AREOPAGITICA:  On this day in 1644, Areopagitica, John Milton’s famed defense of free expression, was published.  He wrote:

And though all the winds of doctrin[e] were let loose to play upon the earth, so Truth be in the field, we do injuriously by licensing and prohibiting to misdoubt her strength.  Let her and falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the wors[e], in a free and open encounter.

I do wish I had as much confidence in the triumph of truth as Milton had.  To paraphrase Star Trek‘s  Dr. McCoy in The Omega Glory, “Spock, I’ve found that [falsity] usually triumphs–unless [truth] is very, very careful.”  Still, Milton’s admonition that the State should stay the heck out of the fray seems a sound one.

TOMAHAWK LAUNCH PLUS RELOAD: The guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey conducts a Tomahawk missile flight test while underway in the western Pacific. This second photo shows a Tomahawk in its “tip over phase” after launch from a surface ship. This third photo shows a submarine tender loading a Tomahawk on an attack submarine. For some useful background information on the Tomahawk and its variants see this post from late 2017.

MAKE THE ENEMY LIVE UP TO HIS OWN BOOK OF RULES: Conservative professor files Title IX complaint for denied funding of all-male abortion debate.

HIGHER EDUCATION BUBBLE UPDATE: 5 colleges you’re probably thankful your kids don’t attend.

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CALIFORNIA BURNS AS GOV. MOONBEAM’S ‘REGULATORY CAPTURE’ DAWDLES: Look no further than the Golden State for a perfect illustration of the dire effects of special interests and government insiders controlling oversight of a vital public service like wildfire management and the utility companies that supply power throughout the state.

The Washington Free Beacon’s Susan Crabtree explains why it’s taken nine years for state officials and utility industry experts to come up with a desperately needed map of fire-prevention measures in California’s many areas that are prone to conflagrations sparked by powerline and equipment failures. The recent Camp Fire that is now the worst-ever in California history was reportedly caused by failure of a PG&E powerline.

Outgoing Gov. Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown’s 12-year tenure overlapped with much of the growing wildfire problem, which he now ridiculously attributes to “climate change.” Between Brown’s incompetence and that of federal land managers driven by ludicrous environmentalist notions of forestry non-intervention, will California literally burn to the ground?

MISSISSIPPI DEMOCRAT MIKE ESPY ACCEPTING HELP FROM DEMOCRAT ACCUSED OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. “A newly formed political action committee backed by anti-Trump lawyer Michael Avenatti, charged last week with domestic violence, is organizing for Senate Democratic candidate Mike Espy. Left of Center was launched in Massachusetts in October with the high-profile help of Avenatti, the lawyer for Trump accuser and porn actress Stormy Daniels.”

A BARGAIN! Space Force May Cost a Fifth of Air Force Estimates. Well, the Air Force wants it to look expensive, because it’s competition.

THERE IS NO LAW THAT ALLOWS THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO CONTROL ALL POLICIES OF LOCAL SCHOOLS: And yet they manage to exercise control by making everything into a race or sex discrimination issue. During the course of what became an 8-year investigation, Wake County Schools lowered their use of suspensions to mollify the Department of Education. Now Wake County Schools have officially agreed to stick with that lower use of suspensions to get federal investigators off their backs. Is that good disciplinary policy? Maybe, maybe not. But it is supposed to be up to Wake County schools to decide that, not the Department of Education. Instead, the Department of Education claims the right bully schools about any policy that has a disparate impact based on race, color, national origin or sex (all the while knowing full well that all policies have a disparate impact on some protected group). See The Department of Education’s Obama-Era Initiative on Racial Disparities in School Discipline: Wrong for Students and Teachers, Wrong on the Law.

YES:

HOPE HE STAYED OFF TWITTER FOR THANKSGIVING:

OPEN THREAD: How was your Thanksgiving?

HOW LONG CAN PEOPLE LIVE? Extending “Health Span.”

WELL, THAT’S A RELIEF: Are We Prepared for the Zombie Apocalypse? Actually, Yes. The U.S. military has a detailed plan to save the living, or at least outlast the dead.

IF YOU DON’T LIKE MY PRINCIPLES, DON’T WORRY, I HAVE OTHER ONES: Poor Hillary finds a new “reason” for her loss every week. What she *still* fails to understand is that those “deplorable gun-and-bible clinging” people know a bullshit artist when they hear one. Now she’s triangulating to the right, admitting that maybe open borders and welfare for all isn’t a hot idea:

“I admire the very generous and compassionate approaches that were taken particularly by leaders like Angela Merkel, but I think it is fair to say Europe has done its part, and must send a very clear message – ‘we are not going to be able to continue provide refuge and support’ – because if we don’t deal with the migration issue it will continue to roil the body politic,’ Clinton said.”

It’s almost like Claire McCaskill (Loser, Mo.) running on the “I’m not one of the crazy ones” platform. Too late, my dear.

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AND THEY TOLD YOU THE SCIENCE WAS SETTLED: Psychology’s Replication Crisis Is Running Out of Excuses: Another big project has found that only half of studies can be repeated. And this time, the usual explanations fall flat.

CHANGE: Texas Is About to Create OPEC’s Worst Nightmare. Funny, I remember back when the Smartest President Ever lectured Sarah Palin about our inability to drill our way out of our energy problems.

SADLY PLAUSIBLE: Kids Spend Less Time Outdoors Than Prisoners.

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