Crosblog

Saw Michael Moore on the Tonight Show last night. Had to admit, he looked pretty good.



Moderately funny and generally inoffensive, too. My theory is someone had him drugged. In any event, he looked nothing like the Michael Moore we were used to seeing, but he definitely looked familiar. I couldn't help thinking, where have I seen that face before.

It was my wife who actually figured it out...

On April 9, 1990, Tina and Eddie Earley were found shot to death outside their Kentucky dry-cleaning business. After investigating, the police department settled on Thomas Bowling as the killer, and he was convicted and sentenced to death.

From the point of view of those supporting execution, the evidence is strong - the Earleys' car had been struck by another vehicle, and damage and paint transfers on Bowling's car matched the marks and paint on the victims' car. Bowling was found to be in possession of a gun identical in make and model to the one used to kill the Earleys. And Bowling himself, though he claimed not to remember the day of the shootings due to being drunk, had been acting erratically at this time, and had gone missing the time the shootings took place. Additionally, eyewitness testimony described a shooter who matched Bowlings' general description.

The defense, of course, is less impressed with the evidence, and is raising several additional claims common in death cases. It is claimed Bowling is mentally retarded, that his lawyers were inept during his trial, that Kentucky's lethal injection procedure is inhumane, and that Bowling may be innocent, and that the Earleys' were in fact involved with drug dealers who may have shot them, and the police are covering it up because of fear that focusing on the drug dealers would have exposed their own corruption. (But don't let their willingness to suggest that the Earleys are bad people who died because they were involved with other bad people lead you to think they lack sympathy for the victims.) On the clemency front, Bowling's mother has pressed the issue personally with KY Gov. Ernie Fletcher.

One interesting twist, though. The governor of Kentucky, who signed Bowling's death warrant, was a doctor prior to entering politics, and still holds a license to practice medicine. Death penalty opponents are claiming the act of signing a death warrant violates the Hippocratic Oath, and are trying to take Gov. Fletcher's license. (The story mentions a former governor of Oregon who was a physician. In Oregon, governors do not actively sign warrants, but choose to give or withhold clemency. I wonder if some enterprising activist would think that then-Gov. Kitzhaber's refusal to grant clemency were a violation.) This argument wouldn't undo the warrant, only punish Fletcher for signing it, and probably have the added effect of basically rendering licensed physicians ineligible to govern states with the death penalty or surrender their licenses.

If Fletcher is "taking part, directly, or indirectly", in an execution, I wonder if this could be expanded. Do licensed physicians who serve in state legislatures or on state courts risk losing their licenses if they vote for the death penalty, or impose or affirm a death sentence? How about the doctors who testify in murder trials on behalf of the state? Sure, it's a stretch, but if we're not talking about just the physical act of execution, why not? Every person described plays a role in getting the defendant executed.

I'm no expert in AMA guidelines, but it seems to me what they wanted was out of the actual act of killing the condemned. I don't think they forfeited the chance to weigh in on the legality and completeness of the judicial process, unless they were weighing in against execution. Those seeking Fletcher's license have a right to argue that a doctor is only allowed to act on one side of the debate, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Tip - Jay Nordlinger at NRO.

...it's an old joke, but it came to mind because some of the blogosphere is in danger of ruining a great racket we have going. The racket is this: Conservatives hate the UN. We bitch, moan, and complain about it all the time. You know the drill - it's a dictator protection society that produces nothing but corruption and resolutions blaming Israel for everything, up to and including the lackluster ratings for "Joey." Because of the above complaints, we tend to ignore the UN pretty much every time it opens its yap, and frankly, we kind of like living without the restraints a credible United Nations might provide. Stuff like UNSCAM fits the worldview nicely.

This causes great consternation among the sort of people who think the only place on Cuba where human rights abuses occur is Guantanamo Bay. But they play along. They decry our failure to respect the UN, but they downplay the abuses that have caused us to lose respect. UNSCAM, for instance, may very well be the product of the fertile imagination of Ahmed Chalabi. It's certainly not the sort of thing that would require anyone to lose their jobs, for heaven's sake. Pretty much anything that could go wrong at the UN will result in the left rising en masse, and declining to give a shit.

This system has worked for many years. It gives everyone something to gripe about, and the UN itself has provided gainful employment for people who would otherwise have difficulty with the responsibility involved in manning the fryer during your typical McDonald's lunch rush. (It's harder than it looks.) Unfortunately, Glenn Reynolds (among others) is threatening to upset the applecart by lobbying for Vaclav Havel to replace Kofi Annan as head of the U.N. Now, I understand how tempting this idea can be. It sounds so good. Vaclav Havel has personally fought for all the things the U.N. is supposed to be for. You couldn't ignore a U.N. that Vaclav Havel was in charge of. Too many of us have cited Mr. Havel favorably to just write him off.

Some people actually get this. If Havel took charge, he may actually work hard to restore the U.N. to respectibility. If that happened, we'd actually have to listen to them. Sure, the United Nations may actually transform itself into an organization that defines human rights violations as something other than "proximity to Jews." Sure, he might work to end the fiction that the heads of police states are equal in legitimacy to democratically elected leaders. Sure, he might investigate corruption in a transparent manner and restore accountability. Sure, he might make the UN live up to the ideals of its charter, and make it a force for global good, and the gnashing of teeth caused among those who have enough freedom themselves to favor "stability" in other, less free parts of the world may provide some entertainment value, but is any of this really worth having "world opinion" collected together in one unreliable, easy-to-ignore location?

I say thee no way! Continue the racket! Save Kofi's job!

Why? Because you don't want to have wait 30 years to get your fries.

I'm telling you, there's nothing like spending Thanksgiving with relatives out of state. You get to practice your acting with relatives who fully expect you to know who they are and what branch of the family tree they belong to. Most importantly, you have roasted turkey Thursday, turkey sandwiches Friday, and you leave Saturday and they have to deal with the leftovers.

Which is a fair trade for the long drive to beautiful scenic Wooster, Ohio. Anyone who knows my wife knows we 1.) got started late, and 2.) had to make a couple of shopping stops. It was very late in the day when we finally cracked the Ohio border. I couldn't contain myself.

