The Associated Press reports that Negotiations on Hollywood labor pact collapse. everyone thought things were moving along and now the negotiators have quit – except the WGA negotiators are ready to talk and the AMPTP negotiators left.

What’s sort of interesting is what Nikke Finke has been reporting this past week. On Wednesday the report was AMPTP hired two PR firms, one associated with Dems and the other with the Repubs, and both associated with disaster control. These guys don’t come come cheap and the “fair and balanced” hiring seems to signal that the corporations expect politicians to get involved. The only reason for politicians to get involved would be if this thing dragged on for an extended period. [hint, hint]

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You really need to cut down on the Koolaid, Mr. Secretary, it interferes with leading the Department of Defense.

You are a bit out of touch when you say things like:Gulf states should confront Iran. Bob, read The Origins of the Sunni/Shia split in Islam where you will learn that they have been confronting the Shi’ia of Iran for more than a millennium, and nothing is apt to change that.

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This is going to be painful. Of all of the things the xenophobes don’t want to oppose, I would think that Paddington Bear would definitely be near the top, but then he has special relevance to military brats, so I may be biased.

The BBC reports on his golden anniversary book: Paddington Bear’s birthday book

Paddington, the bear from Peru, will be arrested and interrogated over his immigration status in a book marking his 50th birthday.
…

In the new book the bear, who arrived in the country as a stowaway, is interviewed about his right to stay in England.

He has no papers to prove his identity as his Aunt Lucy arranged for him to hide on a ship’s lifeboat from Peru when she went to live in the Home for Retired Bears in Lima.

I have a feeling this could show up at Question Time.