Sarah Deming has a longish column “Against Mixology,” decrying both the use of that title by barkeeps and, more importantly, the snootiness which often attends those who do.

Could Congress limit abortion via an onerous tax?

Tonight’s topics: the Republican effort to run out the clock on the 111th Congress, various reform proposals that are floating around, and goodness knows what else.

WikiLeaker Bradley Manning has been held “under conditions that constitute cruel and inhumane treatment and, by the standards of many nations, even torture” for seven months and counting.

Dear New York Times: Your tireless efforts to make me stop reading you are having the desired effect.

Santa Claus and Osama bin Laden both rely on the power of belief.

Did you know that the iPhone is made in China for a mere $6.50? It’s false but true!

The most walkable cities in America are also the most successful.

One has to love the Telegraph headline “Drone kills white al-Qaeda pair in Pakistan mountains.”

Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News is a must-read for NFL fans, always offering sharp insights into the game garnered over decades of experience. But, like anyone else, he can develop silly theories from anecdotal evidence.

Are Marco Rubio, Haley Barbour, and Mike Huckabee the favorites to win the White House?

While the amount of wealth controlled by the top 1% is at record highs, real inequality is smaller than ever.

Marine Commandant James Amos is going all-out to keep gay Marines in the closet, saying allowing them to serve openly could get men killed.

Silver tequila is being marketed as an upscale super premium when, in fact, it’s the lowest form of tequila.

Hinckley, California — the town that Erin Brockovich made famous — has slightly less cancer than we’d expect.

Complaints from Rush Limbaugh tthat the ACLU is ignoring the intrusions into America’s civil liberties by the TSA are completely unfounded.

There are milestones in life that show how old you are.

Joe Miller lost the Alaska Senate election by more than 10,000 votes but he’s still fighting.

Is Congress too small and unequal to do its job?

The archaic practice of calling one’s seniors by titles rather than their first name is actually quite useful.

The Atlantic made a $1.8 million profit, mostly from Andrew Sullivan’s blog.

John Boehner’s whining about being called a “hostage taker” by President Obama is reminiscent of Newt Gingrich’s whining about being “snubbed” on Air Force One.

A new study seems to show that student evaluations of teachers are something other than a popularity contest.

Is the West’s string of luck about to end?

Have credit cards and ATMs eliminated the value of large currency zones?

Here’s the trailer for Marvel Studios’ “Thor.”

If the Soviets had put Jews into gas chambers, it would have been a pity.

Peter Orszag, President Obama’s first budget director, is headed to Citigroup and a multimillion dollar salary.

Joe Ratzinger, the future pope, lobbied hard against Turkey’s membership in the EU.

Humorist David Sedaris says that he can get $500 a night in his tip jar “for candy” but the same people would probably give a beggar outside 75 cents.

Several smart center-left commentators argue that President Obama is not triangulating. At least one argues there’s no such thing.

Statue of Liberty goes through airport scanner.

Why not just give poor people money rather than start up big charities?

Opt out of Tynt’s clipboard hijacking.

“If you can’t afford to hire a bartender, you shouldn’t be having a party.” That’s the mantra of New York hipsters.

Democrats can’t stop using the F-word when talking about President Obama.

Republicans have blocked a bill that would have helped rescue workers who became sick helping others at Ground Zero.

Americans who think our politics couldn’t get more polarized need only look across the Pond, where our European cousins have been routinely dealing with rioting in the streets over measures to rein in unsustainable social programs.

Will you age slower if you exercise, eat well? A study conducted by German researchers says Yes. But maybe it just seems like you’re aging slower?

Gerard Van der Leun passes on a professorial rant entitled “Why You Got A ‘C'” that’s likely to be amusing primarily to those who have taught undergraduates.

Given that Batman has quasi-official sanction from the Gotham Police, aren’t his tactics illegal?

Senate Democrats cancel vote on DREAM Act, meaning the immigration measure is likely dead for the year.

Gustavus Adolphus College librarian Barbara Fister explains why she loves getting rid of books.

Don Surber imagines this edition of “Hardball.”