"Welcome to the state that saved America!"...

...apparently long car rides make my wife cranky.

We finally rolled into the Wooster equivalent of the Ritz-Carlton - the Highway 30 Econo Lodge. Normally, I would recommend this hotel without hesitation for all your Wooster traveling needs, but this time, the battery on our room lock decided to expire Thanksgiving day while we were at the relatives. (Since said relatives take it as a personal affront that we do not stay with them, this led to much gloating.) Fortunately, we'd taken the dogs with us to the turkey day party, otherwise the Econo Lodge would have suffered a broken window.

Wooster is located in Amish country, and you have to watch out for horses and buggies when driving in rural Wayne County. As a kid, my dad told me that the Amish would always wave back if you waved at them. In 20+ years, he's never been wrong, which is why going back to Ohio makes me want to smack a UPN executive in the head. (Although I will begrudgingly admit I liked Mose)

The best news is by the time we got back, nearly all the Christmas shopping was done, which means we can kick back and spend the season enjoying the festive holiday movies that always come out this time of year.

News of Theo Van Gogh's murder provokes outrage in the Muslim world...

...OK, it's not actually the murder, it's a picture accompanying the story of a woman with Koranic verses inscribed on her body.

Images like that were, of course, the reason some people...well, they don't really approve of killing Van Gogh, but they kind of understand.

And couldn't we all use a little more understanding?

Tip - Corner

Can a married bastard be a mighty bastard?

Mike is about to find out.

Best wishes and congratulations.

And don't register for a fondue set, because you'll get like 40 of them.

...make sure you've hidden your guns and cocaine where said unruly kids can't direct the cops to it.

Politics, pop culture, self-absorbed rants, and now parenting advice. What more could you want in a blog?

...and, oh yeah, up through most of Ohio. I'll be off to visit my Dad's family for Thanksgiving, leaving as early as possible. (I hope by 7 a.m., but if I actually want to take my wife, before noon may be the best I can hope for.)

Blogging will be at the whims of relatives, so Happy Thanksgiving to one and all if I don't see y'all before Sunday.

Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca believes he has ID'ed the fan who threw the beer that started the riot that disgraced the NBA that will result in record ratings for the Christmas Day rematch in Indianapolis. Gorcyca ID'ed the man personally as a guy on probation for DUI who is required to abstain from alcohol as a condition of his probation. The accused fan denies being the one who threw the cup, and states his role in the brawl was that of peacemaker, trying to drag Artest off another fan.

Of course, while he didn't throw the cup, just in case, his lawyer thinks that whoever did throw the cup did not commit a crime:

“We have no comment on who threw the cup, it’s irrelevant,” Smith said. He said fans shouldn’t throw things, “but is it a criminal offense? I don’t think so.”

Why it wouldn't be a crime is something I'd be interested in knowing.

156 political parties have registered for the Iraqi elections. The group includes the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party, which had publicly talked about boycotting the elections. I'm sure many of those parties are roughly "Party of Bob" in size, but it's still evidence of a strong desire to participate in elections, which is a good thing.

I can't remember where I read it, but I came across an article suggesting that a number of Shiite parties loyal to Ayatollah Al-Sistani were planning to form a coalition, and the group did not include current Prime Minister Allawi's Iraqi National Accord party. (A different article about the coalitions that may form is here.) The article I read speculated that if Allawi's crew stayed out of Sistani's coalition, Allawi may find himself either out of a job, or facing a National Assembly with different goals in mind. (I don't know whether the Assembly selects the Prime Minister, or whether that comes later.)

In any event, that's the real test of a democracy - can you peacefully trade one leader for another?

No, he did not. Despite the fact that a disturbed young man who watched "Bowling for Columbine" over and over again brought a gun to school and shot at students, Moore is of course not responsible for what some disturbed kid took from his documentary.

But it does call into question Moore's filmmaking skills. If the guy watched the movie so many times and still thought shooting up a school was a good idea, maybe Big Mike wasn't getting his point across as clearly as he'd like.

Oxblog notes that criminal sex rings have a way of popping up at or near UN operations.

I'm sure the reason is the UN's dedication to exposing and removing these blights on humanity.

Relatives of the man accused of gunning down six hunters are shocked.

"I still don't believe it," the suspect's brother, Sang Vang, said. "He is one of the nicest persons. … Maybe something provoked him or something. He is a reasonable person."

Does anyone ever say "Yeah, he was always pretty much a time bomb waiting to go off. If I'm surprised at anything, it's that he made it this long"?

Please take time today to vote for Debra Bernes for Georgia Court of Appeals.

No lines, no waiting. Promise.

It's kind of cool to hang out in a sports bar, watching college basketball, where they actually play defense and stuff, and you see that something interesting is actually happening in an NBA game, and you look up to see what has been called the worst fight in league history, at least judging by the sack of bricks that got dropped on Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, and Jermaine O'Neal for their roles in the Falls Count Anywhere match that Friday's Pacers-Pistons games turned into.

The real fun in reading about this is trying to find people willing to defend the Pacers. Here's a guy who says the fans got what they deserved. And, in a blow for fairness, the Auburn Hills P.D. have apparently ID'ed the fan who tossed a beer at Artest, and will probably be charging him.

As far as dealing with the fans, the Volokh Conspiracy quotes an idea I like - if the fans get out of control - the next game is played to an empty arena, with only the media present. Since pro-wrestling analogies seem appropriate, why not do a version of the legendary "empty arena" match between Terry Funk and Jerry Lawler?

Of course, the only people worth listening to on this or any other subject are bloggers - here are a few for your consideration:

Southern Appeal has the basics and lays a share of the blame on Wallace.

Ramblings Journal points out the failings in Artest's inevitable claim of victimhood.

Steve Silver reminds us all that this supposedly embarrassing black eye for sports will be played into the ground on highlight shows.

And Karol thinks Houston QB David Carr is "the hottiest." (Hey, they can't all be on-topic, people!)

Remember all those claims that Israel poisoned Yassir Arafat? Well, according to the French medical records, there was no trace of poison in Arafat's system. (Well, other than his politics, of course.)

