Yesterday I felt exhausted from the start, due to lack of sleep. I went to the denturist to get my teeth. I put in a fresh O2 bottle in my carrier to make sure I had plenty, but the valve was defective. I ran out of O2, shortly after getting on the bus and had to walk 1½ miles and climb a double flight of stairs without oxygen. That did me in. I crunched. I enjoyed peanuts and beef jerky for the first time in years, but I’m having trouble with the lower partial. When I open wide, it pops right out. I have a full slate of articles, but need to reply with generic thank you messages to most since I am running so late and feel so wiped out. Hopefully today will end of that for a while.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today it took me 4:57 (average 5:43). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Short Takes:
From Politico: The Pentagon is ready to fight hackers with their own weapons in cyberspace, the newest domain for warfare but also “reserves the right” to respond to a cyberattack with military force, defense officials said Thursday.
While I would have to evaluate response on a case by case basis, a cyber attack against our defenses/infrastructure is certainly an act of war.
From Huffington Post: In 2010, the Oregon state budget was three-quarters of a billion ($727 million) in the hole — a lot for a small state. So did they go with a "cuts-only" budget, i.e. shut down schools and services and to Hell with the poor?
No, they just raised taxes. Democrats proposed it, Republicans (naturally) opposed. So the choice was laid before the voters.
"Measure 66 raise(d) taxes on households with taxable income above $250,000, and Measure 67 set… higher minimum taxes on corporations and increase(d) the tax rate on upper-level profits."
America would be wise to follow Oregon’s lead in this.
From Daily Kos: New data released by the IRS reveals that, over a period of 12 years, tax rates for the richest 400 Americans were effectively cut in half. In 1995, the richest 400 Americans paid, on average, 29.93% of their income in federal taxes. In 2007, the last year for which the IRS has released data, the richest 400 Americans paid just 16.63%.
That’s far less than most Americans pay, while the bottom 40% of us own just 0.1% of the wealth. Actually it’s worst. I calculated that from the data for 2004.
Cartoon:
12 Responses to “Open Thread–7/15/2011”
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My worst ever 6:36
If only the US would follow Oregon’s lead.
Great cartoon!
Thanks Patty.
Congrats on your new “chompers” – and good luck w/ getting them fine-tuned.
Thanks, Nameless. It will take some doing.
5:15 Today is not mine. You were still almost a minute faster than the average. I am 62 out of 196 (316).
Dang. I thought you would take that one. I did well today. I started right afterwards and almost didn’t make it.
…..hard to make a weasel look like a chimp! (Cantor), but you did it! Great cartoon! heh heh! 😈 🙁
Thanks Johnny.
I feel your denture pain. I got a lower partial on Wednesday. It hangs in pretty well. Too well. Hard to remove the thing, though easy enough to insert. I HATE getting old. However, I’ve got to admit that my lower molars went awol when I might still be considered youngish.
I love living in Oregon. Best state in the entire US. Well, if we detached that eastern portion and gave it to Idaho. Maybe the southern 1/6th would considered migrating to northern California. Other than that, we’re all good.
That’s kind of the way I feel about Washington (I grew up in WA). We should give Eastern Washington to Idaho. Then, maybe western Washington and western Oregon could get together.
Good idea!
I wish mine were hard to remove. I really screwed up the gums.
Eastern Oregon is why we’ll never be 100% pure.