iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

JD Vance goes after Microsoft, and no, he can't be trusted an inch on that subject either.

Screenshot reading, "“There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has abused the system more than Microsoft,” said Vance. To support his claim, he pointed to Microsoft laying off 6,000 workers last year, while “at the same time benefitting from 6,300 H-1B visas and almost 3,000 green cards,” he said. “In other words, if you do the math, for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replaced that worker with one-and-a-half indentured servants.”

For context, Microsoft has 121,000 employees in the United States. Nothing in that data suggests that the company’s immigrant workers hold the same positions as those who were laid off, or that there was any deliberate “replacement.” Vance also does nothing to distinguish “replacement” hirings of immigrants from regular turnover or entirely new roles. He lumps them all together and draws a misleading connection to company-wide layoffs.

A bigger problem with Vance’s claim is that four-fifths of Microsoft’s immigrant workers weren’t even hired last year, when they supposedly “replaced” Americans. The company explains, “Of the approximately 6,000 H-1B visa applications we submitted in the last fiscal year, 80% were to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees. These were not to hire new people.'"

Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 11/10/2026

Georgian bean and walnut stew with onions, vinegar, and cilantro on top, spicing is coriander and blue fenugreek. Served with rice. Used @ranchogordo.bsky.social Occhio Della Capra beans. #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

On a black stovetop, bean stew and rice in separate copper pots.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Roasted squash and grapes from Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories by Naz Deravian. Plenty of onions and brown rice on the side keep it from being too candy-like. #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

Orange cubes, brown spheres and rice on plate.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Here's what I wrote in 2018 about Alito's claim of an inevitable collision course between freedom to marry and liberty of religion. It wasn't true when civil marriage came in, nor when civil divorce came in, and it isn't true now. www.cato.org/commentary/g...

Screenshot reading: "This “inevitable conflict with religious liberty” argument—which Justice Alito touched on in his Obergefell dissent—is unsound, most notably because any high-court majority inclined to overturn Obergefell would also have the votes to apply the First Amendment directly to secure whatever religious objectors’ rights it thought necessary to vindicate. Still, the argument underscores an additional reason to hope that in its consideration of objectors—bakers, florists, photographers and the rest—the court takes care to respect both pluralism and liberty."

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Dean Blundell: "That’s not a campaign promise....The President of the US told 11.8 million Americans that federal help depends on whether they vote for his guys....Ohio just got a taste of what it’s like to be treated as a hostage instead of a state." deanblundell.substack.com/p/trump-high...

Screenshot reading: "Let’s start with the part that should have led every newscast in America, and somehow got buried under the swearing.

Trump told the crowd that Ohio’s Republican officials call him all the time asking for money for the state. Then he made it clear that if Ohioans elect Democrats, that phone stops getting answered. On Amy Acton, the Democrat running for governor, he said it straight: “But I’m not going to help her.”"

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Seeking to rein in Maryland's high housing costs, Gov. Wes Moore leans into permitting reform.

Screenshot reading: "“When permits get stuck, projects don’t get built. It’s that easy,” Moore said. “If red tape is a thing that keeps shovels from getting in the ground, if permitting is a thing that keeps people from becoming homeowners, then we have a fundamental problem that we need to fix.”"

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Wild defamation case via Volokh: "Apparently angry that his mother wasn't invited to [his estranged sister's] wedding, [the plaintiff] enlisted a former Marine Corps buddy with shaky mental health ("Sprague") to drive from Las Vegas to Moab, Utah, and cause mischief at the wedding...."

Screenshot reading: "For his part, Sprague had a bizarre collection of wedding-crasher supplies. When arrested, he had a flying squirrel (sugar glider), an antique bird cage, a custom-built chess set, biodegradable glitter boots for his costume, glitter "bombs" or "balms," nun chucks, a homemade slingshot, a broken arrow, a working arrow, a bow, walkie-talkies, a camera, party supplies (party hats and napkins), and mixed Tannerite {a stable explosive that is often sold at sporting goods stores}. {Sprague described the glitter as his own invention made from coconut oil, mango butter, beeswax, and essential oils. He claims to have brought multiple colors, shapes, sizes, and scents including "dude ones" and "girl ones." He also claims to sell them to reduce microplastics in the world.}"

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

And meanwhile -- surprise! -- Trump's comments today help to dig him deeper into a different hole of illegality (same NYT report)

Screenshot reading: "Mr. Trump’s claim in his social media post that he would pay for the ads “myself” through his super PAC is likely to add fodder to another formal complaint against the president.

