ONLY BUILT FOR RANDOM LINX

Too much interesting stuff to read, not enough time to do each justice - check these hott linx on the ROTC, wine, climate change, urban planning, SUVs, world music soundz, and more -

* Phil Carter notes Columbia's unfortunate decision to keep the ROTC off campus.  Check out this earlier essay on Slate by PC on the importance of bringing ROTC back to the Ivies, and if you're really into the legal issues at stake here, check out this debate in Legal Affairs between Phil (a former Army officer and recent UCLA Law School grad) and a Yale law student.     

* Earlier this week, the Supreme Court freed the wine, declaring laws preventing the interstate sales of wine to be unconstitutional and clearing the way for consumers to purchase wine directly from out-of-state vineyards.  Cutting out the middlemen is obviously great news for aspiring amateur winos like myself, and professionals too, I guess.  Knowledge Problem takes it to the next level, suggesting the same principle should apply to those wishing to buy electricity directly from out-of-state producers. (via Peak Oil Rob)

* The University of Colorado's Prometheus blog offers a 100% indispensable, pragmatic perspective on climate change issues, and is doing yeoman's work by attempting to advance the climate debate beyond 'is it happening or isn't it?' and to 'what can we do about it?'.  In a recent post, Prof. Pielke notes the latest round in the endless debate over the famous/infamous "Hockey Stick" and asks the question that everyone should really be asking here - is the "Hockey Stick" relevant to policy?  Comments are open, if you've got an answer.

* Jon Christensen notes that, in addition to degrading American culture by providing the basis for the most excruciating movie I have ever seen, methamphetamines degrade our environment b/c of the toxic chemicals used in their production. 

* Also worth a look is Jon's post on recent scholarship regarding the rise of privatized neighborhoods in California, and why that might be a good trend. 

* Geoff Styles breaks out the numbers on fuel use by US vehicles and shows that, for all the attention given to the rise of SUVs and the accompanying decrease in our national fleet's fuel efficiency, a much bigger factor for increased gas consumption and higher gas prices is the general increase in vehicle miles traveled over the past two decades.  Scapegoating SUV owners is (mostly useless) pure anti-consumer symbolism, and does little to address the underlying 'problem' (which I don't think is the  problem we want to solve, exactly) - there are more people that want to do things farther away from their home than ever before, not only in the US but even more so in China and India. 

* The BBC has an article up on the "frozen zoo" being run out of the Audobon Center for Endangered Species, where endangered species' DNA is preserved for cloning, Jurassic Park-style.  "In theory, no species alive today should ever become extinct."  Uh, whoa!

* M. Simon has a fascinating post on the rise of cheap, hi-tech innovation that will accompany the spread of personal fabricating technologies - and the need for smaller, 'micro' venture capital models to finance these projects.

* Kids chasing household cleaning robots before bedtime = totally NOW and really really cute (probably homo)

* WFMU's Transpacific Sound Paradise show from this week has an interview with and some pretty awesome percussion compositions from Raquy Danziger, a classically-trained American pianist who ended up falling in love with Middle Eastern rhythms and becoming a tabla virtuoso in her own right.  Raquy recently returned from Cairo, her first trip to Egypt, where she was a featured soloist in Egyptian dumbek virtuoso Said El Artist's drumming orchestra, and blogged the trip.  Her love for the music is palpable, and inspiring for USA-bound crackers like myself with an interest in engaging meaningfully with Middle Eastern music.  Also, check out the hottt North African jamz during the show's last hour! 

* Norm Geras, Jace Rupture, and Chris Lemon-Red have all linked to stories about the amazing saga of PIANO MAN in the past couple of days - NOT Billy Joel!!!

* And hey, Village Voice music EDDYtor Chuck Eddy had some real nice things to say about some recent BIG A little a comp tracks and demos that he's heard.  As Aron said upon hearing the newz, "Wait'll he sees our dick!" by which I think he meant "Wait til he [hears our recently-recorded album]". Eddy includes a link to an old MP3 of ours from the Narnack site and also mentions an intriguing track called "Stalking Mark E. Smith Around NYC" by some band called Necropolis.  COOL