5. Numbering, Succeeding, Second Chances, Credits

I honestly haven't much to say today, but I am trying to keep in the habit of a post a day, at a minimum, and probably, preferably at a maximum as well. So, this is today's.

Starting today, I will be numbering the posts. There have been 4 so far, so this one is numbered 5. Simple enough. Every one has a filing system, whether it is alpha or numeric oriented, or some combination thereof. One of my favorite books from childhood was "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler." [As an aside, I think when citing the title of a book, a writer is supposed to underline the title, rather than insert it in quotes as I have done. However, I can not figure out how to do that, so the quotations marks will have to suffice]. Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, as I recall, had filed something, an art object of Michelangelo's, under "Bologna." The story was made into a movie at some point, although I do not recall the title. It had to do with a brother and sister running away to some New York museum, maybe the MOMA. I never saw the movie, but I recall the book from elementary school with fondness. So, my numbering system will be easy enough.

On succeeding. I do not mean what you may have had in mind. Over the weekend, the name of Andrew Horne was mentioned to me in a specific way. Today, that of Jack Conway was mentioned in the same context. Both want to succeed, at least according to those doing the speaking. But the succession isn't at something, but rather to something, the object of their alleged desire being the Office of the Jefferson County Attorney, currently held by Irv Maze, who is a candidate for Lieutenant Governor on a slate with the current State Treasurer Jonathan Miller. For the record, I am supporting these folks in this endeavor. That is I am supporting Miller and Maze. I've taken no position on Horne or Conway. That decision will be left to the Mayor of the Louisville-Jefferson County Metro, if I understand the laws of succession correctly, and then only if Messrs. Miller and Maze win their race for the top two offices in the Commonwealth, which I am helping them to do. In Great Britain, they have lists telling you exactly who is in line. At one time Al Haig professed to know such a line as it pertained to Washington, D. C. and the governance of the Republic. He didn't. Here in Kentucky, we have occassionally convoluted laws which determine who is in line and who gets to tell them so.

In another post, I mentioned we all give and get second chances. I was asked today about the Run-Off provision in Kentucky law, as it pertains to the nomination process of a slate of candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, one such as Miller and Maze, the candidates I mentioned above. Those provisions giving some losers a second bite at the apple, I have learned after some discussion with another person here in the office, are thankfully outlined in law. The long and short of it is a slate must receive 40% or more of the vote to avoid such a run-off, assuming there are more than two slates. If there are only two slates, whichever slate wins is awarded the nomination. As you progress through the statutes, the "ifs" get more numerable, like Touchstone's seven degrees of differences of opinions. And then there is a word which may throw panic into the situation. It is "conclusion." If there are contests to an election, the run-off is to be held after the "conclusion" of such contests. In 2004, a race for the State Senate was contested and wasn't decided until February 14, 2006. No "ifs, ands, or buts" are made for such an extended contest. Hopefully, we can avoid such a problem this May.

Finally, a few days ago I spoke of my maternal grandmother's mother Rachel. Today being the 8th of January, in fairness I must speak of my paternal grandmother, Grace Irene Lee Noble, as this would have been her 92nd birthday. I wrote of her once on another blog, on the topic of the Death Penalty. Some day I will revisit the subject, but not today.

By the way, there has been no snow today. We'll give the weather forecasters another chance.