Memory Lane

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… no, not what I’m naming any of my children. Now, I know that it’s become the style amongst many on the Left to not partake of the Instapundit, which is a crying shame, ‘cuz when you do you may end up missing stuff like this article about the role of blogs in the Trent … Read more

Three Comments/Links

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1). I personally feel that even by the low standards of crank calling, this is lame and geeky, and not in a good way. Via Balloon Juice. 2). Amazing how quickly Marxists can sound sensible when they’re saying the same things you were, huh? – only with a lot more spleen and righteous indignation. Surprised … Read more

Random Commentary

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As you may have noticed, the blogroll has been cut up – as near as I can tell and remember – into all of our particular choices. I’ve added another one which will be added to based on various suggestions that either I or one of the other bloggers agree upon.

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Congress to NY: Drop Dead

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Yeah, I know, that headline’s been done to death. But according to this Daily News article, New York is 49th in the country for per capita homeland security spending. (Wyoming comes in first.) Is this accurate? The Daily News is not exactly infallible, and I’m sure they’re relying heavily on NYC sources (especially the police … Read more

My favorite Times columnist

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No, not Krugman. Kristof. He meanders for a few hundred words about the possible hereditary and environmental factors in homosexuality (including an aside about “lesbian seagulls”), and then he hits you with this: The bottom line is that same-sex love is a mystery far more subtle than just a matter of Biblical injunction — just … Read more

Blogroll stuff

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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

The Coolhunter

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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

Politics free zone

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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

DeLayseahorsing

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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

How The Democrats Can Win in 2004

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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?

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Novaked! (Again)

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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

We love N.Y! (from a safe distance)

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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

Stupid Patent Tricks

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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

Let Us Now Praise Famous Men (And Women)

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*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.)

Thirty-One Days Left in 2003.

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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

This is either kind or cruel of me.

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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.

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The Long-Awaited Posting Rules

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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

The obligatory Catblogging Post…

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…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

Well, It’s Official…

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…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

This is either the Next Big Thing

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… 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

Technical Stuff

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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

Well, We’ve All Certainly Chewed On The Bush Visit…

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… 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.

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Aids and the Church

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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

Happy Thanksgiving

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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

Thanksgiving

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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….

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There once was a man, and he couldn’t cry

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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

It’s only shocking if you’re the sort to make snap assumptions.

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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.

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skipping town

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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

constitutions

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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

Who Wants to Marry Dennis Kucinich?

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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

Bush and Chalabi

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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

Literary Commentary. Here, have some hip boots.

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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.

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Question About McAullife

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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

comic relief

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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