PBS is getting into the coffee game by joining with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and creating the PBS Blend. The coffee will be organic, and will be "offered in whole bean, 10 oz. packages, and single serve K-cups for use in Keurig Single-Cup brewers."

But the PBS ombudsman column above raises an interesting question: how can PBS get into the for-profit business of selling coffee and other commercial endeavors and still get taxpayer support? Whatever side you happen to fall on, the column probably answers any questions you might have and is well worth reading.

I wonder if they'll do it for certain shows. Maybe a Sesame Street Hazelnut or a Bill Moyers Vanilla Bean. Though I don't really want to know what a McLaughlin Group-flavored coffee would taste like.

[via Romenesko]

Okay, I'm usually not interested in listening to other people talk about politics, and especially not on talk radio, which has a tendency to make all viewpoints, even the ones I agree with, sound annoying. However, magician Penn Jillette had Lawrence O'Donnell on his radio show yesterday to spout off on things political, and it was quite interesting. Of course, you might have the reaction I usually do to these sort of things and find it a complete yawnfest. O'Donnell is a former Chief of Staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, a political analyst on MSNBC, a panelist on The McLaughlin Group, and was a writer and executive producer for The West Wing. He has some interesting things to say about politics in general, and not always partisan issues, either. Anyway, if that's not your cup of tea, I encourage you to at least skip ahead to about twenty-eight minutes into the show when a cranky old woman calls and all but yells at O'Donnell for all the minor mistakes that popped up on The West Wing.