Sorry I haven’t had time to blog today. May this post make up for it!

Some possible topics:

The surprise outcome in the Jimmy Metts case — A lot of folks were raising their eyebrows at the sweetness of the deal offered to the ex-sheriff, in light of the charges, but the judge in the case didn’t like the deal one bit, and tossed it out.

The smelly stuff that Bobby Harrell WASN’T charged with — Cindi Scoppe’s column tells a pretty sordid tale of undue legislative influence over state officials.

Sony actually canceling the opening of “The Interview” — My friend Bob McAlister opined on Facebook that this was “far more important than a silly movie. Just imagine what the Muslim world must be thinking as they see a major company relinquishing its constitutional right to free speech.” This was a rare case of Bob agreeing with The Guardian, which called it “North Korea’s stunningly effective fatwah…”

The political ramifications of Obama’s bold move on Cuba — Yesterday, I deliberately resisted giving into one of the more obnoxious habits of pundits — to analyze every policy move not on its merits, but in terms of its likely effect on the next election. As though policy served only as a electoral strategy, instead of the other way around (elections being our way of deciding policy directions). But pretty much no other journalist in America was so fastidious, so you’ve now heard a lot about it. I’d already heard Carl Hiaasen opining that Jeb Bush was the only Republican who could beat Hillary Clinton in Florida (sorry; I couldn’t find a link to that radio interview, for some reason). What, then, is the impact of this? Is Obama right to bet that American attitudes have changed, or is Marco Rubio smart to channel the rage of his elders?

Or, whatever y’all want to talk about.

Some possible topics:

1. Kappa Sigma eviction put on hold at USC — So as I understand it, this fraternity, which just came off a three-year double-secret probation, has been banned for five years because of “hazing, alcohol abuse and controlled-substance violations.” So, my big question is this: Isn’t that kinda what fraternities do? I don’t know; back in my college days Greek life was considered so monumentally uncool that I never considered it, and ran the other way the couple of times I was invited to a rush party. Followup question — if this isn’t what fraternities are for, then what are they for?

2. CIA boss defends post-9/11 tactics — To continue the conversation on our big topic of the week. DCI Brennan does acknowledge that some of the CIA’s methods were “abhorrent.” So, you know, mistakes were made…

3. Leaders scramble for support for spending bill — And if they don’t git ‘er done by midnight, the government will, once again turn into a pumpkin. We should have had a pool, after the election, on how long it would take the new GOP majority to shut down the government. The winning prediction would have been “before the new majority even takes office.”

It’s been another busy day for me, allowing little time for blogging.

But here are some possible topics:

1. Lawmakers getting “creative” on paying for roads — Robert’s cartoon above reminds me of what I have been meaning to write about, but hadn’t gotten to. Lawmakers continue to contort themselves in trying to figure a way to pay for roads in this state (when we HAVE a way to pay for roads, the gasoline tax — which should have been raised long before now). The most bizarre nonsolution I’ve heard is this shell game in which the same inadequate amount of money would simply be divvied up to the counties and let THEM take the blame for crumbling roads. I am somewhat intrigued, though, at the idea of simply applying the sales tax to gasoline — which addresses one of the greatest weaknesses in the gas tax, which is that it’s per-gallon and doesn’t rise with the price of fuel.
2. POTUS about to announce executive action on immigration — I couldn’t figure out a way to embed the president’s video on this subject, but if you click on the picture below, it will take you there. It’s showdown time. For my part, I await what the president is specifically proposing to do, and I hope that he reaction to it will be, you know, rational. You know what would be the BEST, most constructive, reaction? For the House to pre-empt the president’s executive action by passing the comprehensive immigration reform that the Senate sent over to it.
3. SC Supremes say probate judges can issue same-sex marriage licenses — This came down at about 4 today, lifting the court’s own Oct. 9 injunction pending a decision in a federal court case, which has since been decided at the trial court level. Interestingly, the case in question wasn’t about whether a couple could get married, but about the related issue of whether SC would have to recognize a marriage granted elsewhere — the very same scenario that prompted conservatives to push for their constitutional amendment on marriage several years ago.
4. NBC pulls Bill Cosby sitcom amid renewed sexual assault allegations — It’s fascinating to watch the way public consensus develops. For years, the world ignored the young women making these accusations, refusing to believe such of “the Cos.” Then, a tipping point was reached, and suddenly this much loved media figure falls, hitting every branch on the way down. It’s got to seem pretty weird to the women who’ve been trying to get us to listen for years.

Or… you can talk about whatever you want to talk about…

Not a lot of news today, which is why I haven’t posted. Well, that, and I’ve had a lot of work to do.

Here are some possible topics:

1. Obama and insurers now allies on health law — Because he needs them, and they’re making money from it.
2. Kassig’s conversion to Islam didn’t protect him — Latest Westerner beheaded by the monsters of ISIL.

