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I've been rewatching The Wire lately, so I may be predisposed to love anything Simon writes, but I think he's got a pretty fascinating take on the Petraeus story here.—BK

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Well. This was enlightening, engaging, intelligent, and incredibly well written. I'm not entirely sure it belongs on the Internet.—JS

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To quote Silver himself on the backlash from political pundits and reporters over his work: "There weren't nearly so many assholes in sports coverage."—BK

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This piece makes a pretty half-hearted argument, but I'm all aboard the "let's abolish the electoral college" train these days so why not link to it anyway?—JM

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Everybody, without exception, should read Easterbrook's work every Tuesday. Even if you skip the football parts, you've still got an entertaining and insightful 2,000-word column about pop culture, politics, society and world affairs. The football parts add about 3,500 more words on top of that, and this week many of those words are about the Vikings!—JM

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Despite the title, this piece is a pretty effective takedown of the electoral college. Turns out both Democrats and Republicans have self-serving reasons to dislike it!—JM

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Interesting stuff. You don't see a lot of these serious, in-depth profiles. (If you're Joe Morgan, I guess you don't even see this one!)—JS

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Essential.—JM

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What to do when you and your spouse have different political beliefs? Well, if you're like me, you can just take solace in the fact that she's never followed politics closely at all, so that's why she votes wrong.—JM

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This time next week, I'm sure we'll have plenty of lies from Obama's convention to add to the list, but the point isn't who lies most – it's how, why, and what, if anything, should be done about it. Fascinating read.—JS

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A delightful must-read. No matter which side you're on.—JM

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Children who don't grow up living with both of their married parents "are more likely than similar children with married parents to experience childhood poverty, act up in class, become teenage parents and drop out of school." As Norm Macdonald used to say, you can read all about this study in the medical journal "Duh."—JM

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This is considerably less dickish than it sounds like it's going to be. Pretty interesting, all in all.—JS

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If there's a heaven, I'm sure it consists of little else other than me getting to decide who gets to put what on their vanity license plates. And what names people are allowed to give their kids.—JM

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Not particularly condemning, this is the first really interesting thing I've read about Mitt Romney. He still comes across as a privileged, awkward guy with a pedestrian sense of humor, but this is far more three-dimensional.—TG

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Not as political as it sounds, this is easily one of the most compelling (and hopeful) things I've read about climate change.—TG

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This is my way of passing this link along to co-contributor Joe Mulder, who shares Maher's disdain for the Pussy Apology. I'm offended on behalf of Mitt Romney, who may seem like a bland, milquetoast panderer, but took a strong stand on the issue that really matters: tree height.—JS

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There are very few headlines that I'll post before even reading the article. This is near the top of the list.—JS

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A whole lot more thoughtful than the tiresome talking point that is its title.—JS

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You should read Drew Magary's "Funbag" column in Deadspin every week. I probably won't link to it every week, but you should read it every week.—JM

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A pretty fascinating look at the rapid fallout.—TG

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John Tyler, our 10th president, was born in 1790. Two of his biological grandsons live among us today. And amazingly, this story contains no references to zombification.—JM

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An interesting take on the controversy of the week, in Maddox's typical opinionated but well-reasoned style.—JS

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There might be a blackout; better Google everything ahead of time just in case you want to look it up later.—JS

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Christopher Hitchens died yesterday. He didn't make it to 2012, but his writing will (this piece is included in the January issue of Vanity Fair).—JM

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A fairly reasonable critique of the TSA's waste and misdirected focus. Which makes it all the more frustrating that it will fall on deaf ears.—JS

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The headline and photos are a bit melodramatic, but this is a very thoughtful piece that makes me root for not-crazy Republicans.—TG

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Every time I read an op-ed from the Whole Foods CEO I'm like, "Yes! Can this guy be president?" And every time I buy a steak at one of his stores I'm like, "Mmmmm! This is delicious!"—JM

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I could sit and read profiles of the "South Park" guys all day.—JM

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Seriously, dudes. We have to stop making so many people.—TG

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Only a tiny, tiny percentage of people in human history who had the talent and will to innovate like Steve Jobs also had the freedom and the opportunity to do so.—JM

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As the Post Office heads toward bankruptcy, I'm reminded of this clever rant – and, most importantly the "Swiss model", which might save the day if special interests had not ossified our political process against any kind of sweeping change.—JS

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Most people have photo IDs. Maybe states that want to require photo ID for voting could provide, free of charge, special voter IDs to the tiny percentage of citizens who want, but who don't already have, a driver's license, passport, or some other form of photo ID. See? Problem solved, controversy over.—JM

