Federal Appellate Ruling Strikes Down Gay Adoption: A federal appellate court upheld a blanket ban on gay adoptions, and I think it probably was a good idea ... it is best to go slow, especially in the federal courts. All the same the blanket ban is troubling, and Florida is the only state that goes that far. We are left with a court arguing why it's more "rational" to allow single people to adopt (25% of those who adopted were single at the time), to leave children in foster care (where gays can be foster parents and permanent guardians), to not have a similar blanket ban for drug addicts (some are recovered addicts and therefore not found to be a danger), and so forth, than to allow gays to adopt. [more]

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In the post-1990s global economy, America must aggressively compete with other developed countries for the international talent that can spur new industries and new jobs. By thumbing our nose at the world and dismissing the consensus views of the scientific community, we are scaring off that talent and sending it to our competitors.

-- from Creative Class War: How the GOP's anti-elitism could ruin America's economy

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Chloe Sevigny, who sublets a 20th-floor studio apartment from fellow actress Natasha Lyonne, is among the residents who've been coping with an invasion of the rodents in recent weeks - apparently sparked by a construction project in the neighborhood. ... As for Sevigny, her publicist said, "She thinks this started because construction disturbed their little mouse houses. ... Mice are cute."

-- one problem, I don't have in my much cheaper apartment

The Bush administration said on Thursday that the new Medicare drug benefit would cost at least $530 billion over 10 years, or one-third more than the price tag used when Congress passed the legislation two months ago. ... The $530 billion estimate apparently does not include the cost of another feature of the new law, which provides tax breaks to people who establish savings accounts for medical expenses. Mr. Bush says he hopes millions of people will set up such accounts.

-- More details one might want to have when the law was exactly passed; going along with the (true) costs of the war, tax cuts, etc.

[Being President means you don't have to say you're sorry.]

Damn Conservatives: Democratic members of the FCC commission are complaining media owners are not being charged high enough fines for violation of decency rules, such as Bono saying a bad word on an awards show. Oh grow the fuck up.

While judges should not be isolated from the society in which they live, they must take special care that their extra-judicial activities do not create a conflict with their judicial duties, give rise to an appearance of impropriety, or create a reason for questioning their impartiality. As you know, the ethical rules apply to both the public and private conduct of a judge. While such rules might be considered burdensome to a private citizen they exist to protect the public and to preserve the integrity and independence of the courts.

From a letter from Sen. Leahy and Lieberman to Chief Justice Rehnquist regarding a trip that Justice Scalia and Vice President Cheney was involved in, weeks after the Supreme Court took a case involving Cheney's energy commission. Efforts were made to keep the trip secret (I think more for Cheney's benefit, he of the undisclosed location) and the "use of private jets and facilities provided by an energy industry insider" was reported. The CJ replied with a brief note saying that individual justices have the final decision in matters of recusal.

Justice Scalia is a long term friend of Cheney's, and has strong/firmly held beliefs, so I do not know how much the visit would really influence his vote. As to keeping things secret, Scalia has been on record basically not giving a damn if he sounds and looks controversial. Still, it is totally possible that the mentality involved that allows him to go on such a trip, one that surely he should know furthers the cynicism many have of the impartiality of their public servants, influences his votes on such matters. Things like that have a tendency to feed off each other. The more important thing is the message this sends to the public. And, yes, if not him, some would be influenced by such interaction and conflict of interest. It is why the rules are in place to begin with.

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To add to the discussion yesterday, the fact that the information supplied to those (including you and me) deciding whether we should go to war is starting to be questioned has led many to focus on the human rights aspects of the war. It is interesting how some of those who you'd think would be most supportive of such ends were dubious. Maybe, because of the ad hoc, slightly hypocritical nature of the argument. For instance, both Human Rights Watch and Samantha Power (Pulitzer Prize winner for her book on genocide, including in Iraq) opposed the war. Anyway, Condi Rice was out there still firmly demanding that we had to go to war. Sigh.

