"This was the voice of moderation until 13 Sept, 2025"
Well, I was on the cusp of updating le blogroll (one of us requested fafnir’s… whatever it is… and I’m about to put up IMAO* in sheer self-defense), when I actually looked at the blogroll. It’s pretty chaotic; does anybody actually care about how there’s no grouping by theme or anything? Remember, I can’t alphabetize, … Read more
Let us now praise cool things. This, for example, is cool. Nahh, I didn’t find it. I’m the coolhunter, not the coolfinder or coolgatherer. (This is your cool things open thread.) von
1. Chad Pennington threatens to make a real football fan out of me. This is probably a bad idea in the long run, the Jets being the Jets. 2. I saw two movies over Thanksgiving. “Master and Commander” gets a big thumbs up, despite an expendable subplot or two; I’m now resolved to read those … Read more
There’s a long, but very important article about House redistricting in this week’s New Yorker. Some quotations: “The framers of the Constitution created the House of Representatives to be the branch of government most responsive to changes in the public mood, but gerrymandered districts mean that most of the four hundred and thirty-five members of … Read more
Yes, it’s coming from the VRWC Death Beast. Yes, it’s unsolicited, unwelcome and probably tainted, tainted, tainted. You didn’t ask for my advice on how to run a campaign, you don’t need me to tell you how to run a campaign, a dead baboon could beat Bush next year anyway; I can’t be trusted to tell you the truth, like all Republicans I no doubt lie when it suits me and I should be worrying about my own party anyway.
If I’ve missed anything, let me know.
Got it out of your system yet?
Ya’ll remember Bob Novak, right? The conservative columnist who touched off a media feeding frenzy on his putative right-wing allies by naming Plame in a column? In the immortal words of Whitesnake: Here he goes again on his own (though without Tawny Kitain, it must be said) . . . . In his latest indictment … Read more
From the NY Times, via Harley in comments: Tom DeLay wants Republican delegates to the 2004 convention to stay in an enormous cruise ship safely away from the dirty, dirty city. Excerpts: “Our floating hotel will provide members an opportunity to stay in one place, in a secure fashion,” said a spokesman for Mr. DeLay, … Read more
While perusing the frozen food aisle at my local supermarket, I came upon it. The Sealed, Crustless, Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich (SCPB&J Sandwich). Stunned, my jaw dropped. I started to boil over with excitement, like water reaching 212 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time. Sure, I knew the SCPP&J Sandwich, but only from the … Read more
*I recalled Prof. Anastaplo while paging through Professor Volohk‘s writings on the Second Amendment (the right to bear arms), which generally argue that the Second Amendment is a personal right (like the 1st Amendment) and not merely a right afforded to the state or community (like, for example, the 10th Amendment). Professor Volohk bases his argument, in part, on the supposed original intent of the founders. Professor Anastaplo, on the other hand, argues that the original intent of the founders was precisely the opposite, and reads the Second Amendment to convey a community right. Indeed, in his much-earlier The Amendments to the Constitution, Professor Anastaplo considers and refutes (pre-refutes?) many of Professor Volohk’s better “original intent” arguments. (Which is not to say that Professor Volohk is wrong in his analysis or history — only that it’s not the open-and-shut case sometimes suggested by Professor Volohk.)
I bring this up because, well, remember those resolutions you made back in January? You know the ones that I’m talking about; yeah, those. Not much time left to get them resolved, after all… and there’s no way that you’ll be able to reassign them for next year, remember? Next year’s 2004, and that’s a … Read more
I give you the opposition to Bush in the 2004 primaries. Take a gander, oh my Leftist brothers and sisters: these people are your only hope for a contested GOP primary run. Inspiring they ain’t; well, that’s unfair. We’re a special country; regular people really can grow up to be President. Just as long as they start early, pay their political dues, do a lot of unglamorous scutwork, learn how to play by the rules, never misstep and don’t try to do end runs around the entire system, of course.
Hey, there’s 270+ million people in this country. The process by which you get to lead them for four to eight years should be arcane and frustrating, buddy.
