SECTION ONE: The Word:
Semi-snowed in in South Dakota. Snug in the hotel last night, surfing the web and trying not to watch the Winter Olympics. It was a hot cocoa sort of night.
And oops . . . pre-scheduled this to post . . . tomorrow. That would have been awkward. Oops, again. SECTION TWO: Things That Amuse Me: Simians and other aminals*: Bees Caffeine And Nicotine Fiends [*1]
*Yes, I know it's "animals," it's just that I always found the childhood mispronunciation really, really cute . . .
SECTION THREE: Politics: The neverending battle against blithering idiocy: People doing potentially good things (including sightings of politicians doing something less than totally idiotic): Steele Meeting With 50 Tea Party Leaders On Tuesday [*11] -- Which could jump to the Republican-Blithering-Idiot section at a moment's notice . . .
The cure for blithering idiocy: freedom and individual liberty (yeah, I know--ooh, ick, philosophy!): Abraham Lincoln: ‘A House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand’ [*12] Federalist No. 62: The Senate [*13] -- "It is recommended by the double advantage of favoring a select appointment, and of giving to the State governments such an agency in the formation of the federal government as must secure the authority of the former, and may form a convenient link between the two systems." Direct election of Senators breaks this system and essentially makes a mockery of the concept of a limited, federal government.
The reality of Washington Republicans as blithering idiots: The request of a small favor from Texas Republicans [*21] -- You know . . . Washington Republicans, Texas Republicans, Tea Partiers, it's all good, right? Right?
Health care "reform" aka health insurance "reform" -- or should that be health care "change?" Perhaps "Global healthing?:
Still a huge mistake . . .
The Economy (Can the blithering idiots bring down the most productive economy the world has ever seen? Yes, They Can! Will they?): Unemployment in the Great Recession [*45] -- "Although job losses slowed in December, there is no evidence of recovery in employment. This will be a continuing drag on the economy and on the fiscal condition of both state and federal governments." US debt will keep growing even with recovery[*46]
Foreign affairs and National Security (Will blithering idiots get us all killed, or make us all speak Spanish--or Chinese--or Arabic--or all three?): The Afghan surge begins in earnest [*47]
The Morning Whip is a (mostly) daily review of what's out there that caught my attention, sometimes but not always posted before 11 am Central time in the U. S. of A., unless I just don't feel like it that day, am out doing something more important or more fun, or I've been abducted, detained, arrested, or otherwise flummoxed by the agents of blithering idiotry.
I surf the Web, so you don't have to! (which would be a trademark, but come on, who am I kidding?)