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Happy Birthday ... sis

BETTY ONG: "My name is Betty Ong. I'm No. 3 on Flight 11."
MALE DISPATCHER: "Okay."
ONG: "And the cockpit is not answering the phone. And there's somebody stabbed in business class. And you can't breathe in business class. Somebody's got Mace or something."
DISPATCHER: "Can you describe the person that you said -- someone is what in business class?"

This is part of a recording of a conversation between a flight attendant and the tower played during a meeting of the 9/11 investigation committee headed by Thomas Kean (a friend of the Bush family). He asked for more time (60 days) to process the millions of documents and tons of information, in part because of delays from wrangling with the administration. Time they might not get because of political concerns. David Kay, the U.S. weapon inspector says that we had faulty intelligence, so now the buck is passed to the CIA, who has been faulted in the past. But no heads rolled. Conservatives are growing more concerned because of the risingdeficitss and lack of fiscal responsibility of this administration. All the same, including when they treat detainees in ways military lawyers are comparing to George III, they continue to say "trust us."

Sorry boys ... no go. I read today how Dennis Miller, best known for his failed MNF years and various "what else can I shill" commercials (sorry, the guy annoys me, and I used to respect him) was changed by 9/11. It made him support the hardline programs of the President, who he plans to support in November. Excuse me? If you care so much for national security, why in the hell would you support someone with this record? We go to war technically for a WMD danger that now we find out was based on faulty intel (see, if one was a bit more careful, it would have been okay ... you might still be wrong, but not look like an ass for saying how it's such a slam dunk, so give me the power w/o the safeguards). Stonewalling and rushing (after thinking Henry Kissinger should head the things) a commission investigating 9/11 (this is disgusting ... simply put). Not doing a bloody good job doing the rest of your job.

The guy deserves to be fired, if only on a "buck stops here" standard. Only a damn liberal gives someone THAT much leeway. This includes the obligation to take the responsibility for your underlings. If the intel was bad, look for this to be used as an excuse, the top doesn't get off the bloody hook (even if the CIA head is a Clinton holdover). [This actually is a CYA excuse in that when the CIA actually provided negative intel, it was often ignored and/or criticized. Reports of Cheney et. al. cherrypicking intel has been reported by several sources. It's getting so bad that Bill O'Reilly (1/27) is starting to become testy about the whole matter.] A business is liable for its workers, the President is liable for his as well. I truly fear the ability of the Democrats to put forth a candidate that can beat this guy, and it is aggravating. [Many like John Kerry, if he's the one, but many others see him as a "best of an inferior lot" sort, and I'm sorry to say, it is really not COMPLETELY wrong to so think. IMHO] All the same, this guy has to go.

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Other News: Cold winter doesn't mean count out global warning ... misspellers (I can relate) lead to eBay bucks ... Soup to Nuts? [Not quite ... "Rice argued during the trial that Johnson's anxiety might stem from other experiences [other than being served the wrong soup], including a prison term for sexual activity with a child under 12 and his public listing as a sexual predator."] ... Dean as vox populi.


"I feel that underwear sometimes is so constricting," she says. "And you know, we should all just be free."

-- roomie on College Hill, new black reality show praised here.

Film: My take on the Academy Award nominations

Fruit: I bought a couple oranges today and opened them up to see red pulp, as if they were mini-grapefruits or something. I never saw such a thing and wondered if something was wrong. Silly me didn't realize that they were Moro oranges. They were pretty good; I like the color (and the taste's kewl and all too).

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Texas thinks promoting sex toys is a bad idea ... I don't.

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Politics: Though by my watch, they started three minutes early, Clark won the vote in the first town that voted in NH (8-7 in the Democratic vote with 11 voting Republican). They used the safest method of balloting ... paper. On the other hand, it looks like by the numbers I just saw that he tied for third in statewise votes. [I defend the other guy's "other twenty years of public service" here.] Well, that early bird vote means a lot.

