Yesterday was not fun. I’m current with replies. Tomorrow I go to the doctor.
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 4:54 (average 5:40). Ti do it, click here. How did you do?
Ultimate Religious Agony:
It was ugly.
Short Takes:
From MoveOn: News Of High School Shooting Breaks Just As Biden Speaks With Gun Rights Groups
The rush of gun violence is epidemic. Now is the time for sensible limited restrictions and calling out the Republicans who scream that we want to "take away your guns" for being the liars that they are.
From NY Times: The Treasury Department said Saturday that it will not mint a trillion-dollar platinum coin to head off an imminent battle with Congress over raising the government’s borrowing limit.
“Neither the Treasury Department nor the Federal Reserve believes that the law can or should be used to facilitate the production of platinum coins for the purpose of avoiding an increase in the debt limit,” Anthony Coley, a Treasury spokesman, said in a written statement.
The Obama administration has indicated that the only way for the country to avoid a cash-management crisis as soon as next month is for Congress to raise the “debt ceiling,” which is the statutory limit on government borrowing. The cap is $16.4 trillion.
“There are only two options to deal with the debt limit: Congress can pay its bills, or it can fail to act and put the nation into default,” Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said in a statement. “Congress needs to do its job.”
I never did take the coin scheme seriously, as it would be taking advantage of a loophole in a law never intended for that purpose. That is how Republicans act. However I disagree that Congressional action should be the only option. The Constitutional option depends on actual intent of the 14th Amendment to make it illegal for Congress to prevent payment of the nation’s bills that Congress ran up themselves.
From San Francisco Chronicle: A "Death Star" won’t be a part of the U.S. military’s arsenal any time soon.
More than 34,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Obama administration to build the "Star Wars" inspired super-weapon to spur job growth and bolster national defense.
But in a posting Friday on the White House website, Paul Shawcross, an administration adviser on science and space, says a Death Star would cost too much to build — an estimated $850 quadrillion — at a time the White House is working to reduce the federal budget.
Besides, Shawcross says, the Obama administration "does not support blowing up planets."
This another example of InsaniTEA from the pro-death party. Before attempting to blow up other planets, they should stop trying to blow up this planet.
Cartoon:
14 Responses to “Open Thread–1/13/2013”
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4:06 These little piggies went wee, wee, wee all the way home.
Clobbered me!
3:50 I didn't take time to wee wee.
The time to do something about the deficit/debt is when they pass the spending bill, not when it is time to pay for it. As usual, the republicans have it backasswards.
Bassackwards indeed, Jerry! But then what would you expect from a bunch of petulant children that are trying to take the country back to the civil war years without using a time machine?
Beware the Monster! 😉
What Lynn said!
The REAL reason they abandoned the Trillion Dollar Platinum Coin approach was because of the concern the Treasury Dept. had over the havoc a coin like that would wreak with soda and candy vending machines across the country.
As usual, Nameless, PRICELESS!!!!!
ROTFLMAO!!!!!
LOL!! 😀
I thoughtg it was because Obama was pissed of, because they wanted to put Bought Bitch Mitch's picture on the coin.
This country has gone insane!
Just the Republican dominated part.
A while back, I mentioned in a post that Enbridge or TransCanada were in the process of investigating the feasibility of a pipeline to carry the toxic bitumen sludge east through Montréal. I would think that this is how the bitumen will get to the Maine coast. This cannot be allowed to happen. Although this petition is technically USA only, I put in my full BC address but then put in WA state and zip 98111 because this affects everyone in North America.
Please eveybody, sign. Thanks
https://secure.sierraclub.org/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=10107&autologin=true&s_src=213ABOAE01&JServSessionIdr004=orj2tuiqj1.app220a
Already been there and signed that, but TYVM for putting it up.
Puzzle — 4:06 These little piggies went wee, wee, wee all the way home. Unfortunately when they got there, they found that Jerry had locked the gate!
MoveOn — Instead of the totally unfettered right to bear arms, how about the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness! Oh yea, that's not a right. It is part of the Declaration of Independence upon which the principles of the constitution were based. Reasonable gun control is needed and I think, if the founding fathers were around today to see how society works (or doesn't), they would agree with gun control and the banning of assault weapons and large ammunition clips. There will be more and more mass shootings until the NRA and their bought and paid for political whores are brought to their knees.
NY Times — Although I didn't take the platinum coin seriously, the "No peacocks, no jerks, no whiners" was a perfect slogan for the coin! . . . and actually a perfect slogan for the Republican dominated 114th Congress, as if they'd ever adopt it. The Congress can either get its shit together and raise the debt ceiling as it has done in the past without so much as a wimper (2011 the noted exception), or Mr Obama can take the constitutional option. Personally I prefer the Congressional route but with no stipulations like the last time. But if the Congress is going to refuse to pay the bills it has already authorised, puting the US and global economies at dire risk, then Mr Obama has to do what is within his power to do according to the constitution.
San Francisco Chronicle — Oh my!
"More than 34,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Obama administration to build the "Star Wars" inspired super-weapon to spur job growth and bolster national defense."
There would not be a need for bolstered national defense if the US would mind its own business and stop being so xenophobic. Spur jobs with infastructure spending. This smacks of Michele Bachmann but I don't think she is smart enough to think of this. Actually, this probably from someone who has watched the entire Star Wars series too many times. Time to repossess their light sabers!
Cartoons — Hopefully, all the pigs were sent to the slaughterhouse when Rmoney lost the election!
Will Patty blow up the gate?
I would not even ban all assault weapons. I would require an assault weapons license, however, that required someone to demonstrate a clean criminal record, no record of mental unstability, and both extensive training in and demonstrated proficiency at firearms safety.
See today's open thread for an even better defence of the Constitutional option.
Maybe it's time to add light sabers to the gun reform package. 😉
Amen to that.