MICKEY KAUS: “L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and former Telemundo anchor Mirthala Salinas have apparently ‘ended their romantic relationship.’ And here we all thought it was a great love!”

MCCLATCHY IN BAGHDAD: “It’s like journalism’s F Troop.” Only without Forrest Tucker. I guess he was too real!

DON’T shoot the dog.

“HEY, HEY, HO, HO, Western Civ Has Got to Go!” So say its beneficiaries. So much of “progressive” politics looks like the behavior of spoiled adolescents.

MEGAN MCARDLE IS DEAD SERIOUS about Social Security.

“NAMED AND SHAMED:” Yes, they should be. But the political culture that produced them may well be beyond salvation, regardless. Watching the decline of Europe and Britain isn’t pleasant. I certainly hope that the current trends are not irreversible. Related thoughts here.

UPDATE: Link was bad before. Fixed now. Sorry! (bumped)

DEMOCRATS backpedaling on Iraq: “As violence declines in Baghdad, the leading Democratic presidential candidates are undertaking a new and challenging balancing act on Iraq: acknowledging that success, trying to shift the focus to the lack of political progress there, and highlighting more domestic concerns like health care and the economy.”

UPDATE: I guess this is why. It’s no good if you can’t call it a defeat.

THOUGHTS ON COMBATING ANTI-AMERICANISM IN LATIN AMERICA: Despite media efforts in the other direction.

VIETNAM IN REVERSE: There was a time when I would have trusted this defense of a reporter more than the military’s version. That time is past, and it’s past because of the frequent dishonesty I’ve seen from A.P. and other media outlets in Iraq. That’s too bad, but when you lose trust, you’ve lost it. And I just don’t trust them like I used to. But then, perhaps my trust was too high all along.

UPDATE: It’s not just me.

FAT, HAPPY, AND COWARDLY: The silence of the artistic lambs.

“THOSE CREATIONISTS, THOUGH — they’re way out there.”

CARTOON ANTISEMITISM AT THE BRADY CAMPAIGN? It’s certainly better-founded than some other cartoon accusations.

KNIGHTS IN RED SATIN: “In my own opinion, the only really dangerous government is an efficient, effective one. The best judgment of a particular democracy is how well it keeps the busybodies occupied while the rest of us get on with running things.”

HILARIOUS NEW World of Warcraft commercials, featuring William Shatner and Mr. T. Well, they’re pretty funny, anyway. And Shatner looks good as a shaman.

COMMENT-DELETION TRICKERY at the San Francisco Chronicle? If this is real and not some kind of bizarre caching problem, I’m torn between disgust and admiration for their cleverness . . .

Charles Johnson feels something similar, and has to resist temptation.

UPDATE: More here.

MORE ON THE Goose Creek terrorism case.

SOME FURTHER THOUGHTS ON PETRAEUS AND PROMOTIONS, from Abu Muqawama.

HOUSTON POLICE secretly test unmanned aircraft.

INTERESTED IN SOUND ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT? My brother recommends the GearSlutz discussion board.

ALLISON ALVAREZ on maiden names and married names.

WHAT THE ISRAELIS BOMBED IN SYRIA: Not a reactor, but something worse?

MARK STEYN on the new Shakers. Only the modern ones don’t make nice Gomer Bolstrood-like furniture.

KASPAROV arrested in Russia.

FOR CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS, I recommend the new issue of Consumer Reports. I have my complaints about some of their priorities, but I generally find their recommendations quite good. They recommend this LCD HDTV and this 58″ plasma TV. 58″ — wow. And they liked this cordless drill.

Or you can just head over to the American Digest home shopping guide, for some rather different priorities . . . .

DON SURBER: “We are winning in Iraq. Will someone please inform the Democrats?”