Sorry for a slight delay in posts, but am trying to secure a replacement for a busted and ancient washer/dryer. Kinda missing the comfort of clean, dry clothes, and laundromat options in the area are very limited.
I’d like to think that if PA went out of commission readers would miss it, too. Yeah, there are plenty of alternatives for gleaning news and views, but none quite so convenient and familiar and–I hope for many of you–“homey.” If you haven’t already, please take the time to make a tax-deductible donation to WaMo, and among other things, you’ll help keep this blogger clothed. And if you’ve already donated, thank you so much, and forgive the continued cup-rattling, which must continue until it’s full.
And now for some midday snacks:
* TIME names Pope Francis its Person of the Year for 2013.
* Glenn Greenwald mocks TIME for passing over his source, Edward Snowden, an obvious contender for POTY.
* At The Monkey Cage, Sarah Binder points out new deal does nothing to restore regular budgeting and appropriations processes.
* House GOPers race to floor for vote tomorrow on budget deal before opposition can fully mobilize. In Senate, Rand Paul and the recently-primaried John Cornyn already indicating opposition.
* TNR’s John Judis reports latest Israeli-Palestinian negotiations brokered by John Kerry seem to be in deep trouble.
And in non-political news:
* Next frontier in wearable tech could be the “smart bra.”
Since we started the day with a Kinks song, let’s continue with another cut from Arthur, Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire. “Victoria” is one of the peppiest (if somewhat self-mocking) contributions to rock jingoism.
