It's shop till you drop day. The same deals are available online, so why go out? If you bought anything fun, or found a great deal and wished you could, let us know.

If there's one thing I wish I could get today, it's this, to replace the one that was stolen in my home invasion two weeks ago.

If you've got anything else to discuss, from politics to your thanksgiving dinner and all other topics, here's a place for you.

I just turned on KBCO in Boulder. Like many great radio stations around the country, they are playing collectibles with fewer commercials today.

Playing now: The Rolling Stones, You Can't Always Get What You Want.

Which of your favorite songs did you hear on the radio today? (I'll get some great late night suggestions from them.)

What I'm thankful for right now: The thieves left my stereo (probably because it dates to 1978 and the amp weighs about 80 pounds.) As you look around today, what are you happy you resisted the urge to trade in or give away?

It's a great Thanksgiving tradition. Radio stations around the country today will play the 18 minute version of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant, recorded in 1967.

Should you miss it on your local radio station and yearn for the original version, you can listen here (and read the lyrics too.) [Update: that link doesn't seem to be working yet today, try here.]

If you're wondering where Alice is, she's here.
Does anyone besides me still have a hardcover edition of her 1969 Alice's Restaurant cookbook in their kitchen? (Photo here.) It's filled with tasty recipes and very easy instructions.

This is an open thread.

Everyone knows you need connections to get a pardon from the President. When I first wrote up President Bush's pardons, the two that stood out to me were the commutations to time served for two drug offenders.

The mystery as to one of these two, the commutation of John Forte, has been solved. It's Carly Simon, who appealed to Orrin Hatch, who owed her for having recorded one of his songs. Gawker has the details.

Step One: John Forte goes to Exeter, makes friends with Carly Simon's kid, then makes friends with Carly Simon.
Step Two: John Forte goes to jail.
Step Three: Carly Simon records one of Orrin Hatch's soulful ballads and then is like "Okay now you owe me, old man."

Here's Carly in her own words pleading Fort's case. [More...]

Here is the NYTimes reporting on the attacks:

Coordinated terror attacks struck the heart of Mumbai, India’s commercial capital, Wednesday night, killing dozens in machine-gun and grenade assaults on at least two five-star hotels, the city’s largest train station, a movie theater and a hospital. The Mumbai police said the attacks killed at least 75 people and wounded 240, according to preliminary reports. There were also reports that hostages had been taken in at least one of the hotels, with Americans and British nationals being singled out.

According to Cahiers du Cinema compilation. (Via Ann Althouse.)

Everyone has their own list of course, but it is hard for me to imagine that nothing from Roman Polanski made the list ("Chinatown" is my favorite film, but "Repulsion" should satisfy the art house insistent.) Plus, "Touch of Evil" makes the list? The other thing is "Once Upon A Time In America" over "Once Upon a Time In the West?" Not buying that one.

This is an Open Thread.

You may remember the case of Julie Amero, the teacher who allegedly exposed her seventh grade students to p*rn*graphy on a classroom PC. Amero's defense (not ably presented at her trial) was that she accessed no p*rn and that the computer was infected with malware that caused the p*rn sites to pop up faster than she could close them. Amero was nonetheless convicted of impairing the morals of a child and risking injury to a minor.

Before she was sentenced, with the assistance of a new lawyer and a host of new evidence, Amero persuaded the judge to give her a new trial. The case has been languishing for some time. Last week, because she "wasn't in condition to endure another trial," Amero entered a guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct and agreed to give up her teaching license. She was fined $100.

Amero's decision to put an end to her ordeal is understandable but unfortunate given the evidence of her innocence. [more ...]

Probably because I've been pre-occupied with replacing what was stolen in my "home invasion" two weeks ago, I've spent untold hours lately checking out the latest electronics and prices at a wide array of online retailers and stores.

I have my favorites. {More...]

It is a bit of an obsession for me, but the mischaracterization of Bill Clinton's Presidency and the views of Senator Hillary Clinton still bothers me a great deal. Here is Poblano:

Likewise, as David Sirota notes, one can co-opt leftist rhetoric, enthusiasm and mindshare and implement a centrist agenda, as Bill Clinton arguably did.

Well make the argument then, as opposed to just spouting the line. Consider how Poblano defines Obama as a progressive:

. . . will be the name of the new blog I will be creating (Kidding, no new blogs until Jeralyn kicks me out.) Atrios writes:

Any time the phrase "what the blogs should do..." comes to mind you should probably not type it out. Start your own damn blog and do with it what you want!

I disagree with this. Bloggers write "What ____ Should Do" posts about everyone and everything and I really do not see why blogs themselves should be exempt from it. There should be no sacred cows - not the Media, not pols, not anyone - not even bloggers.

Speaking for me only. This is an Open Thread.

A statistical report from TRAC on federal prosecutions is out. It covers the month of August, 2008. It begins:

Greetings from TRAC. The latest available data from the Justice Department show that in August 2008 the government reported 13,566 new prosecutions. While down slightly (2.3%) from the previous month, this number is still 43% higher than a year ago. The overall growth in federal prosecutions is largely driven by continuing increases in immigration matters, which accounted for 54% of all new cases filed in August in U.S. Federal Court.

As for all prosecutions:

The largest number of prosecutions of these matters in August 2008 was for "Immigration", accounting for 54.4 percent of prosecutions. Prosecutions were also filed for "Drugs-Drug Trafficking" (14.1%), " Weapons-Operation Triggerlock Major" (5.7%), "Other Criminal Prosecutions" (3.3%), "Drugs-Organized Crime Task Force" (3.1%), "Assimilated Crimes" (2.8%), "Withheld by Govt from TRAC (FOIA challen" (2.7%), "Other-Not Specified" (2.2%). See Figure 2.

He's having another one today, announcing that Paul Volcker (as Chair) and Austan Goolsbee will be part of a newly created Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Obviously these are respected names and the idea of an "Economic Recovery Advisory Board" is positively New Dealian. But, more than that, I think there is some good psychology to Obama trotting out every day to discuss the economy.

It sends a simple but powerful message - the light at the end of the tunnel is near - the nightmare years of the George W. Bush Presidency are almost over. It's a good message to send.

Speaking for me only