Correspondence: Tweets & titters

Edited by Moristotle

[Items of correspondence are not attributed; they remain anonymous. They have been chosen for their inherent interest as journalism, story, or provocative opinion, which may or may not be shared by the editor or other members of the staff of Moristotle & Co.]

Trump could never even think tweets like these: “The Trump Tweets We’ll Never See” [Andrew Postman, NY Times, August 19]. Excerpt:

Here, the alternate-world thoughts of @realDonaldTrump:
   Gotta admit, press serves function, even terrible WaPo and failing NYT! #NotAlwaysFakeNews #BezosWayRicherThanMe....
    Dow breaks historic 22k barrier, unemployment at 4.3%, 1MM jobs created … truth told, not all due to me, maybe some to BHO? And natural ebb & flow of economic cycles? #MAGA #ShareTheWealth #WhenRecessionComesDontWantAllBlameEither....
    Macron has firmer handshake, bigger hand. France 1, DJT 0. #WowThatHurt #WishIdBeenAbleToSeduceMyGradeSchoolTeacher [read more]

Gone are the days when girls used to cook like their mothers. Now they drink like their fathers.

Mankind is king of beasts, his brutality exceeds theirs: “Trump Administration Gunning for Ocean Protections” [Oceana, August 16]. Excerpt:

When Congress adjourned for the month of August, pundits noted how little the Trump administration and Congress had accomplished in the first seven months of the new presidency. However, astute observers pointed out that the President is actually delivering on one of his campaign promises: eliminating environmental safeguards.
    In the first several months of 2017, using an obscure law called the “Congressional Review Act,” Congress passed and President Trump signed into law 14 bills that strike down important health, safety, financial and environmental protections. The environmental safeguards that were eviscerated included the Stream Protection Rule, meant to discourage coal mining operations from polluting waterways with dangerous heavy metals and debris, and an important anti-corruption rule that required oil, gas, and mining companies to report payments to governments in every country in which they operate.
    The Trump administration has rolled back—or is in the process of reversing—other safeguards and policies using the powers of the Executive Branch. For example, last month NOAA withdrew a proposed rule that would have protected endangered species—including whales, dolphins, and sea turtles—caught and killed in the drift gillnet fishery targeting swordfish off California. [read more]

It’s virtually impossible to disillusion a true believer. The group dynamic is classic, something we studied in college. In the 70’s what motivated mobs or caused people to riot was at the top of the mind in psychology. Blacks were the template: a distinct group, beset on all sides, and all they needed was a leader to rally around. Trumpers have all the parts to that puzzle. The more they feel beset and attacked, the more cohesive their group dynamic becomes.

Old age is coming at a really bad time. When I was a child I thought “Nap Time” was a punishment. Now, as a grownup, it feels like a small vacation.

Gardening can be useful for reducing stress. Also “mindfulness” meditation, for which there’s even an app for your phone. It helps you create the garden in your mind. I tried it for about two weeks, but I get bored too easily....However, I believe the data: meditation works and over time can enlarge the hippocampus and makes dementias less likely to take hold.

Hexagonal Storm

Fantastic, beautiful pictures! It almost seems impossible to believe that this beauty is the result of blind natural forces and not created by a supreme artist. What a contrast to the destruction caused by natural forces in Texas and Florida. “100 Images From Cassini’s Mission to Saturn” [Jonathan Corum, NY Times, September 15]. Excerpt:

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn in 2004, after a seven-year voyage, the first spacecraft to orbit the ringed planet. It burned up in Saturn’s atmosphere on Friday, after 20 years in space....
    Cassini used infrared to view the hexagonal jet stream swirling around Saturn’s north pole, a six-sided vortex capped with a shimmering aurora....

    Each season on Saturn lasts about seven Earth years. Cassini watched as Saturn’s rings slowly tipped downward, casting narrower and narrower shadows. [read more]

Great quote for the Trump presidency:

Authority without wisdom is like a heavy axe without an edge, fitter to bruise than polish. –Anne Bradstreet, Poet (1612-1672)

Grateful for correspondence, Moristotle