Defense and State contracts provide a handy way to parcel out political favors, they create opportunities for multi-billion dollar corruption and sometimes they endanger the safety of soldiers, because American contractors often are not only unaware of the military goals for an area, they frankly do not care about them. (Full article and comments)

Congrats to Georgia's Grammy nominees. Plus, a message for Kid Rock

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Today's the day for the U.S. Senate run-off election between incumbent Republican Saxby Chambliss and Democrat Jim Martin.  To learn more about where I stand on this race, please see "Saxby vs. Obama and the Unions" at http://www.sundaypaper.com/More/Archives/tabid/98/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/3354/Saxby-versus-Obama-and-the-unions.aspx

To find out more about where you can vote, visit http://www.sos.georgia.gov/Elections/

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Today marks the 53rd anniversary of Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her bus seat to a white passenger.  (Full article and comments)

With a new album, more hair and less weight, we can’t help but hope Britney Spears has a good year. (Full article and comments)

A seasonal Wal-Mart worker trampled to death by hordes of eager shoppers. A shootout at a toy store in California. People, let's try to maintain some perspective, shall we? (Full article and comments)

How many Americans are currently being held hostage in Mumbai? Good luck finding out. No one is reporting who the hostages are, how many there are, or where they are from. 

Al Jazeera's Arabic language website, not surprisingly, claims that the terrorists have about 20 hostages and that they are "mainly Americans" but Al Jazeera does not cite its source for the information. Instead, the network says simply, This is what we have," basically.

 CNN, the BBC and Reuters all say that hostages are still being held at the Taj Mahal Hotel and the Trident Oberoi, without giving numbers or other details, and they also say that the terrorists, apparently an Islamist group called the Deccan Mujhadeen, were looking specifically for Americans, Brits and Australians. Yet, no one has any numbers or details. How many hostages are there and where are they from? And why in God's name isn't the US even remotely curious about Americans being slaughtered in 5-star hotels? 

Bush and Obama are condemming the action, for whatever that's worth.

By the way, if you're planning to call the U.S. State Dept. to find out if your friend or loved one is one of those killed or captured, don't bother. You'll get a longwinded recording in a cheery upbeat voice that will instruct you to go to the Web site, then you'll get a 5-digit slate of options and finally a forward to the emergency line. 

Yes, I mean this one: "U.S. citizens concerned about the wellbeing of friends and family in India may call the following number for information:

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Have a safe and happy holiday, everyone, and be sure to pick up our Nov. 30 issue, featuring SP's annual Holiday Movie Guide. We'll see you all next week. (Full article and comments)

Big congrats to Chef Todd Ginsberg, formerly of TAP, who's been named as Jeremy Lieb's successor at TROIS. A Concentrics press release states that Lieb left TROIS to return to Cincinnati to be closer to family. 

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Does the album sound, as the New York Times' Jon Pareles puts it, "like a loud last gasp from the reign of the indulged pop star"?  (Full article and comments)