Maggie's Farm

Who wants open borders? Businesses, and some politicians. Linknzona

Finally, a treason charge. About time. We are a nation. View from the Right

How to fire an incompetent teacher: Reason

A new editorial page editor at the NYT will likely continue the most predictably knee-jerk Leftist editorial page in the US

Mel Gibson acquires nuke. Borowitz

Everybody loves YouTube, but do they have a political agenda?

The invention of Standard Time was for business. Dino

The UW, wild camels, and other random things. Good stuff. Maxed-out

Lamont continues his downhill slide. Maybe it's not so easy to buy an election. Just One Minute. This nice liberal guy was used by the Left for his $, and now watch them discard him. You have to feel sorry for Ned.

Michelle pounds Dirty Harry Reid. Why not? It's election season

You probably read this already. English student arrested for "racism." Another Brit kid banned from school for incorrect snacks. Where's the "tolerance"? But be a Jihadist - no problem. Insane country with a suicidal lack of common sense. Oh, never mind. It's too late for them.

I never understood why Berger didn't get into deeper trouble. Neither does ACE

Free speech. Leftist protesters at Columbia called conservative black "nigger."  I guess that is mature, civil, Ivy League-level debate? I guess it's the next step beyond calling people "racist."

Lancet: "not credible", or "unreliable." Your pick. Nevertheless, widely reported. Tim Blair

Blue Crab reminds us of the 300, per VDH. Did that battle matter in history. Yes it did.

Manly Marines for Christmas. For the gals, mind you. And Rightly So

An illuminating lack of illumination. NoKo, at Atlas

Dr. Bob is a security risk? What a joke. But true. I could see it if they blocked all internet at work, but - for heaven's sake!

Mohammed Yunus wins Nobel Peace Prize. Why? Marginal Rev.

Can Europe put the genie back in the bottle? Too late, I think. Brussels Journal

Lee approvingly quotes Yglesias: Is the US a rogue state?  I believe in our benign intentions, but there is a civil debate there - if people would engage in a civil manner. RTLC

Air America finally gives up. NY Sun. Who needs them? The Left controls the US media anyway.

Ever been through Flin Flon? I have, many times. Very groovy, relaxed little ville. Here's why.

Bovine environmental crimes: Gassy cows. Hey Big Al: should we kill them all, or what? BBC

Sen. Reid defends his land deal. These guys get rich, and they hate to confront eachother. It's a club. Via Lucianne

Saving a species: How to vaccinate the Ethiopian Wolf against rabies.

From Betsy:

The left are always willing to assert that conservatives are trying to impose some new sort of limitations on freedoms of speech and press. And then, time and again, we see examples of leftists trying to deny those on the right their moments of dissenting.

Whole piece here, based on the piece by Perry Noonan.

Image: Yup, that is them. A cute New Haven couple. 1970/

Like totally cool YouTube of how a computer can understand your diagrams. YARGB

Has anyone not yet seen Zucker's Repub campaign commercial, deemed "too hot" by the RNC? Rather amusing. Drudge

Cat's teeth, and how the Lancet derived 654,000 deaths from 547. h/t, Humbug

Our dream house. Orson Card.

Ballmer says Microsoft's LIVE platform is their most important product. Are they behind the curve, again? Arstechnica

The Pope brings back the Tridentine Mass - and stands firm on his refusal to "dilute Catholic identity" for the sake of dialogue. Sensible Mom

Deep-fried coke: don't be the last on your block to try it

Trials for global-warming skeptics? It has been proposed. Sick.

The growth of our lawyer population. Captain Capitalism

Minority home ownership: a major success of the Bush admin. Weekly Standard

Massbackwards is getting his money's worth from
the Boston Globe: image to right.

Federal deficit shrinking fast. Funny how tax cuts spur growth.

More Bill Clinton screw-ups. "Charismatic incompetence", at Confederate Yank.

Is Europe growing skeptical of Moslem "dialogue"? Israpundit says yes.

Drudge is on a roll: Reid got 1 m in land sale; Seeking probe of Berger classifed papers heist in his trousers (about time); and Chris Shays hits Chappaquiddick Ted hard

Always, I did everything for love. Chavez. h/t, Devil's Excrement

Who timed and peddled the Foleygate IMs? Gateway

Try doing this with Jesus! Gates of Vienna

Are we short of fossil fuels? No way. Miller

Blacks suppress white vote in Mississippi. Yes, I guess the blacks have entered the mainstream. Lucianne

Does diversity damage society? Quite possibly. Democracy Project. For one thing, it seems to breed distrust.

Ned Lamont is worth between 90 and 300 million. So the 9 million he has spent thus far to buy Lieberman's seat is pocket change. Calif. Yank. Now, he said on TV that he would consider attacking Iran. What's the deal, Ned? Gee, what if Kim Sung Mentally Ill doesn't want to have an honest, civilized, country club conversation? What then?

