The Daily Dozen

1. Understanding how cameras work to improve your shots.  A great primer on understanding digital photography.
2. FBI Releases 2008 U.S. Hate Crimes Data.  “The largest percentage of those (65.7%) were anti-Jewish. 7.7% were anti-Islamic, 4.7% were anti-Catholic, 3.7% were anti-Protestant, 0.9% were anti Atheist/ Agnostic. Some 3,608 hate crime offenses were against property. 6.6% of those were directed at religious organizations.”
3. Conservatives Discover Criminal Defendants.  “The NYT reports on increasing involvement by conservative organizations and business groups on behalf of criminal defendants.  While libertarians have long complained about “overcriminalization” and excessive federalization of criminal law, such concerns have gained increasing currency in more traditional conservative circles.  This is a good thing.”
4. 44% of Congressmen are millionaires.  Other fascinating demographics of our Congress here.
5. The really traditional Socratic method.  “You ask people hard questions. Then they kill you.”
6. Brain scan finds man was not in a coma – 23 years later.  Horrible.  But also amazing that we now have technology that sees into the brain.
7. How races and religions match in online dating.  The more serious you are about your faith the more difficult it is to find a match.  Who knew?  (Also of interest is that in every religious group, including atheists, women were reported to be more serious about their religion than men.)
8. Games for thinkers.  Most of these you will have heard of before.
9. Rampaging elephant gadget inspired by ‘Star Wars’?  Why shoot them with darts when you can trip them instead?
10. How World War II wasn’t won.  “Had Eisenhower let Devers make his attack, we might now be celebrating the 65th anniversary of a cross-Rhine attack that quickly ended the war in Europe. Instead, we will soon mark the anniversary of the costliest battle in American history, the Battle of the Bulge.”
11. Mason Law Moot Court teams sweep top awards.  Strong congratulations to my classmates!
12. The growing backlash against overparenting?  “But too many parents, says Skenazy, have the math all wrong. Refusing to vaccinate your children, as millions now threaten to do in the case of the swine flu, is statistically reckless; on the other hand, there are no reports of a child ever being poisoned by a stranger handing out tainted Halloween candy, and the odds of being kidnapped and killed by a stranger are about 1 in 1.5 million. When parents confront you with "How can you let him go to the store alone?," she suggests countering with "How can you let him visit your relatives?" (Some 80% of kids who are molested are victims of friends or relatives.) Or ride in the car with you? (More than 430,000 kids were injured in motor vehicles last year.)”  (HT Steven Horwitz)