This week's items: Optimist; an influential American novel; nerve gas; gerrymandering; LGBTQ rights in Russia; plans for 21 Sep 2135?; the former Soviet bloc and the American South; 2nd Amendment; John Bolton; Marjory Stoneman Douglas; suicides in the UK; Facebook; a noted passing.

Optimist, 25 March. This week's good news.World record holders, 100 and 102 years old, girl scientists, be kind to yourself, and more. 

Uncle Tom's Cabin. This influential anti-slavery novel was published in book form 20 March1852, after have been serialized in the National Era. President Lincoln is famously said to have commented, "So you're the little woman who wrote the book that made this great war!" In any event, the book's place in history was profound and permanently assured.

Nerve gas. The alleged use of a deadly nerve agent has been much in the news with their alleged use in England and Syria. On 20 March 1995, Aum Shinrikyo cult members unleashed a sarin gas attack on five separate subway trains in Tokyo. Here is a link to a column by noted reporter on Russian affairs, Trudy Rubin. She wonders "Why Trump is being so weak on Russia" and begins, "Imagine if the Kremlin had authorized a murder of a prominent Russian exile in Boston — using a rare nerve gas manufactured by its military to attack NATO troops. Presumably, our country would be in an uproar." 

     Yes, probably so. But, commenting on the recent attack on a former Russian spy living openly in England, the President said, “It certainly looks like the Russians were behind it.” Rubin noted this was "[h]ardly a ringing call to action."
    Anne Applebaum's column on the "Russian spy machine" which is suggesting many other hypotheses on who attacked a former Soviet spy in London with nerve gas made only in Russia by their military. Thus far 21 probable hypotheses have been suggested. Occam's razor comes to mind.

Gerrymandering, Pennsylvania-style. The Supreme Court rejected challenges to a proposed new re-redistricting may drawn by the PA Supreme Court. The map drawn by the PA legislature had been challenged as unfairly drawn by Republican-majority state legislature. The new map will be used in the this coming November's mid-term election. The ruling may well provide the basis for challenges in other states.

Moscow, a marriage of note. It is the loopholes that get you! In early March, two Russian gentlemen were legally married in Copenhagen, Denmark. But, then there is the damnable loophole, when the returned to Moscow; the story from the Moscow Times.  "Russia does not register same-sex marriages, however Russian family law recognizes marriages that were registered abroad if they do not “contradict article 14 of the Family Code....That article bars marriages between close relatives and people who have already been registered as married but does not mention marriages between people of the same sex."
     Viola, just like the KS state legislature hastening to close their election age-related loophole (see previous blog), it very likely that the Russian Duma will move quickly to close this most egregious marriage loophole.
     If you are feeling a bit confused, consider this story. A gay group in Moscow applied for a permit to demonstrate, proclaiming it a "Gays for Putin" demonstration, saying, "...tongue-in-cheek statement, the organizers said they wished to express the “all-around” support of Russia’s gay community for Vladimir Putin." Though, in any autocratic state, tongue-in-cheek always flirts with danger.

The budget mess. It is not likely that "draining the swamp" will do much to alleviate the dysfunction in the nation's capitol. PBS's Lisa  Desjardins reports,

     "The omnibus -- derived from the the Latin word meaning 'for all' -- appropriations bill will likely be 1,000 or more pages. But the bill’s length is not what makes it especially tricky to pass. Instead, it’s the fact that the bill is still being written, even though Congress must pass it by Friday in order to avoid a government shutdown (or having to pass another short-term funding bill)." The bill turned out to be 2,000+ pages; writing in all the loopholes required lots of pages.

     Imagine any of Mr. Trump's former reality TV apprentices suggesting this congressional arrangement as a business model. Who doubts that his immediate response would have been, "You're fired."

21 Sep 2135. Be forewarned, NASA says there's a chance (1 in 2,700) that an asteroid (named Bennu), the size of the Empire State building, will hit the earth so they are planning ahead. They will probably use "The Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response. Or, for people who love acronyms and despise subtlety: HAMMER." Breathe easier, Earthlings!

A Czech green grocer and the New Orleans mayor. In his recent column, "What the Soviet Bloc and the American South have in common," Charles Lane remembers Václav Havel's memorable 1978 essay “The Power of the Powerless” and “In the Shadow of Statues,” the newly published book by New Orleans mayor Mitch Landrieu. Lane says their common thread: "Both explain the power of truth."

