This is still all I want for Christmas. Thanks to all who have donated, I will be sending thank you emails this week. But I'm not close yet.

If you'd like to help make me a happier blogger, or just want to show some appreciation for TalkLeft, here's how:

For those who don't like paypal, here's my snailmail address. [More...]

Hit yesterday with UCLA +9 and Kent +8 (also too Knicks -13.) I have a bushel of winners today (all picks 2 units unless otherwise indicated):

Tulsa -2 over Central Florida, Boise State -8 over Nevada, Baylor +4½ over Oklahoma State, Pittsburgh -7 over South Florida (3 units), Oklahoma -6 over TCU, Cincinnati -5 over UConn and Kansas St -10 over Texas.

BIG 10 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - Lucas Oil Stadium - Indianapolis, IN - Nebraska -3 over Wisconsin (3 units).

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - Bank of America Stadium - Charlotte, NC - Florida State -14 over Georgia Tech (4 units).

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME - Georgia Dome - Atlanta, GA -Alabama -7½ over Georgia (4 units.)

2 soccer specials: In the Bundesliga - Dortmund over Bayern Munich (+350) and in La Liga - Real Madrid (-1) over Atletico Madrid.

Open Thread.

TGIF!

In celebration, 2 bonus college football selections! UCLA (+9) over Stanford in the PAC-12 championship and BCS buster Kent State (+8) over Northern Illinois in the MAc championship. 3 units each.

Also too, Knicks (-12) over the Wizards. More tomorrow.

Open Thread.

Apple began selling the new iMac today. I've been staring longingly at it on the apple site for three weeks, waiting for launch day. Now it's here and media reports say supplies won't last: get it while you can.

It's all I want for Xmas. I'm convinced it will make me a happier person and a more dedicated and innovative blogger. So I'm sending out a Holiday fundraising request, because otherwise it's not in the cards for me this year.

If any of you want to send me a few dollars to buy one, or buy it for me, as a year-end show of appreciation or thanks, for personally funding TalkLeft the past 10 years and keeping it going 24/7, a contribution towards my new Mac within the next week would be a perfect way to express it -- and it would be awesome for me. Whether it's a few dollars, $10 or more, I'd truly be elated.

[More....]

Dominique Strauss-Kahn may have reached a settlement the civil suit brought by the New York hotel housekeeper.

The U.N. has upgraded Palestine's status to that of "non-member observer state."

The 193-member U.N. body voted 138 to 9 in favor of a resolution that stops well short of conferring independence on the Palestinians, but grants their territory limited privileges as a state, including the right to join international treaty bodies. Forty-one countries abstained

Bradley Manning will be allowed to plead guilty to 7 or 8 charges carrying a possible sentence of 16 years. [More...]

I'll be in court today. If BTD comes by, and is going to be on the radio, I hope he'll add the details so everyone can listen.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Congrats to Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani for winning the mirror ball trophy on Dancing With the Stars. Melissa is a terrific dancer -- I thought she should have won in 2009. This season, I only watched the last two shows since I boycotted DWTS due to Bristol Palin being on again, but I've watched Melissa dance enough over the years to believe she deserved it.

Also fun on last night's show: the Gangnam Style number . Psy is up to 831 million views of Gangnam Style today. More power to him. [More...]

The Powerball has grown to $500 million.

Apple begins sales of its new iMacs on Friday. They are pretty impressive looking.

Sen. Patrick Leahy has introduced his latest amendment to to the e-mail privacy bill which would require a search warrant to access the content of stored e-mails, regardless of age. [More...]

The 11 Show, starring me, today at 11. Topics for today: the austerity bomb and the Lessons of 1937, the Demography of Ideological Realignment, the new Right Wing litigants and, as they say, much much more. How to Listen

Your options to listen LIVE:

• Click on the embedded Flash player below
• Go to netrootsradio.com and click on the embedded player or direct link there
Click on this direct link if you need a non-Flash player, say, for iPad or iPhone
• iPad and iPhone users can download the SHOUTCast Radio app for your mobile device and search for "Netroots Radio"
• For Android: Try either the "StreamFurious" or "TuneIn" apps
• BlackBerry users, see this guide by idbecrazyif

Listen to Daily Kos Radio right here:The Daily Kos Radio Player

Non-Flash

Best bet for listening is the non-flash link with winamp or a similar listening software.

Open Thread.

The Rolling Stones are about to take the stage in London for their first concert on their 50th Anniversary tour. Joining them for this performance: Mick Taylor, Bill Wyman, Jeff Beck and Mary K. Blige.

The band is live-tweeting the show, with pictures. Also check out #StonesO2

Update: Here's some photos I grabbed off of twitter and from DirtyRock on FB. Here's the set list.

This is an open thread, all topics welcome.

Today's picks (2 units unless otherwise indicated): Georgia Tech +14½ over Georgia, Mississippi State +1½ over Mississippi, Virginia +10 over Virginia Tech, Stanford -2 over UCLA, Tulsa -5 over SMU, Oklahoma State +7 over Oklahoma, Vanderbilt -12 over Wake Forest, South Carolina +4 over Clemson, Oregon -10 over Oregon State (7 units), Pittsburgh -2 over Rutgers, Texas Tech +3 over Baylor, Penn State -3 over Wisconsin, Ohio State -3½ over Michigan (3 units), Connecticut +12 over Louisville, USC +6 over Notre Dame (3 units), San Jose State (+5) over La Tech (3 units.)

In the only game that matters, Florida (+7) over FSU. Go Gators!

Open Thread.

Bonus Friday college football picks (all picks 2 units):

Arizona -3 over Arizona State, Cincinnati -14 over South Florida, Washington State +14 over Washington, Nebraska -15 over Iowa, LSU -12½ over Arkansas, Utah -23 over Colorado, Iowa State +1½ over West Virginia, Ohio +9½ over Kent State, and Syracuse -8 over Temple.

For kdog:

Open Thread.