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Whether or not you feel that equal treatment of gay servicemen is a good thing, these insights give fascinating insights into the far-reaching effects of the policy.—JS

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Remember those billionaire libertarians who wanted to build their own tiny nations on floating platforms out in international waters? PayPal founder Peter Thiel is one of them, and he makes the idea sounds more "intriguing" than "wacky."—JM

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Historian Tsuyoshi Hasegawa makes a very persuasive case that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki weren't the be all and the end all.—JM

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If everyone acted precisely like this, we'd have a better universe.—TG

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I'm not a NYC resident, and my judgment is completely clouded by my fandom of Alec Baldwin's work on 30 Rock, so my opinion means very little, and yet... I want this to happen.—BK

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Reading about this a year ago, I thought it was a unique and interesting theory. Today it's getting harder and harder to make the case for any alternative explanation.—JS

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You'd expect a limousine liberal from commie California to say all this stuff, but that doesn't make it any less true.—JS

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Funny how our plans don't always work out the way we expected. Interesting times make for interesting bedfellows.—JS

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Why is academia so liberal? There are a host of theories, none of which – refreshingly enough – are particularly insidious.—JM

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I feel sorry for my Republican friends lately. The "NO TAXES EVER EVER EVER!" foot-stamping approach is genuinely embarrassing and does not seem to represent any majority, even within the party.—TG

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I talked to a guy this weekend who argued – and seemed honestly to believe – that the wealthy are the most underprivileged and vulnerable people in America. And I love this guy a lot, but... Jeebus.—JS

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Wow, this was veering heavily into "I would like to subscribe to your newsletter" territory, right up to the suggestion that we provide for "amateur taxi driver" as a job title.—JS

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There are plenty of 2012 voters who want to vote for "Anybody But Obama" – if Bachmann gets the nomination, she'll test their resolve.—JS

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Manufactured stardom is gross, but this is a pretty interesting comparison between pop stars and politicians.—TG

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I found this rumination on political philosophy by Googling, on an absolute whim, a particularly silly line from a years-old episode of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" that I'd just watched in reruns. God bless the internet.—JM

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The NBA and NFL might both disappear for a while due to labor unrest, so sports fans are going to have to turn somewhere.—JM

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Or, why climate change deniers and vaccination avoiders aren't that different from Rapture believers. (At least not if you believe these studies on the subject.)—JS

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When "Think of the children!" hysteria runs up against "Think of the children!" hysteria.—JM

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I strongly disagree with most of the conclusions he draws, but I remain fascinated by the economic strength of North Dakota.—TG

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Reading about all this Schwarzenegger stuff is like eating junk food; I know it's really bad for me, but it's so tasty...—JM

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They don't really say that. But read this if you want some behind-the-scenes scuttlebutt on the pair's transcendent Broadway musical "The Book of Mormon."—JM

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PoopReading.com's Tenessa Gemelke is unable to post links today, so I gladly offer this Citizen Kane-themed link at her behest.—JM

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"Rot in a state of nonexistence, Bin Laden" isn't quite as catchy, but you certainly don't have to believe in hell to believe that Bin Laden got what was coming to him.—JM

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Obviously this is insane. But it's also a really fascinating discussion-starter about the post-labor economy. What will work be like when we have robots for everything (including the manufacture and maintenance of robots, and defense against robot uprisings)?—JS

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Analyzing the politics of Parks and Recreation. Manages to walk that line between making interesting points and sucking the life out of the comedy.—BK

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Constant contrarian Adams has been on fire ever since he ran afoul of the Internet Police earlier this week. This post in particular seemed apropos.—JS

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It's difficult to imagine on what grounds one could possibly oppose letting legal adults drink alcohol if they so chose, and yet 21 it remains.—JM

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Are you sitting down? Christopher Hitchens is no great fan of the royal family. Although to be honest his main beef seems to be with the concept itself; he goes surprisingly easy (well, for him) on the Queen and her progeny.—JM

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As Kobe Bryant showed us this week, sports is basically the Western world's last bastion of anti-gay bigotry. I imagine it's even more difficult in professional wrestling circles...—JM

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It seems like Finland has it more or less figured out... but it also seems like their approach might not work in places that are terribly different from Finland.—JM

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Interesting stuff, although I'd submit that most of what's discussed could have – should have – been arrived at through common sense ages ago, as opposed to through advanced neurobiology now.—JM

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The saying goes: 50% of us are below average. But these days, it's starting to feel like a lot more than that.—JS

