Good Morning, Everyone. I usually ease into the morning blogging but I came across this item from TPM that raised the blood pressure and the swear meter to record heights for this early in the morning. We seem to be governed by extortionists, blackmailers, and thieves. I have a few fantasies as to what we should do with Senator Shelby but they are all highly illegal, definitely immoral and would exact a higher price on us than that piece of dung is worth. This (insert your own favorite descriptor) wants to scuttle Social Security, destroy medicare, tried to prevent the expansion of medical care for low income children, has stood against medical insurance reform and yet for a mere $85 billion he will not (for now) filibuster Obama's nominations. I say his price is too fraking high.

I saw this article in my Google Alerts and on Facebook this morning. Bob Sullivan on his Red Tape Chronicles talks about a subject that echoes one we have had over morning coffee for some time--the effect of technology on our lives. In the last 6 months we have had to replace our computers and our cell phones. We wanted out phones to be phones not hand held computers. What we got, of course, were phones fully capable of surfing the internet, texting, taking photographs, keeping appointments, phone books etc. The only thing we use of that list is the phone book. We don't want the extra cost of texting or internet, much to the dismay of some relatives who have taken to texting with a will. We went with a very simple version of the iBook that has all of the power, speed, and memory we need. Making these choices has become a way of life here. I have often repeated a maxim when it comes to the failure of technology--the more complicated something is the more things can go wrong and the more likely something will go wrong.