Saturday, January 9, 2021

20210109 the crucible

Welcome from our little tin can by the sea. This has been a rough week: I had a very good friend die on Monday, we passed 4000 COVID deaths in a single day in the US, and our president committed a seditious act by inciting a gathering of over 100,000 to ransack the Capitol. On top of that, I'm ill.

I met Ed Stephens on my first day at Honeywell Industrial Automation and Control in Phoenix AZ, after transferring from their Atlanta, GA location. Ed had just hired on the day before after working at Asea Brown Bovari (ABB) in Columbus, OH. Ed had a strong wit, and was a dynamo with knowledge. He could recite delicate intricacies in acquisitions with this person going here and that person fitting there - it was an education to hear him over lunch or during a break. Ed's wife, Elaine, was quite a treat, too. Originally a Mississippi lady, Elaine was comfortable with everyone. She passed in 2019 and a little over a year later, so has Ed. We stayed casual friends over the years, exchanging Christmas cards and an occasional phone call or email. How precious those wisps of communication are now. I miss you both, Ed and Elaine!

COVID-19 is uncontrolled in the US and the rollout of the vaccine is moving very slow. Biden, the pres-elect, has promised to improve this state. A: I wish him luck, and B: It should be an easy task, considering how terrible it is now.

sedition n. - incitement of resistance to or insurrection against lawful authority

Our sitting president has committed an act of sedition by sending his rally audience to ransack the Capitol. Five people died, one of them an officer. Republican members of the senate and house raised objections to the certified counts from the states, becoming accomplices. At the rally, the sitting pres continued his reckless lies of voter fraud despite losing numerous court cases on that very item. By facilitating the lie, these congressional members became complicit in sedition:

Senate: Tommy Tuberville, Ala. Roger Marshall, Kan. John Kennedy, La. Cindy Hyde-Smith, Miss. Josh Hawley, Mo. Ted Cruz, Texas 

House: Robert B. Aderholt, Ala. Mo Brooks, Ala. Jerry Carl, Ala. Barry Moore, Ala. Gary Palmer, Ala. Mike Rogers, Ala. Andy Biggs, Ariz. Paul Gosar, Ariz. Debbie Lesko, Ariz. Rick Crawford, Ark. Ken Calvert, Calif. Mike Garcia, Calif. Darrell Issa, Calif. Doug LaMalfa, Calif. Kevin McCarthy, Calif. Devin Nunes, Calif. Jay Obernolte, Calif. Lauren Boebert, Colo. Doug Lamborn, Colo. Kat Cammack, Fla. Mario Diaz-Balart, Fla. Byron Donalds, Fla. Neal Dunn, Fla. Scott Franklin, Fla. Matt Gaetz, Fla. Carlos Gimenez, Fla. Brian Mast, Fla. Bill Posey, Fla. John Rutherford, Fla. Greg Steube, Fla. Daniel Webster, Fla. Rick Allen, Ga. Earl L. "Buddy" Carter, Ga. Andrew Clyde, Ga. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Ga. Jody Hice, Ga. Barry Loudermilk, Ga. Russ Fulcher, Idaho Mike Bost, Ill. Mary Miller, Ill. Jim Baird, Ind. Jim Banks, Ind. Jackie Walorski, Ind. Ron Estes, Kan. Jacob LaTurner, Kan. Tracey Mann, Kan. Harold Rogers, Ky. Clay Higgins, La. Mike Johnson, La. Steve Scalise, La. Andy Harris, Md. Jack Bergman, Mich. Lisa McClain, Mich. Tim Walberg, Mich. Michelle Fischbach, Minn. Jim Hagedorn, Minn. Michael Guest, Miss. Trent Kelly, Miss. Steven Palazzo, Miss. Sam Graves, Mo. Vicky Hartzler, Mo. Billy Long, Mo. Blaine Luetkemeyer, Mo. Jason Smith, Mo. Matt Rosendale, Mont. Dan Bishop, N.C. Ted Budd, N.C. Madison Cawthorn, N.C. Richard Hudson, N.C. David Rouzer, N.C. Jeff Van Drew, N.J. Yvette Herrell, N.M. Chris Jacobs, N.Y. Nicole Malliotakis, N.Y. Lee Zeldin, N.Y. Adrian Smith, Neb. Warren Davidson, Ohio Bob Gibbs, Ohio Bill Johnson, Ohio Jim Jordan, Ohio Stephanie Bice, Okla. Tom Cole, Okla. Kevin Hern, Okla. Frank Lucas, Okla. Markwayne Mullin, Okla. John Joyce, Pa. Mike Kelly, Pa. Scott Perry, Pa. Guy Reschenthaler, Pa. Jeff Duncan, S.C. Ralph Norman, S.C. Tom Rice, S.C. William Timmons, S.C. Joe Wilson, S.C. Tim Burchett, Tenn. Scott DesJarlais, Tenn. Chuck Fleischmann, Tenn. Mark E. Green, Tenn. Diana Harshbarger, Tenn. John Rose, Tenn. Jodey Arrington, Texas Brian Babin, Texas Michael C. Burgess, Texas John R. Carter, Texas Michael Cloud, Texas Pat Fallon, Texas Louie Gohmert, Texas Lance Gooden, Texas Ronny Jackson, Texas Troy Nehls, Texas August Pfluger, Texas Pete Sessions, Texas Randy Weber, Texas Roger Williams, Texas Ron Wright, Texas Ben Cline, Va. Bob Good, Va. Morgan Griffith, Va. Carol Miller, W.Va. Scott Fitzgerald, Wis. Tom Tiffany, Wis.

Sunday, January 3, 2021

20210103 we begin

Hope. Every New Years eve brings hope that this next year will be better than the last. Considering how atrocious 2020 was, it should be a low-bar for 2021. On the COVID front, my son-in-law plans to go to work today after a stint with COVID where he still has a cough. Personally, I think that's stupid, but I don't get to set the rules this year, either. My daughter has come down with the virus and is hurting. I hope that her run with it is quick and not long-lasting. I've managed to come down with something affecting my intestines. I see the doc on a televisit this coming Tuesday. 

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
- Emily Dickenson