Great line of the day

From Jane Hamsher on how Sarah Palin's complete collapse of leadership on the Giffords shooting has doomed her political career:

You want to act recklessly? Fine, drive a race car. Put out oil fires. Climb the Himalayas. You do not have the maturity or the judgment to be President of the United States. Further, Palin’s retreat into self-pity and victimization in the wake of the shooting demonstrates that she is utterly devoid of self-reflection, completely unable to acknowledge her failure to gauge the dangers inherent in the situation at the time, or learn from her mistakes. She acts like a sneaky teenager. She lies. She pushes others out there to take the hits for her, incapable of even acknowledging her role as a political leader who consciously exerts influence over how her followers should interpret and respond to events.

Shorter

Shorter right-wing talking point on violent political rhetoric:

Its not our fault for saying it -- its the media's fault for covering it!

Clown Car Republicans

The so-called Tea Party "movement" in the States was always a joke and now the people who they elected are acting like clowns, including circus stunts like reading the Constitution right out loud, and holding meaningless and illegal votes.
Bring on Fearless Freep!

An existential epiphany

As Canadian fans ponder what happened, the Onion provides some perspective on how we are all just specks of dust floating through the universe without purpose:

Great line of the day

Dawg writes about Harper's outstanding record of hiring incompetent people:

From the Rights and Democracy sideshow to the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner and now apparently to the CHRT [Canadian Human Rights Tribunal], we can see a pattern clearly emerging: incompetent, tyrannical managers and/or ideologues appointed to difficult and demanding positions by the Harper administration, and spectacularly flaming out.

Theory v. practice

Another example of a noble idea that sounded fine in theory but is proving to be stupid in practice.

Auld lang syne

Sorry for lack of blogging -- had a touch of the flu today.
But I just wanted to share this happy new year moment with everyone:



It's always worth remembering that, however dull your new year celebration was, at least it wasn't this bad!

Man of the decade

Kodachrome: 1935-2010

Today is the end of Kodachrome with the closure of the last processing lab in the US:

One of the toughest decisions was how to deal with the dozens of requests from amateurs and professionals alike to provide the last roll to be processed.
In the end, it was determined that a roll belonging to Dwayne Steinle, the owner, would be last. It took three tries to find a camera that worked. And over the course of the week he fired off shots of his house, his family and downtown Parsons. The last frame is already planned for Thursday, a picture of all the employees standing in front of Dwayne’s wearing shirts with the epitaph: “The best slide and movie film in history is now officially retired. Kodachrome: 1935-2010.”

Puppies

From Attaturk

US blizzard in Vimeo

From Balloon Juice

December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

Compare and contrast

George Bush complains his fee-fees were hurt when Kanye West said he didn't like black people.
Jimmy Carter eradicates a disease that has plagued millions of African people.

Merry Christmas to all

Over the Rainbow - Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole OFFICIAL VIDEO from Mountain Apple Company on Vimeo.

Great Christmas photos

From AP and Reuters:


choristers proceed from the nearby King's College School to the chapel at King's College, Cambridge, to take part in final rehearsals for the annual Christmas Eve Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.


a Christmas party at the Small World school in Amman


the traditional Christmas bath in Monaco December 19


Shoppers at Baclaran market in Paranaque city, metro Manila December 18, 2010. The Philippines, the largest Roman Catholic state in Asia, observes one of the longest Christmas holidays in the world, beginning with dawn masses on December 16 to the feast of the Three Kings in January


a portion of Israel's separation barrier in the West Bank town of Bethlehem, ... The writing on the wall reads 'Merry Christmas world from Bethlehem ghetto'

Not an impressive debut

The first thing newly-minted Conservative Senator Larry Smith does is complain about the pay?
Nobody forced you to say yes, sir.
What an insult to Canada this appointment is.