Links for 2010-12-19

"At the end of the day, what this means is that if you want to serve your country and put your life on the line to defend the freedoms enjoyed by Republican U.S. senators, those senators will begrudgingly and belatedly allow you to do so if you are gay or lesbian. But if you want to serve your country and put your life on the line to defend the freedoms enjoyed by Republican U.S. senators and you're also brown-skinned and weren't born here, then  most of those senators would sooner see you deported than to allow you to express your patriotism for a nation they don't want to acknowledge you're a part of."

"When it comes to Christmas trees, for instance, which is better for the planet: the long-lasting artificial kind, or the freshly cut, pine-scent-and-sap variety?

As I report in Saturday's Times, at least one major study found that the real tree is probably the better choice. But as I found during my reporting, many consumers still believe that a faux fir is less harmful to the environment than the real thing.

That's because an artificial tree can be used again and again, unlike a real tree, which is tossed out at the end of the season. Yet as it turns out, that's not enough to tilt the scales in the faux fir's favor. The resources used to make artificial trees -- plastic and metal -- have a high extraction cost, and most trees are made in China, meaning they need to be shipped thousands of miles before they reach American shores."

"Reebok brings New England Patriots running back, Danny Woodhead, to a Modell's to see how recognizable he is selling his new jersey to unknowing customers."