Well, last night didn't go quite as planned. Instead of setting up stuff to sell, we spent the entire night wrapping Christmas gifts. I guess it had to be done, but it's a job I hate; for one thing, it seems such a waste of time/money/resources, but mostly because I suck at it.

Anyway, I haven't provided a lot of reading material lately, so I'll try to make up for it today.

Obviously, the biggest news since Watergate broke is that our Beloved Leader has been spying on us. Nixon resigned for spying on political enemies for a very specific purpose (fear of an October Surprise during the presidential election). Emperor Bush has been caught in what amounts to a generic fishing expedition on the entire population of the United States. Not that any of this makes him different from any president we have had since Nixon, but claiming that what he did is OK because such leading lights of morality like Clinton, Carter, and Nixon did it also is not helping my cynicism. In any case, many others have covered this from various angles far better than I ever could, so read up on it here, here, and here.

More from KipEsquire on the death of probable cause, "air" marshals on trains and buses, and The War on Sniffles.

If that isn't enough reading to keep you busy, then you are more in need of a life than even I am.