We need a little Christmas

A late Thanksgiving means Christmas stuff comes quickly.
Like the Country Christmas on ABC, hosted by Jennifer Nettles.

Keeping the family tradition

American Power brings the early numbers on Black Friday shopping - lots of people left the table for the stores or their laptops.
The Other McCain family participated in the tradition also.
Such family traditions should be celebrated.

Saturday song

Don't try to understand Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here."

Facebook quote of the week

So....have anyone else's liberal Facebook friends been as quiet as mine for the past month and a half?

Where the guns are

Powerline's Thanksgiving travels included a visit to the NRA Sporting Arms Museum.
A great way to enjoy the holiday.

More reasons to dislike Obamacare

Megan McArdle looks at the Hobby Lobby case and asks why?
Why provoke people into fighting your law?
If you want to make the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act viable for the long term, you’re going to need the support of folks like Hobby Lobby as much as you need low premiums. There are many religious people in America, and if you want to keep stirring up active opposition to the law, one good way is to suggest that this law forces them to pay for something they are convinced is morally wrong. (Hobby Lobby’s objection is not to contraception in general, but specifically to products that could prevent a fertilized egg from implanting.) If you want to still be fighting Obamacare in the trenches 40 years from now, the best way I can think of is appending it to the argument over abortion.

Happy "website's gonna work" eve

One day to November 30.
More importantly, 33 days until January 1.
How many people with health insurance now will wake up that day without?
No number of excuses will cover that?

Bird of the day

Did you enjoy your turkey?
Almost time to enjoy another bird.

Darth on Thanksgiving

Two years until the next Star Wars movie.
Are you thankful?
We'll always have Darth.

Weekend watchdog

Thanksgiving Day 2012's NFL games brought a real turkey - the Mark Sanchez butt fumble.
What surprises await in 2013?
The tripleheader starts at 12:30 p.m. on Fox, with the Packers visiting the Lions. CBS has the Raiders battling the Cowboys at 4:30 p.m. and Baltimore hosting the hated Steelers at 8:30 p.m.
The Ravens and Steelers appear to have butt-fumbled their season. Expected to contend for the AFC North title, the winner still faces a tough road to the last wild-card berth. And the loser starts thinking of 2014.
Top NFC contenders battle Monday on ESPN, with the Saints visiting Seattle. NBC offers Giants-Redskins Sunday night.
Sunday afternoon, CBS has the doubleheader featuring the Patriots against Texans at 1 p.m. and Broncos-Chiefs at 4:25 p.m. Fox will show the Cardinals' trip to Philadelphia at 1 p.m.
The college football weekend starts Thursday at 7:30 p.m. with Mississippi against Mississippi State on ESPN. FoxSports1 features Texas Tech at Texas.
ABC's Friday doubleheader starts at noon with Iowa-Nebraska, followed by Miami facing Pittsburgh.
CBS brings Arkansas' trip to LSU at 2:30 p.m., while Washington State meets Washington at 3:30 p.m. on Fox.
FoxSports1 starts its day at 3 p.m. with Florida International against Florida Atlantic. Fifth-ranked Oregon faces rival Oregon State at 7 p.m.
SMU travels to Houston at noon on ESPN2, while South Florida takes on Central Florida on ESPN at 8 p.m.
ABC brings a trio of rivalry matchups Saturday, starting at noon with Ohio State-Michigan. Georgia faces Georgia Tech at 3:30 p.m., followed by UCLA-USC at 8 p.m.
The SEC West title will be on the line when top-ranked Alabama goes to Auburn at 3:30 p.m. on CBS.
Notre Dame takes on Stanford on Fox at 7 p.m. The Bayou Classic between Grambling and Southern will be on NBC at 2:30 p.m.
ESPN starts its day at noon when second-ranked Florida State heads to Florida. Then it's off to the Big Ten for Penn State-Wisconsin at 3:30 p.m., followed by Missouri against Texas A&M at 7:45 p.m.
Duke can clinch a berth in the ACC title game when it plays North Carolina at noon on ESPN2. Baylor heads to TCU at 3:30 p.m., before South Carolina faces Clemson at 7 p.m. The night concludes on the blue turf with Boise State hosting New Mexico at 10:15 p.m.
Kansas takes on Kansas State at noon on FoxSports1, then Iowa State battles West Virginia at 4 p.m.
Maryland closes its time in the ACC, facing North Carolina State at 12:30 p.m. on the ACC network.
Boston College meets Syracuse on Comcast at 3:30 p.m. while MASN2 offers North Texas-Tulsa at 2:30 p.m.
NBC has Thanksgiving weekend ice hockey when the Rangers and Bruins tangle Friday at 1 p.m. The Capitals host Montreal Friday at 5 p.m. on Comcast.
It's Wizards-Pacers Friday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast, and the Hawks visit Washington Saturday at 7 p.m.
ESPN2 has six contests on Thanksgiving Day, starting at noon with Oklahoma State-Purdue. Butler takes on Washington State at 2 p.m., followed by Marquette against Cal State-Fullerton at 4:30 p.m. and Memphis facing Siena at 6:30 p.m. St. Joseph's goes against LSU at 8:30 p.m., and Arizona State battles Creighton in the nightcap at 11 p.m.
There's a semifinal from the Old Spice Classic Friday at 1:30 p.m. on ESPN, followed by the third place game from the NIT pre-season tournament at 3:30 p.m. and title contest at 6 p.m.
Another five games fill the ESPN2 schedule Friday. After a tournament game at 3:30 p.m., there's the second semifinal from the Old Spice Classic at 5:30 p.m. Florida State meets Florida at 7:30 p.m., followed by a game from the Wooden Legacy classic and Northwestern-UCLA at 11:30 p.m.
Sunday brings the final of the Old Spice Classic at 7:30 p.m. and Wooden Legacy at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
NBC Sports network has the Battle4Atlantis, starting Thursday at 7 p.m. when Iowa plays Xavier and Tennessee takes on Texas-El Paso. The semifinals are Friday and 7 and 9:30 p.m., with the consolation game Saturday at 7 p.m. followed by the championship at 9:30 p.m.
There's more tournament action as Georgia Tech plays Mississippi in the Barclay Center Classic Friday at 4:30 p.m. The consolation will be Saturday at 2 p.m., with the final at 4:30 p.m.
FoxSports1 has Providence-Fairfield Friday at 12:30 p.m. There's more Big East play Sunday, with Fairleigh Dickinson-Seton Hall at 2 p.m. followed by Oregon State-DePaul. North Carolina faces Alabama-Birmingham at 6 p.m. and it's Kentucky-Providence in the Brooklyn Hoops Festival at 9 p.m.
South Alabama faces Middle Tennessee State Saturday at 1 p.m. on Comcast, and Sunday at 5 p.m. VCU heads to Belmont. MASN2 brings Arkansas-Little Rock against Oklahoma Friday at 3 p.m. and Rhode Island meets George Mason Saturday at 4 p.m. on MASN.
In women's basketball, top-ranked Connecticut takes on Ohio State at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN2.
Newcastle meets West Brom on NBC Saturday at 12:30 p.m. NBC Sports network offers Premier League play Sunday, with Hull City-Liverpool at 9 a.m. followed by Chelsea against Southampton.
The best bowlers gather for the Cheetah championship Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN.

