Category: Bits and Pieces

Sadie sent this to me a few days ago, and I’m just getting around to using it.  I agree that Robin of Berkeley looks like a good read.   Here’s Sadie’s comment and link: Although, I haven’t gotten to the additional links (4) within the article, I think I counted no

A few months ago I read a report about a school district that had banned all competitive games in the school yard, even games as innocent as freeze-tag.  That same day I read in Entertainment Weekly that the TV ratings for the past week were dominated by competitions.  American Idol

..or spineless? Strange lot, the Brits. Families of victims of the 2005 London transit bombings have abandoned a legal bid to force the government to hold a public inquiry into the terrorist attack. A lawyer for 25 families says a coroner’s inquest that ended in May had thoroughly investigated the

DQ:  Feel free to add your own caption to this or, better yet, find your own picture and add your own caption to that.  Here’s Sadie’s to get us started: CAPTION THIS: 1. “I am this little”

Sadie (thank you, Sadie) sends along the following: It’s not just Al Jeezera, it’s the ‘timing’ too. Ramadan begins today. Next month marks 10 years (September 11), Durban III NYC, P.A./Hamas urging for statehood (Hamas fired 26 rockets into Israel during the month of July), Madam Clinton said it’s “real news”

Had an interesting discussion with my spouse-who-is-much-smarter-than-me this morning. A scientist turned teacher, she always has great insights into how and what our youth are thinking (or not).   We were discussing how so many kids in our neighborhood were encouraged to go to school to learn music, theater, physical

We left Italy yesterday and headed for Cannes. Rather than sticking around in what is basically just another beach town, we took a tour to Grasse, the heart of France’s perfume industry, and St. Paul de Vence, a nicely polished, walled medieval town. At the Grasse factory tour, there was

Now that we supposedly have a budget deal, this is an open thread for people to express their thoughts on the deal.  Does it accomplish anything?  Does it accomplish enough?  Where do we go from here?  What effects will this deal have for the 2012 elections?  What do you think?

Sadie had another great idea.  Obama’s birthday is this week.  If you had the chance, what would you like to get Obama as a birthday present?  I’ll start.  Since he is so fond of giving DVDs as presents I’d get him a DVD of all of Winston Churchill’s speeches.

An Iranian woman who was blinded by a suitor who threw acid on her face has pardoned her attacker at the last minute, sparing him from being blinded by acid as retribution. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/iranian-woman-blinded-disfigured-by-acid-spares-attacker-the-same-fate/ Sadie here: The attack occurred in 2004 after she rejected his marriage proposal. Bahrami had demanded qisas,

The latest CBO figures show that under current law—i.e., assuming that everything works as planned under the new healthcare law—the share of GDP devoted to federal spending on mandatory health programs (Medicare and Medicaid) will be 68 percent higher in 2035 compared to 2011. But the CBO recognizes that certain

There are a few pleasant melodies still hitting the charts:   [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmrOB_q3tjo&feature=player_profilepage[/youtube]      

As you all know, Sadie has been helping out while Bookworm is away by sending links to all kinds of sites that interest her.  Here is your chance to play Sadie for a day.  Treat this as a special kind of open thread in which you post links to things you’ve found

Do you know Mike over at Castra Praetoria? (He is a Marine E-8. He calls himself America’s First Sergeant.) He and I are having a friendly war. Would you consider linking it: http://themellowjihadi.com/?p=1293 It is for a good cause. I am giving away Marine gear to a future Marine if

I think I’m getting done with Europe, since I’m less charmed with every passing port, explaining TODAY’S POST: We spent the morning in Portofino, which is a seaside resort town.  It’s charming, hot and humid. Nothing there piqued my interest, which allowed me to think about other things. One thought