• SCOTUS bobbleheads! My birthday's coming up if someone wants to buy me a John Paul Stevens.
• Phil Nobile Jr. (son of Phil Nobile) has a good piece on why Idris Elba can't play James Bond. And no, it's not why you think. 
• Sam Raimi finally apologizes for “Spider-Man 3,” but both he and Hollywood Reporter don't know why he should. Yes, the Hitler strut is awful, but it's more than that. Much more. 
• The NYPD's virtual work stoppage because of a tiff with Mayor De Blasio? Andrew Sullivan's NYC readers think it will backfire. 
• The Onion lionizes 10 people who made no difference in 2014. Someday I hope to make the cut. 
• Sylvester Stallone is making another Rambo movie? His fifth? “Rambo—Last Blood”? Oy.
• David Schoenfield celebrates Edgar Martinez's birthday by making another case (or the same one) for why Edgar should be in the Hall of Fame. 
• He also makes an argument for the most underrated player in baseball history. 
• Tim alerted me to this: “Star Trek” closing credits on “The Simpsons.” Technically no Ferengi in TOS but otherwise spot on—particularly Mr. Burns as Balok. Seriously, this bit took me back to 6 PM reruns on summer evenings in the 1970s. 
• A black FOX News host disparages a black protest with a picture that isn't from the protest but is instead a photoshopped meme from white supremicist groups. No words. 
• In Contention counts down the 25 Most Anticipated Prestige Films of 2015. Three of them star Michael Fassbender. Busy boy. Directors include Mann, del Toro, Scorsese, Spielberg, Tarantino, Haynes, Linklater, Howard, Vallée, Demme, Van Sant, Nichols and (fingers crossed!) Malick. 
• Long read of the week: Paige Williams' New Yorker article, “Double Jeopardy,” about how Alabama judges can, and do, override jury sentences—usually for the harsher variety, often for death. Is it unconstitutional? Not yet. Is it dangerous? It seems to be. Are the sentences politically and/or racially motivated? Good question. 

Burns as Balok. “I know Captain, a thousand questions. But first, the tranya!”