Ground Hog Day

Famous ground hogs were very unhappy today. 

There are many famous little critters who have their day in the sun (although we usually hope not) around the globe Groundhog - Wikipedia. Some are: Punxsutawney Phil (Pennsylvania); Ms. G (Massachusetts); Tymko (Ukraine); Sir Walter Wally (North Carolina); Quigley (New York); Manitoba Merv (Manitoba); Fred La Marmotte (Québec); Shubenacadie Sam (Nova Scotia); Wiarton Willie (Ontario). Groundhog Day: What did the groundhogs predict for 2023? | CTV News

For the most part especially for gardeners they are a pain on the butt. But today they all have their fifteen minutes of Andy Warhol fame.

In recent years I all of them have had one thought only: "Please put me back and lock the door before somebody shoots me!" It really has nothing to do with the sun. I suggest these rodents are tuned in to social media. With the rise in violence around the globe why leave the safety of their den?

Looks like the little buck-toothed critters' traditional predictions were bang on (no pun intended). It's going down to -20 F in the Toronto area.

One question - I could probably Google it but didn't: Who looks after them all year? Is there a special person assigned to their care or a local zoo? Are they paid (the keepers, not the ground hogs)? 

In Stratford Ontario Stratford famous for it's Theatre Festivals, there are swans on the Avon river - just like England. They have an annual parade for both the bringing out of the swans in spring and later housing them back into their winter compound. It is quite a ritual. Maybe some of these towns have the same thing for ground hogs.

The swans seem to relish the attention and they have comfort in numbers - not so for the den diggers.

One other thing I noticed - they all need those tooth whiteners we see advertised. I think the manufacturers are missing an opportunity for a good commercial.

Sometimes I feel like not venturing outside myself - just because!

#thebrewsterblock

The Supreme court: The Thorn in America's Side - make that Heart

Is the Highest Court in America High on Itself or Something Else?

It is time to make some changes to the American democratic "system", in this case The Supreme Court. Just like diagnosing a car, if you could plug into an American government "chip" I'm sure The Supreme Court would be flagged with a code indicating that repair was needed.

Rumours abound that there is internal squabbling. I'm sure this is not new but the differences are never supposed to be based upon politics. To the public it appears that is exactly what is happenng. Look at the fate of great sports teams when the squabbling gets nasty. Their performance falls apart.

What do you expect when Presidents - most recently Trump but many others before him - try to stack the deck in their party's favour? It is supposed to be the last impartial pillar on which the American three part system can rely. Can they do so any longer? That is questionable.

I have suggested before that the court needs to change. It will not be easy but the American system was designed without easy in mind. It should be difficult but doable. Who will take on the challenge?

Here is this author's suggestions as one who has never been a professional politician and who is not American. They apply to the appointment process and the term served by a judge. The objectives are to limit the term any one judge can serve and to attempt to maintain an even split of party appointments. The same should apply to any other Supreme Court appointments in the land:

1. There must always be an odd number of judges. Today there are 9.
2. Just as there is today there will be one Chief Justice to break any split decisions.
3. Judges continue to be appointed but not for life. They will serve for a minimum of 4 years but a maximum of 8 net years. After four years a judge can be replaced by the President. (If a judge is off for 6 months that will not count against their total.)
4. Each new President gets to appoint a maximum of 4 Supreme Court judges (currently) or 50% of the court, excluding the Chief Justice. However if no judge has served their minimum 4 years, no appointments will be permitted until that time.
5. The only exceptions would be if a judge retires, dies, or is incapacitated.
6. If a President wins a 2nd 4 year term and they want to appoint new judges, they will have to replace judges who have served their minimum four years and who were appointed by their own party.
7. During the approval process for a new judge, only a fixed number of rejections (to be determined) of individuals will be permitted. Once the maximum is reached, the President is free to make the appointment.

This would be far from perfect. The transition would take several years. Those who already sit thought they had an esteemed position with great pay for life. If removed they will likely have to be paid out.

It should work towards balancing out the numbers of red and blue judges and could be extended to any additional parties in the future. It should also make existing judges thinks twice about politically motivated decisions.

This will not please everyone but it deserves its day in court! If you object please leave constructive comments below.

#thebrewsterblock

The Climate Warming Warning Light is ON.

Giuliani for Mayer of Renewable Energy!!

I just posted a Tweet that is worth repeating:

"I am reading an article that says this January has had the highest temperatures on record in many European countries. Still we do nothing but talk. This is like ignoring the Check Engine Light on your car or removing the fuse for its warning indicator panel."

Are we all deaf, blind, selfish, or just stupid? The answer is probably all of those adjectives. If I have to pick one it is SELFISH. It won't become a disaster in our lifetimes so we will enjoy our lives while we can. Then it is somebody else's problem - like our kids'.