Kavanaugh Can Join Thomas.

[Angrboda]

Thinking back to Kavanaugh's copious consumption of fluids as well as that weird thing he kept doing with his tongue, I'm reminded of a popular trial by ordeal among Arab Bedouins. If there was ever conflicting testimony, and you needed to determine who was lying, there was a simple test to determine that fact. What you would do is heat a spoon to red hot in a fire, and each of the accusers would be required to lick the spoon. Whichever accuser burned his tongue was presumed to be the liar. The modern theory of this ordeal is that lying produces an involuntary physiological response that leads to a reduction in the production of saliva in the mouth, and it is the saliva which supposedly protects the victorious accuser's tongue and prevents it being burned. Given that Kavanaugh appeared to have a seriously dry mouth throughout the bulk of the proceedings, I can't help but think that he would have failed this ordeal.