Social Distance Sing Along for Our Blog Friends

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Makin' love to his tonic and gin

He says, "Son, can you play me a memory
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes"

La la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum

Sing us a song, you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well, we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feelin' alright

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be
He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me"
As the smile ran away from his face
"Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place"

Oh, la la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum

Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the Navy
And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinkin' alone

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see
To forget about life for a while
And the piano, it sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say, "Man, what are you doin' here?"

Oh, la la la, di da da
La la, di da da da dum

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Billy Joel

Greetings Blogger Friends!

Today's Post is brief on words but higher on "Tech. 

It was created at at the suggestion of "My Faithful and Obedient Companion of 44 years!

It's no secret that social distancing is the word these days and many "Celebrities" and even everyday folks like my new Daughter in Law, Erin are using to educate or just keep in touch.  Given that my "bloggers" are both my closest friends and relatives we felt it was an opportunity to experiment ourselves.  Isolation and distance from you all (physical) helped spur this post.

Incidentally most of you were there and participated in our union 44 years ago.  I hope we all have many many more together.

The first Video is a quick one I took while hiking yesterday.  Shows the vastness of our Physical Solitude.  It was small enough (a few seconds) to just add to Blog.  

The second is about 5 minutes and was so large in megs, I Utubed.  Just grab a drink and then click link below.  I hope you join in where ever you are.  If your ears can take it.

My Faithful and Obedient and I wish you all safe and happy seclusion in the interesting times.

We love you all!

Social Distance Sing Along

Have a second Corona, On me!

Just a urchin livin' under the street
I'm a hard case that's tough to beat
I'm your charity case so buy me something to eat
I'll pay you at another time
Take it to the end of the line

Rags to riches or so they say
Ya gotta keep pushin' for the fortune and fame
You know it's all a gamble when it's just a game
Ya treat it like a capital crime
Everybody's doin' the time

Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh won't you please take me home
Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Take me home, yeah yeah

Strapped in the chair of the city's gas chamber
Why I'm here I can't quite remember
The surgeon general says it's hazardous to breathe
I'd have another cigarette but I can't see
Tell me who you're gonna believe

Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Take me home, yeah yeah
Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh won't you please take me home

So far away
So far away
So far away
So far away

Captain America's been torn apart
Now he's a court jester with a broken heart
He said "turn me around and take me back to the start"
I must be losing my mind "are you blind?"
I've seen it all a million times

Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Take me home, yeah yeah
Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh won't you please take me home
Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Take me home, yeah yeah
Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh won't you please take me home

I wanna go, I wanna go
Oh won't you please take me home
I wanna see how good it can be
Oh won't you please take me home
Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Take me home
Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh won't you please take me home
Take me down, lead me 'round
Oh won't you please take me home

I wanna see, what a woman can be
I want to take you home
Take me down to the paradise city
Where the grass is green and the girls are pretty
Oh won't you please take me home
I wanna go, I wanna know
Oh won't you please take me home

Guns and Roses

Today’s song was inspired by what popped on Philly’s Classic Rock Station MGK as I start my blog.  It reminded me of how a lot of people in NY might feel today.  I will come back to NY City shortly.  Meanwhile I hope you all have some patience with today’s admitted free flowing ramblings.

First things first.  It was nice to get some feedback on my last post.  Like many of you my “Google Blog seems to get harder to navigate and make comments.  My friend Ellsworth has mastered it but most, including this author cannot.  I am reduced to using word to type my blog as “Blogger” seems to get harder every time I use it.  Several have shared comments by email, and I think most of you (even my Faithful and Obedient Companion lost her ability to post) have been reduced to using email. 

In that vein I want to first share John DelNegro’s email to me as follows:

Many of my friends and I have been discussing your very good points in Observations, economic costs vs. social responsibility a difficult decision but I like you have concerns for the small business man who unlike Boeing will not get an $80 B bailout and pay it back in 6 months. Even if Washington does offer a loan to small business they don’t have the cash flow to carry them  and many bankruptcies will follow.

Talk about loony government, in MA, the Suffolk County DA is advocating for releasing non-violent criminals from jail while any restaurateur violating the strict operating policies invoked by the governor is subject to penalty. Really rational.

