I’m writing for tomorrow and running very late, because Stuck on Stupid went on a tear with the buildings power last night. I overslept and then had to put groceries away. I’m pooped!
Jig Zone Puzzle:
Today’s took me 3:38 (average 5:32). To do it, click here. How did you do?
Fantasy Football Report:
Here’s the latest from our fantasy football league, Lefty Blog Friends.
Scores:
Judy almost got me!
Standings:
I’m coming up, but I’m in trouble this week, because Peyton is bye.
Short Takes:
From The New Yorker: Responding to the firestorm of controversy over its spying on European allies, the head of the National Security Agency said today it would do everything in its power to avoid being caught doing it in the future.
“There are two important jobs for every spy agency: spying on people and avoiding detection,” said the N.S.A. chief General Keith Alexander. “Unfortunately, at the N.S.A. we have only done the first job well.”
“We have abused the trust of some of our closest allies,” he said. “And none of this would have happened if they hadn’t found out.”
General Alexander said that the agency was instituting strict new practices that amounted to “a zero-tolerance policy on getting caught.”
Given the level of incompetence that burrowed-in Republicans bring to the NSA, that’s a promise they just can’t keep.
From NY Times: The House is scheduled to vote on two bills this week that would undercut new financial regulations and hand Wall Street a victory. The legislation has garnered broad bipartisan support in the House, even after lawmakers learned that Citigroup lobbyists helped write one of the bills, which would exempt a wide array of derivatives trading from new regulation.
The bills are part of a broader campaign in the House, among Republicans and business-friendly Democrats, to roll back elements of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, the most comprehensive regulatory overhaul since the Depression. Of 10 recent bills that alter Dodd-Frank or other financial regulation, six have passed the House this year. This week, if the House approves Citigroup’s legislation and another bill that would delay heightened standards for firms that offer investment advice to retirees, the tally would rise to eight.
Both the Treasury Department and consumer groups have urged lawmakers to reject the bills, warning that they could leave the nation vulnerable again to excessive financial risk taking. The House proposals stand little chance of becoming law, having received a much chillier reception in the Senate and at the White House, which on Monday threatened to veto the bill on investment advice for retirees.
If your Rep or Senators vote for these, hit them with a cactus suppository!
From Bing Video: Idiot is sooooooooo original!
Idiot, Son of Idiot, Named after idiot approaches elections and speeches in the same way: he steals them. (Those of you who are out of country, let me know if this works. I’m trying to source Rachel from outside of MSNBC, when I can, so you can see it too.)
Cartoon:
21 Responses to “Open Thread–10/30/2013”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
3:26 I carved my Jack'O'Lantern just a tad faster than you today, Tom.
3:29 I dressed as a pumpkin for Hallowe'en years ago. I was a bank manager and had the audacity to walk down the main street of North Vancouver in my get-up to the honks and blasts from dump trucks and cars alike. The costume was the length of a bathing suit so my chubby gams were hanging out. I had two big pillows for stuffing, not that I really needed any stuffing!) and I had an orange curly hair wig with an orange Mother Hubbard hat complete with vines and leaves on my head. I certainly had everybody laughing!
3:48 My pumpkin was rotten!
Mashed!
Is Stuck on Stupid a Tea-Bagger?
New Yorker ~ They just hate getting caught. No satire there.
NY Times ~ Yes! Cactus suppositories for all the "YES" voters.
Bing Video ~ He's a big Ayn Rand and Sci-Fi fan. I wonder how many of his college papers were plagiarized…
No. Even TEAbuggery is too sophisticated for him. He's just grateful to Republicans for "protecting his VA benefits" and will not listen to the truth.
Amen!
🙂
100%?
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/history/2013/10/orson_welles_war_of_the_worlds_panic_myth_the_infamous_radio_broadcast_did.html
Cartoon ~ Orson Welles was a genius. He was celebrating a Night of Mischief which is traditionally the eve before Halloween.
Thanks Patty. I didn't know that.
Oh the New Yorker article is utterly gorgeous – and utterly true! Thanks TC!
BTW – thanks very much TC for trying to help those of us out of the country to see the videos – much appreciated. I clicked on the video in hope but it said 'We're sorry but currently our video library can only be streamed within the United States. For more information on Hulu's international availability click here…" I did and was taken to another site which also didn't let me see things but had a superimposed rectangle asking me to fill in my name and email and country and they would let me know when they managed to straighten out international issues… I haven't filled in my name and address yet as I haven't met 'Hulu' before.
