The House held a hearing on Ebola today. Several advocated for a travel ban. Here is the National Institute of Health's Ebola page. The Center for Disease Control's page is here.

James Cole, #2 at the Justice Department, is resigning. I like this quote of his:

“We have to stop filling our jails,” Cole said. “The only way you’re going to do that is to take people who are addicted and start dealing with addictions, dealing with their mental health issues, instead of just throwing them in jail.”

British ISIS hostage John Cantlie released episode four of his video messages today. You Tube took it down, but it's available on Daily Motion. More of the same, with a focus on how the media and government feed each other and ramp up fear. [More...]

No ruling yet in Oscar Pistorius sentencing. The judge wants the parties to finish by the end of the week.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

This is a very funny video (and unfortunately, very accurate) about civil asset forfeiture from John Oliver's HBO show.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Staying up all night is for the young. I finished my project at 6 am and am just now getting to sleep (5am.) I'lll be back this afternoon. In the meantime, since our last thread is full, here's a new open thread, all topics welcome. I hope I don't get a really big number to pay when my acct. hands me the return. I might just go hide under the bed if that happens.

Hope your weekend is more relaxing than mine.

October 15, the deadline for filing last year's tax returns, is right around the corner. My accountant's deadline was today, but I'm not done, so he has graciously given me until tomorrow morning to get everything to him. I will be buried in paper until the wee hours, with no time to read the news or blog.

For those of you smart enough to have filed on April 15, here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

I'll be in court today. Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

I haven't written anything about ebola yet because I don't know anything about it. Since there are a lot of comments about it, here's an open thread to discuss it. All other topics are welcome too.

The new season of Homeland begins now with a 1 hour and 45 minute episode.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

It's sundown here, the official start to Yom Kippur -- the Day of Atonement.

Yom Kippur is a day of reconciliation, when Jews strive to make amends with people and to draw closer to God through prayer and fasting. The ten days leading up to Yom Kippur are known as the Ten Days of Repentance. During this period Jews are encouraged to seek out anyone they may have offended and to sincerely request forgiveness so that the New Year can begin with a clean slate.

To those of you observing the holiday, G'mar Hatimah Tovah - May You Be Sealed for a Good Year (in the Book of Life).

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

The U.S. has set up a webpage for the fight against ISIS. Here is the Defense Department's latest report.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Our last open thread is full, here's another one, all topics welcome.