First Lady Michelle Obama told a group today that the President has not smoked in more than a year. [Politico]

[FLOTUS: President Hasn’t Smoked for “A While”]

Dunno if anyone is a fan of the Ricky Gervais podcast, but this new show, where they send Karl Pilkington around the world, should be even funnier.

Pass the eggnog and Xanax, today’s blogfill of stories from across the country is a doozy of Seasonal Affective Disorder:

• North Carolina Supreme Court voids “second parent” gay adoptions
• GOP the big winner in House seats reapportionment. Blue America, start breeding! [H/T Dodger]
• One in three working families are earning less than 200% of the federal poverty level
• Horses are being abandoned by Irish who can’t afford to feed them
• Undocumented Guatemalan woman battles to regain custody of her child who was taken from her
• EPA delaying new rules on smog and toxic emissions because of cost to businesses, nevermind the cost of 12,000 dead human beings each year

On a more upbeat note, the crazy Pacific storm prevented lunar eclipse observations in Ess Eff, but here are some pretty pictures of it.

After yet another week of GOP nonsense, it’s time for kittens and a Roomba.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMIZtTZ_bQY

“(NEWSER) – A potentially life-saving “emergency bra” invented by a Ukrainian doctor has gone from award-winningly odd idea to actual commercial product. The bra, which doubles up as a pair of gas masks has gone on sale online for $29.95, Fox reports. Inventor Elena Bodnar, who witnessed the devastating effects of the Chernobyl disaster, says readily available gas masks could have prevented many cases of radiation sickness.”

Look out JNOV, the City of Philadelphia is demanding that all bloggers based in the City of Brotherly Love hock up $300 a year for the privilege of writing a blog – even if the blog makes no money.

[Philadelphia CityPaper: Pay Up]

Farting around on Wikipedia last night – did you know that Herb Alpert is a nice Jewish boy from Ellay? That none of the members of the Tijuana Brass is Mexican?  Neither did we.

Now that was just weird.