SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT:

THIS DATE – Why is March 4th so significant?  Starting with George Washington's second inaugural,  March 4th became the official date for the inauguration of the president.  There were exceptions.  If March 4th fell on a Sunday, the inauguration would be held on a Monday.  Or, in the case of the death or resignation of a president, the new president was sworn in immediately.  The official date was changed to January 20th, in time for Franklin D. Roosevelt's second inaugural in 1937.   It was felt that the March 4th date had been appropriate in an age of slow travel, but was obsolete in the new age of fast trains and faster planes.  We still make the change more slowly than many other countries.  In Britain, if the prime minister is tossed out of office by a national election, the new chap usually moves into the official residence at 10 Downing Street the next day.  Doesn't even get a paint job.

OUTRAGEOUS – FROM FOX:  Amazon continues to generate headlines for canceling content that doesn’t coincide with its liberal politics, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas appears to be the latest victim.
The documentary film about Thomas, "Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words," was removed from Amazon’s streaming service last month, and the filmmaker said he was never given an explanation.
"What Amazon has done is a disservice to anyone—black or white—who is interested in the rich history of black Americans," Wall Street Journal columnist Jason L. Riley wrote about the decision.  The film features extensive interviews with Thomas and chronicles his journey from "the depths of poverty" to the Supreme Court and everything in between, including his contentious confirmation hearings where Anita Hill accused him of sexual harassment.   I thought this was the United States, where freedom of expression is cherished.  Apparently I was misinformed.

March 4, 2021