From holiday to holi-hours

Remember the good old days when only a few people worked on Thanksgiving?
The whole day off keeps on shrinking - it's now down to hours.
The local Kroger will be open until 5 p.m. for last-minute food needs.
Three hours later, the Christmas shopping starts.
Thanksgiving has been reduced to a long dinner break.

Does your Republican uncle read the paper?

Democrats are sending their young supporters into a trap.
They launch a website with talking points for Thanksgiving.
They forget that Thanksgiving is the biggest newspaper of the year - lots of store ads and plenty of space for news stories.
If your Republican uncle reads the paper, he'll probably find this story on the front page.
What's the talking point about delaying online enrollment for small businesses?
It's so popular that you can't have it for a year?
Your Republican Uncle doesn't need to be provided talking points about this disaster.

Find that turkey

It's the day before Thanksgiving.
Hope you have your turkey, because they are getting harder to find.

Welcome to the party, pal

Politico tells about Democratic worries about the Obamacare rollout.
They think they're ready to ask tough questions after December 1.
You can borrow some of the Republican questions.
We've had five years of practice questioning this mess.

Where's my global warming?

Thanksgiving travelers across the east are looking to the skies - will it snow or ice on their trip?
Where's the global warming that's supposed to cook our planet?
It would be nicer than scrapping ice off the car windows in the morning.

An I-D-Ten-T problem

Megan McArdle remembers the woes of tech workers trying to bring to reality the dreams of their customers - even if the dreams are beyond current technology.
The policy people handed out impossible orders to the technical staff; when the technical staff couldn’t deliver their impossibility, they decided that the problem was incompetence. This percolated all the way down the line, and quite probably back up again -- why bother explaining things if the people you’re doing the explaining to are idiots? The supercilious tone that Henry Chao, the Medicare agency's deputy information officer, took toward congressmen -- particularly Republican congressmen -- in his recent testimony sounded a lot like I did 15 years ago when I told a client just how stupid they were being. (That was a mistake I made only once, thank God -- and my boss rightly ripped my head off after the meeting was over.) It sounded like a man who was fed up with all the fools who surround him.
But at the end of the day, when people are demanding that you do the impossible, your job is to explain why you can’t. The ability to manage the expectations of nontechnical users is actually an important piece of domain knowledge for technical people; if you flub that, you’ll fail just as surely as if you get the hardware or software wrong.

Shut up and clear the table

Ace watches the liberal talking points for Thanksgiving and brings his own.
6. Remember when you were so confident, arrogant, snotty, sneering, and dismissive about legitimate and informed concerns about Obamacare? You were wrong. And you weren't just wrong on the facts, but you were wrong on a human level. You very nearly screamed your ignorant opinions and shouted down dissent. You sneered at people as ignorant who actually knew more than you did, and you indulged in entirely-unwarranted moral preening about your alleged concern for the poor. Despite the fact that you never do anything to actually aid the poor. Apparently shouting at relatives is your idea of "charity."
Now clear the table and let me watch the game.

Another tale of woe

Instapundit highlights another person who voted for Obama - and found they voted for higher health insurance premiums.
And more trouble figuring out the subsidy question.
I went to a friend and colleague—let’s call him Peter—for advice. He also had his individual medical policy cancelled because of Obamacare. “I’m stuck on the same question—income,” he told me. Peter does a little writing, a little farming, a little this and that to keep the ship afloat. “I got through to the exchange, and the woman there told me to just estimate what my income would be this year.” In other words: Make it up. If he overestimated, he’d be screwing himself out of a subsidy, Peter said. If he underestimated, he’d be hit with a big fat bill. He wasn’t sure he wouldn’t also be accused of fraud. So he called his accountant, who’s also a lawyer. 
That only got him so far. At a certain point in the conversation, the accountant/lawyer had to get off the phone. “I have to stop answering your questions,” he told Peter. “I can’t ethically advise you, because honestly I don’t know the right thing to do. Nobody does. There are no answers.
The answer is "we told you so."

Planning to fail

A former tech worker looks at the obvious problems with Obamacare website.
The idea that “failure is not an option” is a fantasy version of how non-engineers should motivate engineers. That sentiment was invented by a screenwriter, riffing on an after-the-fact observation about Apollo 13; no one said it at the time. (If you ever say it, wash your mouth out with soap. If anyone ever says it to you, run.)
The administration didn't want to give Republicans fuel to battle Obamacare.
Instead, they built up the fuel until the October explosion.

As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly

Thanksgiving is late this year.
But it's never too late for the WKRP Turkey Drop.

Troglo-sweater

Looking for a good Christmas sweater?
Here's one you can like.

Where are the swimmers?

It's a beautiful sunny day on the Outer Banks.
Where are the swimmers?

Wind chill of 21, with gusts pushing it lower, might keep them inside - or in bed.

Exposing the true agenda

Powerline isn't too worried about President Obama's power grab in the courts.
Because much of the important stuff that federal appeals courts do is, indeed, politics by other means, and the public needs to understand this. The more that federal judges lose their mystique, the more that realism is enhanced. The more that judicial decisions in important controversial cases are understood as ideologically driven, the better.
You claim to have power, but do you have respect?

