I did not vote for the initial bond measure to launch the California High Speed Rail. From what I read at that time the critics thought the supporters of the measure (1) under-estimated the cost and (2) over-estimated the ridership.
This item over at Bloomberg seems to indicate that the supporters had an inkling of the problems but nonetheless decided to sell the project with estimates that were very dubious.
Excerpts:
Sold to the public in 2008 as a visionary plan to whisk riders along at 220 miles an hour, making the trip from San Francisco to Los Angeles in a little over two and a half hours, the project promised to attract most of the necessary billions from private investors, to operate without ongoing subsidies and to charge fares low enough to make it competitive with cheap flights. With those assurances, 53.7 percent of voters said yes to a $9.95 billion bond referendum to get the project started. But the assurances were at best wishful thinking, at worst an elaborate con.
[......]
The total construction cost estimate has now more than doubled to $68 billion from the original $33 billion, despite trims in the routes planned.
[.....]
When the Spanish construction company Ferrovial submitted its winning bid for a 22-mile segment, the proposal included a clear and inconvenient warning: “More than likely, the California high speed rail will require large government subsidies for years to come.” Ferrovial reviewed 111 similar systems around the world and found only three that cover their operating costs.
[.....]
But a closer look even back then would have made it clear that, barring a miracle, the rail project wouldn’t keep its promises. To do so, it would have to be the fastest, most popular bullet train in the world, with many more riders per mile and a much greater percentage of seats occupied than the French and Japanese systems -- a highly unlikely prospect. Yet only the most determined wonk would have discovered these comparisons.
Soccer weekly post
Its been international soccer on the TV with Euro 2016 coverage at ESPN and Fox with Copa America.
In the end, the US didn't measure up to Argentina. For the 3rd place match they came out with more purposefulness and gave it a go but fell 1-0. The USMNT had some great chances but couldn't cash them in. From what I hear, analysts appear to think the back four is looking more solid, Guzan looks to succeed Howard in goal, Zardes/Wood/Dempsey (and if Altidore could stay healthy) provide them with some movement and scoring chops, but there are concerns about the midfield. Midfielders Jones and Bradley appear to be the key players but might not have enough abilities to take the US to the next level. Nagbe and Pulisic are promising and the hope is they will develop further and in the next few years be major forces on the squad.
Meanwhile, in the final between Argentina and Chile, it was a chippy 0-0 in regular time and then the extra time yielded no goals leaving everything to rest on the roulette wheel of PKs. Messi missed the opportunity to put Argentina in the driver's seat. Chile had the initiative and put it away on the 5th kick when another Chile's goalie made a save.
Over in Euro 2016, the shocker was England's loss to Iceland. Look at the Iceland squad - these players ply their trade in mostly Scandinavian leagues. A few in higher profile leagues. Compare that to the England roster! Almost everyone plays in the vaunted English Premier League. A classic case of a well oiled team of lesser individual talents beating a mixture of more capable individuals without the team chemistry.
The LA Galaxy continue to struggle. On the weekend, once again the Galaxy surrendered a goal late in the game yielding a draw against the rivals San Jose. It is a mid-week US Open match against Portland up in the great North West. This is followed by a home MLS match on July 4 against Vancouver. Zardes and Keane return from international duty but I'm not expecting them to play in the US Open Cup match. It will be interesting to see who Coach Arena puts out for the US Open Cup. He said, "It will a mixture." Coverage is via streaming at YouTube. Galaxy haven't gone far in the US Open Cup as it has not been a priority. Don't think that is likely to change this season.
UPDATE: Galaxy defeat Portland 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup!
In the end, the US didn't measure up to Argentina. For the 3rd place match they came out with more purposefulness and gave it a go but fell 1-0. The USMNT had some great chances but couldn't cash them in. From what I hear, analysts appear to think the back four is looking more solid, Guzan looks to succeed Howard in goal, Zardes/Wood/Dempsey (and if Altidore could stay healthy) provide them with some movement and scoring chops, but there are concerns about the midfield. Midfielders Jones and Bradley appear to be the key players but might not have enough abilities to take the US to the next level. Nagbe and Pulisic are promising and the hope is they will develop further and in the next few years be major forces on the squad.
Meanwhile, in the final between Argentina and Chile, it was a chippy 0-0 in regular time and then the extra time yielded no goals leaving everything to rest on the roulette wheel of PKs. Messi missed the opportunity to put Argentina in the driver's seat. Chile had the initiative and put it away on the 5th kick when another Chile's goalie made a save.
Over in Euro 2016, the shocker was England's loss to Iceland. Look at the Iceland squad - these players ply their trade in mostly Scandinavian leagues. A few in higher profile leagues. Compare that to the England roster! Almost everyone plays in the vaunted English Premier League. A classic case of a well oiled team of lesser individual talents beating a mixture of more capable individuals without the team chemistry.