Thanks, John, for sharing your thoughts.  Also I am glad you discussed with “friends”, some of who I have a hunch are also blog followers in Florida!

Ok let’s move to my “new post since my cigar may be done before I finish!  Be forewarned the inspiration for today’s blog comes from the following:

Several blog followers live in the NY area.  They and others have children and grandchildren who live in that area as well.  As I think (and text) with them I cannot help but recall my own ties to Manhattan where I worked and lived  (for a year anyway) as well.  They are facing ground zero right now.  It brought me back to memories of 9/11 and how that impacted me both personally and in my work.  I can relate to this in more ways than one as you will see.

  Second, my son James sent me a podcast which features Jonathan Haidt (yes that guy) who shares his thoughts on this crisis and how such events can bring people together. As a nice sidelight he talks about his history and since I have always liked his work (and referred to it frequently) it also plays into my chain of thought.  So, I will start with memories of that last NY crises as a lead in.  It deals with 9/11.

 Having been in the “statistics” and data business most of my life, I have tended to look at them with a skeptic’s eyes.  This is still true especially when dealing with the “unknown”.  While this account may bore you, I will share it with you anyway because it may help explain my fascination with data in a crisis.  Here goes:

After 9/11 the world of insurance was turned on its’ head with uncertainty.  Worker’s compensation was no exception.  In an effort at brevity I will try not to bore you with the details but I will say that in the depth of that uncertainty I had the opportunity (and honestly with much dumb luck) to think “counter” to conventional wisdom and see a huge opportunity at the moment to leverage fear into a huge business opportunity.  Now I will not take credit for this as being all my idea.  But I did find some fellow “contrarian thinkers (many who I disagreed with at the time) who convinced me to “run against” conventional wisdom.  Instead of fear we aggressively pursued a course that enabled my group to become one of the largest writers of insurance in the US.   It lasted only until fear faded and regulators who ultimately disagreed with our philosophy.  I mention all this because that history still lingers within me as I read about “models” and curves” over the last couple of weeks.  It also provides me with hope that crises can lead any one of us to eventual opportunities.

‘

As the Corona virus blossomed Models and curves have become our best form of guidance.  I have no doubt that virtually of these experts “know” more than I do about pandemic curves.  I also do not know how much information they have held back to prevent panic. But I do believe things like medical capacity are a huge issue depending on the rate, extent and most importantly the timing of infection.  However, as I listened to these “experts” talk about social distancing, I had lingering doubts about where we are on this professed curve.  But enough background, Let’s get to the personal.

A few days ago, while facetiming with my sister and her husband, we got into a discussion regarding her recent hospitalization (in late January) after her open-heart surgery in early January.  She came down with acute respiratory failure and was placed on a ventilator.  I recall that shortly after she was released, we discussed (in semi-jest) the remote possibility that maybe she had in fact had been infected with “corona”, but that seemed far fetched based on the presumed timeline. However, during this recent discussion we revisited the topic.  She recalled that her husband, Jay also suffered respiratory issues at the time.  She also indicated that her son who lives in the NY area had flown in from NY shortly before her hospitalization.  Incidentally he was in Morocco over the Christmas holidays. As we chatted, we obviously started speculating.

Then, two days later I was reading a National Review article about China and the early spread of Corona.  Below is a cut and paste of the article and note paragraph 3 (in italics):

January 1: The Wuhan Public Security Bureau issued summons to Dr. Li Wenliang, accusing him of “spreading rumors.” Two days later, at a police station, Dr. Li signed a statement acknowledging his “misdemeanor” and promising not to commit further “unlawful acts.” Seven other people are arrested on similar charges and their fate is unknown.

Also that day, “after several batches of genome sequence results had been returned to hospitals and submitted to health authorities, an employee of one genomics company received a phone call from an official at the Hubei Provincial Health Commission, ordering the company to stop testing samples from Wuhan related to the new disease and destroy all existing samples.”