Another unhappy customer

Powerline highlights a Roanoke Times column featuring another customer unhappy with the Obamacare changes.
The plan she liked didn't make the cut. And now she'll be paying more for worse coverage.

This will ruin my family’s health care options. I will lose the ability to save any money in my health savings account. Instead of saving for my family’s needs, I will have to give that money to an insurance company.

I will have higher out-of-pocket costs and worse coverage.

Anger doesn’t begin to describe how I feel. I urge my congressional representatives to support the president’s other promise, that “If you like your plan, you can keep it.”

Saturday song

Another interesting video from the 80s, by Tom Petty.

Set your alarm

Time is running out for Obamacare signups for insurance to start on January 1.
They have extended the deadline eight days to enroll.
And the website will add a helpful note on better times to visit during peak periods.
Set your alarm and try to get your health insurance at 2 a.m.
Might be your best bet.

Facebook quote of the week

12 Reasons Why a Pastor Quit Attending Sporting Events

1. The coach never came to visit me.
2. Every time I went, they asked for money.
3. The people sitting in my row didn’t seem very friendly....
4. The seats were very hard.
5. The referees made a decision I didn’t agree with.
6. I was sitting with hypocrites—they only came to see what others were wearing!
7. Some games went into overtime and I was late getting home.
8. The band played some songs I had never heard before.
9. The games are scheduled on my only day to sleep in and run errands.
10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.
11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches, anyway.
12. I don’t want to take my children because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.

Know your slogans

In the George W. Bush administration, we said "Let's roll."
In the Obama administration, they say "Let's enroll."

Where I was

It's the 50th anniversary of the JFK assassination.
Have you heard?
My mom reminded me that I was taking a nap when it happened.
Most 15-month olds do.
Not as exciting as many stories you've seen today.
Next story, please.

Nuking Democratic hopes

Megan McArdle wonders if the Democrats have nuked their future hopes with the nuclear option vote.
They think it’s very likely that they will lose their Senate majority in 2014. They are essentially writing off the last two years of Obama’s presidency, which means getting as much done as possible right now. They are going to spend the next year packing as many liberal justices and appointees onto the courts and various bureaucracies as they can, knowing that much of this legacy will live on beyond Obama.

Weekend watchdog

Peyton Manning and Tom Brady have had some memorable meetings on the gridiron.
Sunday night is another chapter.
After years of Colts-Patriots games in November, Manning and his Broncos teammates face the Patriots Sunday night on NBC.
Manning has the Broncos tied with Kansas City atop the AFC West, while Brady and the Patriots remain in first in the AFC East. Another meeting might loom in January - and very likely again next November.
Sunday, the Ravens take on the Jets at 1 p.m. on CBS. Fox offers the doubleheader, with Panthers against Dolphins at 1 p.m. before the Giants and Cowboys battle at 4:25 p.m.
The Redskins host San Francisco on ESPN Monday night.
Canada's best meet in the Grey Cup Sunday at 6 p.m., with Hamilton battling Saskatchewan on NBC Sports network.
The college football weekend continues Friday at 9 p.m. as Navy heads to San Jose State on ESPN2.
Notre Dame takes on BYU Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC, while CBS brings Texas A&M-LSU.
ABC features top contenders, with the 3:30 p.m. block having third-ranked Ohio State host Indiana or fifth-ranked Oregon at Arizona (the game not on the air in your area will be seen on ESPN2). In primetime, fourth-ranked Baylor faces Oklahoma State.
Fox goes out west for UCLA-Arizona State at 7 p.m.
NBC Sports network has "The Game" - Harvard against Yale - at noon followed by the CAA contest between James Madison and Towson.
The ACC network offers a pair of games at 12:30 p.m. Some areas will get North Carolina State against East Carolina, while others see new conference members Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
ESPN starts the day at noon with Michigan State against Northwestern. Wisconsin tackles Minnesota at 3:30 p.m., followed by Missouri-Mississippi at 7:45 p.m.
Wake Forest battles Duke on ESPN2 at noon. In primetime, Vanderbilt faces Tennessee at 7 p.m. before Washington meets Oregon State.
Oklahoma heads to Kansas State on FoxSports1 at noon, and rivals California and Stanford meet at 4 p.m. (keep the band off the field). Kansas goes to Iowa State at 8 p.m.
Old Dominion meets North Carolina at noon on Comcast, followed by Maryland-Boston College.
Memphis battles Louisville on MASN at noon, and Lehigh takes on Lafayette on MASN2 at 12:30 p.m.
In the NBA, ESPN brings Spurs at Grizzlies Friday at 8 p.m. followed by the Warriors battling the Lakers in the nightcap.
The Wizards meet the Knicks Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Virginia Tech takes on Michigan State in the second game of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic Friday on TruTv. Oklahoma plays Seton Hall in the opener.
ESPN has the final of the Hall of Fame Tipoff Classic Sunday at 1 p.m., while ESPN2 has the championship of the 2K Sports Classic Friday at 7:30 p.m.
The Charleston Classic has its final Sunday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2, after two games from the Puerto Rice Tipoff Classic at 4:30 and 7 p.m.
It's a Big East doubleheader Friday on FoxSports1, with Delaware against Villanova at 7 p.m. before St. John's meets Monmouth.
MASN brings women's basketball between Southern Cal and Oklahoma State Friday at 8 p.m. Duke heads to Marquette Sunday at 4 p.m. on FoxSports1.
Comcast offers the Capitals hosting the Canadiens Friday at 7 p.m.
North Dakota visits Boston University Friday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
The MLS will have its two championship contenders after the weekend. NBC Sports network shows Kansas City against Houston Saturday at 7:30 p.m., then it's out west for Portland-Real Salt Lake on ESPN Sunday at 9 p.m.
West Ham takes on Chelsea on NBC Saturday at 12:30 p.m. NBC Sports network brings a pair of games Saturday, with Everton against Liverpool at 7:45 a.m. before Arsenal faces Southampton at 10 a.m.
Formula One racing heads to South America, with the Brazil Grand Prix Sunday at 11 a.m. on NBC. There's practice Friday at 11 a.m. on NBC Sports network.

