Senate Dems to Blago: "Hold on there!"

Senate Dems will not seat Blago appointee.

Good for them. It would have been easy just to let another Dem in the caucus while things sort themselves out. This feels like the exact correct thing to do.

More bombing in Gaza

Sadly, a headline which could be from any year.

A view from the inside. Like Josh Marshall, I don't think there will be any peace until the settlement question has been, well, settled.

Text messaging costs

When $15 a month is too much.

Fake Holocaust memoir axed

Oprah, Penguin Books all taken in.

Top 10 Science Centers (well, 25, anyway)

My family goes to 3 different science centers on a semi-regular basis: Ithaca, Allentown, and Cleveland. I'm not sure what it means that none of them are in the top 25, according to Parents.com.

We've been to the Liberty Science Center (#4) at least!

Very funny ads

My wife and I saw TBS' Very Funny Ads of 2008 last night. About what you'd expect--very lame bits by Kevin Nealon with some very good ads. Our favorite was this one.

Funny graffiti humor

Some of these took a few seconds to click in.

A closer look at The Island of Misfit Toys

I know, I know: How much analysis can a fictional sidebar island take? Some, anyway.

According to Wiki the TV special has undergone quite a few changes over the years. Who knew?

Barack the Magic Negro

Republicans continue to demonstrate their political tone-deafness

This is also known as the "Why Can't You Take a Joke" defense. Very 1993.

Blue Planet

An appreciation for what we have.

Hate Mad Money, Love this screengrab

From The 10 Worst Predictions for 2008.

Best Journalism of 2008?

Conor Friedersdorf with a nice roundup of pieces. Some are stories you already know. Others are stories you probably didn't. Either is a good place to dive in.

The election that will not die: Minnesota Senate race

Franken to pull out a win with 50 votes?

Perfect

Forum poster anonymity upheld by federal judge

Could've titled this: My local paper finally does something right.

Good news, I think.

Hmmm.

Literal videos

"Ever wish songs just sang what was happening in the music video? Well now they do."



HT: J!

Republican self-examination

TPM with a roundup of nice quotes. Really.

Regret the Error's year-end roundup

I love the web site Regret the Error. Their year-end roundup is pretty good, but this image in particular was pretty good:

Whiny billionaire grandaughter has to make due on $40K...

In case is isn't clear to her, $40K a year for an artist would put her in in the top half of income for a full-time artist.

Given the state of the economy, there are many people who would be pleased to be making $40K/year without dependents or real health care costs.

Westboro Baptist Church with some holiday greetings...

Idiots.

Dubai hotel to cool their beach

Such a huge expression of the super-rich in the wake of auto company failures here in the States is a bit staggering. I understand that Dubai is just that way, and I suppose if I had a small country that took in way more than it needed I'd probably be putting in indoor ski mountains in the middle of the desert, too.

I hope I'm not coming across as jealous (I'm really not). The gap between the super rich and poor (or even the moderate) is most accutely felt when normal people are really struggling to stay afloat.

I'd like to think they were more careful during the campaign, then I remember the Sarah Palin pick...

McCain campaign selling off cheap Blackberrys with confidential information on them.

Sometimes I'm kinda glad no one reads this blog...

There is an unbelievable amount of anger and hatred out there - directed at everything from the UN to big business to Barack Obama. These people can read, but they cannot think.

Another reason Obama might be the new Reagan

The chance to head into, then recover from, a recession.

Dealing with global warming skeptics

First, make sure you aren't dealing with a global warming denier. A skeptic is someone who is at least open to the argument. Global warming has, on account of the Right's pervasive and ongoing anti-intellectualism, caused many otherwise-thinking people the belief that "opinion," "theory," and "fact" as being interchangible. They aren't.

Here are some arguments to help in fighting the good fight.

Busting cops

Or, how to drive people against the War on Drugs just by being dicks.

Photo funnies...

Anyone notice anything odd about this historical photo?

Heh.

Tribune Corp files for Chapter 11

They hold the LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinal, and many others.

At first glance I think I agree with Josh Marshall that this was more of a bad business decision (or, a series of bad management moves combined with an unsustainable expectation of high profit margins) rather than a change in how newspapers are used socially and politically here in the US.

Sign sign, everywhere a sign..

Interesting signs from around the world.

HT: The Daily Dish.

Tin hat futures falling

SCOTUS, without comment, rejects Obama citizenship case

Dialing back on Vice Presidential overreach

Dems move to limit Cheney meeting attendence, while Biden says he'll stay away.

Time for a pity party

The rich are trying to cut back.