According to a New York Times study of cellphone data from China, 175,000 people leave Wuhan that day. According to global travel data research firm OAG, 21 countries have direct flights to Wuhan. In the first quarter of 2019 for comparison, 13,267 air passengers traveled from Wuhan, China, to destinations in the United States, or about 4,422 per month. The U.S. government would not bar foreign nationals who had traveled to China from entering the country for another month

Now one thing seems very clear to me.  Gosh,this pandemic was likely well established in NY in early January, just based on my read of travel out of China worldwide that day alone.  While arguing and focusing on impeachment at that time our country was missing the greatest pandemic since 1918 entering our country. By the way not sure we will ever "know" for sure about my sister and her husband's infection but my hunch is they were in fact early victims.

Observation 1.

At this point placing “blame” on how we got here is now is pointless, history cannot be relived, and politics will always be politics.  Missing the entry of this virus into the US was a fait accompli.  Like my last blog stated don’t kid yourselves, we are never in control of so much off the world’s events.  Neither is either political party.  Maybe, just maybe, Jonathan is correct and that some sense of unity will come back to our country out of all of this.  One can only hope.

  

Finally, this all leads me back to NY which is now at the epicenter of this Pandemic.  If in fact the virus has been spreading since January, then it is now reaching a crescendo, weeks before any of us thought.  In a recent presser even Governor Cuomo professed he thought he had more time (but who knows how much the experts already “knew”).  It all does not matter now but my immediate thought is “Holy Crap”.  Within a few days the sh-t is hitting the fan in the "Big Apple and its' surrounding communities.

Observation 2.

Living in isolation in Grand County I for one have suddenly started thinking and yes praying  (hey it's all I can do at this point) for all my friends back in NY area who face a very tough time over the next few weeks.  Prayers as well for Governor Cuomo with whom I usually share very little political agreement.  He is in a very tough place and but I think he has been very a very pragmatic leader for his state these past weeks. Prayers also for our President and his staff.  While this too will pass, the reality is we are ultimately all in this together.

Finally (yes breath a sigh of relief over finally) I would add that my last Blog's thoughts about weighing long term effects of the shutdown remain, but at this moment and time my thoughts turn to immediate hope of this looming tsunami passing NY ASAP and with minimal pain and suffering.  As we sort through this at the least we will soon see just how "big and bad" this shock wave is. 

With that I bid you adieu!

PS: Here is the Dan Crenshaw/ Haidt Podcast courtesy of James.  It is about an hour but might entertain you in your “social Distance “ downtime!

Crenshaw Haidt podcast

Have a Corona

Imagine there's no heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people living for today

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people living life in peace, you

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people sharing all the world, you

You may say I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope some day you'll join us

And the world will be as one

John Lennon 1971

Today's Blog will discuss the dreaded "coronavirus"  and some random thoughts on my own personal feelings about how we as a country and particularly how our "leaders" are dealing with this crises.

I picked today's song, which I received by a text or email from a good friend.  It was a video put together by well intentioned celebrities in an effort to "make people feel better" during their shelter in place orders now stuck in their homes.  I admit Lennon’s melodies can be “soothing”, however the lyrics of this song I always found disturbing on many levels.

Well John Lennon guess what you got your wish!  Somebody in China caught a "Virus" from some "Bat Crap" in their dinner and now the world is as “one”.  No borders, but we still have governments trying to deal with it all.  As to religions, yes churches have been shut down as well!  Sorry John but I still pray, not only for my friends and loved ones to be safe, not only from the virus, but from he economic consequences of shutting down people’s lives.

  I wonder if my barber (who I saw yesterday about an hour before our Governor shut his business down) cares what some elite celebrities sing. He had already decided to handle by appointment only one customer in shop at a time. He was telling me before the shutdown how he could not figure out where his income to buy food was going to come from.....and that was just from lack of voluntary customers due to his attempt to be responsible.  The $2,500 one time check he may get will likely be a little late, and a little light, to pay his monthly shop lease.  As to actually feeding his kids, ah yes just a minor detail to be worked out.

