Its the season of giving, and United Airlines is giving 10 million free miles to the charity America chooses. My wife works for Americares, which does terrific work in the US and around the world. JOM readers have pitched in before so I am hoping to pick up a few votes for Americares today [Vote here!] and any day before the New Year.
The voting page currently has the Shriners Hospital for Children in first place with 32,147 votes. That is a long way from Americares, currently in 8th place with 2,342 votes. However, a big move up is possible! Fourth place is held with 4,859 votes so cracking the top five should be doable. Voting is quick and will be a breeze for anyone who has made it past the Typepad comment impediment.
My understanding is that the voting is limited to one vote per machine per day. Thanks very much.
Apologies for going OT on the first comment, but the Hawaiian health director who approved the release of Obama's birth certificate has died in a plane crash in Hawaii.
Cue the Ron Brown conspiracy theories...
Posted by: Another Bob | December 12, 2013 at 11:36 AM
This is why JOM exits.
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | December 12, 2013 at 11:37 AM
happy to do my part to help the Maguire family's charity!
Posted by: peter | December 12, 2013 at 11:37 AM
If I could delete my comment above, I would.
Apologies again for that comment on this thread.
Posted by: Another Bob | December 12, 2013 at 11:40 AM
I now slink off to go vote for Americares on as many machines as I can get my hands on...
Posted by: Another Bob | December 12, 2013 at 11:41 AM
FYI - I appear to have successfully voted both with IE and Chrome on the same machine.
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | December 12, 2013 at 11:51 AM
Voted! I'll vote again when I get home, and then on my iPad, too...
Posted by: James D. | December 12, 2013 at 11:51 AM
It's time for another round of Who Really Knows Their JOM Stuff?
It was during another period of rallying JOM for votes that *THIS* now well-used JOM function was born.
1) What is that function?
2) Who/what were we voting for?
BONUS POINT:
3) Who invented it?
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | December 12, 2013 at 11:55 AM
Golly, Hit. Were we voting for Gmax's daughter? That was pretty far back, so my memory is a little hazy.
Posted by: centralcal | December 12, 2013 at 12:03 PM
TM: Just voted and will vote from home, too, on as many devices that I can. :)
Posted by: centralcal | December 12, 2013 at 12:03 PM
The family NK is proud to deliver at least 9 votes to AmeriCares (depending if I can get my 22 yo son out of bed on a cold St Lou morning.)
Posted by: NK(withnewsoftware) | December 12, 2013 at 12:08 PM
lun, JMax (hope she is doing well GMax), and I think it was Jane.
Happy Birthday Ignatz.
exam over, one project and one exam to go!
Posted by: rich@gmu | December 12, 2013 at 12:16 PM
and I've got a score of machines I can vote on...fire up the ballot box stuffing.
wheeled over and they are at 2399 and 9th place.
Posted by: rich@gmu | December 12, 2013 at 12:18 PM
Don't worry Another Bob, DoT will be along soon to set the record straight for his audience.
Posted by: Threadkiller | December 12, 2013 at 12:19 PM
Hit:
My first answer was going to be the narcosilator.but I now believe it was the vote for the worst pictures of Moochelle started by I believe Ann.
Posted by: maryrose | December 12, 2013 at 12:28 PM
First I am hearing about this: Scientists discover Yellowstone volcano is even bigger than they thought
Posted by: Jack is Back! | December 12, 2013 at 12:33 PM
maryrose, I am pretty sure Rich got all the answers correct at 12.:16.
Posted by: centralcal | December 12, 2013 at 12:44 PM
--
Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank 32m
Is there a place I can go to see what the temperature would be today if Al Gore had won in 2000?
--
Posted by: Dave (in MA) | December 12, 2013 at 12:45 PM
see studying works!!!
those were some fun threads too.
Posted by: rich@gmu | December 12, 2013 at 12:47 PM
alGore, that fat tub of goo...wanted to spot that bastard and cut off some of his blubber to burn for heat. 23 this morning and it is chilly in the library.
