... now the GOP can go back to obstructing everything else the government does. Government by tantrum looks to continue.

A Happy New Year to all, full of amity and prosperity and devoid of strife and suffering.

You guys know the drill, please initiate or second the names of the people you'd like to see elected as moderators for the next 6 month term.

I'll start by nominating notyou, brutusettu and Floater.

Two good stories for a change, from my very own home state of Washington.

(courtesy Meryl Schencker Photography)

This is a picture of one of the hundreds of gay couples who applied for a marriage license starting at midnight last night, as the passage of gay marriage in Washington State in the election took effect.

Also, a few blocks away ...

It was in the year 2020 that a majority of people first began to “see” what money is. For a few months—after the “realization” started hitting the pages, airwaves, blogs, tweets and twits of mainstream media—it became a silly joke: “2020 perfect vision, at last! How could things have been so blurry for so long?” For thousands of years, in fact.

and it's not a fiscal cliff (which is actually more like a gradual downhill stroll) but a political one. As Wags pointed out and linked here, suddenly the GOP is unwilling to actually say what they want to cut as far as entitlements are concerned. They basically want Democrats and the White House to propose both sides of an agreement, then decide whether they're willing to go along with it.

Quite a milestone, and really who in the 60s thought that any band would make it so long - especially one with their (well deserved) reputation.

Now I'm sure there will be naysayers here, and so let's make some concessions. Yes, they look like not especially well preserved mummies. Yes, they aren't at the forefront of popular music, and haven't been for the past 30 years. While they are still recording it's clear that their best work was in the late 60s and early 70s, and since then they've released more average albums than good ones.

While Mitt Romney has (hopefully) moved off the national stage, despised by his erstwhile supporters, it's important not to forget what we learned during the campaign - specifically about how Bain Capital, and private equity in general, works. We have a great example of that in the bankruptcy and dissolution of Hostess (formerly known as Interstate Bakeries), maker of Twinkies and other snack foods.

Not sure where I came across this picture on the internet, but it seemed so perfect it got me thinking - what differences would 50 years make in the birth of famous people from the past? I decided to move the people born in the 1890s and 1900s forward 50 years to the baby boom generation, and included a few that stretched the boundaries a bit. Here are my best guesses as to what would happen in this alternate reality, but please feel free to add your own.

. . . . .

You know the drill, let's keep it simple:

1. Who wins the Presidential Election

2. The number of electoral votes they'll receive

3. (optional) you can list any or all states to fall in the R or D column if you choose

4. The composition of the Senate after the election, as in X R and Y D Senators

5. (optional) You can discuss individual races and the winners or losers thereof