A campaign watchdog group, the Campaign Legal Center, accused Mr. Trump of violating federal election laws by directing his super PAC in a complaint to the Federal Election Commission because of his previous claims to control the super PAC.

Mr. Trump has referred to the super PAC’s funds as “my money that I control” in the past.

Federal law bars federal office holders from directing spending decisions for a political organization with no contribution limits, such as a super PAC."

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Spaghetti squash topped with a Carol Field kale-walnut pesto. #Cooksky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

Dish with spaghetti-like mass topped by nubbly green sauce.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Fall is here: baked Bosc pears, slightly sugared before baking and then topped for the table with crushed spekulatius cookie crumbs. #FoodSky #CookSky #BlueskySupperClub

Three cooked pear sections topped with brown crumbs on small green and white plate.

Baked pears in Pyrex dish, peeled, cored and quartered.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

First soup of the fall: chicken soup with shredded leeks and cabbage, cooked white rice added at table. #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

Pink and white bowl containing soup and spoon.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

In honor of the new season of Great British Baking Show, two Cornish saffron yeast cakes. #GBBS #GBBO #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

Two currant cakes, one cut open to reveal a spotted slice, other loaves and wrapping cloths visible in background.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It was a completely new experience to write for a comic-book format and start thinking in terms of panels, balloons, insets, and guidance to the artists. Cato's Illustrated Supreme Court Review assigned me Citizens United v. FEC (2010), along with its sequel this term NRSC v. FEC.

Two comic book panels. In the top one, a lawyer addresses four Supreme Court justices including Antonin Scalia, Ruth Ginsberg, and Samuel Alito. Inset box text: "Perhaps the key moment during the argument came when the lawyer for the government conceded that yes, this law could ban a book." Alito, holding book: "What about a book instead of a video? If a book was the functional equivalent of a campaign ad, could it be banned?" Lawyer: "I think it would be constitutional to do that." Scalia, holding Bill of Rights: "I'm a little disoriented here. Our Constitution says that Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press." Inset box text: "That answer sent shockwaves through the courtroom. From then on, the momentum was with Team Free Speech."

Panel two, depicting lawyer Ted Olson ("no relation"). Inset box text: "Lawyers for Citizens United argued that their client would have to guess what content in the film would sound too much like a campaign message..." Olson speech bubble: "The government said even one bad minute in a 90-minute video could make the whole thing illegal. Where does my client edit? Which cuts should he make so he won't have to go to jail?"

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

For a bring-along, Steve made soft rustic milk buns from Bottom of the Pot: Persian Recipes and Stories by Naz Deravian. The filling includes chopped walnuts, cardamom, turmeric and brown sugar. #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

Buns on black wire cooling rack, four of them whole plus slices to show filling. Apples in background are not used in recipe.

Book cover: Bottom of the Pot:Persian Recipes and Stories by Naz Deravian with photo of rice dish.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

George Will says the Constitution aims for senators to be independent of mind, not mere cat's paws of a president. A senator from South Carolina should also appreciate that international trade, which Trump despises and disrupts, has done much to advance the prosperity of the Palmetto State.

Screenshot: "Thanks partly to Charleston’s busy port, South Carolina now has a manufacturing economy, many of whose products are exported. The president’s tariff fixation provokes other nations’ retaliations, disrupts trade flows and injures this state. Volvo, Mercedes and BMW are among the more than 1,100 international operations in the state. Five foreign tire companies producing more than 100,000 tires a day in South Carolina account for almost a third of all U.S. tire exports."

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A bit of an experiment: at Cato's request I recorded a two-minute "walk and talk" video in which I try to explain the Supreme Court's opinion on mail voting.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I sent this to Cato as my statement on this evening’s Supreme Court decision rejecting Trump’s mail voting rule.

Screenshot reading, "A 7-2 vote at least got the job done, though the vote should really have been 9-0. A majority of the Supreme Court has refused to approve the Trump administration’s rule refusing to carry ballot mail for states unless they comply with various requirements that have threatened to throw the process into chaos as midterms approach. The majority barely explained its decision. Dissenting Justice Alito, joined by Thomas, showed undue credulity toward the administration’s dubious factual claims as to compliance burdens and the rule’s nonexistent security rationale. Alito also strained the legal materials to spare USPS a test for arbitrary and capricious conduct that it would rightly have flunked, and to suggest rather ungraciously that it is somehow states’ own fault that it’s too late in the day for them to comply.

"Let’s hope this spells an end to this bad rule. Congress is unlikely to authorize it by law, and the President lacks authority to do it on his own."