Politics: Just like on West Wing, C-SPAN will be airing the first votes in New Hampshire at midnight. Great theater. Apparently, there are new buttons that say "Dated Dean, Married Kerry," the idea being that you date a crazy guy like Dean, but marry a safe (but boring) guy like Kerry. [see here, 1/26] This is a bit much, but I must admit that Kerry doesn't excite me, especially when I watch him. The idea is that you don't "get him" the first time, but over time. I wonder how much "time" you have to put in ... will the voters do it? As to Dean, I go on a tirade regarding the criticism of his post-Iowa "rant" here. As a reply noted, Dean has caused a lot of trouble himself, but I just think he had a bit too much help doing so.

FELLERS v. UNITED STATES: A grand jury indicted a person on drug charges and the police went to his home, warrant in hand, to talk to him, leading him to make some incriminating statements. He was not given any Miranda warning, but was at the stationhouse, whereupon he again made the same statements. The Supremes unanimously said "uh no" ... too late guys. The grand jury indictment and warrant makes this a somewhat special case, but Miranda held. So, good, if somewhat small, step.

Also, the Supremes accepted for argument a juvenile death penalty case in which the lower state court struck down the punishment because it held executing those under eighteen was cruel and unusual. I'd think that the Supreme Court wouldn't go out of its way to uphold the practice. This plus the fact that four justices are already on record against the practice bodes suggests a majority is available to strike down the practice. Time will tell.

Sports: Yankees third baseman Aaron Boone injured his left knee playing basketball and may be out for the season. Stupid! Oh well, one more hole to fill with some $$$. [Update: Actually, the Yanks did okay here. Basketball playing violates Boone's contract, so they can get rid of him (chances are he won't play much or all of the year), and only pay one month (c. 15%) of his ridiculous salary. The pickings are slim, but he wasn't a great prize so far anyway, so if a rookie like Erick Almonte or some journeyman player fills in, and they save a lot of salary, it will be mostly a wash. Or so it seems to me.]

Happy Birthday: Paul Newman (TCM is playing his movies until late into the night) and Ellen DeGeneres.

Politics: I discuss "the deserter" question in depth here; I get a bit emotional about Kerry here; and I still respect Dean in many ways, suggested in part by a NYT piece today that suggests he really is more nuanced than he appears to many. A good essay on the stance of the top four Democratic candidates on the issue of tort reform. And, a conservative explaining how the President is no fiscal conservative, maybe not a real conservative at all.

And for the political bookshelf, you can add Lies: And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them...A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right by Al Franken. There are many books that criticize the President, the Right, and so forth, and they each have their good points. Franken's book is a worthy addition to the genre in that he mixes humor, a lot of research, good writing, and passion to supply an excellent book that is both serious and funny.

He could do without the crud fiction that was in bad taste (and imho not that funny), but a two person play spelling out how Bush's tax policies affect a waitress and well paid lawyer was on the money. The comic "Supply Side Jesus" was wicked. His chapter on the Wellstone memorial hard to read. Good stuff. My only other criticism is that Fox, O'Reilly, Coulter, and Hannity are rather easy targets, who he might focus on too much. All the same, they deserve their licks, and he supplies enough other material to make it worth our while.

Politics: David Brooks submits a good challenge to Kerry voters ... is he really a nuanced thinker, or is his nuance just a now and then sort of thing, while his liberalism stands out over time? I find his columns usually dreck, but this one had a more balanced tone and is worth pondering. And challenging ... just the sort of thing you want from the other side.

Blogs: Jack Balkin (1/23) provides some interesting thoughts on blogging in honor of his first anniversary. He was about five months ahead of me, but I mostly agree with his comments. This blog actually is a sort of companion to my fraying, that is, discussions on the Slate fray/discussion boards. As to diversity, the discussions and the stuff I post/link to are clearly slanted to a certain point of view (though complex enough to not be stereotyped too much), but if anything, the Internet allows me and others a greater chance to interact with opposing points of view. I also get a chance to share a tiny part of the ton of interesting stuff on the web. Some of which others actually care about as well.

