dark and noisy tunnel.  If Russians sought to disrupt faith in democracy, he will say so.  If there was no collusion of any sort, with any intent, by any party – he will say so. If some other conclusion is warranted, he will say so. Period.
4.    Fourth, Mueller is not after a second career.  He is not going to use this assignment as means to another end.  He is content with his status, wise man of the law.  There is a bit of William Webster and George Marshall about the man.  This means he is unlikely to be scoring political points, one way or the other. He is unlikely to want a book, movie or publication of salacious notes.  He is about duty, as called.  We need more of that.
5.    Fifth, Mueller’s penchant for close attention to detail means he will not miss vital facts, but will likely stick to the assigned inquiry, not succumbing to that age-old “independent counsel” lark – launching ever-widening inquiries on spurious grounds.
6.    Sixth, Mueller’s assignment represents a brilliant political move, the equivalent of castling in chess.  While bringing forward a player with great versatility and respect to hold an important square, the move elevates respect for the FBI and diminishes interest in the controversial departing director, who held that post for a third of Mueller’s time.
7.    Seventh, the move demonstrates extraordinary good judgment on the part of the Deputy, and by extension the Attorney General.  Necessarily, it reflects faith in wise men by wise men, as well as in the FBI, rule of law and pursuit of truth.  This validates the president’s commitment to law enforcement, rule of law and truth. 
8.    Eighth, the appointment is reestablishes America’s longstanding commitment to openness, particularly when the “independent counsel” statute lapsed almost 20 years ago, and multiple prior Attorney Generals resisted initiating similar truth-seeking, including the last two, who resisted parallel calls for inquiries into possible mis-, mal- and nonfeasance by high-ranking members of the Obama administration.
9.    Ninth, while some Democrats and media hounds will credit themselves for this decision, the truth is that its speed, authenticity, clarity and level of professionalism speak to a new and un-politicized Department of Justice.  America needs this change.  We need the confidence that flows from such clarity of reasoning, and an end to infusion of politics into what has always been a non-political domain.
10.  Finally, America should take a deep breath for another reason.  This was a decision that many called for and few expected; a moment of choice based on moral goodness and taking a step beyond what was necessary, into what was simply good for the country.  If the investigation finds something, so be it.  If it finds no material collusion, which is what I personally expect it will find, the nation is again stronger for having asked.


Robert Charles, a former Assistant Secretary of State for President George W. Bush, a former naval intelligence officer and litigator, wrote that. He also served in the Reagan and Bush 41 White Houses. He is not a deep statist, a Democrat, of a member of the liberal media. He is, as it were, "one of them." 

One thing I can guarantee you. There is zero chance that a year later, anyone in TrumpWorld has anything remotely positive to say about Robert Mueller. I don’t know how Robert Charles feels about Mueller today. My guess is, Shepard Smith would still sign off of this summary, a year into the investigation. It’s equally assured that few, if any others at Fox News would concur. In a Fox Insider story yesterday, Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch President, offered a much more typical contemporary conservative characterization of the Mueller probe. He called it “an unmitigated disaster.” He went on to say, of the investigation:

“It hasn’t worked, it’s failing, it was created based on an illegal leak by James Comey, many of the people who inspired the Mueller investigation were fired from the government.”

That’s what you will hear from Republicans now. While Democrats, looking back, likely have a considerably more favorable view of Mueller, there is still much we do not know. My sincerest advice is, don’t let anyone tell you Mueller’s investigation is a direct route leading to Trump’s impeachment. I personally think that’s an unlikely outcome due to the combination of arithmetic, and GOP Trumpitis, otherwise known as allegiance, or as Mr. Trump might call it, loyalty. I’ve explained both before, and there is a good chance I will again, but for the moment, that’s enough. “Happy Birthday: A Year in the Life of Special Counsel Mueller!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the linkhttp://thesphinxofcharlotte.comFind a new post each Wednesday.

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Wednesday, May 9, 2018

'Tis The Season: Elections Have Consequences!

It's time to Break It Down!

Yesterday was Primary Election Day in four states, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and my native North Carolina. For all practical purposes, this is the kick-off of the much ballyhooed midterm election season. I will not be casting the primaries into any kind of framework suitable for extensive review and analysis. In fact, this post is not so much about any or all of the elections, but rather about you, and your civic duty.

It’s a short blog, with one very specific message. Vote! That’s it.

No matter where you fall along the political and ideological spectrum, you should have no dearth of motivation to exercise your franchise. There are enough compelling bases to go around.

