The New Alan.Com

You may have noticed a different look on alan.com. We’ve made a few changes, which we hope will make your experience here even more readable and generally enjoyable.  We’ve changed some colors, altered the typeface,  and added Gigya, which enables you to invite your friends here via Facbook, Twitter, AOL and other services. We created, below the first story, two columns, so you can see more content faster.  And there’s a new chat room, which will make connecting with fellow users more fun.  Our thanks to Ryan Eanes, who conceived the upgrade, Brian Wertz who did the nuts-and-bolts coding …

Learn To Speak Teabag

If both sides could just learn to communicate, wouldn’t it be a better world? (h/t The Daily Tube)

…

President Obama Going to Nevada In February

Nevada is nice this time of year; especially if you’re Harry Reid and you need a little help from the President of the United States.…

Meet ROXXXY, The World’s First Life-Size Robot Girlfriend

She can’t cook or vacuum, but Douglas Hines, the president of TrueCompanion, the company that created her, says, “she can do almost anything else, if you know what I mean.” “She” is “ROXXXY”, who made her debut at the AVN Adult Entertainment Exhibition, which takes place concurrent with the Consumer Electronics Show annually in Las Vegas.

“She’s a companion. She has a personality. She hears you. She listens to you. She speaks. She feels your touch. She goes to sleep. We are trying to replicate a personality of a person.”

The Roxxxy is 5 feet, 7 inches tall, …

Game Change: Palin Didn’t Know Difference Between North And South Korea

John Heilemann, co-author with Mark Halperin of the wave-making new book, Game Change, told Anderson Cooper on “60 Minutes” that McCain Campaign manager Steve Schmidt claimed, “She knew nothing.” She had to be taken through World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and Palin was not aware there was a difference between North and South Korea. She continued to insist that Iraq was behind 9/11; and when her son was being sent off to Iraq, she couldn’t describe who we were fighting. (h/t Think Progress) Schmidt does say she was a quick study.

…

The Democratic Plan To Save Harry Reid’s Career

Democrats are launching a counterattack against Republicans who are calling for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to resign.

First, Reid’s allies plan to distribute the NAACP vote ratings of Republican senators who have scolded him. The data will be made available to editorial boards, cable programs and the blogosphere — including votes on minimum wage, community-oriented policing, education funding and HIV/AIDS programs.

Separately, the Congressional Black Caucus plans to issue a new statement Monday, defending Reid and brushing back Republicans.

“Senator Reid’s record provides a stark contrast to actions of Republicans to block legislation that would benefit poor and minority …

Blagojevich: “I’m Blacker Than Barack Obama”

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, in an Esquire magazine interview, says, “I’m blacker than Barack Obama.”

…[he says it's because] he grew up in a small apartment, shined shoes as a boy and…his father ran a laundromat in a black neighborhood.

Blagojevich also says Obama was elected based simply on hope.

The story hits newsstands January 19.…

Palin Believed McCain Chose Her Because It Was “God’s Plan” To Make Her “One Of The Most Famous People In The World”

John McCain’s campaign manager, Steve Schmidt, says Sarah Palin believed it was God’s plan that she be on the ticket that made her one of the most famous people in the world.

Schmidt said he asked Palin about her serenity in the face of becoming “one of the most famous people in the world.” He quoted her as saying, “It’s God’s plan

Schmidt, on “60 Minutes”,  also said that Palin was not particularly acquainted with the truth.

“There were numerous instances that she said things that were – that were not accurate that, ultimately, the campaign had to deal with. …

Obama Says No Troops To Yemen

President Obama, in an interview scheduled to come out Friday in People, says there is no intention of sending troops to Yemen or Somalia.

Obama told People magazine in an interview to be published Friday that he still believes the center of al-Qaida activity is along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“I never rule out any possibility in a world that is this complex,” Obama said. However, he said, “in countries like Yemen, in countries like Somalia, I think working with international partners is most effective at this point.”

Will Joe Lieberman agree?…

Arnold Defends Obama, Democrats

This isn’t going to sit well with the partisan Bama Bashers.  California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says in terms of terrorism President Obama “is doing everything that he can.”  He had a couple of other comments that won’t get Republicans too thrilled.

Schwarzenegger agrees with Obama that the Christmas incident when a would-be bomber tried to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner showed a communications failure within government intelligence agencies.

The governor also notes that Democrats ”a lot of times get the rap” for not being strong on security.…

Steele Calls For Reid To Resign; Doesn’t Heed Calls For His Own Resignation

Republican National Chairman Michael Steel says Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid should resign as senate leader because of his racially charged remarks.  Steele says if a Republican made those comments, Democrats would be calling for his or her head.  Steele has also called for Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano to resign.

But Steele should know that you can’t listen to everyone who wants you to quit your job. He didn’t. There have been calls for him to step down since the first month of his chairmanship last March.

Michael Steele should resign as Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman, according …