18 Doughty Street is on the internet air: an alternative to the Bolshevik Broadcasting Corp. Why can't they broadcast? (h/t, Instapundit)

Riddle me a riddle: Our readers love these - 

There are three balls. One is red. Each of the others is either white or black. Now I give you a choice between two lotteries.

Lottery A: You win a prize if we draw a red ball.
Lottery B: You win a prize if we draw a white ball.

Which lottery do you choose?

Check it out at Volokh

Does more money help public education, asks Education Wonks:

For a number of reasons, that's not an easy question to answer. But Thespis Journal has some numbers that supports the idea that money has little to do with it. (Who would believe that there are public school districts out there that spend an astounding $51,828 on each student?)

The 95 things that fuel Moslem extremism, at Jihad Watch. It's ironic, of course. It fuels itself.

Jack and Charmaine - now totally married. Mazel Tov! And many happy joint returns!

Finally, a needed web site: CAIR Watch.
They deserve some serious baby-sitting.
(h/t, LGF)

The Religion of the Chronically Fake-Offended causes removal of more items from YouTube.

Illegal Jaguar immigrants crossing border to US. Truth is, we'd love to have these guys back in the US. NYT Science. But it's a pretty lame argument against a border fence.

Did climate change cause downfall of the Mayan Civilization? American Scientist

A capitalist wins Nobel. Is Krugman disappointed? Details at The Conspiracy

How religious are American professors? More so that one might think. A new study from Harvard and George Mason

The Soros organization CREW has been holding the Foley info since April, waiting for election season. Gateway. Wow, such concern for the kids. And more tricks and distortions from CREW, at Am. Thinker. May I ask why the Repubs have think tanks, and the Dems have dirty trickster organizations?

Top Dem operative warns: Keep gays away from boys. Gay Patriot. Is that a flip-flop?

Image: Furtively borrowed from Theo Clark of Humbug, who had his own scenic blog until recently. Hope he doesn't see it...naw, he won't notice.

70% of Britons are oppressed minorities. A truly fine demonstration of the absurdity of victim-think. Betsy. Man, I bet that keeps those mean old oppressors very busy.

Buy one for the neighborhood, and pass it around. You only need it once. Hammacher Schlemmer

Two tips from Smart Christian: The end of limbo, and why, at Parableman. Second, the beginning of a series on atheistic ethics at Christian Thinker

Moslems tip the balance in urban elections in Belgium. Brussels Journal

Global chilling of free speech. Heretics must be punished. O'Neill in Spiked

Cutting class size helps the union for certain, but does it really matter for education? Prof. Bainbridge

Anna Politkovskaya: Comments at the NY Sun and the CSM. Something tells me Putin does not like independent journalists.

Lieberman with strong lead in CT

"NYT censors the fact that the NYT engaged in censorship - in an article about censorship'  Patterico

Dwarves who sit on the shoulders of dead giants. Atlas looks at VDH's piece on Europe.

Whose song lyrics are most often quoted in judicial opinions and legal journals? LawBlog (thanks, Reader)

The Foley stuff goes way back. I suspect everyone in DC knew about this stuff. Mod. Voice

When North Korea collapses, who benefits? China, most likely. Kaplan in The Atlantic

Try this

What Title 9 has done to screw up college sports. Yeah - how does it work if less gals than guys want to play college sports? Rhymes with Right

Ka-ching. Suing Wendys because you're illegal. Sheesh. Moonbattery

Is this your idea of an apology? “I apologize to anyone who feels we didn't come forward with all the facts.”  Hahaha. Is that close to "I'm sorry that you care that I lie." Squaring the Boston Globe

The Moslem war against the French police has been widely reported. Update from RWN

Do food expiration dates mean anything?

Here's a dhimmi, in person. Gates of Vienna

Bill Clinton: We expect the media to be on our side. Just One Minute

Lee Abrams on how they got Dylan on board with XM radio

Liberalism is a religion. We agree. The will of the eschaton. Driscoll quotes Nordlinger:

Jerry Taylor of the Cato Institute tells a story about Julian Simon, the late and great economist.

He was at some environmental forum, and he said, “How many people here believe that the earth is increasingly polluted and that our natural resources are being exhausted?” Naturally, every hand shot up. He said, “Is there any evidence that could dissuade you?” Nothing. Again: “Is there any evidence I could give you — anything at all — that would lead you to reconsider these assumptions?” Not a stir. Simon then said, “Well, excuse me, I’m not dressed for church.”

I love that story, for what it says about the fixity of these beliefs, immune to evidence, reason, or anything else.

Read Driscoll's entire short piece. It captures a fundamental truth, and I think it helps explain why it is so difficult to discuss issues with liberals.

