Not to pre-judge a man's guilt while he's still presumed innocent, but things are not looking good for Derek Chauvin. The defense case seems to rest on a series of iffy allegations that have been thoroughly destroyed by the prosecution:
* George Floyd was resisting arrest. (He was handcuffed, pinned down and utterly still.)
* Floyd was breathing when he said "I can't breathe." (So? Then he stopped talking and died.)
* He was an addict. (As one Tweeter put it, "if I had 5 martinis and you put your knee on my neck for 9 minutes and I died, it wasn't the martinis that killed me.")
* Chauvin was following standard procedure. (He wasn't.)
* The crowd was threatening. (They weren't)
* Floyd had been in trouble before. (Irrelevant.)
In fact, the parade of excuses for Chauvin sound like those only a guilty man would use. The undisputed fact is he left his knee on the neck of Floyd for over three minutes after all signs of life had vanished. The man was handcuffed, for heaven's sake and his entire body was prone on the pavement; he was a threat to nobody.
After reviewing the evidence, I have only one question: Why wasn't Chauvin charged with first degree murder?
***
We hit on the road again, this time headed north to an area I've visited before -- Cambria near the legendary Hearst Castle. My roommate and I managed to not get into *too* much trouble down in SLO, not without trying however.
On this trip we've been joined by a host of other young people -- eight in all, four boys and four girls -- six of whom are my grandchildren. This cohort is having a. major impact on my television viewing habits.
To wit, I didn't know about American Ninja Challenge or the program that features adult teams battling each other via remote-controlled transformers.
At times I've retreated to the relative safety of my free movie collection, including Nancy Meyer's lovely film 2006, "The Holiday" with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black.
Had Nancy casted me, I would (of course) been "Arthur," the aged screenwriter played by Eli Wallach who had trouble walking and therefore wanted to skip an upcoming award ceremony honoring him.
Pondering this, I found myself sitting by the pool, wishing that someone who looks like like Kate would show up and rehabilitate me like she did Arthur in the movie so I could go to *my* award ceremony
Oh yeah. My ceremony got cancelled due to Covid.
Why can't life be as in the movies?
Meanwhile, I'm in the mood for some serious time with the Pointer Sisters.
With my birthday fast approaching, the family let the cat out of the bag as to my gift this time around -- actual sunglasses to replace the unit issued me after my cataract surgery.
Maybe then people will stop mistaking me for Roy Orbison's grandfather.
***
The news:
* Amazon.com warehouse workers vote to reject forming union in Alabama (Reuters)
* Expert Witness Pinpoints Floyd’s Final Breath and Dismisses Talk of Overdose -- A pulmonologist told jurors that Derek Chauvin pressed 86.9 pounds onto the neck of George Floyd, who tried to push himself off the pavement with his fingertips. (NYT)
* Police Surgeon Says George Floyd Died of Asphyxia -- Dr. Bill Smock, a surgeon for the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department, testified that he had found no evidence to support claims that George Floyd died of an overdose. (NYT)
* Grim view of global future offered in U.S. intelligence report (AP)
* As rainstorms grow more severe and frequent, communities fail to prepare for risks (WaPo)
* Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, expressed concern over the "disturbingly high" level of daily new coronavirus infections in the United States. He noted that deaths and hospitalizations are falling, but the daily number of cases -- which is hovering around 60,000 -- is "disturbing." [HuffPost]
* The Vaccine Passport Debate Actually Began In 1897 Over A Plague Vaccine (NPR)
* Biden budget's $14 billion hike for climate includes big boosts for EPA, science (Reuters)
* Texas GOP official seeking ‘army’ to monitor polls in mostly Black and Hispanic precincts (WaPo)
* Leading members of the far-right gang known as the Proud Boys are facing federal conspiracy charges in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Ahead of the riot, members of the group called for "war." (NPR)
* House panel investigates Gaetz as he faces sex-trafficking allegation (WaPo)
* Research shows many young children have fallen behind in reading and math. But some educators are worried about stigmatizing an entire generation. (NYT)
* Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $536 million deal with legislative leaders to bolster firefighting efforts and institute a variety of prevention measures, including vegetation management and the construction of fire-resistant structures. [Sacramento Bee]
* The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention became the largest U.S. health agency to identify racism as a "serious public health threat." It launched an initiative called Racism and Health to tackle this systemic issue. [HuffPost]
* Researchers found that coronavirus vaccines from Moderna and Novavax, which is not yet authorized in the U.S., worked well against the California variant. [Los Angeles Times]
* General Motors and Ford halt production at more factories as global semiconductor shortage worsens (WaPo)
* McDonald’s Is Closing Hundreds of Its Walmart Restaurants -- The fast-food chain is closing hundreds of restaurants located in the largest U.S. retailer’s stores, the last vestiges of a roughly 30-year-old experiment between the companies. (WSJ)
* The S&P 500 and the Dow hit record highs on Friday as economy-linked stocks including banks and industrials gained on optimism around strong U.S. economic growth. (Reuters)
* Pronouncing names correctly is more than common courtesy, experts say. It’s also one of the “ways that you can really practice antiracism and practice allyship.” [NPR]
* Yosemite National Park will once again require reservations for entry this summer. [San Francisco Chronicle]
* The Air Force announced that the Los Angeles Air Force Base in El Segundo will become the Space Systems Command of the U.S. Space Force. The base will be in charge of developing, launching and sustaining military space systems. [CBS]
* Police in Sri Lanka on Thursday arrested the reigning Mrs. World for pulling the crown off the head of the winner of a Mrs. Sri Lanka beauty pageant and allegedly causing injuries. She was later released on bail. (AP)
* Amazon Celebrates Union Defeat By Raising All Prices 150% Anyway (The Onion)
***
The lazy sway of the trees
I saw the look in your eyes, lookin' into mine
Seeing what you wanted to see
Darlin' don't say a word, cause I already heard
What your body's sayin' to mine
I'm tired of fast moves
I've got a slow groove
On my mind
I want a lover with an easy touch
I want somebody who will spend some time
Not come and go in a heated rush
I want somebody who will understand
When it comes to love, I want a slow hand
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