I’ve just returned from a working weekend at Daytona. I did not have time to go to the beach, or anywhere else for that matter since the RV park inside the speedway was made available for us. It was wonderful to be there last weekend. The weather was ideal – low 70’s with a slight breeze and enough clouds now and then to make you appreciate them for the bit of shade they offered. Everyone I worked with wore a mask, was vaccinated and had trouble understanding the publicity about those that resist.

“They will all die off eventually” was the most commonly voiced reaction and I heard none of the conspiracy theories that predated the 800,000 deaths which sort of silenced the nonsense. Maybe they’re all together somewhere talking about Trump’s comeback. Jim Jones could hook them up with a campground in Guyana which hasn’t been used much in a while.

Meanwhile the Jan. 6 commission grinds on and those of us who work in the legal field found no surprise in Wisconsin or Georgia so far as their murder trials went, but I would say that Alabama may have underestimated the Bulldog defense.

Legal trends are like moss on trees. They may appear overnight, but they aren’t going to change much of anything right away. I think the one to watch out for is the cause celeb of the far right at the moment – the Texas Abortion law scheme.

What a clever way to outmaneuver the Supreme Court. Don’t make it state action but allow instead private action with limited liability and then mobilize thousands of folks to sue providers and effectively nickel and dime them to death so that insurance is unaffordable and they stop.

If you have the dynamic in mind, and understand that it avoids constitutional scrutiny by taking state actors out of the process, your chest must just swell with pride at the cleverness this took 200 odd years to develop. Of course where it leads may not be all that pleasant.

If it turns out that states can now avoid Constitutional muster by simply turning every perceived wrong into a private grievance with legal teeth then those that oppose prayer in school will have a weapon to keep it out as will those who want to keep guns out of their state as well.

Don’t think the Second Amendment will save you from that day. It clearly says “Congress shall make no law…” and if California wants to make one then it can according to the new Texas way of things, which will get to be mighty interesting as the crazy quilt of public opinion shreds the unity that was once our nation and returns it to the ‘all politics is local’ regime of the special interests. No, I’m not joking, the Supreme Court has a Constitutional crisis on its doorstep and there is no one to pass the buck to. If they let this go, and just say its up to the states, then so is everything else if the laws are written for private causes of action. Filling in the gaps left by COVID with willing workers may not be such an easy task as it turns out if the “Help Wanted” signs I saw everywhere are to be believed.

Gas was cheap, the sun was pleasant and most things seemed to be right with the world. I’ve gotten used to wearing a mask and didn’t mind being the only guy in the filling station with one on soon enough. We’ve been worn down by it anyway. Not to the point we don’t care, just to the point of being tired of arguing about it.

Junior won’t stop peeling out of the driveway? When the car needs new tires, then let Junior buy them or the car just sits. That’s what this pandemic has done for us; not divided us, and not especially united us either, just beamed the security light on our actions for all to see.

Someone said to me today that they will be glad when this will all be over and we can go back to being normal.

“What makes you think this will ever be all over?” I asked them. They didn’t have an answer.

Spring is coming, pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training before you know it. I’ll be ready this year. The Cubs are going to win it all, I can just feel it.