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66 Comments on Non-tennis forum

  1. I’ve just become a Pistons fan…

    Detroit Pistons’ Stan Van Gundy goes off on Trump: ‘Brazenly racist’

    “We have just thrown a good part of our population under the bus, and I have problems with thinking that this is where we are as a country. It’s tough on (the team), we noticed it coming in. Everybody was a little quiet, and I thought, ‘Well, maybe the game the other night.’ And so we talked about that, but then Aron Baynes said, ‘I don’t think that’s why everybody’s quiet. It’s last night.’

    “It’s just, we have said — and my daughters, the three of them — our society has said, ‘No, we think you should be second-class citizens. We want you to be second-class citizens. And we embrace a guy who is openly misogynistic as our leader.’ I don’t know how we get past that.

    “We just elected an openly, brazen misogynist leader and we should keep our mouths shut and realize that we need to be learning maybe from the rest of the world, because we don’t got anything to teach anybody.

    “It’s embarrassing. I have been ashamed of a lot of things that have happened in this country, but I can’t say I’ve ever been ashamed of our country until today. Until today. We all have to find our way to move forward, but that was — and I’m not even trying to make a political statement. To me, that’s beyond politics.

    “You don’t get to come out and talk about people like that, and then lead our country and have millions of Americans embrace you. I’m having a hard time being with people. I’m going to walk into this arena tonight and realize that — especially in this state — most of these people voted for the guy. Like, (expletive), I don’t have any respect for that. I don’t.

    “And then you read how he was embraced by conservative Christians. Evangelical Christians. I’m not a religious guy, but what the hell Bible are they reading? I’m dead serious. What Bible are you reading? And you’re supposed to be — it’s different. There are a lot of different groups we can be upset at. But you’re Christians. You’re supposed to be — at least you pride yourself on being the moral compass of our society. And you said, ‘Yeah, the guy can talk about women like that. I’m fine with that.’ He can disparage every ethnic group, and I’m fine with that.

    “Look, I don’t get it. And I’m having a hard time taking it. I’m just glad that the people I’m with here — and I’ll include you guys, too — that I like. Because I’m going to have a hard time. I will say, one point of pride, I live in Oakland County, Michigan, and I was surprised, but Oakland County voted for Clinton. At least I can look around say, ‘We weren’t the ones putting that guy in office.’

    “It’s incredible. I don’t know how you go about it, if you’re a person of color today or a Latino. Because white society just said to you, again — not like we haven’t forever — but again, and emphatically, that I don’t think you deserve equality. We don’t think you deserve respect. And the same with women. That’s what we say today, as a country. We should be ashamed for what we stand for as the United States today.

    “That’s it for me. I don’t have anything to say about the game tonight.”

    http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nba/pistons/2016/11/09/detroit-pistons-stan-van-gundy/93551178/

    Reply

  2. NNY: Just wanted to let you know have been thinking about you this past few weeks. Knew you were very active in helping with Clinton’s campaign. I remember after Brexit saying to you hoped it would serve as a lesson and America wouldn’t make the same mistake 🙁

    Well they did and now America, and the rest of the world, have to live with it. Here in France there is a similar scenario looming. We are faced with the very real prospect of a National Front (i.e Fascist) President in the form of Marine le Pen who will almost certainly get an increased share of the vote because Trump has proved the establishment can be brought down. Mind you unlike the States there is no credible alternative candidate against her. She and Donald Duck will get on like a house on fire!!!!!!

    #Class warfare with a vengeance.

    Reply

    • Dearest ed,

      Thanks for your words of support. I am having a very difficult time dealing with this. It’s not like I haven’t lived through a lot in my lifetime. I am not a youngster! LOL! But I honestly have never experienced anything as bad as this.

      I know that I did my part to help Hillary and stop this madman from getting elected. On election night I was texting with a friend I made while working for Hillary. We were trying to comfort each other all night as it got worse and worse. Neither of us was able to go to sleep.

      Talking with people helps, because I am still struggling to grasp what has happened. Also, the wonderful words of comfort and support from people in here like Amy and Hawkeye and now you has helped enormously.

      I was so proud watching the people all over America demonstrating and protesting last night. Even in my former home of Los Angeles, they stopped traffic on the freeway in protest. That is what this country is all about.

      We must stay strong and fight back against Trump. We have to believe that the Democrats will be a loyal opposition.

      I almost lost it when Hillary made her. Her concession speech. I am proud that I worked for her and would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

      I am aware of the upcoming election in France. I have been following the news in that. These are indeed scary times with right wing neo-fascist movements.

