It's not right: it's Friday afternoon and work is busy. That means this linkfest will be nowhere as creative as some, but as someone once said, a link by any other name would be as sweet:

Blogs

Harvey has a 12 step blogging program, although I'm breaking points 11 and 12 right here.

Helen, the best writer in the blogosphere today, talks to a dead man extremely well and says despite the many bumps in her life, it has all been worthwhile.

In the celebration stakes: Ilyka turns one; it was Jim's birthday and Matt had a baby, while Winds of Change had its 2,000,000 hit!

This was the week of the Operation Give debacle, with more from Dean, the Chief and our own man in Atlanta: Jim. The latest update is here. Hell, it's even hitting Operation Shoefly...good one Atlas Line - you've ripped off two charities at once.

On a better note, yours truly had a final spurt (so to speak) and finished second on Jim's points ladder! Damn you, Rob.

Sometimes the blogosphere gets itself tied in knots over the stupidest things. Just as it seems to be making headway, with bloggers at the DNC and Republican conventions, it seems to take a giant step backwards. You see, sometimes a t-shirt is just a t-shirt. It all started when Atrios and this guy decided they didn't like Glenn wearing a t-shirt that Frank J. (he's still not that funny, maybe because he's really Atrios!) with a collection of guns on it and the line "Celebrate Diversity". Sure it's not that funny but the reaction and hyperbole against it are way over the top, as others point out. At least there's some common sense and good humour coming out of the mess. With everything going on in the world, you'd really think there are more important things to argue about.

While we're on bloggers pretending to be other people, Paul tries it and then denies it. There's no 5th ammendment in blogging, buddy.

Rusty puts his academic brain to use and does the maths: he's not making money blogging...unlike some. He should try asking for money and then promising to go on holidays for a month. Now that's chutzpah.

Politics

Tim Blair follows-up on Margo's stupid comments part 4976. UPDATE: But wait, there's more.

Bill, Spoons and Misha on why Subway is anti-American. Well, they would have been...

In the apparently Kerry was in 'Nam files...Lots of chatter about a new political ad in the US by Swift Vets for Truth, basically calling Kerry a liar, liar, pants on fire. My take: no-one disputes he actually went and served; the problem is if he's being truthful about what happened. Who the hell ever knows what really happened in a war 30 years ago, even amongst those there? While it reflects on his character, there's far more important issues to deal with in the here and now. Hell, look at Clinton's past and it didn't stop him getting in twice - because he stayed focus on issues as much as he could. Spoons says this TV ad may backfire. Kerry missed a big opportunity to shift the focus from Vietnam to today's issues at the DNC and he lef the door open for this to continue. That was a massive mistake by him and his campaign.

The Commissar sums up the over-reactions to flight 327 (the Syrian musos who frightened a paranoid journo).

Miscellany

Via Dean comes this review of Day After Tomorrow, the only one you need to read. Comprehensive and insightful on a stupid movie.

Giles asks where are all the Japanese superheroes?

Who'd have tought trying to pass a kidney stone could be funny (even if he spells things wrong).

Now we know how Wind Rider got his name.

Via Joe comes this piece on why iPod is a passing fad and answers to questions asked from the original post. It is worth taking the time to read it all.

UPDATE 2: Via PMO comes this story of how the best way to deal with noisy kids on a plane.

Now you've followed all the links, go and have a great weekend.