The LA Galaxy continue to struggle. On the weekend, once again the Galaxy surrendered a goal late in the game yielding a draw against the rivals San Jose. It is a mid-week US Open match against Portland up in the great North West. This is followed by a home MLS match on July 4 against Vancouver. Zardes and Keane return from international duty but I'm not expecting them to play in the US Open Cup match. It will be interesting to see who Coach Arena puts out for the US Open Cup. He said, "It will a mixture." Coverage is via streaming at YouTube. Galaxy haven't gone far in the US Open Cup as it has not been a priority. Don't think that is likely to change this season.
UPDATE: Galaxy defeat Portland 1-0 to advance to the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup!
Bret Stephens of Wall Street Journal and his concerns about Trump
Stephens was interviewed by Hugh Hewitt recently and offered his thoughts.
Excerpt:
Stephens: I will never vote for Donald Trump. I have a very, very hard time voting for Mrs. Clinton. I have been, I have been writing about Hillary Clinton, I just actually looked this up, since 1998 when she was busy standing by when Suha Arafat was launching anti-Semitic tirades against Israel and the Jews. And Hillary Clinton’s record in office is dreadful. Her ideas are dreadful. They will make us less safe. So, but there is no way I’m going to vote for a guy who is just totally uninformed, un-presidential as Donald Trump is.
[........]
Who knows better than you what it means to have a commander-in-chief who lived his entire life, who lived throughout the entire Cold War, and doesn’t know what the nuclear triad is? It’s absolutely astonishing. And so it’s terrific to have Joe Dunford and you know, perhaps John Bolton and other people in positions of trust. But you have to have a president who bothered over the last 70 years to gain a cursory understanding of how the world works. And on so many issues, Hugh, on so many issues, I know not all of the issue, but on so many issues, this guy is just the antithesis of what I’d want a Republican president to be on foreign policy.
[.......]
The United States survives so long as at least one of its major parties is politically and intellectually healthy. I don’t think the Republican Party, or I should say the Republican Party as the vehicle for modern American conservative ideas, survives with Donald Trump.
As a practical matter, in California, I don't have to worry that my vote will make any difference. Clinton is going to get all of California's electoral votes no matter what people like me (who don't want to vote for Clinton or Trump) do. My decision is whether to skip the POTUS part of the ballot or to cast a "protest" vote for a minor party candidate.
George Will not only won't vote for Trump, he has changed his voter registration in Maryland from Republican to unaffiliated.
I will wait for the GOP convention in Cleveland. There is a slim chance probably 1 in a 1000 that they will dump Trump and pick someone else. If they indeed nominate Trump, I'll file to change my voter registration from Republican to "decline to state" which is the term used in California forms.
From 1981 to 1993 I was registered in California as a "decline to state."
From 1993 to 1996, I was an unaffiliated Maryland voter.
From 1996 to 1997, I was a Republican registered voter in Maryland. I cast a protest vote for Steve Forbes that year.
From 1997 to today, I have been a registered Republican in California.
In Presidential primaries since, I have voted:
2000 - McCain
2004 - Bush
2008 - Romney
2012 - Romney
2016 - Kasich
Excerpt:
Stephens: I will never vote for Donald Trump. I have a very, very hard time voting for Mrs. Clinton. I have been, I have been writing about Hillary Clinton, I just actually looked this up, since 1998 when she was busy standing by when Suha Arafat was launching anti-Semitic tirades against Israel and the Jews. And Hillary Clinton’s record in office is dreadful. Her ideas are dreadful. They will make us less safe. So, but there is no way I’m going to vote for a guy who is just totally uninformed, un-presidential as Donald Trump is.
[........]
Who knows better than you what it means to have a commander-in-chief who lived his entire life, who lived throughout the entire Cold War, and doesn’t know what the nuclear triad is? It’s absolutely astonishing. And so it’s terrific to have Joe Dunford and you know, perhaps John Bolton and other people in positions of trust. But you have to have a president who bothered over the last 70 years to gain a cursory understanding of how the world works. And on so many issues, Hugh, on so many issues, I know not all of the issue, but on so many issues, this guy is just the antithesis of what I’d want a Republican president to be on foreign policy.
[.......]
The United States survives so long as at least one of its major parties is politically and intellectually healthy. I don’t think the Republican Party, or I should say the Republican Party as the vehicle for modern American conservative ideas, survives with Donald Trump.
As a practical matter, in California, I don't have to worry that my vote will make any difference. Clinton is going to get all of California's electoral votes no matter what people like me (who don't want to vote for Clinton or Trump) do. My decision is whether to skip the POTUS part of the ballot or to cast a "protest" vote for a minor party candidate.
George Will not only won't vote for Trump, he has changed his voter registration in Maryland from Republican to unaffiliated.
I will wait for the GOP convention in Cleveland. There is a slim chance probably 1 in a 1000 that they will dump Trump and pick someone else. If they indeed nominate Trump, I'll file to change my voter registration from Republican to "decline to state" which is the term used in California forms.
From 1981 to 1993 I was registered in California as a "decline to state."
From 1993 to 1996, I was an unaffiliated Maryland voter.
