AIRLINES BEING AIRLINES:  Via Above the Law, we learn that not every USAirways customer tolerates their handling of bad weather crises (in this case, Boxing Day Blizzapocalypse 2010) with the same grace and equanimity of our own Isaac Spaceman. Which is to say that Isaac did not sue the airlines for less than awesome customer service and get bounced under Fed. R. Civ. P. 12(6), but nor did his suffering involve emergency stays at the Four Seasons in Denver and the the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando.

DON'T EVEN GET US STARTED ON SCATTERED, SMOTHERED, OR COVERED: Jumping off a lengthy (and rather inexplicable) exchange that involved a number of you on Twitter last night--waffles, pancakes, or french toast? Justify your answer and show all work. And don't anger Wafflebot (questionably SFW).

PLEASE READ CHAPTER 7 FOR CLASS TOMORROW: James Q. Wilson died early this morning, and he's worthy of a brief remembrance here, because among his many writings includes American Government, which remains (I believe) the most commonly used introductory political science/American Government textbook. I know I have an earlier edition sitting on a somewhat dusty shelf, and I expect many of you do as well. I didn't always agree with the policies Wilson advocated (and, needless to say, getting into that is beyond our scope), but I admired his clarity of writing and directness.

WE DO LIKE OUR WHIPPED CREAM VODKA:  The folks at The Philly Post have crunched the data from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board's 2010-11 annual report (click to download PDF) to learn all sorts of things about the Delaware Valley's drinking habits.  The region's top ten wines and spirits, in terms of bottles sold:

Jacquin's Vodka Royale - 80 Proof (375 mL)
Cavit Pinot Grigio
Sutter Home Cal. White Zinfandel
Jack Daniel's Old No 7 Black Label Whiskey (750 mL)
Jacquin's Vodka Royale - 80 Proof (1 L)
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve CA Chardonnay
Grey Goose Imp. French Vodka (750 mL)
Nikolai Vodka - 80 Proof (375 mL)
Absolut Imp. Vodka - 80 Proof (750 mL)
Woodbridge By Robert Mondavi CA Chardonnay

WORLD EXCLUSIVE -- MUST CREDIT ALOTT5MA: Based on recent trends, our next American Idol will be:

• a white male.
• who plays guitar.
• who is not devastatingly handsome like The Outlaw Casey James, or "dangerous" in any real way.
• who doesn't mind reinterpreting songs.
• from the Heartland

On May 24, 2012, at approximately 10:01 pm, Phillip Phillips of Leesburg, Georgia, will be named the next American Idol. Go ahead and tell me I'm wrong.

FROM THE PROBABLY UNNECESSARY REMAKES DESK: Two bullets:

• Woody Allen is adapting Bullets Over Broadway into a Broadway musical.
• In advance of its Broadway debut this spring, Rebecca Milzoff reevaluates Newsies, the film.

If any Allen film is going to get the Broadway treatment, shouldn't it be Crimes and Misdemeanors?  Songs including "The Eyes of God (Are Upon Us),"  "I Know A Guy," "I No Longer Have Eyes For You," and, of course, "I've Gone Out the Window."

JACKO HAS BEEN BUMPED:  Four years later, Bill Simmons finally gets his interview with Barack Obama:

BS: Settle an office debate. Best Wire character of all time?
Obama: It’s got to be Omar, right? I mean, that guy is unbelievable, right?
BS: We might break this down as like a March Madness bracket, and I think he’s going to be the no. 1 seed. [Laughter.] Everyone is in on Omar, it seems like.
Obama: He’s got to be the no. 1 seed. I mean, what a combination. And that was one of the best shows of all time.