We love the troops; but it's a toug (7 links)
protein wisdom
From Jim Geraghty at TKS (via Allah):Reaction at the liberal blog, The Left Coaster, to the latest message from al-Qaedas number two, Ayman al-Zawahiri:
I have to admit it is fun to see Al Qaeda play Bush like a violin.
Revealing.Le
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Carnival of Cordite #42 (7 links)
Resistance is futile!
Welcome back and Happy New Year! We had a very eventful holiday, what with law school final exams, Christmas travel, and, oh yeah, GETTING MARRIED! I hope you all had as good a vacation as we had. Before we begin,...
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Anyone can buy a list of your incoming a (9 links)
AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth
And the best part? Congress and the Executive branch have known about this problem for half a year or more and no one did a damn thing to fix it.
In a nutshell, the Chicago Sun-Times ran a story two days

More Town Hall (7 links)
Mudville Gazette
Via Michelle Malkin, another revealing moment from the "Town Hall Meeting" featuring congressmen Moran and Murtha. Just before the end of the meeting, Vietnam veteran General Louis C. Wagner spoke on behalf of a friend who had been ignored
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Call for Volunteers: Frontline Forum (7 links)
Michael Yon : Online Magazine
Retired Military Persons Needed
The difference a year can make is staggering. One year ago, the gap between the ground reports from Iraq from military friends prompted my travel to Iraq to see for myself j
    related topic: iraq   
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VIDEO: ANOTHER VET TELLS OFF MURTHA/MORA (8 links)
Michelle Malkin
Sgt. Mark Seavey was outnumbered, but not alone at the moonbat townhall hosted by Reps. Jim Moran and John Murtha last week. Near the end of the marathon session, a Vietnam veteran, Gene
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They'll Be OK if No One Reads the Report (7 links)
Power Line
Yesterday the Congressional Research Service released a report that purported to be a bipartisan analysis of the legal issues raised...
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VIDEO: A VETERAN TELLS OFF MURTHA/MORAN (15 links)
Michelle Malkin
This. Is. Priceless.
As I noted in the post just below, Sgt. Mark Seavey confronted Democrat Reps. Jim Moran and John Murtha at a town hall meeting in Arlington, Va., earlier thi
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SADDAM'S TERROR TRAINING CAMPS (11 links)
Michelle Malkin
“Iraq was not a breeding ground for terrorism. Our invasion has made it one.�--Sen. Ted Kennedy
"Iraq was not a terrorist haven before the invasion."--
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Murtha vs the Army (7 links)
Mudville Gazette
The Army has been meeting it's recruiting goals for several months. This must be deeply disturbing to Congressman John Murtha - he's now urging Americans to avoid military service:"Would you join (the military) today?," he was as
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Pray for Piper (7 links)
Between Two Worlds
On Thursday or Friday the Bethlehem Baptist Church family will receive a letter from John Piper explaining that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.The letter in its entirety is reprinted below. I know that he would ap
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Enough? My utility curve is flattening (8 links)
Jacqueline Mackie Paisley Passey
Economists use a logarithmic-shaped curve to describe the relationship between consumption and utility (happiness/satisfaction/etc.): Something Terrence said at dinner last night has got me thinking about that curve and my place on it. I've bou
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THE CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR "SPYING" BROUHAHA (7 links)
Michelle Malkin
Okay, here's the deal: Liberal blogs are buzzing over NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell's interview with NYTimes
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Let Me Help With This Non-Denial (7 links)
JustOneMinute
Was Christiane Amanpour spied upon? Andrea Mitchell asked James Risen the following question, which later disappeared from the NBC transcript: Mitchell: You don't have any information, for instance, that a very prominent journalist, Christiane

VW-Chrysler Minivan kommt 2008 (20 links)
Das AutoWeblog - Der ultimative Ratgeber zum mobilen Vergnügen - Drei Räder, zwei Sitzplätze, 125 PS
Die Produktion eines Volkswagen Minivan auf Basis der nächsten Generation der Chrysler- und Dodge-Minivans soll 2008 beginnen, berichtet auto motor und sport. VW beabsichtigt damit eine Produktlücke zu schließen, über die sich hauptsächlich die amer