      The people behind Trump are right wing extremists of the worst kind. Dangerous people with a reactionary agenda.

      I fear for what may happen to this country. I am so ashamed of the ignorant people who voted for this wretched man.

      The violent rhetoric, the threats and innuendo and hatespeak from Trump, has been sickening. The racism, bigotry and misogyny have all been appalling.

      I am more ashamed and embarrassed than ever in my entire lifetime.

      Right now on tv they are showing a protest in San Francisco by college students. I think n this is only the beginning.

      Thank you so much for thinking of me! Your words mean so much.

      ?

      Reply

          • ed,

            Well, we are not having any protests here in Florida! Don’t worry! I am not going to do anything like that!

            I am just glad to see Americans excercising their freedom! It’s important!

            Now it’s starting to settle in and there is the realization that we will see some changes that are not in the best interests of the people. The Supreme Court could be influenced for a generation with Trump now being able to appoint someone to replace Scalia. We have to hope that the older justices will hang in there another four years.

            The consequences of this election will be far reaching.
            ☹️

      • NNY: I’ve tried to log on using my real name, but this site won’t let me so I’m trying this old nom de plume.
        I just wanted to send you huge hugs and sympathy. I know how hard you worked for Hilary. This result is terrible, a sexist, homophobic, racist in the White House, it just beggars belief.
        Keep strong my dear.
        And hugs to Ratcliffe too, indeed all Americans who are hurting right now.

        Reply

    • Elina is under moderation for calling wtf an exho and pointing out a math error in an article on WTF qualifiers so no can do ATM.

      I haven’t even visited that site since the Orange Bigot was elected because I didn’t want to read any ignorance on that site.

      Tennis is one thing but this shit is real.

      Reply

        • You’re one of the resistance nny.

          Do what you can with your voice with all of the rest of the very good and informed people left in the US.

          I wish there were more of you.

          Reply

      • I’m still mourning my loss in faith of America being good overall.

        Their government are one of the bad guys now as are the majority of their society.

        Roughly 75% of Americans either voted for The Orange Facist Bigot or didn’t vote at all.

        That is a crime against humanity in my opinion and I’m still in grief as are most of my family and friends.

        Reply

        • Hawkeye,

          We should keep in mind that Hillary won the popular vote. That is important. It’s not like Trump won this big mandate. He told people what they wanted to hear, played on their fears and used divide and conquer tactics.

          I actually think that I will retire from politics after this debacle. I am just so disgusted over what happened. But then I heard Elizabeth Warren last night on tv and she said we have to volunteer and stay involved and fight. I just don’t know if I am up to it anymore.

          I heard on tv that there are protests in Palm Beach County here in Florida. But I have no intention of going anywhere near it. No way am I getting involved in that.

          Thanks for the encouragement! But things are going to be very bad in this country and there is no way to get around that.

          Reply

          • I’m mostly retired from being shot at with rubber bullets and tear-gased. But I haven’t been involved enough. I was far too overconfident that Hillary would make it. After this depression lifts a little more I’m determined to get involved. Trump’s nominating Giuliani, Ryan, Christie, Gingrich, all kinds of scary and repulsive minds. Plus they will have both House and Senate AND they are determined to control the Supreme Court Bench. I’m not sure why Obama couldn’t push through a decent nominee — there’s been plenty of time for it. We’ll have a Supreme Court dominated by Bush and Trump nominees – lord.

          • rc,

            Obama couldn’t push through his Supreme Court nominee because the Republucan controlled Senate and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stonewalled. They made it clear that they would not consider his nominee until after the election. Do their obstructionism paid off. There was nothing Obama could have done. That’s why the opportunity for the Democrats to get control of the Senate was considered so important. If Hillary won, then she would need a Democratic controlled Senate to approve her nominee. But neither of those things happened.

            I did get involved in the campaign because I thought it was important to stop Trump and the spread of neo-fascism in this country. Now there are already disturbing reports of acts of violence and vandalism directed at minorities. White supremacist groups who have operated on the fringes are feeling emboldened by Trump’s victory.

            I was going to just withdraw from any activism, but I do not want to make any decisions right now when I am still emotional and trying to process this election, I am too old to get involved in demonstrations and protests. Goodness knows I did enough of that when I was younger with the Vietnam war.

            But I am listening to Michael Moore and Elizabeth Warren. They are urging people to get involved in volunteering for organizations. They mentioned Planned Parenthood. I would be willing to volunteer to help that organization. People do need to get involved in communities, especially young people.

