memeorandum: The Peaceful Crusader — AMID all the useless bloodshed … (Thomas Cahill/New York Times)

4:35 PM ET, December 25, 2006

Top Items:

Legendary Singer James Brown Dies at 73 — James Brown, the dynamic, pompadoured "Godfather of Soul," whose rasping vocals and revolutionary rhythms made him a founder of rap, funk and disco as well, died early Monday, his agent said. He was 73. — Brown was hospitalized with pneumonia …

Discussion: All Spin Zone, The Huffington Post, The Heretik, Don Surber, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Reason Magazine and The Moderate Voice

Associated Press:

'Disco is James Brown, hip-hop is James Brown, rap is James Brown' — He triumphed despite an often unhappy personal life. Brown, who lived in Beech Island near the Georgia line, spent more than two years in a South Carolina prison for aggravated assault and failing to stop for a police officer.

Discussion: protein wisdom and LA Observed

Harry R. Weber / Associated Press:

Legendary Singer James Brown Dies at 73 — ATLANTA — James Brown, the undeniable "Godfather of Soul," told friends from his hospital bed that he was looking forward to performing on New Year's Eve, even though he was ill with pneumonia. His heart gave out a few hours later, on Christmas morning.

Discussion: Firedoglake and The Democratic Daily

Thomas Cahill / New York Times:

The Peaceful Crusader — AMID all the useless bloodshed of the Crusades, there is one story that suggests an extended clash of civilizations between Islam and the West was not preordained. It concerns the early 13th-century friar Francis of Assisi, who joined the Fifth Crusade not as a warrior but as a peacemaker.

Discussion: The Democratic Daily and The Heretik

Barbara O'Brien / Crooks and Liars:

Happy Holy Day — Good morning! I am guest blogging here this week so that some of the regular crew can get a break. It's the least a Buddhist can do. — Today is the observance of the annual cease fire on the war on Christmas. In celebration, people wallow waist deep in shredded gift wrap and prepare the armistice feast.

Jeffrey Gettleman / New York Times:

Ethiopia Hits Somali Targets, Declaring War — Ethiopia officially plunged into war with Somalia's Islamist forces on Sunday, bombing targets inside Somalia and pushing ground troops deep into Somali territory in a major escalation that could turn Somalia's internal crisis into a violent religious conflict …

Discussion: A Blog For All, The Moderate Voice and Donklephant

Greg Miller / Los Angeles Times:

Alarming 9/11 claim is found baseless — A military analysts' chart did not identify hijackers beforehand, senators report. — WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence Committee has rejected as untrue one of the most disturbing claims about the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes …

Discussion: Political Animal and Mia Culpa

Sam Harris / Los Angeles Times:

10 myths — and 10 truths — about atheism — SEVERAL POLLS indicate that the term "atheism" has acquired such an extraordinary stigma in the United States that being an atheist is now a perfect impediment to a career in politics (in a way that being black, Muslim or homosexual is not).

Discussion: Booman Tribune, The World Wide Rant, Verum Serum, Liberal Values and digg

neo-neocon:

'Twas the Blogger's Night Before Christmas — 'TWAS THE BLOGGER'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS — 'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the 'sphere — Bloggers were glad to see Christmas draw near. — Their PCs were turned off and all put away — The bloggers were swearing to take off the day.

Nasser Karimi / Associated Press:

Iran Rebuffs U.N., Vows to Speed Up Uranium Enrichment — Iran vowed Sunday to press ahead with uranium enrichment despite U.N. economic sanctions aimed at forcing a rollback in its nuclear program, and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned that the penalties would hurt the West more than his country.

Discussion: The Moderate Voice

Agence France Presse:
Iran to install 3,000 centrifuges from today after sanctions

Discussion: Larisa Alexandrovna's …

Associated Press:

Italy Makes Arrest in Spy's Poisoning — ROME (AP) — An Italian who met with an ex-KGB agent the day the Russian fell fatally ill from radiation poisoning was arrested on Sunday, the man's father said. — The accusations against Mario Scaramella — international arms trafficking and slander …

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Jeff Jacoby / Boston Globe:

Climate of fear — BACK IN 1961, Rod Serling set an episode of "The Twilight Zone" in New York City at a time of uncontrolled global warming. Somehow the Earth's orbit had shifted, and the planet was moving inexorably toward the sun. "This is the eve of the end," Serling intoned in his introduction.

Discussion: Cafe Hayek and THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS

Sheila / The Sheila Variations:

CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE MORNING - BY PEARL S. BUCK — (Amazon link to beautiful illustrated copy of this story) — Christmas Day in the Morning - by Pearl S. Buck — He waked suddenly and completely. It was four o'clock, the hour at which his father had always called him to get up and help with the milking.