Nancy Pelosi has a history of sympathy with pedophiles.   Jawa Report. Oh well, what does it matter? Trying to seduce these pages is not pedophilia. Pedophilia is about pre-adolescents.

When all else fails, blame racism. P/T Pundit 

Candidate for worst You Tube ever: Leonard Nemoy's Ballad of Bilbo Baggins. Do not watch this - life is too short.

Image: Ring-billed Gulls at the beach on Saturday.You can read about Ring-bills here at CLO

"I wish I could buy you for what you're worth, and sell you for what you think you're worth", and other good insults, at SC&A

Ramsey Clark really dislikes George Bush (h/t, Ace)

Memorizes Pi to 100,000 decimal places. Count me a skeptic. This guy would have been quite handy in ancient Greece.

Nessie finally found - the bones, anyway. Some Dino

The blogosphere knows lots more about the ACLU than do most people, thanks to Stop the ACLU. Investor's Business Daily just ran a piece a week ago on the subject. A quote:

 The Enemy Within: From the beginning, the American Civil Liberties Union has aligned itself with America's adversaries. Its unrelenting strategy has been to twist our Constitution into a weapon against American values and security.

ACLU founder and longtime executive director Roger Baldwin's infamous quote still haunts his organization today, a quarter-century after the radical activist's death:

"I am for socialism, disarmament and ultimately for abolishing the state itself as an instrument of violence and compulsion. I seek social ownership of property, the abolition of the propertied class, and sole control by those who produce wealth. Communism is the goal."

It's a statement that's been repeated and reprinted so many times, some Americans might be numbed rather than outraged upon hearing it again. But it's no urban legend. The man who started the organization that claims to be the leading safeguard of the U.S. Constitution did say it, along with plenty of statements mirroring those sentiments.

Whole thing here.

Althouse has a fine rundown of the Columbia "protest" story, with TWO videos and recent admin. comments. One good comment from a reader: "Where was Security?"

The greater a population's devotion to religion, or "religiosity," the lower its level of acceptance of tax fraud, write Steven J. Stack, a professor of criminal justice at Wayne State University, and Augustine Kposowa, a professor of sociology at the University of California at Riverside. And, they say, tax-fraud studies have "neglected religiosity as a social bond that may deter" tax fraud.

Instead, research has focused on how perceptions of apprehension and punishment decrease tax avoidance, and on behavior in the United States alone. In particular, they say, researchers have not previously explored the "moral communities" hypothesis: that religiosity's effect on deviance will vary according to the degree to which a nation's population identifies with a religious group.

The authors analyzed data for about 45,728 individuals in 36 nations that were reported by the World Values Survey, a global network of social scientists who have studied the basic values and beliefs of societies around the world. Mr. Stack and Mr. Kposowa found that the higher individual levels of religiosity were, the lower was the acceptability of tax fraud.

They also found, in a comparison of nations in which a majority of the population identifies with a religious group, that the presence of such moral communities had a marked effect on the acceptance of tax noncompliance. The researchers also found that in nations with communist regimes, which commonly suppress religious groups, the effect of religion on acceptance of tax fraud diminished.

Comparing members of various faiths, the researchers found that Buddhists and Catholics were significantly more approving of tax-fraud than were Protestants, Jews, Hindus, and Muslims. "Persons with no religious affiliation were typically the group that approved the most" of tax avoidance, the authors write. Speculating on whether those variations could be explained by differences in teachings, the authors note that the only significant difference they found was the Buddha's argument that "crime, including theft, was mainly a function of poverty."

Their findings, they say, indicate "that the promotion of participation in religion and confidence in government might be sound strategies for reducing tax fraud." They add, however, that "it is beyond the scope of the present article to address exactly how these goals might be best accomplished."

The article, "The Effect of Religiosity on Tax Fraud Acceptability: A Cross-National Analysis," is available for subscribers or for purchase through Blackwell Publishing.

I am the world's biggest dork. RTLC blogger Lee calculates his social failings and his wasted time.

4% of the US hops crop burned. Who knew there were 17 varieties? CNN

Foley's habits were an open secret in DC for years. Just One Minute

French cops run away from youths. What would you expect? LGF

Michael Jackson plans to run for Foley's seat: Borowitz

Narcissistic Women celebrate baby murder: LaShawn

Cuba's secret to longevity: Coffee, cigars, and sex. BBC

Brit clergy blame Christianity for domestic abuse. Moonbattery. Well, then I suggest that they lead the charge to get rid of Christianity. Oh - they already are.

Fjordman fans: Klein Verzet has started a blog called Fjordman Files to archive his essays. (h/t, Gates of Vienna)

Stop the assaults on free speech. We agree. Betsy. Whatever problem - if there is one - that is being addressed hardly matters because any cure is far worse than the disease.