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The very definition of milquetoast, Tim Pawlenty simply isn't a lightning rod for political hatred. These days that might be enough.—TG

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If you allow for a very, very elastic definition of both "famous" and "alums," this is a fun list.—JM

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I'm not so sure... but she makes a compelling case.—JM

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I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the Marshall-Lyon County Public Library saved my life.—TG

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Adams calls these the "bad versions" of the ideas, to get the ball rolling, but I (a dirty, lefty hippie) am on board with all of them. Especially the idea of extra votes – we've already implemented that one!—JS

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If you're keeping score at home, that's PoopReading.com contributor Brandon Kruse 1, all of these people 0. Happy 40th Birthday, Brandon!—JM

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An argument that our era of "Twitter-sized attention spans" might actually be better than the way it used to be before? Sure... I'll bite.—JM

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I happen to think Tim Pawlenty is the only Republican who could beat Obama. Which isn't to say that he would... just that he's the only one who maybe could.—JM

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Hey, look! I found the one person who isn't screaming like crazy about the Gabrielle Giffords shooting in Arizona, but having a calm and rational response instead.—JS

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Or, How the Wealthiest Americans Get Their Tax Cuts Whether the Income Tax Rate Falls or Not.—JS

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Religious Jedis, the Hoff, the drink once known as "fruit smack," the relationship between roulette and the devil, and a double dose of Sesame Street trivia.—BK

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Silver's calm, pragmatic approach to things is always a welcome respite.—JS

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I'm a little out of my depth on this one, but the lady who's interviewed for this piece – Deirdre McCloskey – really sounds like she has it all figured out.—JM

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Okay, last one I promise. But we couldn't wrap up Friday TSA Rant Corner without hearing from Schneier, the papa of "security theater," could we?—JS

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Believe it or not, a New York Times puff piece about a Republican politician.—JM

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You should read any and all Gregg Easterbrook pieces that you can get your hands on, whether it's something like this or one of his weekly "Tuesday Morning Quarterback" football columns on ESPN.com.—JM

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Uh-oh. The TSA went and made Ebert mad.—JS

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No blurb could do this article justice.—JM

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Guy: "That nudie scanner is ridiculous and the frisking is borderline sexual assault. Screw this noise - I'm staying home."
Internet: "Hooray! Rights! Freedom!"
TSA: "Do not fuck with the police state. We will ruin you."—JS

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The author of Salon's excellent Ask the Pilot feature adds some level-headed historical perspective.—JS

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Yeah... I forgot to look for links, and it was my day to do links. I was up really late. But here: TMQ is like half football and half random miscellaneous fascinating stuff, so even if you're not a sports fan there's plenty here to like.—JM

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I suppose you could say that by posting this link, I'm betting that you'll enjoy it.—BK

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As the former New Jersey governor Tom Kean put it this week in an interview with Capital: "The presidency could come to him."—JM

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A nice alternative to the typical hand-wringing lament after an election, this is a look at what it costs legislators to legislate.—TG

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It's Friday TSA rant corner! I recommend the Jeffrey Goldberg series (linked at the top), but this response was too good to pass up. A passenger revolt can't be too far behind.—JS

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This isn't from The Onion or anything like that. This is completely real.—JM

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This is the most reasonable article about politics I've read all year. Thanks, Mike.—TG

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I feel like Mark Steyn could sit down and talk about this with Adam Carolla for like twelve straight hours until both of their heads exploded. Any Californian knows all about this topic, undoubtedly.—JM

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An interesting look at media messages about teachers' unions.—TG

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We may never have broken through racial segregation with a twit-in.—TG

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Thanks to a perfect storm of political and societal factors, many countries are apparently only a generation or two removed from Children of Men territory.—JM

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Apparently some Democrats are worried that the Jon Stewart/Stephen Colbert rally in D.C. will hinder "Get Out the Vote" efforts for Election Day the following Tuesday. Sigh. Sometimes supporting the Democrats feels like betting on the Washington Generals.—BK

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"Internal NFLPA studies have shown that only 33 to 40 percent of hardcore NFL fans have the impending labor drama on their radar screens." I would submit that if the impending labor drama is not on your radar screen, then you are clearly not a hardcore NFL fan.—JM

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Before I read this story, I had no idea ChristWire.org was a thing. And now that I know that it's a thing, I feel like more people should know that it's a thing.—BK

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In short, eat your shoes.—JS

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In the age of Hallliburton and Blackwater, you'd think Eisenhower's "military-industrial complex" speech would get more play when it's time to beat the deficit drum. (Okay, that's hopelessly naïve, but anyway...)—JS

