Hey, it's been a while... happy new year to you and yours.

Just like 2012, there's plenty going on, so let's dig in.  The president auto-penned the deal to avert the fiscal cliff into law, and it's leaves almost everyone a little bruised when it comes to paying more. Maybe that's why he's facing an increasingly pessimistic public in this country.  Mitch McConnell says the deal isn't perfect, but it does shield us from tax hikes... I guess he doesn't count that grand more in payroll tax we'll all be paying.  Plus there's new word today that the deal is loaded with special interest tax breaks and increased spending to the tune of $70B+...  sigh.

Some oddball stories this morning...  how about a bicycle swallowed by a tree?  In Florida, a pilot decided to fly over his house when returning from the Carolinas and saw something disturbing... a truck and trailer he didn't recognize in his driveway.  Turned out he was being robbed.  And how about a 200 year old squash that contains the blood of a former king?  You can't make this stuff up...

Guns purchases are still running at record pace...  and FBI gun checks were up 39% last month and that's a new record.  I guess it's no surprise then that when Buckeye Firearms offered training to teachers and school administrators, the number stretched to 600 quickly.