Dec 272010
 

Today I caught up on replying to comments.  When I can, I will post articles in the morning when I’m still fresh.  I feel good about being back in full time blogging mode.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:07 (4:42 average).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Religious Ecstasy:

DenWeek16

Short Takes:

From The Independent: Scientists have established a link between the cold, snowy winters in Britain and melting sea ice in the Arctic and have warned that long periods of freezing weather are likely to become more frequent in years to come.

An analysis of the ice-free regions of the Arctic Ocean has found that the higher temperatures there caused by global warming, which have melted the sea ice in the summer months, have paradoxically increased the chances of colder winters in Britain and the rest of northern Europe.

But the Republican Party still tries to prove that this is a myth.

From McClatchy DC: Grand jury weighs evidence of conspiracy in Tiller murder.

This is way past due.  Let’s start with Beck, Limbaugh, and the leadership of the Republican Party.

From AP/Google: Republican Joe Miller said he won’t stand in the way of Sen. Lisa Murkowski being certified the winner of Alaska’s U.S. Senate race, but he vowed to not end his legal fight over the state’s handling of the vote count.

It will be interesting to see how she acts, since she no longer owes allegiance to the Republican Party.

Cartoon:

Clay Bennett

OGIM!

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Dec 262010
 

Today I’m quite tired after the effort of cooking a complete Christmas dinner yesterday without an adequate kitchen.  Sadly, the lady I fed left her sanity at home, and I listened to several hours of delusion.  I tried to talk her down, but it was like trying to reason with a Teabagger.  It’s such a slow time for news that all I have is this Open Thread and our poll results.  We’ll see what tomorrow brings.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 5:02 (average 6:01).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

(Th)ink

May the Orb bless your team!

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Dec 252010
 

Today will be a very light day.  On a personal front, a couple people came to last night’s CoDA meeting, so that made it worth having it on Christmas Eve.  Today I’ll be making a big dinner and sharing it with a neighbor more disabled than I.  About tomorrow, it’s a holy day in the Church of the Ellipsoid Orb.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:13 (average 4:43).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Steve Kelley

Did you get what you wanted?

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Dec 242010
 

It’s Christmas Eve, so if you do not get back tomorrow, a very Merry Christmas (inclusive of other related holidays) to you all.  With Congress gone and most of the major pundits on vacation, it’s a slow time for news.  Unless something major breaks, this article and the one above it will be it for today.  There are no Short Takes.  As for me, I slept poorly last night, so I’ll be trying to catch a Z or three  before tonight’s CoDA meeting.  I will post a Christmas article tomorrow.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:14 (average 4:43).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Steve Benson

What’s on tomorrow’s menu?

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Dec 232010
 

Today I replied to comments and did my research early, because my grocery order will be delivered within the next two hours.  The less I have to do afterwards the better, because it always wipes me out.  Tomorrow, I’ll want to rest as much as I can, because I co-chair the CoDA group tomorrow night.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:24 (average 5:18).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From CBS: A letter has been signed by every returning Democratic senator urging Majority Leader Harry Reid to push for filibuster reform in the New Congress.

Keep the heat on them!

From AP/Google: Congress failed to pass a bill before adjourning that would have barred most federal departments from punishing employees who report corruption, waste and mismanagement.

The whistle-blower protection bill cleared the House on Wednesday evening, but died in the Senate as time expired on the lame duck session.

That means that for the next two years, Congress will investigate and condemn left wing whistle blowers and ignore right-wing ones.

From Washington Post: The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission issued a draft order approving Comcast’s proposed merger with NBC Universal on Thursday, putting the deal up for vote before the agency’s other members.

Argh! Sad smile  I hope the DOJ investigation and report does not concur.

Cartoon:

Paul Szep

Are travelling for the Christmas holidays?  Be safe!

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Dec 222010
 

Today I hoped to get some visiting in, but I got tied up dealing with the steps needed to start a program to quit smoking about a month from now.  I’m not looking forward to that.  I did reply to comments, though.  Tomorrow my posts may be up late, because I have a month’s grocery order being delivered in the morning.  Putting it all away is often a taxing event.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 5:01 (average 5:49).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Business Insider: Is Brian Moynihan worried about something (perhaps related to Wikileaks) or is Bank of America just practicing some prudent defensive brand management.

According to Domain Name Wire, the bank recently registered BrianMoynihanBlows.com, BrianMoynihanSucks.com, BrianTMoynihanBlows.com, and BrianTMoynihanSucks.com so that nobody else can get them first. They also registered .net and .org versions.

What about bites?

From Think Progress:

The New York Daily News is reporting that, after a marathon negotiating session late last night and continuing into this morning, Senate Democrats have struck a deal to pass the 9/11 first responders bill with Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK), who has been blocking the bill because of its cost. Coburn, along with fellow-obstructionist Sen. Mike Enzi (R-WY), managed to extract huge concessions, bringing the total compensation package to $4.3 billion, down from an original pool of over $7 billion. The “time span was also significantly limited to five years each for the health treatment program.”

Since I clipped the article, it passed on a voice vote.  Also, START just passed.  Republicans would have caved on taxes too.

From TPM: "Repealing DOMA, getting ENDA [a bill to protect LGBT people from discrimination] done, those are things that should be done," Obama told The Advocate the night before signing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal into law. "I think those are natural next steps legislatively. I’ll be frank with you, I think that’s not going to get done in two years. We’re on a three- or four-year time frame unless there’s a real transformation of attitudes within the Republican caucus."

That won’t happen, but I look forward to “Ask, Tell, I do” for LGBT folks.

Cartoon:

Nick Anderson

This hump day, humping is suspended.  Congress is leaving DC.

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Dec 212010
 

I’m pleased to announce Ron Wyden’s successful cancer surgery.

21wyden

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is recovering from prostate cancer surgery.

His staff quoted the surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore as saying Monday that "everything went perfect. The patient is recovering well."

Wyden expects to be released Tuesday and will recuperate at his home in Washington.

Wyden said last week that the early-stage cancer was discovered after a physical in November…

Inserted from <Washington Post>

Best wishes to Ron for a speedy recovery and to his family for a wonderful Christmas and New Year.  I’m thankful that, despite this, he stuck it out to vote for DADT and Dream, unlike that accursed WV DINO, who ducked out to attend a family Christmas party.

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Dec 212010
 

I kept up with comments today, but was still too busy to get visiting in.  I shall this year!  Plus, my body has not yet adjusted to my sleeping schedule change.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:10 (average 4:08).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Lefty Bloggers Plus Report – Playoff Semifinals:

21LBPSemis

Short Takes:

From The Guardian: Julian Assange is understood to have sold his memoirs, to publishers Canongate in the UK and Knopf in the US. The news leaked appropriately enough via a tweet from Spanish publisher Random House Mondadori, with head of the literary division Claudio Lopez telling the world that "Manuscrito listo en marzo" — the manuscript will be ready in March.

That should be most interesting.  Do you think he’s mad that it leaked?

From ABC: The momentum to pass START continued to gain speed today when Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-GA, and Sen. Bob Bennett, R-UT, announced their support for the pact, giving Democrats – on paper at least – enough votes for ratification.

The vote will come tomorrow. Kerry says that have the votes.

From Computer World: Apple yesterday pulled an iPhone app from the App Store that let users read secret U.S. diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks and follow the controversial organization’s Twitter feed.

Boycott CrApple!

Cartoon:

Mike Luckovich

Tuesday is No Teabuggery Day.  Have a Coffee cup!

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