CHRIS DODD UPDATE: Dodd Cut Aviation Security Funding In July.

2009: Not really a great year for global freedom.

BACKYARD egg envy.

GOOGLE: Openness For Thee, But Not For Me.

A HARDER LINE? Obama Voices His First Public Support for ‘Unjustly’ Detained Political Opponents, Signaling a Harder Line Toward Tehran. “Senior U.S. officials said the Obama administration recognizes that it is now at a ‘pivot point’ in its strategy toward Tehran.”

ABC NEWS: Muslim Cleric Anwar Awlaki linked to Ft. Hood, Northwest Terror Attacks: A U.S.-Born Preacher Affiliated with Al Qaeda Has Been Linked to Several Terror Plots Against Americans.

VIRGINIA POSTREL: The Collapse of Professional Journalism, Cont’d.

NATIONAL SECURITY: Time to distance from the White House?

A HIRING COUP for Tucker Carlson?

GAY PATRIOT: Obama to Speak Softly and Thwack Yemen With a Big Stick?

A.C. KLEINHEIDER: “Both nationally and in Tennessee, the most beloved and vocal conservative leaders these days seem to be women.”

CLARENCE PAGE distinguishes himself.

OUCH: “When the news is bad and lives are on the line, I want my government to give it to me straight. Instead I’ve got a head of DHS who’s impersonating Kevin Bacon at the end of Animal House.”

TARGETED STIMULUS: Report: ICE orders 200 million rounds of ammo. “Now, in case the entire population of Mexico tries to cross the border over the next five years, this would be enough to shoot everybody twice; however, this event seems unlikely, and would represent a pretty harsh response, anyway.”

AN “I TOLD YOU SO” on air security, from Stewart Baker.

Plus, six uncomfortable answers. And note this: “Since border measures were strengthened after 9/11, al Qaeda has tried three separate plots using the same basic technique — get on a transatlantic flight and blow it up before it lands and before the terrorists are put through our border screening process. Every plot has failed. But if this doesn’t remind you of the successive World Trade Center attacks, you’re not paying attention. They’ve got a schtick, and they’re going to keep using it until it works.”

Meanwhile, Bruce Schneier comments: “Only one carry on? No electronics for the first hour of flight? I wish that, just once, some terrorist would try something that you can only foil by upgrading the passengers to first class and giving them free drinks.”

RON ROSENBAUM: Was The Times ”Hoaxed” By TMZ’s JFK Nudes “Scoop”?

PAUL MIRENGOFF: Lawyers At War.

MARK STEYN: “Islam is bilingualism on steroids.”

OUCH: “In fairness, perhaps one of his staffers did the judging.” You never know anymore, do you . . . ?

AFTER-CHRISTMAS MARKDOWNS on bestselling small appliances.

NEVER MIND WHEN ANGELS GET THEIR WINGS HERE: Inventor spends Christmas with his perfect woman – a £30,000 custom-made fembot. I just hope the robophobes don’t get too upset.

SO, MAX BAUCUS WASN’T DRUNK, because Joe Biden had an aneurysm?

And — though this is an aside, and not really relevant — if Biden is a teetotaler, as Weigel says, what’s he being served in this White House video? Or was the beer just for show, to bolster his “ordinary guy” credentials?

UPDATE: Bucklers NA Beer? More here. So, yes, for show.

MAYOR BLOOMBERG’S WAR ON GUN RIGHTS: A summary.

HOPE AND CHANGE! As college costs rise, loans become harder to get.

MEGAN MCARDLE: “I don’t know what annoys me more: Janet Napolitano saying ‘the system worked’ when what she means is ‘the system failed, but smart passengers proved that the system is unnecessary’, or the moronic new rules the TSA is apparently putting into place in order to ‘prevent’ future such occurences. The TSA’s obsession with fighting the last war is so strong that I expect any day to see them building wooden forts at our nation’s airports in order to keep the redcoats at bay.”