Update no.1082

Update from the Sunland

No.1082

3.10.22 – 9.10.22

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

 

To all,

 

On Tuesday, 5.October.2022, a SpaceX reused Falcon 9 booster launched the Dragon 5 capsule with four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) from Launch Pad 39A, just a week after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida and passed by Cape Canaveral. Once again, the spent booster landed on a downrange barge not quite dead center but within the target circle.

 

The follow-up news items:

-- Another MAGA militia man pleaded guilty to his participation in the January 6^th insurrection [991]. Ronald Sandlin, 35, of Millington, Tennessee., pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Washington, DC, to charges of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding — the certification of the 2020 presidential election results — and assaulting and impeding police. Sandlin became the 396^th citizen to plead guilty to serious federal charges. He has apparently agreed to cooperate with the investigation and prosecution of others who participated in the insurrection. The leader, instigator, and perpetrator of the January 6^th insurrection is yet to be charged, tried, convicted and imprisoned. Federal prosecutors are working their way up the ladder and will get there eventually. Leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys are charged and will be tried for seditious conspiracy.

-- At 06:07 [C] {03:07 [Z] GMT}, Saturday, 8.October.2022, a massive explosion collapsed portions of the Kerch Strait Bridge, a vital rail and truck logistics artery between Russian-occupied Ukrainian Crimea and the Russian mainland. The bridge complex was built by Russia after their 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea [640] and opened in 2018 with a Putin-led ceremony. The link has been an essential supply route for Russian forces operating in Southern Ukraine [1050]. While the Ukrainians have not claim responsibility for the attack, they did produce and release later that day a clever video with Marilyn Monroe’s famous singing of “Happy Birthday Mister President” superimposed over video of the damaged bridge. The explosion occurred a day after Putin’s 70^th Birthday. The Russians, of course, called the attack terrorism, but war is war. While Putin has largely conducted an asymmetric unilateral campaign, the Ukrainians are putting up a helluva fight. I join the Ukrainians; Happy Birthday, Putin.

 

In the category of new laws in search of a problem, the Arizona Legislature passed and the governor signed into law Arizona House Bill 2495. The new law prohibits in K through 12 schools the availability of sexually explicit materials in any form to a student without the explicit consent of a parent or guardian. Sounds reasonable, huh? 

I have a number of problems with this law and so many others like it. First, the Legislature offered no examples or evidence that such activity is or has ever occurred in any Arizona school; thus, my law-in-search-of-a-problem reference above. A simple school guideline would have sufficed. Second, sex is part of life despite the grip Victorian morality has had on this country for 150 years. Our schools are not, have never been, and will never be pornographic delivery systems. The law was ill-advised, unnecessary, and sends the wrong message. Sex is not some dirty, nasty activity. Someday, we must mature as a society and teach our children about life in toto before they become of age and must live it. Third, we must relegate the social conservative moral projectionists to the dustbin of history. I understand the desire of social conservatives wanting to preserve things as they are or were in some bygone era, but life and society progresses. It is the nature of things and has been since our ancestors started walking upright. Lastly, this law is yet one more example of why the motto for the few Republicans left and the fBICP (former Bully In Chief Party) must be Nescientia super Scientia (Ignorance over knowledge!). I choose knowledge. I urge all of my all progressive fellow citizens to also choose knowledge over ignorance.

 

On Thursday, 6.October.2022, President Biden publicly announced and issued a proclamation titled: “A Proclamation on Granting Pardon for the Offense of Simple Possession of Marijuana.” The first paragraph states:

“Acting pursuant to the grant of authority in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution of the United States, I, Joseph R. Biden Jr., do hereby grant a full, complete, and unconditional pardon to 
(1) all current United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who committed the offense of simple possession of marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, as currently codified at 21 U.S.C. 844 and as previously codified elsewhere in the United States Code, or in violation of D.C. Code 48–904.01(d)(1), on or before the date of this proclamation, regardless of whether they have been charged with or prosecuted for this offense on or before the date of this proclamation; and 
(2) all current United States citizens and lawful permanent residents who have been convicted of the offense of simple possession of marijuana in violation of the Controlled Substances Act, as currently codified at 21 U.S.C. 844 and as previously codified elsewhere in the United States Code, or in violation of D.C. Code 48–904.01(d)(1); which pardon shall restore to them full political, civil, and other rights.”

This proclamation established a process for affected citizens to apply for consideration under the proclamation. If qualified and approved by the Department of Justice, they will receive a certificate of presidential pardon. An estimated 6,500 citizens are potentially eligible for this pardon. The pardon applies only to federal convictions, not state or local convictions, although states may follow suit.

