It was 50 years ago today that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. Today, the nation still pauses to remember.

One of my favorite JFK memorabilia items: Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy Birthday Mr. President" at Madison Square Garden on May 29, 1962.

The LeRoy Neiman painting of the event is one I had over my fireplace for years. I loved picking out all the politicians in it, from Bobby Kennedy and Ted Kennedy (and Ethel) to Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird and Mayor Robert Wagner. Check it out below:[More...]

I'm still so busy I haven't been following any news.

Here's an open thread, all topics welcome.

Open Thread.

The Amato and Armando Show:

The picks (disagreements in BOLD John Amato (J), Armando (A)): (J) Buffalo Bills -1, (A) New York Jets -1, (A) Jacksonville Jaguars +8, (J) Arizona Cardinals -8, Cleveland Browns +6 over Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins +4½ over Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers -1½ over Miami Dolphins, (J) Atlanta Falcons -1½, (A) Tampa Bay Buccaneers -1½, (A) Green Bay Packers +6, (J) New York Giants -6, Chicago Bears -3 over Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos -8 over Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers +3 over Detroit Lions, Seattle Seahawks -13 over Minnesota Vikings, (J) Houston Texans -10, (A) Oakland Raiders (+10), Carolina Panthers -1 over New England Patriots, New Orleans Saint -3 1/2 over San Francisco 49ers.

Open Thread.

The picks (last week 15-5 ATS, +25 units): USC +4 over Stanford, Rice -16 over Louisiana Tech, Boise State -23 over Wyoming, Auburn -4 5 units over Georgia, Cincinnati +1 over Rutgers, Texas +3 over Oklahoma State, Iowa State +24 over Oklahoma, Ohio State -33 over Illinois, Michigan State -7 5 units over Nebraska, Navy -7½ over South Alabama, Kentucky +13 over Vanderbilt, Kansas State -10 over TCU, Houston +16 over Louisville, Indiana +24 over Wisconsin, Troy +28 over Mississippi, Purdue +22 over Penn State, West Virginia -7 over Kansas, Michigan +3 over Northwesten, Oregon -28 3 units over Utsh.

This week's Amato and Armando Show is a comedy of technological and other errors. You'll be laughing at us not with us:

Uh, Go Gators!?!

Open Thread.

Thread.

Finally there is light at the end of the moving tunnel. I think I'm done with the major construction projects: Having a contractor come in and double hang closets and turn a small closet by the kitchen into a pantry with massive wood shelves strong enough to hold heavy appliances like the VitaMix, pressure cooker, and Cuisinart, and lots of canned foods.

My computer networks, TVs and phone lines are all finally running smoothly - the art is all hung, I have a microwave again and I've started selling things that won't fit here on Ebay.

What an ordeal -- it's taken almost four weeks. Since I didn't blog the last week or two before moving, it's been six weeks since I've been able to think about blogging -- and I haven't seen much if any news.

I've got a court hearing tomorrow and am still inundated with work, but blogging should return to normal by the weekend. For all of you who stuck around, thanks!

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Last month, I wrote a post titled The Problem With Obamacare: The Republican Stuff. Ironically, to make the Republican stuff work, folks had to be forced into the private insurance market. Ezra Klein indvertently explains:

The bill [Louisiana Senator Mary] Landrieu is offering [it would let folks 'who like their insurance, keep it'] could really harm the law. It would mean millions of people who would've left the individual insurance market and gone to the exchanges will stay right where they are. Assuming those people skew younger, healthier, and richer -- and they do -- Obamacare's premiums will rise. [...] "I think it would be a real substantive mistake to do the Landrieu bill," says MIT health economist Jon Gruber, a supporter of the Affordable Care Act.

(Emphasis supplied.) Of course this has been the fundamental problem with Obamacare - its Republican ideas need the government to force people to participate in the private insurance market, and not just any insurance market, but the ObamaCare exchanges. I t did not have to be this way. More on the flip.

Busy. More thread.

Follow the thread.

This week's Amato and Armando Show November 8, a discussion of the "NFL Culture" plus our picks:

The picks (disagreement in BOLD, J for John, A for Armando): GIANTS -7 1/2 over the Raiders, BENGALS -1 (J), RAVENS +1 (A), RAMS +10 (A), COLTS -10 (J), TAMPA BAY +3 over Dolphins, EAGLES +1 over Packers , BEARS Pick (A), LIONS Pick (J), STEELERS -3 over Bills, TITANS -13 (J), JAGUARS +13 (A), SEAHAWKS -4 over Falcons, PANTHERS +6 (J), NINERS -6 (A), CARDINALS -3 over Texans, BRONCOS -7 (J), CHARGERS +7 (A), SAINTS -7 over Cowboys.

Open Thread.

The picks (2 units unless otherwise indicated): LSU +13 over Alabama, San Diego State +7 over San Jose State, Arizona -1½ over UCLA, Fresno State -9 over Wyoming, Army +6 over Western Kentucky, Kansas State +3 over Texas Tech, Texas -6 over West Virginia, Pittsburgh +4 over Notre Dame, Virginia Tech +7 over Miami (Florida), USC -17 3 units over California, Nebraska +7 over Michigan, Missouri -14 3 units over Kentucky, Navy -17 over Hawaii, Texas A&M -19½ 3 units over Mississippi State, Wake Forest +35 over Florida State, Utah State -14 over UNLV, Tulsa +17 over East Carolina, Wisconsin -8 over BYU, Minnesota -3 over Penn State, Auburn -8 4 units over Tennessee, North Carolina State +10 over Duke.

This week's Amato and Armando Show:

Go Gators!

Open Thread.