In a Kotomine Kirei voice -
EPA Head staffs agency with climate sceptics

Rejoice! What you wished for has come to pass!
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

Doug sits down with Luna between episodes 2 and 3 and asks her questions I don't think anyone in a Sailor Moon fanfic has ever asked before.

Not and gotten answers, at least.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ ... -1.4014953]Yet another story about asylum seekers crossing the border illegally to get out of the USA.

This time, border officials found 18 people - including a pregnant woman, some children, and a man with a broken arm - who were crossing during a snowstorm. "Visibility is poor in the town, with blustery winds of up to 88 km/h and blowing snow. Highway 75 remains closed, leaving people stranded in the small border town [Emerson, Manitoba], unable to drive north to Winnipeg." They're worried that there's still somebody out there who was separated from the group.

Here's hoping that either nobody's missing or whoever is missing will be found alive.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

Backlash grows against proposed bill
The biggest problem IMO is this:
"Furthermore, at least one of the country’s biggest health-care groups weighed in with caution on the proposal. The American Hospital Association, representing 5,000 hospitals and other health-care groups, argued that the process should not advance until the CBO provides a cost estimate."

The GOP leadership is determined to pass this thing by Easter. They are taking a huge risk in rushing it through with knowing what the downside is. Also the Federal budget needs to be passed by mid-April. the Democrats are not going to help GOP on this and the far right is balking on the bill as it is.  So I have my doubts if it will be passed this year. And if it does gets passed, the GOP owns this. We won't know the results until next election, but based on what I've been reading it won't be pretty for low income folks.
__________________
Into terror!,  Into valour!
Charge ahead! No! Never turn
Yes, it's into the fire we fly
And the devil will burn!
- Scarlett Pimpernell

http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/ca ... -1.4008571

We don't get to vote for the POTUS, despite the power he or she has over our lives - this is the only way we can be heard.

And some people get upset about that.

Go figure.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

A news tidbit sent to me by the Association of the United States Army today:

Quote:Since late December, U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq have been moving deeper into Mosul, working side-by-side with Iraqi forces in efforts to reclaim the city. U.S. Army rockets and missiles have played a major role in advances, with two U.S. platoons armed with light multiple rocket launchers earning a new nickname for their fire power: Task Force Thor.

What this means is that one set of rules..really none for the White House and another set for the rest of the government.
This White House is laying the groundwork for all sorts of payola. I suspect the reason is that they want to make hay before they're booted out.
Say what you will about Obama, there had never been a personal scandal during this administration. This administration flouting of the ethic rules is going to prove a disaster for this administration. Once it gets out that his staff has been accepting "gifts" for certain actions.

Edit: This is the link which disappeared White house counsel response to Kellyanne shout out to buy Ivanka Trump
Relevant passage:

Quote:The administration's assertion was made in a letter that White House Deputy Counsel Stefan Passantino wrote regarding the controversy over White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway's recent ethical issues.
Passantino's letter said that "many regulations promulgated by the Office of Government Ethics ("OGE") do not apply to employees of the Executive Office of the President

Alita: Battle Angel is on again in the best way: http://www.kvue.com/features/entertainm ... /395099868]a casting call for extras.

As I understand it, Hollywood only casts extras while the movie is actually being made.

Cue a "squeee" of delight from Evil Midnight Lurker (and, no doubt, others) in three... two... one...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

The recent Eyrie activity surrounding Vocaloids is the first time I've paid any real attention to them, but now I can't help but wonder how Doug's metatalent responds to them. "Tell Your World", as an example, has understandable lyrics (original Japanese and translation here), but no actual singer.

If Vocaloid songs work, then the effect of "Tell Your World" is either planetary-range telepathic communication or net-diving á la the non-offensive use of "Lightning's Hand". Unless Doug somehow manages to read The Vocaloid Variations before listening to the song, in which case it probably makes any computers within his normal area of effect quicken into fully sapient intelligences if able (suppressing or destroying anything that has the purpose of preventing that outcome).

Not me - I'm too close to retirement to throw away the pension I'm expecting - but maybe somebody else might be interested in a free trip to go get interviewed by various IT companies in Wellington, New Zealand.

http://www.wellingtonnz.com/work/looksee-wellington/

The planes leave in early May, so act fast if you're interested.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012