From a balmy, perfect 80 degrees in Key West to an icy, freezing 7 degrees in Denver -- pure culture shock. I'll be back to blogging soon, thanks to Big Tent Democrat for keeping the site running while I was gone.

To tide you over, and given the icy roads, here's a primer I wrote on "What to do if I Get in an Accident: [More...]re's the ACLU's Know Your Rights.

In the meantime, here's an open thread, all topics welcome. And some reminders about what to do if you get n a fender-bender or stopped by the police: [More...]

TEEEEEEEEEEEEBOOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

Open Thread.

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Saturday starts tonight - my college football picks:

PAC 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - Autzen Stadium - Eugene, Oregon v. UCLA, Over 66 (2 units) (the win line is a zillion, too much)

MAC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - Northern Illinois -3½ over Ohio (2 units)

Iowa State +10½ over Kansas State (2units), Houston -14 over Southern Mississippi (2 units), Cincinnati -9 over UConn (2 units), Baylor -3 over Texas (3 units)

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - LSU -14 over Georgia (4 units)

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - Virginia Tech -7 over Clemson (5 units)

BEST BET - Oklahoma State -3½ over Oklahoma (10 units)

Bonus Premier League pick - Arsenal (-1) over Wigan.

Open Thread.

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Busy so light posting at best today.

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It's time for Key West and the 29th annual NORML Legal Conference. For those who haven't been to Key West, also known as the Conch Republic, it is a tiny treasure only 4 miles long, 2 miles wide and 90 miles from Cuba. It is the southernmost point in the U.S. and about as laid back as you can get. There's lots of pirates. And you can't beat the weather.

Big Tent Democrat will be around, I may pop in now and then, and we'll have our usual open threads like this one, all topics welcome.

We're back at work today. Some news:

Barney Frank is retiring at the end of his term.

The feds seized 150 websites as counterfeit.

I haven't bought anything on Cyber Monday.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

As this long holiday weekend comes to a close, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

The picks:

SMU -14 over Rice, Ohio State over Michigan (+300), Texas Tech +14 over Baylor (2 units), Oregon -28 over Oregon State (2 units), Marshall -3 over East Carolina, Mississippi +17 over Mississippi State, Wisconsin -14½ over Penn State (2 units), Missouri -26 over Kansas (2 units), Connecticut 0ver Rutgers (+175), Clemson (+155) over South Carolina, Oklahoma -28½ over Iowa State (2 units) Alabama (-21) over Auburn, Georgia -6 over Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt -1½ over Wake Forest.

Best bet - Stanford -7 over Notre Dame (5 units.)

Go Gators!

Open Thread.