SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:31 P.M. ET: 

THE POST OFFICE? – From Fox:  "The perpetually-struggling U.S. Postal Service has bankers in a tizzy after floating a plan to branch into what it called 'non-bank financial services' that somehow sound a lot like what lenders do.  In a white paper distributed late last month, the Postal Service's inspector general discussed getting into an array of financial services as a means of keeping the money-losing mail operation afloat. Payday loans, check cashing and digital currency exchanges were among the possibilities outlined in the Jan. 27 report."  Watch.  They'll tell us "the check is in the mail," and everyone will break out laughing.

SOCHI UPDATE – From ABC News:  "The Transportation Security Administration is temporarily banning travelers from bringing any amount of liquid, gel or aerosol in their carry-on luggage aboard flights between the U.S. and Russia, following a warning from the Department of Homeland Security that terrorists could target the Olympic Games with explosive components hidden in toothpaste tubes."  CNN did an excellent story tonight, complete with demo, showing what a toothpaste bomb could do.  It could easily blow a hole in the side of an airliner in flight.

HYPOCRITE – From the Daily Caller:  "In a speech during Thursday morning’s National Prayer Breakfast, President Barack Obama acknowledged, 'It’s also clear that around the world, freedom of religion is under threat.'  'No society can truly succeed unless it guarantees the rights of all its people, including religious minorities,' he added later.  The Obama administration has been harshly criticized by the Catholic church and civil liberties organizations concerned that Obamacare mandates that organizations provide their employees free access to contraceptives through their health care plans, even if their religious faith calls contraception a sin."  At last report, the Obamans were still going after the Little Sisters of the Poor, who wanted to opt out of parts of Obamacare that offend their religious principles.  And, oh, by the way, notice the deep concern at the White House over the persecution of Christians around the world.  I wonder what Obama actually means by religious freedom.

CHANGING HOLLYWOOD? – Not really, but there's been some interesting display of spine recently.  First, Scarlett Johansson told boycotters of Israel to drop dead when they tried to stop her from doing a commercial for Sodastream, which has factories on the occupied West Bank.  Then Jerry Seinfeld stiffarmed the ethnicity police who anguish over the lack of "diversity" in...comedy. From Newsmax:  "'[Do] people think it’s the census or something?' Seinfeld quipped, drawing laughter from the audience. 'We represent the actual pie chart of America? Who cares? I have no interest in gender or race or anything like that.'"  Ah, how refreshing. 

February 6, 2014