Wandering around the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island in the Bahamas (9 links)
Jacqueline Mackie Paisley Passey
Terrence wanted to spend his day off before he begins playing in the tournament tomorrow just hanging out around the resort, so that's what we did. We began our day with lunch (we slept in too late for breakfast) at...
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The Times and the law (7 links)
Power Line
Since the New York Times published the Risen/Lichtblau NSA story on December 16, we have cited the federal law that...
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Friday Ark #68 (8 links)
Modulator
We'll post links to sites that have Friday (plus or minus a few days) photos of their chosen animals (photoshops at our discretion and humans only in supporting roles). Watch the Exception category for rocks, beer, coffee cups, and....? We will

Wandering around the Atlantis Resort on (8 links)
Jacqueline Mackie Paisley Passey
Terrence wanted to spend his day off before he begins playing in the tournament tomorrow just hanging out around the resort, so that's what we did. We began our day with lunch (we slept in too late for breakfast) at...
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Wal Mart site makes racist links (7 links)
THE NEWS BLOG

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So funktioniert ein Weblog (17 links)
Das CIO Weblog - Das CIO Weblog - Nur wenige CEO-Blogger schreiben selbst
Lehmanns Weblog hat ein schönes Schema zur Funktionsweise eines Weblogs veröffentlicht. Die Zeichnung stammt aus dem soeben erschienenen Buch von Arnold Picot und Tim Fischer “Weblogs professionell”....

Google Pack - der nächste Schritt zum Googleplex? (17 links)
Das CIO Weblog - Das CIO Weblog - Nur wenige CEO-Blogger schreiben selbst
Mit Spannung erwarten Beobachter die Ankündigungen von Google auf der Unterhaltungselektronikmesse CES in Las Vegas. So wird über ein kostenloses Softwarepaket namens "Google Pack" spekuliert, das neben Symantecs Norton Antivirus, den Acrobat-Reade

Christiane Amanpour Of CNN Spied Upon? (7 links)
JustOneMinute
Now what - NBC has a now you see it, now you don't transcript of a chat between Andrea Mitchell and NSA scooper James Risen that originally included this exchange (from John Aravosis):Mitchell: Do you have any information about reporters...

If you're looking for the latest & greatest bloggy goodness on Jack Abramoff's Icarus impression, be sure to check out the new Abramoff topic page...

King-George-gate: Myths v. Realities (9 links)
The Left Coaster
As most readers here know, the Shills for Republican-Dictators Coalition (SRDC) have been producing the expected voluminous stream of unmitigated lies in the form of talking points, in order to defend the illegal domestic spying program authorized b
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The Twenty Most Annoying Liberals In The United States: The 2005 Edition (8 links)
Right Wing News (Conservative News and Views)
Are you ready to see a list of the most annoying liberals for 2005? These lists only come once a...
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NSA Whistleblower Emerges (7 links)
JustOneMinute
Per Bill Gertz of the Wash Times, an NSA whistleblower wrote to Congress on Dec 16 with a story about electronic intelligence programs. Was it only a coincidence that the NY Times published their big scoop on that day? Who...

MR Political Roundup - 2006-01-04 (7 links)
Mere Rhetoric
First what we do know: First, Ariel Sharon's political career is over. He will not recover fully from this operation, but even a miracle will not allow him to either run for or to execute the duties of an office....

Attacking Bush's only weapon: Fear

by Glenn Green... (7 links)
Hullabaloo
Attacking Bush's only weapon: Fear
by Glenn Greenwald
Among those who now recognize that the Bush Administration has not just deliberately and repeatedly broken the la

Blaming Bush For The Sago Mine Tragedy (7 links)
The RCP Blog
The reflexive desire on the left to find some way of blaming President Bush for every God forsaken accident or tragedy on the planet reached a new low this week. Scott

Why Microsoft censorship in China matter (7 links)
RConversation
Seems like I have created a bit of a stir with my last post on Microsoft's censorship of MSN Spaces Chinese blogs. Lots of interesting trackbacks and comments there. Definitely worth a read-through. Sounds like Microsoft's Robert Scoble ma

A Pre-Post Mortem (7 links)
Vodkapundit - All the News That's Fit to Drink
There's never a good time to die, but Ariel Sharon's timing couldn't be worse. As I write this, I half...
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Blowing the whistle (7 links)
Power Line
Bill Gertz reports in today's Washington Times that former NSA official Russell Tice has asked to testify about allegedly illegal...
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60 DAYS FOR CHILD RAPE (11 links)
Michelle Malkin
A judge gives a child rapist a two-month sentence because he "no longer believes that punishment works": (Hat tip: Bill K.)
Burlington, Vermont -- January 4, 2005
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NBC changes official transcript of Andre (10 links)
AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth
Well this is getting interesting. NBC just delete two paragraphs from its Andrea Mitchell interview, the paragraphs that talked about whether Bush was wiretapping ace CNN correspondent Christiane Amanpour

