The Morning Blog

Obama's War, Day....what is it? 9? Good news for the rebels: They've managed to retake the strategic city of Ajdabiya after pro-Qaddafi forces were hit with substantial Allied air strikes. The article describes a trail of clothing as government fighters shed their equipment and weapons during their retreat in order to avoid being further targeted. And we finally know who will be taking over this thing as early as mid-week! It's a perfectly obvious decision: We'll give it to the Canadians. Hopefully they'll come up with a better name than "Odyssey Dawn" which still sounds to me like a 70's porn star. Perhaps in keeping with that theme, they could call it "Maple Beaver"?

A look at Tunisian revolutionary street art.

There are so many interesting elements in this story about a proposed theme park in Tennessee to be built by the Big International Group of Entertainment (their actual name). This quote is a good start:

People had a few questions: Who was this man? What was his background? Where was he getting the money for all this? What happened to his front teeth? (They were recently lost, he explained to reporters, to a crispy chicken wing at Hooters.)

I should note that Michael Jackson also has a role in this story. Something to do with a unicorn movie. Oh, and there's child pornography, just to keep things interesting. And as a fake Nigerian king. Seriously. Read it.

2012 Watch: In awful news for Republicans and the country in general, social conservatives seem to be making a comeback as the Iowa caucus approaches. Lovely. I have no doubt that we can expect at least one candidate to promise to pray away the budget deficit. Andrew Sullivan looks at some of the pandering here.

Speaking of 2012: I seriously doubt that we have to worry about a Palin campaign.

This is a pretty awesome local charity: The City of Asylum. Here's hoping they manage to bring in more riff-raff!

A history of giving the world the finger(s).

The Simpsons of Santiago.

Mike Bait: SCIENCE explains the doorknobs.

Lions and tigers and bears oh my!

I was going to say something snarky about pizza possibly receiving Unesco protection as a piece of humanities "intangible cultural heritage" but...By God, pizza is awfully good...

Oh, this sounds like fun: The Gitan Pilgrimage. Sadly though, it appears as though the festival might not last forever. Between the killjoys at the National Front and American evangelicals, its time might be up. So plan a trip! Right now! Go party with the Gypsies while you still can!

Kacee Bait: Sigh...Looks like I'm just going to have to accept this. It's official: The OED has legitimized OMG.

Britain's bit of bother.

The Telegraph provides a list of 50 Books you should not read before you die. I have to agree with their estimation of "The Da Vinci Code":

Useful only as a shorthand to know whom to avoid on the Tube.