WITH THE WRITERS’ STRIKE OVER, here’s when to expect new episodes.

OLD-SCHOOL multiculturalism.

THE LIGHTS ARE GOING OUT, all across Europe.

DID BILL SINK HILLARY ON PURPOSE?

THIS IS INTERESTING:

Income statistics, however, don’t tell the whole story of Americans’ living standards. Looking at a far more direct measure of American families’ economic status — household consumption — indicates that the gap between rich and poor is far less than most assume, and that the abstract, income-based way in which we measure the so-called poverty rate no longer applies to our society. . . . So, bearing this in mind, if we compare the incomes of the top and bottom fifths, we see a ratio of 15 to 1. If we turn to consumption, the gap declines to around 4 to 1. A similar narrowing takes place throughout all levels of income distribution. The middle 20 percent of families had incomes more than four times the bottom fifth. Yet their edge in consumption fell to about 2 to 1.

This explains the long-remarked proliferation of mobile homes with gigantic widescreen TVs. (Via Philo of Alexandria.)

A LOOK AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY’S USE OF EMINENT DOMAIN to take over surrounding neighborhoods.

BLACKBERRY SERVICE OUT, many people disturbed.

SUSAN ESTRICH WRITES THAT OBAMA IS DOING WORSE among Democrats than polls predict because of racism: “If this is happening even among us good Democrats, what does that say about Obama’s strength in a general election? Not pretty questions. Not a fair world.”

A BILL MAHER MELTDOWN? Seems worse than “pimping.”

Of course, my response was, “Bill Maher is still on TV?”

WAFFLING ON IRAQ: “Barack Obama appeared on 60 Minutes last night, and once again he offered change. Unfortunately, the kind of change offered appeared to be the same he accuses his opponents of offering — waffling on the status of troops in Iraq. After cheerfully misrepresenting John McCain’s ‘100 years’ comment, he then left himself the leeway to make exactly the same kind of decision.”

I’m all in favor of him shifting his position in this direction — it shows that, unlike Nancy Pelosi, he’s not in complete denial about progress in Iraq — but it does kind of undercut the notion that he offers a “new kind of politics.” Waffling and flipflops we’ve seen before . . . .

WANT TO DINE WITH CHELSEA? Bill will set it up, if you’re a superdelegate.

UPDATE: Of course, she might ruin the meal by complaining about her hedge fund’s health coverage. But probably not.

WELL, HE’S RIGHT: “Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) told an audience at The Heritage Foundation that the Second Amendment is as plainly an individual right as the right to free speech, religion and assembly.”

THE END OF AGING? My latest Popular Mechanics column is up. I also recommend Aubrey de Grey’s book on the subject.

JOHN FUND LOOKS AT MCCAIN’S ELECTORAL CHANCES, and finds them not so bad.

THE ECONOMY: How bad is it?

REBELLION in both the Democratic and Republican parties.

NANCY PELOSI’S mission creep.

THE FACULTY LOUNGE: A new lawprof blog.

BACKSLIDERS? Come on, guys, preach what you practice.

ANOTHER FIRST COUPLE CO-PRESIDENCY? “Eight Years of ‘Billary’ was enough for most of us. Are we ready for ‘Barichelle?'” Though to her credit here, Michelle Obama sounds a bit like Obi-Wan Kenobi. . . .