Open Thread–4/20/2011

Yesterday I had to spend over an hour on the phone with my bank.  I ordered some animation software from a Dutch company.  The suspected fraud, declined the approval, and put a hold on my Visa.  To straighten out I had to answer multiple questions for a woman more anally retentive than a Teabagger that thinks the Guvmint stole her dime.  It was irritating, but I’m glad they are that way.  The next few days will be hectic.  This morning I help former prisoners at a therapy group.  Tomorrow afternoon and evening, I’ll helping prisoners in the prison, and Friday evening I’ll be hosting a CoDA group that welcomes former prisoners.  Friday and Saturday’s articles may be abbreviated, late, or I may even have to take a day off.

Jig Zone Puzzle:

Today it took me 3:21 (average 4:07).  To do it, Click Here.  How did you do?

Short Takes:

From Register Guard: Google Inc. has invested an additional $100 million in a clean energy project. The funding for the Shepherds Flat Wind Farm in Oregon brings Google’s total clean energy investments to more than $350 million and represents the company’s latest attempt to support reliable new ways to power its expanding data centers…

…“This will be the first commercial wind farm in the U.S. to deploy, at scale, turbines that use permanent magnet generators — tech-speak for evolutionary turbine technology that will improve efficiency, reliability and grid connection capabilities,” Google said in a blog post. “Though the technology has been installed outside the U.S., it’s an important, incremental step in lowering the cost of wind energy over the long term in the U.S.”

I am often proud of Oregon’s tendency to lead the way.

From FOK News Channel: Keith analyzes Teabuggery.

Gotta love that guy!

From Think Progress: Democrats and labor activists have filed recall petitions against two more Wisconsin state Republican senators who supported Gov. Scott Walker’s (R) bill to strip public employee unions of collective bargaining rights. Activists had already collected more than enough signatures to recall two GOP senators, and filed petitions yesterday against state Sen. Luther Olsen (R) and today against state Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R). In all four cases, organizers collected far more signatures than the roughly 15,000 needed, and did so weeks ahead of the deadline.

The more the merrier!

Cartoon:

Happy hump day!