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I'm telling you: beekeeper outfits. My daughters will never be allowed out of the house wearing anything more revealing than beekeeper outfits.—JM

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A brief update on the latest tempest in the Net Neutrality debate – entertaining for the number of times it's mentioned that regulators negotiate with the industry they're regulating, or the industry agrees to regulators' level of authority.—JS

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Fun stuff – especially a neat little tidbit about Stanley Tucci's gift for name-changing advice.—BK

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Gladwell pounds the paragraphs. (From the archives but interesting.)—JS

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"Evolution favored meat-eating primates, enlarging their brains and enabling them to live in more and more complex and survivalist societies that today extend our life spans, provide genteel habitats, and produce philosophers who have the wherewithal to object to the very components of their own existence."—JM

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I'm on vacation. I don't write blurbs on vacation. Just read for yourself and find out what this piece is about, all right?—JM

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"They know you know they know you know."—JM

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Lengthy, lengthy profile of Julian Assange, founder of whistleblower site WikiLeaks.org – and a behind-the-scenes account of the recent release of its "Collateral Murder" video.—JS

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This is quietly the weirdest story in the recent history of American politics. And not by a little. By far.—JM

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I like the optimism, that government could do a better job managing the disaster, or that Americans would believe it could. But what does Obama have to lose? Most people either blame him for the spill already, or assume he's plotting to take over every major company.—JS

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Geez, P.J. O'Rourke is really mean. Still, pre-obituaries are a pretty good idea.—JM

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Elizabeth Warren is quickly becoming my top write-in candidate for November – for every office.—JS

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You don't have to be particularly (or even remotely) religiously interested to find stuff like this, well, interesting.—JM

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As tiresome and needlessly divisive as the red-state/blue-state map is, it turns out you can use it to predict the stability of families pretty well, and the results may surprise you. (You can read an excerpt from the book in question.)—JS

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A modest proposal from Cuban, who is always measured and subtle in his approach, and never used the stock market to make money.—JS

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Hey, Fallows is back – and going gangbusters! What an interesting weekend.—JS

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Obama rules; Jay Leno is an unfunny dumbass. I was going to type that into the Internet anyway – thanks for giving it some context!—JS

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Apparently, most retailers specifically forbid employees from preventing theft. You know, things in this country didn't used to be perfect (pervasive racism, women being relegated to second-class status, etc.), but I feel like "stopping a robber from committing a crime" didn't used to be grounds for termination.—JM

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Freezing out the press might seem like a weird strategy for the Obama administration, but, I mean, what are any of the jilted reporters going to do? Not vote for him? Seems unlikely.—JM

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91-year-old, 500-word poems aren't normally the kind of thing we feature here, but I haven't read anything in years that affected me like this and I really needed to share it. Honestly, from now on, if anybody ever wonders why I, personally, see the world the way I do, I can just direct them to this poem. I can't believe I just now read it; somebody should have shown this to me in high school.—JM

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Thorough, cogent, and surprisingly readable – gosh, it's fun to hate banks! (Plus, I linked to The Nation; I believe I win a Volvo.)—JS

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Why we should stop pointing the finger of blame at Washington and instead point it at ourselves.—BK

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A long – long – retrospective of the legendary actor and director's work.—JM

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"Back when she'd just accused wealthy white Duke students of rape, lawyers were volunteering to work for her pro bono should she want to sue for damages. This time around, with a case that's less financially promising, she's relying, according to WRAL.com, on a public defender." Sad, but not surprising.—JM

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Terrorism only works when we're scared; we're only scared when we're constantly convinced when it's working – lucky for terrorists, they have some local help in that department.—JS

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I'd wager that Penn didn't select the title of this piece himself; he strikes me as particularly genial, and this mostly light-hearted offering is no exception.—JM

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Teachers unions might not be able to protect the ineffective and incompetent for very much longer. If that's the case, everybody – apart from the ineffective and the incompetent – wins.—JM

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Here we have everything that's wrong with the American criminal justice system, encapsulated by one juror's experience.—JM

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If I were him, I'd focus my State of the Union only on this stuff - hard to have a sagging approval rating when you're crusading against the greedy megatycoons!—JS

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Interesting allegory, though far from perfect. Some of us are just angry because Leno is an untalented hack who's even less worthy of The Tonight Show job now than he was 18 years ago.—BK

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We try to steer clear of blatantly partisan political links, but since this is a liberal pet issue being advocated by a prominent conservative, I figure it's okay.—BK