Along this same vein last Monday my faithful and Obedient Companion and I went out to dinner (we have been actually been trying to do that a lot...given how bad things have been here after the shutdown of the Ski Area). Unfortunately  we arrived 10 minutes after the Governor's shut down restaurants  statewide.  We bid some tearful farewells to some very nice people who have become friends over the past few years.  I wonder if the Governor will live on $2,500 next month?

OK I vented but logic would dictate this question be asked of me.  So Jim what on earth do you expect our leaders to do??

Well first I understand they need to talk to experts who in this case have carefully modeled out likely scenarios given our current knowledge.

With that thought  I am reminded of a line of Bill Murry’s, no not from Groundhog Day,but another classic, Ghostbuster’s:

         The Ghostbusters try to convince New York's Mayor to let them go and face the ghost threat all over the Big Apple]

Peter Venkman:
Well, you can believe Mr. Pecker...

Walter Peck:
My name is "Peck."

Venkman:
Or you can accept the fact that this city is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions.

Mayor:
What do you mean, "biblical"?

Ray Stantz:
What he means is Old Testament, Mr. Mayor, real wrath-of-God type stuff!

Venkman:
Exactly.

Stantz:
Fire and brimstone coming down from the sky! Rivers and seas boiling!

Spengler:
Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes!

Winston Zeddemore:
The dead rising from the grave!

Venkman:
Human sacrifice! Dogs and cats, living together! Mass hysteria!

Mayor:
Enough, I get the point! And what if you're wrong?

Venkman:
If we're wrong, then nothing happens! We go to jail; peacefully, quietly. We'll enjoy it! But if we're right, and we can stop this thing... Lenny, you will have saved the lives of millions of registered voters.

Walter Peck:
I don't believe you're seriously considering listening to these men!

Mayor:
[to officers while pointing at Peck] Get him outta here.

In other words driven by the media, general panic and a potential nightmare of dying patients without hospital facilities they must do something.

We the electorate have boxed our leaders into listening to “experts”.  In general MOST politicians have good intentions, eyed at placating their constituents call to action.   Why? To get re-elected.  Let's hope the experts are correct.

 But I wonder about the models.  Now while I am no expert on Pandemics, I do understand modeling.  I “get” the curve.  I also know that there is a real desire by experts to alleviate potential suffering.  However, have they “modeled” the long term damage to the future of millions of “non-elite” hardworking people and their kids who are faced with no work, and left to fend for themselves?   What if in the middle of these mass quarantines we have a natural disaster like Hurricanes, tornadoes, or even a west coast tsunami that causes mass evacuations of the sick and healthy?  What happens to those models then?  Prayer and religion comes to mind.

Observation 1

Politicians and “experts” like to think we are “in control”. In reality we are never “in control”.  Call it fate, call it acts of “God” call it what you want, we never can control all life on earth.  If we think we can we are on a fool’s quest.

A while ago I wrote a blog about Medicare and the cost of keeping alive a friend who is over 80 with expensive drugs.  It is an extremely “tough” issue.  I see many parallels to the cost of fighting his epidemic, to spare us the misery of watching fellow citizens die without enough medical care.  This leads me to my final observation.  Which I acknowledge could negatively impact several of my blog followers and myself.

Observation 2.

I can only hope that the long term costs to our society being pushed upon us by experts are ultimately worth the costs.to our kids and grandkids.  I have bigtime nagging doubts about that.  Personally I think the cost of saving the most vulnerable seem very high.  Given my little blog will likely not impact the current situation one iota, I am left with only a couple of personal options:

A.   Supporting my community’s businesses (like arranging a haircut in defiance of “orders”) and supporting local food banks and charities. 

B.   Helping friends and relatives with emotional and financial support where needed.

C.   Praying we as a country wade through this Pandemic without mortgaging our future..

D.  Prayers for minimal suffering to those who ultimately are infected , selfishly I will even pray specifically for those I love, and maybe a prayer for myself and my own thoughts.

With that I bid you adieu

PS I welcome any and all suggestions, comments and criticisms of my Observations!!

Postscript

A couple of comments after blog was finished.

