It’s the first Shorties of 2009!
A few dangling bits of 2008: 10 Weirdest Political Moments of the year.
Baby You Can Drive My Car: Maybe not if it’s a GM. Here’s a great graphic to illustrate their problems.
Track 22: Amtrak has this little contest going on for photographers who want to take pictures of their trains. Amtrak’s security people have a problem with people taking pictures of trains. Something less than hilarity ensued.
Japanfilter!: Japanese 1-2-3’s list of useful business vocabulary and Free Japanese Lessons.
Drowning in Milk: It seems that the recession has caused a milk surplus to develop. Gee, maybe there’s no more excuse for rBST.
Listen up, Congressmice: The voters — you remember them, right, the people without whom you wouldn’t have been sworn in today? — want you to get some stuff done. That goes double for you two, Pelosi and Reid! Don’t think your backs are safe next election cycle if you screw this up. Don’t think I won’t vote against the incumbent in the primary, Harry!
How much do you know about the TSA and Security Theatre?: Find out with this handy quiz!
A Public Health Argument for Medicare For All: “Arguably, this is why there are regulators: some things, such as not turning 190 hospital workers into dead people, are worth the financial hit. But as long as savings–and keep in mind the program would have lowered overall costs by $115 million annually–are parceled out among different special interest groups, each armed with lobbyists that can corrupt oversight mechanisms, then we will continue to have health care inefficiencies that kill people.” I could have done without his parting shot about the definition of “special interest groups.”
Excuse me, haven’t I been saying this for years now?: Tasini from the Daily Kos points out n the fact that the underlying problem with our current economy is that Joe and Jane Average no longer have any money becase they haven’t had a real raise in a long time.
And Last But Surely Not Least: Look, I know there are times when a family has to give up a pet. It’s sad but it happens. If you don’t find it sad, you probably shouldn’t own animals (and you might want to reconsider children). But if you have to give up an animal, at least take it to a shelter instead of turning it out into the wild. It stands a chance in a shelter. You can contact PAWS for more info. I’ve been a supporter since before I was a teenager, and they do good work.
I second the pet shelter recommendation. You aren’t doing the pet any good leaving them to fend for themselves because they are going to end up starving to death — a way you would never want your pet to go.