30 October—First, it appears that some emails individually and specifically sent to addresses on servers including but—as far as we know—not limited to AT&T, Microsoft, Google, and Optimum from pmrosenberg@optonline.net and Editor@LitchfieldMonitor.com are not reaching their addressees but are not being bounced back. Randomly. So we have no idea when they’re not being received as intended. These same addressees evidently have been receiving the Monitor’s daily link as intended—as far as we know.

In all events, neither we nor our own internet experts nor the English-speaking ones at Altice Optimum have any bloody idea what the hell is going on. (But of course it’s not Altice’s fault.) Or how to remedy the unacceptable situation. It appears in all events that even the U.S. Postal Service is more reliable than the internet.

On to the daily disquisition, then, a couple of days ago Donald Trump’s testosterone-crazy (and crazed?) warlord fired yet another general officer—but this time, it appears, not without some possible justification, because Army Lieutenant General Brett Sylvia has admitted leaking classified information about Ukraine and Iran to reporters. What and why remain to be seen.

In all events, Pentagon Pete Hegseth removed Sylvia from his post as director of strategy, plans, and policy on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whereupon Sylvia chose to retire after 32 years of service.

Smart move for Sylvia, since his pension will be over $180,000 a year, almost as good as many Connecticut State Police and Department of Correction retirees who put in excessive overtime in their best three years. And Sylvia and Mrs. Sylvia (and any non-adult children) will get Tricare, among the best health insurance available in the United States.

So a reporter asked Trump for a comment on Sylvia’s dismissal, referring to “General Sylvia.” Always on top of everything—when he’s awake—the ignoramus-in-chief gave Brett Sylvia both barrels: “She’s got problems. She’s gonna have big problems. We’re very much looking for leakers.”

Okay, that’s Trump, whose ignorance and insouciance are as notorious as his corruption, bullying, unquenchable grudges, and instability. But did he really think that a reporter would refer to a general by her first name in a formal context? Or is that simply another manifestation of his equally notorious disrespect for women?

Come to think of it, does Donald Trump really think at all?