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Thanks to Medforth. Note that one of those who posted photographs observes that previously, London was only decorated in this way for Christmas. How long before the Christmas decorations come down, and only these are permitted? Meanwhile, this is what London is celebrating: “Ramadan is not a month of laziness but rather a month of activity, of effort, and of hard work, and as it also was in the life of the Prophet, a month of jihad, conquest, and victory.” — Palestinian Authority Supreme Sharia Judge Mahmoud Al-Habbash

DEVELOPING News Hurricane Irma Sep 8 2017, 2:54 am ET Hurricane Irma Pummels Turks & Caicos as Bahamas Braces by Rehema Ellis, Adam Reiss and Erik Ortiz The eye of Hurricane Irma grazed the low-lying Turks & Caicos Islands on Thursday, rattling buildings after it smashed a string of Caribbean islands on its way to Florida. With winds of around 185 mph, the storm the size of France has ravaged small islands in the northeast Caribbean in recent days, including Barbuda, St. Martin and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands, ripping down trees and flattening homes and hospitals. Winds dipped...

Hi FReepers, I won an Amazon Echo with a raffle ticket last night at a Christmas party. I have heard about the microphone recording people using it, and am not too keen on that. The question is, can I turn off the mic and just use as a speaker? Also, does it work playing music off an iPhone via Bluetooth? Thanks in advance!

This weekend, Sarah Palin and many members of her family were reportedly involved in a big ol’, 20-person drunken brawl at a Wasilla snowmobile party, which, if you’re playing Palin bingo, means you’ve won. Anchorage police confirmed that an incident had indeed occurred, and that the Palins were definitely there, and it was real nasty. “None of the involved parties wanted to press charges at the time of the incident and no arrests were made,” they added, but did not disclose names. “Alcohol was believed to have been a factor in the incident.”But that’s not enough detail! We need detail!...

Washington state lights up as smoking marijuana becomes legal Washington state has become the first in America to allow the recreational use of cannabis, setting up a potential showdown with the US federal government. ... SNIP ...

Pres Obama playing a round of golf this afternoon at Joint Base Andrews.

JOBS, THEN THE WEEKEND: President Obama begins his remarks by saying he knows "many people across the country are concerned" about the economy. "As I've said from the start, there's no quick fix" to the recession, he says, adding that it took "years" to create it and will take longer to "repair the damage." "I want all Americans to remind themselves there are better days ahead," he says. "Our markets remain the most dynamic in the world. Our workers are still the most productive. We remain the global leader in innovation, in discovery, in entrepreneurship." (10:17 a.m.) Noting the news...

Humans have already left such a deep footprint on the environment that the effects of global warming will last for the next 1,000 years, according to a draft copy of a new report. The Globe and Mail obtained an early version of the climate change study being prepared by the world's leading scientists, and reported that little doubt remains that the planet is getting hotter. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will release the report on Friday at a news conference in Paris, while a simultaneous conference will be held in Ottawa.The report says heat waves, droughts and rain storms,...

It's Friday. Life is meant to be lived.

MIDI - IT'S MY PARTY Somebody says there's a funeral today...we Dems know how to have fun I'll wear my toga and hope I'll get laid before it's done It's a funeral but we know how to party, know how to party, know how to party Listen to me, it is BYOB Last time I went, I threw up on myself...I couldn't work the next day About Bush you should have heard the things that I had to say It's a funeral but we know how to party, know how to party, know how to party Listen to me,...