From the heart of Dixie

CMT has decided to highlight "New Women of Country," including Danielle Bradbery.
She'll be a star, not just in the Heart of Dixie.

They'll lose their jobs next year, anyway

Politico reports that some older Congressional aides are going to be paying a lot more for health insurance next year.
Some Democrats worry the increases will force them to leave their current jobs.
Don't worry.
There will be less need for Democratic congressional staffers after the next election.

Powered by applause

HotAir looks at the lousy reasons for blaming Republicans on the Obamacare struggles.
Obama seems unwilling or unable to come to grips with the scope of the disaster his administration has created.  Instead of blaming Capitol Hill Republicans for not clapping enthusiastically enough to save Tink, a competent executive would start replacing the people responsible for the massive failures.

I'll pay you Tuesday for health insurance today

Popeye's friend Wimpy must be the project manager on Obamacare.
We'll show you health insurance plans - but haven't built the way to get payments to the insurers.
You can mooch a hamburger.
Try taking an IOU to the doctor.

We're magnificent also

DaTech Guy has picked up a "Magnificent Seven" contributors to his blog.
And he decided to highlight other bloggers today, including a recent Facebook quote of the week from here.
That's magnificent.

Some real science on global warming

Watts Up With That highlights a new survey of scientists - which splits on humans as the cause of global warming.
Instead of 97 percent consensus, they find 52 percent.
From the abstract, it is clear the authors didn’t expect to find this result, as they were likely expecting something close to the fabled 97%. They give this away when they advise in the abstract steps that can be taken to “correct” the low number reported.
You can't argue with science - especially if it's a result you didn't expect to find.

Safety first

I bet you've heard of Grand Theft Auto.
Fast cars, guns and plenty of mayhem for boys to enjoy.
My youngest showed me the garage where he keeps his variety of cars - which comes with a surprise -  multiple fire extinguishers on the walls.
Video games teaching murder, mayhem and fire safety - what a combination.

Care to revise that column?

When Ted Cruz was warning about the problems of  Obamacare in early October, he had major doubters.
Now the doubters are on his side - doubting the whole program.

Ride of Jack Jouett

A Central Virginia hero caught Glenn Beck's eye for his new book.

Hanging together or hanging separately

Megan McArdle sees insurers and Democrats hoping for the best - and wondering if the other is going to abandon Obamacare first.
The moment that it looks like there’s a big risk that Obamacare won’t work, both Democrats and insurers are going to stampede for the exit. Yes, Obama can veto anything that threatens his favorite law. But if it gets that far, he’s already lost. His veto will cost his party big in the 2014 midterms, quite possibly enough to cost them the Senate. But by then it will probably be irrelevant, because if Obama has to veto something like a bipartisan bill to delay or repeal the individual mandate, his presidency will be over, and his signature legislation will be in grave danger. Insurers were willing to risk fairly substantial losses in 2014 to help the law get established and build market share. If it looks like the law is going to fail, they probably aren’t going to be willing to do it again in 2015.

Obamacare, Obamacare, Obamacare

Who pushed the Affordable Care Act?
If you're proud of your work, call it by your name.
If you're not proud, you don't.

Unhappiness all around

Walter Russell Mead lists the layers of unhappiness with Obamacare.
Now the law’s backers face the convergence of three different centers of unhappiness: unhappiness with the bungled website rollout, unhappiness with a mix of cancellations and price increases by customers in the individual insurance market, and unhappiness on the part of millions of rubes (aka ‘voters’) that the proponents of the new health care system concealed potential deal breaking features while they were selling the law.

Shutdown rebound

Rasmussen shows what a difference a month makes.
Republicans have gained eight points since the end of the shutdown.
How big will the bounce be?
There's an 80 percent chance it's going to keep growing.

Birthday song

Approaching her birthday today, my mom was trying to think of a song with 77.
Click your fingers, it's 77 Sunset Strip.

Undefeated team watch

Now there are none. Kansas City suffered its first loss Sunday night, to Denver. The 1972 Miami Dolphins, once again, toast their status as the lone undefeated team in NFL history.

Somebody has to make the playoffs

The Baltimore Ravens dropped to 4-6 with a loss Sunday.
Are their playoff hopes done?
You'd think, but right now, the last playoff spot would go to either the Jets or Dolphins - both 5-5.
Six teams have a 4-6 record, and the Bills are 4-7.
One of those nine teams has to make the playoffs.

Duck Dynasty bags a House seat

Louisiana had a special election for a House seat Saturday.
The underdog - who had support from the Duck Dynasty crew - won.
Wonder if he'll grow a beard?

Four signs of doom

The Wall Street Journal lists four reasons for President Obama to be very concerned about his relationship with his party.
They haven't stopped panicking yet.

Apt illustration

Via NRO, a historical illustration of the Obamacare troubles.
If the king orders you to do something that won't float, reality will prove greater than the king's demands.

Facebook quote of the week

I'm beginning to think it's possible that the geniuses behind Obamacare honestly believed that people would love the new product, so there would be no fuss about it. In other words, it wasn't a conspiracy, they're just more stupid than I ever imagined, and that's saying something.
UPDATE: Linked by DaTech Guy.

What's my line today?

Mickey Kaus tries to keep track of the various lines to support Obamacare.
I’d like to toe the party line on insurance cancellations, but it keeps changing!

Saturday song

Gilbert O'Sullivan is "Alone, Again" in front of a TV audience.
Naturally.

The day in Obamacare mockery

Hot Air has a roundup of today's bad news for Obamacare.
Can't wait for tomorrow.

Way to go, Nick Joe

West Virginia's Nick Joe Rahall used to be my Congressman.
Democrat for years.
At least he's learning.
When one reporter asked him how he would grade the White House in terms of Obamacare implementation and its outreach to congressional Democrats, he responded bluntly: “F-minus.”
When asked how the law’s rollout had played in his district, his answer was equally terse. “Oh, very bad,” he said, chuckling a bit. “Rotten.”

