Thoughts: In response to an article critical to the wall between the criminal and intelligence divisions of the FBI, I put in my two cents here and here (good discussion thread with a link to a broader discussion by the piece's author provided). In response to concerns Wes Clark does not have proper domestic experience, I asked for a response from his supporters. I got a few interesting replies. [See also here ... the threads with IWonder were particularly enlightening.]

Interesting: Dave Barry had a couple very good columns about football advertising and his annual summary of the years news. An amusing criticism of limits on professors having affairs with students and other like restrictions can be found here. The end of the year report for the federal judiciary included a clear disapproval of the failure to obtain judicial input on a law targeting a perceived problem of too much leniency in sentencing. The provision for collecting information on judges was particularly deemed "troubling," especially given their constitutional/independent role. [The separation of powers issues concern even a conservative such as the author of the report, Chief Justice Rehnquist.] The fact sensitive facts found in sentencing reports could also become public knowledge was not noted, but is also a problematic feature of the law. And, there is a lawsuit out there against an anti-Haitian video game that seems to me a patent violation of the First Amendment, if a rather racist form of entertainment.

Movie: I enjoyed Girl with a Pearl Earring as I noted a few weeks back, and even sold a free booklet that I received at the showing for $20 on Ebay (I asked the woman, "do you know what this is for?" It was a nice booklet and all, but a ten page booklet that surely was handed out elsewhere isn't quite worth that much.), but have had mixed luck since then. Calendar Girls, based on a true story of older women posing to help raise money in honor of a recently deceased husband was a pleasant diversion. I actually saw the calendar while purchasing my calendars for 2004 (I got them yesterday, and they were already half price). The "good parts" are tastefully hidden and they surely look better than the older guys takeoff of the concept. They came off rather well, if this younger guy's opinion means anything.