A Year of Heavy Losses

A Year of Heavy Losses - NYTimes.com
This is a really startling graphic summary of the crap that the financial sector has spread around this past year. Remind me, what do conservatives actually conserve?

Air France sale, fly before 26 October

FYI, here's lots of great fares to all over Europe, including Houston-Paris under $800.

Arrrrrggggh!

Friday is International Talk Like a Pirate Day (come on, you already sent your cards out, right?). We'll be in London if the trains work, so here's some inspiration for ya ...

Michael Palin For President

Yes, the right Palin for the job!

Michigan GOP attacks right-to-vote for the recently foreclosed

Republican strategists in Michigan have confirmed that they plan to challenge the right to vote for people on a list of recent foreclosures, though these people may still be living in their homes, renegotiating or fighting the order. The largest foreclosure firm in the area donates hundreds of thousands of dollars to the GOP, and the Republican-controlled Senate killed the bills that would have given foreclosure relief. Michigan is a swing state.
Michigan GOP attacks right-to-vote for the recently foreclosed - Boing Boing

Alright, now I'm 40, I'm allowed to be crotchety, right? Hell, I'm nearly half McCain's age. Pump up the sprawl / cheap gas / cheap mortgage economy, watch it collapse, and then try to stop those most affected from voting?? The GOP clearly has no shame, but will these weasely freedom-hating liberty-abusers stop at nothing?

a) Yes, they will stop at nothing.
b) No, they will not stop at nothing.
c) No, they will stop at anything.
d) Only tarpits and climate change can stop dinosaurs.

Discuss.

Pictures by Alan

Here are some nice portraits taken by Alan at the National Portrait Gallery, in the beautifully redone Old Patent Office Building in Washington, back in late July.

Rentrée 2008

The boys went back to school today - the day after US Labor Day as usual, even though French labor day is May 1st. It's different of course, as is every year, but this year the first main difference is that Calvin is at the same location (for once!) while Carter changes for the first time since we've been here. It's "just" down to the main campus of their school EABJM, about a 10-minute walk, but he and Calvin both seem kinda anxious about it. We'll settle in, though not tomorrow since there's no school at all on Wednesdays now. Still have to figure out the extracurricular schedule too. Ah well, gotta have something unsettled!