Where Lies The Truth?

Chip Franklin thinks he knows:

Hamilton’s greatest fear was a foreign power controlling our president. A prescient warning for Trumpers; he cares not a fuck for you. pic.twitter.com/WSHakyPxkk

— Chip Franklin (@chipfranklin) November 24, 2019

Our Reach Clearly Exceeds Our Grasp

It is to state the obvious that our love of convenience, our addiction to a throwaway lifestyle, is very destructive, not only to us and our immediate environment, but also to distant seas and their inhabitants.

Amy Smart writes:

A pioneering study of seven belugas in Canada’s remote Arctic waters has found microplastics in the innards of every single whale.

Researchers from Ocean Wise worked with hunters from the Inuvialuit community of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., to collect samples from whales they harvested between 2017 and 2018.

They found an average of nearly 10 microplastics, or particles less than five millimetres in size, in the gastrointestinal tracts of each beluga.

Lead author Rhiannon Moore says she wasn’t expecting to see so many microplastics so far north.

“It actually surprised me at first. I thought, this is a far-north top predator in the Arctic in a fairly remote place,” Moore says in an interview.

It demonstrated just how far microplastics can travel and how they’ve penetrated even the most remote environments, she says.

It is believed that the plastics find their way into the whales' systems through their prey, which are riddled with them.

And lest we just think that's too bad for the whales, those microplastics are increasingly found in the very water we drink. Earth Day Network has posted some disturbing facts, including the following:

Microplastics in different forms are present in almost all water systems in the world, be they streams, rivers, lakes, or oceans.

According to a study conducted by Orb Media on plastics and tap water, 83% of tested water samples from major metropolitan areas around the world were contaminated with plastic fibers.

Plastic fibers were also found in bottled water produced by 11 of the world’s largest brands purchased from 19 locations in 9 countries. 93% of bottled water showed some sign of microplastic contamination, including polypropylene, nylon, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Each year, about 1 million tons of tiny plastic fibers are released into wastewater.

Modern technology has brought us many wonders. It has also unleashed countless horrors, plastic pollution certainly not being the least of them.

Ingesting material with a petrochemical composition is never a good idea, and the price we are paying is becoming increasingly apparent. Clearly, our reach is continuing, at an ever-increasing pace, to exceed our grasp of the consequences.

Putting Things Into Perspective

You can always count on Chip Franklin to deliver:

Afghan vet Lt Col Vindman said he felt safe going up against Trump because this was America. A good day for the good guys. And for the good woman as well, who stood toe to toe with capt Wafflecock and said, “that’s all you got bitch?” pic.twitter.com/0Paqz6af1Y

— Chip Franklin (@chipfranklin) November 19, 2019

This Is Us

Humanity has achieved much since evolution gifted us with self-reflective intelligence. Our technological accomplishments envelop us daily, for both good and ill. Stories of courage, compassion and self-sacrifice abound. That we have the potential for greatness has never really been in doubt.

But unalloyed goodness is not something we can make claim to. The following report concerns the mining of mica, a mineral that has a multitude of uses, which you can read about here. It is safe to say that we would be hard-pressed to do without it. However, do we care about the conditions under which it is often mined? That is a question only you can answer after watching this:

Oh, Those Republican Enablers

Given the absurdity of the world these days, my passion for writing about it has waned. Fortunately, Chip Franklin provides ample material to fill the void that my blog is becoming:

Trump has lied over 14K times, but that's not the worst of it. pic.twitter.com/5sSmjn4nmG

— Chip Franklin (@chipfranklin) November 17, 2019

Quid Pro Quo: More From Chip Franklin

There's nothing I need to write here:

Quid pro quo is “You fix my window, I fix your door.” Extortion? “You do the thing, or I throw you thru the door.” ⁦@PodSaveAmerica⁩ @Kokomothegreat
⁦⁦@TomArnold⁩
⁦@girlsreallyrule⁩@juliehdavis@shearm
⁦@McFaul⁩ @PattyArquette
⁦@shannonrwatts⁩ pic.twitter.com/b8uKx1SD7D

— Chip Franklin (@chipfranklin) November 16, 2019

Trump's Twitter Tantrum

Historian Alan Lichtman rails about the obvious corruption surrounding the entire Ukrainian extortion effort by Trump, and is stunned by his live tweeting while former Ambassador Yavanovitch was testifying at his impeachment hearing. But will Teflon Don suffer any real consequences for either his witness intimidation or his extortion?