boehner's bill

I'm watching the live vote of the House bill. I like watching votes, no matter the bill - I enjoy the adding up of numbers to get to the magic pass number.

It passed 218-210 - one more than needed to pass.

It passed because Boehner agreed to add the constitutional amendment provision: that the debt ceiling cannot be raised a second time UNLESS Congress approves and sends to the states for ratification, a balanced budget amendment.

As if anyone needed any more proof that the Tea Party is willing to hold anyone - even their own party and leaders - hostage to get what they want. Which makes me feel sorry for Boehner, even if just a little. Because I think it's safe to say that without those tantrum throwing Tea Partiers, we wouldn't be on the brink of default. Is that really a risk to take simply to get everything you want?

Especially as it's a futile want, as the bill now heads to the Senate to die?

I understand politics better than most of my friends, but this I can't even comprehend at all.

Oslo

People were asked to leave their roses all over the city.

And they did. And they marched, and they filled their streets carrying makeshift torches. The police estimate that around 200,000 people gathered in Oslo alone.



Some of these images are incredibly beautiful. Some of these images are incredible sad. Some are both.

here, in Norwegian, but the google translator does an okay job with the translation

nice dose of humanity

Okay. The Asian markets are on their own, Boehner seems pretty damned determine to stomp his feet all the way through the crash of the fragile global economy, and things are just not happy in Norway. So I figure we could use a nice dose of humanity. Y'know, the good stuff. Feel-good things are perfectly okay right now.

So here it is:

Cadel Evans wins the Tour de France and holds the stuffed lion he won.

His nickname is also Cuddles.

My google news has Norway, the Debt Talks, and then a picture of a man in a yellow jersey holding a lion. Awww ....

on norway

“Then the devil took him into a high mountain and showed him the kingdoms of the world and said that he would give them to him if he would fall down and worship him. But Jesus said: Get thee hence, Satan. That’s the end of the story according to the good simple Matthew. But it wasn’t. The devil was sly and he came to Jesus once more and said: If thou wilt accept shame and disgrace, scourging, a crown of thorns and death on the cross thou shalt save the human race, for greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Jesus fell. The devil laughed till his sides ached, for he knew the evil men would commit in the name of their redeemer.”

-The Razor's Edge, W. Somerset Maugham.

I find I don't have very many words to say.

Except - that in the face of such extreme violence, and a manifesto of violence, the reaction of the Norwegian government was to say more democracy, more humanity.

There is so much hope contained in those four words; so much promise that violence never has to define us.

another very short letter

Dear Speaker Boehner (Again),

NO YOU DO NOT HAVE THE SAME RESPONSIBILITIES AS THE PRESIDENT.

Are you serious?

You, sir, are not the leader of the free world. You sir, are akin to a four year old brat, stomping his feet and saying 'no' for no other reason than you like how it feels.

I'm not sure I could hate you any more than when I do right now.

Please don't throw the fragile world economy into chaos because you have some grave delusions of grandeur.

Still absolutely positively no love,
me

a very short letter

Dear Speaker Boehner, STOP IT, STOP IT RIGHT NOW.

You are an idiot. A giant, massive idiot.

Absolutely, positively no love,
me

this is just to say-

it is ten pm and still hot as hell.

91F/31C.

But the humidity has fallen to 57% and the dew point is 74.

So there's that.