Nate Silver and Krauthammer sized up Palin's chances, the neocons and liberals aligned, and Andrew called it her shark-jumping period. Palin quit Fox, Captain Owen Honors boldly went where others don't go with the military's video equipment, and Will Wilkinson captured why it's legitimate to criticize America's military policy. Rumors of a presidential run could help the ambassador to China (but not the GOP), and could lead to an advantage in 2016. The Dish destroyed Rich Lowry's arguments that Americans (and the politicians who keep repeating so) are the greatest. Andrew defended the concept of the (much improved) press from Professor Reynolds' takedown. Bruce Bartlett called out the GOP on the debt limit, John McWhorter argued ending the drug war would end the "black problem," and Ta-Nehisi had some tough questions for him. We eyed the 2011 energy crunch, Andrew questioned George Will's unlikely column, and Rudy Giuliani contradicted himself. Andrew Breitbart drank to get through college, and our computers had to lie to us so they wouldn't freak us out with their intelligence. 

Beer and monogamy correlate and Andrew revealed his mental colonic for the holidays. Rob Horning ruminated on boredom, Cosma Shalizi defended the lottery, and the soundbite shrunk (with good reason). Joanne McNeil composed a brief history of blogs, i-phone alarms rebelled against the new year, and Dave Barry roasted the year in review. Andrew looked forward to the Christmas Epiphany, DC was livable (the graph edition), readers weighed in on their magic mushroom experiences, and nature could still blow our mind.

Chart of the day here, FOTD here, cool ad watch here, 50th Odd Lie of Sarah Palin here, VFYW here, quote for the day here, FOTD dissent here, MHB here, and video heralding the New Year here.

–Z.P.