Link roundup for 29 November 2008

Just be good for goodness sake.

Fear the Darkness Turkey.

As chronic medical problems go, this sounds like one of the less-unpleasant ones.

Is it possible to remember seeing a photo that never existed? (Found via Cannonfire.)

Be careful with your cell phone.

Balloons carry messages into the dark land.

Who started the "war on Christmas"? (Found via Republic of T.)

Here's a detailed analysis of the Mumbai attack; to me it seems impossible to avoid the conclusion that at least some elements of the Pakistani regime were involved.

The tactics the Mumbai terrorists used have been used before.

Read postings by Indian bloggers here.

Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilders speaks out against Islamic barbarism in Europe (note how the last two paragraphs show that he understands the reality of the situation, while the American WSJ editor does not). But Muslim extremists have found natural allies in the West (scroll down a bit).

Here's a look at what life is like for women in Pakistan, and how some are trying to resist.

Yossi Klein Halevi gives us straight talk on Iran.

Is Obama a leader or a mediator? As I've noted before, he does seem to value wisdom and stability, despite his cult followers' disgruntlement. Meanwhile, Democratic party leaders gloat.

This downturn is not 1929 -- not even close: "Amid all the political and media hysteria, national output has declined by less than one-half of one percent. In fact, it may not have declined even that much -- or at all -- when the statistics are revised later, as they very often are. We are not talking about the Great Depression, when output dropped by one-third and unemployment soared to 25 percent."

But China is being hit hard. More here. And you know things are getting bad in Russia when people start cutting back on vodka.

Is this a natural precedent for gay adoption?

The battle for gay marriage is not a culture war.

Deep brain stimulation produces intriguing results.

A new ultra-sensitive microscope brings nanotechnology closer.

Researchers have found what may be a genetic root cause of aging -- a crucial step toward a cure for that deadly disease. More here.