Police in Massachusetts are having trouble with a new marijuana law. That's the problem with any law that tries to split the difference. Either the use of marijuana should be legal, or not. If legal, it should be treated like alcohol as a regulated substance (requiring licenses to sell, prohibiting use by minors, etc.).

A new survey shows that teens who take an abstinence pledge have just as much sex as teens who don't, but use less birth control. I don't think that's what the people who back abstinence programs had in mind.

If you want to understand why the Israelis are using military force without much good effect in their battle against Islamist extremists, as opposed to the past when their use of military force against Arab armies and governments was tremendously effective, you should read Caroline Glick's columns in The Jerusalem Post, including this latest one. Glick has consistently made the common-sense argument that military force should be used to destroy Israel's enemies, not send messages. Hamas, and their cousins in the Hezbollah movement, and their patrons in Iran, share a single, non-negotiable goal...the destruction of Israel as a Jewish State, and its replacement by an Islamist Palestine. Yet, far too many Israelis, including the current government, seem unable to accept this fact. They do not wish to accept it because the logical extension of that fact is the idea of unending war, since they know that they cannot kill every member of Hamas and Hezbollah, and they cannot defeat Iran. They have to hope that, someday, the Muslim world will reject extremism, the Iranians will overthrow their fanatic rulers, and the likes of Bin Laden and others will be so marginalized as to become mere afterthoughts. This is unlikely to happen in many decades, if ever. Which means the Israeli people will never know true peace. I can understand why that is an image so many Israelis are unable to accept.

Mark Steyn's column adds emphasis to my point, by calling to our attention the return of crucifixion as a punishment in Gaza.

Israelis may have some concerns about the incoming Obama Administration, but at least one columnist points out that Obama and his people seem to be out of touch with the Democratic base when it comes to Israeli actions.

Will 2009 be worse than 2008? Yes, according to this piece.

Will Al Franken take a seat in the U.S. Senate? The Republican Majority Leader says no.