There will be consequences

Such as?  Obama was trying to jawbone Syria's Assad away from using nerve gas on his own people.  He was trying to sound tough, like he was uttering a threat. 
  Didn't sound very tough to me.  Probably didn't sound very tough to Assad  
  Making vague threats make you look flaky.

Greece, has largest merchant marine

From the Wall St. Journal.  The legendary Greek shipping magnates are still legendary.  Greece has 4072 merchant ships.  More than Japan, or Germany, or the US.  More than any one nation in the world. Not bad for an economy swirling down the drain. 
  According to the Journal, the shipping interests threatened t o pack up and move elsewhere back in the 1970's.  The Greek government caved, and Greek shipping enjoys low taxes and freedom from regulation to this day.

Hobbit, the movie

It  hasn't come the Littleton yet.  Internet reviews are equivocal at best.  Most make the observation that there isn't enough material in the single volumn Hobbit story to fuel three movies.  Probably true.  I'm an old Tolkien fan, I'll see the movies anyhow. 
   The Brit papers have been making a big thing of technology.  The flick is in 3 D and 48 frames/sec.  The Guardian quotes viewers claiming that the extra frame rate gives them headaches and makes them dizzy.
Well, 3D can do that.  I suppose.  I find 3D annoying, the glasses never fit well, and the focus isn't very good.
  But the 48 frame/sec is harmless.  In fact, movies have been projected at 48 frames/sec since the 1920's.  The frame rate has to be high enough to prevent flicker, which is quite annoying.  The exact frame rate needed to smooth out flicker is variable, depends upon the circumstances.  Darkness helps, which theaters have.  American TV runs at 60 fields per second in well lighted rooms.  European TV runs at a mere 50 fields per second, and you can see it flicker.  It's bad enough that the Europeans were selling "100 hertz" TV sets to eliminate flicker caused by the 50 fields per second sets.
   Motion illusion is different from flicker.  Good motion illusion requires a far slower frame rate than flicker reduction needs.  In fact, some one back in the depths of time (1920's) discovered that although the projectors had to run at 438 frames per second to suppress flicker, they did not have to change the picture that fast.  A 2:1 savings in expensive 35mm film occured when the projector advanced the film on every other frame.  So the film advances at 24 frame per second, and the projector displays each frame of movie film twice.
   For the Hobbit, they are claiming to use revolutionary technology, and advance the film on every frame.  Newsies, and reviewers have been talking this up, claiming a miraculous improvement in the viewing experience.  Which gives great joy to the Hobbit marketing droids.  But in real life, it won't look any different from standard movies.   

Sell your Greek Bonds, for 35% of face value

The Greeks are making an offer you can't refuse.  They will buy back their bonds.  But they will only pay 35% of the face value.  Your choice is take  65% haircut now, or risk getting nothing in the future.  The Wall St Journal recommends bond holders take this deal now. 
  Can't say I don't agree with the Journal. 

So who gets blamed if we go over the fiscal cliff?

Good question.  If hitting the bottom of the fiscal cliff hurts as much as we think it will, fingers will be pointed.   Paychecks will get  smaller in January as withholding bumps up and as the FICA tax holiday comes to an end.  Ordinary folk will probably see their withholding tax double.  That ought to bring 'em up fighting mad.
   If Congress passes anything, Obama will have to sign it, otherwise he will take the blame for all the bad stuff that follows. John Boehner probably has the House in hand enough to pass anything reasonable.  He ought to do so.  The Senate will be under tremendous pressure to pass it, what ever it is, 'cause if they don't, everyone will blame them.  And no Senator likes that idea. 
  The circular firing squad is in place.  Who ever fails to keep us from going over the cliff will get shot.

Cops want access to old text messages too

According to CNET, law enforcement types want Congress to mandate internet server providers to store all text messages for two years and allow them to go fishing for evidence pretty much any time they want.  I favor requiring the providers to erase text messages and email as soon as it it successfully delivered. 
  If law enforcement is investigating, they can obtain a warrant from a real judge and see any messages sent AFTER the warrant is issued.  They should not have the right to go fishing thru every message you ever sent looking for something to hang you with. 
   Note to the wise.  Never put anything confidential or  incriminating in a text message.  Your competitors, random hackers, and the cops will read it.   And you will be toast.

English Muffins

A tasty breakfast.  I usually buy run of the supermarket house brand stuff, (Surefine) to save a few pennies, but I pay full boat for Thomas.  They are worth it.  I have given up on the fork torn muffin however.  They are tastier when divided into two equal sized pieces so they toast up evenly.  Fork torn too often gives one plump half and one skinny half which burns before the plump half is decently brown.  Bread knife sliced is the way to go.  There are plenty of nooks and crannies in a sliced muffin.
  Once sliced, a toaster is good, but buttering them and browning them under the grille is better.  I set the ding-ding timer for seven minutes and they come out just golden brown in my oven.  Just about the right length of time to let the coffee brew.