From 1996 to 1997, I was a Republican registered voter in Maryland. I cast a protest vote for Steve Forbes that year.
From 1997 to today, I have been a registered Republican in California.
In Presidential primaries since, I have voted:
2000 - McCain
2004 - Bush
2008 - Romney
2012 - Romney
2016 - Kasich
Argentina v. USA - who will be in the XI for the US?
The starting XI at the beginning of the Copa America was:
Guzan in goal
Brooks/Cameron at center-back
Johnson/Yedlin at full-back
Jones/Bradley/Bedoya at midfield
Wood/Dempsey/Zardes at forward/attacking midfield.
Unfortunately, due to red card Jones is out and due to yellow card accumulation Wood and Bedoya are out.
So who should be plugged in?
Beckerman and Zusi have been frequently used as substitutes so I can see them in for Jones and Bedoya. But how do you replace Wood's pace and nose for the ball and overall ability to create havoc at the attacking end?
In listening to TV commentators, I think they I heard a someone (probably Lalas on Fox) say that Zardes will take up Wood's role and that Besler will join the defense and push Johnson up into the midfield. The other option is to have Zardes in Wood's role and have Nagbe/Bradley/Beckerman/Zusi for a 4-man midfield.
We shall see!
Go USA!
UPDATE: Well, what can you say after the 4-0 defeat at the hands of Argentina? The #1 team in the world with the #1 player in the world is always going to be tough for the USA ranked a lowly #31. If Argentina had an off night and the USA played their best, the game might be a competitive match with the end result probably still being a loss, perhaps not as bad as 4-0. And, of course, last night, the USA was not at its best missing three starters (Wood, Jones, and Bedoya) and the team seemed a little over awed by the moment resulting in too many rushed passes that didn't connect. It was clear that one team was an "A" level team and the other was a "B" level team.
Critics probably didn't question Zusi and Beckman in for Jones and Bedoya. But the selection of Wondo for Bobby Wood was a head scratcher (even to a novice fan like myself) when I saw it posted on Twitter. The substitution of Pulicic for Wondo at the half underlined that it was not working out. But would another choice have made much difference? Doubtful. Perhaps, a 3-1 loss instead?
Even with Bobby Wood in the line-up, the US would have still been under a lot of pressure. Nonetheless, Wood's speed, physicality and skill does prove the point that sometimes the best thing you can do for your defense is have somebody who is a threat on offense to make your opponent think for a split second there is somebody who can cause some havoc.
The third place match against either Chile or Colombia will also be a tough one since they are ranked #5 and #3 respectively. Hopefully, the USMNT will lick their wounds and be ready for that match and be more competitive regardless of the result.
Some fans say the fans should demand more than "moral victories" from the USMNT. I don't think the USA is at that point yet. They are good enough for fans to expect them to get through the group stage. Now, the expectation should be to get at least one win in the knockout stage - met by the victory over Ecuador.
The next goal is to get two wins in the knockout stage. So a win in the third place match would be that second win. With the suspended players back in the line-up and a good effort, they should be able to be competitive. They might not win but they should be competitive. That would be a realistic expectation.
Guzan in goal
Brooks/Cameron at center-back
Johnson/Yedlin at full-back
Jones/Bradley/Bedoya at midfield
Wood/Dempsey/Zardes at forward/attacking midfield.
Unfortunately, due to red card Jones is out and due to yellow card accumulation Wood and Bedoya are out.
So who should be plugged in?
Beckerman and Zusi have been frequently used as substitutes so I can see them in for Jones and Bedoya. But how do you replace Wood's pace and nose for the ball and overall ability to create havoc at the attacking end?
In listening to TV commentators, I think they I heard a someone (probably Lalas on Fox) say that Zardes will take up Wood's role and that Besler will join the defense and push Johnson up into the midfield. The other option is to have Zardes in Wood's role and have Nagbe/Bradley/Beckerman/Zusi for a 4-man midfield.
We shall see!
Go USA!
UPDATE: Well, what can you say after the 4-0 defeat at the hands of Argentina? The #1 team in the world with the #1 player in the world is always going to be tough for the USA ranked a lowly #31. If Argentina had an off night and the USA played their best, the game might be a competitive match with the end result probably still being a loss, perhaps not as bad as 4-0. And, of course, last night, the USA was not at its best missing three starters (Wood, Jones, and Bedoya) and the team seemed a little over awed by the moment resulting in too many rushed passes that didn't connect. It was clear that one team was an "A" level team and the other was a "B" level team.
Critics probably didn't question Zusi and Beckman in for Jones and Bedoya. But the selection of Wondo for Bobby Wood was a head scratcher (even to a novice fan like myself) when I saw it posted on Twitter. The substitution of Pulicic for Wondo at the half underlined that it was not working out. But would another choice have made much difference? Doubtful. Perhaps, a 3-1 loss instead?
Even with Bobby Wood in the line-up, the US would have still been under a lot of pressure. Nonetheless, Wood's speed, physicality and skill does prove the point that sometimes the best thing you can do for your defense is have somebody who is a threat on offense to make your opponent think for a split second there is somebody who can cause some havoc.
