Our guest columnist has been phoning it in for twenty years.

Romney ends most rallies with his story of the Colorado scout troop that in 1986 had an American flag put in the space shuttle Challenger, saw the Challenger blow up as they watched on TV, and then found, through the persistence of their scoutmaster, that the flag had survived the explosion. It was returned to them by NASA officials. When Romney, afterward, was shown the flag, he touched it, and an electric jolt went up his arm. It’s a nice story. He doesn’t make its meaning fully clear. But maybe he means it as a metaphor for America: It can go through a terrible time, a catastrophe, as it has economically the past five years, and still emerge whole, intact, enduring.

Monday Morning [Peggy Noonan/WSJ]

It’s extremely cold in NY & NJ—not good for flood victims. Where is global warming?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 5, 2012

Many years ago, perhaps in 2001, we recall reading a Republican Shill’s explanation for George Bush’s popular-vote loss: The rules dictate the campaign. If, instead of a state-based electoral vote, we elected Preznidents by actually counting everybody’s ballot, nobody would give a fuck about Ohio or Florida.

At the time, we considered the argument specious, coming, as it was, From The People Who Brought You Bill Clinton’s Non-Mandate Popular-Vote Pluralities. And while we’ve been more than happy to cite Al Gore’s Pyrrhic victory over the years, fact is, the Republican Shill was right.

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W/ Romney more than an hour late (but now speaking), dozens of people stuck in the cold, begging staffers to leave, use the bathroom…

— Michael Barbaro (@mikiebarb) November 4, 2012

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There’s only one Bond movie I haven’t seen – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Thanks for BBC-A and their James Bond marathon, I’m watching it now. The only thing I knew about the movie was that it was George Lazenby’s only appearance, and the car he drove was the gorgeous Aston Martin DBS – made from 1967 to 1972, and fewer than 800 were built:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xE2LlD1HpGg

What a gorgeous old thing.

Title: “Tape It & Make It: 101 Duct Tape Activities”

Author: Richela Fabian Morgan

Rank: 88

Blurb: “For many years a useful item in every household toolbox, duct tape has now taken on a second life as a medium for hobbyists of all ages. This fun-filled book offers dozens of creative ideas and easy-to-follow instructions for making everything from wallets and coin purses to novelty neckties and household decorations out of duct tape.”

Review: “Duct tape no longer comes in that simple gray any more, but is now coming on the market in numerous, vibrant colors and designs.”

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“Investigators today arrested a Southern Nevada woman suspected of trying to vote twice this week at two different polling locations. [Registered Republican] Roxanne Rubin was taken into custody as she arrived for work at the Riviera hotel-casino, investigators said.” [BradBlog]