MASTER OF THE CRAFT Powell's Books is an American gem, and they've been collecting the musings of writers in their little online gemshop, including this wonderful nugget by fantasist Neil Gaiman. I say fantasist, but Gaiman really is the Tim Burton of the written word, having penned some of the more amazing children's books, comics and novels of the past decade. Here he describes his journey to complete his last full-length novel. It started as a dream.

FAVORITE POEMS Novelist Raymond Carver was well-known for his noirish ways. But few people know that he wrote poetry, as well, including one of my personal favorites, "Late Fragment."

WHEN GENIUS HIDES Bill Watterson, the wizard behind the boy and tiger duo of Calvin and Hobbes, has vanished, leaving the world of cartooning behind forever. The Cleveland Scene does some detective work to craft this portrait of one of America's cartooning geniuses.

ELECTORAL MAPPING The only useful thing John Edwards has done in his run for the Democratic nomination was to create this interactive electoral map. Now you can see what it takes to win the White House. Walter Mondale is a bad example.

HE WIRED ME... WITH SCIENCE The NYTimes delves into the mysteries of the brain and human social emotions. It's all in the wiring, of course, which sounds simple enough until you really start getting into the nuts and bolts of Lamina 1 neurons. The research is pretty amazine. [NYTimes login: buttermilk.com, password: buttermilk]

The body, it turns out, is as important as the brain. Dr. Antonio Damasio, a neurologist at the University of Iowa Medical Center and the author of the book "Looking for Spinoza: Joy, Sorrow and the Feeling Brain," has pioneered the argument that emotions and feelings are linked to brain structures that map the body. From human social emotions, he said, both morality and reason have grown.

Similar ideas were advanced in simpler form more than a century ago. Now, researchers can point to specific aspects of brain structure that suggest how our forebears came to develop complex social emotions, culture and other quintessential human behaviors.

The search for brain differences has not been easy. Mammalian brains are extraordinarily similar. All contain an outer rind, or cortex. The human cortex, where intelligence lies, is simply a lot bigger than that of other creatures given the human body's size.

But the size of the brain is not everything. One important feature of more complex brains is that they are rich in circuits — linked cells from various parts of the brain that become active at the same time.

Imagine a Christmas tree with millions of lights, each representing a cell group. The thought of dogs would activate a small set of lights. The thought of a beloved dog that died last year would activate some of the same lights plus others.

The thought of a cat would activate yet another set with some overlap because animals are involved. Thinking about a sunset would activate whole new sets of lights with no overlap. Once a thought is complete, all the lights or neurons fall silent, waiting to be called into play in different combinations when new thoughts arise.

Some sets of lights are found in structures that serve as major hubs for thinking and feeling. For example, a brain region called the anterior cingulate — a hub from which many circuits branch out — is almost always active when human subjects are experiencing emotions or need to think about things that are difficult. Any conflict of any sort, any reward, and the anterior cingulate starts buzzing.

A REAL WONDERLAND Pop-up books, when done well -- as in by an artist with a passion for papercraft -- amaze. Robert Sabuda's new "Alice in Wonderland" book is one of his best yet. His books are individually handcrafted, and they literally explode in a reader's hands. None of that "pull tab to make Alice move across the page" crap for him. [NYTimes login: buttermilk.com, password: buttermilk]

THAT F-ING JOHN KERRY One of Kerry's advisors, or a drunken night out on the town, convinced him to use the dreaded "f" word in a recent Rolling Stone interview. Naturally, it shocked the establishment, because, Lord knows, no one actually uses such language in everyday conversation, particularly when they are pissed off or losing an election. Kerry proves to be wonderful fodder for satirist David Rees in his latest slew of "Get Your War On" strips. It's good to see Rees is inspired again.

SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD Daniel Benjamin, half of the former Clinton era duo that wrote "The Age of Sacred Terror," takes a look at the recent Weekly Standard cover story that was supposed to transform the debate on intelligence and Iraq. The Weekly Standard story was based on an amazing leak of 50 classified intelligence documents, and was designed to show a clear linkage between Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. Benjamin deconstructs the article, and the leaked documents, in Slate, arguing that the Standard's deliberate spin misses the mark almost completely.

THE GENERAL AND HIS VIDEOS Retired General Wesley Clark remains a curiousity in this tussle for the Democratic nomination for President, but his recent videos sure have what it takes to set the man apart. In the age of glitz and glitter, color and digital wizardry, Clark's video team has produced long, paced videos that rely on black-and-white photos that move solemnly to make the point that he's ready to lead. Time will tell if there is enough to Clark beyond his brains, stars and commercials to make him a viable candidate.

