Nothing About The Bakken -- Update On Trump's Cabinet -- November 13, 2016

The New York Times has published the cabinet positions and the names of those individuals on the short list for each position. I've posted the update over at one of my earlier posts. The list appears, with two or three exceptions, fairly uninspired:

• Chris Christie remains on the short list for two positions 😡😡😡 😩
• Sarah Palin is on the short list for Interior Secretary, along with Harold Hamm 😡😩
• Ben Carson makes the short list for two positions (like Chris Christie)😡😩😩
• Veterans Affairs, only one name: Jeff Miller Retired chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee😡
• Labor Secretary, only one name: Victoria A. Lipnic Equal Employment Opportunity commissioner and work force policy counsel to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
• in total, there are 57 names on the list for all positions; of the 57 on the various short lists, only six -- again, only six -- were women; and one of them was Sarah Palin; another was ex-Arizona governor Jan Brewer; and, one woman, Kelly Ayotte was on the list twice😡😡😡😡
• too many career politicians on the list😡😩😩😩
• to repeat myself, not a very inspired list considering this is the group from which he is expected to choose 😡😩

Key:

• weary: 😩
• pouty: 😡

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Philosophy -- Again

There are two subjects that I have never been able to figure out: how to measure electricity and the "subject" of philosophy.

I was introduced to "philosophy" in the summer between my junior year and senior year of high school. I attended a summer course in "humanities" at St Olaf College, Northfield, MN. I was entirely out of my depth, or is it, "out of my league," when it came to philosophy. It was the first time I had even been introduced to philosophy -- by other students, not the professors -- and I was completely lost.

Off and on over the years, I've tried to make sense of it, but have never succeeded. It is strange then, or ironic, or something, that it took a comic book story or a comic book character to move me along. I mentioned this before after seeing the movie Doctor Strange with Benedict Cumberbatch.

For the first time, I "understand" at least to some extent Gnosticism which seems to be as good a starting point on philosophy as any.

I was reminded of that (Gnosticism) again today after reading about the analyses of the recent presidential election; the body language of the two men when they met in the Oval Office; Veeder's column today; the "LoveTrumpsHate" protests; and, the NY Times short list for the president-elect's first cabinet.

As I said to someone else, about the presumed short-list for Trump's cabinet:

If this is really Trump's list, it is truly uninspired. His GOP opponents in the primary would have had even worst lists, but I held out more hope for Trump. 

Hillary's cabinet would have been incredibly worse. 

Without question, Americans really had awful options this election.

What I did not say, it's really too bad Obama did not live up to the expectations that so many had. But then, on the other hand, I suppose, if he had, Hillary would be the president-elect.

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Did I Ever Love You, Leonard Cohen

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Sidney Blumenthal's Wide Shut Eyes

Link here. In that whole ball of wax regarding Hillary's secret e-mail server there were so many things one could talk about. From the purpose of the server itself, to the lying denials by Hillary, to the "Comey cover-up", and finally the "Comey comedy."

At the end of the day, I doubt most Americans based their voting decision on the "e-mail issue" itself in that last week before the election.

Sidney Blumenthal feels differently. (In case the link breaks, Sidney Blumenthal blames right-wing FBI agents for Hillary's defeat.)

If there was any one thing in that entire, huge ball of wax, it was this: a former President, and the husband of the individual under investigation, meeting with the potential prosecutor, the Attorney General of the United States, and both of them saying that they did not discuss the case. Within 24 hours of that meeting, Comey announced he was closing the investigation.

I find it incredible that a man of Sidney Blumenthal's stature was unable to see that "problem" for what it was. Another example of someone whose eyes were wide shut going into this election.

One wonders if Bill Clinton caused more harm to Hillary's campaign than the FBI? On the "e-mail issue," it was most likely his meeting on the tarmac with Loretta Lynch that was the nail in the coffin. One has visions of the Godfather, making someone an offer she could not refuse.