This week's comments: sparkling "gems;" more booming; rainbows; descriptors; the alternatives

Early morning gems. On one early morning, sunlit walk to the car this week, the previous night's snowfall sparkled like thousands of diamonds. It had been a frigid night, the snow was light, fluffy and crunched underfoot.

Ski Patrol dynamite. Here in Breckenridge and at many other ski areas, the "men in red parkas," the Ski Patrol, are hurriedly ordering more explosives. It has been years since there was so much potentially unstable snow to "knock down," sometimes daily. Locals and knowing ski hounds appreciate the "booms" from above; guests not so much, at least initially.

"Somewhere over the rainbow..." We have all seen, marveled and wondered at their ephemeral beauty. Whether after or during a rain shower, they are ethereal, magical "things." In Hawaii, I have been lucky enough to have seen a magical arch appear in a cloudless and, seemingly, rain-free sky. Regrettably, there was no rainbow over the Capitol at noon on January 20th, but one hopes for the best.

Will he? Is he?  As we begin the Trump presidency, will he surprise everyone with a new found level of self-interested humility?  (E.J. Dionne) "[T]rust over cynicism...community over chaos.” (George W. Bush) Considered judgements? Openness to criticism or differing viewpoints at home and abroad?   
     Hope springs eternal. We will have to become accustomed to a new visage. Sadly, the man rarely truly smiles, rather, he scowls, he smirks. Not terribly loving. The Inaugural Address was not sweeping nor uplifting; it was a re-hash of his many campaign tirades about the ills he sees in America. At least it was not in the style of his previous mono-syllabic, half-thoughts, replete with
     The beginning is the most important part of the work.” - Plato, The Republic.

The Alternatives. In Politico, Edward-Isaac Dovere surveys the decimated Democratic party and finds no real plans for the future, nor any promising young standard bearers. Commenting on the party in the immediate post-election analysis, Colorado (Democratic) Governor John Hickenlooper, said,  “The patient was clearly already sick.” Dovere's final comment on the most frequently mentioned personalities, "...all of them old, old, old."
     Democrats are stuck in the minority in Congress with no end in sight, have only 16 governors left and face 32 state legislatures fully under GOP control. Their top leaders in the House are all over 70. Their top leaders in the Senate are all over 60. Under Obama, Democrats have lost 1,034 seats at the state and federal level—there’s no bench, no bench for a bench, virtually no one able to speak for the party as a whole. (emphasis added)  Who is to step into the breech? A sign of a dying party?
     Perhaps the only comforting thought: If Donald Trump were to run for a second term, he, too, would be very old, though, from the Republican perspective, their party at least has some "fresh, young" faces. How electable might they be after four years of President Trump is another matter. Who knows?
     The contrast between Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell is strikingly stark, aptly illustrating the difference between the the "old guard" and the future. Interviewed by Charlie Rose, Ryan evidenced no desire, no fire-in-the-belly for the presidency.

Thank you for reading. Have a good week.