Stupid Local Editorial: This one led me to write a letter to the editor. It involved an otherwise liberal sort (she co-wrote a book with Al Sharpton) going overboard demanding that we shame people more, this time high school girls. We have hyperbole like "There is no longer a stigma attached to teen pregnancy" and "There should be some consequence to having a baby out of wedlock." Also, she is upset that words like "bastard" and "loose" are in disfavor.

What brought upon this tirade? A new policy allowing teenage moms to have maternity leave, largely because the alternative tends to be that they drop out. Ms. Hunter wants them segregated (I admit this word might be offensive, but so is her views in my opinion, and it is exactly what she wants -- a badge of dishonor, the suggestion what they did is so horrible that they "taint" the rest of the school so much they should be educated elsewhere) to night schools and "alternative" schools. The realization many (especially if they are of age) will drop out is mostly ignored. Tough love is important, but they still will be required to meet all educational standards and so forth, and their life will be far from pleasant in various ways. So why the need to rub their noses in it? The desperation voiced by such sentiments is evident, but it remains both sad and wrongheaded.

Politics: Though I admit it looks bad, I still respect Dean for various things that got him in trouble. This led to a back and forth with me and someone who doesn't care for Dean, the third time things got a bit heated in such discussions. Okay, I upset supporters of three different candidates, not counting Bush and Lieberman. Next I shall deal with religion. Anyway, lol, I analyze the recent New Hampshire Debate here. I also got a few interesting questions when I asked about the weaknesses of one's favorite candidate.

Movie: I saw an interesting, if flawed movie tonight entitled Made-Up. It concerns a woman who presses her sister to take part in a college film, first involving a makeover (thus, body image is one theme), but broadening out into various unexpected directions as she tries to make something exciting. The movie itself is a family effort, directed by Tony Shalhoub (his directing debut; also seen in Monk and Wings; he also played an amusing role as a restaurant owner/aspiring actor), written by his sister-in-law (who also co-starred as the sister), starring his wife (Brooke Adams), filmed at a family home, and involving other family members in various roles. It is an episodic film that deals with various family dynamics as well as being a satire of amateur film making. I didn't quite like the ending and felt it fell apart a bit toward the end, but it was amusing and different. Worth checking out if it comes to your area.

I got a chance to see the cast in person after the show. Tony Shalhoub came off the best ... for someone whose first main role was the stereotypical taxi driver on Wings, he has a lot to offer. His direction and low key performance was two of the best things about the movie. The daughter, no relation, also was quite good. And what a name -- Light Eternity!

Ridiculous and Sad News: The next bachelor for a somewhat popular reality show will be the back-up QB to the NY Giants. How embarrassing to (male) fans! Olivia Goldsmith, the popular novelist, recently died because of complications of cosmetic surgery. A sad end that all the same would not have surprised the characters in her best known works of fiction.

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In the true "Internet Election" no campaign, national committee, or organization will decide where and when the conversations take place, who participates, or what is the agenda.

From many conversations, the best arguments and the best arguers will gain traction. Some may jump to other conversations to increase interest in their issues, and others may leave because they're still not convinced. Barriers to entry in any conversation will be low; listening will be valued as much as speaking; and the best ideas will survive because the market for them will only grow.

In the end, voters will turn out to vote in higher numbers because they chose the candidates and policies at issue, on their own terms and timelines. Disillusionment and jadedness about politics will decrease sharply.

-- from an essay by Lauren Gelman on the future role of the Internet in elections

Gilmore Girls consistently remains one of the few reasons to watch television.

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A new $22 million system to allow soldiers and other Americans overseas to vote via the Internet is inherently insecure and should be abandoned, according to members of a panel of computer security experts asked by the government to review the program.

-- the government, however, is planning to ignore the experts they hired and go ahead with the system; what's the point of the experts then?

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Tommorow is the 31st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which upheld the right of a woman to choose an abortion, except in limited circumstances (somewhat expanded over the years). Here's an essay by someone who had an abortion and strongly feels her right to be able to do so is fundamentally important and threatened.

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A federal judge has struck down the obligation of the Justice Department to report to Congress individual judges felt to have abused their discretion in sentencing a defendant as a violation of the separation of powers and the independence of the judiciary.