Posted by: rich@gmu | December 12, 2013 at 12:50 PM
Don't know if this has been posted but the Florida Appeals Court has shot down a ban on guns on college campuses.
Its a University of North Florida ruling. The campus is in Jacksonville and the young lady has a CCW permit but stores the gun in her car on campus.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | December 12, 2013 at 12:53 PM
and now the Dems don't like the budget deal...starting to think tar and feathers is the only way this thing is going to get solved.
Posted by: rich@gmu | December 12, 2013 at 12:53 PM
rich:
lun
Yes!
JMax
YES!!!
and I think it was Jane.

Oh, sorry, not quite.
*******************************
**********************
*******************************
*******************************
To be fair, Jane did go on to coin the term "LUN" for my invention.
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | December 12, 2013 at 12:59 PM
You guys, Americares has dropped to 9th.
Do more.
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | December 12, 2013 at 12:59 PM
damn it! I think the style guide says I get full credit for the bonus.
Posted by: rich@gmu | December 12, 2013 at 01:01 PM
done.
Posted by: matt | December 12, 2013 at 01:03 PM
and I'll leave it on my machine so I won't forget.
Posted by: rich@gmu | December 12, 2013 at 01:05 PM
the Puffington Host reveals it's as smart as we thought, they called Hawaii and independent country.
Posted by: narciso, | December 12, 2013 at 01:08 PM
TomM-- Please emphasize that DAILY votes are permitted on EACH device between now and the end of the year.
Posted by: NK(withnewsoftware) | December 12, 2013 at 01:08 PM
yikes and off to work eventually. overhearing a conversation hear that I'd rather not hear...trying not to bust up laughing.
later.
Posted by: rich@gmu | December 12, 2013 at 01:12 PM
darn! I tried to post a LUN but my post disappeared.
drat, I will not repost yet in case it shows up in the next several minutes.
Posted by: kave | December 12, 2013 at 01:12 PM
Funny, the LUN is there but the post is not.
Let me repeat. It is a fun video of 4 kids lip-synching a christmas song and it will make you smile. Especially if you watch til the very end.
I hope you enjoy.
And finally, I too voted for Americares.
Posted by: kave | December 12, 2013 at 01:15 PM
I invented LUN didn't I? I always thought so.
Posted by: Jane | December 12, 2013 at 01:25 PM
Oh I should have read on - I coined the phrase (which I hate to tell you Hit, is the famous part) but I defer.
Posted by: Jane | December 12, 2013 at 01:26 PM
Jane:
which I hate to tell you Hit, is the famous part
I may not be the knifest sharp in the drawer, but I am detecting very little in that that would suggest you hated telling it to me.
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | December 12, 2013 at 01:32 PM
JiB,
Your 12:33 link goes to your picture of a beach and your 12:53 goes to JOM.
Posted by: Ignatz | December 12, 2013 at 01:39 PM
Iggy,
Here is the Yellowstone story from the Daily Mail.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | December 12, 2013 at 02:24 PM
Voted.
Posted by: Sue | December 12, 2013 at 02:24 PM
Iggy,
And the story on overturning the UNF gan ban.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | December 12, 2013 at 02:27 PM
I highly recommend kave's LUN @ 1:15.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | December 12, 2013 at 02:31 PM
Life is good when we can help TM get votes for his and Mrs. TM's cause!
Posted by: Frau Edith Steingehirn | December 12, 2013 at 02:34 PM
Voted and posted the link on Facebook with a comment that I voted Americares.
Posted by: Thomas Collins | December 12, 2013 at 02:36 PM
Has anyone looked at this?
http://allenbwest.com/2013/12/budget-deal-rips-vets-retirement/
Seems to me Veterans get the short end of the deal a lot.
Posted by: pagar | December 12, 2013 at 02:40 PM
Seems to me Veterans get the short end of the deal a lot.
Me too - and that sucks. Janet should be in charge of Veteran affairs.
Kave I finally saw the video. Hysterical.
Hit, you are right. I didn't hate it at all.
Posted by: Jane | December 12, 2013 at 03:13 PM
My new, highly alliterative, new post http://www.invisibleserfscollar.com/molding-the-minds-of-the-masses-toward-myths-as-an-effective-means-of-manipulating-action-for-change/
Off to read Pagar's link.
Posted by: rse | December 12, 2013 at 03:14 PM
Must see television. Rand Paul on C-Span 2.
Posted by: polly | December 12, 2013 at 03:32 PM
Jane:
Hit, you are right. I didn't hate it at all.
Still......
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | December 12, 2013 at 03:42 PM
Good Morning!
For Danube and other JOM Stones fans. Cool article in the WSJ about how Keith Richards came up with the song Street Fighting Man
On that opening riff, I used enormous force on the strings. I always did that and still do. I'm looking at my hands now and they look like Mike Tyson's. They're pretty beat up.
Much fun, plus you get to hear the original version of the song, titled "Have You Paid Your Dues."
Posted by: daddy | December 12, 2013 at 03:48 PM
Vote tabulated. You would do better with a post at Dummy, cuz Democrats are experts are voting early and often!
For whoever asked about JMAX, she is a manager with PriceWatergate and will marry her fiancé here in Destin in May. He is a nice young man and gasp an attorney. Litigator actually. He is accepting a new job with a firm in Dallas to defend insurance companies in lawsuits. I assume P & C firms, not healthcare but I will have to ask now that I think about it.
Posted by: Gmax | December 12, 2013 at 03:48 PM
PriceWatergate? Are they that corrupt? :)
Posted by: DrJ | December 12, 2013 at 04:02 PM
GMax-beach weddings are so much fun!!
Posted by: rse | December 12, 2013 at 04:03 PM
Very cute and fun, Kave!
Americare will not accept my vote. It keeps timing out and says "Try Again." I think somebody has rigged the voting software.
Posted by: daddy | December 12, 2013 at 04:05 PM
Hey! No fair Hit. Where is Caro when I need her!
Posted by: Jane | December 12, 2013 at 04:13 PM
Watergate, Waterhouse, whatever.
Speaking of your Waterhouse's, that reminds me of Waterhouse Hawkins, the Brit guy who in the late 1800's first decided to make big models of what he thought Dinosaurs looked like.
He initially had a huge model of what an Iguanadon looked like, and had the top left off so that a famous banquet could be held inside the thing with Thomas Huxley and other big shot Dino scientists in London:
After he had great popular success building Dino sculptures in London, he came to the States and tried to do the same thing in Central Park, but I believe that somehow he ran afoul of the Unions in the City and all his dinosaurs were demolished and buried in the park, and he wound up in the poor house. Something like that:
The children's book on it was fair to middlin'.
Posted by: daddy | December 12, 2013 at 04:23 PM
--somehow he ran afoul of the Unions in the City and all his dinosaurs were demolished and buried in the park--
I guess those union fossils didn't like the competition.
OTOH if the FBI starts digging in Central Park they might finally find Jimmy Hoffasaurus.
Posted by: Ignatz | December 12, 2013 at 04:32 PM
What mrs hit and run is getting for Christmas is entirely dependent upon my efforts at poker tonight.
Wish our marriage luck!
kthxbai
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | December 12, 2013 at 04:37 PM
Time magazine's Man of the Year is Pope Francis.
Alas, it's not the real Pope Francis.
From Tim Stanley in The Telly.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | December 12, 2013 at 04:48 PM
A heads up to those in the NYC area the last Sunday before Christmas (Dec. 22) -- St. Thomas (Fifth and 54th) always does a gorgeous Lessons and Carols service that showcases their boys' choir. And it always starts with a soprano singing an a cappella verse of Once In David's Royal City. When Hillary! was running for Senator, she, Bill and Chelsea all showed up, so you never know who might be at the end of your pew.
