Because of you people and your endless legislative demands — gays in the military this, tax cuts that — President Obama may have to delay his Hawaiian vacation a few days so he can sign all this stuff. Happy, America?

A British judge has just granted bail to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, on the condition that he surrender his passport, put up $315,000 bond, obey a curfew, and wear an electronic monitor.

[Italian PM and hooker connoisseur Silvio Berlusconi talks on a cell phone during his confidence vote in the Italian Senate today, which he somehow survived. Image via AP]

The repercussions from October's failed inkjet printer bomb plot are being felt by Cuban cigar aficionados, as the Department of Homeland Security tightens air cargo restrictions. But DHS folks won't enjoy them... the cigars will be "vaporized." Yeah, sure.

[Singer Cher removes her coat as she arrives for the British premiere of her new movie, Burlesque. Photo via AP.]

[Or lack thereof. Budapest's annual Santa Claus Charity Run streaked through the city yesterday. Photo via AP]

A 25-year-old Tehranian who blinded his girlfriend's husband by throwing acid in his face has been sentencing to having acid drizzled over his face and eyes. Apparently they're seeking "forensic scientists" to carry out the punishment now. [Daily Mail]

David W. Johnson, the extremely close aide to New York Gov. David Paterson who was charged this year with assaulting his girlfriend—a case that unraveled his boss' political career—was finally fired today after nine months of unpaid leave.

"Out of consideration for the family's privacy," Bernie Madoff says he won't seek permission to attend the funeral of his son Mark, who committed suicide Saturday. The investigations into Mark Madoff's role in the family fraud will continue.

The Senate is voting on whether to move forward with President Obama's tax compromise, and will likely approve it. But how is this grab-bag of taxcuttery even polling? Quite well! Not necessarily for its contents, though.

The Obama administration has loudly opposed a provision of the omnibus spending bill, passed last week by the House, that would ban the transfer of Guantanamo Bay detainees to U.S. soil, even for trial.

Henry E. Hudson, the federal judge in Virginia who just ruled health care reform unconstitutional, owns between $15,000 and $50,000 in a GOP political consulting firm that worked against health care reform. You don't say!

A much-anticipated ruling against President Obama's health care reform law has come down: Federal judge Henry Hudson has found the law's requirement to purchase health insurance unconstitutional. Two previous judges had upheld it. This will probably reach the Supreme Court.

Family friends say that Ruth Madoff blames Bernie for their son Mark's suicide, and believes this is "the end of the family." Mark Madoff hanged himself with a dog leash in his apartment Saturday morning. No one deserves that. [NYP]

[A man contemplates his dryness as a wall of water along the Mediterranean coast in Sidon, Lebanon, gets very close. Much of the Middle East was hit with crazy weather today. Image via AP]

Mustachioed Islamophobe Terry Jones has found some new friends in Britain and he's going to visit them. The extreme-right, Tea Party-friendly English Defence League has invited Jones to a party next year — and they even pretend to like Jews!

Last month the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a recall on supposedly lead-laced superhero and Wizard of Oz drinking glasses because they're made for children. Well, the CPSC has changed course, saying they're for adults, and therefore just fine! (Updated)

Venezuela's blowhard President Hugo Chavez last week offered up his palace to citizens made homeless by floods and he's living up to it, telling Caracas residents, "Put up Gaddafi's gift. [...] I'm going to move into the tent." So proletariat!

[Russian crooner Vladimir Putin eyes up Sharon Stone (standing next to Gerard Depardieu) in Russia on the day he sang at a charity event. Image via AP]

We already know that Richard Nixon was a racist dick. He also liked to record conversations — like the 265 hours that were released this week by the Nixon Presidential Library. Hint: He didn't think much of blacks or Jews.