open thread

Three years. Two weeks.

Here is an eye-opener to start your Monday.

In 2002, four intrepid researchers filed a Freedom of Information Act. But they weren't looking for information on Guantanamo or revelations from Cheney's lair. All they wanted was the FDA's drug analysis data. Taxpayer funded research. They got it. The studies examined were conducted between 1987 and 1999 andcovered Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, Serzone, and Effexor. They found, on average, that placebos were 80 percent as effective as the drugs.

Many of us are looking ahead with a little bit of dread. We are worried about the financial crisis and what it will do to our personal finances. We're worried about our neighbors and friends losing their jobs and their homes. We're worried about our own jobs, our own homes. That's a lot of worrying.

It's tough to imagine ending such an unbelievably stellar political year with all this worry, so instead of dwelling on what lies ahead, let's think back on how we got here.

What was your favorite moment, hour, day, event of the year? If you can't pick just one, share your favorite family moment, work day or political event. Heck, you can even share your favorite BlueNC post or conversation.

Share away.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.

If you ask for something that can be delivered in a blog post comment, you'll sure make it easier for the rest of us to play Santa Claus.

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm off to the woods of Pennsyltucky tomorrow morning, so I wanted to wish everyone a happy turkey day and also leave you with a little color. This is a picture of Sharpies on paper that I took with my Blackberry.
Why? Well, the fact that they are mounted on a slide should give you a hint, more after the break.

Fun with maps, guess what is overlaid (dots) with the 2008 county-by-county election results shown here (click for larger image):

So what's on your mind today?

Remember when John McCain was a different kind of Republican? Remember the Straight Talk Express? Seems like Mr. McCain has got to do a lot of talking to get himself out of this mess. The best cartoon I've seen so far after the break.