Dead Pool - The Commisioner

Dead Pool - The Commisioner has charged Fraters Libertas with setting up the first dead pool on the Hussein execution date. Hewitt correctly points out that it took 17 months to execute 10 Nuremburg defendants. But that was in an...
Posted by Mitch on December 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Palm Pilot... - ...has

My Palm Pilot... - ...has a list of about 20 topics that I'm just dying to blog about: The death of the Album, observations on my first airplane flight in four years, what's the deal with women today... ...but I'm...
Posted by Mitch on December 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Glass Is Half Full.

The Glass Is Half Full. Of Koolaid.- Left-wing hate site Democrats.com ups the ante for conspiracy theories:According to DEBKAfile analysts, these seven anomalies point to one conclusion: Saddam Hussein was not in hiding; he was a prisoner. After his last...
Posted by Mitch on December 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Merry Christmas, Dean is Over

Merry Christmas, Dean is Over - The Strib Editorial Board comments about the capture of Hussein. Not like there's anything new here."• In Iraq, as President Bush said in his Sunday address, the people now know that Saddam will never...
Posted by Mitch on December 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I'm No Lawyer, But... -

I'm No Lawyer, But... - Jason at Iraq Now asks whether Iraq has any moral duty to repay its debt to the likes of France, Germany and Russia: "The question before the world here is this: Does a nation’s obligation...
Posted by Mitch on December 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Curb Your Disappointment, Part II

Curb Your Disappointment, Part II - Read Sullivan's digest of crestfallen left-wingers....
Posted by Mitch on December 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Curb Your Disappointment - General

Curb Your Disappointment - General Sanchez ended his interview with Katie Couric on Today this morning: "...thanks, Katie, for all your support". Couric did a very subtle double-take. I have to think Sanchez had a good laugh off-camera....
Posted by Mitch on December 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fog Of War - A

Fog Of War - A new army, raised to fight against troops loyal to a bloody dictator, faced its first test against the fanatical, battle-hardened troops loyal to their enemy. And they dissolved and ran away, almost without a fight....
Posted by Mitch on December 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Only Good Christian Music

The Only Good Christian Music - When I was in college, I was involved in an endless argument with a guy who lived down the hall from me. I, of course, had been playing in rock and roll bands since...
Posted by Mitch on December 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Lunatic Fringe Sounds Off

The Lunatic Fringe Sounds Off - Left-wing hate site Democrats.com leads with this piece. Note that they change their front page (sort of) daily. Being weasels, they don't archive any of their front pages. So for posterity's sake, I'm going...
Posted by Mitch on December 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Anticipation - David's Medienkritik ably

Anticipation - David's Medienkritik ably covers the German media. His list of predictions on how the German media will react to the news of Hussein's capture happens to coincide with my predictions of US media and left-wing reaction.1. For some...
Posted by Mitch on December 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Useful... - I took a

Useful... - I took a surf through the left branch of the Blogosphere to get an idea how the left is taking the bad news of Hussein's capture. The Daily Kos - the wonkiest site on the net - is...
Posted by Mitch on December 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The "Other" News - Iraq

The "Other" News - Iraq and Mohammad Atta possibly linked. (Via Instapundit)...
Posted by Mitch on December 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Merry Christmas, Nightmare Is Over

Merry Christmas, Nightmare Is Over - US Troops bag Hussein - alive. My first thought - "Thank you, God". My second thought - "In your face, Howard Dean". My third thought - "What will the Democrat conspiracy machine make of...
Posted by Mitch on December 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

With More Reporters Like This...

With More Reporters Like This... - A Time Magazine correspondent was wounded in Baghdad, in an attack on his Humvee while on patrol with the First Armored Division. According to an NPR report, someone tossed a hand grenade into a...
Posted by Mitch on December 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Something about March 11 -

Something about March 11 - Among the many kind comments added to yesterday's note about my birthday were two from people who also had birthdays yesterday (and Happy Birthday a day late to both of you!). Among all of the...
Posted by Mitch on December 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Demogogma - Matt Entenza (DFL

Demogogma - Matt Entenza (DFL - St. Paul via Neptune) says GOP areas are getting lower property tax increases than DFL areas: "A recent analysis of property-tax changes across the state shows an average statewide increase of 7.6 percent for...
Posted by Mitch on December 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"You've Heard of 'Simply Red'?

"You've Heard of 'Simply Red'? Meet 'Hopelessly White'" - So a couple of weeks ago, Rolling Stone came out with their periodic vanity exercise, their Top 500 Albums of All Time. Whenever you do a Top (pick a number) album...
Posted by Mitch on December 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

HBTM - At least I'll

HBTM - At least I'll never have to tell anyone I'm 40 again......
Posted by Mitch on December 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Graylist - Correspondent PJZ writes:I

Graylist - Correspondent PJZ writes:I see that you have not yet blogged on the supposed "black listing" for Iraqi reconstruction contracts by Paul Wolfowitz. In case you do, I thought you might want a copy of the actual document in...
Posted by Mitch on December 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Endorsement - Gore made

The Endorsement - Gore made it official yesterday, endorsing Doctor Dean: "Enveloped by a new aura of establishment credibility, Howard Dean on Tuesday accepted the endorsement of former Vice President Al Gore, who urged his Democratic rivals for the White...
Posted by Mitch on December 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Death Penalty News - Ann

Death Penalty News - Ann Coulter is right about so many things. She's a firebrand, to be sure, a shoot from the hip kinda pundit, and that's what I like about her. And much of the abuse she takes from...
Posted by Mitch on December 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grrrr - Blogger was yakking

Grrrr - Blogger was yakking this morning. I finally got the chance to repost everything. I really need to get Moveable Type going......
Posted by Mitch on December 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Religion and Prosperity - Here's

Religion and Prosperity - Here's the argument I have with my few atheist, agnostic and non-Judeo-Christian friends. It starts out like this: "Name a non-Judeo-Christian society that has ever been a net gain for the peasant on the street, during...
Posted by Mitch on December 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Midnight Confessions - I'm a

Midnight Confessions - I'm a fairly normal guy. I work a job, raise a couple of kids - in short, nothing unusual. But I harbor a shameful secret - one so deep and dark and awful, I am loathe to...
Posted by Mitch on December 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gore Endorses Dean - Who

Gore Endorses Dean - Who to link to about this story: Hewitt? Sullivan? Reding? All of them and more, of course. But in the end, Scott Ott probably covers the story as well as anyone. I did like Sullivan's quote:if...
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

AWOL - November and December

AWOL - November and December have been crazy months for me - and the blog has showed it. Not that I really felt I could maintain my manic output of last spring, at the depths of my un/underemployment, when I...
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Evolution - Under George Bush,

Evolution - Under George Bush, the Republican Party is changing. Conservatives don't like it, of course. You don't have to look at too many hard-right blogs to see the type of anti-Bush rhetoric that'd make the Democratic Underground blanche. Liberals...
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Come On Baby Light My

Come On Baby Light My Cake - Sioux the Librarian, a correspondent on an email list I frequent, notes that yesterday would have been Jim Morrison's 60th birthday. Let me just take this opportunity to say this: it's a sign...
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Move Back! - Along with

Move Back! - Along with most of the conservative blogosphere, I've been hammering on MoveOn.org for years now. MoveOn - famously characterized by pundits from the Fraters all the way down to that Coulter chick as a group founded on...
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

First You Talk Everyone Into

First You Talk Everyone Into Loving Each Other - Atomizer, from the Fraters, finds the perfect comparison with the Dean campaign's view of foreign policy: "Howard Dean has revived the old Steve Martin comedy bit of the late seventies entitled...
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

They Begin At Calais -

They Begin At Calais - The Administration plans to commence a War Crimes Tribunal, run by Iraqis. Predictably, it's running into static from France the international community. Iraq Now - written by a soldier in Iraq - responds: "Ok, I...
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Do Citizens for a Supine

Do Citizens for a Supine Safer Minnesota Know About This? - Good Samaritans in Redwood Falls get shot at:Authorities in western Minnesota looked Sunday for a 16-year-old boy who allegedly opened fire on two people who thought he was having...
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The War on the Allies

The War on the Allies - Lately, allied battle deaths in Iraq seem to far outnumber US casualties. If we had an especially knowledgeable media, this would be bad news for Howard Dean. Lately, troops from our foreign allies -...
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Saturn Wavers - Saturns are

Saturn Wavers - Saturns are one of those things that people either love or hate. The people who hate them tend to be status-crazed yuppies (or yuppies in training) who consider their cars integral parts of their identity, and need...
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Curiouser - Fraters has a

Curiouser - Fraters has a poll. I haven't read it yet. We can check it out together. (click grind read read read read) Hey! They're feuding with Hewitt again! What the...?...
Posted by Mitch on December 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Off For Now - I'll

Off For Now - I'll very likely be "off the air" for the next day or two. Posting will be light to nonexistant until Sunday, most likely. We'll be making up for lost time then, of course! Have a great...
Posted by Mitch on December 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Kind of Complex? -

What Kind of Complex? - People talk about "Minnesota Nice" - the sort of strained civility, descended from Scandinavian roots, that characterizes social interaction in the Upper Midwest. To that classic term, I need to add "Minnesota Smug"; the belief...
Posted by Mitch on December 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sullivan on Stamps - Sullivan

Sullivan on Stamps - Sullivan comments on Paul Robeson's inclusion on a postage stamp. He exhumes a laudatory eulogy Robeson wrote about Joseph Stalin (read it) and asks:Would anyone who had written such things about Hitler in 1945 now be...
Posted by Mitch on December 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Yo To Arms - City

Yo To Arms - City Pages interviews Twin Cities sci-fi writer and longtime concealed carry activist Joel Rosenberg, one of CCRN's more interesting members. One of many money quotes: "'My take is that the predictions of 90,000 gun permits issued...
Posted by Mitch on December 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Return of Liberal Talk

The Return of Liberal Talk Radio - I have seen the future of liberal talk radio. And its name is Al Franken Colleen Cruse. Kruse - longtime local comedian best known for endlessly recycling her life as a single welfare...
Posted by Mitch on December 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Out Of Control, Still -

Out Of Control, Still - One of the left's most inviolate shibboleths is that countries like Australia, Britain and Canada - which have strict gun control - are safer places than the US. For years, hints have been leaking out...
Posted by Mitch on December 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

One Line On Kerry -

One Line On Kerry - Sullivan has the best one: "Kerry is emerging as the worst of all the viable Democratic candidates. He has the backbone of Clinton and the charm of Gore"I can see the Kerry career ending in...
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Peril of the Moderate

The Peril of the Moderate Moslem - Part IV - Excellent article in the Globalist by Tulin Daloglu on the Israelization of Turkey . One of a bunch of Dinar quotes:Although Turkey did not support the war in Iraq, it...
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Arrest - An arrest in

Arrest - An arrest in the Sjodin case:A convicted sex criminal was arrested Monday night at his Crookston home and charged with kidnapping Dru Sjodin, who remains missing. Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., 50, was arrested at 7:20 p.m. Monday on a...
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ignorant Americans - I minored

Ignorant Americans - I minored in German in college, and spent some time overseas. I've never been overly burdened by the old European (and elitist American) trope that "Americans are ill-informed/provincial/ignorant about anything that happens outside the US." Of course...
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Jackson Shunned, Media Stunned -

Jackson Shunned, Media Stunned - Didn't see much coverage of this - protesters turning on Jesse Jackson at a rally. Interesting quote: "'We are tired of coming here to voice our opinion when we got African-American people sitting at the...
Posted by Mitch on December 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Out Of Control - The

Out Of Control - The Gun Control movement has had a rough couple of years - even before 9/11, their fortunes were waning. Gun control laws were relaxing nationwide, the concealed carry movement was burgeoning even before the attacks (there...
Posted by Mitch on December 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Oy - Immensely busy weekend.

Oy - Immensely busy weekend. Today looks to be busier still. Bear with me......
Posted by Mitch on December 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Search Goes On -

The Search Goes On - The search goes on for Dru Sjodin, a Pequot Lakes (MN) girl apparently abducted from a parking lot in Grand Forks, ND. The Grand Forks Herald continues to cover the story: "Despite rumors flying Wednesday...
Posted by Mitch on November 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Presidential Moment - Bush slips

Presidential Moment - Bush slips the media gauntlet, flies to Iraq to spend Thanksgiving with the troops. Watch for the Dems to harangue about:the costthe election-year symbolismhis outfit : (remember the flap over him wearing a flight suit when he...
Posted by Mitch on November 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

New Years Day, 2003 -

New Years Day, 2003 - I thought about leaving you with the Thanksgiving piece I wrote last year. I was pretty happy with it, and it kind of summed up how I really feel about Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving has seemed like...
Posted by Mitch on November 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

F-Gate - Last week, the

F-Gate - Last week, the tempest in the blogosphere's teapot was Lileks' dropping of the F-Bomb against Salam Pax. Spitbull comments - and begs two questions. One regards the Midwestern sensibility about swearing:"Come to think of it, I believe they...
Posted by Mitch on November 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"Astroturf" - That's the new

"Astroturf" - That's the new buzzword among the blogs on the left. According to lefty bloggers like Josh "Joshua Micah" Marshall, when a group of average schmuck liberals gets together to agitate for something - even if it's under the...
Posted by Mitch on November 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Peril of the Moderate

The Peril of the Moderate Moslem, Part II - Powerline is observing the same thing I am - that as US policy remains stalwart against terror, the terrorists will go for easy targets - the civilians and Moslem moderates who...
Posted by Mitch on November 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Open Carry Day in Ohio

Open Carry Day in Ohio - Ohioans have been fighting for a concealed carry reform bill similar to Minnesota's for some time. Their legislative and legal battle has been long and brutal - and, at the moment, the legal opposition...
Posted by Mitch on November 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gunned Down, Part II -

Gunned Down, Part II - The Kansas town of Geuda Springs requires all homes to have guns, a la Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia. Geuda Springs has no police force, and passed the ordinance as a means of deterring crime. Anyone want...
Posted by Mitch on November 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Kind of Hawk Are

What Kind of Hawk Are You? - One of the more irritating hard-left tropes sine 9/11 has been the notion of the "Chickenhawk". If you've never served in the military, you'd best not urge any policy that involves use of...
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Truer Words - Lileks notes

Truer Words - Lileks notes something I wanted to touch on: "Please, please, please Corporate America: do not put the Cat in the Hat on any more products. The sight of that thing gives me nightmares. It should not be....
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gunned Down, Part II

As we reported yesterday, the M-16 rifle may be fighting its final battle. It's long been regarded as too fragile and jam-prone (as we may have seen during the Jessica Lynch incident, where quite a number of M-16s jammed in...
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Public Image Limited - What

Public Image Limited - What does Sergeant Mom have in common with British Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Menzies Campbell? For the last week, one thing; a realization that the media's image of the President is wrong. Campbell, a major...
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Anger Management - Which of

Anger Management - Which of us has not felt this way?: "In one of the first prosecutions of its kind in the state that made 'road rage' famous, Charles Booher, 44, was arrested on Thursday and released on bail for...
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

Powerslam - Powerline assails Tom

Powerslam - Powerline assails Tom Daschle's attack on the RNC's ad campaign. After running the script, Hindrocket adds:The Democrats' position is ludicrous on its face: they have blanketed the air waves in primary states for months with ads attacking the...
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Crucial Endorsement - Grave-dancing cartoonist

Crucial Endorsement - Grave-dancing cartoonist Ted Rall has endorsed Howard Dean. He says this on the "Dean For America" blog: " Howard Dean has the best chance to beat Bush. Brilliant, aggressive and moneyed... Dr. Dean has a corner on...
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Majer Setback - When Brian

Majer Setback - When Brian Lambert knocks off with his absurd political commentary, he's a very good media columnist. This week, some almost-inside dirt on the departure of Paul Majers from KARE11. Lambert's account differs from the antiseptic, collegial account...
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Peril to the Moderate

The Peril to the Moderate Moslem - As we said Friday - the most dangerous thing to be when it comes to terrorism is a moderate Moslem. Matthew Gutman sums it up in the Jerusalem Post:Prime Minister Ariel Sharon immediately...
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Emmylou - I may share

Emmylou - I may share only one thing with Norm Geras of Normblog; a fascination with Emmylou Harris:Then on comes Emmylou Harris with the ease and naturalness of a grand old lady of the music, and wearing it without any...
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Closing the Links - Slowly

Closing the Links - Slowly and surely, the links between Bin Laden and Hussein are becoming fleshed out with documentary evidence. Sharkansky notes that someone needs to tell Molly "Bush is a Poopyhead" Ivins. Just read it....
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Scoop - Lileks refers us

Scoop - Lileks refers us to "Iraq Now", a blog by Jason van Steenwyk, a US Army officer currently in country. Van Steenwyk touches on a topic that ties him to his anscestors 35 years ago in the jungles of...
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Open Letter to the Television

Open Letter to the Television Industry - If I ask "Who the hell is Paris Hilton, and why should I care about her romantic life or her experience on an Arkansas pig farm?", please understand this subtle point: The question...
Posted by Mitch on November 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Two Lessons - PoliPundit observes

Two Lessons - PoliPundit observes Al Quaeda's operating patterns for the last few years - and gets, I think, half of the lesson:In the two years since September 11, Al-Qaeda-linked terrorists have struck in the predominantly muslim countries of Pakistan,...
Posted by Mitch on November 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Has Kos Seen This? -

Has Kos Seen This? - The Daily Kos is one of the tonier lefty blogs. It's known as much for obsessive poll-watching as anything, and is famous for its right-side bar showing every poll in the western world that measures...
Posted by Mitch on November 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ace of Spades - The

Ace of Spades - The GOP is going to start running ads invoking the terror issue as campaign-fodder: "After months of sustained attacks against President Bush in Democratic primary debates and commercials, the Republican Party is responding this week with...
Posted by Mitch on November 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paging Jack Tripper - I

Paging Jack Tripper - I went to college in a tiny, struggling little school in the middle of North Dakota. The school was nominally affiliated with the Presbyterian Church - mainly because they wanted roughly $5,000 a year that came...
Posted by Mitch on November 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Somebody's Going To Heck, Part

Somebody's Going To Heck, Part II - In this case, Rambling Rhodes:Being that it's so close to Thanksgiving, I wince with a small little bit of a sardonic grimace when I read such headlines as "At least 27 killed in...
Posted by Mitch on November 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Guy After My Own Heart

Guy After My Own Heart - Elder from Fraters describes the kind of trip to London that sounds a lot like the one I took myself... ...although I didn't have a wife with me at the time. Still:. My wife...
Posted by Mitch on November 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Walk Like A Mesapotamian -

Walk Like A Mesapotamian - Iraqi blogger the Mesopotamian observes about the pro-dictatorship "anti-war" Anti-Bush protests in London: "All you peace lovers and humanitarians of trendy London town, spare a thought or two for the coalition soldier out there in...
Posted by Mitch on November 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

London, 1984 - Powerline notes

London, 1984 - Powerline notes the difference in protests between the London of the Cold War and today. Key observation: the protests of 19 years ago were several times bigger that today's - and this before the terms "internet" or...
Posted by Mitch on November 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Biographies - Powerline points us

Biographies - Powerline points us at excellent piece in Human Events Online, "Ten American Biographies Everyone Should Read". It's a treasure trove of great reading. In particular, I noticed it cites Witness by Whittaker Chambers. It's blurbed as follows:Chambers details...
Posted by Mitch on November 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Biteline - Lileks is in

Biteline - Lileks is in rare form today, even for Lileks. On last night's Nightline, which like much of the media yesterday focused more on The King of the Freak Show Michael Jackson; James got Nightline's email announcement, bomoaning the...
Posted by Mitch on November 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Tricky Day - This

Another Tricky Day - This is going to be a long one. Winter's the busy season in the Berg household. Basketball rules most of the week; Monday and Thursday are my son's basketball practice, and my daughter's team meets Wednesday...
Posted by Mitch on November 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Suspense! - In the comments

Suspense! - In the comments thread to yesterday's posting on Hillary!'s supporters, commenter Rick V got a shout out from Day By Day cartoonist Chris Muir. Hmmm. Will Rick's remark make it into DBD soon? Stay tuned... UPDATE: The plot...
Posted by Mitch on November 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Squishy Money - Glenda Holste

Squishy Money - Glenda Holste starts her latest PiPress editorial with a Ivins-y snark: "Say what? The Republican National Committee asked Howard Dean to direct organizations dedicated to defeating President Bush to abide by the old soft-money limit of $2,000...
Posted by Mitch on November 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Light Day - Very

Another Light Day - Very busy already. More later today....
Posted by Mitch on November 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Countdown To Hillary - Today's

Countdown To Hillary - Today's Day By Day seems especially dead-on: It can only get worse. Hillarymania, I mean - Day by Day is just fine......
Posted by Mitch on November 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Scoop? - Jack Shafer wonders

Scoop? - Jack Shafer wonders why the press is ignoring the Weekly Standard's scoop on the links between Bin Laden and Hussein: "Everybody knows how the press loves to herd itself into a snarling pack to chase the story of...
Posted by Mitch on November 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Protest This - The American

Protest This - The American media is covering the protests against the President's visit to the UK. They seem to be missing this bit here: "A majority of Labour voters welcome President George Bush's state visit to Britain which starts...
Posted by Mitch on November 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Insert Miracle Here - There's

Insert Miracle Here - There's a classic New Yorker cartoon showing a genius physicist (we know he's a genius physicist because he's wearing a lab coat and has unruly hair) has completely covered both ends of a chalkboard with a...
Posted by Mitch on November 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Frustration, Automated- I used to

Frustration, Automated- I used to be a technical writer. I left the field for many reasons (although it keeps following me). Tech writing is a field that engenders intense fussiness; it's detail-oriented in a way that I'm just not. Now,...
Posted by Mitch on November 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Subtext - ScrappleFace has it:A

Subtext - ScrappleFace has it:A new survey of Britons indicates that a majority believes that U.S. President George Bush is a "stupid evil genius." "The results indicate that Brits don't think Bush is smart enough to put his right boot...
Posted by Mitch on November 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Abuse - An Iraqi message

Abuse - An Iraqi message to the protesters in Trafalgar Square, via Sullivan. One of a souk full of money quotes:"I hated the U.N and the security council and Russia and France and Germany and the arab nations and the...
Posted by Mitch on November 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Humiliation? - The Independent claims

Humiliation? - The Independent claims the EU is declaring victory, and that the US has agreed to international control of its troops in Iraq: "The United States accepts that to avoid humiliating failure in Iraq it needs to bring its...
Posted by Mitch on November 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Link-Gate - Last week, we

Link-Gate - Last week, we talked about the Senate Intel Committee memo linking Saddam and Al Quaeda. Instapundit links to more discussion on the topic. Sullivan's overview of the media's spin, as well as of the memo itself, is particularly...
Posted by Mitch on November 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ralled Up - One of

Ralled Up - One of the constants of the conservative blogosphere is that Ted Rall can't catch a break. And I think it's satisfying, if not fair, to say he doesn't deserve one. But John Scalzi makes a few points...
Posted by Mitch on November 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Legion of the Invincibly

The Legion of the Invincibly Sensitive - Joe Soucheray yesterday addressed a topic that's been of chuckling interest on this blog lately - the endless indignance of the terminally-oversensitive. "The entire episode is an example of what Wordsworth might have...
Posted by Mitch on November 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Our Next Scandal - The

Our Next Scandal - The Independent has the dirt on Secretary of State Colin Powell:"Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, has made an admission reminiscent of Gladstone by revealing that he and his wife Alma help to educate girls...
Posted by Mitch on November 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It Stays in Vegas -

It Stays in Vegas - Lileks discovers the great secret of children: "I don’t need drugs to fly, and I don’t need booze. I just need the thing to get up and get down with a minimum of hokey-pokey. Take...
Posted by Mitch on November 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hee Hee - My daughter

Hee Hee - My daughter doesn't know I can hear her singing along... ...to the Franky Perez CD she has apparently pilfed from me. Singing along with "Cecilia", over and over again. Maybe I'm not such a bad dad, after...
Posted by Mitch on November 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"Mitch! Why Is Your Email

"Mitch! Why Is Your Email Address So @#$#@% Hard To Use? - I've had a few emails asking why my email on this page is so cryptic (shotindark - (at) - mitchberg - (dot) - com). "Why don't you just...
Posted by Mitch on November 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Linked? - Jay Reding points

Linked? - http://www.jayreding.com/archives/003935.php#003935">Jay Reding points us to this piece, originating in the Weekly Standard, purporting to show the Hussein/Al-Quaeda link:Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein (search) gave terror lord Usama bin Laden's thugs financial and logistical support, offering Al Qaeda (search) money,...
Posted by Mitch on November 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Long Day - But

Another Long Day - But the weekend looms. This week has completely kicked my butt - new gigs will do that, of course. Needless to say, my NaNoWriMo output has gotten shredded, with not a single word of output all...
Posted by Mitch on November 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Jesse The Portrait - Powerline

Jesse The Portrait - Powerline led us to the Jesse Ventura portrait. Suggested caption: "Barkley! Get back behind the curtain!" Is it just me, or does the terrain in the background - presumably Minnesota, with a capitol sitting in the...
Posted by Mitch on November 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Berg's Law In Action -

Berg's Law In Action - Berg's Law - my iron-clad law of liberal opinion about Iraq - is on garish display this week. The law states:No liberal commentator is capable of discussing more than one of the justifications for the...
Posted by Mitch on November 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Light Day, Again - Today's

Light Day, Again - Today's going to be a shredder at work. It's already a shredder at home. More posting later today/tonight....
Posted by Mitch on November 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Reputation - In 1993, after

Reputation - In 1993, after the "Black Hawk Down" debacle in Mogadishu, the US abandoned its mission in Somalia. That made a big impression on the world's terrorists, especially Osama Bin Laden. The impression was deepened in incident after incident;...
Posted by Mitch on November 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Going Mobile - Pl@#n L@&^e

Going Mobile - Pl@#n L@&^e has moved her site. Maybe that's what I need to do to create suspense and boost traffic; disappear, move, and change all references to proper names. Hmmmm....
Posted by Mitch on November 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Things You Never Hear Mitch

Things You Never Hear Mitch Berg Say -"At one point I paused to consider the paper towel options.. We’re in that difficult time of the year where you want your paper towel to have a seasonal theme, but nothing explicitly...
Posted by Mitch on November 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Oops - I was going

Oops - I was going to say that posting is going to be light today, again... ...but I think I've already blown that. Now if I could only find time for my NaNoWriMo project......
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Captain Hornbuckle - Everyone's linking

Captain Hornbuckle - Everyone's linking to Powerline's piece on Capt. Harry Hornbuckle from yesterday. And with good reason: "Reader and Rocket Man colleague John Beukema directs our attention to a page-one story by Jonathan Eig in today's Wall Street Journal,...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Conservatism Kills! - I never

Conservatism Kills! - I never liked Richard Broderick's Green Party candidacy for the Saint Paul School Board, which ended last week when he came in out of the top four in the city School Board elections. I didn't like his...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Standard Cant - Katherine Kerstin

Standard Cant - Katherine Kerstin had this editorial on the state's proposed, and contentious, new Social Studies standards for school kids, in the Sunday paper. For those of you not from Minnesota - the question of how Minnesota will assess...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Zzzzzz - Something about going

Zzzzzz - Something about going back to work in an office always sucks the energy out of me for the first day or so. Posting was light yesterdy, and will be only a little heavier today (although I may actually...
Posted by Mitch on November 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Now He's Gone And Done

Now He's Gone And Done It - Clayton Cramer carried through on last week's promise, and has started his Civilian Gun Self-Defense Blog. Note to all you CCRN guys and CCW supporters - read it early and often, and support...
Posted by Mitch on November 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Celebrity Politician Fad Jumps

The Celebrity Politician Fad Jumps the Shark - Al Franken is pondering running for Senate for the "Wellstone Seat" (as many Dems still call it) in '08: "'It's a long way away, five years away,' Franken told the Star Tribune...
Posted by Mitch on November 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Imitation of Christ - I

Imitation of Christ - I never liked any of the Matrix movies. They seemed to be soggy with pseudo-Buddhist platitudes, sort of like Jackie Chan with a huge dose of self-righteous wonkery thrown in. But there's more, says Thomas Hibbs...
Posted by Mitch on November 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Travesty? - A US Army

Travesty? - A US Army colonel got tough with an Iraqi Fedayin prisoner - who gave up the names of a couple of fellow thugs who were about to attack the Colonel's unit. Guess who got in trouble? The Yankee...
Posted by Mitch on November 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Veterans Day - Armed Liberal

Veterans Day - Armed Liberal exhumes an old column of is in observance of Veteran's Day. I think It's a good one: And worried that what I wrote kept coming out sounding either too qualified or would be interpreted as...
Posted by Mitch on November 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Don't Like Mondays... -

I Don't Like Mondays... - ...unless there's money involved. First day on a new engagement today, and it's going to be an "out of the frying pan..." day. My new client is going to have me in meetings with their...
Posted by Mitch on November 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Idea Whose Time Has Come

Idea Whose Time Has Come - Clayton Cramer wants to create a blog just for defensive gun uses. He apparently has plenty of material: "I'm going to have to create a separate blog just for civilian defensive gun uses in...
Posted by Mitch on November 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Arab Street, Redux - The

Arab Street, Redux - The Telegraph thinks the "Arab Street" might be repelled by the weekend's alleged Al Quaeda bombing in Riyadh: "Al-Qa'eda appeared yesterday to have unwittingly alienated a vast spectrum of Arab opinion and helped America's war on...
Posted by Mitch on November 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Feel Robbed - Is

I Feel Robbed - Is it real, or is it Scrappleface?: "Democrat presidential candidate Howard Dean today blasted President George Bush for fostering an economic recovery that deprives thousands of Americans of their leisure time. The attack comes on the...
Posted by Mitch on November 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Somebody's Going To Hell... -

Somebody's Going To Hell... - But this piece may be the most sickly-funny, or funnily-sick, "separated at birth" I've ever read....
Posted by Mitch on November 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Quote Of the Day -

Quote Of the Day - I started writing a piece on John Edwards' appearance on the Russert show (underway as I write this). The original topic, of course, was his triviality on foreign policy - which makes him "about average"...
Posted by Mitch on November 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

We're All Neighbors Up There

We're All Neighbors Up There - Bill Tuomala on Chuck Klosterman's Fargo Rock City, a paeon to heavy metal and the place it has in the hearts of small-town guys like...well, Klosterman, Tuomala and me. Although for the record there'll...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

YUCCies - Young Urban Conservatives

YUCCies - Young Urban Conservatives - Michael Medved and Lori Sturdevant are, for once, on the same sheet of music. Medved had some big news last week. Apparently, for the first time in decades, the number of Americans identifying themselves...
Posted by Mitch on November 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paging Howard Dean - Steyn

Paging Howard Dean - Steyn weighs ina great piece on the disconnect between the US and Old Europe. Money quote: One of the greatest fictions of the interminable debate on Euro-American differences over Iraq is that it’s an argument about...
Posted by Mitch on November 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Snawk - Powerline notes the

Snawk - Powerline notes the Beeb's comments about the Jessica Lynch story. Here's the amazing part:Publisher Alfred A Knopf signed a $1m deal for Private Lynch's account of her ordeal, entitled I Am a Soldier, Too, The Jessica Lynch Story....
Posted by Mitch on November 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Beyond Parody, Frivolity- Brian at

Beyond Parody, Frivolity- Brian at Boviosity says:I struggle, when trying to convince people to change their minds, or at least when trying to make my views plain, not to engage in name-calling and hand-waving. I don't always succeed, as anyone...
Posted by Mitch on November 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Big Morning - Big project

Big Morning - Big project due. Not much posting before noon today....
Posted by Mitch on November 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Victim Disarmament Update - Citizens

Victim Disarmament Update - Citizens for a Supine Safer Minnesota is flogging a new, explicitly anti-gun movie, a movie called The American Gun which, tragically (and hypcritically) was James Coburn's final acting role. CSSM's website is...deluded. : "As much as...
Posted by Mitch on November 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Ashcroft Libertarians - You

The Ashcroft Libertarians - You know the type. Before January of 2001, the only civil liberty they really cared about was abortion. The Second Amendment bothered them. They shrugged their shoulders at the Clinton-era erosions of civil liberties, like the...
Posted by Mitch on November 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Heh - It took me

Heh - It took me a few minutes to realize that this was on the level....
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Status Report - NaNo is

Status Report - NaNo is going fairly swimmingly. And while I have a new contract starting Monday, I also have another meeting today for yet another situation. Plus another contract to finish up. Light posting 'til later!...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

New Media Wins? - Terry

New Media Wins? - Terry Teachout has a great piece on CBS's bailing on their apparent Reagan hack job. Teachout notes the rather spongy press release CBS used to break the news:If you were born earlier than this morning, you...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Reason 1,539 - There are

Reason 1,539 - There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of reasons I won't be voting Democrat in the next election. This paragraph, from the closing of last night's Democratic Dwarves Candidates' Debate, is merely one:"QUESTION: You guys seem to get to...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Implosion - Jonah Goldberg on

Implosion - Jonah Goldberg on the implosion of liberal policy initiatives: Rarely has the intellectual rot of liberalism been more evident. Both at home and abroad, the honorable tradition of liberalism — and there is one — has been hollowed...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Liberals For Bush? - Last

Liberals For Bush? - Last week, we discussed the notion of Democrats crossing over to vote Bush. Some notable local Democrats reacted with umbrage. And yet there are signs that many Democrats are crossing over, as noted by Hawken. While...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

We've Got Scrappleface... - and

We've Got Scrappleface... - and the other guys have this guy. Sample? Sure: "Residents of this conservative Los Angeles suburb, already stunned after a week of devastating forest fires, are now trying to recover from yet another shock - a...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ignorance On Display - Bumpersticker

Ignorance On Display - Bumpersticker seen today on a car in downtown Minneapolis - inevitably, a beat-up minivan driven by someone who visibly smelled of Patchouli:Don't Pray In My School, And I Won't Think In Your ChurchBelow that:What Would The...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whigged Out - Yesterday, Vodkapundit

Whigged Out - Yesterday, Vodkapundit Stephen Green asked if the Democrats were going to go the way of the Whigs, and obliterate themselves. Eric Raymond at Armed and Dangerous responds. The Democrats certainly seem to be trying pretty hard to...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Justice? - Linda Tripp won

Justice? - Linda Tripp won her lawsuit against the Pentagon: "Based on information supplied by Pentagon officials in 1998, The New Yorker reported Tripp did not admit an arrest on her security application for her job at the Defense Department....
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Finney - Saint Paul Police

Finney - Saint Paul Police Chief Bill Finney is leaving his job as St. Paul Police Chief: "Finney will be leaving a department much changed from the force he took over 11 years and three mayors ago. His tenure has...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Iraqi Bioweapons - Power Line

Iraqi Bioweapons - Power Line with the latest from Laurie Mylroie....
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mob Liberty! - The Twin

Mob Liberty! - The Twin Cities Women's Press offers a fine perspective on Identity Feminism. In this month's issue, Susan Raffo writes n article snarkily entitled Arnold offered Californians the American dream: freedom for me [and the faulty capitalization is...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

You Go, Grrrrrrl - A

You Go, Grrrrrrl - A study says Oprah fans are likely to be under mind-numbing stress: "According to a new study, fans of the 'Oprah Winfrey Show' have higher stress levels than those who are not fans. According to the...
Posted by Mitch on November 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bad Day - Sullivan on

Bad Day - Sullivan on yesterday, a bad day in Iraq, which he describes as...: "...enough to make anyone want to leave the place in disgust. But that's the point. Saddam always relied on the Somalia strategy. He believed -...
Posted by Mitch on November 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Plausible? - Day By Day

Plausible? - Day By Day notes Terry MacAuliffe's complete impotence as DNC leader: It's as good as any other theory so far......
Posted by Mitch on November 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Maxi-Flop - CBS's "Reagan" mini-series

Maxi-Flop - CBS's "Reagan" mini-series has some interesting backers:CBS entertainment chief Les Moonves insists that Democrat diva Barbra Streisand didn't have anything to do with the insulting portrayal of President Reagan and his wife Nancy in his network's upcoming biopic...
Posted by Mitch on November 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Counterterror - Krauthammer with with

Counterterror - Krauthammer with with historical and demographic perspectives on the guerrilla war in Iraq: "The Saddam loyalists swim in a small lake. They represent the deeply loathed Baathist regime, with just a small constituency at home -- bolstered by...
Posted by Mitch on November 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

NaNo, NaNo - About 3,000

NaNo, NaNo - About 3,000 words over the weekend. Doesn't seem so bad, so far - although I'm sure I'll regret writing that soon. But it occurs to me that to meet the NaNo goal you need to write about...
Posted by Mitch on November 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Who Da Cowboy? - David's

Who Da Cowboy? - David's Medienkritik is an essential read for a perspective on the European media. The Halloween edition led with this image, from the German weekly Zeit (Ironically, German for "Time"): David responds with this graf...:Isn't it amazing...
Posted by Mitch on November 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Take Toys, Leave Sandbox -

Take Toys, Leave Sandbox - The Dems respond to the 7.2% growth numbers...churlishly: "Democrats yesterday downplayed the strongest quarterly economic growth in 19 years, refusing to give President Bush credit and stressing still-lagging job creation, while Republicans gloated over the...
Posted by Mitch on November 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Where's The Party - So

Where's The Party - So yet again, there's a great party... ...and I was never invited. Just like high school all over again. Oh - and Saint?I was glad to be there, in what may turn out to be the...
Posted by Mitch on November 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Novel Idea, Part I -

Novel Idea, Part I - Posting will be light today, and for the next 30 days, as I'm participating in National Novel Writing Month. I may bulk things up with links to other bloggers you should be reading. I'm writing...
Posted by Mitch on November 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wow. Wotta Day - So

Wow. Wotta Day - So many blessings:New contractBig news in the extracurricular world, of which more laterMore big news in the extracurricular world, of which never you mindComment from Day By Day's Chris MuirThe thread about the fight at Lucy's...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

BCCI In Record Jump! -

BCCI In Record Jump! - The Berg Consumer Confidence Index jumped a record 60 points today, on the news that the economy is growing at a 7% annual rate, and the acquisition of a three-month-to-open-ended consulting contract with a possible...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Zell Up - Reader PZ

Zell Up - Reader PZ wrote me the other day to note Zell Miller's crossover endorsement of President Bush. I've been way too busy to give the story its due this week. Fortunately, Commissioner Hugh is on the case. He...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Day By Day - Ed

Day By Day - Ed Driscoll as an interesting interview with Chris Muir, cartoonist of Day By Day.And topical is key. "Syndicated cartoons are drawn four to eight weeks before publication. I do mine one hour before uploading them, day...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Carrot, Meet Stick- Governor Pawlenty

Carrot, Meet Stick- Governor Pawlenty came out storngly in favor of a .08% Blood Alcohol Level standard yesterday., says the Strib: "The move to tighten Minnesota's standard for drunken driving received a high-level boost Thursday when Gov. Tim Pawlenty vowed...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

School Dazed - The SCSU

School Dazed - The SCSU Scholars quote from a report on Saint Cloud State students' attitudes toward campus behavior: "What became clear in the discussion was that student conceptualizations of their relationships with SCSU were inappropriate. They seemed to consider...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Novel Idea - I went

Novel Idea - I went to a National Novel Writing Month ("NaNoWriMo, or just Nano_ meeting tonight. It might have been mistaken for a Star Trek convo, or maybe an offseason RenFest get-together. It was a lot of fun. The...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bull Commons - Powerline leads

Bull Commons - Powerline leads us to this piece in the Times by Nick Kristof, who is espousing a very old idea - give the Dakotas back. Hindrocket, by the way, says about the column:As a native of South Dakota,...
Posted by Mitch on October 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Hath the MP'nPOA Wrought?

What Hath the MP'nPOA Wrought? - Reader James Phillips, from Cali, writes:Was just at the Mall of America and saw the no Weapons, guns, firearms signs at every entrance. Took about a half hour to calm down. I know it...
Posted by Mitch on October 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hack - Volokh encounters just

Hack - Volokh encounters just plain bad journalism in Slate's "Bushisms" column. Here's what Slate highlighted:"[A]s you know, these are open forums, you're able to come and listen to what I have to say."—Washington, D.C., Oct. 28, 2003...and here's the...
Posted by Mitch on October 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

O Blogger, Where Art Thou

O Blogger, Where Art Thou - If you can read this, then Blogger.com isn't messed up again......
Posted by Mitch on October 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Miller Time? - Is it

Miller Time? - Is it time for California to send Dennis Miller to Washington? "IS CALIFORNIA READY for Dennis Miller as its next United States senator? Laugh if you like, but some Republican strategists (including a few who just sent...
Posted by Mitch on October 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Expanding the Base - Jeffrey

Expanding the Base - Jeffrey Bell says Al Qaeda has a new base:for the first time since the fall of the Taliban regime in late 2001, major elements of al Qaeda seem to have acquired a new home. The address...
Posted by Mitch on October 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pledge This - Mitch's Office.

Pledge This - Mitch's Office. 7:15 last night. Rrrrrringggg "Mitch Berg". "Good evening, sir, I'm calling from the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers' Federation. We're doing our annual fund drive, and we'd like to know if we can count on...
Posted by Mitch on October 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Closerrrrrrr - So a reaaaaly

Closerrrrrrr - So a reaaaaly nice contract is in the "checking references" phase. For the second week. Experts say that if this opportunity remains in the "checking references" phase much longer, the BCCI could be adversely affected....
Posted by Mitch on October 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fat Is Thin, Winston -

Fat Is Thin, Winston - Lileks notes something about the Atkins diet that I'd always suspected....
Posted by Mitch on October 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Music - Over the weekend,

Music - Over the weekend, Infinite Monkeys focused on music. RobbL Monkey asked:Here's a challenge for those of you who can even listen to hip-hop long enough to compare it to real music. Name the hip-hop equivalent of these records:...
Posted by Mitch on October 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Overpowered By Scheer - The

Overpowered By Scheer - The Star Tribune Editorial Page is at it again - this time chiding Colin Powell:One of the puzzles of America's war in Iraq has been the role of Secretary of State Colin Powell. When President Bush...
Posted by Mitch on October 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Anti-American? - Flag burning is

Anti-American? - Flag burning is like abortion - I believe one thing in my heart - and think our society may just need to do another thing. A Small Victory has a take on the issue, in the context of...
Posted by Mitch on October 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

You Know Who You Are,

You Know Who You Are, Part IV - You're the guy I interviewed with in August. I came to the interview at your company on a day's notice, on a 95-degree, swelteringly humid day. I tried my damnedest to keep...
Posted by Mitch on October 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

J'Ecris Ton Nom - Matt

J'Ecris Ton Nom - Matt Welch sounds off with a fascinating piece on Sabine Herold and what her movement may mean in the next year in France. Interesting quote: "'I think one of the big problems in France is that...
Posted by Mitch on October 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

See No Eva, Hear No

See No Eva, Hear No Eva, Speak No Eva - I'm a leading theorist in the area of human behavior! No, really! Well, according to one local activist, I'm being credited with developing a major theory of how people behave....
Posted by Mitch on October 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Power Roll - Powerline has

Power Roll - Powerline has been on a roll, with a great piece on the gathering appreciation of Winston Churchill - one of my personal heroes - and this piece on positive news from Iraq as well as among Native...
Posted by Mitch on October 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wrong - The National Review

Wrong - The National Review is calling for the ouster of General Boykin. They're wrong:During the Korean War, Douglas MacArthur wanted to attack Manchuria, and he let that be known to everyone who would listen. That was not U.S. policy,...
Posted by Mitch on October 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Porter Incident - The

The Porter Incident - The City Pages are like country music; every part of it I don't love, I pretty much detest. There's not much middle ground. Music reviews? Awful (at least where Melissa Maerz is involved). (Note to Greil...
Posted by Mitch on October 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's A Friday - I'm

It's A Friday - I'm one of those people who should have been born in London or Aberdeen (Scotland, not South Dakota) or Seattle. Rainy days perk me up. Maybe it's because I don't feel so guilty about working indoors...
Posted by Mitch on October 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Signs Of The Times -

Signs Of The Times - We're coming up on the first anniversary of the death of Senator Paul Wellstone. The signs are popping up all over Saint Paul today: Wellstone Don't Stop Fighting!I saw a row of them on Summit...
Posted by Mitch on October 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Tenth Candidate - Seems

The Tenth Candidate - Seems plausible; Niagara Falls Survivor Jumps Into Presidential Race:Mr. [Kirk] Jones, a former auto-parts salesman, said he's "eager to take the plunge into politics" and will meet with former President Bill Clinton over the weekend to...
Posted by Mitch on October 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

May on Boykin - Clifford

May on Boykin - Clifford May discusses the Gen. Boykin flap. The point that the media - and the left blogosphere - never seems to get:But did Boykin actually say anything that should offend Muslims? Was he even talking about...
Posted by Mitch on October 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Accounting - Rich Lowry NRO

Accounting - Rich Lowry NRO read Hillary!'s new book, so that you don't have to:"One of the more unpleasant parts of writing Legacy: Paying the Price for the Clinton Years was reading Hillary Clinton's Living History. But I had to...
Posted by Mitch on October 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mistaken Identity, Misbegotten Fury -

Mistaken Identity, Misbegotten Fury - Last April, City Pages writer Brad Zellar wrote a piece about his distaste for children, and drew parallels between his dyspepsia about kids and his views of the coverage of the war in Iraq. I...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More on the Rummy Memo

More on the Rummy Memo - Sullivan sums up my reaction better than I do:It's the most reassuring statement on the terror war I've yet read. The important thing about any administration in its third year is that it not...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Right There, Right Out -

Right There, Right Out - I remember the baby-boomers yowling in horror when Nike rented the rights to the Beatles' "Revolution" for a commercial. "It's desecrating our religion", said some. Well, not really, but it came very close; the cult...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Airbrush - Walter Duranty wrote

Airbrush - Walter Duranty wrote one of the best introductions to the history of philosophy that I've ever read. And yet even as I read it, I was keenly aware that the man was flogging an agenda. It was about...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

How's That? - Pioneer Press

How's That? - Pioneer Press columnist Edward Lotterman may or may not know much about economics - but like most PiPress columnists, he can be expected to carry water for the DFL, as he does in this column about Gov....
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Evil Twin - Atomizer,

My Evil Twin - Atomizer, from Fraters, writes about fellow Frater Elder's foray to Twin Cities Public TV to watch a taping of Jesse Ventura's America. He observes in today's installment: "Last week, the advance team of the Elder and...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Day Late, Dollar Short -

Day Late, Dollar Short - The Pioneer Press is running the "Rumsfeld Memo" story... ...roughly a day after the entire blogosphere identified and jumped on the story's spinning and inconsistency. There are enough links to this "controversy" in that link...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

He Was A SEAL, Ya

He Was A SEAL, Ya Know - Elder, from Fraters, has this hilarious account of his visit to a taping of "Jesse Ventura's America". Enough money quotes in there to pay off the entire Mexican police force. You owe it...
Posted by Mitch on October 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Writer's Cramp - I've spent

Writer's Cramp - I've spent the week so far plowing through a couple of very large projects, which involved about 12-14 hours a day of sitting at the computer. I'm also working on a new project that, while insanely speculative,...
Posted by Mitch on October 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Lamberted - Brian Lambert doesn't

Lamberted - Brian Lambert doesn't believe the media is liberal. I just thought I'd mention that as context for those of you who aren't familiar with the work of the St. Paul Pioneer Press' broadcast critic. His own biases are...
Posted by Mitch on October 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Bovious Instalanche - Bovious

The Bovious Instalanche - Bovious turned up on Instapundit the other day with this question: Q: "What's the quickest way to shut Noam Chomsky up?" A: "Ask him a linguistics question."Then, he adds:Now, my assertion seems to have at least...
Posted by Mitch on October 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Denied - A fair chunk

Denied - A fair chunk of the blogosphers - especially some of the most popular sites, including the Northern Alliance's own Powerline - were hamstrung by a Denial of Service attack yesterday. The attacks are apparently traced to Al-Quaeda-linked hacker...
Posted by Mitch on October 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Points For Style - A

Points For Style - A Michigan judge dismissed a case against rapper Eminem... ...in the form of a rap:"In her poem, excerpts of which were published in Tuesday's editions of the Detroit Free Press, Servitto said Eminem broke no laws...
Posted by Mitch on October 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The General Fades - Power

The General Fades - Power Line links to this piece by Dick Morris, on Wesley Clark's sputtering campaign. Interesting piece, and you should read it all. This part was as interesting to me as it was the Powerline gents: "'Even...
Posted by Mitch on October 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Busy, Busy Day - Posting

Busy, Busy Day - Posting will be very light until late afternoon. After that? Stay tuned....
Posted by Mitch on October 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Thanks For Your Patience -

Thanks For Your Patience - I'm blessedly swamped with work these days; it should be enough to keep the wolves from the door the rest of the year, with more potential work waiting in the wings. Blogging will be relatively...
Posted by Mitch on October 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hate Digest - Howard Kurtz

Hate Digest - Howard Kurtz of the WaPo brings together a number of currents in the Bush Hatred story. He interviews our old friend, Jonathan Chait from the New Republic:Has this unassuming man in a rumpled sports shirt lifted the...
Posted by Mitch on October 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Connection? - Winds of

The Connection? - Winds of Change's Dan Darling wonders about meaning of an undefined hole in the Iraqi Intelligence Service's organization chart:Initially Unit 999 had five battalions of 300 men apiece, and more recently another battalion was formed to counter...
Posted by Mitch on October 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Old Buddy! - The other

Old Buddy! - The other day I did a little vanity-Googling. I found this. Read it. There'll be a quiz afterward: "Berg and I aren't on the same page on a lot of issues, but that's a beautiful thing, really....
Posted by Mitch on October 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Choice Interrupted - Planned Parenthood

Choice Interrupted - Planned Parenthood supports a woman's right to choose. The ChiTrib's Steve Chapman notes:As Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Gloria Feldt puts it, "We stand for the principle that women--in consultation with their families and their physicians--should...
Posted by Mitch on October 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

One Less Blog on the

One Less Blog on the Required Reading List - Plain Layne has decided to bag the blog. It's shame. It was the only interesting diaryblog in the entire world. Bummer....
Posted by Mitch on October 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unconscionable - 51 Senators voted

Unconscionable - 51 Senators voted to convert aid to Iraq into a loan. Dumb. The vote - almost a straight party line, with a few GOP "moderates" like stealth Democrat Olympia Snowe - is a bald-faced attempt to hamstring the...
Posted by Mitch on October 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bomb Plot? - Gertz has