Clinton to the rescue

DaTech Guy examines how a comment from former President Clinton turned the narrative on Obamacare.
When Bill Clinton pronounced (without the slightest bit of irony) words to the effect that Barack Obama needed to keep his promises to the American People everything changed.
SUDDENLY: Media that was talking about how LOUSY the plans being cancelled were talking about how they should be kept.
SUDDENLY: Democrat Senators who stood united to keep Obamacare from being delayed and/or defunded and who stood with Harry Reid as he kept parks and vets from being funded to prevent this from happening were scrambling for a vote ANY vote to distance themselves from the Obamacare fiasco.
Suddenly, there's hope for us.

Weekend watchdog

NBC didn't have Kansas City on its original Sunday night schedule.
But they grabbed their first chance to put the undefeated Chiefs on the air.
Kansas City heads to Denver for a key battle in the AFC West, pushing the Packers and Giants out of primetime. Peyton Manning and the Broncos have gotten plenty of attention for their 8-1 start, but could be looking at a wild-card berth if they can't solve Andy Reid's defense.
Sunday afternoon, the Ravens head to Chicago on CBS at 1 p.m. Fox has the doubleheader, with Redskins-Eagles at 1 p.m. followed by Packers facing the Giants.
Monday night, ESPN has the Patriots' trip to Carolina at 8:40 p.m.
The college football weekend continues Friday when UCLA plays Washington at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.
The Hokies take on Maryland Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on ACC network, while other areas can see North Carolina at Pittsburgh.
CBS has a top 25 clash between Auburn and Georgia at 3:30 p.m.
Second-ranked Florida State hosts Syracuse on ABC at 3:30 p.m., with other areas getting Michigan State at Nebraska. The game not on the air in your area will be seen on ESPN2. In primetime, Stanford faces Southern Cal.
Fox offers Oklahoma State battling Texas at 3:30 p.m. and Texas Tech-Baylor at 7 p.m.
ESPN starts its day at noon with Ohio State facing Illinois. Top-ranked Alabama meets Mississippi State at 7:45 p.m.
Wisconsin takes on Indiana at noon on ESPN2, then in primetime South Carolina plays Florida. Wyoming heads to Boise State at 10:15 p.m. Oklahoma goes against Iowa State at noon on FoxSports1, followed by Utah-Oregon at 4 p.m.
Comcast brings North Carolina State at Boston College at 12:30 p.m., then Colgate battles Syracuse at 4 p.m.
There's a pair of games on MASN - Central Florida against Temple at noon before Brevard plays Liberty. MASN2 brings West Virginia facing Kansas at noon, followed by TCU-Kansas State.
From the Ivy League, Harvard hosts Pennsylvania at noon on NBC Sports network.
The NASCAR season concludes in Florida this weekend, with the Sprint Cup finale Sunday at 3 p.m. on ESPN. The last race of the Nationwide race will be Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on ESPN.
NBC offers the United States Grand Prix from Texas Sunday at 2 p.m. Practice is Friday at 1 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
In the NBA, the Timberwolves take on the Nuggets Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, then it's Pistons-Kings in the nightcap.
The Wizards play Cleveland Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
On the college hardcourt, ESPN2 has a doubleheader Sunday starting at 5 p.m., with Michigan-Iowa State followed by Robert Morris facing Kentucky.
Comcast offers Indiana State-Notre Dame Sunday at noon.
Oklahoma State meets Arkansas-Pine Bluff on MASN2 Friday at 8 p.m. Loyola hosts Fairfield Saturday at 8 p.m. on MASN while MASN2 offers Kansas State-Long Beach State Sunday at 4 p.m. It's Towson against Villanova on FoxSports1 Sunday at 5 p.m.
The Capitals visit Detroit Friday at 7:30 p.m. on Comcast, then host St. Louis Sunday at 6 p.m.
On the college ice, Notre Dame plays Merrimack Friday at 7:30 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
Preparation for the World Cup continues on ESPN2 Friday at 2:55 p.m., with an international friendly between Scotland and United States.
The road to the Sochi Olympics continues Friday at 3:30 p.m., with trials in women's curling on NBC Sports network. There's more trials Saturday at 8 p.m., after a men's match at 3:30 p.m., and continuing Sunday at noon.

Tell me lies

A Powerline reader counts 17 lies by President Obama in Thursday's press conference.
Prepared lies and off-the-cuff lies.
Long lies and short lies.
Can you trust him now?

Obama's Christmas vacation plans

For the past five years, President Obama has spent his Christmas and New Year's in Hawaii.
Will he return this holiday season?
How will it look for him to be relaxing in Hawaii while the day people are losing health insurance policies they liked?
I hope they plan for their holidays better than the Affordable Care Act rollout.

While awaiting the surrender

Jonah Goldberg hits on all cylinders while watching the Obamacare crash.
I'd bet on the Somali supercollider working before healthcare.gov.

Obamacare death spiral

When Sarah Palin mentioned "death panels" in early debates of Obamacare, it's doubtful she meant the Senate.
But it looks like Democrats are looking to amputate unpopular parts of the bill to slow the death spiral.
Put simply, the Landrieu bill solves one of Obamacare's political problems at the cost of worsening its most serious policy problem: Adverse selection. Right now, the difficulty of signing up is deterring all but the most grimly determined enrollees. The most determined enrollees are, by and large, sicker and older.
If only a political party had warned of these problems in 2009.
And if only Democrats had listened.

You can keep your pain

What's the best option for Democrats on Obamacare?
Keep the pain of Obamacare or the pain of admitting they really messed up.
Either he can knife consumers with canceled policies in the back by confirming that he never meant for them to keep their plans or he can knife his pals in the insurance industry in the bank by validating the giant mess that Landrieu’s trying to make for them. Government health-care fever — catch it.
They may not like their pain, but they can keep their pain.

Worse than the lie

It's easy to make hay from the fact President Obama lied in saying "If you like your plan, you can keep it."
It's much better to watch the president's allies sweat.
Since it wasn't supposed to be that way.
You are, rather, the embodiment of a movement, Exhibit A in the argument that a new America is taking shape before our eyes. So, the rules and expectations are different for you. No one who has been buoyed by that movement, no citizen of that new America, wants to see you acting like just another president, any more than anyone wanted to see Jackie Robinson strike out or Neil Armstrong stumble while stepping off the lunar lander.
He's stumbled off the ladder and rolling down the hill. With nothing to slow the bad momentum.

