At Least 124 Bangladeshi Garment Workers Perish In Fire

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Guess who they make made clothes for:
Bangladesh exports about $18 billion worth of garments and is a big supplier to companies like Walmart, H&M and Tommy Hilfiger. Workers in the country’s factories are among the lowest-paid in the world with entry-level workers making a government-mandated minimum wage of about $37 a month.
Need I take the guise of Captain Obvious and point out that that's why these garments are so inexpensive? Didn't think so.

The Sink Sunk

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Of all the minor emergencies that float through ones mind as you prepare to host relatives for Thanksgiving dinner, a collapsing sink is not one of them.

Shocking: GOP doubles down on obstruction

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Having failed to invalidate the Affordable Care Act at the Supreme Court, and having just lost big at the ballot box in their attempts to de-legitimize and hobble President Obama, Wingnut Republican Governors are now dedicating their efforts to botching the ACA's implementation at the state level. Meanwhile, in congress, John Boehner initially declared Obamacare the “law of the land” and expressed a willingness to compromise on "revenue" but quickly walked those positions back and re-affirmed his party's commitment obstruction and general mayhem. Listen to Mitch McConnell, one of the main architects of the GOP's comeback in 2010 through outright obstruction...

Early New Year’s Resolution – Fix it

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I'm not a big fixer or repairer of things, so this "Fixer's Manifesto" is very aspirational for me. I have some jeans that I was getting ready to toss out, so maybe I'll start with those. 1. IF IT'S BROKEN, FIX IT! BECAUSE EVERYDAY PRACTICAL PROBLEM SOLVING IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FORM OF CREATIVITY THERE IS. 2. IF IT'S NOT BROKEN, IMPROVE IT. A SMALL, CLEVER TWEAK CAN IMPROVE HOW SOMETHING WORKS FOR YEARS TO COME. 3. GIVE YOUR PRODUCTS A LONGER LIFE. IF WE DOUBLE THE LIFE OF OUR STUFF, WE HALVE WHAT GOES TO LANDFILL. ...

So. Who Will Be the Next Speaker of the House?

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Today's bare-bones News-Journal story reports that both Pete Schwartzkopf and Helene Keeley are seeking the position. The News-Journal does not report that each candidate has a slate. If my sources are correct, and it's not certain that they are, each slate has at least one major head-scratcher on it. Here they are: Speaker: Pete Schwartzkopf Majority Leader: Valerie Longhurst (??!!) Majority Whip: Quin Johnson vs. Speaker: Helene Keeley Majority Leader: Bryon Short Majority Whip: John Viola (??!!) I don't know who will win, but I believe that this contest represents the first clear emergence of different factions within the Caucus.