Bomb Plot? - Gertz has details of a potential Al Queda "dirty bomb" operation:A key al Qaeda terrorism suspect was in Canada looking for nuclear material for a "dirty bomb," The Washington Times has learned. Adnan El Shukrijumah is being...
Posted by Mitch on October 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Half Her Brain Tied Behind

Half Her Brain Tied Behind Her Back - Ann Coulter shreds much of the gleeful Limbaugh-bashing we've seen in the media this past week. Money quote: "When a conservative can be the biggest thing in talk radio, earning $30 million...
Posted by Mitch on October 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Boykin - As Hugh Hewitt

Boykin - As Hugh Hewitt reports, NBC and the LATimes have launched a jihad against General William Boykin. Boykin, a newly-nominated lieutenant-general and Deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence for intelligence and war fighting, has apparently made explicitly Christian statements...
Posted by Mitch on October 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fundamentally Unfair - The current

Fundamentally Unfair - The current style among younger women involves low-rider pants, high-cut tops, and bare midriffs. Even though I'm 40, single, and live a block from a college, I have no problem with this. I can put up with...
Posted by Mitch on October 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Another Wimpy Day - I'm

Another Wimpy Day - I'm going to be on a client site today. More posting tonight....
Posted by Mitch on October 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Jimmy Stewart Calling - I...I...I

Jimmy Stewart Calling - I...I...I don't, um, listen to much...much....much...um...mid-day radio these...these...these days. There's...there's...not, um, much time for that in my...my...my...my...current, rather, um, busy schedule. So, I...I...I, um, never got to listen to...to...to...Rush Limbaugh very much. He's...he's...um, on at a...
Posted by Mitch on October 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whine and Cheese - The

Whine and Cheese - The Strib's editorial page is at it again, this time whining about the settlement that the state's public employees were "forced" to take: "Leaders of Minnesota's two largest state employees unions had no other choice: They...
Posted by Mitch on October 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Support

Two months ago, I postulated "Berg's Law of Liberal Iraq Commentary": No liberal commentator is capable of addressing more than one of the President's justifications for the War in Iraq at a time; to do so would introduce a...
Posted by Mitch on October 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cubless - Too depressing to

Cubless - Too depressing to comment on. Five'll get you ten the Bosox buy it, too....
Posted by Mitch on October 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Answer - I got

The Answer - I got a reply to my letter to St. Paul Green Party School Board Candidate Richard Broderick yesterday. And it was a doozy. And it's going to take me a day to write about it - it...
Posted by Mitch on October 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Busy Day - Off to

Busy Day - Off to work at another of my little short-term clients, on a rush job that shows all the signs of being a star-crossed death march. Yippee! No, I'm being sincere. When you're a contractor, as long as...
Posted by Mitch on October 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Open Letter To Richard Broderick,

Open Letter To Richard Broderick, Part II - On September 9, I wrote an email to Richard Broderick, Green Party candidates for the St.Paul school board. I never got a response. He has a website, now - and on it...
Posted by Mitch on October 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Dream On, Guys - The

Dream On, Guys - The Fraters and the Monkeys have been having an extended discussion about carving up and partitioning North Dakota. The Fraters' Elder started the discussion:I say enough is enough. I know that life in North Dakota is...
Posted by Mitch on October 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Can't Hardly Wait - Paul

Can't Hardly Wait - Paul Westerberg's writers' block is over. The City Pages devotes a couple of stories to the former Replacements star in today's issue. I liked this part:It's not surprising that Westerberg has turned exclusively to laying down...
Posted by Mitch on October 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gaining Momentum - Infinite Monkey

Gaining Momentum - Infinite Monkey James' campaign to become the leader of the Black Community is gaining momentum. The Fraters say so! Seriously - I'm all for it. Let's get out the vote!...
Posted by Mitch on October 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fisking Grow - Brand new

Fisking Grow - Brand new Minnesota blog Mr Cranky tackles Doug Grow. Give it a read, and please support your new local blogs. This is a good thing - it takes some of the load off the Fraters and I......
Posted by Mitch on October 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Harder They Fall? -

The Harder They Fall? - File this under "Mixed Feelings". Ruminator Books in Saint Paul is in serious financial trouble. The store has been a Grand Avenue fixture for over 30 years, and, since the death of Odegaard Books, is...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Someday... - There's this street

Someday... - There's this street a block from my house where, every fall, all the trees on a two block stretch of street simultaneously turn the most gorgeous, vivid shade of yellowish orange. The best part about it is than...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Faith In The Courts -

Faith In The Courts - DJ Tice at the Pioneer Press has an excellent article on what partisan furor over court decisions means for faith in the legal system:Many pundits have concluded, casually and comfortably, that the initial ruling from...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

BCCI Update - The index

BCCI Update - The index has been slipping a bit since its high at the weekend. I've been waiting three days now to hear about a potential job, for which I had a great interview on Thursday. Still working two...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Coal To Newcastle - Algore's

Coal To Newcastle - Algore's proposed TV network won't be liberal. Former vice president Al Gore and a group of investors have plans to launch an all-news channel, but it won't be a liberal alternative to Fox News. Instead, it...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Ethereal Party - "OK,

The Ethereal Party - "OK, so Bush never said anything about Weapons of Mass Destruction. But he implied it." "No, we can't find any examples of any right wing talk show hosts actually advocating harm to anyone. But they create...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Is It News? - Some

Is It News? - Some days, I swear you get more, better news from ScrappleFace than you do from CNN - or at least better analysis.: "Compared with the the last full year of the Clinton administration, in three years...
Posted by Mitch on October 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

We Learned More From A

We Learned More From A Three-Minute Record... - Joanne Jacobs thinks kids should be doing more homework, and fewer extracurriculars. She's partly right, at least in the stereotyped world of the SUV-mounted, "Achievement"-oriented caricature of the 'burbs:Compared to the past,...
Posted by Mitch on October 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sorry, Kos 'n Jeff -

Sorry, Kos 'n Jeff - Liberals up and down the food chain - from the Daily Kos (whose obsessive poll-watching is a matter of looking at his website) to the pretty-good-guy Jeff Fecke - have been rendering themselves frenzied for...
Posted by Mitch on October 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Babykiller - There is

The Babykiller - There is so much about this story to make any rational person cringe; two weeks ago, a 14 year old girl gave birth to, and then strangled, a baby. The baby's father was a 22-year-old man who...
Posted by Mitch on October 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Jokes Write Themselves These

The Jokes Write Themselves These Days - G. Pascal Zachary thinks the Bay Area should secede from the Union: "We, the people of the Bay Area, need to leave the United States. We are held prisoner by a foreign power,...
Posted by Mitch on October 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Twin Cities Needs This

The Twin Cities Needs This - There is nothing in the world I miss worse than plaing in a band. I never told my parents this, but the real reason I moved to the Twin Cities in 1985 was because...
Posted by Mitch on October 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Infantilization - Emily from Give

Infantilization - Emily from Give War a Chance touches on a subject for which I excoriated the Strib's editorial team last week - the Democrats' infantilization of the voters. As she was reading through some anti-recall campaign literature, she found...
Posted by Mitch on October 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Arnold Effect - It's

The Arnold Effect - It's too early to tell, of course - but it's possible that Arnold may have a every bit as great an effect on politics in Europe as in California: The straight-talking Hollywood action star's election win...
Posted by Mitch on October 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Weekend - Posting will

The Weekend - Posting will be light this weekend, as I ponder re-creating a pathetic simulation of a social life. Will it work? Well, count the posts between now and Monday morning......
Posted by Mitch on October 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Class - Limbaugh's statement on

Class - Limbaugh's statement on his addiction. Here's the money bit:I am not making any excuses. You know, over the years athletes and celebrities have emerged from treatment centers to great fanfare and praise for conquering great demons. They are...
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Catapulted Miles From The Tree

Catapulted Miles From The Tree - When I was in elementary school, I was a tall, skinny, uncoordinated, greasy-haired dork who was cursed with the reputation as the "School Brain". Some things never change. Wednesday, I volunteered to help chaparone...
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Schwarzenegger, The Strib, and the

Schwarzenegger, The Strib, and the Seven Deadly Sins - Today's Star/Tribune editorial about the California Recall goes beyond the usual Strib fare. We're used to the smug, classist little diatribes the Strib inflicts on the readership. Today's piece is very,...
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hatred - I can write

Hatred - I can write for days over the course of a year and a half about Democratic hatred of the President. And then Ott writes this and I hardly need say more....
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

We All Scream for Ice

We All Scream for Ice Cream - Star Spangled Ice Cream - "ice cream with a conservative flavor" - is now on the market, selling ice cream via the 'net.That’s good news for gourmet ice cream fans, and for Gun...
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Intelligence Revisited - Austin Bay

Intelligence Revisited - Austin Bay with a fascinating piece - the second of three parts - on the history of intelligence in Iraq. It covers successes and failures, and the majority in between.: One of many fascinating excerpts:"A major mistake...
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Follow The Bouncing BCCI -

Follow The Bouncing BCCI - The Berg Consumer Confidence Index took a quick tumble yesterday on news that the interview last Friday had come a cropper. Although things were still basically healthy (on the strength of two current contracting jobs),...
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Quagmire - Elder from Fraters

Quagmire - Elder from Fraters Libertas, gritting his teeth and talking through PTSD thick enough to choke a water buffalo, on another quagmire, long ago: "Somehow I ended up with one of my friends and we pathetically slogged our way...
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Crazy Day - The BCCI

Crazy Day - The BCCI has been bouncing around like Pee Wee Herman after a couple of Vente Frapuccinos. Decent, although not show-stopping, interview last Friday for a six-month contract gig. Not supposed to find anything out until "later this...
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

No Bias Here. Move Along

No Bias Here. Move Along - So read this paragraph:"A campaign that began with the late-night comedian may be notarized by him. And so we've had our little revolution and the new emperor is Der Gropenfuhrer, which, in Austrian, means:...
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

You Know Who You Are

You Know Who You Are - You belong to a political party that claims to represent the average American - but when they vote for Republicans anyway, you declare that most Average Americans are morons. You believe the media are...
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Piled Higher and Deeper -

Piled Higher and Deeper - The Coalition of Black Churches has succeeded in scuppering the nomination of David Jennings for Minneapolis School Superintendant. The group scuttles away from the "race card" label - and it's probably fair that they do....
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Move Out - Classically Liberal

Move Out - Classically Liberal took off on a point I started, analysing the history and hypocrisy of "MoveOn". The piece starts with a fascinating study in two-facedness - and ends with this:So, "voters" see the need for change. But...
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Couldn't Have Said It Better

Couldn't Have Said It Better - I keep going back and forth about commenting, even a little, on the opinions found on left-leaning blogs. On the one hand, it only encourages them. On the other hand, there is a serious...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

So There's Hope - At

So There's Hope - At least in theory......
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Take Toys. Leave Sandbox. Go

Take Toys. Leave Sandbox. Go Home - Arnold won, and won big. The Democrat party in California has been given a rebuke that may, possibly, foreshadow the one the party is going to get nationwide in 13 months. The left...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Words Fall Short - There

Words Fall Short - There is nothing I can add to this. Read the names. Two virtually complete families are on the list. Note to Nancy Pelosi: Did any of these people "know that the threat was imminent?"...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Move Back - The Kitchen

Move Back - The Kitchen Cabinet picks up on something that'd been rattling around my head since my last URGENT BULLETIN from moveon.org: "I do find it hilariously ironic that the group moveon.org is targeting Schwarzenegger: 'the truth about his...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

With Balance Like This... -

With Balance Like This... - The slow slog toward balanced coverage in Iraq seems to be gathering the strangest bedfellows. Even the Guardian's Julie Flint, famous for her hilariously-slanted reporting before the war, is getting on board. Oh, it starts...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

False Sanctimony - A group

False Sanctimony - A group of liberal churches has filed suit against the Minnesota Personal Protection Act, claiming the law violates freedom of religion and property rights, as well as the constitutional process. The suit - filed by former US...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tomorrow - I'll be doing

Tomorrow - I'll be doing a post-recall survey and analysis of leading leftblogs. I'll be trying to gauge the overall tone of their proceedings - about which I will attempt no prediction whatsoever....
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Moron Today - Er, I

Moron Today - Er, I mean, "Moore on Today". The lying liar author and filmmaker appeared on the Today show a few minutes ago, with Lester Holt, pimping his new book, Icky Poopyhead Republicans Dude, Where's My Country?". First the...
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Education Standards - I was

Education Standards - I was going to write a long screed about the new Social Studies standards, including the Strib's editorial yesterday by Jim Davnie - but King from SCSU Scholars beat me to it. I'm going to add more...
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Prediction - The recall will

Prediction - The recall will pass, albeit not by a complete landslide. McClintock's vote, like Tim Penny's in the 2002 Minnesota gubernatorial race, will come in about half of where it polled two weeks ago, as people opt to make...
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

More Things The Left Hasn't

More Things The Left Hasn't Told You... - ...about the Kay Report, courtesy Tim Blair: David Kay’s interim report on Iraq’s concealed WMD was filed after only about 8% of weapons storage areas was searched (which is much less, obviously,...
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bias Alert Redux - Wishful

Bias Alert Redux - Wishful Thinking? - This story appears on Yahoo news: "California's recall election looked too close to call hours from the start of polling on Tuesday in a race for governor in which Republican muscleman-turned-Hollywood-film-star Arnold Schwarzenegger...
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bias In Action - The

Bias In Action - The LATimes had been working on its dirt bomb against Schwarzenegger for weeks, says the LA Weekly - under intense security:According to a well-informed source at the paper, the story, which hit the political world with...
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Krugman Alert - A look

Krugman Alert - A look in Sunday's Book events calendar in the Strib shows that Paul Krugman will be appearing at Ruminator Books in St. Paul this Saturday night. This begs the question - anyone want to put in an...
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Arnold Speaks - Hewitt puts

Arnold Speaks - Hewitt puts out the audio file of his interview with Schwarzenegger. [click here for the link to the audio file] Interesting stuff....
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Oy Vey - Three weeks

Oy Vey - Three weeks ago, I installed a hit counter (at the bottom of the Archives list in the right margin). Sometime in the next hour, it'll pass 10,000 visitors. Yow. I had no idea. Thanks, everyone!...
Posted by Mitch on October 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cry Quagmire! - Didn't the

Cry Quagmire! - Didn't the Administration plan for this?Riots shake Minnesota State University, Mankato: "James Franklin, Mankato's public safety director, called the disturbance 'almost a classic textbook case' of 'riotous behavior.' He said it lasted about five hours, from 11...
Posted by Mitch on October 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Country Is That In?

What Country Is That In? - South Dakota Politics points out an example what what is either bad fact-checking or coastal myopia about "flyover land": "Firing [Governor Davis] would be a remarkable step, a notion that has been lost in...
Posted by Mitch on October 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Man Wrenches Arm Patting Self

Man Wrenches Arm Patting Self On Back - A few weeks ago, I posited a theory, which I called "Berg's Law of Liberal Iraq Commentary". It said:No liberal commentator is capable of addressing more than one of the justifications for...
Posted by Mitch on October 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Mower County Charges -

The Mower County Charges - The American Bankers story is back in the news - and it's weirder than ever. I explained the American Bankers and Insurance settlement last summer in a five part article that drew the untold story...
Posted by Mitch on October 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Trivial Pursuit - Fraters and

Trivial Pursuit - Fraters and the Infinite Monkeys are proposing an intramural trivia smackdown between the Patriot Allstars (Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved, Dennis Prager and David Allen White, and the Northern Alliance Muj - the Fraters, Powerline, the Monkeys, Spitbull...
Posted by Mitch on October 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

And Kathy Wurzer is a

And Kathy Wurzer is a Harley Chick - NPR can't tell the difference between Hugh Hewitt and Howard Stern: "SHOCK JOCK? Shock jock? Yes, that's how NPR referred to me this morning in an account of Arnold's campaign trip yesterday:...
Posted by Mitch on October 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fascist - There are few

Fascist - There are few things that infuriate me as much as casual invocation of tokens of the Nazi era - referring to someone as a "Nazi" or a "Fascist" lightly, as political rhetoric. Same for calling something a "Holocaust"...
Posted by Mitch on October 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Speaking of Leaking - As

Speaking of Leaking - As the Democrats are crying crocodile tears over alleged White House leaks, it's worth rememberingthis item, about someone whose leaks weren't embarassing - they were deadly: "'Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence...
Posted by Mitch on October 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

The Big Plastic Mug is

The Big Plastic Mug is A Third Full - The Cubbies win. The Twins lose. And football just trudges on and on to a post-season that is looking inevitably Bears-free....
Posted by Mitch on October 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

I See Yellow - Help

I See Yellow - Help me out here. I need to come up with a pithy yet dismissive lede for this piece on today's Maureen Dowd piece. I'm having a hard time deciding - partly because Dowd leaves so many...
Posted by Mitch on October 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What It's About - No,

What It's About - No, indeed, the California electorate seems to get the big picture. Mark Steyn has a great piece, not only on the state of the recall, but on the absolute, crushing, unbelievable detachment of the media from...
Posted by Mitch on October 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What If Bustamante Held a

What If Bustamante Held a Press Conference, and Nobody Came... - Lefty blogger "Hesiod" ponders the deeper meaning of Bustamante's "boycott" of a gubernatorial debate: "And when I say 'boycott,' I'm not just talking about Cruz Bustamante. He invited ALL...
Posted by Mitch on October 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nauseating - Warning. This piece

Nauseating - Warning. This piece (via Instapundit) put me off my brunch. It's about life in North Korea. Read it if you haven't. But you've been warned....
Posted by Mitch on October 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Coming Up This Week on

Coming Up This Week on Shot In The Dark - A veritable embarassment of riches:What the Rush Limbaugh Vicotin flap may be telling us about the battle between old and new mediaThe latest Mike Hatch dustup.Maybe, just maybe, my long-delayed...
Posted by Mitch on October 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wow - A pretty amazing

Wow - A pretty amazing week, all in all. My second Hughalanche in two weeks (my hit counts were pretty stunning after Hewitt linked to me again, even better than last week's link), plus six or seven new job leads,...
Posted by Mitch on October 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

We'll Know Them When We

We'll Know Them When We See Them - Yesterday on CNN I saw Nancy Pelosi's harsh visage scowling at me through the TV screen like an avenging comparative women's lit professor. Like most of the left, she was trying to...
Posted by Mitch on October 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Recall - I don't

The Recall - I don't write a lot about the recall, compared to some bloggers - I'm not from California or anything - but I had to mention this. Yesterday, Schwarzenegger asked: "'One wonders what the motivation of all this...
Posted by Mitch on October 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

There's Hope! - Halle Berry

There's Hope! - Halle Berry is available! I mean, since Marisa Tomei hasn't returned my calls... (Via Cheleblog)...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Chalabi - Reding covers Ahmed

Chalabi - Reding covers Ahmed Chalabi's speech to the UN, an event that was greeted with deafening silence elsewhere: "To those who stood with the dictator and who continue to question the intentions of the American and British governments in...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Don't Believe In Karma,

I Don't Believe In Karma, But I Believe What Goes Around Comes Around - Wednesday, I got a call from a local recruiter. A company I interviewed at last May (who thought I was a great personality fit, but I...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Arnold and Hitler - The

Arnold and Hitler - The SanFran Chronicle has the best story I've yet seen on Schwarzenegger's "Hitler" flap. As the article says, it's a faint trail: "The allegations that Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed admiration for Adolf Hitler during the filming of...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Chait's Numbers- As I pointed

Chait's Numbers- As I pointed out in yesterday's post on the subject, a whole crowd of conservative bloggers piled on Jonathan Chait. And I didn't even count the big guns! Ponnuru at the Corner attacks Chait's math: "I’ve been debating...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

WMD Watch - I'm not

WMD Watch - I'm not normally one given to heaping rhetorical abuse on my opponents. If you like that sort of thing for its own gleeful sake on a regular basis, you need to read here and here. That being...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hatch Back In The News

Hatch Back In The News - Mike Hatch? Dishing out patronage? Well that's what Republicans in the Legislature think: "It was a staple in small-town newspapers from Stillwater to the South Dakota border last year: a local activist appointed to...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sounds About Right - Dave

Sounds About Right - Dave Barry, via Cathy in the Wright: "Men are like a fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

HURL - The SCSU Scholars

HURL - The SCSU Scholars continue their embarassing look at the course offerings at St. Cloud State's Human Relations department. Read it - it'll make you grind your teeth, but do it anyway....
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Times - The LA

The Times - The LA Times, that is. How anyone can look at the example of the Los Angeles Times, and still claim that the mainstream media isn't utterly, completely, committedly liberal, is beyond me. Medved had an excellent series...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Had to Happen - Right?

Had to Happen - Right? - The Yanks even the series with a 4-1 win in the Bronx. Splitting in NYC is all right. Right? I'm getting that "heart in the throat" feeling I got during both of the ALCS...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Key Economic Index Creeps Upward

Key Economic Index Creeps Upward - The Berg Consumer Confidence Index (BCCI) took its biggest jump in three months this week, rising from a 9 to a 18 on a scale of 0-100. The index, which hovered at an alltime...
Posted by Mitch on October 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Chait Goes On -

The Chait Goes On - Quick, where did the following come from: A recent article of mine in ______ defending Bush hatred seems to have worked like some kind of conservative dog whistle, silently summoning drooling right-wingers out of their...
Posted by Mitch on October 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Testing - Oh Blogger, Where

Testing - Oh Blogger, Where Art Thou?...
Posted by Mitch on October 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

When Blogger Yaks - Blogger

When Blogger Yaks - Blogger seems to have eaten all my larger articles. Patience. Much more to come....
Posted by Mitch on October 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

There Was Joy In Mudville

There Was Joy In Mudville - Not only did the Twins win... ...but I passed my Level 2 final exam in bagpipes last night. Only eight more months until I start playing actual pipes. Assuming I can afford 'em by...
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Who's Smash? - The celebrated

Who's Smash? - The celebrated blogger Lieutenant Smash reveals his true identy. (Via Instapundit)...
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sixty Years Ago This Month

Sixty Years Ago This Month - We're three weeks into the third year of a war that truly has no end in sight. As bad as that feels in the pit of the gut sometimes, it helps to consider the...
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Perspective - Den Beste on

Perspective - Den Beste on something a lot of the left misses - Iraqis can't be expected to immediately act like free people, with all the expectations and habits free people have: "In the Antarctic, penguins nest on land but...
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Danger! - Laura Bush, in

Danger! - Laura Bush, in Moscow: "American children, I'm afraid, are addicted to television," she told the first ladies of Russia, Armenia and Bulgaria on Tuesday, citing studies that place average TV consumption in the United States at several hours...
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Demons and Spawn - Lileks

Demons and Spawn - Lileks related this story the other day in the Bleat: “Are you sure it’s not a demon?” I asked my wife. She gave me that wifely look. “Because when your kid starts talking about creatures we...
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shooting at the Government Center

Shooting at the Government Center - A woman with a history of mental instability shot two people inside the Hennepin County Government Center yesterday, killing one. I have no intention of making light of this tragic shooting, but there's a...
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Plame/Wilson - The left -

Plame/Wilson - The left - including certain lefty bloggers - have been clinging to hope with the Plame/Wilson story. In their world, this could have been the great equalizer - the one thing that truly signalled "moral equivalence", that would...
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fun With Polls, Part III

Fun With Polls, Part III - The left is hanging on every poll they can find that shows the President doing anything short of conquering the universe. Yet there's more to the polls than meets the eye, says Michael Barone...
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

Talk About Pop Music. Talk

Talk About Pop Music. Talk About... - There's a strain of revisionism going around that tries to deprecate '80's pop music. A couple of the Infinite Monkeys have been having it out; James started the exchange:One more thing about Robert...
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Johnson - As I've said

Johnson - As I've said before, I was a liberal until I was in the middle of college. Most of the artifacts of that liberalsm have been hunted down and destroyed. There are really only two ways, besides my admissions,...
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Numbers - Some left-blogs

The Numbers - Some left-blogs have been obsessing to an unnatural extent over the fluctuations of the various polls that have shown the president is (gasp) dropping from "immortal" to "human". The mantra for many of these bloggers is "Watch...
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Questions We Need Answered -

Questions We Need Answered - Paul Miller asks twenty questions that need to be asked:1. Where is all the money from the UN’s Oil for Food Program? 2. How many people have now lived at least six months longer than...
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Said What? - Steyn's obit

Said What? - Steyn's obit of Edward Said is a keeper....
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Reading List - Salam Pax,

Reading List - Salam Pax, the celebrated Iraqi blogger, says this is the best newspaper in Iraq - although it's apparently not available in Arabic. Interesting, and worth a read....
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Keep your KFAN - Here's

Keep your KFAN - Here's a sports story I actually like - about the semi-pro Minnesota Maulers football team....
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gaping Ignorance - Predictably, gun-ban

Gaping Ignorance - Predictably, gun-ban group Citizens for a Supine Safer Minnesota are trying to get everything they can out of the shootings last week at Rocori High School. Truth, of course, is the first casualty, as it usually is...
Posted by Mitch on September 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

California: The Precedent - A

California: The Precedent - A liberal governor, with a landslide mandate, enacts a raft of interventionary and costly programs; then his state hits some economic troubles, a recall initiative passes, and he is faced with a European immigrant in the...
Posted by Mitch on September 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Scope Creep - Following the

Scope Creep - Following the lead of Ryan "Rambling" Rhodes, I downloaded everything I've ever written for this blog, from February 5, 2002 to September 25, 2003, and put it into Microsoft Word. Nearly 1,600 pages. More telling still; while...
Posted by Mitch on September 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Wrong Profile - Northern

The Wrong Profile - Northern Alliance pals Powerline gut Doug Grow's report that Minnesota is rife with racial profiling. According to the actual data that led to Grow's report, while black drivers are pulled over disproportionately, the officers who actually...
Posted by Mitch on September 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Chaitred

Power Line has an excellent take on Krauthammer's analysis of the Chait article - among other Bush-bashing pronouncements from the left. Sample:Charles Krauthammer made a good case that no rational person could believe all of Kennedy's statements (just as others...
Posted by Mitch on September 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

ACLU Alert - According to

ACLU Alert - According to a radio news report: During the shooting last week at Rocori High School, one of the teachers gathered her students along the edge of the room, and asked them if they wanted to pray. Most...
Posted by Mitch on September 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

If It Bleeds - Instapundit

If It Bleeds - Instapundit has links to some excellent discussion on the media's obsession with the bad news in Iraq, at the expense of covering the vast tracts of the country where things seem to be going quite well....
Posted by Mitch on September 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

New Fox Analyst? - Dan

New Fox Analyst? - Dan Barreiro writing about U of M alum Quincy Lewis, via Steve Gigl's Blogj:Lewis traveled through parts of Europe where Americans are not exactly universally welcomed, especially after the U.S. decision to go to war. "The...
Posted by Mitch on September 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Joy In Mudville! - The

Joy In Mudville! - The Cubs clinch! My lifelong fantasy - a Twins (AL) vs Cubs (NL) World Series could now, in theory, actually happen!...
Posted by Mitch on September 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tale of Two Blackouts -

Tale of Two Blackouts - David's Medienkritik posts about the double-standard in German left-wing newsmag Spiegel in reporting two power outages. One was in the US:The dazed world power was plunged into chaos by the largest blackout in the super...
Posted by Mitch on September 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Weekend! - OK, for real

Weekend! - OK, for real this time; I'm really taking the weekend off! See you Monday!...
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The German Attitude - Fascinating

The German Attitude - Fascinating piece on David's Medienkritik yesterday from an American living in Germany, on the growing anti-American attitude he perceives among Germans. I'm going to try to make a connection here. In my comments on the academic...
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blazing Saddle Redux - Brian

Blazing Saddle Redux - Brian Lambert, the most unbroadcastworthy broadcast critic ever, has an excellent if typically-blinkered (but oh, no, never politically biased) piece on the departure of Jason Lewis. Read the whole thing. Especially interesting are the insights into...
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Job Hunting or Housecleaning? -

Job Hunting or Housecleaning? - Housecleaning or job hunting? Both! Blogging this morning will be a bit light. This afternoon will be much better!...
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

And The Hits Keep Coming...

And The Hits Keep Coming... - After two days of Chait talk, today's Day By Day seems oddly appropriate....
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mongolians Return to Baghdad, This

Mongolians Return to Baghdad, This Time as Peacekeepers - When I first read this headline on Kinsley's site, I thought it was Scrappleface. It's not. Mongolians. Wow. Hey, too bad the UN isn't involved, so we could get seriously diverse...
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Anyone Wanna Bet - ...that

Anyone Wanna Bet - ...that this story leads all three hours of Joe Soucheray's talk show today?...
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Will the Real Wesley Clark

Will the Real Wesley Clark Stand Up? - Evan Thomas has an excelleng piece on the history of Wesley Clark: To say Clark was unpopular among his fellow officers in the military is an understatement. As he rapidly rose through...
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Look! They Killed PJ! -

Look! They Killed PJ! - Fascinating piece by John Tabin in TechCentral about "South Park Republicans" in the "Blue States". Two issues here: First - there obviously needs to be some rapproachement between red-state conservatives, who come from environments where...
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Toys For Iraqi Tots -

Toys For Iraqi Tots - Chief Wiggles has had one of the most consistently compelling blogs to come out of Iraq. His contributions to the reportage on the war can not in any way be overstated. And it goes on....
Posted by Mitch on September 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

How They Make Liberals -

How They Make Liberals - I took the opposite route of an awful lot of people; I entered college as a McGovern Liberal, and left as a committed Reagan Conservative. Shortly after I moved to the Twin Cities, I met...
Posted by Mitch on September 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hewitt in the Weekly Standard

Hewitt in the Weekly Standard - Many thanks to Lord High Chamberlain Hugh Hewitt for the mention in the Weekly Standard. Hewitt piles on the Chait piece with one more essential fact:Of course, THE WEEKLY STANDARD and other magazines were...
Posted by Mitch on September 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Da Partay - The Fraters'

Da Partay - The Fraters' Elder exhumes something I wrote in February:It's time to start planning my party, for this October. And I may just make it the first blog-centric decade-late housewarming in history - an occasion to meet the...
Posted by Mitch on September 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

By Any Other Name -

By Any Other Name - Spoons, on why being anti-Israel is being anti-Semitic....
Posted by Mitch on September 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cold Spring Shooting

A tragic shooting at the Rocori High School in Cold Spring, Minnesota - in exurban Minneapolis. The Strib takes up the story:: "One of two students shot late this morning at Rocori High School later died, authorities said. The other...
Posted by Mitch on September 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Analyze This

"Folsom" James Phillips writes regarding this morning's article on the Chait article:Think back to the study by a bunch of shrinks out of California a few weeks ago (Stanford or Berzerly?) identifying the psychiatric traits of conservatives. The Chait...
Posted by Mitch on September 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Can't Fool the Fraters -

Can't Fool the Fraters - They're on to me....
Posted by Mitch on September 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Attitude Check - Sgt. Stryker's

Attitude Check - Sgt. Stryker's "Sgt Mom" on Greek anti-American attitudes, then and now....
Posted by Mitch on September 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Your Chaiting Heart - Hugh

Your Chaiting Heart - Hugh Hewitt has called on the Northern Alliance to tackle Jonathan Chait's article, Mad About You: The Case for Bush Hatred," in the New Republic. Look for it in this space, tomorrow morning....
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Comments Are Back - Hopefully,

Comments Are Back - Hopefully, Haloscan (my new comment server) will not wuss out on me, like my last comment server did. Enjoy!...
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Riding the Blazing Saddle Into

Riding the Blazing Saddle Into the Sunset - Jason Lewis is leaving KSTP-AM. The speculation has already begun as to who's going to replace him. For starters; I think KSTP program director Joe O'Brien's made a great move, sliding the...
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Happy Birthday, Brother Ray -

Happy Birthday, Brother Ray - Ray Charles turns 73 today. PowerLine and the Big Trunk write their usual wonderful tribute....
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unsustainable Growth - CuriousFurious ::

Unsustainable Growth - CuriousFurious :: asks the questions nobody else will: "Senator John Kerry can play the environmental Democrat guy all he wants. But I've got news: a hairdo that looks like that involves some secret hair care ritual that...
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kiss Of Death? - Moore

Kiss Of Death? - Moore Endorses Clark, in an "open letter" to the German newpaper Frankfurter Allgemeine. Well, almost:This is not an endorsement. For me, it's too early for that. I have liked Howard Dean (in spite of his flawed...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"But Liberals Love America, Too"

"But Liberals Love America, Too" - Martin Sheen reallly doesn't like his countrymen much, according to Drudge: "American actor and activist Martin Sheen had kind words for Canada when he received an award for being a Christian role model, the...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

French Humanitarianism - Joe Katzman

French Humanitarianism - Joe Katzman of Winds of Change, on the French record in nation-building and peace-keeping....
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

If I Had a Million

If I Had a Million Dollars - Fraters brought up a great point (and a nice plug) the other day. Let's talk about the Star/Tribune and Pioneer Press - and, by extension, nearly every other major newspaper site that I'm...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Now, Is This "Praise by

Now, Is This "Praise by Faint Damnation", or "Damnation by Faint Praise"? - Yale Diva spills the bad news for Howie Dean:According to Newsday, "Jimmy Carter says he sees a little of himself in insurgent Democratic White House candidate Howard...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Irony Towers - The Scholars

Irony Towers - The Scholars point us toward a treasure trove of academic tomfooloery, Erin O'Connor's "Critical Mass" blog. . One piece links to details of an associate of Michael Bellesiles, who is in the same sort of trouble. Another...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's Policy - Lileks wraps

It's Policy - Lileks wraps up the summer with perhaps the classic Bleat; food observations, Gnat adventures, a trip the the Mac store (where else?) and with a subtle, non-screedy political ding at the end. I noted this item: "...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paging Al Franken - Hugh

Paging Al Franken - Hugh Hewitt with a great piece on the Sacramento Bee's capitulation to PC pressure over the SacBee's political reporter Daniel Weintraub. Weintraub dinged Cruz Bustamante; the California Latino Caucus squawked; the Commissioner picks up the narrative:...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Clark

Sullivan writes about the cynicism behind Clark: "[a liberal friend] explained that the white-hot rage at Bush had now tippled over into a cold determination to beat him, by whatever means necessary. I have to say I respect this kind...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Where Do You Want To

Where Do You Want To Feel Homicidal Frustration Today? - Right of Center, on ATMs switching to... ...Windows!...
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

War Roundup - Porphyrogenitus rounds

War Roundup - Porphyrogenitus rounds up the latest war news....
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

One Step Up, Two Steps

One Step Up, Two Steps Back - I did some cleaning up in my blogroll today, whacking a couple of links to blogs that haven't posted in over a month, adding a few that I've started reading lately....
Posted by Mitch on September 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Out for the Weekend -

Out for the Weekend - I'll be going out of town for a bit this weekend. No blogging whatsoever until Sunday night if not Monday morning. Enjoy the...er, sun and fun?...
Posted by Mitch on September 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Handicapping Clark - I'm not

Handicapping Clark - I'm not of the opinion that Wesley Clark is either:The anti-christnot better than the Nine Dwarves.I also don't think he's going to be a threat for the nomination, much less the Oval Office. Ben Domench does a...
Posted by Mitch on September 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bork Bork Bork - First

Bork Bork Bork - First they dump the Euro. Now, Sweden is thinking about following Denmark and Norway, and rolling back at least the worst excesses of socialism. Blogger Edge of England's Sword has an interesting piece on Sweden's tentative...
Posted by Mitch on September 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Contra Les Americains!

=Jay Reding on Fouad Ajami's excellent piece on the roots of French anti-Americanism. It's not something we'll placate by just giving in to them, or the UN, or anyone....
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Beating Martin - On a

Beating Martin - On a local email politics discussion group, I asked a local liberal "exactly what liberties have you, or anyone, lost due to the Patriot Act". He responded with Martin Niemöller's famous aphorism:First they came for the Jews...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Liberal Blogosphere Tour, Part III

Liberal Blogosphere Tour, Part III - As part of my continuing tour of lefty blogs, I visited the Daily Kos. Kos is better than the typical run of the mill lefty blogger; if nothing else, he hatched the "Political State...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Other Kennedy - Minnesota

The Other Kennedy - Minnesota Sixth District Representative Mark Kennedy recently visited Iraq, and writes about it in the PiPress. Kennedy has lots of interesting observations - on the morale of the troops (not high, but workaday matter-of-fact, as is...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"Repeal" Watch - The local

"Repeal" Watch - The local "Repeal Concealed Carry" movement is losing momentum faster than Britney Spears. And I don't think Madonna's going to give them a big smooch onstage to rev things up for them. However, in the great North...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Absence of Knowledge - Josh

Absence of Knowledge - Josh Marshall continues to confirm Berg's Law of Liberal Commentary on Iraq (see upper-right corner of this blog) in last Sunday's edition of his blog. The left continues to believe that the war on terror is...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rock on the Right? -

Rock on the Right? - You don't hear much rock and roll that makes you sit up and say "Jeez - that sounds downright Republican". I was listening to the Franky Perez CD the other day. It took a few...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Clark - All Wrong -

Clark - All Wrong - David Frum on all - or at least many - of reasons Wesley Clark is not only a bad choice, the but a spectacularly bad oneDemocrats think they can inoculate themselves from the charge of...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Close. No Cigar - It

Close. No Cigar - It finally happened - the Stribgot into the blog business. Sort of. On the one hand; lots of links to blogs, including the Fraters and Lileks. On the other hand; the bloggers are pretty universally slanted...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Blogosphere's Best and Worst

The Blogosphere's Best and Worst of 9/11+2 - Lots of writing on 9/11. Although nobody asked me, I'm going to sort though my best and worst of 9/11 on the blogosphere. It's the least I can do. The Best Lileks...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More On Albright - The

More On Albright - The Commissioner of the Northern Alliance, Hugh Hewitt, adds to what I said below about Madeline Albright's contention that Algore would have headed off 9/11: "Secretary Albright is peddling a book, and so interviews are to...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paging Orwell - Need a

Paging Orwell - Need a break that's both depressing and comic relief? That's right - the Democratic National Committee has a blog. More later....
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Not Blaspheming - Yesterday, I

Not Blaspheming - Yesterday, I wrote about Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame nominee Patti Smith "Easily the most overrated person in punk music; let's wait a year or two (although I think she did "Because the Night" better than...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

English Majors, Unite! - I

English Majors, Unite! - I love this one,, via Volokh: "A man is on his first visit to Boston, and he wants to try some of that delicious New England seafood that he'd long heard about. So he gets into...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pucker Time - Waiting on

Pucker Time - Waiting on two jobs - or technically three. I interviewed for one job - let's call it "Job A" - last week with two separate, distinct sets of qualifications. For one set, my qualifications are stellar. For...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Enter Clark - The near-left

Enter Clark - The near-left is singing the Alleluiah Chorus - Wesley Clark is going to enter the presidential race today. His supporters claim his leadership experience as one of his main qualifications. But while Clark (who came up through...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hmmmm - Fraters' post yesterday

Hmmmm - Fraters' post yesterday sparked the "mad scientist" in me. More on this tomorrow....
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Let Them Eat Back-Issues -

Let Them Eat Back-Issues - Donald Luskin of Keep Them Poor And Stupid, and Silvain Galineau of Chicago Boyz both tear into Paul Krugman's latest smear effort. Galineau starts by quoting Krugman: " Think it's more than a bit of...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Is It Real... - ...or

Is It Real... - ...or is it ScrappleFace, yet again?...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Art Parrots Life - HBO's

Art Parrots Life - HBO's new series, "K Street", stars James Carville as "James Carville", Mary Matalin as "Mary Matalin", and a cast of thousands as...themselves. Says Timothy Noah in Slate:K Street—the new HBO series from producers Steven Soderbergh and...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paging Richard Daley - From

Paging Richard Daley - From "the Corner", this outrageous quote from Jeffrey "What Plutonium" Smith: "'Whether [Gen. Clark] runs or not, the views that he, Gen. Zinni and others have recently been expressing must be heeded. All of the men...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Intimidation - Christiana Amanpour said

Intimidation - Christiana Amanpour said that CNN was "too intimidated" by the Administration and by Fox News to do its job. How, I ask, could CNN's ostensible competitor "intimidate" CNN? Randal Robinson has the answers"The Top 10 Ways Fox News...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tribute - Jay Reding starts

Tribute - Jay Reding starts his tribute to Flight 93: "Just 90 minutes after the terrorists started their attack, they lost their first battle to a group of Americans armed with little else than their courage. This is their story."Someday,...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wow - High Praise indeed

Wow - High Praise indeed from the Commissioner, in yesterday's installment of his blog:A very fine interview of Powerline's John Hindrocket by Israpundit. Among other things, the Israpundit asks why Powerline has moved from triumph to triumph. JH makes nice...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Drink the Rich! - Pioneer

Drink the Rich! - Pioneer Press columnist Laura Billings still doesn't get it. Today's column starts out discussing the "creative" ways school districts and cities have come up with to raise more money:Here in the Recovery Belt, we know that...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Just Like the Maltese Falcon

Just Like the Maltese Falcon - Today's Bleat closes with a bit of detective work, ending with:So I’m going to call them back tomorrow, and ask them: “I’m curious how you matched a phone number, a specific name, an address,...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Newsroom of Whores - The

Newsroom of Whores - The media'd never knuckle under to a tyrant, would it? Our fourth estate would never dream of taking the path of least resistance - no? John Burns of the NYTImes says "not so fast"> Terror, totalitarian...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Strangely Appropriate - Is it

Strangely Appropriate - Is it real, or is it Scrappleface?...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rock and Roll Hall of

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - There's a whole new slate of nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. George Harrison - The only thing notable about this nomination is that is actually is happening after Lennon...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cowboys vs. Bureaucrats - Mark

Cowboys vs. Bureaucrats - Mark Steyn has this superb piece on what the Anna Lindh murder says about Swedish, Euro and American society:You can blame it on a lack of police, as everyone's doing. But Lindh's killer didn't get away...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

In The Control Room of

In The Control Room of the Beast - I'm pondering getting involved with a local non-profit communications group. I went to an orientation meeting the other day, and was amazed by the ways in which the group's governing body -...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Toward Genuine Education- This post

Toward Genuine Education- This post involves a meeting of very different -yet similar - minds. It's clear that something needs to be done about education in this country. Perhaps that answer is to privatize it. I agree, in the same...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Segway or the Highway -

Segway or the Highway - Saw my first Segway the other day, while driving up Fairview Avenue in Highland Park. I guess I'll think about getting one when I see how they are merging into freeway traffic......
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Feds: Recall Nixed, Ari Deep-Sixed,

Feds: Recall Nixed, Ari Deep-Sixed, Ahnold Perplixed - The Ninth Circuit has just delayed the recall until March 1: "A federal appeals court postponed California's Oct. 7 gubernatorial recall election, ruling Monday that the historic vote cannot proceed because some...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Among the True Believers -

Among the True Believers - The Fraters beat me to yesterday's Pioneer Press cover story, a report from inside an Iraqi guerrilla group, and did a great job commenting on it. Read their piece; it's a good one. My first...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Karaoke in the UK -

Karaoke in the UK - According to Ananova, via Powerline, these are the favorite Karaoke songs in the UK:1 Daydream Believer - The Monkees 2 My Way - Frank Sinatra 3 I will Survive - Gloria Gaynor 4 New York,...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ya Sure, You Betcha -

Ya Sure, You Betcha - If there's one thing I really, really hate, it's the way local media reflexively cite "Minnesota Nice" as an all-purpose description of our culture, and the constant referral to that groll-farbed 1973 Time magazine cover...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Peace of the Dead

The Peace of the Dead - Ian Buruma in the Financial Times, on why the best recruiting tool for modern conservatism may be - modern liberals. A cash drawer full of money quotes in this rather long piece - but...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

36 - With Thursday's override

36 - With Thursday's override of Governor Bob Holden's veto of Missouri's concealed carry bill, within thirty days Missouri will become the latest "shall issue" state. The Senate's 23-10 vote to override the veto met the bare minimum required for...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Locheim! - Our comrades in

Locheim! - Our comrades in the Northern Alliance, Powerline, have been declared IsraPundit's Site of the Week....
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

testing the post to the

testing the post to the future feature on Friday, September 12....
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

An Ex_Terrorist - So is

An Ex_Terrorist - So is Bin Laden alive? The Chicago Boyz opine: "So, nu? That's it? Osama walking on some rocks, with a voice over? Riiiiight. This convinces me Osama's friggin' dead, or so beat to sh*t that they don't...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Didn't We Get Rid of

Didn't We Get Rid of Him? - Bill Maher has a blog Granted, you have to beat the bushes among some of the tinfoil-hatted moonbat lefty blogs to find any links to it, but it's out there. Here's some typical...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hu-whaaa? - This anti-Bush blog

Hu-whaaa? - This anti-Bush blog - oh-so-cleverly called "smirkingchimp.com", which is itself a commentary on liberals' alleged intellectual power - has nothing really to recommend it; there's less there there than in most blogs. The site really just recycles anti-Bush...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"Ooh, That's an Ugly Bomb"

"Ooh, That's an Ugly Bomb" - Pioneer Press media critic Brian "The Press Isn't Liberal!" Lambert exhibits his keen understanding of weapons of mass destruction:ABC's "bomb" — a "device" so nasty and obvious-looking you'd swear Bullwinkle's nemesis, Boris Badenov, wired...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Doesn't Add Up - Last

Doesn't Add Up - Last week, ABC was whacking its audience over the head with "controversy"; radio promos for its story about its' smuggling of "Depleted Uranium" into the United States from Indonesia, to test Homeland practically crowed about how...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Let's Hear It For The

Let's Hear It For The Rodents! - On the N.Z. Bear's Blogosphere Ecosystem, I'm currently ranked #632 among participating blogs - which puts me in the "Adorable Rodents" category (as compared with the likes of Instapundit (#1) and Lileks (#10),...
Posted by Mitch on September 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Irresistable Force, meet Immovable Object

Irresistable Force, meet Immovable Object - The Star-Tribune "Minnesota Poll" has some "surprising" opinions about the Minnesota Personal Protection Act. The poll was taken right about the time the law passed its third month anniversary. shows that Minnesotans who fear...
Posted by Mitch on September 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Republican War - Via

The Republican War - Via Sullivan, a fascinating piece by Lawrence Kaplan on why the war on terror seems to be an exclusive Republican effort. Money quote:Does this mean that all Americans have reverted to pre-September 11 type? Not exactly....
Posted by Mitch on September 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Thin Film of Common Sense

Thin Film of Common Sense - Note to people flogging ultraliberal causes: when even the Strib Editorial Board comes out against you, you should probably reconsider your strategery. Minnesota's two biggest public employee unions are talking strike again. Their last...
Posted by Mitch on September 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Weekend - Have a good

Weekend - Have a good one. See you Monday with a whole bunch of stuff (much of which, due to the miracle of "Post to the Future", was written yesterday!)....
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Unbiased NPR - Instapundit

The Unbiased NPR - Instapundit cued me into something I'd almost forgotten about - an interview I heard Thursday night on "The World", with Terry Gross interviewing Ann Garrels, NPR's woman on the street in the Bagh for much of...
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Confessions - I'm a pretty

Confessions - I'm a pretty regular guy. I live in St. Paul, not Edina. I drive a Saturn, not a Lexus. I shop at Cub, not Whole Foods (although there's no beating the produce at Mississippi Market. But I don't...
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

When Statists Melt Down

Read this online debate on the Cato website - actually an exchange of emails - between Johan Norberg and Robert Kutner, on the history of capitalism. Watch Kutner slowly start to lose it. I expect to read about him sitting...
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Yesterday By Day - I

Yesterday By Day - I liked this episode....
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rolled - Woo Hoo! Powerline

Rolled - Woo Hoo! Powerline has finally blogrolled Shot In The Dark (along with our friends the Fraters and the Scholars). Thanks, guys! First Instapundit, then Hewitt, now Powerline...hm. What next? Ah, yes. Vodkapundit. My sights are set. ALSO: Hey,...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Absence Noted - Elder from

Absence Noted - Elder from Fraters attended the 9/11 memorial last night, and I have to commend his memory; he noted that the bagpipers were the Minnesota Pipes and Drums, remembered that that's my band, and mentioned my absence. Which...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Level the Peaks, Fill In

Level the Peaks, Fill In The Valleys - Frabjous day, callooh, callay; Blogger has just made all their "Blogger Pro" features available to freebie users like me. What does this mean? Well, for me, it means that I can start...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

2003 - Doublespeak Finally Adopted

2003 - Doublespeak Finally Adopted - The Star-Tribune editorial board outdoes itself with today's editoral, begging the question: do they carry the Democrats' water in a big jug, or in individual bottles?: "Almost immediately following the attacks of Sept. 11,...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

RIP Johnny Cash - Johnny

RIP Johnny Cash - Johnny Cash passed away, surviving the his wife, the late June Carter Cash by four months. Cash, Zevon, Strummer, Joey and Dee Dee Ramone, Stuart Adamson, Ben Orr, George Harrison - it's truly been a dismal...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Latest - The Minnesota

The Latest - The Minnesota Poll has tended to be as accurate as Baghdad Bob, only not as entertaining. You remember the Minnesota Polls before the 2002 midterm elections? The Democrats and the Strib certainly hope you don't. The Strib...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Coulda Been - We came

Coulda Been - We came so close... GORE'S TERROR POLICY "THIS CLOSE" WASHINGTON, D.C. (Reuters) - President Gore says passage of his landmark anti-terror legislation is "this close", after a frantic week of negotiations with a Congress he's simply not...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

OK... - ...now, I'm really

OK... - ...now, I'm really taking off to get ready for the interview. Prayers and other karmic infusions gratefully accepted as always. Good News, Bad News - If I read correctly, we had both in the St. Paul School Board...
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tick Tock - Ripped from

Tick Tock - Ripped from the headlines: "The government of Iran has begun preparations to resist a military invasion by the United States scheduled for the year 2015. The attack will come after 12 years of attempts to get Iran...
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Vital Music News - Elder

Vital Music News - Elder from Fraters Libertas worries about my post ribbing JB Doubtless' taste in music:"Does this mean that my dreams for a Northern Alliance band (JB on geetar, Lileks on keyboards, Atomizer on triangle, and Mitch on...
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wednesday - Big interview at

Wednesday - Big interview at 1PM. I may also hear about another job I interviewed for a while ago. On Valentine's Day. No, seriously - the requisition may finally open today. And they say American business isn't cautious enough....
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

No Doubt - To balance

No Doubt - To balance this morning's screed about Fraters' JB Doubtless' attack on Zevon unfair, let me join with Doubtless in urging you to tune in Medved today, as he tangles with Al Franken. I may roll tape....
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Battle for the Heart -

Battle for the Heart - Powerline refers us to a fascinating article by Karl Zinmeister, whom they describe thus:the editor of the American Enterprise magazine and an enterprising journalist. He served as an embedded reporter with the 82nd Airborne; his...
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Busy Morning - Some domestic

Busy Morning - Some domestic BS, plus I have to do some research for a second interview tomorrow. Pointers to information on Rational Unified Process, UML and Use Case Modeling will all be gratefully accepted. Profiles In Cluelessness - There's...
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Broderick, Again - Richard Broderick

Broderick, Again - Richard Broderick - a Green candidate for the St. Paul School Board - is at it again with his latest press release:Of the key proposals I have presented in my race for the St. Paul School Board...
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Immigrant-Bashing Immigrants - Immigrant bashing.

