Geeze. Asinine viral Things To Do (aka "spam" or "memes" or whatever) have been around since e-mail was invented, and existed as snail mail before that. What amazes me is that the mainstream media -- including salon.com -- seems to have pounced on one of the more interesting ones.

25 Random Things About Me (in variant titles) is -- or can be -- random and interesting, even about people I know fairly well. It's voluntary and fun for both writer and reader. If you want to say something personal, you do. If you want to flip everyone the bird, you do.

For the record, my 25 Random Things is at http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=46646436029 , and I'm so vastly amused at the publicity that I did 25 MORE Random Things at http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=50061486029 .

And then came here to comment on an article I think is a bigger waste of time than Facebook. Hmm... maybe I'm the one that needs a life...

Talon News is a satire site nowadays, but they can tell when they're name is in the papers.

http://www.talonnews.com/

Specifically, http://www.talonnews.com/news/2009/february/0212_no_homers.shtml , Almost No Current TALONNEWS Reporters Are Hookers

Why is it that, Glann Greenwald aside, it seems that the only truth is spoken by people trying to make you laugh?

A conservative is someone who hasn't figured out that they've lost.

A liberal is someone who hasn't figured out that they've won.

Obama's living in a "post-partisan" world, or trying to. The problem is that the far right is all set up to live in an extremely partisan world where other Americans are the enemy. There is no equivalent on the left of Fox "News", Rush Limbaugh, Karl Rove, etc. While I don't urge liberals to sink to the level of conservatives, you must acknowledge that some people are simply not ever going to be reasonable.

Obama and his supporters need to remind everyone that We Are The Change. Less "reach across the aisle" and more "let them join us". If that means harping on the failures of the past so we avoid repeating them, then so be it.

It's only been a few weeks. Obama's done pretty well, overall. Still, I keep getting the impression that he's giving Congress a honeymoon, not the other way around. Time to move forward, even if that means leaving a few partisans in the dust.

Without lobbyists, who would tell Congresscritters how to vote? They don't pay much attention to their constituents (who often don't understand technical details on issues such as coal or the economy) and they don't know enough about everything to make a knowledgeable vote on all the issues that are in every bill.

Brooks is saying that Lobbyists are "experts" in that they concentrate on one (or a few) issues, and he is correct. He is also correct that there are good lobbyists and sleazy ones. As you say, Glenn, he just accepts them as The Way Things Work in Washington.

The alternative, for Congress, would be to vote the way their leaders want them to. That puts a lot of power in a few hands. It's also why the GOP lauded Gingrich and Frist and come down so hard on Pelosi and Reid: Discipline is a virtue on the right but unamerican for the left.

In days of yore, we had the boys in the back room, smoking up a storm. Unelected power brokers operating in secret, directing how campaigns were run and how laws were passed. The major (if not only) advantage to the current system of ex-Congresss members and corporate shills becoming lobbyists is that the system has a degree of transparency.

When Brooks and co. just accept the system, the needed transparency disappears. Passing complicated laws becomes a matter of political maneuvering and the real battle of moneyed interests fades too far into the background.

In the campaign, the GOP mercilessly hammered Obama (and the Democrats) as not being ready to lead in times of war. Fortunately, the charge didn't stick, or was outweighed by other considerations. It wasn't true. Indeed, Bush and the Republicans did a terrible job before, during and after 9/11 and in running two wars.

Still, I think it hurt, on a personal level. Obama kept Bush's Secretary of Defense, signaling that he would continue at least some major aspects of Bush's failed wars. I'm not surprised that he's keeping some major aspects of Bush's failed anti-terrorism tactics. I'm disappointed, but not surprised.

Still, Obama has made major changes in the right direction. And, I remind those on the left as well as those on the right, it's only been a few weeks. I gave Bush much longer before I was officially disenchanted with someone I didn't vote for. I'll give Obama a little more time before I declare that he's sunk to Bush/Cheney levels.