Needless to say, this had all the calming, rationalizing influence of a airborne 32 ounce beverage on Ron Artest. Arafat's nephew gets ahold of the file, which he admits he has not read, and concludes Arafat's death is Israel's fault.

Does "an evenhanded perspective on the Middle East" mean we can't treat this horsecrap with the scorn it deserves? Cause if so, I very much want a lack of evenhandedness.

...Vanilla Ice reunited with his wallaroo.

Mishka, Koshka, and Otchki all say hello.

And don't buy that "nobody loves me" look Otchki's giving. Never has there been a dog more spoiled.

A huge food fight in a Memphis middle school results in the suspension of the entire eighth grade class. Their parents were all aghast at the students' behavior and punished them even more severely when they got home.

OK, just kidding. They complained to the school board, resulting in one man getting arrested.

When I was a kid, when I got in trouble at school, I'd come home, calmly explain to my parents that I was being framed, and I was actually the victim here. And my parents would calmly hear me out, after which...well, come to think of it, after which I would get in so much trouble for being full of crap that what happened in school actually seemed like a reward.

I must have had defective parents.

The European Union is advising newcomers to Europe that they need to adapt to European values. This new emphasis on assimilation is seen by most as an attempt to curb the influence of radical Islam on European Muslims.

Requiring radical Islamists to adopt European values? Must...not...make...obvious...joke...regarding...European...Anti-Semitism.

Darn. I failed. And yet, I feel better for some reason.

...at least for now, write about the Terrell Owens/Nicolette Sheridan controversy.

For those sent here by web searches on the whole controversy, initial reaction was here, and a followup here, posted after T.O. apologized and Tony Dungy weighed in.

Short answer: I thought it was funny, and I resent the idea that I should have less funny on my TV because other people are racist or lack a sense of humor.

Enjoy.

Alias is moving to Wednesday.

Upside - No repeats.

The gang at Southern Appeal.

I think I have now reciprocated with everyone who has 'rolled me. If not, let me know.

I still don't get the hullaballoo over the whole Nicollette Sheridan/Terrell Owens thing. It was funny, and yes, the inference was clear - Terrell's going to miss kickoff cause he's banging the slutty one on Desperate Housewives! - but it was just an inference. Tell your kids they're playing fantasy football. You won't be entirely incorrect.

But you know something serious has happened when Terrell Owens actually apologizes. Terrell has been acting like a jackass for most of his NFL career and hasn't apologized for squat. If the crap he's said about his former teammates and the stunts he pulls to show up opponents doesn't merit an apology, why would hugging a naked blonde?

Ask Indianapolis Head Coach Tony Dungy, and the skit was racially offensive - which, if not progress, is at least different - once upon a time people taking offence at the racial overtones of the skit would have been white.

Jeff Chadiha suggests in this SI.com article that there would have been virtually no fuss if ABC had altered things slightly. Find a white player for Sheridan to jump on, or use Latina actress Eva Longoria. Of course, they're trying to promote Desperate Housewives, and if you watch the show, you know the skit fit Sheridan's character perfectly, but wouldn't have fit Longoria's. (Although if you found a player with a teenage son...) As for finding a white player - notice in his example Chadiha names Payton Manning. The top players in Monday's game were nearly all black - the lone exceptions being maybe Cowboys QB Vinny Testaverde or Eagles kicker David Akers - and none had a bigger profile than T.O. Why wouldn't it have been offensive to replace easily the most famous player in the game with a lesser known player just because the lesser known player was white?

I get Dungy's point. Chadiha says it just right:

Dungy had that part right when he talked about the Owens segment reinforcing the racial stereotype of a black sexual predator being chased by a fawning white woman.

(Except Terrell wasn't a predator - until the towel hit the ground, he really wanted to go play football.) But, unless a viewer has some hangup about black men and white women, the sketch worked perfectly with the participants it had.

There are good reasons to do or not do something. Allowing prejudiced people to feel comfortable with said prejudices is not one of them.

The European Union had previously involved Cuban dissidents at high level discussions. I didn't know this, and I wish I had learned of it prior to reading a story suggesting the practice is ending:

The EU stepped up contacts with the opposition figures in June 2003 following the summary execution of three men who attempted to hijack a boat to the US - ending Cuba's de facto moratorium on the death penalty.

The death penalty - so that's what Castro was doing wrong. The European position is that it's important to have a solid working relationship with the Castro government to help provide a smooth transition when old Bushy Face finally checks into the Arafat Suite in the next world. This is not, repeat not, selling out democracy activists in the interest of comity and congenial international relations. Somebody tell that to Oswaldo Paya:

"They can act according to their interests and abandon this ethical position, for reasons of their interests. But what no-one can say, without insulting our intelligence, is that to abandon this position and destroy these acts and symbols is in the interests of Cuba and peaceful change", he said.

It's the lack of trust that really stings.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I encourage you all to read Cob's post on the Top Ten things you can say at Thanksgiving that sound dirty, but aren't necessarily. Best line of the bunch is #9:

"It's a little dry, do you still want to eat it?"

Read the whole thing. Or put the phrases on a bingo card so you can check them off when relatives use them at the dinner table.

David Lee Roth is training to become a paramedic.

Eugene Volokh on the concept of people "imposing their religion on other people." His point of view, which I wholeheartedly agree with, is people have the advocate ideas and laws they agree with, whether they come from faith or a personal moral code.

Read, as they say, the whole thing.

Anyone see the Terrell Owens/Nicollette Sheridan sketch prior to the Monday Night Football game? I thought it was pretty funny myself, and it was nice to see something entertaining, with the game being a rout and all. Telling my wife about it, I made the comment (tongue slightly in cheek) about the progress we've made as a society - a black man and a white woman in a sexually charged skit, and we can all laugh about it without making ABC try and find a white guy on the Eagles to calm the uneasy. (Perhaps the kicker.)

Well, I spoke too soon, but at least people are getting upset about Sheridan being naked instead of Owens being black. (Or a crappy actor) Though I suppose we could all wonder if people would have raised as big a stink if Sheridan had jumped on David Akers instead. Maybe it would have been easier if ABC has cross-promoted Lost instead:

Terrell Owens is standing on a beach, talking on a cell phone.