Here's the King's College Cambridge rendition.
Posted by: Tonto | December 12, 2013 at 04:50 PM
daddy @3:48; very interesting. Beggars Banquet was my fave Stones album.
Posted by: peter | December 12, 2013 at 05:05 PM
Happy birthday, Ignatz!!
Posted by: Beasts of England | December 12, 2013 at 05:11 PM
Happy Birthday, Ignatz!
Congratulations, DrJ!
Posted by: MaryD | December 12, 2013 at 05:25 PM
Here's winking at you on your birthday, Ignatz!

As Shakespeare said:
"Some are born great, some
achieve greatness, and some
have greatness thrust upon
them."
Posted by: Frau Edith Steingehirn | December 12, 2013 at 05:28 PM
Hey Beasts! Glad to see you are still here. You worried me last night...
Posted by: Old Lurker | December 12, 2013 at 05:29 PM
Just frustrated with myself, OL. I couldn't express a clear thought in a comment for the last few days. Been studying English all night...
Posted by: Beasts of England | December 12, 2013 at 05:32 PM
Happy Birthday, Iggy.
Thomas Lifson over at American Thinker does a nice piece on Megyn Kelly, superstar.
I am in agreement with just about every word of it and I just hope that she remains grounded and that success doesn't go to her head.
Posted by: daddy | December 12, 2013 at 05:36 PM
Beasts,
Have you ever tried to understand Narc the first time through? How about Clarice and typing when her cats are on her keyboard? But we wouldn't be JOM without their comments so you have nothing to worry about.
Particularly now that you aren't going to jail on a drug charge.
Posted by: Old Lurker | December 12, 2013 at 05:37 PM
Megyn Kelly is the best!!
Reminder--write Roger Ailes and tell him to move her to eight o'clock.
He can move BOR to--?one am.
Posted by: anonamom | December 12, 2013 at 05:40 PM
I'd suggest trading BOR to MSNBC for a player to be named later. They must have a decent copy editor somewhere.
Posted by: DrJ | December 12, 2013 at 05:43 PM
Shoot me now.
"Mike Huckabee today ended his daily radio show heard on 200 stations across the nation, the first obvious sign that he is considering another presidential bid in what is shaping up to be a jammed 2016 GOP primary."
Posted by: Old Lurker | December 12, 2013 at 05:46 PM
Well said, OL!
Posted by: Beasts of England | December 12, 2013 at 05:48 PM
tonto,
Thanks for that Kings College choir rendition. My grandfather read classics and romance languages at Kings. We went there as a very young kid and then when I lived in London, Mrs. JiB loved to go and row on the Fens and tour the colleges. Lots of great little tea shops and restaurants in Cambridge. A much more walking and parking friendly venue than Oxford but I am biased.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | December 12, 2013 at 05:50 PM
I understand that the broadcasts of the King's College L&C during WWII from the same church but with the stained glass stored against bomb damage, the heat off, and the place open to the weather were unbelievably moving.
Posted by: Old Lurker | December 12, 2013 at 05:56 PM
On Thursday on CNN, Jake Tapper unveiled PolitiFact’s 2013 “Lie of the Year”: President Barack Obama’s promise that “if you like your health-care plan, you can keep your health-care plan."
Posted by: Neo | December 12, 2013 at 05:56 PM
He initially had a huge model of what an Iguanadon looked like, and had the top left off so that a famous banquet could be held inside the thing with Thomas Huxley and other big shot Dino scientists in London:
This reminds me that William Herschel, the famous expat German Music Teacher who moved to England and became the world's greatest Astronomer, did something similar. In a recent excellent Science/History book The Age Of Wonder that author tells us that upon the completion of the world's largest telescope tube in the late 1780's, (which the King paid for) Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society and Herschels patron, had Herschel organize a royal banquet inside the uncompleted Telescope.
