Thursday Open Thread [12.27.12]

Well, I am finally getting back into the swing of things here. I was wiped out yesterday, recovering from Christmas, and cleaning up from hosting Christmas dinner for my large and loud Irish Catholic family. I am still kinda zoned out, and I am not sure what day it is. I am told it is Thursday. It does not feel like a Thursday. It feels like a Tuesday, and you just awoke from a 20 year coma. Yeah, that's how it feels like today. So, reconnecting to the political world.... We are going over the cliff. Whoops, I am sorry Nemski. I mean the street curb, or gentle ski slope.
Nearly all the major players in the fiscal cliff negotiations are starting to agree on one thing: A deal is virtually impossible before the New Year. Unlike the bank bailout in 2008, the tax deal in 2010 and the debt ceiling in 2011, the Senate almost certainly won’t swoop in and help sidestep a potential economic calamity, senior officials in both parties predicted on Wednesday.

Iowa Supreme Court Rules: Okay To Fire Women For Being “Irresistible”

Wow.
Women in Iowa beware: If your boss thinks you’re really really ridiculously good looking, he can fire you. And it’s perfectly legal. The all-male Iowa Supreme Court refused to reinstate a lawsuit Friday, noting that a dentist didn’t break the law when he fired an employee who had worked for him for 10 years because he and his wife saw her as a threat to their marriage, reports the Associated Press. Melissa Nelson, the 32-year-old dental assistant was by all accounts a stellar employee. But her boss, James Knight, complained of her tight clothing, “once telling her that if his pants were bulging that was a sign her clothes were too revealing.”
I'm not even sure where to begin.  How about...

Expedia / Hotels.com / Hotwire: The Big, Ugly Rip-Off

How do you feel about a corporation that tries to destroy the small businesses that it is partnered with? Which lies and claims small hotels are completely booked in order to route customers to more expensive ones? Expedia, which owns Hotels.com, Hotwire, and Venere, is a big, fat rip-off:

Merry Christmas

Best reindeer name so far - Vixen. Best present, the warmth and love of my family and friends. Second best present....

Merry Christmas Eve!

I don't have any recipes to share this year because I decided (after 20 years of cooking Christmas Eve dinner) to give myself a present and have tonight catered - nothing extravagant, just good food from a small local restaurant.  I even went to Fulton's and purchased high quality disposable plates.  I'm feeling a bit guilty, but extremely relaxed and am actually looking forward to being part of the celebration this year. I want to wish all our contributors and commenters a wonderful holiday and thank them for making DL a great place to hang out! So... what are everyone's plans?  And if your cooking, feel free to share your amazing recipes!

Sunday Open Thread [12.23.12]

Anyone in the mood for an Open Thread? Most of us are deep into Christmas preparations and celebrations, but if you are touching base with us here, let us know what interests you this weekend. Since it is the Holiday Season here, you can expect posting to be light by the Editors here who are scattered to the four corners of the earth this week. Here are a couple of things that caught my eye while I'm waiting for the cocktail hour: