Late Summer, Sports, and Weed

 

Those who love Summer will probably agree with this poem “Late August” by Mary Chivers:

It's as if we're always preparing

for something, the endless  roll of the earth

ripening us.

 

Even on the most tranquil

late August afternoon when heavy heads

of phlox bow in the garden

and the hummingbird sits still for a moment

on a branch of an apple tree -

even on such a day,

evening approaches sooner

than yesterday, and we cannot help

noticing whole families of birds

arrive together in the enclosure,

young blue birds molted a misty grey,

colored through no will of their own

for a journey.

 

On such an evening

I ache for what I cannot keep - the birds,

the phlox, the late-flying bees -

though I would not forbid the frost,

even if I could.  There will be more to love

and lose in what's to come and this too:  desire

to see it clear before it's gone.

MLB.  I continue to watch the season from afar, and while the individual story is of Fernando Tatis, Jr., you gotta think that the fact that the Miami Marlins are 12-11 is pretty darn impressive.  Now look, hovering around .500 for any organization isn’t normally an excuse to be excited, those few fans in Miami must be happy for something, anything that is good.  The only bad thing is that the Miami Heat are doing well in their playoffs, while the Dolphins begin a season of progress and that will only further shove the Marlins down in the pecking order.

NBA.  Damn if Portland ain’t getting blown out of the water – what a disappointment.  Meanwhile, Utah punking out Denver was a bit of a surprise.  Utah not closing Denver out was just not good for them.  Dallas laying an egg against the Floppers (err, Clippers) was bad.

Fires.  It’s my understanding that over in nearby Vacaville, a man saved part if not all of his house by using Bud Light 18 pack to fend it off until the firefighters got there.  Dude is amazing!!!  Here’s the article:  https://www.barstoolsports.com/blog/2801780/california-man-sprays-bud-light-on-wild-fire-in-last-ditch-effort-to-save-home

Mary Jane.  My friend Beeze agrees with Governor Tom Wolf to legalize recreational weed with the revenue going to small business grant funding and restorative justice programs.  OK, I have no problem with legalizing weed, and I have no problem with an actual plan to spend the money raised on something.  The only thing I would ask is for common respect – if you partake in the herbage, I shouldn’t have to smell it or you – and (2) don’t drive vehicles or equipment.

That being said, I have a couple of thoughts here.  First and most importantly, do you trust a bunch of politicians and the bureaucracy with money?  I sure as hell don’t.  I continue to refer to the California Lottery which was to be the cure all for education.  Yeah right.

Secondly, How do you account for the money?  Seriously, how do you know exactly how much money was made of the herb? 

Thirdly, what does “restorative justice programs” mean? 

To me, while I said I have no problem legalizing the herbage, there’s just too much “politician-speak” here.  It sounds more like a sound bite than a well-thought out idea. 

If it was me, I would find a way to ACCURATELY track the money – keep it transparent by having a page on the state website that says how much there is and where that money is going with some in a “reserve fund” to draw interest to make more money for the fund.  Then divert said money to drug diversion programs for the heavy hitting drugs.  I would try to find a way to include some sort of training that those drugs are bad and I would start it at the youth level. 

Final Thought.  I had the opportunity to listen to parts of speeches given last week by Michelle Obama and tonight by Melania Trump and you know what?  Why aren't they running?  Class.  Elegance.  From the heart.