The BBC reviews the silly stories of 2001, as only the BBC can.

State of the Pundit: William Safire comments on the reactions to his supposed change of political heart in criticizing the Bush Dictatorship, about which I scratched my head in FmH. He does not (naturally) mention the theory that he is angry he was played for a fool by Cheney’s disinformation about ongoing terrorist threats. NY Times

Slate opens UK offshoot and, curiously, its editors and many of its writers will be anonymous.

New Tree Disease May Afflict California’s Giant Redwoods: ‘California’s awe-inspiring redwoods may be susceptible to a fast- spreading new disease that has already killed tens of thousands of oaks and other trees and infected many plant species in the state, according to preliminary findings by University of California scientists.” New York Times