Politics Plus

Yesterday I slept most of the day, and when I finally surfaced, I felt well enough to do a little research and writing.  Although excessively brief, I’m current with replies.  Today is a high holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.

Jig Zone Puzzles:

Yesterday it took me 4:05 (average 4:57).  To do it, click here.  Today it took me 4:25 (average 5:20).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From You Tube: Hallelujah Corporations.

Hat Tip to Miss Kitty at Care2.

From LA Times: Members of the tea party movement that swept into power in 2010 may be anti-elitist in their rhetoric, but their personal finances tell a different story.

While the median average net worth in the U.S. House of Representatives was $755,000 in 2010, the comparable figure for the House Tea Party Caucus’ 60 members was $1.8 million, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

What better evidence could there be that the Teabaggers are top-down astro-turfed?

From Current: Keith’s Worst Persons for 1/5

There you have it: the Republican spectrum from criminal to nuts.

From Reuters: Employment growth accelerated last month and the jobless rate dropped to a near three-year low of 8.5 percent, the strongest evidence yet the economic recovery is gaining steam.

Nonfarm payrolls increased 200,000 in December, the Labor Department said on Friday. It was the biggest rise in three months and beat economists’ expectations for a 150,000 gain.

In spite of European difficulties, triggered in part by the Republican recession here, and in spite of Republican attempts to sabotage our economy at every turn,  measures taken by Democrats are finally beginning to bear some fruit.  Were it not for Republican interference, the recovery would be further along.

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Yesterday I rested, as I did not feel well.  Iowa dominated the news, of course.  I’m current with replies.  Tomorrow I plan to work helping a gent who was just released from prison.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:23 (average 4:38).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From CBS: Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, whose support in Iowa has withered after riding on top of the polls, on Tuesday called former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney a liar who would mislead the American people if elected to the White House – but added that he would still vote for him if Romney won the GOP nomination.

Am I the only one who considers this hypocritical?

From Mediaite: Surging presidential hopeful Rick Santorum is under fire for a remark at a campaign event Sunday in Sioux City, Iowa, where he apparently brought up the plight of black people completely out of the blue. Or did he?

According to reports, Santorum said ”I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money and provide for themselves and their families.”

Why single out black people? They just can’t hide that hateful Republican racism.

From Christian Science Monitor: The Pentagon appears to be on the cusp of abandoning a long-held strategic principle: that the US military should have the ability to wage two conventional wars simultaneously.

US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is expected to announce the results of a large-scale strategic overview Thursday that will instead call for the military to be able to fight one large conventional war, and act as a “spoiler” for potential enemies in any other conflict that might crop up.

The US has not had the ability to wage two simultaneous wars for years.  That’s why Bush couldn’t attack Iraq without insuring failure in Afghanistan stripping the forces from there.

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Yesterday was a day for football, not news, so I spent most of the day meditating upon the Ellipsoid Orb.  I would have preferred for the Broncos to win their way into the playoffs, and will be surprised if they make it out of the wildcard round.  I’m current with replies.  Today is the Rose Bowl.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:53 (average 5:10).  To do it click here.  How did you do?

Religious Agony:

Short Takes:

From Think Progress: Just weeks after the solar industry installed the one millionth system in Germany, the country’s solar trade association announced that the technology accounted for 3% of total energy generation in 2011 — increasing 60% over 2010 to 18.6 terawatt-hours (18.6 billion kilowatt-hours.)

Kudos to Germany.  The US should be investing in this, not war.

From Huffington Post: Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), who is expected to do very well in the Iowa caucuses this week, aggressively fended off accusations on Sunday that he has engaged in 9/11 conspiracy theories.

Have you ever noticed that, the more guilty he is, the more indigent he gets?

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Yesterday was another slow day for news, but I managed to keep busy with year end procedures, both on paper and on both computers.  I’m current with replies.  Today will be more of the same, plus I have errands to run.  plus it’s a holy day for the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.  I will be staying home tonight, and if you are going out to celebrate, please exercise care to stay safe.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:57 (average 5:09).  To do it click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From San Francisco Chronicle: Melody Barnes is leaving as White House chief domestic policy adviser at a time when President Barack Obama’s administration is getting little notice for its work on the home front to fix the struggling economy.

Barnes, who will be gone by Tuesday, is quick to point out that there have been many domestic achievements, even though the public is dissatisfied.

I hope he replaces her with a progressive.

From Alternet: US prosecutors are readying criminal charges against British oil giant BP employees over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident that led to the catastrophic Gulf oil spill…

The charges if brought and prosecuted by the US Justice Department would be the first criminal charges over the disaster.

Thai is certainly a positive development.  Sometimes we mistake the length of time it takes to prepare such cases, without discussing them, as inaction.

From Daily Kos: "The individual suffering from AIDS certainly is a victim—frequently a victim of his own lifestyle—but this same individual victimizes innocent citizens by forcing them to pay for his care," Paul wrote. …

…"Employee rights are said to be valid when employers pressure employees into sexual activity," Paul wrote. "Why don’t they quit once the so-called harassment starts? Obviously the morals of the harasser cannot be defended, but how can the harassee escape some responsibility for the problem? Seeking protection under civil rights legislation is hardly acceptable."

Paul, like his fellow Republicans are adopting insane positions.  The former reflects hatred for gay people.  The latter mistakenly assumes that changing jobs is an easy thing to do, and worse, it justifies harassment as condition for employment, by putting the onus on the victim.

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