• There are two schools of getting babies to sleep: the Ayn Rand “let them cry to their hearts’ content” doctrine and subscribing to the soothing touchy-feely Oprah approach. As it turns out, both schools are correct. So it seems when it comes to babies at least, conservatives and liberals can find a common ground. Of course, since many politicians are enfants terrible, at least when judged against the manner the average population works, it remains to be seen whether the approaching session of Congress will come to similar accord in other matters. (via Amardeep Singh)
• Michael Richards, Andy Dick, and now Rosie O’Donnell. I’m wondering what’s more offensive: the lousy attempts at humor or the political correctness that demands incessant apologies.
• Slow news day? Okay. World’s tallest man saves dolphin. So long and thanks for all the inch. (via The Beat)
• Taking pages from the Bookslut and Edrants playbook, Bookburger lists the best and worst book covers of 2006.
• Jenny D has a delightful 2006 books list.
• Over at The Washington Post, Richard Ford participated in an online chat. Even Ford fanboy Tod Goldberg gets name-checked. But I liked Ford’s answer to the wholly ridiculous question “Why do you write?” (via The Millions)
• Who knew that science fiction was all about whether or not the reader is an attractive woman? Apparently, an assclown named Razib, perhaps pining for the gender gap so prominent during the Eisenhower administration, was shocked (shocked!) that “a very attractive hostess” in a wine bar had read Hyperion and Snow Crash. If we are to use the terms of Razib’s argument, one must then ask why a brown-skinned man like Razib was doing in a wine bar, clearly the exclusive province of Caucasians! I know this, because Ann Coulter told me that racist antebellum times represented “a chivalric, honor-based culture that was driven down by the brute force of crass Yankee capitalism.” I therefore must believe her when she says that this is so! And we all know that the Confederacy meant rewarding the true winner: the glorious white male! So what business does Razib have drinking wine among the elite? It lacks honor and chivalry and respect for the white man. I’m shocked (shocked!) that any brown-skinned man would be doing this. Am I a freak to think this is freaky? I haven’t had a sip of wine, so it isn’t the alcohol. Guess it has to be my specious and outdated logic! (via Gwenda)

[UPDATE: Razib, lacking any sense of irony, has responded, calling me a “white racist” and adding, “I suppose Ed’s point was that stereotyping is pernicious, but I would contend that inaccurate stereotyping is especially pernicious, and I can’t believe that the snippet above reflects anything but rhetoric.” I figured the Ann Coulter reference would say it all, but Razib clearly hasn’t considered that I was actually satirizing inaccurate stereotyping: the same inaccurate stereotyping that Razib himself is guilty of.]