It's the perfect time to panic

Democrats are crashing into each other, looking for ways out of the Obamacare debacle.
Ted Cruz has some ideas.
Maybe they should have listened to him.

The subeffective administration

Ace likes a new word - subeffective.
It beats - "this administration stinks."

Today's Tied with me

Technorati has this blog tied with Weekly Comic News, which reviews the latest episode of The Walking Dead.

The myth lingers

The struggles of the Obamacare exchanges allow a myth to live on - once you see the deals, you'll be excited.
The message remains "your woes are temporary, and minor compared to the great benefits to come."
Keep walking - it's right around the corner.
But it's not just a lone wolf crying about increased premiums and deductibles - it's as many or more than those who may be "helped."
It takes a while for the myth to die.
One column at a time.

The corner they are in

Via Megan McArdle, a look at the problems facing Obamacare 20 days before the latest deadline.
People's policies are canceled, they can't smoothly access Healthcare.gov, and many are facing big unforeseen increases in premiums and out-of-pocket costs as well as provider restrictions. People who have been waiting patiently for guaranteed issue subsidized health insurance can't get to it and there is little hope they will find a smoothly running system capable of handling an enormously back-loaded demand in the two weeks between December 1 and December 15.
After Black Friday this year is even blacker early December for those in need of health insurance.

Welcome website

Veteran's Day is a good time to visit Welcome Home blog.
Stock up on Kleenex before you visit.

Can Christie pull his weight?

DaTech Guy reminds Chris Christie fans of his weakness - lack of Republican wins in New Jersey.
Maybe he can learn something from the Tea Party - how to excite voters and get a group to work together for the future.

Still sorry after all these days

President Obama might have been better off giving a real apology instead of one that could be discussed continually - and found wanting.

Something missing in their lives

The newest trend for atheists is "Sunday Assembly," a gathering that's like church except without God.
Some like getting together with people who think like they do.
They have the media attention.
But what about financial support?
They hope to raise more than $800,000 that will help atheists launch their pop-up congregations around the world. So far, they have raised about $50,000.
You can try a substitute for God, but nothing beats the real thing.

If you like your country, you can keep your country.

Israel doesn't need the example of  Obamacare to be wary of the administration's talks with Iran.

Let's cheer for Wilson Memorial

Who's the state champion in their division in competition cheer?
Wilson Memorial.
Way to go, ladies.

It's the assumptions, stupid

The woes of Obamacare continue, with no end in sight.
Why?
The president and allies assumed people would welcome the new law with open arms.
They assumed people wouldn't mind signing up for new things.
They assumed new benefits would entice paying more.
They assumed wrong.
The people politicians regularly encounter want these things.
The rest of the population wants protection, but likes life the way it is.
"I'm doing fine, so why bother me?"
They've been bothered.
If the assumptions the government provided insurance companies are wrong, who's going to make up the cash difference?
Either individuals through higher premiums, or taxpayers through a bailout.
Because unlike government, health insurance companies can't print money.
This government probably assumed that they could.

Remembering the Raiders

Three of the remaining members of "Doolittle's Raiders" gathered in Ohio Saturday.
The Doolittle Raid did more than cheer a nation’s morale. Stung by the bursting of their illusions of invincibility, the Japanese advanced the timetable for their attack on New Guinea. As their huge fleet steamed into the Coral Sea, they were met by 3 American carriers, alerted to their plans by the cracking of the Japanese naval code. The resulting battle — the first naval engagement in history where neither side saw each other — was considered a draw. But a few weeks later when Admiral Yamamoto attacked Midway Island hoping to draw the American carriers into a trap, the US Navy turned the tables on the Japanese — with a big assist to the code breakers — as almost 300 carrier-based aircraft obliterated four Japanese carriers. From then until the end of the war, the Japanese were largely on the defensive.
They were real game-changers.

I want to ride my bicycle

Is the beginning of the coldest weather time to talk about bicycles?
Apparently, those bicycle riders who want more of the road have people talking.
Here in the land of cars, you sometimes see a lone bicyclist climbing the hills on a busy highway.
Which is why there aren't many bicycle lanes in Fishersville.

Saturday song

The mournful ballad of Eric Carmen, who sings "All by Myself" to a large crowd.

The year that was

National Journal looks at the struggles of the Obama second term.
How about the self-inflicted wounds?
Some of Obama's difficulties with Congress go back to the campaign he conducted in 2012 and were predicted a year ago by William Galston, Clinton's top domestic-policy adviser in his first term. Writing just days before the election, Galston warned that Obama would "enter his second term holding a relatively weak hand." He lamented that Obama was more focused on tearing down his rival than building a mandate for action in the second term.
The struggles will continue.

Facebook quote of the week

If I wake up tomorrow and Terry McAuliffe is Governor-elect of Virginia, that's one less reason to keep on going-It happened and a dark period just got darker.

More Kellie

Kellie Pickler has a new album coming out Monday.
Always a good time for a picture.