Terrell: Yeah, coach? I'm going to be a little late to the game tonight?

Cut to Jack and Sayid, both standing beside Terrell.

Sayid: Wait a minute. You're getting a signal?

As Michael points out, it's not like Desperate Housewives needed the plug with the ratings it's getting. (Neither does Lost, but I couldn't think of a clever way to cross-promote with Rodney.

Jeff Jarvis, who's always fun when he gets unhinged over free-speech issues, suggests setting up a site where Americans can send thank you notes to the FCC every time we see sex and violence on TV. Which I'm on board with, as long as it doesn't take place on According to Jim. There is no reason to make Americans see Jim Belushi with his shirt off.

With Palestinian elections on the horizon, discussion has started about who would prevail. One popular choice is Marwan Bharghouti, considered a possible successor to Arafat. Problem is, Bharghouti is currently serving five life sentences in Israel for having personally organizing attacks that killed five civilians. So, the Palestinians should find another candidate, right?

Wrong. The conventional wisdom is going to be that Israel is obligated to ignore the murders of its own citizens so Bharghouti can run for President of the Palestinian Authority. (Which he may do even from prison.) While we'd expect this nonsense coming from Europe, it was distressing to read that James Baker, currently a Bush envoy dealing with Iraq, suggested the same thing.

I hope Bush isn't seriously considering this crap. Of course, it gets easier with time - I had to comb the net for quite a while to find the names of the people Bharghouti was convicted of murdering - people our moral betters very much want to be forgotten.

Georgios Tsibouktzakis - A Greek Orthodox monk gunned down June 2001 in a drive-by shooting near his West Bank monastery.

Yoela Chen - Killed at a Givat Zeev gas station near Ramallah, January 2002.

Elyahu Dahan, Yosef Havi, and Selim Barichat - Killed while eating at a Tel Aviv restuarant in March of 2002. Barichat was a police officer.

Tip - Power Line

Acclaimed film director Roman Polanski (who can't set foot in the U.S., or any country willing to extradite to the U.S., for obvious reasons), believes he has been libeled by Vanity Fair, and would like to sue, using the apparently generous libel laws of the United Kingdom.

Trouble his, they'd ship his ass across the pond in a heartbeat. So, he is asking to be allowed to give evidence via video.

Apparently, it would violate his human rights not to allow his selective use of the judicial system. Begs the question - doesn't France (where he lives) have libel laws?

...actually, if you want everyone as a friend, prejudice, doubt, and suspicion be damned, there's one sure way to do it.

Get a dog.

Via Sully.

I may be exaggerating, but probably not. At Colorado State University, a young woman went on a drinking binge and died of alcohol poisoning. Her devastated parents start a foundation to combat underage binge drinking. A local business plans an event, and announces that they intend to donate some of the proceeds from this event to said foundation. The event in question?

A Jell-O wrestling tournament where the first 100 women to enter will be given a free shot.

Permit me to restate: A JELL-O WRESTLING TOURNAMENT WHERE THE FIRST 100 WOMEN TO ENTER WILL BE GIVEN A FREE SHOT.

I'm lost to describe all the reasons the people behind this idea need to be slapped.

Hard.

Update - Of course, common sense has prevailed. The morons have canceled the event.

Off-duty cop dressed as Shrek runs down thief, who runs looking for uniformed cops rather than face down Shrek.

...really, I don't. If you're talking about getting your state to secede from the union, or perhaps just moving yourself to a foreign country, perhaps marrying an ugly person to speed the process along, then I don't question your patriotism. You have none. No question about it.

Cracking a joke on election night was fine, I've done it myself when they didn't go the way I wanted, and I'll do it again, although frankly, I intend to be funnier. Y'all lost. Congressional seats are up in 2006, and the Presidency is up in 2008. Find candidates who don't suck and get to work. (Kerry would be a good example of a candidate who sucked.) If your belief in democracy requires the election go your way, you don't believe in democracy. You believe in those sham elections they hold in Cuba and Iran to create the illusion of democracy.

And, frankly, the rest of us are better off without you, although I like Canada too much to actually wish you'd go there. Nevertheless, in the immortal words of Too Cold Scorpio:

"Don't let the door hit ya' where the good Lord split ya'!"

You are the Minister of Silly Walks


What Monty Python Sketch Character are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

...and, in some even better news...


You are King Arthur of the Britons! You let no-one
stand in your way, you are brave and strong!
Keep searching, you'll find the grail yet!


Which Monty Python & the Holy Grail Character are you REALLY?
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I would have liked to sing the Lumberjack, song, though...

...Ol' Dirty. I mean, seriously, anyone not think he was going to check out early?

Palestinians call for elections on January 9 to replace Arafat:

"There will be free and direct elections to elect the president of the Palestinian National Authority on Jan. 9, 2005," interim president Rawhi Fattouh told reporters.

You mean like, with opposing candidates and everything?

And now faces either death or life without parole.

Maybe I missed the guy's earlier successes, but has Mark Geragos ever actually won a high profile case?

...Since it's about the Star Wars III trailer, which, although it doesn't suggest we'll see the female lead in a leather bikini, like we got in Return of the Jedi, still looks pretty darn cool. If they can tie up the loose ends and connect everything, Lucas may be able to save the series. (Of course, the cool looking trailer is about half material from the earlier movies, which we all know were great.)

Some questions that will need answering:

1. If Anakin Skywalker built C-3PO, how come the droid never mentioned the identity of his creator to Luke?

2. Since Anakin has been Owen and Beru, if Darth Vader knew he had a kid (albeit only one), and he wanted the kid back, wouldn't his only living relatives be a good place to look first? Yet, Owen and Beru only get killed when the Empire goes looking for Droids, not Vader-spawn.

3. I get why Obi-Wan's on Tatooine, since that's where Luke is. But why does Yoda go to Dagobah? Wouldn't he want to be on Alderaan, to keep an eye on Leia?

4. Is there any reason not to throw in a gratuitous shot of Natalie Portman in a leather bikini? Cause I really can't think of one.

