Open Thread–8/25/2011

Yesterday was very hot.  The temperature at my desk reached the 90s by 10:00 AM and remains there.  I’m beat.  I am current on replies.  Today I’m posting an abbreviated lineup.  I need to get some sleep, because tomorrow I’ll be spending the day at Oregon State Penitentiary doing volunteer work.  Since I won’t get home until it’s my normal time to wake up for research, and since the prison has no AC, I expect to be quite wiped out. I may need to take tomorrow off, and if not whatever I put up may be late.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:25 (5:14 average).  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From CBS: House Majority Leader Eric Cantor assured his constituents on Wednesday that Congress "will find the monies" to assist earthquake victims in Mineral, Virginia – but the Republican lawmaker noted that "those monies will be offset with appropriate savings or cost-cutting elsewhere."

Translated, this means that Cantor wants to further exploit the poor and middle classes to provide relief to the rich in his own district at taxpayer expense.

From Think Progress: Inhofe Endorses Rick Perry Over ‘Mushy’ Mitt Romney.

Even though he opposes doing anything about it, Romney admits human involvement in global climate change.

From Washington Independent: A coalition of groups, including Demos, Project Vote, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL), and the NAACP, sent a letter to Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson last week alleging that the state is in violation of federal law requiring voter registration at public assistance offices.

Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA) requires the states to provide voter registration services in the offices of all agencies that provide public assistance. The NVRA requires more than merely making voter registration available to those who apply for public assistance, it requires several affirmative steps be taken to encourage applicants to register to vote.

Way to go!

Cartoon: