Open Thread–6/21/2011

Yesterday my COPD flared up, and I had a bad air day.  That kept me from getting much done, but I am current on replies.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:43 (average 5:22).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From LA Times: President Obama plans to announce a troop reduction in Afghanistan that Pentagon and other administration officials say is expected to bring home about 10,000 personnel by the end of the year.

Well, that’s better than the 3,000 Petraeus wants, but far too few with 70,000 still left.

From Yahoo: The Supreme Court won’t hear an appeal from ACORN, the activist group driven to ruin by scandal and financial woes, over being banned from getting federal funds.

The high court on Monday refused to review a federal court’s decision to uphold Congress’s ban on federal funds for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.

This is an exercise on how to deny justice.  The bill named ACORN specifically.  What could be a better definition of a Bill of Attainder?

From The Loop 21: Republican Presidential Candidate Herman Cain (pictured) has announced that he doesn’t appreciate the idea of being labeled an “African American.” During an interview with Bloomberg, Cain said that he prefers to be called an “American,” stating that the word “African” on the front of his racial identity limits him and inaccurately describes who he is. Perhaps Mr. Cain can explain to us why there is something wrong with being connected with Africans, even when your ancestors are….well…African.

I think Cain is avoiding identification with African Americans, because deep down, he knows that he is betraying them.

Cartoon: