Is it just me or is it quiet out there? Here’s what’s caught my eye this morrning:

• Richard Posner also responds to comments on his new blog.
• Jeff Jarvis of Buzzmachine on meeting Omar and Mohammed of Iraq the Model.
• The Diplomad is back with a post on affirmative action at the State Department.
  Sidney of The Daily Demarche throws in his two cents.
• Donald Sensing of One Hand Clapping gives his take on The Rumsfeld Grilling.

That’s the lot.

Here’s what caught my eye this morning:

• Alice in Texas explains Liberal Trauma.
• Brad DeLong on a key problem with Social Security privatization: the economy just isn’t likely to grow that fast forever.
• I see that Captain Ed of CG agrees with me about the Intelligence Reform Bill. So does The Talking Dog (from a somewhat different perspective).
• David of Cronaca says Jefferson’s being misquoted.
• Noah Millman of Gideon’s Blog comments on the U. S. budget deficit (it’s less than Germany’s, France’s, or Japan’s), the trade deficit, and the dollar.
• Omar of Iraq the Model on the two halves of the blogosphere.
• Dave Neiwert of Orcinus provides quite a good Leftist critique of the War on Terror in general and the Iraq War in particular in refutation of Peter Beinart and Kevin Drum.

  The problem with Neiwert’s prescription—infiltrate terrorist organizations—is that, in the case of the radical Islamists that are the enemy we’re facing, it’s impossible. Successful infiltrations by Westerners—like Richard Francis Burton, for example—have been by successfully passing themselves off as non-Western outsiders since any native Arabic speaker can easily identify outsiders by their manner of speech. The close tribal and familial affiliations of these organizations assures that infiltration is just not an option. The best you’ll do is John Walker Lindh— a meaningless spear-carrier. They resist subornation for the same reason.

That’s the lot.

Here’s some of the things in the blogosphere that caught my eye this morning:

• Abu Aardvark reports the results of the lastest opinion polling from the Palestinian territories on the upcoming elections there.
• Gerald Vanderleun of American Digest has a lengthy post on the future of the blogosphere.

  Allahpundit makes a guest appearance in the comments section and explains why he’s stopped blogging.

• New kids on the blog, The Becker-Posner Blog, posts on Pre-emptive War. Be sure to read the comments.

  That’s Nobel Laureate Gary Becker and federal circuit judge Richard Posner. If the tone in the blogosphere keeps going up like this, they’ll be asking riff-raff like me to leave.

• Jeff Medcalf of Caerdroia has an excellent post on intelligence reform.

  I’m working on an essay of my own, “Why Intelligence Reform Won’t Make Us More Secure”.

• Captain Ed of Captain’s Quarters assures us that the intelligence reform bill will pass.
• Daniel Drezner posts (again) on outsourcing.

  This time he’s posting on medical outsourcing. My own reservations on offshoring or offshore outsourcing have less to do with job loss than with potential loss of intellectual property (and future industries) and, in this case, liability issues. How does one prosecute an Indian doctor in India for medical malpractice? Are there international standards of care?

• The Medium Lobster of Fafblog takes on Becker and Posner (see above). Welcome to the Blogosphere, Dr. Becker and Your Honor!
• Have you noticed that your Ecosystem rating has become, well, erratic? N. Z. Bear of The Truth Laid Bear explains all.

That’s the lot.