CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: What did the Iraq Study Group tell us?

PROOF THAT I’M NOT A CONSERVATIVE? I didn’t make Tom Delay’s blogroll.

On the other hand, Bill Quick — who’s not much of a conservative either — did, so scratch that theory. And Keith Olbermann got some attention, too . . . .

DARFUR UPDATE: Peter Pham and Michael Krauss look at what’s going on, and what might make things better.

CAN’T PEOPLE WAIT ON THIS FOR A WHILE? I guess not: The Wall Street Journal (free link) rounds up speculation on what will happen if Tim Johnson is unable to return to the Senate.

MICKEY KAUS: “That official police report on Diana’s death appears to be a bust, as far as alleging spying by the Clinton Administration on Republican magnate Ted Forstmann.”

I THOUGHT THIS WAS PRETTY PEDESTRIAN, until the hat came out. That’s what turns an ordinary Internet video into pure comedic gold.

JOHN HINDERAKER offers some advice to President Bush.

UPDATE: B ill Quick weighs in — though you’ll have to scroll past an annoying (to me) list of recently posted comments to see the actual post I’ve linked.

THOUGHTS ON automotive efficiency.

TEN TECH CONCEPTS YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR 2007: Bendable concrete is pretty cool. (Via Slashdot.)

THE MPRIZE FOR LONGEVITY RESEARCH has now passed the $4 million mark.

Plus, a Leon Kass retrospective at FightAging.org.

“BLAME COWS BEFORE CARS FOR GREENHOUSE GASES:” I promise never to drive a cow. But the cows can point the finger at those Chinese coal seam fires.

THE CAR SURVIVAL KIT DISCUSSION from a few days ago led me to consider emulating SayUncle and keep something to cut seatbelts in the car. I could have just gotten a big honking knife, but I didn’t want anything that an unsympathetic cop might consider a dangerous weapon, just in case. (Yes, we have concealed carry in Tennessee, but it doesn’t apply to knives, and it’s wise to be careful what you carry in your car.) I wound up ordering this Swiss Army “Fireman” model, which has a locking blade that opens with one hand — I like that in general — and a special seatbelt cutting blade. Seems quite well made, and it’s now in the driver’s side pocket.

Plus it has a bottle opener and corkscrew for, um, lesser emergencies.

UPDATE: Dave Schuler emails: “Practically every male in my wife’s family is a fireman. I note that the ‘Fireman’s Model’ picture in the Amazon link features a bottle opener and a corkscrew. Sounds about right to me.”

It’s important to be prepared for all contingencies.

ANOTHER UPDATE: SayUncle emails: “Good point on the knife in car thing. You can also look at these: In addition to not looking like a knife, they have punches to break out safety glass ( i.e., your windows).” No corkscrew, though.

CUBIC HARD-BOILED EGGS: Cool!

A LOOK AT the future of RSS: “What started as a publishing phenomenon is now a marketing phenomenon, as companies in virtually every industry segment are using feeds to communicate with customers or constituents via RSS.”

BEST TAKE YET: “Eason Jordan and Michelle Malkin wandering around Iraq in search of shadowy Iraq police captain Jamil Hussein? It sounds like a sitcom . . . . I can’t wait to see how this turns out.”

I think it’s a great thing. Either they’ll find him — which is more than AP has managed to do — or they won’t, which will constitute calling AP’s bluff.

TONY SNOW apologizes to David Gregory. Rather handsomely.

JOHN HAWKINS interviews Duncan Hunter.

ANOTHER HIGH FOR THE DOW: I credit the new Democratic leadership in Congress!

WAS THE WEBB CAMPAIGN collecting dirt on bloggers? William Beutler looks at the reports and observes, “It shouldn’t be too surprising that the Webb campaign would do this, if they did this. Recent history gives us good reason to assume that politicians are wary of bloggers, certainly more so than traditional volunteers (who do not make a point of expressing their opinions in public).” It’s not at all clear that the Webb campaign did this, but those who have ambitions toward being paid political bloggers for campaigns should expect that this may well happen to them. As blogging goes more mainstream, I’d say it’s inevitable.

IT’S NOT THE TESLA: But Howard Lovy looks at a new electric car.

AL JAZEERA is unlisted. “One hears complaints that no cable or broadcast operation has picked up the English language al-Jazeera feed. I’m all in favor of English language al Jazeera getting a cable outlet. Perhaps a listed phone number might help.”

I HOPE THAT TIM JOHNSON TURNS OUT TO BE OKAY, and I don’t have much more to say than that. But here’s a big roundup from Pajamas Media if you want more.

PORKBUSTERS UPDATE: I agree with The New York Times’ editors, who write:

For all the worthy proposals for ethics reform being hashed out by the incoming Congress, a heavy dose of Internet transparency should not be overlooked in the effort to repair lawmakers’ tattered credibility. The technology is already there, along with the public’s appetite for more disclosure about the byways of power in Congress.

The Web is increasingly wielded by both campaign donors and bloggers clicking and tapping as wannabe muckrakers. Politicians would be wise to catch up. . . .

Much more than disclosure is needed to cure the Capitol’s ills — particularly some sort of independent agency to prod Congress to fully investigate corruption allegations. But prompt, searchable postings of basic data — from lobbyists’ itineraries and expenses to incumbents’ donor ties and legislative labors — should be part of any corruption cure. In the information age, this amounts to a modest proposal for a Congress truly intent on reform.

I think Congress should be subject to the Freedom of Information Act, too.

MICHAEL RUBIN: “John Kerry is in Egypt, and is praising Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s wisdom. What Kerry is not doing is speaking up for Ayman Nour, Muhammad Sharqawi, and other dissidents victimized by Mubarak’s crackdown. ”

Someone forward Kerry this story.

I’M IN A SWEET SPOT OF ENFORCED QUASI-IDLENESS, as I’ve graded the papers from my seminar, and I don’t have the bluebooks for my Administrative Law exam yet. But for those curious about how law professors grade exams, Daniel Solove is spilling the beans with a photo-illustrated explanation of how it’s done.