Immigrant-Bashing Immigrants - Immigrant bashing. Ethnic stereotyping. Absolute intolerance of real diversity. Isn't that what the Democrats way Republicans are all about? Sergeant Stryker reports on a Nuremburgesque pro-Davis rally, starting with a Davis quote:"'You shouldn't be governor unless you...
Posted by Mitch on September 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Conscience - Oliver Willis

The Conscience - Oliver Willis channels Jonathan Alter, who notes Britney Spears' vacuous quote from last week:Britney Spears, best known recently for a lip lock with Madonna, is hardly an authority on the political ramifications of September 11. But Spears...
Posted by Mitch on September 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Drift - David Warren, on

Drift - David Warren, on his switch from the Anglican/Episcopal Church to the Catholics. Midwest Conservative Journal has been admirably and productively obsessed with what it calls the Episcopal Church's drift away from Christianity, also. Some fascinating reading. I'll have...
Posted by Mitch on September 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Speech - The President

The Speech - The President took back some of the momentum with last night's speech. This part was key:Second, we are committed to expanding international cooperation in the reconstruction and security of Iraq, just as we are in Afghanistan. Our...
Posted by Mitch on September 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Art of War - A

Art of War - A fascinating piece in Chicago Boyz about Steve Mumford, an artist currently drawing post-war Baghdad. It's a fascinating piece - both the Boyz' bit and the original Artnet piece. Read 'em both. Engrossing. "Drawing here takes...
Posted by Mitch on September 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

DuToit Connects - With a

DuToit Connects - With a post I could have written at any point in the past fifteen years. Lupino, Bergman, Bacall, and the list goes on. Sharon Stone? Sarah Jessica Parker? Pfft. This is one of few areas where the...
Posted by Mitch on September 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Powerline Contra Marshall - Interesting,

Powerline Contra Marshall - Interesting, I think, that Power Line gets an entirely different take on the Washington Post Al-Quaeda story: "Read David Horowitz's Washington Times column 'How to look at the war on terror' together with the Washington Post's...
Posted by Mitch on September 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Massage Not Lest Ye Be

Massage Not Lest Ye Be Massaged - The story from the left is this: The Bush Administration made up a bunch of things about Iraq, and will keep looking until it finds proof to match its preconceptions. To reach this...
Posted by Mitch on September 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The First Bonehead - The

The First Bonehead - The anti-gun left smells blood. The fact that it's just ketchup escapes them and their pals, the media. The Pioneer Press reported the story of a guy in north-suburban Anoka County who got into a stupid...
Posted by Mitch on September 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

New Year - It's my

New Year - It's my tenth autumn here in the Midway. I first moved to the Midway in 1987 - and with about a two-year gap from '89 to '91, I've lived here ever since. I moved into this house...
Posted by Mitch on September 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Couture du Trashe Blanc -

Couture du Trashe Blanc - When I was a kid, tattoos meant one of two things:One had been in the service, where tattoos have always been a sort of rite of passage, orOne was sort of a low-life. Things, of...
Posted by Mitch on September 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Still Working On It -

Still Working On It - the computer, that is. I'm having a very arcane hardware problem. I'll probably catch up on posting over the weekend....
Posted by Mitch on September 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

Travails - More computer trouble,

Travails - More computer trouble, plus a possible phone job interview later today - we'll see. More posting later, when we'll try to answer the questions: Will Fraters and Hugh patch it up? Is Sullivan going to the dark side?...
Posted by Mitch on September 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Why? - Electric Venom states

Why? - Electric Venom states the resentful feminist case against the Islamic fundies. Nothing new - but lots of old stuff you may have forgotten, in one convenient package. (Via Instapundit)...
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Good Vs. Evil. Then Shopping

Good Vs. Evil. Then Shopping - Virginia Postrel starts the discussion about the gross misapprehension of America's real values:Americans had forgotten bourgeois virtue. Freedom and affluence had made us soft. We were self-indulgent moral nihilists -- materialistic, selfish, and impulsive....
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Women Glow and Men Chunder

Women Glow and Men Chunder - Daughter is feeling fine today, but son and I are both home, sick as the proverbial dogs. Blogging will either be nonexistent or obsessive, depending on how this headache plays out. Notice is Served...
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

"Saint Paul DFLer Sentenced for

"Saint Paul DFLer Sentenced for Bank Robbery Murder" - Wouldn't that have been a wierd headline? Of course. To have put out such a headline about the sentencing of Kathleen Soliah would have implied that Soliah's politics were an element...
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Museum of Communism - Radley

Museum of Communism - Radley Balko at Fox News writes about the struggle to create a memorial to victims of Communism: "Most of us are justifiably revolted at the sight of a teenage kid wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a...
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Quote Of The Day -

Quote Of The Day - Lileks, natch:That’s the good thing about the Dark Side. Eventually, your eyes adjust.Even working on a .NET project looks good right now....
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Weekend - The irony

The Weekend - The irony of being a long-term unemployed (that's what the Department of Labor calls me now!) on Labor Day weekend didn't escape me. Still, it was a great weekend. Saw Franky Perez at the Bandshell on Saturday...
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Due To Gun Control, Part

Due To Gun Control, Part CVI - Spoon has a long, fascinating post on the ramifications, not only of Chicago's unconstitutional gun ban, but of the consequences of the gun-control "moderates'" favorite solution, registration. It seems the last-registered owner of...
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

It's The Terror, Stupid -

It's The Terror, Stupid - Geoffrey Wheatcroft in the Spectator (via Sullivan), on the intellectual self-destruction of the Left after 9/11, over the only issue that really matters: Terror. Remember - Wheatcroft's no dittohead:"Two years later, the sorriest consequence of...
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Crossfired - I cut my

Crossfired - I cut my political teeth watching "Crossfire". Back about the time I was converting from liberalism, the show crackled with energy. Original hosts Tom Braden and a pre-boogeyman Pat Buchanan attacked their topics and guests with a flood...
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Real, or Satire? - Which

Real, or Satire? - Which is satire, and which is reality: A, or B. Remember - no fair peeking: A - "U.N. Troops to Lead 'Operation Haughty Weasel':"It's really a goodwill gesture," said U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. "We want to...
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Manic Tuesday - Very busy

Manic Tuesday - Very busy day today - job interview, plus getting the accursed computer working again. More about the Labor Day weekend, my computer woes, plus notes on America's Next Third Party, the Democrats, either tonight (if I'm lucky...
Posted by Mitch on September 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6)

Joint Statement - Scrappleface calls

Joint Statement - Scrappleface calls it exactly right. The so-called 'blogosphere' today released an official statement on the potential 2004 presidential candidacy of Sen. Hillary Clinton. The complete statement reads as follows: Please...Oh, Please...Oh, Please. Heh.Indeed. Heh. OK - now...
Posted by Mitch on August 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Blogging - the Foxfire Way

Blogging - the Foxfire Way - Day two without a computer. May have it back by Wednesday at this rate - maybe. Between the 60-minute limit they have at most libraries, and the demands of my job-hunting, I'm getting kinda...
Posted by Mitch on August 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Meet The New Left. Same

Meet The New Left. Same As the Very Old Left - The left - from Jeff Fecke to Josh Marshall and everyone in between - is all but declaring victory in 2004 already. They see the President's slip below 60%...
Posted by Mitch on August 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Minister of Whaaaahuh? - Memo:

Minister of Whaaaahuh? - Memo: To: Fraters, Hewitt From: Berg Subject: Feud I'm not sure what's up with the dispute between the Fraters and Hugh Hewitt, on which Lileks opined this morning. Cheese it, guys. We have a blogosphere to...
Posted by Mitch on August 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

North Korea - In the

North Korea - In the church I used to go to, there was a woman that always reminded me of the rampantly-bigoted South African woman in P.J. O'Rourke's "Holidays in Hell" - the one O'Rourke called, and I'm paraphrasing, ugly...
Posted by Mitch on August 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More On North Korea -

More On North Korea - Check out Fraters and the SCSU Scholars. Both are also answering Hugh Hewitt's call:Like Rwanda, Cambodia and germany before it, North Korea today is a country of death. The few who raise their voices against...
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6)

Cold Turkey - My computer

Cold Turkey - My computer is in the shop. My office desk beckons to me, but when I sit down to try to write something, or surf my favorite site, there's no computer there. I sit, hollow-eyed, and start to...
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

History Calling - Walking through

History Calling - Walking through the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC is, to say the least, sobering. An elevator carries you up to the uppermost of the four floors, as a speaker plays a recording (or uncanny simulation) of an...
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Just You Wait - My

Just You Wait - My computer is incredibly susceptible to humidity. First the mouse dies, then the computer locks up. When the humidity is low (say, at 4AM), I can work for an hour or more before lockup. When it...
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7)

Homecoming - Lieutenant Smash describes

Homecoming - Lieutenant Smash describes his homecoming from Kuwait. It's a great read. Welcome home, LT....
Posted by Mitch on August 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7)

Grrrrr - I can work

Grrrrr - I can work on my computer either very late at night, or very early in the morning. Outside that window, it seems to work for a bit. Then, the mouse locks up, and I'm limited to using keyboard...
Posted by Mitch on August 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

Aiding and Abetting - Via

Aiding and Abetting - Via Powerline, this comment about the links between the UN and the institution of terror. First, read the quote: "For more than a quarter of a century, the U.N. has actively encouraged terrorism by rewarding its...
Posted by Mitch on August 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Our Enlightened Academy - Yesterday,

Our Enlightened Academy - Yesterday, we poked fun at Saint Cloud State's diversity training. Today? Not funny anymore. King, from the SCSU Scholars, was there. And he wrote a letter to Limbaugh about it: "If your office mate wants to...
Posted by Mitch on August 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Now That You've Caught Him,

Now That You've Caught Him, Time To Let Him Go - The Strib turns a blind moral eye to the Hatch/Pawlenty "feud". Of course, like all reportage in Minnesota during Fair Season, it's got to start with a big plate...
Posted by Mitch on August 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Marshall, Again - Longtime reader

Marshall, Again - Longtime reader EB noted my observations about Josh Marshall, and listed his own:To: Subject: "Dr." Josh Marshall Don't let the bright lights fool ya; Josh Marshall is as ignorant as they come. He might know a few...
Posted by Mitch on August 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Pack, Not A Herd

A Pack, Not A Herd - Longtime reader MC was flipping through a copy of Lavender - a local gay magazine - when he saw this letter to the editor:Subject: Lavender I was in a coffee shop on Saturday night...
Posted by Mitch on August 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unspoiled - So Lileks spend

Unspoiled - So Lileks spend the week partying with Hewitt, and breaking bread (or cracking cylinders) with Medved. In the meantime, the Fraters guys were either sucking up to Hewitt for a ride in the Jag, or chasing Patriot glitterati...
Posted by Mitch on August 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hot, Hot, Hot - I

Hot, Hot, Hot - I hate heat. I'm a winter person. It could certainly be worse, though. France may have suffered 10,000 deaths from heat in the past month. According to Virginia Postrel (via Instapundit), France's addiction to socialism may...
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The News Cycle, 2003 -

The News Cycle, 2003 - The Lemon has it figured out. Hilarious. (Via Bovious)...
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dream, Accomplished - Call it

Dream, Accomplished - Call it "aiming very low" if you'd like, but I've always thought it would be a kick to have one of my offhanded comments included in some other blog's masthead. And now - voila! You could observe...
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Words Matter

Josh Marshall seems to be the leading blogger of the left these days. Truth be told, I have a hard time reading most lefty-bloggers. I'm not talking the ignorant, stupid ones (I have a hard time reading ignorant stupid conservative...
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dollars for...Diversity - The SCSU

Dollars for...Diversity - The SCSU Scholars report that their administration has resorted to bribery to get faculty to attend diversity training:Today comes word from the new Dean of our College of Business that the President of St. Cloud State University...
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Terrorists Have Won -

The Terrorists Have Won - First they came for the smokers. And I said "I'm not a smoker, it doesn't affect me." Then they came for the SUVs. And I said "Pfft. I drive a Saturn. Get lost." Then they...
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ninety-Five Posts - Midwest Conservative

Ninety-Five Posts - Midwest Conservative Journal is all over the gradual drift of the Anglican/Episcopal Church into a non-Christian institution. Even though I'm in a denomination that trends toward the far-left politically, I guess I'm still shocked - newly-so, which...
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

No Pix - Went to

No Pix - Went to the State Fair Friday night:Had an eggroll (Mmm, good), a Chicago dog (I'm still feeling it), and a couple of beers. Met Lileks for the first time in about fifteen years.Saw Gary Puckett briefly at...
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Got Our Mojo Workin' -

Got Our Mojo Workin' - Jeff Fecke writes Blog of the Moderate Left. He did a piece last Friday, claiming that the left - lefty blogs - had seized the initiative:"Before the war, the righty blogs had all the mojo....
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Al Franken Is a Boring,

Al Franken Is a Boring, Passe Idiot - And a lucky one - Fox News' lawsuit against him was dismissed. Ernest Svenson comments: "Fox, and its lawyers, seem to have bungled quite badly --losing not only the battle but perhaps...
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Flush - The current status

Flush - The current status of Iraqis in the "Deck of Cards"....
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Accidentally Like A Martyr -

Accidentally Like A Martyr - Powerline draws our attention to this superb NYTimes piece by Anthony DeCurtis (the only Rolling Stone writer today worth wasting ink on) on . Warren Zevon. It's all worth a read. I liked the close:Mr....
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Extremely Funny - Davejames' "Curious/Furious"

Extremely Funny - Davejames' "Curious/Furious" is now on my weekly read list. He should be on yours, too....
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Houserockers - In the late

Houserockers - In the late seventies, there was a group from Pittsburgh called the Iron City Houserockers. Now, normally at that point of the post I'd link the name "Iron City Houserockers" to one of the host of fan sites...
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

This Doesn't Count - Next

This Doesn't Count - Next week, we'll be talking about:Alpha BoysA death penalty case that's kinda interestingMy first attempt at a fan siteMike HatchUrban Conservatism. Really.OK. Now I'm off for the weekend....
Posted by Mitch on August 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

How The Other Half Lives

How The Other Half Lives - How nice must it be to be an Andrew Sullivan. He holds a fund drive, and rakes in $80,000 twice a year. Then, he takes off the entire month of August. And when he...
Posted by Mitch on August 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Not Just For Sandbags Anymore

Not Just For Sandbags Anymore - Pioneer Press columnist Nick Coleman has noticed that sometimes the National Guard has to be soldiers: "The Minnesota National Guard is seeing a lot of action these days. Maybe too much. Instead of sandbags,...
Posted by Mitch on August 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

State Fair - I live

State Fair - I live in the Midway, so the State Fair usually means snarled traffic (although as a resident, I know all the shortcuts that the madding mass of fairgoers don't) and endless lines of tired or drunk people...
Posted by Mitch on August 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

He Who Owns the Press

He Who Owns the Press - Good news from the FCC, as Michael Powell appears to be leaning toward approving low-power FM radio licensing. The licensing - which would allow FM stations with a range of around 3 miles -...
Posted by Mitch on August 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dirty Harvey? - Fraters brings

Dirty Harvey? - Fraters brings us the story of Hennepin County judge Harvey Ginsburg, who took the law into his own hands (allegedly) when he caught some boys who'd allegedgly stolen his son's bike: One teenager told the officer that...
Posted by Mitch on August 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Will the Real Arianna Please

Will the Real Arianna Please Stand Up? - Susan Estrich on the depths of Huffington's opportunism - which is now affecting her family:"On the day she announced her candidacy at 'A Place Called Home,' in South Central Los Angeles, her...
Posted by Mitch on August 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Daschle and the Media -

Daschle and the Media - South Dakota's major newspaper, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, has been in bed with Tom Daschle throughout his career. Talon News - a web site which has been working the story - takes it from...
Posted by Mitch on August 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Janklow - South Dakota Politics

Janklow - South Dakota Politics has coverage on the accident involving Rep. (and former Governor) Bill Janklow and Minnesotan Randolph Scott. Janklow allegedly ran a stop sign and hit motorcyclist Scott, killing him. South Dakota Politics is an excellent blog...
Posted by Mitch on August 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Davis Toast, Arnold the Most

Davis Toast, Arnold the Most - According to the Today show, 59% of Californians favor the recall, and Ahnold is leading by five points....
Posted by Mitch on August 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kids TV - This is

Kids TV - This is the first summer in memory the kids have had TV. I'm only exaggerating a little. Two years ago, our TV broke just about the time school let out. At least, that's what I told the...
Posted by Mitch on August 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Citizens for Disarmed Victims -

Citizens for Disarmed Victims - The "Repeal Concealed Carry" "movement" is taking one mighty swing at relevance. They'll be staffing a booth at the State Fair this year. I plan on stopping by and going through their literature, point by...
Posted by Mitch on August 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shopping List - My pal

Shopping List - My pal Flash from down the street (not his real name) has been hearing my endless list of things I want/need to get when I finally get a job above subsistence level. He said I should put...
Posted by Mitch on August 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Forget Arnold? - Longtime reader

Forget Arnold? - Longtime reader PZ writes:Also there’s another conservative in the CA governor’s race who isn’t getting much press, but I thought you might want to check out her website if for no other reason then to add her...
Posted by Mitch on August 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Northern Alliance Trivia Slapdown?- Fraters

Northern Alliance Trivia Slapdown?- Fraters see themselves as trivia buffs. I may have to try this Keegan's place....
Posted by Mitch on August 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kids In America - I

Kids In America - I wouldn't say that my college was "conservative". Far from it - most of the faculty was as solidly left-wing as anyone at MacAlester. But most of the students - the children of farm kids and...
Posted by Mitch on August 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Terror - Little Green Footballs

Terror - Little Green Footballs covers the left brain. Lileks covers the right. Mindless, pointless speculation: I'll bet anything that the old political prohibition about cooperating with Israel, lest the "Arab Street" rebel en masse, is now as cold and...
Posted by Mitch on August 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Tricky Day - I

Another Tricky Day - I know I've written this post before. I may write it again. This is the part of the job hunt that I hate the most. Waiting to hear if I made it to the final round...
Posted by Mitch on August 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nub of the Gist -

Nub of the Gist - DJ Tice has a great column on the reasons underlying the media circus that scuppered the Pentagon's 'Terror market" last month. The market - which would have used market methods to assign a market value...
Posted by Mitch on August 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whodunnit - Instapundit notes that

Whodunnit - Instapundit notes that there are lots of people with motive in this morning's bombing at the UN compound in Baghdad.The problem is that everyone in Iraq, both pro- and anti-Saddam, has a reason to dislike the U.N., which...
Posted by Mitch on August 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sorry - Our condolences and

Sorry - Our condolences and prayers go out to Hugh Hewitt, whose father reportedly passed away today....
Posted by Mitch on August 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mischkified - Scrappleface is on

Mischkified - Scrappleface is on a roll:Hillary Clinton: "Power Grid became Antiquated Last Year""Coalition Pulls Out, Peace Returns to Iraq"Best of all - "Expert Traces Path of Blackout Surge"Scrappleface - making Monday mornings bearable for the past year....
Posted by Mitch on August 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Strib - the Ugly Americans

Strib - the Ugly Americans - Whilst eating at a cafe in sunny Toscano - oh, heh heh, excuse me, in English that's "TUS-cany", I'm sorry, I can hardly stop lapsing into Italian since my trip to Italy...did I mention...
Posted by Mitch on August 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Just As Every Cop Is

Just As Every Cop Is A Criminal - According to today's Strib, it's really the Democrats who are "fiscally responsible":A group of prominent Democratic economists organized a conference call last week to blast the economic performance of President Bush. Nobel...
Posted by Mitch on August 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Scheer Lunacy

The Strib editorial page was...an embarassment of riches? No, the Strib editorial page was rich with embarassment yesterday. Of course, every time they print the execrable Robert Scheer, it's throwing chum to the fisk gallery. Yesterday's installment, "A bid...
Posted by Mitch on August 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Injustice

So after all these years, I figured someone on the web, somewhere, had to have done a tribute site to the greatest band you never heard, the Iron City Houserockers. . The Houserockers were led by a Pittsburgh special-ed teacher...
Posted by Mitch on August 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Unbearable Heaviness of Waiting

The Unbearable Heaviness of Waiting - I'm not a particularly analytical person, normally. In most cases, I'm a far-right-brain, "goal" person. I focus on the big picture, and have a pretty high threshold for "the small stuff" ("Is it potentially...
Posted by Mitch on August 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deja Whaaaa? - So driving

Deja Whaaaa? - So driving down County B2 in Roseville last night past the Pavilion theatre, I saw a marquee for the movie... ...S.W.A.T? SWAT? One of the worst TV shows of the seventies, even to my action-crazy 10-year-old mind?...
Posted by Mitch on August 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Firefight Etiquette

When on patrol or approaching an enemy position, soldiers use hand signals to communicate. I've been bombarded with requests for information on patrol fieldcraft, so we can start here, with this combat hand signal reference. (Via Boviosity)...
Posted by Mitch on August 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Magic - I love this

Magic - I love this story. Try that at a hockey game....
Posted by Mitch on August 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

All's Well that's Not Investigated

All's Well that's Not Investigated Yet - I caught a few minutes of Hewitt last night, while station-surfing (and in the rare moments I could get the car radio away from "Radio Disney"). Hewitt was interviewing Joshua Micah Marshall, one...
Posted by Mitch on August 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Things Best Left Undiscovered -

Things Best Left Undiscovered - When my son, Sam, was about three years old, he started talking about a character, "Chickenstein". Now, Sam has had this strange, quirky, dry sense of humor, combined with an outrageous imagination, since he was...
Posted by Mitch on August 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mittyism - Yesterday, I focused

Mittyism - Yesterday, I focused on a demi-literate rant site, Rush Limbaughtomy. The Spoons Experience rang the site up for some particularly, egregiously lousy writing combined with some grossly wishful thinking. I linked to them specifically as an example of...
Posted by Mitch on August 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Swamped - Busy with a

Swamped - Busy with a deliverable to a client right now. That, and getting ready for an interview on Thursday. [insert usual pleas for prayers and best wishes here]. Tomorrow - Urban Conservatism. Probably. Condolences - to the family and...
Posted by Mitch on August 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Two Tribes - Midwest Conservative

Two Tribes - Midwest Conservative Journal has an excellent piece on what the Gene Robinson matter means to the Episcopal Church - and liberal Christianity. CBN reporter Wendy Griffith asked Robinson how he reconciles the gay lifestyle with the Bible....
Posted by Mitch on August 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ghastly - A white Republican

Ghastly - A white Republican student posts a poster for an event featuring a black Republican. A black, liberal student complains about the poster, and calls campus security. The white Republican student is hauled before a kangaroo court, which threatens...
Posted by Mitch on August 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Uh...Huh. Right. Well, Then... -

Uh...Huh. Right. Well, Then... - I can't take this site all that seriously. It shows all the signs of being written by a guy stuck in a home office with too much time on his han...er... ...let's start over. I...
Posted by Mitch on August 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Crossed Fingers, Part XXXIX -

Crossed Fingers, Part XXXIX - Just had a 20-minutes phone interview with a company I've been nagging for a job for five months. Cool-sounding gig, the shortest commute I'll have had in ten years (if I get the job), and...
Posted by Mitch on August 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cut Loose? - My dad

Cut Loose? - My dad took us out of the Lutheran Church when I was 11, and we joined the Presbyterian church. I always figured it was because my dad, a speech teacher, was bored stiff by the Lutheran minister's...
Posted by Mitch on August 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Now It's A Problem

"Stacey" is a girl, pictured in the latest edition of Newsweekat the Mall of America. She is, as the article (and this morning's "Today" show interview) says, 17, "Cute, blond and chatty". And she's a teenage prostitute:THE ENCOUNTER TAUGHT Stacey...
Posted by Mitch on August 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hatch and the Qwest for

Hatch and the Qwest for 2006 - In March, Minnesota attorney general Mike Hatch made maximum hay from a "scandal" that, eventually, pointed back at him. More followed - the "Gang Task Force" scandal, the "Sexual Predators" releases that weren't,...
Posted by Mitch on August 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Merle Was Right - The

Merle Was Right - The Strib devotes space to the most irritating fadlet of the century so far: Metrosexuality: "A metrosexual, in case you've managed to avoid news of the fluffed-up and overextended variety in the last two months, is...
Posted by Mitch on August 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Advice - Jesse Ventura has

Advice - Jesse Ventura has some advice for Arnold Schwartzenegger. Surprisingly, some of it is pretty good, and actually represents the bit of the "Ventura Legacy" that actually mattered:"Now that you are a candidate, you will be getting advice from...
Posted by Mitch on August 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Slow Drip - The

The Slow Drip - The Melbourne Herald Sun reports yet another possible Iraq-Al Quaeda link. Not the first we've seen: "'Iraq agreed to provide chemical and biological weapons training for two al-Qaeda associates starting in December 2000,' the report said....
Posted by Mitch on August 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Distant Connection - He has

Distant Connection - He has a band and a website... ...so why is that unusual? The person behind the site - Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez - has exactly one claim to fame: Bruce Springsteen fired him from the E Street...
Posted by Mitch on August 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Praising with Faint Damnation -

Praising with Faint Damnation - The Fraters take a whack at Jim Walsh. Walsh - probably the toniest music critic in the Twin Cities today - has been a critic about town for the better part of the last fifteen...
Posted by Mitch on August 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Was Going To Say...

I Was Going To Say... - ...that I'm going to be busy working on finishing up the first of two projects for a large local company that's paying me actual MONEY MONEY MONEY today, and that posting will be light......
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Far Too Wierd - My

Far Too Wierd - My daughter, "Bun", turns 12 today. I'm too young to have a junior high kid. Jeez. I remember this night, 12 years ago, as distinctly as if it were a year or two ago. 18 hours...
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

How's That? - In todays

How's That? - In todays Strib editorial, the writer also notes:Residents of the Jordan neighborhood may be feeling slightly easierIs this a racist comment on moral laxity in the inner city? Or is it just sloopy etiding? The world wonders....
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

City Talk - The Strib,

City Talk - The Strib, in an editorial today, seems to have the answer for blighted, gang-ridden inner-city neighborhoods; more programs! The recipe for violence, to the Strib, is simple:Gangs and drugs, unemployment and limited youth and family support programs...
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Liberia - Don't the editors

Liberia - Don't the editors of the Star/Tribune ever read their history? Or even go to the movies? In a Wednesday editorial, the Strib renewed the left's curious call to send US troops to Liberia - a nation embroiled in...
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Excellent! - This morning's call

Excellent! - This morning's call for opinions from the Northern Alliance of Blogs from the Infinite Monkeys guys brought out some fascinating stuff - stuff I've never seen before, in some cases. If you haven't yet, read 'em all: Lileks'...
Posted by Mitch on August 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gored - I was going

Gored - I was going to try to find some way to tackle Algore's atrocious speech today. Brian Carnell did it better. Too many money quotes to even know where to start. Read it....
Posted by Mitch on August 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dirty Pool - A rare

Dirty Pool - A rare listen to Limbaugh today nearly forced me off the road. Rush played the new Gray Davis spot, targeted against Schwartzenegger. The spot noted in grave tones that Schwartzenegger's father had been a Nazi Party member...
Posted by Mitch on August 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Krugman on Suicide Watch -

Krugman on Suicide Watch - Well, he might be if we keep getting news like this.(washingtonpost.com): "Productivity - the amount that an employee produces per hour of work - grew at an annual rate of 5.7 percent in the April...
Posted by Mitch on August 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ahnold Verzuz Za Body- Got

Ahnold Verzuz Za Body- Got an email this morning from one of an Infinite Number of Monkeys, asking the Northern Alliance about comparisons between a potential Schwartzenegger administration and the Ventura years. Lileks beat everyone to the punch:"If Arnold is...
Posted by Mitch on August 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Graceless Under Pressure - Howard

Graceless Under Pressure - Howard "The Duck" Dean thinks civil liberties are something to be negotiated on an case by case basis, as events warrant, as this 9-14-2001 article shows: Dean said Wednesday he believed that the attacks and their...
Posted by Mitch on August 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grief, Inc. - This ties

Grief, Inc. - This ties in nicely with the story on the Harvard study, below. If you live in the Twin Cities, you can't go a day without encountering the extended orgy of mourning in which the late Senator Wellstone's...
Posted by Mitch on August 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Luck of the Draw -

Luck of the Draw - There's going to be a very important drawing in California today, and it's not the Powerball:The California Secretary of State's office will draw 26 letters out of a drum next week to decide the order...
Posted by Mitch on August 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Media Bias? Meet Academic Bias!

Media Bias? Meet Academic Bias! - Power Line has an excellent piece on a Harvard study that purports to prove that liberal editorial pages are more balanced and less overheated than conservative ones. The article is long, excellent, thought-provoking, and...
Posted by Mitch on August 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Altered Context - Courtesy of

Altered Context - Courtesy of Frank Rich - Paleojudaica points out that Frank Rich has been having a field day altering context - in this case, Mel Gibson. Here's the quote from Gibson, as it appeared in Rich's column:Asked by...
Posted by Mitch on August 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Satire? - Or not? Only

Satire? - Or not? Only Scott Ott knows for sure....
Posted by Mitch on August 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Call for Harold Stassen -

Call for Harold Stassen - Jesse Ventura says he juuuuuust might run for president: "Visitors packed a room at the International Wrestling Institute and Museum in Newton, Iowa, on Saturday to see Ventura, who was Minnesota governor from 1999 to...
Posted by Mitch on August 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Give You The Right...?

What Give You The Right...? - Midwest Conservative Journal posts today on a subject much on my mind lately: The continued creep of many mainstream Christian churches into politics and away from theology. MCJ's writer is an Episcopal. Or a...
Posted by Mitch on August 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dolt - From the excellent

Dolt - From the excellent "California Republic", my discovery of the week Carol Platt-Liebau tackles the foreign-policy doltishness of Barbara Boxer: "Senator Boxer seized one final chance to wax indignant – this time about the proposed Pentagon program to create...
Posted by Mitch on August 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The News is the News

The News is the News - Powerline is always a great read. This post, on the historical context of the press' current reporting of the situation in Iraq, is above and beyond their usual high standard. They note, correctly, that...
Posted by Mitch on August 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

News Flash, Part II -

News Flash, Part II - Satire? Or curiously accurate? You be the judge. Stupid Freeware - Squawkbox, my comment server, said I had until April to upgrade to a paid service. Then they cut off my comment service as of...
Posted by Mitch on August 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

News Flash - Democrats hate

News Flash - Democrats hate George Bush! This, of course, has been a key theme of this blog since the day I first figured out Blogger. The article is pretty normal NYT political coverage, complete with the casual inaccurate swipe...
Posted by Mitch on August 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bloodbath, Part III - Someone

Bloodbath, Part III - Someone asked me in another regional forum - why was I harping so hard about last week's stories about concealed carry (a St. Paul man caught the guy who kyped his car using his permitted pistol,...
Posted by Mitch on August 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Feeling Strangely OK - Spent

Feeling Strangely OK - Spent the weekend out of town. I'm mildly sunburned, but feeling relatively relaxed (as relaxed as I ever do, anyway). However - dozens of great blogging topics crossed my mind over the weekend... ...and kept right...
Posted by Mitch on August 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Weekend - OK, nearly every

Weekend - OK, nearly every weekend, I say I'm done posting until Monday. This week, I mean it. I'll be out of town until Sunday-ish. NOTE TO BURLGARS: My high school friend, Vince "Blowtorch" DiGrizio, will be here with his...
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Night Out - I don't

Night Out - I don't listen to much daytime radio - but I was driving home from a client site Friday and heard a bit of "Garage Logic" on KSTP. Usually when I listen to Joe Soucheray, I'll stay tuned...
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grim Anniversary - Tomorrow is

Grim Anniversary - Tomorrow is the 60th anniversary of one of history's greatest examples of pure, unadulterated, doomed courage. On August 2, 1943, inmates at the Treblinka death camp, knowing their turn in the gas chambers was coming soon, rebelled,...
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Poles - The Poles

The Poles - The Poles are sending a brigade of their troops to Iraq, according to the Washtimes:[Polish President] Kwasniewski said he planned to visit Iraq himself once the force had settled in. 'I think that such a visit makes...
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bloodbath, Part II - I

Bloodbath, Part II - I said there'd be more to come - and I meant it! Right Of Center - a Minnesota blog that's apparently been around a while, but I've only just found - notes that some armed robbers...
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blaaaah - Feeling very ill

Blaaaah - Feeling very ill at the moment - roaring headache, feeling very crummy. Posting will be a tad light until I feel better. Give me a couple hours......
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bloodbath Rising! - Saint Paul's

Bloodbath Rising! - Saint Paul's had its first crime involving a concealed carry permit holder since the Minnesota Personal Protection Act went into effect! Here's the police blotter, passed to me by a source in City Hall:Auto Theft: On 07/31/03...
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Implosion - I got this

Implosion - I got this story from Vodkapundit, and I think it's great news. The Senate has ratified a plan to allow North Korean refugees into the US. The plan has some strange bedfellows:"The US Senate recently passed a measure...
Posted by Mitch on July 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hoist the Boats? - A

Hoist the Boats? - A response, in Reason, to the IT outsourcing story. Alan Cooper - a Bay area GUI design guru, and one of the people who got me into my current line of wor, once famously predicted that...
Posted by Mitch on July 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Boomerang - The latest capitol

Boomerang - The latest capitol "scandal" seems to be nipping at Mike Hatch as well. It seems that, after the news media ran the story that Commerce Commissioner Glenn Wilson had agreed to a "controversial" settlement with United American Insurance...
Posted by Mitch on July 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Zzzzzzzzzz - Gaaah, I'm tired

Zzzzzzzzzz - Gaaah, I'm tired today. Thank goodness for these little contract jobs - because my "real" job leads have all tanked this week. The "dream job", sources tell me, was pretty well decided before the first interview. Two other...
Posted by Mitch on July 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Letter From Iraq - Lt.

Letter From Iraq - Lt. Smash responds to a Canadian critic of the war who wrote to him on his blog:A couple of months ago, I visited a village in southern Iraq. That is to say, I visited the site...
Posted by Mitch on July 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Crack of Doom - As

Crack of Doom - As the relatively moderate Democratic Leadership Conference yells into the void that the party is swinging too far to the left (at a conference attended by none of the Nine Dwarves), the new poll by former...
Posted by Mitch on July 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nine to Five - Or

Nine to Five - Or seven-thirty to five-thirtyish, anyway. Back for three more days' work at a fine local company that's having me back for a third contract engagement in three months. If I can get one of these per...
Posted by Mitch on July 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cave-In - As I noted

Cave-In - As I noted yesterday, the Pentagon caved on using the Futures Market as a tool to help predict terror. Instapundit and Postrel both write about this today - Postrel links to this excellent piece by Hal Varian. I...
Posted by Mitch on July 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Peacemakers - The old saying

Peacemakers - The old saying The pen is mightier than the sword could only have been coined by someone who never had to bet his life on it. Fun aphorism, right? I've always liked that one. I always thought a...
Posted by Mitch on July 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

??? - Either Blogger is

??? - Either Blogger is acting wierd, or my server is. UPDATE: It was my server....
Posted by Mitch on July 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hatchet Job - The City

Hatchet Job - The City Pages, predictably, sounds off on the "Telegate" "Scandal", in a team report led by überliberal Steve Perry. The story is an exercise in polemic masquerading as journalism. It starts in the lede: Call him Babyface....
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Who Would Wellstone Quote? -

Who Would Wellstone Quote? - As part of the Nine Dwarves' race to the left for the nomination, the Wellstone name and legacy are getting invoked all over the place. Is this a good thing for the Dems?: "Larry Sabato,...
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

American History - For all

American History - For all the Europeans caterwaul about Americans' failure to understand American history, it'd seem (says George Will) that the Euros could study ours a bit more, especially as re their current attempt to craft an EU Constitution:...
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Moral, Just - Andrew Sullivan,

Moral, Just - Andrew Sullivan, on why the war in Iraq was a just one. Much worth reading here, but I loved this clip: "But all the evidence in Iraq points to something else: an extraordinarily successful war followed by...
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6)

Johnny Qum Lately - It's

Johnny Qum Lately - It's been galling, lately, to watch the rats climbing back on the re-floating ship. "Dissent is patriotism!", they say as they slip over the gunwales. To them, it's not the force and cunning of American arms...
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's Everywhere - Not only

It's Everywhere - Not only is the US not the only country with a health insurance problem - but sometimes the countries that are held up as the best examples are the ones with the most intractable problems, as we...
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Blog Slate - The

The Blog Slate - The blog The Smallest Minority is proposing an all-blogger slate for the next election. Glenn "Instapundit" Reynolds is the Prez candidate, of course. Given my employment status, I guess Labor is a natural slot for me....
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Jackboots? Check! - Howard "The

Jackboots? Check! - Howard "The Duck" Dean's supporters are playing rough, electronically speaking, spamming journalists who offend the ex-governor: "'When negative press gets written, we'll ensure that letters to the editor get printed in response. . . . The last...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

See No Evil - Mark

See No Evil - Mark Steyn, in addition to being a terrific journalist, writes one of the best satirical writers going, as we see in this send-up of BBC war and postwar coverage: "Andrew Gilligan: I'm leaning on a lamp...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Steyn on the BBC -

Steyn on the BBC - Powerline tipped me off to this hilarious Mark Steyn sendup of BBC war coverage. One of many highlights:"Andrew Gilligan: I'm leaning on a lamp post at the corner of the street in case a certain...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Predictions - Hugh Hewitt, in

Predictions - Hugh Hewitt, in the midst of this excellent interview with John Hawkins, gives his views on the Democrat nomination:I think it's going to be Howard Dean and I believe it's because of his unique appeal to the unhinged...
Posted by Mitch on July 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I'll Believe It When

I'll Believe It When I See It In My Checking Account - but here's hoping. 2 Key Economic Barometers Post Large Gains in June - which can't be making Paul Krugman or "Move On" any happier. (Via Sullivan)...
Posted by Mitch on July 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Brain Fever - I learned

Brain Fever - I learned long ago - some ideas from the ultra-loony left need to be kept in perspective; sometimes satire is the only real answer, and there's hardly anyone better at it than Scrappleface... ...who ably lampoons the...
Posted by Mitch on July 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Self Par-Uday - The Hussein

Self Par-Uday - The Hussein Boys have bought the farm. Everyone knows it. Except, of course, Robert "Fisk Fodder" Fisk. Watch him jerk the chains:Of course, they might be dead. The two men are said to bear an impressive resemblance...
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More Later - I'm at

More Later - I'm at the office, and about to start a day's worth of usabilty testing. This article infuriates me. This one puts it in its proper persepective. More on this later....
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Duck - The more

The Duck - The more I think about it, the more it feels like the Moovies and Howard "Duck" Dean's supporters have gotten it wrong. Yeah, Dean raised a lot of money on the Internat. So did Ralph Nader in...
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Off to the Office -

Off to the Office - Yep. One more day onsite. This is a fine time to remind you, gentle reader, that while I'm an underemployed software designer (the titles vary - Information Architect, Usability Engineer, Human Factors Engineer, User Experience...
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Speaking of "Just Doesn't Get

Speaking of "Just Doesn't Get It" - Laura Billings brings a bit of old-media snobbery to her commentary:I might join in these criticisms if I did not also agree with the White House that e-mail is the one form of...
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

They Don't Get It -

They Don't Get It - Question: If conservatives took over the internet, and no liberal newspaper observed the fact, did it really happen? Articles in the Boston Glob and the Atlantic answer the question: "Al Gore didn't just invent the...
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whacked - It hasn't happened

Whacked - It hasn't happened yet - but it's only a matter of time before I encounter a Democrat who believes, as does Charles Rangel, that killing Qusay and Oday Hussein was illegal. Volokh, as usual, has the goods: I...
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Back To Work, For Now

Back To Work, For Now - Two more days onsite, then a few days working at home. Nice little project - should pay about a month's bills - and stretch my unemployment another month. If I were to get one...
Posted by Mitch on July 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Quagmire Index Revised - The

Quagmire Index Revised - The word is out:Now that Saddam Hussein's sons are dead, a panel of journalists has revised the official Iraq Quagmire Index. According to the new benchmark, all violence against Coalition troops should cease immediately, since Uday...
Posted by Mitch on July 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Was Your First Indication?

What Was Your First Indication? - The PiPress headline says it all: "Some Fear Dean May Be Next McGovern". Bruce Reed, who served as President Bill Clinton's chief domestic adviser and now directs the centrist Democratic Leadership Council, said the...
Posted by Mitch on July 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Reaction, Action - If there's

Reaction, Action - If there's one thing the US military has learned since World War II and Vietnam, it's that planning has to be flexible. The enemy - whoever he is - is constantly acting to derail your plans. And...
Posted by Mitch on July 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sonset - Qusay and Uday

Sonset - Qusay and Uday buy the farm. Says Den Beste:I think it indicates a significant chance, perhaps as high as 1 in 4, that we'll also bag Saddam himself in the next couple of weeks. First, whatever source fingered...
Posted by Mitch on July 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Off To The Races, Contract

Off To The Races, Contract Edition - First day at another of those little two-week jobs at a major local corporation today. Posting will be nonexistant until tonight. See you then!...
Posted by Mitch on July 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Just Watch - Now that

Just Watch - Now that the "Bush Lied" story is losing its legs faster than a Walmart end table in a freshman dorm, watch for the "Why Iraq, and not North Korea" story to make a return. By the way,...
Posted by Mitch on July 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Speechless - This is just

Speechless - This is just too wierd. Democratic Party stalwart Barbra Streisand will be welcoming a Republican president home. Her husband, actor James Brolin, has been cast as Ronald Reagan in a four-hour CBS miniseries titled "The Reagans," set to...
Posted by Mitch on July 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dingellfritz - Powerline has some

Dingellfritz - Powerline has some excellent expository commentary on this exchange between Ward Connerly and Rep. John Dingell (D MI). The whole exchange is fascinating, of course. Money quote from Dingell:The people of Michigan have a simple message to you:...
Posted by Mitch on July 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Saint Paul School Board -

Saint Paul School Board - The Saint Paul Green party endorsed Richard Broderick to run for the Saint Paul School Board. Now, I have nothing against Greens; if you leave out their la-la foreign policy, their rabid-rodent anti-capitalism, their myopia...
Posted by Mitch on July 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Filthy Lucre - In my

Filthy Lucre - In my never-ending quest to make this site turn even a minuscule profit, I've joined the small cascade of other blogs to start offering merchandise. Click the "Shop In The Dark" link on the right side of...
Posted by Mitch on July 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Everybody's Doing It - Blogging,

Everybody's Doing It - Blogging, that is. Even my son, Sam, the little comic-book fan. Here's his blog....
Posted by Mitch on July 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Their Finest Hour - I've

Their Finest Hour - I've said it before. America has it all over so many countries in so many areas. We should be proud of what we, as a people, have wrought. But there is one area where America trails...
Posted by Mitch on July 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

On the Road - More

On the Road - More posting tonight. Or tomorrow. Or Monday. See you then!...
Posted by Mitch on July 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pacifists - I've rolled my

Pacifists - I've rolled my eyes in disgust at the moral equivalency shown by many liberal American churches - the Catholics, the Lutherans, and my own Presbyterians. A devout Christian, I am also a realist; Einstein's "You Can Not Simultaneously...
Posted by Mitch on July 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Peace, Quiet - Tonight is

Peace, Quiet - Tonight is the last night of my "vacation". Tomorrow, I drive to Alexandria to meet Dad and get the kids. They've been gone 11 solid days. And as much as I like being able to get away...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Due To Gun Control, Volumn

Due To Gun Control, Volumn MCMLXI - The British Home Office has released their new crime figures - and they're not pretty (the London Sun article is called "A Nation Stalked By Fear"). Violent crime jumped 22 percent in one...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Faint Thread of Continuity

The Faint Thread of Continuity - Atomizer, from Fraters Libertas, comments about a Lileks Bleat from a few days ago. Atomizer quotes Lileks:…nothing I make in the Mexican realm will equal the Chili Cheese Burrito at Taco Bell. (Gasps of...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Hewitt's Nod - Hewitt gives

Hewitt's Nod - Hewitt gives Lileks a huge, deserved plug:Steyn and Lileks are laugh-out-loud writers and pundits with punch. Lileks, incredibly, delivers five mirth-inducing reads for free each week on his website. His Sunday column for the Strib is a...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kazemi - Zahra Kazemi was

Kazemi - Zahra Kazemi was a Iranian native, and a citizen of Canada. She was also a photographer. She went back to her native Iran to document the human rights abuses of the theocracy. She became one of those abuses,...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Moderation In the Defense of

Moderation In the Defense of Liberty... - The Moderate Republican blog minces no words about its mission: This is blog for an endangered species-the old Rockefeller Republican.As a Reaganite, I should add "late and unlamented", but that's neither true nor...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Growing Impatient - Doug Grow

Growing Impatient - Doug Grow holds forth on the latest "scandal" in today's Strib. In so doing, he pounds another spike through the forehead of the notion that he's anything but a shill for the DFL.Last fall, Tim Pawlenty's gubernatorial...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Backlash, Part II - The

Backlash, Part II - The more I read, the more convinced I am that the Dems jumped on the Yellowcakes Uranium story too soon, and that before the year is out the punditry will be looking on it as a...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pack vs. Herd - Walking

Pack vs. Herd - Walking about the cities, I've been amazed, really, at how few business have actually posted themselves to bar handguns (in the hands of legally-permitted gun owners) on the premises. The response seems to have been, in...
Posted by Mitch on July 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Lies About The Iraq War

Lies About The Iraq War - Or were they really just intelligence lapses? Porphyrogenitus examines them. The synopsis:1) The Iraqi Army would fight much harder to defend its country than it did in Kuwait. 2) Iraq is not Afghanistan -...
Posted by Mitch on July 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Hokey Pokey, As Written

The Hokey Pokey, As Written By Shakespeare - This is credited to Jeff Brechlin, of the Washington Style Invitational:O proud left foot, that ventures quick within Then soon upon a backward journey lithe. Anon, once more the gesture, then begin:...
Posted by Mitch on July 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Light - I'm waiting for

Light - I'm waiting for my shirt to dry, and going on another job interview in a bit here. More posting later....
Posted by Mitch on July 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kulcha Watch - Instapundit notes

Kulcha Watch - Instapundit notes Lileks' observation about a cultural watershed for which some of us have been waiting a lifetime:...there’s been a sharp decrease in the Boomer Uber Alles effect. If an ad agency suggested using a Joe Cocker...
Posted by Mitch on July 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fun - The California Coastline

Fun - The California Coastline Project is photographing the entire shoreline of California. Their website allows you to tour the entire coastline in all of its amazing splendor. I can now see what some of the fuss is about. I...
Posted by Mitch on July 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

We Rule - Fraters noted

We Rule - Fraters noted the Northern Alliance of Blogs' domination of the airwaves - during the 5PM hour yesterday, anyway. Their story notes that the hour started off with a shout out to Lileks and Powerline during the first...
Posted by Mitch on July 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Small Day, Big Week -

Small Day, Big Week - I'm spending the day dolling up my daughter's room. Tomorrow, interview for a job that popped up last week. Also - hopefully, this week - word on two other fairly immiment job leads, plus (please,...
Posted by Mitch on July 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Return of the Mind -

Return of the Mind - Jesse Ventura's finally talking with a local media jackal. Today's interview with Neil Justin in the Strib provides more of Ventura's endless prattle - or, as Justin calls it:...the same swagger, humor, griping and confidence...
Posted by Mitch on July 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gay Marriage. Again - I've

Gay Marriage. Again - I've talked many times about Gay Marriage. While the idea bothers me on a religious and moral level, our government's decisions aren't always made for reasons that match any given person's - or group's - religion...
Posted by Mitch on July 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Minnesota Is Hell - Part

Minnesota Is Hell - Part CIX - Laura Billings columns are like potato chips - you can't fisk just one. Last Thursday, she wrote about the Naomi Gaines case. It wouldn't be a Laura Billings column without a swipe at...
Posted by Mitch on July 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

News Flash - Telemarketers are

News Flash - Telemarketers are Sleazy! - The St. Paul Pioneer Press is hot on the trail of corruption in the GOP-led administration. Again. The story begins: "Some of Minnesota's top Republicans, including Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Auditor Patricia Awada,...
Posted by Mitch on July 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fitting Tribute - Fraters (among

Fitting Tribute - Fraters (among many other bloggers) took due note of the commissioning Saturday of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan - the seventh supercarrier of the Nimitz class. They also cast aspersions on the planned commissioning, next year, of the...
Posted by Mitch on July 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Block Party, Redux - While

Block Party, Redux - While the music was great, and the cause (contributing to the maintenance of the grand old Basilica) is certainly a good one, the politically-liberal Catholic leadership still uses its position to coddle a lot of very...
Posted by Mitch on July 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Block Party - I went

Block Party - I went to my first-ever Basilica Block Party last night. Wow - fun time. Amazed I've let so many of them go by without seeing one. I spent the whole evening at the Verizon stage, watching Franky...
Posted by Mitch on July 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Missing Link - According

The Missing Link - According to Instapundit, we now have our smoking gun linking Hussein and Bin Laden. According to Judge Gilbert Merritt - a lifelong Democrat according to Glenn Reynolds, who apparently clerked for Merritt - an Iraqi informant...
Posted by Mitch on July 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Meme Watch - Steve Gigl

Meme Watch - Steve Gigl is a Minnesota guy with a fun blog - sorta Fraters-meets-Adam Corolla. I like it. He's got this bit today, lifted from Acidman - one of those Internet memes that I shake my head at...
Posted by Mitch on July 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deja View - I had

Deja View - I had an "interview" of sorts in downtown Minneapolis yesterday - basically to sign a contract for another of the little short-term jobs that's kept me out of foreclosure this last six months. Posh deal, really -...
Posted by Mitch on July 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Stars In Uniform - 62

Stars In Uniform - 62 years ago, Jimmy Stewart was drafted, rejected for being underweight, and joined the US Army Air Corps anyway. He was standing guard duty when news of Pearl Harbor broke. He was a corporal when he...
Posted by Mitch on July 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Offsetting Penalties - Well, it's

Offsetting Penalties - Well, it's official; the entire right wing has joined forces in castigating Ann Coulter and Michael "Weiner" Savage (as well Trent Lott before both of them). Sullivan even paid Coulter the ultimate dismissal; he said she's like...
Posted by Mitch on July 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Bleeding Edge - I've

The Bleeding Edge - I've posted several times about Gay Marriage in the past year. On no issue do my postings get as many comments and emails - which would make sense if I were Andrew Sullivan, a key stakeholder...
Posted by Mitch on July 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Savage Nausea - Before we

Savage Nausea - Before we get to the beef of this post, here's a bit of radio trivia for you; when someone in the radio business really does something to cheese off listeners and management, they get fired. When management...
Posted by Mitch on July 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Thousand Times Dead -

A Thousand Times Dead - In today's column, Laura Billings reiterates what she and every other non-D.J. Tice-related columnist in the Twin Cities media has been repeating endlessly for the past six months: "Minnesota Nice" is dead. Apparently distraught over...
Posted by Mitch on July 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Off The Bridge - The

Off The Bridge - The St. Paul woman who threw her twin toddlers off the Wabasha Bridge on July 4 - here's a news flash - had issues.The ex-husband of a woman charged this week with throwing her twin sons...
Posted by Mitch on July 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Consumer Confidence Reaches Six Month

Consumer Confidence Reaches Six Month High - The Berg Index of consumer confidence crept up to a score of 10 this week, on news of a new two-week contracting job at a major local company, and several new job leads...
Posted by Mitch on July 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Iran, Again - Trawling the

Iran, Again - Trawling the big blogs, Iran is the story of the day. While it seems the students in Teheren have cancelled their big protest today - apparently due to serious threats - protests continue around the US and...
Posted by Mitch on July 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Iran - I grew up

Iran - I grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota. It's a place that has nearly nothing in common with Iran, or anywhere in the world outside of small town USA. Perhaps that was one of the attractions. Jamestown is the...
Posted by Mitch on July 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gay Marriage and the Republicans

Gay Marriage and the Republicans - A non-Republican friend of mine asked me the other day - what do I think the Gay Marriage flap will do to the GOP? For me, the solution is simple (as most pie-in-the-sky ideals...
Posted by Mitch on July 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tired, Cranky - I'll post

Tired, Cranky - I'll post more this afternoon....
Posted by Mitch on July 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

American Bankers and the Media

American Bankers and the Media - According to an editor at the Star/Tribune, the paper is considering doing some followup on their coverage from last spring about the whole American Bankers flap. If you didn't read the series from the...
Posted by Mitch on July 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Most Wonderful Time of

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Don't get me wrong. I love my kids like there's no tomorrow. But my mom's in town today, and she's taking them to visit her in North Dakota tonight. Then, hopefully, out...
Posted by Mitch on July 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hot Potato - A woman

Hot Potato - A woman tried to toss her kids into the river Friday, and jump in after them, in an incident that happened within sight of the Taste of Minnesota. A good samaritan recovered the woman and one child....
Posted by Mitch on July 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What's So Great About America

What's So Great About America - Dinesh D'Souza knows. And while his book (of the same title as this post) is finally out in paperback (and I'll be getting it from the library shortly), he's summarized the top ten points...
Posted by Mitch on July 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Recovery - I was

The Recovery - I was talking with a friend of mine last night. He spent about five months out of work last year - ending right about the time my own out-of-work stretch started. The current economy is a big...
Posted by Mitch on July 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Awada - OK, I lied.

