February Potpourri

 

Snow bank in a plowed parking lot

Snowy and Cold:  It snowed most of yesterday and the temperatures were in the single digits.  It was so cold that the rock salt poured on the sidewalks and roadways did not really melt the ice and snow.  In this weather, the spread salt was more like the sand they use in the New England States. 

They do a great job of cleaning the roads in my town.  All our streets are cleaned in short order and kept clean.  In the City of Chicago, they clean the main streets very well.  They cannot really clear the snow off of the residential streets simply because almost every street has cars parked in every available space.  Clearing the street would bury half the cars.  As a result, the side streets are a mess.

A Better John Wayne Movie:  After a long day, I have settled in to write a bit.  In flipping through guide on the TV, I noticed a movie starring John Wayne, Big Jake, that I had never seen nor heard of before.  It was made in 1971 and co-starred Maureen O’Hara, Richard Boone, and his son, Patrick.  He was 64 when he made this movie. 

Like in McClintock! (1963), Wayne’s character, Jacob McClandles, was estranged from his wife Martha played by O’Hara.  When their grandson was kidnapped, Martha sent for Jake, an old school SOB cowboy, to deliver the ransom, save the boy, and kill all the kidnappers.  This sure beats watching Wayne miscast as Genghis Khan.  It was a much better movie very simply because in this movie, simply because, John Wayne was cast as, well, John Wayne no matter what his character’s name is.  Needless to say, John Wayne saved the day.

The 2^nd Impeachment Trial:  The unprecedented second impeachment trial started today  It seems like a done deal.  There do not seem to be enough votes to convict as witnessed by the fact that only 5 of 50 Republican Senators voting to proceed with the impeachment trial.  It is very unlikely that two-thirds of the Senate will vote to impeach.  I read today that the Democrats are looking for a quick trial, win or lose, so that they can get back to working on President Biden’s agenda. 

I heard a report where the ACLU, an organization usually vilified by conservatives, defending the former President’s right to free speech.  They actually wrote a blog about it:  Donald Trump Has Free Speech Rights, Too. Did he incite the crowd?  Kinda sorta.  He was trying take the election and this was his last resort.  But he never said for that the crowd, explicitly, to go out and take over the Capitol.  We have to be careful with the cherished and valued right of free speech, hence the stand of the ACLU. Do I think he was wrong in pushing the stolen election narrative and having that rally on January 6^th?  Yes, I do.  I am of the opinion that he was being more self-serving to himself than doing his job as President of the United States.  It is my right to have that viewpoint and state it here, as it is his right to say and tweet whatever he wants as a citizen of this county.  As the President, well, he has to have the same rights though I expect more decorum and a better example from leaders at that level.  This part about all this really bothers me.