In an all-too-typical case of Democratic Party timidity, Senator and former (future?) Presidential candidate John Kerry proposes that the United States have universal health care by 2012. That's right, six years from now, maybe the United States can be like most other developed countries and actually have a decent health care system! Of course, once 2012 does roll around, Kerry and his ilk will probably push the time for universal health care forward another six years or so. Just like Bill Clinton, who had two terms to get these sort of progressive changes in place and basically did little or nothing about it.

This to me is just more proof that the Democrats have nothing to offer but to be slightly less corrupt and useless than the Republicans. And yet they will still tell true progressives that we have to vote for them, lest those supposedly so much worse Republicans will get in.

There is another choice, and it is called the Green Party. But for it to work, enough people have to think outside the two party box and actually vote for Green candidates.

The Detroit Shock lost badly at Sacramento on Sunday night, just as Sacramento had lost badly at Detroit days earlier.

So now, with the regular season winding down, Connecticut stands two and a half games ahead of Detroit in the WNBA East. All four playoff spots in the East have been clinched, with Connecticut, Detroit, Indiana, and Washington earning postseason bids.

In the West, only Los Angeles has clinched and all the other teams are still at least not mathematically eliminated.

Here's how I see things shaking out in the East...granted this is a very Shock biased prediction but I do believe my beloved women of Motown can do it. I see the Shock running the regular season table, beginning with a win tomorrow night against Indiana at home. The remaining schedule is fairly favorable, with the final game against Connecticut being perhaps the toughest and the Shock has home court for that one.

So that would give Detroit a final record of 26-8 and first place in the East.

Connecticut has been hot lately, but they are due for a slump and here it comes. They will beat woeful New York and pathetic Chicago, but will lose their other four remaining regular season contests and finish 24-10, two games behind the Shock.

I see Indiana faring better than Connecticut down the stretch, but they will lose to both Detroit and Connecticut to finish 22-12 and in third place.

Washington will break even in their last six games and go into the playoffs at 18-16.

Detroit will sweep Washington in the first round and Connecticut will beat Indiana in three.

Then Detroit in another sweep of Connecticut.

In the West, Los Angeles has already clinched first place. They will lose three of their last four games which will leave them one game behind Detroit and give Detroit home court for the finals.

I see Houston moving up to second seed, Sacramento dropping to third, and San Antonio edging out Seattle for fourth.

Los Angeles easily over San Antonio in a first round sweep, and Sacramento over Houston.

Sacramento will upset Los Angeles in the West finals.

Detroit will defeat Sacramento, three games to one in the WNBA finals and Take Back The Title.

The Detroit Shock beat Los Angeles in a "home" game at Grand Rapids, Michigan on Friday and then beat Chicago at the usual Shock home arena in Auburn Hills the following evening. First place still remains elusive, though, as Connecticut has won its last three games to remain a game ahead of Detroit in the WNBA East. Detroit's next game is Wednesday, at home against Sacramento who is currently in second behind Los Angeles in the West.

Swin Cash scored 18 and 17 points in the weekend's games, and also recently tallied 19 in a win at Minnesota. More and more, she seems to be back to her full effectiveness which was hampered by an injury two seasons ago. This is, of course, a very good thing for the Shock, as a healthy Swin Cash is among the better players in the business.

Cheryl Ford continues to be a major force in the rebounding department, and in general a tough inside player not unlike her father Karl Malone. Sometimes, though, she still struggles with her free throw shooting, something that has also tended to be a weakness of certain big male players like Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O'Neal.

Deanna Nolan is my favorite player, so sometimes perhaps I am a bit biased towards her. Nevertheless, she has proven herself time and again to be a very skilled player who can do a lot of things well. She currently leads the team in assists and steals per game, is second in points per game, and also averages five rebounds per game which is a good number in general and especially for a backcourt player.

Katie Smith is averaging an even 12 points per game and is especially proficient at the three point field goal. She is also right up there in the assists and steals categories.