Dave Justus links to the most prominent example of a particular breed of idiocy making the rounds in reference to the Theo Van Gogh murder - the idea that Van Gogh's inflammatory style meant that his murder was something he had coming to him, and maybe even something he wanted.

Well, after about six thousand bloggers posted about what a jackass piece of crap this was, the author has reevaluated. His new take - we lack the intellectual subtlety to appreciate his nuanced condemnation of the murder, while displaying great integrity in holding on to his own personal distaste for Van Gogh's work. I just have one point, which I'll take with the money quote:

Few cared to take my view that van Gogh used his powers of free speech to turn discourse on migrants' rights into a baying dogfight that censors rational opinion and encourages hate.

I don't pretend to be an expert on Dutch culture. But I got the sense that there is a sense among many Dutch that Muslim fundamentalists are immigrating to the Netherlands with no intention of joining Dutch society or adapting to Dutch culture. In fact, their intent is quite the opposite. But with the Dutch committment to "tolerance", "multiculturalism", and "understanding", it was considered inappropriate in relevant circles to point out the threat that was being posed to those very principles by acting like the notion of treating your wives as property was just an alternative cultural view. So people like Pim Fortuyn and Theo Van Gogh shouted in an attempt to get their point across. And people saw them, and heard them, and the bad guys killed them, specifically for the purpose of going back to the point in time where decent people didn't discuss what Islamic extremists had turned parts of the Netherlands into, and were trying to do to the rest. To castigate Van Gogh for speaking out his way, without offering any thoughts on how to press the issue more civilly, is, quite simply, giving Van Gogh's killers precisely what they asked for.

I also want to add this profile of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the author of the film. She is planning on making more. People should watch them.

Additional sources obtained via Sully.

When Georgia Republicans selected Sonny Perdue to be their gubernatorial nominee in 2002, it came as something of a surprise to a lot of people. Sonny didn't hold statewide office, or start off as one of the appointed choices, and he was not a favorite of the media. Much of the above applied to Georgia Superintendant of Schools Linda Schrenko, who was initially considered one of the favorites in the race, until Sonny's ascent.

To those who had long been advocates for Sonny (I was not one of them, though I like the man now), let me just say, good call, what with Linda Schrenko being indicted for stealing about half a million dollars in federal education assistance. The money is alleged to have gone to both Schrenko's primary campaign, and apparently, for a face-lift.



Any chance someone could steal a face lift for Sonny?

Tip - Michael at Of the Mind.

...I mean besides having your dignity stripped from you in front of a national television audience? Well, for starters, if you appear on a reality dating show, the producers might fix you up with an accused rapist, who will then get arrested when his victim recognizes him on TV and calls the cops.

Either of those reasons is actually sufficient.

Over at Alarming News are some touching tributes to Yassir Arafat...in haiku.

Idea courtesy of Dawn Summers, who is complaining about Apprentice jailbait on her own site.

(Both ideas equally worthy of public discourse, says I)

Of The Mind joins the blogroll, yet another Atlanta-area blog. Currently up is a nice photographic Veterans' Day tribute.

(OK, it'll be "currently up" tomorrow, but right now, it's the first post.)

Given the plethora of eloquent tributes out there that exceed my meager capabilities, I'll just say "thanks". (Besides, many of the cops I work with are reservists who have served or are about to serve tours in Iraq. Eloquence and emotion are signs of weakness. I will show appreciation to them personally with dirty jokes and funny stories about stupid criminals.)

For appreciation in a similar vein, Blackfive has found a great Veterans' Day column from the legendary Mike Royko.

OK, I don't know that for a fact. But I do know, via Instapundit, that Michael Moore is already beginning work on "helping" the Democrats win in 2008, just like he "helped" this year. And there is just too much gold in them thar hills not to mine just a little of it:

"We want to document and commercialize it. Fifty-one percent of the American people lacked information (in this election) and we want to educate and enlighten them. They weren't told the truth. We're communicators and it's up to us to start doing it now." - Let me get this straight. Your last anti-Bush documentary made like $120 million dollars, and the problem was people didn't hear your point of view? Perhaps the solution, if you can resolve the relevant copyright issues, would be instead of Fahrenheit 9/11 1/2, to name it Spider-Man 3.

"America loves Hollywood. When given a chance to vote for someone from Hollywood, they jump in." - Yes. For Republicans from Hollywood. On the Democratic side, we have Cooter.

Thanks, Mike. Check's in the mail.

In other news from our moral betters across the pond, we find out that Jews have been prevented from carrying Israeli flags and Jewish symbols at a march in Norway.

At a march marking the anniversary of Kristallnacht. Apparently there would be "trouble" if, you know, any Jews showed up.

I always thought commemorations of Kristallnact were done by people who thought it was a bad thing. But that point of view must just be cause of my simple-minded red-statedness.

Tip - Volokh.

(One commentor on Secular Blasphemy is defending the decision - saying of course Jews were invited and welcomed - but racist Jews were trying to hijack the demonstration. His view seems to be against the weight of the evidence - and the group that excluded Jewish symbols is trying to spin a stupid decision - but the argument is there, if one wants to read it.)

Interesting New Republic piece about China gaining a foothold in exploiting Africa's potential oil wealth, on account of them not caring how brutal the governments in question are.

Word of mass demonstrations at Chinese embassy to follow shortly.

It's finally official. Yassir Arafat is dead. I think Jonah Goldberg captured the emotions of this moment perfectly:

Obviously, my remorse knows bounds. My sadness has a bottom. Words are more than adequate to express my grief.

In a less comic vein, Jeff Jarvis points to a place listing some of the many accomplishments of Arafat, and those who followed him.

Good riddance.

John Ashcroft (oh, yeah, and Commerce Secretary Don Evans, for the approximately six people who give a crap), has handed in his resignation.

Leading in the race to replace him as Boogieman are Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge, and, in a surprise dark horse showing, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham.



Gotta admit, he looks a little evil.

Ashcroft's resignation is effective "upon confirmation of his successor." That should be a simple confirmation hearing.

Democratic Senators: Well, this is an interesting nominee you've submitted. Of course, we'll have to have a detailed investigation, followed by a lengthy hearing where we grill the living hell out of him for hours. Days, maybe.

