Whatever else 9/11 is, it is an extraordinarily personal trauma. It comes to consciousness within its own hall of mirrors, images and thoughts appearing un-summoned and then disappearing before they are neatly understood.

The Aegean – the ancient Greek word for it meant “chief sea” – is, of course, the body of water Agamemnon, Odysseus, Achilles and the other Achaeans crossed in their assault on Troy. Odysseus sailed its waters at the outset of his journey home.

In other words, it was Aegean waves that washed the shores where Western history began. And it’s hard not to think of the ancient sea’s destruction at the hands of greed-soaked cyclopean giants of finance as, at the very least, a symbolic end of that history.

Hey Paul Ryan. I’ve got a better, simpler plan for returning the country to prosperity. Here it is.

Wherever they have power or influence, right-wing extremists are fast building barriers between the people, their government and future economic opportunity. There are various motivations for the anti-democratic tide, including simple greed, selfishness and racism. For some it’s fear and ignorance.

Members of a disability rights group have occupied the Wisconsin Republican Party headquarters in Madison, and vow to stay until Governor Scott Walker takes out the Medicaid provisions in the budget repair bill.

Three months ago in this space, I wrote about Wisconsin governor-elect Scott Walker, who was showboating by making bogus demands and proclamations even though he was still two months from being inaugurated.

It’s probably no surprise that actually taking office hasn’t diminished Walker’s ambitions.

No wooden stake can rid us of Rudy Guiliani.

Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke is appearing at this hour before the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, and he mainly said in opening remarks that too big to fail must be solved. He believes the new resolution authority will provide the opportunity for regulators to wind down firms without taxpayer resources exposed.

Gibbs goes way out on a limb in discussing the meeting David Axelrod had with Elizabeth Warren at the White House, last question in Friday’s press “conference” which lately seem to be Gibbs’ attempts at stand-up.

“The very rich are different from you and me.” Yes, and that’s why their representatives on the Catfood Commission are horrified that their fellow commissioner Alan Simpson was so indiscreet as to reveal what they think of most Americans: Namely, that we’re “lesser” than them.