Angelo Montenegro posted the following on our neighborhood website: Anyone hear/feel that big boom around 1:30 AM, Sept 3, in Basking Ridge? Was that some freak lightning, nuclear bomb, and/or aliens? The boom lasted for what felt like 10+ seconds and my whole house shook.
A good 30 or so people replied that they did hear it and gave their locations. I couldn’t let it go, so I posted the following in response:
“Sorry folks. It happens whenever I eat turnips. Should probably see the doc about it.”
Any Chatterheads recognize the reference? Groucho was in a rowboat with Margaret Dumont. He was kidding around (vu den?) and she said: “Oh, Professor, you’re so full of whimsy.” And he said: “It happens whenever I eat turnips.”
I struggle to remember my grandchildren’s names, but that I remember.
As a draft dodger from the sixties (5/18/71, to be specific), I feel uniquely qualified to pontificate on matters pertaining to the U.S. military. So here I go.
The current leadership (Trumpseth) has no interest whatsoever in safeguarding the country. For example, they are perfectly fine about losing enormous numbers of highly qualified officers and personnel. Our enormous military might is now devoted entirely to two purposes. One is to pillage weak countries for their resources. They tried to force Ukraine into a minerals deal, but Zelensky wasn’t buying it. And you see what’s going on with Venezuela. It’s all a military-backed oil grab for Trump’s oil buddies.
How deeply is the U.S. distrusted now? This is from Krugman’s letter today:
“A large fraction of the world’s gold reserves sits in a vault underneath the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. And why not? The sanctity of nations’ ownership of gold stored in NY is guaranteed by the word of the U.S. government — a government that is utterly reliable, because it honors the role of law. Or anyway, that’s the country we used to be.
“But the Trump administration has special contempt for international law. His tariffs were and are in clear violation of past agreements solemnly signed by previous U.S. presidents, including Trump himself.
“So the idea that the U.S. government might devise some excuse to seize gold held in the Fed’s vault is no longer far-fetched. Earlier this week the Dutch central bank announced that it was shifting about $12 billion in gold from the vault in New York to the Bank of England’s vault in London. This follows a move by the French central bank to shift an even larger sum from New York to Paris. “
The second use of the military is for dismantling democracy. The military is being purged of leaders with integrity in favor of toadies and sycophants. They know they can’t win elections any more, so they are setting the scene for the military to intervene, confiscate ballots, etc. They are putting in place commanders who will obey patently illegal orders. Once the election is stolen or wrongfully invalidated, an uproar should ensue. So Trump needs a military that will follow his orders to quell any riots violently and impose martial law on cities like Portland, Minneapolis, etc.
That’s what’s on my mind, as I read the papers these days. This might help: BB King with ETTA JAMES, “Singer dubbed the ‘Matriarch of the Blues’” in today’s puzzle.
I’m proud of a joke I made up for yesterday’s puzzle. It was on ALI BABA, nicely clued with “Character with a famous opening line?”
Why did the forty thieves in the ALI BABA tale never go to prison?
They all had good alibibis.
I also worked with SMEE, EXISTS, and POKER GAME, as follows:
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
SMEE.
Come in.
A religious sect comprised of divorced folks who still worship their former spouses: EXISTS.
Once in a while, when I’m flipping through TV channels, I run into a POKER GAME on one of the sports channels. It’s amusing to think of it as a sport, and brings me back 70 years to when my dad would sit around playing gin rummy with his buddies. In food-stained undershirts covering their big bellies, they smoked cigars and drank schnapps. I never realized they were athletes.
One of the missiles Russia launched towards Kyiv landed in the LSU women’s basketball program. The missile is named Anna Minaeva. She’s 17, 6′ 5″, and played pro ball for Moscow before LSU grabbed her to play college ball for them this season.
So what’s the problem? The problem is Kate Koval was the center for LSU and she’s a very proud Ukrainian.
“My father serves in the Ukrainian military and takes tremendous pride in defending his country against Russian aggression,” Koval said. “For me, this war is not distant or abstract. People close to me have been killed and wounded in Russian attacks, and places where I grew up and first began playing basketball have been destroyed by missile strikes.”
“The timing of this situation and the deeply personal effect it has had on me, my family and those we care about who continue to live through and fight this war ultimately made me question whether LSU remained the right place for me,” Koval said. “This decision has not been easy. While I understand and respect that roster decisions are a part of college basketball, I have to remain true to myself, my values and my country.”
She’s leaving LSU. One small glitch is that the “portal,” which allows transfers, closed a few days ago. So Kate is requesting special permission. She goddam better get it. We don’t want to have to send George and Phil down there to “reason” with them.
From a poem that didn’t make it past our guard puppies:
Just as my hair poses an appendage of my brain
my tongue poses an appendage of my heart.
Have to agree with the puppies on that one. My feeling is you can pose a question, but you can’t really pose an appendage. Amirite?
There’s a new movie out about Woody Guthrie’s weight-loss struggles. It’s called “Zepbound For Glory.” The injection scenes are a little hard to take. Woody is played by former NJ governor Chris Christie. I can see it.
The O’s are quietly tip-toeing out of the wild card race. Can’t seem to hold on to leads: a case of Gnats-itis. Three back of a bunch of teams now.
Closing the shop now. We’re heading up to the Berkshires for the last gasp of summer. Reports to follow. Enjoy the weekend!
The Wellington Files 