President Bush: You do what you gotta do. And while you're doing that, I understand our current attorney general will be implementing some sweeping new reforms that just occurred to him while waiting for his successor...

[90 seconds later...]

CNN Anchor: This just in. The new Attorney General has been unanimously confirmed.

They'd sign off on Carrot Top to get rid of Ashcroft. It would be wrong to take advantage of that.

Wrong.

Good news, everybody! Iran's uranium-enrichment program, that could make it a nuclear power, is going to be suspended!

How do I know, you say? Glad you asked.

They are going to put it in a letter to the U.N.

Another crisis averted by the United Nations.

The murder of Theo Van Gogh has caused a strong reaction in the Netherlands. Some of the response is positive, as Dutch Muslims have taken to the street to protest the hijacking of their faith.

On the other hand, attacks on Muslim institutions have been reported as well, prompting a warning from those who claim to hold the copyright on targeting civilians to advance their agenda.

Meanwhile, if the opportunity presents itself - consider taking a few minutes to watch the movie that started it all. The film was written by Ayann Hirsi Ali, who is now under 24-hour police protection, for committing the offenses of being outspoken, female, a former Muslim, and willing to shine a light in places violent men don't want, all at once. (And in a just world, she'd get some kind of prize, if anyone were so inclined.)

Spread the word. See the film.

...and I say that as someone who very much does not want Specter's litmus tests (trust me, he has more than one) applied to future court nominations. I follow the logic that those opposed to Arlen have used, and normally, might be inclined to agree with it.

However (if there weren't a however, I wouldn't have a post), frankly, it's too late to change the rules to deny Specter the Judiciary committee chairmanship. If one didn't want Arlen in the Senate acting like he ran the place, the time to say something was during election season, when he could have been replaced by Pat Toomey or Joe Hoeffel, depending on your point of view. And while I know that many people did their darndest to replace Arlen, our President, sadly, did the reverse, and as I think we've all learned, when the Prez wants someone elected, that's probably what's going to happen. So, we're stuck with Specter as a Senator, at the very least. But why not make him chair some Merchant Marine committee and let someone reliable run Judiciary?

Answer: 'Cause this is politics, silly. And Specter may have taken the hint as far as standing in the way. If nominees get heard and sent to the floor promptly, Specter can yack all he wants. Of course he's going to join the filibusters and vote against Bush nominees - again, something that could have been fixed during the primary, but wasn't.

Also, it bears noting that the Democrats are on the verge of making their minority leader one of the most pro-life Democrats in the Senate, with a relative minimum of fuss. Any Republican looking to read a bunch of stories about how Democrats have purged themselves of the ghost of Bob Casey around the time the Republicans make a Bob Casey of their own, please, call or write your Senators and tell them to make a big stink about Arlen Specter.

Otherwise, this is the Senate we have, and we should deal with it. Feel free to check and see if arlenspecterisadouchebagbutidontmindhimasjudiciarychair.com is free, though.

If you're a Georgia resident, there's one more election that you need to think about. On November 23, there is a runoff election for a seat on the Georgia Court of Appeals. The Court of Appeals is responsible reviews decisions of trial courts, and they're the first line of defense in keeping all of us in the justice system honest.

I encourage any Georgia resident reading this to make time to vote on November 23 (don't worry, there won't be any long lines), and to consider voting for Debra Bernes. By far the more experienced candidate, she has been a prosecutor in the Cobb County DA's office, and private attorney handling civil matters as well as representing criminal defendants. She's handled numerous appeals herself, and is trusted by attorneys on all sides to review the cases that come up.

Please take the time to vote November 23.

And because we're all about the fairness here, I will note that her opponent, Howard Mead, used to have a website that's apparently no longer functional, but here's the AJC voter guide for the race.

Y'all need to see the Incredibles. I saw it over the weekend, absolutely outstanding movie. (Note - you may need to be a bit of a comic book geek to really enjoy it - my friends and beloved spouse, who saw it with me, proclaimed it merely "pretty good.")

Despite being animated, the movie does as good a job humanizing superheroes as the Spider Man movies. I don't know if the Incredibles was as good as Spider-Man 2, but it's well worth the price of a ticket.

One should probably take with a grain of salt information relayed to you by way of IMAO, who occasionally posts stick figure drawings of Michael Moore getting vaporized by a space laser, but through him comes this report from Iran concerning Iranians (the citizen kind, not the official nuke-seeking murderer kind), happy with Bush's re-election, and hopeful about the signal that sends the struggle for Iranian democracy.

I don't know how to cut a deal with Iran about the mullahs' nuclear dreams without selling Iranian democrats out, and selling them out hard. I don't think the Europeans do either. But if I were an Iranian who wanted to transform my country into a democracy, I might really really want an American president who is willing to risk being unpopular for not striking deals with brutal dictators in the interest of stability and international comity.

And I might think that guy just won Tuesday.

Well, OK, I've had my off days. But nobody can say I've ever shot an opposing lawyer.

At least, nobody who knows what's good for them.

Matthew Yglesias links to a proposed map of the U.S. after all the blue states secede.

Heh heh. "Jesusland."

During an interview with President Bush, a reporter just told him that Yassir Arafat has died. The President's first comment was "God rest his soul," and his second comment was restating his commitment to a free, democratic Palestinian state.

He did not note that Arafat dying actually made the second option more likely.

UPDATE - Ah, who the hell knows at this point.

First prize goes to Karol, for this gem from her efforts at bridge building and reconciliation, on the subject of Democrats nominating a man for whom their enthusiasm was not great, because they thought he'd play well in the sticks:

You hit on the ugly girl because you thought she was easy and she turned you down.

Honorable mention, for entirely different reasons, goes to Lileks for his concluding paragraph today:

And so it begins. But if all goes as it usually does, in 14 years she’ll vote for someone I don’t like; he’ll win, and she’ll and remind me: you taught me to respect the President.

If I can give her that much, I’ve done my job.

...but this was too damn funny. At my election night get-together, a young blonde woman appeared on TV to say something. My Democratic, Kerry-supporting friend said:

"What the hell is Ann Coulter doing on my TV?"

