Odds and Ends

As of this morning, I am officially done with my Christmas shopping! Here's the news...

The international climate change talks in Bali this past week resulted in 'compromise' agreements between the participating countries, which is probably code for half-measures that won't address the core problems.

It's endorsement season, as candidates prepare to enjoy the holidays with family stalk Iowans. And look here, Sen. Joe Lieberman (of the Connecticut for Lieberman party) has endorsed fellow war-cheerleader John McCain. Voters of Connecticut, feeling duped yet?

Refrain from New Jersey jokes for at least a week or so... they just signed into law the first ban on the death penalty in over four decades. Kudos.

Late-night shows to come back in January despite the strike? Possibly.

A new report reveals that the army doesn't enforce Don't Ask, Don't Tell as strictly these days (they need all the soldiers they can keep). As Andrew Sullivan notes, this shows that "The anti-gay policy is in fact a peace-time luxury, designed to perpetuate and legitimize bigotry - not to ensure effective defense."

Finally, news from around the world... Turkish troops enter northern Iraq to pursue Kurdish rebels; Israel launches an assault in Gaza; Putin prepares to go from President to Prime Minister in Russia; the U.N. condemns last week's terror attacks in Algiers; there are a lot of people in China; and in Cuba, Castro acknowledges he'll eventually be gone.