IRAQ ASSESSMENTS Tony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies continues to churn out assessments and reports based on his long study of war and conflict in Middle East, and his most recent visit to Iraq. All of the reports are PDF files, but if you're looking for some detailed analysis of the strategic and military implications of the U.S. presence in Iraq, it's worth the download.

A VIEW FROM BAGHDAD This long, detailed post describes one Arab-American's recent trip to Iraq on behalf of the International Federation for Election Systems (IFES), which was conducting a pre-election assessment of the country. Amal's post ranges from a look at the fundamentals of elections to his personal observations of the social situation in Baghdad. While he sees a lot of productive effort being made by the Coalition Provisional Authority, he's not optimistic about the future there.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM CHIMES IN As Al Gore puts his arm around Howard Dean's shoulders and annoints him to be the man who will set the 2000 Presidential election straight four years behind schedule, some obvious questions begin to emerge. Will Howard Dean be the Democratic nominee? Can the Democrats beat Bush? Is so, what is the platform that makes this winnable for them? Who will be Dean's running mate, if he gets the nod?

First off, for those who aren't living in utter political geekdom, tonight will be one of a few remaining make-or-break moments for Howard Dean before the primaries kick off. The Dustup in Durham finds all nine Democratic contenders in New Hampshire for a televised (at least in New Hampshire) debate. Look for everyone to go for Dean's jugular; this is the last chance most of them have to regain traction. Dean will take a beating on his recent gaff (he spoke about the Soviet Union in the present tense); his anti-war stance; his Vietnam dodging (few people realize that only one in 10 of those eligible served in Vietnam); his sealed records from his days as Vermont's governor. How he stands up to (as opposed to dodges) those attacks will be an important measure of Dean's self-confidence.

Can he win the nomination? It's all but wrapped up. Gephardt has a chance to slow him down in Iowa; Clark can remain viable if he does well in New Hampshire and South Carolina. The rest are window dressing now. Dean will have to fall on his own sword between now and February to bungle this one. The other (slim) possibility would be for Bill and Hillary Clinton to step forward before mid-January and actively endorse and support Wesley Clark (they hate Gephardt too much to raise his banner). The Clintons may have their eyes on the White House for 2008 (hell, possibly even for 2004), but I can't imagine for a second that rupturing the party (activisits flocking toward Dean and Gore, and moderates winging it toward Gephardt and the Clintons) is in their best interests.

So, Dean wins the nomination. Now what? Running mate selection. The names will start whipping in the winds this week, so expect countless imaginings and plausible pairings. My short list: Hillary Clinton, John Lewis of Georgia, Bill Richardson of New Mexico, retired General Wesley Clark. Let's bundle this one with election strategy.

The days of selecting a regional candidate to create some sort of broad, national appeal are done. The Democratic candidate for President needs to do three basic things: maintain the base (in Dean's case, the angrier Democrats and partisans), defend the candidate (in Dean's case, defuse as much as possible attacks against his character and judgment), and eat into that middle swath of moderately dissatisfied voters who are prepared to go either way or need to get excited to even think about going to the polls.

Dean doesn't need anyone to anchor his populism; he has to remain the standard bearer for his passionate base even as he seeks to strike a more moderate tone on the economy, deficits and other domestic issues. So, don't expect him to look leftward for a running mate. He can go the path of finding a patsy to stand in and defend his lack of experience and (relatively) youthful zeal, but we saw how effective that was for Al Gore. Gore went the hip, young populist path in 2000, looking to cadaveresque Joe Leiberman to drag in the seniors and the sedentary. Bad move. I think Dean is going to have to carry his own water and stand in his own defense to be successful. So, what does a Vice President do for Howard Dean in the 2004 general election?

If it's Bill Richardson, he plays the heavy on foreign policy and rips Dick Cheney a long-overdue new one. Richardson was Secretary of Energy under Clinton (and Dick Cheney has flown too long under the radar with his wheelings and dealings in this area). Richardson has been the go-to guy for North Korea and nuclear proliferation for almost 15 years, and can provide immense credibility and focus to the ticket in foreign affairs. And Richardson can help deliver Hispanic votes in the Southwest, which will be critical for a Democratic win.

