John McCain is like the Ike Turner of the Republican Party. He smacks us around then he comes back with a fistful of compliments, a bouquet of promises, a "John loves you baby."

There has been a lot of talk about what American car makers are doing to become more eco-friendly and survive in this economy. From fuel efficient cars, to biodegradable seats, to what YOU can do to help the American auto industry, my conversation with Ford Group VP Susan Cischke covers all the bases, and answers your questions. As I was talking to Susan, I was also shown this YouTube clip from Ford where you can see some of their efforts first hand.

Vacuum the red carpet, slip into the Armanis, strap on the Jimmy Choos, and flash the Fred Leightons, 'cause award season 2009 has arrived.  Whether it's the Oscars, the Grammys, the Golden Globes or the Screen Actors Guild Awards, BlogHer has got it covered.  I'll be doing special posts right up until the Oscars on all the happy winners, sore losers, tears, jeers and badly written thank yous.  As we speak the stars are primping, preening and preparing for what they hope will be that once in a lifetime moment in front of millions of mercilessly critical viewers just like us.  

You know, Chicago is a really nice city. Illinois, in fact, is a really nice state. Not all of our citizens look like Cabbage Patch dolls, and only 7 of the last 13 or so governors are in jail. We don't call that a problem. We call that...tradition.

The 111th Congress commenced today, with promises of bipartisanship that were undercut by plenty of partisan rhetoric. Is today's start a preview of the legislative season ahead?

Well excuse me while I put my flannel back on and rip my jeans. Apparently the 90's are back. The New York Times reports Leon Panetta, former Clinton White House chief of staff, will be named CIA director.

The 111th Congress is about to be sworn in and get to work. Their "to do" list is enormous-a mega-financial crisis, the war in Iraq, the bloody conflict in the Middle East. Under the circumstances it's understandable that the top matter on the agenda won't be long-standing legislation to make it easier for women in the workplace to breastfeed their babies. That's all fine and well.

Do you know that on midnight Feb 18th television as we know it will cease to exist?  Now don't panic. For most of you that won't be a problem because you have cable TV, satellite TV or a TV set that receives digital TV signals.  However for the rest of you---several million households---you're going to have to take action to make sure your weekly fix of "Lost," "Grey's Anatomy," or "CSI" isn't interrupted. That's because the government has mandated that as of midnight February 18th all television stations must stop broadcasting analog signals and broadcast digital signals only.  

EqualityCamp—held January 3rd in San Francisco--was a pilot event to bring Web 2.0 geeks who know the lessons of the Web well together with activists for marriage equality and equal rights for gays.So, if you’re straight, do you care about marriage equality? Do you want the gay and lesbian couples you know to be able to make the same civil, legal commitment to get married that straight, heterosexual couples can? Or are you afraid supporting marriage equality will lead to marrying too many same sex couples in your church, or a general decline in cultural values?

Some Hidden Choices in Breast Reduction by Natasha Singer, which is most insultingly a part of The New York Times' "The Price of Beauty" series, explored the different options women are offered - and not offered - after a mastectomy. I'm sure that readers will be shocked - shocked! - to hear that women are not always informed of the different types of breast reconstructions available because some procedures are less profitable for doctors and hospitals than others. Profit above women's health? Who wouldda thunk it? Sigh.

Caroline Kennedy (Schlossberg) has been in the media spotlight for most of her 51 years,but for most of those years, the press has maintained a deferential distance. Now that she's declared her interest in becoming the junior Senator from New York when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton is confirmed as Secretary of State, political reporters are struggling to adjust their lenses. And Kennedy, who has spent most of her life trying to stay in the shadows, seems to be stuggling to adjust as well.

A continuation of last week's post......