Zero is at a loss because Boehner has refused to accept his abject surrender over increasing the debt limit and left the White House capitulation conference.

He may have a meeting scheduled with Tiger Wood’s caddy on the weekend and didn’t want to miss it.

Just a reminder: Boehner, Cantor, and Ryan were all in the House and voted for the Shrubbery’s budgets that added trillions to the debt, and voted to raise the debt ceiling.

The Seattle Times reports FAA shutdown gives airline-ticket buyers a break on taxes

The federal government has left the FAA in limbo — and that will save buyers of airline tickets some money since they won’t have to pay federal taxes on tickets.

Starting Friday at midnight, airlines will not have the authority to collect federal excise ticket taxes since Congress adjourned Friday without approving an FAA funding measure.

Major functions of the Federal Aviation Administration are funded directly by users in the form of excise taxes on tickets. If the taxes aren’t collected, the functions have to be stopped, and employees involved furloughed. There is no way of making up the lost revenues, so the furloughed workers will not be receiving any compensation until the problem is corrected.

Airline passengers should be happy at the cost reduction … until it is no longer safe to fly.

Modane – Alpe d’Huez

Distance: 109.5 kilometers.

This is the last real stage and it is relatively short, so it should be intense. Tomorrow will be the individual time trials followed by the ride into Paris.

It starts with a Category 1 climb up the Col du Telegraphe followed by the steep side of the Hors Catégorie Col du Galibier. They fly down the other side and have a sprint before finishing with the Hors Catégorie climb to Alpe d’Huez.

Because it is relatively short there is no meal break. It will be a test of recuperation, after all of the climbs in Stage 18.

Andy takes the Yellow, and Mark takes another 20 point hit, but holds the Green. Alberto gave it his best shot, but it wasn’t good enough. Samuel Sanchez gets the Polka Dot, while Pierre Rolland takes the stage and the White.

Individual time trials tomorrow, and Paris on Sunday.

Andy Schleck ( Lux – LEO – 011 ) [Yellow] 82h 48′ 43″
Mark Cavendish ( GBr – THR – 171 ) [Green] 280 points
Samuel Sanchez ( Esp – EUS – 021 ) [Polka Dot] 108 points
Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 188 ) 10 [White]

Team: Garmin-Cervelo ( 051-059 ) [Yellow numbers]
Stage winner: Pierre Rolland ( Fra – EUC – 188 )
Combative: Alberto Contador ( Esp – SBS – 001 ) [Red numbers]

They’ve gone 3,292.5 kilometers [2,045.9 miles] at an average speed of 39.8 kph [24.7 mph] ↓.

OVERALL STANDINGS:
[Read more →]

From the BBC: Oslo: Bomb blast near Norway prime minister’s office

A large bomb blast has hit near government headquarters in the Norwegian capital Oslo, killing at least one person.

The offices of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg were damaged extensively – a government spokeswoman said he was safe.

Police said a number of people were injured in the city centre explosion.

No-one has said they were behind the attack, which witnesses said could be heard across the capital.

Television footage from the scene showed rubble and glass from shattered windows in the streets – smoke was rising from some buildings. The wreckage of at least one car was on one street.

All roads into the city centre have been closed, said national broadcaster NRK, and security officials evacuated people from the area, fearing another blast.

“Police can confirm there were deaths and injuries following the explosion in the government quarter this afternoon,” police said in a statement.

This is all preliminary and probably wrong, beyond the obvious fact that something exploded. The media seems to be pointing towards a possible car bomb attack, but until any one injured is located and cared for, the public safety personnel won’t begin an actual investigation into the cause of the blast.

Update: The BBC page at the link is being updated with new information. The latest is a possibly connected shooting at a Norwegian Labour Party youth meeting that the Prime Minister was expected to attend. They are reporting 4 dead from gun fire. At least 2 have died as a result of the blast.

Update 2: An ABC report increases the death toll from the blast to at least 7 and at least 10 dead at the youth rally.

Update 3: From the CBC – Norway camp shooting spree kills 80.

Just For Reference

Axe Murderer!

[Editor: This is a terrible picture, but it is the only full-face shot I have been able to get of the third of the ‘Underhouse” cats, the cats that were born and raised under my house last year. I assume it is a female, but she only appears in the late evening, which confuses the camera, hence the flash and bad focus. The other problem is that I can’t approach or she takes off, so I’m forced to use the camera’s pathetic zoom.]

Friday Ark