If it's John Lewis, look for inspiration on the stump. Congressman Lewis of Georgia has huge credibility with the black establishment, and can mobilize the South in a way the Democrats haven't experienced in 20 years. However, mobilizing the South doesn't mean a sweep for the Democrats; at best it means that Georgia, Tennessee and another state or two toss their electoral votes to the Dems. But in 2004, one or two states is a blessing. Lewis is a powerful speaker. He's also African-American, and this is not a handicap.

Hillary Clinton is a longshot, if only because my guess is the Clintons see Dean as an outrider and spoiler. And they certainly haven't done him any favors in 2003 when he needed them. But Clinton invigorates the core, swings Dean to the center in a credible way and bolsters Dean's Webfans with solid Democratic financial backers. I think it's still to early for Hillary to publicly rely on Bill to take an active campaign role with her; she's done a good job of creating her own persona, but it needs time to settle into most people's minds. She'll lose most of the South for him, but strengthen the ticket in the West, Upper Midwest and Northeast.

Wesley Clark is the mature leader to Dean's zesty rabble-rouser. He adds military cred to the ticket (essential). But, he really is just too much of a gamble for Dean -- there are too many unknowns about Clark at the moment. Can he hold his own against Cheney in a debate? Can he take orders from the top of the ticket? Clark is a bit too go-it-alone to be of help here.

All that said, where does a Dean ticket take the Democrats? There's a lot of grey wiggle room, but it probably centers around a return to the internationalization of foreign policy ("We need the U.N."); a return to a Clintonesque pitch on the economy (Bush = Hoover on job creation, Bush = Reagan on deficit spending, Bush = a big liar on promises for education, poverty, Medicare, etc.); an attempt to quietly evade social issues like gay marriage, abortion, etc.

Playing around with electoral maps, Dean can lose Florida and still win handidly if he sweeps the Northeast; captures the West Coast, Arizona and New Mexico; shares the Midwest with Bush; and grabs one or two Southern states.

A lot remains to be decided, including whether Dean will be the nominee. Including whether Dean can seize the imagination of moderates. Including whether the Democratic Party will mobilize passionately. Including countless unknowns -- the economy, terrorism, Iraq, the Bush strategy. But as the countdown to the New Hampshire primary draws to a close, my bets are on Dean to win the nomination. I'll withhold my opinion on where he stands on November 10, 2004.

A GIANT AMONG MEN I can count on two hands, or less, the public figures who have made a measurable mark on my view of the world. Thurgood Marshall is one of two Supreme Court Justices to have done so; he truly was an amazing man.

WHOA, NELLY It takes a moment or two to get into the groove of what appears to be one Neiderlanders attempt at electronic random leaps. Click and wander. It’s quite the curious journey.

BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME Come and blow it up, that is. When the U.S. military entered Iraq nine months ago, it wasn't a terrorist haven. That might be changing. Newsweek reports from Pakistan that recent meetings between al Qaeda and the Taliban have been focused on the terror club's shift of battlegrounds. Hundreds of al Qaeda flunkies reportedly are taking the long land route through Iran. Destination: Iraq.

Osama bin Laden’s men officially broke some bad news to emissaries from Mullah Mohammed Omar, the elusive leader of Afghanistan’s ousted fundamentalist regime. Their message: Al Qaeda would be diverting a large number of fighters from the anti-U.S. insurgency in Afghanistan to Iraq. Al Qaeda also planned to reduce by half its $3 million monthly contribution to Afghan jihadi outfits.

All this was on the orders of bin Laden himself, the sources said. Why? Because the terror chieftain and his top lieutenants see a great opportunity for killing Americans and their allies in Iraq and neighboring countries such as Turkey, according to Taliban sources who complain that their own movement will suffer... Bin Laden believes that Iraq is becoming the perfect battlefield to fight the “American crusaders” and that the Iraqi insurgency has been “100 percent successful so far,” according to a Taliban participant at the mid-November meeting who goes by the nom de guerre Sharafullah.

JOY THE THE WORLD I especially enjoyed knowing how many hours of joy I could get out of batteries. Cockeyed.com lives up to its name with a slight skew.

MISREADING NEWT The media is all a-ga-ga over Newt Gingrich's supposed "turn" against the White House this week. Gingrich, in an interview with Newsweek Magazine, didn't really say anything that hasn't been said by someone in the administration, at some time. It's just that he was direct about it -- we won the assault and sped right into a wall. The wall was the transition of power that never happened. The result is that nine months into Iraq and the impression (and reality) remains that in some places the U.S. is running the show, and in most places no one is.

NEW WEBLOG FOR AFRICA AfricaBlog keeps a roving eye on what's happening on the world's most underpublicized continent.