A Presidential Address and A Presidential Termination

Spent this morning at Heidi Lichterman's, textile artist, where Jane got to choose a beautiful, soft silk scarf and I got to change a light-bulb. There was cake, chickens were admired and a book planned.

I took an afternoon train to London for Carel Sartory's presidential address to the Quekett Microscopical Club as he had handed on the post. He dedicated his talk to his father Peter Sartory, who was a respected past president and member of the QMC for 50 years. Peter Sartory combined his interest in scientific instruments, microscopy and astronomy, ran a successful instrument company, bought a racing yacht and used it to trawl plankton nets.

Surprise news of the day, President Trump 'Terminated' FBI Director James Comey on advice of his Attorney General, though I presume that he is still walking around somewhere. The White  House rationale given was that the former FBI director had misled the White House about the extent of email issues in the Clinton Campaign, though it is not clear whether it was giving misleading facts in his testimony, or because the FBI went public close to the election, or because Clinton was not prosecuted. The other cynical view is that this is very convenient as the Trump campaign-Russia investigation is still ongoing. Placing a pro-Trump replacement into the FBI directorship role would immediately raise concerns of partisanship. The situation is still evolving.