Awada - OK, I lied. It's the Fourth, and I'm posting. I've been saying since the elections that Pat Awada had the potential to do huge things in Minnesota politics. This article in Rake Magazine reiterates many of the reasons....
Posted by Mitch on July 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Status, Weekend - I had

Status, Weekend - I had what I felt was a very good second interview on Tuesday, for a job that I'd really, really like to have. There were over 100 applicants, of which 12 got phone interviews and 5-6 were...
Posted by Mitch on July 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Victory? - This one was

Victory? - This one was on Powerline today. While the pundits will argue, and the negotiators will negotiate, perhaps you can start to gauge acceptance of US policy... ...this year's fashions.ARIS, July 2 — A remarkable reversal of sentiment and...
Posted by Mitch on July 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bottoms Up in St. Paul

Bottoms Up in St. Paul - Saint Paul is granting bars permission to stay open until 2AM, after the legislature pushed the statewide closing time back an hour during the last session. The law is, by the way, only of...
Posted by Mitch on July 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Disappearance of Impropriety - In

Disappearance of Impropriety - In March, when the American Bankers story looked like a case of influence-peddling, the St. Paul Pioneer Press was all over the story. By May, when the Legislative Audit was uncovering all sorts of alleged shenanigans...
Posted by Mitch on July 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Light Day - I spent

Light Day - I spent about five hours writing the last installment of my American Bankers story this morning, and I'm fairly well fried. More regular blogging tomorrow....
Posted by Mitch on July 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Spin - The left -

Spin - The left - and the media - is spinning the scattered attacks in Iraq like "Son of Tet". Victor Davis Hanson, as usual, shines the light on the endlessly-evolving line of the left on this story:In the first...
Posted by Mitch on July 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hatch, American Bankers and the

Hatch, American Bankers and the Local Media - We'll be wrapping up the series tomorrow with a look at how the local media has covered this story. Read the whole story - or at least the first four parts. On...
Posted by Mitch on July 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dayton in Iraq - Powerline

Dayton in Iraq - Powerline takes Senator Dayton's vacuous presence in Iraq to task. I've had some interesting comments and emails about my question two days ago - who should the GOP run against Dayton in '06? We'll write more...
Posted by Mitch on July 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

No Mouse - Pro and

No Mouse - Pro and Con - Con: Doing serious editing is very difficult using keyboard shortcuts. In fact, pulling quotes from web pages is impossible (as far as I can tell so far). Pro: Using all the keyboard shortcuts...
Posted by Mitch on July 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

History of the MPPA -

History of the MPPA - Concealed Carry Reform Now has just compiled a bullet-point history of concealed carry reform in Minnesota, including the seven-year legislative ride that led to the passage of the MPPA. Look this over, and the next...
Posted by Mitch on July 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tuesday - Posting will be

Tuesday - Posting will be light until evening. I have the biggest job interview of my life Tuesday afternoon, and all the errands that lead up to it in the morning. Prayers, wishes, karmic effusions and any other sort of...
Posted by Mitch on June 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

RIP Hepburn - Katherine Hepburn,

RIP Hepburn - Katherine Hepburn, you've no doubt heard, is dead at 96, after years of failing health. Her memory is being heaped with accolades today, and justly so; but one is conspicuous in its absence: Hepburn one of Ronald...
Posted by Mitch on June 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hatch, American Bankers and the

Hatch, American Bankers and the Twin Cities Media - Part 4 - Today, Part 4 covers the audits and followup to the Pioneer Press story that broke this scandal. We examine the Legislative Auditor's Report, and much more. Look here...
Posted by Mitch on June 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whew - At least Lileks

Whew - At least Lileks is back. Things seem to be working out. And if you're one of those who tried to give money to donate to James on his Amazon link but got locked out, and you still want...
Posted by Mitch on June 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grrrrr - My computer seems

Grrrrr - My computer seems to have lost its mouse driver - it went and did some kind of hardware discovery process yesterday when I booted. I'm re-discovering a lot of the keyboard shortcuts I used to know when I...
Posted by Mitch on June 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

American Bankers and the Twin

American Bankers and the Twin Cities Media - and the Weekend - Monday - the fallout from the American Bankers investigation. Read the index, introduction, or Parts 1, 2 or 3 here. Probably done posting for the weekend - tons...
Posted by Mitch on June 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

R.I.P. Brunching Shuttlecocks - The

R.I.P. Brunching Shuttlecocks - The Brunching Shuttlecocks - long one of the best humor sites on the net - has apparently quit publishing new material. Not like you couldn't see it coming - all the signs of comedy burnout were...
Posted by Mitch on June 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Press Bias - The Strib

Press Bias - The Strib yesterday carried a story about the U of M trying to declare itself above the law - at least as regards legally-permitted concealed handguns. The story has the same paranoid, ignorant, alarm-baiting bleatings from the...
Posted by Mitch on June 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Thomas Vs. MoDo- Eugene Volokh,

Thomas Vs. MoDo- Eugene Volokh, pinch-blogging for Glenn Reynolds, has a fascinating article about the criticisms Clarence Thomas is getting over his affirmative action opinions last week.Lots of people have criticized Justice Clarence Thomas’ anti-race-preferences opinion (from Monday’s Grutter v....
Posted by Mitch on June 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mike Hatch, American Bankers and

Mike Hatch, American Bankers and the Local Media - Part 3 - In today's installment, we go over the meeting last January 8, between Mike Hatch, Commerce commissioner Glenn Wilson, lobbyist Ron Jerich, and representatives of two non-profit HMOs with...
Posted by Mitch on June 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dayton, Theologian of the Apocalypse?

Dayton, Theologian of the Apocalypse? - Hindrocket from Powerline takes the blowtorch to Mark Dayton's homily at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church last Sunday. (Trunk provides the full text of the homily, as well as the requisity pithy-yet-perfect zinger)....
Posted by Mitch on June 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Archives - Blogger did

My Archives - Blogger did a real number on my archives over the last month or so. One of you noted that my archives from May 8 until sometime in June are still hosed up. I'm working on it, but...
Posted by Mitch on June 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It Just Occurred To Me...

It Just Occurred To Me... - ...that I am the only member of the Northern Alliance of Blogs that has not been on the Hugh Hewitt show....
Posted by Mitch on June 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mike Hatch, American Bankers and

Mike Hatch, American Bankers and the Local Media - I'm on schedule to finish Part Three tomorrow - detailing the meeting between Attorney General Mike Hatch, Commerce commissioner Glenn Wilson, and some other players in this controversy. You can read...
Posted by Mitch on June 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cops In Minneapolis - This

Cops In Minneapolis - This story from the Strib highlights an issue that came up last week, in the story about the drunk Minneapolis cop that allegedly beat up the motorist. A group of community activists assailed Minneapolis Police chief...
Posted by Mitch on June 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gloom of Impending Doom...Averted! -

Gloom of Impending Doom...Averted! - Lileks finally told us what the problem was. I mean in no way to make light of his situation - it's scary. But speaking as a guy who's been out of work too many times...
Posted by Mitch on June 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Testing 1...2...3...is this thing on?

Testing 1...2...3...is this thing on? - Blogger.com "upgraded" their service last night. We'll see if this works. UPDATE: It seems to. I was nervous - Sullivan was yakking about having trouble with it yesterday. WHOAH! All the features now work...
Posted by Mitch on June 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (7)

Affirmative Action - Powerline was

Affirmative Action - Powerline was on fire yesterday, talking about the SCOTUS affirmative action decision. The link is to the latest of several articles. Many are quite long - but all worth a read....
Posted by Mitch on June 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6)

Reasons I Love Baseball, Part

Reasons I Love Baseball, Part XXVI - Once they hang up their cleats, football players seem to tend to go on to sell cars. Basketball players either get high-school coaching jobs or fall into bad habits. Hockey players and boxers...
Posted by Mitch on June 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's a Legal Matter -

It's a Legal Matter - Doesn't hardly matter what I write about - abortion, guns, Mike Hatch, Music - but the thing that always gets me the most email is Gay Marriage. I posted about this last week (I'd check,...
Posted by Mitch on June 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Reader Mail - Regular reader

Reader Mail - Regular reader and frequent writer PH writes about the rather long schedule for putting out my story about the American Bankers brouhaha:Every Other Day? Mitch! Why the dawdling? Just put the story out!Two reasons, P. One: this...
Posted by Mitch on June 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Smart Distraction

The Strib discusses Mike Hatch's allegations about budget cuts and sexual predators and his claims that Pawlenty's "no tax" pledge is behind the cuts to the State Gang Strike Force. Here's the money quote:Hatch on Monday defended his actions, describing...
Posted by Mitch on June 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Above the Law - Six

Above the Law - Six of the Nine Dwarves have commented on the Supreme Court decision on Affirmative Action. Gephardt says:"When I'm president, we'll do executive orders to overcome any wrong thing the Supreme Court does tomorrow or any other...
Posted by Mitch on June 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mike Hatch, American Bankers and

Mike Hatch, American Bankers and the Twin Cities Media - Today, I kick off a five-part series on the American Bankers Insurance story. You may remember the story; last March, the local media carried the story that new Commerce commissioner...
Posted by Mitch on June 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mistaken Identity - Punk rock

Mistaken Identity - Punk rock fans of a certain age who are also news junkies have to listen carefully these days. That's something I found out yesterday, listening to news coverage of the Arizona wildfires. They had a quote from...
Posted by Mitch on June 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Other Goldberg - I

The Other Goldberg - I always loved reading old Saturday Evening Posts when I was a kid - if nothing else, for the Rube Goldberg cartoons. These cartoons, with Goldberg's fanciful inventions, were a fun chuckle. But for others, they...
Posted by Mitch on June 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fact-Checking 101 - The NYTimes,

Fact-Checking 101 - The NYTimes, as Sullivan noted, uncorked a doozy, making the casual press observer wonder if their fact-checking department perhaps took an overly hard hit in the recent layoffs:But it was the pope's presence here that spoke volumes....
Posted by Mitch on June 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Neocon Human Rights Priorities -

Neocon Human Rights Priorities - Minnesota Blogger "Dennis", who runs the Moderate Republican blog, asks a question you hear from an awful lot on the left:while the neocons can pat themselves on the back for dispatching such a brutal regime...
Posted by Mitch on June 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nose Art, 2001 - As

Nose Art, 2001 - As a military history buff and an aviation afficionado, aircraft nose art has always been a fascination. The paintings on B-17s and B-24s during the Second World War summed up the popular art of its time...
Posted by Mitch on June 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Did He Jump, or Was

Did He Jump, or Was He Pushed - For all of the talk about the potential recall of Gray Davis, it could all be derailed by a simple act; Davis' resignation:Oakland Mayor (and former California governor) Jerry Brown, in Washington...
Posted by Mitch on June 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

War Story - Tommy Franks

War Story - Tommy Franks tells his story. It's an interesting read, and will have to do until the real history comes out......
Posted by Mitch on June 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shhhhh - Don't tell my

Shhhhh - Don't tell my kids it's here. I don't want to buy the book quite yet....
Posted by Mitch on June 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Boyz of Summer - SCSU

Boyz of Summer - SCSU Scholars go on at wondrous length (by Blog standards) about the poetry that is baseball. Speaking of which - if you're looking for a great summer diamond-related read, check out my Dad's book from about...
Posted by Mitch on June 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paging Morgan Grams - Presidential

Paging Morgan Grams - Presidential Candidate Howard Dean's son has allegedly been caught burgling a country club for liquor. Wonder if the media will pounce on this the way they did President Bush's 20-year-gone drug use, or, locally, Morgan Grams'...
Posted by Mitch on June 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Da Nort Is Red -

Da Nort Is Red - Powerline covers President Bush's visit to Fridley today. Money comment - one which echoes something I've been harping on for a while:Pawlenty said that he asked President Bush why he comes to Minnesota so often,...
Posted by Mitch on June 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Feeling All DeLorean - Y'know,

Feeling All DeLorean - Y'know, I don't mind getting hype like I'm getting from the Fraters today. Except now I have to make sure this article is a barn-burner, which means burning lots of midnight oil making sure things are...
Posted by Mitch on June 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Curse You, Squawkbox - Squawkbox,

Curse You, Squawkbox - Squawkbox, my comment server, seems to be both slowing the loading of my site, and occasionally eating comments. On the other hand, it's free. Oh, I so wanna get Moveable Type going......
Posted by Mitch on June 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Developments - Busy job-hunting this

Developments - Busy job-hunting this morning, and taking the kids swimming this afternoon. Will post more tonight. Here's an update: my series on Mike Hatch, American Bankers and the Minneapolis Star/Tribune will start on Monday....
Posted by Mitch on June 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

36 - Ohio will probably

36 - Ohio will probably follow Minnesota in enacting a shall-issue law. When (not if) it passes, it'll be 36 states with shall-issue laws, including several (Texas, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida and Ohio) with some of our biggest cities. Does any...
Posted by Mitch on June 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Your "Books" Confuse and Frighten

Your "Books" Confuse and Frighten Me - Elder, over at Fraters, catches the Strib's latest cheapshots in the culture wars....
Posted by Mitch on June 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Grind Grinds On -

The Grind Grinds On - Another job interview today. Nothing special -just another recruiter. I had a slew of interviews with this type last winter, when I was first on the beach; recruiters and "staffers" were collecting resumes, getting ready...
Posted by Mitch on June 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gay Marriage - Canada has

Gay Marriage - Canada has become the first country in North America to legalize gay marriage. It's no surprise that it's Andrew Sullivan's topic du jour. This is one of those issues, like the death penalty and commuter rail, where...
Posted by Mitch on June 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Reinforce Conceal - I'm a

Reinforce Conceal - I'm a former McGovern liberal. I used to favor (pro forma) a sweeping civilian gun ban. That was, obviously, a long time ago. But I can sympathize with some of the concerns of some of those who...
Posted by Mitch on June 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Upcoming - Still working on

Upcoming - Still working on "Hatch And the Strib". Getting a few last interviews in, while I'm not job-hunting. We're also going to address the "Repeal Conceal" website. I've put in a request for a response to a number of...
Posted by Mitch on June 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sexy Class' Looks Pave Way

Laura Billings, Pioneer Press Staff Columnist Minnesota singles who have longed to date lingerie models will no longer be required to do anything inconvenient — like actually attract the objects of their desires. After Monday's public round-table to discuss the...
Posted by Mitch on June 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Murderers Welcome - The Minnesota

Murderers Welcome - The Minnesota Personal Protection Act allows private businesses to exclude legally-permitted people from bringing their firearms onto the premises. The catch - they have to post a sign at their entrance. For all the caterwauling of the...
Posted by Mitch on June 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Amblog Alert - I'm declaring

Amblog Alert - I'm declaring an amber blog alert for Jeff Fecke, blogger of the moderate left. (Although being as moderate as he is, maybe he just decided he'd better not actually write about anything...) Oh, well - at least...
Posted by Mitch on June 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

School Daze - Jay Benanav

School Daze - Jay Benanav "represents" me in the Saint Paul City Council, in the same way that Ellen Anderson and Alice Hausman and Betty McCollum and Mark Dayton "represent" me in St. Paul or Washington or Roswell as the...
Posted by Mitch on June 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Calling All Loyal Democrats! -

Calling All Loyal Democrats! - Please, please please please, following the example of your friends in Wisconsin in endorsing Howard Dean:Howard Dean was victorious in a straw poll of Democratic activists at the Wisconsin Democratic Party convention. Dean beat eight...
Posted by Mitch on June 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kids in Iran - Bit

Kids in Iran - Bit by bit, it seems the regime in Teheran might be unravelling. The reports, despite the aggressive disinterest of the major media, seem to indicate that the mullahs are engaging in tactical retreats in the face...
Posted by Mitch on June 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wonks Arise! - Minnesota Politics

Wonks Arise! - Minnesota Politics is a for-profit website run by a few of Minnesota's top-rail wonks. They apparently rolled out version 2 of their website last week. It's apparently new and improved. Look for a fisking of their current...
Posted by Mitch on June 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sleeping History - Like a

Sleeping History - Like a lot of conservative bloggers, I'm holding off comment on Hillary! Clinton's new book. Unfortunately, I'd rather sit through a Green Party precinct caucus than actually read it. And reading Mark Steyn's review of the book...
Posted by Mitch on June 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Boomeritis - I need to

Boomeritis - I need to find a copy of Boomeritis by Ken Wilber; it's the main motivation behind this afternoon's library trip (that, and finding someplace with air conditioning. Just like when I was a kid). But until then, Elizabeth...
Posted by Mitch on June 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The International Community - Here's

The International Community - Here's how the Europeans handle international crises. Here's the money graf:What the Congolese people need is to see an end to the killing and to reclaim their towns from machete- and Kalashnikov-wielding militias. But the Guardian...
Posted by Mitch on June 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Father's Day - Fathers Day

Father's Day - Fathers Day used to sort of bother me. Part of it is the excessive Hallmarkization of the day; the whole thing is an excuse to sell cards. A larger part of it is - or was -...
Posted by Mitch on June 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Inmates are Running The

The Inmates are Running The County - Doug Grow writes a paeon to criminals. Hennepin County (which is where Minneapolis is) plans to defy the terms of the new concealed-carry law. This is, of course, against the law. It's also...
Posted by Mitch on June 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Baghdad Mike - In his

Baghdad Mike - In his book Baa Baa Black Sheep, Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington relates a story from his air battles over the Solomon Islands in 1943. He was jumped by a group of Japanese aircraft. He radioed his second-in-command,...
Posted by Mitch on June 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Status Plus Shameless Plug -

Status Plus Shameless Plug - Here we go: Good News: I'm in the final three for a job I'd really like to land. Bad News: Again. Good News: Another company seems to be interested in having me do a bunch...
Posted by Mitch on June 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Where's WMD? - Don Lambro

Where's WMD? - Don Lambro in the Washington TImes discusses the most important point about the WMD chase; to most Americans, it's irrelevant:I think we will find further evidence of weapons buried in the sands of Iraq. But the news...
Posted by Mitch on June 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Those Days - This is

Those Days - This is one of those weeks I wish this was a group blog, like some of my favorite local blogs (Fraters Libertas, Powerline and SCSU Scholars, for example). Each of them is at least three guys -...
Posted by Mitch on June 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hagiographic Elementary - The Saint

Hagiographic Elementary - The Saint Paul Public Schools re-name one of their schools after Paul and Sheila Wellstone. They take their hagiography seriously here in Saint Paul:The decision concludes a rigorous selection process that began several months ago. After reviewing...
Posted by Mitch on June 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

From Whole Cloth - You've

From Whole Cloth - You've seen the stories; the looting, or the "Saving Private Lynch" pieces where reporters repeat, ingenuously, stories that, even to the casual observer at home, have vast gaping holes. You wait a day, maybe less. Then...
Posted by Mitch on June 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

BlaaargSorry about yesterday. Things started

BlaaargSorry about yesterday. Things started rough, and just got worse. I ended up with a raging headache and no time for blogging. No job offers, either. But today is another day, hopefully one that'll include some posts I've been working...
Posted by Mitch on June 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hatch and American Bankers -

Hatch and American Bankers - The legislature held hearings on the American Bankers settlement yesterday. We've been talking about this story on this blog for the past week or so. I promised an article on the subject, and I'm going...
Posted by Mitch on June 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Revenge of the Nekulturny -

Revenge of the Nekulturny - You know who you are. You're the "HR" person who suffered through the cha-cha years of the late nineties, unneeded and unappreciated. You were un-needed because all the technical managers in your company realized you...
Posted by Mitch on June 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Crazy Day - I'm getting

Crazy Day - I'm getting to the point where I should just write that every morning before I brew the coffee. Some housework and shopping to do before I do any blogging, but oy, vey, will there be blogging. Got...
Posted by Mitch on June 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Big Day - Last

Another Big Day - Last day of school - plus a job interview this morning. Then, some crucial and long-deferred lawn work. More posting later today....
Posted by Mitch on June 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"You Never Had Privacy, Winston..."

"You Never Had Privacy, Winston..." - Surveillance cameras are coming to downtown Minneapolis:There already are hundreds of surveillance cameras downtown -- in parking ramps, in stores and on the streets. Many are private; a few are public but focus on...
Posted by Mitch on June 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Minnesota Carry Permittee Shoots Cop!

Minnesota Carry Permittee Shoots Cop! - Unfortunately, it was another cop.Named as defendants are Charles Storlie, the officer who shot Duy Ngo; the unidentified supervisors, and the city. In court documents, Ngo blames Storlie for violating his civil rights by...
Posted by Mitch on June 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Saving Beeb's Privates - The

Saving Beeb's Privates - The WashTimes piles another rock on the BBC's claims that the Lynch Raid was a fabrication.Special Operations and defense officials discussed the mission in interviews this week to rebut what they consider an inaccurate report by...
Posted by Mitch on June 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sleeper Bomb - Where are

Sleeper Bomb - Where are the WMDs? They're there. In spirit. No, I'm serious, and it makes perfect sense. There are two great stories today - from Stanley Kurtz and the LATimes Bob Drogin - claiming that Iraq's WMD program...
Posted by Mitch on June 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Forced Attitude - When I

Forced Attitude - When I moved to the Twin Cities, it was partly to find a job that didn't involve teaching small-town high school English or working at 500-watt Country/Western stations. But my unstated, ulterior motive; get into the Minneapolis...
Posted by Mitch on June 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Own Private D-Day -

My Own Private D-Day - Today I'm going to tackle my daughter's principal over this little matter of the Code Pink literature being distributed in school, armed with the text from a couple of court decisions (thanks to a couple...
Posted by Mitch on June 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wave of Nostalgia - Once

Wave of Nostalgia - Once in a blue moon, I like to go through this blog's archives (the ones that work, anyway). It's amazing how much stuff I wrote that I can't remember at all. Like this piece from last...
Posted by Mitch on June 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Genius Among Us - Yesterdays'

Genius Among Us - Yesterdays' Andrew Sullivan featured the best anagram poem I've ever seen, by a John Addis:I'll tell you a story of: Howell Raines How everyone knew: He'll Now Arise Before the scandals: He is All Owner But...
Posted by Mitch on June 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Identify This Church - I'll

Identify This Church - I'll give you the clues:Complete inabilty to tell villain from victimPicking the precise response that Jesus would notAn absurdly exaggerated notion of the value and purpose of a church's physical property. If you guessed Edina Community...
Posted by Mitch on June 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Thanks! - I just looked

Thanks! - I just looked at my Amazon account. Many thanks to those of you who saw fit to contribute to this site in the past week. Your contribution is deeply appreciated, and I'll keep working to make sure Shot...
Posted by Mitch on June 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

NPR Bias Alert - NPR

NPR Bias Alert - NPR News covered the killing of a US solder in an ambush in Iraq today. As part of the coverage, the reporter said (I'm closely paraphrasing here): "The ambushed happened in an area of Iraq populated...
Posted by Mitch on June 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Fair Enough - Hennipen County

Fair Enough - Hennipen County District Judge Marilyn Brown Rosenbaum yesterday handed both sides a victory in the battle over implementing the Minnesota Personal Protection Act.Rosenbaum said a section of the law requiring verbal notification and dictating the size and...
Posted by Mitch on June 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

D+59 - Excellent piece in

D+59 - Excellent piece in the WashTimes on D-Day, which was 59 years ago today. America's view of war has undergone wild gyrations in the last 70 years; from unthinkable, to a national duty, to unthinkable again, to an evil...
Posted by Mitch on June 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bazaam - I've been looking

Bazaam - I've been looking for this one. Back during the Senate's final debate on the Minnesota Personal Protection Act, Wes Skoglund (Liar, Minneaoplis) along with the likes of Linda Berglin (DFL, Internationale) brought up details of a Violence Policy...
Posted by Mitch on June 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blogs and Raines - Andrew

Blogs and Raines - Andrew Sullivan on the Blogosphere's part in the changing newspaper business - especially the NYTimes:Only, say, five years ago, the editors of the New York Times had much more power than they have today. If they...
Posted by Mitch on June 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hillary! - The new book

Hillary! - The new book by Hillary! Clinton apparently contains strident denials that she knew anything about her husband's affair with Monical Lewinsky - or much of anything else. Dick Morris pimp-slaps that train of thought in this NRO article:For...
Posted by Mitch on June 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wotta Day - First, my

Wotta Day - First, my son was sick. Or, should I say, "sick". Oh, he had a little fever early in the day, but by noon it was clear that he was really just sick of one of his Teachers'...
Posted by Mitch on June 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Busy - My son is

Busy - My son is home sick today. Between taking care of him and doing some long-deferred housework, I'm making some phone calls, reading some transcripts and sending some emails about the Mike Hatch and the Strib piece we talked...
Posted by Mitch on June 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

WMD Go Round - The

WMD Go Round - The CIA is releasing the goods on Iraqi WMDs, according to Powerline:Liberals have been viciously attacking both President Bush and Prime Minister Blair for some days now, advancing the absurd claim that they "lied" about Iraq's...
Posted by Mitch on June 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ugh

Lileks covered this bit this morning. I wanted to find the story before I blogged it. The Sydney Morning Herald reports on mas graves full of Kurdish children. A MASS grave containing the remains of 200 Kurdish children has been...
Posted by Mitch on June 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tempest in An Oilcan -

Tempest in An Oilcan - Del Simmons' excellent Freespeech.com covers the Guardian's misreading of Paul Wolfowitz' comments comparing Iraq and North Korea....
Posted by Mitch on June 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Winning The Peace - They've

Winning The Peace - They've been wrong about everything so far. Liberals, that is. They were wrong about the importance of Al Quaeda. They were wrong about how to deal with Al Quaeda (letting the leadership slip out of countless...
Posted by Mitch on June 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Follow The Money - Fraters

Follow The Money - Fraters Libertas beat me to one story to which a reader of both of our blogs has alerted us; the cozy relationship between Mike Hatch and the Strib, and how it may have affected a campaign...
Posted by Mitch on June 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"I'm a SEAL. Let's Get

"I'm a SEAL. Let's Get It On" - Former Governor Jesse "The Mind" Ventura was allegedly involved in a dust-up with local gadfly Leslie Davis:Davis was protesting Ventura's use of the Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) studios in downtown St....
Posted by Mitch on June 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Great Observation - A DFLer

Great Observation - A DFLer acquaintance of mine said in a different (DFL-dominated) forum the other day about the rescue of Private Lynch "the soldiers were going up against no opposition!", as if that impugned the rescue effort. I responded...
Posted by Mitch on June 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Let's See Action - Among

Let's See Action - Among the most pleasant discoveries of the past year is finding that four of my favorite comics - Dennis Miller, Jackie Mason, Drew Carey and Larry Miller - not only skew to the right, but in...
Posted by Mitch on June 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Perfect Day - My

A Perfect Day - My daughter's piece appears in the Strib's "Mindworks" column today. But in case you missed it:I would have to say I would go back in time with a magic wand and make my dog, cat and...
Posted by Mitch on June 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grnxfxlvx - Been working most

Grnxfxlvx - Been working most of the night on a contract project. Will be working a good chunk of the day. Heaven help the first anti-shall-issue editorialist who crosses my path when I'm done....
Posted by Mitch on June 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Back To Work - It

Back To Work - It was a long weekend. I'm back and ready to blog up a storm. But first? Sleep. I'm not worth a darn without at least three hours a night....
Posted by Mitch on June 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Beatings Will Continue Until

The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves - Tocquevillian has this unbelievable story - which, unfortunately, happens to be utterly believable. A local Texan, who has a Mexican-American surname...called the office of one of the renegade democrats to lodge his...
Posted by Mitch on June 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

On The Other Hand -

On The Other Hand - Big shout out on Hugh Hewitt today. OK - I'm not so bummed!...
Posted by Mitch on May 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More Job Hunt Update -

More Job Hunt Update - For Friday. Bad News - The job that I interviewed for on Wednesday that seemed to be so promising? I came in second place. Good News - I don't have any. This is getting very...
Posted by Mitch on May 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Sweet Smell of Desperation

The Sweet Smell of Desperation - While Conrad DeFiebre led the Twin Cities media market in providing actual fair coverage of the Personal Protection Act, the Star-Tribune's editorial board still lurks in the pleistocene. Their latest editoral is - I...
Posted by Mitch on May 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Death of One Tiny

The Death of One Tiny Cut - Jeff Fecke of Blog Of The Moderate Left (whose permalinks are as hosed as mine are - scroll down for the article, if needed) addressed my take earlier this week on the Dems'...
Posted by Mitch on May 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Job Hunt Update - Here's

Job Hunt Update - Here's the rundown: Good News - Lileks urged America to hire me. (Thanks, James!) Bad News - America's hiring managers apparently didn't read today's Bleat. Yet. Good News - I've apparently done a great job of...
Posted by Mitch on May 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rosenbaum - Just got off

Rosenbaum - Just got off the air with KSTP's Ron "Five of Hearts" Rosenbaum, who had some questions about the DFL Deck of Cards I did over the weekend. We had a fun discussion - Ron was plenty gracious about...
Posted by Mitch on May 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Homework - I have a

Homework - I have a gnarly deadline for a big client due tomorrow, so blogging will likely be a bit thin today and tomorrow. But I hear I've been given an assignment. Although I didn't hear the show, apparently Hugh...
Posted by Mitch on May 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

In One Basket - As

In One Basket - As I mentioned the other day, I rarely listen to Limbaugh. Part of it is my schedule - I'm usually busy from 11-2 weekdays. Part of it is Limbaugh himself; he's great at what he does,...
Posted by Mitch on May 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Danger Afoot? - The guys

Danger Afoot? - The guys at Powerlineintimate that things could get hairy, now that I'm in the "Northern Alliance". On the other hand, I notice that Hugh Hewitt has blogrolled "Shot In The Dark". Minnesota bloggers are very well-represented on...
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Friends in High Places -

Friends in High Places - Wow. Amazing what an off-the-cuff remark can do. According to the guys from Powerline, Hugh Hewitt inducted "Shot In The Dark" into the "Northern Alliance of Blogs" on last night's show. Shot joins Fraters Libertas,...
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Life's Intrusions - I've had

Life's Intrusions - I've had three job interviews in the past week, including one very good one this past Friday for which I'm crossing my fingers. And there's another this afternoon that looks fairly promising. In bagpipe-related news; the group...
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

He Don't Like Mondays -

He Don't Like Mondays - This story stuns me. Sir Bob Geldof, of "Live Aid" and "Do They Know It's Christmas" fame, offers explicit praise... ...to George Bush. I had to read this a few times before I believed it...
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

No West Right Wing -

No West Right Wing - An interesting clip, via Andrew Sullivan, from Howard Kurtz' "Reliable Sources". The topic was "Politics in Hollywood". Kurtz spoke with Lawrence O'Donnell, writer of "Mr. Stirling":KURTZ: One thing these programs have in common, conservatives are...
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kerry On, My Wayward Son

Kerry On, My Wayward Son - I have a few Democrat friends who think John Kerry provides a mix of intelligence and courage that they feel is absent in the current administration. But a little digging turns up some signs...
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Thousand Thanks - So

A Thousand Thanks - So the other day, I mentioned, more or less off the cuff, some mock disappointment about not being included in Hugh Hewitt's "Northern Alliance of Blogs". Well, apparently the big wheels and other big wheels have...
Posted by Mitch on May 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Anal As Everything - It

Anal As Everything - It all started as a last-ditch, rear-guard effort by Senator Steve Kelley (DFL, Hopkins), during the debate over the Minnesota Personal Protection Act, last month at the Capital. After contentious debate and much grandstanding on the...
Posted by Mitch on May 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Crushing Workload - Working on

Crushing Workload - Working on a final report for a contract gig I've been working, plus getting ready for one, possibly three interviews in the coming week. There's lots of good blog-fodder out there today, and I'll be posting my...
Posted by Mitch on May 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Memorial Day, Redux - An

Memorial Day, Redux - An email correspondent sent me this, which sums up my whole posting below in three lines:For those who have fought for it, Freedom has a taste the protected will never know.Well, there's teh long and short...
Posted by Mitch on May 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Memorial Day - If I'd

Memorial Day - If I'd had a blog two years ago, in May of 2001 - or pretty much any year of my adult life, for that matter - I'm sure it would have been a screed that began:Americans don't...
Posted by Mitch on May 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Usual Suspects - To

The Usual Suspects - To help you recognize them, Shot In The Dark Press has just released this set of DFL Playing Cards. Suitable only for very high-stakes gaming! And I have no idea what's with the duplicate post below...
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Usual Suspects - To

The Usual Suspects - To help you recognize the state DFL's social, media, national and state leadership, Shot In The Dark Press has released this set of DFL Playing Cards. Suitable only for very high-stakes games......
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Get Your Own Material -

Get Your Own Material - The Democrats now have their own playing cards. I see I didn't make the, er, cut. Pffft. First I'm not in the "Northern Alliance of Blogs", and now this. It's enough to make me want...
Posted by Mitch on May 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Those Edina Lutherans - Jeff

Those Edina Lutherans - Jeff Fecke wrote about my piece from the other day about the Edina Lutherans' lawsuit against the Minnesota Personal Protection Act. His permalinks are just as hosed as mine are, so scroll down if you have...
Posted by Mitch on May 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Turn Your Back, Gonna Pay

Turn Your Back, Gonna Pay You Back, Last Call - Minnesota bars will be able to stay open until 2AMunder a new agreement among legislators. The deal will charge bars a fee based on projected sales, which will go toward...
Posted by Mitch on May 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Radio Nights (and Weekends) -

Radio Nights (and Weekends) - As noted in my article on Monday about local talk radio, I only covered mainstream talk shows between 6AM and 9ish PM. I had several reasons for this: I don't listen to a whole lot...
Posted by Mitch on May 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Day - Very long.

My Day - Very long. One good interview, one that might have been good, and I landed another interview at a job I'd never have expected to be interested, early today. So I'm pretty exhausted. 'til Morning!...
Posted by Mitch on May 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

SOME Good News - There

SOME Good News - There are few things in the world that I genuinely loathe: 5. People who've adopted Gene Roddenberry's fictional Federation directives as their worldview - their de facto religion. 4. Fruit bagels. 3. Chalupas 2. Actively-practicing Klansmen...
Posted by Mitch on May 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Thursday Blogging - My

Thursday Blogging - My afternoon job interview was rescheduled to Thursday at 11AM. So now I have two job interviews on Thursday, the first at 7:30 AM. Then, I have to go to my son's presentation at school. His...
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Would Jesus Pack? -

What Would Jesus Pack? - I'm a Christian. Denominationally, I'm a militantly moderate Presbyterian (purely for theological reasons; I abhor the preening, self-righteous nannystatism and extreme social liberalism of the church's General Assembly, so far removed from John Knox' original...
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Consumer Confidence - One job

Consumer Confidence - One job interview this afternoon, another tomorrow morning (which dropped into my lap yesterday morning at about this time), and two other fairly solid leads in play. Consumer confidence numbers are slowly rising. Missing Persons - Fraters...
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Imp of the Perverse -

Imp of the Perverse - I was in a "discussion" with a particularly irritating DFLer the other day - a man that fits every unfortunate, demeaning stereotype I've put forth about DFLers. Let's call him "Ben Anjerry". He was a...
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Sid Did - Some

What Sid Did - Some of my DFLer friends are raving about the new Sidney "Sid Vicious" Blumental memoir of the Clinton years. Noted rightwing tool Michael Isikoff is less impressed with the former White House Aide. Isikoff, who broke...
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shameless Solicitation - I have

Shameless Solicitation - I have a second interview tomorrow for a job I really want. It got moved up at the last minute from next Thursday. Supposedly there are three finalists for this position. So - your prayers, best wishes,...
Posted by Mitch on May 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Profiles in Futility - They're

Profiles in Futility - They're about to repeal the Profiles of Learning. It's been a Republican goal ever since the Profiles were passed, in '98. It's been a constant topic among "Garage Logicians" all along. It's being treated as a...
Posted by Mitch on May 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Radio Daze - It's wierd

Radio Daze - It's wierd to remember that in 1986, when the Mitch Berg Show was on KSTP-AM (weekend graveyard shift), Talk Radio was not yet a conservative playground. Conservatives were a strong minority, slugging it out against an equal...
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fickle Soul Finger of Fate

Fickle Soul Finger of Fate - I hate American Idol. No, really, everything about it. I've watched a grand total of maybe half an hour of the show during its entire run, in addition to hearing innumerable bits of highlights...
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hey! Minnesota! I Have A

Hey! Minnesota! I Have A Question! - I've been wanting to follow up on this idea for some time now. I finally have a moment or two. I've been asking a lot of questions of my liberal friends, in a...
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Battered Party Syndrome - I'm

Battered Party Syndrome - I'm starting to see the current realignment in Minnesota much as I would see a change in a long-term, dysfunctional relationship. And I'm going to look at it through the lens of today's Strib editorial. The...
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Answers - For years,

The Answers - For years, the Star-Tribune carried the water for the anti-gun movement in Minnesota, uncritically carrying the fevered rantings of the likes of West Skoglund and Matt Entenza. They were also the first prominent media outlet to give...
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Last Team Standing -

The Last Team Standing - The Twins are in first. It ain't pretty, but they're the only pro team playing in town now. Until hockey starts up...when? Right after July 4, right? I love spring....
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Metal Health - According to

Metal Health - According to this MSNBC report, the military is using heavy metal music and kiddie songs to break suspects' resistance under interrogation: THE IDEA, says Sgt. Mark Hadsell, is to break a subject’s resistance by annoying that person...
Posted by Mitch on May 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Der Pianist - I saw

Der Pianist - I saw "The Pianist" last week. If I didn't blog about it, it was only because the past week has been so crushingly busy. The review in a word? Incredible. What a truly spellbinding, horrifying, wonderful, awful,...
Posted by Mitch on May 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Profiles in Tenacity - In

Profiles in Tenacity - In 1863, while leading the Union fleet into Mobile Bay, Admiral David Farragut was told that the channel was blocked by "Torpedos" - the slang term for naval mines of the day. His famous response: "Damn...
Posted by Mitch on May 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Everyone's Talking Music - If

Everyone's Talking Music - If you've read my blog, you know I like music. Lots of it. Everything from Mahler to Public Enemy, and a lot of everything in between. Even bands I hate, I like. Seriously - a band...
Posted by Mitch on May 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

InstaTwister - Glenn Reynolds is

InstaTwister - Glenn Reynolds is blogging without power, after tornadoes pummel the Nashville area....
Posted by Mitch on May 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Moore Scuttling - Disney, according

Moore Scuttling - Disney, according to Hollywood Halfwits, is bailing on Michael Moore's "Documentary" claiming that the Bush family financed Bin Laden. Disney, via subsidiary Miramax, had recently agreed to cover the production costs of Moore's "documentary" which claims bin...
Posted by Mitch on May 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

St. Paul Schools - Longtime

St. Paul Schools - Longtime friend of Shot in the Dark, Tom Swift, is still busy. Last November, we told you about his discovery of budget shenanigans at the St. Paul Public Schools. The story is still evolving. According to...
Posted by Mitch on May 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Minnesota Smug - Again -

Minnesota Smug - Again - I don't have time to write as much about this thread today as I'd like - maybe this weekend, hopefully. But the pieces of this whole flap - the budget, "We're Not Minnesota Nice", the...
Posted by Mitch on May 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Guard of Chucky - New

Guard of Chucky - New York Senator Charles Schumer is one of the leading voices in the Senate speaking for the constriction of the citizen's right to own firearms, and defend their families and properties. Naturally, he has an armed...
Posted by Mitch on May 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kangaroo Court - The Strib

Kangaroo Court - The Strib starts off last Monday's story about - good heavens, can ya believe it, a conclave of former governors! - with this bon mot:If Gov. Tim Pawlenty were to turn to one of Minnesota's former governors...
Posted by Mitch on May 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Just Watch... - ...as the

Just Watch... - ...as the media spins the attacks in Riyadh as some sort of defeat against the War on Terror. It makes sense, I think, in the same way that it made sense that the last shots fired by...
Posted by Mitch on May 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blog, Interrupted - First day

Blog, Interrupted - First day at a new gig today, plus bagpipe class afterward. I'll be posting a bunch of stuff tonight, but I'm going to be pretty swamped today. Til then!...
Posted by Mitch on May 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Someone Gets It - Activists

Someone Gets It - Activists for aid to Africa square off against Greenpeace:The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) will conduct a counter demonstration at Greenpeace USA's "Run for Your Life" 5K road race at Liberty State Park in New Jersey....
Posted by Mitch on May 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Agh - Yet another case

Agh - Yet another case of child murder in the news. Lufkin, TX-area perfect mom Dee Laney apparently bludgeoned two of her three kids to death, and tried to kill a third. I know I'm not the only one who...
Posted by Mitch on May 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

That Darned Corporate Media -

That Darned Corporate Media - Michael Moore is financing his new "documentary" - which will reportedly claim Bush family ties to Osama Bin Laden - via Disney, says Drudge.The director claims he will document on film how the "senior Bush...
Posted by Mitch on May 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Case Western Shooter -

The Case Western Shooter - It seems the alleged shooter in the Case Western Reserve shootings was quite anti-gun (scroll down to the "Take Action Against Substance Abuse and Gun Violence" link). Kathleen Soliah, Carl Rowan, Sean Penn, Harry Connick,...
Posted by Mitch on May 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Heh - A whole new

Heh - A whole new deck of cards. I may buy one, come payday......
Posted by Mitch on May 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Newspaper of Record - When

Newspaper of Record - When journalists criticize the Blogosphere, they decry the online pundits and journalists' lack of editors and the absence of commitment to journalistic ethics. And then came Jayson Blair. The Times has spent the last week apologizing,...
Posted by Mitch on May 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Great...er, Minds? - I've been

Great...er, Minds? - I've been pondering for days the idea of writing about Arby's new Homestyle Pot Roast Sandwich". One the one hand, the ads make it look absolutely dreadful - natural material for a blog attack. I thought -...
Posted by Mitch on May 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fair Weather Fan - I

Fair Weather Fan - I remember listening to Pat Reusse and Joe Soucheray on the old Monday Night Sportstalk show back in 1987, during the American League Championship Series. The boys were sneering down their noses at the full houses...
Posted by Mitch on May 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's a Hard Knock Life

It's a Hard Knock Life - Michael Barone examines why so many American teenagers - TV-addled, poorly-eductated, with very low expectations thrust upon them - grow up to create the world's wealthiest nation, most vibrant economy, most innovative technical sector...
Posted by Mitch on May 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

'Ockey - The Fraters attach

'Ockey - The Fraters attach a block and tackle to the Berg petard:(Warning to Mitch. This post and probably any other posts of mine today will focus on hockey. No baseball. No bagpipes. No bread baking banality. Perhaps later this...
Posted by Mitch on May 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Chomskied - Keith Windschuttle, with

Chomskied - Keith Windschuttle, with an article in New Criterion that has the coveted J Go Stamp of Approval. The article is a Brinks truck full of money quotes. I like this one, among many:The media, they note, are all...
Posted by Mitch on May 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (9)

Maybe Susan Sarandon Will Play

Maybe Susan Sarandon Will Play The Lead - A woman in Tennessee escapes from jail, holds her child at gunpoint: Lovell, who is in jail for stalking and harassment, had faked a seizure in prison on Thursday and been taken...
Posted by Mitch on May 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Monkey Lit 101 - Researchers

Monkey Lit 101 - Researchers in England have taken the first step on the road to a simian recreation of the works of Shakespeare: Give an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of typewriters, the theory goes, and they...
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Fast Food Update - Dino's

Fast Food Update - Dino's Gyros in Roseville is my favorite fast food in the Twin Cities. (The Black Sea Turkish restaurant on Snelling is better, but not fast at all. Which is just fine). The City of Roseville wants...
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Jobbed Up - Well, for

Jobbed Up - Well, for a week or two, anyway. I start a short contract job this afternoon. Three days next week, maybe more the week after (I hope). I currently have three fairly solid leads for permanent jobs. I...
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Yow - So I've been

Yow - So I've been hearing for a long, long time now about Al Roker and his stomach surgery, and how he's lost a zillion pounds. But I VERY rarely watch the Today show (it's occasionally on in the background...
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Stiff Upper Yap - Margaret

Stiff Upper Yap - Margaret Drabble of the Telegraph doesn't mince words:My anti-Americanism has become almost uncontrollable. It has possessed me, like a disease. It rises up in my throat like acid reflux, that fashionable American sickness. I now loathe...
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Death Penalty - I've always

Death Penalty - I've always opposed the death penalty. Some conservatives get very exercised with me about it. It's not that some people don't richly deserve it, of course - I am a strong advocate of armed self-defense. And racial...
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Permalinks - I know it

Permalinks - I know it - my permalinks have been broken for a week now. I'm trying to fix them. This could turn wierd, fast. UPDATE: I guess they didn't! UPDATE 2: Or not... UPDATE 3: So I fix my...
Posted by Mitch on May 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

The Best They Can Do?

The Best They Can Do? - The Democrats must be getting desperate. They're attacking last week's carrier landing, now. New Jersey Democrat representative Bob Menendez just finished facing off with New York Republican Peter King on the Today show. The...
Posted by Mitch on May 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wrath of Kahn - Rick

Wrath of Kahn - Rick Kahn - the person who arguably put Norm Coleman in the Senate - is finally "breaking the silence". Kahn - who was the treasurer for the late Senator's 2002 re-election campaign - is infamous for...
Posted by Mitch on May 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

NOW I'm Worried - The

NOW I'm Worried - The left's been wrong about most everything when it comes to Iraq so far. It's been a generally-overwhelmingly-successful liberation, by all rational accounts. But this could be troubling:So all the way from Hollywood to the Iraqi...
Posted by Mitch on May 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Real Twin Cities Sports

The Real Twin Cities Sports Curse - OK, the Wild are flying high today after tying their series with the Canucks last night. I know this because I read it. Ever since my very brief stint as the rink announcer...
Posted by Mitch on May 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"Chilling Effects" - While driving

"Chilling Effects" - While driving to pick up my son yesterday, I listened to nattering MSNBC nabob Jill Nelson on the Michael Medved Show. Nelson had just written an article, "A mean-spirited America" in which she claimed that she was...
Posted by Mitch on May 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Update - Got a job.

Update - Got a job. Well, not a "job" in the sense of "steady long term work". It's more like a 1-2 week contracting job. But it'll stretch my unemployment a bit. Nice to know I can still get 'em...
Posted by Mitch on May 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Way We News -

The Way We News - On the Today show this morning, Amy Jacobson of WMAQ TV did a report on some very shocking hazing at a high school in the Chicago area, where senior girls harassed junior girls under the...
Posted by Mitch on May 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Graham, Lieberman - I'd love

Graham, Lieberman - I'd love to see the Democrats nominate Howard Dean. He's got a lot of juju now among the far-left Democrat faithful. And he'd probably make George McGovern look good. And I bet the Democrats know that. So...
Posted by Mitch on May 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Swamped - Very busy today.

