Half Way There
Back from my walk. Pretty leisurely, two hours since I left. You'd think that in two hours time I'd have a deep thought, but it didn't happen.
The big thing today was the grumble mumble of the ice. Standing on the west shore down where I watch the beaver was when I fist heard it. It was a thump, like somebody had dropped down a really big rock about twenty feet out. It startled me. In fact I instinctively glanced behind to see who could possibly have thrown such a very large rock so far. But it was just the ice, expanding. --Or possibly, falling.
We had five days of thaw. The ice was shallow-puddled all over, though there was no open water. It seemed the sodden ice was sinking, and large, half inch deep melt puddle-formed all over. We've since had three days of freeze, this the third day.
Initially I thought the cracking was due to the sodden ice refreezing, expanding, building pressure, cracking. But it seems to me that that pressure-cracking should be like an explosion, sharp. This was more like a mumble grumble thump, sometimes quite a series, and less than as if from out the open air than as if from underneath, beating up, muffled, as if in protestation seeking escape. There is no creature that could make that thump.
It occurred to me that with the five days of thaw we had a substantial run off and rising water. And then three days of freeze. The soft ice would have been refreezing while it was yet buoyed by the higher water. But in the third day now of freeze it would seem reasonable that the high water has passed. It would seem that the grumble thumps are simply the disjointings of the newly rigid ice as it settles to its lower level.
Did see the beaver, didn't see the Titmice.
And I do rest more easily now one month into the Reign of the Obama.
The Sovereign is not savvy, which is good. It means there will be chaos in his government... which would be bad were he a democrat but which is good as he's totalitarian. Such a man I do not prefer be skillful. It does appear his function will be to jut out his jaw and make pronouncements, very much pleased with his own voice, but policy being made by whomever can.
In the congress this will be Nancy and Harry; in the bureaucracies it will be various greens, or similar such nuisance types; and in foreign policy...? I don't know, but it will be a mess, with the Very Important Ones fighting for their own turf and policy. I expect Hillary and Gates, being both reasonably sane, will work together and probably have the most influence on how things actually function.
There is the question of who has the ear of the President. I don't think it matters, I don't think he's capable of making a clear statement, or committing himself to a clear position. The last one who talks to him will think he has his support. This, of course, will be all within a liberal and "international" spectrum, but at least there will be internal conflict, confusion, misunderstanding, hard feelings, ill-will; and sabotage, scapegoating, and back stabbing. This is all good. The nation will drift and be damaged, but at least there will not be developed a well ordered and self-confident tyranny. All Hail the Confuse'd One... at least until Republicans regain majorities.
The press? They'll always be liberal, but liberals do squabble. With no internal enemy now left to be defeated the press will lose unity and begin to differ within itself. Never knowing clearly, or for very long, just whatever the administration's policy might be, they'll advocate their own. They'll argue. Sometimes they won't even like each other. This is good, Blue on Blue. They won't be able to so powerfully shape the opinion of the generally indifferent citizen, who can only receive a simple signal. No signal no ease. The casual citizen wants to know what to believe. It has to be something that can be picked up out of the atmosphere: Truth. Discordance is confusing, they will seek the clearest tune. That could be Republican.
I do think Republicans showed splendid unity in opposing the stimulus. It is a stinker, and will stink more as the days go on. It seems to me it will be a unifying force all the way through 2010; and with more rot and stink to come I'm thinking America's future isn't looking in quite such bad shape as only days ago I had still feared.
All of this pleasure in chaos and in the certain damage that will accrue to American interests is of course respondent on a recognition that it's better to have chaos than efficiency when the intent is the destruction of American values.
The only gift that the Little Indonesian brings to us is his incompetence.
The big thing today was the grumble mumble of the ice. Standing on the west shore down where I watch the beaver was when I fist heard it. It was a thump, like somebody had dropped down a really big rock about twenty feet out. It startled me. In fact I instinctively glanced behind to see who could possibly have thrown such a very large rock so far. But it was just the ice, expanding. --Or possibly, falling.
We had five days of thaw. The ice was shallow-puddled all over, though there was no open water. It seemed the sodden ice was sinking, and large, half inch deep melt puddle-formed all over. We've since had three days of freeze, this the third day.
Initially I thought the cracking was due to the sodden ice refreezing, expanding, building pressure, cracking. But it seems to me that that pressure-cracking should be like an explosion, sharp. This was more like a mumble grumble thump, sometimes quite a series, and less than as if from out the open air than as if from underneath, beating up, muffled, as if in protestation seeking escape. There is no creature that could make that thump.
It occurred to me that with the five days of thaw we had a substantial run off and rising water. And then three days of freeze. The soft ice would have been refreezing while it was yet buoyed by the higher water. But in the third day now of freeze it would seem reasonable that the high water has passed. It would seem that the grumble thumps are simply the disjointings of the newly rigid ice as it settles to its lower level.
Did see the beaver, didn't see the Titmice.
And I do rest more easily now one month into the Reign of the Obama.
The Sovereign is not savvy, which is good. It means there will be chaos in his government... which would be bad were he a democrat but which is good as he's totalitarian. Such a man I do not prefer be skillful. It does appear his function will be to jut out his jaw and make pronouncements, very much pleased with his own voice, but policy being made by whomever can.
In the congress this will be Nancy and Harry; in the bureaucracies it will be various greens, or similar such nuisance types; and in foreign policy...? I don't know, but it will be a mess, with the Very Important Ones fighting for their own turf and policy. I expect Hillary and Gates, being both reasonably sane, will work together and probably have the most influence on how things actually function.
There is the question of who has the ear of the President. I don't think it matters, I don't think he's capable of making a clear statement, or committing himself to a clear position. The last one who talks to him will think he has his support. This, of course, will be all within a liberal and "international" spectrum, but at least there will be internal conflict, confusion, misunderstanding, hard feelings, ill-will; and sabotage, scapegoating, and back stabbing. This is all good. The nation will drift and be damaged, but at least there will not be developed a well ordered and self-confident tyranny. All Hail the Confuse'd One... at least until Republicans regain majorities.
The press? They'll always be liberal, but liberals do squabble. With no internal enemy now left to be defeated the press will lose unity and begin to differ within itself. Never knowing clearly, or for very long, just whatever the administration's policy might be, they'll advocate their own. They'll argue. Sometimes they won't even like each other. This is good, Blue on Blue. They won't be able to so powerfully shape the opinion of the generally indifferent citizen, who can only receive a simple signal. No signal no ease. The casual citizen wants to know what to believe. It has to be something that can be picked up out of the atmosphere: Truth. Discordance is confusing, they will seek the clearest tune. That could be Republican.
I do think Republicans showed splendid unity in opposing the stimulus. It is a stinker, and will stink more as the days go on. It seems to me it will be a unifying force all the way through 2010; and with more rot and stink to come I'm thinking America's future isn't looking in quite such bad shape as only days ago I had still feared.
All of this pleasure in chaos and in the certain damage that will accrue to American interests is of course respondent on a recognition that it's better to have chaos than efficiency when the intent is the destruction of American values.
The only gift that the Little Indonesian brings to us is his incompetence.
posted by mouse at 9:08 PM
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