I got a letter from my Stonybrook Vermont HOA whose directors unilaterally decided I could not rent my unit due to Corona.  Never mind my HOA has no legal authority to do so.  I suggested they could shutdown the staff and support in aggregate but not to just my lawfull renters.   The point perceived power can make people trample legal rights.

I was told Pennsylvania shut down golf courses...even to just walking by "order of the Governor.  Despite walking and social distance being no particular danger.  The exercise was doing some good in my opinion.    
Bye Bye groundskeepers get in line for your one time government check.  What expert decided that?? 

The power of Sex,Fame and Money in a "Woke World"

Woke up this morning, my head was so bad

The worst hangover that I ever had
What happened to me last night
That girl of mine, she loved me so right (yeah) (oh, oh)
She loved me so long and she loved me so hard
I finally passed out in her front yard (whoo)
It wasn't wine that I had too much of
It was a double shot of my baby's love

Double shot of my baby's love, yeah yeah, yeah
Double shot of my baby's love, yeah yeah, yeah
A potion that I had too much of
It was a double shot of my baby's love

It was such a thrill it was hurtin' me (ooh)
I was sufferin' in ecstasy
She had me turnin' flips and-a shoutin' out loud (yah-hah)
A sip of her love and I was walkin' one a cloud
One night a week is-a plenty enough
It's a good thing for me they don't bottle that stuff (pop)
Well, my heart begins to fly like a dove
When I take a double shot of my baby's love

Double shot of my baby's love, yeah yeah, yeah
Double shot of my baby's love, yeah yeah, yeah
A potion that I had too much of
It was a double shot of my baby's love

Double shot of my baby's love, yeah yeah, yeah
Double shot of my baby's love, yeah yeah, yeah
Double shot of my baby's love, yeah yeah, yeah
Double shot of my baby's love, yeah yeah, yeah

OK so the WOKE opening word in an old favorite college song from my Phi Delta Theta days probably had no connection to today's definition of "Woke" but it did click for me.  It was a song that depicted two of our favorite college  past times...drinking and women.  It was a song from an earlier "era" when drinking and sexual conquest were a guy's idea of a good time.   However, it also acknowledges the power potential of female sexuality over a man.  Amazing that we saw it as a fitting song to be celebrated at many of our weddings.  A warning, today's post prompted by some recent news may touch on some sensitive topics in ways I am conflicted about as you may be as well.

Yesterday I saw the piece about Chris Matthews "retirement" from MSNBC.  His "retirement" was prompted by "inappropriate' comments he made:  From the LA Times:

 Matthews, 74, was recently cited in a GQ.com story in which the author, Laura Bassett, said the anchor made inappropriate flirtatious remarks to her before she went on the air. Bassett first wrote about the incident that allegedly occurred in 2016, but did not mention Matthews by name.
Bassett revisited the matter after Matthews’ aggressive questioning of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts following NBC’s primary debate on Feb. 19.   


Now here are the comments he acknowledged making:

“Who are you?” he asked me, as the makeup artists powdered our faces.

I reminded him of my name. “We’ve met before,” I said.

He turned and looked at me. “And I haven’t fallen in love with you yet?”

When I laughed nervously and said nothing, he followed up to the makeup artist. “Keep putting makeup on her, I’ll fall in love with her.”

Another time, he stood between me and the mirror and complimented the red dress I was wearing for the segment. “You going out tonight?” he asked.

I said I didn’t know, and he said—again to the makeup artist—“Make sure you wipe this off her face after the show. We don’t make her up so some guy at a bar can look at her like this.”

"Again—Matthews was never my boss."

Matthews has a way with words that I too have  found distasteful"...like the "Thrill up his leg" he had for a former president.  In addition this outcome was likely because NBC has a history of such issues (worse actually) according to Ronan Farrow.  Now to me these lines sound like a cross between "male flattery" by an old geezer,  or some very corny "pickup lines".   Apparently there are several similar stories women have claimed about Matthews. This is not the first.