Weekend watchdog

The Big East Conference has returned to its roots - focused on basketball.
With new partner FoxSports1, they kick off the season Friday with Providence facing former conference foe Boston College. Tip is 6 p.m.
Another Big East squad goes to the Far East to start the campaign. Georgetown plays Oregon in South Korea on ESPN Friday at 8 p.m. (Saturday morning local time). Connecticut, which joined the remaining football squads in the new American Athletic Conference, faces Maryland on ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m.
MASN starts its season Friday at 7 p.m. as VCU hosts Illinois State. Over on MASN2, Oklahoma meets Alabama at 5 p.m. and Colorado takes on Baylor at 10 p.m.
The NBA enters its second week on Comcast as the Wizards host Brooklyn Friday at 7 p.m. They visit Oklahoma City Sunday at 7 p.m.
Sunday, the Ravens try to bounce back against Cincinnati at 1 p.m. on CBS, followed by Broncos-Chargers. Fox offers the Eagles' trip to Green Bay at 1 p.m.
Dallas meets New Orleans Sunday night on NBC, then it's the Florida battle between the Dolphins and Buccaneers on ESPN Monday night.
The college football weekend continues Friday at 8:30 p.m. when Louisville meets Connecticut.
CBS has a doubleheader Saturday, with top-ranked Alabama facing LSU at 8 p.m. In the afternoon, Texas A&M hosts Mississippi State.
Florida State travels to Wake Forest on ABC at noon, with other areas getting Kansas State-Texas Tech. Nebraska battles Michigan in a key Big Ten contest at 3:30 p.m. and Notre Dame visits Pittsburgh at 8 p.m.
Fox brings a pair of contests, with USC-California at 3 p.m. before West Virginia faces Texas at 7 p.m.
Virginia hosts North Carolina on the ACC network at 12:30 p.m.
Maryland meets Syracuse on Comcast at 3:30 p.m.
ESPN starts the day in the SEC at noon, with Auburn against Tennessee. BYU takes on Wisconsin at 3:30 p.m. The Hokies try to bounce back against Miami at 7 p.m., followed by UCLA-Arizona at 10 p.m.
Minnesota meets Penn State at noon on ESPN2. In primetime, Houston goes against Central Florida at 7 p.m. before Fresno State against Wyoming at 10:15 p.m.
Kansas plays Oklahoma State on FoxSports1 at 4 p.m.
MASN has a pair of contests, starting at noon with SMU-Cincinnati followed by Liberty battling Presbyterian at 3:30 p.m. MASN2 brings TCU against Iowa State at noon and Tulsa traveling to East Carolina at 3:45 p.m.
NBC Sports network features the CAA at 12:30 p.m. with James Madison facing New Hampshire. Across the state, Cornell takes on Dartmouth at 4 p.m.
Jimmie Johnson has the lead heading into the next-to-last race of the Sprint Cup, Sunday at 3 p.m. in Phoenix on ESPN. The Nationwide racers go on ESPN2 Saturday at 4 p.m.
The Capitals travek to Phoenix Saturday at 8 p.m. on Comcast.
In college ice hockey, Minnesota travels to Notre Dame Friday at 8 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
West Ham meets Norwich Saturday at 12:30 p.m. on NBC. Chelsea takes on West Bromwich Saturday at 10 a.m. and there's a trio of contests Sunday - Tottenham Hotspur against Newcastle United at 7 p.m. followed by Sunderland-Manchester City and Manchester United taking on Arsenal at 11 a.m.
The MLS playoffs with the conference finals this weekend. Houston and Kansas City play Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on NBC in the Eastern final, while the Western Conference final goes Sunday at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
It's United States against Brazil in a women's contest Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on NBC.
FoxSports1 has a pair of women's college soccer championships Sunday - Big East at 2 p.m. and Big 12 at 4:30 p.m. The best in tennis meet for the ATP World Tour championship on ESPN2 Friday at 3 p.m.
The ACC crowns its field hockey champion this weekend. Comcast has coverage of the semifinals Friday at 1 and 3:30 p.m., with the final Sunday at 1 p.m.

Trolls

Via Dustbury, a place where nobody knows your name.
Or wants to.

"I'm sorry." "Yes, you are"

NBC News got President Obama to say why he's sorry about "If you like your plan."
There's more chances to say he's sorry in the future.

For the baby

I wish they had some of these pacifiers when the boys were young.

Over 6 people served

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood had fun with Obamacare with hosting a country music awards show.

Monorail

President Obama spoke about Obamacare in Texas Wednesday.
"There's great insurance out there."
And it reminded me of this from the Simpsons.

McAuliffe's challenge

As of today, it doesn't matter how he compares to Ken Cuccinelli.
His ad money didn't buy him love.

Fox News on line 1

How long until Ken Cuccinelli signs as an analyst on Fox News?
Or does he join the legal fight against Obamacare?

Memories of Clinton vs. Dole

A disappointing day after Election Day.
Wrong lessons will be learned and wrong blame given.
Money made the difference, just like the 1996 presidential campaign. Pour out enough ads to knock down your opponent on minor issues, and the important considerations don't get through.
McAuliffe's money inflated worries of women about personal privacy - at a time when Obamacare will put government more deeply into our lives than most are comfortable with.
Ken Cuccinelli fought the good fight.
The next few years will be tough - is McAuliffe up to the challenge?

The recession of 2014

Lost in the discussion of higher premiums and deductibles is the likely economic impact in the first quarter of 2014.
If people have to pay more for their insurance, they have less for other things.
Fewer luxuries.
Cutting back on current expenses.
Reduction in their savings.
That extra $200 or $300 a month has to come out of somewhere.
Early in the year, insurance companies will be getting that money - and not paying it out until deductibles are met.
If you have medical visits early in the year, there's more money to cover that also.
If the economy has been limping along in 2013, that doesn't bode well for 2014.
People like their personal budgets, but won't be able to keep them.

Bush and Obama

Fall of 2013 is starting to feel like the fall of 2005 - when Hurricane Katrina and Harriett Miers problems dropped President Bush's poll numbers underwater.
President Obama's poll numbers are sinking fast.
The Republican opposition to Obamacare -- their constant "hysterical warnings" about it, their "extremist obstructionism" in attempting to derail it -- sure looks something like Truth and Wisdom now.
The other thing Democrats will say is, mockingly, "Well, gee, I guess that really dooms Obama in his 2016 reelection, huh? Psych-- he's not running again. Ha ha!"
Yeah I know they'll say that because we said stuff like that about Bush's declining support from 2005 to 2008.
But while Obama is not on the ballot, an awful lot of Democrats are, and those Democrats all supported Obamacare, including voting against attempts to give meaning to Obama's "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan" promise.
And Bush's unpopularity fueled the rise of Obama.
It's going to be a fun year - if you're not a Democratic officeholder.

Happy Call of Duty day

I took the day off from work - not for the election, but for the video game.
Both boys have their copies of Call of Duty.
One playing upstairs, and one downstairs. But loud enough that I can hear both yelling at the action.
And they are playing with a friend who is at his house.
Unlike healthcare.gov, not blue screens or login failures.
They inserted the disc and started shooting.
The Call of Duty demographic is the one needed to buy health insurance to make Obamacare work financially.
How will you get them on the website once they shot up the strip club?

Follow the flow chart

Keith Hennessey tries to follow the "stories" on "you can keep your health insurance."

