Well, it is Saturday night and all through the house not a creature is stirring, not even the cats! That sounds like a somewhat familiar strain! Oh, I know . . . I did a bit of Christmas shopping today and it is rubbing off in my prose. I hope you are having a great weekend.
Puzzle — Today’s took me 2:53 (average 4:56). To do it, click here. How did you do? For those that don't know, we always do the 48 piece classic.
Short Takes
Huffington Post — For the past four years, Texas oil billionaire and corporate raider T. Boone Pickens has been suing the Liberal government in Ontario under NAFTA, arguing he has been the victim of "unfair" backroom deals involving the province’s green energy program.
A NAFTA tribunal is expected to rule on Pickens’ $700-million lawsuit this month,The New York Times reported Friday, describing the dispute as the 87-year-old tycoon’s “last big battle.” [emphasis mine]
There is another law suit by Lone Pine Resources, a Calgary company with corporate registration in Delaware, over the Québec government's moratorium on fracking within its jurisdiction. Lone Pine wants to frack under the St Lawrence River and is suing Canada for $250 million under NAFTA. Now Pickens! As the article states, 70% of the law suits under NAFTA are against Canada. And of course, now countries are looking to approve the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which is pretty much NAFTA on steroids. Anybody else see a problem with this. It feels like good bye to national sovreignty over resources.
Think Progress — Two Wisconsin state lawmakers, Rep. Jesse Kremer (R) and Sen. Stephen Nass (R), have introduced legislation that would prohibit schools from accommodating transgender students who wish to use restroom and changing room facilities that match their gender. It would also empower anyone who notices a school respecting a transgender student as such to file a complaint and win damages against that school.
Read the article to get the full flavour of this Republican bigotry.
Raw Story — After interviewing Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Friday, Real Time host Bill Maher explained how Republicans misunderstand Sanders almost totally.
“He’s the one who makes their heads explode when he talks,” Maher said …
Think Progress — On Thursday morning, Republican presidential candidate and Ohio Governor John Kasich will release a tax and spending plan that would give big boosts to the rich and the wealthy with severe cuts for everyone else. …
He would lower the top income tax rate paid by the richest from its current level of 39.6 percent to 28 percent, reducing it by nearly a third. While the campaign hasn’t released full details, nor has an analysis been done on his plan, a proposal from fellow Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush that would lower the top rate to the same level found that it would increase the incomes of the 1 percent by more than 11 percent.
And Rachel Maddow thought Kasich might be a Republican she could tolerate if she had to? Following Kasich down into his rabbit hole might call into question anybody's sanity! Could Kasich be anymore Republican?
My Universe — h/t Carol B & Ted W (Care2)
So much for the GREAT ESCAPE!!!!!