3. Doctor’s false Ebola test result proves tragic — When he tested negative, his friends threw off their protective gear and embraced him. But he had Ebola. He died of it today.

4. Nikki Haley in India — She seems to be having a great time, except for a row over a sword. Maybe she should go back to automatic weapons.

Or whatever interests you…

The Haleys and staffers Rob Godfrey and Katherine Veldran have been having a great time with the selfies. The one on top made the front page of the Sunday Times of India.

I realize it’s kind of late in the day for this, but I figure some of y’all might still want to discuss these things, even if you don’t get to them until the morning.

I only have a couple or three proposed topics:

1. Obama Said to Plan Moves to Shield 5 Million Immigrants — Looks like he’s going to get in the GOP’s faces over this. Will this endanger his ability to find common ground on other things? Maybe. Should he do it anyway? Maybe…
2. US military considers sending combat troops to battle Isis forces in Iraq — That headline, from The Guardian, perhaps goes a bit far. But Gen. Dempsey was floating the idea today.
3. Secret Service Blunders Eased Way for White House Intruder — This just in. Report details failures by the protective detail.

Sorry I didn’t see anything good local. Mostly crime news, it seems, and that tends not to catch my eye. I mean, we’re all against crime, right? So what would we discuss?

But maybe y’all have a good local topic in mind…

I’ve got a lot to do — I’m feeling rather overwhelmed by it all, in fact — and haven’t felt particularly inspired today. So maybe y’all can keep the plates spinning for me. For us all…

Some possible topics:

1. Judge rules in favor of same-sex marriage in SC — The judge in question is Richard Gergel, who signaled this intention a week or two back.
2. Rosetta mission makes history, lands on comet 300 million miles away — Very cool stuff. It’s been so long since we’ve had a space milestone like this. Too long… Of course, “we,” as Americans, didn’t accomplish this. But “we,” as a species, did.
3. US and China strike deal on carbon cuts in push for global climate change pact — I wonder what, if any, will be the practical effect of this. Will the Chinese, with the phenomenal rate at which they’ve been building coal-fired power plants, uphold their end? Will this country, given the president’s lack of political capital, uphold our end? I don’t know enough to answer that, but I’m not optimistic.

Or bring up your own topic; see if I care…

This is wide open, because I have ZERO time for blogging today.

OK, one suggestion: Does anyone think there is a Unified Field Theory explanation for election results Tuesday? I don’t; I never do. I believe voters have brains, and every box they checked on their ballots was for a separate set of reasons. That’s how the world actually works.

But that doesn’t stop the “It’s either one thing or the other” binary crowd from trying to offer simplistic explanations, especially when it’s to their advantage to do so. So we have the idiotic headline on an inside page of The State that says, “This election was all about Obama.” (It had a different headline online.)

That in the same edition that also reports, “Preliminary exit polls found that 33 percent of voters were registering displeasure with Obama.” Which means the rest of the voters had other things on their minds. And, just a wild thought here, even the 33 percent probably had some additional factors acting on them.

Karl Rove, of course, is going the simplistic route: “How big was Tuesday’s devastating repudiation of President Obama, his policies and his party?”

Anyway, what do you think?

Some possible topics:

1. Good news, bad news on Ebola — The good is that nurse Nina Pham has been released. The bad is the doctor in New York (which will be more intensely covered because it happened in New York rather than flyover land). Meanwhile, the WashPost reports how the Russkies once planned to use the disease as a weapon.
2. Shooting In Washington School Leaves Shooter, One Other Dead — And so we’re reminded that Canada is not where you usually find this sort of thing. As though we needed such.

3. The Russians Have Us Over a Rocket — You won’t be able to read this because of the pay wall — I couldn’t. But I got the point, and it’s a good one: It’s bad to be dependent on Putin’s Russia for our access to space.

   Or, whatever you want to talk about…

First, happy John Lennon’s birthday and Ecuadorean Independence Day!

Now here are some topics, in case you have trouble coming up with one:

1. Policy Council chief says we should scrap SC ethics law — Ashley Landess’ main point seems to be that the whole Legislature-based system is rotten, so just let offenses be tried in criminal courts. There’s a related story in The State about Bobby Harrell’s PAC.
2. SC Supremes say hold off on same-sex licenses — All is on hold until a decision in a U.S. District Court case. I think. It’s complicated.
3. Where is Kim Jong-un? I wonder — if we find him, will we also find Waldo?
4. Ebola — Pick a story — any story — I’m just thinking we haven’t had a conversation about this yet.

Or, whatever y’all want to talk about…

Y’all haven’t really gotten excited about anything I’ve posted the last couple of days, judging by the dearth of comments, so may there’s something else you’d like to talk about.

