• I'm not sure Dick Clark should still be doing TV. I respect him and how long he's been doing this, but he can't talk very well these days.
• I think the Jonas Brothers are lip-syncing. Can't blame them as it's apparently really cold there in NYC. But the cold doesn't excuse the fact that their music is kind of crap.
• Ryan Seacrest has done something amazing -- he's made Carson Daly seem exciting and edgy.
• I really can't understand what Dick Clark is saying.
• I've never heard of Kellie Pickler before, but she isn't making a positive first impression. Whoever told her that the glitter on her eyes was a good idea is probably regretting that decision right about now.
• Apparently, Mylie Cyrus's 2008 highlight was her fake birthday party at Disney World.
• I hope that's his wife that Dick Clark is making out with.
• No one really knows what to say about the new year once it happens. They all just repeat what a great party it is.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 31 December 2008 at 11:39 PM

You weren't the nicest of years, 2008. But along with the stock market meltdown, Sarah Palin, and layoffs, you also brought us one thing that seems to outweigh all the negative. So I'll give you a pass, 2008. But hopefully 2009 really will bring change we can believe in.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 31 December 2008 at 9:27 PM

St. Louis Business Journal:

Lee Enterprises Inc., parent of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, said Wednesday it received a notice from the New York Stock Exchange that its stock had fallen below the exchange's continued listing standard price and was nearing non-compliance with the NYSE's market capitalization standard.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 31 December 2008 at 6:45 PM

link

#8: The Hoover Boom. "This election year does look quite a bit like Hoover vs. Roosevelt (and given that choice, I'll take Hoover)," said National Review's Jonah Goldberg, setting off a little avalanche of rightblogger warnings that "electing Obama and the congressional Democrats will be like electing FDR in 1932." Amazingly, U.S. voters failed to take the bait. Maybe rightbloggers should have promoted Hoovervilles as holiday camps for families on a budget.

The rest of the list may be even funnier.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 30 December 2008 at 8:09 PM

Of course, regarding my post below, that is exactly the kind of reaction that Blago intended with this announcement. He's calling everyone's bluff and pointing out the inaction of the Illinois legislature in arranging for a special election -- in others word, matching their words to their actions. The ball is now in the Senate's court, and I think they're going to have a hard time not seating Burris.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 30 December 2008 at 7:58 PM

I find myself more than a little worried that Senate Democrats and others are moving onto thin ice with their refusal to seat Blago's Senate appointee. Should Illinoisans really be disenfranchised because of the cloud Blagojevich is under? Everyone has been calling for a special election to fill the vacant Senate seat, but I haven't seen any legislation from the Illinois legislature to do that. And what happens if the Senate refuses to seat Blagojevich's appointee and then Blago is found not guilty (or never charged)? Seems like some more thought needs to go into this.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 30 December 2008 at 4:26 PM

Every year my grandmother "shops in [her] closets" to find Christmas gifts for her children and grandchildren. And every year I document my portion of that shopping here. My haul this year included the following (click through to flickr to see each item identified):

• Orange Fleece
• Silk-blend argyle sweater
• Money clip and keychain with the initial D on each item
• MLB Ornaments 3 Pack featuring Albert Pujols, Fredbird, and Busch Stadium
• Hat with "Whatever..." embroidered on it
• Eddie Bauer Small Guide Bag
• Wooden duck sculpture
• Wooden donkey sculpture with missing tail
• Tin of Walkers Assorted Shortbread cookies
• Brown Jersey Gloves
• Gillette Shave Multi Gel
• Brass turtle sculpture with opening shell
• Large faux -brass turtle sculpture
• Chocolate Gingerbread Cocoa
• Pink Grapefruit flavored Margarita Salt
• Garlic Pesto Dip
• Car Cloth
• Glass wine bottle-shaped shopping list
• Lavender Honey
• Stocking
  

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 28 December 2008 at 8:32 PM

There are some people blogging at http://chadlenium.negative273.com/, but I'm not sure that it's anything you need to concern yourself with.

Comments: 2 Posted by david on 28 December 2008 at 8:20 PM

95 Old School Games You Can Play Online
(via MetaFilter)

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 24 December 2008 at 3:08 PM

Just as “Smallville” focused on Clark Kent in the years before he became Superman, “The Graysons” will follow the world of Dick “DJ” Grayson before he takes on the iconic Robin identity and aligns himself with Batman.
CW’s ‘Graysons’ takes flier on Robin - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 22 December 2008 at 10:42 PM

KMOV (Channel 4) [the St. Louis CBS affiliate] says its television signal will not be available to Charter Cable subscribers starting Dec. 31.
12/21/2008 - St. Louis television station and Charter at impasse - STLtoday.com

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 21 December 2008 at 1:55 AM

NPR Announces Cuts To Staff, Programs : NPR
NPR’s “Day to Day” and “News and Notes,” both based out of NPR West in Culver City, have been cancelled and their staffs, including hosts Farai Chideya and Madeleine Brand, are being let go.  Another twelve  journalists not associated with those shows will also lose their jobs.  Both shows will run through March 20th.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 10 December 2008 at 3:45 PM

So crescent fresh! | MetaFilter
So crescent fresh!

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 7 December 2008 at 4:22 PM

Can you suggest some replacements for standard, everyday household items that are far superior in terms of usefulness, luxuriousness and quality?
Upgrade Me! | Ask Metafilter

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 4 December 2008 at 10:40 PM

The gun lobby has long intimidated politicians with its war chest and its trumpeted ability to deliver single-issue voters, especially in tight races. After this year's election, those politicians should be far less afraid and far more willing to vote for sensible gun-control laws.
Editorial - The Gun Lobby's Loss - NYTimes.com

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 2 December 2008 at 9:53 PM

Wii's Future In Motion - Forbes.com
There are so many things wrong with this article (the Wii is $250, not $260; the razor-razor blade model involves selling the razor at a loss, which the article makes clear that Nintendo doesn’t do) that I’m not sure if I believe anything from it, but the fact that Nintendo only makes $6 from every Wii sold is rather fantastic.  I had assumed it was more, but I guess when you think about it, $6 pure profit is fairly good.  Doesn’t give them much room to lower prices though.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 2 December 2008 at 8:44 AM

According to the WSJ “Ford is in a somewhat better position than GM and Chrysler because it mortgaged nearly every asset it had in 2006 — including its blue, oval-shaped logo — and now has a heftier cash cushion than its rivals.”  The fact that Ford could pull that off in 2006 and now none of the companies can get any kind of loans tells you how bad our credit markets have become.  Until the government starts requiring banks that take bailouts to make loans, the government is going to have to stay in the business of making loans to companies.  If you want them to fail, fine.  But let them fail when the economy isn’t in this downward spiral.  If you think your 401(k) looks bad now, just wait until you see what happens to the markets if one of the big three goes under and starts dragging suppliers and other auto makers (foreign and domestic) down with them.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 2 December 2008 at 8:34 AM

President Bush, meeting with President Arroyo of the Philippines: “I reminded the President that I am reminded of the great talent of the — of our Philippine-Americans when I eat dinner at the White House.
Top Ten Funniest Political Quotes Of 2008 

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 1 December 2008 at 9:59 AM