Month: January 2019

Air Raid Destroys the Wall

aviation

After 35 days, Trump’s government shutdown over funding for his border wall (that Mexico was supposed to pay for) ended yesterday when air traffic controllers (who had now missed two paychecks) called in sick in great enough numbers to impact air travel.

Pressure had been building on Trump and the Republicans as stories of safety and national security issues grew alongside tales of human tragedies due to the shutdown, a problem which the public put squarely on their shoulders.

That pressure became too great, however — especially for some Republican senators — when flights began being delayed and cancelled, and a ground stop was called at New York’s LaGuardia Airport. Trump appeared at the White House to announce a “deal” to reopen the government for three weeks, but came away with nothing (except, perhaps, pleasing Putin).

Though it did prove once again that fixed barriers, such as walls, are no match for airpower.

The only potential benefit Trump got out of this humiliation at Nancy Pelosi’s hand was its potential to distract from the news of the arrest of his long-time friend and advisor Roger Stone who was indicted by Robert Mueller in the Russia probe.

The seven-count indictment against Stone clears for takeoff the connection between the Trump campaign and the WikiLeaks dissemination of the Russian-hacked DNC and Podesta emails.

Between the right-wing Trump base fuming over the complete cave he pulled on the wall and the ever-tightening Mueller noose, Trump has become such a lame duck he may only have one more flight left in him, the one seeking asylum in Moscow.

To celebrate the job action by air traffic controllers, who finally got a bit of payback for Reagan busting PATCO nearly 38 years ago, have an Aviation cocktail.

Although it has fallen out of favor a bit, the Aviation helped kick off the cocktail renaissance when Eric Seed at Haus Alpenz brought back the liqueur Creme de Violette.

After Prohibition, this ingredient went missing, which kind made the drink originated in the nineteen teens a bit of a head scratcher. It needs the blue tint from the Creme de Violette to make sense as an ode to the sky from the early days of flight.

From the recipe page at Haus Alpenz, the Aviation is:

2 oz London dry gin

.5 oz Maraschino liqueur

.5 oz lemon juice

.25 oz Creme de Violette

Shake over ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

Cheers!

Time to Carve Up Some Trump Steaks

killing floor

Hard times is here and everywhere you go

Times are harder than ever been before

                                          — Skip James, “Hard Time Killing Floor Blues” (1931)

The continuing government shutdown means Federal employees are about to miss another paycheck. Every passing day puts our national security, food safety, and even our scientific understanding of the changing climate more at risk as workers can’t do their jobs – or are doing them without pay and wondering how to buy food or pay the rent.

This kind of disruption must be a dividend Putin never thought he’d get with his purchase of Trump. Of course, this isn’t only on Individual 1, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could end the shutdown anytime by allowing a vote on house measures (that already passed the Senate).

McConnell, who wouldn’t let news of Russian interference in 2016 on behalf of Trump come out until after the election, is now keeping the government closed and just lifted sanctions on a key Russian oligarch. It is almost as though he doesn’t want his suspicious activity to be overshadowed by the growing revelations of Trump’s dealing with Russia.

While Trump and his GOP enablers in Congress bring hard times to America, the newly Democratic-led House of Representatives is preparing to begin its oversight work. The recent Buzzfeed report on Trump directing Cohen to lie to Congress, its brief elevation of impeachment talk, and Mueller’s pushback notwithstanding, the docket of Democratic inquiries would be enough to take down several administrations.

The list of Trump swamp creatures and their questionable (if not illegal) activities could have House committee rooms looking like the slaughterhouses of Chicago. This will all be warmup to the main event, when Trump himself makes it to the House killing floor. Between obstruction of justice, violation of the emoluments clause and possibly treason, he is likely to get carved up into the best Trump steaks yet.

While waiting for the Hearings to begin, have The Killing Floor cocktail. Via Frederic Yarm at Cocktail Virgin, The Killing Floor is:

1.5 oz James E. Pepper Rye (I used FEW Spirits Rye, the Chicago connection seemed right)
.5 oz Bigallet China China Liqueur
.5 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth
.5 oz Bonal Gentiane-Quinquina

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Cheers!