Swamped - Very busy today. I'll be posting this evening. Til then!...
Posted by Mitch on May 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

In My Rear-View Mirror -

In My Rear-View Mirror - One of the most contentious issues in the recent concealed carry debate was the extent to which private and public establishments and property owners could post their property to bar concealed-carry permit-holders. During the final...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

State of Mitch - Today's

State of Mitch - Today's report:Still job-hunting. It's been four @#$@#% months. The world hasn't ended - that's good. But I'm not very graceful at waiting around. I had one job lead go away this week. But I had two...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whither WMD - Debka reports

Whither WMD - Debka reports that Syria and Iraq colluded to ditch Iraq's WMDs:Now, our intelligence sources can disclose exclusively that the relocation of Iraq’s WMD systems took place between January 10 and March 10 and was completed just 10...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Shocked the World. Shocked, I

Shocked the World. Shocked, I Tells Ya - Jesse Ventura's new TV show is having lots of trouble, says Drudge: "[Ventura] has been having just a terrible time," says a source with direct ties to the project. "The rehearsals have...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Chomsky on Tolkien - Via

Chomsky on Tolkien - Via McSweeney's:Chomsky: One of the problems with the perspective offered by the Man-Elf coalition is that you have to try so hard to get at the truth of the conflict, at what is really going on;...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blinding Epiphany - Lileks has

Blinding Epiphany - Lileks has passed on one of the great talkradio secrets:12:24 PM Note to people who feel compelled to begin talk-radio conversations with “long-time listener, first-time caller” - no one cares. Least of all the host.It goes way...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Concealed Logic, Part XXV -

Concealed Logic, Part XXV - I don't, as a rule, turn to Laura Billings for reasoned, rational commentary on the issues. Her Thursday column in the Pioneer Press, on last week's passage of the Minnesota Personal Protection Act, did nothing...
Posted by Mitch on May 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Today - Now and Then

Today - Now and Then - The Today show last month: worrying about the pace of the war. The Today show this morning; a skateboarding bulldog....
Posted by Mitch on May 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Innocence - Maybe it's just

Innocence - Maybe it's just my normal dyspepsia returning after a really nice weekend. Maybe it's my 40-year-old brain looking at 21-year-old college kids and feeling like I'm looking down the wrong end of a pair of binoculars. Maybe it's...
Posted by Mitch on May 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Allies - Our most powerful

Allies - Our most powerful ally in terms of numbers of troops and hitting power during the Cold War was West Germany. They built the largest army that their post-war constitution would allow, with the aid of a draft that...
Posted by Mitch on May 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cry "Unilateral Quagmire" - Two

Cry "Unilateral Quagmire" - Two months ago, the left was up in arms (so to speak) about the lack of other countries willing to send troops to help in Iraq. As we predicted in this space last summer, now that...
Posted by Mitch on May 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's Sunday - Usually, weekends

It's Sunday - Usually, weekends are big for blogging. A trip through the Sunday paper is always great blog fodder. But I'm taking it easy this weekend. My reading has found a few things I'm dying to write about... ...but...
Posted by Mitch on May 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Winamp's Last Five Songs

My Winamp's Last Five Songs - in reverse order:She Said, the Beatles. Porkpie Hat, Charles Mingus.You Could Make a Killing, Aimee Mann. 1952 Vincent Black Lightning, Richard Thompson. The Rising, Springsteen.I'm feeling better already....
Posted by Mitch on May 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Minnesota Codependent - In the

Minnesota Codependent - In the past month, the left in Minnesota's been in a state of mourning. "Minnesota Nice" is apparently dead. The Strib ran an excellent series a few weeks ago, by Steve Berg (no relation) and Dave Hage,...
Posted by Mitch on May 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

This Battle Was Settled -

This Battle Was Settled - James Lileks likes the Macintosh. Glenn Reynolds prefers the PC. They're both wrong. There'll never be another NeXT....
Posted by Mitch on May 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hillary! - Nick Gillespie on

Hillary! - Nick Gillespie on why Hillary!'s new book is likely to be a complete dog:Spell-binding memoirs, especially by political figures, are based on revelation; the form is inherently confessional. While Clinton certainly has access to first-rate material—both in terms...
Posted by Mitch on May 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Duty Calls - Yet another

Duty Calls - Yet another job interview coming up. I'll probably post a bit later today. Free Speech - A fair chunk of the blogosphere is up in arms about this incident, where the William Morris Agency is taking legal...
Posted by Mitch on May 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's For The Children Soldiers

It's For The Children Soldiers - One of the things I detested about Bill Clinton (and still detest about Senator Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis) was the way he'd find some way to squeeze "the children" into any debate, or even "casual"...
Posted by Mitch on May 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Once an Authority - Fraters

Once an Authority - Fraters Libertas has an excellent thrashing of Scott Ritter. Read it - it's brief but excellent, and has some great links. And the opening question is a great one - have we reached an era when...
Posted by Mitch on April 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

It Explains Her Delivery -

It Explains Her Delivery - Cacklin' Katherine Lanpher has been charged with DWI and leaving the scene of an accident, after an April 12 incident in St. Paul: Lanpher, 43, of St. Paul, was charged Tuesday with two counts of...
Posted by Mitch on April 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Brain Destroyer - In Through

Brain Destroyer - In Through the Looking Glass, Humpty Dumpty spoke with Alice:"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean--neither more nor less." "The question is,"...
Posted by Mitch on April 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Incongruous - I took a

Incongruous - I took a rare listen to the KQ Morning Show today. The sponsor for the last "News" segment? The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. I listened to the spot, wondering when the ironic redirection would come. There HAD to...
Posted by Mitch on April 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sometimes The Good Guys Win

Sometimes The Good Guys Win - Mohammed Odeh al-Rehaief, the formerly anonymous Iraqi lawyer who tipped our snakeeaters off to Private Lynch's location, has been granted asylum and is in the US with his family now.Prior to Tuesday, he was...
Posted by Mitch on April 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Yam Hashoah - It's Holocaust

Yam Hashoah - It's Holocaust Remembrance Day....
Posted by Mitch on April 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Carp Run - Strib Doug

Carp Run - Strib Doug Grow takes a predictable tack in today's column. He writes about a bit during yesterday's debate where Senator Dille held up a list of groups oppposing the MPPA; the list included some left-leaning police organizations,...
Posted by Mitch on April 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's All In The Timing

It's All In The Timing - I was leaving the capitol yesterday just as the senator that "represents" my district, Ellen Anderson, was yelling "OJ Simpson could get a permit!". Leave it to Kim Du Toit to have picked off...
Posted by Mitch on April 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Scenes From A Debate, Part

Scenes From A Debate, Part II - As I mentioned in my previous post, many of the anti-MPPA audience members seemed quite uninformed about the issue - especially compared to the supporters, many of whom have racked up freqent flyer...
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Scenes From A Debate -

Scenes From A Debate - Now, trust me on this - I'm not saying this to be bitchy. Yes, I think most of the people who came to the Senate to oppose the Personal Protection Act were wrong. But it's...
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Minnesota 35th "Shall Issue"

Minnesota 35th "Shall Issue" State Flash - Senate File 842 - including the Minnesota Personal Protection Act - just passed the Minnesota Senate on a vote of 37-30. When Governor Pawlenty signs the bill next week, we will be...
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Still On - The debate

Still On - The debate over the MPPA is still scheduled for this morning at the Capitol. Again - supporters, if you can make it, I'll hope to see you there. I'll update you as soon as I get home....
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Concealed Humor Permits - The

Concealed Humor Permits - The Minnesota House revealed its inner standup comic last week, according to the PiPress:While the issue of giving Minnesotans more access to handgun permits is serious, the six-hour House debate about it last week wasn't always...
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Yet Another - Yet another

Yet Another - Yet another case where the Bush Administration was right; the "International Criminal Court" would seem to be a venue for politically-based harassement of US policies under a pseudo-legalistic veneer:"The complaint will be filed stating that unknown American...
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Checkmate? - Over the past

Checkmate? - Over the past few days, word's come in that documentation linking Hussein to Al Quaeda has been found.Papers found yesterday in the bombed headquarters of the Mukhabarat, Iraq's intelligence service, reveal that an al-Qa'eda envoy was invited clandestinely...
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Typical - The Strib did

Typical - The Strib did a decent profile of some typical handgun owners. Who are the gun owners? Who wants to carry a handgun? Franz Metzger says they can't be pigeonholed. Metzger was in the seminary for three years before...
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What It's All About -

What It's All About - Hollywood's brigade of leftists is battered but not beaten by the victory in Iraq or the hatred so many Americans are heaping on them. According to Mike "BJ" Farrell:Mike Farrell, star of television's "MASH" and...
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Lemonade - Madonna is lending

Lemonade - Madonna is lending her voice to anti-file-sharing efforts:Warner Music Group had audio files purporting to be her new songs uploaded onto peer-to-peer file-sharing services. Anyone who downloaded the decoys, however, heard nothing but the pop star swearing at...
Posted by Mitch on April 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Rally, He Flacks - Again

Rally, He Flacks - Again - so nobody misses it; the Senate should be debating the Minnesota Personal Protection Act tomorrow morning at 9:40 at the Capitol. If you're a supporter, please be there. If you're a blogger that plans...
Posted by Mitch on April 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Some Dare Call it Treason

Some Dare Call it Treason - George Galloway, British Labour Party member of Parliament and perhaps the political leader of Britain's anti-war movement (who also seems to have been on Hussein's payroll) could be charged with treason: The Observer can...
Posted by Mitch on April 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Aziz - The London Telegraph

Aziz - The London Telegraph is kicking off the speculation that Tariq Aziz was the "mole" in the Hussein regime. The background sounds typical for any Stalinist regime:Saddam Hussein's security chiefs placed members of Tariq Aziz's family under arrest shortly...
Posted by Mitch on April 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Minority GOP - I've

The Minority GOP - I've predicted it in this space before: the first black president, the first woman president, the first black or female governor of the state of Minnesota, will much more than likely be Republicans. George Will comments...
Posted by Mitch on April 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Liberation - Looking at this

Liberation - Looking at this montage from Powerline, (thanks for the pointer, guys!), I'm reminded of a Stephen Ambrose quote, from "Citizen Soldiers" - I'm paraphrasing, here: Throughout history, a squad of armed 19-year-olds from an occupying army has been...
Posted by Mitch on April 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Need More Brain - Yesterday

Need More Brain - Yesterday was one of those nights I wished I had a Palm Pilot with speech recognition. I was listening to some fascinating guests on NPR who had some incredible insights on the situation in Iraq, and...
Posted by Mitch on April 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hearing - I'm going to

Hearing - I'm going to slip into announcement mode: Monday morning (4/28), the Senate will be apparently debating the Minnesota Personal Protection Act. If you're a supporter of the MPPA, meet at the capitol. I will see you there. UPDATE:...
Posted by Mitch on April 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mmmmm, Beer - Just in

Mmmmm, Beer - Just in time for the weekend, The Black Table reviews "Cheap Beer". Now I'm going out....
Posted by Mitch on April 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whose Sports? - While I

Whose Sports? - While I did, in fact, praise the Strib's news coverage of the concealed carry debate, their editorial page is still carrying water for Sara Brady. Today, as if on cue, they printed this letter from investment banker...
Posted by Mitch on April 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Duelling Studies? - First, the

Duelling Studies? - First, the praise; the Strib has led the local media in beginning to report the Concealed Carry issue as one with two sides; Conrad De Fiebre was among the first local reporters to break away from the...
Posted by Mitch on April 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Oh, No - Not Again

Oh, No - Not Again - Lileks seems to be down again. UPDATE: Or not....
Posted by Mitch on April 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Galloway Slipping - The Christian

Galloway Slipping - The Christian Science Monitor follows the London Telegraph with documentary evidence that British Labour party MP and anti-war activist George Galloway was on the Iraqi payroll. Big-time:Evidence of Mr. Galloway's dealings with the regime were first revealed...
Posted by Mitch on April 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Hamster Speaks - A

The Hamster Speaks - A lot of my far-left friends are very excited about Vermont governor Howard Dean. More and more, I hope the Democrats nominate him. If he keeps saying stuff like this, he'll make McGovern '72 look pretty...
Posted by Mitch on April 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Concealed Carry Redux - You'll

Concealed Carry Redux - You'll know them by their enemies. And I'm proud to claim some of the Minnesota Personal Protection Act's opponents as political foes. Here's what the Strib had to say:Opponents tried unsuccessfully to pass several amendments. One...
Posted by Mitch on April 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Why I Support Carry Reform

Why I Support Carry Reform - If you've read this blog more than, say, twice, you know I'm a big supporter of concealed carry reform. I'm a sometimes member of Concealed Carry Reform Now of Minnesota. When people ask me...
Posted by Mitch on April 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bloodbath at Foggy Bottom -

Bloodbath at Foggy Bottom - Newt Gingrich spoke to the American Enterprise Institute about the successes and failures in the war - and, more germanely, the diplomatic tapdance that led up to it. Guess how the State Department comes out?From...
Posted by Mitch on April 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Where's James? - In an

Where's James? - In an outpouring of concern not seen on the 'net since Mahir went missing (or, I guess, since Plain Layne's unannounced relocation), the whole world is wondering where Lileks' site has gone. Our hopes and best wishes...
Posted by Mitch on April 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Iran - The Iranians have

Iran - The Iranians have been intervening among the Shi'ites in Iraq. The question is, why? Especially given the trouble they're having at home themselves. I think the mullahs need to spark a conflict to stay in power - just...
Posted by Mitch on April 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The New Era in Iraq

The New Era in Iraq - David Warren has a fascinating look at the curve-balls we face in governing Iraq.Asked what his greatest challenge would be, [incoming administrator Gen. Jay Garner] said: "Everything is the challenge." A remarkably calm, folksy,...
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Modest Proposal - Was

A Modest Proposal - Was there a hockey game last night? I love baseball. I can watch football. But NBA hoops and NHL hockey both bore me stiff. I can call the play-by-play of any NBA game more or less...
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nyaaa Nyaaa Nyaaaaaa - Yesterday,

Nyaaa Nyaaa Nyaaaaaa - Yesterday, Doug Grow called anti-tax-hike activists copycats. Citizens for a Subservient Safer Minnesota calls pro-carry-reform people "Yahoos in Parkas", as we noted below. Today, Laura Billings is on the case. If you oppose tax hikes, you're...
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

The Smell of Fear -

The Smell of Fear - Citizens for a Subservient Minnesota (CSM) is running a new radio commercial (requires Quicktime) to try to foment fear about the Minnesota Personal Protection Act. Note the emotional buttons being pushed:The character reading the spot...
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pro Death - The National

Pro Death - The National Organization of Women is scuttling away from its attack on "Fetal Homicide" laws in 23 states. The issue came to a head when California charged Scott Peterson with two murders in the death of his...
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Very Different Worlds - Doug

Very Different Worlds - Doug Grow's latest column covers one of the most irritating "grassroots" movements in Minnesota today - those asinine "Happy to Pay for a Better Minnesota" signs.Signs that Minnesota's progressive movement wasn't totally obliterated in November are...
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Someone Call Sara Brady! -

Someone Call Sara Brady! - Two Minnesota farm kids have a close call with a potato gun, according to the Strib:Polk County Sheriff Mark LeTexier said the two friends were shooting a screwdriver from a homemade potato gun Friday night....
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Left On Iraq Update -

Left On Iraq Update - Nick Kristof admits admits his predictions about the war were totally wrong: Since I complained vigorously about this war before it started, it's only fair for me to look back and acknowledge that many of...
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ebert - My friend Brian

Ebert - My friend Brian Jones runs "Boviosity". He uncorks on Roger Ebert (scroll down to the part beginning "Amateur patriot Roger Ebert..." - his permalinks aren't working). The money quote, to me, is probably a toss-off to Brian:It's so...
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unhinged - On this site,

Unhinged - On this site, we've been chronicling the hatredof the left for the right since the very beginning. Sullivan, today, sums up what it means for democracy (second article down, entitled "Why?":What I'm saying is that the level of...
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Payroll - Key British anti-war

Payroll - Key British anti-war politician and Labour party leader George Galloway was on the Iraqi payroll to the tune of $500,000 a year, according to the Telegraph:A confidential memorandum sent to Saddam by his spy chief said that Mr...
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

One Of The Boys -

One Of The Boys - Andy Bizub of the Chicago Boys has this excellent rejoinder to the Celebrity Activist community:The celebrity activist crowd is shocked, shocked that their feet are being held to the fire, that they are being made...
Posted by Mitch on April 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (19)

Discovery? - Every day that

Discovery? - Every day that we don't find immense caches of chemical weapons is another day that the extreme left gets to practically wet its pants with "Told you so!" glee. Unanswered: what if Hussein buried the weapons, or shipped...
Posted by Mitch on April 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mac - Lileks had a

Mac - Lileks had a blast from my own past, in this scene from a postcard show:The best find: some promotional cards for KSTP’s new studio, including some shots of the station’s talent. I didn’t recognize any of the names...
Posted by Mitch on April 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Where Angels Fear To Tread

Where Angels Fear To Tread - Give me all the good old-fashioned conservative hot-wire topics; American Exceptionalism, Firearms Owners Rights, Taxes, the Nannystate, whatever; I'll eat 'em for breakfast and ask for more. But I've tended to avoid abortion. It's...
Posted by Mitch on April 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Clark - Some of my

Clark - Some of my Democrat friends have been bloviating about a possible Kerry/Clark ticket in 2004. Given Kerry's mad dash for the left, I think the top of the ticket is something Bush can deal with, presuming the economy...
Posted by Mitch on April 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Happy Easter - Lest you

Happy Easter - Lest you forget amid the Hallmark (TM) hype that's nearly taken the day over, today's the observed anniversary of the day Christ rose from the dead to redeem you from your sins. (I'm not going to throw...
Posted by Mitch on April 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Economics Ground World's Fastest Metaphor

Economics Ground World's Fastest Metaphor - One of the greatest stories from The Onion is their classic lampooning of the Titanic disaster, headlined "World's Largest Metaphor Hits Ice-Berg". We'll come back to that. Today, the Star/Tribune editorial board mourns the...
Posted by Mitch on April 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

...And the #1 Sign Spring

...And the #1 Sign Spring is Finally Springing in MN - My magnolia bush is starting to bloom. I'd hoped to have a job, so I could buy a digital camera, so I could show this on the blog. You'll...
Posted by Mitch on April 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ice? Or Iceberg? - Here's

Ice? Or Iceberg? - Here's the picture: A large, motivated minority turns out to protest a military action they detest.A religious organization links up with a group that represents (and practically worships) an old, discredited dictatorship, proving that war does...
Posted by Mitch on April 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More Inteview News - Second

More Inteview News - Second interview yesterday - oy vey. I now have two positions for which I've interviewed, that I'd probably cut off an arm to get. The one with the very long interview from a few weeks ago,...
Posted by Mitch on April 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

5.8 for Artistic Impression, 5.1

5.8 for Artistic Impression, 5.1 for Technical - First interview was a phoner (switched from a face-to-face at almost the last minute). It'd be a cool gig, if I can land it. I'm the only UI Designer currentl in contention,...
Posted by Mitch on April 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Big Day - Two job

Big Day - Two job interviews today, and plans later. Might be a light blog day today, but if so I'll catch up tomorrow. Plenty to write about!...
Posted by Mitch on April 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Return of the King? -

Return of the King? - Abu Dhabi TV (via CNN) is currently showing footage supposedly showing Saddam Hussein standing amid a crowd of Iraqis, allegedly taken on April 9 - the same day the Marines were pulling down the statues....
Posted by Mitch on April 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Only Story They Have

The Only Story They Have is Fear Itself - Yesterday, Fraters Libertas beat me to working over a particularly craven Strib editorial. The editorial focused on the non-specific fears of a bunch of vaguely uneasy Minnesotans, and concluded that oofda,...
Posted by Mitch on April 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Sound of One Clue

The Sound of One Clue Dropping - The LA Weekly's Marc Cooper has been a frequent subject in this blog; he's sort of like the City Pages' Steve Perry with more tan than talent. The boy's outdone himself. His current...
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What He Said - Ya

What He Said - Ya gotta be true to yourself. I think it was Shakespeare that said "feed your head". Wasn't it? Anyway - Glenn Reynolds said something that resonates with me:That's why I can't bring myself to go on...
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6)

Things I Really Dislike -

Things I Really Dislike - Apropos nothing:Ed, Edd and Eddie. I mean, the Cartoon Network has lots and lots of shows that rub me the wrong way - CatDog, Cow and Chicken, IM Weasel, yadda yadda. But EE'nE is like...
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deal with the Devil? -

Deal with the Devil? - I rip on Ellen Goodman a lot. She usually has it coming. She actually has a fairly good piece in the Strib (and probably the Boston Glob) today, though, on the Eason Jordon flap. She...
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sunset - Senator Orrin Hatch

Sunset - Senator Orrin Hatch is proposing to remove the sunset provisions from the Patriot Act. The small-"l" libertarian in me is always fighting with the big-"C" Conservative about things like civil liberties in wartime. Both sides are adamant about...
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

To Do List - for

To Do List - for Thursday, April 17:Get a Job.Figure out this @#$@#% Movable Type. I'm a software designer, so I'm hardly a complete software illiterate. And I was working with UNIX, oh, um, during Ronald Reagan's first term. It's...
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Lessons Learned - Compare and

Lessons Learned - Compare and Contrast - Email correspondent Peter Jessen sent me this item from the Jerusalem Post (free registration required). The article has a swiss bank full of money quotes. This one sort of sets the stage:Since the...
Posted by Mitch on April 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"Failure" - I really have

"Failure" - I really have to stop warblogging...honest, I can do it any time... But this one, from Curmudgeonly and Skeptical", made my day:MEMO TO NANCY PELOSI: A Failed Plan? 1. We took Iraq in less time than it took...
Posted by Mitch on April 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

State of Democrat Mind -

State of Democrat Mind - Powerline cites a New York Times piece on the Democrats' outlook for '04 - according to the Democrats: Yet as they watched Mr. Bush turn his sights to Syria, other party leaders expressed fresh concerns...
Posted by Mitch on April 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Tim Robbins - I heard

Tim Robbins - I heard bits and pieces of Tim Robbins' address to the National Press club yesterday. Now, unlike a lot of conservatives and bloggers, I'll admit it; I've liked a few of Robbins' roles (and even a few...
Posted by Mitch on April 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sign O' The Times -

Sign O' The Times - Our success in Iraq is starting to get a lot of peoples' attention. Not least of which is the Star/Tribune Editorial Board. Since Baghdad fell last week, they've had a sudden attack of common sense.What's...
Posted by Mitch on April 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Life Update - Enjoying a

Life Update - Enjoying a rare evening off from the kids. Going to read a book and go to bed. Bagpipe lessons are going well, thanks! Finally got most of "Drowsy Maggie" down, and I can really kick tush on...
Posted by Mitch on April 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deep Breath - Let's start

Deep Breath - Let's start at the top: It's been a busy 48 hours, not only in Iraq, but worldwide. Remember the barbering about the Bush Administration's alleged diplomatic incompetence? 1) North Korea, after six months of sabre-rattling, has dropped...
Posted by Mitch on April 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Readjustment Blues - The Pentagon

Readjustment Blues - The Pentagon reports that a C-130 is en route from Doha, Qatar to Tikrit with a load of 300-pound altos. The war is not over, but the Pentagon is feeling confident enough to say the "major fighting...
Posted by Mitch on April 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Incredible Shrinking DNC -

The Incredible Shrinking DNC - Jay Reding's back, with a vengeance. He asks a question that I've been chewing on for a while now; what's the DNC's sprint for the left going to do for them?The left has used the...
Posted by Mitch on April 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Betrayal, Redux - The big

Betrayal, Redux - The big question, as far as I'm concerned, about the revelations of the media's sitting on stories of Hussein's brutality is this: Were they pushed, or did they jump? Victor Davis Hanson, in the National Review, digs...
Posted by Mitch on April 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's Baaaaaack - Democrat affilated

It's Baaaaaack - Democrat affilated hate site Democrats.com is rerunning an oldie but goodie: the photo supposedly debunking last week's scene in the Bagh where the large Hussein statue was toppled: This is conspiracy-mongering at its most craven. Odd, isn't...
Posted by Mitch on April 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bam - There It Is

Bam - There It Is - While I was out yesterday, Tikrit fell. "Saddam's Hardcore" didn't even put up a token resistance, other than the occasional sniper. Today, the Pentagon says the major fighting is over, although sporadic and sometimes...
Posted by Mitch on April 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Hawks Like Us - Instapundit

Hawks Like Us - Instapundit posts a (currently non-functioning) link to "The Filibuster", asking "maybe the hawks were right?" We note that we're seeing:(1) A high-profile Iranian conservative [calling] for a reexamination of Iran's relationship with Israel. (2) North Korea...
Posted by Mitch on April 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Last 24 Hours -

The Last 24 Hours - It starts as a fisking "of a headline" in the Guardian - but blog Buzz Machine sums up a pretty incredible, if underreported, 24 hours in this conflict:he Guardian's daily update tries to make it...
Posted by Mitch on April 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Busy Day - Lots going

Busy Day - Lots going on. I'll post this evening....
Posted by Mitch on April 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Public Has A Right

The Public Has A Right To Know - I mentioned yesterday that I've been baking the vast majority of the bread my family eats since I've been job-hunting. Someone wrote asking if I used the loaves of frozen pre-mixed bread,...
Posted by Mitch on April 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Your Name - Misha at

Your Name - Misha at the Rottweiler draws our attention to Tom Bennet, who has this classic letter in the SFGate - an ultraleft website:Editor -- To the "Not in My Name" geniuses, the Hollywood posers, communists and anarchists posturing...
Posted by Mitch on April 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Barbara Billingsley Award - I

Barbara Billingsley Award - I have bought exactly one loaf of commercially-baked bread in the past two months. I have been baking my own. It's usually tasty and inexpensive. Usually....
Posted by Mitch on April 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Delayed Blogification - So Instapundit

Delayed Blogification - So Instapundit isn't blogging much today, Fraters Libertas are talking hockey (which only takes away time for telecasting baseball, in my book), Jay Reding seems to be taking a long weekend and dealing with server trouble, Plain...
Posted by Mitch on April 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Jordan and Iraq - I've

Jordan and Iraq - I've gotten a few emails from people discussing Eason Jordan's revelations that CNN sat on details of Hussein's brutality. I have to say, I've learned a bit, to the point where I've changed my mind. My...
Posted by Mitch on April 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Iraq - Democrat Meltdown? -

Iraq - Democrat Meltdown? - We've all heard House Minority Leader Nancy "Facelift" Pelosi and her remark that "...We could have probably brought down that statue for a lot less". As usual, she doesn't say exactly how, which continues a...
Posted by Mitch on April 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paging Jesse Ventura - Fidel

Paging Jesse Ventura - Fidel Castro, alarmed at the number of Cubans who are willing to resort to violent means to leave his island paradise (they have national health care, you know!), has executed three men who tried to hijack...
Posted by Mitch on April 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Duh - The Los Angeles

Duh - The Los Angeles El Al shooting has been ruled a terrorist attack....
Posted by Mitch on April 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bitter? - We've seen the

Bitter? - We've seen the symptoms:Anti-Bush protesters, marching in their thousands (or, lately, hundreds or dozens) complaining that the government and the "corporate media" are shutting them up. All x thousand/hundred/dozen of them."anti-war" activists who've had to successivily fall back...
Posted by Mitch on April 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shades of Weimar - The

Shades of Weimar - The big challenge occurred to me last night. CNN was broadcasting, live, pictures of an endless line of Iraqis - former soldiers who've shucked their uniforms and were dressed in a motley assortment of civilian garb...
Posted by Mitch on April 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dr. Donald - I think

Dr. Donald - I think we're looking at a boom market in Donald Rumsfeld impersonators. This, from Esquire magazine, is a classic. (Via Andrew Sullivan)...
Posted by Mitch on April 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Story They Sat On

The Story They Sat On - Eason Jordan of CNN writes about the Iraqi stories he couldn't tell. And it's not from any political bias. I came to know several Iraqi officials well enough that they confided in me that...
Posted by Mitch on April 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Day of A Thousand Quotes

Day of A Thousand Quotes - Today has seen an embarassment of riches in the quote department; I may have to set up a separate page for great quotes about the war and its denouement. This is from a great...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Speaking of Great Quotes -

Speaking of Great Quotes - I often wish this blog could make enough money that I wouldn't have to work (or, lately, look for work). Don't get me wrong - the fact that you people donate enough money to support...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Quote of the Day -

Quote of the Day - Hard to pick just one, but I love this, from David Warren:Saddam Hussein had 30 years to make Iraq unliveable; naturally people such as the West's peace marchers in street and media expect the U.S....
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Commentary - I may put

Commentary - I may put this Glenn Reynolds quote on a sign, for the next time I go to an anti-Bush rally:What worries me is that there are still people -- who when agitating for "peace" pretended to have the...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Snatching Defeat from the Jaws

Snatching Defeat from the Jaws of Victory - Hate site Democrats.com tries to impugn yesterday's famous pro-liberation demonstration in Baghdad, trying to pass it off as a small, controlled demonstration staged by the US. Since Democrats.com always changes its front...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bipolar - Two different extremes

Bipolar - Two different extremes here in Minnesota. On the one hand, Minnesota's Iraqis. The Strib reports on their reactions:"The Iraqi people lived a nightmare under Saddam Hussein, but now the nightmare is over," said Moslem Al-Jayashi of Fridley. "It's...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Terrible Swift Sword - Victor

Terrible Swift Sword - Victor Davis Hanson writes this superb article about democracy's record in war. Tyrants write us off in advance - and, the record shows, at their own peril. The article is chock full of great observations. I...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Light Flicks On - The

Light Flicks On - The Arab Street's reactions are fascinating: Feeling betrayed and misled, some turned off their sets in disgust when jubilant crowds in Baghdad celebrated the arrival of U.S. troops. "We discovered that all what the (Iraqi) information...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ach. Ptui - To wash

Ach. Ptui - To wash the taste of Fisk out of my mouth, Lileks:The Fog of Peace comes next; we will hear many stories of Setbacks and Troubling Developments and Roadblocks to Peace and the rest of the vocabulary the...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Robert Fisk: "Journalist" of the

Robert Fisk: "Journalist" of the "Liberation" - Robert Fisk, ultraliberal toady, wrote this about the liberation of Baghdad today: The Americans "liberated" Baghdad yesterday, Note the sneer quotes. I should quit right here, because Fisk has already given his entire...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Miller - I caught part

Miller - I caught part of Dennis Miller on Leno last week. No, honest, Miller was the only reason I tuned in. Criminy. I wanted to transcribe his whole bit, because it has some great, .sig-file caliber lines, but I...
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Lou Reed Curse -

The Lou Reed Curse - A pox on Eric Alterman's politics, but he does some great music writing. In this article, he talks aboutthe Lou Reed Curse:A few days later, I was telling this story to my close friend, Mike,...
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gotcher Crow Right Here -

Gotcher Crow Right Here - A month ago, this list (and the local left in general) was all abuzz about what a bad idea this war was going to be. Two weeks ago, the "Q" word - quagmire - was...
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Open Letter to Protesters -

Open Letter to Protesters - This note appeared on the Minnesota National Politics discussion list, in a topic about Minnesota's clacque of anti-Bush protesters. I liked it, and am using it with permission.I don’t think there is any questions that...
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Same the World Over -

Same the World Over - Footage on CNN a bit about of a US Marine walking through a building on the campus of Baghdad University. As he walked a young, shrill Arab woman harangued him, in excellent English, pointing at...
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paging Captain Smith - International

Paging Captain Smith - International A.N.S.W.E.R. is planning another round of anti-Bush rallies this weekend, including in DC. I plan on going down to the Marshall-Lake Bridge in a bit, to see if the usual suspects are clogging up the...
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Amazing - I didn't expect

Amazing - I didn't expect to see a day like this. I expected something like Germany or Japan - a shell-shocked populace slowly waking and getting its feet wet with the idea of freedom. A stunning day....
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Children's Jail - Lileks,

The Children's Jail - Lileks, on what the Children's Prison really means:The end result of a fascist regime is always this: a man who seeks advancement by proposing a children’s jail; a smarter man who sees the political advantage of...
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Leave Nobody Behind - One

Leave Nobody Behind - One of the most fascinating stories so far has been that of Navy Lieutenant-Commander Scott Speicher, a pilot shot down on the first night of the Gulf War. The 1991 Gulf War. The story is still...
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whoops - Yes, I moved

Whoops - Yes, I moved the blog to my new domain. It was simpler than I thought. More changes to come soon....
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More - For those who

More - For those who still think that we should have left Hussein alone:More than 100 children held in a prison celebrated their freedom as US marines rolled into northeast Baghdad amid chaotic scenes which saw civilians loot weapons from...
Posted by Mitch on April 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Top Five Signs Your Movement

Top Five Signs Your Movement Is Losing Steam - Drum roll, please: 5. Canadians now support the war by a 2-1 margin. 4. Le Figaro is editorializing in favor of the war. 3. The Guardian is writing some of the...
Posted by Mitch on April 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My "Representative" - Betty McCollum

My "Representative" - Betty McCollum is my "representative" in Congress - I put it in quotes, because while she does sit in the chair reserved for Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District, I find that she doesn't represent me in the least....
Posted by Mitch on April 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Three Months - That's how

Three Months - That's how long I've been out of work. Now bear in mind, I'm not one of those people who likes being out of work. Truth be told, I'm a bit of a workaholic. I've had to moderate...
Posted by Mitch on April 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Casualties of War - It's

Casualties of War - It's almost specious to point this out, but here goes: In 1991, we lost 147 dead in four days of fighting; about a quarter of them were "friendly fire" deaths. Today, in almost three weeks of...
Posted by Mitch on April 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's a Gas - For

It's a Gas - For the past day or so, the left's latest intellectual rear-guard action has been "See! No Weapons of Mass Destruction!" The anti-Bush left's intellectual rear-guard is folding up like the Republican Guard these days; the 101st...
Posted by Mitch on April 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fantasy Life - I love

Fantasy Life - I love this this editorial in the relatively-liberal Die Zeit. The translation from the German is via Google; I could have done a better job, if I'd had an hour or two to spend on it. This...
Posted by Mitch on April 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Busted? - We've had false

Busted? - We've had false alarms before - but this might be it; US forces discover possible chemical weapons in two separate finds near Baghdad - one involving drums of chemicals, and this one: The U.S. National Public Radio, reporting...
Posted by Mitch on April 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Black Watch News - This

Black Watch News - This story has three of my favorite things: bagpipes, Challenger main battle tanks (about as good as an M1, and much cooler-looking) and a leftie myth being shot down (in this case, "Urban Combat will totally...
Posted by Mitch on April 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Alternatives - The Strib asks

Alternatives - The Strib asks the unanswerable question: "When will the DFL actually come up with a budget plan of its own?"And as expected, Speaker Steve Sviggum made much of the fact that his caucus has declared its fiscal intentions,...
Posted by Mitch on April 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Focus - Believe it or

Focus - Believe it or not, I never set out to do a warblog. Yeah, military history has always fascinated me - and since I'm a straight male (despite the fact that I own a potpourri heater) I naturally am...
Posted by Mitch on April 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

If It Ain't Broke, Fix

If It Ain't Broke, Fix It? - According to Drudge, Steven Brill is getting personally trashed by the chattering classes for his new book "After: How America Confronted the September 12 Era". His crime? Admitting the administration is doing a...
Posted by Mitch on April 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Troops? War? - Terry Eastland

Troops? War? - Terry Eastland of the Weekly Standard asks the question - is it possible to support the troops but oppose the war? To Eastland, the answer is "no":Rep. Charles Rangel of New York has stated it succinctly: "We...
Posted by Mitch on April 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Compassionate Caring Liberals In Action

Compassionate Caring Liberals In Action - The death of Michael Kelly brought out quite a reaction among the Democratic Underground. Much of it, unforunately, was nose-hair-curlingly awful. I'm imagining what would have happened had a conservative reaction to Paul Wellstone's...
Posted by Mitch on April 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hentoff - A genuine liberal

Hentoff - A genuine liberal and genuine libertarian, Nat Hentoff, comments about why he didn't march with the anti-war protesters this time:I did not cite "weapons of mass destruction." Nor do I believe Saddam Hussein is a direct threat to...
Posted by Mitch on April 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Your Two Cents - I

Your Two Cents - I finally added a comments section to my blog. Click on the "comments" line at the bottom of each post, and let 'er rip. It's an experiment, of course; if it's too much of a hassle,...
Posted by Mitch on April 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Death Factory - Note to

Death Factory - Note to the American Left, especially all you anti-Bush protesters: Read this, and then tell me you have any claim to moral superiority:Each sheaf of notes contains a picture of a man or woman. Each and every...
Posted by Mitch on April 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Where Will It End -

Where Will It End - So listening to Arthur Kent's bleating (as indistinct from so much other bleating this past few months), I tried to catalog the little rhetorical steeplechase has characterized the spin over this war so far:"We couldn't...
Posted by Mitch on April 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

SCUD Dud - As I

SCUD Dud - As I was writing the piece below, who should pop on the TV but none other than Arthur "Scud Stud" Kent himself. He's writing for McCall's magazine and hosting a puff show on the History Channel today....
Posted by Mitch on April 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

SCUD Studs - There's been

SCUD Studs - There's been no Arthur Kent, so far in this war. Maybe you remember the first Gulf War; NBC correcpondent Arthur Kent was widely christened the "SCUD Stud" for his performance while reporting from Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. As...
Posted by Mitch on April 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Separated At Birth? - Christiane

Separated At Birth? - Christiane Amanpour and the late Joey Ramone....
Posted by Mitch on April 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

RIP Michael Kelly - Michael

RIP Michael Kelly - Michael Kelly, WaPo columnist who left the newsroom to travel with the 3rd ID in Iraq, was killed yesterday in a Hummvee accident. He was a literate, commonsensical, tough-as-nails conservative commentator. He is sorely missed already....
Posted by Mitch on April 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Out - I've got some

Out - I've got some stuff to take care of today, that'll probably eat up my whole day and evening. Look for a blogalanche this weekend, per usual. Have a great weekend!...
Posted by Mitch on April 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Crushing British Defeat - AFP

Crushing British Defeat - AFP is carrying this report of British Marines being thrashed in action in southern Iraq:Leading Airman Dave Husbands said the marines were beaten from the start. "We turned up to play and there was no-one around,...
Posted by Mitch on April 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Garry Owen - While the

Garry Owen - While the particulars of the PFC Lynch story have changed in the past day or two, it seems clear so far that she's a hero. But lest we forget, we have a group of about 1,000 heroes...
Posted by Mitch on April 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Why We Fight? - Jim

Why We Fight? - Jim Dwyer, an embedded reporter for the NYTimes, may have found the keys to Iraqi democracy. What, the man was asked, did he hope to see now that the Baath Party had been driven from power...
Posted by Mitch on April 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

They Really Hate Us, You

They Really Hate Us, You Know - The Iraqi man who tipped us off about PFC Lynch didn't seem to resent Americans too deeply for conquering most of his country...:Mohammed watched as the man slapped the American woman with his...
Posted by Mitch on April 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sad, Sad World -

Sad, Sad World - As much as I biff on Steve Perry, he's at least worth mixing it up with. The guy is rational. I think he's wrong about a lot of things, but he's rational. But I worry...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sightseeing - I've done a

Sightseeing - I've done a bit of driving around lately. I've noticed a few things:In the upper part of Northeast Minneapolis and out on the East Side of St. Paul: "Liberate Iraq" signs seem to outnumber the "No War in...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

At The Gates - In

At The Gates - In the movie Enemy at the Gates, itself rather loosely adapted from one chapter of an excellent book by the same name, one of the most striking scenes is at the beginning of the movie. The...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Grow: Protesters and the Free

Grow: Protesters and the Free Ride - Last week, we talked about Governor Pawlenty's proposal to charge court costs and arrest-related expenses to protesters who break the law in the name of civil disobedience. In the Twin Cities, we've raised...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Progress - Reiterating my analogy

Progress - Reiterating my analogy from yesterday; if Fargo is Kuwait and St. Paul is Baghdad, a Coalition probe just pulled into Robbinsdale, maybe even North Minneapolis. According to the radio news, it then pulled back - it may have...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The McGovern Gambit - I'm

The McGovern Gambit - I'm not saying Bush couldn't be vulnerable in the next election. Who knows - we have a double-dip recession, or the battle for Baghdad goes badly, anything can happen. We i>could have a Dem president in...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Three Articles - I hope

Three Articles - I hope that's enough until later today. I have to get to a school conference, then get to a project (and hopefully find some coffee - I've run out). By the way - thanks for those of...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

The Revolution and the Arab

The Revolution and the Arab Street(s) - Thomas Friedman had a fascinating piece yesterday on how the war is playing in the "Arab Street". For starters - there is no "Arab Streets" - according to Friedman, there are three streets...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

The Diversity Tapdance - John

The Diversity Tapdance - John Fund, on how badly the "diversity" movement has failed to convince even liberal college professors of its value - and the lengths they're going to in covering their tracks:That negative attitude may be wholly the...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Attention, Islamacist Terrorists! - This

Attention, Islamacist Terrorists! - This sort of things has just got to piss off the likes of Al Quaeda:Pfc. Jessica Lynch, rescued Tuesday from an Iraqi hospital, fought fiercely and shot several enemy soldiers after Iraqi forces ambushed the Army's...
Posted by Mitch on April 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

A Debka Flash - Debkafile

A Debka Flash - Debkafile is reporting that there may just be nobody at the wheel in Iraq today: In a move that smacked of panic, Iraqi intelligence agents went round the capital impounding cell phones to cut off contact...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sniffing - Jesse Jackson is

Sniffing - Jesse Jackson is now trying to serve as an intermediary to contact our POWs. This quote almost made me yakk up my soup:To be humane, you must have a commitment to reconciliation".Since the only people he'll be dealing...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Diminuitive - I'm still waiting

Diminuitive - I'm still waiting to see the first reaction in the "alternative,", anti-Bush media to the rescue of PFC Lynch. I'm especially waiting for the urbane, hip left-wing media to start in on the soldier's family; on TV, they...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Finding the Dark Cloud -

Finding the Dark Cloud - Not to use up a whole day talking about Steve Perry, but I had to touch on this bit from his blog that involves some of the most creative digging for encouragement I've ever seen:A...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Contrarian Blues - Steve Perry

Contrarian Blues - Steve Perry is the editor of Minneapolis' City Pages. In previous mentions, I'd said the Pages were Minneaoplis' version of the Village Voice. In fact, they are the Twin Cities' subsidiary of the company that owns both...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Maple Grove - Following my

Maple Grove - Following my analogy from earlier this week, depicting the US advance in Minnesota terms (picture Fargo as Kuwait and St. Paul as Baghdad), US troops are in Maple Grove and Chanhassen: The 3rd Infantry Division ( Mechanised)...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Business As Usual - I

Business As Usual - I hope I get a job soon, so I can settle down to a halfways sane pace. Between calling, interviews, and little freelance gigs, I'm a lot busier now than when I'm working. Some work to...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Sullivan Quote of the Day

Sullivan Quote of the Day - Sullivan sends a challenge to the anti-war left. Here's the payoff:The rhetoric of the "anti-war" movement has consistently argued that this is indeed a criminal war: that it is being conducted by an illegal...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

The Sane French - While

The Sane French - While I've had my "Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey" moments with the French, and I and many Americans have rightly pointed out the fact that French foreign policy is at odds with ours because, though they're a...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Left Tackles Peaceniks - The

Left Tackles Peaceniks - The LA Weekly - the La La Land version of the City Pages - has been astoundingly balanced for this type of publication (especially when compared with the comically dogmatic City Pages (or, to be fair,...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Other Rescue - While

The Other Rescue - While the rescue of Army Pfc. Lynch was a moral coup and a tactical showpiece (although the 11 bodies found with her are most probably not good news), there was another rescue in the news yesterday...
Posted by Mitch on April 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Twice Shy - So many

Twice Shy - So many on the left are convinced that Iraqis are, completely at odds with prewar hopes, irredeemably hostile to the US; that their sense of Arab nationalism will trump any relief that obtains from being liberated from...
Posted by Mitch on April 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Restraint - For those who

Restraint - For those who don't follow these things, the British have more successful experience at counterinsurgency warfare than anyone; in brushfire wars in Malaysia, Yemen, Northern Ireland and Oman, they literally wrote the book on the sort of "hearts...
Posted by Mitch on April 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Support the Troops, Oppose the

Support the Troops, Oppose the War? - Is it possible to oppose the war and yet support the troops? Of course it is. It's even possible to oppose war in general, yet support the liberation of Iraq and also support...
Posted by Mitch on April 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Beneath Contempt, Part II -

Beneath Contempt, Part II - Several emailers wrote to tell me the picture I cited yesterday, from Democrat-affiliated hate site Democrats.com had disappeared. It seems the site changes its pages around midnight every day. I wish I'd saved it -...
Posted by Mitch on April 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Leave Nobody Behind - Nine

Leave Nobody Behind - Nine Marines died last week in an effort to rescue the POWs from the 507th Maintenance Company. Sunday is the first time U.S. military officials revealed that Marines conducted a search-and-rescue operation to recover the wounded...
Posted by Mitch on April 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Another Tricky Day - Much

Another Tricky Day - Much more work to do. And Blogger is acting up...again. But I'll be posting this evening....
Posted by Mitch on April 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Terrorists - Powerline has an

Terrorists - Powerline has an excellent piece on the Ansar-e-Islam compound our forces raided, and what it means to the war on terror:The Associated Press reports that American and Kurdish forces have searched the compound formerly occupied by Ansar al-Islam...
Posted by Mitch on April 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Attention, Garage Logicians - Great

Attention, Garage Logicians - Great story in the Strib this morning about a Marine tank crew that ended up stranded in the desert for about three days, and was declared Missing In Action for 11. Read the article, of course....
Posted by Mitch on April 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Beneath Contempt - Democrat-affiliated hate

Beneath Contempt - Democrat-affiliated hate site Democrats.com sinks to a new low. Look at the picture. Tell us what you think the odds are that Specialist Tanner either approves of the site's caption, or is thinking precisely what these people...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

It's All About Me -

It's All About Me - Looking at the hit logs recently, I see that there are a lot more of you out there these days - I'm averaging about 30% more visitors now than I was last month. Welcome! Feel...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Embed This - Glenn Reynolds

Embed This - Glenn Reynolds (AKA Instapundit) has this excellent article about the performance of the media in the war so far in his TechCentral column today.The "embedding" program has been a stroke of genius for the Pentagon... The embedded...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Best Laid Plans - There's

Best Laid Plans - There's been much heat, but little light, over Peter Arnett's claims to Iraqi TV that the US "plan" is off in the weeds - a failure - and needs to be re-drawn. Blogger and veteran Sergeant...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

And the Latest Nominees Are...

