To a certain way of thinking, it is intuitive that antisocial personality traits predict utilitarian responses to moral dilemmas. I am a little surprised at the apparent absence of self-knowledge and critical introspection among those reacting to the findings, with the researchers denying the validity of their own results and some of the commenters expressing outrage that such doubleplus ungood thoughts could be expressed (thankfully none of them proposed that these socially non-constructive researchers be forcibly re-educated, for the common good.)

(Via Instapundit.)

… and then he gets this lousy ad juxtaposition. Can’t catch a break. From Bill Clinton wants more credit – James Hohmann – POLITICO.com

(full sized)

Not a targeted ad, I’ve never seen it before and I don’t smoke or search for cigars online.

(Via Drudge.)

There is so much news to process as things fall apart. I feel like I could spend the whole day reading and by the end of the day events will have rendered half the facts obsolete. Here in Iraq, I spend an hour and a half to two hours teaching math on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and I feel exhausted by the end of those days. I have no idea, none, how I managed to hang on through the same class for six weeks, teaching six days a week, not three last November and December. That whole time seems like a blur to me, and it was some of my busiest time during my “day job” as well.

Well, at least John Ellis has time to read and ask the right questions. He is consistently very good on the financialization crisis. My news reader’s gutter of “to read” articles is consistently of links from his blog.

(From “Social Cohesion“, via Ellisblog!.)

I have a few chores to take care of tonight. I’ll simply leave this hilarious anecdote from Christopher Hitchens about Margaret Thatcher as excerpted by the neo-neocon:

(From “Political change: Hitchens encounters Margaret Thatcher as dominatrix“, via neocon.)

Reading the headline of the post, “How much for Newsweek?,” my first thought was: “liquidate the company and pay dividends to the shareholders.” Seriously, Newsweek? Why bother? There can’t be enough lobbies in America to keep that magazine going.

Perhaps that is a better idea. I’d guess that my suggestion isn’t feasible because the liabilities from outstanding pensions makes the whole enterprise underwater. Good riddance.

(From “Roger L. Simon » How much for Newsweek?“, via Instapundit.)

This is, maybe, the worst outcome for the Iraqi elections.

The Shi’ite parties have been trying to get as many candidates—and in some cases, actual election winners—disqualified as possible on the basis of Ba’athist ties. In principle I support de-Ba’athification but not when used as a political lever to shift the outcome of an election. My understanding is that this alliance may not be legal under the interpretation of parliamentary rules that were in place prior to the election.

Also, another reason to be grateful we don’t have a Parliament of the United States.

(From “Iraq Shi’ite blocs to join forces in parliament
| Reuters“)

Since the Times Square bomber’s father was Pakistani military, I wonder if the conspiracy theory will emerge that it was an inside job, an intended failed plot, to make anti-terrorism enforcement look good—a sort of Christmas Bomber redemption. I had a similar thought about the BP oil rig explosion and the pending environmental legislation, and I started reading that the theory was gaining some traction a few days later.

(From “Shahzad’s father questioned in Times Square inquiry – CNN.com“)