From the people who brought you Obamacare

If you like Obamacare, you'll like Terry McAuliffe.
If you want to see how a McAuliffe administration would work, go to healthcare.gov (when it's not down for maintenance).
All talk and few results - it's the Obamacare/McAuliffe way of life.
If you like your life, you can keep it - if you vote for Ken Cuccinelli.

Obama's next story

I'm getting ready for the next explanation.
"If you like your insurance, and the Cubs had won the World Series, you could keep your insurance."

Shock of sticker shock

Poor Democrats.
They spent months crowing about lower prices under Obamacare.
Until October 1 brought reality out.

Blame game won't work

How can President Obama blame insurance companies for troubles with Obamacare?
People have already decided who to blame.

Ride the wave of anger

Powerline looks at the political identification of those likely hurt by Obamacare changes.
Moreover, folks are unlikely to be moved by claims that they are losing nothing more than “bad apple” insurance that can be replaced by a better plan with more benefits are. Kaiser found that nearly everyone who buys private insurance shops first. Most are unlikely to regard the insurance they selected after doing their homework — and rejecting plans with more forms of coverage — as rotten.

Undefeated team watch

The Chiefs came back to beat Buffalo, improving to 9-0.
Next week is their bye.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins have two more weeks to watch and wait - until Sunday night against the Broncos.

Who pays for the subsidies?

I enjoy the sleight-of-hand in Obamacare articles about rising prices for health insurance for 2014.
Not to worry.
You might get a subsidy.
From who?
Thanks, China, for lending us money.
Young people, that subsidy now will be increased tax bills and decreased standard of living in your future.

How long are the waiting times?

Sister Toldjah found this example of the long wait times to get through to healthcare.gov.

Talking 'bout My Cancellation

Has your insurance company sent you a nasty note?
Your policy doesn't meet standards of the Affordable Care Act for 2014.
There's a gathering place for you.

Genius of Ted Cruz

Why does the Tea Party still love Ted Cruz?
He drives liberals crazy.
In fact, Cruz’s position as the target of liberal wrath may well be his trump card within the ranks of the Tea Party. The more the liberals hate him, the more it proves that they fear him. The more they fear him, the more it proves that he is the man who can really save America from their godless tyranny.
Just like Rush Limbaugh.
Liberals need to remember they love Barack Obama since he drives conservatives crazy.
Except he also drives the economy into the ground.

Facebook quote of the week

Never discount the impact you can make by showing kindness to someone.

Saturday song

President Obama's speech Wednesday reminded me of this hit from Smokey Robinson and the Miracles.

End of the season

Time to put the Halloween stuff away.




















Christmas stuff?
Give it a few weeks.

The end is near

Bible Summary, the project to write a tweet on each chapter of the Bible, has reached Revelations.
Truly, the end is near.

6 is the loneliest number

First day total for Obamacare - 6.
Can we have a 100-year delay?
It's the pace they might need to finally insure all the uninsured.

Weekend watchdog

As the calendar turns to November, the top college teams eye their bowl destinations.
The action in Florida is already heating up.
CBS brings "The World's Biggest Cocktail Party" from Jacksonsville Saturday at 3:30 p.m., as Georgia and Florida have their annual clash.
In primetime, ABC brings another battle for the top of the ACC - Miami at second-ranked Florida State.
These teams will find a spot among the 35 postseason bowls - just depends where.
The college football weekend continues with a Pac-12 showdown Friday at 9 p.m. as Southern Cal faces Oregon State on ESPN2.
Virginia Tech tries to bounce back Saturday at noon, heading to Boston College on ABC. Other areas will see Wisconsin-Iowa (ESPN2 carries the game not seen over-the-air in your area), and it's back to the Big Ten at 3:30 p.m. for Michigan against Michigan State.
Navy visits Notre Dame at 3:30 p.m. on NBC. Fox has a top 20 showdown between Oklahoma State and Texas Tech at 7 p.m.
 ESPN starts its day in the Big Ten, as Illinois takes on Penn State at noon. Virginia meets Clemson at 3:30 p.m. then Tennessee takes on Missouri at 7 p.m.
In primetime, ESPN2 has Auburn against Arkansas at 6 p.m. before UTEP-Texas A&M at 9 p.m.
FoxSports1 heads off to the Big 12 at 3:30 p.m. for Iowa State-Kansas State, then Colorado tackles UCLA at 7:30 p.m.
Comcast brings Wake Forest at Syracuse at noon, followed by James Madison-Villanova.
Temple takes on Rutgers on MASN at noon, then VMI goes to Liberty. On MASN2, Middle Tennessee plays Alabama-Birmingham at 1 p.m.
CBS has a Sunday NFL doubleheader, with the Chargers visiting Washington at 1 p.m. before the Ravens play the Browns. Fox offers Eagles at Raiders at 4 p.m.
Sunday night on NBC, the struggling Texans face the Colts while the Bears meet the Packers Monday on ESPN.
NASCAR has three races left before crowning its champion. ESPN has coverage from Texas Sunday at 3 p.m.
The Nationwide race goes Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2 and the Truck race will be on FoxSports1 Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Formula One heads to the Middle East, with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Sunday at 8 a.m. Qualifying is Friday at 9 a.m.
For a different kind of horsepower, it's time for the Breeder's Cup. NBC has the final races Saturday at 8 p.m. NBC Sports network has coverage Friday at 4 p.m. and Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
The Wizards have their home opener Friday at 7 p.m. on Comcast, as the 76ers come to town. They travel to Miami Sunday at 6 p.m.
ESPN offers the Heat visiting Brooklyn at 8 p.m., with the Spurs facing the Lakers in the nightcap.
The Capitals host Florida Saturday at 7 p.m. on Comcast.
Northeastern faces Boston College Friday at 8 p.m. on NBC Sports network.
It's time for the MLS playoffs. NBC has the Red Bulls against Houston Sunday at 3:30 p.m. There's two games on NBC Sports network Saturday, with Kansas City at New England at 8 p.m. before Portland meets Seattle at 10:30 p.m. ESPN brings the Galaxy against Real Salt Lake Sunday at 9 p.m.
In the Premier League, Arsenal faces Liverpool Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on NBC. Sunday, Cardiff City meets Swansea City at 11 a.m.
The best runners in the world hit the streets of New York for the New York marathon Sunday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.