For several years, some members of the California Avocado Commission seem to have been busier pillaging the commission’s funds and than singing the praises of this strange fruit. An audit reveals employees used more than $1.5 million on questionable expenses including massages, facials, clothing, and home improvement.

From 1974-1982 the Western world experienced a series of economic contractions which were the most severe since the Great Depression. GDP fell sharply in 1975, and in the United States the period closed with a double dip recession that featured both high unemployment and high inflation. The standard policy tools of the time failed to address the morass.

For only the second time in their history, the famed and ground breaking all black World War II air squad, the Tuskeegee Airmen will participate in Inaugural events. And it’s quite an upgrade from 60 years ago when 12 airmen from the were limited to a flyby over the parade. At that time they were not allowed inside the completed segregated capitol. Last year, the Tuskeegee Airmen received Congressional Gold Medal, and on January 20, the 1940s vintage cars also will be available to drive them in the parade to the White House, where they will take a salute from Obama after watching the swearing from upfront seats for all of them on the Capitol lawn.

It appears there’s at least one person who thinks George W. Bush was an awesome president.

Great evils like war or enforced poverty can cause us to overlook the simple, shallow pettiness of the architects of inhuman global horrors. George Bush’s refusal to allow the Barack Obama family a room in Blair House is just such an act,

A while back, I wrote a post called We’re all Flint, MI now. Mitch Albom just wrote a story that might as well be called We’re all Detroit, now. It’s long–so to induce you to read it, I’m going to give you an almost-spoiler.Because we may be a few steps behind the rest of the country, but we’re a few steps ahead of it too.

In Saturday’s NYT, David Sanger writes that Bush deflected Israeli requests for the weapons needed for an attack on Iran – but in fact, the Pentagon has sold those very bombs to Israel and delivered them.

What of school meals programs? For some children, they can be a lifeline – two guaranteed meals per day in an otherwise hungry world during the school year. Good nutrition is essential to developing minds and later health – study after study has backed that up for early childhood especially.

ABC: Obama. CBS: Roland Burris. CNN: Cheney, Pelosi. Fox: Bush 41, Bush 43. NBC: Cosby, Poussaint, Waters, Fenty. 60 Minutes: The Price of Oil, Mullen, Wyclef Jean.

TerryToons and Paul Terry present Percival Sleuthhound in The Pride Of The Yard.  This 1954 cartoon was directed by Eddie Donnelly.  Story by Tom Morrison.  Music by Philip A. Scheib. 

What’s on your mind tonight?