Except it wasn't Ann Coulter. It was this person.

That was funny. We laughed long and hard.

I spent election night, at least until 11:00, in a house full of Democrats. My wife and I had dinner and watched results until the hour when reasonable people went to bed. (Busy day at work today.) I left moderately confident about Bush's chances, went to bed when they called Florida, and woke up fairly sure that Kerry was pretty much out of ways he could pull this off.

Personal horror story - my wife was not allowed to vote. She, and about 1/3 of Cobb County, to hear her tell it, were waiting to vote at the church used as a polling place. Someone in a Sheriff's dept. uniform came out and told everyone that if they did not have a photo ID that had the address in their file on it, they would not be allowed to vote (He advised he was told this by whoever was running the polling place). Anyone who did not have this document needed to go and get one, and if you weren't back by 7:00 p.m., you wouldn't get to vote. Per my wife, a few people hung around to fight it out (my guess is they got to vote), but the missus decided she was late enough for work as it was and left.

She didn't have photo ID with our registered address for the same reason I didn't - we had moved recently. At about 6:45 p.m., I went in with the same I.D. situation and voted with no problem - the nice people working the polls (who really, couldn't have been more pleasant) had forms and everything all set up to deal with that particular situation. My wife tried to get to the polling place in time - rolled in at 7:10, and as she sat there in her truck, heard the guys on the radio declare Georgia for Bush, and the Senate race for Isakson, so she just said the hell with it and joined us for pizza and CNN.

Bottom line, what she was told is not what Georgia law says, and not what the Cobb County Board of Elections says, and the matter will be pursued, even though there weren't any close races to speak of in Georgia. (Nearly everyone around here was unopposed, or might as well have been.)

Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh made a film attacking what he saw as the brutal treatment of women within traditional Islam. For this, he was murdered.

Dutch police have just arrested eight Islamic radicals in connection with the killing, suggesting that Van Gogh made somebody's list.

There's good news, though. Not only did 20,000 people take to the streets of Amsterdam to protest the killing, but Muslims made sure to be heard as well:

Ikram, a 31-year-old mother of Moroccan descent, came to the rally with a sign saying 'Muslims against violence'.

"I was debating whether or not to come, but I decided that as a Muslim and as a Moroccan I should take up my responsibility to show that we do not support this act," she told AFP.

The Guardian's Operation Clark County was a resounding success - Al Gore carried the county by some 300-odd votes in 2000.

In 2004 - George Bush by 1600.

Much obliged, gents.

Obligatory link to Tim Blair - who got the whole thing started.

This will probably conclude my electoblogging for the day, since I'm not going to kid myself that I can keep up with exit polls, early returns, and whatever nonsense the lawyers get into. For up to the minute results, I'd recommend the following:

Alarming News - Yaron is filling in for Karol, who is doing her darndest to get Pete Coors into the Senate.

Instapundit - Glenn Reynolds has many people helping out with the updatery.

The Corner - Currently doing its best Chicken Little impression as early exit polling looks bad for El Presidente.

Tapped - Token liberal group blog to make people think I have an interest in fairness. Also, they update regularly with news from around the country.

I intend to vote later tonight on my way home from work. I'll vote no on Georgia's anti-gay marriage amendment, and I plan on voting for Rick Crawford for Congress, as I once again try to convince myself that there's a place in this world for Conservative Democrats.

I had been seriously toying with voting for Denise Majette for Senate. Johnny Isakson isn't a bad guy, but he doesn't inspire me, and Majette had always struck me as someone honest and committed who could help restore civil debate, and while I know I agree with Isakson more on the issues, I am kind of leaning towards splitting my ticket to try and keep everyone honest. (OK, more honest.) No more. Majette has pulled a cheap stunt, dropping a last minute press release about Isakson's reality company getting hit with discrimination claims in the 1970's, when the business was actually being run by Isakson's father. And while I agree that politicians of all stripes pull this crap, my interest in Majette came from her striking me as different then the hacks that routinely run for office. But faced with a choice between a hack I usually agree with and one I don't, well, them's the brakes.

And, of course, my choice for President is George Bush. Frankly, if the Democrats had the slightest interest in me switching sides, there were about five people they could have nominated instead. My chief issue is, to put it succinctly, wasting the bastards. There are bastards out there, and I want them dead. Not sanctioned, not negotiated with. Dead. And while I recognize a host of problems with Bush's methods of bastard removal, I have no doubt about his committment to the general principle. John Kerry has sworn he too, will waste the bastards. But his cause has been championed by those who aren't so sure who the bastards are, and those people expect the whole bastard-wasting process to stop shortly after January 20, 2005, should the John Squad find themselves in charge. I quote Michael Moore his damn self:

President Kerry had better bring the troops home right away. My prediction: Kerry’s roots are anti-war. He has seen the horrors of war and because of that he will avoid war unless it is absolutely necessary. Ask most vets. But don’t ask someone whose only horror was when he arrived too late for a kegger in Alabama.

Regardless of whether or not President Kerry seriously means to waste the bastards, there is a large group of people who will fight tooth and nail to prevent Kerry from keeping any promise regarding bastard wasting. And, while I may be wrong, I don't expect Kerry to stand up to them.

Regardless, whoever wins will be my President. I am in agreement with the pledge, drafted by Jeff Jarvis and cited by Steve Silver here:

After the election results are in, I promise to:
: Support the President, even if I didn't vote for him.
: Criticize the President, even if I did vote for him.
: Uphold standards of civilized discourse in blogs and in media while pushing both to be better.
: Unite as a nation, putting country over party, even as we work together to make America better.
(I reserve the right to make exceptions to the above if a cheap shot would be really really funny.)

We will still be America tomorrow, or December 8, or whenever the hell we settle this thing. We will still be a better place to live than France, even if we have a French guy running the country.

If you have an opinion on any contested election, please remember to vote. God Bless America.

And waste the bastards.

The Guardian (yes, I know, but bear with me), has an entertaining little quiz about the Presidential election.

I got 34 out of 40, which means I'm smarter than Kevin Drum of Washington Monthly.

Michael Totten has a few good reminders as we go about our business this election day...

