Kavanaugh Nomination for U.S. Supreme Court

Today I sent this e-mail to both of my U.S. senators. Having resisted the temptation to post this on Facebook, this matter is still gnawing away at me to such a degree that I find it necessary to unleash it on the whole world in this blog.

Dear Senator, 

I am deeply concerned about the sexual conduct allegations that have been raised against Brett Kavanaugh. The Senate’s process for reviewing them seems to be seriously flawed. 

My concerns are as follows.

1. The FBI should investigate the allegations of Blaisey, Ramirez and Swetnick. The Senate should not vote in the Kavanaugh nomination until such investigations are complete. A hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee is not sufficient, given the severity of the charges, and the fact that Kavanaugh is being considered for a lifetime position on the highest court in the land.

2. Only one of the accusers (Blaisey) is appearing at tomorrow’s Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. What about the other two? Aren’t they entitled to have their concerns heard? 

3. Why hasn’t Mr. Michael Judge been called to testify before the Committee? He was allegedly a witness to the Blaisey incident. Surely his recollections are relevant. 

4. A Supreme Court justice should be a person of impeccable character and reputation. This is not a trial in which charges are dismissed and forgotten if the accuser cannot provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Ultimately, the allegations may be found to be unproven or unverifiable. But that sets the bar much too high, presenting the appearance of a Senate that hides behind the rules of evidence rather than doing what is best for our country. 

There are serious questions about the credibility of the Senate and its role with respect to Supreme Court nominations. If Kavanaugh’s candidacy survives and is brought to a vote, I urge you to use your judgment and vote your conscience. Set aside party politics for the good of the United States of America.

The Anomaly by Michael Rutger

This book ably works through a theme near and dear to me: that of hidden mysteries. 

The lead character is a jaded former screenwriter, now reduced to hosting a YouTube series on unexplained phenomena. He and his second-rate production team set forth to locate a cavern in a remote part of the Grand Canyon. Discovered by a 1909 expedition but long since forgotten, it's rumored to contain "wonders". 

The author, Michael Rutger, is a screenwriter by trade. Perhaps that's why he chooses to tell this tale using clever characters who constantly trade snappy dialogue. It's an odd choice given the subject matter of this tale. But the wry banter falls away whenever the action kicks in, which happens frequently. Rutger knows how to keep the pace moving along briskly. The Anomaly is a page-turner. I just kept reading it and reading it until there was nothing left to read. 

These virtues more than balance a couple of shortcomings. A couple of incidents are a bit too similar to certain popular movies (I won't name them, to avoid spoilers). And the author makes an effort to end most chapters with a cliffhanger phrased as a short, punchy sentence, which feels just a bit too manipulative. 

Don't be put off by the negative Kirkus review. The Anomaly is much better executed than Dan Brown's books. It's not as finely crafted as Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation or John Langan's The Fisherman. But it's still a rattling good read for lovers of weird fiction and conspiracy theories.

An Inverted Jenny Stamp Surfaces

This rare stamp has been kept in safe deposit boxes for decades. It’s so valuable that the owner made the head of the Philatelic Foundation travel from New York to Chicago to take it out of its protective packaging. 

Link: New York Times, Sept. 8, 2018

An Inverted Jenny Surfaces. The Flawed Stamp Had Not Been Seen Since 1918.

No. 49 of 100 Jennies famously misprinted with an upside-down biplane was locked away in vaults for generations. The whereabouts of No. 66 remains unknown. 

Courtesy of New York Times