• How the right addressed Abu Ghraib: "Five Stages of Evasion: Buck-passing, Subject-changing, Gore-bashing, Pooh-poohing, and (premature) Bad-appling." [Reason]

• low culture on Colin Powell doing the honors at Times Square on New Year's Eve: "Well, He Does Have Experience 'Dropping the Ball.'" [low culture]

• Pentagon to produce own television channel, eliminating "middleman," "reporting." [WT via Campaign Desk]

• Math is hard, Social Security reform is harder: San Diego man compares SS return to Dow Jones Industrial Average over 45 years and "Social Security investment won out: $261,372 versus $255,499." [CSM]

• We are so busted: "ATTN. Wonkette fans: you are being duped." [Shock and Blog]