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Is all this filibuster bickering unconstitutional? And does it even really matter any more what's constitutional and what isn't?—JS

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A fascinating excerpt from the new book Game Change that reveals the sordid dysfunction inside the John Edwards presidential campaign, and offers yet another lesson in the folly of buying into the public image of any famous person.—BK

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Turns out that Toby Young, that bald English one-trick-pony douchebag from "Top Chef," is actually an excellent writer and an even better cultural critic. Who knew?—JM

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Sounds good to me. (I'm going to guess Joe's 50/50 on this one.)—JS

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I was going to say this is too geeky even for a group of guys who created a fantasy Movie Draft, but is anything too geeky for that? (And, besides, I really do love playing Risk.)—JS

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It's cute how people keep making reasoned, thoughtful arguments about why Palin ought to be dismissed, as though people who genuinely like her would respond to reason or thought.—JS

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I'm not on this guy's side and he makes no bones about the fact that he's just doing this to be a dick, but even so... I like his style.—JM

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I haven't caught "The Daily Show" in a little while; I can only assume they're all over this story. Right?—JM

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Boyhood: turns out it's not all just sports and farting. (even if it's mostly sports and farting)—JM

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I'm not quite convinced, although the following passage is very interesting indeed: "Who the Republican candidate is, and his or her qualifications and abilities, will matter only if Obama's approval rating is between 47 and 51 percent going into the fall of 2012."—JM

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A.V. Club also has personal faves Ricky Jay and Richard Dawkins this week, but we've agreed not to overlink the same site too much and Levitt's the one debunking the TSA, rethinking the response to global warming, and talking about penis size. Advantage: Levitt!—JS

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A thoughtful piece about Glenn Beck (not that Jon Stewart's sillier work on the subject hasn't been excellent). Includes a nice parallel to the great Andy Griffith movie A Face in the Crowd (which inspired the Gabbo Simpsons episode).—JS

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This isn't exactly news (Fischer died in January of 2008), but the bizarre story of the chess champion's life remains morbidly fascinating.—JM

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Add the "Freakonomics" guys to the growing list of people who aren't exactly losing a ton of sleep over gloom-and-doom climate change predictions.—JM

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Geez, I hope not; that's where I keep all of my stuff!—JM

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What can poker teach us? Pretty much everything, if this piece is to be believed.—JM

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Yeah, yeah; two football links. Quit whining, they're both good. In an excerpt from his new book of essays, Klosterman explains why he – and we – love football so damned much.—JM

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Hitchens, evidently no fan of the Nobel Peace Prize, nevertheless finds Obama's "premature." Perhaps "hopeful" would be a nicer way of putting it.—JS

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Keillor (the anti-Hitchens, if ever there was one) says just get over it. Why should the Nobels make any more sense than the Oscars anyway?—JS

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Basically: anything useful. But you probably already knew that, since all available evidence shows intelligence obtained under torture is unreliable. (Otherwise, we'd have Al Qaeda right where we want 'em!)—JS

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One hardly expects politesse or customer service when one dials one's cellular provider's customer service line. But a political screed? That's a surprise.—JS

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Here's what I link to when left to my own devices, folks!—JM

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The cult of personality grows (although who could object to this? Learning is learning).—JM

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Granderson doesn't name names, if you're looking for that sort of thing, but he tackles an issue that I've long seen as a very important one. Fortunately, I don't think we're too far away from pro athletes being openly gay, and having it not be a big deal.—JM

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Spoiler: it was unions, pretty much. Unions and environmentalists. Also, Arnold didn't help matters.—JM

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Ignoring the brain trauma problem in retired players and hoping the problem goes away would be bad enough, but what the NFL is doing is even worse.—JM

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The "death panel" idea is a farcical lie, but I actually wish it weren't. I stand ready to pull my mom's plug, precisely because of how much I love her.—JS

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It's not Tuesday morning anymore, but everything should still apply.—JM

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Those stories you hear about New York City teachers being paid their full salary to sit in a room for years on end, doing nothing? Completely true.—JM

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The author and a high-ranking former narcotics officer calculate the yearly cost of America's war on drugs: more than 15,000 deaths and 50 billion dollars spent.—BK

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Originally published in 2003, and rerun to mark last night's sad news.—BK

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Ebert deconstructs the phrase, questions Facebook politics, ponders health care reform and end-of-life issues, and properly explains the oft-misused term "meme." (My hero!)—JS

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People are inherently resistant to change. But can the status quo be bad enough that they overcome that inertia? (After all, "Change" did win by six points last November.)—JS