The third place match against either Chile or Colombia will also be a tough one since they are ranked #5 and #3 respectively. Hopefully, the USMNT will lick their wounds and be ready for that match and be more competitive regardless of the result.
Some fans say the fans should demand more than "moral victories" from the USMNT. I don't think the USA is at that point yet. They are good enough for fans to expect them to get through the group stage. Now, the expectation should be to get at least one win in the knockout stage - met by the victory over Ecuador.
The next goal is to get two wins in the knockout stage. So a win in the third place match would be that second win. With the suspended players back in the line-up and a good effort, they should be able to be competitive. They might not win but they should be competitive. That would be a realistic expectation.
USA v. Argentina - Tuesday 6PM PDT
#31 vs. #1.
Am guessing the odds makers have the USA as huge underdogs.
In this case, against the #1 ranked team in the world with the most famous player in the world, Lionel Messi, it isn't false humility to say the USA are the underdogs. Huge. Underdogs.
Team USA's most dramatic moments on the world stage have come against .... Ghana in 2014...
Algeria in 2010 ....
The hard headed sports analysts in me says that in all likelihood, Argentina will dominate possession and eventually get a couple of goals and win comfortably 2-0 or something like that.
But if the USA can keep it close such that one magical moment could do it ..... well who will join the ranks of Landon Donovan and John Brooks for scoring a late in the game goal that sends fans into the stratosphere in celebration ..... ?
Will be interesting to see if Fox Sports will come up with an exciting and stirring teaser for the match! Go Team USA!!
Team USA's most dramatic moments on the world stage have come against .... Ghana in 2014...
Algeria in 2010 ....
The hard headed sports analysts in me says that in all likelihood, Argentina will dominate possession and eventually get a couple of goals and win comfortably 2-0 or something like that.
But if the USA can keep it close such that one magical moment could do it ..... well who will join the ranks of Landon Donovan and John Brooks for scoring a late in the game goal that sends fans into the stratosphere in celebration ..... ?
Will be interesting to see if Fox Sports will come up with an exciting and stirring teaser for the match! Go Team USA!!
US Open Cup, Copa America, and Euro 2016
Friday, Italy v. Sweden.
UPDATE: Ugh. Italy wins it 1-0 on a late goal.
Tuesday night at the Stub Hub, LA Galaxy vs. La Maquina FC in a 4th round US Open Cup. Anticipating that the Galaxy "B-team" will be on the field tonight in what should be an easy win.
UPDATE: Last time I try to predict an "easy win!" LAG got a 1-0 lead but then a foolish red-card (aren't they all?) put them in danger. Indeed the score was tied 1-1 where it remained for regular time. In extra time, LAG picked up a "gift" of a goal when many players on both sides did not play to the whistle.
Saturday night, Galaxy return to MLS action on the road up in Toronto. Hopefully, team USA will still be in the Copa America. I'm guessing Zardes (the one Galaxy player on the USMNT) would not be available for the LAG even if the US are defeated by Ecuador.
UPDATE: I was half asleep watching this match and switching occasionally to Argentina v. Venezuela. Argentina had an easy 4-1 win over Venezuela. Meanwhile, my impression of the Galaxy v. Toronto match was that it was headed for a 0-0 final. Galaxy offense didn't seem to be doing much. Unfortunately, a late goal (76') by Toronto gave them the 1-0 victory. Galaxy had possession 58% but never really seemed to threaten as reflected in their being out shot 14 to 10 and 5 to 2 on shots on goal. Toronto also won 9 corners to the Galaxy's 5. During my time of viewing the game, I though Lleget had one good opportunity but scuffed the shot. Otherwise, not much else. Galaxy had none of their DPs in the game while Toronto had one. At this point, the Galaxy look to be headed toward a playoff appearance but probably an early exit. Of course, they still have time to put all the pieces together in the second half of the season. I think they have more quality players than last year but some of those players are now a year older.
Thursday night in Seattle, USMNT against Ecuador. Ecuador is a highly regarded team and the USA has only beaten them three times since 1984, the most recent being the recent friendly. But this is win-or-go-home knockout competition and the stage where the USA has not had a good track record. There once was a time that surviving the group stage was considered an accomplishment. Now, the bar for USMNT is to advance at least one round in the knockout stage. Can they finally do it?
UPDATE: "I believe that we will win!" Hah! They actually won! A dramatic 2-1 victory over Ecuador!
Semi-finals:
USA (ranked #31) v. Argentina (ranked #1)
Columbia (ranked #3) v. Chile (ranked #5)
Ecuador is ranked #13 so it was an upset for the USA to win! Does team USA have another one in them?
UPDATE: Ugh. Italy wins it 1-0 on a late goal.
Tuesday night at the Stub Hub, LA Galaxy vs. La Maquina FC in a 4th round US Open Cup. Anticipating that the Galaxy "B-team" will be on the field tonight in what should be an easy win.