And the Latest Nominees Are... - A correspondent writes:I hope [my Blogosphere Blacklist] is still up and running, because it's damn near genius. And my nominations are:Michael MooreSean PennClinton (who is much, much more of a celebrity than a former...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Coulda Been an Actor, but

Coulda Been an Actor, but I Wound Up Here - Controversy about the Embedded Reporter program - among the media: As Slate's Jack Shafer puts it: "Embed reports from the front are mostly variations on the themes 'Hey, I'm still...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Buying Time - As the

Buying Time - As the fog of war descends over our view of the situation in Iraq, a conversation last night with a friend brought out this idea: In 1945 - hopelessly late in World War II in Europe -...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Littlest Mujahedin - Peter

The Littlest Mujahedin - Peter Arnett is working for the other side:Journalist Peter Arnett, covering the war from Baghdad, told state-run Iraqi TV in an interview aired Sunday that the American-led coalition's first war plan had failed because of Iraq's...
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Moore's Logic - Michael Moore

Moore's Logic - Michael Moore on geopolitics: “Saddam Hussein is a brutal dictator,” he added, “and I hope he’s removed as soon as possible. But nonviolently.” I'd like to learn more about this concept of removing dictators "non-violently". I can...
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Happy to Bend Over for

Happy to Bend Over for a Bigger Budget - The lawn sign wars are slipping the bounds of rationality and flittering off into zoopdieland. A group called A Better Minnesota is distributing "Happy to Pay for a Better Minnesota" lawn...
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (14)

Footsteps of Giants - One

Footsteps of Giants - One of my favorite recent discoveries in the blogosphere is David Warren, who's been on my blogroll for quite a while, and on my "at least weekly" reading list since then. Here,he talks about Canada's most...
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

In My Name - I've

In My Name - I've long detested the preening self-righteousness of Not In Our Name, the group for whom Susan Sarandon is currently flacking. Their cause isn't so much anti-war...er, anti-Bush as it is salving the righteous egoes of its...
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Three More Years! - Twin

Three More Years! - Twin Cities bloggers Fraters Libertas discuss the latest manifestation of our "senior" senator Mark Dayton's attempts to slalom about both sides of an issue - and crash in the attempt: Dayton declined to speak at the...
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Protesters Paying Piper, Part II

Protesters Paying Piper, Part II - I got an email from a lawyer in California:Love Governor Pawlenty's idea. Probably too much to hope my wonderful Governor (Gray Davis) would propose something like that. In the past I have advocated ignoring...
Posted by Mitch on March 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bleagh - Interview today -

Bleagh - Interview today - seven hours and 45 minutes. They're being very selective....
Posted by Mitch on March 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paying the Piper - I'm

Paying the Piper - I'm so deliriously happy with Tim Pawlenty today. His current proposal would allow local courts to charge court costs to those arrested in "civil disobedience" protests. The Strib described it like this:Following through on a provocative...
Posted by Mitch on March 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Busier Day - Light blogging

Busier Day - Light blogging until tonight, probably. I have a job interview. Actually, this will be to interviews what Stalingrad was to gang rumbles. The company wants me to talk with eight people, over the course of six hours....
Posted by Mitch on March 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Not In Our Schedule -

Not In Our Schedule - TV discovers that covering protests is ratings suicide, according to this WaPo article: The influential television-news consulting firm Frank N. Magid Associates recently put it in even starker terms: Covering war protests may be harmful...
Posted by Mitch on March 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Al Quaeda Link? - as

Al Quaeda Link? - as mentioned in this space, there seems to be not only a link between Iraq and Al Quaeda - the terror network is apparently leading the fight against the Coalition:At least a dozen members of Osama...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

View from Warsaw - As

View from Warsaw - As has been noted here and elsewhere, Poland's in a strange position - they're our major ally on the continent both on the government and social level. But the majority of Poles oppose the war -...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Oz and Poland - Jacob

Oz and Poland - Jacob Levy on why Australia and Poland have joined us in Iraq, but the Europeans don't:There is, perhaps, something to be said for a modified version of Robert Kagan's "Americans are from Mars, Europeans are from...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Diplomacy - The left has

Diplomacy - The left has been portraying Turkey's refusal to allow US troops to pass through to attack Northern Iraq as a failure of US - no, Bush Administration - diplomacy. It seems there's an ulterior motive, courtesy our old...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Da Cubs? - I'm not

Da Cubs? - I'm not from Chicago. I don't play a Chicagoan on TV. But I've been a lifelong Bears fan - and when the topic turns to National League ball, I'm a foursquare Cubs fan, too. I almost hate...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

From Our Corporate Office in

From Our Corporate Office in An Najaf - StrategyPage is out with couple of excellent Top Ten lists about the war. My favorites:4-The United States armed Saddam. This one grew over time, but when Iraq was on it's weapons spending...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Column - My original

The Column - My original question was: since the media coverage of this whole thing is being manipulated to the administration and military's best effect - both for internal and external consumption - I have to wonder - what's with...
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Story - Instapundit has

The Story - Instapundit has this rather illuminating quote from Israeli sources: Most of those interviewed agree that, paradoxically, despite the unprecedented media coverage of the war, including the many correspondents who are embedded in fighting units, nobody knows what...
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Airborne - In what Wolf

Airborne - In what Wolf Blitzer called the largest combat airdrop since World War II, a battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade (an independent unit based in Foggia, Italy, not actually part of the famous 82nd Airborne Division) apparently has...
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Speech - I have an

Speech - I have an unexpected break in the day's schedule, and I'm listening to the President's speech at CENTCOM.He summed up the biggest, best reason for this whole intervention: "We will not wait to meet the challenge with fire...
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Support - Great piece on

Support - Great piece on Fraters Libertas this morning on the DFL Caucus' attempt to play both sides of the fence. The Fraters note that the MN House DFL caucus is pushing a "Support the Troops" resolution that says all...
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Link? - In Somalia, the

Link? - In Somalia, the local militias - trained by Al Quaeda - hid among civilians, even ginned up civilian mobs as cover to advance on the Rangers. According to Terry Sanders, an NBC reporter embedded with First Battalion of...
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Numbers - I like this

Numbers - I like this one:Last Saturday's pro-liberation rally: 20,000 attendees. 0 arrests.Yesterday's Anti-Bush rally in downtown Minneapolis: a couple hundred attendees. 67 arrests.Need I say more?...
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Usual Suspects - Part

The Usual Suspects - Part II - KARE11's Molly MacMillen made two great observations during her report from the anti-Bush protest in Edina this morning:"It's a small group of protestors - including some of the same protestors we met yesterday...
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Leno on Hollywood - "Don't

Leno on Hollywood - "Don't you love this town? You drug an underage girl, you rape her, you flee the country, you get an Oscar. You build a church, and it's 'What are you, nuts?!" -- Jay Leno, last night....
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Busy! - Starting one little

Busy! - Starting one little freelance contract gig today, and hopefully finishing another one. Will post later....
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

The Revolution - Katherine Kersten

The Revolution - Katherine Kersten on something I've been discussing with friends lately: the real reason for the gulf between the US and Europe:At a deeper level, however, the gulf that separates Europeans from Americans is philosophical. Not surprisingly, Europe...
Posted by Mitch on March 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Usual Suspects - There's

The Usual Suspects - There's another anti-Bush protest going on in Minneapolis today. While KARE11 says the protest is "big", the pictures show a rather small group. They're blocking entrances to parking ramps and office buildings. My open note to...
Posted by Mitch on March 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

The War We War, Part

The War We War, Part II - Ralph Peters in the NYPost about the conduct of the war. The money quote? This bit, about the "New Stalingrad" fervor in the media:Once our forces are ringing Baghdad, Saddam isn't going anywhere....
Posted by Mitch on March 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rules of War - David

Rules of War - David Warren has this piece on the progress of the war so far. It's all excellent - but here's the must-read:More, still, could have been achieved, in this very short time, had the Americans and their...
Posted by Mitch on March 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Coalition Expands - With

The Coalition Expands - With no fanfare that I"ve heard, the US, UK and Australian Special Forces have been joined... ...by Polish Special Forces. Oh, stop laughing. The "polish soldier" joke came from a complete misunderstanding of Poland's record in...
Posted by Mitch on March 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Busy Day - As I

Busy Day - As I mentioned last week; the word on the Twin Cities' employment street has been "once the war starts, assuming it's not a disaster, people will start hiring again". And as I said on Friday, I got...
Posted by Mitch on March 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Liberation - The New York

Liberation - The New York Post's Jonathan Foreman writes from the road to Baghdad, in a piece titled "Liberation". Lots of fascinating slice of life shots, if the life you're living involves liberating a long-brutalized people. During the run-up to...
Posted by Mitch on March 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Keystone Inspectors - Hans Blix

Keystone Inspectors - Hans Blix missed this one, according to the Guardian:But the most disturbing find was two Russian-made Harith cruise missiles, each six metres (20ft) long, and nine warheads hidden in two enormous, reinforced-concrete bunkers. Another missile, as yet...
Posted by Mitch on March 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Billings, Facts - Laura Billings

Billings, Facts - Laura Billings tries to chide the right about its grasp of the facts on gun control and sex education. Perhaps the Pioneer Press should find someone who's qualified to lecture about facts, first.One of the constant criticisms...
Posted by Mitch on March 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

The Way We War -

The Way We War - Elder at Fraters Libertas asks:Where are the massive B-52 strikes? If our troops are encountering resistance we should not hesitate to use any and all force available to us. To do otherwise and expose our...
Posted by Mitch on March 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Malmédy - In December of

Malmédy - In December of 1944, Hitler launched his "last gasp" attack, the Battle of the Bulge. The attack was spearheaded by the SS - the Nazi Party's private army. The point of the spearhead was Kampfgruppe Peiper, a specially-trained...
Posted by Mitch on March 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Comparison - The media took

Comparison - The media took note of the incident at yesterday's pro liberation rally - the one I noted yesterday, where a small number of meatheads in the crowd booed the Moslem woman who broached the subject of US relations...
Posted by Mitch on March 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blinding Flash - of Epipany!

Blinding Flash - of Epipany! - An American "peace protester", in Iraq on Human Shield duty, saw the light before he fled to Jordan today: A group of American anti-war demonstrators who came to Iraq with Japanese human shield volunteers...
Posted by Mitch on March 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Protest - They were saying

Protest - They were saying 20,000 people attended the rally at the capitol today. I wandered through the crowd. During the course of the beautiful afternoon, I must have cased the entire Capitol Mall. I stood up under the dais,...
Posted by Mitch on March 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rally - I'm on my

Rally - I'm on my way to the big rally at the Capitol. Noon to 2PM. Hope to see you there. Quote Of the Day - Yesterday Edition - Sullivan from yesterday's Daily Dish:It's really wonderful to watch apologists for...
Posted by Mitch on March 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Quote Of The Day

Another Quote Of The Day - "“Oh no. They’re surrendering at us from all sides.” -- British Royal Marine Commando, quoted in The Times as the Al Faw garrison performed a human wave surrender.....
Posted by Mitch on March 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Catholics - I rarely get

Catholics - I rarely get as much feedback as I did when I tackled the Catholic notion of the just war, and the Catholic Bishops' and Pope's positions on war, the the catholic concept of the Just War. It's clear...
Posted by Mitch on March 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Attention, Anti-Bush Protestors - This,

Attention, Anti-Bush Protestors - This, from today's Sullivan: "You're late. What took you so long? God help you become victorious... I want to say hello to Bush, to shake his hand. We came out of the grave.Welcome to the world....
Posted by Mitch on March 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Allies - Australian forces are

Allies - Australian forces are in action in Iraq:General Cosgrove (an Australian Military spokesman said RAAF F-18) Hornets were continuing to escort coalition planes, including airborne early warning aircraft and air-to-air refuellers above Iraq. General Cosgrove said they were currently...
Posted by Mitch on March 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Benefits of War? - I've

Benefits of War? - I've been job-hunting since early January. Since Tuesday, I've come across more job leads than I found in all of February together. And since the attack on Iraq started, something that's not happened in over a...
Posted by Mitch on March 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hmmm... - Word has it

Hmmm... - Word has it that an entire Iraqi division, the 51st, has surrendered en masse in the Basra area. On CNN, one talking head was commenting on the processing of these huge groups of prisoners. According to the head,...
Posted by Mitch on March 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Goodman - Ellen Goodman's latest

Goodman - Ellen Goodman's latest column from the Boston Glob is a keeper. For all the wrong reasons, of course. In this column, she covers new territory - attacking conservativetalkradio. The funniest quote of the lot is at the end:We...
Posted by Mitch on March 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

McCain - The National Review

McCain - The National Review (via Reding and Sgt. Stryker) has this wonderful speech by Senator McCain, responding to Robert Byrd's (Klan, WV) anti-Bush speech:Madam President, there is one thing I am sure of, that we will find the Iraqi...
Posted by Mitch on March 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Victory - No, not in

Victory - No, not in Iraq, but for me, almost as much fun to announce. "AntiSmoking Youth"...er, I mean, Target Market", is shutting down. "I think there's a very strong feeling of resignation among staff members," said Toni Wehman, the...
Posted by Mitch on March 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Banner Day - Thanks for

Banner Day - Thanks for all the kind comments so far on the redesign. It's encouraging! A few people did ask me what are all those pictures, and why are they there? Happy to oblige:The Missing Man formation. Symbolizes loss...
Posted by Mitch on March 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pro-America, Pro-Liberation Rally- Saturday, noon

Pro-America, Pro-Liberation Rally- Saturday, noon to 2PM at the Capitol. I will be there, in the crowd with, I hope, the rest of you. Fellow MN Bloggers - anyone planning on attending? It'd be fun to have a blog corner,...
Posted by Mitch on March 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Decapitation? - Reports are bouncing

Decapitation? - Reports are bouncing about the 'net that Hussein may have bought it,, or at least be incommunicado and not directing his military. UPDATE: OK, maybe not....
Posted by Mitch on March 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Payoff - For two months,

Payoff - For two months, Israel's Debka, the "Drudge Report of the Defense world", has been reporting that US, UK, Australian and Jordanian special and psyops forces have been engaged in trying to get Iraqi units primed to surrender en...
Posted by Mitch on March 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Some Dare Call It High

Some Dare Call It High Drama - Do you remember the good ol' days of the Clinton Administration, when some that even we Republicans called "people with issues" circulated lists of involved conspiracies involving the Clinton Administration? It spawned a...
Posted by Mitch on March 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bigger News - I've been

Bigger News - I've been wanting to redesign this site since...well, ever since it went live, pretty much. I'm actually sort of happy with it now. Let me know what you think! Now, on to the news of the day....
Posted by Mitch on March 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Big News - Back to

Big News - Back to the drawing board on my redesign - there's work to do. Oh yeah - and that war thing, too. I'll be catching up on that, plus a couple days' reader email, after I get the...
Posted by Mitch on March 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Value of Life -

The Value of Life - Left-Style - I just read this quote from an Anti-Bush protester, who was busy blocking commuter traffic:"The civilians in Iraq are losing their lives and one day of work is worth a thousand lives," said...
Posted by Mitch on March 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pro-Next-War Rally? - Iranians in

Pro-Next-War Rally? - Iranians in the Bay Area apparently want their country to be next in line: "I think most everybody here is for it," said San Rafael resident Iraj Zolnasr, 40, who left Iran in 1975 to study accounting...
Posted by Mitch on March 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

The Waiting Is The Hardest

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part - ...and all I have involved are some high-school friends. More isolated reports; air raids, commando actions, defections, bluster from Iraq... Almost surreal. The way the media's playing this, the actual war should be...
Posted by Mitch on March 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

First Casualty - Protester falls

First Casualty - Protester falls from Golden Gate Bridge. Last words: "No Blood For Patchouli!" Cruel? Hey, I could have just called the post "Culling the Herd". I'm not a complete animal, you know....
Posted by Mitch on March 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Morality Reform - I had

Morality Reform - I had a big, long article written this morning about the status of the Minnesota Personal Protection Act - the "concealed carry reform" bill. The DFL is playing some serious back-room politics here - and you all...
Posted by Mitch on March 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

London Calling - Fighting has

London Calling - Fighting has begun, according to This Is London:British and American troops were involved in fierce fighting near Iraq's main port today as the war to topple Saddam Hussein began. The firefight broke out near Basra as men...
Posted by Mitch on March 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

New Looks - A bunch

New Looks - A bunch of Minnesota blogs - Powerline, Fraters Libertas, and Jeff Fecke's Blog of the Moderate Left to name three - are sporting new looks these days. It must be a Minnesota thing - spring is springing,...
Posted by Mitch on March 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grrrr... - A crash this

Grrrr... - A crash this morning ate a series of posts, all of which disappeared without a trace. A zillion errands to run, but I'll reconstruct this morning's posts this afternoon....
Posted by Mitch on March 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

And They Shall Call Him

And They Shall Call Him Nancy - Charges were filed today against Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee in the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping. I predict an early date with a shiv for Brian Mitchell. That, or 20 years as the...
Posted by Mitch on March 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Belgian Orphans - There's this

Belgian Orphans - There's this notion among the Anti-Bush left that most of us who support the war are guileless dittoheads, ripe sucks who've just fallen off the intellectual turnip truck; people who are just not sophisticated enough to read...
Posted by Mitch on March 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What's In A Name -

What's In A Name - For the last several months, I've been trying to come up with a snide, pithy yet apt moniker for the "Anti-War" movement. I've been through "Pro-Dictator", "Pro-Genocide" and "Pro-Oppression", but none of them exactly rolls...
Posted by Mitch on March 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blogalanche - Holy cow -

Blogalanche - Holy cow - did I really write that much today? Hm. Maybe that's an idea; I'll hold a Blogajobathon. I'll blog nonstop until someone gives me a gig. OK, I'm seeing a flaw in the plan, but......
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Linked? - Here's another Al

Linked? - Here's another Al Quaeda/Iraq link, courtesy of the Spaniards. An alleged terrorist accused of helping the 11 September conspirators was invited to a party by the Iraqi ambassador to Spain under his al-Qaeda nom de guerre, according to...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hosed - My prediction, that

Hosed - My prediction, that is. Bush is giving Hussein two days to get out of Dodge. Tale of Two Democrats - To wit:The Bad One, Tom Daschle, playing this solemn moment for all the political gain he can: "I'm...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dizzizzixie Chissixizzle, Pizzart Two -

Dizzizzixie Chissixizzle, Pizzart Two - An email correspondent wrote to a couple of local country western stations - one in the Twin Cities, the other in Saint Cloud. Without naming any names, two of the stations responded to the emailer,...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Turkey Update - As I

Turkey Update - As I guardedly predicted a few weeks ago, Turkey will probably allow US troops to use Turkey as a base, even a jumping-off point, against Iraq. Turkey's top political and military leaders called on the government to...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whew - Long day, both

Whew - Long day, both of job-hunting and blogging. Tomorrow may be a light day - I have a rather important job interview in the morning. Prayers/wishes/good karmic vibes, as always, eagerly solicited. Off to try to enjoy the day...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bias - NPR's ombudsman on

Bias - NPR's ombudsman on the perceived anti-war bias in NPR's coverage. The article compares - accurately - the relative tentativeness of the pro-liberation voices heard on NPR with the relative stridency of the anti-war viewsEven the tone of pro-war...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dixizzie Chizzle - From a

Dixizzie Chizzle - From a friend on one of my email discussion groups:"Pssst. Natalie. You do realize you named yourselves to the record buying public - without an iota of irony, I might add - as the *Dixie* Chicks, right?...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Not In My Name -

Not In My Name - Bloggers Asymmetrical Information have an excellent article on the differences between Martin Sheen, and fake president Bartlett.Bartlett (proceeding to his desk): Mr. Ambassador, sorry to keep you waiting, I was just in the White House...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Noblesse Oblige - Just when

Noblesse Oblige - Just when I was about to give up on the dailies' editorial pages as sources of good blog-fodder, the Strib steps into the breach. As usual, they don't disappoint.These are troubling days in Minnesota for many reasons,...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ratzen Fratzen Inspectors - So

Ratzen Fratzen Inspectors - So Bush says he'll give the UN Weapons "Inspectors" three days to get out of Baghdad. So maybe my prediction (March 18, Baghdad time) is hosed....
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

CCW Rolls On - On

CCW Rolls On - On top of last week's news that Ohio's Concealed Carry reform law is progressing nicely (albeit possibly doomed to a veto that the legislature may not opt to override), Colorado's law should be moving to the...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Bush Plan - The

The Bush Plan - The first priority, obviously, is winning the war. The second part, the left reminds us ad nauseum, is "winning the peace" (which some on the left remind us we've already lost, but I digress). Two points:Bush...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bloggered - Blogger.com - the

Bloggered - Blogger.com - the site I use to publish this blog - has been hinky again. Hopefully this post will go live eventually... Deja Vu? - Rachel Lucas makes an interesting point:I was thinking of something the other day,...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tomorrow - Dinner time. Just

Tomorrow - Dinner time. Just like the last Gulf War. Baghdad is nine hours ahead of US Central time. Word is the President wants to address the nation tomorrow night. I have a hunch that'll happen as the Tomohawks are...
Posted by Mitch on March 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Manifesto - Dexter Van Zile

Manifesto - Dexter Van Zile writes as able a Western, anti-Islamofascist manifesto as I've seen, in the Washington Dispatch. You've blamed the United States, Israel and the West in general for the inability of Muslims to create a place for...
Posted by Mitch on March 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Costs of Action/Inaction -

Costs of Action/Inaction - Yesterday on the Minnesota National Issues discussion list, , someone posted a link to this website. It's one of those things that tries to show all the (inevitably social) programs we could afford if we...
Posted by Mitch on March 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ace See Hell You -

Ace See Hell You - Doug Grow, sanctimonious as ever, held forth on the Lindner flap last week in the Strib, expressing muffled indignance that the ACLU would take Lindner's side in the debate (as well they should): Tigue, a...
Posted by Mitch on March 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Martin Sheen - Fundamentalist Minister-

Martin Sheen - Fundamentalist Minister- It's easy to forget, amid the protests and pronouncements and publicity, that Martin Sheen was once an excellent actor. Andrew Stuttaford has a fascinating profile of the guy, his beliefs, and why he became what...
Posted by Mitch on March 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pressure - After ten weeks

Pressure - After ten weeks unemployed, the stress is flowing through me in waves. Every part of my body hurts. I'm going to get out and enjoy the weather tonight, and concentrate on breathing. Blogging is good for my stress...
Posted by Mitch on March 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Good Actor, Part II

The Good Actor, Part II - A rather highly placed corresonded wrote me today regarding my post yesterday re: Ron Silver's performance on the Blitzer show:In reference to your post on actor Ron Silver, I saw him the other night...
Posted by Mitch on March 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

STILL Busy - Gaaa. Job

STILL Busy - Gaaa. Job stuff, wall to wall. The news ain't all bad - it's good to be busy. Still no steady paycheck, but keep your fingers crossed. More later today - plus I'll probably do my usual big...
Posted by Mitch on March 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Iron Fist - No, it's

Iron Fist - No, it's not a new gay practice. It's the nickname of one of the brigades of the Third Infantry (Mech) Division. I've seen CNN, NBC, CBS, and heard NPR doing standups from the Division's laager, somewhere in...
Posted by Mitch on March 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Testing - Blogger's sure acting

Testing - Blogger's sure acting wierd today....
Posted by Mitch on March 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Good Actor- Just finished

The Good Actor- Just finished watching Ron Silver and Bill Maher debate the war on "Wolf Blitzer". All of Hollywood is not lost. The worst thing about Maher's late "Politically Incorrect" was that it gave a wide-open forum to, primarily,...
Posted by Mitch on March 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Foremath - Parapundit is an

Foremath - Parapundit is an excellent foreign policy blog. This article - on plans for the restoration of democracy to Iraq - is fascinating reading. It's very long, but links a bunch of interesting sources for a great read....
Posted by Mitch on March 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Woe Betide Blogger - So

Woe Betide Blogger - So I got up, as usual, at 5:30AM, ready to loose a fusillade of blogging... ...and blogger.com was down again. It came back up a few minutes ago - just in time for me to begin...
Posted by Mitch on March 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

One For The Good Guys

One For The Good Guys - They found Elizabeth Smart. Alive. I'm stunned. While they say that most kids who are abducted are eventually returned relatively safely, and last summer's "epidemic of stranger abductions" was largely a media creation (stranger...
Posted by Mitch on March 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Busy - Job talk this

Busy - Job talk this morning. Will post more later. If you need something to tide you over, re-read my rather prolific weekend......
Posted by Mitch on March 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Precipitous Rush to Action -

Precipitous Rush to Action - UN debate on Iraq passes six-month mark....
Posted by Mitch on March 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Lotta Moments - Of course,

Lotta Moments - Of course, here in Minnesota we have Arlon Lindner. Lindner, a Republican representing Corcoran in the northwest exurban metro, is - to be charitable - perhaps not the brightest light on the Lord's Christmas Tree. The man...
Posted by Mitch on March 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Lott Moment - James Moran,

Lott Moment - James Moran, 14-year congressman from the Virginia Beltway, blamed Jews for the war at a pro-dictatorship rally:Compare this with the remarks that got Trent Lott into career-ending trouble:"I want to say this about my state: When Strom...
Posted by Mitch on March 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

War Movies Redux - An

War Movies Redux - An email correspondent sent this:'Gods and Generals is an awful movie. Not because it doesn't include enough black characters or is too sympathetic to the Southern cause as I've heard some critics claim, it's simply a...
Posted by Mitch on March 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Context - One of the

Context - One of the most common complaints coming from the (usually) left is that Bush has blown our relations with the rest of the world, squandering the goodwill we received after 9/11. Mark Schmidt - writing in a completely...
Posted by Mitch on March 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Twisted Victory - This note

Twisted Victory - This note from Kathryn Jean Lopez, at NRO's "Corner" blog:Sent out this weekend: "In a national poll from Quinnipiac University released Thursday, Americans said they would rather elect a Democratic president than re-elect George W. Bush! By...
Posted by Mitch on March 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Send Us Your Trumped-up, Your Bribed, Your Coerced and Bought and Extorted..."

Senator John Kerry exhibited the foreign-policy acumen that so clearly distinguishes him from the allegations the left makes about President Bush's alleged ineptitude:Kerry said during the speech at the downtown Marriott Hotel that Bush has been impatient, which has cost...
Posted by Mitch on March 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bush = Clinton? - Andrew

Bush = Clinton? - Andrew Sullivan has a great article on the similarities - huge ones - between Bush and Clinton's Iraq policies.Are there deeper differences between Bush and Clinton on this? There is, of course, the matter of style....
Posted by Mitch on March 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hynde Quarters - Also from

Hynde Quarters - Also from Lileks, this Chrissy Hynde quote:Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders recently expressed in concert the hopes that our soldiers die and lose. At the risk of sounding like one of those bloodthirsty hawks you read so...
Posted by Mitch on March 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"We'll Have the National Guard

"We'll Have the National Guard There in 30 Minutes, or the Pizza is Free" - At the behest of the Department of Homeland Security, each state's governor now has a secure phone line for emergency notifications. Good idea, right? Sure....
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Other Mike Jackson -

The Other Mike Jackson - The new commander of the British Army, Lt. General Sir Mike Jackson, talks about the readiness of the British military to fight in Iraq, among many other things. It's an interesting article. Militarily speaking, I'm...
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Last Chance - Part CCCLXXVIII

Last Chance - Part CCCLXXVIII - The Axis of Weasels - and much of the American left - is demanding we give Iraq "a last chance". Joshua Claybourn is running a list of previous "last" chances:"Hussein will be given 'a...
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nazi, meet PETA. PETA, Meet

Nazi, meet PETA. PETA, Meet Nazi - Michael Coren of the Toronto Sun wrote a column comparing Nazis (like Toronto's famous holocaust revisionist Ernst Zündel) and PETA. It's hard to figure who was more offended - or offensive. The column...
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

History Lesson - John Hawkins

History Lesson - John Hawkins of Right Wing News has an excellent, concise history of anti-Americanism. Hawkins goes over a number of points I'd forgotten; having Europe treat us like a hillbilly cousin goes back to the aftermath of World...
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

DFL Eschews News! - Once

DFL Eschews News! - Once upon a time, the Minnesota DFL website was a fairly competently-produced publication; more importantly, they actually presented some news that related to the DFL party in Minnesota. So look at the party's website today. I'll...
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Call Us When The War

Call Us When The War Begins - This story - from the London Daily Mirror via the always-excellent Powerline - almost made me ruin my keyboard.TERRIFIED Iraqi soldiers have crossed the Kuwait border and tried to surrender to British forces...
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Minnesota Public Employees to State:

Minnesota Public Employees to State: "You Must Keep Paying, and Quit Asking Questions: During the cha-cha years of endless surpluses during most of the nineties, and especially during the go-go early years of the Ventura Administration, Minnesota's public employees (along...
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Protest - Went to the

Protest - Went to the capital today with the kids. We got there late - about fifteen minutes before the protest was over - but caught the tail end of the "Liberate Iraq" meeting on the capitol mall. One of...
Posted by Mitch on March 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hey, Ho, Let's Go -

Hey, Ho, Let's Go - As I've noted often in this space, it's sometimes very strange being a conservative rock and roller. That's why I periodically throw my hands to the heavens and thank my creator for the National Review's...
Posted by Mitch on March 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wanker Alert - As if

Wanker Alert - As if on cue, there's an Impeachment movement. No, not among PETA members. In Congress:At least one senior House Democrat has produced a draft impeachment resolution. It accuses Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Attorney General John...
Posted by Mitch on March 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Lame - Big day of

Lame - Big day of job-hunting today. I'll post more tonight, and/or one of my customary weekend salvoes. Til then, please accept Jeff Fecke's excellent fisking of Syl Jones as a token of my esteem......
Posted by Mitch on March 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Quote Of The Night -

Quote Of The Night - Lileks, on the Press Conference:My favorite question came from Terry Moran - and whoever named him bought the wrong vowel....
Posted by Mitch on March 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Press Conference - The President

Press Conference - The President looked and sounded tired. He should. This has got to be an amazingly difficult time. He was on the most important message, though; before one talks about "final chances", one must remember that Resolution 1441...
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Weekend Agenda - I'm going

Weekend Agenda - I'm going to the capitol on Saturday. I hope to see you there....
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mood Swings - So I

Mood Swings - So I took a rare half hour of listening to Limbaugh on my way to an appointment today. He was practically climbing through the mic with a rumor that a US/Pakistani raid had captured Osama Bin Laden,...
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rumor of War - I've

Rumor of War - I've been hearing snippets of rumors all day day.There's a presidential press conference tonight.The various Baghdad news bureaux are on a vastly higher state of alert todayThe whole UN front seems to have gone quiet -...
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Jug of Wine, a

A Jug of Wine, a Block of Feta... - It seems to be striking much of the liberal media as a huge revelation - but the US is quite popular in Eastern Europe. Last month, when the governments of most...
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

War For Oil! - Duke

War For Oil! - Duke University's Joseph Grieco makes the case why the war should be about oil.Opponents of a possible war with Iraq say such oil will be used to fuel cars, especially gas-guzzling SUVs owned by Americans. But...
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Connecting the Dots - Sullivan

Connecting the Dots - Sullivan makes what is I think the key point about endless inspections and cascading resolutions:But what Saddam has shown - rather brilliantly - is that even the slightest concession from Baghdad is enough for the appeasers...
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blame Canad...er, France - If

Blame Canad...er, France - If the blogosphere doesn't have something for everyone, it will soon. Itwas only a matter of time before we got this one .......
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Terror Setback - The captures

Terror Setback - The captures over the last few months of Ramsi Bin AlShibh and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed were all important. But no victory against terrorism is quite as key as this; art shows can go on. Yes, I'm being...
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Walkouts - Students at Saint

Walkouts - Students at Saint Cloud State, Moorhead State University, Hamline University, and Hopkins High School are planning walkouts from school today. I don't care so much about Hamline; while the students there are rapidly vying with MacAlester for the...
Posted by Mitch on March 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blogger, Heal Thyself. Again. Please

Blogger, Heal Thyself. Again. Please - Serious bloggus interruptus yesterday - blogger.com is having more spasms of downtime, which ate a few posts. I'll try to catch up, as the day goes on today....
Posted by Mitch on March 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Behind Hills' Switch - Why

Behind Hills' Switch - Why could Hillary! break ranks with the rest of the Dems? It's in the Polls!...
Posted by Mitch on March 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Legalize Torture? - Blogger Rick

Legalize Torture? - Blogger Rick Heller of SmartGenes is kicking off a campaign to legalize the use of torture in the case of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, recently-captured Al Quaeda capo.I have never before advocated torture, but I do now, for...
Posted by Mitch on March 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Why We (Don't) Fight

Why We (Don't) Fight - Sullivan issues a shopping list of everyone's agendas:For some it's about "war" in general - a newly empowered new age pacifism. For France, it's about ... France, and its eclipse as a power of...
Posted by Mitch on March 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I'm a Bad Dad -

I'm a Bad Dad - James Lileks writes about a handout he got at his daughter's play group, about what to tell your kids about terrorism:If your children ask, “What if another country attacks us?” tell them that by working...
Posted by Mitch on March 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Concealed Carry Reform - Over

Concealed Carry Reform - Over the past couple of years, the Star/Tribune's Conrad deFiebre has provided something that's been exceedingly rare in the concealed carry debate - coverage that has been largely balanced, admirably thorough, and fair. Minnesotans of all...
Posted by Mitch on March 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ready, Fire, Aim - Powerline,

Ready, Fire, Aim - Powerline, on the first "anti-war" movement to precede any war it could be against. Hindrocket quotes a WaPo piece on the subject:"In Britain, according to organizer John Rees, several hundred activists first got together the weekend...
Posted by Mitch on March 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Turkey, Again - The

Turkey, Again - The situation in Turkey is not only not as simple as the knee-jerk media (and blogophere) puts it - it's not even as simple as my own relatively convoluted perception. We all know about last weekend's...
Posted by Mitch on March 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dobry Dzien, Po Polsku -

Dobry Dzien, Po Polsku - Although most of the nations of Eastern Europe are openly backing the US as re Iraq, the support is as polychromatic as is the opposition in places like Germany (where a significant portion of the...
Posted by Mitch on March 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Regular Schmoes Strike Back

The Regular Schmoes Strike Back - The media lavished much attention on the worldwide series of "peace" rallies last month. You'd never know about the growing series of pro-America, pro-liberation rallies that are breaking out around the world from watching...
Posted by Mitch on March 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Human Shield Alert III -

Human Shield Alert III - Someone Gets It! - The major Swedish "Peace" group finally gets it right:On Friday, the head of Sweden's largest peace organization urged human shields to leave Iraq, saying they were being used for propaganda purposes...
Posted by Mitch on March 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Reader Mail - I just

Reader Mail - I just got this one: Nice to see that you haven't eased up on Clinton even though he has been out of office for a couple of years now. So what? We're still dealing with fallout from...
Posted by Mitch on March 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Just War - Sullivan

The Just War - Sullivan states the case:...war against Hitler killed millions - but it was also just. And no sane person, after all, is opposed to peace as such. The question is: Peace at what risk? Peace on whose...
Posted by Mitch on March 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Smear, CounterSmear - The London

Smear, CounterSmear - The London Observer went public with an email it claimed was a smoking gun, "proving" the National Security Agency (our ultrasecret crypto-eavesdropping organization) is spying on UN members.The leaked memorandum makes clear that the target of the...
Posted by Mitch on March 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Human Shield Watch - This

Human Shield Watch - This article - by Charlotte Edwards, in the relatively conservative London Telegraph - is hilarious. It describes the blinding flash of epiphany that some of the "Human Shields" had; they were being used! By Hussein's govement!...
Posted by Mitch on March 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Clinton Legacy - First,

The Clinton Legacy - First, Clinton passed on a chance to have Sudan hand Osama Bin Laden over to us. Now, it turns out that he could have had Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, too, according to the WaPo:The object of a...
Posted by Mitch on March 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Countdown - The invasion

The Countdown - The invasion is just around the corner. When? The New Moon is tomorrow. The Full Moon is March 18. Two Airborne divisions set out two weeks ago, along with a fair chunk of the British Army. The...
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Sound of Dropping Pretenses

The Sound of Dropping Pretenses - Iraq is deploying its troops - including surface-to-surface missiles - to try to meet an attack. We're bombing them, in return.Iraq, for example, is repositioning its Adnan Republican Guard division by moving it from...
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Disarmament Sketch - Mad

The Disarmament Sketch - Mad Swede at Viking Pundit has done a wonderful take-off on Monty Python's classic Argument Sketch:USA: (Knock) SH: Come in. USA: Ah, Is this the right place for disarmament? SH: I told you once. USA: No...
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Vikings - A few weeks

Vikings - A few weeks ago, when I mentioned that Denmark was supporting the invasion of Iraq, a friend of mine wrote be "Whoah. What next, Vanuatu?" This story from blogger Crimen Falsi, about Danes in action, should bely that....
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Reader Mail - I got

Reader Mail - I got this one yesterday:I'm compelled to write to you after reading your piece on 'Indoctrination' because of the part where you say you 'plan on' talking to your daughter's teacher. I know, it was facetious... It...
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Strange Days - We're teetering

Strange Days - We're teetering on the brink of war - according to some pundits, it could happen next week. Some of the "smart money" says the week after. I recall how wrong everyone was in '91, and figure I'll...
Posted by Mitch on February 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Governor Rice? - The talk

Governor Rice? - The talk about Condi Rice running for governor of California has been flitting about the periphery of GOP circles for a few months. It's going more mainstream now:Rice, the former Stanford provost who rates highly with California...
Posted by Mitch on February 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Indoctrination - My daughter came

Indoctrination - My daughter came home from school yesterday and told me that her class had been given a presentation by a number of Hamline University students that had recently been involved in anti-war protests in Washington. According to my...
Posted by Mitch on February 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pollcats, Part II

Hot on the heels of Tuesday's spinfest, the Strib released another Minnesota Poll yesterday, measuring Tim Pawlenty's first month or so in office. Despite the furor over cuts to Local Government Aid, Pawlenty's numbers are pretty strong:Although 60 percent of...
Posted by Mitch on February 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Take the Deal - Fred

Take the Deal - Fred Thompson, former Senator from Tennessee and current District Attorney on Law and Order, is providing a welcome antidote to Martin Sheen, according to Drudge:"Thank goodness we have a President with the courage to protect our...
Posted by Mitch on February 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cogent - Neil Pollack of

Cogent - Neil Pollack of the Stranger has perhaps one of the most cogent comments about the media and the blogosphere as we count down to war:Just Shut Up. Nobody gives a shit what anti-war or pro-war writers think. Really....
Posted by Mitch on February 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Word Processing - After all

Word Processing - After all these years, I finally saw a picture of Molly Ivins. She looks like Lambchop's alcoholic aunt. Which might explain some of her "logic" in this column. I almost hate to bother fisking Molly Ivins. I...
Posted by Mitch on February 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Why Is It... - ...that

Why Is It... - ...that so many of the stars I instinctively like the least, end up being the ones with the political views I appreciate the most? First, Ted Nugent. Now; Kid Rock:Kid Rock won't be joining the music...
Posted by Mitch on February 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Drastic Oversight - So this

Drastic Oversight - So this fall, it'll be ten years since I moved into my house. And in all that time, I still haven't had a housewarming party. I may have to fix that. Part of it was that it...
Posted by Mitch on February 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Poll Cats - Is it

Poll Cats - Is it just me, or is the Strib spinning like mad? Today' Strib Minnesota Poll headline reads "Support for Bush slipping". And then proceeds to tell us that things are basically...normal.As he steers the nation to the...
Posted by Mitch on February 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Peace Rally - Jay Manifold

Peace Rally - Jay Manifold talks about a genuine peace rally he visited - an interfaith observation at a Baptist church. The whole article is very much worth reading - it's great - but here's the payoff section as far...
Posted by Mitch on February 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Times, They Are A-Bleating

The Times, They Are A-Bleating - I love this email to Sullivan on The Dish today:"At the end of the 3rd quarter in the "Is the NYT biased bowl?", let's review some relevant stats: Score: Sullivan, Kaus et al: 52,...
Posted by Mitch on February 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nahm - I remember reading,

Nahm - I remember reading, back in 1995, reading about how Republicans, let by Vin Weber, were courting Norm Coleman for national office - there was even speculation he was on the long list for the 2000 GOP race. That...
Posted by Mitch on February 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Democrat Problems - Jay Reding

Democrat Problems - Jay Reding has an excellent analysis, I think, of the Democrats' current problem:The Democrats are doing exactly the opposite of what they should be doing. They're copying the GOP playbook of 1998 by creating a demon figure...
Posted by Mitch on February 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What The.... - Norah Jones

What The.... - Norah Jones sweeps the big awards? I mean, it's great intimate-fifth-date music (which is why I've only heard the album on the car radio and on the kiosks at the record store), but Album of the Year,...
Posted by Mitch on February 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grammy Whaaa??? - Jesse Harris

Grammy Whaaa??? - Jesse Harris beats Springsteen for Songwriter of the Year? Granted, Norah Jones is very good. But...what? The E Street Band; the TV sound mix was just plain wierd. Live is still the only way to fly. Can't...
Posted by Mitch on February 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Taking a Page from the

Taking a Page from the Sullivan Songbook - I am now running two awards for the end of 2003:The Barney Fife Awards, given to overweening, arrogant authorities. The Alec Baldwin Award, for celebrities who stick their feet in their mouths...
Posted by Mitch on February 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Baldwin Award Nominee - George

Baldwin Award Nominee - George Clooney, famed military historian and thinker, has favored a German news program with his keen, cutting and qualified observations about a potential war with Iraq:Clooney, 41, said Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was making a mistake...
Posted by Mitch on February 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Single Payer Healthcare - Advocates

Single Payer Healthcare - Advocates of Single Payer Heathcare - and the Twin Cities are crawling with them - say we couldn't possibly have any worse-quality healthcare than we do now, and point to the British system as an example...
Posted by Mitch on February 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Many Times Bitten, Twice Shy

Many Times Bitten, Twice Shy - I'm not shocked we've had such a rash of club disasters in the past week - shocked, perhaps, only that it's taken this long to have a serious disaster. As the death toll in...
Posted by Mitch on February 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Open Question for NPR Staff

Open Question for NPR Staff - When National Public Radio's news reporters and anchors read the names of the capitals of France, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, Hungary, Romania and Russia, respectively - really, any first-world or first-world-allied...
Posted by Mitch on February 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Laughs in Danger's Face -

Laughs in Danger's Face - Kevin Pollack in the NYTimes writes about why this may be our last chance to deal with Hussein on favorable terms. The whole article is worth a read - but I want to call your...
Posted by Mitch on February 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Human Shields, Day One -

Human Shields, Day One - Reports indicate that western "human shields" are starting to dribble into Iraq. "We will try everything to get peace instead of war and to protect civil societies," said Ingrid Ternert, a Swedish member of the...
Posted by Mitch on February 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Favorite New Toy -

My Favorite New Toy - I could stare at it for hours. (Via Coyote at the Dog Show)...
Posted by Mitch on February 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pearl - Today's the anniversary

Pearl - Today's the anniversary of Daniel Pearl's murder. Lileks has a great Bleat on the subject. Here's one of two money clips:Playwright Harold Pinter, speaking at last weekend’s rally, said "The US is a nation out of control," and...
Posted by Mitch on February 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Les Monquiez Surrendeurellement aux Consommez

Les Monquiez Surrendeurellement aux Consommez du Fromage - The French have been getting a lousy rap lately. Much of it's deserved. Yesterday's edition of Fraters Libertas did an able fisking of the execrable Molly Ivins' latest take on the French....
Posted by Mitch on February 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Biting the Hand that Blogs

Biting the Hand that Blogs Me - Blogger.com, the site with which I publish Shot in the Dark, has revolutionized web publishing. For example, it's made instant web publishing possible for people who neither know nor care to know HTML...
Posted by Mitch on February 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Bad Guys...- "Move On",

The Bad Guys...- "Move On", an organization that was born to defend the rights of middle-aged white male philanderers, has moved on to "anti-war" actities (as has been noted in this space). It's behind Martin Sheen's upcoming ad campaign. They're...
Posted by Mitch on February 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Old Diplomacy, New Diplomacy -

Old Diplomacy, New Diplomacy - The left is fond on decrying the Administration's diplomatic skills. I read one pundit, last week, who said "Europe is so far ahead of us in every way..." According to Charles Paul Freund in Reason,...
Posted by Mitch on February 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shot and Goal - Tim

Shot and Goal - Tim Pawlenty is fighting for his budget plan against a full-court press from the media, the non-profit community, and the DFL. And he's getting in some good points. DFL House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, said: The...
Posted by Mitch on February 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Liberal Talk Watch - Ann

Liberal Talk Watch - Ann Coulter touches on the same topic I did a few days ago - the putative "liberal talk radio network" that a group of big-dollar lefties are supposedly going to try to launch. Here's the big...
Posted by Mitch on February 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whew - I was sicker

Whew - I was sicker than I thought yesterday. I'll try to make up for lost time today. One word: Theraflu. Premier Chirac - Most of Eastern Europe is overtly backing the Administration on Iraq. Virtually the entire former Warsaw...
Posted by Mitch on February 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Oh Blogger, Where Art Thou?

Oh Blogger, Where Art Thou? - Blogger.com, the site I use to edit and publish Shot in the Dark, has been down most of the day. As luck'd have it, so have I - I caught my first nasty cold...
Posted by Mitch on February 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Saddam Dead Pool - Guessing

Saddam Dead Pool - Guessing the date of a potential invasion is a fool's game. And fool's games are usually the most fun. I've been guessing (and it's only a marginally educated guess) March 21 for some time now. It...
Posted by Mitch on February 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

New Europe Speaks Up

Solomon Pasi is Bulgaria's foreign minister. The London Telegraph quotes his response to French pressure to toe the "European" line:In the meantime, Bulgaria has vowed to resist French attempts to bully it into withdrawing support for America's plans to disarm...
Posted by Mitch on February 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Someone Notify WAMM - Something

Someone Notify WAMM - Something for all those MacAlester College peaceniks to get into....
Posted by Mitch on February 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Protest Report, With Twist -

Protest Report, With Twist - John from Blogs of War has an excellent report, with photos, from yesterday's pro-dictatorship, pro-Israeli-extinction rally in Houston. But this story has a fun twist:Things really got interesting around 2:00 when two guys ran up...
Posted by Mitch on February 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Big Words - I love

Big Words - I love great speech. British politics breeds great speakers - much more so than American politics. In the rough-and-tumble world of Parliament, one has to be a good, convincing, literate speaker, or one is booed from the...
Posted by Mitch on February 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Domino Effect - I've been

Domino Effect - I've been saying for months - take Iraq, and we will force change in the terror-supporting regimes in Teheran and Damascus. I think this is as important as eliminating Hussein's Weapons of Mass Destruction program. It also...
Posted by Mitch on February 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Blogger Valentine Poem -

A Blogger Valentine Poem - From Kieran Healey: More than Dubya hates Saddam Or an Idiotarian hates a clue Or Reynolds hates the A.N.S.W.E.R. icks That's how much I love you. I love you more than a Max can Speak...
Posted by Mitch on February 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Second Stage - I was

Second Stage - I was talking with a friend of mine earlier tonight. He wondered; "Why isn't the administration spinning Iraq as Stage Two in the War on Terrorism? I'd make more sense, and probably be more salable that way..."...
Posted by Mitch on February 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Years Pile Up -

The Years Pile Up - Reading the various accounts of the sentencing of Sarah Jane Olson/Katheen Soliah yesterday was jaw-droppingly depressing as well.The only words spoken by the gaunt and graying Olson — who in earlier court appearances was demonstrative...
Posted by Mitch on February 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Orange Life - In

The Orange Life - In the past week, various government figures suggested that people start taking simple, prudent measures to protect themselves and their families from potential terrorist attack. The response has been depressing. A couple of friends of mine,...
Posted by Mitch on February 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Valentines' Mood Music - Will

Valentines' Mood Music - Will the Thrill of Fraters Libertas has the almost-perfect Val's day music list:1. Hanoi Rocks - "Self-Destruction Blues" 2. Social Distortion - "Making Believe" 3. Sex Pistols - "No Feelings" 4. Grandpa Boy - "Let's Not...
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Faith, Interrupted - In these

Faith, Interrupted - In these Oprahfied times, I found the Clara "Mercedes Killer" Harris verdict reassuring. His 17 year old daughter spoke:Lindsey Harris -- who lives with her mother and stepfather in Ohio -- told jurors she had a "great"...
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Anti-War Protester, Protests - This,

Anti-War Protester, Protests - This, via Instapundit, is an anti-war protester from Prague catalogueing his objections to the current anti-war movement:On the one hand the left espouses equal rights for women, minorities and homosexuals; it lauds free speech and a...
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Code Gray - Dave Barry

Code Gray - Dave Barry asks "What if, for the past year or so, terrorists, working in U.S. factories, have been putting lethal biochemical agents on... duct tape?"...
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unilateralist Cowboys - The Japanese

Unilateralist Cowboys - The Japanese "go it alone".Japan has warned it would launch a pre-emptive military action against North Korea if it had firm evidence Pyongyang was planning a missile attack. Defence Minister Shigeru Ishiba said it would be "a...
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Begorrah - Music's been the

Begorrah - Music's been the one common thread through the last thirty years of my life. Learning new instruments and new types of music have been my recreation, my mission, even my drug of choice. I'm a very good guitarist....
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Kids' College Fund -

My Kids' College Fund - Irish firms offering futures on Hussein's survival.March futures are trading at $4.30, April contracts are at $7.40, those for May are at $8.20 and June futures are at $8.40, according to TradeSports Chief Executive John...
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Do the Math - So

Do the Math - So CNN has saturation coverage today of the 101st "Airborne" Division - the "Screaming Eagles" of WWII fame - shipping out for the Gulf. Correspondents are on the scene as Chinook helicopters, tarped to shield them...
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Much Ado - The Democrats

Much Ado - The Democrats are playing Rebecca Otto's victory like VE Day. "What we saw last night was a political earthquake," said House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul, evoking the memory of the late U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone...
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Good Democrat - Tom

The Good Democrat - Tom Lantos, Democrat from California, had this to say yesterday about our ally/frequent beneficiary, France:Rep. Tom Lantos of California, said he was "particularly disgusted by the blind intransigence and utter ingratitude" of France, Germany and Belgium,...
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Garage Tragic - Joe Soucheray

Garage Tragic - Joe Soucheray is one of the more original personalities on the radio today. If you're from the Twin Cities, you're probably heard, or at least heard of, "Garage Logic" on KSTP-AM. At it's best, it's wonderful. Soucheray,...
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Merch - I love this

Merch - I love this stuff......
Posted by Mitch on February 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Merch - I love this

Merch - I love this stuff......
Posted by Mitch on February 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

You Otto Know Better -

You Otto Know Better - Stillwater-area DFLer Rebecca Otto bucked recent trends in winning the special election in the Stillwater area. She won a majority of votes in an election that drew less than a quarter of elegible voters. According...
Posted by Mitch on February 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Starbucks Patrons Scribble for Peace

Starbucks Patrons Scribble for Peace - In about 1815, Ludwig Van Beethoven, commenting about the role of artists, said that artists should be elevated above the rest of society - even paid from the public treasury. Their role, he felt,...
Posted by Mitch on February 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Billings

In this space in the past, I have expressed less than complete disagreement with Laura Billings of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press. It's time I fixed that. The reporter's dictum is to cover the who, what, when, where and why...
Posted by Mitch on February 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Musical Observation - I loved

Musical Observation - I loved The Donnas the first time I heard them... ...when they were called The Clams, in 1986. Jeez - I wonder what Karen Cusack's doing these days? You've Got To Learn To Learn To Do As...
Posted by Mitch on February 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tartakovsky - I have a

Tartakovsky - I have a couple of shameful admissions to make here. First - I have almost no nostalgia for the Saturday Morning Cartoons - the stuff people my age (and not much younger) used to watch every weekend morning....
Posted by Mitch on February 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

City Aid Cut - Pat

City Aid Cut - Pat Awada, the new State Auditor, is getting busy. As a lot of us knew she would. Today, she's proposed a 42% cut in state aid to cities. And a lot of city government stakeholders aren't...
Posted by Mitch on February 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Anti-War Left - This

The Anti-War Left - This is from the San Francisco Indymedia site, citing a Reuters report about a CIA counterterrorism agent being killed in a live-fire training accident in Afghanistan. Indymedia is a large, far-left extremist umbrella site.Good News:CIA Officer...
Posted by Mitch on February 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Military Girl - Stand

The Military Girl - Stand aside, Cheryl Crow. Move over, Matthews. Madonna's on the scene. The mercurial diva, whose latest efforts at reinvention haven't exactly kept her on the front page of "Variety" or the top of the charts (anyone...
Posted by Mitch on February 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The "Secular" Hussein - One

The "Secular" Hussein - One of the anti-war left's most facile tropes is the notion that Al-Quaeda detests Hussein because he's "secular". Mark Steyn trashes that, among many other strawmen, in today's piece on the subject:The surprise was Powell's confident...
Posted by Mitch on February 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Act Locally - This week

Act Locally - This week - more on R.T. Rybak's attempt to hijack the MPD's communications, as well as some impressions of Minneapolis as a whole. I wanted to write about it last week - but the job hunt has...
Posted by Mitch on February 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Vive L'Indie - Why is

Vive L'Indie - Why is France still a diplomatic power? Because they were a significant nation on the winning side of World War Two, of course, back at the very end of their significance as a world power. Today, they're...
Posted by Mitch on February 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Political Talk - One of

Political Talk - One of the better experiements in local electronic political discussion is PoliTalk. It's produced by Tim Erickson, a St. Paul guy who has a long-standing involvement in political communication. PoliTalk is different from some of your typical...
Posted by Mitch on February 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Would You Say? -

What Would You Say? - Dave Matthews has always bored me stiff. His music is the type of dull, formulaic, Cities 97 fodder that sends me for the preset button every time. It's as if someone created genetically-modifed music product...
Posted by Mitch on February 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Will the Real Ronald Reagan

Will the Real Ronald Reagan Please Stand Up - The Claremont Institute's Steven Hayward on Ronald Reagan's "Intellectual Rehabilitation" - from the left:More comical is the way liberals now acknowledge Reagan as a deep thinker as a back door way...
Posted by Mitch on February 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Antsy Days - Things feel

Antsy Days - Things feel wierd these days. Let's think locally, then globally. I just finished my fifth week of job hunting. I'm always close to getting something or another - heartbreakingly close, in some cases. And there are a...
Posted by Mitch on February 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Light Day - I was

Light Day - I was busy today, plus Blogger was having trouble (still seems to be, in fact), and I'm going to allow myself a rare night of debauchery. OK, not exactly debauchery - a buddy and I are going...
Posted by Mitch on February 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

North Korea - the plot

North Korea - the plot continually thickens. I'm seeing two big possibilities here:Kim Jong-Il is taking advantage of our distraction to push for concessions.The long-time The Guardian says: The Stalinist regime could have triggered the crisis principally to force concessions...
Posted by Mitch on February 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Haggard Masses - JB

The Haggard Masses - JB Doubtless of Fraters Libertas weighs in with some cogent analysis - via Merle Haggard....
Posted by Mitch on February 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Warped Priorites - PETA is

Warped Priorites - PETA is at it again; this time, it's asking Yassir Arafat to take it easy on animals:Your Excellency: I am writing from an organization dedicated to fighting animal abuse around the world. We have received many calls...
Posted by Mitch on February 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Reactions - So much to

Reactions - So much to say about the Powell speech. I'll try to write a more detailed synopsis of my point of view (we know how important that is, don't we?), but for now I'm just going to list some...
Posted by Mitch on February 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Broad Support - So now

Broad Support - So now Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia have joined the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, the UK, Italy, Denmark, Spain and Portugal in supporting the war on Iraq. So the score looks...
Posted by Mitch on February 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Happy Reaganmas

Today is Ronald Reagan's 92nd birthday. Last year, I took cupcakes to the office. Since I'm not working...well, it's cheaper this way. Here's why you need to care about it in the first place. It's an Andrew Sullivan piece from...
Posted by Mitch on February 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Happy Birthday... - to Shot

Happy Birthday... - to Shot in the Dark! I had no idea - but I flipped through the archives today, and today is, in fact, the first anniversary of this blog! And indeed, it's been an interesting year - although...
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kennedy - Ted Kennedy is

Kennedy - Ted Kennedy is bloviating now about how our bombing campaign would cause civilian casualties. "No bunker in Baghdad is safe!". Nice of Chappaquiddick Teddy to be so concerned about Hussein's well-being....
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gag - The Syrian Ambassador

Gag - The Syrian Ambassador is speaking. "How can we threaten the innocent of Iraq?" This is the same Syria that is supporting suicide bombers in Israel, of course......
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The French - Ever watch

The French - Ever watch a cat after it's fallen off the banister? It gets up, looks around, licks its fur as if to say "I planned that. What are you looking at?". Then it walks on to its next...
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Our Next Conflict? - This

Our Next Conflict? - This is chilling: "Satellite photos confirm that the North Dakotans have been quietly harboring an extensive nuclear-weapons program," said Blix, presenting his findings in a speech to the U.N. Security Council. "Alarmingly, this barely developed hinterland...
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Straw That Broke the

The Straw That Broke the Camel's Back - "The League of Nations, like the United Nations, was built on great ideas. It failed because it couldn't support those ideals with force...Mr. Secretary, we owe it to posterity not to repeat...
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Weapons - Although Iraq

The Weapons - Although Iraq was tied to tens of thousands of liters of biological weapons, they "have not accounted for one teaspoon" of it. Powell cites Blix in noting that Hussein has not provided any documentation of this material's...
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Damning - "False statements, or

Damning - "False statements, or failure to cooperate fully shall constitute further material breach of Iraq's obligation" is a statement from Resolution 1441. Powell has spent the last ten minutes documenting Iraq's failure to comply. This is amazing - Powell...
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Inspectors, Not Detectives - I'm

Inspectors, Not Detectives - I'm listening to Powell's speech to the UN right now. That was one point the French seem to keep missing - Blix is not Sherlock Holmes (although the Hercule Poirot resemblance is amazing). Now, they're playing...
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Full Court Press - The

Full Court Press - The local "welfare rights" and galloping entitlement crowds are circling the wagons against Governor Pawlenty. From today's Strib:Lee Pao Xiong, president of the Urban Coalition, said the pilot project in Dakota County is in a demographic...
Posted by Mitch on February 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

New Europe/Old Europe - Instapundit

New Europe/Old Europe - Instapundit is wondering - did Rumsfeld's "New Europe/Old Europe" comment start something overseas? "Reader Ted Nolan quotes Robert Heinlein: "It's amazing how much 'mature wisdom' resembles being too tired." At any rate - Rumsfeld's meme seems...
Posted by Mitch on February 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

La Mode Francaise - Despite

La Mode Francaise - Despite the mewling of the anti-Bush...er, anti-war left, the only significant "allies" currently opposing invasion of Iraq are France and Germany. And it's possible that the French may, at the worst, abstain when the time comes...
Posted by Mitch on February 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bills Introduced - The Minnesota

Bills Introduced - The Minnesota Personal Protection Act was introduced last last week into both houses of the Minnesota state legislature: Here's the text of the House BillHere's the Senate version of the billThis bill would require county sheriffs to...
Posted by Mitch on February 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

View from Europe - If

View from Europe - If international understanding has a problem in this country, it's that it tends to be seen as a binary, black or white thing. And yet, just as with our own stances on issues, the truth is...
Posted by Mitch on February 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whither Minnesota? - Yeah, I

Whither Minnesota? - Yeah, I haven't been covering a lot of Minnesota stuff this last week or two. Perhaps it's being out of work - in the moments I spend blogging, I want to think about stuff far from where...
Posted by Mitch on February 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Hero Returns - Ilan

The Hero Returns - Ilan Ramon, Colonel in the Cheyl Ha'Avir (Israeli Air Force) and Israel's first astronaut, has a long history of heroism. Nissan Ratzlav-Katz writes about it - and what it means to us in America, as well...
Posted by Mitch on February 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Due to Gun Control, Part

Due to Gun Control, Part II - The Saga of Ronald Dixon continues. Dixon - a Navy veteran from Brooklyn who worked two jobs to try to support his family - shot a burglar in his home. His crime? He...
Posted by Mitch on February 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Time To Yank the Shuttle?