You have the right to vote. You do not have the right to see the man of your choice in the White House...

...People who vote for the other guy aren’t stupid, brainwashed, or evil. They are your friends and family. Someone you love will almost certainly cancel your vote. (My wife cancels out mine.)

My wife cancels out my vote, too. And she's certainly not stupid or brainwashed. (She's a lawyer, a Democrat, and two games ahead of me in our fantasy football standings. She's a little bit evil.)

This had to be partisan spin. It's just gotta be. Somebody please tell me that Tom Daschle didn't file a last minute lawsuit, in front of a judge who's a personal friend of his and who represented Daschle in a former election dispute, seeking to keep only Republican poll watchers away from the polls on election day. I mean, I first heard about it in the Weekly Standard, for Pete's sake. Tell me this didn't happen.

Gotta check the South Dakota blogs. Dasche v. Thune was actually there during the hearing, and says Daschle's claims of intimidation were supported by a grand total of one guy who'd been in the state 48 hours who saw a guy roll his eyes, but who later admitted that no one was stopped, talked to, or prevented from voting. Ryne McClaren was there too, with a whole bunch of observations - just start reading from the top. Throw in lots of good stuff from South Dakota Politics, which links to a copy of Daschle's complaint.

At various points today, people are going to get outraged about "attempts to steal this election." They will claim to be interested in preserving democratic institutions, and protecting the right to vote, and not just trying to manipulate the system to get their guy in. They will be very adamant on this last point.

But if they think Tom Daschle still has any business in the United States Senate in any capacity, let alone as a party leader, don't believe them.

Not too many trick-or-treaters this year, which leaves us with enough leftover candy that I should be visible from space by Thanksgiving.

Most popular costume among kids knocking on my door: Princess.

Second most popular: Non-costumed, vaguely threatening teenager.

That's an upswing. Last year, the non-costumed, vaguely threatening teenager was the leading choice.

Either the kids are getting more creative, or I just bought a house in a better neighborhood.

Also via Washington Monthly, comes an interesting question - Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth, campaigning for her first full term in Congress, was asked during a debate what she would do if the Presidential race came out a tie, and was thrown to the House. As South Dakota has an at-large House member, should this happen, SD's 3 electoral votes would be the Congressperson's to give to whichever candidate they see fit. South Dakota will likely prefer Bush by a wide margin. Herseth is a Democrat, and presumably, she would not. But she has promised that if Bush won the state by any significant amount, she'd vote to make him President.

One thing I will say - a person's position about any single election, even this Presidential election, does not automatically make one a Republican or a Democrat. It's possible that Ms. Herseth agrees with the Democrats on most issues, but feels Kerry to be an inept tool on the vital matter of wasting the bastards, and therefore, is supporting George Bush in this election, while supporting Democrats from Tom Daschle on down through county road commissioner. If so, nothing to see here, move along. I think it's more likely that Herseth prefers Kerry, in which case I agree with the slight plurality of Washington Monthly readers who are disappointed in her. If she is forced with a choice between what she believes is right, and important, and what she believes will get her re-elected, well, she wouldn't be the first person to punk out.

But it's still punking out.

Not that I want it to happen, but I suppose it's theoretically possible that a plurality of voters in states containing a majority of electors could all simultaneously get with mind-control waves and wind up electing Kerry.

(Voice in head: Can you think of any other reason Kerry might win?)

(Me: Muscle spasms cause millions of voters to mark their ballots incorrectly?)

(Voice in head: I give up. Carry on.)

In any event, should that dark day come to pass, the National Journal is taking bets on the Kerry Cabinet pool. The expected catfight for the State Department between Holbrooke and Biden should come as no surprise. Some interesting thoughts for attorney general, including former Detroit mayor Dennis Archer, and two people who should probably run from the job, NY AG Eliot Spizer and MI Gov. Jennifer Granholm. (While Granholm will need a constitutional amendment, both have legit Presidential aspirations that serving in a Kerry administration probably won't help.)

Anyway, any good alleged know-it-all will need to be able to get at least a few of these names right, should the mind-control ray actually get built on time.

(Hat Tip - Kevin Drum.)

The best way to identify bad laws is to enforce them. Doing so clarifies the costs and benefits of any law, and has the best chance of motivating opposition.

It is with that theory in mind that I conclude that the NRA must be behind a recent case where a man who shot a home invader was fined for unlawful possession of a handgun. Punishing a citizen for defending himself against a burglar is pretty much the nightmare scenario the gun nuts try to sell.

On a related note - interesting op-ed in the British Telegraph on the differences in self-defence in the U.S. and England.

Kerry reportedly tells Asian media he does not support Taiwanese reuinification with China under "one country, two systems" nonsense. This is, IMOHO, the correct position, as the Hong Kong experience should convince any reasonable observer that the Chinese government cannot be trusted with a free society, and anyone who pressures Taiwan to submit to Beijing's authority needs to be smacked in the head.

Problem is, Kerry's said the exact opposite in the past:

Asked his views on the Taiwan Strait situation, Kerry said on Jan. 6: "I think the way we resolve it is to continue to push - as we did with Hong Kong, Macau and other places - for a 'one China-two systems' and work through over the course of the future."

I don't know the extent of Kerry's previous attachment to the "one China" B.S., it may have been his default answer pending further research. And, in any event, I'm all about flip-flopping when you flop my way.

Problem is, Colin Powell recently stirred up flack in Taiwan for statements that have been construed as supporting one China. I use the weasel words "construed as" because my understanding of Bush's POV was he was not in favor of pressuring Taiwan to reunify, and while Powell's statements contradict that, I'm not sure they represent a shift in the President's policy. (In any event, Powell himself has backed off slightly.)

Kerry is right, at least for the time being. But I can't help wondering if Kerry's switch is connected to Powell's stumble on Taiwan, which, frankly, makes it hard for me to give him any points on it. The easier, more diplomatic, more multilateral solution is to pressure Taiwan to negotiate on Beijing's terms. Standing up for Taiwan will require standing up to international pressure, which just doesn't sound like Kerry.

At some point in recent history, Cube's blog marked its first blogiversary.

Funny, in his picture, he looks younger.