Consumerism: Is there any product in America that hasn't been turned into Obama memorabilia? (BrandFreak)
Inauguration: Security efforts at the Mall were a success: no arrests, no serious injuries, no significant property damage, and 30 lost children returned to parents. And that's with more than a million people gathered. (The Washington Post via Fark)
Global warming: A huge Antarctic ice shelf is teetering on collapse. (Scientific American)
Politics: A former Big Tobacco advocate goes to that big smoking section in the sky. (News & Observer)