Update no.1000

 Update from the Sunland

No.1000

8.3.21 – 14.3.21

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

            To all,

 

I suppose this issue is a bit of a milestone—the 1000^th edition of the Update in its various forms.  The Blog began 20 years ago with the “Family Update from Italy.”  Others asked to subscribe since the Update was a de facto journal of my experiences and explorations of Italy while I was employed in the country by Piaggio Aerospace, SpA, an Italian company.  When I returned to the United States, the Blog transitioned to the “Update from the Heartland,” since I was employed in Wichita, Kansas.  When we retired and moved to Arizona (2014 and 2018 respectively), the Blog transitioned one more time to its present form.  Only a handful of subscribers have been regular contributors to the public debate of contemporary issues that is the basis of the Update from the Sunland.  A dozen or so others contribute occasionally.  My subscriber list is diminishing as folks reach their end of days—part of life.  I suspect most on the distribution list are relegated to the SPAM folder because of the means I must use to maintain the anonymity of the list.  Oh well, the Update is not what it once was, and neither am I.  Life goes on.

 

            The follow-up news items:

-- NASA designed, launched, and landed Percy the robot explorer on Mars [997].  Percy took a series of photographs that NASA spliced together for an impressive panoramic view of the spacecraft’s landing site.  For those interested, here is the URL for the panorama:

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210309.html

If you have any difficulty with the URL, go to the Archive link at the bottom of the Astronomy Picture of the Day page, and select “2021 March 9: Perseverance 360: Unusual Rocks and the Search for Life on Mars.”  My immediate impression: “They wanted rocks.  They got rocks.”  It appears they chose a rich hunting ground for signs of prehistoric life on Mars.  I eagerly await the findings discovered by Percy.

-- President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 [PL 117-002; H.R.1319; House: 220-211-0-1(3); Senate: 50-49-0-1(0); 135 Stat. xxx] – the massive US$1.9T COVID19 [946 & sub] relief bill after the previous versions [948, 949, 950, 989, 990].  President Biden tried mightily to gain BICP (former Republican) support without success.  Representative Jared F. Golden of Maine (a Democrat) was the only member of Congress to cross party lines; he voted against the bill for undisclosed reasons.  So, without BICP support, the economy gets another injection of spending. We can only hope this is the last one necessary.

 

One of these days, we shall cease to even mention or refer to the [person who shall no longer be named], having been relegated to the dustbin of history.  Today is not that day.

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court summarily rejected yet another appeal of the [person who shall no longer be named] without hearing a word of argument.  This one was from the 7^th Circuit, which had also rejected the appeal of the judge’s ruling in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  The sad reality in all this is the [person who shall no longer be named] has failed miserably to even remotely perceive the facts swirling around him.  So many courts and judges have rejected his arguments without seeing sufficient probable cause to put the case before a jury.  And yet, he persists in the lies he used to instigate insurrection [991] and perpetuates to this day.  We have known for many years that the [person who shall no longer be named] has been and remains delusional, but it is all of the good people who believe in him and believe what he says that is the most disturbing.  Eventually, the facts will get through.  It may take months, or years, or even decades, but eventually the facts shall prevail even with that lot.

 

President Biden gave a national primetime address on Thursday evening after signing the latest COVID19 relief act.  To summarize the president’s address, what a refreshing change from the last fellow to hold the job, or rather pretend to hold the job.  It was not the best political speech I have ever heard, but as I observed . . . what a refreshing change from what we have endured for the last four years.  He gave us the truth about the pandemic as he knows it, and most importantly, we did not have to listen to disinfectant, hydroxychloroquine, fake news, stolen elections, rebellion, or all the other nonsense the man uttered.  President Biden gave us a positive message with the correct tone and no drivel.

 

The House of Representatives passed H.R.1 - For the People Act of 2021 [House: 220-210-0-2(3)] and sent it to the Senate for action.  Representative Bennie Gordon Thompson of Mississippi (a Democrat) was the only member of the House to cross the aisle; he voted against the bill for undisclosed reasons.  I have not read all of the words, but what I have read strongly suggests the House (and hopefully Congress) want to ensure free and unfettered elections.  While there is a lot to this bill, it does not go anywhere near far enough for genuine election reform.  The legislation appears to be aimed directly at the something like 250 legislative bills in 30 plus states that have only one purpose—suppress the vote of non-BICP citizens—a direct assault on the voting rights of American citizens.  The BICP (the former Republican Party) has shown its true colors and its grotesque level of desperation to maintain their fleeting and diminishing touch on power. To do that, the BICP has demonstrated that it is perfectly willing to return to the days of Jim Crow.  The term comes from a fictional minstrel caricature during the days of Andrew Jackson.  Who da thunk it!  The party of Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the 14^th Amendment has now turned back to Jim Crow laws, just as the minority Democrats did in the days after the Civil War to retain political power.  I hope the Senate and Congress can find the courage to pass HR.1—however imperfect, something is better than nothing.  The BICP assault on voting rights gives me yet another reason to never vote for a BICP candidate (or what few Republicans that remain) ever again.  They forfeited any sliver of respect due them.

