Band of aides: Ever since Metro Councilwomen Cheri Bryant Hamilton, D-5, Mary Woolridge, D-3 and Judy Green, D-1, recoiled at the idea of their legislative aides participating in the mayor’s furlough days to balance the city’s $20 budget shortfall, we’ve been fasinated by the salary decisions for aides at the Metro Council. The three Democrats argued among other things that their legislative aides should not be forced into furloughs because they already are under tough financial restraints. Green’s aide makes the least at $45,905 and Woolridge’s pulls in $64,000, which puts them well above the majority of their fellow metro employees who will be forced in four unpaid vacations. Approxiamtely 2,926 city workers earn below 45K in base salary, even after compensation and overtime, according to docs we obtained in a recent open records request. But for some reason, those well-paid aides can’t bite the bullet.

Order in the court: If you’ve got a warrant or a pending criminal case, rejoice. If Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear follows through with his planned budget cuts, the commonwealth’s attorney’s offices could be closed for three weeks! Jefferson Commonwealth Attorney Dave Stengel hopes the state legislature will step in.

Sole Man: The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush wants a pardon. In a letter to the prime minister, journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi wrote that his behavior was “an ugly act”. After a few days in an Iraqi jail, who could blame him for the 180-degree change?

Big surprise: TIME Magazine chose Barack Obama as Person of the Year, duh! The cover features Shepard Fairey’s iconic poster of the president-elect. More interesting were the magazine’s runners-up.