TOM SPAULDING ON the six-string banjo. “It’s a neat sound, familiar and ancient, yet new and exotic. I like that.” Video at the link.

WRINKLE REMOVERS that actually work.

EXPERTS EVALUATE THE McCain and Obama electric-car plans.

GRAND ROUNDS is up!

FRANK PASQUALE on The Steady Decline of Security via Obscurity.

THE PUBLIC WEIGHS IN on nanotechnology for human enhancement. I say, bring it on. I need all the enhancing I can get.

DEBUNKING THOSE “detox footpads.” Whenever people start talking about removing “toxins” from your body, it’s usually a sign of a scam.

A LOOK AT THE APTERA ELECTRIC and other three-wheel vehicles, at Autoblog Green.

GAFFE-O-MATIC: The upside-down flag logo. With an amusing Kerry connection.

IN THE MAIL: Walter Williams’ Liberty versus the Tyranny of Socialism: Controversial Essays.

MICHAEL YON IS ON HIS WAY TO AFGHANISTAN, and is asking for your support for his reporting there. Please consider donating if you like his work. I have.

ANOTHER INSTA-POLL:

FLU PANDEMIC PROGRESS: Scientists have succeed in replicating flu pandemic antibodies from 90 year old survivors.

PROSPECTS FOR A warp drive. Sooner rather than later, please.

I HOPE IT WORKS: Turning roads into solar collectors. Still a long way to go on this, though.

HEH: “Shrewd of McCain to have planted those passages in 1973 in anticipation of the rise of the religious right.”

MICKEY KAUS: “Help! I can’t stop blogging about Edwards!” But even Mickey admits that Deceiver.com is ahead of him on the unravelling coverup.

CHANGES IN THE EARTH’S magnetic field. I blame Bush.

REVIEWING THE REVIEWERS: A roundup of book reviews from all over.

THE DOWN PAYMENT: Back in style?

THE CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY, passing a bill to protect children from virtually nothing.

WELL, THEY’RE RIGHT: “College presidents from about 100 of the nation’s best-known universities, including Duke, Dartmouth, and Ohio State, are calling on lawmakers to consider lowering the drinking age to 18 from 21, saying current laws actually encourage dangerous binge drinking on campus.”

NEWS FROM THAILAND: “A Thai-style surge campaign, and change in counter-insurgency strategy, has led to more than 50 percent reduction in violence in the first 6 months of 2008. Terrorism over the previous 4 years was threatening to get out of control, with some areas becoming no-go zone areas.”

ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE: Just heard talk on the radio about whether Russia will move on Ukraine next. Not sure they can pull that off, but if I were the Ukrainians I’d infiltrate some folks into Russia with instructions to blow up some pipelines, etc., if that happened. It would be cheap and effective.

TOM MAGUIRE: The Chicago Annenberg Challenge – The Fog Thickens. “So let’s see – Obama has been misrepresenting his relationship with Ayers to the press (this misdirection of Ben Smith of The Politico from last February is a comedy classic) and now someone is blocking access to the records detailing the workings of the group founded by Ayers and chaired by Obama. In another world the press would smell a cover-up. In this one? My guess has been that the mainstream press will remain in the tank for Obama rather than risk annoying their remaining readers by appearing to be pawns of the right-wing attack machine.”

Disturbing!