My Blog Week: May 26 to June 1

A Word on the Week

Twister!

America’s heartland has been inundated with heavy weather, terrible prolonged flooding, and tornadoes in the hundreds. For the first time ever this week, I had to act in response to a tornado warning. (Warning means tornado spotted. I did experience one other, but the first I knew of it, was when they declared it over.)  My two little kitsters deserve praise and treats, for letting me pick them both up—no hiding under the bed—and carry them downstairs to the basement. I wasn’t really worried…however, I would not have been well enough prepared if the danger had fallen in my county. You can bring your pets to the basement, but you need a carrier or cage down there to put them in. Consider that if your house was splintered, it would probably sever the gas line, so right away, when the tornado was gone, you’d have to hie yourself upstairs again. (Assuming there are stairs.) Then pick carefully through debris to avoid downed power lines.

People have reportedly been so disgruntled at warnings interrupting their TV, they’ve tweeted death threats against the weathercasters, in one case over the Masters Golf Tournament; this past week, The Bachelorette. Do respect the tornado, even if one keeps showing up every day. You can watch TV on your phone, in your place of shelter.

Closet Case

A few pundits this week revived the hidden genius scenario to account for alleged method to the madness of Donald Trump. The power of punditry should not be abused by a lack of due diligence. Bear in mind there is nothing new under the sun. Any theoretical case can be tested against a known existing case. Somewhere, another genius whose public persona was calculated to make him look like a maundering egomaniac, able to blunt all persuasions, all facts and figures, hurled at his resistance to understanding tariffs, would teach us the scope of Trump. What is the use of postulating wild unknowns, wantonly rejecting the more obvious explanation? If there is a template, compare and contrast, discover your proofs like a proper investigator. Pundits who want to raise questions in goggly speculation, ones they don’t take seriously, aren’t doing America any favors.

Good to the Last Drop

Did Robert Mueller give America enough? Well, he was charged with investigating potential conspiracy with a foreign power on the part of the Trump campaign, and obstruction of justice. He delivered the report, and despite redactions, the report says a lot. It says a lot about the sin of omission where information of public interest is concealed for private uses. It says a lot about appropriation of government function by private citizens. (For private uses.) If William Barr had not sold his chubby little soul to the devil, then Mueller’s doing of his part, which was not to issue a judicial verdict or to offer a personal opinion, would have had more impact. It remains Congress’ part to do its duty of impeachment. Article II of the constitution, section 4, says a president shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors. Let’s not think only of “high crimes”, or quibble on misdemeanors, as we may well suppose the founding fathers considered misdemeanors to cover in concept behaviors that defy common standards of civil conduct, and act as a stepping stone towards high crimes. There is a type of bribery known as influence peddling. The president could certainly be questioned on all things Mar-a-Lago, Trump Tower, his Washington hotel, etc.