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Leftover eye of round becomes a very successful beef hash with chopped onions and peppers, a little bechamel sauce, and a bit of parsley and tomato. Cast iron pot on stovetop most of the way, then broiled with a crispy breadcrumb topping. #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

Beef hash on plate, some flecks of red and green.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

[News: Trump seen grooming Vance as heir apparent] Pop-u-list, You're gonna be pop-u-list I'll teach you the greatest lies How to demonize Little ways to strut and pounce I'll show you my martyr shtick, Hating Fake News (ick!), Everything that really counts To be pop-u-list [Apologies Wicked]

Vance and Trump shake hands against blue background of GOP midterm convention

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Homemade lunch: spaghetti with bottarga (pressed mullet roe) and mint from the garden #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Launch party for Stephanie Slade’s new book Fusionism, introduced by Reason editor in chief Katherine Mangu-Ward and by Gene Meyer, whose father Frank Meyer forged the concept. Right now Gene is deconstructing the catchphrase about “knowing what time it is.”

Two women in black dresses and an older man in a sport coat and tie, lined up as a panel in front of a window. The first, Reason editor Katherine Mangu-Ward, holds a microphone.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Now this sounds like the Republicans I once knew: /1

Screenshot: "“I feel very strongly about the federal government coming in and taking our guns,” Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming, a Republican, told state officials after monitors demanded, and were denied, access to voting machines. “And I don’t like the federal government coming in and taking our votes, either.”"

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

The Cato Institute asked me for a statement on the latest whistleblower allegations concerning mail voting and the U.S. Postal Service. Here's my response.

Screenshot of following: "Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies, said:

"The most concerning allegation is that the USPS is considering a batch rejection protocol under which thousands of valid ballots could be set aside undelivered to qualified voters if even one in the batch fails to match a compiled list that itself will almost certainly harbor inaccuracies. The danger now is that an administration led by avowed opponents of mail voting will find a means to suppress a great deal of it, with ordinary voters not even knowing what is happening. What's more, mail ballot rejections for lateness rose markedly in many states during this primary season, suggesting a slowing of USPS delivery speed. It's no surprise that civic groups and some states themselves have begun to route around damage, so to speak, by urging voters to use lock boxes, election office drop off, and other early voting methods not susceptible to unreliable handling or outright sabotage originating in Washington."

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Almost entirely local lunch: okra with tomatoes, onions, olive oil and a lot of buttered bread crumbs, finished off in the oven #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

Dish with green, red and other food items.

Cast iron pot with okra and bread crumb dish.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

An old favorite, pasta with Italian frying peppers, which were abundant at the farmers market. A fairly spartan treatment, with garlic and olive oil but no tomato and no cheese. #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

No, it doesn't "vindicate" Trump's scheme on mail-in balloting. To find a lower court entered an injunction too soon in no way endorses the scheme's substance, whose merits are already back in court. Good grief. (From the Free Press morning news roundup) @thefp.com www.thefp.com/p/is-america...

Screenshot of Free Press excerpt, "On Wednesday, a federal judge cleared the way for the U.S. Postal Service to restrict mail-in voting in future elections. The decision, coming just months before the midterm elections, vindicates the Trump administration’s efforts, which had previously been blocked by a court order."

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Something new and good: Lebanese pumpkin kibbeh (Steve used butternut squash) on a savory chard/chickpea filling. Bulgur, allspice, cinnamon, cayenne figure among ingredients; balsamic stood in for pomegranate molasses. From Hadia’s Lebanese food site. #Vegan #FoodSky #CookSky #BlueskySupperClub

Large tan squares of kibbeh in a paper-lined baking dish.

Square of pumpkin kibbeh in a dish with filling visible underneath.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Puglia lentils from @ranchogordo.bsky.social with local kale, garlic, butter and a bit of sherry vinegar #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

Pink and white dish with appetizing green and brown contents, fork visible at side.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Trump has threatened to sue the left-leaning @americanprogress.bsky.social (CAP) and its donors over a study it published questioning the benefits of his National Guard deployment. I'm proud that Cato's president is speaking out against this act of intimidation. "We stand with CAP." /1

Cato Institute graphic with text "Disagreements on matters of policy should be settled through open inquiry, evidence, and debate -- not threats designed to silence criticism. We stand with CAP in defending the fundamental American principle of free speech." -- Peter Goettler President and CEO Cato Institute with picture of Goettler

