conflicts

 

Chien-Chi is in Ukraine again, presumably en route to Donetsk today, where he will be embedded with the Ukrainian army. Both Ed and I think that labeling yourself may make you a target. So I can spend some time worrying about him.

   And then there's Block Island. Fights broke out on Reggae Night on V-J Day at the notoriously drunken Ballard's bar on the beach (fortunately far from my beach). People get on the ferry, get shitfaced and then head to Ballard's. I once saw  a bride wearing a veil and a white bikini staggering her way to Ballard's across the ferry parking lot, if that gives you any idea of how different this watering hole is from the rest of rather WASPy Block Island. 

   Anyhow, I don't know if you can see these links, but fights began to break out at the bar, here on Insta.  According to my friend Waldyn, who waited three hours to get on the last ferry off island that night, girls were peeing and men were fighting on line. Once on the boat, everyone was still drinking booze and smoking weed (which is legal in RI). Fights broke out on board and Waldyn heard a gunshot. There were razors pulled out and people bleeding. As they neared the harbor in Point Judith, a boat full of Narragansett police pulled up to the ferry and armed policemen started arresting people. Maybe you can see this on Twitter here.  Ambulances and more police met the boat.

  "Were you scared?" I asked Waldyn.

   "Nah," he said. "Esther had my back." Esther is his five-foot wife. "And Emma." Emma is their fierce French bulldog.