The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal.com’s “Best of the Web” written by the editor, James Taranto.
Nobody Goes There Anymore, It’s So Crowded
“Although smoking is becoming less popular in many parts of the world, the total number of smokers is growing, global figures reveal.”–BBC website, Jan. 7
Metaphor Alert
“Dan Demeritt, [Maine Gov. Paul] LePage’s former communications director, agrees with that assessment. ‘LePage seems like the kind of guy who will poke the establishment in the eye, bite the hand that feeds him and refuse to carry water for anybody,’ he says. ‘That’s created a very stable core underneath him, but also a hard ceiling in terms of the political support he can rally.’ “–Politico magazine, Jan. 8
A Simple Plan
“The Best Solution to High Unemployment? Keep Companies From Laying Off Workers”–headline, NationalJournal.com, Jan. 9
‘Does This Look Like “Gun” or “Gub”?’
“Alleged Bank Robbery Foiled When Teller Can’t Read Holdup Note”–headline, Breitbart.com, Jan. 8
First Thing Tomorrow, We Promise
“To Stop Procrastinating, Look to Science of Mood Repair”–headline, The Wall Street Journal, Jan. 8
Hey, Kids! What Time Is It?
“Maybe It’s Time to Find a New Word for ‘Reform’ “–headline, Huffington Post, Jan. 8
Demencia Fria
“The most severe cold snap in the U.S. in 20 years . . . has some people questioning whether the Earth’s climate is in fact warming,” reports National Geographic News:
But climate scientists say the weather does not invalidate prevailing climate models, and one says that reactions to this week’s polar vortex suggest that “people have forgotten what cold is like.”
The story never names the source of that quote, but it does remind those of us who’ve been suffering through temperatures as low as 6 degrees that it could be worse:
Over the past few days, some parts of the Midwest dipped to nearly -40°F (-40°C)–with windchill, -60°F (-51°)–and states as far south as Alabama and Georgia experienced colder temperatures than they’ve had in years.
If people have forgotten what cold is like, they have a serious impairment of short-term memory.
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.”
