This video is a month old and already has more than 300,000 views, and you know what? I don’t care. This is exactly what we need on this gloomy Monday afternoon. Chortle on, paper-hating baby! Chortle on. [Via]

“Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, is out with a new report today suggesting that the economy could lose 700,000 jobs by the end of next year if Republicans push through $61 billion in cuts called for in their 2011 budget proposal…. Monday’s report comes on the heels of an analysis from Goldman Sachs projecting that the Republican plan, if put into action, could slow the economy’s growth by up to 2 percentage points this year alone.” Presumably, however, these are union or government jobs, which we all know don’t count.

In case you can’t tell, today is the LAST DAY of CNN’s David Gergen on Twitter at Gergensvoice and now he is just David_Gergen. He is really really concerned that you know this. Even if he has to tell all of you ONE AT A TIME.

“Pictures were always a successful freak show. You just couldn’t tell which freak would bring in an audience.”

James L. Brooks discusses Broadcast News, one of the ten best movies of the ’80s and almost certainly the best of his career. If you have yet to see it you should leave work right now and go home and do so. [Via]

Willow Smith, born October 31, 2000, will perform this on Oprah tomorrow. It’s going to be huge, yes, though the chorus itself is kinda blah, and she needs to get that Ke$ha rap-singing whine out of her voice. Otherwise? IT’S WILLOW-TIME.

41 Songs By Randy Newman You Should Listen To Before You Bitch About Music Written Expressly For A Childrens’ Movie

“Baltimore”
“Burn On”
“Christmas In Cape Town”
“Dixie Flyer”
“Falling In Love”
“Ghosts”
“God’s Song (That’s Why I Love Mankind)”
“Guilty”
“Half a Man”
“Have You Seen My Baby”
“How Great Our Lord”
“I Love L.A.”
“I Miss You”
“I Think It’s Going To Rain Today”
“I Want You To Hurt Like I Do”
“In Germany Before the War”
“It’s Money That I Love”
“Louisiana 1927”
“Love Story (You and Me)”
“Mama Told Me Not to Come”
“Marie”
“Miami”
“My Life Is Good”
“Old Kentucky Home”
“Political Science”
“Real Emotional Girl”
“Rednecks”
“Rider in the Rain”
“Rollin’”
“Sail Away”
“Same Girl”
“Short People”
“Song For The Dead”
“Spies”
“Suzanne”
“Texas Girl at the Funeral of Her Father”
“The Blues”
“The Girls In My Life (Part I)”
“They Just Got Married”
“William Brown”
“You Can Leave Your Hat On”

RT @ddayen: Crowds outside capitol begin massive chant of “let them in” as Capitol Police block access to the building #wiunionMon Feb 28 15:52:29 via HootSuite

WEAC
WEAC

Confusing situation happening at the Madison Capitol this morning. Protestors who slept in the building last night are still inside; people wanting to come in are being prevented from doing so. Tomorrow is Governor Scott Walker’s budget address, you see! As we know first-hand, the protests in Madison have been peaceful, clean, well-organized and friendly, despite whatever lies are being spread about them.

RT @evale72: R’s are refusing to let anyone into the public, state capitol building. We’re looking into legal options/remedies. #wiunion #wiMon Feb 28 16:03:16 via TweetDeck

Greg Palmer
gregpalmer

Dept of Admin says because Protesters stayed last night, no additional Protesters will be let in “until this situation is resolved” #wiunionMon Feb 28 15:40:02 via TweetDeck

Jessica Arp
news3jessica

Also, in case you missed it this weekend?

Disability Activists Occupy GOP Headquarters in Madison, WI Over Proposed #Medicaid Cuts #disability #Wisconsin http://cot.ag/gJZWsPMon Feb 28 16:18:15 via CoTweet

US Social Forum
ussf

Fans of John Sayles can temporarily stop grumbling about WHEN THE HELL ARE THEY EVER GOING TO RELEASE CITY OF HOPE ON DVD to at least celebrate the fact that McSweeney’s is set to publish his new novel, A Moment in the Sun. The book clocks in at close to 1,000 pages, so once it’s out expect me to disappear for a while. Those of you who are unfamiliar with the director’s literary works should check out Los Gusanos or The Anarchists’ Convention.

“According to new research, a sneeze lets out more than sinus pressure — it reveals a lot about the sneezer’s personality. For example, a get-appreciated sneezer — someone who lets out loud, funny, or multiple achoos — are generally ‘well liked, playful and boisterous.’ The discreet, get-along sneezer are characterizes as ‘nurturers, supporters and good listeners,’ who don’t like to rock the boat. If you try to suppress a sneeze until it has no option but to escape in a manner that’s ‘loud, forceful and fast,’ then you’d be a get-it-done sneezer. And your hand flies to cover your mouth at the first sign of a tickle, you’re likely a be-good sneezer, a group also known for their methodical and judgmental personalities.” Or maybe it’s just the way you blow your nose. You never can tell.

Yemen: How the Al-Ahmar family could take advantage of unrest against the Saleh regime, leading to a civil war — or simply regime change. Meanwhile, the government is going to announce what sounds like an unsatisfactory new government.

Oman: Today is the third consecutive day of protests! The Sultan is quickly making some minor concessions — distributing money

Egypt: Former president Mubarak has been ordered by a prosecutor not to travel; also his assets have been ordered frozen. Too little, too late, says Al Jazeera’s analyst.

Libya: Similarly, Britain has frozen Gadaffi’s assets — to the tune of £3 billion. Also, Libya asked for £900 million in new money, that was being stored “in a secure compound in the north-east of England,” and Britain was like “oh sure we’ll get right on that, give us a few days…” and then they kept it. And this is a useful read: “The city of Zawiyah, controlled by rebels but surrounded by Gaddafi loyalists, is a metaphor for the current stalemate.” Here is a map of the cities seized by the people.

Jordan: “Jordan’s prime minister promised Sunday to introduce laws some time this year that would give Jordanians a greater say in politics, but angry opposition leaders said the pace of reform is too slow.”

Bahrain: “Bahrain’s king reshuffled his cabinet Saturday as protesters continued to call for reforms and a key opposition leader returned to the country.”