Cue the Librarian

Most presidents when leaving office usually deposit their books and papers in a presidential library often attached to a university for research by scholars and historians. While Donald Trump has not yet been in office it may be unfair to ask "Can you have a library when there are no books?"
He could set it up at the ephemeral Trump University but I think the logical choice would be a nook off the lobby of Trump Tower where a few shelves might contain the following:
- A Gideon Bible  - a copy of The Art of the Deal, Midas Touch and Time to get Tough and a Treasure Trove of Twitter Tapes. (I do love alliteration) - believe me!
tjs

Primarily Political XXIII

The other night the President-elect introduced his incoming Sec. of Defense, General James Mattis a four star Marine officer. They say the General is well read - which his boss is not - and that he even quotes Plato. The only association Trump might have would be his frequency at Plato's Retreat a swingers club in NYC circa 1970/1980.

A few weeks ago President Obama made his 23rd visit to Walter Reed Medical Center at Bethesda Naval Hospital to visit our injured veterans. This was while Trump was planning his victory lap. What a contrast!

As to the incoming Prez. I can only paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld: "He doesn't know what he doesn't know."
tjs

A Wall Too Tall

We know about Trump's two golf courses in Scotland but he also purchased one in Ireland on the west coast in Doonbeg in County Clare. To keep the Atlantic Ocean at bay they want to build a wall but local environmentalists are protesting its effect on the dunes and the habitat of the whorl snail. The developers are in a hurry so they have revised their plans to include shorter barriers. The headline reads "The snail prevailed"! or you might say "Escargot -go - go".
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/07/business/international/britain-ireland-trump-golf-snail.html?ref=world

Lest We Forget

Today, December 7th, is the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. I was twelve years old when we heard the news on a Sunday afternoon but none of us knew where Pearl Harbor was. We quickly found out. Panic ensued on the west coast and blackouts were instituted from Seattle south. Back home mobilization commenced and Chrysler quickly converted from autos to Jeeps and tanks. There were scrap metal collections, ration books, Savings Bond drives and consumer shortages in a full wartime effort. Twenty years later when visiting Honolulu I took the tour boat to  the USS ARIZONA memorial where many of our sailors are entombed. The vessel cut engines and the silence was deafening. Back then they collected our cameras before entering as this was still an active naval base. I shall always remember that day.
tjs

Give Me Liberty

During the recent political "season" I learned a new word. No, I don't mean Alt-right - the slurred word is "biglig" - and now I read where Jerry Falwell of the Christian Liberty University wants to go "big league" and make his football team a power house. To do so he has hired as athletic director a man who recently departed Baylor U. under a cloud of scandal. What caught my eye was Falwell's statement: "He is a good man who found himself in a place where bad things were happening and decided to leave." And who will throw the first stone?
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/03/sports/ncaafootball/baylor-liberty-university-sexual-assaults.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fsports&action=click&contentCollection=sports&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&_r=0

A Sterling Development

Anglophiles Alert! You thought Brexit was a surprise! Now the Bank of England has revealed that the new five pound note (having printed 440 million to date bearing the Queen's likeness) contains a small amount of tallow in the polymers used in the printing process. Tallow is a fatty substance usually made from rendered beef. So now the vegans  and vegetarians are outraged and want their "pound" of non-flesh. There are also 800,000 Hindus in the U.K. who consider cows sacred. They might have to trek to Scotland whose five pound note is free of animal products. The sentiment seems to be anti "Quid" and not "pro"!
tjs
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/world/europe/new-five-pound-note-uk-vegetarians.html?ref=world

Ghostwriters in the Sky

Attention! Grammarians!
Donald Trump, in announcing his forthcoming press conference about divesting his properties, used a triple tweet (140 x 3) and not a word misspelled for a guy who types with his thumbs. At his conclusion he used the word "hence" which I didn't think he had in his lexicon. Of course, I didn't expect him to say "ergo" - more likely "so".
It all leads me to suspect he is not writing all these lengthy messages but has a ghostwriter lurking somewhere up in that tower.
tjs