SEQUESTER

The Oscars were last night. Don't ask us who won. In an effort to re-adjust to EST, we were asleep before the curtain rose.  Our picks: Lincoln as best pic, Daniel Day Lewis as best actor. Argo over rated.  Silver Linings Playbook is our favourite. An underdog sleeper. Just like one of our all time favourites that was a surprise upset Oscar sleeper winner: Marty in 1955 with Ernest Borgnine. If you haven't read Paddy Chayefsky - who won the Oscar for best screenplay for Marty, well, shame on you. In fact, that would make us "mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore"  (Chayefsky also wrote the screen play for Network for which he won his third Oscar.)

SEQUESTER: What does it mean for you?
Less money in the economy just when the economy was recovering. 600,000 women and children cut off from nutritional aid by WIC. 800,000 civilian employees of the pentagon getting furloughs amounting to a 20% cut in their income. Perhaps a third of air traffic controllers furloughed. Long delays at airports. USDA food inspectors furloughed, meaning higher food prices since many food products cannot be shipped for sale until passing inspection and if there are less inspectors, there will be less meat and vegetables available for sale. It's all no good. 


The Escobar trial rolls on with fits and starts, with the Herald and David Ovalle reporting and tweeting on Friday that a putative plea deal hit the rocks when one of the two defendants wouldn't- or more likely couldn't- complete a plea colloquy. The case is before Judge Firtel. Rumour is that this is his last criminal trial. 

VOTING RIGHTS ACT: Up for oral argument before the Supreme Court this week, as Alabama and other southern States argue to the Supreme Court that we hardly need the protections of a 1964 law in an age where an African American is President. The SCOTUS Blog has the details of the constitutional challenges (amendments 10, 14, and a rare 15th amendment challenge as well as an Article IV analysis). 

The Pope steps down this week. What does a retired Pope do? Not really sure, but consider this strange fact: we commonly refer to "THE" Vatican and "THE" Bronx. Not many other places begin with "THE". Just a thought. 

See You In Court. It's nice to be back.