It’s no secret that there’s a civil war brewing in the Republican party, and the latest shots have been fired in Alaska, where petulant, de-throned member of the old Alaska political machine Lisa Murkowski has started a write-in candidacy against Joe Miller, who defeated her in that state’s primary.  I predict she’ll lose, and badly; not only because she comes off as a petulant whiner, but also because in spite of her whining to the contrary, Joe Miller is a pretty solid candidate.  He’s a West Point graduate and an Army veteran of the first Gulf War, which is almost enough for us to forgive him for being a lawyer.

I watch elections like most men watch sports.  This is shaping up to be a fun year.

Moving on to education:  Are American Universities Going The Way of General Motors?  The current generation of students may be the last one to attend what we Baby Boomers think of as a traditional college education, and that’s probably a good thing; I think college will become increasingly virtual.  I took quite a few of my MBA classes online.  In many subjects, there is no reason classes can’t be taught online.  It increases efficiency and reduces cost.

This from the WaPo: A Little Inflation Could Help The Economy.  Well, sure; a little could help.  The trick is putting the brakes on at the right moment.  Excerpt:

Somewhat higher inflation could strengthen the ailing economy. Inflation would make the heavy debt that Americans carry a bit more manageable as wages rise but the amount owed stays the same. And it would create more incentive for businesses to invest their cash rather than sit on it, because inflation would reduce the value of hoarded money.

It would also reduce the value of people’s retirement funds, and their savings in general.  On the other hand, inflation is a good deal for those who hold long-term debt like mortgages.  It would even have an impact on our runaway national debt, although it would take more than a little inflation to affect that much.

Limbless Frenchman to Swim English Channel.  His name:  Philippe Croizon.  Not Bob.

From the New English Review:  Three Perspectives on Medical Marijuana.  Excerpt (most of it is in video:)

The U.S. government classifies marijuana—along with heroin and LSD—as a Schedule I drug, the most tightly restricted category of drugs in the United States. According to the federal government, Schedule I drugs are unsafe and have “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.”

Really?

As medical marijuana proponents have pointed out since the Controlled Substances Act was passed by Congress in 1970, cannabis has been used medicinally for thousands of years, and there has never been a reported case of a marijuana overdose. Moreover, in recent years clinical researchers around the world have demonstrated the medicinal value of cannabis.

I agree with the first commenter on this article; legalize it, regulate it, tax it, as we do alcohol.  Our policy towards marijuana is well to the left of ridiculous.

Stay tuned, True Believers!  There’s a lot more where that came from.