Friday, November 22, 2013

Happy Friday before Black Friday.

Well, sorta--given that the retailers have decided to ignore Thanksgiving almost entirely.  As I have noted before: if those guys and gals had to depend on me for their profits they would go belly up real fast.  I noticed that Wal-mart has posted a big loss for the third quarter and predicts a less than stellar fourth.  I would love to see some retailer decide to close on Thanksgiving claiming that they did't make enough to justify being open.  But it won't happen.  Too many of us would prefer jostling in the crowds for putative bargains to a relaxing holiday.  Not here, though.  We will be home enjoying our day without the crowds, the noise, and the exhortations to buy beyond our needs, wishes, or means.

So, Harry Reid finally exercised the "nuclear option."  Good.  I have never understood why the Senate should require a "super-majority" to get anything done.  I rather agree with this opinion at the NY Times.  If a minority feels some appointment is not wise or good, let them persuade enough of the majority into voting with them.  That is how democracy is supposed to work.  I notice that Reid targeted the measure: all nominations except to the Supreme court and not normal legislation.  That seems to be a bit short of a truly nuclear option.  The Founding Fathers were well aware of the threat of a tyranny of the majority but they also recognized the possibility of a tyranny of a minority.  We have seen that in spades over the last decade from both parties.  I hope that the firebrands of both parties can put out the fire and find some middle ground.

I remarked this morning concerning the weather person's comments about our temps getting "cold" that the mid to high 30s predicted for next week didn't seem so bad considering it is late November.  Then I saw this CBS report about the heat wave in southern California, Nevada, and Arizona.  That along with the floods I saw on the morning news--sheesh!!

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