AN AFTER-CHRISTMAS SALE on knives and multitools. Plus the occasional tomahawk.

A DEATH COUNTDOWN FOR Gary, Indiana? “The current Gary financial monitor’s report makes for frightening reading. Property tax revenue is scheduled to drop 50%+. There is no likelihood of a local income tax and Indiana does not share its sales tax revenue with local government. One of two casinos operating in Gary has entered bankruptcy and even before then a dispute with the casino operators disrupted payments to Gary. The bad news keeps on rolling for 265 pages.” Municipal finance is, sadly, pretty bad in lots of places. But when even casinos are going bankrupt, it’s not a good sign . . . .

THE YEAR the locusts ate.

SO WHEN DOES THE NEW DECADE START? Next week, or in a year?

PODCAST: Interviewing former New Mexico Governor, and Libertarian heartthrob, Gary Johnson.

FRIDA GHITIS: Anti-Americanism: They Still Don’t Love Us. Oderint dum metuant?

UH OH: “Like any good progressive, I’ve gone from admiration to hope to disappointment to anger when it comes to this president. Now I’m fast getting to rage.”

THANKS, TSA! Ramped up US airport security deepens holiday travel misery.

UPDATE: “Complete and total beclownment.”

ANOTHER UPDATE: Jerry Pournelle: “I have always said that if an intelligent person wants to bring down an airplane and doesn’t mind being killed doing it, there are many ways to accomplish it, and many of my readers know of multiple ways to accomplish it with little chance of detection. This incident is a good illustration of that. We aren’t really going to make all airline passengers strip to their underwear, and even if we did, that wouldn’t do it. What we can do is be more discriminating on who gets to fly on US aircraft to US airports, particularly on international flights. Of course that would mean paying more attention to foreign nationals. . . . This one was particularly easy to spot given his association with Yemen in general and Yemen extremists in particular. Once again US authorities had enough information; and once again political correctness prevented any action. Unlike the Fort Hood murders, this politically correct failure didn’t cost any lives. Next time we’re unlikely to be so blessed.”

LOOKING INSIDE Boeing’s 787. When I toured the HondaJet factory a couple of weeks ago for my Popular Mechanics column, I spent a lot of time talking with the HondaJet’s chief interior designer about the various tricks you can use to make the space feel bigger and comfier than it really is. (The HondaJet has twin skylights in its tiny lavatory to make it feel bigger, and it works). Looks like Boeing’s using ’em in the 787, too. Of course, the airlines will probably ruin it and go for standing-room-only accommodations . . . .

JOE LIEBERMAN: WHITE HOUSE GOING AFTER YEMEN? “The Connecticut senator said that an administration official told him that ‘Iraq was yesterday’s war, Afghanistan is today’s war. If we don’t act preemptively, Yemen will be tomorrow’s war.'” What’s interesting is the raft of commenters accusing Lieberman of being a stooge for Israel because of this statement, when he’s quoting an administration official.

TECHNOMADS: The Secret Lives of Amazon’s Elves.

DETROIT TERROR ATTACK “a major intelligence failure.”

COULD THE MULLAHS fall this time? I’d certainly like that. But I’ve heard optimistic stuff on Iran before, and so far it hasn’t panned out.

HMM: Flight 253 passenger: Sharp-dressed man aided terror suspect Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab onto plane without passport. “A Michigan man who was aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253 says he witnessed Umar Farouk Abdul Mutallab trying to board the plane in Amsterdam without a passport.” It seems he succeeded. Read the whole thing, which sounds suspicious.

OUCH: “The first year of Barack Obama’s presidency. It’s not good when you find yourself repeating the phrase, ‘Yeah I voted for him, what’s it to you?'”

CAR LUST: Great Cars Of Song: The Red Barchetta.

BUSTING EMBEZZLEMENT at NYU. “NYU never thanked him. He learned of the outcome only by reading The Post.”

RAND SIMBERG: Some Thoughts On The Latest Man-Caused Disaster Attempt. “Once again, airline passengers 1, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 0. And the response of the TSA? To further punish the passengers, of course.”

MORE HANDS-ON TOY REPORTING: Reader Brenda Largent writes: “We got the Snap Circuits Jr. SC-100! For my Favorite Small Relative, age 6. He’s just having a blast with it, and is able to figure out most of the instructions for himself (he’s on his 6th project right this minute). Thanks so much for the suggestion!” Glad it’s working out. Wish they’d had those when I was a kid.

UPDATE: Reader Jeff Nolan offers a complaint:

Uh you never said the Snap Circuits Jr. would also be completely enthralling for a 43 year old man… I surprised my almost 6 year old son with it and wished I had bought an extra one for me.

It’s not too late, Jeff!

ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Ron Mahn writes:

If you search your archives you will find I replied to your first mention of snap circuits back in 2007. My daughter, Lauren was 5 at the time. She is now 7 and is working toward her Technician Ham Radio license which she hopes to get before she turns 8 in May (and the question pool changes in July). She got her start talking on the radio and using the snap circuit sets (100 and 300). She still plays with them from time to time. It does make teaching the small number of electronics questions a little easier.

That story makes me very happy. Here’s the post. Plus, reader Jeff Weimer writes:

I’m glad that so many have taken your (our?) advice about the snap circuits!

Maybe we’ll have smart kids bursting out everywhere!

And those kids will have so much fun when they get to the electric motor/helicopter attachment. And so will the kids-at-heart (use BOTH battery packs in series!).

You can never have too many smart kids. And reader R. Elder writes:

I don’t know how old you are (I’m 38) but I had one of these “150 in one electronic project kits” as a kid (once available at Radio Shack):

It’s unclear if that led to my computer engineering degree or not, but it surely didn’t hurt. Spent many hours building radios, etc. with it.

I had that exact kit when I was a kid.

IS CABLE TV worth it?

SAME FLIGHT TO DETROIT, another problem. Luckily, no explosive device found.

WELCOME TO JAPAN: At Tiny Rates, Saving Money Costs Investors. “What the average citizen doesn’t explicitly understand is that a significant part of the government’s plan to repair the financial system and the economy is to pay savers nothing and allow damaged financial institutions to earn a nice, guaranteed spread.”

Plus, good news for seniors! “If your assets aren’t appreciating and aren’t producing any income, you’re getting eaten up in this interest rate environment.”

OUCH: This Guy’s Been on Every Channel, Every Day for a Year. Now He’s Shy? Yeah, but as Marc Ambinder explains, he has a cunning plan.

MARK STEYN: Cross The River, Burn The Bridge.

PROF. WILLIAM JACOBSON: Will Obama Remain Silent About Iran Protests Again?