Glenn R discusses the travails of air travel, and notes that, door to door, air travel runs around 60 mph. But new tiny jets are on the way: everyone should have their own. TCS

Image from The Chairman. Nice boats in the harbor last evening. Ah, the simple joys of life: Your own dock in your back yard, with a his and hers Hinckley.

How do Monarch butterflies find their way from Quebec and Michigan to a single valley in Mexico? Unknown. NYT. Image is a Monarch visiting our buddleia, last September. But I see them around today, still on the move.

Bringing megafauna back to North America? Aren't they all extinct, wiped out by the Indians? Science Daily

You won't believe this press release in Venez. from Citgo: Devils' Excrement. Apparently Citgo cancelled the 7-11 contract!

Or this one, either: Columbia Club Hockey suspended for a year for their recruiting flyer: "Don't be a pussy." FIRE. I guess the pussies in administration won that round. Who complained?

Proof positive that racism is not an income factor in NY: Queens, NY blacks' income surpasses whites. Marginal Rev.  This is a big deal, and a meaningful success for NY blacks, and for the country.

Shape of Days is extremely upset about the Military Commissions Act of 2006. Should habeas corpus apply to terrorists? I wish I were as certain as he is, one way or the other.

Here's a good one: Failure to warn, College student awarded 179,000 after falling out of a loft bed. Volokh. Too dumb for college?

Two from the Old Doc:

Fish oil after heart attacks? In Europe, it's a routine treatment, but its effectiveness hasn't been quantified. Still, not a bad idea for everyone to use it - or at least to eat salmon three times/week. It might delay the date of your first heart attack.

Antipychotic drugs are used for people with persistent anxiety, agitation, bipolar disorder, and psychosis. The popular and expensive new ones turn out to be not much more effective than the antique ones. But they have been marketed very effectively.

The Foley story. Can I say that this story seems overblown? The guy is an idiot and a sleaze with no self control, but how many people in Congress might that be said of? Clinton, Studds, Barney - none of those guys resigned. Maybe it is election season?

Hawkins: Dems do have principles - they just cannot say them outloud. Absolutely true.

One math for white guys and another math for the rest. This is surreal. Right Wing Nation

A new blog: Prairie Politics - the inside scoop from flyover country.

Are the megachurches the Walmarts of Christianity? Megachurches, minichurches, and medium- sized churches. What's the deal? Dan Burrell (h/t, News for Christians)

Dunkin Donuts and Applebees. These two fine businesses deserve our support.  Michelle We do a free advt for DD weekly, but never tried an Applebees until breakfast there in Nashville a week ago - good biscuits and gravy and grits.

In Little Rock, they want a Sharia enclave. Are you kidding me? Little Rock?  Jawa

Fjordman with the Eurabia Code. All Europeans need to read this. Assuming you give a damn. (h/t, LGF)

Chess cheating? Who knew you could cheat? Chequerboard.

Jokes about Osama in the Islamosphere? It's about time. Dr. Sanity. Meanwhile, Al Quaida is losing hearts and minds fast. Am. Princess

Private sector employees beginning to resent public employees and their rich perks. About time. Ankle-Biting

Why Liberals piss me off. Babalu

Hey, Mayor Bloomberg! You don't like trans fats or whatever. Chicken is next - it causes cancer! Ban chicken in NYC - I dare you. Moonbattery

Lieberman looking to win, despite Ned's millions. Calif. Yank.

Is the apocalypse back in fashion? Anderson in New York Magazine thinks so, from Greenies to Jihadists to Christians.

The Beer Revolution. Small breweries sell only 3.5% of beer in the US, but they have had a large impact. Beer update, at Reason.

Why are your medical costs going up? Defensive medicine accounts for a lot of it. Scalpel or Sword (h/t, Kevin MD)

Free speech for me but not for thee.  When the Left loses something, they seek to limit speech. It never fails. Very scary impulse, and deeply un-American. Blue Crab

John Hinderaker collated and edited the Al Quaida tapes, with the WTC bombers - from 2000. Bless his heart - I would have no idea of how to do that. Link here.

Paddling is still allowed in many US school districts - which is excellent - but I see that in most places PE teachers can no longer give extra push-ups as punishment. What kind of pussy country are we becoming?  Education Wonks

Hezbollah is being very generous with funny money. Synthstuff

Larry Kudlow continues to praise our "Goldilocks economy." Funny how few in the media are celebrating these good times. Glenn

Betsy quoting Jonathan Last re Bernard Lewis' view of the hopelessness of appeasement:

Some argue that these conflicts arise not from a clash of civilizations, but from specific grievances, such as the West's support of Israel. This is an unsatisfactory argument. In his 1990 essay "The Roots of Muslim Rage," professor Bernard Lewis pointed out: "The French have left Algeria, the British have left Egypt, the Western oil companies have left their oil wells, the westernizing shah has left Iran, yet the generalized resentment of the fundamentalists... against the West and its friends remains and grows and is not appeased."

