Today's edition of quick hits:
* Late this afternoon, the U.N. General Assembly approved an implicit recognition of Palestinian statehood, elevating Palestinians' U.N. observer status from "entity" to "non-member state."
* It was a 62-to-33, bipartisan vote: "Reflecting a war-weary nation, the Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday for an accelerated withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan after more than a decade of fighting."
* Now that's a picture calling out for a caption contest.
* Syria: "This morning, an entire country was effectively cut off from the Internet. Web traffic in and out of Syria dropped to zero abruptly, a drastic development more than a year into a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. Cellphone service also appears to be partially down."
* BP: "The United States government has temporarily banned the British oil company BP from new federal contracts, citing the company's 'lack of business integrity.'"
* Housing recovery: "An index measuring the number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes in October jumped to nearly its highest level in almost six years. Steady job gains and record-low mortgage rates have made home buying more attractive."
* Given Mercury's proximity to the sun, it's amazing how much ice it has.
* Naming Paul Ryan one of the world's top 10 most important "global thinkers" strikes me as an example of profoundly poor judgment. Seriously, Foreign Policy editors, what were you thinking?
* Easily the greatest thing I've seen today: pictures of Vice President Biden going shopping at Costco.
Anything to add? Consider this an open thread.
Leave a Comment:
Caption for the President Obama-Mitt Romney picture:
Romney: "Nice place you have here."
President: "Yeah. I just received a 4-year renewal on the lease."
probably more like "sorry about the cavity search, but you know how these things are."
Mittens: Wow, it is really... remarkable what you've done with the place. Say, would you look at those couches!- Did Michelle pick them out? You know, there was a day when Ann and I shopped at Ikea. Well, enough chit chat, I know you are interested in my plans for the White House. Let's start with these natty curtains- what we planned was crushed green velvet for the Christmas season...
Caption - Mitt, you can stand as close to the desk as you'd like. You just can't sit behind it.
Whippet Good,love your comment the best!! Sounds a lot like New Yorker magazine! Now draw a cartoon!!!
Josh Marshall calls it, "Great moments in body language."
It's only a matter of time before the right starts yelling about the picture because the president is standing on (and therefore "disgracing") the symbol of the country.
Thanks for dropping by Mitt. I thought your backers spent so much money you should at least get to visit.
Ice on Mercury? Not news. Once my undergrads understood that the Moon had ice, they knew Mercury would probably have it, too, and where. And that is what I was teaching them 20 years ago.
But this isn't the first time NASA announces as news things most astronomers have understood as truth for many years. It seems more the rule for them than the exception.
Also not new? Evidence for water on Mars. I still have the photos (as slides). Though I must admit to curiosity (sorry!) about the upcoming Mars mineralogy results.
it sounds like NASA is doing what all scientists believe should be done. the unfortunately dull, plodding work of verifying or disproving experimentally what some scientist has theorized. in this case, and on the moon, they verified the theory and this helps rather than hinders the progress of the science of astronomy. without these proofs of your "truth" of years past they would remain speculation, not knowledge.
as for evidence of water on mars, again, without on-site verification (or perhaps seeing an ocean on mars through the hubble) this too would have remained speculation. as i remember it, the "evidence" for water on mars was always speculative based on fuzzy telescopic observations and supposed similarities to earth.
as do you, i await the SAM results with high hopes that they will show us something new. i also suspect that they will show more verification of current theory based on results from previous orbiters, landers and rovers. the first would be exciting, the second would just increase my evidence for the usefulness of science. either way, we all win.
all that said, i'd really like to put some scientists on mars, not just rovers.
"Ahh Willard, you shouldn't have...4 more years? Thank you!"
Obama: "The floors look great, Mitt."
OUCH!!!
Barack: Take a good look around Mr. Romney for you have just hit the top of your career...... for a day...now dont let the door hit you in the ass. lol
Romney is probably not breathing at all! - He is still in shock that $60 BIllion did not elect him or other Republicans who were on his side of the fence!!!
The Grin of Smugness has waned.
Well, he's had everyone to blame but himself.
Late this afternoon, the U.N. General Assembly approved an implicit recognition of Palestinian statehood, elevating Palestinians' U.N. observer status from "entity" to "non-member state."
Commonly referred to as being a bad thing by the corporately owned media of the United States, this resolution was opposed by the United States and their masters in the Likud Party and AIPAC. What the corporately owned media will not acknowledge is that the former Premier of Israel (Olmert) publicly stated his support of Palestine receiving this designation.
Naming Paul Ryan one of the world's top 10 most important "global thinkers" strikes me as an example of profoundly poor judgment.
Foreign Policy is a corporately funded
front groupthink tank where the neocons tell them the policy and the 'think tank' provides rational for the neocon policy. It is 'logical' to promote Ryan as an important 'global thinker' within the contexts of his presidential aspirations being consistent with neocon perspectives and within the context of the Koch brothers wallets.President Obama to Mitt..."Don't you just feel like the contestant that overbid the showcase on The Price is Right?"
@Jim Hoffman...My Fav! Lol...may I share? Thanks.
mine too. ooh, ooh, ooh, mine too mine too!
Halliburton should get the same treatment as BP.
Caption: You wouldn't have liked the size of the trees anyway.
That is why the White House is not in Michigan.
Obama: "Don't even think about getting behind the desk."
Romney: "Quick Fred snap the picture maybe we can fool people into believing i'm the President"
See and I was going the other way.
So Mitt, would you like to try the chair, unfortunately it's broken in for me.
"Governor, I wanted to thank you for running for President it made my win a whole lot easier."
Why do we keep calling him Governor? I lived through his tenure in Massachusetts and he was absent for over 250 days in a year. However he left us with a great medical care plan!!!!
Romney: While I'm here, I sure could use some free "stuff" — how about an official White House pen or ash tray?
Uh, NO Willard, this is MY office, you're just visiting! You lost, remember?
And right after...
"No, you can't take just one picture behind the desk."
Mitt: "What a pleasure it is to be here Mr. President. Now what is your most expensive item in this place?"
Obama:"Welcome Mitt, Come, I have many binders to show you"
Agreed on the lack of judgement Foreign Policy showed!
There is only one caption for this picture:
"See, I told you, you wouldn't like moving in to a smaller house."
"So tell me Mitt, is 47 still your lucky number?"
"And those round things we ate. You say they're called 'dough nuts'?"
Handshake caption contest:
"It's called the Resolute Desk because the wood was salvaged from the H.M.S. Resolute... and the chair is Clint Eastwood."
Ms. Brinkley...superb! I am humbled.
Thank you, sir. I later shortened it to, "Have a seat over here on Clint Eastwood."
Poor old Clint.
Susan @ #25, that was top notch! No pun intended...