Open thread.

Big Brother is down to the Final Three. Anyone but Enzo please. Project Runway is also on. And a new Jersey Shore.

Is there any news besides Pastor Terry Jones today?

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Open Thread.

The Jewish High Holy Days begin at sunset with Rosh Hashanah, ushering in and celebrating a new year, 5771. They end in ten days, with Yom Kippur, a day of atonement and fasting, and a sunset "Break Fast" meal.

On the menu for many: Brisket, roast chicken, challah, matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, chopped liver and kugel. For dessert: sliced apples dipped in honey is traditional. And, of course, the blowing of the Shofar.

I have a brisket on the stove, it smells really good. Here's an overview of Rosh Hashanah's customs.

Update 7:54 pm MT: Shana Tova is the number #1 trending topic on Twitter. שנה טובה! A year of blessings, fulfillment, health and happiness to all.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Open thread.

Congrats to the Boise State Broncos who won a heartstopper last night in DC over the Virginia Tech Hokies, 33-30.

If I had a vote, the Broncs are #1 AND Kellen Moore is the Heisman Trophy winner. But that's this week. A long way to go yet.

Open Thread.

Anyone else feel like tonight is Sunday? I'm even doing laundry while catching up on the TV shows I missed the past few days.

I see Obama is proposing a new spending bill to make jobs. (Reuter's Factbox on the proposal is here.] Either I'm still in holiday mode or I don't care much what he does, it's too little too late.

Obama announced a proposal to spend $50 billion in the next year on roads, railroads and airport runways. The modernization plan, a more formal version of a long-standing pledge to improve the nation's crumbling infrastructure, is one of several economic proposals he is to make this week.

[More...]

(Check out the larger version here. I took the picture on my neighborhood walk yesterday. The llamas belong to musician John Oates, who also raises emus, alpacas and peacocks.) For perspective, here's The Barns of Woody Creek from 2005.

Woody Creek is about altered sensibilities, music, art, science, guns, bombs, community involvement and craziness; pure, wonderful, Rocky Mountain craziness. It is also about nature, perfect barns, fresh foals, hunting hounds, elk herds, vistas and views that alter the brain without chemicals, and a state of mind that becomes addictive towards this special place along the banks of the mighty Roaring Fork.

On to some news and political musings: [More...]

The first Saturday of the college football season. Here are my picks -- Missouri(-12.5) over Illinois; Colorado St. (+12) over Colorado; Notre Dame(-10) over Purdue; Michigan (-3) over UConn; Kentucky (-3) over Louisville; Northwestern (-4) over Vanderbilt; Oregon St. (+13) over TCU.

Go Gators!

Open Thread.

I got off to a rocky start with my college football picks, going 1-3-1. But the weekend is just starting. I'll have more picks on Saturday.

With regard to the "robust" discussions that sometimes break out in the threads, I am going to ask that they be confined to the Open Threads. They are getting in the way of discussions of the topics of the posts.

This is an Open Thread.

It's finally here - the opiate I have been waiting for to take me away from my mundane concerns - COLLEGE FOOTBALL! the first game of the year is Wake Forest versus . . . Presbyterian! I like the Blue Hose(+44.5)! Just kidding. Here are my actual first picks of the 2010 college football season - Rhode Island (+24) over Buffalo, Southern Miss (+14) over South Carolina (also Under 46), Middle Tenn St (+1) over Minnesota, Pitt (+3) over Utah and the Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii (+21.5) over the USC Kiffins.

Go Gators!

Open Thread.

Open Thread.