FORMER ASTRONAUT urges return to the Moon.

MORE ON BANKRUPTCY AND THE DETROIT THREE:

But the other half of an argument against a bailout is that GM (or the others, but I’ll use GM to illustrate the point) presents an unusually good case for Chapter 11 reorganization. GM is, in fact, the textbook example of what Chapter 11 was invented to do. GM almost certainly will not liquidate, and if it does, then this will almost certainly be beneficial from a social perspective because it will illustrate that the resources are better deployed elsewhere in the economy.

Read the whole thing.

HOW TO MOVE THE ECONOMY FORWARD: Nobody knows–not even Obama. Not even?

WELL, HE IS KINDA THE ANTI-AL GORE: ‘Planet Has Cooled Since Bush Took Office’.

A TRAILER FOR Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD. Is it just me, or is that evocative of the 1980s, when practically everything was “turbo?”

Plus, video game consoles and your energy bill, with a couple of suggestions for reducing electrical loads.

INSTA-POLL: Since I mentioned it last night there’s been some talk of having some sort of rightroots conference to organize things post-election. (Call it a counter-Kos if you want, but not exactly). What do you think? I’m polling, and I’m also going to open comments for a while. If you’ve got a better idea, share it!

Meanwhile, I’ll be on Hugh Hewitt in a few minutes to talk about the subject.

UPDATE: I like the suggested name “freeroots” from the comments.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Comments are closed now. Thanks to those who commented!

[poll id=2]

HOW TO SAVE AND PURIFY the world’s water supply.

ON STOPPING  SCHOOLGROUND KILLERS.  “The other statistic that emerged from a study of active killers is that they almost exclusively seek out ‘gun free’ zones for their attacks. . . .  As soon as they’re confronted by any armed resistance, the shooters typically turn the gun on themselves.”  You don’t say.

ATLAS BLINKED:  Fiscally conservative Republicans were lost at sea in the Panic of 2008.

THEY’RE KEEPING THEIR GUNS:  Perhaps we should take it as a kind of civil disobedience.  Remember, dissent is the highest form of patriotism!

AS THEY SHOULD:  Police Must Apologize to Man Who Taped Traffic Stops.

Officials representing East Vincent and Spring City recently agreed to a settlement with Richard Hookway of East Vincent. The municipalities agreed to update officer training, write letters of apology and each pay $3,200 for the plaintiff’s legal expenses.

On Feb. 19, 2007, Spring City police officers asked Hookway to step out of his vehicle after he was seen filming a traffic stop from a distance, according to the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. Police then handcuffed Hookway, placed him in a police car and searched his vehicle, said ACLU staff attorney Mary-Catherine Roper. . . .

Roper, the ACLU attorney, said police officers often believe residents do not have the right to film them. She said they erroneously apply the Pennsylvania Wiretap Act, which deals with the discreet recording of private conversations.

Courts have been “very clear” on this matter, she said. So long as residents do not interfere with police duties or harass any other person, they have a right to document officers’ activities while they are in uniform.

Ignorance of the law, as they’re always telling us, is no excuse.

JON HENKE ON Mike Huckabee and libertarians. And, of course, you can see the Glenn & Helen Show interview with Huckabee on this topic here.

MORE CARBON BACKPEDALING FROM EUROPE: Fresh doubts raised over December EU climate deal.

Plus, this: Climate change momentum fading: Asia-Pacific survey.

NO MORE GIVING AWAY THE STORE? Bredesen: Time for ‘breather’ on new incentives. “Tennessee will suspend efforts to attract more large business projects if it lands one or two more deals on the scale of the $1 billion Volkswagen plant being built in Chattanooga, Gov. Phil Bredesen said today.”

ANOTHER CIVIL RIGHTS VICTORY:  Winnetka, Illinois repeals its handgun ban.

IT’S A NEW DETROIT-BAILOUT EDITION of the Carnival of Cars!

SO THAT’S WHAT A million-dollar moped looks like!

NEW APPROACHES TO SEQUENCING DNA using nanotechnology.

IN THE MAIL: Born Liberal, Raised Right, a guide to child-rearing and “turning tiny tyrants into good citizens.”

Plus, Arsenals of Folly: The Making of the Nuclear Arms Race.

PROMISING CHANGE, PICKING INSIDERS? “President-elect Barack Obama promised the voters change but has started his Cabinet selection process by naming several Washington insiders to top posts.” Hey, you can’t spell “change” without a D-A-S-C-H-L-E!

SAY WHAT YOU WILL ABOUT THE VOLOKH CONSPIRATORS, but I don’t really think they’re a bunch of crazed leftists.

MORE ON Eric Holder, fierce drug warrior.  Oh, goody.  You’d think that the Obama election would at least bring some relief on this subject, but noooo. . . .

Also, here’s Larry Tribe’s criticism of the Elian Gonzalez seizure.

A REQUEST:  If you see good commentary in college papers, send me a link.

THE ADVANTAGES OF SMALL BANKS.  “According to FDIC data, the failure rate among big banks (those with assets of $1 billion or more) is seven times greater than among small banks. Moreover, banks with less than $1 billion in assets—what are typically called community banks—are outperforming larger banks on most key measures, such as return on assets, charge-offs for bad loans, and net profit margin.”

As Jerry Pournelle observed a while back:  “One does wonder whether the efficiency of having a few very large financial institutions outweighs the cost of the disasters that ensue when a Black Swan appears; whether it might not be better to have, instead of one institution so large that it justifies paying its top executives $100 million a year, one hundred such institutions paying executives $1 million a year? Certainly this would be less efficient. The highs would not be as high. But would the lows be as low? Why must there be institutions so large that they cannot be permitted to fail, and must be rescued by the common purse?”

ON PJTV, Michelle Malkin and I debated the future of the right post-election, and whether libertarians and social conservatives can get along. Plus, what conservatives can learn from libertarians about dealing with electoral defeat!  It’s free to everybody, with no registration required.  Plus, a Glenn and Helen interview with Mike Huckabee where we talk about . . . whether libertarians and social conservatives can get along.  Also free to all.  And, yes, the Brady Bunch visual below was intentional . . . .