October 31, 2005

Your Halloween Message of Hope

Hope everyone is having a good time for Halloween. Any good ideas for costumes?

I would like to take this opportunity to say that no child has ever been poisoned by Halloween candy. This is one of those urban legends that has just grown completely out of control. Check out the invaluable Snopes for all kinds of info on tracking this one down. So no child should miss out on way too much sugar because of the fear of getting a razor blade in an apple. Who gives out apples anyway?

Back when my sister and I were trick-or-treating my dad would very carefully inspect all the candy we had scored. He would then confiscate anything that was "suspect." I now know that was just an excuse to swipe the best bits for himself. So beware of people trying to protect you. Really they're just trying to steal your candy.

Ding Ding Ding

Well if it's Monday it must be time a new Supreme Court Justice. Today's lucky contestant on Wheel of Justice is Samuel Alito, a conservative white male Circuit Court of Appeals judge, which is type of judge the GOP has in large supply. No stealth nominee here, this guys been making rulings for 15 years. Very conservative, so everyone knows what part they are going to play. Conservative boost and Liberals bash. Fight on. (That's the bell before the round starts in the title)

October 30, 2005

Buddy, That's a Cliff Coming Up

The headline for today is After Upheavals, President Seeks to Steady Course. Bush isn't going to "clean house" or "change course" or do anything to signal that he will be doing anything different:

After weeks of political turmoil, capped by the indictment of a senior administration official, President Bush will try to give his second term a fresh start by naming a new conservative nominee to the Supreme Court and intensifying his drive to cut government spending, White House officials and other Republicans said.

But he appears to see little need for the wholesale housecleaning that previous administrations tried in times of upheaval to rebuild credibility, those officials said.

The administration's goal, they said, is to reassure its divided and demoralized conservative base, chalk up a few victories on Capitol Hill and set the stage for a more robust comeback next year after months of experiencing one misstep and setback after another.


Good luck with this. We will have to wait and see who Bush picks next for SCOTUS and I assume that sooner or later he will get someone on the Court, but the rest of his legislative agenda is dead. No one in Congress wants to line up with the guy with a 39% approval rating. The tax cuts of the first term were fun to vote for, But what Bush wants now is spending cuts. Cuts hurt. They are not popular and could cost a Congressman his job. Social Security reform is dead. Do they have anything left. Administrations now can't go on the air to talk about their "agenda" because they will have to spend all there time talking about Scooter. So good luck. Full steam ahead.

October 28, 2005

All I want for Fitzmas...

Is a Scooter. Today is Fitzmas, the day special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's office hands down indictments in the CIA leak case. Now what I really wanted is the head of Karl Rove, which doesn't seem to be in today's package. But Rove doesn't seem to be cleared either. But still, the top aid of the most powerful VP in history is a pretty nice package. Let's take this Scooter for a ride, shall we?

(Opening joke ripped off the Stephanie Miller Show via Erin)

Update: Read the actually indictment here. Any lawyer's out there? I will be piecing it all together soon.

October 27, 2005

On the Inside

Paul Begala, who knows a little bit about the subject, has written a hell of a post over at TPMCafe about what it's like to be on the inside of a White House under siege. Those poor bastards:

And so they wait. And they sniff the royal throne. They tell the Beloved Leader he's the victim of a partisan plot (although how the Bush CIA, which referred the Plame case for prosecution, became ground zero of Democratic liberalism escapes me). They assure him all is well. But all is not well. People are looking over their shoulders. The smart ones have stopped taking notes in meetings. The very smart ones have stopped using email for all but the most pedestrian communications. And the smartest ones have already obtained outside counsel.

When a White House is under siege, no one wants to talk to anyone. Literally, anything you say can and will be used against you. When you're in a meeting and you see one of your colleagues taking notes, you start to wonder how long it will be before you're interrogated based on her notes. Maybe she's doodling. Or maybe she's digging your grave. The mind tries to focus on the task at hand, but the grand jury is never far from your thoughts.