Which, given that they were lifted from Tac’s Posting Rules (who mined them from the Agonist, shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Here we go: Be reasonably civil. No profanity. For the record, ‘hell’, ‘damn’ and ‘pissed’ are not considered ‘profanity’ for the purposes of this rule; also for the record, the more offensive … Read more
…only, I don’t have any actual cats. This was a bit of a concern, as apparently the ownership of a cat is necessary for both blogging and the writing of obscure roleplaying game material, and my lack of same was a bit problematical. I figured that either von or Katherine would have one, but they’ve … Read more
…I must be a real live blogger and stuff, because I just had a dream where I blogged on the Medicare bill. Said dream came complete with a comments thread, trackbacks and a bit of drama where anonymous people were revealed to be other people; I woke up after people started to link to me … Read more
… or it’s not. It may just be quirky enough to take off, though. Via Balloon Juice (sure, he gets to be on the map. Hey! We’re not blogrolled by him, either. Grumble grumble whine moan grumble grumble whine…*). Moe * 😉 UPDATE: Well, it’s obviously going to be the next big thing, as the … Read more
As you might have noticed, the blogroll’s been updated in the usual across the spectrum fashion. I’ve been told here by fellow TypePad users that an alphabetizing feature is currently being pleaded for, so I know that advice for that isn’t precisely forthcoming… but is there any way that I can dump the spaces between … Read more
… frankly, Right Wing Death Beast that I am, Tacitus’ post on the subject pretty much made mine redundant. So, instead, we’re going to play a fun game of Anecdotal Evidence. I admit right off of the bat that this proves nothing, but hey: it’s my our* blog and I’ll be illogical if I want to. It’s either this or sit down next to Katherine and start swearing about the recto-cranial inversion problem that Holy Mother Church seems to be suffering from these days.
*This is what I get for trying to evoke 50’s song lyrics, you know.
I’m several days out of date on this Kristof column but it made me so angry that I had to post anyway. Excerpts: “Here in El Salvador, church leaders in 1998 helped ban abortions even when necessary to save the life of a woman, and, much worse, helped pass a law, which took effect last … Read more
Britain captures two alleged terrorists, but it’s just the tip of the iceburg. Bush went to Iraq — and kudos for that. Hillary’s in Afghanistan, and that’s good news for the original (and not yet won) war on terrorism. We compromised on Iran, and, no, it wasn’t all part of some master plan. China is … Read more
My connection is a bit flakey – visiting parents with an ill computer, so I’ll just be brief and wish all of you a happy and safe Thanksgiving. My family has a tradition of saying what we’re thankful for, so I’ll indulge myself: I am thankful for those I love, and who love me. My … Read more
I’m in Brooklyn with my in-laws today. This is the first Thanksgiving I’ve ever spent without my mother and sisters. But it’s appropriate that it be in New York for this holiday, because while two years ago I resolved never again to take for granted my family, my friends, this country or the city I’d like to consider my hometown (I was born in Chelsea but grew up elsewhere)–for whatever reason I’m far better at keeping that resolution when it comes to New York City than anything else.
So in that spirit, and because it’s easier to write about places than people….
I am a secret movie weepier. Not secret in the sense that, should you and I watch Field of Dreams together, you’d somehow miss the tears rolling down my face when Kevin Costner asks ghost-dad to play catch. Secret in the sense that I’d never admit that, forty-five showings later, I’m bawling like a baby … Read more
You know, I don’t know whether this is mere politics, or whether there’s some actual sentiment behind it… and I find that I do not much care. I am not overly fond of the woman, but I also have no real quarrel with her and I respect her political instincts, which are quite good – I approve of gestures of this nature, no matter if Senator Clinton’s* one of the ones making them. So, kudos.
And Happy Thanksgiving, folks, if I don’t get a chance to say that later.
Via Day by Day.
