Sunday Laugh - Geek vs. Nerd

I'm not the world's biggest fan of rap but I am a bit of a geek.  Or is that a nerd? Anyway, I found this amusing.

Saturday Learning Series - Connections 2, High Times

James Burke, thinker.

James Burke's series Connections and The Day The Universe Changed in the late 1970s and mid-1980s respectively were very successful at taking a historical and philosophical look at scientific change.  The two series led to a Connections sequel (Connections 2) in 1994, with James Burke still at the helm of the project (and another, Connections 3 in 1997). 

Series continued from Episode 8.

Note - If you are interested in the Connections series or Connections 3 or The Day The Universe Changed, they can be found here.

Here's episode 9 of Connections 2, High Times.

Friday Musical Interlude - Entertainment

A catchy tune from the band Phoenix: Entertainment, with an usual video.

Obamacare's 1-800-F-U

This is for real.  This is also rich, ironic and emblematic of the Obamacare program (and most everything to do with this scandal-ridden administration);

Need health insurance? The Obama administration has you covered. Simply dial 1-800-FUCKYO to reach the next available health-care provider.

Far from being a mistype, that’s the official number that Health and Human Services wants Americans to dial when seeking health care. Obamacare’s national call center really did list its number as 1-800-318-2596, helpfully spelling out President Barack Obama’s tendency to blatantly flip the bird in plain view.

After allowing for the lack of letters attached to 1 on a traditional American telephone keypad, the number spells out a clear message. For every duped voter, every young invincible weighing the cost of a penalty versus a newly tripled yearly deductible, every ailing old granny in a wheelchair (whom, remember, Paul Ryan wants to push off a cliff) who needs adequate and affordable health care...

It should come as no surprise that this was not vetted.  Not when dating back to the likes of Bill Richardson and Tim Geithner, right through to Obamacare itself, the Fast and Furious 'plan', and a host of other seat-of-the-pants decisions made by this administration.  This is just business as usual.

Chris Christie Revisited?

Anyone who could possibly beat Hillary Clinton in 2016 can't be all that bad can they?  From Matt Lewis, comes the very viable notion that Chris Christie, former Obama embracer, could be the one to most benefit from the government shutdown.

If you're looking for someone who benefits politically from the government shutdown, look no further than New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R).

Several of his potential 2016 rivals, like Sens. Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul, were all — to varying degrees — backing the quixotic "defund ObamaCare" strategy. Today, they look like children in comparison to a get-things-done governor like Christie. I don't necessarily think this shutdown will be on the minds of voters in 2016, but what we are witnessing is merely the latest example of a Congress that can't get its act together. Voters will have to ask themselves, "Can we trust these guys to govern?"

The Washington Post's Jennifer Rubin has gone so far as to declare that "in 2016 any GOP governor would be a more viable presidential nominee than any GOP senator."

Rubin is right. And if "any" Republican governor might benefit from these times, Christie, I think, is perfectly suited to this moment.

You can read his reasoning here.

I blew it on the shutdown

That's me.

Yesterday I said the government would not get shut down.  I blew it.  A little.  It wasn't my main point - my main point was that the underpinnings of the government ride were susceptible to a major catastrophe like a ride collapsing.  But still, I said the government would not get shut down.  Apparently I misunderestimated the stupidity of the governing parties.  Or at least the GOP.

 

That's the GOP.

Having said that, I don't know how long the shutdown will last.  A one or two day shutdown will be long forgotten by the next election and it might be enough for the GOP to have thrown a scare into Democrats about the fact that they are serious about dealing with debt and/or Obamacare.  But there is the possibility that the Tea Party portion of the GOP could see this play out until something gets done.  Perhaps by not blinking, for a long, long time - they will get Democrats to buckle.  after all, if the president and the majority in the Senate can't get Congress to smarten up, maybe their supporters will wonder what good they really are.  Maybe their supporters will demand that they make concessions to get the government up and running again.  After all, the when the trough gets shut off, they are the ones who lose out.
 





That's the president.

Addendum: Prior to the shutdown President Obama followed the Harkin unuseful idiot approach by talking about serious talks, and in the same breath lambasting his political opponents.  He continued the attacks after the shutdown. 

"They've shut down the government over an ideological crusade to deny affordable health insurance to millions of Americans," he said during his speech in the White House Rose Garden on Tuesday.

That's sure to bring them to the table Mr. President.  Insults work best when you are trying to work together.
 

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