I have been remiss

in not noting Muslihoon’s posts, Cold War II and World War III and Cold War II: northwest South Asia which complement and extend the Russia/China/Iran series of posts. Muslihoon adds a lot of information concerning the China-Pakistan connection, and the situation in Pakistan in particular.

I hope other people start picking this up – the issue needs some higher level attention.

Somebody got up on the wrong side of bed

Christopher Taylor has an attack of pet peeves.

Daily Debunking (sort of): The miraculous powers of Preparation H

Preparation H has long been known for its cosmetic uses, particularly reduction of puffiness around the eyes, as well as its intended use. What isn’t as well known is that in 1995 Wyeth Consumer Care, concerned about legal liability for these extracurricular uses, reformulated Preparation H to eliminate the side benefits. So Preparation H is no longer useful for anything but topical application to the Straits of Magellan.

But original formula Preparation H is sold in Canada. So if you need to reduce water retention, heal scars more quickly, temporarily remove cellulite, and reduce puffiness, hie yourself to Canada and stock up.

Election Recriminations: The prophetic George Will

Ran across this old column by George Will from back in April. He’s talking about the House vote on limiting contributions to 527’s.

If in November Republicans lose control of the House of Representatives, April 5 should be remembered as the day they demonstrated that they earned defeat. Traducing the Constitution and disgracing conservatism, they used their power for their only remaining purpose — to cling to power. Their vote to restrict freedom of speech came just as the GOP’s conservative base is coming to the conclusion that House Republicans are not worth working for in October or venturing out to vote for in November.

The tightening noose

[This is a skeleton of what will someday be a much more better type of essay]

The couple who were banned from smoking in their own home reminded me of my long-standing fear for the preservation of civil liberties. The threats to civil liberties come from 3 sources: liberals, conservatives, and the government. All three claim to celebrate civil liberties, but all 3 have only whittled them away.