WALTER RUSSELL MEAD: Dispatches From The War That Doesn’t Exist.

As everybody knows, there is no such thing as a global war on terror anymore. Instead we live in a harmonious world of interfaith comity with only the occasional criminal act that is quickly and competently handled by law enforcement officials. As a result we can cut our defense budgets and get on with the real business of life, which is to say watching TV, going to the mall and voting to re-elect the strategic geniuses whose wise decisions and firm but thoughtful leadership gave us this tranquil world order.

As we celebrate this new age of peace, understanding and joy, here are a few stories that might matter if we didn’t have such a wise and level-headed government in Washington that was bent on soothing and quieting what might otherwise be an aroused and worried public opinion.

Read the whole thing. I have a feeling that one way or another, this age of peace, understanding, and joy has only about 5 more weeks to run. . . .

Key bit: “We may be tired of the war on terror, but the terrorists aren’t tired of waging war on us. Far from it. They are just warming up.”

The Progressive War On Science.  I was discussing this with a scientist friend just the other day.

COMPETENCE: Washington Post: In Libya, security was lax before attack that killed U.S. ambassador, officials say.

I DON’T THINK IT’S “JOURNALISTIC PROSTITUTION.” I think they’re giving it away.

I’D GO WITH CUTE: Cute or creepy? Carrie Underwood gives 12-year-old boy first kiss.

Drudge headlines this morning, screen capture

The main headline reports the 2,000 military deaths in Afghanistan, but below the fold there’s this:  MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD: OBAMA PLANS $450 MILLION CASH FOR EGYPT…

We can’t afford this administration’s foreign policies anymore than we can afford its economic policies.

MEGAN MCARDLE: America Really Is Exceptional: Our economy is bigger than anyone else’s. That means we have to choose policies more carefully.

AT AMAZON, Warehouse Deals in Video Games.

MY SUNDAY WASHINGTON EXAMINER COLUMN: November And The Importance of Showing Up.

VIDEO: California Shuts Down Fifty-Year-Old Burger Joint For Having Counters Too Tall.

THEODORE DALRYMPLE: Are the Treatment and Prevention of Obesity Different Problems?

ED KRAYEWSKI: Obama’s Dismal Record on Foreign Policy: The Nobel Peace Prize winner has not earned his award.

In 2009, President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. As he himself admitted, the honor wasn’t bestowed on him for much he had yet done, but for what he was expected to do. As a candidate Obama got a lot of grief for promising in his nomination acceptance speech that his presidency would be the moment when the rise of the oceans would slow and the Earth would begin to heal, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee didn’t help by pinning an award on him based on expected “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Nearly three years later, the fruits of any strengthened international diplomacy or cooperation between peoples are bitter, if they exist at all.

Indeed.

COMPETENCE: US forces in the dark about Taliban infiltration in Afghanistan. “U.S. and coalition commanders are no closer to knowing how deep the Taliban has penetrated Afghanistan’s security forces despite increased efforts to flush out infiltrators who are carrying out attacks against Americans.”

AMBASSADOR CHRIS STEVENS IS DEAD; AL-QAEDA IS ALIVE: Rand Simberg on the false campaign narrative of the president’s foreign policy.

LEGAL GEEKS: Firefly And Lessons In Contract Law.

OUR DEAD AMBASSADOR: “He probably had it coming.”

NEWS YOU CAN USE: Scheduling Sex May Sound Unsexy but There’s a Way to Make it Hot.

Question all authority but the educator’s seems to be the order of business at many schools.  (I noticed that trend as my kids went through K-12, and I noticed it getting worse over the years.)

Mouth of Giant Black Hole Measured.  No word yet on whether it’s the one located over US treasury.

Apparently there’s a New Theory On Why Men Love Breasts.  (And here, I thought the old theory “because they’re men” was just fine.)

If you read urban fantasy and also like police procedurals, you might want to consider Nocturnal Origins (full disclosure, the author is a friend. However, the book’s unusual combination of fantasy and realism makes it worth it on its own merits.)

Meanwhile at her newly-revived blog, the author of the book linked above wonders Would you trust California with your retirement plan?

Firefly and lessons in contract law.

The Weekly Winston: Middle East Edition

The Winter of Our Discontent and the September Of Obama’s Incompetence.

I WOULD RATHER WE JUST ABOLISHED COPYRIGHT ENTIRELY THAN ENGAGE IN THIS TRAVESTY: “Reminiscent of buggy whip manufacturers taking legal action against auto makers, the former U.S. Register of Copyrights, Ralph Oman, has given an amicus brief in the Aereo case (PDF) stating that all new content-delivery technology should be presumed illegal unless and until it is approved by Congress. He adds that providers of new technology should be forced to apply to Congress to prove they don’t upset existing business models.”