How Crazy Can It Get?

An elderly couple in Rome , Italy, were reported to police, yesterday, who attended to them in a suspected case of domestic violence. It turns out all the shouting they were doing was a 'cri de coeur' from a pair of septuagenarians feeling very alone in an increasingly frightening world.  It seems the female half of the partnership was in the habit of 'keeping up with world news' and tried to keep her husband 'in the know'.  The police responded by reassuring the oldsters and cooking them some pasta.

The daily news would terrify anybody. Not simply for what happens, but for the increasing evidence that those 'in charge' may be profoundly negligent, malignant or just plain stupid.

As evidence of this is the latest result of Olympic doping scandal.

It has been two years since the last Olympics,  in Sochi, where it is now claimed, on the evidence, of a pair if defecting athletes, that Russia engaged in a "national program" of fudging lab tests and test results,  to cover-up the already wide-spread allegation that most of its competitors were 'doping'. As a result of this, and a Canadian lawyer's investigatory report,  a number of Russian athletes were banned from current Olympic competition. A substantial number of others - who were claimed to have tested positive for doping at other venues since -  have been admitted to competition.  That's not the stupid part. The banning of the complete Russian Para-Olympic team is the stupid part.

These athletes weren't involved in the Sochi doping - or at least no evidence has been offered of that - but the international organization seeing to 'para-olympics' took a 'brave (politically correct)  stand' that the IOOC couldn't,  or wouldn't,  and sanctioned the Russian team, as a whole,  for what, apparently, their dope-testing apparatchiks at the other Olympics did.  "Russia Lets the Disabled Down" said the headlines. And then the 'good guys'  'nailed' the cripples.

(I have to interject a note:  In the light of the recent Rio paralympics it was announced that, in the prior summer paralympics (London)  there was evidence of "large numbers" of the Russian team displaying characteristics of doping.   But maybe that's something that happens in populations of special needs people? For apparently it has also come to light that a number of Olympic Athletes have permitted to compete even while on restricted medications "prescribed for medical reasons" - one of note was the multi gold winner in gymnastics, Simone Biles, who is on a regular regimen of anti-HDSD medications that would otherwise disqualify her.  Another interesting fact coming out of Rio is that the Paralympics competition in the 400 m run for men, exceeded the gold medal performance at the Olympics. )

What's really stupid is that the IOOC would trust any host nation to be 'responsible' for dope testing  that's just asking for some shenanigans.  If it's important,  the IOOC should have its own, separate, drug-testing entity, funded out of the proceeds the IOOC already receives from all aspects of the Olympic games.

That, apparently, is too hard to do.  Or too expensive. Or something.  But not too  stupid. That continues.

But while they're passing out the imbecile awards, you get gob-smacked by the realization that cretins deserve awards too.

 In a Florida city of Punta Gorda , yesterday, a 'local initiative' to help  citizens  better understand how their city government works, resulted the the shooting death of a 79 year-old woman when a police 'live role-playing enactment' of a 'fire/no fire'  situation went amiss. The woman was one of two participants who volunteered to act out parts in a "Citizens Academy" demonstration.  The police officer who made 'a mistake'  (by bringing a loaded gun to a 'dramatic recreation' do ya think?) and fired the shot that killed her, is now suffering 'emotional stress' and is off work on administrative leave.  It goes beyond a mere loaded gun. What part of drawing it, pointing it at a civilian and pulling the trigger was deemed to be 'smart', or even 'better helping citizens to understand why police fire their weapons'? Was she threatening life and property? Was she holding a jihadi car bomb or beheadment sword?

I would imagine the other participating citizens, and police officers, might be feeling a little stressed too.  Not to mention the mayor, the city 'fathers' and the municipal legal team. One could only wonder how her family is taking the 'accident'.  I have a pretty good idea what the story might do to that Italian Grandmother.

Punta Gorda Citizens' Academy