John Ore: Hey, Jolie! We're in the home stretch now, only a couple of days to go and we can close the books on another successful January of not drinking. A little solidarity and we can get through this final weekend. READ MORE

Tonight, at PowerHouse Arena, it is the Brooklyn Launch Party for Tom Scocca's Beijing Welcomes You, a nonfiction chronicle of what Beijing has so recently become. As China is now (well, as usual) so much in the news, we asked him some questions! READ MORE

Times bloggers Gail Collins and David Brooks are getting into it over, you know, the future of America and stuff. I love that they have, I guess, iChat now! Gail: When the bubble burst last year, I didn't see it as the end to our economic power. But I did wonder if it was the end of the American Dream, or at least the version we've come to regard as practically a national birthright. What do you think? If you have an encouraging response, I am prepared to embrace it wholeheartedly." David: [No Intelligible Answer].