Abramoff and al-Arian: Lobbyist's "Charity" a Fron... (7 links)
Informed Comment
Abramoff and al-Arian: Lobbyist's "Charity" a Front for TerrorismThe guilty plea of fabulously wealthy an

Will The Post Print This? (8 links)
Crazy Politico's Rantings
In yesterday's Washington Post, and editorial piece called "A Life Wasted" was printed, wri

DAVID LETTERMAN: MOONBAT? (8 links)
Michelle Malkin
Bill O'Reilly took on David Letterman last night. Advantage: O'Reilly. The Political Teen has video. Letterman recycled chickenhawk arguments, muttered "Honest to Christ!" wh
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David Letterman Defends Cindy Sheehan, Knocks Bush's Faulty Intelligence On WMDs (7 links)
Ace of Spades HQ
...while engaging in apologetics for Clinton's similarly faulty intelligence. More here, including link to a short video clip. Letterman: �See, I�m very concerned about people like yourself who don�t have nothing but endless sympathy for a woma
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Did Bush wiretap CNN's Christiane Amanpour? (7 links)
AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth
From NBC News:New York Times reporter James Risen first broke the story two weeks ago that the National Security Agency began spying on domestic communications soon after 9/11. In a new book out Tuesday, "S

Letterman to O'Reilly: "60% of (10 links)
Crooks and Liars
Letterman to O'Reilly: "60% of what you say is crap"
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What was that about Abramoff giving mone (7 links)
AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth
Here is the list of who Abramoff gave money to, per Michael Petrelis' research:$172,933 - Republican

Carnival of the Liberals #3 (7 links)
Science And Politics
Welcome all to the Third Carnival of the Liberals. While I have hosted more than a dozen carnivals before, this is the first one that is competitive. As much as I liked all entries I had to choose the T
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THE MINER TRAGEDY: WHAT WENT WRONG? (8 links)
Michelle Malkin
Editor and Publisher recounts the cruel media twists and turns last night as miners' families were led to believe their loved ones survived t
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Abramoff's Plea Deal Requires He Dr (7 links)
Ace of Spades HQ
Apparently his public relations consultant is Toth from Raiders of the Lost Ark. Just guessing: This won't be as damaging to the Republican Party as the New York Time so obviously desires, but it will be quite damaging indeed...
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Hardball's Chris Matthews, FOX's Tony Sn (9 links)
AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth
UPDATE: Not that it changes anything, but I'm told the event may have been postponed or canceled at the last minute since we invaded Iraq right about that time. Whether or not that's true, the fact still r
    related topic: iraq   

Bipartisan BS

The media is wo (7 links)
Hullabaloo
Bipartisan BS
by digby
The media is working hard to make this into a bi-partisan scandal but that is simple bullshit. Ed Henry on CNN, for instan

THE "A-BOMB" DETONATES (8 links)
Michelle Malkin
Via Breitbart/AP:
Lobbyist Jack Abramoff pleaded guilty Tuesday to federal charges of conspiracy, tax evasion and mail fraud, clearing the way for him to coop
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TRAGEDY IN TALLMANSVILLE (7 links)
Michelle Malkin

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GOP EXCLUSIVE!!! (8 links)
firedoglake
The airwaves are full of the obedient and the credulous this morning trying to tar the Democrats with Jack Abramoff's filthy lucre, so let's set the record straight for those too busy sucking down hairspr
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Snakes on a Plane?! (8 links)
Jacqueline Mackie Paisley Passey
Please tell me this is a hoax... that they're not really making a movie titled Snakes on a Plane... but IMDB wouldn't lie, would they? Oh, my... I am dumbstruck....
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Serious or Suicidal (8 links)
RealClearPolitics
When you are boating on the Niagara River, there are signs marking the point at which you must go ashore or else you will be sucked over the falls. With Iran moving toward the development of nuclear weapons, we are getting dangerously close to that

