1/7/23

 Saturday, January 7, 2023

In bed by 11, half awake @ 5:30, up at 6:30, one cognac.  23 degrees w/ high of 32, northerly wind at 8 w/ wind chill at 14.  Sunrise at 7:23, sunset at 4:33, 9 hours, 10 minutes with mostly sunny skies.

Thrilling denouement to Speaker election; more mischief to come.  After Alabama Republican congressman Mike Rogers seemingly threatened to punch Florida Republican congressman Matt Gaetz's lights out and had to be physically restrained by North Carolina Republican congressman Richard Hudson, Gaetz changed his vote on a crucial motion to adjourn after the 14th ballot and the drama ended on the 15th ballot, with invertebrate self-gelded California Republican congressman Kevin McCarthy winning a Pyrrhic victory,  I didn't wait around for the concluding chapter but rather went to bed.  The beat goes on and so it goes.  Stay tuned for more chaos, more disorder, and real danger ahead, especially on the debt limit and Ukraine.

CPAP problem.  With my new mask, I have had seal scores of 3/20, 10/20, and last night 0/20.  No idea what is wrong and will check with VA provider, but no sense wearing it at night if all the 'positive airway pressure' air is leaking out of the mask before reaching the airway.

Extra Christmas presents.  Contacted the seller of Peter's sweat pants for return instructions, email response suggests a long wait for specific instructions.  Printed off return date on the Amazon site for extra tea pot.  Need to take it to Kohl's at Bayshore or Grafton.

NYT this afternoon: Speaker Drama Raises New Fears on Debt Limit.  "Economists, Wall Street analysts and political observers are warning that the concessions he made to fiscal conservatives could make it very difficult for Mr. McCarthy to muster the votes to raise the debt limit — or even put such a measure to a vote. That could prevent Congress from doing the basic tasks of keeping the government open, paying the country’s bills and avoiding default on America’s trillions of dollars in debt.   The speakership battle that spanned more than four days and 15 rounds of votes suggested President Biden and Congress could be on track later this year for the most perilous debt-limit debate since 2011, when former President Barack Obama and a new Republican majority in the House nearly defaulted on the nation’s debt before cutting an 11th-hour deal. . . . .As a result, the next round of debt-limit brinkmanship could be the most fraught on record — as evidenced by the battle over the speakership. Conservative Republicans have already made clear that they would not pass a debt-limit increase without significant spending curbs, likely including cuts to both spending on the military and on domestic issues not related to national defense. . . . As a result, the next round of debt-limit brinkmanship could be the most fraught on record — as evidenced by the battle over the speakership. Conservative Republicans have already made clear that they would not pass a debt-limit increase without significant spending curbs, likely including cuts to both spending on the military and on domestic issues not related to national defense.

Quarterly dinner with Goldbergs and Lowes at the Goldbergs tonight.  Always interesting, always informative, always enjoyable.