Also in federal court news, the President re-nominated someone from out of Maryland to fill a vacancy (previously held by a Marylander) to the Fourth Circuit, violating traditional practice. Not only that, and the fact a liberal is being replaced by a conservative in an already conservative heavy district, the irony is that the nominee worked on Sen. Helms' staff. This is the same senator that for extended times blocked various Clinton nominees to the circuit because they were deemed too liberal. Life tends to be ironical, doesn't it?

"He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient" [Art II., sec. 3]

I'm still kind of waiting for the President to supply the first half of this equation. I find the SOTU a tedious bit of political theater and find the current occupant's every utterance hard to bear, surely the political motivated pap he submitted to Congress on the "state of the union" this year. Here and here are two who blogged the thing in real time, each with comments from readers [I can have comments as well ... thinking about it, but the readership base seems to small now too so warrant. Still, see here.]. Another response noted the absence of much at all in way of environmental statements. USA Today suggested some things were um slightly misleading. And so it goes.

Many also agreed the Democratic response (from Rep. Pelosi and Sen. Daschle) left a lot to be desired. Others didn't think Kerry did a great job either. Again, I think this lackluster energy is why we need a force like Dean. Or maybe Edwards. I saw Dean on the tube yesterday giving a generally dry policy sort of speech (with the usual "Bush is bad" mantra), looking somewhat worn out, and it was decent imho. It's not why people flock to the guy per se, but the idea he's only for bashing people is silly. All the same, Edwards is in the catbird seat, Kerry on top ... at this moment.

Iowa: I believe the "I told you soes" about Dean's negative style are partly overblown, especially given how far it got him and how it benefits the party as a whole on some level. Furthermore, it is not like the winner, John "Comeback Kid" Kerry was not negative. He won on experience, message, and winnability. A significant part of this was "Dean doesn't have the experience, can't win, and has a bad message." [Slightly change the wording, and you can also fill in "Bush."] Attacks on Dean from loser Gephardt, future loser Lieberman, the media, et. al. also helped. All the same, yes, Dean needs to tweak his message in part because he has other positive qualities that can do be put to good use. If nothing else, Iowa might be a good learning experience for him. Those foaming out of the mouth against him or for Kerry [endorsed by Dukakis! he's a lock now!] are tiring, but I rather see Kerry's hangdog face on my AOL News page than Michael Jackson any day!

Meanwhile, legitimate concerns about experience (his vote on the war hurts some, but isn't too far different from Kerry to matter too much in the end) aside, Edwards is getting some "hmmm" looks. That whopping one percent statewide Kucinich got suggests their Iowa partnership idea didn't work too much, but does suggest how he can attract supporters of other candidates. If you don't like Dean or Clark, he might very attract you more (largely for his enthusiasm, partly his populist message, and maybe even for his relatively short time in politics) than Kerry. He also is from the South, so it's harder to tar him as a "Northeastern liberal." Anyway, I might have been too hasty yesterday in saying I want the also rans gone, since they do have their roles to play. Still, Sharpton's role is not very productive, is it?

State of the Union: James Carville had a good line about the President being one of the most entitled men out there and running a candy store for the country in his cheery "don't you want all this candy" sort of way. Rush the 9/11 panel trying to find out what really happened? Oh well, you didn't want to know the exact state of the union, did you? One of you viewers of my humble blog did come here via this search: "nicole kidman + nude + free + pictures + cold mountain." We here at Joe's Eclectic Thoughts try to be as eclectic as possible, providing the information the country wants. Like belly dancing enjoyed by naked mole rats.

Salt of the Earth: It was a pleasant day today as I tried to avoid more ice than experienced by your average hockey player. My neighbors are not typical viewers of my blog, but I do wish y'all have more of a passing involvement with salt. Fantastic resource, so valuable in ancient times that it was often given as pay ("salary"), and useful to cover up the blandness of frozen food products. Seriously, a couple years ago I slipped on the damn stuff (a half block away from my place) and was sore for over a week. A while back, a relative broke a leg, and it never fully healed. The stuff can be dangerous ... it's fun and all, lovely to look at, but careful now, ok?

