We were idling away the evening on the balcony, drinking wine and talking about everything from the Keith Richards book to Medicare cuts. Our neighbors – she a world class blues singer; he an accomplished painter, musician and entertaining raconteur – were just paying a warm, old-American style social call.

But when I happened to mention that many today consider our generation, the Sixties generation, a failure, I set the singer’s eyes ablaze and we took off on a lively historical survey of the last few decades.

You always knew there were billions being made in the for-profit prison system, but it’s really sobering to watch the latest Brave New Films video on the immigrant detention racket.

I’ll admit, I was merely disgusted when Mickey Mouse tried to trademark Seal Team 6. But Mickey’s seeming embrace of GateGrope is far more disturbing. (h/t Bruce Schneier) In a press release boasting about changes to Walt Disney World’s Star Tour ride, Disney boasts of their imitation TSA checkpoints!

Congress and the President, fearful of a backlash from polluters, are forcing EPA to postpone needed rules to protect public health, leading to avoidable illnesses and deaths while also increasing the budget requirements for public health programs like Medicaid, SCHIP, and Medicare.

Every Sunday morning you find listings here for all the major Sunday talk shows – and then some. Kickass Activism, Kickass Sunday Talking Heads Listings – that’s Firedoglake. So why don’t you become a member today?

You know we have world class book salons here, yesterday’s featured Bill Moyers, with Glenn Greenwald (can’t get world classier than that!). Today we bring you Diane Winston and Diary of an Eco-Warrior. Also, don’t forget our movie nights, Monday Lisa showcases Our Summer in Tehran and filmmaker Justine Shapiro. Help us cover the costs of bringing these events to you.

Seriously, where else but at Firedoglake can you find incisive analysis like Scarecrow’s gems?

He’d be a dream guest for any of these shows, don’t you think?

Fresh Fish. This Warner Bros Merrie Melodies cartoon was originally released on November 4, 1939.

Oh, the things you learn over at Teh Corner! We are schooled for example in the intricate diplomatic protocols of correct deference involved when the leaders of foreign client nations greet the democratically elected President of the United States: Benjamin Netanyahu. (See also. Hehs and indeeds for all!)

I have bad news for all of you election/schadenfreude junkies out there… like all good things, Newt Gingrich Humiliation Week is drawing to a close. Yes, there may be a few last sparks from whatever Sunday talkfest Newt is gracing with his presence this weekend, and he’ll continue trudging through the small towns of New Hampshire and other early primary/caucus states next week. Between the media’s gnat-like attention span and a presumed (if woefully late) improvement in message discipline by Gingrich and his press secretary, though, most of the fun probably has already been had.

The good news, however, is that starting Monday, it will be Tim Pawlenty‘s turn in the barrel…

A pending law in the Tennessee legislature would prohibit teachers from discussing homosexuality in the classroom, the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill.

So George Takei is helpfully offering Tennesseans who might feel constricted by such a law to use his name instead.

If you listen to non-Likudniks in the region, you would know that Obama’s speech was actually far more deferential to Israel, and inspired more disappointment than anything else in the Arab world. This has not been a feature of the debate in this country.