SECESSION Y’ALL: Why Texas Can Pull It Off. Secession is as dumb an idea now as it was when liberals were talking about it in 2004. But you could get the benefits of secession without the costs by returning to the original federal plan in the Constitution, with a limited federal government focused on addressing things like national defense and trade.

Related: Texas Secession: Fact And Fiction.

CULTURE OF CORRUPTION: The Bob Menendez Flight Tracker: Ethics questions surround New Jersey Democratic senator.

VIDEO: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate. With Bill Whittle.

KATRINA ON THE HUDSON EAST RIVER: Coney Island: Poor, Black, and Still In The Dark.

UPDATE: President Obama To Visit Storm-Damaged Staten Island.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Staten Islanders offer to school FEMA after Sandy’s wrath.

“There’s no leadership here, nobody knows what’s going on,” said Christopher Janusis, a Staten Island resident, whose house and neighborhood were badly hit by Sandy. . . .

For Janusis and thousands of other Staten Islanders whose lives were so suddenly changed by Sandy, there are many reasons to complain. But rather than do that, and rather than wait for government help, the residents took matters into their own hands: They organized a volunteer-driven relief effort that could be an example for FEMA and other aid agencies might do well to study.

Someone should really write a book on this kind of phenomenon.

THE FEDERAL WELFARE EXPLOSION: “Welfare is now the largest item in the federal budget, and under Barack Obama’s budget–the one that didn’t get any votes, but may nevertheless be a blueprint for the next four years–it is slated to grow another 30% in Obama’s second term.”

They’ll turn us all into beggars ’cause they’re easier to please.

POPULAR MECHANICS: As Shortage Worsens, We Visit the Federal Helium Reserve.

The BLM expects the worldwide demand for helium, currently about 6.2 billion cubic feet per year, to increase about 10 percent in the coming years. But the world’s helium supply has been in trouble.

In October helium increased from $84 per thousand cubic feet, or Mcf, up from $75.75 per Mcf for the first nine months of 2012. Prices are increasing because most of the helium produced elsewhere in the world comes from the production of liquefied natural gas, an industry hit hard by falling demand because of the faltering economy. And as demand in Asia is rising, helium enrichment plants in the Middle East and Australia have been hit by maintenance problems that created a shortage expected to last through 2013, or until new helium enrichment plants can start running.

Here in the U.S. there is only enough helium left in the government reserve near Amarillo to last about another three years. The reasons are both technological and political.

Read the whole thing.

SO IF WE DO ANY SORT OF BORDER-OPENING WITH MEXICO, IT SHOULD BE ON THE BASIS OF RECIPROCITY: How’s that looking?

CROSSING THE PACIFIC IN COMFORT in Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. “Now, I’m not going to tell you a flight aboard a Dreamliner will change your life. But I can tell you the experience is nicer, even in economy class. The 787 is an airplane people will choose to fly on if possible and frequent fliers might even adjust their schedules for it any time it’s available.”

It’s an advance, but it bugs me that the advanced new passenger jets aren’t significantly faster than a 707.

UPDATE: Reader Jim McDonough writes:

Actually, the 707 was considerably faster than contemporary airliners. It had 4 engines, and a lot less competition for air space. The planes today are built for fuel efficiency first and foremost.

I was on a 707 that reached speeds in excess of 700 mph over the ground, with a nice tailwind. That isn’t happening any more. SFO to JFK in 4 hours.

Bummer. But I really figured we’d have suborbitals by now. It’s the freaking 21st century, and the big breakthrough is humidification and “seat pods.”

AT AMAZON, pre-Black Friday Video Game Deals.

FLORIDA: Almost 1K ballots found in Broward elections warehouse.

GREG GUTFELD: Overcoming “The Tyranny of Cool.”

IF HE’D BEEN LIKE THIS FOUR YEARS AGO, HE’D HAVE WON: John McCain to reporter on Benghazi: “That’s one of the dumbest questions I’ve ever heard.” But back then, he still thought journalists were professionals.

WELL, HE SAID HE’S BAD AT MATH: Arithmetic behind Obama’s “mandate” to raise taxes on the rich doesn’t add up.

Related: McCain On Obama: “No Credibility Left.”

HEH: Thomas Ricks’ review of Paula Broadwell’s All In:

There have been several books written about parts of the career of David Petraeus, but this is the first one that could be called a biography of the most prominent American general since World War II. It is written with an insider’s lively understanding of the workings of today’s Army. I’ve known David Petraeus since he was a colonel and written two books in which he appeared, but I still learned a lot about him from this book. All In feels at times like we are sitting at his side in Afghanistan, reading his e-mails over his shoulder.

Pretty much. Some other media heavyweights blurbing her book, too: David Gergen, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Tom Brokaw. (Via AmSpec.)

ONCE UPON A TIME in Afghanistan. “A half-century ago, Afghan women pursued careers in medicine; men and women mingled casually at movie theaters and university campuses in Kabul; factories in the suburbs churned out textiles and other goods. There was a tradition of law and order, and a government capable of undertaking large national infrastructure projects, like building hydropower stations and roads, albeit with outside help. Ordinary people had a sense of hope, a belief that education could open opportunities for all, a conviction that a bright future lay ahead. All that has been destroyed by three decades of war, but it was real.” It’s not just “three decades of war,” but a poisonous ideology, that has done the damage.

REASON TV: How Obama Is Screwing Moms.

HOW’S THAT HOPEY-CHANGEY STUFF WORKIN’ OUT FOR YA? (CONT’D): The new poverty measure is out, and it’s grim. Funny all the grim stuff that’s come out in the last week or so. . . .

CHANGE: The U.S. Government’s Growing Appetite for Google Users’ Data: Government and law enforcement demands that Google share user data are growing 25 percent every six months.

PROF. JACOBSON: The emerging Fordham scandal over its cancellation of Ann Coulter.

This story now is a major priority at Legal Insurrection and College Insurrection. This isn’t about Ann Coulter. It’s about the tyranny on college campuses.

There is more information which we expect to be able to bring forward, and we intend on holding Fordham accountable.

Update: I have requested an interview with the President of Fordham. I will keep you informed if I receive a response.

Well, stay tuned.

TECHNOLOGY: Deodorant Candy Makes People Smell Rosy.

I’M ON BOARD FOR THAT: To Get Policy Gains From Personal Income Tax Reform You Have To Eliminate The Popular Deductions.

Also, Repeal The Hollywood Tax Cuts! Yeah, it’s not really the same topic, but who cares?

TWEET OF THE DAY: Oct 30: “A Big Storm Requires Big Govt.” 2 wks later: “Grassroots Groups Have Taken Over.”

A WEIGHTY ISSUE: Fast-food-loving Kuwaitis fight fat with stomach stapling.

HEH: “They told me if I voted for Romney, I’d get a President who robotically repeated the same talking points over and over. And they were right!”

UPDATE: “If you’re still wondering why Obama won reelection, the media questions so far should help you figure that out.”

WALTER RUSSELL MEAD: San Bernardino: Poster Child for Blue Model Decline. “Even among California cities that have declared bankruptcy, San Bernardino stands out as extraordinary in its own right: Its city officials had been lying about the city’s fiscal condition for nearly 20 years.”