A long but interesting history of the U.S.S. Arizona. Some really great pics as well.

Another interesting story about Hitler’s propaganda war against Christmas.

I agree with Gordon Edes, the Sox really botched the Jon Lester thing is to high heaven. I’m guessing five years with an option for a sixth at $120 mil during spring training would have secured them a top-of-the-line pitcher for years and at less money. Now they’re going to have to use their minor-league riches to trade for more pitching than they planned or overpay for a less-talented free-agent starter.

I’m putting together my George Harrison digital music collection (more about that in a future post) and re-discovered this tune that I hadn’t heard in years. I had forgotten just how dynamic it was and the energy it had. It was the last tune Phil Spector worked on with George, and Phil’s handiwork is all over it (how ’bout dem horns!). A great tune.

Everything you really don’t want to know about the truly despicable Harry Reid. I look at Senate (soon to be) Minority Leader Harry Reid and see what George Bailey called Old Man Potter in “It’s a Wonderful Life” – a warped, frustrated old man. The big question will be how much his Senate Dem colleagues will continue to put up with his shenanigans once they’re in the minority, knowing full well Reid was personally responsible for some Democratic Senate losses (Alaska? Louisiana? North Carolina?) by not allowing his own senators to bring forth legislation that could have helped their causes back home.

Since we’re getting closer to Christmas, the opening scene to Monty Python’s “Life of Brian” is still a wonderfully-irreverent howl.