This is going to bring the work of the White House to a griding halt. And because I hate pretty much everything that this White House is working at, I'm real broken up about it.

Hey Hey Hey Goodbye

Harriet Miers is out. She has withdrawn her nomination. See ya. So long. Bye-Bye. I guess the White House couldn't take the heat. Now I should really be worried about who Bush is going to appoint in her place, but for now let's just dwell on the embarrassing political defeat that the President has been handed. My, that was an embarrassing political defeat that the President was just handed, wasn't it? Conservatives must really be feeling their oats today. This nomination was defeated from the right. The left just gave her a little push here, a little trip there. They sure didn't catch her when she fell. But the conservatives were what did her in. Prepare yourself for some conservative overreach. Bush is in a tight spot. Low poll numbers mean he can't pick a real hard-right judge and start a real brawl, but conservatives would be happy to shiv any more mushy picks for the bench. Oh, and let's not forget the special prosecutor is coming.

October 26, 2005

See It


This a map showing the location of US fatalities in Iraq by hometown. It comes from this invaluable web site. Sometimes just the number isn't enough. You have to see it. The numbers, the geography, the simply, horrible math that every day we stay in Iraq it mean 2 more dots at this map.

2,000 Dead Soldiers

Another terrible milestone was passed in Iraq yesterday with the 2,000th American soldier killed. I think that this is an appropriate time to pause and ask ourselves, is this worth the cost in lives? If yes, then at what point does it stop being worth it? If no, then how can we best extricate ourselves?

October 25, 2005

Earth Shattering Headlines!

Dick Cheney was Scooter Libby's original source on the identity of Valerie Plame!

Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff first learned about the CIA officer at the center of a leak investigation in a conversation with Cheney weeks before her identity became public in July 2003, The New York Times reported on Monday.

Notes of the conversation between chief of staff Lewis Libby and Cheney on June 12, 2003, put a spotlight on the vice president's possible role in the leak. The account also appears to run counter to Libby's testimony to a federal grand jury that he first learned about the CIA officer, Valerie Plame, from reporters.

Patrick Fitzgerald, the federal prosecutor investigating the leak of Plame's identity, is said by lawyers involved in the case to be considering bringing charges against Libby for making false statements and possibly obstruction of justice.


This now puts the Vice-President in the "Chain-of-Evidence" on the leak investigation. We now have a story that starts with Cheney telling his top aid information and ends with that information leaked to a reporter and thus compromising National Security. So the next question is: Did Dick Cheney direct his most trusted staff member to reveal the idenity of a covert CIA agent in an effort to discredit that agent's husband? Well?

October 24, 2005

Pick a Pack

Bush picked Ben Bernanke, his personal accountant, to be Chair of the Federal Reserve Board.

Just kidding. Ben Bernanke is actually just who you would expect to become Chair of the Fed. Lot of degrees in economics, served on the board in the past. In policy, he seems really close to Greenspan, so it's meet the old boss, same as the new boss. And most people came out ahead under Greenspan, so I don't think that a lot of people wanted a new boss.

So I think Bush is going to get a pass on this pick so everyone, left right and center can continue to pick on poor Harriet.

Deadline

It is the last day the register to vote in California for the special election. Remember, if you move (and I know my readership, and you are a very mobile group of people) Then you need to re-register. So get yourself to the local Register of Voter or DMV and fill out the card. After all, the more of you guys vote, the bigger my influence will become, and soon I will be wined and dined by the powerful and the beautiful in the hopes of getting the all-important Craigorian Chant endorsement. So my sake, if not the sake of your County and your State, get your ass registered to vote.

October 21, 2005

Smile!

Who the hell smiles for their booking photo? No one smiles for their booking photo. Tom Delay never smiles anyway. It looks like a yearbook photo.

