If you mute the TV and ignore the substance of his comments, you can almost view Robertson’s reflexive blaming as a kind of “all-clear” signal showing that the worst of the storm has passed. “The wind is dying down a bit and, oh, look, there’s Pat Robertson saying this is all gay people’s fault — I think we’re out of danger.” Read more

Happy birthday to Bilbo and Frodo, and a blessed equinox to everyone. The Death of an Adjunct and what it says about unions and about "private" charity. Coulrophobia in Northhampton. The socialist Sharia plot depriving real Americans of their freedom to use B batteries. What texts would you add to the canon? The Robertsons share their testimony. Of suds and shenanigans. Read more

"You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy labourers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them; otherwise they might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt." Read more

The soon-to-be Mrs. Majority Whip will still be allowed to lobby rank and file members of the House. Those representatives will, of course, feel no pressure to grant her undue access or influence just because she's married to the No. 3 man in the House leadership. Read more

The basic idea is to charge different rates to different customers based on customers’ FICO scores. The upshot will be that poor people, young people, the retired and the recently widowed will be charged more than other, wealthier people for an array of services. Read more

Two remarkable women I had never heard of before. Billy Hamilton is so fast he can turn out the lights and get in bed before it gets dark. Religious right condemns NALT testimonies as "apostasy" from "so-called Christians." September blues. Matthew Hagee sees signs of the End Times. The news from Texas. And how Noah's flood reshaped the geology of Mars. Read more

Maybe that's a little too elaborate, but I bet ratings would go up. And it'd beat the current practice at "Hardball" — responding to blatant media manipulation with a hearty "Thank you, sir. May I have another?" Read more

Thank you. Thank you so very much for your kindness, kind words, prayers and generosity. My wife is going to be OK. Read more

Most of the group hasn't heard about the spiders, so Jackie explains. There're these poisonous spiders from South America that stow away on international flights and wind up living in most airports and, because they like cool, damp places, they settle in bathrooms. Under the toilet seats in airport bathrooms. And one of them bit this woman when she was using the restroom and she died. ... Read more