In the event you fancy yourself a Trump supporter, the coming election contests, both primaries and the general election, represent the opportunity to solidify what so many of you characterize as solid gains that put us (America) on the right track after nearly a decade of having been lost in the Obama-fashioned wilderness. At least that is a kinder, gentler way of expressing the dire nature of our current situation, based on the conservative commentary that I hear articulated on Fox News, that I see in my news feed, and that I hear when I am in conversation with my conservative and right-leaning associates. I suppose that's a tautology. So be it; it's a short post. ;-)

Conversely, if you are alarmed by the systematic undoing of all things Obama, which Mr. Trump has engaged in for the last 403 days, or so, you’ve got more than a little impetus to drive you to your assigned polling place. If you are concerned by the penchant of the GOP-led House & Senate to endorse and support Trumpism, even when he declares that there are very fine people on both sides (despite the fact that one side is comprised of white supremacists and Neo-Nazis), you ought to be fired up…and ready to go…Vote. If you are reeling from Trump referring to African nations and Haiti as “s-hole” countries, you have an ample trigger to get your vote on. If you are tripping because the President of the United States, presumably the most powerful man in the world, called African American Athletes SOB’s, because they exercised their Constitutional right to kneel during the National Anthem before football games, you d… sure ought to be provoked beyond measure to vote your conscious, and to do so, as often as the occasion presents itself.

In summary if you live in IN, OH, WV, or NC, I hope you voted yesterday. Moreover, I implore you to vote whenever your own primary rolls around, if you don’t live in one of those four states, and of course, no, make that especially, by all means, vote in your state’s general election in November.  Remember, “Tis The Season: Elections Have Consequences!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the linkhttp://thesphinxofcharlotte.comFind a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribeclick on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Astonishingly Excellent Lab Results: In His Own Words

It's time to Break It Down!

You Just Can’t Make Up This Stuff. Oh Wait! You Can, and Apparently, “Someone” (Guess Who) Did.

Yesterday, Mr. Trump’s former personal physician, Dr. Harold Bornstein said of the hyperbolically prosy letter (using language sounding incredibly similar to that routinely used by his patient) that he purportedly wrote in 2015 describing then candidate Trump’s health, patient Trump actually authored it. In Dr. Bornstein’s words, speaking of Trump:

“He dictated that whole letter. I didn’t write that letter. I just made it up as I went along.”

While the admission is an about face from his answer to the question of who wrote the letter, more than two years ago, when it was released, at that time, the very un-doctor like terminology he used to characterize Mr. Trump’s medical fitness led many people to question whether he had written the summary. The two things that stood out most when reviewing the letter were the degree to which the way the letter was framed deviated from the usage of standard medical jargon and parlance, on one hand, and the extend to which the writing style paralleled the way Donald Trump expresses himself. Obviously, those who were suspicious were on to something.

In August 2016, James Hamblin, M.D., wrote a story in The Atlantic entitled, “The Bizarre Words of Donald Trump’s Doctor.” Take a gander below at the letter at the center of the newly revived controversy. 



JACOB BORNSTEIN, M.D.
HAROLD N. BORNSTEIN, M.D., P.C.
101 EAST 78thSTREET
NEW YORK, NY 10075-0301
TELE: (212) 988-6600 FAX: (212) 988-6602

December 4, 2015


To Whom My Concern:


I have been the personal physician of Mr. Donald J. Trump since 1980. His previous physician was my father, Dr. Jacob Bornstein. Over the past 39 years, I am pleased to report that Mr. Trump has had no significant medical problems. Mr. Trump has had a recent complete medical examination that showed only positive results. Actually, his blood pressure, 110/65, and laboratory test results were astonishingly excellent.

Over the past twelve months, he has lost at least fifteen pounds. Mr. Trump takes 81 mg of aspirin daily and a low dose of statin. His PSA test score is 0.15 (very low). His physical strength and stamina are extraordinary.

Mr. Trump has suffered no form of cancer, has never had a hip, knee, or shoulder replacement or any other orthopedic surgery. His only surgery was an appendectomy at age ten. His cardiovascular status is excellent. He has no history of ever using alcohol or tobacco products.

If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency.