TV: While it was announced that Kerry and Edwards won in Iowa (Gephardt is out ... okay, now if Kucinich, Lieberman, and Sharpton would follow), I was watching an excellent movie on Court TV entitled Chasing Liberty. It starred Juliette Lewis (excellent in an atypical role) as a lawyer defending an asylum seeker from Afghanistan, but it made sure to focus enough on the latter to be a balanced account. Movies like this often tend to focus on the well off white person (often guy) and not the real story -- the person struggling against injustice. It was a fictionalized account but based on true events ... and I suggest people check it out, if they can.

Iowa Caucus Day: Certain select forces are quite excited and concerned about Iowa, but seriously, most aren't really too excited the whole thing. I suggest those too into it read Dave Barry's accounts to keep things in a bit of perspective. One reason the media is so excited is that this year it looks to be quite close, perhaps so close that we may not even know who really won. Howard Dean got in trouble for past statements that the caucus system was flawed because it is controlled by special interests. He also is worried about the closeness of the race. At any rate, like his other controversial statements, there is a lot of truth to that criticism. For a look at the positives and negatives of the system [one thing that stands out is that it violates the "secret ballot" idea that many think of as basic to our voting system] and an interesting comparison to proposed elections in Iraq see here. [more]

The Iowa caucuses will be important for those running (and it's too early to know the results as I write this), but we should never forget the ultimate goal -- the defeat of President Bush in November. The current de facto parliamentary system with Republicans in control is described in all its "glory" here. A change at the top will be an important step, so ultimately the decision for the Democratic voter is choosing who you feel would be the best person to challenge a Republican Congress while leading us in new directions.

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More on the Pickering Nomination: Some conservatives and others are happy about the recess appointment of Judge Pickering in part because it is a small step toward ending the appointment logjam (and, of course, because of his politics). They apparently don't see the injustice of Republicans benefiting from a "let's play fair" approach, after years of doing the opposite. Likewise, even some conservative sorts are not crazy about this pick. One sarcastically suggested their motto should be: "Doesn't violate the letter of the ethics rules! Has the bare minimum of ethics to prevent professional responsibility professors from calling for his impeachment or resignation!" And, there's always the possibility that it gives the Dems another argument against the President.

The fact that there is a good chance he won't be confirmed once the recess appointment runs out (requiring him to retire, but with a full pension, suggesting why others without that option might not have taken this option) might just not be too upsetting to some of them, if they were honest about it. On the other hand, there is the interesting argument that a recess appointment threatens his independence or maybe even is unconstitutional [see 1/16; pretty interesting], since he is basically up for a "recall" vote a year hence. Historical experience has shown an allowance of such moves, but the argument is strong enough to suggest we should be careful. Judge Pickering is not really a close call.

Or not too much of a big deal, in the scheme of things, according to some (1/19). On the subject of judges, here's an amusing take on recent comments regarding Justice O'Connor. And federal judges' penchant to see themselves as immortals.

The choice, then, really comes down to this: Is the middle class better off with the parts of the Bush tax cuts that Dean's rivals would leave in place or with the $2 trillion less in deficits that Dean would produce over the next decade?

-- doing the numbers, one person argues "not really."

Politically it's said to be suicide, but arguably it's a brave thing to do. Anyway, all this talk about rescinding tax cuts at all is a bit ridiculous given the need to work with a Republican Congress. "But the candidates' budget plans are important, because they tell us something about the men who stand behind them."

Football: Peyton Manning was great, more than great, the first two games of the playoffs. Not this time ... they finally punted, but repeated interceptions, fumbles, and (on the first punt attempt) an overthrown snap that led to a safety made them look mortal. All the same, six (yes six) trips to the Red Zone by the Patriots without a touchdown (after scoring on the first drive; one drive ended with an interception in the End Zone), the game still went down to the wire. And, though the snow stopped by then, the game was in the hands of the kicker (24pts, 17 on kicks, including that safety, which was kicked into the End Zone). 24-14, Pats.

