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There's just an odd brew of stuff going on and being talked about down here on Jones Street. There's no real rhyme, reason or connection to any of it - it's just all going on at once.

• The Senate has decided not to meet tomorrow. Senate Leader Marc Basnight had suggested they might be around earlier in the week, but said just now that just the budget negotiators would be about. The House, however, plans to be working. Update: The House has now cancelled its Friday session. All of this is with an eye toward getting the budget done and cleaning up some legislation before the end of this year's session. "And hopefully we can find our way out of this city sometime soon," Basnight said.

• Miss North Carolina, Jessica Jacobs, of High Point, visited the House and Senate today. Click here for audio of her chatting with the honorables in the House.

• Republicans and their allies are trying to convince Democratic leaders in the Senate to move on H878, which would put a constitutional amendment restricting the use of eminent domain on the ballot. Part of that effort seems to be having a bunch of old folks wander around the building with red stickers stuck to their golf shirt.

  Also, Sen. Phil Berger, and Eden Republican, released a letter he wrote to Sen. Charlie Dannelly asking that his Ways and Means Committee meet on the bill. Of course, it would be a heck of a thing if the committee did meet on anything, at all, since it hasn't gotten together since the first part of this decade.

• Following news of alleged, um, transgressions by sitting members of the House, there's news that a former member has been charged "six counts of aiding and abetting prostitution."

• Former Speaker Black has asked for alcohol treatment.