October 20, 2005

Craigorian Chant Voter Guide

A handy guide to the propositions now before the good people of California (or at least the ones that show up and vote.

Prop 73 This mandate a waiting period and parental notification for minor’s seeking abortion. This is support to be an abortion restriction even pro-choice voters can embrace. You may want abortion to be legal but at least we can all agree that a minor has to notify her parents. Of course, this is mandating a Leave it to Beaver kind of world. If it’s ok for a minor to tell her parents, then she will, regardless of the law, and for situations where it’s not safe, then it’s really not safe and this law will only make things worse. The Chant recommends No.

Prop 74 This increases the time that a teacher needs to teach in order to get tenure. Personally I think you can tell a teacher is bad or good in two years and not five. What this really amounts to is the Govinator trying to give the teacher’s union a kick in the groin because of all the trouble they caused him. I say why try and make teacher’s lives harder? The Chant recommends No.

Prop 75 Restricts unions so that they have to get permission from individual members in order to use union dues for political purposes. Fine, sounds reasonable, till you consider that the corporations don’t need shareholder permission to spend money on politics. Doesn't make for a very level playing field. This is an effort to hurt unions because they have been doing too good a job of opposing the Govinator’s agenda. The Chant recommends No.

Prop 76 Spending limits. California has a screwed up State budget situation. This situation is mainly the fault of propositions that were approved in the past. Limits on taxes, spending mandates, a super-majority to pass a budget and so on. So here comes still yet anougher proposition to mess with the budget process. This one limits spending and in a dumb “only what we spent last year” way. There is a great article from TAP on Colorado’s experience with a similar measure. Short version – when the schools and roads start to fall apart, this measure is going to start to look pretty stupid. The Chant recommends no.

Prop 77 Redistricting. This is the interesting one. Currently the legislature draws the boundaries for the district from which they are elected. They are drawn in such a way as to be overwhelmingly partisan in one direction or the other. Thus, no races in California for the State Ledge or U.S. Congress are competitive. No seat change hands and no incumbents lose their job. Prop 77 is designed to take redistricting away from the Legislator and gives it to a panel of retired judges. The hope is that they would draw more competitive districts. Now the Govinator is very much in favor of this, but it should be a good idea anyway. Some are worried that this is all a ploy to increase GOP power in the State. But I doubt, given the rather overwhelming partisan advantage the Dems currently have in California, that the Donkeys will lose control of the State anytime soon. And more competitive seat will be a tremendous boost to the running of the State government. If you can lose your job, you do a better job. The Chant recommends Yes.

Prop 78 and 79. Prescription Drug discounts. Both of these measures claim to decrease the price of drugs. Of course, 78 is sponsored by the drug companies, so they make the discount program voluntary. The drug companies can end it at any time. It’s a limited time promotional offer, not a law. If you really want cheaper drugs go with the measure backed by consumer groups. That would be 79. The Chant recommends no on 78 and yes on 79.

Prop 80 Electrical Reregulation. Because electrical deregulation worked so well for the State. It brought higher rates, rolling blackouts and the current Governor. That said, I’m really not sure if this is they way to fix it. It’s a long and complicated law and I don’t want to read it. And I shouldn’t have to. Seriously, this is why we need a Legislature, with staff, research and public hearings. That’s the way to take on something as complex as energy regulation. The Chant recommends No.

What do you think? The guild will be reissued right before election day for easy reference. If you think I’ve made a terrible mistake, speak up now and it might be corrected.

October 19, 2005

Picture of the Day



Presented without comment, because, well, what can you say to this?

New Deep Throat

So the great political mystery of the century was solved a few months back. We now know who Deep Throat was. We need a new mystery. Kevin Drum may be on to a new mystery. It appears that the prosecutor in the CIA leak case has someone on the inside:

"They have got a senior cooperating witness; someone who is giving them all of that," a source who has been questioned in the leak probe told the Daily News yesterday.