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The Yale University Press has decided to publish a book about the Danish Mohammed cartoon controversy... without reprinting the actual cartoons. And the prognosis for the 21st century gets ever-so-slightly more bleak.—JM

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The founder and CEO of Whole Foods has some good ideas. That's not surprising, since Whole Foods is just the best store ever.—JM

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Lies, damn lies, and statistics...—JM

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It takes quite a bit of mental gymnastics, but apparently, if you're determined to do so, you can see the last few weeks as a "win" for the former Alaska governor. Plus, Star Trek!—JM

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Well, let's hope so!—JM

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When you combine Gladwell and To Kill a Mockingbird, you've got my attention. An interesting look at the history of racial prejudice and Southern liberalism by way of the classic novel.—BK

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The power of hypothetically having a beer with the President.—BK

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This isn't the sort of fare we normally link to, but it's important to remember that this story is still going on...—JM

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For a concept that sounds like it would instantly grow tiresome, this imaginary fly-on-the-wall scenario is thoroughly entertaining.—JS

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A defense of Henry Louis Gates's right to be outraged, despite the shamefulness of the resulting brouhaha. (At least I think that's what Hitchens is saying – one can never be 100% certain.)—JS

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Several books advance various theories on how and why obesity has become so much more common in the United States (and the rest of the developed world).—JM

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I have every reason to believe that I would be capable of becoming a big cricket fan. I mean, I'm sure I won't, but, still.—JM

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For instance: men sexually harass women because they are not sexist. And more.—JM

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Speculating on the reasons behind Sarah Palin's resignation. (Which, given the details on offer, is all a person can really do – other than ignore it.)—JS

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Keep churning out sane, difficult-to-refute arguments in favor of marijuana legalization, and I'll keep linking to them.—JM

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This piece by a close personal friend of the new senator's is reassuring; Ornstein makes a persuasive case that Franken's term in office won't necessarily be an embarrassing disaster.—JM

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"Politicians will, almost by definition, be deeply weird." It seems to me that I remember Jerry Seinfeld doing a routine along these lines once, too. And, if you think about it, if any of your buddies pulled you aside one day and said "I've decided that I'm honestly and seriously going to try to become the President of America," you'd think he'd gone completely nuts. And yet, every four (or eight) years, one guy does it.—JM

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Infidelity may no longer be the political career-killer it once was.—BK

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Sure, public figures should have private lives. But when those figures legislate from a stance of denying others' privacy, it's hard not to pile on.—JS

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There's good old-fashioned schadenfreude, and then there's piling on just to do it.—JM

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Well, duh. But Henry Fairlie said it all along, and his decades as a political essayist make for a revealing account of one conservative's deepening dissatisfaction with conservatism.—JS

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It's like they want us all to move to Arizona or Nevada.—JM

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He talks about a lot of things over the course of a long, rambling conversation, including putting an end date on 30 Rock.—BK

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Few can. But deliberately misinterpreting a joke in an attempt to get some publicity and generate a wedge issue isn't even trying.—JS

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We all knew that Harry Truman was a feisty ex-haberdasher (right? Um... right?), but here are 12 others you probably weren't aware of...—JM

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I just read this piece because I was curious to see if she'd mention Abdulhakim Muhammad (formerly Carlos Bledsoe), the American Muslim convert who shot and killed a US soldier outside an Army recruiting station in Little Rock last week. And guess what: she doesn't bring him up. Shocking, I know. Too bad, too, because ignoring him sort of undermines her argument, which isn't entirely without merit.—JM

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Colbert steps in as Guest Editor this week, and while his stint is mostly serious, here he indulges himself in some fun.—BK

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Believe in Michael Moore or don't, but his passion on this issue is undeniable. (And he can sound loony and poetic at the same time, which is kind of cool.)—JS

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Linda Holmes, one of my favorites, wants Pixar to make a movie about a girl. Who isn't a princess. As the father of daughters, I wouldn't mind if they did that myself.—JM

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For Memorial Day, your requisite dose of "freedom isn't free." True freedom, of course, involves even the freedom to take for granted the sacrifices of those who came before, and unfortunately that's a freedom of which I occasionally avail myself.—JM

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A popular liberal president who has freely admitted his own youthful drug use could certainly help move this country's attitude toward marijuana legalization further in the right direction. If he had any balls whatsoever, that is.—JM

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How 30 Rock's storylines have a tendency to embrace a conservative worldview. It's a really interesting observation, even if the writer – understandably – isn't quite sure what to make of it.—BK

