THE FACTS ON FACTCHECKING.

I’VE WRITTEN BEFORE that the real immigration crime is how legal immigrants are treated. Here’s another example. “Leaders of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services rejected key changes because ending huge immigration backlogs nationwide would rob the agency of application and renewal fees that cover 20 percent of its $1.8 billion budget, according to the plan’s author, agency ombudsman Prakash Khatri.”

One reason that legal immigrants are treated badly is that they have no power. I think we should change the policy to adjust incentives by simply allowing each newly-minted citizen to fire one federal employee upon becoming a citizen. This would encourage politeness and efficiency . . .

SEMEN AS AN ANTIDEPRESSANT FOR WOMEN. There’s new research supporting the original finding, reportedly. (Via Sullivan).

UPDATE: Liz Phair fans are unsurprised.

WARD CHURCHILL UPDATE: More calls for his firing.

A TROUBLING LOOK at the implications of the Estonian cyber-attack. (Via Slashdot).

Plus, an amusing comparison of real cyberwar vs. that in cyberpunk novels. The problem is that if you portrayed network security in a novel as being as slipshod as it actually is in real life, no one would believe it — they’d think it was just the author making things easy for his characters. . . .

A LOOK AT THE REALITIES OF CUBAN HEALTH CARE, in The New York Times:

“Actually there are three systems,” Dr. Cordova said, because Cuba has two: one is for party officials and foreigners like those Mr. Moore brought to Havana. “It is as good as this one here, with all the resources, the best doctors, the best medicines, and nobody pays a cent,” he said.

But for the 11 million ordinary Cubans, hospitals are often ill equipped and patients “have to bring their own food, soap, sheets — they have to bring everything.” And up to 20,000 Cuban doctors may be working in Venezuela, creating a shortage in Cuba. . . .

Until he had to have emergency surgery last year, Fidel Castro — who turned 80 this year — was considered a model of vibrant long life in Cuba. But it was only last week that he acknowledged in an open letter that his initial surgery by Cuban doctors had been botched. He did not confirm, however, that a specialist had been flown in from Spain last December to help set things right.

Read the whole thing.

ANOTHER EMAIL FROM MICHAEL YON:

I was present today when an Iraqi General was arrested on suspicion of murder and other crimes. The American commander, LTC Doug Crissman, narrowly averted a possible bloodbath today when he intervened, without orders from above, and arrested the General. The General was with 14 heavily armed men. I was a few feet away and snapped a photo of Crissman and the Iraqi General only seconds before Crissman silently grabbed the General’s pistol out of his holster. Crissman’s men had silently disarmed the other 14 men who were all around the building. The General was clueless. Incredible, and brilliantly executed by LTC Crissman. More in a couple of days. (I got it all on video/photo.)

Instapundit readers are the first to know.

And I’d like to know more.

THE REALLY IMPORTANT TECH-NEWS OF THE DAY: A review of the first true draft beer mini-keg! This technology might be bad for my waistline — I considered buying a Kegerator but concluded that the plus — I’d drink more good beer — would also be about a 20-pound plus that I could do without. I’ve got a friend who owns a microbrewery and he quit keeping kegs at home for that very reason.

JEFF FOUST has more from the ISDC.

I’M ON BLOGGINGHEADS TV with National Journal’s Conn Carroll, talking about politics, the future of newspapers, and whether Hillary is like Margaret Thatcher.

A FLIP-FLOP TOO FAR, even for John Kerry: “Kerry, Clinton ventured, should consider defying Democratic interest groups by endorsing the Bush proposal for a federal constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.”

HOW TO BUY a President’s friendship.

THAT’S NOT VERY NEIGHBORLY: Mexican audience boos Miss USA. If an American audience booed Miss Mexico, it would be racism.

SHUT UP ABOUT ISLAM, and be safe. I keep pointing this out, but if this technique works it will be adopted by others.

ANSWERING LIFE’S IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Like, are Jimmy Buffett and Warren Buffett related? (Via Bainbridge).

EARLIER, I MENTIONED THE DANGEROUS BOOK FOR BOYS, and the Mad Scientists’ Club books, leading some people to wonder how to encourage boys (and girls) to get more interested in hands-on electronics stuff. I’m not sure, but when I was a kid I had a lot of fun with the Radio Shack version of this 200-in-1 electronic project kit, and I actually did learn a fair amount while building some cool stuff. And I would have loved something like this. And this looks kind of cool, too.

UPDATE: Reader Brent Sperling emails:

I too had a Radio Shack 200-in-1 kit, and I definitely agree with you that it would be a great way to get kids interested in electronics.

I’d add, however, that today’s kids (especially teens) would greatly benefit from a subscription to Make magazine (http://www.makezine.com/). It’s nerdy, cool, and inspirational. I only wish I had had something like that.

Good point, for somewhat older kids.

MORE ON THE SITUATION IN IRAQ, from J.D. Johannes, who’s been there for a while. The “Anbar Awakening” appears to be spreading. But read the whole thing.

UPDATE: Rand Simberg emails that it’s all explained by evolution.

THE FTC IS LOOKING AT THE GOOGLE/DOUBLECLICK DEAL: I think we’ll see Google getting a lot more regulatory scrutiny in the near future. (Via Slashdot).

THE CREATION MUSEUM: “Like most natural history museums, this one has exhibits showing dinosaurs roaming the earth. Except here, the giant reptiles share the forest with Adam and Eve. That, of course, is contradicted by science, but that’s the point of the $25 million Creation Museum rising fast in rural Kentucky.”

Hmm, I guess I’ve forgotten the part of Genesis where Adam kicks the ass of a bunch of velociraptors. It would have to be pre-apple, of course.

You can find the Creation Museum’s website (Slogan: “Prepare to Believe!”) here.

UPDATE: Mark Twain was ahead of the creationists. Funnier, too.