Tweets of the week: Apocalypse, eggnog and Miss Universe
For the week ending 21 December, a look at the big news in America, presented in 140 characters or fewer.
1. Currently there is a run on guns and large ammunition clips. Last month it was Twinkies. What an odd country we have.
ProPublica business reporter Jake Bernstein (@Jake_Bernstein) observes changing patterns in consumer trends.
2. Anyone else notice that Instagram's terms of service give it the right to steal your soul and imprison it in an obsidian pendant?
3. TIME also to release unskewed version with Romney as PoY RT @poniewozik: RT @TIME: Barack Obama is TIME's 2012 Person of the Year #POY2012
Steve Ferra (@AbPow) who runs the run the Absolute Powerpop blog. Obama's selection as Time's Person of the year caused some disgruntlement on the US right.
4. I'm so old I remember when this press conference was supposed to be about gun violence.
Blogger Marcy Wheeler, aka emptywheel (@emptywheel). Barack Obama held a press conference on 19 December called for "concrete proposals" on gun control by the end of January, but he was also asked about the ongoing fiscal cliff negotiations.
5. Watching #MissUniverse final. Pretty 'human' heavy so far.
Bridesmaids actor Chris O'Dowd (@BigBoyler). The contest was won by the non-celestial Olivia Culpo - the first time since 1997 that the title had been claimed by a Miss USA.
6. I've perfected my eggnog recipe: 1. Get eggs, milk, sugar, and rum. 2. Drink rum. 3. Leave other stuff out and hope it'll turn into cookies.
Novelist Theresa Couchman (@theresa_lauren) - one of many trying to do their best during the festive build-up.
7. Wow RT @jamesrbuk: Superlative RT @mwolferobinson Beautiful RT @stuartmillar159: Stunning RT @agolis: This is gorgeous. http://nyti.ms/ZRytCc
The BBC's Adam Blenford (@adamblenford), The Guardian's James Ball (@jamesrbuk), Maya Wolfe-Robinson (@mwolferobinson) and Stuart Miller (@stuartmillar159), and Frontline's Andrew Golis (@agolis) search for words to describe the New York Times' Snow Fall project.
8. If the world's ending, God's waiting until 5 p.m. on a Friday. Because, c'mon, you've read the Book of Job.
Baltimore Sun Community Co-ordinator Michael Gold (@migold). The Mayan calendar came to an end, but the world did not.
9. Boehner Plan C: The Alamo. Republicans all die; claim moral victory.
Slate's Jacob Weisberg (@jacobwe) after Republican House speaker John Boehner pulled his "Plan B" to avoid the fiscal cliff after he was unable to get enough support in his own party.
10. It'd be really sad if we made schools more like airports. It's bad enough that airports are like airports.
Josh Barro (@jbarro) of Bloomberg. In response to the Newtown shootings, the National Rifle Association called for "armed security" in schools.
Some tweets have been edited for clarity and style.