 

            Comments and contributions from Update no.999:

Comment to the Blog:

“Qanon stands as a dangerous delusion made possible by modern technology.

“I’ve always disliked Governor Cuomo (D-New York).  He oozes arrogance.  I support the #MeToo movement, but Cuomo’s deceit about the nursing home deaths stands as his most serious offense.”

My response to the Blog:

You got that right in spades, my friend.  QAnon is indeed a very dangerous delusion—no accountability, no facts, no responsibility.  Making the threat far worse, millions of citizens actually believe the outright false, malicious information distributed by QAnon.

Your impressions of Andrew Cuomo were far better than mine.  It is sad to see such a foolish disintegration, but he is still entitled to due process.  So, let the investigation proceed, lay out the facts, and let the chips fall where they may.  I do not support the calls for his resignation.

 

Another contribution:

“Cap, well as it comes from the sunshine land it warms me to read it. Keep working on it. 

“How’s your new top man doing, we don’t hear much from your neck-o-the-woods apart from Harry and Megan.  Most of us Brits are sickened by that fiasco.  Bloody sad business.  After all that Harry has done to support and fundraise for our troops it has come as something of a major shock.  I won’t give you my view on that relationship after all she is one of your country women.  He has made an error, I’ll leave it at that.”

My reply:

I am glad you found the Update useful.  I will keep writing until I am unable to do so.

President Biden is doing quite well from my perspective.  I also acknowledge that is not a universally shared opinion.  I think the reason you don’t hear much is he is not out tooting his horn like the previous bloke did all so often. Peace and stability have replaced chaos and corruption.  Biden tried very hard to compromise to gain Republican votes.  The BICP members were not interested in compromise; they were consumed by obstruction.  My generation in the political arena on both sides of the aisle have failed miserably.  I say let us throw the whole lot out.  Regrettably, my generation is contaminating the next generation, so it will likely take generations to overcome the corrosive tribalism that we endure at present.

We watched the whole broadcast interview with Meghan and Harry.  It is tragic that it has come to this.  To be frank, the Royal family did not shine.  Coming in the aftermath of Diana’s treatment, the depiction is far worse.  Although not mentioned directly, the one who comes off the worst is Prince Charles—the crown prince and potential future king.  They tried to protect Harry’s grandparents, so perhaps the Queen is simply not aware of what goes on in the household she represents.  After that interview, she must reform how “The Firm” works.

 . . . follow-up comment:

“I’ve just noticed the number on your current update-are we having a party next week?  That is extraordinary Cap, do you remember the subjects of your earliest updates?  I’d rather drink a beer with you in the sunshine but I will toast you from here in the rain.

“Indeed the Harry and Megan saga will stay top of the page for some time.  Of course us Brits, especially those of us who have served and in many cases have met with the Royals in our eyes they can do no wrong.  My view is if you wish to marry into that life it is very much like signing for service to your country no matter what.  You did it and so did I we never expressed rebellion against our leaders, we gritted our teeth, talked privately in the mess and got on with it, that’s what we signed up for.

“Of course it has sponsored lots of questions over here especially reference the colour of her child’s skin.  If that is true then it was very much out of order.  But possibly it was a genuinely innocent but inappropriate question.  Will we ever know?  Well we’re expecting a statement from the Palace today so we shall see.”

 . . . my follow-up reply:

Yep, the first millennial edition.  (I wonder if there will be a second?)  I’d love to have a party, but I don’t think many care.  Such is life.  Sure do remember many; some of those issues are recurrent even to this day, e.g., every citizen’s freedom of choice and fundamental right to privacy.  Edition no.1 was a report on my initial days of employment in Italy.  I’m with you on the beers.  Someday!

Quite understand, mate.  History calls it the divine right of kings.  It was recorded by Sir William Blackstone in 1765 {§1-7-237}.  The notion does not float in the colonies . . . although there are some among us who still believe and hold equivalency.  I agree; donning the uniform carries responsibility for the service, i.e., we do NOT have the right to speak our minds.  What is different here is, Harry has direct combat experience.  He has seen the consequences of PTSD.  That makes a mark on a man.  I suspect, truth be told, Harry still suffers PTSD from the treatment of his mother and her death.  To that end, he was determined to not let that happen to himself or his wife, and God bless him for that courage.  Stiff upper lip is quite noble, but sooner or later, compassion must prevail.  From an American colonist’s perspective, royals are just human beings like all the rest of us; they are not special, even though they have been anointed with special privileges simply because of their birth.

Racism is a very real and often insidious phenomenon that is passed along by parents to their children.  At the end of the day, the hereditary pigmentation of one’s skin should not matter a twit to anyone for any reason.  Unfortunately, that is not the world we live in at the moment.  We can pray and work for a better tomorrow.

 

            My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)