2nd Amendment. Edward Stack (CEO, Dick's Sporting Goods) says, "I run Dick’s Sporting Goods. It’s Congress’s turn to do something about guns." He continues, "As a gun owner, I support the Second Amendment and understand why, for many, the right to bear arms is as American as baseball and apple pie. But I also agree with what Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in his majority opinion in 2008’s landmark Heller case: 'Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited.' ” Previous blogs have noted the role young students are playing in demanding change, exactly what Mr. Stack is talking about. The resistance to change exhibited by all too many politicians (local, state, national) speaks volumes for what happens when one organization and its money become far too powerful.
     The massive student-inspired, nation-wide marches may well the signal that a page has been turned. Especially given that nearly every march included voter registration elements. It is unlikely that these new voters will not turn out on 6 November 2018.

MSD, a name in the news It is not often that schools are named for women who were not elected to office, but Marjory Stoneman Douglas was a different sort of lady. She was a life-long activist, a prominent, long-time fly in the ointment in FL politics, called the "Empress of the Everglades," author of the noted book, The Everglades: River of Grass, awarded the "Medal of Freedom" (President Clinton), elected into the Women's Hall of Fame.
     That her father founded the Miami Herald did not hurt, either. In 1917, in her third article for daddy's newspaper was about women's suffrage and quickly dispatched the notion that she would write on the Miami-area's womanly, society, gossip, non-political issues. The KKK, FL's slavery-like convict leasing system, and the state legislature were all roundly illuminated and condemned.
     Ms. Douglas was, like the MSD students who now lead the charge to change gun laws, a agent of real change. There is hope if they fight on, as she did for her 108 years. As columnist Colebert King points out, last Saturday's student marchers, like those of the civil rights and anti-Vietnam eras, are reacting to "Washington doesn't care" and taking matters into their own hands. Thus far in 2018, "...[t]he national [adult] response to this carnage is almost as dreadful and disgusting as the gunplay itself."
      As a result, the MSD students and kindred spirits, nation-wide, have seized the day, with the same spirit of indignation and resolve as those four African American students in Greensboro, NC, the Montgomery bus boycotters, the Selma marchers, the People's March on Washington, and so many others.Were she alive, Ms. Stoneman Douglas would undoubtedly be yelling, "Right on!"
     Speaking at a memorial service at Washington's National Cathedral, the Reverend Canon Mark Sims of the Schentrup family church in FL said, “God is about to make a new covenant, with a new generation, who understands what it means to have the law written on your hearts, instead of wrapped up in a distorted understanding of a Second Amendment.” Rev. Sims could have quoted Supreme Court Justice Scalia's remarks. (noted above)
     Cartoonist Tom Toles's recent cartoon is worth a look.


"A well organized militia," indeed!

John Bolton, national security adviser. Not all conservatives are falling in line to praise President Trump's choice, though. In his Saturday column, George Will, for one, wrote, "Because John Bolton is five things President Trump is not — intelligent, educated, principled, articulate and experienced — and because of Bolton’s West Wing proximity to a president responsive to the most recent thought he has heard emanating from cable television or an employee, Bolton will soon be the second-most dangerous American." Former President Carter though it was President Trump's "most ill-considered decision" to date.
     Why would a president who opposed the Iraq war (he says he did) choose Bolton, who avidly backed the war? Will's contention: "Let’s say this one more time: Trump. Has. No. Convictions" (emphasis added) Whatever he thinks is trending will do. "[Trump]...has sentiments, and visceral reactions to which he is attentive. But...to speak of this president’s convictions (or plans, or policies) about this or that is a category mistake." Will also notes, "The current president resembles Winston Churchill’s description of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles — 'the only bull I know who carries his china closet with him.' "

Suicides in UK. Turns out the US is not the only western nation facing a suicide crisis. The Washington Post article begins, "Every week, an average of 84 men in the United Kingdom take their own lives. That's one death by suicide every two hours.... [S]uicide is the single biggest killer of men younger than 45 in Britain. Three in four of all suicides are male....[Now] eighty-four life-size sculptures...[appear] atop the roofs of the ITV buildings. Each figure represents a real British man, a real life lost to suicide."

