Category: Sports

Jim Jordan Can’t Outrun A Shameful Past

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OPINION:

Jim Jordan Can’t Outrun A Dark Past

Journalists are meant to be impartial

Ohio Rep, Jim Jordan, is candidate for the Speaker of the House.  He is once again under fire for his failure to report or intervene in multiple cases of sexual abuse while he was an assistant coach at Ohio State University.

OPINION:

Shameful, “Betrayal” 

D. S. Mitchell

 

Back In Time

A former Ohio State University wrestler, one of several, who have accused (R) Ohio  Rep. Jim Jordan of failing to stop a sexual predator when he was the team’s assistant coach in the 1980s and ’90s said recently Jordan has no business being the next speaker of the House.

Many More 

That former wrestler, Mike Schyck asked quite pointedly, “Do you really want a guy in that job (Speaker of the House) who chose not to stand up for his guys?” Schyck is one of hundreds of former OSU athletes and students who claim to have been sexually abused by school doctor Richard Strauss and have sued the university.

Pardon Please

To be clear, Jordan is not a nice guy. He is a loud mouth bomb thrower, a destructionist, and an election (2020) denier. This fraud, I mean Mr. Jordan, refused to respond to a subpoena from the House’s January 6th Committee investigating election interference. Jordan was so conscious of his guilt he asked Donald Trump, before he left office, to pardon all his activities to overturn the 2020 election.

A Dirty Past

A staunch ally of former President Trump, Jordan’s controversial past has once again reared its ugly head. In fact, it is likely that Jordan will be deposed in one or more of the several lawsuits surrounding the sexual abuse at the school. Whoever becomes Speaker of the House is also second in the presidential line of succession, after the vice president. Is there anyone in this country that wants to back a man who was such a craven coward he let the abuse of one doctor affect the lives of hundreds of young people?

Lies And Hypocrisy 

Another former OSU wrestler, Dunyasha Yetts, has loudly and publicly accused Rep. Jordan of lying about his knowledge of Dr. Strauss’ pedophilia and his abhorrent acts against minors.  Yetts said in a recent interview that the congressman’s “hypocrisy is unbelievable. He doesn’t deserve to be House Speaker. He still has to answer for what happened to us.”

“Abandoned”

Rocky Ratliff, a former OSU wrestler and alleged Strauss victim, now an attorney representing a number of the plaintiffs suing the school, said Jordan “abandoned his former wrestlers in the Ohio State sexual abuse scandal and cover-up.” The University, has to date, paid over $60 million dollars to 296 victims.

MAGA 

Jordan  has used his role as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee to aggressively investigate Hillary Clinton for Benghazi before the 2016 presidential election. He is now clamoring for the jailing of Hunter Biden and the impeachment of President Joe Biden. Jordan has advocated shutting down the damn government for no good purpose; other than to cost the American tax payers billions of dollars.

Conclusion

Wednesday morning October 18th, 2023, I watched on television the vote for the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. After Jordan failed for a second time in his effort to be elected by his party I breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully, he will not continue the fight, but it sounds like he and his allies intend to threaten members of the Republican caucus with death and dismemberment if they don’t fall in line and elect Jordan Speaker of the House. This man is a disgrace. The thought of him ever ascending to the presidency after some calamity is hair raising. Stop Jim Jordan.

 

Calamity Pirates Talk Wrestling

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Calamity Pirates Talk Wrestling

Let’s talk Wrasslin’ with Dave and Bill

So today I was told that Dave (the guy on your left in yellow, wearing glasses, and Bill (the one with the cute smile, on your right) are going to talk about wrasslin’ (wrestling). Dave claims knowledge as the former owner of Buzz Saw Wrestling Federation and I think Bill is just curious. So join the guys for a few minutes of nonsense as they talk about behind the scenes of pro-wrestling.

Pickleball Takeover: One Paddle At A Time

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Pickleball Popularity Surges

Pickleball Takeover: One Paddle At A Time

The game of Pickleball is sweeping the U.S.A. and Canada

D. S. Mitchell

Just A Little Help

It was 2017 when I decided to start the www.calamitypolitics.com website. I asked “Computer Jane,” my techie friend for some help.  Actually, a whole lot of help. She of course was cool, except she refused to give up her “pickleball time.”

Pickleball?

Pickleball? What’s that? I asked. Her response, “it’s sort of like a mix of ping pong, badminton, and tennis; but played different. It’s a whole lot of fun.”

Tell Me More

Pickleball is played on a court 1/4 the size of a tennis court. Like in tennis, players serve, volley and hit ground strokes but pickleballers use a solid surface paddle and a perforated plastic ball. All serves must be underhanded. Games are played to 11 points. To win, however, there must be a two point spread. Points can only been won if you are serving.

Die Hard Fans

This fun, fast paced, low impact and easy to play game has made 5.8 million Americans and Canadians die hard fans. The pandemic did nothing but accelerate the game’s popularity. Jane tells me she thinks the small court  increases socialization and ups the action which she swears helps her stay in shape.

The Funny Name

I looked this up. Co-inventor, Joel Pritchard claims the name came from the term “pickleboat” in collegiate crewing. A “pickleboat” is defined as a boat filled by random rowers that were not selected for competitive races. Fitting since pickleball  is a game combining bits and pieces of other games.

Terminology

Dillball: Incoming ball that has bounced once.

Dink: A soft arching shot hit on a bounce inside the kitchen.

Falafel: A shot hit without any force.

Flapjack: A shot that must bounce before being hit.

Kitchen: The 7 foot no-volley zone near the net.

Pickled: Scoring zero points in a game.

Where To Play?

To find a Pickleball court near you check out Places2play.org.

Let’s Move It!

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Let’s Move It!

Time to get moving. Sitting is the new smoking.

Let’s Move It

D. S. Mitchell

 

Sedentary and Overweight

Our society is becoming more sedentary and overweight. Many of us spend hours behind a desk at our jobs.  We drive our cars to the fast food drive thru, never even getting out of our cars.  We use our computers to shop, without ever leaving the house.  With decreased activity people are increasingly complaining of posture related aches and pains, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

Too Much Sitting

Just like we enjoy eating and drinking too much, we enjoy sitting too much. We are surrounded by cars, snacks, elevators, sugary drinks and fast foods. The problem has become serious enough that the World Health Organization has a new agenda focused on encouraging physical activity.

Exercise For Mental Health

A “Black Dog Institute” of Australia study found that 1-2 hours of exercise per week can prevent depression. In addition to improved mental health multiple world-wide studies have shown that vigorous movement can stave off heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, fatigue, diabetes and even cancer.

Sitting Equals Smoking

Our country, and most of the industrialized economies are suffering from a “sitting disease”.  Physical inactivity is one of  the top 10 causes of disease and disability according to a recent study. That study attributed 1 in 6 deaths to “sitting” which is equal to smoking in that country.

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Sha’Carri Richardson: The Girl’s Got Flash

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Sha’Carri Richardson:  The Girl’s Got Flash

OPINION:

Sha’Carri Richardson: The Girl’s Got Flash

By D. S. Mitchell and William Jones

Eye Catching Style

Sha’Carri Richardson was the center of media attention after securing her spot at the Tokyo Olympics, not only for her lightening speed, but for the over-the-top glamour she brought to the track. Sha’Carri Richardson lit up the arena with long, bright fingernails, vibrantly colored hair, and dazzling speed. Such tactics guaranteed her the spotlight during races. She changes her hair color frequently, telling reporters and fans that the orange shade for the U.S. trials in Eugene, Oregon was inspired by her girlfriend, who chose the color because it was “loud” and screamed “dangerous.”

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