A missed opportunity regarding Trump rallies during the debates

There was a satisfying moment during the debate for me

The slam dunk SCOTUS argument that never came in the debate

Biden needs a bit of help with this.

The Republicans presented their arguments for blocking Garland in 2016. They could have stated that it was their right to do on account of controlling the Senate. However, they apparently felt the need to provide additional justification in the court of public opinion. So they made the case that the upcoming election in the same year should decide. This argument prevailed, and this did two things. First, it created a legal precedent. Second, it created a kind of a contract with the voters.

Fast forward to 2020. The Democrat's losing arguments in 2016 are now resonating with the Republicans, and they have switched sides. Forget the precedent that was established, forget the verbal contract with the voters. Losing arguments are the new winning arguments! Throw in a totally manufactured difference in that we have a unified Senate and White House now in order to further muddy the waters.

So which party do you trust to nominate judges in a more fair and less partisan way?

Trump's Biggest Fear

It's obvious what it is. It's losing in a landslide with a clear winner being declared on or shortly after Election Day.

He hasn't stopped campaigning in four years. He got himself impeached on account of it. He may not be able to ward off the inevitable election loss, but it appears to be within his power to muddy the waters of the results.

So this is all one big hedge. If he loses, he just stirs up all this manufactured controversy over absentee voting and the like. He can stay in the MSM limelight and play the role of the people's underdog champion against the corrupt Deep State. Maybe he takes his movement underground, maybe he walks away with one finger in the air, maybe he refuses to leave. He switches from sore winner to sore loser, it all fits his modus operandi.

If he somehow wins, that will be the last we hear of the "rigged election". We'll get four more years of victory laps and high-fives to self.

But a clear victory by Biden that quickly extinguishes the worst ideology this country has seen in recent memory, that he can't abide.

This guy is a metaphor for the Trump Presidency

Disregards fact-based warnings clearly presented at current situation - check
Downplays major threat based on experience with loosely-related minor threats - check
Overestimates knowledge level of subject at hand based on hasty research - check
Tweets/vlogs in fallacious attempt to boast or share "wisdom" - check
Kind of a doofus - check
Ends very, very badly - check

My latest leisurely pandemic activity: Amateur Astronomy!

So I bought a Orion 10282 STARBLAST 90mm Altazimuth Travel Refractor Telescope a couple weeks ago. I've never owned a telescope before, or really spent any time with one. I'm in the suburbs and there is an unfortunate amount of light pollution, which makes the refractor a better choice than the reflector.

I've gotten a pretty good look at Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and even Uranus. The moon too.

I found Messier 22 (a globular cluster). Damn hard to find even knowing right where it was. Really just a ghostly blob, no color at all.

I found the Orion nebula eventually, really difficult as well. Another nearly invisible ghost.

So light pollution is a bummer. It's a travel scope so there are options. It would be nice to be able to see more from my patio, though. I haven't seen the Milky Way in forever. But it's really a lot worse than that. Many of the constellations are being washed out. There are only two stars from Ursa Minor visible with the naked eye. Constellations like Sagittarius are totally gone.

The scope was pretty reasonable and I've been enjoying it despite the inherent limitations.