Personal

Colors 🌈

|

Upon my first hit, not only was I hungry, I marveled at how rich the colors were around me. How soft and gentle the leaves of trees were, how beautiful the clouds were in the sky.

At the same time I was kind of disappointed especially by the long weekend’s end. The cannabis was good but ultimately most of what it did was make me a bit sleepy and unambitious, somewhat more hungry but it wasn’t earth shattering. It made me forgetful but didn’t open up any new worlds. Maybe a bit giggly or having fun singing with Puff the Magic Dragon, but it hardly made all my fears go away.

Maybe I was just oversold on the power of grass. But it was still fun to explore this legal product and celebrate freedom on this Independence Day Weekend.

When the 49% rules the 51% —the end of democracy?

|

If a candidate with 49% or maybe 47% of the vote wins an election is it the end of democracy? No, because election law, the constitution, and the laws of geography regularly distort democracy, put a thumb on the scale without eliminating the power of the public to decide what is right or wrong for our country.

Let’s say that President Trump wins the 2024 election due to the technicalities of the electoral system, such as the Electoral College. He won it, he will be President for the next four years. Good for him and those who embrace his policies. He might have legal protection for his official acts but he’s still subject to whims of public opinion and the Congress and the judiciary. Only they can give him the funding and enable specific acts through the law. Law doesn’t create power, it enables it.

If Trump or any president becomes too much of a blow hard, they’re likely to be rebuffed by the courts and congress. To say nothing of the states. Many things states do in their relationship with other states and the feds is voluntary, it’s done because of a common interest not because they’re forced to work together. And if that’s not enough in four years they’re up for election and after their second term, they’re gone. Presidential terms and elections are set in clear language in the constitution .

If the 51% or 53% are unhappy about the election results, then they need to win over some more votes, and if it takes 52% or 56% for them to have a majority then they just need to win over some more votes. Tough turkey for the political party that has to work slightly harder to win over a bit more support in the rigged election. If the other side is truly doing bad, they’ll win it.

Helter Skelter in a Summer’s Sweater 🤪

|

It’s the dew point that is really obnoxious in this weather, it’s what really gets you sweating hard. But alas it’s just summer, the dog days of summer as they say.

I’ve just been so busy lately. 🏃 And hot, especially riding home last night. It didn’t seem so bad until I ran into the grocery store ❄️ after riding up the hill from the Normans Kill Gorge. 😅 🚲 But by the time I got home and cooked up some dinner I basically collapsed on my bed 🛌 and played with my new phone for a bit before retiring to bed for the night. And I keep oversleeping in the morning.

Set-up several interview for work starting tomorrow. 🤝 Then I have meetings downtown on Thursday and more to do on Friday. Still have projects to do for Don Rittner and I should find time to read. 📖 Need to decide if I want to go out of town for the weekend. 🏕 Looks like it will be hot and sunny, ☀ I’m thinking 💭 about heading out to Schoharie but things could change.

After discussing with the supervisors I am taking off July 26 – August 2nd to go to the Finger Lakes as that’s when we will have office coverage. 🏕 Just the usual – the National Forest camping, lots of time in Watkins Glen, riding a lot of bike trails 🚲 – thinking of a day trip during vacation to ride a bunch of the Pine Creek Gorge. Watch some sunsets from the pier at Seneca Lake. 🍨Eat lots of good ice cream.