MiddBlog

With the start of the G20 Economic Summit in D.C. and the end of MTV’s “TRL”, reality finally burst our post election highs this week reminding us just how bad the world economy is and just how difficult it is to watch/listen to good music anymore. Here a few other little reality checks from the week-

• OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: The “leaked” questionnaire in which potential Obama staffers lay bare their entire lives confirms that vetting is the new college application process.
• ECONOMY: Our troubled economy may have taken its toll on George Bush and John Paulson, but Spam and McDonald’s have never been better.
• JAMES BOND: Quantum of Solace is finally out and for those who haven’t seen it yet, let Wired‘s Bond’s Villain Gallery whet your appetites a little.
• FACEBOOK: British Airways and Virgin Atlantic found out the hard way that Facebook monitoring shouldn’t be just a part of the application process.
• FASHION: Mattel is celebrating Barbie’s 50th birthday by signing on as a co-sponsor for New York Fashion Week, along with Mercedes, however it looks like the powers that be should have consulted Lego instead.
• VISUALS: Mint.com’s new “Visual Guide to the Financial Crisis” not only helps all of us struggling visual learners understand what’s going on, but puts certain people’s mistakes into glaring perspective.
• CHOICES: Everyone likes having choices, but a recent study by a Swarthmore professor points out that Starbucks is the perfect example why too many choices may not be so goood.
• TECHNOLOGY: With the arrival of his first YouTube address and the promise of a ginormous email network, president elect Barack Obama may soon be talking to you more than President Liebowitz. (Obama may face some competition though from video blogging Medvedev.)
• MISC: Hillary Clinton might be Secretary of State, China wants to ban lip-syncing, Rahm Emanuel roasts Stephen Colbert, and Lieberman is precariously holidng onto the most important position in the Senate.

Website of the Week: Andrew Sullivan. I know a lot of people already obsessive compulsively read Andrew Sullivan (or did before he put himself completely and biasedly in the tank for Obama), but I feel this week he’s worth highlighting again. So if you have a sec this morning, scroll down “The Daily Dish” and take a look at all the pictures of protests around the country in the wake of the survival of Proposition 8. This year’s definition of “change”? Breaking down barriers.