Corporate Podcasts - in Deutschland Mang (12 links)
Creative Weblogging - "Wir helfen Bloggern, erfolgreich zu sein." - LEARNTEC Weblog: Alles über Weit
Am 7. April 2006 will der eco Verband der deutschen Internetwirtschaft in München den "1. Deutschen Podcast Kongress" veranstalten. Auf dem Event im Königssaal der Bayerischen Staatsoper sollen unter anderem die Themen "Corporate Podcasting" und "T

Noch eine Definition von Web 2.0 (12 links)
Creative Weblogging - "Wir helfen Bloggern, erfolgreich zu sein." - LEARNTEC Weblog: Alles über Weit
Connected Web weist auf das (gedruckte) Lexikonheft der Süddeutschen Zeitung hin, in dem die neuesten Begriffe aus dem Jahr 2005 erklärt werden. Dort gibt es auch eine (weitere) Definition von Web 2.0: "Web 2.0, in Anlehnung an die Bezeichnung...

Abramoff Plea Deal Reached (9 links)
firedoglake
The NYTimes is reporting on the details of the Abramoff plea deal. According to Anne Kornblut, Abramoff will plead guilty to three counts in the DC phase of the investigation -- public corruption, fraud,
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Guilty (7 links)
Eschaton
Breaking news: Abramoff plea deal reached. Maximum sentence of 10 years, not to be determined until after he finishes cooperating. New news: he's been cooperating for over a year without a plea deal in place...

#110 Best of Me Symphony (7 links)
The Owner's Manual
Cynicism may not be the best way to deal with our national Niagara of lies, but good Lord man, it's all Owner's Manual has. Truth in a world of liars. I welcome our new president elect in a most...
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Liberal party using the Goodale's m (7 links)
Stephen Taylor - Conservative Party of Canada Pundit
Take a look at the following faxed pages. The faxes are from accounting firm Deloitte & Touche to the Ministry of Finance (Ralph Goodale's office). The faxes are to Mike Burton, a former ministerial staffer of Finance Minister Ralph Goodale
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FARRAKHAN WINS A PRIZE (7 links)
Michelle Malkin
Did you see who Black Entertainment Television viewers named 2005's Person of th
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So Much for the President's Assent to th (8 links)
Balkinization
The President signed the Defense Appropriations bill on Friday. In his signing statement he did at least two notable things.

CHUCK SCHUMER, ONE-ARMED PLUMBER (7 links)
Michelle Malkin
I had a "See, I told you so" moment yesterday morning watching Sen. Chuck Schumer on Fox News Sunday attempt to excuse the NYT/NSA leaks.
First, watch Schumer spin when Chris Wallace asks him about the DOJ criminal investigation into the
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Ten Amazing Predictions for 2006

1. Al-Qaeda's A... (7 links)
Informed Comment
Ten Amazing Predictions for 20061. Al-Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahiri, whom the Bush administration has failed to capture after all this time, and who was probably responsible for the July 7 bombings in the Lond

Happy New Year, everyone.

Mrs. Bear, Larry the Car Broker, a couple other friends and I rang in the New Year at the Orange County fairgrounds last night. Quite a fun event, actually: five stages with different bands playing throughout the night, including Violent Femmes, Sugar Ray, Joan Jett, Berlin, and a bunch of others. And not to be outdone by Times Square, midnight featured the "orange drop", which you can see occuring from my slightly-less-than-ideal cellphone pic to the right. Laserbeams and fireworks, too!

It's an unsurprisingly slow-moving day of recovery today, but I have big ambitions for TTLB in 2006, and I'll be sharing a bit more of where I plan on taking the site over the next days and weeks. Stay tuned, and hope you had a happy and safe New Year...

It was a long time coming, but yesterday I finally retired the old bearmobile (which provided thirteen years of honorable service) and purchased a new buggy.

The experience was actually a pleasant one: although Mrs. Bear and I did purchase a car for her use a few years back, that was a hurried process, as for various reasons we Had To Get A Car within a few weeks. So that left little time to enjoy the research and selection process: which for an analytical type like myself, is the fun part.

This time, there was plenty of that. So, I figured I should share my thoughts & lessons learned on the process.

Selection & Research

The absolute best tool I found for online research is the Consumer Reports New Car Buying Kit. For $39, you get three months of unlimited access to their car database. This includes detailed reviews by the CU staff, specifications and ratings on each vehicle you are considering (both the base specs/measurements/features of the car, as well as CU's ratings and crash test results), and full pricing detail comparing MSRP, "dealer invoice" and the price you should be bargaining for on the vehicle, including all options (more on this later).

Most usefull