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.