But I assume Kathleen Matthews, his wife, who ran as a Democrat for Congress in Maryland, and up until last year was the Democratic Chair of the Maryland Party is woke enough to know if he is a philandering scum.  (Then again Hillary is also woke but Bill's Philandery was OK.)  Therefore I am confused as to why these specific comments to a grown, intelligent and presumably powerful woke women would be "concealed" for several years.  If it offended her at the time a quick "why don't F off you pervert" as the makeup man looked on that probably would have shut the old geezer down.  Women have that power...trust me (see my story below).     

Observation 1;  Our new way of thinking about sexual dynamics is now just another tool in "gottcha" politics on both the right and left.  Matthews certainly sounds "creepy" in his comments, I will assume he is not a serial philanderer and  simply used these lines as a lame, unprofessional attempt at flattery. Maybe MSNBC just figured he was getting too senile for his role at the network.  This incident gave them an excuse to get rid of him.  I know personally my "Faithful and Obedient Companion would make my retirement miserable if I was using those lines on women! 


My second Observation stems from a couple of articles in the WSJ on good ol Harvey Weinstein a well known scummy guy but adored for a long time by actresses and politicians.  If Harvey got you in , you were in.  While some readers may find my thinking here misguided I cannot help myself in including this in my post.

From the WSJ:


In convicting Mr. Weinstein of third-degree rape, the jury found that Mr. Weinstein had sex with aspiring actress Jessica Mann against her will in 2013 but determined that he didn’t use the physical force or threats of immediate harm required of first-degree rape. The first-degree criminal sex act conviction stemmed from accusations that he forced oral sex on production assistant Miriam Haley in 2006.

Now from a separate WSJ article on trial testimony:

Mann responded (to why she did not report this before)

 “I wanted him to believe I wasn’t a threat.”

and later....

Ms. Rotunno suggested Ms. Mann was trying to explain away her relationship with Mr. Weinstein, and its implications for her accusations of sexual assault. “You knew that your words were going to be a problem for you on the stand?” asked Ms. Rotunno.

Ms. Mann responded: “I don’t consider the truth a problem.”

Ms. Mann said she enjoyed Mr. Weinstein’s attention. “Because he was successful,” Ms. Rotunno added. “Because he made movies.”

“Yes,” said Ms. Mann, agreeing that she engaged with Mr. Weinstein because “it was always in my best interest.”

In the afternoon after the alleged rape in 2013, Ms. Mann said she met Mr. Weinstein and his daughter for tea and then attended the New York City movie premiere of “August: Osage County” as his guest.

 Ms. Mann testified on Monday for the first time that she also met Mr. Weinstein the next day.

Ms. Mann told jurors she had performed and received oral sex from Mr. Weinstein on several occasions before the alleged rape, calling it “a two-way street, sometimes.” Ms. Rotunno noted that over the years Ms. Mann had contacted Mr. Weinstein to give him her new number on at least five occasions. “Every time you sent Harvey Weinstein your new phone number, nobody forced you,” she said.

Ms. Rotunno asked Ms. Mann to read for the jury a 2014 letter that Ms. Mann wrote to her then-boyfriend. “Harvey validated me in ways my parents never did,” she read through sobs. “I played into sexual dynamics simply to feel I would never be taken advantage of again.”

Now I personally think old Harvey is a dirtbag  and likely a "predator" on young women who sought career "assistance". He must have been a real Mr Hyde  to these obscure wannabe's but charmed the rich, famous politicians like Dr Jekyll.

Observation 2: While I know Ms Mann's were not the "only" charges made against Weinstein, I cannot help but think Ms Mann was an active and willing participant in using her body and sex to get ahead in Hollywood.  She seems to me as morally corrupt as Harvey. But I admit I am no expert on the Stockholm Syndrome and other psychological submission scenarios.  I also understand that I do not have the entire context of the trial.  

Rest assured Harvey's next trial will likely be filled with similar stories.  So now let me relay a personal "woke" moment from my own life.

