Scritti Politti: January 9, 2009

It's Friday, and I've realized something. While most people have been struggling to remember to use "2009" after three-hundred and sixty five days of using 2008, I seem to have been having a much stranger problem: dialing the years back to 2007. Thanks for the zero emails, letting me know, by the way! I'm not sure what it is about the halcyon days of 2007 that appeal to me. Maybe it's that I'm never satisfied. Maybe it's that I'm always too bold. I guess that one thing's certain, the world can benefit from more flowcharts, to ease our thought processes. [Via.]

And, Related To Judis' Second Point, Hire Joe Stiglitz: John Judis offers up some bold food for thought today, on how Obama needs to go bolder in his economic stimulus package. Central to his first point: Getting high-speed rail projects into the "shovel-ready" category. I like Judis' mind grapes on the matter. And for what it's worth, Obama's spoken, sensibly and pleasingly about it. But Matt Yglesias offers some caution on having a realistic time frame for this sort of undertaking.

The Franklin Mint Model Of Economic Recovery, Continued: How will the National Portrait Gallery ride out the economic downturn? They've acquired Shepard Fairey's original HOPE portrait.

Everyone Calm Down: When Obama said he wanted to keep the housing market from deteriorating, was he signalling his intention to keep the housing prices, still out of wack, propped up? Ryan Avent says, probably not: "But deterioration needn't just mean falling home prices. It could also mean the very real lack of buyer interest in housing markets at the moment. This is not a healthy thing." Naturally, if Obama authors the "Let's Bail Out The Toll Brothers Act of 2009," he should have his head examined.

Haven't You Always Wanted To Follow The RNC Chairman Meetings On Flickr? Probably not.

Your Inaugurapocalypse Update: In times of great need, Washingtonians can always count on the Washington Metropolitical Area Transit Authority to make a silly YouTube video. Here's the one they've made to keep visitors to the District up to speed about how to travel to and from the events.