I have had so much fun writing for you this year, I wanted to get you a little something. It’s not much. Just a couple of podcasts I think you’ll really like. (It’s hard to send anything really big through the Internet.) So here you go, I hope you’ll love them as much as I do.

• The Bugle – a satirical news show featuring John Oliver of the Daily Show with his friend Andy Zaltzman. Andy operates from the U.K., which adds a nice international flair to the weekly podcast. They have me in stitches on a regular basis. I hope you’ll join us. There’s also a blog.
• Risk! – a collection of truth-telling that will make you laugh, snort, gasp and/or cry, depending on the people you know and how you normally spend your time. Kevin Allison, who I know of from The State, is in charge of this operation and narrates the podcast. I became a fan quickly.

That’s it! They are both free (at this time) on iTunes, so download to your heart’s content and donate to the creators if you love them. I hope they make you smile. Happy holidays!

The First Billion is the Hardest

Obama is on every publication cover on the shelves this month, and news programs are clamoring to guess what he’ll do next.

Oddly enough, another very popular figure has been T. Boone Pickens. I saw him at least three times this weekend; on the Daily Show with John Stewart, on Meet the Press, and on some other random MSNBC program.

He’s getting all kinds of attention, talking not only about his plan and his book, but also being asked his opinion on the destiny of the Big Three automakers. He’s even been nominated to be Time Magazine’s Person of the Year.

What do you think about the Pickens Plan? Is he making an impact? Or just blowing hot air?

The First Billion Is the Hardest: Reflections on a Life of Comebacks and America’s Energy Future