There has been some interesting cricket going on around the world. The most fascinating has been the tour of England by Pakistan. Fresh after completely dominating Sri Lanka earlier in the summer, England faced a more formidable opponent in Pakistan who won the first Test by just 75 runs in a tight game. But England recovered to dominate the second Test, winning by a mammoth 330 runs and then took the third Test as well, coming back from a first innings deficit of 103 to win the match. The third day of the fourth Test has just ended and Pakistan seem poised to even the series on the fourth day, with England still needing 126 runs to win make Pakistan bat for the second time but with only six wickets left.
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The former Cuban leader, who successfully led the Cuban revolution in 1959, has survived numerous assassination plots by the US against him, repulsed an armed US-planned and supported invasion of his country, and refused to give up his socialist ideals and give in to massive US pressure and embargoes aimed at crippling the country’s economy. Fidel has overcome the machinations of 12 US presidents who could not tolerate the idea of a small neighboring nation not bending to its will. It is only in the last few years that the US has realized the failure of these efforts and is now trying a different approach.
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The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) has been under fire for its overly violent and discriminatory practices and the death of Freddie Gray while in their custody led to the rioting of last year. While that violence was condemned, the circumstances of his death prompted a federal investigation into the BPD and the report by the US Department of Civil Rights was released on Wednesday .It paints a devastating portrayal of a police department that has normalized discriminatory practices on a massive scale.
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Theologians like to keep discussions of god’s existence on a high abstract plane because that enables all manner of wooly statements to pass unchallenged. It is down-to-Earth practical questions that tend to stump them. In this clip from the 1980s BBC comedy show Not the Nine O’Clock News, an audience member poses just such a question to a theologian.
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As we all know, US presidential election results are not based on national vote totals but on the basis of the Electoral College that determines the result on a state-by-state basis. There are 538 electoral votes in total, thus requiring 270 to win. Hence it is really state polling that is important, though national polls can give some idea of which way sentiment is moving.
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People who use cell phones to talk are a scourge on the roads. But while there is evidence that talking on the cell phone, whether holding it in one’s hand or using hands-free devices, creates cognitive distractions sufficient to increase the risk of accidents and thus both should be banned, at least people have their eyes on the road and their feet on the pedals.
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One of the frustrating things that I have experienced during the Obama presidency is how so many Democratic party supporters of my acquaintance were willing to ignore his excessive use of executive power and secrecy, such as the drone assassination program, the NSA’s violations of people’s privacy, the use of military tribunals for Guantanamo detainees and the refusal to neither bring some of them to trial nor release them, and the harsh prosecution of whistleblowers who release information for the benefit of the public while condoning leakers who did it out of self-interest. They shrugged off all these things because they felt that Obama was a ‘good guy’ who would use the powers granted to him wisely.
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The cricket world is mourning the death of Hanif Mohammed at the age of 81, one of the finest cricketers that Pakistan produced and who played in the very first Test match after that country received Test status. A player of diminutive stature, he was noted for his excellent defensive technique and responsible for some incredible batting records.
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A relative recently told me of a friend of hers who routinely parks in handicapped spaces just because they are more convenient. What is it with people who try to sneak into parking spaces that are reserved for people with handicaps? Are they simply too lazy to walk the extra distance that the other spaces might require? Do they think these reserved spaces are some kind of benefit provided to the undeserving that unfairly discriminates against them? Do they resent anyone being given a privilege that is not also available to them?
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