UPDATE: Last time I try to predict an "easy win!" LAG got a 1-0 lead but then a foolish red-card (aren't they all?) put them in danger. Indeed the score was tied 1-1 where it remained for regular time. In extra time, LAG picked up a "gift" of a goal when many players on both sides did not play to the whistle.
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) June 15, 2016After that, LAG got two more goals for a final tally of 4-1 but more drama than the scoreline indicated.
Saturday night, Galaxy return to MLS action on the road up in Toronto. Hopefully, team USA will still be in the Copa America. I'm guessing Zardes (the one Galaxy player on the USMNT) would not be available for the LAG even if the US are defeated by Ecuador.
UPDATE: I was half asleep watching this match and switching occasionally to Argentina v. Venezuela. Argentina had an easy 4-1 win over Venezuela. Meanwhile, my impression of the Galaxy v. Toronto match was that it was headed for a 0-0 final. Galaxy offense didn't seem to be doing much. Unfortunately, a late goal (76') by Toronto gave them the 1-0 victory. Galaxy had possession 58% but never really seemed to threaten as reflected in their being out shot 14 to 10 and 5 to 2 on shots on goal. Toronto also won 9 corners to the Galaxy's 5. During my time of viewing the game, I though Lleget had one good opportunity but scuffed the shot. Otherwise, not much else. Galaxy had none of their DPs in the game while Toronto had one. At this point, the Galaxy look to be headed toward a playoff appearance but probably an early exit. Of course, they still have time to put all the pieces together in the second half of the season. I think they have more quality players than last year but some of those players are now a year older.
Thursday night in Seattle, USMNT against Ecuador. Ecuador is a highly regarded team and the USA has only beaten them three times since 1984, the most recent being the recent friendly. But this is win-or-go-home knockout competition and the stage where the USA has not had a good track record. There once was a time that surviving the group stage was considered an accomplishment. Now, the bar for USMNT is to advance at least one round in the knockout stage. Can they finally do it?
UPDATE: "I believe that we will win!" Hah! They actually won! A dramatic 2-1 victory over Ecuador!
Semi-finals:
USA (ranked #31) v. Argentina (ranked #1)
Columbia (ranked #3) v. Chile (ranked #5)
Ecuador is ranked #13 so it was an upset for the USA to win! Does team USA have another one in them?
USMNT in Copa America & Sweden in the Euro 2016
With no MLS or Allsvenskan matches, it is time to follow the national teams in their competitions.
Its pretty simple for Team USA: don't lose to Paraguay.
A draw is okay because USA finishes with 4 points in group A and the only way they can get eliminated is a big upset by Costa Rica over Columbia. It would be a big upset because Columbia is really good. It would also have to be a big upset in that Costa Rica has to erase their -4 goal differential with a seven goal victory over Columbia.
A win by the USMNT gets them to six points and into the knockout stage.
Paraguay is at the win or go home point. The only way they get to the knockout is to win.
I haven't seen any of the USMNT games but have heard post game comments. The general feeling I get was that the early goals in both matches were key. Colombia got the early goal and US had to chase the game and don't have the skills to break down a solid defense. USA got the early goal against Costa Rica so they had to chase which allowed the US to counter attack and it snowballed into a big win for team USA. The analysts at ExtraTime said this situation played into the US hands because Costa Rica is weak at defensive midfield.
So what does the USA brain trust call for tactically in the first half of the first half against Paraguay?
Do they ask the team to go out and press for the opening goal?
Or do they sit back and let Paraguay be aggressive and hit them when they get too far forward?
If this article is any indication, Paraguay wants to win the game 1-0 and not fall into the trap Costa Rica did and paid for dearly in a 4-0 thrashing.
Meanwhile, in Euro 2016, the usual suspects (France, Germany, and Spain) are favorites. Sweden would be at best a dark horse. Zlatan has had much club success. National team success has been harder to come by because the supporting cast isn't as strong. Nonetheless, he is a game changer and not short on confidence!
UPDATE: Well, well, well. The Scriptwriters at Copa America threw a couple of twists there! The USA got the goal early as the USA fans hoped for. But then the scriptwriters threw in the craziness of Yedlin picking up two yellows thus leaving the USA with 10 for almost all of the second half. Nonetheless, Guzan and the defense held firm and preserved the 1-0 win. But there was one more twist to come: Colombia's manager decided to send out the "B" team against Costa Rica and Costa Rica won 3-2! Classic case of disrespecting your opponent coming back to haunt you. Thus, the US wins group A by goal differential over Colombia.
Sunday's group B match results determine who plays who: the US will get the #2 from Group B and Colombia will get the #1 from Group B. To see the scenarios go here.
UPDATE: Well, well, well. The Scriptwriters at the Copa America throw down another twist by eliminating Brazil with a 1-0 defeat to Peru!
UPDATE: It was a blown call by the refs by all accounts.
USA Fifa ranked #31 face Ecuador (#13)
Colombia (#3) face Peru (#48)
Euro 2016
Meanwhile in Euro 2016, Sweden face Ireland on Monday.