Kevin then connects this fact with the quotes given to the Washington Post when the story first broke back in 2003:

"Clearly, it was meant purely and simply for revenge," their source told them, a pretty good indication that he was genuinely upset by this whole mess. The same source confirmed the story a couple of weeks later, and I've seen subsequent blind quotes that, to my ears, sound like they may have come from the same person.

So yes: I think there's someone in the White House who was genuinely shocked by what happened and has probably cooperated with both reporters and with Fitzgerald to break open this case. But who?


So to review, we have:

1. A Major political scandal, set to take down major administration officials.
2. A secret source on the inside.
3. A source giving info to reporters, keeping the story alive.
4. A source cooperating with the prosecutor.
5. Wide-spread speculation as to the sources identity.

We have a new deep throat! Start the betting pool. Who is the noble public servant/traitor? Back when Deep Throat was revealed we got a dose of "What if there was a deep throat today?" speculation. Guess we get to find out.

October 18, 2005

Really?

It appears that in some Iraqi provinces, 99% of voters voted yes. No fair election in history ever had 99% of the people vote one way. Dog Catchers running with unopposed don't get 99%. Something is funny here.

October 17, 2005

Can you Believe...

That Sylvester Stallone is making a new Rocky movie?

That they have run out of names for hurricanes?

That a politician can admit a mistake.

That California has to go to the polls again!? A freaken special election! I'm a political junkie and even I'm saying enough. For you poor overwhelmed slobs who need help figuring out how to vote the official Craigorian Chant voter guide will be coming out later this week. I will read throught the eight (!!!) propositions and provide helpful advice. If anybody has any questions, put them up in comments or e-mail. Answers coming soon.

October 16, 2005

Sunday Morning Talk

The Iraqis got to vote again and all it cost was five more American soldiers. Initial reports look like the Constitution will pass. Official results will wait till Monday. We will see if the new Constitution will buy the country any political stability. I think that pessimism would be in order. Pessimism hasn't failed me yet when thinking about Iraq.

NY Times write-up on Judy Miller and the CIA leak case. I'm really not going to read the whole thing. Go read the people on my Perma-Links to get real analysis. Just let me know when the indictments are going to be handed down. According to Time if Rove is indicted, he's out of the White House.

Here's hoping.

October 14, 2005

Slop

Any bad pool players out there? I'm a bad pool player. I poke a way with my stick, and have not idea what is going to happen. Sometimes I miss an easy shot but the crazy rebound off two banks makes a ball drop. Or the same result occurs when I just close my eyes and hit the cue-ball for power. Good players call this "slop." When it happens to me I pretend that I meant to do that the whole time. That crazy bank shot was all part of my plan.

Which brings me to Harry Reid and Harriet Miers. Reid, the leader of the Dems in the Senate, suggested Miers as a potential SCOTUS Justices to Bush and made lots of positive noise when she was nominated. Now that the Miers nomination has totally blown up in the face of Bush, people are starting to say this was a master political stroke by Reid. I'm not so sure. For all we know Reid thought that Miers would be the best he could get out of Bush or maybe he really liked her. But now Miers is causing Bush all kinds of trouble with conservatives. So what do you do if your Reid? Act like you meant to do it:

Initial reports last week indicated that Miers would get significant Democratic support. One reason Bush picked his long-time ally was that she was among a slate of acceptable candidates provided by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"I like Harriet Miers," Reid said the day the nomination was announced. He called her a "trailblazer for women" and said her experience as a practicing lawyer would "benefit" the court.

Reid did not endorse her, though, and aides are careful to say he has not made up his mind.

"Sen. Reid did suggest that President Bush take a look at Miers," said Reid spokesman Jim Manley. "But he'll be reserving judgment until the committee process plays itself out."


That's what distancing sounds like. If it looks like Miers is in real trouble and Reid can push her over the edge, he will. Reid could end up crippling Bush politically and it was just slop. But the important thing is to act like you knew what you were doing the whole time.

