This is what we are up against.

This is a terrifying article. This is really what we are up against in the "war on terror." It's hard to imagine what is most frightening: That Al Qaeda can still recruit, or that we might not take this seriously. Can't just sit around and wait for this "situation" to resolve itself.

Merry Christmas? You bet!

This article by Jay Nordlinger reminds me of that article by a fellow law student. She angrily demanded that we not "wish her a Merry Christmas" and "force our religious beliefs on her." Gimme a freakin' break. As I sarcastically quipped then, "Yeah, peace on earth and goodwill towards men. We don't need any of that." I'm going to look for that article. I think I saved it. If I can find it, I'll post the full text.
Merry Christmas!

"It's 'cause of my genes, baby."

I have a list of stuff for the blog, and just found this article by John Derbyshire. Still funny.

Stuff we always knew Back when anesthesia was a new thing, William James decided to explore the new realms of consciousness it revealed. He had himself put under with nitrous oxide gas, and while in the semi-conscious state the secret of the universe was revealed to him. He had sufficient control of himself to actually write it down. Before passing out. When the effects of the gas had worn off, he read what he had written:

Higamus, hogamus —
Woman is monogamous.
Hogamus, higamus —
Man is polygamous.

Well, he got that right, as some researchers at the University of Arizona have demonstrated by compiling a genetic record of humanity's reproductive history.

The scientists report that men appear to have traveled widely to mate. They also say that men and women differed in their participation in reproduction, while it was previously thought that men and women both played an equal role in mating. And the researchers have found that more men than women get squeezed out of the mating game, while twice as many women as men pass their genes to the next generation.

"It is a pattern that's built up over time," says Jason Wilder, lead author of the study. "The norm through human evolution is for more women to have children than men. There are men around who aren't able to have children, because they are being outcompeted by more successful males."

Like we didn't know that already. It's a matter of common observation that any woman can get a man to sleep with her, while some men have a heck of a time persuading women to do them the corresponding favor. One of the great arguments in favor of monogamous marriage, in fact, is that a society organized along these lines gives non-alpha males a shot at, well, "the lighter amenities of conjugal life"... Pity our poor male ancestors (or rather, I suppose, in these precise cases, non-ancestors), who had to stand around glumly while the local chief corralled all the nubile women for himself. Let's hear it for Western Civ!

Find the rest of the article here.

I wanna party with you, cowboy.

Ahh, the good ole days. This place sound familiar?

Wasn't this inevitable?

I haven't been able to follow this story very closely, but after the Spainards capitulated after the train bombings, why wouldn't crazy people use bombs to advance their political agenda?

Important case before the Supremes.

Here's an interesting article about a case that just had oral arguments before the Supreme Court.
It's hard to reconcile my position on this matter. I guess in the end, I'm all about Federalism. Even if states are stupid enough to make mistakes, the Feds should probably stay outta the way. Commerce Clause be damned.

Here's another article pointing out the upcoming issue.