TACKLING THE IMPORTANT ISSUES: Whit Stillman’s Guide to Preppie Fashion.

For my recent interview with Stillman concerning his new film, Damsels in Distress, click here.

RELATED: As Peggy Noonan recently wrote, “Special thanks to the person who invented casual Friday. Now it’s casual everyday in America. But when you lower standards people don’t decide to give you more, they give you less.” (Something she seemed to forget as November of 2008 approached.) In Forbes, P.J. O’Rourke explores “Why Adults Should Ditch The Shorts, Wear Suits.”

ALLAHPUNDIT: Oh my: Audience member yells “traitor” at mention of Romney’s name during Obama rally.

ABOUT THAT “HOW WILL TINA BROWN” THING that Ed posted about earlier. (Sorry to be so belatedly getting the idea of talking back and forth with my co-bloggers here.) I followed that link to The New Republic with its various depictions of Obama embedded in gay culture, and that kind of Photoshopped trashy humor is nothing like the “attention-grabbing covers” TNR notes that Tina Brown has presided over at Newsweek. The only cover is the cover TNR seeks for its decision to publish such lame illustrations under its once-illustrious name.

JOHN FUND: Censoring Naomi Riley: She was fired for having the courage to state the obvious.

Rather a humiliation for the Chronicle of Higher Education in general, and for editor Liz McMillen. Self-inflicted humiliation, too.

CRIMINAL GENIUS IN ACTION: Counterfeiter caught selling to famous Detroit pawn shop of Hardcore Pawn reality TV series.

GAFFE-O-MATIC: Biden to Students: You’ll See ‘Solar Energy as Cheap as Gas — Uh, Coal, Excuse Me, as Coal.’ (A product the vice president views as being as big a terrorist threat to America as…high fructose corn syrup.)

Meanwhile, at Commentary, a tip for the WaPo: look into bullying by the young Joe Biden.

Think they’ll bite? Nahh, me neither.

AT AMAZON, bestsellers in comics and graphic novels.

Plus, up to 40% off on video games for Mother’s Day.

TROLLING FOR DIRT ON THE PRESIDENT’S LIST: Kimberly Strassel at the WSJ.

OBAMA’S VIEWS ON SQUIRREL! HAVE EVOLVED, TOO.

GAY MARRIAGE AND THE “RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY:” Jonah Goldberg, expanding upon one of the themes in his new book, The Tyranny of Cliches.

OBAMA’S GAY MARRIAGE FLIP SHOWS HOW BIG MONEY SETS HIS AGENDA.

MONTANA SENATE RIVALS CO-SPONSORED EARMARKS THAT FATTENED CAMPAIGN COFFERS: Rep. Denny Rehberg sponsored three earmarks for companies his son’s firm later represented, then banked thousands in contributions. Guess who co-sponsored the same earmarks? You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours, even if we have to run against each other in 2012.

THE 140-CHARACTER-OR-LESS CAMPAIGN.

WELL, GOOD: GOP Kills International Climate, IPCC Funding For Second Year.

RELATED: At PJM, “The Incivil War of Climate Change Heats Up,” writes Rand Simberg, who believes that this time around, there’s enough blame for both sides of the debate.

ASKING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: The New Republic ponders, “How Will Tina Brown Illustrate Obama’s Gay Marriage Announcement” on the cover of Newsweek?

(Via Newsbusters.)

Social Media And The Law  How to stay out of trouble when using Twitter and Facebook

Sometimes things are… complicated.  Dr. Tedd Roberts delves into peer research (and in a previous article into funding research with no immediate pay off.)   Dr. Roberts is a friend, but when I read this: So, do I think peer-review is broken?  ………  I do *not* think it should be scrapped, but I think it needs better watchdogs.  Who are those watchdogs?  We all are.  If a scientist witnesses abuse of the system, they should be able to speak out and not get shut out because of political whim.  The public needs to be better educated so that they do not get told what to do by manipulative media politicians and yes, scientists I read an almost touching faith in a system that seems to be as incestuous and stutifying as…  well, publishing.  Dr. Roberts is an honorable man.  Perhaps most scientists are.  But they are still human and anything touched by the government gets twisted by politics.  On the other hand what alternative is there?  What is the equivalent of the kindle revolution?  Well, there is this: Project Force of Duck.  I contributed.  Not out of a marked interest in duck penises, but because I think there must be an alternative and I put my money where my mouth is.  Will this type of system be up to funding the important research soon?  I don’t know.  But I’d like it to be the way of the future.  Meanwhile, we’ll have to hope there are enough honorable scientists.

NOT Safe for Work.  The Management is NOT responsible for any readers who might wish to  carve out their eyes with grapefruit spoons.   And, for what it’s worth, yeah… it’s too much of a mom.  Time to move out and take your Star Trek posters with you.

We’ve spoken before about how awesome medieval bestiary lore is, but I fear I’ve given the impression that it’s all self-castrating beavers and Christ-signification. It is both of those things, of course, but there’s so much more!  Yes, I know this is a Valentine’s post.  So, save it for Valentine’s next year.  It’s medieval!  It’s not like it will go out of style!  (Yes, my name is Sarah A. Hoyt, and I read weird stuff.)

Is that plutonium in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?  (I confess I don’t like that they’re monitoring this.  I understand why it might be needed, but it still gets my hackles up.)

Change!  Robert Grenier, former head of the CIA counter-terrorism centre, said: “As for British Intelligence, I suppose, but do not know, that they must be very unhappy. They are often exasperated, quite reasonably, with their American friends, who are far more leak-prone than they.

“In their place, I would think two and three times before sharing with the Americans, and then only do it if I had to. The problem with that dynamic is that you don’t know what you don’t know, and what opportunities you might be missing when you decide not to share. The Americans are doing a very good job of undermining trust, and the problem starts at the top.”

Worker’s comp gone wild!

Eighty-six percent of women polled say they want a sensitive man who calls his mom regularly and cries during movies.  And they LIE.  EVERY BLESSED WOMAN JILL OF THEM.  Come on guys, your clue was that “the perfect man drives an Audi” thing.  Oh, please!

THEN: THE LAFFER CURVE. NOW: THE LOVITZ CURVE! From Zombie.