He's off! And let's all try real hard to keep him on the correct path. … [Read more...] about And Now The New Year Is OFF To A Start!

And so we start a new one; let's all get it right this time. The baby is up for it... … [Read more...] about HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YEW!

It's the Seventh Night of Hanukkah and here is an Online Menorah for you! … [Read more...] about Happy Hanukkah!

My recurring fantasy is to open a bohemian, snooty coffeehouse in the DC area where I currently live, but this horror story from a New York couple who opened their own little cafe has given me pause. … [Read more...] about Running a quaint little coffeehouse is HELL

Do the protesters there and the police response remind you of anything? … [Read more...] about The Sudanese Deaths In Cairo

Watch out Mike! The US Army has designs on your northern paradise. Truly, one of the more entertaining articles the Post has run in a long time. … [Read more...] about Invade Canada!

Cross posted at The Smoking Room Good for them. There's no given figure for how many editors refused to work Thursday after three top editors' firing for criticizing the government - all Chinese media is state-controlled - but it's a relief to know that conscience occasionally overwhelms conformity in such a society. Background:The Beijing News broke the news of a bloody … [Read more...] about Chinese editors stop work to protest colleagues’ firing

Bad combovers may finally get representation — in Albany, New York:Donald Trump is considering running for governor, a leading Republican said Friday. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno on Thursday suggested that a big-name candidate could be flirting with entering the 2006 contest. On Friday, he confirmed to News Channel 10 in Albany that he had been referring to … [Read more...] about Donald Trump To Run For New York Governor?

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into who leaked what is being billed as highly classified information about a top-secret National Security Agency program that President George W. Bush used to do warrantless domestic spying. Brace yourself now for a slew of issues and recriminations to swirl around this issue such as: The specific legality or lack of it to do … [Read more...] about Justice Department Investigates NSA Spying Leak

Yes, it's true. TV Newser reports that controversial conservative pundit Bill Bennett will join CNN as a new political analyst starting in 2006....basically replacing journalist Robert Novak, who's moving over to Fox News. Bennett is coming to CNN from Fox, where his contract just expired. How will Bennett do? We'll give you five to one odds he'll be a hit. (And so will … [Read more...] about Conservative Pundit Bill Bennett Signed As CNN Talking Head

We continue to add to and delete from our blogroll. We're systematically eliminated "dead" blogs which we define as generally 30 days or more unupdated. There are exceptions, if we know someone is on a leave etc. If you were on our blogroll and were removed and are starting up again, please contact us (we think there was one person but we can't find the email). We USE this … [Read more...] about Blogroll Changes

It's the Sixth Night of Hanukkah and here is an Online Menorah for you! Since tonight is the Sabbath, we light our six Hanukkah candles prior to our two (or more) Sabbath candles. Shabbat Shalom (Sabbath Peace)! … [Read more...] about Happy Hanukkah and Shabbat Shalom!

An accident, or revenge for her testimony? I await the details. From the AP via Ohio News Now: Lynndie England burned in kitchen mishap at prison in San Diego … [Read more...] about Revenge for Testimony?

Want to see the trailer that's everybody talking about? Watch here. … [Read more...] about Thank You For Smoking

I hope that this is promptly denounced by all - left, right and center: JTA: Chavez makes anti-Semitic slur Venezuela’s president said in his Christmas speech that “the descendants of those who crucified Christâ€? own the riches of the world. “The world offers riches to all. However, minorities such as the descendants of those who crucified Christâ€? have become “the … [Read more...] about Anti-Semitism on the Left

Callimachus has some good thoughts...and...a link! … [Read more...] about What Is A Conservative? What Is A Republican?

No, he's not a terrorist. He's all alone and the AP reports...As a junior this year at a Pine Crest School, a prep academy of about 700 students in Fort Lauderdale, Hassan studied writers like John McPhee in the book "The New Journalism," an introduction to immersion journalism — a writer who lives the life of his subject in order to better understand it. Diving headfirst … [Read more...] about An American Teen In Iraq

8 a.m. - 9 a.m. Friday, December 30 on WAIF-FM, 88.3 in Cincinnati. Cincinnati Advance Radio with Joe Wessels and guest co-host Michael Altman. -> Democrat Paul Hackett ran an unsuccessful campaign against Republican Jean Schmidt during the summer of 2005 for Ohio's Second Congressional District. Though Hackett didn't win, the narrow defeat he suffered in the solidly … [Read more...] about Want to Hear Paul Hackett?

Torturing people for information has consequences. The most likely is the fact that you're torturing being leaked to the press and the blogosphere. Now a former UK ambassador has published some documents on his blog that suggest the UK has been outsourcing torture to Uzbekistan. I don't know if any of this is true or not, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. More info if … [Read more...] about British Torture Backlash

Still more animal love, courtesy of Donklephant...the first name in animal cross-breeding Heh... … [Read more...] about The Hippo And The Tortoise