So far the main story line about Euro 2016 has been the fan violence on the streets and in the stands.
On the field, England managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory due to a stoppage time goal late in the game is twist from the Scriptwriters working the Euro 2016.
UPDATE: It is a final. 1-1 Ireland v. Sweden.
Its pretty simple for Team USA: don't lose to Paraguay.
A draw is okay because USA finishes with 4 points in group A and the only way they can get eliminated is a big upset by Costa Rica over Columbia. It would be a big upset because Columbia is really good. It would also have to be a big upset in that Costa Rica has to erase their -4 goal differential with a seven goal victory over Columbia.
A win by the USMNT gets them to six points and into the knockout stage.
Paraguay is at the win or go home point. The only way they get to the knockout is to win.
I haven't seen any of the USMNT games but have heard post game comments. The general feeling I get was that the early goals in both matches were key. Colombia got the early goal and US had to chase the game and don't have the skills to break down a solid defense. USA got the early goal against Costa Rica so they had to chase which allowed the US to counter attack and it snowballed into a big win for team USA. The analysts at ExtraTime said this situation played into the US hands because Costa Rica is weak at defensive midfield.
So what does the USA brain trust call for tactically in the first half of the first half against Paraguay?
Do they ask the team to go out and press for the opening goal?
Or do they sit back and let Paraguay be aggressive and hit them when they get too far forward?
If this article is any indication, Paraguay wants to win the game 1-0 and not fall into the trap Costa Rica did and paid for dearly in a 4-0 thrashing.
Meanwhile, in Euro 2016, the usual suspects (France, Germany, and Spain) are favorites. Sweden would be at best a dark horse. Zlatan has had much club success. National team success has been harder to come by because the supporting cast isn't as strong. Nonetheless, he is a game changer and not short on confidence!
UPDATE: Well, well, well. The Scriptwriters at Copa America threw a couple of twists there! The USA got the goal early as the USA fans hoped for. But then the scriptwriters threw in the craziness of Yedlin picking up two yellows thus leaving the USA with 10 for almost all of the second half. Nonetheless, Guzan and the defense held firm and preserved the 1-0 win. But there was one more twist to come: Colombia's manager decided to send out the "B" team against Costa Rica and Costa Rica won 3-2! Classic case of disrespecting your opponent coming back to haunt you. Thus, the US wins group A by goal differential over Colombia.
Sunday's group B match results determine who plays who: the US will get the #2 from Group B and Colombia will get the #1 from Group B. To see the scenarios go here.
UPDATE: Well, well, well. The Scriptwriters at the Copa America throw down another twist by eliminating Brazil with a 1-0 defeat to Peru!
UPDATE: It was a blown call by the refs by all accounts.
USA Fifa ranked #31 face Ecuador (#13)
Colombia (#3) face Peru (#48)
Euro 2016
Meanwhile in Euro 2016, Sweden face Ireland on Monday.
So far the main story line about Euro 2016 has been the fan violence on the streets and in the stands.
On the field, England managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory due to a stoppage time goal late in the game is twist from the Scriptwriters working the Euro 2016.
UPDATE: It is a final. 1-1 Ireland v. Sweden.
FWIW - Voting on Judges for LA County?
Unless you personally know the judges running for their offices there isn't many ways to know much about them.
So for what it is worth, here is what I have found from four sources. Each has its own perspectives and criteria.
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles County Democratic Party
Los Angeles County Republican Party
UPDATE:
Here is an article from KCET about how the LA County Bar Association conducts its survey of judicial candidates. Here is another item from KCET about the attempt to balance having the govenor appointing judges and the public voting on judges.
Los Angeles County Bar Association
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles County Democratic Party
Los Angeles County Republican Party
UPDATE:
Here is an article from KCET about how the LA County Bar Association conducts its survey of judicial candidates. Here is another item from KCET about the attempt to balance having the govenor appointing judges and the public voting on judges.
LA Galaxy a bit of a muddle
LA was defeated at Montreal on the stoppage time free kick. The goal was a howler as Rowe probably would stop that thing 9 times out of 10. The other part that irks fans is that the free kick was set up by a ill-timed foul. Net result a 3-2 defeat snatched from the jaws of a draw.
Tonight, LA take the field at home against a struggling SKC.
MLS does not take the entire international break off though after tonight's match, LA doesn't play again until June 18.
The feeling I get following the club and seeing parts of several games is that they run hot and cold. They can get out and score in bunches as reflected by their 27 goals so far that makes them the highest scoring club currently. On the other hand, when the game is close, their defense has let them down thus yielding draws that should be wins and losses that should be draws (both came in 2nd half stoppage time!). Thus, with the most goals scored and the highest goal differential, the club languishes in 5th place in the Western Conference (top 6 make the playoffs) though in fairness to the Galaxy they do have a couple of games in hand. Nonetheless, the feeling is they could/should be doing better than 5 wins 2 losses and 5 draws.
