Link roundup for 4 November 2007

"Pastafarians" challenge the Godless Commie atheistic "theory of gravity".

Ukraine's (probable) Prime-Minister-to-be wants to take a radical step toward freedom and modernity: abolishing the draft and establishing a professional military.

Dmitri Simes assesses the chill between Russia and the US from the Russian point of view. While I think he rather overstates his case, especially where Ukraine is concerned, it's a case Americans need to be aware of.

Here's more on the link between obesity and cancer.

The ghastly miscarriage of justice in the Genarlow Wilson case has focused attention on Draconian sex laws.

Racism isn't all that common any more, but it isn't dead.

Muslim men in Malaysia are feeling abused by women. Personally I rather enjoy the form of abuse the author is complaining about. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment.

As of today there's a year to go until the election, and voters are already angry. Despite the title of the article, the information presented sounds to me like bad news for the Republicans.

David Kirkpatrick reports that the Christian Right is splintering and declining as a political force.

Is the Chinese economic miracle for real?

A majority of Americans favor an airstrike against Iran to prevent that country from building nuclear weapons. I stand by what I said on this issue here.

Here's an argument that an attack on Iran would "destroy the GOP". Sounds like a win-win situation to me.

Is the "anti-war" movement fizzling out?

Hard-line Islam continues to advance its cause in Britain, while this courageous Norwegian is condemned by the Islamists and appeasers for speaking out against theocratic oppression. It's all in a day's work for the Religion of Peace.

Here's some straight talk on Saudi Arabia.

Oklahoma has enacted a tough new law to crack down on illegal aliens and on Americans who abet them (found via this posting at Chell's Roost). Mark Steyn has a reminder about the price of laxity. Concern about the issue is growing in Iowa, creating a challenge for Democratic Presidential contenders. Finally, expect to see more articles like this in the mainstream media, bewailing the impact of enforcement upon employers of illegals. My point of view is, if you can't run a profitable business without breaking laws which have good reason to exist, you shouldn't be in business. Are we going to allow people to freely violate any law which prevents them from cutting costs?