            We have to stay in the fight in whatever way possible. I think the Trump and the Republicans will do enormous damage to the progress that has been made in the last eight years.

            The people who do foolishly voted for Trump and believed his lies, will soon find out that they have been played for suckers.

            At this time, I just can’t get that excited about tennis. I am anxious to see Rafa back in action and look forward to the new year, but for now I am very worried for this country.
            ☹️

          • Nny,

            Planned Parenthood is one of the many vital social services and organizations that we risk losing. And that’s a great idea. Yes, I listen to Democracy Now with Amy Goodman. Also follow Elizabeth Warren and of course, Bernie, David Packman, Free speech TV, ect. Other passions are climate change, ending addiction to fossil fuels, no fracking, no pipeline in North Dakota – no Keystone pipeline, give us a healthcare system all of us can afford and is more accessible, humanitarian than the pritvatized greed and profit focused. There’s just a lot…I could go on and on…

            There’s a strong urge in me to pack my car and drive to North Dakota for the protest there right now…

            Thanks for reminding me what happened to Obama’s chance at making a Supreme Court nomination. Dang it. My initial urge was to flee the country altogether but going somewhere safe to hide and tuning out, isn’t me, Nny.

      • Sean Randall has a history of being pro-Trump Orange and there are too many Trump supporters there whom I don’t have anything to say to about tennis and definitely don’t want to engage them when they want to ridicule climate change. Bah, it’s not worth the time.

        Reply

        • rc,

          Right on! We need people like you here to continue the fight!

          After reading about the analysis and stats from the election results, I am actually encouraged. It is disturbing to realize that people who voted for Obama in 2008 and 2012, voted for Trump in this election. it is equally disturbing that 53% of white women voted for Trump! Also, we did not get the turnout that we had in 2008 and 2012. Democrats are going to have to get off their butts when big issues are at stake in elections, including mid-term elections.

          The margin of victory in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania was razor thin. One problem was the people who voted for Obama crossing over to vote for Trump and Hillary underperforming with lower turnout in those states. Trump did not do as well as Romney in 2012 in Wisconsin, but Hillary did even worse. These states should have been a lock again for Democrats. But it’s not like Trump won them by big margins. It’s like he tapped into some great majority of working class voters who gave him a mandate.

          We have to remember that this was still a close election. Hillary won the popular vote! So Democrats should not panic or feel desperate or like we have to reinvent the wheel. Trump used fear and divisiveness, hatred and bigotry to win this election. He also had help from Putin and the Russians in hacking into the DNC and Podesta’s emails and then Wikileaks dumping them in October. The Trump campaign was also getting leaks and info from the NY FBI office about the emails found on Anthony Weiner’s computer. Rudy Guiliani said flat out on FOX news that they knew about it and even expected the news to come out sooner. He also said in a interview – we’ve got a few things up our sleeve!

          Trump made his own rules, never revealed his taxes, lied and used every dirty tactic in the book to manage to get this victory. But those people who bought his lies will soon realize that they were conned. He will not bring back jobs. He will not make their lives better.

          The Republicans successfully obstructed and refused to even hold hearings on Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court. It’s what they do. It stinks, but we have to keep the faith and stay in the fight. We can cone out of this stronger and work to take back this country.

          You could get involved with a climate change organization or any other cause that you believe in. Democrats also need to work on the grass roots level to elect progressive people at the state and local level.

          We can do this!

          Power to the people!
          ?✌️️?

          Reply

          • Nny,
            To you from Margot: she sends her commiserations and hugs
            “I tried to log on to tenngrand to give NNY and yourself indeed big commiserations and hugs, but I couldn’t so have them now and please pass them onto NNY.
            ooooo =hugs 🙂 ” Margot, Tennis-x.

            The clip below shows Trump on climate change. Hoping he will flip his opinion once he becomes more informed…if he’ll listen. Meanwhile, not willing to wait and see — here’s where I’ll protest — my Pacific North Westerner, Native American, tree hugging spirit compels me to do something. Obama didn’t have the moxie to do enough; Hillary: I was banking would and could accomplish more, but that boat has sailed.
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XNiwBpGX-A

          • rc,

            I don’t go near tennis-x, so if you could just let Margot know that I got her message from you! Tell her thanks so much! It’s much needed right now.

