DON SURBER:

Washington Post: “President Obama continued efforts to open himself to direct scrutiny from his critics on Monday, sitting for a half-hour of questions submitted to YouTube during his State of the Union address last week.”

Except the White House handlers got to pick the questions.

You want transparency and tough questions? Broadcast his next meeting with the Democratic Caucus. Obama is bringing the party down and his fellow Dems cannot be pleased.

That would be fun, but I’d like to see more meetings with the opposition, too.

INSPECTOR GENERAL: TARP has created a looming disaster.

AUSTRALIAN INTERNET CENSORSHIP LAW collapses under public disapproval.

JOEL KOTKIN: A race of races. “When Americans think of our nation’s power (or our imminent lack of it) we tend to point to the national debts, GDP or military prowess. Few have focused on what may well be the country’s most historically significant and powerful weapon: its emergence as the modern world’s first multiracial superpower.”

DO OLDER PEOPLE JUST GET LESS SLEEP, or do older brains need less sleep?

MARK STEYN:

You have to assume that America’s dying monodailies are now actively auditioning for state ownership. How else to explain the silence of the massed ranks of salaried “environmental correspondents” on the daily revelations emerging from the fast disintegrating “scientific consensus” on “climate change”? You get livelier coverage from the Chinese press.

But in competitive newspaper markets they still know a story when they see one. Surely the most worrying sign for the thuggish enforcers of “settled science” is that even the eco-lefties at the Guardian and the Independent, two of the most gung-ho warm-mongers on the planet, are beginning to entertain doubts.

Read the whole thing.

ROGER SIMON: “Science,” as practiced by Mother Jones.

IPAD INSPIRATION? Remembering Arthur C. Clarke’s 2001 Newspad.

SOUS VIDE the DIY way.

REVIEWING THE REVIEWERS: A roundup of book reviews from all over.

REASON TV: January’s Nanny Of The Month.

CATO: Five Decades of Federal Spending.

Look for the “interest” line to head sharply upward in the near future. . . .

WHAT DO Lech Walesa and Elton John have in common? “They are both foreign citizens who have appeared on behalf of U.S. political candidates. For the FEC’s explanation of why such volunteering by foreign citizens doesn’t violate U.S. election law, see the Elton John / Hillary Clinton decision, or this discussion from 2008.” Elton John didn’t face a local TV blackout, though.

THE CONVENTION WILL BE TELEVISED: PJTV will be covering the Tea Party Convention in Nashville. Looks like Helen and I will be there, so we’ll let you know how things turn out!

CHARLIE MARTIN: Kindle, iPad, MacMillan, and the Death of a Business Model.

BLANCHE LINCOLN’S APPROVAL RATING, now at 27%.

PELOSI RULES:

While accepting their newly-acquired role as “shuttle service” for the Speaker of the House, the Department of Defense is attempting to draw a line in the sand regarding congressional transportation with an updated directive on DoD Support for Travel of Members and Employees of Congress. Some of the language in the newly-released regulation (dated 15 January, 2010 – the first update since 1964) appears to be the direct result of lessons learned in dealing with Nancy Pelosi.

Lessons, indeed.

EVERYONE COMES TO KNOXVILLE SOONER OR LATER: Had a nice lunch with Jonah Goldberg, who’s speaking here at the University tonight. If you’re in Knoxville, you should check him out. Interestingly, it was the first time we’ve actually met.

CHANGE! (Or is this Hope! instead?) Estate Tax Repeal Creates Boom for Lawyers. Yay, lawyers!

FROM AUTOBLOG, a Toyota recall guide.

COOL: Spray-On Liquid Glass Is About to Revolutionize Everything. “The liquid glass spray produces a water-resistant coating only around 100 nanometers (15-30 molecules) thick. On this nanoscale the glass is highly flexible and breathable. The coating is environmentally harmless and non-toxic, and easy to clean using only water or a simple wipe with a damp cloth. It repels bacteria, water and dirt, and resists heat, UV light and even acids. UK project manager with Nanopool, Neil McClelland, said soon almost every product you purchase will be coated with liquid glass.”

UPDATE: Reader Bruce Tufts corrects: “In terms of molecular thicknesses, the estimate is a factor of 10x too low; 100nm = 1000Angstroms = is about 150-300+ molecular thicknesses.”

ABSTRACT THOUGHTS? The body takes them literally.

SUPERSIZING the Panama Canal.

IN THE MAIL: From Nikki Stone, When Turtles Fly: Secrets of Successful People Who Know How To Stick Their Necks Out.

REASON TV: Obama’s Doublethink Doubletalk. To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle.