Merry Post-Christmas! Happy Pre-New Year! I hope your holidays are being wonderful. Mine are — in large part thanks to you.

• So in the belated Christmas cheer department … Serious side: Teenager Jeremy Marks, one of the most cosmically abused victims of the “don’t you dare photograph police, you scrofulous peasants” scam, was bailed out by a good Samaritan in time to spend Christmas with his family. The generous Google engineer who got him out of jail also contributed some extra money toward a Merry Christmas. Silly side: Here’s the most ghastly Christmas special of all time. I doubt there’s a human being alive (and not on some seriously mind-altering substance) who could sit through its entire two-hour length. But even if you just watch the opening and a few snippets, it’ll probably stick in your mind for the rest of your days. Um … might want to keep that in mind before you take so much as a peek at it.
• No surprise: Those “safe” porno-scanners aren’t subject to any safety inspections. Or standards. And the DHS has been … the no-surprise continues … lying through its black and crooked teeth about the alleged certifications.
• More on a Googler — actually a former Googler — doing good. For privacy this time.
• I don’t get it . Why was this young man arrested? Isn’t that the way passengers are supposed to be treated these days? Oh. Wait. I see. It’s another case of “government hates the competition.”
• Another fabulous short video via LewRockwell.com. This one is — truly, truly — “for the children.” I’ve watched it half a dozen times. Can’t get enough of it.
• While back, when I asked for ideas on what to do with defunct and crumbling stove pellets, Keith from North Idaho suggested making fire starters out of them. At the time I wasn’t inclined to do that, but when I realized how expensive those puppies have become, I changed my mind. Some of the ex-pellets will be put to other uses. But upon Googling (actually StartPaging for greater privacy), I discovered that fire starters are super-easy to make, and can be created out of all manner of materials … old crayons and candles, for instance, mixed with dryer lint or sawdust. More here and here and here.

Over this laid-back weekend I’ve been feasting on dried apricots, watching DVDs, reading, and treating the pups to sessions with their brand-new dog toys — among other things. One book I’m reading is better than I anticipated: Running the Books: The Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian is a memoir by Avi Steinberg, a rootless young man who stumbled into a job in a Boston prison. His account is funny, heartbreaking, scary, well-written, and above all an insightful glimpse into prison life and culture. I can see why this one’s getting a lot of attention.

Next up on my reading list: The Annotated Alice: The Definitive Edition (thank you, D&K!). I read an earlier, less comprehensive, version years ago. Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass have looked better ever since. Can’t wait to delve into this expanded and beautifully crafted volume.

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