Open Thread – 9/8/2010

Yesterday my trip to the doctor took over four hours, as anticipated, and I had no time to reply to comments or return visits.  Today will likely be the same, as I’m doing volunteer work with former prisoners.  Tomorrow looks better.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 4:27.  To do it, click here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Alaska Daily News: The five-member executive committee of the Libertarian Party met Aug. 29 and unanimously voted against considering allowing Murkowski on its ticket.

Why am I not surprised, Could it be that, if Murkowski is Libertarian, then John “Agent Orange” Boehner is Muslim?

From The Guardian: French protesters furious over the government’s proposals to change the pensions system flooded the boulevards of cities from Paris to Marseille today as Nicolas Sarkozy’s embattled labour minister presented the reform to a parliament echoing with jeers.

Huge numbers of people – 1.1 million according to the government, 2.7 million according to the leading CGT union – turned out throughout France to demonstrate against plans to raise the retirement age from 60 to 62.

This makes it crystal clear that we Americans could take a lesson in civics from the French.

From Common Dreams: The European Union will prolong the global downturn if policymakers in the bloc’s big economies insist on austerity measures to cut budget deficits, Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said on Tuesday.

Stiglitz’ view applies equally to the US.  Now is not the time for austerity.

Cartoon: from Cagle.com

Happy Hump Day!