Random Notes

Articles worth checking out:

• Massachusetts Supreme Court Decision may invalidate some mortgage foreclosures and force buy-backs of pooled and securitized mortgages.
• House of Representatives reads Constitution line-by-line. I wonder if they stumbled on the 14th Amendment and the Supremacy Clause? They've been having trouble with those lately.
• Honey bee Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) may be due to Bayer's Clothianidin - the FDA knew there was a problem, but allowed use of the pesticide anyway.
• William Daley hired as Obama's Chief of Staff. Daley, you might recall (I didn't) was the guy that counseled Al gore not to continue the disputed 2000 Florida recount that could have won him the election. Not the kind of guy you want advising Obama, or arranging his staff, when he has to deal with a hostile Republican House.
• Speaking of the Republican House, their push to repeal "Obamacare" (the Affordable Heath Care Act) will add $230 billion to the Federal deficit over the next 10 years. Go, you deficit monkeys!
• And, straight from the WTF Desk, the Pentagon announces proposed military budget cuts of at least $78 billion over 5 years. OK, it was Robert Gates, but still - Republicans probably see this as friendly fire. A breath of fresh budget-related air. Illusory, though; the military budget will still go up next year.
• The Village will report Republicans as being fiscally responsible until Hell freezes over, facts notwithstanding. They've been cast in that part, and it's too late to teach the media new tricks.
• My favorite YouTube video this week. Better than the original, IMHO.