{"id":11823,"date":"2013-12-18T00:31:17","date_gmt":"2013-12-18T08:31:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=11823"},"modified":"2013-12-18T00:31:17","modified_gmt":"2013-12-18T08:31:17","slug":"open-thread12182013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2013\/12\/18\/open-thread12182013\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–12\/18\/2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m writing for tomorrow, and although I still feel sick as a dawg<\/em>, I have to be up, waiting for service people, so you get a real Open Thread.  Tomorrow, I have to be out, so I doubt I shall have much.  <\/font><\/p>\n

Jig Zone Puzzle<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s took me 3:42 (average 5:07).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

Fantasy Football Update<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the updated Playoffs Bracket from our fantasy football league, Lefty Blog Friends.<\/font><\/p>\n

\"15Bracket\"<\/font><\/p>\n

Kudos to the winners.  Sadly, I do not number among you.  All of my starting running backs, and wide receivers at the beginning of the year were out with injuries by last weekend.<\/font><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong>:<\/font><\/p>\n

From my Senator\u2019s campaign by email: <\/font>There is good news for those who want a safe and sound financial system that doesn’t blow up our economy. Last week regulators finalized a rule authored by Senator Merkley along with Senator Carl Levin of Michigan to rein in the big bets by banks on Wall Street. The rule will ban risky trades by banks that take taxpayer-insured deposits. The rule, dubbed the Volcker Rule, after former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, would create a firewall between traditional banking and hedge fund-style gambling.<\/p>\n

Hedge fund-style trading at our nation’s largest financial firms was a high-risk, conflict-ridden activity that played a central role in the 2008 financial crisis. Banks should be in the business of serving customers on Main Street – including taking deposits from and making loans to ordinary families and businesses. It’s fine for people to make speculative investments, but it needs to happen outside of banks so if the bets go bad they don’t imperil the lending so critical to our economic growth.<\/p>\n

To read more about Jeff’s efforts, check out this story in the New Republic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Way to go Jeff! Once again, Oregon leads the way!<\/font><\/p>\n

From Upworthy<\/a>: <\/font>If You Need An Example Of How Silly Our Standards Have Gotten For How Women Look … Ta-Da!<\/p>\n