At Manassas Gap – The Tennessee General Assembly remains unchanged – Flight of a Russian MP – Evening statistics
A brief entry today, for nothing much has happened either in the news or with regard to the pandemic. I went with a few fellow-hikers on the Appalachian Trail from Manassas Gap to the shelter and beyond. This area, although not quite as rich in wildflowers as Bull Run, still has a large variety, and it is much visited somewhat later in the season on account of the trillium, more numerous here than in any area in the country. We actually found a few tentative blooms, although it is a bit early for them; normally they appear in late April and early May. There were many other flowers in bloom, however, and, as in the Bull Run area, the spring beauties were exceptionally profuse and colorful.
Afterwards we lunched at the Dark Horse Irish Pub, formerly known as the Griffin Tavern, which has a good deal of local fame, and deservedly so. It was very warm today, but nonetheless we sat outside; even if it is somewhat warmer than usual for this time of year the humidity of the summer months has mercifully not set in yet. We actually could do with a bit more rain; when I returned home I watered the plants in my garden, as they are somewhat worse for wear after a succession of dry days.
Justin Pearson is now reinstated in the Tennessee General Assembly, not much later than Justin Jones’ reinstatement. Shelby County’s commissioners voted unanimously to restore him, just as Nashville’s city council representatives voted unanimously to restore Jones. Politically the expulsion of these two men has accomplished nothing.
Sergei Zakharov, formerly a regional MP in Perm, a Russian city near the Urals mountain range, has fled to Germany after calling Putin a “petty dictator” who is ruining the country, particularly with his misguided policy of invading Ukraine. He had served as MP for seven years and, until he publicly criticized Putin, was not expected to resign in the near future. Zakharov actually spoke out against Putin before turning in his resignation and then, wisely remembering the fate that has overtaken Putin’s other critics, left the country before Putin had the opportunity to imprison him. He acknowledged that even in Germany his life is at risk. He would do well to avoid approaching windows too closely, especially those on higher stories.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 685,215,849; # of deaths worldwide: 6,839,471; # of cases U.S.: 106,402,060; # of deaths; U.S.: 1,157,346.