I’m going to NYC in about 45 minutes for a job interview and Thanksgiving, and when I return I will be in finals heck until December 17 or so. So blogging will be light to non-existent (depending on how bad a procrastinator I’m being) until then–but I trust Moe and Von will keep this place … Read more
In a post that strongly (and convincingly) rejects the idea of breaking Iraq into three countries, Juan Cole says: The alternative is to build into the new Iraq guarantees against a tyranny of the Shiite majority. Have a bicameral legislature that over-represents the Sunnis slightly. Have a bill of rights. Have elected provincial governors and … Read more
from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer: At a New Hampshire candidates’ forum, he was queried about first ladies,and the Cleveland Democratic congressman didn’t waste his chance to drop the proverbial handkerchief. “As a bachelor, I get a chance to fantasize about my first lady,” the twice-divorced Kucinich replied. “And you know, maybe Fox will want to sponsor … Read more
From a Washington Post article on Chalabi, via Atrios : “Nobody knows how the president will finally come down on Chalabi. Right now Bush reportedly remains unconvinced that Chalabi is the one to lead Iraq into a democratic future. Jordan’s King Abdullah didn’t help matters: When he met with Bush recently, he is said to … Read more
Crooked Timber’s discussing an interesting little event that went on at the National Book Awards dinner Thursday. Short version: Stephen King got an honorary award, made a speech where he essentially informed the judges that they needed to read more genre fiction and an author named Shirley Hazzard got contrasted to King by just about everybody commenting on it.
Now, looking over the links, it would seem that the proud philistine contingent is underrepresented in this debate, so I am stepping up to the plate.
Hopefully, it’ll automatically publish Monday morning (yup, playing with site features). So, anyway, I was reading through this dKos post and I was struck with something: why are the Democrats keeping him around as head of the DNC? Rather than scurrilously speculate, I decided to simply ask for commentary from, like, actual Democrats and stuff: … Read more
if you’ve read about the horrible events in Mosul, you’ll need it. So, here you go, from Aunty Beeb: “Mr Blair, who is said to be a big fan of the show, recorded his dialogue in April for an episode in which Homer Simpson meets him in London. Actor Sir Ian McKellen and Harry Potter … Read more
According to today’s Boston Globe, “Massachusetts residents, by a solid margin, said they supported the Supreme Judicial Court’s landmark decision legalizing gay marriage, according to a Boston Globe/WBZ-TV poll. The poll of 400 people, the first survey of Bay State residents since the court’s historic ruling, indicated that 50 percent agreed with the justices’ decision, … Read more
A lot has been written about the Republican ads in Iowa in New Hampshire, which begin, “some are now attacking the President for attacking the terrorists.” I don’t really have much to add about that line; I think you all can guess what my reaction was. But this line, via Maureen Dowd’s column today, was new to me:
” ‘It would take one vial, one canister, one crate slipped into this country to bring a day of horror like none we have ever known,” Mr. Bush says, in a State of the Union clip.”
I don’t usually have much patience for Dowd, but she has it right. This is fear-mongering for no good purpose. Experts generally agree that biological and chemical weapons kill people in horrible ways but are not any better than conventional weapons at killing large numbers of people (if it’s not done right, they’re probably worse). So one vial or one canister would not be very likely to bring a worse day of horror than 9/11. Nuclear weapons are a different story, but there was no serious nuclear threat from Iraq in the short or medium term, and we knew it.
And of course, it seems increasingly clear that Iraq had no biological or chemical weapons either.
They have a history of this sort of thing.
… to an age-old question. And there was much rejoicing. (Via Volokh.) UPDATE: I have had the Plasma Physicist Who Lives In The Basement Of My House* look at this, and she confirms that the numbers and stuff seem to check out. She doesn’t do biophysics, though. *Of course, from her point of view my … Read more
I agree with Mr. Drezner wholeheartedly: Please, please, please don’t let it suck.
Via Balloon Juice we see that a showdown was brewing in Georgia – the one in Eurasia – over a recent election that has everybody going, “Yeah, well”. Well, oh my droogies, the showdown has come, and with a vengeance. I hereby invite every person who has ever voluntarily engaged in the more … colorful … Read more