            I think that I am okay, and then it hits me all over again. Bad news about climate change I just read online. They are saying that Trump will scrap the landmark Paris climate change deal. He’s trying to find a way to pull out of it.

            God help us all.

          • Nny,

            Will do. But I only post there on the WTA threads. I can’t stand that place either!

            Sometimes I feel energized and ready to fight (yesterday) other days, like today, I wake up in tears.

          • i really feel for you guys. my consciousness has been completely invaded by this for a long time now – so much so i can hardly work. and i am not even american so it is far worse for you.
            but i also feel very angry with my fellow brits going complacently about their business and not doing anything. we should all be out on the streets standing together against fascism.

          • oh and tennis -x really stinks. went and had a look and the racism and misogyny on display there was just disgusting.
            incredible ignorance on display.

          • Thanks, amy. Big virtual hugs to you. I’m in bad shape at the moment. It all hit me this weekend — and I dread, truly dread this Trump cabinet/administration – with wacko Pence for VP, full Republican majority in House and Senate…Supreme Court in their pocket. It’s a nightmare.

          • i know what’s going on rc. have been reading the american press obsessively for months. it’s an utter utter horror story.
            was saying to a friend on friday that i actually kind of wish i was in america and able to actually do something. feel terribly impotent and shackled. he agreed and we are going to try and do things here writing to mps and so on.
            big virtual hugs to you as well. you and nny have my love and support xxx

  7. Maybe I’m feeling a little more energetic today. Watching Fed Cup helps. Karolina and Kiki giving their all out there is a nice distraction 🙂

    Reply

    • Thanks, Nadline. I looked forever for the live version of Hallelujah from 1985. and then had a hard time watching this Fed Cup thriller between Kiki and Karolina AND posting a dang link right – sorry. Ricky can you please delete 2 of those 3 links to 1000 kisses deep? Great song but not even my favorite. Like him singing it.

      This Match is never going to end….well, it will be sad to see one of them, Kiki or Karolina, lose!

      Reply

    • I don’t know if anyone saw it, but SNL opened its show last night with Kate McKinnon singing “Hallelujah”. Then after she was done, she looked in the camera and said – “I’m not giving up and neither should you!”

      What a great way to start that show after what happened!

      Amy,

      I love your passion! We are going to have to stay strong in this country. Even as Hillary’s popular vote total continues to increase. She is now ahead by almost 2,000,000 votes!

      The young people in this country are going to have to wake up and realize that they must be active and involved. Their lives will be affected the most. They cannot take legal abortion for granted. For minorities, they cannot afford to take voting rights for granted. People must be involved and get out and vote!

      Women have to vote for their own interests. Young people have to stop voting for third party candidates!

      Democrats are not united right now. I also have to say as a liberal, If we move too far to the left then we will cede the center to the Republicans. That is not the answer. I am a bit concerned about comments from Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders about working with Trump. Do they really think that it’s going to be possible to do the truth someone like Trump who ran such a hateful campaign? He is surrounded by some lunatic right wing fringe people in his inner circle. We are seeing graffiti with swastikas in parts of the country!

      Anyone who thinks we can work with someone like Trump is living in a fool’s paradise!

      I really appreciate the support from people like you on the other side of the pond!

      I feel good for a while and then reality hits me again. I am heartsick over this and fear for this country.
      ?

      Reply

      • i sincerely hope that bernie and warren are not going to work with him. the gop obstructed obama at every turn and trump refused to admit his legitimacy.
        you can’t work with fascists. michael moore has it right that people must fight them at every opportunity.
        it is very disturbing that fascist farage has been over to see trump and that breitbart bannon has invited marine le pen over to meet them. that looks like they are aiming for a kind of international fascist alliance. no doubt allied with putin.
        so we have to fight. there is way way too much normalisation of all this here and we have to do something about it.
        i am very upset and know it is far worse for you and rc. hugs.xxx

        Reply

        • Amy,

          I wasn’t too thrilled to see that guy Farage come to this country to meet with Trump. People like Steve Bannon are really on the very fringes of the right wing. They come up with all these conspiracy theories about the Clintons and whoever. This guy Roger Stone who was working with the Trump campaign early on, is another nutcase. Trump has done dangerous people around him in his inner circle who have an agenda.

          I hope that Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders temper their comments about working with Trump. There is no reason to think that he will back off of his stated agenda. The GOP certainly is not going to back off!

          The people demonstrating in the streets across America are making their voices heard. They are not about trying to work with Trump.

          This is a neo-Fascist movement that is spreading across countries and it has to be stopped. We know what happened in 1930’s Germany. We cannot let history repeat itself.

