LOOKING FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT TO LEAVE UNDER THE TREE? How about a Bureaucrash t-shirt? My “Enjoy Capitalism” shirt always gets a second look.

ANTI-SEMITISM IN AMERICA: Does Helen Thomas Have Blood On Her Hands? “Helen Thomas belongs to the Sirhan Sirhan wing of the Democrat Party, and it is high time we begin to speak frankly about how far and how deep this dangerous radicalism has spread.”

THE BELMONT CLUB’S RICHARD FERNANDEZ HAS A NEW NOVEL OUT: No Way In: Freedom is the greatest addiction of all.

It’s also on Kindle. I just ordered a copy.

MORE THOUGHTS ON the college debt bubble.

A MINI ICE-AGE?

MCCAIN BAITS THE HOOK, and it’s bitten.

OOPS: Russian Satellites Fall Into Pacific.

TOBY BUCKELL: How I lost 30 pounds while eating a donut every day. Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do?

PUBLIC PENSIONS and your right to know. “Estimates of the problem’s true size vary, because the governments with the biggest shortfalls often try to conceal their dire circumstances. In jurisdictions across America, pension funds attribute unrealistic values to investments and assume unrealistic rates of return. They protect themselves with exemptions from freedom of information laws, or even withhold information despite those laws.”

TEN REPUBLICANS duck out on tax vote.

ED MORRISSEY: Do We Need A “Repeal Amendment?”

OH, GOODY: You’ve Met Government Motors. Now Meet Government Computers.

HEADSHOTS AND taking zombie anatomy seriously.

Related: List: Zombie Apocalypse Survival Supplies. Note that the Committee on American-Zombie Relations condemns these sorts of stories as “zombiephobic.”

SOME OF THIS WEEK’S food news.

HOW TO PRINT TO ANY PRINTER FROM YOUR IPAD OR IPHONE.

FROM BITS TO ATOMS: Delivering Freight Through A Series Of Tubes. A hundred years ago, there were vacuum-pipe networks within cities. Back to the future!

SOME RECOMMENDED gifts for teenagers.

SOLVING the Stop Sign Mystery.

A FICTIONAL STORY OF a Flash Mob gone terribly wrong.

DON’T OVERSHOOT THE OPTIMAL SUGAR-CAFFEINE DOSAGE.

DON SURBER: Manchin Votes Against Obama.

IT REALLY IS THE 1970s ALL OVER AGAIN: Coming soon: Downsized engines? “Engine downsizing is considered an effective method for reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency and that’s precisely why many automakers have developed smaller mills to replace older, larger motors. Kia, Volkswagen, Fiat, Audi and many others already announced their intentions to introduce downsized engines in upcoming models. We can now add Volvo to the ranks of automakers developing new low-displacement mills.”

GOODBYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE: Shady Dealings Brought Dodd Down. “It isn’t the news cycle that causes the public to lose faith in political leaders, it’s the news of what they do with their authority. Dodd’s respect for the legislative process was not in view during that squalid episode. . . . The people of Connecticut took his measure anew and found Dodd wanting in fundamental ways. The system wasn’t broken — it worked, to Dodd’s disappointment.”

IN THE MAIL: From Sarah A. Hoyt, Darkship Thieves.

THE NIGEL TUFNEL PRESIDENCY: My Sunday Washington Examiner column is up.

UPDATE: Don Surber: “The Nigel Tufnel character also works on another level; he really is not as smart as he thinks.”

And reader Aaron Jones emails: “When Obama faces criticism for his ham fisted actions, or soloing as it were, Obama, like Tufnel, tunes the violin rather than questioning whether dragging it across the distorted guitar strings really adds any musical quality to the sound.” Heh. (Bumped).

ANOTHER UPDATE: More Spinal Tap prophecy! Yeah, I wanted to work that one in too, but I only had 800 words. . . .