Flynn Effect details

New Yorker article on the (old news) finding that IQ has increased 0.3 points a year for decades. But this article goes into a lot more detail than I've seen before.

( Cut for exercepts. Assume ... between most paragraphs. )

So, on Sarah Palin

(ETA: while I'm on politics, the plot to kill Obama)

I thought it was bizarre. Then I remembered she's a governor, and it was slightly less bizarre; she's governor of a tiny population for a tiny amount of time, but governors are often the short list for Presidential candidates. This election has been unusually Senatorial. So I wondered about other female GOP governors. Hurray, wikipedia has a list of all current governors. I love you, Wikipedia! No list of past governors though, which would also be useful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Jodi_Rell signed in civil unions for gay couples without being forced by a court order. Has flirted with spending and tax increases. Seems otherwise pretty conservative but might be well placed to neither attract centrists nor motivate a picky base.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_Lingle Hasn't had children, been divorced twice and currently single, Jewish. (Those things shouldn't matter but I'd bet they would.) Pro-choice. (Got elected in Hawaii, traditionally a Democratic one-party state.) Anti death penalty and vouchers, pro treatment for addicts, EPA as Cabinet position. Pushed for exempting a Superferry from environmental reports. Probably not very progressive overall, but could have been a real attractor for centrist women annoyed at Hillary not getting the nod and inclined to supporting getting a tolerable woman near the White House.

And that's the list of current GOP women governors.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_Governors

Instead we got http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarah_Palin
( Excerpts )

Suggestion of link with Christian Dominionists

Subtext

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iolaus

"During the classical period he was represented as Heracles' eromenos (beloved), thus functioning as the Theban patron hero of pederasty."

I watched a lot more Xena than Hercules, but, hmm.

Post Japan update

Wednesday: didn't get nearly enough sleep despite being so tired. Part noisy undergrads, party body stupidity.
Thursday night: was sniffling into Doctor Who.
Friday: yep, sick. Sniffle.
Saturday: sniffle, no sleep due to mouth breathing or something.
Sunday: sore throat. Into the "diluted orange juice" phase of self-treatment. Reflecting that I'm out of ramen or canned soup, and running low on OJ.

So yeah, still owe 2 or 3 Japan posts and lots of photo sorting, but.