I don't get out to see very many movies. I don't have very good tastes in them, and I have trouble understanding a lot of them. My favorite is The Naked Gun 2½, followed closely by Terminator 2. But trust my recommendation just this once, and go see "Sideways", if you haven't already. Please. No need to read any reviews (they're all positive anyway). Just go and enjoy it.

In other news, we had a very nice Christmas dinner with our Egyptian relatives. At one point a spontaneous carol broke out with the following, modified, lyrics:

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Palestine

Over on the sidebar to the right I've added a blogroll containing links to sites that I visit fairly regularly and in many cases several times a day. There's something for everyone, but I'd encourge you to check out as many of the sites as you can. My favorite of all of them is probably Kevin Drum's blog; It's interesting, honest, liberal, and influential. For well written conservative blogs that argue in good faith, take a look at Professor Bainbridge and Tacitus. Interested in hard-hitting investigative reporting (i.e. dirt digging) by a liberal? Go to Josh Marshall's blog. Want political gossip in an on-again, off-again relationship with the truth? Then Drudge is the site for you. Biting sarcasm? Try Fafblog. Academic material? Crooked Timber.

I could go on. And on. But I'll let you form your own opinions by yourself. Happy Blogreading!

Many of you may recall the remarks made by incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on the possibility of a Clarence Thomas Supreme Court: "I think that he has been an embarrassment to the Supreme Court. I think that his opinions are poorly written. I just don't think that he's done a good job as a Supreme Court justice." Reid went on to say that he would be willing to support the chief justice nomination of Antonin Scalia, whom he considers to be "one smart guy". Reid's sentiments about the quality of Thomas's opinions have been echoed by every lawyer I know.

Now Mychal Massie, speaking in a press release for the preeminent black conservative leadership network Project 21, has this to say about Reid's comments:

"I consider Senator Reid's comments against Justice Thomas to be among the boldest and most unambiguously racist public attacks since the day when lynchings were commonplace and Orval Faubus and Bull Connor openly used their political power to keep blacks down."

Unambiguously racist? Please. If Clarence Thomas' opinions are not chief justice material - and by nearly all accounts they are not - then there should be nothing wrong with saying so. Promoting a culture of fear in which individual blacks cannot be criticized does nothing to help race relations and, in my opinion, has the opposite effect.