The cause of conflict is not what the West does, but what the West is.

Desmond Tutu: Right question, wrong answer. He blames apartheid for crime wave in SA. Tangled. Same old scapegoating. It's a shame. The right answer is this: people haven't signed on to the social contract. People aren't "good" automatically.

Brain damaged? Al Gore blames smoking for global warming. The guy is making himself into a walking joke. Dust My Broom. Hey Al! Have a smoke and a couple of beers, and chill!

Read this magazine in the barbershop yesterday morning. Good fun. Definitely not highly technical - just right for non-science types. Popular Science

Re this Foley guy in FL...If I ran the RNC, I'd consider beheading. Nobody told him only Dems can do this stuff? Details at Maxed.

The Fence. Finally. That's good. And I agree with Calif. Yank: Why not a guest worker program like Candadanistan? You can stay for eight months, then go home.

"Scientists form group to support science-friendly candidates." Guess who they do not like? (hint: they apply moral criteria to policy...)  NYT

Are there Ivorybills in the Fla. panhandle? Maybe.

Lawyer Advt. Hall of Fame: "Call me if you hate your spouse like poison." Haha. Guy has a Youtube too. At Overlawyered

The EU upholds Hitler's ban on home schooling. I told ya that the EU is a fascist organization.

Mayor Bloomberg wants to be everybody's Jewish mother. "Don't eat that." "Don't smoke." "It's raining - put on your rubbers." Absolutely obnoxious, intrusive, and infantilizing of adult citizens. Where does he think we are - England? I agree with Dr. Helen.

Are doctors equal? They get paid the same. DB's Rants

Education is not subject to market pressures. Why not? Because they couldn't handle it. RWN

Sen. Inhofe is fed up with the reception to his entirely reasonable global warming speech.  Link to his original speech, and text of his comments on the reaction to his speech above. A quote:

I have been engaged in this debate for several years and believe there is a growing backlash of Americans rejecting what they see as climate scare tactics. And as a result, global warming alarmists are becoming increasingly desperate.

Perhaps that explains why the very next day after I spoke on the floor, ABC News’s Bill Blakemore on Good Morning America prominently featured James Hansen touting future scary climate scenarios that could / might / possibly happen. ABC’s “modest” title for the segment was “Will the Earth Become Too Hot? Are Our Children in Danger?”

The segment used all the well worn tactics from the alarmist guidebook -- warning of heat waves, wildfires, droughts, melting glaciers, mass extinctions unless mankind put itself on a starvation energy diet and taxed emissions.

But that’s no surprise – Blakemore was already on the record declaring “After extensive searches, ABC News has found no such [scientific] debate” about manmade catastrophic global warming.

( http://abcnews.go.com/US/print?id=2374968 )

You have to be a pretty poor investigator to believe that. Why would 60 prominent scientists this last spring have written Canadian Prime Minister Harper that “If, back in the mid-1990s, we knew what we know today about climate, Kyoto would almost certainly not exist, because we would have concluded it was not necessary.” ( http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=3711460e-bd5a-475d-a6be-4db87559d605 )

On Tuesday’s program, the ABC News anchor referred to Blakemore as “passionate” about global warming. “Passionate” is one word to describe that kind of reporting, but words like objectivity or balance are not.

I believe it’s these kinds of stories which explain why the American public is growing increasingly skeptical of the hype. Despite the enormous 2006 media campaign to instill fear into the public, the number of people who believe that weather naturally changes -- is increasing.

And

This past Monday, I took to this floor for the eighth time to discuss global warming. My speech focused on the myths surrounding global warming and how our national news media has embarrassed itself with a 100-year documented legacy of coverage on what turned out to be trendy climate science theories.

Over the last century, the media has flip-flopped between global cooling and warming scares. At the turn of the 20th century, the media peddled an upcoming ice age -- and they said the world was coming to an end. Then in the 1930s, the alarm was raised about disaster from global warming -- and they said the world was coming to an end. Then in the 70’s, an alarm for another ice age was raised -- and they said the world was coming to an end. And now, today we are back to fears of catastrophic global warming -- and again they are saying the world is coming to an end.

Today I would like to share the fascinating events that have unfolded since my floor speech on Monday.

Read the whole story (link above) and find out.

"Experts" oppose use of DDT to attack malaria, here. (h/t, Junk Science)

Smart bloggers are always talking about Karl Popper. Who was he? Wiki. I only knew him from his concept of falsifiability - a criterion for a scientific claim (ie, it includes criteria by which it may be modified or disproven).

Maggie's Farm endorses Joe Lieberman  for CT! Lieberman is leading Lamont in the polls. Good. We may not care for left-wing Lieberman too much, but at least he understands the critical challenge of the time. But quit whining, Joe. Speak out!