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I'll not go so far as to suggest that this sort of thing will be coming to America any time soon; nor will I go so far as to suggest that such a thing would be unimaginable.—JM

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A lot of interesting stuff about outgoing Supreme Court Justice David Souter. (But I'll admit I was destined to link to this article as soon as I saw the name Kermit Roosevelt.)—JS

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ESPN's Tuesday Morning Quarterback has nice things to say about the late Jack Kemp, with whom he was (slightly) personally acquainted.—JM

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A talk with Jeff Dowd, the real-life inspiration for The Dude character in The Big Lebowski. If you're not interested in his experiences being a part of the Seattle Seven in the 70s, you can find the Lebowski stuff about halfway down the page.—BK

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Avert your eyes, Matt and Joe's mom.—JS

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Lengthy, scathing rant about the Postal Service (not the band, though that would be great, too). Kramer was right – who needs it?—JS

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Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is apparently part of a movement that believes Shakespeare's plays were actually written by Edward de Vere, the 17th earl of Oxford. As for me, MTV's "The State" had Shakespeare himself admitting in a throwaway line at the end of a particular sketch that "Christopher Marlowe wrote all my plays," so that's what I choose to believe.—JM

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An interesting piece on, among other things, how Team Obama makes lemonade from Joe Biden's lemons.—JM

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TMQ returns from hibernation with his annual NFL draft column! Rejoice!—JM

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A thoughtful companion to Joe's recent post on the legalization question.—JS

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The editors at The New Republic have some unsolicited advice for Minnesota governor – and possible 2012 GOP presidential hopeful – Tim Pawlenty regarding the Norm Coleman/Al Franken senate election. But just because advice is unsolicited doesn't mean it's necessarily bad.—JM

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For those of you looking for a 10,000-word piece on the collapse of the Icelandic banking system, here's a 10,000-word piece on the collapse of the Icelandic banking system.—JM

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First they came for the wrestlers, then they came for the baseball players...—JM

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Apparently, the Long Island University basketball team would have represented the United States at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, but they chose not to go, and their story remained largely unknown.—JM

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This piece was written last summer, but it's just as true now. I don't know what made me think of it; maybe I just wanted to be needlessly provocative.—JM

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In the first paragraph of this piece, Joe Klein offers up what may in fact be the best idea any human being has ever had. Better than fire, better than cars, better than WrestleMania. He goes on to make the standard case that pot should be legalized, a case that – for my money – can't be made often enough.—JM

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As if we needed evidence to confirm it, evidence seems to confirm that Republicans are on the receiving end of more – and more bitter – jokes from late night comics.—JM

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Why that particular benchmark has always been an unreliable indicator for presidential success.—BK

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A guy who knows from the wrath of Jon Stewart weighs in. Unsurprisingly, Tucker Carlson has some critical things to say about "The Daily Show" host, some of which need to be said. Still, it'll always be fun to watch Jon Stewart yell at people.—JM

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Whatever your political views – and mine are not Jon Stewart's – it's nice to see Jon Stewart just get in there and kick ass once in a while.—JM

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Mark Steyn is definitely an alarmist, but he's an alarmist who entertains the heck out of me. Plus he always keeps things light, just how we like it here.—JM

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Barack Obama gave British PM Gordon Brown 25 movies on DVD (and they apparently weren't formatted for European DVD players). Thank God Bush isn't around anymore; he might have given Brown something stupid.—JM

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A thoughtful – if not necessarily groundbreaking – rumination on Abraham Lincoln in general, and how different generations have perceived Lincoln in particular.—JM

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If you like "Fun Facts" on Letterman, you'll like these; the styles are very similar.—BK

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A review of Ferrell and McKay's Broadway Bush impersonation sendoff, highlighting the informative power of comedy.—JS

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Wasn't Grover Cleveland fictional? I mean, that name... come on. Put a colon in the middle and you've got the title of a regional Sesame Street spin-off.—BK

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Letterman's offhand, carefree incisiveness keeps him relevant even when his show isn't always at its best. Why to watch, even if you do so with your finger on the fast-forward button.—JS

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There are so many generalizations in this piece that, if you ever went to grad school, your brain will actually liquefy and drip out of your nostrils as you read this. You just won't be able to handle it. And the generalizations are pretty much right on, too, which will only make you madder.—JM

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The NFL season isn't really over until Gregg Easterbrook writes his Super Bowl column and hands out the Longest Award in Sports. Enjoy.—JM

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There's not much football left this season (i.e., one game), which means there's not much Gregg Easterbook left this season. Read him while you still can!—JM