I acknowledge that the relevant law—Controlled Substances Act (AKA CSA) [84 Stat. 1242]; Title II, Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 [PL 91-513; 84 Stat. 1236]—was duly and properly passed by Congress, and signed into law by President Nixon. I have no evidence to even suggest that any of those individuals were not charged, tried, convicted beyond a reasonable doubt, and imprisoned in accordance with the law. My problem is, the underlying law was ill-advised and a sledgehammer to swat a fly. I have long written and maintained that the CSA was moral projection at its worst and a gross application of law. The law was inappropriate, and as such, I laud President Biden’s decision to pardon simple possession of marijuana that should have never been included on Schedule I of the CSA.

At the end of the day, President Biden’s action is long overdue. As the physicist like to say, progress by jerks . . . jerk being the rate change of acceleration. Despite the multiple entendre, progress is progress. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step [Lao Tzu, 6^th Century, BC]. Something is better than nothing. Well done and thank you, Mister President!

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1081:

Comment to the Blog:

“The news gives a death toll of 81 from Hurricane Ian, with extreme damage. I’ll think about NASA later.

“The Vietnam ‘War’ originated soon after Korea and the appropriate response to it would have been for Kennedy to get out.

“Perhaps you could focus on Mr. Masters’ opponent rather than give him further exposure.

“Follow the money on the Nord Stream pipelines. A Norwegian line to Europe remains open, and Gazprom still has one as well. There’s a human factor, though, in the form of Putin.

“The attitudes underlying hatred and authoritarianism are as old as private property.”

My response to the Blog:

Quite understandable. The Hurricane Ian death toll is up to 94 this morning and expected to rise. Piled on top of that is the growing question regarding the function of government—were evacuation orders issued soon enough and broad enough to protect citizens from injury. Stories are emerging about citizens who chose to ride out the storm. Some survived uninjured; others did not. Another aspect of this particular tragedy is the overshadowing of injury and damage in Puerto Rico, Cuba, and other Caribbean islands prior to Florida.

Just in case you or anyone else might be interested, it looks like the next launch from Cape Canaveral may be a SpaceX Falcon 9 with a Dragon Crew Five capsule. The capsule will carry four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS).

Essentially correct. The stage was set when the U.S. gave into pressure from France for the U.S. to help defend French colonial holdings in Indochina circa the Korean War era. The more accurate date might be 22.August.1945, when Ho Chi Minh and his Viet Minh carried out a successful coup to take control of the government. Although we had nurtured a working relationship with Ho, Truman chose to disband the OSS and side with the French in contradiction to the Atlantic Charter signed by Roosevelt and Chuchill. Eisenhower did more to engage the United States in Indochina. Kennedy was rapidly becoming disillusioned with U.S. participation when he was assassinated [the assassination conspiracy theorists point to that fact]. I could argue our involvement both ways, but my point was, if war is the choice of last resort, then it should we waged all in, not with half-measures. Blaming the generals for what happened in Vietnam is flat wrong in many ways.

Once again, you are quite correct. However, I am torn. I am not particularly interested in promoting one candidate over another, but rather, confronting what I see as disqualifying aspects of any candidate.

Are you suggesting that Norway and Great Britain sabotaged the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea for profit? They destroyed the pipes to eliminate a competitor. We do not yet know the factual cause of the rupture. Certainly, greed has led many a good man do very nasty things. I cannot refute that hypothesis, but I still think it was Putin’s aggressive means to send a message of intimidation.

Interpreting private property as territory goes back to our pre-human ancestors and still exists in that form to this day.

 . . . Round two:

“I’m not coming to any conclusion on the pipeline damage without evidence ‘beyond a reasonable doubt,’ but generally following the money is a great way to find clues. (Gazprom is Russian.) As you mentioned, Putin’s mind is a wild card in this one.

“Shortly after the concept of private property came the notion that the people actually working the property, initially for agriculture, were part of the property. The owners/managers still resent the notion of treating them as equals.”

 . . . my response to round two:

Quite so! We have no evidence. Several Press sources reported yesterday that the pipelines had been repaired. I find that hard to believe, but I have seen no evidence to confirm or refute. If they did repair the pipes, they would have physical evidence of what caused the leaks and likely the explosions. It just seems odd to me that the explosions and leaks occurred so close to Bornholm Island. We may never know.

Very valid observation. People have been property for millennia. Heck, women were considered property and still are in some parts of the world simply because of their gender. I have faith we will continue to mature as a species, by fits & spurts likely, but still progress.

 . . . Round three:

“The reference to Bornholm Island puzzled me. After learning a bit about the island on Google Maps and Wikipedia, it still does. Are the Danes attacking/being attacked by someone?”

 . . . my response to round three:

The Nord Stream explosions and leaks occurred close to Bornholm Island. The leaks (attacks) were very close to Danish territorial waters and thus NATO protected territory. The Danes are not attacking anyone. They were only attempting to ensure no further attacks occurred. I have no direct or hard evidence, but I strongly suspect the Russians chose that location to send a message to NATO—we can attack your infrastructure anywhere we want. The Danes were very clear. They were being cautious. To my knowledge, there is no public information as to the cause or potential perpetrators. I was only thinking out loud. Three ruptures in close proximity is more than happenstance or coincidence.

 

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

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)