Current Affairs

Now, this is really interesting. The debate about poverty in general and "homelessness" in particular is usually between liberals who say we have to show compassion for those less fortunate and conservatives who say we have to be careful not to make economic deprivation so comfortable that people don't seek to escape from it. But in this case, it is the advocates for the homeless who are taking the tough-love approach:

I ask you, ladies, is this nerdy looking guy the type you get all hot over? Maybe Kissinger was right, and power is the ultimate aphrodisiac, because he surely does seem to do OK in the romance department.

I hope Dutch and Maggie don't see this. They're sensitive creatures, and discovering they're not adored could send them into a funk for a week:

Clearly, there are dog people and there are cat people. But it's not much of a contest: 74 percent of people like dogs a lot, and only 41 percent like cats a lot.

We should all apologize to Janet Napolitano -- our anti-terrorism efforts are still working!

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Fourteen suspected terrorists died Tuesday night when the bus they rigged with explosives blew up prematurely, police said.

Whoever said it is better to be lucky than good could have been talking about our homeland security, yes?

As a good free-market capitalist, I support the right of businesses to advertise however they want to, wherever they can. But I do get a little tired of being constantly prodded to Buy this! and Try that! and Save! Save! Save! and Check out this bargain! every minute of every day no matter where I go or what I do.

We've all heard about parents who try to ease their children into alcohol by supervising their parties and monitoring their drinking. Somebody usually tries to make the argument for that practice by pointing out that in France, after all, kids even drink wine at the dinner table. But a story like this is so creepy that it knocks all the props out from under that position:

What's that you say? You don't think this country is as sharply divided as all the pundits and politicians say?

Pretty silly:

Indiana and Indianapolis leaders are urging people to make New Year's resolutions this year that will help them get on solid financial ground.

Secretary of State Todd Rokita, State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, Indianapolis officials and financial experts are urging residents to develop "financial fitness" goals for 2010. Officials say a financial fair Tuesday in Indianapolis will help people set up their resolutions and find ways to make them happen.

It's the time of year when editors play the game of looking back and naming the top stories of the year. Which would you choose?

Roman Polanski, who drugged and raped a 13-year-old girl, in a letter to the "French intellectual" Bernard-Henri Lévy, is expressing his "overwhelming" graditude for all the messages of sympathy he has received "from across the world":