memeorandum: CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE MORNING - BY PEARL S. BUCK (Sheila/The Sheila Variations)

11:40 AM ET, December 25, 2006

Top Items:

Legendary Singer James Brown Dies at 73 — James Brown, the dynamic, pompadoured "Godfather of Soul," whose rasping vocals and revolutionary rhythms made him a founder of rap, funk and disco as well, died early Monday, his agent said. He was 73. — Brown was hospitalized with pneumonia …

Discussion: All Spin Zone, Don Surber, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, The Moderate Voice, Reason Magazine and SteveAudio

Associated Press:

'Disco is James Brown, hip-hop is James Brown, rap is James Brown' — He triumphed despite an often unhappy personal life. Brown, who lived in Beech Island near the Georgia line, spent more than two years in a South Carolina prison for aggravated assault and failing to stop for a police officer.

Discussion: protein wisdom and LA Observed

Sam Harris / Los Angeles Times:

10 myths — and 10 truths — about atheism — SEVERAL POLLS indicate that the term "atheism" has acquired such an extraordinary stigma in the United States that being an atheist is now a perfect impediment to a career in politics (in a way that being black, Muslim or homosexual is not).

Discussion: The World Wide Rant, Verum Serum and digg

Barbara O'Brien / Crooks and Liars:

Happy Holy Day — Good morning! I am guest blogging here this week so that some of the regular crew can get a break. It's the least a Buddhist can do. — Today is the observance of the annual cease fire on the war on Christmas. In celebration, people wallow waist deep in shredded gift wrap and prepare the armistice feast.

Discussion: New York Times

New York Times:

U.S. Is Detaining Iranians Caught in Raids in Iraq — The American military is holding at least four Iranians in Iraq, including men the Bush administration called senior military officials, who were seized in a pair of raids late last week aimed at people suspected of conducting attacks …

Discussion: Faster, Please!, THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, Gates of Vienna, CorrenteWire, The Smirking Chimp, Secular Blasphemy, Daniel W. Drezner, Matthew Yglesias and Larisa Alexandrovna's …

Hindrocket / Power Line:
IT MAY BE CHRISTMAS, BUT... ...our soldiers are still fighting …

Discussion: Tammy Bruce

Greg Miller / Los Angeles Times:

Alarming 9/11 claim is found baseless — A military analysts' chart did not identify hijackers beforehand, senators report. — WASHINGTON — The Senate Intelligence Committee has rejected as untrue one of the most disturbing claims about the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes …

Discussion: Mia Culpa

Jeffrey Gettleman / New York Times:

Ethiopia Hits Somali Targets, Declaring War — Ethiopia officially plunged into war with Somalia's Islamist forces on Sunday, bombing targets inside Somalia and pushing ground troops deep into Somali territory in a major escalation that could turn Somalia's internal crisis into a violent religious conflict …

Discussion: The Moderate Voice and A Blog For All

Associated Press:

Italy Makes Arrest in Spy's Poisoning — ROME (AP) — An Italian who met with an ex-KGB agent the day the Russian fell fatally ill from radiation poisoning was arrested on Sunday, the man's father said. — The accusations against Mario Scaramella — international arms trafficking and slander …

Discussion: Prairie Weather

Peggy Orenstein / New York Times:

What's Wrong With Cinderella? — I finally came unhinged in the dentist's office — one of those ritzy pediatric practices tricked out with comic books, DVDs and arcade games — where I'd taken my 3-year-old daughter for her first exam. Until then, I'd held my tongue.

Discussion: Don Surber and Joanne Jacobs

Deborah Solo / New York Times:

The Freshman — Q: As a 60-year-old novelist, screenwriter and military man who served in the Reagan administration but had never run for elected office, you beat the incumbent, George Allen, for a Senate seat from Virginia this year. Have you seen him since the election?

Sheila / The Sheila Variations:

CHRISTMAS DAY IN THE MORNING - BY PEARL S. BUCK — (Amazon link to beautiful illustrated copy of this story) — Christmas Day in the Morning - by Pearl S. Buck — He waked suddenly and completely. It was four o'clock, the hour at which his father had always called him to get up and help with the milking.