Open Thread – 10/26/2010

Yesterday Providence finally delivered my Oxygen concentrator for night use after standing me up on two previous occasions.  It tired me, because I had to rearrange furniture just to fit it in my tiny place.  After using it I do feel a bit more alert, and I had vivid dreams, which is highly unusual.  Nevertheless, I did catch up on replying to comments and returning visits.  Other than posting articles, you may see very little of me for the next few days, because my schedule is heavy with volunteer work for the rest of the week.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:09 (4:53 average). To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Lefty Bloggers Plus Report – Week 7:

Scores:

Week 7	Score
Lionel Hutz + The H… Recovering Republic…	127.9 84.1	Final
Teabuggery Trashers Jay’s Team	108.7 151.3	Final
Rob’s Roosters Seahawks Rock	78.5 74.7	Final
Greensburg Wombats hugos misfits	153.6 90.1	Final
Playin w/out a helm… elliot’s Team	72.8 50.1	Final

Standings:

Team	W-L-T	Pct.	GB
Greensburg Wombats	5-2-0	0.714	0.0
Recovering Republic…	5-2-0	0.714	0.0
Seahawks Rock	5-2-0	0.714	0.0
Lionel Hutz + The H…	4-3-0	0.571	1.0
Rob’s Roosters	4-3-0	0.571	1.0
Jay’s Team	3-4-0	0.429	2.0
Teabuggery Trashers	3-4-0	0.429	2.0
Playin w/out a helm…	3-4-0	0.429	2.0
hugos misfits	2-5-0	0.286	3.0
elliot’s Team	1-6-0	0.143	4.0

My opponent had a couple performances from that were totally unexpected.  This does not seem to be my year. 🙁

Short Takes:

From BBC: Afghan President Hamid Karzai has acknowledged that his office has received cash from Iran, but insists it was part of a "transparent" process.

Mr Karzai was responding to a report in the New York Times that Tehran had been passing bags stuffed full of cash to Mr Karzai’s aides.

Iran is turning out to be a major player in both failed Republican Wars.  Obama needs to get us out of Afghanistan.  Petraeus’ successes, on which our strategy is based have been exposed as smoke and mirrors.

From The Guardian: France’s strikes are costing the national economy up to €400m (£355m) each day, the French finance minister said today, as workers continued to block waste incinerators in protest against a plan to raise the retirement age to 62.

Austerity is the wrong plan for both Europe and the US.

From Right Wing Watch: After a busy day of doing errands, including voting for the candidates I believe in, I came home to find what I consider an outrageous message on my answering machine. A man identifying himself as James Dobson asked me to talk to my pastor and congregation (I have none) regarding whom I should vote for, so they could instruct me on Judeo-Christian thoughts in a document called "Voters Guide on Values and Truth." These people appear to belong to a group called "Family Talk" and are funded by the National Congregation [Organization] for Marriage Education Fund.

Dobson is conspiring to have pastors violate the the law.

Cartoon:

One week to go!