ROGER KIMBALL: On the Difference Between Fans and Supporters, with a Minor Valentine for Jeb Bush.

UNDER THE TITLE “MINISTRY OF INNOVATION.” At Ars Technica, a ringing endorsement of . . . censorship. I remember the libertarian tech-sphere, before it became the SJW tech-sphere.

OR OBAMA’S IRAN POLICY: Comets can’t explain weird ‘alien megastructure’ star after all.

Of course this is the true explanation:

Possibly for both, Obama’s Iran policy AND the alien megastructure star.

ABOUT TIME: 3 States Consider Lowering the Drinking Age.  Of course, where and when I grew up, drinking age was “can you toddle to the counter, and do you have money?”  Didn’t seem to give rise to any more alcoholism.  If anything there seemed to be less alcohol abuse.

I’D LIKE TO SAY IF I’D HAD MORE TIME FOR THIS HOBBY THE LAST FEW YEARS I’D BE THIS GOOD: I’d also like to say Helen of Troy was homely compared to me.  Both would be about the same size of lie. They’re not real?? Felt artist displays collection of mind-blowingly life-like cats and dogs.

HIS COMPENSATION COST THE WORLD DEARLY: Stalin’s Diminutive Size.

SMALL MARTYRS OF THE RODENT LIBERATION FRONT: Map of power outages caused by squirrels, with bonus squirrell-related links.

WAIT, WHAT?  That time President George H. W. Bush Escaped Cannibals.

BUT THEY ONLY DANCED SQUARE DANCES: Dinosaurs performed dances to woo mates, according to new evidence.

THE FOUNDING PARTY ANIMAL: January 17 is Ben Franklin’s birthday – bio, quotes, videos, his 200 synonyms for drunk, the bodies found in his basement, and more.

ONE OF THOSE DEMOCRAT SCHEMES: Prohibition in the United States began on January 16, 1920 and ended on December 3, 1933.

QUESTIONS YOU NEVER ASKED: The Story Behind ‘Runaround Sue’.

AND IF I HIT MY HEAD ON THE DESK REALLY HARD I MIGHT UNDERSTAND IT: Obama’s Iran Policy, Explained.

BUT… BUT THEY LOVE SCIENCE! Settled Science: Liberals Are Simple-Minded.

PARTICULARLY SINCE IF IT WEREN’T NAILED TO ITS PERCH, IT WOULD BE PUSHING UP DAISIES: Hillary Clinton’s promise to save ObamaCare is laughable.

BECAUSE ARISTOS ALWAYS VALUE THE DIFFICULT AND RECHERCHE? BECAUSE THEY’RE POSITIONAL GOODS? Why vinyl and Polaroids are coming back in the digital era.

REALITY DOESN’T GO AWAY IF YOU IGNORE IT: Europe’s Reality Problem.

I DON’T KNOW I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CROSSOVERS: Think Game of Thrones and Sesame Street.  The songs alone are worth it.  For instance “It’s not easy being raped,” “B is for beheading” “The people in your neighborhood [will all die screaming.]” Is HBO taking all the magic out of ‘Sesame Street’?

I’M HOPING THIS IS A HOAX: Woman Who Blew Every Last Dollar On Powerball Tickets Now Has A GoFundMe Page Asking For Help. “Nicole alleges to have spent all of her money on purchasing tickets with the assumption she would win the $1.6 billion jackpot, but soon realized the winning tickets were sold in Los Angeles, Florida and Tennessee suburbs. Despite the chances of anyone winning the jackpot being 1 in 292.2 million, Nicole still decided to go big, and unfortunately now can’t go home because she allegedly doesn’t have any money.”

Now excuse me while I go pour myself a stiff bourbon-and-Brawndo.

AT AMAZON, up to 85% off on Kindle books.

Plus, Year-end Deals.

And a reminder: InstaPundit is an Amazon affiliate. When you do your shopping through the Amazon links on this page, including the “Shop Amazon” tab at the top or the searchbox in the right sidebar, you support this blog at no cost to yourself. Just click on the Amazon link, then shop as usual. I very much appreciate it when you do.

ANDREW LANGER: The End Run Around The Second Amendment.

BILL DE BLASIO JOINS WITH ME IN ASKING “WHY ARE DEMOCRATIC-RUN INDUSTRIES LIKE HOLLYWOOD SO RACIST?”

Teach ’em a lesson, Bill! Don’t allow them to film in NYC, and refuse to accept any donations from those West Coast Klansmen, until they change. Stand up against Hollywood racism!

JIM GERAGHTY: The Democrats’ Own Grassroots/Elite Divide Is Getting Harsher. “Sanders is closer to what the base wants, Clinton is closer to what the elites want.”

WELL, AT LEAST SOME GERMANS ARE ACTING RATIONALLY: Cologne Sex-Attack Spree Sparks ‘Huge Spike’ in Weapons Sales.

J. CHRISTIAN ADAMS: Lawyer Challenging Ted Cruz Eligibility Was Suspended From Practice of Law:

A birther lawsuit challenging Ted Cruz’s eligibility was filed today in federal court in Texas.  I had previously written that such a lawsuit challenging the eligibility would most certainly lack standing and would be frivolous.  The lawyer who filed the complaint, Newton B. Schwartz, Sr., had been suspended from the practice of law by two separate states for disciplinary infractions.

Read the whole thing.