Have at it. There’s plenty of stuff out there…

Some possible topics:

1. So maybe we’re going to do something about ISIL now — Tonight, the eve of Sept. 11, the president will lay out what he is reluctantly prepared to do to stop ISIL. Looks like we’re talking air strikes on both sides of the border that doesn’t matter to ISIL (which polls now support). What worries me is that for POTUS, it’s all about what he won’t do, on account of it being against his religion, and that of so many in his base, to send troops into Iraq, much less Syria. (Note that I’m not saying we need necessarily to do that. I’m saying it makes me nervous to go into a military conflict telling the world what you won’t do.) This country’s in a bad situation: Policy wonks see the need to stop ISIL whatever it takes, but the public doesn’t want to wage war, and political leadership from Obama to Rand Paul has been telling them for years they don’t have to — and a world full of thugs eager to take advantage of that. Well, we’ll see. I thought Clinton was wrong to rule out boots on the ground in Kosovo, but it worked out, so I was wrong. We’ll see.
2. That horrific story about the five slain children — I can’t read these stories, and I walked out of the room last night when my wife was watching local TV news. But maybe y’all would like to discuss it. If so, go ahead.
3. What do I need a bigger iPhone for? I have an iPad — There is one question that none of the stories about the new iPhones have answered: Will all future iPhones be absurdly large? I bought the iPhone specifically because of its handy size, making one-hand operation easy. Will Apple quit making the phone in a sensible size? If so, that’s crazy. And while I’m at it, what on Earth is the appeal of tablet-sized phones? That’s as inexplicable to me as the continuing (continuing against all reason) national love affair with SUVs. I just don’t get it… (Bonus question: What do I need any watch for? I quit wearing them after I got my first cell phone.)

Or, talk about what you’d like.

Some possible topics:

1. U.S. Team in Iraq Lands on Mountain to Plan Rescue — Boots on the ground again in Iraq, in a good cause.
2. Ukraine Vows to Bar Russian Aid Convoy — It’s a bit of an understatement to say this has trouble written all over it.
3. More Dads Want Paternity Leave. Getting It Is A Different Matter — Thoughts? Bryan?
4. SC doctor charged after 9 dogs left in car die — I find myself wondering whether he saved a human life while he was in the hospital and the dogs were dying. That would set up an interesting ethical question. The story doesn’t say, but it does say he said it was an “emergency.”
5. Woman charged with assaulting husband for overcooking steak — Apparently, this sort of crime isn’t nearly as rare as we’d like it to be.

Sorry about that last one.

Since y’all don’t see much to comment on in what I’ve offered so far today (are y’all all on vacation, like New York analysts who leave their patients behind to have panic attacks throughout the month of August), here’s an open thread.

Some possible topics:

Man arrested for falsely reporting a missing mountain lion — Oh, great! Now, when he really needs to yell “mountain lion!” no one will believe him.

Maliki Appears to Back Down on Using Force to Retain Power — Best news I’ve heard out of Iraq lately. Which is not necessarily saying much.

Robin Williams — I don’t even know where to start on this, but Bryan had a few good words to say over on his blog. How about sharing the best remembrances you’ve seen out there? I like this one from Russell Brand, another mad comic talent.

Or… pretty much anything y’all want to talk about…

Some suggestions:

1. Gaza truce holds as Israel withdraws — And the world holds its breath…
2. Russian Gang Amasses Over a Billion Internet Passwords — Whoa. That’s a big number. And it makes me wonder about something: In Russia, how do you tell the difference between a “gang” and the people who run the country? It really struck me that, when the West wanted to punish Russia, it went after Putin’s friends and associates. Sort of the way you go after the mob, rather than a modern government.
3. US general killed by Afghan soldier — Fifteen others were wounded in this “green on blue” attack.
4. Scientists may have cracked the mystery of the giant Siberian crater — In case you were sitting up nights worrying about that.
5. Rosetta spacecraft set to rendezvous with comet — I was wondering why The Guardian was playing this up bigger than U.S. sites. Because it’s a European probe. Duh.
6. Kim Murphy, former Lexington-Richland 5 board member, files suit against district — OK, how about a show of hands — how many people wish Kim Murphy would go away and stop bothering us?

That last one was the only interesting thing I could find locally. Maybe y’all can do better…

Folks, I’m not going to be sitting at my laptop much the next few days, but hey, that’s no reason for y’all not to have something to talk about. How about these topics?

Europe and U.S. to Sharply Escalate Russia Sanctions — About time.

Central SC Red Cross chapter, United Way end 90-year partnership — The way this is explained, I suppose this was inevitable, with the United Way’s new funding model. Will other major local nonprofits do the same?

John Kerry’s gigantic blunder — David Ignatius says his short-term push for a cease-fire in Gaza has backfired spectacularly. Netanyahu is now warning of a prolonged conflict.