Headlines from November 16, 2012

Avoiding bankruptcy and defaulting twice in 2012, the U.S. Postal Service reports a $16 billion annual loss.
Twinkies maker Hostess files motion to liquidate assets and sell off its brands.
Some other second-tier industrial bakery will…continue producing the Ding-Dong, and the Wonder Bread, and other crap nobody wants.
Vintage psychedelic Hostess commercials. #video
Think-piecing our way through the Guy Fieri-New York Times feud: Elitism isn’t the enemy, but bad junk is.
Paul Ford: Websites, like presidential campaigns, succeed when they scale—can Occupy do the same? #ows
The latest in career advancement: Become a director for a trade association—or five.
BP CEO thankful $40 billion fine “only amounts to 1 percent of the company’s gross revenue for 2011.”
China’s new leaders: personable, forgiving, and mysterious.
Ai Weiwei grants rare non-exclusive interview. Madman Daily is China’s Onion.
Online snark in the form of micro-blogs pose a new challenge to China’s propaganda machine.
Get ready to spend Thanksgiving servicing your relatives’ laptops: “Home for the Holiday Tech Support.” #tmn
Kurzweil’s new book: full of holes—big, dubious, mind-blowing holes. #books
Obit for paleontologist-polymath Farah Jenkins, a real-life Indiana Jones who discovered much in a well-traversed world.
Egypt’s leaders vow to support Gaza against Israeli attacks.
“Petraeus is only the beginning,” says Obama, promising second term full of Homeland-like twists. #video
James Carter IV digs up Lee Atwater’s strategy for winning racist votes without sounding racist.
Money may not determine the winner in a presidential election, but it does say who gets to run.
As MSNBC demonstrates, prepare to see Condi’s head when newspeople discuss Susan Rice.
Military spouses know about infidelity, and they also know we’re still at war in Afghanistan.
Two profiles of De Niro, now and 19 years ago, about fatherhood and celebrity.
Rihanna is on a plane with fans and journalists, and it looks like this.
If light-rail systems remain sparsely used, cars remain better for the environment.
You have a secret that can ruin your life called an online password, and we need to quit using them. #opinions
Toronto book-vending machine offers random book for two bucks.
Oh fuck, we’re out of twine, and we have no place to dispense said twine. “The Hater’s Guide to the Williams-Sonoma Catalog.”
In time for the holidays: How to properly and effectively craft a thank-you note.
How Sriracha sauce is made. #video