YVW, Pat. Most show up on YouTube within a day or two. Se Jo's reply below. She found it for you.
6:04 My "pumpkin spice" flavored coffee didn't help.
New Yorker – the only satire there is the suggestion they they would admit it so candidly and publicly. I got an email which said "The NSA has become a rogue agency," to which I take exception, because you cannot "become" something you have been from your inception. Security agency hiring principles seem to consistently run along the lines of the Egyptian executioner who shared that strangling has been his hobby since childhood. Seen this today? http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nsa-infiltrates-links-to-yahoo-google-data-centers-worldwide-snowden-documents-say/2013/10/30/e51d661e-4166-11e3-8b74-d89d714ca4dd_story.html
Here's a YouTube link to Rachel, maybe it'll help –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYg7vSd7RBA
She sure has trouble trying to keep a straight face, doesn't she? (Grin)
IMHO, there is only one flavor for coffee: coffee.
A good point!
Thanks! It was not on YouTube when I wrote the article. I definately detect a bit od SNARK!! 🙂
Puzzle — 3:29 I dressed as a pumpkin for Hallowe'en years ago. I was a bank manager and had the audacity to walk down the main street of North Vancouver in my get-up to the honks and blasts from dump trucks and cars alike. The costume was the length of a bathing suit so my chubby gams were hanging out. I had two big pillows for stuffing, not that I really needed any stuffing!) and I had an orange curly hair wig with an orange Mother Hubbard hat complete with vines and leaves on my head. I certainly had everybody laughing!
Fantasy Football — I maintain my almost perfect score! It seems I do OK in the first half, but in the second half, I poop out. Well I'm good to go for this week.
The New Yorker — "“There are two important jobs for every spy agency: spying on people and avoiding detection,” said the N.S.A. chief General Keith Alexander. " I guess you could say that the NSA did a half assed job! Must be the Republicanus/Teabagger half.
NY Times — This is pure BS. First of all, retirees do not have the time to make up losses from risky transactions. Second, derivatives have already proven to be enough to bring down the house of cards. Re-enact Glass-Steagall for better regulation of the financial world. Bankers CANNOT be trusted! They have dollar signs for eyeballs.
MSNBC — Hulu is not available in Canada. I went to the MSNBC site to view the video.
Rachel actually did 2 pieces — this one and the sequel. Apparently Rand Paul was found to have done the same thing going back to March, and who knows if it goes back further. At the very least, he should have to pay a fee for that information. At worst, Wikipedia should take him to court. Just goes to show, no new ideas can come from Republicanus/Teabaggers. They're all reruns!
Cartoon — That broadcast really had people jumping! In one sense, it is almost amazing the effect the broadcast had on people, but on another level, given that the world had endured the Depressioin and events were heating up in Europe with the help of Herr Hitler, I can see why people might have been scared.
I dressed as a McDonald's drive thru lady one year, completewith head phone, haven't dressed up since because so many kids expected a burger instead of candy when I opened the door. LOL
They were probably saying, "Check out the feet on that pumpkin!!" 😉
I'm not. My QB, a RN abd a WR are all bi this week.
Amen!
Bingo!
Thanks. I'm so pissed that they shanged format. I'm learning from you guts who can see what where.
The sequel was a day later.
Plus the broadcasy was very well done.
7:42
Gambling is not sound business practice imho… 😛
Where'd you get your speech Rand?
Agree.
Wikipedia.
The New Yorker" could be true. If someone with as little training and security clearance as Snowden could access all that he did, they definitely need to work harder at not getting caught.
NY Times: This is not a big surprise, that Citi Bank is writing legislation for banking industry, the pharmaceutica lcompanies wrote legislation for medical coverage, too. I didn't check the list of those who voted, I am sure all mine need the cactus.
This is twice in a week that Rand has been caught quoting verbatim from Wickipedia. Do you think he believes if he keeps trying he will get away with it?
War of the Worlds: What would it take to panic the nation today?
Good point!
Lobbyists write legislation all the time.
He thinks his faithful will never know, becase it isn't on Faux Noise.
A disaster that knoced out all TV broadcasting (inclucing cable) for over 24 hours.
Rachel Maddow can be seen on iTunes and Miro for free.
What! "Citigroup lobbyists helped write one of the bills, which would exempt a wide array of derivatives trading from new regulation."
Derivatives are extremely risky and should not be exempt from regulations is just plain wrong! Congress must reject this bill.
Reinstate the Glass-Steagall Act now.
Thanks Jim. In Europe?
I fully agree!