{"id":4097,"date":"2011-02-18T08:03:38","date_gmt":"2011-02-18T16:03:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=4097"},"modified":"2011-02-18T08:03:38","modified_gmt":"2011-02-18T16:03:38","slug":"open-thread2182011","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2011\/02\/18\/open-thread2182011\/","title":{"rendered":"Open Thread–2\/18\/2011"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m trying to make a comeback today.  My stomach has mostly settled but I\u2019m still a raw nerve ending.  My body feels disconnected as though it belongs to someone else.  At least I have articles for today, and I caught up on comments.  Hang in with me please.<\/font><\/p>\n

Jig Zone Puzzles<\/strong>: Wednesday it took me 4:11 (average 4:38).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  Thursday it took me 3:49 (average 4:31).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  Today it took me 4:28 (average 4:56).  To do it, click here<\/a>.  How did you do?<\/font><\/p>\n

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

From NY Times<\/a>: <\/font>…across the Middle East, where brutal social contracts have left millions uneducated, impoverished and alienated, existing battle lines between people and their governments appeared to harden, foreshadowing more confrontations in the days ahead.<\/p>\n

Bahrain\u2019s response was particularly savage, because the common people are Shia, but the autocrats are Sunni.<\/font><\/p>\n

From Progressives United<\/a>: Look what Russ Feingold is up to.<\/font><\/p>\n