Player performance:
Steres - am guessing he wasn't expected at the beginning of the season to be logging this many minutes but circumstances have given him the opportunity and he is doing pretty well
Van Damme - his addition does give LA a more fierce defense overall but there have been untimely breakdowns costing them but Van Damme is a powerful presence in the back line
Zardes - will see if all the USMNT duty wears him out but he is a positive force with the potential for big stardom
Cole - another veteran added off season to shore up the defense
Magee - a great pick up! The second goal against Montreal was spectacular
Lletget - he made a big splash early last season but so far not quite the same since
Rogers - a solid role player
Dos Santos - has been on fire!
Gerrard - continues to divide the fan base - good moments but than other times disappears and seems out of gas late in games
De Jong - intimidating presence in the midfield and generally viewed as a good pick up and looks to take a DP spot next season
Keane - hard to say between injuries and international duty still solid but is time catching up with him?
Boateng - promising newcomer, remains to be seen how much of the upside he will ultimately attain to
FT: LAG 0 SKC 0. Didn't watch the match but read some of the post-game and watched the video highlights. Would this qualify as a "damp squib" as Roger Bennett of Men In Blazers would say?
Recurrent Small Bowel Obstruction and 24 Inches of Plastic Tubing
image source: http://www.oxfordmedicaleducation.com/clinical-skills/procedures/nasogastric-ng-tube/
24 inches of plastic tubing. Doesn't seem like much but it is one of the major pieces of technology in the non-surgical management of small bowel obstruction. The ER nurse knew my medical history so she knew I knew what was about to happen thus her explanation was relatively brief. In 2004, twelve years earlier, the descriptions and assurances were quite extensive as it was the first time I underwent the procedure. But on this afternoon, it was all done in short order. She coated the tubing with anesthetic gel and skillfully placed the nasal gastric tube.
24 hours earlier ........
April 22 Friday
I was at work having a mostly normal day. But inside, in my small intestines, things were not normal. Around 5PM, I began to experience abdominal pain. It was a familiar sensation. Over the years, sometimes the pain would go away after a few hours as the obstruction would resolve on its own in short order. On some occasions, the pain would remain at a low level for more than a few hours and then go away. On some occasions, the pain would escalate and the decision would be made to head to the emergency room. By midnight, the pain was present for seven hours and was increasing. We made the decision to head to the Ronald Reagan University Medical Center.
April 23 Saturday
Emergency department (ED) waiting rooms are somber places. The patient waiting is in some kind of distress. The family member or friend bringing them in is concerned.
The first point of contact with the ED is the triage nurse who asks some questions, gets medical history and takes vital signs. Some cases get moved right into the emergency room itself. Others are sent to the waiting area. Small bowel obstruction (SBO) in the early stages don't get moved to the front of the line so my wife and I waited quietly with about a dozen other people.
After an hour or so, I was called in. There are examination rooms with various equipment and there are designated areas in the hallway with a number on the wall where gurneys are parked. As would be typical for a big city ED there were many patients parked in the hallway and I was parked.
ED's are like Las Vegas casinos in a couple of ways: there is a pretty constant beehive of activity and you have no sense of the passage of time unless you have a watch or someone to tell you what time it is. When you are in pain time seems to pass very slowly. I was eventually examined by a doctor. I can't remember how long it was I was parked in the hallway. But during the passing time, I could see and hear the stories of other patients and what pain has brought them to the ED. Some are in good humor despite the suffering and others wail in pain. I tip my hat to the medical professionals who live and work in this world!
I have been told UCLA tries very hard to encourage good doctor-patient communication experiences. The doctor came he asked me to describe (without any interruption) what I was experiencing. He then did a physical exam. He said given my medical history and current physical state, an SBO was quite likely and a CT scan was ordered. Pain (morphine) and anti-nausea medication was administered and I began the process of drinking the liquid contrast for the CT scan.
Time passed and my drinking of the contrast liquid was slow. First, it tastes terrible and second, with a SBO (i.e. backed up plumbing in your gut), adding more fluid is very uncomfortable. The pain and nausea came back fiercely and I was given another dose of both meds. I eventually gulped down enough of the contrast liquid. However, the call to go to the CT didn't come. We asked about it and the nurse found out that one of the CT units had broken down so the backlog was causing the delay.
Eventually, I was rolled to the CT suite and a set of images were taken with the contrast liquid. Then another set was taken using IV contrast that gives an indication of blood flow to the area being imaged. I was rolled back to my spot in the hallway.
The MDs (two this time) came back and said, yup, the CT showed a SBO so we are going to admit you into the hospital but the problem right now is that the hospital is completely full. However, a bed should open up in a few hours.
At some point, I was moved into an examination room where the nasal gastric tube was installed and hooked up to the house vacuum system. By mid-afternoon, I was moved into Eighth Floor East Wing. The ED portion of the story was a least 14 hours.
The NG tube was gurgling and the IV was keeping my electrolytes in balance and giving me sugar for energy and I slept in short bits through the night.
