If I hadn't already been a fan of Coates, I would be now. Also, read the comments. They're actually very informative.
Return of the Jedi
So how are we feeling about Star Wars: The Old Republic? I just finished installing and patching this morning. I played around with some character creation, but haven't a chance to do much else. But even in doing that little bit, I realized how dated WoW's graphics really are. I suppose that's a good thing in some ways--WoW can run on almost game PC, at this point.
Either way, I'd love to have a new game on my list. I'm a little pissed about WoW actually adding the panderan. It just feels like more comic relief.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for today’s Big Deal. Today’s Big Winner can keep the sugar-coated Satan sandwich he just won, or he can trade it in for what’s behind our three doors. Behind one of them is a clean raising of the debt ceiling and the expiration of the Bush tax cuts. Behind another is a balanced budget amendment. Behind the third is a sovereign default. So, Big Winner, will you keep your prize, or trade it in for what’s behind Door #1, Door #2, or Door #3? Which do you choose?”We decided to keep the Satan Sandwich.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., was quick to condemn the debt ceiling compromise, calling it a “Satan sandwich” because "there is nothing inside this sandwich that the major religions of the world would say deals with protection of the poor, the widows, the children. It’s not in here.” The term was picked up in headlines across the country and even prompted ABC’s "TopLine" anchors Amy Walter and Rick Klein to dive into "Satan sandwiches" of their own on air.Maybe next time we'll pick what's behind Door #3. In the meantime, bon appetit, and remember to eat your peas!
...
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi agreed with Rep. Cleaver’s “Satan sandwich” metaphor, adding the “Satan sandwich” of a debt ceiling compromise probably comes "with some Satan fries on the side.” But, she said, the devilish agreement was a necessary evil. “Nonetheless, it is something that we have to do,” Pelosi told ABC’s Diane Sawyer Monday before the House voted to pass the bill and raise the debt ceiling.
SYDNEY (Reuters) - The dollar rebounded from three-year lows and U.S. crude slid more than 1 percent on Monday after news al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was killed in a firefight with U.S. forces reduced the perception of security risks facing the United States.
...
"By lowering national security risks overall, this is likely to bolster equity markets and lower U.S. Treasury prices in a reverse flight to quality movement," said Mohamed El-Erian, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chief Investment Officer at PIMCO, which oversees $1.2 trillion in assets.
"Oil markets are likely to be the most volatile given their higher sensitivity to the tug of war between lower risk overall and the possibility of isolated disturbances in some parts of the Middle East and central Asia," he said.
U.S. crude fell more than 1 percent to a session low of $112.21, retreating from a 31-month peak of $114.18 set on Friday.
The dollar index .DXY, which tracks its performance against a basket of major currencies, jumped from a three-year low of 72.813 to 73.227.
Still, once the dust settles, analysts expect the recent trends including a weak U.S. dollar and higher commodity prices to resume, especially given that the U.S. Federal Reserve in no hurry to tighten its ultra-loose monetary policy.
"The economic data in the U.S. is still going to be on the soft side and the market is going to keep a lid on yields and that is going to help push down the dollar," said Joseph Capurso, strategist at Commonwealth Bank.
Some were also skeptical of whether bin Laden death would reduce the security risks facing the United States.
"It doesn't change much about the energy situation and doesn't change much about the ongoing battle with radical Islamists," said Chip Hanlon, president of Delta Global Advisors in California.
"It's sort of like the news when we heard Saddam (Hussein) was caught, in the end it didn't change much fundamentally and I don't think this will either."
Lansing— Gov. Rick Snyder today announced a major reorganization of the Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth that will include a new name — the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs."Its customers" not "the citizens" or even "the taxpayers." Well, it looks like the Tough Nerd is serious about running Michigan like a business. Too bad a state government isn't a business.
"By consolidating its core functions under one roof and transferring responsibilities that were not compatible to the appropriate agencies, this streamlined department is better positioned to serve its customers while significantly contributing to our overall goal of fostering economic success," Snyder said.
Also moving to the Strategic Fund are the department's energy functions, the Michigan State Housing Development Authority and the Land Bank Fast Track, Snyder said in a news release.I didn't find the news release, but I did find the executive orders. I'll quote those in a diary on Daily Kos and Michigan Liberal.
Abolished are the Automobile and Home Insurance Consumer Advocate and the position of chief energy officer, both created by Snyder's predecessor, former Gov. Jennifer Granholm, in 2008.I much preferred the old name--it was a recognition of the roles of labor and energy in economic growth. The new name and organizational chart deny these connections. Why, there is no longer a chief energy officer! Hey, folks, way to signal that Michigan no longer has an energy policy! *grump*
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timeasmymeasure