          My father was with the American troops who liberated the concentration camps of Dachau and Bergen-Belsen. He was in counter intelligence and interrogated the Nazi prisoners of war. He learned to speak German fluently. He also photographed the atrocities in the concentration camps to be used as evidence in the Nuremberg trials. He saw fascism up close and personal and never forgot it.

          My mother told my sister and I when we little never to ask our father about the war. When we were a few years older and could understand, then she told us about it. But my father never spoke about it when we were growing up.

          When we were much older and adults, there were times when he would talk about what he saw, but it was very hard for him. Sometimes he would just stop and not continue. He told us as much as he could, but there were some things he just could not bring himself to talk about. It was horrific to hear the details and watch how painful it was for my father to relive it. But one time ge told me that he wanted me to remember and tell others so that it would never happen again.

          My father would be devastated to see swastikas on graffiti in this country and the rise of fascism. I am grateful that he is not alive to see this.
          ?

          Reply

    • rc,

      I could not be more proud of my former state of residence! Although originally from New York, I spent a good deal of my adult life in Los Angeles. I am not surprised at this statement. California is one of the most progressive states in this country. It is living proof the Democratic economic and social policies do work!

      Bravo to California!

      I needed this, because I read online that Trump is going to deport 2 to 3 million immigrants. There have been many disturbing incidents of threats and even physical violence against minorities. Racist threats texted to university students.

      Trump is going to a point right winger Steve Bannon as his Chief Strategist. It’s getting worse every day.

      We are going to be tested as never before in the coming days. I hope that we have the strength to meet this grave challenge.
      ?

      Reply

    • The saddest thing about that link above regarding the upcoming elections in Europe and the very real possibility of right wing groups coming to power, is that America was once regarded as living proof that freedom
      and democracy were still strong.

      Our Founding Fathers must be rolling over in their graves.
      ?

      Reply

  16. For the record, I just wanna say anyone that voted Trump or didn’t bother to try to vote (that was eligible) is an idiot and a big part of the problem. WTF were you thinking??? Now I see how Nazi Germany happened…

    Steve ‘Turn on the Hate’ Bannon, in the White House

    Anyone holding out hope that Donald Trump would govern as a uniter — that the racism, sexism, anti-Semitism and nativism of his campaign were just poses to pick up votes — should think again.

    In an ominous sign of what the Trump presidency will actually look like, the president-elect on Sunday appointed Stephen Bannon as his chief White House strategist and senior counselor, an enormously influential post.

    Many if not most Americans had never heard of Mr. Bannon before this weekend, and for good reason: He has kept a low profile, even after taking over Mr. Trump’s campaign in August. Before that, he worked as the executive chairman of the Breitbart News Network, parent company of the far-right website Breitbart News, which under Mr. Bannon became what the Southern Poverty Law Center has called a “white ethno-nationalist propaganda mill.”

    Mr. Bannon himself seems fine with that description, telling Mother Jones last summer that Breitbart was now “the platform for the alt-right,” a loosely organized group of mostly young men who believe in white supremacy; oppose immigration, feminism and multiculturalism; and delight in harassing Jews, Muslims and other vulnerable groups by spewing shocking insults on social media.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/15/opinion/turn-on-the-hate-steve-bannon-at-the-white-house.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

    Reply

    • I think that the cable tv news media has normalized Trump. They have been the classic enablers. They wanted the ratings and broadcast Trump’s maniacal ranting and raving at rallies. They did not bother to hold him to account for his many falsehoods, exaggerations and flat out lies. They did not pound away every day about his refusal to reveal his tax returns.

      With the likes of Bannon as Chief Strategist, there will be nothing normal in this administration!

      It’s like the lunatics are running the asylum. It’s not pretty!
      ☹️☹️

      Reply

      • The media will be largely disabled.

        It’s incredible.

        The US along with the rest of the world is in a very dark and dangerous place and most have no idea.

        Ignorance truly is bliss. At least in the short term.

        Reply

    • rc,

      Thanks for those links. I think that the print media did do a good job of digging for important information about Trump. But the cable tv news media has truly been an embarrassment.

      The media better get ready to be kept in the dark. Trump is not going to give them access. There will be more attempts to limit the press by the Trump administration.

      This is only the beginning. The biggest reveal is the appointment of Bannon. He is a man with repugnant views and who is dangerous. There has been a lot of outrage, but I really don’t know why anyone is surprised.

      Reply

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