Today's GOP vs. Ronald Reagan. (via Sully). Great stuff as usual from Bruce Bartlett.

It may come as a surprise to some people that once upon a time in the not-too-distant past Republicans actually cared enough about budget deficits that they thought raising taxes was necessary to bring them down. Today, Republicans believe that deficits are nothing more than something to ignore when they are in power and to bludgeon Democrats with when they are out of power.

Slate uses Tiger's return to golf (and the zen practice that informed much of his early life) and the upcoming PBS serious about Buddhism to discuss the role that Zen has played in America.

After a broad and amazing recap of the changing perception of Buddhism Wen Stephonson laments the one missing element from the doc:

There is one aspect of Buddhism, however, that (PBS Documentary Producer) Grubin doesn't really touch—perhaps understandably. The question "What is Buddhism?" is finally, for many Buddhists, unanswerable—and the essence of the teaching inexpressible. Zen, in particular, is full of stories in which sharp-tongued masters cut off fruitless philosophical inquiry. Like the one about the ninth-century Chinese master Yun-men and his response to an inquisitive monk:
Monk: "Where is the place from which all buddhas come?"
Yun-men: "Next question, please!"

Thanks for the patience. it's looks like the computer trouble is over (for now)

Time makes martyrs of us all. Al Ross, founder of the iconic Doggie Dinner chain has died.

Looks like the effort to legalize tax weed is putting together a stronger cast than originally reported. Chris Good at the Atlantic has the details. The latest Pew report still has support trailing, but the gap is narrow.