Smurf Communism

I'm not really sure how I found this page. I was surfing around this morning before I really woke up, but this is really funny. It's a Wikipedia item for Smurf Communism and is all about how those little blue folks from my childhood were living a Marxist ideal.

Check it Out.

October 13, 2005

Fun with Numbers

Now we've all seen Bush's bad poll numbers as of late. The latest from WSJ/NBC is no different. Only 39% of Americans approve of the job Bush is doing. But the really fun number is in the breakdowns. Only 2% of blacks approve of Bush. Now this poll has a 3% margin of error. Which means that mathematically speaking there could be not a single black person left in the entire nation that approves of Bush.

Quote of the Day

JOE MCCARTHY: You know the [American] Civil Liberties Union has been listed as "a front for, and doing the work of," the Communist Party?

BILL O'REILLY: There is no question the ACLU and the judges who side with them are terror allies. July 25, 2005

Via Aaron Swartz

October 12, 2005

"Dumbest Major Independent-Commission Proposal in all of Human History"

The GOP winning streak continues this week. Bush's blue ribbon tax reform panel has come out with some real winners of a recommendation:

President Bush's tax advisory commission indicated on Tuesday that it would not propose replacing the income tax with a national sales tax or a value-added tax, but would recommend limits in the popular tax deductions for mortgage interest and employer-provided health insurance.

Now I'm not a real big fan of the mortgage interest deduction, because it drive up the price of housing and makes people over-invested in their homes. But to end the deduction would 1. Drive down the price of houses and 2. Totally screw everyone who owns a house. So this is about as politically an unpopular a move as you can come up with short of making eating puppies tax deductable. In other words:

This may be the dumbest major independent-commission proposal in all of human history. It would be one thing to trade the home-mortgage deduction for a serious flat tax, because that would, in the end, even everything out. All this will do is deflate real-estate values, which are the primary source of middle-class wealth in the United States. Idiocy.

That's John Podhoretz a conservative who wrote a book called Bush Country. The wheels are really starting to come off the Bush express.

Craig Related News

This just in to Craigorian Chant. The new James Bond is named Daniel Craig. Apart from having a very good name, Craigorian Chant highly recommends his performance in the the movie Layer Cake. As to whether or not he is good-looking enough to play James Bond, I leave that to Craigorian Chant's female and non-traditional male readers.

October 11, 2005

Speaking Up is Hard To Do

So yesterday I was in line at the grocery store and the guy in front of me has way too many items for the express line. And this was just not 11 items when the max was ten. We are talking a full basket. All the groceries you need for the next two weeks. Me and my three things are stuck behind this jerk. Now the choice I have is to say something and raise a stink or just let the guy go. Rather than triggering a shouting match or some other headache-inducing event I just waited and took a look at a National Inquirer. Ben Affleck is running for Senator! He's cheating on Jennifer! Political news in the tabloids! Is that guy done yet?

The point is that speaking up and making a fuss is hard to do. So let us read some praise for those conservatives that are finally taking on Bush.

While your over on TAP check out GOP efforts to cover themselves in the glory that is Bono.

October 10, 2005

Mission From God

Erin threw this one my way a couple of days ago and I forgot to put it up. It seems that Bush is on a mission from, well, the big guy:

US President George W. Bush allegedly said God told him to invade Iraq and Afghanistan, a new BBC documentary will reveal, according to details.

Bush made the claim when he met Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas and then foreign minister Nabil Shaath in June 2003, the ministers told the documentary series to be broadcast in Britain later this month.

The US leader also told them he had been ordered by God to create a Palestinian state, the ministers said.


Now maybe something got lost in the translation. Maybe the current Palestinian leadership is trying to embarrass Bush (although I can't think of a reason why) Or maybe Bush believes that God told him to invade Iraq and Afghanistan.