LaShawn reconsiders the concept of "birthright citizenship."

Counting terrorists. Haha. Who can count them? Somebody must be counting them, if Bush is increasing their numbers. RWNH

How to carefully think through your real estate purchases and investments, esp with respect to financing and mortages. Useful stuff from Maxed Out Mama. Do you want to pay off your mortgage?

How Kling went from a leftie to a libertarian. He is not alone. It had something to do with using his brain.

Part lll of Dr. Bob's path to God. Need I mention that it is honest and moving?

Everything free in America: Pregnant Mexicans border-hopping for the free citizenship and the free delivery.

Rational balance and healthy skepticism on climate. The New American. (h/t, Ace)

The more people that are married in a district, the more Republican it is. Ten Napel considers this fact.

Voter ID. Is there a need for it? Bainbridge opines, and the commenters coomment, many of them interestingly.

Why does Britain distrust the EU? For reasons like this one. (By the way, the EU is a latent totalitarian quasi-oligarchic state on the way to becoming a regional tyranny, requiring eventual revolution to repair.) And more on the EU, which is growing weary of its growth and its internal immigrants and economic competition. Why didn't they just stop with the trade agreements, and not be so grandiose?

Dalrymple on Evil. Dalrymple needs his own blog - quote from the piece at NER:

In his introduction, Professor Hollander speculates as to why Nazi atrocities should, deservedly, be so well known and their lessons so well- absorbed, while those of communism, that are not exactly unknown, and on an even greater scale than Nazism’s (no thanks to Nazism for that, of course, because Nazism was stopped in mid-atrocity), have comparatively so little emotional resonance: an unfortunate fact which it is the purpose of his book to change. Perhaps the difference exists because elements at least of communism still exert an attraction for so many intellectuals, and no one wants to acknowledge that his ideals justified and in part motivated mass murder on an unprecedented scale. Who would not rather deny the meaning of scores of millions of deaths, than abandon his illusions?  

From an Amazon review of Gilbert's Stumbling on Happiness: 

Here are some of the most important points of this book:
1) We often exaggerate in imagining the long- term emotional effects certain events will have on us.
2) Most of us tend to have a basic level of happiness which we revert to eventually.
3) People generally err in imagining what will make them happy.
4) People tend to find ways of rationalizing unhappy outcomes so as to make them more acceptable to themselves.
5) People tend to repeat the same errors in imagining what will make them happy.
6) Events and outcomes which we dread may when they come about turn into new opportunities for happiness.
7) Many of the most productive and creative people are those who are continually unhappy with the world- and thus strive to change it.
8) Happiness is rarely as good as we imagine it to be, and rarely lasts as long as we think it will. The same mistaken expectations apply to unhappiness.

Gilbert makes these points and others with much anecdotal evidence and humor.

A pretty happy read, but not as happy as you think it is going to be.  

More Clinton predictions 
from Dick Morris. Gateway

More of what Condi said: Babalu

Oh dear. The Moslems might not like Mozart! Opera cancelled in Germany for fear of Moslems. However, Chancellor Merkel is not in such a hurry to be a dhimmi, bless her. On the subject of Moslems, Capt. Ed highlights a piece by Max Boot called "The View from the Western Street" - about time someone worried about that street. Tim Blair has the updated list of what artists can no longer do in Australia, to keep Moslems from making a mess.

Moving on to the lovely and charming Afghanistan, Dr. Demarche contends that, with the Taliban resurgence, whoever wants it most will get it.

The White Man's Burden. Jay Tea reconsiders nation-building.

How Obama became an overnight millionaire. Hey - it's a good gig, being a Senator, especially the perks and book deals.

Gun man Col. Jeff Cooper died.

A marriage and family blog a reader sent us: And they lived happily ever after

Image: Hotel room view, Fiesole

Linda Greenhouse of the NYT admits it - She's a Leftist and does advocacy journalism. npr  via YARGB

"We were not left a comprehensive strategy to fight al Qaeda," said Condi Rice. Piece at Captain Ed. Well, the entire NIE report is declassified and was released last night. Sister Toldjah/  I like Viking's summary of the issues, and his links.

The top ten lies about the Iraq war. RWN

"There he was on live television, the man those who have worked for him have come to know – the angry, sarcastic, snarling, self-righteous, bombastic bully, roused to a fever pitch. The truer the accusation, the greater the feigned indignation." Thus spake Dick Morris, re Clinton, via Sensible Mom, with more at her blog.

How to hate Jews like an Egyptian. Unbelievable. LGF

The latest crazy church-state case. Volokh's comments.

Some fun, and some seriousness, about the AZ 9-11 Memorial. Why AZ, anyway? Michelle

An extraordinary piece from Anchoress about Bill Clinton - both tender and tough. And empathic in a way that Bill can never experience.