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

For my birthday dinner I requested one of Steve’s fish soups, and this might have been the most delicious yet. It has 3 kinds of fish, shrimp, saffron, tomato, white pepper, potatoes, fennel and its chopped tops, white wine, and orange peel, based on a shrimp-shell stock. So good. #CookSky #FoodSky

Pink and white soup plate with red soup and spoon alongside.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Summer vegetables sautéed and tossed with orzo. Seasonings include thyme, basil and bay leaf. #FoodSky #CookSky #BlueskySupperClub

Pot with green and red vegetables and white orzo.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

#MACoCon panel on immigration with Sahana Mukherjee of Pew Charitable Trusts, Jonathan Smith of the MD AG’s office, and deputy director Mari Dorn-Lopez of the Governor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Sen. Clarence Lam moderates.

Four panelists with dark curtain behind and name placards in front.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Hungarian-style oxtail soup with paprika, cabbage, cumin, garlic, aromatics. #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Quick weeknight gumbo with stored roux from the fridge, a cube of frozen chicken stock, bell peppers and okra, turmeric rice on side. #CookSky #FoodSky #BlueskySupperClub

Dish with red and green strips plus yellow rice.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Spaghetti with fresh tomatoes, herbs from the garden, and a good olive oil. Not cooked except for the spaghetti, but the cut up tomatoes are set aside to macerate in salt for a half hour before going into the sauce. #FoodSky #CookSky #BlueskySupperClub

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

On #NCSLSummit federalism panel, Maryland Del. David Moon mentions the bill he introduced - scoffed at initially, but later passed - to enable the state to put liens on federal property for unpaid sums owed. Utah House Rep. Ken Ivory says he’d like to borrow that idea for Utah. #Bipartisanship

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Among the hardest hit American industries are machinery and appliances (owing in part to stiff steel and aluminum duties) as well as apparel. Regionally, coastal areas pay most, although the Great Lakes had the biggest percentage rise. /5

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Another chart, with data from mid-sized firms, tracks the rapid rise in sums paid to the government under tariffs, with a giant rise in 2025 followed by a noticeable retreat. /4

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Ms. Mac starts with a chart illustrating one of the reasons effective tariff rates are below the announced levels: buyer behavior adjusts. /3 #NCSLSummit2026

Chart distinguishing between pre-subscription tariff rates and effective rates after behavior adjustments by consumers and others.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

NCSL session “A Year of Tariffs: Where States Are Now“ with Troy Waymaster, Kansas State Rep., and Chi Mac, Business Research Director, JPMorgan Chase Economics /1

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Resolution and amendment unanimously approved by @ncslorg.bsky.social Elections and Redistricting Committee. The amendment in particular, drafted by Maryland Sen. Cheryl Kagan, takes a strong stand against federal interference with states’ responsibilities to maintain voter rolls. /1

Screenshot of resolution, alt text not immediately available

Screenshot of amendment, alt text not immediately available.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Susan Urahn of Pew Charitable Trusts leads an #NCSL session “How To Disagree Better: Leading In Polarized Times”. Panelists include Govs. Pritzker (Illinois) and Kevin Stitt (Oklahoma) and legislative leaders Matt Huffman (Ohio) and Joanna McClinton (Pennsylvania) #NCSLSummit @ncslorg.bsky.social

Graphic listing speakers Stitt, Pritzker, McClinton, Huffman.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

So good: Devil Dawgs on State Street in the South Loop. Their smash slider is my favorite hamburger of the year and the hot dog casing had a satisfying snap.

Square yellow store sign reading Devil Dawgs dogs burgers fries shakes with drawing of devil spearing hot dog with pitchfork. Background is blue sky and tail building.

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Yet another free trade poster: "Keep the Wolf from the Workman's Door By Sticking To Free Trade." /3

Political poster with message "Keep the Wolf from the Workman's Door By Sticking To Free Trade" and illustration of wolf marked "Protection" at door

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Another free trade poster: "Money Buys More Under Free Trade -- Men Should Vote Liberal" /2

Political poster with group of men and message: "Money Buys More Under Free Trade -- Men Should Vote Liberal"

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Liberal Party poster for the 1929 United Kingdom general election: "Free Trade Means Prosperity -- Vote Liberal." /1

Poster of longshoremen unloading ship with message: "Free Trade Means Prosperity -- Vote Liberal"

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Walter Olson @walterolson.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Oh, it’s time to start living, Time to take a little from this world we’re given, Time to take time! For Spring will turn to Fall, In just no time at all. Made time to catch the Signature Theatre production of Pippin in Arlington, Va., now at the end of its run.

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