Two strikes against the incoming administration: Richardson quits under a grand-jury cloud

First Blago gets arrested for trying to sell Barack Obama's now-vacant Senate seat. Now Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico (D), has had to withdraw his name from consideration as Commerce Secretary amid a grand jury's investigation of whether a California firm got a lucrative state contract for giving Richardson's PACs money. The Washington Post reports the story here.

There's an old, old saying in politics: "The fish rots from the head down." Twice now Obama has shown himself at best to be a naïve judge of character in the people with whom he surrounds himself. The closer we get to his inauguration, the more "change we can believe in" begins to look like "same old, same old." I want to believe these are less problematic than they seem, and that the new régime will be vindicated...but the signs do not look promising.

Happy birthday to an insanely cool and multi-talented person

cadhla has a birthday today. Her blog posts alone make this worth celebrating for me...but there is also her filk music, her singing voice, her beauty, her comic strips and (very soon now) her novels. Truly, many happy returns and thank you for being you.

Happy Twelfth Night...and welcome to Carnival season

Tonight marks the eve of what Roman Catholics know as the Feast of the Epiphany, marking the arrival of the Magi (AKA the Three Kings, or the Three Wise Men) from the east in Bethlehem to pay homage to the Christ Child. In New Orleans and other southern US locales, this also marks the beginning of Carnival season, the weeks of debutante-laden bals masques, daily and nightly parades and and king cake parties leading up to Mardi Gras, which this year is February 24th.

So happy Twelfth Night...and here's to the biggest and best Fat Tuesday ever in the Big No-Longer-So-Easy. It's also the last day you have an excuse to leave your Christmas tree and lights up before they have to come down for another year. (My tree and lights are remaining up until after GAFilk at the request of the Songbird.) 
ADDENDUM, Tuesday 1/6, 4:44P: As mshollie notes, the Phunny Phorty Phellows take their annual ride through New Orleans' Garden District on the legendary St. Charles Avenue streetcar tonight to launch the festivities. Parades start up Feb. 7th with the march of the Krewe du Vieux in the historic French Quarter (their theme this year: "The Magical Misery Tour"); a full parade schedule for 2009 can be found here.