April 24 Sunday
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
I was in 8-East so the window faced the morning dawn which roused me from my fitful slumber. I reached for the phone and snapped the picture you see above.
The surgical team made their visit and said it was pretty much wait and see.
SBO is a fairly common reason people are hospitalized. If a patient comes into the ED and determined to have SBO and they have NEVER had abdominal surgery, the recommendation is surgery. Tumors of the small intestine can cause SBO and they would not be detected by imaging. However, if a patient has SBO and they have had prior surgery, non-surgical management is recommended since the case may resolve on its own. In the case of recurrent SBO due to prior surgery, the reality is that even the best of surgical techniques can leave scar tissue adhesions on the intestines which raises the risk of SBO. In my case, the surgery was in 2004 and this was my fifth recurrent SBO.
Non-surgical management is not without risk. The main concerns are complications of the SBO. Strangulation of the bowel (blood flow being cut off) will lead to death of intestinal tissue and requires immediate surgical intervention. The other concern is perforation of the bowel that also demands immediate surgical intervention. Either can be fatal if surgical intervention is delayed. Thus, monitoring of the patient by direct observation, blood work up, and vital signs help the doctors know if things are going in a bad direction.
But if the patient appears stable, it is watch and wait and hope the SBO resolves on its own. One clue is the how much material is being collected via the NG tube. When the SBO resolves, fluid once again begins moving forward in the intestinal tract and less material is extracted by the NG tube suction.
April 25 Monday
Psalm 142:5 I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
With an NG tube placed and being in hospital (even if without an NG tube) is not conducive to high quality sleep and there is diminished quantity of sleep. Besides reduced sleep, physical weakness due to one's condition, and the uncertainty takes its toll on even the most positive of personalities. For me, I took to reading the Psalms on the Bible on my iPhone. I jotted down some phrases on the iPhone notepad that resonated with me. I've put some of them underneath the photos I took.
Check out this wonderful video of a conversation between U2 front man Bono and Bible scholar Eugene Peterson about the Psalms.
In the afternoon, the surgical team dropped by to check in on me. Based on the NG tube output and the x-ray they took in the morning, they decided to turn off the NG tube suction and installed a bag to collect fluid by gravity. The plan was to check back the next morning to see how much fluid would be collected.
April 26 Tuesday
Psalm 18:2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
The surgical team came in and took a look at the NG tube collection bag and noted the volume and color. The volume was modest and the color consistent with gastric fluid. They decided it was time to take the NG tube out! The next test would be to have some liquid diet food for lunch and monitor my reactions.
Although I was already walking around (if at all possible patients are encouraged to get out of bed) the previous days, it is a bit easier with no NG tube. I did many laps around 8-East and ventured out to other parts of the 8th floor. I noticed the art work and below are pictures of some of my favorites.
Just love the humor of a picture of people looking at a picture!
Modern art can be hit or miss. At least this was kind of pretty and interesting!
Of course, you got to get an obligatory picture of a work by a famous artist like Worhol!
Hospitals and healing go together. In addition to the medical procedures and drugs, the other part of the equation is helping the patient's emotional state. I suppose that is part of the art collection to make the place seem more alive than just sterile walls. As I took my walks around the corridors, I came across many other patients doing the same thing. Some had an IV pole like myself. Others had many other things attached to them. But we all tried to give a smile to each other as we walked the hallways. I'm told also that there are more and larger windows in newer hospital design to bring more light in and allow the patients to see the outside world. In the rooms are couches and recliner chairs so that visitors can if they wish stay the night.
Visiting a patient in the hospital is not an easy thing to do for most people. It is a reminder of our mortality which is something most of us struggle with. Also, unless you have a special gift, knowing what to say or not to say is an issue. As someone laying in the hospital bed, I can only say that company is welcome. However, conversation readiness is highly variable from a patient perspective. Sometimes I felt filled with words that longed for someone to hear. But at other times, the medications or the lack of sleep or the aches and pains, the words were few and conversation was an energy drain and the silent company was needed and welcome. Thus, take your cues from the patient you are visiting.
Psalm 63:6 On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night.
April 27 Wednesday
Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Good morning! Lunch and dinner (liquid meals) were tolerated from the day before. This morning was pureed food. By late morning, the word was given ... they were cutting me loose! The paperwork worked its way through the system and finally by early afternoon, my last tie to medical procedures was cut with the removal of the IV needle in my left forearm. Below is the IV pole on which hung the bags that fed me a saline solution with dextrose sugar and potassium for five days. The rectangular shaped boxes are the IV pumps. In my case, only one of them was active. I suppose some other patients might have multiple bags of things to be infused as there were three IV pumps on this pole.
Thanks to the doctors and nurses and staff of RRUMC. Thanks to friends and family who visited. And a huge thank you to Mrs. Rambler for love and support through this episode of "in sickness and in health" of our married life.
Previous SBO hospitalizations:
Disclaimer: The material above is a description of my health experience. Though I have attempted to be accurate I am not a medical professional. If you are in need of actual medical advice, please contact your physician.
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