More Reading

      Perhaps I chose it as a tribute to Joanne. In her retirement Joanne spent a lot of time watching CNN and MSNBC, and particularly the Rachel Maddow show. When I saw a review of Rachel Maddow's and Michael Yarvitz's book Bag Man: The Wild Crimes and Audacious Cover-up and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House, I loaded it unto my Kindle. Spiro Agnew started taking kick-backs from contractors as Baltimore County Administrator, continued to do so as Governor of Maryland and as U.S. Vice President.  His resignation of the office of Vice President came as a he pleaded "no contest" to a felonious case of tax evasion just a few days before Robert Bork fired special prosecutor, Archibald Cox, at President Nixon's behest in the "mid-night massacre." Shortly after that Nixon resigned and, had Agnew not resigned, he would have become president. Agnew's downfall was overshadowed by Nixon's.

    Bag Man reads like a 'who done it?'  Though I lived through the events detailed I've forgotten much and there was also much I didn't know.  Agnew served as Nixon's hatchet man and reading what he said it's fascinating to see how much trump echoed him, e.g., attacks on the press, minorities and Democrats. Agnew wasn't deterred from evil by his resignation. He stooped so low as to solicit funds from Saudi Arabia to promulgate anti-Semitism in America.  U.S. Attorney General, Elliot Richardson and 4 young attorneys in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Baltimore come off as the heroes of the story. I recommend reading it.

   Recently I read something about someone forgetting a shopping list at home. I'm acutely aware that my ability to live alone, or as I say "without adult supervision", is dependent on having a reliable memory. This morning as I was heading for my early morning visit to the grocery store, when I was few miles out of town, I took inventory: wallet? check, 2 masks? check, shopping list?  Oops! back at the house!  Decision? Turn around and drive back, or, go on? Go on. Back home with the groceries I checked the list and found that I'd purchased everything on it. Admittedly, it wasn't a very long list, only 15 items. So what's the verdict? Bad memory becasue I forgot the list or good memory because I remembered what was on it? 😁

Takk for alt,

Al

gunsafemn.org  Is the website for our new initiative working for gun safety in Minnesota. I invite you to check it out.