Stuxnet Part 2

The assassination.

While we're going crazy over wikileaks there is a big game afoot.

Stuxnet

An amazing story about Iran's nuclear progress.

Slowed by a worm. A worm described as similar to sending a modern jet fighter to a World War I battlefield.

What A Hoot

Humor.

The best way to point out how unhinged they are.

Your Thanksgiving Turkey

Apparently Conyers only reads the articles.

Look at this: Mr. Smut Goes To Washington

Really makes you proud of our elected officials.

Miggy Comes in Second

The most dangerous hitter in the American League came in second in MVP voting.

He got better news than that, however. His team is signing a power hitting switch-hitter

to bat behind him in the lineup.

The signing of free agent relief pitching stud Joaquin Benoit last week was a major move as well.

With the loss of so many great old Tigers this past year or so: George Kell, The Bird, Mr. Harwell, and Sparky, it's good to look to the future. These are some hopeful signs in The D. Time to bounce up off that .500 season and contend. How long 'til pitchers and catchers report?

Take Off The Party Hats

And put down the noisemakers.

IBD has something to say about that "successful" GM IPO.

Here's The Knife

Joel Kotkin, no knuckle-draggin' right-winger he, suggests that historians will cite the 2010 midterms as the official end of America's California era and the start of her Texas era.

Insights here.

Yee-Haw!

Worth a Thousand Words

h/t Maggie's Farm

A Fall To Forget

It was an interesting time.

And I mean that in the sense of the old curse, "May you live in interesting times."

Around 1 PM on Saturday September 18th I experienced a stab of pain in my abdomen. It was abrupt and painful enough that I sat down and opened my pants a la Al Bundy to relieve the pressure. I had no idea what it was but decided to treat it like bad gas-- antacid tablets. When that did nothing I tried a laxative thinking if I just got everything out of my system relief would come.

I didn't find relief but I did spend that evening in the worst pain I've ever felt while also experiencing chills and fever. By the middle of the next day, Sunday the 19th, I was still in pain. My wife and I headed off to the sparkling new emergency center about 10 minutes from the house. After a wait of about an hour they checked my vital signs and got me into a bed and on a morphine drip for my pain. Late Sunday evening I drank the dye solution, an hour plus process, that would allow them to do a CT scan of my guts. When that scan was read everything went into high gear.

I was told that an ambulance would be speeding me to Carolinas Medical Center where my surgeon was already waiting. He had seen my scan and knew what he would be doing. The ER doctor didn't tell me what exactly the problem was, only that speed was needed. She said that my surgeon would explain everything. However, she did ask me if I knew that I had diverticulitis. I didn't. Oddly enough I had a colonoscopy scheduled for the end of September. An appointment I now wouldn't make.

We met with the surgeon just outside the operating room and he explained that I had a perforated intestine and my abdomen had filled with gas, fluids, and the contents of my intestines. Peritonitis had set in and it was extremely important to open me up and get that infection under control. At 1 AM on September 20th my surgeon began a successful two hour operation. I spent another 5 days at CMC and then recovered at home. Recovered enough strength to endure a second surgery on November 6th.

That surgery, just eleven days ago, was also successful. I remained at the hospital for 6 days before coming home. The first days at home have been difficult-- the second surgery was actually tougher than the first emergency one. But this past weekend I turned the corner and can now see my way to a healthy future. Since the doctor removed a foot and a half of colon he assures me that I will never have to worry about diverticulitis again.

The sudden nature of this was, of course, striking. One moment you have no major health concerns and the next moment you are in real trouble. It does strike you how fleeting life is and how important it is to not waste the time you are allotted. More importantly it reminded me how much I cherish my family and my home.

2010 Census Will Change The House...

... and the electoral college.

Twelve seats are expected to change from one state to another. Interestingly, the states that will gain seats are lower tax/ right-to-work states while the states losing seats are higher tax/ union control states. Who could have seen that coming?

Here are the latest projections:

Gainers

Texas will add 4 seats, Florida gets 2 more, while one each will be added to Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington.

Losers

New York and Ohio will both lose 2 seats while these states will each shed 1: Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Smilin' Faces, Beautiful Places

Governor-elect Nikki Haley

Congressman-elect Mick Mulvaney (R-SC05)

Fearless

On election eve, we predict:

--Republicans will gain 74 seats in the House of Representatives-- the biggest such win since the 1920's

--Republicans will gain 10 seats in the Senate to narrowly take control 51-49

Close to home, the SACK SPRATT signs come true and Mick Mulvaney wins by 8 points

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UPDATE:
Looks like the Republicans will have 65 plus pick-ups in the House and 6,7, or 8 pick-ups in the Senate. Ten governorships flip to the R's and many state legislatures. What a massive change.

Here at home, ol' John Spratt was indeed sacked by a 10 point margin, 55-45, by Mick Mulvaney.

Republicans won every single race on the statewide ballot, most notably Nikki Haley our great new Governor.

The Congressional delegation now consists of 2 Republican Senators, 5 Republican Representatives, and 1 lone Democrat, Jim Clyburn. Even our state Representative, the longest serving legislator in Columbia, lost re-election to his Republican opponent.