Some random tidbits this fine Monday morning:

Once again, thanks to The Other McCain and Wombat-socho for the Rule Five links!

Obama on Golfing After Foley Murder: ‘I Should Have Anticipated the Optics.’  No shit, Sherlock.

Speaking of the President:  Ducking Lame Duck Status.  Quite a few Presidents have achieved significant things in their second terms.  Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton both did so, and with Congresses of opposing parties.

An interesting, if unscientific, poll from Bernie at Planck’s Constant:  Would You Kill to Protect Your Family?  The unanimous answer from the Casa de Animal:  Hell yes.

How Junk Science Spreads in Academic Journals.  Thumbnail:  Lots of people believe weird shit.  Back in the 1990s when I was writing Misplaced Compassion, I ran into a woman on an animal-rights Usenet (remember Usenet?  Man, does that make me feel old) forum who professed her belief that there was a city of superhuman aliens beneath a dormant volcano in (where else?) California.  What’s more, she was adamant that those “Inner Earth Beings” would one day emerge and stop us eating our fellow vertebrates.

Uh huh.

Seriously, some people really shouldn’t be walking around unsupervised.

On that note, we return you to your Monday, already in progress.