Makes me wonder how many other times in history a fancy celebratory style banquet was held inside some new amazing invention or structure. I'd guess off the top that it must have happened up on the Eiffel Tower and maybe the Brooklyn Bridge.
Here's a bit on Hershel's big telescope:
In 1781, William Herschel’s star literally rose when his discovery of a new planet caused such excitement, the French astronomer Jérôme Lalande proposed it be named “Herschel” (Clerke 25). The discovery of Uranus catapulted Herschel into the position of the King’s Astronomer, and a few years later, with financial assistance from King George, he began work on what would be his most ambitious project: the construction of a forty-foot telescope. Herschel began the project in 1785 in Old Windsor, but less than a year later he and his sister Caroline, who was also an astronomer, were informed by the “litigious” owner of their rental house that, since the telescope would increase the property value, their rent would be raised annually (Sidgwick 129). They subsequently left Old Windsor and established a permanent residence near Windsor Castle at Slough, where they set up an observatory. Over the next few years, William oversaw the construction of the largest telescope in the world, a standing it would maintain for the next half century, and on 24 August 1789, he looked through the giant instrument for the first time. Four nights later, his telescopic viewing yielded a major discovery—the sixth satellite of Saturn—and he thereby designated 28 August 1789 as the date of completion of the forty-footer
Posted by: daddy | December 12, 2013 at 05:58 PM
Megyn Kelly is really a bit of a phenomena. Other that Brett Baier hers is the only show I really don't want to miss. I can't bear O'reilly or Hannity, but I love Megyn - so far.
Posted by: Jane | December 12, 2013 at 06:00 PM
We're up to 7th now. Not good enough.
Have you done everything you could to help Americares?
I REPEAT AND AMPLIFY: I have now voted twice on three different computers by using both Chrome and IE.
Posted by: Jeff Dobbs | December 12, 2013 at 06:00 PM
So latest is the WH wants docs to see patients in January even if they are no longer allowed to see them.
What the hell?
Posted by: Jane | December 12, 2013 at 06:02 PM
Hit,
Everyone of those in the first 6 places are as deserving as Americare. At least the Red Cross is nowhere to be seen.
What is hard for most to understand is Megyn's All_American beauty while being so damn smart and fierceness. Reminds me of a number of girls I went to school with and a certain ex-Governor of Alaska, eh?
Posted by: Jack is Back! | December 12, 2013 at 06:06 PM
When I tried to vote for Americares, it signed me up for Obamacare by mistake.
Posted by: Beasts of England | December 12, 2013 at 06:07 PM
Hit,
Was finally able to get thru and vote.
And it was nice of Frank Sinatra to share his birthday with Iggy.
Posted by: daddy | December 12, 2013 at 06:13 PM
Beasts you are still hanging around great, now was Obamacaid or Obamasc*w that you got signed on.
Posted by: boricuafudd | December 12, 2013 at 06:15 PM
jane,
They are going to keep changing the rules and timing as they go to makeup for every error that is revealed. This is your "playground" version of healthcare legislation.
Posted by: Jack is Back! | December 12, 2013 at 06:17 PM
Voted. Wasn't easy reading that capcha stuff.
Posted by: Danube on iPad | December 12, 2013 at 06:34 PM
How God created Texans
When God created the world for human kind to prosper & multiply, He decided to give each group two (2) virtues.
As an example, He made the Japanese patient & hardworking,
He made the Germans tenacious & studious,
He made the Americans organized & pragmatic,
And so on.
When GOD considered Texans, He told the record-keeping angel, "Texans are going to be intelligent, honest, & democrats."
When GOD finished creating the world, the angel noticed that GOD had given every group two (2) virtues except the Texans, who had received three.
The angel thought that this would give the Texans an unfair advantage over the other groups of human beings. He pointed this out to GOD.
