Bye-bye blue slip?

I’ve always regarded the old blue-slip privilege of the Senate a tradition better suited to horse and buggy days than modern times.   It was not intended to provide  near-veto power  over federal court nominees to individual senators,  but that is precisely how Democrats are using it to attempt to block Trump’s mostly stellar judicial nominations.   It has certainly become a dangerous anachronism.

 

 

 

 

Advertisements

More to Macron?

I haven’t paid much attention to  Emmanuel Macron,  Frances’ boyish president, in part because I did not believe his position as between and beyond political parties seemed off-kilter and unbelievable to me.

But  this blog  post caught my eye,  as anything by Steven Hayward does,  and then I read the interview referenced,  and now I think Macron may deserve a second look.

 

 

 

General in charge…

The military turns out some very fine leaders.  Watching former Marine general John Kelly  calmly educate  the ignorant press corps is just plain fun.

 

 

 

Unclaimed baggage…

If you have never visited the  Unclaimed Baggage  Center in Scottsboro, Alabama,  you have missed out on the only facility of its kind in the USA,  as well as a place to shop at enormous discounts.   On any given day you may find  jewelry,  designer clothing and an array of electronic devices.

There is no online catalog because the offerings change daily,  but the natives are friendly and the place is just plain interesting,  even if you don’t wonder how the owners got separated from their belongings.

 

 

 

Taking flight…

Among some memorable transportation firsts,  on October 11, 1910,  President Theodore Roosevelt becomes the  first U.S.  president to take flight in an airplane.   Many other interesting things happened on October 11th,  so check them out.

Faces of sin…

TerrellAfterMath has used a bit of Photo Shop wizardry to revisit the seven deadly sins by  putting faces  to the sins.  I find Rich Terrell’s  selections entirely appropriate.   What say you?

 

 

More proof…

…of how difficult it is to teach liberal areas of the country a damned thing.   Seattle prides itself on its tolerance and inclusion,  but in incidents such  as this,  I feel the urge to smack the cyclist and to tell the pedestrian to carry a walking staff so she can defend herself.   It is impossible to teach consideration to a jackass,  and hopeless to make a victim grasp that government is not responsible for every aspect of her well-being and safety in life.   I hope the victim does sue,  and that the cruddy rider loses bigly,  as Trump might say.   It won’t fix the real problem with either of them or with the city of Seattle,  but you have to start somewhere,  don’t you?