GET OUT AND DON'T COME BACK: What Dartmouth's president should have told bullying students.

WHY I LOVE ENGINEERING -- and avoid left turns.

RANDOM THOUGHTS from the retirement lane. The fundamental problem with liberalism is that Liberals think the rest of us are as incompetent as they are.

THE RIGID DOGMA OF SECULAR LIBERALISM:

We’re so lucky we live in such a tolerant, enlightened society.

There are backward parts of the world where women are stoned to death for wearing the wrong kind of dress. There are some backwaters stuck in the Middle Ages where gays are publicly hanged. These actions are to punish the “perpetrators” for their deeds. But another purpose is to set an example to others: if you don’t follow our established laws and norms, there will be consequences, and you will suffer. This mentality is stuck in the Dark Ages, where thought is monolithic, where conformity is demanded, and where punishment is swift, public, and extreme.

Good thing we don’t live in a place like that!

Instead, we live in an enlightened world where Brendan Eich, founder and CEO of Mozilla, is forced to resign for his views on traditional marriage. And it’s not just his personal beliefs: he even donated a whole $1,000 to support his beliefs, six years ago. This sort of behavior cannot stand. Repent, Mr Eich, or accept your public flogging!

Read the rest.

OH, MY: A gun-rights rally in Connecticut? What's next? Liberty?

IN CHICAGO, a new civil right is born. What happened to that expected bloodbath when Illinoians were finally permitted to carry concealed?

IGNORE PEER PRESSURE; do the math.

Just a thought: is ObamaCare a byproduct of our abysmal education system? Or recent push toward an even more abysmal education system a result of ObamaCare's success?

THE SEARCH for CNN’s missing brain. The assumption is that it once had one. I'm not sure that was ever true.

BEST OF THE WEB: Justice Thomas was right.

SOME THOUGHTS on the global warming hysteria.

BOWDOIN COLLEGE publicly displays pictures of naked female students posing in groups. And an underpants-clad male statue was 'threatening' at all-female Wellesley College.

What are they serving in college cafeterias these days?

RANDOM THOUGHTS from the retirement lane. I'm just finishing up my 2013 annual coerced giving (i.e., income tax) paperwork to find that -- as usual -- my Social Security income is 85% taxable, which is infuriating. For 30-plus years, I've paid my FICA tax out of my (taxable) employment income, and now in retirement it's taxed again!

I'm convinced Government isn't going to be satisfied until every working stiff's entire paycheck goes directly to the government, whereupon it will give back a modest cost-of-living stipend.

Plus, of course, incentives for voting 'correctly'....

WHEN AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY IS ANTI-AMERICAN: Obama has succeeded in weakening the nation.

UNEXPECTEDLY: Gun advocates credit new concealed carry laws for sharp drop in Chicago murder rate.

FADING DREAM tests faith of prominent D.C. congregation. I suspect the rise of the secular monarchy in D.C. has had something to do with it.

PUNCH BACK and purge them all!

AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN, BARACK.

Sainthood takes a miracle.

AN EMAIL FROM THE SENATE CONSERVATIVES FUND:

Fellow Conservatives:

We wanted to share the final results of the 2016 presidential straw poll that we conducted a few weeks ago. With more than 60,000 ballots cast, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) was the clear winner with 43% of the vote. U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) finished second with 18%. Here are the results:

• Sen. Ted Cruz (TX) - 42.67% (26,114)
• Sen. Rand Paul (KY) - 18.00% (11,018)
• Gov. Scott Walker (WI) - 10.05% (6,153)
• Other: (write-in candidates) - 6.85% (4,192)
• Fmr. Gov. Mike Huckabee (AR) - 6.15% (3,765)
• Gov. Rick Perry (TX) - 4.15% (2,540)
• Sen. Marco Rubio (FL) - 2.41% (1,478)
• Fmr. Gov. Jeb Bush (FL) - 2.18% (1,333)
• Gov. Chris Christie (NJ) - 1.83% (1,122)
• Rep. Paul Ryan (WI) - 1.64% (1,006)
• Gov. Bobby Jindal (LA) - 1.24% (760)
• Fmr. Sen. Rick Santorum (PA) - 1.02% (627)
• Gov. John Kasich (OH) - 0.65% (398)
• Gov. Mike Pence (IN) - 0.45% (273)
• Gov. Nikki Haley (SC) - 0.39% (240)
• Gov. Susana Martinez (NM) - 0.31% (187)

It's remarkable to see Ted Cruz and Rand Paul at the top of this list. When they ran for the Senate, the Washington establishment said they were bad for the party. Now, they are two of the party's top prospects for the White House in 2016.

I'm semi-surprised to see Mike Huckabee and Rick Perry so high on the list. They are two I could easily live with.

POWERLINE ON GLOBAL WARMING: "[L]ying is fine as long as it works."

THE SCOREKEEPER:

"President Barack Obama compared the Republican budget plan unveiled by Rep. Paul Ryan this week to a stinkburger and a meanwich during a speech Wednesday afternoon in Michigan."

Ah, a Harvard education.

He's just jealous because he is ineligible to eat a manwich. Stick to the lady fingers.

There's more, equally good. Read them all.