Morning Whip, Jan. 2, 2010

I surf the web, so you don’t have to!

Travel:
Captain Underpants and the Illusion of Security [*1] — “Here is what any moron can see as plain as day: our $40 billion dollar post-9/11 airline security net is a total joke – a White Elephant of epic (and potentially tragic) proportions.”
Armed TSA Agents Threaten Travel Journalist [*2]
TSA drops subpoenas issued to bloggers who published security directive (UPDATED) [*3]
Carl’s Cruise Capers and Travel Tips [*4] has new posts up!
Top 10 Ways to Stay Healthy on a Cruise [*5]
Airport pat-downs often ineffective security stop [*6] — I think you can make that “Airport security often ineffective,” actually . . .

2009/the 2000’s In Review, and year-end lists:
Best of the year – the Boob Czar [*7]
A New Year’s resolution: Don’t accept US decline [*8]
A welcome report from the Chief Justice [*9] — a very small pat on the head for the country’s head judge . . .

On explaining and defending human freedom and liberty:
Comes the Revolution… [*10]
Six Straight Weeks at #1 for Going Rogue on the NY Times Best-Seller List for Hardcover Non-Fiction [*11]

On spotlighting and deconstructing (and occasionally ridiculing) Liberty’s enemies:
“I hope he dies.” [*12] — “The people calling for Rush Limbaugh to die are the same people who ask to control your healthcare.”
Come Back With a Warrant doormat [*13]
Executive Order: International Police Granted Full Immunity in US and Not Subject to FOIA Requests [*14]
A question that should have been answered correctly [*15] — “The problems for Erroll Southers — Obama’s nominee to head the Transportation Secruity Administration — aren’t confined to his unwillingness to answer in clear fashion the question of whether he would support collective bargaining for TSA workers. The Washington Post reports that Southers did not testify truthfully to Congress about his past misconduct as an FBI agent.”
2009: The Year the Pretense Died? [*16]
“Citizen Power” [*17]
Tom Hayden: “It’s time to strip the Obama sticker off my car.” [*18]
Rush Is Fine [*19] — and many collectivists are unhappy about that, I’m sure . . .
The Two Wings Of The Party [*20] — “The two wings of the Democrat Party are the Crooks and the Communists . . .”
Health Care and Our Inalienable Rights [*21]
Ironic Quote Of The Day [*22]
The Cornhusker Concussive [*23]

Foreign affairs and National Defense:
Into Thine Hand I Commit My Spirit [*24] — “Only during such times are strong men and women of greatest importance. At all other times we have Hollywood.”
China Sends Armored Vehicles to Iran to Fight Freedom Protesters [*25]
Hundreds of cars torched in France at New Year [*26]
Thousands in new year Hong Kong march for democracy [*27]
Starting the New Year with a Bang [*28]
Dad’s Advice [*29]
Pop Quiz Mr. President: Why Did You Fail? [*30]
Obama ties failed plane attack to al Qaeda [*31]

“Global warming” aka “Climate change” — or should that be “Climate Reform?”:
It Didn’t Start With Climategate [*32] — “. . .the Kyoto protocol was based on fictitious science, exaggerated or fabricated outright for political purposes. . .”
Record cold weather roundup – hundreds of new cold and snow records set in the last week [*33]
The Met Office getting a clue? – “one of the coldest winter in 100 years” [*34]

The Economy:
What Americans might face next: inflation [*35]
As college costs rise, loans become harder to get [*36]
Economic Rebound? What Economic Rebound? [*37]

Health care “change” (called by some “reform”):
Self-Inflicted Health Care Costs [*38]
“VIP” Treatment Under Nationalized Health Care [*39] — “National health care works great… so long as you’re rich enough to afford the premium level of government insurance and to buy multiple additional private policies; so long as you have influential relatives; and so long as you’re willing and able to brazenly bribe the doctors and bureaucrats who run the system.”

Miscellany:
Rush’s Press Conference from Hawaii [*40] (video at link) — Cliff notes: he’s fine.
Fox, Time Warner Cable announce broadcast deal [*41]

SF and Writing:
Goodbye, Doctor Who: David Tennant’s exit interview [*42]
Ways to Trash Your Writing Career: The Wall of Books [*43]
I Have Seen The Future—and It Ain’t Got a Lot of Dead Trees in It [*44]
Top 50 SF Signal Posts for 2009 [*45]

Science, technology, and space:
AT&T Tells FCC It’s Time to Cut the Cord [*46]

Sports:
4 Tenn. basketball players facing gun charges [*47]
UMKC begins important league stretch [*48]