Ricky "No Relation" Manning was great this game of the playoffs -- three interceptions. Playing a physical game, the Panthers continually stopped and overmatched the Eagles, who for the third time in a row lost a title game at home. McNabb was one of the victims, injured earlier, he gutted out (with a sore gut) three quarters. His backup gave up the final interception when it could have been close and this time they were stopped in the final drive when it was 4th and long. 14-3, Carolina, after beating the top two seeds on the road. Pat/Panthers, both tough, well put together and coached teams. Should be a good game.

Various: It is quite striking how every few days you read a story about one or two casualties in the war in Iraq, but rarely hear about the wounded soldiers and medical evacuations. As discussed in a story here, the numbers have broken the ten thousand mark. This is remarkable, and way too underreported. [All the same, my local paper had a good article on the wounded, set by them at 2,500, the day after I first wrote this.] Justice Scalia recently went duck hunting with Vice President Cheney (long time friend and subject of a pending case) ... cynical jokes/comments aside, just how important is this? Perhaps, more than my first "oh well, there he goes again" reaction. And, to expand upon the suggestion that the President misleads and twists the information he gives regarding the "state of the union" I offer this.

Media Bias: C-SPAN just aired (to be repeated 1PM later today, EST) a panel discussion on media bias that basically broke down into a debate over the Iraq War. This was somewhat unfortunate and suggests the need for good moderators. Actually, it touches upon a broader problem that I see in part in my time on message boards and the like -- people talking past each other. This is complicated by people coming from things from very different mindsets. It pleases me when such people can find some common ground, and it actually does at time occur. [more]

Talking about Media Bias ... Though I first learnt of it from BTC News, Columbia Journalist Review's new blog of sorts on Campaign 2004 is getting a lot of mention in the blogsphere (if my small sample is representative), and it does seem worth checking out periodically. The recent entry praises the NYT for supplying helpful background to the recess appointment of Judge Pickering. I discussed the LAT article here, suggesting how the importance of such background and how sometimes it might be somewhat misleading. For instance, the NYT article doesn't mention Judge Pickering was defeated by a committee vote and then re-submitted. Just tossing in the he and "several others" (under ten, 168 confirmed last time I checked) were "blocked" is misleading. It was a good, but somewhat flawed piece ... IMHO.

One More Thing ... Read an article in my local paper about people buying fresh (and I mean fresh) food, partly out of fear of mad cow. I often pass a fresh animal market on my way to the subway, and (even if I ate the stuff) I personally would find it a bit hard to consume animals I saw up close. This might be a urban, non-farm (overly emotional) mentality, but "out of sight, out of mind" seems to be the general philosophy in this day and age when it comes to animals ("poultry," etc.) raised for food. On the other hand, animal husbandry is not the only profession in which this disconnect helps further problems currently inherent in the industry.

Aren't necessarily technical virgins, but rather what Molloy calls "situational virgins." This basically means a woman (typically in the 24-34 age range) who is sexually active (after many dates, of course), but doesn't dress like she is when she meets a man's parents.

-- from a Ladies Home Journal article on "What Type of Women Do Men Marry"

Guys are quite familiar about this sort of thing. They are often "situational gentlemen," which basically mean they could be major jerks, but try not to be when they want to score with "situational virgins."

Movie: Toni Collette is probably best known for being the mom in The Sixth Sense, but she suggests her range (and sexual power) in Japanese Story. The movie snuck in at the wire via a limited LA release, so it is eligible for the 2003 Academy Awards. I don't like these technical entries, but Collette surely should be top in line for Best Actress consideration. She was excellent as an Australian geologist forced to accompany a visiting Japanese businessman, including into the desert (wonderfully photographed). The resulting experience touches them both in surprising ways (the businessman is a bit of a cipher, more of a plot device, but not as badly as some reviews suggest). Collette, in turns strong (she is known for roles in which the characters tend to be somewhat weak), fierce, sexual, and emotional, almost carries the movie on her shoulders. She is well up to the task. Superior adult entertainment.