Sad But True List

Juan Cole succinctly describes the present surveillance shit show.

"Did I Already Say 'Needy'?"

Don't usually care too much about Dilbert, but today's struck me as especially nihilistic and funny:

Daily Show Nails It

Two great clips embedded in this post.

Oops

Not parody, as far as I can tell.

Ha Ha Ha

Yes, this post by Ed Kilgore absolutely nails the narcissistic world-view of most Villagers, and especially conservatives.  Empathy for anyone other than people just like themselves is simply not possible.

Trip Down Memory Lane

P.Z. Myers reminds us of the ridiculous brouhaha that ensued from Monty Python's The Life of Brian, including the shameful performance by Malcolm Muggeridge and Mervyn Stockwood during a televised debate.

Really Good Article

I'm way behind in my reading of the New Yorker, and just finished an issue from last October.  In it is the article "Washington Man" by George Packer.  This follows the long-form journalism format that seems to be more and more prevalent in the New Yorker, going into great depth on a guy who was a Washington insider for most of his adult life, working on Biden's staff as well as for a lobbying firm.  Of course, while telling his story, it also tells another important story about the increasingly prevalent corrupting influence of money in politics.

I have been a Packer skeptic since his Iraq misstep, but I must say this was an excellent article.  Sadly, it's behind the paywall, but here is the abstract.  If you have digital access, or if you happen to have access to old paper issues (i.e., you're a Luddite like me), it is well worth a read.