Cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen on the U.S. "capture or kill" list was killed by a drone today in Yemen.

A CIA drone finally got him, but that was only the tip of a much larger military operation. Missiles fired by the drone took out Awlaki's vehicle. That made the American-born cleric the first U.S citizen to be targeted and killed as a terrorist. A senior defense official said, "a very bad man just had a very bad day."

...Harrier jets flying from an amphibious carrier off the coast were ready to take a shot if the CIA drone missed. There was even an option for sending in Marine Ospreys with Special Operations Forces to collect any intelligence left after the strike, but that was never used.

President Obama proudly commented on the killing. [More...]

'Tis a privilege to live in Colorado. This is the best weekend of the year to see the aspen change, and the weather is gorgeous.

I'm news deprived today, so here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Via Occupy Wall Street protest skeptic and mocker John Cole, this:

The “Occupy Wall Street” protests, now entering their third week, are poised to get a whole lot bigger than its core of 200 to 300 people, potentially even exceeding the protesters original goals of 20,000 demonstrators, thanks to recent pledges of support from some of New York City’s largest labor unions and community groups.

I have not followed Occupy Wall Street much, but I know it has been successful, at least on the micro-level -- my 17 year old daughter has joined the protests. Given that her father pontificates about politics all the time, you might think something I said might have spurred her to political action. Alas, parents don't know anything.

So thanks Occupy Wall Street for engaging my 17 year old daughter in issues that are as important to her as to everyone else. It is her future at stake.

Speaking for me only

Years ago, the banks have with the ideas of debit cards, advertised and marketed them to death, and finally got us all using them. I was perfectly fine writing a check. Now, so few people write checks, most places won't take them. And if we use credit cards, instead of debit cards, we run the risk of buying more than we can afford and getting into debit.

So along comes the big banks with more than $10 million in assets, and since they are being told they can't charge retailers more for the new debit card fees they provide customers, the banks have decided to stick their own customers with the $5.00 fee.

Fortunatley, leaving a bank, even one you've been at 30 years, is easier than leaving a lot of other companies-- like your favorite grocery store, dry cleaner, health club, etc.

So what happens to these banks when new banks pop up who aren't subject to the big boy fees, and start offering us what our banks gave us to get our initial business (perks now long gone for many of us except those with significant amounts of cash to lay dormant in their accounts) -- like free checking accounts, no fees for the bill-pay, no checking fees or fees for electronic banking and free checks with images, etc.?

We'll leave the Big Boys in droves. I sure hope they thought it through and crunched the numbers on how many of us they can afford to lose< [More....]/p>

Next time you are standing in line behind someone writing a paper check, be patient. This could be you next month. I'm never happy about change in my personal life, and much less so about change for the worse. I'll be reading those mail offers much more closely now.

If you are owed money by Full-Tilt Poker, which the Government says is a Ponzi scheme, don't look for recovery any time soon. Today, the Alderney Gambling Control Commission on the British Channel Islands revoked its license, jeopardizing any payback plan. And, the Department of Justice issued this statement today:

United States v. Pokerstars et al., 11 Civ. 2564 (LBS) (Full Tilt Poker information)

...By way of background, in April of 2011, this Office entered into a domain-name use agreement with Full Tilt Poker. That agreement, among other things, expressly authorized Full Tilt Poker to return player funds to players. However, as the September 22 amended complaint alleges, Full Tilt Poker did not in fact have player funds on hand to return to players. Instead, the amended complaint alleges that Full Tilt Poker had, among other things, (a) transferred significant amounts of players’ real money deposits to principals of the company, while (b) allowing many players to continue to gamble, and “win” and “lose,” with phantom credits in their player accounts.

[More...]

U.S. Senior District Court Judge John Kane has granted summary judgment to a blogger-defendant in a copyright infingement lawsuit filed by Righthaven. The opinion is here.

Kane also ordered Righthaven to pay the blogger's legal fees and costs, which undoubtedly will be tens of thousands of dollars.

Righthaven filed 57 lawsuits in Colorado and 275 nationally. When it said these dismissal rulings might cause it to file bankruptcy, one enterprising blogger-defendant in Nevada filed a motion asking it be allowed to "seize Righthaven’s “bank accounts, real and personal property, and intangible intellectual property rights” so the company can't just "slither away." Another blogger is planning to go after Stephens Media. [More...]

NYTimes Editorial:

The world has barely dug out of recession and the global economy is again slowing dangerously. Most leaders seem eager to make things even worse.

Instead of looking for ways to reignite growth, Europe’s leaders — and Republicans on Capitol Hill — are determined to slash public spending. Europe’s fixation on austerity is also compounding its debt crisis, bringing the Continent even closer to the brink. Meanwhile, China’s government, which is struggling to contain inflation without letting its currency rise, has been trying to slow domestic demand, allowing its trade surplus to balloon.

Each of these policies is wrong. In combination, they are likely to tip the world into a deep recession.

Bush 43 levels of incompetence.

The Red Sox have fallen down and they are not getting up. What an epic collapse.

Yanks face the Tigers starting tomorrow.

Go Yanks! And Go Gators!

Open Thread.

NYTimes:

The Obama administration asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to hear a case concerning the 2010 health care overhaul law. The development came unexpectedly fast and makes it all but certain that the court will soon agree to hear one or more cases involving challenges to the law, with arguments by the spring and a decision by June, in time to land in the middle of the 2012 presidential campaign.

This is an interesting development, and to me, surprising. Policywise, I am not sure I see the urgency. As a matter of politics, I need to think about this one. (Alternate thought, POTUS team believes SCOTUS wants to hear the case in 2012. IF so better to look as if you want it too.)

In terms of legal tactics, I think it is not smart. Scalia and Kennedy seem less likely to vote with the Administration in an election year to me. Better for the case to be decided in 2013 it seems to me.

Speaking for me only

It's my birthday -- another year, about to begin. I'm taking the day off from the news and the computer.

For everyone celebrating Rosh Hashanah tonight, L'Shana Tova! and a year of blessings, fulfillment, health and happiness to all.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Roman Polanski has finally picked up his Lifetime Achievement Award at the Zurich Film Festival, two years after his ill-fated trip when he was arrested on a U.S. extradition warrant. He got a standing ovation. He quipped, ""Better late than never."

He has a new film, Carnage, that is being touted as his best film since The Pianist. And in a documentary filmed during his house arrest, he apologized to the woman (then age 13) in the infamous Los Angeles case:

"She is a double victim: my victim and a victim of the press," the Oscar-winning director says near the end of Laurent Bouzereau's Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir.

He also thanked the Swiss prison guards who watched over him during his house arrest.

Last night, the Senate confirmed six U.S. Attorneys, five of whom were the preference of Republicans. Traditionally, nominations for U.S. Attorneys are presented to the President by the senators of the district. If the district's senators are not in the President's party, representatives from the House who are in the same party are consulted.

President Obama. however, has chosen to ignore tradition and nominate U.S. Attorneys preferred by Republican senators, against the advice of House Democrats. [More...]