Seizing computers and six individuals, US forces may have taken the first step toward "Going Wide." Let's hope. Of course, the Iranians immediately cried foul, citing violations of international conventions, etc. Oh, the supreme irony.

The Ayatollah behind Ahmed-squiggle entered the hospital last month. Rumors flying around Tehran suggest he may be dead. If true, this would only mean one down, another 5,000 of the top lunatics to go. But, like the Pope, I'm sure there's one standing in line right beside his hospital bed.

Robert Tracinksi is scheduled to appear on "Your World with Neil Cavuto," a Fox News Channel program, on January 8, with the time to be determined. In a recent TIA Daily he outlined the three current strategies for Iraq under discussion by the Administration: "Going Big, Going Long, and Going Home." He presents an alternative he calls "Going Wide." This involves essentially looking beyond Iraq's borders to the wider source of the problem, namely Iran and Syria.

For those who may still be in doubt about who the enemy within America's borders is, this website is a good place to start learning.

Anti-CAIR

Here are a few other choice tidbits that should turn anyone's stomach, describing the 'sensitivity training' openly advocated by military commanders.

The Intellectual Activist has a number of small images of still life paintings by Linda Mann. If the real thing is anything close to the images, this is a woman of rare talent, particularly in this age.

Proving once again that (while imperfect) the U.S. is not nearly so insane as some others around the globe, we have the Indian and European reactions to the Iraqi court's upholding of the verdict against Saddam Hussein.

I finally caught a couple of episodes of House, M.D. and I have to confess to some puzzlement.

The show has been praised by some Objectivists, but not having seen the show at the time, I didn't pay much attention to the remarks.

For those who would enjoy a delightful and charming ditty with lyrics by Ira Gerswhin (and a lovely tune by George Gershwin), sung with irreverance by the matchless Sarah Vaughan, here it is:

Sarah Vaughan's Snowbound album (Song #7)

A UCLA lecturer and his co-writer join the lunatic viro brigade by castigating 'excessive' use of electric lights.

The authors claim, among other gems that: "Light is a drug, and our 24-hour society abuses it. Humans produce the hormone melatonin in the dark. Without darkness, production is diminished. This partially explains the greater incidence of breast cancer in women who work the night shift and never sleep in complete darkness."

An editorial in the New York Times by Stanley Fish shows just how far gone some really are. To this oily virus, even free speech is just "an abstract principle."

(Though the Danish cartoon story is now dated, the principle is fresh... and an occasional reminder of what's at stake is helpful. Hat tip to Robert Tracinski for including this in his Top Stories of 2006.)

Lord Monckton of the UK has written a strongly worded letter to Senators Snowe and Rockefeller. The letter is a reply to the U.S. Senators' recent harrassment of Exxon-Mobil vis-a-vis their support of 'skeptical scientists'; i.e. those who disagree with the alleged consensus regarding Global Warming.

A German author gives his opinion about the fate of Europe.
The Rape of Europe

His advice? Move to Australia or New Zealand.

His reasons? Among others is this quote from a woman he debated: "[I]t is sometimes better to let yourself be raped than to risk serious injuries while resisting."

Several columnists review Carter's latest diatribe and find it wanting.

SF Gate reviews Carter's foreign policy history.

Jean-Francois Revel, author of Without Marx or Jesus, explains.

Revel on Why Europe Hates America

John Bolton, President Bush's 'bull in a china shop' at the U.N. has elected to resign his never-fully-official job as envoy to the U.N.

Bolton Resigns

In a 10-page story, the New York Times reports on one young new recruit who got a big surprise on joining the Defense Intelligence Agency. It wasn't very intelligent, technologically speaking.

Spy Tech Out of Date

David Horowitz is a staunch conservative. As such, his views are to be taken with a very critical eye. But, he (and his colleagues) often write on the state of the universities in a way that matches my own experience.

For those who love the paintings of John Singer Sargent, you will want to investigate a painter you may not know: Joseph Sorolla

The Spanish artist knew and admired Sargent and his work often bears a strong similarity to that great American painter.

This blog post from an allegedly serious source makes a ridiculous suggestion about how to cut CO2 emissions - by changing code in Microsoft's operating system. These yahoos never give up.

If this story is accurate, this is possibly the most disgusting thing I have read in the last 5 years.

Blair to Bush: Embrace the Enemy

Though we can and should continue to discuss fundamentals, it's always helpful to have a broad base of facts while you do so. Here are some I found interesting.

According to the American Religious Identification Survey (ARI) conducted in 2001 through CUNY (City University of New York):

From the 'thin edge of the wedge' column:

The newly elected Democratic Congressman in Minnesota may bear closer scrutiny.

"The first Muslim elected to the United States Congress is a Democrat from Minneapolis with ties to an Islamic group that supports terrorism and a radical cult whose leader says God will destroy the entire white race and establish a paradise nation ruled by blacks.

At the risk of sounding collectivist (which is entirely opposite to my nature from the age of 2 or earlier), I have some brief observations about American youth.

[I note up front that I have no studies to quote. The following are just impressions, based on personal experience.]

ARI appears to be offering free of charge to anyone, for a limted time, Dr. Peikoff's course on the DIM Hypothesis.