Facebook. "How the mighty are fallen!" Samuel 1:19 In today's electronic age, the mighty Zuckerberg is being brought to heel by electronic overreach, old fashioned greed, and, perhaps most importantly, investors's concern. Understandably, calls for federal regulation resound on/off-line. However, Donald E. Graham, former publisher of the Washington Post, cautions to the contrary about wanting to regulate free speech: Facebook's, but not yours.

Linda K. Brown passed away last week in Topeka, KS, at the age of 76. Even though the suit had to be brought by her father, Oliver, [she was too young to sue in her own right], Linda was the true subject of the landmark desegregation case, Brown vs. [Topeka] Board of Education (1954). Ms. Brown often said she was happiest that her younger sister would not have to endure that two mile, across-town walk to their formerly segregated school. Though the desegregation cause would take decades and many more court cases (and appeals), Linda and her father toppled that first domino.

Thank you for reading. Have a blessed Easter.

Topics: the week's Optimist; a noted passing; March Madness. 

Optimist, 18 March. This week's good news.

Stephen Hawking. The world famous theoretical astrophysicist, born 8 January 1942, died 14 March 2017, duly noted as Pi Day, 3.14 and the same day on which Albert Einstein was born. Link to Optimist story.

March Madness. If you are Loyola of Chicago, you are in good hands with 98 year-old Sr. Jean  Dolores-Schmidt in your corner.  The Ramblers prevailed by 2 points over Miami (FL) University. Link to Optimist story.

Thank you for reading.May your bracket be true!

This week's topics include: the Optimist column;  tariffs; party power; public access.

Optimist, 11 March. Link here. Michelle Obama and Parker Curry, age 2. The Peace Teacher in Lafayette Elementary School in Washington, D.C. Ditching high heels (sales down 12%, sneaker sales up 37% last year). Quebec's doctors demand less pay, and more.
     While I was not overly impressed by Ms. Obama's portrait at the National Gallery, you had to love how young Parker was so totally captivated. Their later dance was, of course, a You Tube hit. One wonders how, some years distant, Parker will remember her moment in history.

Tariffs. George Will writes pithily about the president's proposals, forthrightly noting some "true" facts you have not heard from the administration about domestic "winners and losers." More than a few in Washington, Democrats and Republicans alike, have voiced their opposition and the list of exempted nations is growing.

Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Not since the days of Stalin and Mao Zedong has a communist party been so feared as seems to be reoccurring in Xi Jinping's China when he recently declared "...the party is the leader of all..." and reformist groups began to fall into line. The full effect of his statement will surely be felt when, at Xi's behest, the CCP amends the constitution to abolish his current two-term limit. Indeed, on Monday, Foreign Policy reported that, in its annual sitting, China's National People's Congress amended the constitution to eliminate presidential term limits.  Xi Jinping can remain president for as long as he wants.
     Interestingly, the vote was not unanimous. "Out of 2,964 votes ...two delegates voted no, and three abstained." (5 votes, .002%) Truly, was this a "vote your conscience" or a programmed show of "democracy in action?"
     As China struggles to modernize, "...critics question whether the country’s authoritarian political system can establish an educational system that fosters the kind of creativity and critical thinking needed in a modern economy. Xi’s crackdown on independent thought has only deepened their suspicions." The horrendous damage of the Cultural Revolution is not all that distant. The linked article on Shantou University speaks to this momentous period of Chinese history.

Pubic access. Here in the west, we often just assume that public access is a given. Some have experienced a good day when we were able to go somewhere to see something wonderful, a national park, national forest, even a pedestrian path around a lake or pond, e.g. Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park or Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. A challenge: "Vinod Khosla, the influential technology investor, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, has been battling California regulators and environmental advocates for years over access to Martin’s Beach, a picturesque cove about 30 miles south of San Francisco." Some think money always speaks in their favor!

Thank you for reading. Happy St. Patrick's Day.

This week's offerings: the Optimist column; food without plastic; teenage anger; religious tolerance; the not so frigid North Pole; presidents for life?; the Washington Circus; America's growing Puerto Rico diaspora; the downfall of a Nobel laureate; reading, non-fiction

This week's Optimist. Link here. The self-taught Argentinian astronomer, Victor Buso, and  his surprise gift to his }really big-scope" professional comrades.