GOD said, "Oh, my goodness, you are certainly right, but since virtues given by GOD cannot be changed, We shall do the following:
From now on Texans will keep three (3) virtues, however, they can only use two (2) at a time."
This dictum explains why:
A Texan, who is a democrat & honest, cannot be intelligent.
One, who is intelligent & democrat, cannot be honest.
AND ONE WHO IS INTELLIGENT & HONEST, CAN NEVER BE A DEMOCRAT!!!
This explains clearly why most Texans are REPUBLICANS!
Posted by: Jack is Back! | December 12, 2013 at 06:36 PM
Damn you Thai pad!
Posted by: Beasts of England | December 12, 2013 at 06:37 PM
I think the world needs to cut the selfie soiree signer some slack. He was just trying to impress Obama by signing in Austrian.
Posted by: Beasts of England | December 12, 2013 at 06:39 PM
At least no one here has damned Pad Thai!
Posted by: DrJ | December 12, 2013 at 06:40 PM
Thanks for the Stones link, daddy. If you haven't read Keef's autobiography, you should.
Posted by: Danube on iPad | December 12, 2013 at 06:42 PM
The best comment I've ever read at Althouse--on the fake interpreter at the Mandela Memorial:
Bob Boyd said...
Without any training or experience, this guy applied for the job, got the job and fooled people for years by just putting on an elaborate show.
The fact that he was standing on stage next to a lot of important people put him beyond question in the minds of most people.
Those who really understood that what he was saying actually made no sense were ignored.
And now we have this South African interpreter doing the same thing.
Posted by: anonamom | December 12, 2013 at 06:50 PM
anonamom
Was that story about the interpreter or Obama?
Posted by: boricuafudd | December 12, 2013 at 06:56 PM
Is it wrong to lust after Megyn Kelly?
Posted by: MarkO | December 12, 2013 at 06:56 PM
NRO:
Posted by: DrJ | December 12, 2013 at 07:00 PM
DannyWarrior is a mess isn't he, bori!
Posted by: Beasts of England | December 12, 2013 at 07:02 PM
Love that Althouse comment, anonamom!
Posted by: centralcal | December 12, 2013 at 07:10 PM
anonamom, that is great! Hah!
Posted by: Janet | December 12, 2013 at 07:11 PM
Dang it - Megyn has many on the left with their panties in knots because she said Santa and Jesus were white last night. So - she is off tonight and Martha McCallum is subbing for her.
Posted by: centralcal | December 12, 2013 at 07:13 PM
The Megyn smear is exactly that. The Left is desperate to discredit her as she is th #1 news source in the country now. That just cannot be allowed.
So even though some batshit crazy AA woman insists on Black Jesus and a Black Santa in a world and at a time when Judea was overwhelmingly Semitic, which is white, Megyn is a raaciiist!
Their aim is to destroy their enemies by any means necessary, so we must fight back just as hard.
As to Hannity, he regularly has people who disagree with him on. They may be batshit leftists, but at least he allows two points of view. None of the others really do. They get trained seals in or just don't bother.
Hell, the Left is trying to do anything they can to divert attention from the cesspool right now.
And with the republican establishment waging war on the Tea Party, I think we may be lost. We have met the enemy and he is us...ish.
Posted by: matt | December 12, 2013 at 07:22 PM
Looks like Clarice's business ventures are broadening. I think she has added investment counselor to her many talents.
Dennis Miller Show @DennisDMZ now
My Investment Counselor has suggested I diversify yet again and take a not small position in Guillotine Futures and Catacomb Time Shares.
Posted by: centralcal | December 12, 2013 at 07:27 PM
Megyn has Zeke back on tonight.
Major fireworks last time--
Posted by: anonamom | December 12, 2013 at 07:27 PM
Some late night guy had a signing expert on to interpret the guy at the funeral. It was absolutely hysterical.
Posted by: Jane | December 12, 2013 at 07:31 PM