Top Items:
New York Times:
U.S., Citing Abuse in Iraqi Prisons, Holds Detainees — WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 - The commander of American-run prisons in Iraq says the military will not turn over any detainees or detention centers to Iraqi jailers until American officials are satisfied that the Iraqis are meeting United States standards …
Rami G. Khouri / Lebanon Daily Star:
Facts and fantasies about Arab satellite TV — The recent British press revelation that President George W. Bush last year told U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair that Washington was considering bombing the Qatar headquarters of the pan-Arab satellite station Al-Jazeera (denied by the White House) …
Discussion:
The Washington Monthly
Raymond Hainey / Scotsman:
Santa told to sack his gas-emitting team of reindeer — REINDEER-drawn sleds have been slammed as environmentally unfriendly, because the carrot-munching animals produce the greenhouse gas methane in their wind. — Now Santa has been urged to ditch his sleigh team and start travelling …
Discussion:
Captain's Quarters
Faye Fiore / Los Angeles Times:
From Heckles to Halos — In dramatic contrast to the Vietnam War era, U.S. service personnel now are being treated to strangers' spontaneous bursts of gratitude. — There's a diner called Peggy Sue's about eight miles outside of Barstow, and as hard as Lt. Col. Kenneth Parks tries, he can never seem to pay his bill.
Steve Bartin / newsalert:
Successful Democratic Blogger Can't Afford Blue State — Markos Moulitsas Zúniga the man that runs the most successful political blog in America can't afford the Blue state of California: … How ironic,a guy who supports a party that promotes Fannie Mae,Freddie Mac,land-use restrictions …
Jonathan Weisman / Washington Post:
Patriot Act Extension Is Reduced To a Month — House Action Overcomes Senate's Longer Reprieve — The House balked yesterday at a Senate plan to extend the USA Patriot Act by six months to give Congress and President Bush more time to work out their differences, instead forcing the Senate …
Discussion:
NewsBusters.org
Dafydd / Big Lizards:
The Times' Reach Exceeds Its Grasp — Global War on Terrorism , Media Madness — At this point, it's not even eyebrow-raising that the New York Times is vigorously trying to destroy the foreign-intelligence gathering program run by the National Security Agency (a.k.a., "No Such Agency").
TBogg:
A Very Lileks Christmas — Comin' to town.... Twas the night before Christmas, and through Jasperwood — We shut it down early, like good Lutherans should. — The presents were finished with none left to wrap. — In each festive package some more Target™ crap.
Patrick Quinn / dailynews.att.net:
Shiite Group Willing to Talk With Sunnis — BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's leading Shiite religious bloc said Friday it is ready to discuss Sunni Arab participation in a coalition government, while thousands of Sunnis and some secular Shiites demonstrated in the streets claiming election fraud.
Right Wing Nut House:
THE WARRANTLESS GEIGER COUNTER — I'm having a very difficult time this morning maintaining my composure. Well, let me put it this way - a harder time than normal. The reason is this latest kerfluffle over pointing scientific instruments at the homes and businesses of Muslim Americans …
Discussion:
PoliBlog, The American Thinker, Gateway Pundit, Big Lizards, Media Lies, The Strata-Sphere, Stop The ACLU and The Real Ugly American
Austin Bay Blog:
Rumsfeld in Iraq/Christmas on the line — I'm listening to SecDef Rumssfeld's speech in Mosul. Looks like he's talking with troops from 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. Here's a line stating his central theme: "The greatest leap for human history is for freedom, and we're on the side of freedom."
Discussion:
QandO
Confederate Yankee:
Google Mocks Christ on Christmas Eve — While trying to find a nativity image for my last post before Christmas, I did an search for "baby jesus" on Google. — This is the result. — Notice that the top search result is for a sex toy that mocks Jesus. — Other results on this search results page have more link traffic.
Jeanne / Body and Soul:
Keeping body and soul together — For decades I've placed only one condition on my volunteer work: Don't ask me to do fundraising. I'll write speeches and brochure text, bake cupcakes, dust, repair, and shelve books, hang crepe paper from the ceiling, correct geography tests, hand out pamphlets — whatever you need.
Tim B. / Tim Blair:
LITTLE REDS BOOKED — Molly Ivins and James Carville lied to the American people! Well, not really, but they did repeat information that was later shown to be false—which is the same thing, if you're one of them Bush-hatin' folks, yessir (must ... stop ... channelling ... Ivins).
