FU - FairAndUNbalanced.com

• Nancy Hanks at The Hankster provides a forum for public figures in Utah who don't much care for the way nominees get themselves onto the ballot. They charge corruption.

• Steve Burton at What’s Wrong with the World recalls a small child writing to President Obama begging for help from Washington in fixing leaking ceilings and peeling paint at her school. Steve seems to think the little girl should be up on the roof patching the leaks instead of "begging for a handout." I have read his piece three times without finding a hint of conscious irony. See if you can do better.

• Conservative James Wigderson bravely reviews his annual predictions from a year ago.

• Tommy Christopher of Mediaite fame examines PolitiFact's logic on MediScare. Seems abolishing Medicare, replacing it with a voucher program that is completely different from Medicare, and calling it "Medicare" is not the same as ending Medicare. Tommy seems to think scaremongering is okay when discussing something scary. Good call, Tommy.

• Conservatives occasionally point out that capitalism should not be conflated with exploitation. Jack Jodell, friend of the working blogger at THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON POST, seems to agree, but points out the confusion on that principle which exists among conservatives. His point is made mostly via brief quotes.

• Chris Buescher, resident of Mad Mike's America, hopes the payroll tax cut fiasco will change the direction of the GOP. Here is my reaction to the recent Republican public beating, and here is why the direction of the party cannot change.

• Jerry Critter at Critter's Crap summarizes neatly the popular perception of the payroll tax cut controversy.

• Tim McGaha at Tim's Thoughtful Spot has chosen extraordinarily good music to fit the season. Excellent choices most of us might have overlooked.

• Manifesto Joe of Texas Blues documents financial scheming and pension profiting by Texas Governor Rick Perry. Joe doesn't let Newt Gingrich entirely off the hook.

• Betty Cracker, at Rumproast, serves a traditional Christmas treat consisting of chopped, diced, and minced Peggy Noonan. Painful to watch, but smells good.

• Kent Pittman, writing from Open Salon, tells us a little about what that extra $40 each paycheck can mean.

• Why do we have to do this, Sir? introduces us and his boss to his longtime friend, and promptly gets embarrassed for it.

• Slant Right's John Houk, who seriously thinks anyone to the left of Newt follows "the failed Marxist-Communist paradigm" seems to have abandoned Michele Bachmann for his new idol.

• The usually thoughtful The Heathen Republican misses the mark this time, presenting his reasons for opposing marriage equality. My favorite is his argument that everyone has the same right to marry someone of the opposite sex, so there is no discrimination. I understand in ancient Rome, everyone had the same right to worship Isis, and two generations ago in the former member states of the old confederacy, everyone had an equal right to marry someone of the same race. Tired, but some folks do repeat the same arguments. [Note: Burr got this wrong. Please See Correction here - Editors]

• Braylon Edwards is a wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers. But conservative Chuck Thinks Right especially likes him for keeping an educational promise to some youngsters. Chuck has me convinced on this one.

• Infidel 753 is incredulous about the new popularity of Ron Paul in Iowa. He seems to think the not-Romney yearning of Republicans will again coagulate around the Phoenix-like Newt.

• Vincent of A wayfarer's notes got bored this week and devoted his entire piece to reviving Robert Benchley from 80 years ago. Vincent is discouraging. He takes his moment, snaps his fingers, and produces incandescent madness, while the rest of us struggle with words. I just hope such talent never falls into the wrong hands.

• SJ, at RANDOM THOUGHTS, contemplates the final conclusion of the tragedy that was America's involvement in Iraq. He names names. Guess whose names.

• Gwendolyn Barry is back (YAY!) with New Global Myth She presents an ode, via video, to Anonymous.

Personal note. Our Marine is visiting us for the holidays. Deployment into a combat area comes in a few weeks. We do what parents do. We worry, we hope, we pray. And, of course, we are proud. Thoughts expressed a few weeks ago.