Bruce Baugh writes:

. . . I’ve decided not to weigh in on any of the issues, and instead to write about why I’m not.

. . .

Really, this boils down to a matter of courtesy. I’m long since tired of ignorant rants about . . . matters of importance to me. So I’m doing my part to help beautify America by keeping my trap shut when I can’t say something whose factual foundations I’m sure of as well as which I feel passionately about. Ire is not sufficient justification for any remark beyond “I’m angry”.

I awoke today from – or perhaps ‘through’ fits better – a dream that Diana and/or Paul Hsieh (neither of whom I know from the neighborhood raccoons, but whose blogs I read yesterday) had replaced my bedroom window with their interesting webpage.

Columbia Newsblaster cobbles together phrases from various news sources to generate summaries of top stories. The result can be surreal:

. . . Congressional Republicans are using a government – paid videotaped message from President Bush to parry Democratic attacks against them concerning Social Security and prescription drugs for Medicare. The Libertarian Party is looking to spoil a few good elections. Max Cleland (D – Ga.), Max Baucus (D – Mont.) and Tim Hutchinson (R – Ark.) and Reps. Why? The lawmakers, now in recess, can show the videotapes to constituents in town hall meetings.

How to make money off blogs according to Eve Kayden. If any advertising moguls are reading this, I’m willing to have a go. Six hundred pairs of eyeballs a month, baby!

I am somehow disappointed to find that Volokh knew before I did that Duncan Frissell, with whom I exchanged some interesting mail on and around the Extropians list back when, has a you-know-what.

This boy will go far.

It was a treat to see Eugene Volokh quoted in The Economist — to his own surprise.