The Eco-friendly isle in your supermarket? Yes, there is one if you are in Amsterdam or, soon, The Hague. The store in Amsterdam has 700 items on its shelves, all in biodegradable wrapping.

Teen politicians. As noted in an earlier blog, KS has not age limitations on who can be elected to state-wide offices. Now a total of six dissatisfied teenagers has thrown their hats in the gubernatorial ring, much to the dismay of the adults in the current legislature. Add to this the White House's continuing media circus and the pressure being applied by the teens and parents in Parkland, FL, and the upcoming national political picture for 2018 is getting curiouser and curiouser.

The Abrahamic religions. This article from the Economist discusses the passion and progress of "the Interfaith Amigos...a trio (an imam, a rabbi and a Christian pastor)" who have been speaking together ever since 9/11.

Climate change. Of course, some will continue to be deniers, but the title of this article puts it quite bluntly: "North Pole surges above freezing in the dead of winter, stunning scientists."

     The sun won’t rise at the North Pole until March 20, and it’s normally close to the coldest time of year, but an extraordinary and possibly historic thaw swelled over the tip of the planet this weekend. Analyses show that the temperature warmed to the melting point as an enormous storm pumped an intense pulse of heat through the Greenland Sea...[One researcher said, 'it was very close to freezing,” which is more than 50 degrees (30 degrees Celsius) above normal...The temperature averaged for the entire [Central Arctic} region north of 80 degrees latitude spiked to its highest level ever recorded in February.

China and Russian "leadership." The Washington Post editorial board has written, "A new form of totalitarianism takes root in China." It appears likely that, at the insistence of President Xi Jinping, the Chinese constitution will be amended to eliminate the current two-term limitation for the presidency. It also appears that Russian President Putin will be re-elected later this year. Two major nations, now seemingly two trans-formative 21st century dictatorships.

The D.C. Ringling circus. As you read about the bluster, backtracking, verbal and personnel chaos in Washington, D.C., imagine its impact abroad. Or, substitute the name of a "lesser" capital city and find yourself thinking, Sure, that's possible there, in that backward, tin-horn dictatorship, but surely not here! "Ya' think so?"

     Consider E.J. Dionne's column last Monday, "We didn’t fully realize just how hard it is to be president until we had one with no idea of what it takes to do the job. We didn’t appreciate having a government that was relatively honest and free of venality until we had one riddled with corruption....The larger lesson from this shameful interlude is about what self-government demands. Aspects of governing we regard as boring and pay little attention to are important to making it function well."

Puerto Rico, abandoned. This Washington Post article discusses the effects on/off Puerto Rico as more and more residents leave the island. Since the vast majority are US citizens, the famous and not-so have fled, mostly to the mainland. In both places, the economic and psychic tolls have yet to be determined.
     For those remaining on the island, there are undoubtedly wry smiles and warm thoughts of condolence as they read about the hardships on the mainland's east coast where hundreds of thousands (including some of their relatives) endure sustained power outages from successive 'nor-Easters. "Well, our outages did last 4 months or more, but at least least we didn't have to worry about freezing water pipes."

Recalled, one Nobel Laureate's award. Sadly, the US Holocaust Museum announced it had "rescinded its prestigious Elie Wiesel Award from [Nobel Peace Laureate] Suu Kyi for failing to speak out against ongoing persecution of the minority [Rohingya] group." "How are the mighty fallen..." 2 Samuel, 1:27

Reading, non-fiction. The Creaky Traveler in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland: A Journey for the Mobile  but Not Agile. Warren Rovetch, Sentient Publications, LLC, 2002. The tile on the local library shelf was too intriguing to pass up. Warren and Gerda (hereafter G) Rovetch (of Boulder, CO) were looking for a challenging, but not too, adventure, something for the "mobile but not agile" set. The book is a vivid travelogue from planning stages to execution.
    Selected snippets:

• Loch Maree, "desolate, wild, and perfectly uninhabited country," 1877, Queen Victoria on her six-day sojourn to the Highlands. The author quotes Victoria several times.
• Question for the bartender at the only local dram house in the far northern, now-touristy town of Badachro: "Is alcoholism a problem?"  Reply: "Not at all. Without alcoholics we'd go broke."
• The small general store in Polbain (on the Coigach Peninsula) stocks 25 brands of Scotch. A social and medicinal necessity, one presumes.

Thank you for reading and do have a good single malt Scotch.