Dems want to thwart honest voting. Hmmm. If I have to prove my identity to get on an airplane, why not for somethng important, like voting? Heck - everybody suspects that Dem big city politics are dishonest. Why not prove that they are honest? Prof B agrees. I have to show ID when I vote up here.

Gun control is inconsistent with liberal values. Correct. (h/t, Massbackwards) And, speaking of guns, Alphecca led me to a gun law blog that was new to me - Gun Law News

Who was Pvt. Francis Lupo? Rhymes with Right.

PETA doesn't want you to dine on cockroaches. Can I crush them with a fly-swatter, instead? RWN. But dang, they are so good and crunchy and low-fat, I just love to munch them in the morning.

Outed as a Jew? Krauthammer on George Allen.  Am I mistaken, or did Hillary and John ("I served in Vietnam") Kerry not advertise their Jewish blood?  Speaking of Hillary, Jewish or not: Iowa doesn't seem to like her very much. She really isn't an Iowa sort of gal, is she?

More dirt on the Lamont family. It's his wife's turn, now. Politics is rough, and nice guy golfer Ned is probably not ready for prime time yet. It's dirty laundry season.  Ex-Donk

Western women don't seem to give a damn about Nazanin.

Did Clinton go postal? Polipundit thinks so, but I strongly suspect that everything Bill Clinton does is calculated for effect and for his advantage - even when appearing to be pissed off. Dino sees it the same way.

Which sports car are you? I am a Nissan 350Z. I answered honestly, except I had to pretend to be a woman on the topless question.

Adultery as a lifestyle choice.  Villainous Company

The Swiss get tough on immigration. Smart. Hope they set an example.

Ape-man child found. AOL news

Ned Lamont under the microscope. Turns out he isn't so fond of unions when he's the CEO.

Poor Canada, land of the Loonie. The Loonies are indeed trying to take over. Check out the Little Black Book of sex education, via Dust My Broom.

The New Deal and Fascism. Coyote.

More women hunters. Is this a good thing? Alphecca

WalMart does $4. prescriptions.  Are they competing with the Medicare plan? If so, they win. Synthstuff

Image stolen from Stumbling

To our visitors from City Journal:

We are pleased to have you visiting the Farm. Please check out our blog, while you are here. You might like our mix of topics, and you might want to bookmark us, and to visit the Farm regularly.

Gentlemen, start your chainsaw engines: NC homeowners at war against Feds seek to drive Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers from their neighborhoods. Am Thinker.

And speaking of birds, an Archaeopterix update. Science Daily

Why is Clinton so angry? It is quite clear why. I wish he could be a real man and simply tell the truth. And the truth, most likely, is that he did not see any political gain in going after Bin Ladin. It would have required taking a big political risk - aka leadership: being the leader of the free world requires more than craftiness and slyness.  Captain Ed has the right view, I think.

Greenleaf, Idaho. Mayor wants every homeowner to be armed. They aren't, already?

How many times have we said similar things? East is east, etc. From a useful piece titled Observations on Arabs, via YARGB - good find. One quote:

Since the beginning of the Iraq phase of this conflict of civilizations, I've experienced the teeth-grinding frustration of watching both pro- and anti- Iraq sides make the exact same mistake - that of supposing that these people are bascially Americans in funny costumes. In this respect, George Bush and Michael Moore are equally clueless, as was Jill Carroll apparently.

Husock in City Journal takes a look at liberal housing policy. One quote:

Polikoff dreams of extending urban relocation programs to thousands more communities across the country. One wonders when or if liberals will recognize that no magic government-housing scheme can solve the real quandary at the heart of Waiting for Gautreaux: the dysfunctional life habits of the underclass. There’s simply no alternative to encouraging marriage and intact families and pressuring the poor to adhere to middle-class norms—and, yes, providing counseling, mentoring, and training to help. One wishes that Polikoff, who seems like a caring person, would take notice of the facts he reports in the pages of his own book.

He is absolutely right. People are not poor and neglectful because of skin color or neighborhood - they are poor or neglectful, or have kids but no husbands, or because they do not function well, or do not run their lives reasonably and responsibly. Occasionally, because of bad luck. And sometimes by choice.

The polluting habits of the Lear Jet liberals. Sad but true: jets far worse than cars.

How can you tell if a Latino is living near you? It's a short video.

Can you teach ballet without touching the student? Doubtful, but the Brit PC Police want them to try. Spiked.

Search engine market share: right-clicked from our pal at AlphaPatriot:

Bush speaks up for America at the UN. Quit the terror - we want peace. It's the right message. Comments in the NY Sun.

"They say that it's the institution..."  Thinkin' about blaming it on "the system," at Asst Village Idiot. One quote:

The Zen koan "The Tao that can be described is not the real Tao," applies here. The system that can be described is not the real system. Better to start from the idea that there is no system at all.

