RECORD CROWDS over weekend, but spending declined. And of course it had nothing to do with a failing economy and ObamaCare rate shock.

It was those evil Republicans....

IS IT FAIR to steer students into STEM disciplines facing a glut of workers?

I'm just posting this little bit of lunacy from IEEE to note that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is just a wee bit more than information technology (IT). And that even we have our fair share of short-sighted nutcases.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT, it works great! "ObamaCare applicants across the country are finding their premiums are tripling, their favorite doctors aren't available, the physicians they can see are often far away and many prestigious hospitals offering specialized care are off-limits to them, according to a Washington Examiner survey of health insurance agents and brokers across the country."

NEW YORK TIMES: Healthcare.gov is fixed! Just don't use it 'cuz it might break again.

But it sure is pretty....

OBAMA FLOWERS: Perhaps the still unenlightened masses who don’t get it yet will understand this!

(Receptionist) Hello, Welcome to ObamaFlowers, My name is Trina. How can I help you?

(Customer) Hello, I received an email from Professional Flowers stating that my flower order has been canceled and I should go to your exchange to reorder it. I tried your website, but it seems like it is not working. So I am calling the 800 number.

(Receptionist) Yes, I am sorry about the website. It should be fixed by the end of November. But I can help you.

(Customer) Thanks, I ordered a "Spring Bouquet" for our anniversary, and wanted it delivered to my wife's work.

(Receptionist Interrupting) Sir, "Spring Bouquets" do not meet our minimum standards, I will be happy to provide you with Red Roses.

(Customer) But I have always ordered "Spring Bouquets", done it for years, my wife likes them.

(Receptionist) Roses are better, sir, I am sure your wife will love them.

(Customer) Well, how much are they?

(Receptionist) It depends sir, do you want our Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum package.

(Customer) What's the difference?

(Receptionist) 6, 12,18 or 24 Red Roses.

(Customer) The Silver package may be okay, how much is it?

(Receptionist) It depends sir, what is your monthly income?

(Customer) What does that have to do with anything?

(Receptionist) I need that to determine your government flower subsidy, then I can determine how much your out of pocket cost will be. But if your income is below our minimums for a subsidy, then I can refer you to our FlowerAid department.

(Customer) FlowerAid?

(Receptionist) Yes, Flowers are a Right, everyone has a right to flowers. So, if you can't afford them, then the government will supply them free of charge.

(Customer) Who said they were a Right?

(Receptionist) Congress passed it, the President signed it and the Supreme Court found it Constitutional.

(Customer) Whoa.....I don't remember seeing anything in the Constitution regarding Flowers as a Right.

(Receptionist) It is not really a Right in the Constitution, but ObamaFlowers is Constitutional because the Supreme Court Ruled it a "Tax". Taxes are Constitutional. But we feel it is a Right.

(Customer) I don't believe this.

(Receptionist) It's the law of the land sir. Now, we anticipated most people would go for the Silver Package, so what is your monthly income sir?

(Customer) Forget it, I think I will forego the flowers this year.

(Receptionist) In that case sir, I will still need your monthly income.

(Customer) Why?

(Receptionist) To determine what your 'non-participation' cost would be.

(Customer) WHAT???? You can't charge me for NOT buying flowers!!!

(Receptionist) It's the law of the land, sir, approved by the Supreme Court. It's $9.50 or 1% of your monthly income.

(Customer) This is ridiculous, I'll pay the $9.50.

(Receptionist) Sir, it is the $9.50 or 1% of your monthly income, whichever is greater.

(Customer) ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? What a ripoff!!

(Receptionist) Actually sir, it is a good deal. Next year it will be 2%.

(Customer) Look, I'm going to call my Congressmember to find out what's going on here. This is ridiculous. I'm not going to pay it.

(Receptionist) Sorry to hear that sir, that's why I had the NSA track this call and obtain the make and model of the cell phone you are using.

(Customer) Why does the NSA need to know what kind of CELL PHONE I AM USING??

(Receptionist) So they get your GPS coordinates sir.

(Door Bell rings followed immediately by a loud knock on the door).

(Receptionist) That would be the IRS sir. Thanks for calling ObamaFlowers, have a nice day and God Bless America.

From my email. The only thing wrong with the analogy is in the very last sentence. No one in the Obama administration would ever say 'God Bless America'.

OBAMA: leading from (his) behind.

OUCH!

GOVERNMENT FRAUD, WASTE, AND ABUSE: Head of scandal-plagued FMCS to resign.

When one reads about fraud, waste, and abuse, the word 'government' should be taken for granted. Linked from Instapundit.

LIES, DAMN LIES AND OBAMACARE:

I’m no constitutional expert but it sure looks to me as if at least two branches of the Federal Government – branches that are supposed to provide checks and balances to keep each other from overstepping their bounds – committed fraud by perverting the truth and subverting the constitution to get Americans to give up some of their rights.

Let me tell you something, folks. We’ve seen this sort of leadership behavior before. We’ve seen it at companies like Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, and Adelphia. If you’ve ever wondered what makes powerful executives commit fraud, the answer is simple. They think they’re above the truth and the law. They think they know better. And they think they can exert their will over others without being held to account.

When that happens, it’s called absolute power, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That’s what I think we’re seeing here. The organization of our federal government into three unique and autonomous branches was supposed to keep this sort of thing from happening. It didn’t. It failed.

Read it all.

NEWTOWN: Adam Lanza's civil rights were fully protected; his victims, not so much.

MORE: the failure of politically correct 'solutions'.

VICTOR DAVIS HANSON: The Obamacare Ten-Step Self-Help Program.

One correction: "What was once bothersome is now just boring ...." should read "What was once bothersome is now really pissing me off ...."

NO SURPRISE as Millennials abandon Obama: "The abysmal and pathetic launch of healthcare.gov is simply the cherry on top of a shit sundae Obama’s been whipping up for the kids."

Read the rest.

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: The US-Iran nuclear agreement is ‘the worst deal since Munich’.

As an astute observer at another weblog noted: “Obama sent back the bust of Winston Churchill. Do you think the Brits have a bust of Neville Chamberlain they could lend to the White House?”

FAMILY OF ARMED ROBBERY SUSPECT annoyed that bystander shot him. They should be happy - he survived.

THE FATAL CONCEIT OF OBAMACARE: not knowing what you don't know.

The only wonders are that there are still those who maintain that this socialist monstrosity can still work and that so many Americans have been willing to give up their precious personal freedom and turn their lives over to arrogant, pretentious, and deeply confused bureaucrats and politicians in Washington.

Read it all.

COMMON SENSE ON COMMON CORE: "[T]he core requirements of higher education ... tend to be either non-serious or so diffuse that they are neither 'common' nor a 'core'. Why should the watery 'guidelines' for Common Core be much different than the higher ed slop?"

Read it all.

IF YOU LIKE YOUR CANCER, you can keep your cancer ... but not your health insurance, doctor, or hospital.

INSTAPUNDIT: Big government self-derails.

Opponents of big government should take a cue from environmentalists, and seize every available opportunity — and there will be many — for legal monkey-wrenching.

Republicans, please take note.

JACK DUNPHY: Something strange is happening in D.C. If he's right, it'll soon be time to break out the popcorn again.

BEWARE OBAMACARE: When you enter the Healthcare.gov web site you have no reasonable expectation of privacy.

I wouldn't touch ObamaCare with a 12-foot pole, no matter what the potential subsidies. As a matter of fact, I'm getting very worried about Medicare as well.