Wailing Into The Void

I guess Matt Yglesias’ blog actually isn’t his blog.

Christopher Hitchens on Obama’s selection of Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at his Inauguration:

But if we must have an officiating priest, let it be some dignified old hypocrite with no factional allegiance and not a tree-shaking huckster and publicity seeker who believes that millions of his fellow citizens are hellbound because they do not meet his own low and vulgar standards.

Governor Paterson is planning to hit me where it hurts:

Gov. David A. Paterson will propose a $4 billion package of taxes and fees on a range of items, from sugary soft drinks made by Coca-Cola and Pepsi to luxury items like furs and boats, when he unveils his plan to close a deficit that has ballooned to $15 billion, people with knowledge of the plan said on Sunday.

When you lay down with rattlesnakes you’re bound to get bit.

New jobless claims continue to beat expectations.  If only there were some jobless claims index or jobless claims derivative I could sink my cash into.

Here’s how Blago thinks he should pick a Senator:

Mr. Blagojevich, whose administration has for years been known to be the subject of a federal corruption investigation, also spoke of his family’s financial woes and said he had three criteria for selecting the new senator: “Our legal situation, our personal situation, my political situation — this decision, like every other one, needs to be based on that.”

Looks like the interests of the people of Illinois didn’t make the list.

Forest Hills’ LIRR station isn’t looking so hot these days.

Today is Cyber Monday, in case you didn’t know.

Here’s a little holiday story that’s sure to restore your faith in humanity:

A Wal-Mart worker died after being trampled when hundreds of shoppers smashed through the doors of a Long Island store Friday morning, police and witnesses said.

I don’t know when or how this Black Friday mob frenzy mentality got started, but maybe it takes someone dying for retailers and the media to start putting a little less emphasis on all their ridiculous hype and start paying a little more attention to the unsafe environments they’re helping to foster.   I’m not holding my breath, though. 

Now Al-Qaida is bitching about it.  Look for references to Wright, Rezko and Ayers in bin Laden’s next video release.