All about the Benjamins?!

Some strange things are afoot in this little corner of heaven today, ye socks!

I suppose it's to be expected given the big tax deadline.

Driving home this afternoon, I actually spotted some folks in the vicinity of Lake Eola who apparently chose to mark the occasion by playing dress-up.

The lady dressed up like the Statue of Liberty cut a fine figure.

But, I think what I liked best were the three . . . yep, THREE . . . dudes who were portraying Benjamin Franklin.

I regret to report that none of them were engaged in kite flying . . .

Committees can be productive

As evidence, I submit to ye socks the result of a committee created by the Continental Congress.

On this date back in 1776, they returned a draft of the Declaration of Independence that won congressional approval.

Nowadays, it seems an all-too-often result of committee work is stonewalling, foot-dragging, and indecision. Or, worse, if ye examine the shenanigans of committee chairmen like Barney Frank.

Fortunately, our forefathers had the wisdom to appoint some pretty stellar committee members to handle the task of drafting the famous declaration:

* Thomas Jefferson, who did almost all of the actual writing and generally gets most of the credit (deservedly, so).

* John Adams, who made the first round of revisions.

* Benjamin Franklin, who made the second round of revisions.

* Robert R. Livingston, of whom I must confess that I know almost nothing about.

and, finally

* Roger Sherman (1721-1793) the dandy fellow from Connecticut, pictured here in the dryer today. Jefferson once said of his fellow committee member that he "never said a foolish thing in his life." Oh, how times have changed . . .