Lotsa links. First, the science:

1. Senator Brownback is a moron. But you probably already knew that…
2. I argue that the reason global warming hasn’t caught fire (so to speak) is that problems without clear solutions aren’t popular, although here’s one thing we shouldn’t be doing to combat global warming.
3. Five new species of sea slugs have been discovered.
4. Revere reports that when children get influenza-associated bacterial infections, they’re usually staph, not strep.
5. Instead of using antibiotics as growth promoters in agriculture, European farmers are using other methods.
6. Revere has an interesting take on the XDR-TB patient that didn’t follow quarantine.
7. Mark H tells us how pearls are formed.
8. ScienceBlogling Chad Orzel takes Matt Yglesias to task for positing a zero-sum game of scientific employment. I like Yglesias, but he occasionally runs into trouble when he starts talking about science.
9. Here’s an interesting video of ScienceBloglings Matt Nisbet and Chris Mooney speaking about global warming.
10. Here’s a very interesting comment on the social psychology of scientific authority.

The other stuff:

1. How Republicans win elections: vote caging. And it might reach the White House.
2. I’ve said before that to stop rape, all men have to do is not rape someone: GrrlScientist agrees.
3. Before the Left gets all goopy about anti-war Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul, Dave Neiwert reminds us that Paul has long-standing ties to white supremacist groups. We can do better.
4. Jon Soltz offers a devastating critique of those who claim to support our troops.
5. Digby lays out how Karl Rove’s political strategy relies on electoral fraud and voter surpression.
6. Jameson Foser notes the press’ inability to distinguish between hypocrisy and incongruity.
7. The Rude Pundit rips neocons, pious gasbags with nascent lesbian fantasies, and Cal Thomas. Not for the faint of heart.
8. One judge thinks that democratic republics shouldn’t be hiring mercenaries, particularly if it might be illegal. Here’s some congressional testimony to that effect.
9. The big business of abstinence only programs.
10. Here’s another hideous Bush judicial nominee: Leslie Southwick.