Harold N. Bornstein, M.D., F.A.C.G.
Department of Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology
Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY


                                                                                                            DonaldJTrump.com


In Hamblin’s Atlantic article, he notes that the letter had, after more than two years, thrust the eccentric Bornstein, with his shoulder length hair and John Lennon styled glasses smack dab in the middle of undesired limelight. Among other things, the letter stated unswervingly that Trump would be the healthiest individual ever elected President. This assertion was leveled despite the clear recognition that Trump, if elected, would be the oldest individual ever elected President, sleeps little, holds angry grudges, and is said to eat KFC and slabs of red meat. The claim of superlative health quite simply rang hollow.

Hamblin noted the doctor could have taken the opportunity at the time to bow out. He could have said Trump dictated the letter, and he only signed it. He could have said Trump suggested at least some of the phrases…because it was not just the medical facts, but also the linguistic styling that was amiss. Keen-eyed readers with a mind (to do so) might have seen the handiwork of Trump, particularly in the adjectival phrases, such as: “his strength and physical stamina are extraordinary,” and “his laboratory test results are astonishingly excellent.” For extra emphasis, there was an instance of the Trumpian tendency of starting a sentence with actually,” to build onto (as opposed to contradict) the previous sentence: “Mr. Trump has had a complete medical examination that showed only positive results. Actually, his blood pressure and lab results were astonishingly excellent.”

Instead of taking an “exit, stage left” posture, Dr. Bornstein stuck to his guns. He didn’t just claim the letter as his own, he injected that he rather liked the line about Mr. Trump being the healthiest person ever elected President.

In a CliffNotes sort of review, it’s worth noting that doctors typically describe lab results of the good variety as “normal,” or “within normal limits.” If a case warranted qualitative assessment, “reassuring,” or “encouraging,” would be considerably more likely than “excellent.” Moreover, even should excellent ever be deemed the qualifier of choice, it would never need the expansive effects of an adverb such as “astonishingly.”

Dr. Hamblin concluded in August 2016, based on the array of overt clues that it was unlikely Dr. Bornstein had written the letter. He continued:

“So for linguistic reasons alone, it would shock me if Bornstein wrote this letter. Add to that the other bizarre elements, and it was jarring to hear him stand by it last week, laughing in the process. In video footage that appears to have been taken covertly, Bernstein also admitted that he “wrote the letter in five minutes” while a car was idling outside waiting for him. This is a critical fact: It means that he cowed to the demands of his patient. (Trump had tweeted two days prior, “I have instructed my long-time doctor to issue, within two weeks, a full medical report—it will show perfection.)”

Bornstein’s revelations didn’t end with Trump’s dictation of “the letter.” He also said Trump’s bodyguard, accompanied by a Trump lawyer, and a third man visited his Park Avenue office and confiscated Trump’s medical files. Dr. Bornstein said the visit, which he termed a raid, took place February 3, 2017, two days after the New York Times (NYT) quoted him as saying he prescribed Trump a hair growth medicine for years. In describing the event, Bornstein said:

“They must have been here for 25 or 30 minutes. It created a lot of chaos.” He added that the incident made him feel “raped, frightened, and sad.”

Bornstein recognized two of the men, Trump personal bodyguard Keith Schiller, who until last September worked at the White House as operations director, Alan Garten, a lawyer from the Trump Organization family Real Estate firm. An unidentified man also accompanied them. The doctor said the original and only copy of Trump’s charts and lab reports under the President’s names and various pseudonyms (don’t ask) were taken.

When asked about the incident, Sarah Huckabee Sanders played it down. She responded:

"It would be standard procedure for the president, a newly collected president's medical records to be in possession by the White House Medical Unit and that was what was taking place."


Mrs. Sanders insisted that what happened was not a raid. Of course it wasn’t. Wink, wink.

Bornstein, who told NBC News that he couldn’t believe anybody, was making a big deal out of a drug to grow his hair. He said, “It was certainly not a breach of medical trust to tell somebody they use Propecia to grow their hair.

The Dr. said Trump dropped him after the NYT article appeared. NBC reported that Bornstein, who is 70, had been Trump’s personal doctor for more than 35 years.

In closing, I’d like to say, as I did at the outset, you just can’t make up this stuff. Alas, everyday we are reminded, anew, that that simply isn’t so. It happens all the time. With that said, here we are again, totally made up…”Astonishingly Excellent Lab Results: In His Own Words!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my bloganytime by clickingthe linkhttp://thesphinxofcharlotte.comFinda new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe,clickon Followin the bottom right hand corner of my Home Pageat http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mailaddress in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”Subsequent editionsof “Break It Down”will be mailed to your in-box.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump