Smart bombs: Right v. Left

On Monday, the Supreme Court issued two 5-4 rulings. On Thursday it issued another. What are the odds that in all three cases the same five justices who swear they are merely reflecting the wishes of the Founding Fathers would disagree with the same four justices who swear they are doing the same?

As it turns out, pretty good.

We’re told by scholarly types that it’s wrong to read about cases and affix “conservative” and “liberal” labels to the justices, but if there’s a better predictor of how they will rule, I’d like to see it.

You’ve come along way, baby. A 1965 copy of The Spokesman-Review’s in-house newsletter was recently taped to the newsroom bulletin board. It included an item announcing the promotion of two women, with this headline:

“Promotions move Classifiedames.”

Time is money. At what point will it be so ridiculously convoluted to hand merchants money that consumers will revolt? I can remember taking a product to a cashier, handing over some method of payment and leaving.

Those were the days.

Now, we’re asked a growing number of questions as clerks punch in dozens of data points

“Do you have our preferred card? Can I have your phone number? Is there another number that might work? Do you want our card? What’s your ZIP code? Debit or credit? You can swipe your card now. No, the other way. No, the other way. I’ll just punch it in over here. Do you have another card? My computer screen is frozen, can you wait? I need to start over. What’s your phone number? What’s your ZIP code?”

Then after you’ve run the gantlet of questions, they tell you how much money you’ve saved.

Of course, they don’t add back the time you’ve spent being debriefed or watching them fumble around because they weren’t properly trained or their computers were outdated or upgraded.

None of this is the fault of clerks. They’re just doing their jobs.

The fault lies with managers who’ve decided to do inventory and marketing on your time.

Near nature, near birdies. Saw this ad on a city bus for a golf course: “Golf as nature intended.”

Now that’s what I call bringing all the stakeholders to the table.