At the tender age of 14, one fall evening after freshman football practice, I was riding a "SEPTA" bus home from Central High School in Philadelphia ( by the way Central was right up the street from Chris Matthews Philly High School "LaSalle").  A few stops later several young ladies got on the bus from a local Catholic Girls school and sat across from me, chatting and laughing like school kids do.  As we were cruising down the street one of these young ladies "offered" me a nice view of her panties with a full "women splaining" spread of her hiked up Catholic Uniform skirt. To this day I swear she even gave me a sly smile but I must  admit maybe not.  After accepting her "invitation" on the crowded bus she looked over at me and said (very loudly) "hey buddy you getting a good view?"   I of course turned bright red as I listened to the chuckles of her school mates and the smirkes from some other passengers.  I learned an early life's lesson on female "empowerment" both sexual and otherwise that evening.  She was either having deliberate fun, at my expense or totally innocent, either way she was VERY fearless in her reaction to my gaze.

Observation 3:  Sex as a power tool is not a one way street in the course of human interaction.  It can be used by either sex.  At the very least  even young women with common sense can say F off to an unwanted advance if they want.  That doesn't mean women have not been raped or even overwhelmed by "male" power.  However, in reading these two stories I could only think either how "weak" these women were, or just corrupt both professionally and morally.  

Finally I will move on to another recent news piece with no particular connection to the politics of Human Sexuality- but I will stretch things a bit to make the connection and a final point.

From an article from Fox News on the College Admissions bribery case:

Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli are reportedly “discouraged” and “concerned” after another parent swept up in the college admissions scandal got a six-month sentence behind bars.

I'm sure she'll make it through," the reality star explained. "I feel women are strong. We have babies, we do it all. I'm sure whatever outcome it is, I'm sure she'll be fine with it.

"Her daughters are older… You know, she did it for her daughters and, I mean, her daughters are grateful for what she did. She was just looking out for her daughters and trying to get them into a good school. But I guess that's it, just be open with them, and whatever the outcome is, it is. You have to deal with it and move forward."

Somehow in all this I was struck by the  "Flip Side" of  the Harvey Weinstein power play.....here was a  a "strong, famous women" using her money to get her kids a "leg up" on everyone else.

Observation 3.  This  lawyer should have suggested his client "play down" the "strong women" bit.  You know act submissive and helpless.  If really creative she could have claimed the college "Coach was a svengali who  "threatened to Rape me". "He told me "You want your kids in a good school, put out some  or pay up!!"  So I chose to "Pay Him" with money instead of my body.  Now what modern day juror would not sob at that story of predators and female victims.?

So to sum it up.

I cannot disagree that people like Lori should get some jail time, and that Weinstein was a scumbag and he's getting his comeuppance.  .  Maybe all of these " rich famous celebrities etc " should get the guillotine when they use their power, money or influence to get what they want. 

Now when I think of  Matthews case I am not sure he even "wanted" anything except to flatter some lady in a weird way.  I guess his power play was to see what goofy line he could pitch to an attractive lady while she was "forced" to sit in a makeup chair and listen.

But in all this I have to ask as well:  When somebody asks us to do something immoral or illegal- or even just listen to an "inappropriate comment" in silence   would you "cower"?   Why do we think we can justify it at the moment as  the only way to get a "better career" for yourself or a "better opportunity" for your children, or  even just to get on the Chris Matthews show.  I cannot buy the idea of this serial "power me"  BS, or that I was afraid to speak up at the time.

Yes some women feel weak and powerless when confronted by sexual predators, but some exert power and control  with their sexuality (we men had a term about using a different part of our anatomy doing our thinking).  In my humble opinion only if your own moral compass is bankrupt would you willingly submit to such an arrangement to advance your career, or help your kids or submit to Matthews comments.
   
Harvey was no doubt a predator.  But from what I read I am not fully buying it that Miss Mann was a helpless, preyed upon innocent young lady.  As to Lori and her friends of course   my proposed  "helping my kids" defense was simply  a sarcastic way to make a point on reprehensible excuses for making poor "moral choices" for one's own behavior  .

 As to Chris Matthews case, well while I was never a big fan, I am genuinely confused by it all.

Now for my final Observation:

I am willing to bet that young, "innocent"  teenage Catholic Girl who called me out had a stronger sense of empowerment (and backbone) than any of these three striving "professional" women whose tails of woe I recently read.


With That I bid you adieu