This could explain a lot-

A French man whose skull was mostly occupied by a "huge fluid-filled chamber" was able to operate perfectly well as a civil servant - despite having "little more than a thin sheet of actual brain tissue", Reuters reports.

The 44-year-old's condition was revealed when he went to hospital suffering from mild weakness in his left leg. A probe of his medical history revealed he'd had a shunt inserted into his skull as an infant to relieve hydrocephalus, which was removed when he was 14.

Doctors were "amazed" when computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans showed "massive enlargement" of his lateral ventricles, "usually tiny chambers that hold the cerebrospinal fluid that cushions the brain".

I'm shocked, shocked I tell you!

Via Rand Simberg

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Welcome to ...the 'big lie' of the 20th century.

h/t Glenn

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 08:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Gerard Van der Leun give a measured response to a Euroweenie commenter, Fletcher, and his snark- (scroll down to the comments to read)

There are many ways of stating the American Argument with itself -- indeed, it is many arguments -- but one of the most straightforward is "How shall men be free and how shall a society of free men then be structured?"

From time to time the passions that animate the American Argument run to blood, such as the era that led to the Civil War and, to a much lesser extent, our current era. At other times, the Argument is pitched at a much lower level of intensity. But the Argument is ever present and any number can play. If you can get here and become a citizen you can participate as well. Hell, we'll let you participate even if you are here and not a citizen. We might even allow millions of you to become citizens overnight in order to join the Argument. You don't even have to learn English any longer.

We just had a big argument over that last concept and, even though it's over for now, it's not over yet. Indeed, the great thing about the American Argument is that it is never over. The Argument will go on and on prompting every generation to add to it and shape it as that generation wills -- for good or ill -- and that it will self-correct over time as the Argument endures.

Indeed, for all intents and purposes, the Argument is the American Revolution today. The Argument is an artifact of the American Revolution. It endures because the American Revolution endures, 230 years later, as the most successful revolution in the history of the world. The American Revolution did not start in 1776 -- that was just the shooting phase. The Revolution began when men first came to the New World and decided to make it new.

Don't forget that many who came here came to escape Europe and Great Britain. I look back across the pond now and it's difficult not to feel schadenfreude.

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Comedy gold.

via Ace

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 09:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

My Conservative Identity:

You are a Flag-Waving Everyman, also known as a patriot. You believe in freedom, apple pie, rooting for America at all times, and that God gave us a two-day weekend so we could enjoy football and NASCAR.

Take the quiz at www.FightLiberals.com

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 01:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Today, courtesy of Mrs. Dubya who took all the pictures, I'm doing a little payoff on our latest exhibition- "Reptiles, the Beautiful and the Deadly". Here's a selection of our 'guests'....

First, a Diamondback Rattler-

... a Mangrove Snake-

... a Green Tree Python-

... a Veiled Chameleon, who's pissed at the whole world-

... Big Sally, a Burmese Python, who's PMSing because she's getting ready to shed-

...and last for now, my personal favorite, Fred the Monitor Lizard, which is the only reptile I've ever wanted to make my pet. Oooh, pet me...

... seriously, scratch under my neck-

...don't you want to rub my belly?

I'll dance! Really, pet me!

He's a genuine hoot. I want to make a harness for him and walk him down the street! As a side note, when the critters were being flown in by private plane, ol' Fred managed to get loose and proceeded to dance all over the cockpit. Imagine a four-hour light plane flight with that fellow in your lap, sitting on your head, crawling under the pedals... it's a wonder they all survived the trip!

This exhibit has turned out to be a real crowd-pleaser and we're going to have a hard time topping it... I'll upload more pics later as this is just a small sample.

UPDATE July 18, 2007- Weeeelll, it seems that Fred is actually Frederica! Heh. Indeed.

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 09:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

...and you know what? He's right!

For God's sakes, McCain, your ire is palpable when your fellow Republicans cross you on far less critical issues -- isn't it time to unleash some of that Mad Maverick Mojo on the GOP's Defeatist Bloc? Especially when it is so glaringly obvious -- no doubt to you yourself -- that their sell-out of our troops, putting them in even more danger by announcing to Al Qaeda that a full-out Jihadi Tet will have precisely the result they've long sought, is animated not by a concern for your fellow beloved serviceman or America's national interest but to position themselves better for their upcoming election?

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 08:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Now I feel really old.

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 08:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

thanks to Theo

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Glenn linked, I looked, count me in.

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 09:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Something to make you feel good.

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

¡ǝɹıɟ uo s,buıoqbuıoq ¡ʇxǝʇ pǝddı1ɟ ¡1ooɔ

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 09:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

New Islamic Super Weapon

via Ace

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

AQI massacres an entire village in Iraq.

I'm speechless.

h/t Rantburg

Posted by Jay-Dubya at 08:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)