Free Willy Nelson! Does this explain his politics? Protein

From the author of Path to 9-11, Cyrus Nowrasteh:

In July a reporter asked if I had ever been ethnically profiled. I happily replied, "No." I can no longer say that. The L.A. Times, for one, characterized me by race, religion, ethnicity, country-of-origin and political leanings--wrongly on four of five counts. To them I was an Iranian-American politically conservative Muslim. It is perhaps irrelevant in our brave new world of journalism that I was born in Boulder, Colo. I am not a Muslim or practitioner of any religion, nor am I a political conservative. What am I? I am, most devoutly, an American. I asked the reporter if this kind of labeling was a new policy for the paper. He had no response.

Whole piece at Ed Driscoll

Experts want to move the Mississippi to save New Orleans. Why not. What the heck? It's just water, right? NYT Science News

Wish I had written this, quoted from a piece by Malzahn in Spiegel Online:

One thing should be kept in mind, however: The often violent protests that erupted in the Muslim world in the wake of the cartoon controversy have often been manipulated and fuelled by Islamists. The bile currently being flung at the pope is no different.

But the attacks against the pope are especially grotesque. The severe criticism -- often coupled with threats of violence -- directed at the speech held last Tuesday by Benedict XVI is not just an attack on the head of the Catholic Church. The malicious twisting of the pope's words and the absurd allegations made by representatives of Islam represent a frontal attack on open religious and philosophical dialogue.

That so many in the Muslim world joined the protests against the pope merely show just how influential Islamist extremist groups have become. The political goal of the Islamists is clear: any dispute between Christianity and Islam must obey the rules handed down by political Islamism.

Bending to this demand would be a mistake -- indeed it would be tantamount to turning one's back on freedom of expression and opinion. What will come next? Perhaps a complaint that Allah feels insulted by the numerous European women who don bikinis during a summer trip to the beach. It could be anything really -- militant Islamists will always find something. But the response needs to be firm.

Big Supermarket is Watching You. How stores study buying behavior to get you to buy more. Science News

My father asks for nothing. He was a ball gunner on a Liberator. Sippican

Dennis Prager interviews Howard Zinn.  I won't quote from it, but you have to read it. Unbelievable. They let this bozo write textbooks? His knowledge of history seems so...um... incomplete. Or selective? Almost like he had an agenda or something?

And we feature yet another supposed historian with selective memory of what he learned in school. This is Rick Moran quoted from his piece on Juan Cole's comments on "Moslem sensibilities":

Shooting old women in the back, burning churches, and threatening the life of the leader of a billion Catholics is an excellent demonstration of Muslim “sensibilities” I must say. Cole’s analysis is spot on. Who woulda thunk it? All the burning, and killing, and screaming, and gouging, and stabbing is the fault of the West and our mean old ancestors who told the fanatic’s ancestors that their religion was dirt. Failing that, it is the legacy of those superior airs put on by the Brits and the Frogs that is causing our Muslim brothers so much pain.

Of course, the good professor conveniently forgot to mention the most famous footstools in history – the Ottomans – and their bloody, inhuman rule over the Middle East. By the time Napoleon saw the pyramids, the Ottoman’s had made themselves at home in the region for nearly 300 years. Known as “the sick man of Europe” the Ottoman’s proved that they not only could out-atrocity the west on any given day, but also proved that they could be pretty damn good colonial oppressors themselves even when they weren’t feeling 100%.

Of course, the Ottomans didn’t worship Jesus. They didn’t recognize the Pope’s authority. They never saw the inside of a synagogue (except to set fire to one), nor did they worship, Bal, Babel, Ra, Isis, or any other regional deity. They followed the teachings of the Prophet Muhammed.

Don Surber makes the case FOR pork-barrel spending. Don - that argument is 100 years old, from the days when they didn't have so much of our money to play games with. It is ours, remember. We earned it. Your argument, Don, is that politicians are slimy jerks for whom the pork greases the wheels.  I am sure that that is true.

To think like an Islamist, you have to take a time machine to the Dark Ages. Few of us can do this. Quote from a piece by Eric at Classical Values:

There's a crucial difference between the West and its attackers:

the bottom line is simply that we in the western world don't act that way. We don't riot when insulted; we don't burn when inflamed.

That difference is what we in the West naively call civilization. We tend to assume that all people want to be civilized. The enemies of civilization don't. They want to kill us. For things like looking at the wrong pictures. For quoting obscure Byzantine emperors. And what do we do?

We apologize, because among civilized people, an apology is seen as the civilized thing to do when someone is offended. The problem is, uncivilized people see apologies as weakness. No number of apologies is ever enough. Which means one is too many.  

Image: That would be a Jersey Cow. A good looking, smaller, and manageable breed of dairy cattle. Read about their history here.