Bloggers Look to YouTube on the Israel-Hamas War; Advice for Obama; and Saying Goodbye to Bush

Our daily look at stories and topics that are lighting up the Internets:

The Israeli-Hamas War, Video Edition

In a change from what has become a regular roundup of debates on the ideological justifications behind the conflict in Gaza, here's a video summary of what had the bloggers talking today. Israeli Defense Forces has its own channel on YouTube and has been posting pieces designed to show the brutality of Hamas in the endless PR fight over the war. Meanwhile, Hamas strikes back with a channel of its own called Palutube. Comments one conservative blogger: "I assume the only reason our partners in peace [Hamas] were denied their own YT channel is because Google knows Joe Lieberman would create a national PR nightmare for them." In this video from the IDF, Hamas booby-traps a school, and here Hamas stores a weapons depot inside a mosque. Want to watch more IDF videos? This blogger made a list. Turning to Hamas's channel, here's a piece documenting the hardships Palestinians have been forced to endure after the destruction of their camps and homes . . . and the vows children are making for vengeance. "We will never make peace with them," says one little girl. "I'm not afraid of these cowards. They're like mice." In this video, Hamas trainers march, climb walls, and fight with guns and missile launchers to a techno beat.

Advising Obama, President-Soon-to-Be

Practically everyone has had advice for President-elect Barack Obama since he won the election, but today the blogosphere marinated in such advising. Perhaps it was this op-ed by Bob Woodward on the 10 lessons Obama should take from the Bush presidency? Mark Halperin highlights one passage in particular: "Instead of a team of rivals, Bush wound up with a team of back-stabbers. . . . " Or was it this amalgamation of advice by MIT doctorate students that sparked today's trend? Whatever the reasons may be, let's start with Stephen Walt, who outlines 7 main tips for Obama. A highlight: "Focus counterterrorism efforts on 'disrupting the slowly forming networks of disaffected youths,' and avoid large-scale military operations that stimulate rather than dampen terrorist recruitment." Ed and Deb Shapiro summon none other than the Buddha to give Obama advice: "But ultimately it is the king, the heart, that must make the decisions. May Obama follow the wisdom of his heart!" Anointments are much more worthwhile than advice, or so these religious activists must have been thinking when they anointed a door Obama is to walk through on Inauguration Day (video included).

Bush's Farewell

With Bush's farewell address to the nation scheduled to air tonight at 8, many bloggers moved from forward-looking advice for Obama to backward-looking reflections on Bush's legacy, speculating on how he might try to spin his record in his last days in office. Robert Creamer attempts to look optimistically at Bush's legacy, writing about the one thing Bush did right: "He and his administration provided unquestionable proof of the bankruptcy of radical-conservative ideology, and set the stage for a qualitatively different progressive era in American politics. " Another blogger lends his thoughts on what landed Bush in the White House, labeling the Bush-Gore election "what might have well been one of the great accidents in American history." David Kurtz sees the approaching waves of a counterintuitive assessment of Bush's achievements spread through the media. "And so it begins . . ." And David Letterman is counting down to his final "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches." Watching Bush stumble beside clips of smoother presidents is enough to make anyone melancholy over the political humor slump his departure is sure to bring.

Meanwhile . . .

The U.N. headquarters in Gaza is shelled by Israel. . . . Naomi Campbell settles the lawsuit brought against her by a former maid. . . . And PETA launches a campaign for Spearfish High School in Spearfish, S.D., to change its name to Sea Kitten High School. For real.