#729 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Wednesday August 16)
Good morning,
“Age is a very high price to pay for maturity” --Tom Stoppard
LAHAINA TOWN
The devastating fires, spread by monsoon winds, have wrought massive destruction of Lahaina Town, on Maui. Besides being the capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii for 50 years in the 19th century (before King Kamehameha moved the capital to Honolulu), it was a whaling center. We haven’t gone to Hawaii for a number of years, but have great memories of our visits.
Lahaina boasted a wonderful “downtown” area that included a store that sold historic prints and maps. It was the site of our first purchase of a historical map. That map is of the Sandwich Islands, so named by Captain Cook, in honor of his patron, the Earl of Sandwich. Cook’s 1778 voyage was the first European contact with the Hawaiian people.
Most old maps have curious origins, incorrect geographical representations, strange spellings, and depictions of local flora and fauna. This map is no exception, having been drawn, largely from memory, by one Lieutenant William Bligh, who served as Master and navigator on Cook’s final voyage to the Pacific (on which voyage he was killed by native Hawaiians). Bligh steadily rose in rank, eventually becoming the infamous Captain Bligh, who commanded the HMS Bounty with an iron (and, some would say, irrational) fist, leading the men to mutiny under Lieutenant Fletcher Christian.
The town no doubt will take a long time to rebuild. Its historic Front Street, map shop and all, apparently is nearly totally destroyed. Whether the famous 150 year-old banyan tree on Front Street survives is an open question; although its prospects appear grim.
FERNANDOMANIA
Who in Los Angeles can forget the near-hysteria of “Fernandomania” that greeted Fernando Valenzuela’s career with the Dodgers? It seems like yesterday that he burst on the scene in 1980, winning his first eight games (five of which were shutouts, and posting a 0.50 earned run average during that stretch). He went on to become the first player to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young award in the same year. He continued to amass impressive statistics, regular All-Star appearances, and other honors through the mid-1980s. After the onset of shoulder problems, his effectiveness diminished (although not without further success) in a career that would last another decade. He was a phenomenon not merely due to his pitching prowess, but his big personality and his becoming an iconic figure in Southern California’s Latino community.
Last week, Fernando’s number 34 was retired by the Dodgers—the first Dodger number to be retired for a player not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
In other baseball news, the Angels have Reid Detmers as the starting pitcher this evening against the first place Texas Rangers. Mr. Detmers has, in his last seven starts, posted some impressive statistics: 1-4 won/lost record, 8.90 earned run average, only 31.1 innings pitched, allowing 31 earned runs. Playoff bound? I think not…
IN HIS OWN WORDS
During the run-up to the 2020 election, I devoted many Sundays to a feature I called “in his own words,” where I let Donald Trump do the talking. It seems we may need a little more of this, as Mr. Trump becomes ever more unhinged and dangerous, firing up his supporters, both for a run at the White House and to deflect from his legal troubles. Here are some of his recent posts, rants, and threats, which really deserve to be read by every American concerned about our country and this dangerous front-runner for the Republican nomination:
"Deranged Jack Smith has just asked for a trial on the Biden Indictment to take place on January 2nd., just ahead of the important Iowa Caucuses. Only an out of touch lunatic would ask for such a date, ONE DAY into the New Year, and maximum Election Interference with IOWA!…Such a trial, which should never take place due to my First Amendment Rights, and massive BIDEN CORRUPTION, should only happen, if at all, AFTER THE ELECTION. The same with other Fake Biden Indictments. ELECTION INTERFERENCE!"
And this, at a South Carolina fundraiser:
“Every time the radical-left Democrats do this and the Marxist, communist fascists indict me, I consider it a great badge of honor, because I’m being indicted for you”
Trump is very good at casting himself as a martyr. I am unclear how he is “being indicted for us.”
“So, the Witch Hunt continues! 19 people Indicated tonight, including the former President of the United States, me, by an out of control and very corrupt District Attorney…”
Let’s remember that this wasn’t just a rogue DA but an indictment by a properly empaneled grand jury, after being presented with reams of evidence. And, yes, he can’t seem to spell “indictment.” Finally, from his Truth Social postings, appearing to threaten judges, prosecutors, juries, and witnesses:
“IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU.”
He has made clear his intent if reelected. He is coming after everyone—the Democrats, the Justice Department, the FBI, the CIA, NATO, and all other enemies and perceived enemies. Here’s a good article from the Washington Post on this threat: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/08/11/donald-trump-indictment-threat-jan-6/
If you don’t think words have meaning and he means what he says, recall this chilling instruction to his supporters before January 6th and what happened in the aftermath of his repeated admonitions and claims to his supporters: “We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.”
Here, an article about the security concerns and fears of violence as Mr. Trump fires up his base: Time Magazine--Security for Judges
Have a good day,
Glenn