Hey - want to hear my super-neat Snowden theory?

1. Snowden goes all libertarian, swipes some NSA data and reveals to the world what the NSA has been doing under authority of the Patriot Act.

2. The media, other governments, people in general have not paid attention to the Patriot Act, but having had their noses rubbed in it, are shocked by the revelations.

3. No one wants to mess with Snowden, he ends up in Russia.

4. Snowden is still holding on to NSA data. Not having context, he doesn't understand what he is holding or what it means.

5. Someone in Russia would like to get their hands on that data.

6. Morales is visiting Moscow, and tweaks the US by palling around with Snowden. Morales then leaves for home from an airport 20 miles away from where Snowden is sequestered.

7. Someone in Russia manages a marvelous play - by leaking that Snowden is on Morales' plane, minor officials across Europe panic and refuse to allow Morales to land; the governments of those countries are caught flat footed and have to apologize and deny, all of South America is insulted and angry at the US and it is impressed on Snowden that he really has nowhere to go.

8. The next step - someone in Russia convinces Snowden to hand over the NSA data.

I'm thinking of asking my rheumatologist about low dose prednisone for fatigue -

Any comments?

The Declaration of Independence

Long haired dogs: to trim or not to trim for the summer:

Our little spitz had hair that was 8-10" long, plus a dense undercoat. Yesterday we trimmed him so that now he looks like an odd poodle. But at least he is not constantly panting in the heat any more! I'd say he is much more comfortable!

Did Snowden reveal any activity that is not permitted under the Patriot Act?

"the Salvation Army isn't serving breakfast any more"

Setting aside the Salvation Army's record on LGBT, in our town they operate a food pantry and used to serve breakfast. I worked my church's free supper last night - we had more people than usual, and lots of people requesting seconds. Someone told me "the Salvation Army isn't serving breakfast any more"

People are going hungry because of the sequester, but at least the security lines at the airport are running smoothly.

Things I worry about more than the NSA:

Will my kids get jobs?

Will they and I be able to pay off their student loans?

Will the weather turn really, really ugly the next few years?

What is the sequester doing to people?

What is the sequester doing to the economy?