GorTechie may not be aware that your Volgi, the inscrutable Mandarin, and the Czar discussed Mr. Walpin (played here by Roger Ebert) earlier this week. Confucius* asked us if we wanted to comment on the Chicago-style politics inflicted upon Mr. Walpin.

The Czar takes the opinion that Mr. Walpin was victim of Washington-style politics. Had Mr. Walpin been involved with Chicago-style politics, the following would be more likely:

Gerald “Handout” Walpin, inspector and first cousin to Mayor Obama, was indicted this morning for accepting cash and other gifts from building contractors. Walpin, who was hired with a $300,000 per year salary during a time of intense budget cuts, is alleged to have passed over seventy buildings as “structurally safe,” including the 348 Winthrop building that spectacularly collapsed last year, killing seven people. Prosecutors have indicated that they may drop the charges entirely if Mr. Walpin resigns, which he is expect to do so in order to become a Democratic party advisor for Rahm Emanuel’s upcoming gubernatorial run.

That is more the Chicago way.

Unfortunately, Mr. Walpin shared a fate common to any good whistleblower: he got stomped on.

*For those who came in late: Confucius is the Gormogons’ Œcumenical Volgi.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.