I’M A Midnight Toker.

Actually, I’m a space lawyer. Bet you weren’t ready for that.

PERHAPS BARACK OBAMA AND RICK WARREN CAN bring everyone together: “The U.N. General Assembly split over the issue of gay rights on Thursday after a European-drafted statement calling for decriminalization of homosexuality prompted an Arab-backed one opposing it.”

HEH: Doing to Glenn Greenwald what he usually does to others. Only not as wordy.

MEGAN MCARDLE: Bet Ron Gettelfinger is kicking himself.

HMM: Sales of Flat-Panel TVs Weaken. I wonder if this has anything to do with people giving up their cable? Speaking of which, reader Tim Boppre writes:

We canceled our satellite two years ago and have never looked back. The cost kept slowly creeping up while the quality of the content was plummeting. At first the kids weren’t real happy but they got over it in time when they found all the useful things that you can do with your time (and brain cells) if you aren’t in front of a TV. So after two years I got the big payback this past August. We were on vacation and the first night in the hotel room one of the kids turned on the TV. Within three minutes of turning it on and finding nothing interesting to watch our fifteen year old daughter turned to my wife and I and said “You guys were right. TV is really lame.” It’s not too often you get a return on your parenting investment so quickly. We figured we’d have to wait until the kids were at least thirty to have them tell us that we weren’t full of beans. Postman was right.

So there you are. Plus, young people watch less TV. But you can sure get a lot more for your money than you could a year ago. Meanwhile, I’m looking for a laptop with HDMI out, so I can put Internet TV programming on the big screen.

HEH: Bad News for Trig Troofers. “As I can safely assume no human being has ever given birth eight months apart, Sullivan has some explaining to do.”

JERRY POURNELLE: “Obama says that if we drill we won’t have any new oil in the pipelines for ten years. Ten years from now someone will be saying the same thing, of course. The only way out of our energy dilemma is to pursue all fronts: domestic production, nuclear power, and some of the ‘alternate’ ‘soft path’ alternatives even when they are not cost/effective as insurance. And research. But this means an integrated energy strategy that allows the market a fair amount of influence while guiding the nation toward, not energy independence in normal times, but a capability of survival when energy sources are interrupted, and ways to ease economic disaster when oil prices skyrocket. None of this is impossible or even all that difficult, but it does require attention to reality and priorities.” Uh oh.

UPDATE: Some similar thoughts from Jay Leno.

CAROLINE KENNEDY BADLY RECEIVED: Kennedy Takes A Beating From Upstate Media. “Her quick remarks fell flat. Reporters seemed to feel brushed off and they pursued her out.”

THINKING LONGER-TERM: Forget the economy: Killer asteroids could pose real danger. Indeed. Some related thoughts of mine are here.

A BUNCH OF kitchen product markdowns and bonus deals.

MORE ON RICK WARREN:

By giving Warren a platform, Obama is not endorsing his views–but he is saying that those views are a legitimate part of the national conversation.

That’s not a snub of liberals. But it is a swipe at one type of liberalism–the type that has been working to get people fired for making donations to the campaign for the initiative, that has attacked the Mormon Church for its support of it, and so forth.

Not many liberals have spoken up against these tactics. Liberals should not be surprised that Obama has refused to join an effort that implicitly brands a majority of the voters of California, of all places, as at best the dupes of bigots. But those liberals who are engaged in that effort should indeed feel snubbed–as they deserve to be.

Obama pretty much has to have a higher opinion of those California voters, since they voted for him! Plus, a Rickroll? Heh.

And, from Obama, “No backing down whatsoever.”

UPDATE: When “angry gasbags” attack.

IT’S A FAIR COP: A reader emails: “Just a reminder point that you (and many of us) were looking forward to less politics after the election. The quantity of posts regarding politics doesn’t seem to have decreased much. I really appreciate your work on your blog.”

Yeah, what with Blagojevich, Holder, etc., there’s just a lot more going on than I’d expected. I’ll try to post more non-political stuff!

ANN ALTHOUSE: Admit it! You’re jealous of Jon Favreau! “Or do you think Favreau also has some magical charisma that Obama saw and saw himself in?”

A BUNCH OF WATCHES ON SALE, with free one-day shipping.

RON RADOSH: George W. Bush And The Jews.

A BUNCH OF steep clothing markdowns at Amazon.

ROGER SIMON: Was McCain right on Chris Cox after all? Sure looks like it . . . .

HOW TO ENCOURAGE HAND-WASHING: The use of “gross messaging.”

TOP TEN action toys for boys.

UPDATE: Athena Runner emails: “Thanks for that link about the top ten action toys for boys. I just bought my six-year-old son the EyeClops Night Vision Infrared Stealth Goggles. He’s going to LOVE them!” I would have, at that age.

JOHN KASS: ‘Twas The Night Before Fitzmas.

AS SEEN ON TV: A review of the Pro Caulk.

ANOTHER REASON TO BUILD NUCLEAR PLANTS NOW: “A new calculation of the world’s coal reserves is much lower than previous estimates.” And work on Polywell fusion.

UNDERGROUND robot bike parking in Tokyo.

MAYBE HE CAN BE WANKER OF THE WEEK: Obama backpedals on Iraq withdrawal, leading Tom Maguire to observe:

After lefties have had a moment to absorb the Rick Warren news they can turn to the latest plot twist in the "Will he, won't he" drama of Obama's troop withdrawals. . . . Consider this - on issues such as FISA surveillance or the Bush tax cuts for the rich Obama has already back-pedaled. He is likely further to outrage a contingent of his supporters by declining to declare defeat in Iraq, blame Bush, and leave. There even seems to be a movement towards creating a bit of wiggle room on enhanced interrogation.

Read the whole thing.

A LOOK AT clean coal and nuclear power in China.