Links and Minifeatures 09 29 Thursday

I know others have reported this, but John Roberts has been confirmed and they're planning his oath ceremonies. The vote was 78-22. Now on to whoever our President chooses for Justice O'Connor's seat.

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Michael Yon has a new article up about American soldiers and a sick little girl from Iraq. Anybody who thinks our soldiers (or people) are enemies of civilization should read it.



Q and O has some thoughts on the political situation in Iraq and considers the benefits as well as the costs of civil war there.



Proof that even Palestinians can learn, given the proper methods: Hamas says rocket strikes over. Translation into English: They've been getting their heads handed to them.



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Something I've suspected but had confirmed: Economy Making Solid Gains Before Storms.



Don't get me wrong. There are sectors that have severe problems (Housing and automobile manufacturing to name two). But when we're talking about making stuff and providing services for business, the things that really make a long term difference, the economy is doing very well, thank you, and if we had a Donkey president, the NY Times and Washington Post and LA Times would be trumpeting these numbers from the rooftops before excusing the storms as "not his fault".



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Interestesting: Increase in Oxygen content helped mammals grow larger.



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Technology getting cockier: Chip Helps Electric Outlet Go Broadband. I like the idea of the power company being able to compete with the cable company. It certainly can't do anything horrible for either my cable rates or telephone rates. Right now, if I want cable TV or broadband, I have one choice, and I live in a major city. This development means the power company (or their proxy) will automatically be in the business of competing with cable providers.



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Going back to my essay on Petroleum and Energy Fossil Fuels Set to Become Relics, Says Research Group.



Unfortunately, the group's homepage is here.



Samples of the forward of some of their publications here and here, here, here



Here is their marketplace of available reports.



Some of their contributor pages: here, here, discussion here



A bio of their founder is here



Make up your own minds, but it looks like agenda driven wishful thinking to me.



This, on the other hand, is both real and hopeful news.



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Looks like the US isn't giving away control of the internet without a fight.



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Carnival of the Vanities is up!



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Powerline now has Senator Frist's statement on the HCA stock situation up. I'm torn between believing it because lying would be stupid, and not believing because they want to maintian the smokescreen just a little bit longer.



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I didn't know that! HT to LGF for this Melanie Phillips post about a two century slave trade centered around kidnapping slaves from England. From 1625 to 1816, while England had the pre-eminent navy in the world. I knew about the Barbary Pirates, of course. But I didn't know they actually sailed to England and conducted raids in a manner somewhat similar to the vikings except that they took slaves, not primarily objects. As a history lesson for the uninitated, Thomas Jefferson sent the Navy and Marines after the Barbary Pirates in the early years of his term, culminating (after a gap for the War of 1812) in a small American squadron assaulting Algiers, which victory gave the British and Dutch the guts to go after them and break them forever the next year.



Sorry! Out of time for today!