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My daughter is really into Enchanted these days, which I bring up because I can no longer watch Timothy Spall in that movie without immediately thinking of Christopher Hitchens (and vice versa). Here, he (Christopher Hitchens, not Timothy Spall) offers an enjoyable, patriotic and – since it's Hitchens – cheeky take on the Obama inauguration.—JM

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Will President Obama have a personal computer in the White House? Recent history suggests he will not.—BK

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Good stuff, though sadly the list does not include the time Scooby Doo and the Gang met the Harlem Globetrotters.—BK

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Also, on Tuesday, he started talking right after "I, Barack Hussein Obama," stepping on the Chief Justice's "...do solemnly swear." Apparently I'm the only person who remembers this, but, I'm positive George H. W. Bush did the same thing in 1989.—JM

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It's less about Obama than it is about the changing ways Hollywood has portrayed black men over the last 50 years; but an interesting read nonetheless.—BK

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You see these giant, multi-story ads on the sides of buildings in Los Angeles, and I always thought, "boy, I would think it would be annoying to work in one of those offices." Turns out it really is.—JM

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As a night-owl myself, I find this sort of thing fascinating.—BK

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Big surprise: in an election where 2.9 million votes were cast, and the "winner" "won" by 225, there's controversy surrounding the result!—JM

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Barack Obama, Bill Kristol, David Brooks, George F. Will and Charles Krauthammer sit down to dinner together... no, that's not the setup to a dirty joke whose punchline involves sodomy. It's what happened last night in Chevy Chase, MD.—JM

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This occupies 60 minutes of ABC's airtime when we could be watching Pushing Daisies. It's enough to make a man don an explosive vest.—JS

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The world's best, longest, and least-about-football football column is almost done for the year; don't miss it while it's still around!—JM

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As millions prepare to descend upon D.C. for the Obama inauguration, the place where they will spend a good deal of their time is in disrepair.—BK

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Studies indicate that when we fight our temptations we really fight with ourselves. Struggling to lose weight, quit smoking, or finish that novel? The good news is, either way you win!—JS

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Pretty much what you'd expect – "in my day" this, "kids today are pussies" that – which is to say: awesome.—JM

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Not a great deal of suspense for 2008's Time Magazine "Person of the Year." And maybe I'm nuts, but, when it's actually a man, can't we go ahead and say "Man of the Year?" Just for old time's sake?—JM

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Cracked.com has some great stuff, but it isn't ideally formatted for our purposes. This one, however, absolutely must be read. Must!—JM

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President-elect Obama is as addicted to his BlackBerry as any of us. Will President Obama be able to live without it?—JM

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Interesting article about Obama's passion for the game, and what it might say about how he'll lead.—JM

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I'm pretty sure it can.—JM

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A study finds that conservatives may enjoy humor more than liberals. I don't think that's very funny... d'oh!—BK

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Lengthy profile of Baseball Prospectus stat-cruncher Nate Silver, who's analyzing political polls on the side at FiveThirtyEight.com to see if he can predict the election.—JS

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You'll have to forgive me, I'm late to the party on all the 10th anniversary hoopla that went down in September.—BK

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Charting the many parallels between the Santos/Vinick race and the Obama/McCain race. Somewhere John Wells's ego is firing pistols in the air.—BK

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Yet another conservative columnist jumps on the Obama bandwagon.—JM

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I agree with the premise, I disagree with the conclusions. Nonetheless, it's an interesting discussion of modern political satire.—BK

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An interesting (and non-partisan, I promise!) rumination on political marriages that's not the downer that the title would lead you to believe.—JM

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I've been sternly warned about posting political links, but what the hell; it's Michael Ian Black. He should get a pass.—JM

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It's like Hulk Hogan used to say, kids: say your prayers, eat your vitamins, and read your Krauthammer.—JM

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Explaining the judicial consequences of an Obama presidency.—JM

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McCain lacks the character and temperament to be president. And Palin is simply a disgrace.—JM

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The New Yorker's presidential endorsement may be an obvious one, but it's excellently stated. If "associations" are really such a huge liability, can one do worse than George W. Bush? Jameson (and the New Yorker) thinks not.—JS

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Good old Krauthammer. He says what Joe would say, if only Joe was smart enough.—JM

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A George Will column with a baseball lede! I know! Try not to get too disheartened, McCainiacs; George Will never liked him to begin with.—JM

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Somebody finally succeeds in convincing Joe to be scared of an Obama presidency, without even calling Barack a Muslim!—JM

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How town-hall debates can go very wrong for a candidate.—JM

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Two electoral votes to watch.—JM