Current events

Sorry I can't join you for that Mayan Apocalypse thingy on Friday. My ride is here:

Fewer Santas at the mall these days. No, not because of the War on Christmas. It's all about demographics:

“We are a destination shopping center (versus a mall) that caters specifically to those who work and live in Mission Valley,” Lisa Gualco, general manager for Hazard Center, said in an email. “As such, we want to keep their shopping experience quick, efficient and convenient throughout the holiday season.”

As we start taking in all those end-of-year assessments, we're likely to feel a little gloomy, because the analysts and prognosticators tend to be a pessimistic lot. As an antidode:

When the president speaks people listen -- two graduation speakers at Indiana State University catch the "You didn't build that" fever:

A federal judge and a newly minted nurse reminded Indiana State University graduates Saturday they didn't get where they are - and won't get where they're going - entirely on their own.

Yes, we all saw this coming from a mile away, but that doesn't make it any less depressing:

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has offered to raise the top tax rate for earners making more than $1 million, a source told the Associated Press.

Everybody's going to have an opinion about the Connecticut shooting horror. FWIW, here's my two cents in the editorial I wrote for today's paper. It isn't meant to offer solutions, just the place where the conversation should start:

There are two things we desperately need to talk about – the availability of guns and the failures of our mental health systems. We can't seem to talk seriously about either one, but for different reasons.

Interesting:

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is calling for over-the-counter contraceptive sales, arguing that such a move would take a potent political issue away from Democrats.

Man, this score is so lopsided even "blowout" doesn't do it justice:

INDIANAPOLIS - The athletic department at Bloomington South High School is defending a controversial 107-2 win by its girls basketball team.

The win came Tuesday night over Arlington High School in Indianapolis, whose only points of the game came from free throws.

Getting really, really, really tired of the metaphor:

Here's why many are optimistic that a brief fall over the cliff wouldn't derail the economic recovery:

For the last time, there is no such thing as a "brief fall over the cliff." You fall over a cliff, you hit bottom -- there's no turning back.

Is anybody really shocked by this?