I for One...

...Will welcome our new robot overlords:

An unmanned vehicle has successfully navigated a forbidding 132-mile section of the Mojave Desert. The next stop for the technology may be Afghanistan or Iraq.

A souped-up VW Touareg, designed by Stanford University, zipped through the course in six hours and 53 minutes Sunday, using only its computer brain and sensors to navigate rough and twisting desert and mountain trails.

The robotic vehicles had to navigate a course designed to mimic driving conditions in Iraq and Afghanistan, including winding dirt trails and dry lake beds filled with overhanging brush. Parts of the route forced the robots to zip through three tunnels designed to knock out their GPS signals.

The race is part of the military's effort to fulfill a congressional mandate to cut casualties by having a third of the military's ground vehicles unmanned in 20 years.

The Stanford team -- which spent $500,000 on the race, some of which was provided by sponsors -- celebrated by popping champagne and pouring it over their mud-covered car called Stanley.


Sure this is how it starts. A cute little VW Touareg that can drive itself. The next thing you know we are all slaves and being used as batteries to power an entire robot civilization. All hail our new overlord Stanley. Hail! Hail! Hail!

October 9, 2005

Miers, Miers, On the Wall

Where she then gets shot by a conservative firing squad. Did my usually channel hopping through the political talk shows this morning. Conservatives are really unhappy. All the attacks on Miers came from the conservative commentators. Pat Buchanan, Bill Kristol, George Will, all teed off on the woman. This is getting serious. Like, not getting confirmed serious. The people that now really matter are Senators, particularly those on the Judiciary committee. Of course with his top political advisor facing indictment, one wonders how many favors Bush can call in with the Judiciary committee. After all, they might be doing a “What did the President know and when did he know it” in the next few years. Bush might need to keep some markers in his pocket.

Tragedy Overload

A massive earthquake has struck South Asia. The latest death toll now stands at 20,000. I'm wondering if the world and the nation will pay the attention to this event. This earthquake doesn't have the size of the Tsunami and lacks the local, America First impact of 9/11 or Katrina. This one is just going to get lost in the shuffle.

October 7, 2005

My Voice Will be Heard

Have you ever tried to call into a talk radio show? Turns out it's harder than it looks. Even local talk show guys have call screener. Now that is a hard guy to impress. He lisens to your comment with the air of a guy who heard it all and could care less. I understand this, after all he's a radio talk show call screener, but still its rather off-putting. I didn't make the cut.

The subject at hand was the Iraq war, of course, in particular the President's speech yesterday and a letter from Al-Qaeda's #2 to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Al-Qaeda's guy in Iraq. The talk show guys main point was that Al-Qaeda is in Iraq now and if we leave they will take over Iraq and then the world and wasn't it good that the President gave a speech outlining the stakes.

Now there is whole lot there take apart and really no way to do it is this in 10 seconds with a rude call screener. But for starters the real struggle in Iraq is not us vrs Al-Qaeda. It's the three way struggle between the Sunni, Shia and Kurds. Kurds and Shia dominate the government and the Sunni are fighting them. We are fighting for the Kurd/Shia government against the Sunni who used to be in power. The Kurds/Shia don't have to compromise with the Sunni or get their act together with the army and police because we are fighting for them and taking the casualties. If we left or announced that we were going to leave then the Kurds/Shia will ether have to compromise or get it together with their own military. Our troop presence is a crutch that the Kurds and Shia will use until we are bleed dry. Al-Qeada in Iraq is supported by the Sunni. When the Sunni are brought into the government or defeated then Al-Qaeda won't have a base to operate from. But we haven't been able to deal with the Sunni. Only the other groups can. So we have to make them. This isn't a bleeding heart liberal reason for pulling troops out. This is a hard-headed geopolitical power-play reason. That's the case for withdrawing that I couldn't get pass the call screener.

