The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal.com’s “Best of the Web” written by the editor, James Taranto.

The Lonely Lives of Scientists
“Rats Surprise Scientists by Not Acting Like ‘Rats’ “–headline, Seattle Times, Dec. 9

Fog in Channel, Continent Cut Off
“Eurozone Countries Go It Alone With New Treaty That Excludes Britain”–headline, Guardian (London), Dec. 9

And Not a Moment Too Soon

  • “Obama Finally Flexes His Muscles”–headline, Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.), April 1, 2009
  • “Obama Finally Said It”–headline, Hufffington Post, June 23, 2009
  • “Obama–Finally–Starts to Sweat”–headline, Politico.com, July 19, 2009
  • “Obama Finally Finds His Inner Outrage”–headline, Newsweek, Jan. 7, 2010
  • “In State of the Union, Obama Finally Clocks In for Job Creation”–headline, Christian Science Monitor, Jan. 27, 2010
  • “Obama Finally Delivers a Health Roadmap”–headline, Washington Post website, March 4, 2010
  • “Obama Finally Taps Into Emotions”–headline, Toronto Star, March 12, 2010
  • “Obama Finally Toughens Up–About Time!”–headline, Huffington Post, March 26, 2010
  • “After Waiting 14 Months Obama Finally Chooses To Show Up, Govern”–headline, Huffington Post, March 27, 2010
  • “Obama Finally Fulfills Promise of Change for Gay Americans”–headline, TheGrio.com, April 16, 2010
  • “Obama Finally Shows Anger, Urgency on Oil Spill”–headline, Tampa Tribune, May 28, 2010
  • “Obama Finally Makes a Move for the Gulf”–headline, Los Angeles Times, June 18, 2010
  • “Obama Finally Announces His Support for Unemployment Benefits Extension”–headline, Salon.com, July 19, 2010
  • “Obama Finally Delivers on Pledge to End the War in Iraq”–headline, Independent (London), Aug. 3, 2010
  • “Obama’s Finally Ready to Rumble”–headline, TheDailyBeast.com, Sept. 8, 2010
  • “Obama Finally Kicks the Butt, ‘Hasn’t Smoked for 9 Months’ “–headline, Asian News International (India), Dec. 29, 2010
  • “Obama Finally Gives Up Smoking, First Lady ‘Proud’ “–headline, Agence France-Presse, Feb. 10, 2011
  • “Obama Finally Argues His Side in Budget Debate With Republicans”–headline, Times-Mail (Bedford, Ind.), April 17, 2011
  • “New Republic: Obama Finally Drew the Line”–headline, NPR.org, July 25, 2011
  • “Obama Finally Criticizes GOP, Then Takes Swipe at Dems”–headline, AmericaBlog.com, Aug. 16, 2011
  • “President Obama Finally Finds His Voice”–headline, Washington Blade, Sept. 15, 2011
  • “Obama Finally Gets Tough”–headline, Huffington Post, Sept. 20, 2011
  • “Obama Finally Takes On Big Oil”–headline, Baltimore Sun, Sept. 21, 2011
  • “As Obama Finally Acts, He Exposes GOP Strategy”–headline, Huffington Post, Nov. 1, 2011
  • “Obama Finally Shows Some Leadership . . . in Europe?”–headline, Huffington Post, Nov. 29, 2011
  • “Robert Reich: Obama Finally Calling Out GOP’s Hypocrisy on Tax Cuts”–headline, RawStory.com, Dec. 5, 2011
  • “Michael Tomasky: Obama Finally Seizes the Moment in His Kansas Speech”–headline, TheDailyBeast.com, Dec. 7, 2011
  • “In Kansas Speech, Obama Finally Finds His Voice”–headline, Baltimore Sun, Dec. 9, 2011

For more “Best of the Web” click here and look for the “Best of the Web Today” link in the middle column below “Today’s Columnists.”