Politics Plus

Yesterday I started working early to get my research done and as much written as possible in the morning, to free me for deep spiritual meditation on the holy Ellipsoid Orb for the rest of the day, with emphasis on the Denver/New England meeting in the evening.    The game was disappointing, because the Patriots outclassed the Bronco in every area.  They clearly deserved to win.  I can’t complain.  The Broncos made it to the conference semi-finals in what they always intended to be a rebuilding year with a brand new head coach and a brand new rookie Quarterback.  They outperformed expectations.  I’m current with replies.  WE are getting our first sow showers of the winter.  Tomorrow is another high holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:30 (average 4:50).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Final Religious Agony:

Short Takes:

From Crooks and Liars: An ongoing John Doe investigation into possible illegal activity by aides to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) expanded when Walker’s spokesperson, Cullen Werwie, was given prosecutorial immunity. Speculation as to the reasons for the immunity, which authorities haven’t revealed, don’t signal good news for Walker.

Werwie was Walker’s travelling press aide, giving him close access to Walkers day to day activities and communications.  It does not look good for Fartfuhrer Walker.

From USA Today: Geothermal energy developers plan to pump 24 million gallons of water into the side of a dormant volcano in Central Oregon this summer to demonstrate new technology they hope will give a boost to a green energy sector that has yet to live up to its promise.

They hope the water comes back to the surface fast enough and hot enough to create cheap, clean electricity that isn’t dependent on sunny skies or stiff breezes — without shaking the earth and rattling the nerves of nearby residents.

Once again, Oregon leads the way in environmentally sane practices.

From Common Dreams: Europe has been plunged into a fresh crisis after France was stripped of its coveted AAA credit rating in a mass downgrade of nine eurozone countries by the ratings agency Standard & Poor’s.

S&P said austerity was driving Europe even deeper into financial crisis as it also cut Austria’s triple-A rating, and relegated Portugal and Cyprus to junk status.

Now that Europe has demonstrated the failure of austerity, Republicans will be all the more anxious to institute it here.

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Yesterday I slept late.  I’m not surprised after covering New Hampshire and the Bonamici debate on the same day.  I spent some time organizing volunteer work, and I’ll be spending three days a month in the prison instead of two this year.  I’m current with replies.  I still have that paperwork to do today

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:45 (average 5:12).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From TPM: Pat Buchanan’s explanation for his problems at MSNBC is exactly what you might expect: “Militant gay rights groups” and “people of color, Van Jones” are responsible.

Bull! Buchanan is responsible,because he went on a ite supremacist radio show and spewed his racist filth to promote his book.

From AP/Google: It seemed a clockwork killing: Motorcycle riders flashed by and attached a magnetic bomb onto a car carrying a nuclear scientist working at Iran’s main uranium enrichment facility. By the time the blast tore apart the silver Peugeot, the bike was blocks away, weaving through Tehran traffic after what Iran calls the latest strike in an escalating covert war.

The attack — which instantly killed the scientist and fatally wounded his driver on Wednesday — was at least the fourth targeted hit against a member of Iran’s nuclear brain trust in two years. Tehran quickly blamed Israeli-linked agents backed by the U.S. and Britain.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton denied any U.S. role in the slaying, and the Obama administration condemned the attack. However, provocative hints from Jerusalem reinforced the perception of an organized and clandestine campaign to set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

This has all the earmarks of act of Israeli terrorism, but I have no doubt that there will be people blaming Obama.

From Think Progress: Five senators and 39 representatives received a perfect 100 percent score [Koch delinked] from the Koch brothers’ Astroturf group Americans For Prosperity for the first half of the 112th Congress. AFP judged Congress on their votes to protect the Koch brothers’ right-wing petrochemical empire [Koch delinked] on such issues as the repeal of President Obama’s new health care law, preempting EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases, Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget to end Medicare, ending ethanol subsidies, several Congressional Review Act resolutions of disapproval to overturn new regulations and the fiscal year 2012 appropriations bills.

Click through to find out who the corrupt Koch suckers are.

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Yesterday I slept late and took a long nap, so I did not get started on planned tasks.  That’s OK, I obviously needed the rest, and I got my research done.  I’m current on replies.  Today I still have that paperwork to do.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:29 (average 6:21).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The Guardian: Barack Obama has taken a big step towards preserving one of the world’s natural wonders, banning uranium mining on 1m acres of land around the Grand Canyon.

The move, announced by the interior secretary, Ken Salazar, at a film screening in Washington, bans new mining claims around the canyon for the next 20 years. The area is rich in uranium deposits.

I’ve been to the canyon enough times that I’m glad to see that unique vista is being protected, despite Republican attempts to despoil it.  Kudos to Obama.

From Crooks and Liars: How Georgia Republicans Teach Math

This represents Republican wishful thinking at it’s worst.

From Washington Post: Despite his absence from early primary coverage, Current TV’s Keith Olbermann will soon be part of the act.

In a tweet posted Sunday, the volatile anchor of the “Countdown” show said he would be “running the election coverage of Current” after Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary. On Monday, a Current representative confirmed Olbermann would host future coverage.

I’m glad to see this.  Current’s election coverage has been sub-par without their best at the helm.

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Yesterday I did not watch the Republican debate.  In this case, religion took the lead over politics.  It was a high holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb, and I was mediating on Texans, Bengals, Lions and Saints.  I’m current with replies.  Today is another high holy day and the meditation between the Broncos and Steelers will be televised here.  I’m long on hope, but short on faith.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:46 (average 4:47).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From MoveOn: How The Lives Of 2.5 Million Young People Changed on 1/1/2012

Obamacare is far short of perfect, but every story like this one makes me glad Obama cared.

From Washington Post: President Barack Obama is highlighting companies that have returned jobs to the U.S. and he says that’s one more way of putting people back to work.

The White House plans a forum Wednesday, called “Insourcing American Jobs,” that will bring together business leaders who shifted work back home. The president said Saturday in his weekly radio and Internet address that the event will discuss ways business leaders can return more jobs to the country.

I like this idea, because with so many corporate criminals giving business a bad name, it is fitting that companies that are doing right by American workers be recognized as such.

From NY Times: Now that the most polarized and paralyzed Congress in memory has managed to kill one of its most resilient boondoggles — the three-decade-old, multibillion-dollar subsidy for corn ethanol — we hope it has not exhausted its resolve and will take a hatchet to other harmful energy subsidies, chiefly those it gives to fossil fuels.

I have always considered it insane to waste tax dollars subsidizing the conversion of food to fuel, because it costs more that and pollutes more than gasoline, and because we need to use our food to feed people.  Now it’s time to end subsidies for ALL fossil fuels.

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