Ruth Riley is head and shoulders above the rest of the team in the blocked shots department, averaging 1.61 rejections per game. Her scoring and rebounding averages could be better, but are not too shabby at 8.2 points and 5.13 rebounds a game.

Plenette Pierson has been the most productive player off the bench thus far in 2006. Kedra Holland-Corn has shown some of the spark she provided as the "sixth woman" on the 2003 championship team, but has not quite matched her numbers from that season.

Kara Braxton has the size and strength to be a real force at center and/or power forward, but all too often does not seem able to realize her potential on the court. Her numbers are down this season from her rookie year, and so we will see what we will see.

Angelina Williams and Sabrina Palie have both made the most of limited playing time, while Jackie Batteast has not done quite as much in her minutes. Irina Osipova is no longer with the team.

At 16 wins and 7 losses, the Shock are in good shape as the regular season heads into its latter stages. At the same point last season, they were three games under .500 at 10-13 and fighting just to get into a playoff spot.

Whee! Once again i seem to have gotten behind with this blogging thing. What can i say...life just happens sometimes and even a Gonzo Journalist gets distracted by whatever else is happening out there.

The Detroit Shock beat San Antonio and are currently in second place in the Eastern conference, a half game behind Connecticut. At the San Antonio game, i made my book signing debut at the Palace, got to spend time with some of my family who made it out to the arena, and got to see Cheryl Ford, Deanna Nolan, and the rest of the team get an important win, but aren't they all important?

Over in Major League Baseball-land, the Detroit Tigers have managed to build a four and a half game lead over the Chicago White Sox, with a critical three game series between the teams commencing at Comerica Park this evening.

In international news, the Gross Stupidity has flared up in a big way once again in the Middle East, with Uncle Sam's bestest buddies, the Israelis, firing up their war crimes machine and committing various and sundry atrocities with the full support of Washington. With, of course, the usual violence coming from the radical Islamic side as well, although i can at least somewhat understand the argument that they are acting in self defense against Israel which has a great advantage in military strength.

here's a song lyric for today. it is by the Indigo Girls, and for some reason it is in my mind for the nonce...

"everybody loves you, and they want to know your story
you go riding out a mystery
concealed in all your glory
but when it comes to flesh and bone
you remind me of shallot
only made of shadow
even though you're not...

i remember how i spent all my energy and time
with affected conversation
trying to pry inside your mind
you are as beautiful as truth
and as empty as a shell
and i came to you one night
and it made me feel like hell

oh, to reach through all your surface
just to find an empty pool
and to swallow all my pride
as i lay down by your side
and you swallow up my heart
and left me a fool...

everybody loves a hero
an image to create
the antithesis of everything
inside ourselves we hate
but you better close your eyes
when it's time for them to die
because you hate to think the life
you built upon them was a lie

i resign myself to silence
i will never blow your cover
no one ever has to know
who the hero took for lover
but it comes to mind as you blaze on
as brilliant as a star
how many you've left behind?
how many casualties there are?"

Whee! Once again I have gotten busy with other things and have not posted here in a while...so what has transpired since my last screed?

The Detroit Shock came back nicely from a loss at home to Phoenix, beating Minnesota and Houston to go into the All Star break at 13-6 on the season, one game behind first place Connecticut.

Major League Baseball is also on their All Star break, with the game happening tonight. Detroit's Kenny Rogers starts at pitcher for the American League.

The Tigers remain the best team in baseball at the All Star break, with a remarkable 59-29 record. Despite this, they are in a close race in the AL Central because defending World Series champ Chicago White Sox have managed to keep the pace and are only two games behind Detroit.

The Detroit Shock had another rough time against the Phoenix Mercury last night, losing 91-76 at the Palace. Earlier in the season, Phoenix beat Detroit by a similarly lopsided score (93-79) at their own house.

