Author: Crowhill Report

The positive report is that local governments are trying to protect public health by limiting public gatherings.

The negative, conspiracy-minded report is that they’re using this as an opportunity to bankrupt organizations they don’t like — like churches.

Discuss.

Our cat died a few years ago, but we’re currently giving food and shelter to a cat that belongs to one of the kids.

As most cats do, it sleeps a lot. And even when it’s awake, it can sit for hours and be (apparently) content.

I can’t do that. If I were to try to sit down and do nothing on a Saturday afternoon, my mind would immediately starts accusing me. “You should be doing this, or that, or 45 other things.” I have a never-ending list of things that I could or ought to be doing. There’s always something that needs doing.

I am able to relax after a long day of working, where I figure I’ve done what I can for the day, and whatever tasks are calling to me can wait until tomorrow. But even then, the mind is constantly making lists and planning all the little details I’ll eventually have to attend to.

From time to time I think it would be nice to attain a cat’s level of laziness and not have a care in the world.

Of course that might be a complete misrepresentation of the cat’s inner state. It might be so still because it’s scared to rouse the coyotes that are lurking in closets and under beds. It might be saving its energy for that life-saving dash to escape the vacuum cleaner. It’s apparent serene attitude might hide a state of constant fear and anxiety.

But I’d rather believe it’s just chilling. Somebody in the house should be.

As you’ve heard, Texas has filed a lawsuit against Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin for violating the “Electors Clause” of the U.S. Constitution, which vests the state legislature with the power to set the rules for choosing electors.

Here is what we know. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a justification, government officials in the defendant states of Georgia, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania …, usurped their legislatures’ authority and unconstitutionally revised their state’s election statutes.

Let’s take Texas’ argument as true — that what these four states did contradicts the constitution. What’s to be done about it?

There’s a legal principle called “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree,” which says that evidence illegally obtained can’t be used in a trial. The idea is to dissuade law enforcement from using illegal means to get the result they want.

From that point of view, the proper remedy is to disqualify the votes from these states, to discourage states from taking similar actions in the future.

That seems like a pretty harsh remedy. It’s not the voters’ fault that their officials broke the rules, so why should their votes be excluded?

One possible remedy would be to require the states to vote again, but what a circus that would be!

The more likely thing would be that SCOTUS would require each of those state legislatures to decide what to do. They’d have hearings to determine if they could trust the results as they have them, and then vote for the appropriate electors. That appeals to me because it seems very federal and very much against pure democracy, which I don’t like.

I suspect it won’t come to that point. SCOTUS will find some grounds for dismissing the lawsuit and will avoid having to make that call.

Still … it’s an interesting question.

P&C drink and review Pigweed’s Brown Ale, then wonder what’s going on in the world.

Coronavirus has ruined Thanksgiving. It’s about to ruin Christmas and New Years. When will things get back to normal?

The boys discuss the holidays, recent events, and what to expect next. What about the vaccine?

Also, we’re only two or three generations away from humans who lives with horrible plagues that make COVID look like a Sunday walk. And we’re all cowering in fear. What’s the deal?

I recently traveled, so I had to worry if I had contracted the virus on my trip. I’m relatively unconcerned about the virus for myself, but I don’t want to give it to people I know, for whom it would be a bigger deal.

After my trip, I started to have a tight feeling in my chest — similar to what it feels like after you go running on a cold day. It only got worse, so I went to get a COVID test.

I wanted to have the virus (and relatively mild symptoms, of course) and get it over with.

No such luck (if the test was accurate). I have bronchitis. Just regular old sick.

So now I have to wait until it’s my turn for the vaccine, I guess.