Politics Plus

Yesterday I was completely pooped, but still managed to keep up replies to comments.  I hope to do the same today, although I have errands to run and have just begun to unpack the things in my computer area to put it back together.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:39 (average 5:07).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Religious Agony:

Short Takes:

From The Guardian: WikiLeaks received a boost tonight when Switzerland rejected growing international calls to force the site off the internet.

The whistleblowers site, which has been publishing leaked US embassy cables, was forced to switch domain names to WikiLeaks.ch yesterday after the US host of its main website, WikiLeaks.org, pulled the plug following mounting political pressure.

Despite multiple claims that US operatives have been exposed and their lives put at risk by the leaks, I have seen no actual evidence that this is the case.  I have also seen no evidence that our national security has been threatened, beyond the embarrassment of officials, both US and foreign, who deserve it.

From Think Progress: As the world’s environmental ministers arrive in Cancun, Mexico, for the 19th year of negotiations to address global warming pollution, new climate disasters are killing people across the planet. The slow-moving climate talks are hobbled by insufficient ambition, and uncertainty over whether the United States or China — the world’s largest climate polluters — will follow through with their Copenhagen Accord commitments.

Wouldn’t it be great to be part of the solution instead of part of the problem?

From News Hounds: Get out your violins and your hankies. Poor Sean Hannity has not been invited to the White House Christmas party!

He’s actually offended!  For once the Obama White House is doing something right.  When you have a picnic, inviting a skunk is always a bad idea.

Cartoon:

OGIM!

Yesterday I replied to comments before leaving for my volunteer work at the prison.  It was a relaxing time of celebrating Christmas with carols.  I’m not sure why, but they dragged me to the front so I caterwauled until they went into hiding.  We also gave reports on two prisoners who were released recently and doing well.  We have another coming out in the beginning of February, and we look forward to that.  When I returned home, I went into research mode with no sleep, so my butt is dragging.  You may not see me around again until I do tomorrow night’s posting as I recover.  There are no short takes today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:39 (average 4:21).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Cartoon:

Watch the Senate tax cut votes tomorrow, in case I’m asleep.

Yesterday I waited for the landlord’s crew to patch my ceiling.  They finally came to do it near my bedtime.  I said no.  They had told me to be ready first thing in the morning, and I was.  I kept up to date with comments.  Today I may not, because I have a ton in work to do in preparation for tomorrow’s volunteer work at the prison.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:14 (4:17 average).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From The Guardian: The US struck its first blow against WikiLeaks after Amazon.com pulled the plug on hosting the whistleblowing website in reaction to heavy political pressure.

The company announced it was cutting WikiLeaks off yesterday only 24 hours after being contacted by the staff of Joe Lieberman.

I wonder why he didn’t pursue Scooter Libby too.

From Washington Post: The Obama administration announced Wednesday that it will not allow offshore oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico or off the Atlantic Coast through 2017, reversing two key policy changes the president embraced in late March.

The revised Interior Department drilling plan, which took industry officials and many environmentalists by surprise, will also delay the next two lease sales in the central and western Gulf of Mexico. It marks a sharp political shift by the White House – yanking concessions to conservatives and oil companies – in the wake of the massive BP oil spill and the collapse of comprehensive climate legislation.

A plus for a change.

From Think Progress: The Republican National Committee will soon hold elections to potentially replace its gaffe-prone chairman Michael Steele, and today, FreedomWorks held a forum for those vying for the job. All the candidates present — Steele was conspicuously absent — touted their fundraising ability, but Mike Duncan, a former chairman running for another term, took the opportunity to wax poetic about campaign finance. Despite the recent troubling and unprecedented explosion of money in politics, Duncan called money “the mother’s milk of politics,” and argued, “there is not enough money” in politics.

I’m appalled, but not surprised.

Cartoon:

Did the dog food commission puke up a furr ball or what>

Yesterday the workmen came and tore a 3’ X 6’ hole in my ceiling, but were unable to find the source of the leak.  With thick lathe and plaster construction, built late in the 19th century, the mess was considerable.  They cleaned up most of it, but I’m still finding chunks of plaster, even well away from the hole.  Nevertheless, I kept up replying to comments.  They will be back this morning to run the heat and try to find the leak with it running, so I have no idea what I will be able to do today.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:59 (average 4:23).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Lefty Bloggers Plus Report – Week 12:

Scores

They updated early.  You can see them here.

Standings

Team	W-L-T	Pct.	GB
Jay’s Team	8-4-0	0.667	0.0
Greensburg Wombats	8-4-0	0.667	0.0
Lionel Hutz + The H…	8-4-0	0.667	0.0
Recovering Republic…	8-4-0	0.667	0.0
Seahawks Rock	7-5-0	0.583	1.0
Teabuggery Trashers	7-5-0	0.583	1.0
Rob’s Roosters	6-6-0	0.500	2.0
Playin w/out a helm…	4-8-0	0.333	4.0
hugos misfits	3-9-0	0.250	5.0
elliot’s Team	1-11-0	0.083	7.0

Short Takes:

From Think Progress: The first item of Pence’s five-point plan for the economy is a “sound monetary policy.” Pence elaborated that he believes a return to the gold standard could create such a policy.

Didn’t we learn during the Andrew Jackson administration that this is a sure road to depression?  If this fool has his way, he’ll turn our dollars to pence.

From Washington Post: An online networking company that carries video feeds for Netflix has accused Comcast of demanding unfair fees to provide that video to home subscribers, raising questions about the cable giant’s power to control consumers’ access to the Internet.

Level 3 Communications, a Colorado-based Internet company whose main client is the movie-rental service Netflix, said Monday that Comcast’s action amounts to setting up a "tollbooth" on the Internet.

No way should Comcast be allowed to get away with trying to push up the price of Netflix.  Comcast’s internet customers contracted for unlimited access at a certain bandwidth.  Charging the Netflix provider extra effectively makes customers pay twice for the same bandwidth.  Comcast knows that I won’t pay them for HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, etc., when I can watch far more newer movies whenever I choose for $10 per month.

From Right Wing Watch: A who’s who of Religious Right leaders have come together for a 12-part series called "Resisting the Green Dragon" which seeks to expose how the environmental movement is out to control the world and destroy Christianity.

I don’t need to tell you what a “dragon” represents in the hermeneutics of religious right pseudo-Christians, do I?

Cartoon:

If you think asphalt is a rectal problem, you might be a Republican .