The main problem was Detroit's defense, as evidenced by the relatively high (by WNBA standards) final score for Phoenix. In particular, the Shock was unable to stop red hot Mercury rookie Cappie Pondexter, who burned the Detroit "D" for a whopping 35 points. I saw some of Cappie's college games (she played for Rutgers U. in New Jersey) on TV last season, and pretty much knew she had the skills to make it as a pro. But I had no idea she would be this good this soon. At this juncture I'd have to say she is a lock for Rookie of the Year and may even win WNBA MVP as a rookie. In the Mercury's earlier win over the Shock, Cappie also got it done, that time to the tune of 27 points. Are we sure she really is a rookie? Because she sure isn't playing like one.

Well, enough gushing over Ms. Pondexter for now. What positive signs were there for the Shock? Deanna Nolan had a good game with 15 points and 4 assists. Katie Smith had 12 points and Plenette Pierson added 14 off the bench. Cheryl Ford had nine rebounds. In general the reserves did well. Kara Braxton had nine each of points and rebounds, and Sabrina Palie scored eight points including two of three three pointers.

Which brings me to the not-so-good. With the exception of the aforementioned Nolan and Smith, the Shock's other three usual starters (Cheryl Ford, Swin Cash, and Ruth Riley) combined for an anemic seven points.

For most of the fourth quarter, Detroit's starters sat the bench. Although the team entered the final frame down by a lot, there was still a chance for them to come back and so I question why coach Laimbeer went mostly with the backups.

We will see how the Shock is able to respond to this setback. Next game is Sunday at Houston.

how about another song lyric? this one is by a guy named Vernon Schubel, who i knew way back in the 1980s when he was a professor at Central Michigan University and i was a student there...seems like so long ago...anyway the song is about Kali, the Hindu Goddess of death and transformation and it goes like this...

"i will dance with you
i will dance with you
it's preordained, the horoscope is writ with blood and wine
upon the sands of time
i will dance with you

i will dance with you
though i am broken and don't move
i'll be the center of your circle
the fixed and sacred axis of your wheel
beneath your mad and holy dancing
i'll sit immaculate and still
i'll be the calm eye of your hurricane
if that be your will

kali come, kali go
sever my soul
beat my heart
a million blows...

(then the same lyrics repeat again...)"

It's been a few days since I posted here, so how about a Song of the Day? This one is a later-Jerry Garcia-era Grateful Dead song that has made its way into the set lists of the post-Jerry bands such as The Dead and Phil Lesh and Friends...

"there were days, there were days
there were days between
summer flies and august dies
and the world grows dark and mean
comes the shimmer of the moon
on black, infested trees
the singing man is at his song
the holy on their knees
the reckless are out wrecking
the timid plea their pleas
and no one knows much more of this
than anyone can see

there were days, there were days
there were days besides
when phantom ships with phantom sails
set to sea on phantom tides
come the lighting of the sun
on bright, unfocused eyes
the blue of yet another day
a springtime wet with sighs
a hopeful candle flickers
in a land of lullabyes
where headless horsemen vanish
with wild and lonely cries

there were days, there were days
there were days, i know
when all we ever wanted
was to learn and love and grow
once we grew into our shoes
we told them where to go
walked halfway round the world
on the promise of the glow
stood upon the mountaintop
walked barefoot through the snow
gave the best we had to give
how much we'll never know

there were days, there were days
there were days between
polished like a golden bowl
the finest ever seen
hearts of summer held in trust
still tender, young and green
left on shelves collecting dust
not knowing what they mean
valentines of flesh and blood
as soft as velveteen
hoping love will not foresake
the days that lie between"

Katie Smith led the charge with 21 points as the Detroit Shock bounced back from a loss at Indiana and got a key win at Connecticut. The Eastern conference standings remain tight at the top, with Indiana now in first place at 12-5, followed closely by Detroit and Connecticut who are both a half game back at 11-5.

Other top scorers for the Shock included Swin Cash with 15 and Deanna Nolan with 11.

Nolan and Cheryl Ford shared rebounding honors with eight each and Ruth Riley was not far behind with seven boards.

Nolan and Ford also tied for most assists with four each.