actually, nah.  I'd put up with GOP Congressmen all day for some fresh seafood.  One of the things I most miss about the coast now that I live in Texas.

The New York Times article this morning on the appointment claims that "it is uncertain whether the torture issue will now cause any problems for Mr. Brennan." Of course, there is nothing at all uncertain about that: "the torture issue" won't cause any problems for Brennan, as it did in 2008, because Obama has buried that issue with his "Look Forward, not Backward" decrees; because most people who claimed concern over such issues back in 2008 have resigned themselves to Obama's posture in this area; and because, with very rare exception, there are no more serious campaigns mounted against Obama's decisions except from the American Right.

It is a perfect illustration of the Obama legacy that a person who was untouchable as CIA chief in 2008 because of his support for Bush's most radical policies is not only Obama's choice for the same position now, but will encounter very little resistance. Within this change one finds one of the most significant aspects of the Obama presidency: his conversion of what were once highly contentious right-wing policies into harmonious dogma of the DC bipartisan consensus. Then again, given how the CIA operates, one could fairly argue that Brennan's eagerness to deceive and his long record of supporting radical and unaccountable powers make him the perfect person to run that agency. It seems clear that this is Obama's calculus.

....in 2009....Mr. Brennan denied those accusations but withdrew from consideration, and Mr. Obama gave him the advisory position, which did not require Senate confirmation. But since that time, Mr. Brennan has won the admiration of some rights advocates, in part for his forthright argument that the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, should be closed.

Let's hope that if Chuck Hagel is truly the loyal soldier that everyone claims he is, he will follow his orders as directed and carry out the president's stated policy, which is to preside over the complete deconstruction of DADT within both the military's ranks and the Pentagon's layers of bureaucracy, and prepare the U.S. armed forces to comply fully with the prevailing social demands of the 21st century, i.e., gender equity, family support, LGBT civil rights and marriage equality.

Cora took the news of Robert's disastrous investment strategy rather well, certainly much better than either Mary or the Dowager.

And I say, good show, Matthew, standing up for former Grantham chauffeur and current Grantham son-in-law Tom.

I must say, though -- well, first, I must say "I must say," because watching two hours of the show turns me into a Twenties throwback Brit speaker -- that I rather enjoyed MacLaine in this, dontchaknow.

But the best line, of course, still belonged to the Dowanger/Dame, about her son-the-Lord Grantham's horrifying descent into deshabille, a dinner jacket:  "I thought you were a waiter."

I'm not sure about that, but I did manage to stay awake the full two hours of fast-paced Upstairs/Downstairs 2.0.

Yes, Shirley's was an over-the-top performance, and I preferred the more low-key delivery of Maggie Smith.  And I too was reminded of The Unsinkable Molly Brown, minus the singing and dancing of Debbie Reynolds.

Oh well.  I liked her in The Apartment, and that late-70s movie with Peter Sellers as Chauncey Gardner based on the novel by that Jerzy Kosinski guy (title ... ??).  

Little known fact about Shirley:  in her New Age Guru period of 30 yrs ago, she visited the famous ufo contactee Billy Meier in Switzerland at his farm, but -- amusing to me -- Billy wouldn't really talk to her until she rolled up her sleeves and helped him with his farm chores of the day (yeah, the usual fertilizer stuff ...). Billy apparently wasn't all that impressed by her celebrity presence, and wasn't going to treat her any differently than other regular outside visitors who wanted a piece of his time.

The local news had a real discussion and mentioned some of the factors that should be taken into consideration when evaluating the report.  I remember they specifically discussed the holiday/temporary job uptick and that the report did not include those considered to be no longer seeking a job.  Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised that it was a real discussion.

Now the national news just had Diane Sawyer gushing that in that gushy voice of hers* that the economy was improving.  And the "dumbing down" of the populace continues.

re-reading my own previous comment, however, I've changed my mind.  I now do have an opinion on whether or not he should receive an interim appointment to the Senate:

If he were to serve during the Senate confirmation hearings then, knowing he now hopes Hagel gets confirmed, I don't want him appointed to the Senate.

I guess I understand better now why Michele Flournoy isn't qualified for the position. She didn't bleed in dirt or mud. She may have bled while giving birth to her three children, but not in the dirt or the mud!