From the newspaper of record

Sorry, nothing earthshaking scientifically to write about, so here are 3 leads from today’s New York Times for your enjoyment

l. Page 1 top left — “The Failing Inside Mission to stop Hillary from Lying”
2. Page 1 top right — “How Trump plans to use Obama’s Embrace of Executive power”
3. Sunday review –Page 1 bottom “Hillary is making America more comfortable with pay to play”

Fair and balanced as Fox would say if they wrote them.

But they didn’t. It was the Times masquerading two opinion pieces as news on page 1, and an actual opinion piece in the Review.

Well, the titles were a bit different.

1. Page 1 top left — “The Failing Inside Mission to Tame Trump’s Tongue”

2. Page 1 top right — “How the President Came to Embrace Executive Power”

3. Sunday Review — page 1 bottom “Trump is Making America Meaner”

#2 is particularly interesting, as it is basically an excuse for ruling by decree, the dream of the left. The apologia comes in the third paragraph — “Blocked for most of his presidency by Congress, Mr. Obama has sought to act however he could.” So much for the constitution.

Ruling by decree has always been a goal of left utopians and pragmatists. Go back to the great Serge Eisenstein movie about Ivan the Terrible (part I 1944). It was commissioned by Stalin, and it’s all wonderful propaganda for the leader to do what he wishes unimpeded. Smash the Boyars. Let Ivan be Ivan. Only he truly loves the country. The second part wasn’t released until 1958 as Stalin didn’t like it. It’s really handy to rule by decree.

Well Maduro in Venezuela is currently ruling by decree, as has Fidel for years.

Happy fourth of July

Two encounters in the past 2 days brought home just how fortunate we are to live in the USA, along with the realization that only the immigrants truly appreciate this country. One was with a Greek friend who is a professor of engineering at a local university. His wife is on her way to Greece acting as a money launderer (well not really) bringing US dollars to her family over there. We get his brains for free and probably those of his 15 year old daughter who grew up here.

The other was with our tile man Sergey, a Russian immigrant of 17 years. He describes how his grandfather was sent by Stalin to Siberia, surviving for 14 years. Why? He wasn’t at all active politically, but was a devout Christian. That was all it took. If you find this difficult to accept — look at the following post — https://luysii.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/reification-in-mathematics-and-medicine/. Some of the most brilliant mathematicians of the Soviet Union were persecuted for the same reason.

Not convinced? Over 25 years ago, the local paper where we were living at the time had an interview with a Ukrainian woman newly arrived in the states. She was asked what it was she liked best about this country. She said it was being able to have people over to her house for prayer without having the draw the curtains.

Yes, we complain a lot about how things could be better, probably a genetic heritage, as only those who were unsatisfied with their condition where they were had the gumption to get up and come here.

However, as great as we are, tonight’s fireworks pale in comparison to those of the Chinese New Year (they invented fireworks after all). Earlier this year my wife and I viewed a 30 minute display from 3 ships firing away in Hong Kong harbor. Some of them even spelled out Chinese characters according to our daughter in law. If you like loud, go to a Buddist temple for their new year celebrations.