Time To Yank the Shuttle? - Gregg Easterbrook, in Time Magazine, writes that the Shuttle is essentially a make-work program, for which safer and vastly more efficient replacements have existed for years - and have been ignored, to the benefit...
Posted by Mitch on February 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rice and Affirmative Action -

Rice and Affirmative Action - Brent Staples has an excellent, provocative article in this morning's NYT on Condoleeza Rice's angle on Affirmative Action. Sample:There were several points at which her blackness (and her gender) doubtless helped to open doors that...
Posted by Mitch on February 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Moyers - Some of this

Moyers - Some of this is a bit redundant to things I've posted in the last few days. Some isn't. But I received this piece is from Bill Moyers' latest newsletter, and I thought it deserved some comment:GOING IT ALONE?...
Posted by Mitch on February 03, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What It Means - Iraq,

What It Means - Iraq, and the Anti-American "Arab Street", haven't had much to cheer about lately. The Iraqi administration's doom is creeping up on them like liver cancer about to metastatize to the brain - they can rant, they...
Posted by Mitch on February 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Empty Reality - "Reality" TV

Empty Reality - "Reality" TV is the latest sign that civilization is doomed. Of course, it's the latest in a string of signs going back to roughly the invention of fire. Still, as this article by the NY Daily News'...
Posted by Mitch on February 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ritter Turned? - Democrats.com, a

Ritter Turned? - Democrats.com, a hate site run by a number of Democrat party insiders, is carrying this quote by Scott Ritter:"This [war with Iraq] is not about the security of the United States, this is about domestic American politics....
Posted by Mitch on February 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Allies - Two weeks

The Allies - Two weeks ago, the leaders of eight European nations signed on with President Bush's views on Iraq. A correspondent on a discussion list to which I subscribe - a fellow who ridicules Bush at most turns -...
Posted by Mitch on February 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Incredibly Sad - Once the

Incredibly Sad - Once the adrenaline of the immediacy of disaster passes, the depressing constant of the cleanup begins. As it does in East Texas today....
Posted by Mitch on February 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Intolerance - One of this

Intolerance - One of this blog's big themes since nearly the beginning has been discussing examples of intolerance - mainly from the left, naturally (Everyone from the New York Times to the Minnetonka Sun-Sailor is busy illuminating conservative intolerance). One...
Posted by Mitch on February 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Why We Fight - As

Why We Fight - As war with Iraq draws closer, commentators, journalists, and policymakers frequently question whether the Iraqi people would really support the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. But that question has already been answered. Although Americans remember the Gulf...
Posted by Mitch on February 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Character - It occurs to

Character - It occurs to me that when the history books are written, someone needs to note this: Bill Clinton served during eight of the most placid years in US history. George W Bush, in the first two years of...
Posted by Mitch on February 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grim News - NASA's website

Grim News - NASA's website - which, understandably, is loading slowly due to heavy trafic - is passing on the news in typical grim officialese....
Posted by Mitch on February 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Columbia MIA - Space Shuttle

Columbia MIA - Space Shuttle missing over Texas. Fox adds this chilling comment:Ilan Ramon, a colonel in Israel's air force and former fighter pilot, became the first man from his country to fly in space, and his presence resulted in...
Posted by Mitch on February 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

No Blood for Antimatter -

No Blood for Antimatter - The brewing war? It's all about capturing a crashed UFO, says Pravda.Jack Sarfatti reported that Friday evening, December 6, 2002 “someone called the Art Bell radio show, claimed his connection with the military and informed...
Posted by Mitch on February 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Schwartzkopf Again - Eric Boysen

Schwartzkopf Again - Eric Boysen writes:Let's see..............the president's father and America's favorite real life general are hunting buddies. Colin Powell finally folds up his "let diplomacy work" tent, dumb ol' George W. delivers a masterful State of the Union address,...
Posted by Mitch on January 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The War on Ugly Guns

The War on Ugly Guns - According to the Times, the "Violence Policy Center", in response to the wave of terrorists using large-caliber precision sniping rifles against passenger aircraft, is drawing a bead (heh heh) on .50 caliber "sniper" rifles.The...
Posted by Mitch on January 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Light Day - More job

Light Day - More job hunting. Will post more tonight or over the weekend. I'll be throwing such a party when this is over. And you'll all be invited!...
Posted by Mitch on January 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Schwartzkopf - Earlier this week,

Schwartzkopf - Earlier this week, the left launched itself into a paroxysm of glee - Retired Army General Norman Schwartzkopf, made a comment that could be described as opposing invading Iraq. What a difference a day makes:(CNSNews.com) - General Norman...
Posted by Mitch on January 31, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Job Hunt Hijinks - As

Job Hunt Hijinks - As I think I've mentioned on here before, I'm a software designer. Depending on the company I'm working for, my job title might be "GUI Designer", "Information Architect", "Business Analyst", or (I love these) "Usability Engineer"...
Posted by Mitch on January 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Low Tower - Some of

Low Tower - Some of my friends - these'd be friends on the far left of the DFL and a few Greens - bloviate about what a fabulous guy Jim Hightower is. They were the same ones who swore Hightower's...
Posted by Mitch on January 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blast of Cold Water -

Blast of Cold Water - Regis Sabol is left-wing pundit with a long portfolio. He's also apparently been under a rock for a while. I found this article on Fraters Libertas - an article in an online 'zine Mr. Sabol...
Posted by Mitch on January 30, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deathblow? - Austin Bay, on

Deathblow? - Austin Bay, on why conquering Iraq might put Al Quaeda on the ropes:9-11's strategic ambush sought to force America to fight on Al Qaeda's terms, to suck the United States into a no-win Afghan war, to bait the...
Posted by Mitch on January 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Multilateral - So here's what

Multilateral - So here's what happened:Congress demanded that the President get their approval. Bush got their approval.Congress and the media demanded that the President go through the UNCongress and the media demanded that the President allow inspections. Bush got the...
Posted by Mitch on January 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Peevish Left - I

The Peevish Left - I found a surprising editorial in today's Strib, by Paul Scott.I'm a lefty. But lately, instead of inspiring me, the left keeps making me feel awful about the world.Awful? When the world is about to suffocated...
Posted by Mitch on January 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Tricky Day - Three

Another Tricky Day - Three job interviews today. The first one - at a local Fortune 500 - is one I really want. Badly. Your prayers, Karmic vibes and best wishes are all eagerly encouraged, as always. Bloggered - The...
Posted by Mitch on January 29, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Few Good Men -

A Few Good Men - Former Marine Richard Botkin has an excellent article in the current World Net Daily on those who, a week and a half ago, left ports on the east coast for "Southwest Asia". The whole article's...
Posted by Mitch on January 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Long Day - I'll catch

Long Day - I'll catch up the blogging tonight. Lots going on today. No job offers yet, but we're working on it....
Posted by Mitch on January 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hitch on Weasels - Christopher

Hitch on Weasels - Christopher Hitchens attacks and debunks the "Cowboy" trope. That's the myth so beloved of the far left and the Axis of Weasels - that Bush and the adminstration are a rogue posse of vigilantes. A cowboy...
Posted by Mitch on January 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deserve Victory - Fellow Churchill

Deserve Victory - Fellow Churchill buff Elder, from Fraters Libertas, sends this:I just wanted to let you know that we've created some bumper stickers (hopefully lawn signs are next) to counter the anti-war Left and the "No War With Iraq"...
Posted by Mitch on January 28, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

One Prayer Answered - Dave

One Prayer Answered - Dave Barry has a blog....
Posted by Mitch on January 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Crunch - I've been job

Crunch - I've been job hunting for three full weeks now. I hate it. But hopefully I'm getting down around the end of it here. I'm down to crunch time on two job opportunities. One, I'm supposed to hear about...
Posted by Mitch on January 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Alternate Universe - I remember

Alternate Universe - I remember interviewing members of a local "radical" group, the U of M's Progressive Student Organization, on my old talk show at KSTP back in the mid-eighties. I had a distinct impression that I was chasing a...
Posted by Mitch on January 27, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sarah and Jim "Crow" Brady

Sarah and Jim "Crow" Brady - Gun control laws have always been aimed at blacks. It goes back to the very first gun control laws, after the Civil War - where the Klan-controlled government tried to disarm the freedmen and...
Posted by Mitch on January 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rainbow Six - The CIA

Rainbow Six - The CIA is starting its own private army - again:During the Balkan conflicts in the mid- and late 1990s, agency paramilitary officers slipped into Bosnia and Kosovo to collect intelligence and hunt for accused war criminals like...
Posted by Mitch on January 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Swing to the Right -

Swing to the Right - The US and Germany aren't the only countries whose left-wing parties are in disordered retreat. According to left-leaning Ha'aretz, Likud is reeling in Israel:With less than a week to go before the elections, Labor is...
Posted by Mitch on January 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Judenrein... - ...is German for

Judenrein... - ...is German for "Jew-Free" - more accurately, "purified of Jews". It's a word from the Holocaust - a trade, or military unit, or eventually a town or region, would declare itself Judenrein after it had gotten rid of...
Posted by Mitch on January 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hussein's Preparations - According to

Hussein's Preparations - According to the BBC, Iraqi opposition groups are providing evidence that Hussein is equipping the Republican Guards to fight a chemical war. Iraq's Republican Guard and Special Republican Guard are among the recipients of special suits and...
Posted by Mitch on January 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

League...er, United Nations - The

League...er, United Nations - The Axis of Weasels - France and Germany - may well be for the UN what Ethiopia was for the League of Nations; proof to anyone who is open to it that it has no place...
Posted by Mitch on January 26, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Last Weekend - More from

Last Weekend - More from last week's pro-dictatorship demonstrations, this week from Baltimore. It's a photo series. And it's pretty sickening. Indymedia is a site that publicizes left-wing, pro-dictatorship, pro-genocide activities around the country....
Posted by Mitch on January 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shocking - This story from

Shocking - This story from Powerline nauseates me. An Iraqi man, clutching files to his chest, jumped into a van full of UN "weapons inspectors" today. As the "inspectors" watched and the man begged for help, Iraqi security pulled him...
Posted by Mitch on January 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Solidifying Irrelevance - The relatively

Solidifying Irrelevance - The relatively conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine talks about the summit between Germany and France - AKA the "Axis of Weasel", according to some:The events in Versailles, planned to be largely ceremonial in nature, took on deeper significance when...
Posted by Mitch on January 25, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sitzkrieg - The Democrats that

Sitzkrieg - The Democrats that aren't kvetching about going to war, are busy kvetching about how long it's taking Bush to get the war underway. As is frequently the case when talking about defense issues, Steven Den Beste of USS...
Posted by Mitch on January 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

RIP Mauldin - Very sad

RIP Mauldin - Very sad to see one of the great personalities of the World War 2 generation, Bill Mauldin, passed away yesterday at 81. He'll be remembered....
Posted by Mitch on January 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Useless Idiots - Steven Schwartz

Useless Idiots - Steven Schwartz on the real faces behind last weekend's pro-dictatorship protests. :The despicable record of WWP [the World Workers Party] in promoting Stalinist and fascist dictators is old news. WWP, the patron of International A.N.S.W.E.R., is on...
Posted by Mitch on January 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Flashback - So I filled

Flashback - So I filled in for Bob Davis last night on KSTP. Now bear in mind, doing talk radio was in many ways the first big love of my life. A very dysfunctional love, of course - radio is...
Posted by Mitch on January 24, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Back To The Future- Some

Back To The Future- Some of you have amazed me by actually remembering what I did in my earlier life - a fact that never ceases to astound me. I started in radio when I was 16 years old, at...
Posted by Mitch on January 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Super-Size Rejection - The McDonald's

Super-Size Rejection - The McDonald's suit has been tossed.Although he dismissed the suit, Judge Robert Sweet granted the plaintiffs the option of filing an amended complaint within 30 days addressing the problems that Sweet found in the plaintiffs' original arguments....
Posted by Mitch on January 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

DFL Regroups - The DFL

DFL Regroups - The DFL is in the process of trying to regroup from the fall elections, according to this morning' s Strib:No leader of any group is yet claiming that there is consensus on what DFLers should do in...
Posted by Mitch on January 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Why We Fight - for

Why We Fight - for France and Germany - I was sitting in a local bookstore last night, talking politics with a small group of other people. Most of them were of the Volvo-Driving Perpetually Concerned class. One of them...
Posted by Mitch on January 23, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

No Appeasement for Oil! -

No Appeasement for Oil! - Blogger Mike Campbell calls it right: the drive to war isn't about oil. The drive to appease - especially on the part of the French - is:It seems like France will do anything to secure...
Posted by Mitch on January 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Polls - Powerline analyzes

The Polls - Powerline analyzes the latest round of polls. You know - the ones the Democrats are crowing about:The Post doesn't say much about the poll's methodology, except to note that it involved telephone interviews with 1,133 randomly selected...
Posted by Mitch on January 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Travesty - Ronald Dixon is

Travesty - Ronald Dixon is a hard-working guy, Navy veteran, works two jobs to support his kids, his girlfriend, and pay the mortgage on a house in a decent part of Canarsie, Queens. Ivan Thompson has a 14 page rap...
Posted by Mitch on January 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

From the "Watching NASCAR for

From the "Watching NASCAR for the Crashes" Department- MSNBC makes the least-surprising announcement in the history of media - they've signed Ventura to do a talk show.The exact format of Ventura's show had not been decided, but it would include...
Posted by Mitch on January 22, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Darwin In Action - "Human

Darwin In Action - "Human Shields" are leaving for Iraq.A first wave of mainly Western volunteers will leave London this weekend on a convoy bound for Iraq to act as "human shields" at key sites and populous areas in case...
Posted by Mitch on January 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Backlash - Hyperbolic demonstrations that

Backlash - Hyperbolic demonstrations that attack the US while lionizing brutal dictators may have actually increased support for the war. The Vietnam War. Oh, and the one that's going to start in a few weeks, too. It's been an article...
Posted by Mitch on January 21, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

War Comes Home - The

War Comes Home - The 704th Chemical Company of the US Army Reserve - based in the Fergus Falls area in northwestern Minnesota - is being mobilized this week. A high school pal of mine is a platoon sergeant in...
Posted by Mitch on January 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Long Day - I have

Long Day - I have two job interviews today, and two tomorrow. The two today are important - they're actually for jobs, as opposed to meets and greets with headhunters before they market my resume. Not that there's anything wrong...
Posted by Mitch on January 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Why You Protested - Today's

Why You Protested - Today's post by megablogger Tacitus does something our major media is too lazy to do - shows you what the protesters are supporting. Warning: The photos are not pleasant....
Posted by Mitch on January 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Artists Against War - Anti-war

Artists Against War - Anti-war activism - San Francisco style. (Via Little Green Footballs)...
Posted by Mitch on January 20, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Real Purple Shady -

The Real Purple Shady - I saw Eight Mile, starring former bad-boy, now suburban daddy Eminem. Pro: Eminem's not a bad actor. Con: In some scenes, he looks like Adam Sandler with a crew cut. Pro: Britney Murphy Con: Not...
Posted by Mitch on January 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Smoking Gun - The London

Smoking Gun - The London Telegraph has the best story I've seen so far about the UN's discovery of the "smoking gun" of Saddam (and Qusay) Hussein's involvement in a nuke program:On the same morning that a team of inspectors...
Posted by Mitch on January 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Barney Fife Award Nominee- What

Barney Fife Award Nominee- What is it about New York - they keep turning out grade-Z authoritarians like Nelson Rockefeller, Hillary Clinton, Rudy Giuliani (who has many redeeming qualities, but is no libertarian) and now Michael Bloomberg. Who just pulled...
Posted by Mitch on January 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Jews Swinging to the Right

Jews Swinging to the Right - Ha'aretz reports that American Jews are moving to the right. Bush's middle east policy is key to this growth - the perception of anti-semitism on the left is pushing some of the drift -...
Posted by Mitch on January 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Team Coverage - Powerline continues

Team Coverage - Powerline continues to provide some of the best coverage in the blogosphere of yesterday's pro-dictatorship, pro-nuclear-and-chemical, pro-torture demonstrations. The coverage is a very long section - and all of it's worth a read. Especially interesting; a note...
Posted by Mitch on January 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Daily Double Quiz Question -

Daily Double Quiz Question - Who wrote this:A war with Iraq has become more likely in the past week. Thursday's discovery of undeclared poison gas shells was insufficient to trigger war alone. But here was the first concrete, and predictable,...
Posted by Mitch on January 19, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cultural Archaeology - The Fixx,

Cultural Archaeology - The Fixx, Styx, Flock of Seagulls and the Alarm, among many others, are making big bucks - and presumably paying off their coke bills from when they were stars, twenty years ago - on the nostalgia circuit....
Posted by Mitch on January 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

All Hail Chairman Martin -

All Hail Chairman Martin - The London Independent writes about the "West Wing" star in tones normally reserved for Kim Jong-Il in the North Korean press. This bit here:From his earliest days, Sheen has been a rebel, a nonconformist, a...
Posted by Mitch on January 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Quote of the Day -

Quote of the Day - From the AP Wire:"I'm hoping that the bus loads of people coming as far away as Oregon and Nevada give an indication that this isn't just the crazy loons in San Francisco - but we...
Posted by Mitch on January 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More Press Omissions - The

More Press Omissions - The Strib's story on today's demonstrations in Minneapolis leads with this:While protesting the 1991 Gulf War at a Washington, D.C., rally, Marlys Weber of Minneapolis wore a sign saying that her son, an Air Force pilot...
Posted by Mitch on January 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Goods - Instapundit and

The Goods - Instapundit and Powerline have the details on the groups organizing the pro-genocide, pro-nuke, pro-torture rallies in DC and San Francisco. Read them - and then read the NYT, the WaPo and the Strib tomorrow. See how closely...
Posted by Mitch on January 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

11:59:40 - Steve Den Beste

11:59:40 - Steve Den Beste of USS Clueless discusses the naval force that's been setting out for the Gulf in the past few days. There's a great explanation of the types of ships and what they do (not that I...
Posted by Mitch on January 18, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Harshing Sheryl's Mellow - You

Harshing Sheryl's Mellow - You may recall - Sheryl Crow made a famously vapid anti-war appearance at the American Music Awards earlier this week. Andrew Sullivan digs into it in this Salon article:I'm taking her too seriously, of course. I...
Posted by Mitch on January 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Repugnant - "MoveOn.Org", a left-wing-fundedsite

Repugnant - "MoveOn.Org", a left-wing-fundedsite that started as an anti-impeachment propaganda machine, is back in action - and their latest effort is a revival of the "Daisy Ad". The original version of this ad, from 1964, painted Barry Goldwater as...
Posted by Mitch on January 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The World is Getting Too

The World is Getting Too Wierd - If you'd told me in 1980, when I was still a liberal - or even in 1990 - that I'd ever be writing the paragraph below, I'd have rolled my eyes and wondered...
Posted by Mitch on January 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

One More Time - In

One More Time - In recent weeks, I've posted a few ideas about Iraq, North Korea, and why the President's current stance is not in the least bit inconsistent. I heard it summed up better than I could, the other...
Posted by Mitch on January 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Mindless Sanctimony Alert - You

Mindless Sanctimony Alert - You can tell a lot about someone's state of mind by their tone of voice. It's a subtle point, but true. So I was coming up the stairs with a load of laundry at about 6AM,...
Posted by Mitch on January 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Been Here, Done This -

Been Here, Done This - Saint Paul, of Fraters Libertas, who acfually lives in St. Paul, tells a tale that I've lived way too many times:I was in the final leg on my trip home from work and turning onto...
Posted by Mitch on January 17, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pink Pistols - Great article

Pink Pistols - Great article today on the growing gay pro-gun movement.Doug Krick, a bisexual Internet engineer from Boston who once ran for office as a Libertarian, started the Pink Pistols in July 2000. The club has no dues or...
Posted by Mitch on January 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Lotus Eater! Unite! - The

Lotus Eater! Unite! - The Evanston, IL city council passed an anti-war resolution....
Posted by Mitch on January 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

P.J. News - P.J. O'Rourke

P.J. News - P.J. O'Rourke has joined the Atlantic....
Posted by Mitch on January 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Way We War -

The Way We War - Michael Barone, on how war has radically changed, even in the past decade:The forces now gather- ing around Iraq are being marshaled by one of these "market-states." Industrial America fought its wars with industrial forces:...
Posted by Mitch on January 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Material Breach - Breaching Materials

Material Breach - Breaching Materials - 122mm chemical artillery warheads found have been found in Iraq:"During the course of their inspection, the team discovered 11 empty 122 mm chemical warheads and one warhead that requires further evaluation," Ueki said in...
Posted by Mitch on January 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blurgh - Sorry about the

Blurgh - Sorry about the light day yesterday. It'll probably be a bit light today too, although we'll see. I'm at the stage of the job hunt that I hate the worst. The beginning is easy - there's noplace to...
Posted by Mitch on January 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

HellPartners - It doesn't amaze

HellPartners - It doesn't amaze me that HealthPartners has been caught doing the same shenanigans that Medica and Allina were several years ago. Despite the dubious business purpose of many expenses, controls at Minnesota's third-largest health insurer failed to prevent...
Posted by Mitch on January 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sad but True - I

Sad but True - I belong to the Presbyberian Church. I know what you're saying; "Mitch! You're a conservative! How can you be a member of a church that is so unreservedly, unabashedly, unreconstructedly sixties-liberal?" The answer is, "it's not...
Posted by Mitch on January 16, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The New Republic Vs. Common

The New Republic Vs. Common Sense - The anti-gun lobby keeps going farther and farther down the logical evolution chain to build an argument. This article, by Eli Kintisch, in today's New Republic Online (registration required) proves it.Recently I visited...
Posted by Mitch on January 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Times v. Times - The

Times v. Times - The Washington Times takes on the NY Times, over the New York paper's shoddy math in attacking the Bush tax cuts....
Posted by Mitch on January 15, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Crowed - Sheryl Crow -

Crowed - Sheryl Crow - an inconseqential but relatively talented pop singer with an occasional way with a hook - warned of dire consequences of an Iraq invasion at the American Music Awards last night."I think war is based in...
Posted by Mitch on January 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Budget War - Governor Pawlenty

Budget War - Governor Pawlenty has started his effort to re-balance the state budget yesterday, according to the Strib:Once Pawlenty unveils his proposals, he still will need the Legislature to take exceptionally quick action, passing the package in a matter...
Posted by Mitch on January 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

For All the Wrong Reasons

For All the Wrong Reasons - I've never really gotten behind the death penalty. At first, it was because I was a liberal. But even since I became a conservative, I've always been queasy about state executions. Not because I...
Posted by Mitch on January 14, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Adios, VNS - On Election

Adios, VNS - On Election Night, 2002, I made one observation that I figured was just too far out to hope for : noting the absence of Voter News Service reports, I though it's be neat if we never had...
Posted by Mitch on January 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Wonder... if Excel Energy

I Wonder... if Excel Energy and my credit card company will accept this as an excuse?...
Posted by Mitch on January 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Achtundsechziger - Germany fascinates me.

Achtundsechziger - Germany fascinates me. I minored in the language in college. I read the nation's history voraciously, especially the past century or so. And its current situation may be the most interesting of all, as the German baby boom...
Posted by Mitch on January 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Inside the Anti-American Mind -

Inside the Anti-American Mind - In the days after 9/11, it was gratifying to see the way Americans reacted. Probably 99 out of 100 Americans pulled together behind the flag - and more importantly, behind the ideas it stands for....
Posted by Mitch on January 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Things We Do For

The Things We Do For Money - I meet people - socially, on dates, at family gatherings, wherever - and they ask what it is I do for a living. And it's always hard to explain. So I'll give you...
Posted by Mitch on January 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hope In The Air -

Hope In The Air - While it's finally cold (blah) but there's no snow (worse blah) and after a week I'm still job-hunting (blah-iest), there is still hope in the air. it's just a tad over a month until pitchers...
Posted by Mitch on January 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fortuyn's Legacy, Minnesota's Lesson -

Fortuyn's Legacy, Minnesota's Lesson - Odd parallels here, in a story I first saw on Andrew Sullivan's site. In the Netherlands, a female Somali refugee is ready to take up Pim Fortuyn's cause - and much more.Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a...
Posted by Mitch on January 13, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cultural Pathology - Steve Den

Cultural Pathology - Steve Den Beste of the blog USS Clueless is an excellent writer who's not afraid to delve deeply into the philosophical underpinnings of his stories. A few days ago, he wrote about the story of J.C. Adams,...
Posted by Mitch on January 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Bush Personality Cult -

The Bush Personality Cult - Eugene Volokh on Paul Krugman's descent into madness: Cult of personality? Whose personality? Bush's? Oh, yes, outside my office window I see the sign on the street corner -- "Long live Bush, hero of all...
Posted by Mitch on January 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blog of the Rings -

Blog of the Rings - The Lord of the Rings" story, had Tolkien been on the Blogsphere (according to Alan Henderson). Hilarious. (via Instapundit)...
Posted by Mitch on January 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Religion and Politics - During

Religion and Politics - During the elections and in the immediate aftermath, many of us on the right noted this: while many on the right mix religion and politics pretty gratuituously, many on the left go one step further -...
Posted by Mitch on January 12, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Torn Signal - I'm kinda

Torn Signal - I'm kinda torn about the SUV "controversy". On the one hand, Arianna Huffington continues to make a name as the RINOiest RINO in America. And her spin needs some work:Responding to the growing public outcry over its...
Posted by Mitch on January 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More on Iraq - Jay

More on Iraq - Jay Reding - who has an excellent Minnesota-based blog - has excellent rejoinder to a really dumb San Fran Chronicle editorial:Someone needs to be bonked over the head with a copy of Clausewitz. Exactly what benefit...
Posted by Mitch on January 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Best News All Week -

Best News All Week - Whatever else is going on, at least she is blogrolling me. Brightened my day just a tad....
Posted by Mitch on January 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Status Report - We take

Status Report - We take a break from our usual politics and current events to talk about me. I had nine - count 'em, nine - job interviews last week. Most were with headhunters - they wanted to meet me...
Posted by Mitch on January 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blanket Pardon - I've been

Blanket Pardon - I've been wondering when this would happen - Ilinois governor Ryan plans to commute all Illinois Death Row sentences to life in prison."I have had mixed emotions concerning this issue," Ryan told the Sun-Times explaining while he'll...
Posted by Mitch on January 11, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More to Come - Extremely

More to Come - Extremely busy day - I'll get some blogging done tonight and this weekend....
Posted by Mitch on January 10, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Day Four - The third

Day Four - The third day of a job hunt is always the worst one. Yesterday, despite three excellent interviews (the fourth was pushed back to Friday at the interviewer's request), was no exception. First interview of the morning at...
Posted by Mitch on January 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Face - I rarely watch

Face - I rarely watch "Today". It's astounding, sometimes. Right now they're interviewing former ambassador Donald Gregg, a North Korea expert. He sees the administration's big problem with North Korea being one of "not understanding Asian sensibilities" - to paraphrase...
Posted by Mitch on January 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Words to Live By -

Words to Live By - The blogosphere is full of people who wear their emotions on their sleeves. For whom animus comes easily. I'm one of them, of course. They - and I - should read this Lileks piece, which...
Posted by Mitch on January 09, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"My Father Was a Gangsta"

I know some fellow conservatives who are appalled when I say this - but I love Eminem. No, I won't let my kids buy the CD, and I'll wash my son's mouth out with Lysol if I catch him talking...
Posted by Mitch on January 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Perfect Day - I liked

Perfect Day - I liked this bit on Fraters Libertas, partly because of the homage to newly, involuntarily-departed WCCO noon news host Bill Carlson, but to the whole imagery of being home, sick but not too sick, when you're a...
Posted by Mitch on January 08, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Pyongyang Panic - It's

The Pyongyang Panic - It's been interesting, and a little depressing, listening to a lot of liberals - and not a few conservatives - flying into their respective lathers over the North Korea crisis. Conservatives worry about mushroom clouds over...
Posted by Mitch on January 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Hair Squad - War

The Hair Squad - War correspondents go through boot camp.Nearly 60 journalists from around the world participated in a course -- the second in a series -- designed to enhance their effectiveness and safety in combat. The first time the...
Posted by Mitch on January 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shhhhhhhhhh - Just between us,

Shhhhhhhhhh - Just between us, the Third Mech Infantry Division is conducting the biggest live-fire exercises since the Gulf War, in the Kuwaiti desert.UDAIRI RANGE, Kuwait (Army News Service, Jan. 3, 2002) -- More than 4,000 soldiers from 2nd Brigade...
Posted by Mitch on January 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

On the Beach - My

On the Beach - My contract got "de-funded" last Friday, so I'm back job-hunting again. Two interviews today, three tomorrow. We'll see. If anyone needs a software designer/Human Factors/Usability/Information Architecture/Content Producer guy, give me a holler. And not to Sullivan...
Posted by Mitch on January 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Stupid Radio Tricks - Stupid,

Stupid Radio Tricks - Stupid, but fun, anyway. Two Miami disk jockeys place a hoax phone call to Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, disguised as Fidel Castro. Get Barnard on this. (via Instapundit)...
Posted by Mitch on January 07, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Our New Dystopia - Over

Our New Dystopia - Over the weekend, several emailers told me I had to read yesterday's op-eds in the Strib for the new pieces by Lori Sturdevant and Jim Boyd. Remember back in, say, 1993? There were tortured-sounding editorials in...
Posted by Mitch on January 06, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dedication - A man shot

Dedication - A man shot at a Wendy's on University Avenue on Friday Night was back on Saturday.A victim in the Saturday night shooting at a St. Paul Wendy's restaurant returned to the scene of the crime Sunday, this time...
Posted by Mitch on January 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tectonic Shift - Huge news

Tectonic Shift - Huge news in the Strib - three out of four citizens in or formerly liberal state favor cutting spending to raising taxes, according to the latest Minnesota Poll."These results certify what we saw in the election," said...
Posted by Mitch on January 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Action - According to the

Action - According to the Boston Globe, US intelligence agents, and Special forces from the US, UK, Jordan and Australia, are already active in Iraq. The operations, which also have included small numbers of Jordanian, British, and Australian commandos, are...
Posted by Mitch on January 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A New Nixon? - I'd

A New Nixon? - I'd wondered if Gore's move - abandoning the '04 election - mightn't be a Nixonian move. Ronald Bailey wonders the same thing, in Reason Magazine....
Posted by Mitch on January 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kimchi For The Soul -

Kimchi For The Soul - James Robbins on the current North Korea crisis in National Review Online. It's been comical, watching the left smell blood regarding the President's approach to terrorism, again and again and again, since September 11. Remember...
Posted by Mitch on January 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I See Your Friggin' Escalade...

I See Your Friggin' Escalade... - and I raise you this!While it is only a design concept for now, the car will become a reality if Lutz gets his way. Outfitted with silk carpets, a crystal Bulgari clock, smoked-glass roof...
Posted by Mitch on January 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

The Horses They Rode in

The Horses They Rode in On - The Independence Party's Dean Barkley's term in the Senate is over. Jesse Ventura leaves office tomorrow. So long guys. Don't let the doors smack you on the way out. Ventura went out with...
Posted by Mitch on January 05, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wierd - Long day, plus

Wierd - Long day, plus stranger server bugs. Hopefully back up and running shortly....
Posted by Mitch on January 04, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

R.I.P. Joe Foss - Joe

R.I.P. Joe Foss - Joe Foss, former governor of South Dakota, and before that US Marine fighter pilot and, for a while, America's leading fighter ace, died today at 87. In 1943, flying from Henderson Field, on Guadalcanal Island, Foss...
Posted by Mitch on January 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Molnau - Governor-Elect Tim Pawlenty

Molnau - Governor-Elect Tim Pawlenty has appointed his Lieutenant-Governor-Elect, Carol Molnau, to lead the Minnesota Department of Transportation. By having the lieutenant governor at the helm, the financially strapped state gets to pocket the transportation commissioner's annual salary of $108,000....
Posted by Mitch on January 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hate, Part IV - News

Hate, Part IV - News that Bill Frist - the new Senate Majority leader and a cardiac surgeon in the real world - saved yet more lives in yet another accident (this is his third incident) brought up yet another...
Posted by Mitch on January 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mail - I got this

Mail - I got this one today:Mpls Star Tribune editorial board? [Today’s editorial - George W. Bush, A toast to his internationalist side]. They "toasted" him for doing what they've always wanted him to do - defer to the "international...
Posted by Mitch on January 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

New Project - Kos, of

New Project - Kos, of the Daily Kos, has started a new project, Polstate.com. This project seeks to get bloggers of diverse political viewpoints from all fifty states (and overseas) to contribute local/regional political content. Natch, I'm covering Minnesota, along...
Posted by Mitch on January 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Moderate Left - My roll

Moderate Left - My roll of local blogs (I'm in Minnesota) grows again - with Jeff Fecke's Blog of the Moderate Left. His most recent post is his list of regional political awards fro 2002. Some interesting stuff. But I...
Posted by Mitch on January 02, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Media Wars - This article

Media Wars - This article talks about one of my favorite topics - why the left not only can't win the "alternative" media war (on talk radio and the blogosphere), but can't even figure out why. (Via Powerline)...
Posted by Mitch on January 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Green Christmas - Due to

Green Christmas - Due to a recent technicality in Minnesota election laws, the Green Party of Minnesota will maintain 'major party' status.Ralph Nader put the Greens in the major-party league when he attracted 5 percent of the 2000 presidential vote...
Posted by Mitch on January 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Conventionial Wisdom - North Carolina

Conventionial Wisdom - North Carolina Senatory John Edwards seems more and more a shoe-in to run for president. Now, I've heard three different, inevitably contradictory, versions of "conventional wisdom" on this:Knowing that, should present conditions hold, running against Bush is...
Posted by Mitch on January 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Happy New Year! - I

Happy New Year! - I haven't spent New Years out of my house since...yeesh, probably 1994. New Years generally involves buying a bottle of sparkling apple cider, playing games and doing stuff with the kids until midnight, then running around...
Posted by Mitch on January 01, 2003 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Real Predictions - Why mess

Real Predictions - Why mess with the amateurs, when Austrialian uber-blogger Tim Blair has the real scoop on 2003? My favorite29th Liberals flock to a Minneapolis-area juice bar where a likeness of Paul Wellstone has appeared in a wheatgrass spill....
Posted by Mitch on December 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rangel's Angle - Representative Charles

Rangel's Angle - Representative Charles Rangel runs for the right on military policy. Or does he? Rangel has proposed "universal military service." This could mean anything from the old-fashioned "draft" - the onerous lottery we rid our nation of 30...
Posted by Mitch on December 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Brown Knows - When Tina

Brown Knows - When Tina Brown isn't editing vapid lifestyle magazines, she writes some excellent stuff, like this piece on how New Yorkers are missing that post-9/11 feeling:For New Yorkers, 2002 was one long morning after. We all just want...
Posted by Mitch on December 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mamet On Israel - Playwrite

Mamet On Israel - Playwrite David Mamet - who describes himself as an "aging diaspora Jew" - writes this excellent piece in "Forward" on life as a Jew, outside looking in at Israel.There, before me, was a broken-down Volvo of...
Posted by Mitch on December 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Would Muhammad Drive? -

What Would Muhammad Drive? - The cartoonist has apparently recieved death threats for this one....
Posted by Mitch on December 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Recovering Liberal - As someone

Recovering Liberal - As someone who abandoned liberalism like a cheap date who'd been binging on Old Style beer and gas-station frozen burritos... ...Er, wait. That image is just too much. Anyway - I love this blog, by a fellow...
Posted by Mitch on December 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

All These Years... - of

All These Years... - of websurfing... ...And I haven't yet discovered this?...
Posted by Mitch on December 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

All About Betty - The

All About Betty - The Strib logs in with this short piece about the voting record of my "representative", (which I put in quotes because she represents me in no way), the Fourth District's Betty McCollum. She makes Nancy Pelosi...
Posted by Mitch on December 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ventura Backs Data Collection -

Ventura Backs Data Collection - In perhaps a final bit of proof that Ventura was the DFL-iest "populist" we've ever elected, our soon-to-be-ex governor okayed the biggest data collection act in Minnesota history. The Strib article says: Some groups consider...
Posted by Mitch on December 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Declining Standards Alert - Los

Declining Standards Alert - Los Agneles Magazine is apparently ready to call Barbra Streisand's website it's Website of the Month. For teaching us all how to spell Gephardt, one presumes....
Posted by Mitch on December 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Random Thought - Re-reading my

Random Thought - Re-reading my screed on the death of Joe Strummer from earlier this week, something occurred to me:My dad is probably a Scoop-Jackson-ish sorta-liberal.My mom is a far-left liberal.My favorite musical artists - Bruce Springsteen, Joe Strummer, Joe...
Posted by Mitch on December 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Jesse "The Ex" Ventura -

Jesse "The Ex" Ventura - The Pioneer Press' Jim Ragsdale is one of the Twin Cities' best political reporters. And this piece in the PiPress, on the unravelling of the Ventura administration, is a great one. And I like this...
Posted by Mitch on December 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Predictions - The fabulous Bill

Predictions - The fabulous Bill Quick does some fact-checking of the National Review staff's predictions...for 2002. So we see the danger of trying to predict things. Still - no guts, no glory. I'll do mine. I'll make them nice and...
Posted by Mitch on December 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cusacked - I've always liked

Cusacked - I've always liked John Cusack. He's had probably the best percentage of good-movies-to-clinkers of any actor I can personally think of. Better Off Dead was the best teensploitation film of the eightiesand the best John Hughes parody ever....
Posted by Mitch on December 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The American Empire - One

The American Empire - One of the best things the late Stephen Ambrose ever wrote was toward the tail end of "Citizen Soldiers". I'll paraphrase it: throughout history, a squad of foreign soldiers was something to fear. The Roman legionaire,...
Posted by Mitch on December 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It'll Find You Everywhere -

It'll Find You Everywhere - In a nation with few cars, certainly few built after 1960, it's wierd to see that Cuba has a horrific traffic problem. Hah. I'd like to see them get from Chanhassen to Saint Paul at...
Posted by Mitch on December 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Drought - I didn't blog

Drought - I didn't blog yesterday. In explanation, a poem. Ahem:Twere the days after Christmas, and all through the joint, Mitch was stuck in meetings; staring at PowerPoint. The quarterly specs nearly ready do dump, on all the unfortunate programmer...
Posted by Mitch on December 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Follow the Money - Chuck

Follow the Money - Chuck Simmins - apparently an EMT - asks where the money is going in the current "smallpox preparedness" program. It's not pretty.I knew this was going to happen. When I saw plans to vaccinate hospital janitors,...
Posted by Mitch on December 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Clone Sleeps Alone -

My Clone Sleeps Alone - Yesterday's cloning "news" set off tremors of revulsion, fear and anger, especially throughout the talkradio and blog worlds. And I wondered - is this just another "Cold Fusion"? Especially given the geneology of the group...
Posted by Mitch on December 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Try, Try Again - The

Try, Try Again - The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center were a second attempt (after the 1993 attempt which failed to topple one tower into the other only through blind luck, as it turns out). The attack on...
Posted by Mitch on December 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

For the Geek Who Has

For the Geek Who Has Everything - When you've been through all the XBoxes, PalmPilots and other geekcessories, Eric Raymond has the one thing they don't have - and really do need....
Posted by Mitch on December 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Putting the Christ Back in

Putting the Christ Back in Christmas - D.J. Tice, the only local conservative writing full-time for either of the dailies, has this wonderful defense of the Christianity of Christmas. The motivation is a New Jersey school which cancelled a visit...
Posted by Mitch on December 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

DUI or Not DUI -

DUI or Not DUI - In its spare time, the legislature will be debating that perennial warhorse, lowering the Blood Alcohol Limit still further. Minnesota already has failed to gain $14.6 million in highway "bonus funds" from the feds by...
Posted by Mitch on December 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Christmas in Uniform - Austin

Christmas in Uniform - Austin Bay writes this excellent piece on the sacrifices our servicepeople make this, and every, Christmas:The year 2002 ends in crisis, but name a recent year that hasn't? Peace on Earth is a great, empowering hope,...
Posted by Mitch on December 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Next? - In the

What Next? - In the past year and a half, we've lost Ben OrrJoey and Dee Dee RamoneWarren Zevon (soon)... George Harrison, although he's the wrong generationAnd now, Joe Strummer. This is getting scary....
Posted by Mitch on December 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Off We Go - We're

Off We Go - We're heading out to my Dad's place in North Dakota now. (Note to any burglars that prowl the blogosphere: my high school chum Vinnie "Blowtorch and Pliers" Cincinelli is house-sitting, with his four Rottweilers - War,...
Posted by Mitch on December 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Vote Now! - The blog

Vote Now! - The blog "Little Green Footballs" is running a poll for "the Fiskies" - the first attempt I've seen at a blogosphere-based award. Vote early and often!...
Posted by Mitch on December 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Joyeux Noel - As I

Joyeux Noel - As I wrote a few weeks ago, Thanksgiving is my major holiday, personally - the time when I take stock of the year that's been, and make the little secret plans in the back of my head...
Posted by Mitch on December 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Joyeux Noel - As I

Joyeux Noel - As I wrote a few weeks ago, Thanksgiving is my major holiday, personally - the time when I take stock of the year that's been, and make the little secret plans in the back of my head...
Posted by Mitch on December 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Dumb Gun - The

The Dumb Gun - The gun control movement hasn't been able to convince the vast majority of Americans that firearms are a bad idea. Most people know that it's not the gun that causes the problem - it's the person...
Posted by Mitch on December 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

This Was the Week That

This Was the Week That Was - Oy, vey, such a week I'd not wish on Bill Clinton. As I wrote earlier in the week, it was the software-development equivalent of finals week. We were bundling up a release worth...
Posted by Mitch on December 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Death by Diva - One

Death by Diva - One of the most irritating trends in pop music in the last 10-15 years is the faux pop "diva". There are women with enough talent as singers to do amazing things with their voices - and...
Posted by Mitch on December 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

San Francisco Update - San

San Francisco Update - San Francisco has voted to regulate psychics and ban some of the tricks of their trade.The tricks, banned under the new law, include the knot in the thread (the fortune-teller makes a knot disappear) and the...
Posted by Mitch on December 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Christmas Present to You

My Christmas Present to You - Today's Lileks Screed. Yeah, it's free. It's the thought that counts....
Posted by Mitch on December 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Slime - I'm as sick

Slime - I'm as sick of excessive hyperbole as the next guy. I think American society, especially our political culture, need a lot less of it. I say that to qualify my next statement. The DFL oozes slime. Yeah, that...
Posted by Mitch on December 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gored And Eddied - Why

Gored And Eddied - Why why are Democrats pulling out of the presidential race, two years early, without the benefit of a Supreme Court case even? Gore, Edwards... A friend of mine last night had a good observation - the...
Posted by Mitch on December 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Confederacy of Dunces - Say

Confederacy of Dunces - Say "states s rights" to a Democrat, and he'll wonder where you put your white hood. John Ashcroft was harassed during his confirmation hearings for his interest in the Confederacy - as if the Confederacy was...
Posted by Mitch on December 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Just War - John

The Just War - John Cullen on why invading Iraq meets the strictest definition of "just war"....
Posted by Mitch on December 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

James in Wonderland - One

James in Wonderland - One of my favorite topics ever - fever dreams. I remember as a child, lying in bed as a fourth-grader, looking at a movie playing itself on a square of light on my wall. Marilyn Monroe...
Posted by Mitch on December 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Duelling Colemans - Nick Coleman

Duelling Colemans - Nick Coleman - who is to Twin Cities columnists what Cliff Clavin was to barflies - lets loose on Norm Coleman - and inadvertently compliments him. Purely unintentional, I'm sure - read between the lines. (It's usually...
Posted by Mitch on December 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Second Amendment And Us -

Second Amendment And Us - Rachel Lucas uncorks a great one. (via Instapundit)...
Posted by Mitch on December 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Steele on Lott - Shelby

Steele on Lott - Shelby Steele on how far the Trent Lott incident might set conservatives back. School Dazed - My second part of the St. Paul Schools' budget flap is slower coming together than I'd thought - but I'll...
Posted by Mitch on December 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Squashed - This is the

Squashed - This is the software-development equivalent of finals week. I'm packing up a release to send it off to the developers - and it's pure hell. So posting from work is going to be a little tight this week...
Posted by Mitch on December 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Eminem as Republican - About

Eminem as Republican - About a year ago, I called in to local conservative Jason Lewis to defend rappter Eminem. My defense was mostly on musical grounds - I'm a former rap DJ, and I'm really tired of the trope...
Posted by Mitch on December 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Thanks for the Memories -

Thanks for the Memories - Damian Whitworth of the London Times provides this perspective on Algore's withdrawal from the '04 race:So, farewell then, Albert Gore Jr, the Prince of Tennessee. You made us laugh (mostly at you), you made us...
Posted by Mitch on December 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

First Amendment and Man at

First Amendment and Man at Saint Cloud State - A member of the St. Cloud State University's College Republicans.is accusing a university professor of attacking him.The student, Zach Spoehr, is accusing Professor Rona Karasik of attacking him after he tried...
Posted by Mitch on December 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Lott of Problems - Michelle

