{"id":13705,"date":"2014-09-18T00:02:32","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T07:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=13705"},"modified":"2014-09-18T00:02:32","modified_gmt":"2014-09-18T07:02:32","slug":"open-thread9182014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2014\/09\/18\/open-thread9182014\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–9\/18\/2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m writing for tomorrow day 150.  I\u2019m waiting for my groceries to arrive.  I plugged in my notebook, which I have not used since the last time I overnighted in Salem.  Fortunately I timed a Windows Update, so that\u2019s done.  It took over two hours just to download the updates.  Then I updated my AV software, my security software, my password manager three browsers and several other utilities.  Fortunately I was able to do research while a lot of that was going on.  Tomorrow\u2019s main chore is reconfiguring the email client to the new HSP settings.<\/font><\/p>\n

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

Today\u2019s took me 4:24 (average 6:05).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

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

From The New Yorker<\/a>: <\/font>In what Secretary of State John Kerry described as a significant foreign-policy coup, the U.S. claimed, on Tuesday, that it had successfully located a moderate Syrian rebel.<\/p>\n

Though Kerry did not elaborate on how the U.S. did so, he said that locating the rebel was \u201cthe culmination of a months-long effort.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Secretary of State said that the Syrian had been appropriately vetted<\/a> and was deemed \u201cmoderately rebellious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe definitely seems to be the sort of gentleman we can work with,\u201d Kerry said, adding that several millions of dollars would be spent arming and training the rebel in the days and weeks ahead.<\/p>\n

Kerry said that the government\u2019s successful identification of a moderate Syrian rebel was a major victory that should silence critics of the U.S.\u2019s strategy in Iraq and Syria.<\/p>\n

Hmmmmm, Andy\u2026 I don’t see it working, unless he has a friend.<\/font><\/p>\n

From NY Times<\/a>: <\/font>President Obama\u2019s top military adviser said Tuesday that he would recommend deploying United States forces in ground operations against Islamic extremists in Iraq if airstrikes proved insufficient, opening the door to a riskier, more expansive American combat role than the president has publicly outlined.<\/p>\n

Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that while he was confident that an American-led coalition would defeat the Islamic State, he would not foreclose the possibility of asking Mr. Obama to send American troops to fight the militants on the ground \u2014 something Mr. Obama has ruled out.<\/p>\n

This is not the scandal Republicans claim it is, nor does it indicate what Obama actually would decide. Asking a general about the use of troops is like asking a carpenter about the use of a hammer.<\/font><\/p>\n

From Upworthy<\/a>: <\/font>Vicky Beeching<\/a> is an artist, broadcaster, and theologian. And this<\/a>, on Channel 4 news, was her<\/a> first TV interview after coming out<\/a>. She’s now speaking at the Gay Christian Network<\/a> and continuing to share her beliefs about being Christian and gay.<\/a><\/p>\n

Semi-Barf Bag Alert!<\/font><\/strong><\/p>\n