October 6, 2005

Rumor Mill

Political Nerd that I am, I really have no interest in if Nick and Jessica are breaking up or that Tom and what's her name are having a baby. (Except to note that both Jessica and what's her name are foxy. Wow!) No the kind of rumor that I'm excited by is that Plame prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald was about to indict one or more White House officials in the CIA leak case. Rove apparently hasn't been seen in public recently. So has anybody heard anything?

October 5, 2005

More on Miers

Apart from learning that Bush really does stick to his principals, even if it turns out that principal is cronyism, what else have we learned about Harriet Miers? As far as actually knowing what she thinks about the issues that SCOTUS might rule on...Nothing, we got nothing. Before she worked for Bush she was a corporate lawyer in Dallas and her work for Bush will not be released based on attorney client and executive privilege. So we have no idea how she might rule on today's case on doctor assisted suicide. Or pretty much any other case that might end up in front of that honorable court in the next 20 years. Conservatives seem rather nervous about her, which can't be all bad. And she's sixty, which is rather old for court nominees these days. The case can be made for liberals to give her a hug and drive the right-wing nuts. The real issue is what conservative do. Right-winger have had to eat a lot of crap from this President and smile. Is this a bridge too far? They really wanted a clear, open Anti-Roe conservative. Will then end up lining up for Miers or will they finally break with Bush on something?

October 4, 2005

Meanwhile

In Iraq things are going well as always. It seems that democracy needs a little help so the ruling government changes the rules on approving the new constitution. This will pretty much make it impossible for the minority Sunni to block passage of the constitution this month. Which means that Bush can give another speech about freedom on the march. But this will do nothing to stop the insurgency that claimed the lives of five more US troops today. Go team.

UPDATE: After UN objection's Iraq's parliament voted today to reverse these rule changes. So the chance remains that the Sunni's could block the new constitution. Democracy = risk in this case. The American troopers who died yesterday are still dead. Some mistakes can't be corrected.

Today

Yesterday Nicolas Cage had a son. He named him Kal-el. As you all know Kal-el is Superman/Clark Kent's birth name on his home planet of Krypton. Born today was Andy Johnson, the kid who is going to torment and pick on young Kal-el all through elementry school because of his name.

October 3, 2005

Reaction Shot

What a weird choice. In the aftermath of Katrina where the whole nation received a lesson on the dangers of cronyism, and then the President has picked the current WH counsel to be on the Supreme Court. White House counsel is the President's own lawyer. That's how she got this job. She knew the President and the President knew her. That's the only reason that she got this gig. There is nothing in her resume that to suggest that she is ready to serve on the highest court in the land. You could close your eyes throw a rock and hit one of hundreds, if not thousands of lawyers in DC that have a resume just like hers. The only thing special about Miers is that she's buddies with the President.

October 2, 2005

I Aim to Misbehave

Saw Serenity last night. Turns out I was right to put that banner up. Very well done. All the elements of the TV show were there: Banter, Action, Great Cast. Great Chemistry. There isn't a single member of the cast who isn't perfect in their role. Add in the extra "shiny" big movie production values and you have a great way to spend two hours. I think I'll keep the banner up for a while more.

Basically the movie is the entire second season of Firefly compressed into two hours. Which means that revelations that should have been unveiled slowly over time now all come bursting out at once, which does make things seem a bit rushed. Also, they backed off the "no sound in space" concept from the TV show. There really is no sound in space. In the TV show when action occurred in space it happened with a spooky silence or with just the (very nice) soundtrack as the only sound. It was a really different and attention grabbing. But the movie uses the old "Star Wars" method of swooshing ships and full sound booms. I wish they had stayed different. I only nitpick because I love.

And clearly the movie loves its fans right back. The whole plot is one great big allegory for the movie and its fans. My hope is that the movie does well enough that Joss Weldon can create more product, either TV or Movie in the Serenity 'Verse.

Can't Stop the Signal. I can only hope.