I fell asleep on the couch. That's rather like being deleted. Healing leg landed in wrong place. Neck a wreck. That insomnia dude did me in.

Who is thee most insane goofy here? Might have to vote for Timothy3 just cuz he actually gets you and me and Kly (a lame joke from a still-asleep person). But I'm putting my hat in the ring. Don't really have a hat. Did once, cost a lot too, but now just my figurative hat to toss. What be the criteria for the title? I can see a grocery store from my apartment. And a sand volleyball field. Good 'nuf?

Cheers, fine celery man! You only got deleted cuz ya doubled.

I usually make the t-day turkey stuffing cuz mine is the best (ahem, I know my strengths, I gobble them up). My erstwhile sister is doing the deed this year and I'm feeling guilty now cuz I passed on (thru her daughter) my culinary wisdom of "avoid too much celery" and "up the sage." F**k the stuffing. I think I'll bring whole stalks & bunches & barrels of good celery. But I must have the mashed taters, even if sigh they're gonna be lumpy.

Bloody Mary. Stalk up eye? (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman)

Merci buckets to you. Sun's shining here. And for you?

Just heard that on the news. In one day only. She's not going anywhere. Unless a snow machine runs over her.

You can't have a fractured heart. Cuz then I'd have a broken heart. And I already have a broken tummy. No gumbo for me, today and many days. My take? Smoke whatever you want, colored papers n' all. Perhaps not pragmatic. Possibly ideological. Mindfulness? Yes. I learned much about that, years past (with subsequent study of my own), from a deeply faithful Jewish man who was also a fervent Buddhist. Ironically, he owned an ad firm and the first assignment he gave me was to write a fundraising brochure for ISKON (aka Hare Krishnas). I'd toss silly lines into the drafts to make sure he was paying attention...like, "Living la Vida Veddic..."

Should, should, should, should, should. It's a damn shame we elected somebody so stupid.

I hate to be so shallow, but I'm even happier about Ann Coulter's jaw wired shut than about the Brennan news! Never thought I'd see the day. Is this The Rapture?

(hopefully, I don't have to clarify I'm kidding. sort of ;)

Heeheehee. It only gets better :)

"Gates, if he remains, is there as institutional memory and a caretaker."

I agree with your statement, primarily with the "institutional memory" part. It's quite similar to corporate changeovers, e.g., with an M&A situation or other such cases prompting changes in top leadership. Getting rid of the "memory" and up-close-and-personal experience is not NECESSARILY a worthwhile (or, in corporate terms, profitable) exercise. This applies moreso at the "senior management" level. I'm not advocating against getting the "worthless bums" at the top out. It takes deft analysis—and some ol' fashioned luck—to gauge who should stay or who should go now. But anyone who deals with change management in large-scale organizations knows well that people, as a general rule, take time and well-managed process to adapt effectively (gotta get the "buy-in") to change, just as there are various ways of maintaining stability during major change initiatives.

In the past week or so, someone posted to a Salon article (I believe it was one of Greenwald's pieces) about Gates. The poster was/is a soldier, two deployments (at least one extended tour) in Iraq, and he had--what seemed to me, anyway--reasoned and reasonable praise for Gates from the vantage point of those in the field. He was not condoning the war, nor how it has been conducted. But he had much to say about Gates' conduct and offered specific incidents of when Gates made a positive difference to soldiers' lives by speaking out and reaping tangible effects.

I wish I could remember the poster's handle, or at least the article to find the post again. Any clues from readers out there? In any event, no, I don't take my own opinions from "one soldier's POV," but I am interested in what our troops have to say, whether yay, nay, or in-between. If Gates is one of those worthless bum types, better he go. I’d like to know more about his record. Hopefully the transition, with him in for a year (if so accepted), would be helped along.

[... snort ... bwa-ha-Ha-HA ... mmph ... Damn it, start again! ...]

Blue Gatorade on my PC, thanks to you!

(Is this sorta like my not REALLY DEEP-DOWN wanting Sarah to be run over by a snow machine...? Oh, it's really too bad I'm a lapsed Catholic cuz clearly I could use a session of confession right about now.)

Maybe Brennan's out because of that lengthy job questionnaire (the likes of which NO job applicant has ever seen...ha!).

Seriously, though, Greenwald et al deserve some kudos for staying alert and helping to keep "us out here" alert. Personally, I suspect Brennan's withdrawal wasn't exactly his decision.

I'm not even one of the "Matthews haters" (of which apparently there are many, at least on Salon, and I grant them some valid reasons; I'm just not entirely of that mindset). Still, I think this is a bad idea. He'd sure be swell at a filibuster, though! Talking, talking, talking...