{"id":14711,"date":"2015-02-14T09:09:09","date_gmt":"2015-02-14T17:09:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=14711"},"modified":"2015-02-14T09:09:09","modified_gmt":"2015-02-14T17:09:09","slug":"open-thread2142015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2015\/02\/14\/open-thread2142015\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–2\/14\/2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

Because the coming week looks to be so hectic, my plan is to get done early today, so I can do what cats do best.<\/font><\/p>\n

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

Today\u2019s took me 3:00 (average 4:53).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

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

From Think Progress<\/a>: <\/font>A Nebraska district judge has halted TransCanada\u2019s attempts to use eminent domain to force landowners to turn over their land for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, an act that anti-Keystone activists are calling a major win.<\/p>\n

Nebraska State District Court Judge Mark Kozisek issued a temporary injunction against TransCanada on Thursday after a hearing during which nearly 70 landowners<\/a> called on the judge to grant the injunction. The injunction will remain in place until Nebraska\u2019s Supreme Court takes up the landowners\u2019 case against state law LB1161<\/a>, which gave TransCanada the right to use eminent domain against the landowners. <\/p>\n

\u201cTransCanada sees the writing on the wall,\u201d Jane Kleeb, Director of Bold Nebraska, a group that\u2019s supporting the holdout landowners, said in a statement. \u201cNebraska landowners are not going to cave to their threats and we will now see them in our Supreme Court to finally get clarity on the legality of a foreign corporation using eminent domain for private gain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kudos to Nebraskans standing against Harper’s invasion of the US to unload the filth his own people don’t want.<\/font><\/p>\n

From The New Yorker<\/a>: <\/font>A week of turmoil in Alabama culminated on Friday with the United States ordering the Southern state to grow up.<\/p>\n

After a week in which Alabama exhibited various displays of childishness\u2014including kicking, screaming, stamping its feet, and threatening to hold its breath\u2014the United States decided to take the extraordinary action of telling the hundred-and-ninety-five-year-old state to act its age.<\/p>\n

But any hopes that the United States\u2019 order would be heeded were dashed when Alabama put its fingers in its ears and emitted a stream of monosyllabic nonsense sounds, claiming that the order had been rendered inaudible.<\/p>\n

But Andy, isn’t Alabama acting over 100 years old?<\/font><\/p>\n

From Daily Kos<\/a>: <\/font>A Chinese proverb comes to mind\u2014"He who seeks vengeance must dig two graves: one for his enemy and one for himself." Ed Schultz asked Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) whether the Republican bill to redefine full-time work<\/a> in the eyes of the Affordable Care Act to a 40-hour week would have a severe impact. McDermott’s answer was thoughtful and reflected what many feel will be Obamacare’s ultimate great outcome<\/a>. <\/p>\n