NOAH POLLAK: McCain is losing the Iran debate. “Why is McCain allowing himself to be dragged into a debate about presidential-level diplomacy, when the more important question — and the question whose answer is more politically favorable to McCain — is whether diplomatic engagement will actually get anything accomplished? McCain should be asking Obama what concessions he realistically thinks he’s going to get from the Iranians upon going hat in hand to Tehran.”

AN ARMY OF HAOS:

A busload of volunteers in matching red hats was bumping along the village’s rutted dirt road. Employees from a private company in Chengdu were cleaning up a town around the bend. Other volunteers from around China had already delivered food, water and sympathy.

“I haven’t done this before,” said Mr. Hao, 36, as he straddled his mountain bike on Saturday evening. “Ordinary people now understand how to take action on their own.”

Private initiative in disaster relief. Self-organization by ordinary people. Somebody should write a book on this stuff.

MORE, PLEASE: Iraqi oil exports increase.

THOUGHTS ON FREE TRADE AND POLITICS, from Megan McArdle.

SLATE: Obama’s lobbying ties.

BOB ZUBRIN WRITES in defense of biofuels.

TOM MAGUIRE, on Obama, Hari Seldon, and the Nerd Brotherhood.

PROF. KENNETH ANDERSON is blogging about battlefield robots over at Opinio Juris.

BAD NEWS: “Sen. Edward M. Kennedy’s seizure this weekend was caused by a brain tumor, his doctor said this afternoon, but it’s not yet clear if he will undergo radiation treatment and chemotherapy to treat the tumor. The tumor, on Kennedy’s left parietal lobe, is known as a ‘malignant glioma,’ according to his doctors, who did not give a long-term prognosis on Kennedy’s health.” If I recall correctly — happily, my knowledge of these things is now somewhat out of date — anything with the prefix “glio” is generally bad. I hope that’s no longer the case.

UPDATE: The Anchoress on the media spin:

Here is what we can expect of the media saturation tonight on broadcast tv: everyone will open with the Kennedy illness story, then quick reports on brain tumors, and what makes them malignant or benign, operable or inoperable – there will be man-on-the-street commentary edited for the ‘Democrats deeply moved, Republicans deeply nasty‘ narrative. Each broadcast will likely close with some sort of Kennedy timeline focusing on either the whole family or Ted’s life. Probably Ted’s life.

Plus, why this is bad for Hillary. But isn’t everything, these days?

WHY HARVARD harasses the military. “We are constantly told by critics that it is the war and the administration’s policy they oppose, not the troops. University commissioning ceremonies would be a good time to prove it.”

ANTI-IMMIGRANT VIOLENCE in Johannesburg. Much more here, with ugly photos.

A LOOK AT THE PHOENIX LANDER’S coming descent onto Mars.

TOM W. BELL on private prediction markets and the law.

IN THE MAIL: TIME SPIKE, by Eric Flint.

AT TALKLEFT, some Kentucky demographics and voter stats. Plus, at Pajamas Media, continuously updated coverage on Kentucky and Oregon.

LUNAR PROPERTY RIGHTS: The subject of my latest column for Popular Mechanics, now online. And don’t miss this piece from Sunday in the Boston Globe.

OBAMA, GAY MARRIAGE, AND “SEPARATE BUT EQUAL.”

BOSTON GLOBE: Why aren’t there more women in science and engineering? Controversial new research suggests: They just aren’t interested. Does this mean Larry Summers can have his job back? . . . (Via Dr. Helen).

UPDATE: Some related thoughts from Rand Simberg.

THE MYTHBUSTERS LOOK AT misconceptions about electric cars.

HEH: “Much like a children’s soccer or Tee Ball game, tonight’s contests in Kentucky (which Clinton is expected to win big) and Oregon (ditto for Obama) are going to allow everyone to walk out a winner.”

THIS IS INTERESTING: Is the Nissan 200SX coming back as a hybrid before turning electric?

RANDALL PARKER: “As we design computer systems to make us do what their designers decided are the best behaviors from us we are effectively designing computer systems to manipulate us. I suspect that the first AIs deployed into widespread use will therefore possess enormous skills for manipulating humans.”

WELL, THIS SHOULD BE COMFORTING:

When older people can no longer remember names at a cocktail party, they tend to think that their brainpower is declining. But a growing number of studies suggest that this assumption is often wrong. Instead, the research finds, the aging brain is simply taking in more data and trying to sift through a clutter of information, often to its long-term benefit.

Instead of saying “I’m having a senior moment,” try saying “I’m sifting through a clutter of information, often to my long-term benefit.” Or use the line I’ve always favored: “I’m a professor. I’m supposed to be absent-minded.”

THOMAS FRIEDMAN’S missing elephants.