Lott of Problems - Michelle Malkin pegs my misgivings about Trent Lott in his current situation. My fellow conservatives, if you weren't already convinced that the Mississippi senator was a gutless, ineffective, self-preservationist sap before his remarks at Strom Thurmond's...
Posted by Mitch on December 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Commence Bombing - Sean Penn

Commence Bombing - Sean Penn has arrived in Baghdad. "By the invitation of the Institute for Public Accuracy, I have the privileged opportunity to pursue a deeper understanding of this frightening conflict," Penn said in a statement released in Washington...
Posted by Mitch on December 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Earful? - Governor-elect Pawlenty spent

Earful? - Governor-elect Pawlenty spent two days on a "listening tour" of southern Minnesota. Here's what the Strib had to say about it. All the media coverage has centered on this incident: A group of schol parents in Winona trying...
Posted by Mitch on December 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Showdown - Pejman Yousefzadeh on

Showdown - Pejman Yousefzadeh on the upcoming showdown between the Fifth and Ninth US Circuits on the Second Amendment, and the role Blogs have played in this dispute so far. Thus, once again, it appears that Judge Reinhardt did not...
Posted by Mitch on December 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hypocrisy.com - Democrats.com - a

Hypocrisy.com - Democrats.com - a Democrat hate site - is collecing a specious online petition for Trent Lott's resignation. I wrote to ask them "what about Robert Byrd, Fritz Hollings, Al Sharpton...". Still no answer. By the way, note two...
Posted by Mitch on December 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ambush! - Many on the

Ambush! - Many on the left are trying to portray the denouement of the Missile Saga as an embarassment for the administration. The London Times' Daniel McGrory disagrees....
Posted by Mitch on December 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Merry Kwanzaa, courtesy Minneapolis Public

Merry Kwanzaa, courtesy Minneapolis Public Schools - The Minneapolis Public Schools have been scrubbed clean of crucifixes, Stars of David, creches, nativity scenes... ...but by golly, there will be a Kwanzaa celebration....
Posted by Mitch on December 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Watching the Defectives - It

Watching the Defectives - It had to happen; a weblog entirely devoted to fact-checking the fact-challenged Michael Moore. (via Rachel Lucas)...
Posted by Mitch on December 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Trent Lott as Diversion -

Trent Lott as Diversion - Stay with me on this one: The Dems got clobbered in this last election because they didn't run for anything - all they did was run against Republicans - their candidates and ideals. What is...
Posted by Mitch on December 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fiasco, Eh? - This article,

Fiasco, Eh? - This article, from the Toronto Globe and Mail, is interesting on so many different levels:As a critique of the lunacy of gun registration. Even in Canada, where the majority population (Ontarians and Quebequois) is docile and coalesces...
Posted by Mitch on December 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Evil - Andrew Sullivan covers

Evil - Andrew Sullivan covers the two big "axis of Evil" stories today - the interception of the Scud-like missiles being sent to Yemen, and the American media's continual spiking of the gathering, anti-theocrat revolution in Iran. Regarding the interception...
Posted by Mitch on December 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Celebs For Love - Mark

Celebs For Love - Mark Levine parodies the all-"star" antiwar letter.And war is always bad for our industry. The 24-hour news cycle preempts some of us best programming. The Gulf War forced the premature cancellation of such television classics as...
Posted by Mitch on December 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Solipsistic Fops - the Next

Solipsistic Fops - the Next Generation - Slate rings up a new Rhodes Scholar - the son of a couple of Weathermen terrorists - and discusses not only his preening self-obsession, but the vast and morally-decrepit gaps in the New...
Posted by Mitch on December 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Blogger's Christmas Wish -

A Blogger's Christmas Wish - All I want for Christmas is:To get on Instapundit's BlogrollTo get a copy of Virginia Postrel's book. Or at least the cover art. (Hey! Go there and vote for your favorite picture!)Enough of a social...
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Islam - Is It, or

Islam - Is It, or Is It Not? - This is a very long piece on Isntapundit - and it's fascinating. Probably the most concise detailed explication of the whole Moslem schism I've ever read. Very highly recommended....
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Pro-Saddam Rally - Back

The Pro-Saddam Rally - Back during the Gulf War, about the time the bombing started, I wanted very desperately, to go down to the U of M with a fire extinguisher to put out burning American flags. This guy had...
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whole Lott o' Trouble, Part

Whole Lott o' Trouble, Part III - the Thurmond Years - There are some very articulate and persuasive Trent Lott fans reading this blog, and I'll post some of their comments later. But Powerline made a great observation today:To listen...
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Talking Turkey - James Bennett

Talking Turkey - James Bennett of UPI discusses Turkey, and their misguided goal - perhaps obsession - of getting into the EU. What's wrong with these hopes and dreams, even assuming the EU would ever fulfill them, is that the...
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

When Courts Collide - Last

When Courts Collide - Last year, in US v. Emerson, the US Fifth Circuit held that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to bear arms. Last week, the ultraliberal Judge Reinhardt of the Ninth Circuit in Silveira v. Lockyear...
Posted by Mitch on December 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Courage - Eric Raymond has

Courage - Eric Raymond has a fascinating analysis on the resurgence of male, physical and moral courage - and its detractors. Before 9/11, we were in serious danger of forgetting that courage is a functional virtue in ordinary men. But...
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unassimilated Immigrants - Not Just

Unassimilated Immigrants - Not Just for Europeans Anymore - Last summer, around the time of Pim Fortuyn's assassination, we noted how unassimilated immigrants were going to be a growing problem in Europe. European culture makes it pretty much impossible for...
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Self, Nation, Service - In

Self, Nation, Service - In the past, I've written about the notion of National Service - the concept of citizens spending six months to a year in the military (or some similar national or civil defense job), and then serving...
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whole Lott o' Trouble, Part

Whole Lott o' Trouble, Part II - More conservative voices calling for the ouster of Trent Lott. (via Instapundit)...
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Winter. Sorta - It's freezing

Winter. Sorta - It's freezing out. Thank God. I've had this theory since I was a kid: People are best adapted to, and prefer, the weather they were first exposed to. Example: I was born in the middle of winter....
Posted by Mitch on December 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

War Comes to Stanley -

War Comes to Stanley - Again - This front-page above-the-fold story from Saturday's Strib about how Pearl Harbor and 9/11 came together in Stanley, North Dakota was strangely affecting to me. If you've never lived in an isolated little prairie...
Posted by Mitch on December 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ground Rules Triple - I"ll

Ground Rules Triple - I"ll admit it - I'm not the biggest sports nut. Yeah, I used to produce the MN North Stars in the eighties, and I was a stringer for WGN Radio's "Sports Round Table" (the original "Da...
Posted by Mitch on December 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Armey

Yesterday, Dick Armey (R Texas) retired from his post as House Majority Leader. I listened to his speech, excerpted here on DrudgeReport. It was truly a stunning speech - I plan on finding the whole text. Here's a part I...
Posted by Mitch on December 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Human Shields - So this

Human Shields - So this Canadian news story starts with this lede:Opposition to a war on Iraq has a long way to go before it rivals the draft-card burnings and demonstrations against the war in Vietnam in the 1960s, but...
Posted by Mitch on December 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wow - So cool it's

Wow - So cool it's scary!...
Posted by Mitch on December 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

What's In A Name- Firearms-Rights

What's In A Name- Firearms-Rights supporters should get a great laugh out of this one. Citizens for a Safer Minnesota has been, for about a decade, the Twin Cities' main anti-gun organization. They've been behind the disinformation that has spearheaded...
Posted by Mitch on December 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Medical Prying - Minnesota is

Medical Prying - Minnesota is doing its darnedest to beat the rest of the country to the goal of socialized medicine. Over the past decade, state mandates have driven the cost of health insurance into the "utterly unaffordable" range, ridden...
Posted by Mitch on December 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Concealed Carry Reform - As

Concealed Carry Reform - As we slouch toward our next legislative session, many questions remain to be answered. One question that seems less and less in doubt is this: By the end of this session, Minnesota will join 34 other...
Posted by Mitch on December 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Have a Theory -

I Have a Theory - So in the past few weeks, liberals have been yakking about the influence of the conservative media (Fox, talkradio and the mostly-conservative blogosphere), and a few have been asking "where and how can we get...
Posted by Mitch on December 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kopfschmerze - The German government,

Kopfschmerze - The German government, under Social Democrat Helmut Schöder, just can't win. It barely squeaked back into power in last fall's elections, it ticked off the Social Democrat base by sending troops (their elite HSK commandos) to Afghanistan, and...
Posted by Mitch on December 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Light Day - I had

Light Day - I had the same headachey crud yesterday and this morning that's laid half the office low this week. And it's been a crunch week at work, with a zillion deadlines. So I'll be catching up this evening,...
Posted by Mitch on December 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Glorious Lucre - Hey, thanks

Glorious Lucre - Hey, thanks to those of you who contributed the first dollars to my tip jar! I truly appreciate it! Hopefully the DFL won't come after it too soon......
Posted by Mitch on December 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deficit - The Strib

Deficit - The Strib notes something the DFL can't seem to - this is as big an opportunity for the GOP as it is a risk."If a $3 billion deficit was an opportunity to reform, a $4.5 billion deficit...
Posted by Mitch on December 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

If We Make Politics Criminal,

If We Make Politics Criminal, Only Criminals... - DJ Tice writes about the growing "criminalization" of many simple poliical activities.Consider the case of St. Paul's Greg Copeland ...Copeland stands indicted by a Ramsey County Grand Jury for a gross misdemeanor....
Posted by Mitch on December 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

European Naivete - Peter Ross

European Naivete - Peter Ross Range, editor of the Democratic Leadership Council's "Blueprint", has this very interesting take on the perception gap in foreign policy between us and the Germans.The lack of nuance in the German perception of U.S. policies...
Posted by Mitch on December 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Late One - Work

Another Late One - Work is eating my brain today - but I'll put some stuff up this evening....
Posted by Mitch on December 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Spin Alert A group of

Spin Alert A group of Houston citizens, sick of their neighborhood being ignored by the police, have armed themselves and taken to the streets - or, as the Houston Chronicle says, "HoustonChronicle.com - Weapon-toting neighbors declare war on local thugs"....
Posted by Mitch on December 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Datecrime - I'm going to

Datecrime - I'm going to take you to a place that few want to go - a place where a strong stomach is as priceless your Mastercard. That's right. My personal life. Do what you need to protect the children,...
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Due to Gun Control -

Due to Gun Control - According to the UK's Daily Telegraph, the UKhas the worst crime rate in the indusrialized world. But wait - don't the gun control advocates still cite the UK as an example of all the good...
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Aaaagh! - Work has reared

Aaaagh! - Work has reared its head today. I'll blog more tonight/tomorrow....
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Problem Solved - All the

Problem Solved - All the world's problems, solved right here. You're welcome....
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Homeless - The left usually

Homeless - The left usually portrays homelessness as a byproduct of capitalism. William Tucker shows how it's really a result of shackling the free market with government interference - and its unintended consequences.In "New Homeless and Old" (1989), Charles Hoch...
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

On the One Hand... -

On the One Hand... - People, especially in New York and northern New Jersey, are pretty touchy about terrorism. On the other hand, some people need to relax just a tad....
Posted by Mitch on December 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More Hate - Several emails

More Hate - Several emails about yesterday's piece on the climate of hatred that led to this, among other things: Let's start here - a correspondent writes: It seems like you could develop the notion of progressive politics as a...
Posted by Mitch on December 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Purchase for Peace - One

Purchase for Peace - One of the loony left's latest conceits is sniping at business. A group of leftist symbolactivists staged a "nationwide" "Buy Nothing Day" yesterday, in which protesters wandered through stores with anti-commerce, anti-war and anti-Bush messages pinned...
Posted by Mitch on November 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hate Crime - Someone did

Hate Crime - Someone did this to a Norm Coleman billboard in St. Paul yesterday: Any guesses? We've been talking about how desperately some - many - Democrats seem to hate Republicans in this space, many times. I was on...
Posted by Mitch on November 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Democrat Hate - The site

Democrat Hate - The site Democrats.com is front and center with every wacko-left conspiracy theory. In the immediate aftermath of the Wellstone plane crash, they were printing conspiracy theories practically before the bodies were cold. More? Notice this little bon...
Posted by Mitch on November 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hate Crime The Star Tribune

Hate Crime The Star Tribune is reporting that the vandalism of a Coleman billboard is being investigated as a hate crime. It's about time. I've seen Coleman signs defaced and destroyed in many different ways - our tolerant local DFL-sympathizers...
Posted by Mitch on November 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"Useful Idiots" - Anthony Woodlief

"Useful Idiots" - Anthony Woodlief 's theory - that NPR harbors a secret conservative conspiracy to discredit liberalism....
Posted by Mitch on November 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Our National Day - Andrew

Our National Day - Andrew Sullivan has a point - perhaps more than Fourth of July, Thanksgiving is the real American national holiday. I've read this article before - it's six years old, from the Sunday Times of London -...
Posted by Mitch on November 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nuge on Thanksgiving - I'm

Nuge on Thanksgiving - I'm a guitar player and first-generation punk rocker who is also a conservative. I've often bemoaned the fact that if you're right of center, the only rock and roll musicians who seem to share your points...
Posted by Mitch on November 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fox in the Chicken Coop

Fox in the Chicken Coop - When I heard that Henry Kissinger was going to be heading up the investigation into the government's 9/11 screwups, my heart took a little dive. Ugh. Christopher Hitchens has a great take on this....
Posted by Mitch on November 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Thanksgiving Prayer - Michelle Malkin

Thanksgiving Prayer - Michelle Malkin offers this. It's long, and it's wonderful, and it's all worth a read. Here's the part I liked enough to copy right away...For "All men are created equal," for "Tear down this wall," for "Ask...
Posted by Mitch on November 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Affordable Job Shortage The Pioneer

Affordable Job Shortage The Pioneer Press' DJ Tice of the Pioneer Press does the unthinkable - applies empirical reasoning - to the "affordable housing debate: Ron Feldman, an analyst with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, released a paper on...
Posted by Mitch on November 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Farce?According to this article, UN

Farce?According to this article, UN weapons inspectors stonewalled the media on observing the first round of inspections today. The only media contact came after the UN team had left, according to NPR news, when the Iraqis let the gaggle of...
Posted by Mitch on November 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Things I'm Thankful For -

Things I'm Thankful For - There's quite a list, really. My kids, "Bun" and SamMy family, who've been behind me my whole lifeGod - there's no atheist alive who can convince me he's not watching out for me, and them....
Posted by Mitch on November 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Make Rules, Not Love or

Make Rules, Not Love or War - aka Why the Left Lost - Part MMMCMLVII. As we noted in an earlier post, Greens share more with the Puritans of the 1600's than just religious zeal. They share...well, Puritanism itself! Carrie...
Posted by Mitch on November 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dump the Donkey? - Steve

Dump the Donkey? - Steve Perry is the editor of the Minneapolis City Pages, a sort of cut-rate Village Voice that combines some very thorough (if robustly biased) advocacy journalism with the sort of invincible left-wing slant that makes Molly...
Posted by Mitch on November 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Work is interfering with blogging, damn the luck. Expect a blogalanche after lunch....
Posted by Mitch on November 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

To the Manor Born? -

To the Manor Born? - Eugene Volokh - son of a Russian immigrant - tackles Paul Krugman's attack on second-generation Republicans - and wonders why second-generation Democrats like Nancy Pelosi, Al Gore, Andrew Cuomo, Jesse Jackson, Jr., Kathleen Kennedy Townsend,...
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Keillor, MPR News and the

Keillor, MPR News and the Republicans - A few weeks ago, rumor (local and otherwise, via Smart Genes) had it that Garrison Keillor's anti-Coleman rants had chilled relations between the MPR newsroom and the Norm Coleman and Tim Pawlenty camps....
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bowling for Moore - Instapundit

Bowling for Moore - Instapundit has this piece of fact-checking from Forbes.com on some of the, er, "issues" in "Bowling for Columbine"....
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Need Photoshop - So

I Need Photoshop - So I can do this sort of thing....
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Can't Make It Up Fast

Can't Make It Up Fast Enough - Read this one a few times. It is apparently not a joke. And, the more I read it, the more I like it. I believe I'm going to contribute. I'm just wondering what...
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Exit - There's a small

Exit - There's a small undercurrent of paranoid lefties that thinks it's time to get out of the US - that there's someplace out there free from the ravages of John Ashcroft. This article in the San Antonio Current -...
Posted by Mitch on November 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Clinton on Civil Liberties -

Clinton on Civil Liberties - The "Talkleft" blog has a fascinating look at the erosion of civil liberties... ...during the Clinton Administration::Laura Murphy concludes that "both Clinton and Dole are indicative of how far tbe American people have slipped away...
Posted by Mitch on November 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Pack, not a Herd

A Pack, not a Herd - Glenn Reynolds - aka the Instapundit - writes this excellent column on what Americans can do to be more prepared for - and less worried about - terrorism. I will say up front, though,...
Posted by Mitch on November 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gift of the Hatch -

Gift of the Hatch - Mike Hatch says, according to the Strib, that Hatch money from his office to Pawlenty has no strings attached. Which means, of course, that there are strings attachedHatch happens to be one of the last...
Posted by Mitch on November 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blogger, Heal Thyself Already

Blogger, Heal Thyself Already - Blogger - the site I use to publish this blog - is having all sorts of problems today. If things are running a bit slow, I'll catch up later......
Posted by Mitch on November 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"No Compromise with the Electorate"

"No Compromise with the Electorate" - That quote - by a British Labour Party functionary - kinda examplifies what so much of the Democratic Party is feeling these days. If only the electorate were smarter... George Will, on what Nancy...
Posted by Mitch on November 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Like Butta. On Nails.- Barbra

Like Butta. On Nails.- Barbra Streisand's website, as Rachel Lucas points out, is a rich, reliable vein of material. The current edition of her "Statements" page doesn't disappoint. There's this bon mot:The Democratic Party was not able to articulate a...
Posted by Mitch on November 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Survival

According to the International Herald Tribune, the UK is going to start advising Britons on how to survive chemical or biological attack. They could do worse than this - a piece from a retired Army master sergeant. The guy's...
Posted by Mitch on November 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

So Now What? - John

So Now What? - John O'Sullivan points out something that's been nagging at me ever since about 6AM the morning after the election: American politics is a wasteland littered with the bones of parties that won "historic” midterm elections and...
Posted by Mitch on November 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ratzen Fratzen

So I had this huge post about what the GOP needs to do... ...and Blogger won't handle it! So I'll do it when I get home....
Posted by Mitch on November 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Crunch Day

Big meetings coming up this afternoon, so I'll be a little light on the blogging for a bit here. Tonight or tomorrow - what the GOP needs to do now. Wake the kids......
Posted by Mitch on November 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Public or Private? - In

Public or Private? - In yesterday's lutefisking of Keillor, I said that Keillor had had plenty of public financing to get to where he's at. An NPR personality (who shall remain nameless) sent me some facets to NPR's funding that...
Posted by Mitch on November 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It Never Existed, Winston -

It Never Existed, Winston - Michael Moore was predicting last Tuesday would be a Dem sweep. Now, it seems he's removed any reference to that prediction from his website. Blogger Rachel Lucas, however, has the goods. And the page....
Posted by Mitch on November 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bigots of Brixton- The London

Bigots of Brixton- The London Police now has a "hate crimes unit", which is criss-crossing the city arresting people; "one for rape but most have been arrested on suspicion of making racist threats and of homophobic harassment." Worse yet? They're...
Posted by Mitch on November 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Speaking of Predictions- William Safire

Speaking of Predictions- William Safire predicts that Condoleeza Rice (who by that time will be governor of California) will defeat Hillary! Clinton for the presidency in 2008. I've been predicting - OK, maybe the better word is "hoping" - for...
Posted by Mitch on November 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Other Party Found Me

The Other Party Found Me - Last night, I attended a party put on by a bunch of participants in the Minnesota Politics mailing list, at Lendway's on University in Saint Paul. The occasion? On the list, a number of...
Posted by Mitch on November 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Party Finds You- I

The Party Finds You- I got this email this morning:Ridiculous .. how you belittle the Dems on economy, when clearly they handled it so much better under Clinton.If you consider "aloft in an irrationally-exuberant bubble" to be "much better", yes,...
Posted by Mitch on November 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Numbers - The PiPress' Laura

Numbers - The PiPress' Laura Billings writes this editorial about how her generation - the so-called "Generation X" - missed its chance to put its imprint on commercial society. Comme ci, comme ca, - if nothing else, it proves that...
Posted by Mitch on November 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Outmaneuvering - It looks like

Outmaneuvering - It looks like the Homeland Security Bill - originally a Dem creation, which Bush has rechristened under his own imprimatur - may pass as early as this week. David Frum's Diary on National Review Online talks about how...
Posted by Mitch on November 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

MNGOP - The Minnesota GOP

MNGOP - The Minnesota GOP made the greatest gains of any Republican party natinwide, according to this Strib articlel They note something that I'd begun to wonder about in 1998 - the bromide that high turnout benefits the DFL. The...
Posted by Mitch on November 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Growing Pains - I just

Growing Pains - I just got an email from a local columnist who I, to be fair, insulted last week (ironically, while voicing a very rare agreement with one of his columns). The email was sent with an expectation of...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Conservative Women - the National

Conservative Women - the National Review's Stephen Moore's list of winners and losers from last week's elections includes this bit:Winners: GOP Women — You won't hear this from the press, but it was the year of the conservative woman, as...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shades of '79 - Unravelling,

Shades of '79 - Unravelling, Part II - More on the ongoing unravelling of the Iranian theocracy, by Michael Ledeen. On the one hand looms the terrible regime which, fearing that it may be brought down by the kind of...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pelosi - Last week, we

Pelosi - Last week, we discussed Glenn Reynolds' notion that the GOP should investigate corruption in Hollywood, especially the very dubious accounting used in artists' contracts, accounting practices crooked enough to make an Enron exec blanche with horror.. Today, Army...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unravelling? - Students in Teheran

Unravelling? - Students in Teheran are demanding the release of a university professor sentenced to death for apostasy. According to this NY Times story (free registration required):In a statement, protesters declared that the death sentence against Mr. Aghajari was an...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pursuit of Peace - The

Pursuit of Peace - The next time someone says we Americans need to genuflect to Europe on matters of domestic and diplomatic policy, show them this story.A 35-year-old man from Merseyside is in hospital with head injuries after a smoke...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bill? It's Us! Earth! -

Bill? It's Us! Earth! - George Bush, as Jason Lewis said, is a master at campaigning from the middle and governing from the right. But I suggest that, on top of his ability to triangulate on the campaign trail, he's...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Just What I Needed -

Just What I Needed - So here I am, feeling half-past dead, an then this story has to come out. Speaking of which - I'm a little under the weather today. Maybe a lot under the weather. So it may...
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Twist - Thomas Bray makes

Twist - Thomas Bray makes the case for Republican Triumphalism. There's certainly a fine line between overreaching as in 1994, and being to bashful with the mandateThe elections made clear that Mr. Bush now has the trust of the electorate....
Posted by Mitch on November 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Thirteen Days - The

The Thirteen Days - The Strib outdid itself with this superb report, from the points of view of all the principals, of the period between the Wellstone Crash and the election. Seriously worth a read. I'll be commenting on it...
Posted by Mitch on November 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Dumb One, Part XIX

The Dumb One, Part XIX - Compare this article by Andrew Sullivan to Dinesh D'Souza's observation that Ronald Reagan preferred to let his opponents consider him a dolt. Both seem to realize that not only does it disarm those who...
Posted by Mitch on November 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Endgame?David Ignatius of the Washington

Endgame?David Ignatius of the Washington Post has an excellent post on the Iraqi leadership's preparations for the endgame. A faction within Hussein's government is said to be urging him to comply with the U.N. resolution. Give up the weapons, they...
Posted by Mitch on November 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Animus - A few weeks

Animus - A few weeks ago, I wrote about my observation - that while hatred between liberals and conservatives is a two-way street, that hatred is part of the lunatic fringe in the GOP, and more a part of the...
Posted by Mitch on November 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

POW Flap - A few

POW Flap - A few days ago, Art Bell released clandestine photos of Taliban/Al-Quaeda POWs being transported under heavy restraints in the back of a C-130 transport. The Washington Post comments on the Pentagon's response. I wasn't originally going to...
Posted by Mitch on November 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

R E S P E

R E S P E C T - President Bush can't get much from his domestic enemies. But some people overseas are getting the picture. (Courtesy Powerline)...
Posted by Mitch on November 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

And So It Begins -

And So It Begins - Maybe - According to the Jerusalem-based DEBKA defense news website, US, British, Iranian, Turkish and Jordanian Special Forces are already in combat not only in Northern Iraq, but in the southeast, attempting to set up...
Posted by Mitch on November 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Power Line! - Local (mostly)

Power Line! - Local (mostly) blog Power Line does some great commentary on regional and national events. They just came to my attention today, and they're worth putting on your Upper-Midwest regional blog list. And they were kind enough to...
Posted by Mitch on November 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shot in the Dark -

Shot in the Dark - Now with Archives! - After nine months, I finally figured out how to make Blogger archives work! Going back through them (for the first time in months), it's fun to see how this site has...
Posted by Mitch on November 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

This Just In...Bin Laden Not Dead Yet

Interpol majordomo Ronald Noble says rumors of Bin Laden's demise are greatly exaggeraged."Osama bin Laden is alive," he said. "Despite intensive searches, we have not managed to locate him. But until someone can prove to me the contrary, I consider...
Posted by Mitch on November 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Drugs for Missiles, part II

Drugs for Missiles, part II - Courtesy Powerline, this story is from the Strib....
Posted by Mitch on November 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Man with Better Memory

A Man with Better Memory than I - Every once in a blue moon (as in, every four years or so) someone happens along who remembers my stint at KSTP-AM, in my misspent youth (1985-1987), as Don Vogel's producer and...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Welcome! - To all of

Welcome! - To all of you visiting from Instapundit - thanks for stopping by! Drop me a line. Pelosi - Ultraliberal from San Francisco replaces Dick Gephardt....
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Oldie but a Goodie -

Oldie but a Goodie - If you think it's The Onion, but it's not... "Safehouse Beautiful" is a satire of the Twin Cities' Soliah cult. It's been around for a while, and it's still a classic....
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Want Info about Soliah? -

Want Info about Soliah? - This guy seems to have it all....
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More on Keillor - Lordy,

More on Keillor - Lordy, I hope this sticks to the old stuffed shirt. Agendabender comments on the story, especially Keillor's sly hint at Coleman's family situation:Garrison K is indulging in a rhetorical device that even the lowest gossips disdain...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The St. Paul Terrorist -

The St. Paul Terrorist - A bad week for St.Paul terrorists. Kathleen Soliah just copped a plea for the 1975 murder of Myrna Opsahl during a Symbionese Liberation Army bank robbery. Note that the Strib's story doesn't actually name the...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Harbinger of Boom - Austin

Harbinger of Boom - Austin Bay on the Predator unmanned aircraft attack in Yemen that killed six Al-Quaeda operatives, including the planner of the Cole atrocity - and more importantly, the attacks wider ramifications:Sophisticated technology, like the Predator, is part...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Reindeer Armies Go Home

The Reindeer Armies Go Home - Daniel Henninger on last Tuesday, and how the Blue States of 2000 may have been a fluke, for now The McAuliffe-Clinton Democrats (if you raise the money, you get the title) now resemble the...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Are the Inspections Credible? -

Are the Inspections Credible? - Gertz reports UN chief inspector Hanx Blix is gundecking a report that Iraq has nearly 2,000 gallons of Anthrax, and that the inspection may not be credible.The disclosure that Unmovic has not reported the intelligence...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More Diagnosis - Peggy Noonan

More Diagnosis - Peggy Noonan reinforces what Doug Grow and Nick Coleman have been saying locally; the Democrats are beholden to a base that is not only out of step with America, it's out of step with the Democrat leadership.The...
Posted by Mitch on November 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Big Downside - I've been

Big Downside - I've been saying for years - the GOP needs to start learning how to reach out to ethnic minorities. There is no reason that inner city afro-americans (concerned about education), asians (with their small business interests) or...
Posted by Mitch on November 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Advice - This advice to

Advice - This advice to the national Democratic Party from Dinesh D'Souza seems even more appropriate for the MN DFL....
Posted by Mitch on November 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Democrat Fatcats - Glenn Reynolds

Democrat Fatcats - Glenn Reynolds - who, in the blogger world is known as Instapundit - has found both a glaring irony and a wonderful opportunity for Bush and his new majority. For all the Dems' caterwauling about Republicans and...
Posted by Mitch on November 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More Downside - Jonah Goldberg

More Downside - Jonah Goldberg on what Bush needs to do:So now Bush has room for some long passes. He has a Republican House and Senate which know — or should know — that they owe their power to him....
Posted by Mitch on November 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Downside - Even if you're

Downside - Even if you're a Republican, it's not all good news....
Posted by Mitch on November 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Not Stupid, Stupid - The

Not Stupid, Stupid - The continuing trope that Bush is an idiot just keeps on going, and going......
Posted by Mitch on November 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's the Guns? Stupid? -

It's the Guns? Stupid? - Kathleen Kennedy Townsend lost in Maryland - a huge upset. Some pundits - including Glenn Reynolds - were shocked. Yet a letter to Instapundit puts it nicely (and I hope I can quote it...):You voiced...
Posted by Mitch on November 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Booyah - Wow. We did

Booyah - Wow. We did it. Nah. "We", the GOP, didn't do it. We put out a message The voters did it. Why? The polls a week ago were actually looking just a tad dicey for us - promising in...
Posted by Mitch on November 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fallout - The Euro press

Fallout - The Euro press reacts to the "Bush referendum". I liked this, from the far-left French La Liberation:"The big loser of these elections, apart from the democrats, is none other than Saddam Hussein...An election setback for Bush would have...
Posted by Mitch on November 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Breakdown - I think we

Breakdown - I think we should arrange for VNS to break down every year. It was the least-obnoxious election in recent memory, just in terms of the coverage. The waiting was actually just a tad refreshing....
Posted by Mitch on November 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Straight Time - I still

Straight Time - I still haven't voted - but for me, there's no suspense. Just a little amazement. Because while I'm a thoroughgoing conservative with portfolio (and audition tape), I have never in my life voted a straight party ticket....
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

James on Fritz - Lileks,

James on Fritz - Lileks, as usual, spins the line that captures the idea perfectly - in this case, MondaleBefore he entered the race he was regarded by most Minnesotans as That Old Guy Who Lost That Thing. He had...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Huh? - Did Joe Conason

Huh? - Did Joe Conason see the same debate I did? Or that Peggy Noonan did?...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Seeing The Elephant - I

Seeing The Elephant - I always like Marc Racicot, former governor of Montana and now RNC chairman. He released this today in response to Terry Macauliffe's continuing cynical shenanigans: "Because of the Democrats' exhausting inability to address issues of urgency...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Getting Personal - A Green

Getting Personal - A Green party acquaintance of mine forwarded this to me. From: The Executive Committee Against Uppity Citizens Subject: Please don't vote. Dear friend, On behalf of Shell, Mobil, and Exxon; Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, and GE; all the Enrons,...
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Numbers - Drudge is showing

Numbers - Drudge is showing Coleman ahead as of 3PM. Three points. I'd have to imagine those are metro precincts, but I could very well be wrong....
Posted by Mitch on November 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gored - Walter Mondale's problem

Gored - Walter Mondale's problem in the debate? While he showed he still had some life in him - quite a bit - he also showed the same misplaced aggression and condescension that cost Algore the debates in 2000. Peggy...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sub-par Minds Think Alike -

Sub-par Minds Think Alike - Babs Streisand has bought into Ted Rall's conspiracy theory about the death of Paul Wellstone. It was no accident, says The Star. This, via Andrew Sullivan, who quite aptly entitles his post "Moronic Convergence". The...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Simpsons on Gun Control -

Simpsons on Gun Control - I haven't seen the Simpsons in years - and it's one of few shows where I regret saying that. But last night's show apparently touched on gun control and self-defense, according to Instapundit. And it...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Barkley - On the one

Barkley - On the one hand, the Barkley appointment is archtypical Ventura grandstanding - after spending days talking about appointing a non-partisan, "typical" Minnesotan, a la Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, he appoints one of the Indy Party's two most...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Impact - Elections have long-term

Impact - Elections have long-term impacts that are often way out of proportion to their near-term ones. The Grundseth scandal in 1990, for example, affected Minnesota politics in a way far beyond merely whose butt sat in the Governor's chair...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rushdie Judgement - Salman Rushdie

Rushdie Judgement - Salman Rushdie on the case for invading Iraq, via the CounterRevolutionary blog.What's more, it's a case that ought to appeal not just to militaristic Bushie-Blairite hawks but also to lily-livered bleeding-heart liberals; a case, moreover, that ought...
Posted by Mitch on November 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grrrr, Part IV - The

Grrrr, Part IV - The gall of this man. It's gotten to the point where, when I see Bill Clinton, I think "Al Sharpton". The same cynical exploitation, the same garrulous grandstanding, the same tenuous relationship with the truth. After...
Posted by Mitch on November 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Temptation - I'm sorely tempted

Temptation - I'm sorely tempted to make this blog a poll-free zone. The insane gyrations of the polls this last few days have to make you wonder - are the voters really as flaky as a bunch of glue-sniffing lemurs,...
Posted by Mitch on November 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Just Plain Depressing - The

Just Plain Depressing - The current Zogby poll shows Americans, while still approving of the job the President is doing, believe some just-plain stupid things:Latest Zogby America Poll results also show that Democrats are now judged the party best suited...
Posted by Mitch on November 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

TGIF - I'm having an

TGIF - I'm having an incredibly brutal day today. I'll post more stuff over the weekend, when the dust dies down a bit....
Posted by Mitch on November 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Heel - The DFL Fiesta

Heel - The DFL Fiesta Tuesday night was planned at the DNC in Washington. It was about as inadvertent as the Super Bowl. And they know it. Capitol Hill Blue breaks the story.While Kahn's firey rhetoric, and walkouts by Minnesota...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Why I Love America -

Why I Love America - Reason MMCLVM - Think this sort of thing ever happens in Sweden or Japan?...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

On the Ropes? - Al

On the Ropes? - Al Quaeda's in the midst of a power struggle, caused by the death of its leader, Bin Laden. That's James Robbins' theory, anyway. And it's an interesting one.Another symptom of system breakdown is the inability to...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unbelieveable - This is a

Unbelieveable - This is a new Gray Davis campaign poster. This was brought to my attention by my friend Brian in Atlanta, who writes:Heh. Guess they know their constituency all too well. (Yes, I know, Martin Sheen is a hero...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Can't Make It Up Fast

Can't Make It Up Fast Enough - Years ago, there was a rash of airplane hijackings by Islamist terrorists who threatened to kill themselves and their captives if their demands weren't met. I sprang into action and hatched a plan...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fritz and Me, Part 1

Fritz and Me, Part 1 - This post is going to appear in two parts - apparently Blogger.com can't handle posts this big: I can understand, and empathize, with the reasons the DFL loves Walter Mondale. He's Minnesota's LBJ -...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fritz and Me, Part II

Fritz and Me, Part II - In other words, it was the golden age of the DFL. The party of measured decay, the party whose prescription is long-term palliative care for a society gone terminal. The hospice party. The party...
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whoah - Greetings to any

Whoah - Greetings to any of you coming over from Instapundit. Glenn Reynolds linked to this site yesterday, and my hit count jumped by, literally, an order of magnitude. Feel free to drop me a line, and come back soon....
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fritzstock - Howard Kurtz has

Fritzstock - Howard Kurtz has the best wrapup of the "Memorial" fiasco that I've seen yet, including a wide range of opinion on the subject from the punditry, left and right. Worth a long read....
Posted by Mitch on October 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

For Whom the Bell Polls

For Whom the Bell Polls - A Star-Tribune Poll released yesterday showed a major shift in the gubernatorial and senate races. First, the great news for Tim Pawlenty - he's up by four points. Yes, this is the same poll...
Posted by Mitch on October 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cry Conspiracy, Again! - The

Cry Conspiracy, Again! - The National Review's Andrew Breitbart answers the left's new wave of conspiracy wackoes....
Posted by Mitch on October 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kudos - to Governor Ventura,

Kudos - to Governor Ventura, for walking out of last night's festivities...er, "memorial" for Wellstone. This may be the first thing he's done in his administration that I can honestly say I respect....
Posted by Mitch on October 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Feeling Sick - Last night's

Feeling Sick - Last night's "memorial" for Wellstone went far beyond being a partisan canonization of a political figure for purely political gain; way beyond being a four-hour commercial for the DFL. It was a lot scarier than that. If...
Posted by Mitch on October 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Volunteers? Form A Line to

Volunteers? Form A Line to the Right - Any takers?...
Posted by Mitch on October 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Culture War - A

The Culture War - A bit of background, here. Last year, Michael Bellesiles, a history professor at Emory University, published a book, Arming America, which purported to show (among other things) how the so-called "gun culture" is not a product...
Posted by Mitch on October 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Vanishing European - For

The Vanishing European - For the past decade, Japan has suffered an economic downturn that has been terribly exacerbated by the very structure of their economy. Europeans, especially Germans, thought they were above it all - engrossed in reunification and...
Posted by Mitch on October 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

T-Shirt Fodder - This was

T-Shirt Fodder - This was seen (via an Italian newspaper) on the side of a US plane on the USS Abraham Lincoln. I want it silkscreened!...
Posted by Mitch on October 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unbelieveable - This poster, via

Unbelieveable - This poster, via Samizdata, is a production...no, not of the Chinese secret police, or of some utopian cult... ...but of the Metro London Police Department....
Posted by Mitch on October 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Something About Harry - Andrew

Something About Harry - Andrew Sullivan on Harry Belafonte's corrosive bigotry.Again, the simple test here is the following: If a conservative had used these expressions, would it have been denounced by liberals? The answer, obviously, is yes. Imagine if George...
Posted by Mitch on October 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Conspiracy - Didn't it used

Conspiracy - Didn't it used to be the conservatives who were tagged with the conspiracy-theory-nut label? I do believe so. Yet in this past week, we've been treated to the following: Wellstone signs (before the crash) were being vandalized -...
Posted by Mitch on October 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

RIP Wellstone - The state-wide

RIP Wellstone - The state-wide mourning continues - sometimes segueing into outright caterwauling. His passing is marked by mourning on the part of his followers that seams more appropriate to a cult leader - I mean, a cult of personality...
Posted by Mitch on October 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fatwa Rules - As Instapundit

Fatwa Rules - As Instapundit notes, the media's definition of "Terrorist", as far as the DC sniper case is concerned, is specious. Bin Laden's fatwa specifically calls, not only for action by terrorist groups, but also by individual Moslems. Instapundit...
Posted by Mitch on October 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Siege Ends - Russian commandos

Siege Ends - Russian commandos stormed the theatre in Moscow, ending a three-day siege where Chechen terrorists had held 800 Russians hostage. 67 hostages died, along with all 34 Chechens. Around 750 hostages - 90% - were saved. This quote...
Posted by Mitch on October 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wellstone - Dead at 58

Wellstone - Dead at 58 in a plane crash. For those of you who follow these things; this is interesting. Since 1990, in Minnesota, the rule has been that parties can replace candidates on the ballot, at least four days...
Posted by Mitch on October 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Selective Coverage - Earlier this

Selective Coverage - Earlier this year, a gunman at a Virginia law school, apparently intent on mass-murder, was stopped by three students - two of them armed with legally-owned handguns. Yet the media's ignored it completely....
Posted by Mitch on October 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Problem with Socialists -

The Problem with Socialists - Interesting to notice that the Democratic Socialists of America have removed the web page that stirred up the election fraud furor last week. The part that amazed me is that the left wrote the whole...
Posted by Mitch on October 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ashcroft in Hong Kong -

Ashcroft in Hong Kong - This bit from the Gweilo Diaries sums up a big part of our problem - at least, the diplomatic one.Ashcroft observed that the September 11 terrorists were recruited in Germany, received general training in Afghanistan,...
Posted by Mitch on October 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Have, Eat Cake - The

Have, Eat Cake - The Violence Policy Center has done its damnedest to make all the political hay it could from the sniper incident. Today - with the news that the sniper's rifle was both illegally owned and did not...
Posted by Mitch on October 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ugh - Dog died yesterday.

Ugh - Dog died yesterday. Probably cancer. Chaos ensued. Yet another way I can't be confused with Lileks. Will have more later today, though....
Posted by Mitch on October 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Enigma wrapped in a Jumble

Enigma wrapped in a Jumble swathed in a Tarot Card- As far as I'm concerned, the theory that the DC sniper is a terrorist may be taking a big hit. Would anyone that's this big a grandstander be an actual...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Generic TV Product - After

Generic TV Product - After five months without, we finally have a TV in my house. This is what we have to look forward to, it seems - more cookie-cutter David Kelley productions. Yeesh, and I thought Steven Bochco's formula...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Transformation - What Janis Ian

Transformation - What Janis Ian lacked as a songwriter (she was the queen of pre-Oprah pseudo-feminist bathos in the seventies) she more than makes up for as a pundit. This is a great piece from USA Today on the file...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Desperation? - Maybe it's just

Desperation? - Maybe it's just the proximity of the election - but is it just me, or are Democrats diving into the gutter head-first, looking for anything to toss at the GOP? On the Minnesota Politics mailing list, Democrats are...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blah - I'm battling one

Blah - I'm battling one of those rotten, pre-flu headaches today. This blog's been running light the last few days, and I say I'm feeling ill not to beg off writing more so much as because I've noticed that the...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Child Abuse - Jennifer Roback,

Child Abuse - Jennifer Roback, on the abuse and exploitation inherent in the support of the leftist sacrament of abortion.The abortion lobby seems to think even a very young girl is entitled to abort without any adult influence. But honestly,...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Economics of War - We

Economics of War - We can afford this war, says Laurence Kudlow. He's talking economics, of course. In terms of human cost, hopefully it'll be no different. My son is nine. I'm praying every night that this madness (from without)...
Posted by Mitch on October 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Story Spreads - For

The Story Spreads - For most of the last eight years, suggesting Arab involvement in the Oklahoma City bombing has been enough to get you consigned to the Art Bell set - at least, according to the left and the...
Posted by Mitch on October 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Curb My Enthusiasm - The

Curb My Enthusiasm - The Democrats could come in third for the gubernatorial race, behind GOP and Independence candidates... ...In New York!...
Posted by Mitch on October 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Brits - Not that smart,

Brits - Not that smart, but not too dumb either....
Posted by Mitch on October 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

They Say Thurmond is Senile?

They Say Thurmond is Senile? - In today's George Will column: During the House debate on authorizing the use of force against Iraq, Rep. Pete Stark, a paleo-liberal from northern California, cried, "Rich kids will not pay; their daddies will...
Posted by Mitch on October 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gefuffles - More server trouble

Gefuffles - More server trouble left the site off the air for most of the past week. I'm looking for different hosting. OK - let's see if we can pick up where we left off......
Posted by Mitch on October 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sister Doin' It For Herself

Sister Doin' It For Herself - A Pittsburgh woman with a concealed pistol permit ended the career of a serial rapist yesterday. As the Instapundit asks - why isn't this getting all sorts of media attention? The eminently sensible Eugene...
Posted by Mitch on October 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bali - Ralph Peters on

Bali - Ralph Peters on why the Bali attack was a sign of terrorist desperation:The good news is that the terrorists have bitten the hand that tolerated them, even if it didn't quite feed them. Insecure and wary, President Megawati...
Posted by Mitch on October 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sniper Update - This appeared,

Sniper Update - This appeared, on Page 22 of this story about the sniper:Authorities in Baltimore, meanwhile, seized a white van and found an assault rifle, sniper manual and ammunition similar to the .223 bullets used in attacks that have...
Posted by Mitch on October 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sniper Update - This appeared,

Sniper Update - This appeared, on Page 22 of this story about the sniper:Authorities in Baltimore, meanwhile, seized a white van and found an assault rifle, sniper manual and ammunition similar to the .223 bullets used in attacks that have...
Posted by Mitch on October 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Settled - The Pawlenty campaign

Settled - The Pawlenty campaign has reached a settlement with the Campaign Finance Board....
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gun Patrol - According to

Gun Patrol - According to John Lott, gun control is again on the defensive....
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wichita vs. Press vs. Oprah-

Wichita vs. Press vs. Oprah- I've been following the Wichita murder case, where two Afro-American brothers are charged with the killings of five people. Since the beginning of this case, there have been questions: Why is it not being treated...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bali - The official death

Bali - The official death toll is hovering around 180, with many missing. Most of the dead and missing so far are Australians (14 confirmed but nearly 200 still missing), with many other nationalities thrown in as well. The nightclub...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Definition: Limo Liberal - Mary

Definition: Limo Liberal - Mary McGrory's column in the WashPost spells out the Sheen-iest of reasons to avoid war: it spoils vacations....
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cops and the Mentally Ill

Cops and the Mentally Ill - Advocates for the mentally ill are up in arms over the killings, over the past decade, of several mentally-ill people in the Twin Cities. Advocates managed to get the Minneapolis Police Department to set...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Peace in Hussein's Good Time

Peace in Hussein's Good Time - All of the scenarios that could avert a US invasion of Iraq depend on Iraq opening up for unfettered inspections. The left is fooled, of course - too many of them seem willing to...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Polling - According to Zogby,

Polling - According to Zogby, the Gubernatorial race shapes up like this: Pawlenty: 30% Penny: 27% Moe: 25%So - perhaps Pawlenty will survive, maybe even benefit from, last week's kangaroo-court lynching. Zogby also shows Jeb Bush leading Bill McBride by...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

No, Really! - Al-Jazeera is

No, Really! - Al-Jazeera is quoting a press release purportedly from Bin Laden, in which the allegedly-still-alive terrorist leader sends kudos to the terrorists who blew up the Bali disco, suicide-bombed the French tanker Limburg, and shot the Marine in...
Posted by Mitch on October 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Predictions - I hate to

Predictions - I hate to predict things. It'd the pastime of mediocre minds, plus I'm rarely any good at it. But I'm going to take a shot at predicting the Second Gulf War. Enabled by a UN resolution which is...
Posted by Mitch on October 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Iraq Taq - Americans are

Iraq Taq - Americans are responding to Bush's appeal on Iraq. So, it seems, are the French. So let's go over this: The Democrats claim that we mustn't molest Hussein without:Multilateral support - the UK, Kuwait, Italy, Spain, and now...
Posted by Mitch on October 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Peace Prize - Jimmy Carter

Peace Prize - Jimmy Carter just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Jay Nordlinger wrote a piece last May in the National Review about the extent to which Carter cuddled up to foreign dictators. Even when he was in office -...
Posted by Mitch on October 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gripping Radio - Driving in

Gripping Radio - Driving in to work this morning, I listened to NPR's edge-of-the-seat coverage of... ...Senator Byrd's filibuster. Note to my Democrat friends - anyone who jokes about Strom Thurmond's advancing senility will be forced to listen to this....
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Wichita Non-Hate Murders -

The Wichita Non-Hate Murders - Notes on the testimony of the single survivor of a rape-murder binge in Wichita that left four dead. As reported in this space earlier, this crime has all the hallmarks of a hate crime -...
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Freedom, Part CMXXIV - Yesterday

Freedom, Part CMXXIV - Yesterday in this space (see "Why We Fight", below), we saw what joke freedom of the press has become in France. Now, Natalie Solent shows that the UK isn't far behind. A Brit was accused by...
Posted by Mitch on October 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Theory Confirmed - I always

Theory Confirmed - I always rued the passing of the notion of "self-respect" - the sense of knowing and being able to live with oneself and one's actions - and its replacement by the idea of "self-esteem", the notion that...
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

 Why We Fight - One

 Why We Fight - One of the things for which our flag stands, and for which generations of Americans have fought and died, is freedom. Freedom to live, pursue happiness, protect ourselves from the ravages of man and governmet, to...
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Matt vs. Babs - I

Matt vs. Babs - I love this bit here... ...and this one, too....
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I'll Know When I See

I'll Know When I See It - My mom's an artist. She used to run a little city art gallery in the middle of North Dakota. Every now and then, in between displays of art from the town's elementary school...
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Vanishing Legacy - First,

The Vanishing Legacy - First, it was the Middle East peace that wasn't. Then, the Clinton bubble burst. Now, the capstone of Clinton's foreign policy "legacy" - the Mitchell accord on Northern Ireland - is circling the drain....
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Does this make me Wierd?

Does this make me Wierd? - I can't stop laughing at this, from the main page of today's Onion:ARLINGTON, VA—The U.S. Defense Department apologized to Skokie, IL, dentist Ira Nussbaum Tuesday following a bombing campaign aimed at removing the 37-year-old...
Posted by Mitch on October 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sharpton: The Right Loser for

Sharpton: The Right Loser for Black America - Rod Dreher on Al Sharpton, his new book, and his candidacy for President....
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Liberal Opprobium Watch - Dave

Liberal Opprobium Watch - Dave Konig, on the trials of being a Republican in a sea of liberals. He's in show-biz in New York. Say no more. Except that it can't be much worse than being a Republican in Saint...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

None Dare Call It Terrorism

None Dare Call It Terrorism - The Maryland Sniper murders apparently continue - and J.J. Johnson wonders why it's not being called terrorism?since nothing - absolutely nothing since September 11, 2001 will be called terrorism. Not the American Airlines flight...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ooops - Smells like a

Ooops - Smells like a hoax, but it sure is funny......
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Play MST-y For Me -

Play MST-y For Me - A very clever attack on a very mendacious assault on the President, by a California "psychiatrist", done in the form of a "Mystery Science Theater" segment. Sometimes I wish I were a lot more clever...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Follow the Flipping Penny -

Follow the Flipping Penny - This site is a Republican production, but it does a fine job of catelogueing Tim Penny's endless...well, waffling. It's a big job....
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Speech - James Robbins

The Speech - James Robbins has this opinion. The anti-war left will not be convinced. Having seen the responses to 9/11, I doubt even a nuclear attack would do the job....
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Freeh as a Bird -

Freeh as a Bird - Last summer, asking "what did Bush know?" was all the rage among the nattering classes. Now that the man who knows what Clinton knew is on the stand...where is the major media?...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Times, They Are A-Slanting

The Times, They Are A-Slanting - According to Dick Morris, the NY Times polls that purport to show slipping public support for invading Iraq are worse than slanted - they're dishonest:But take a close look at the poll: The phrasing...
Posted by Mitch on October 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Time Travel? - London's liberal

Time Travel? - London's liberal The Independant covers Bush's speech tonight. In the past tense. The speech hasn't happened yet....
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hateful - Conservative opponents of

Hateful - Conservative opponents of hate crime laws have long claimed that such laws would be far from color-blind - that they'd serve politically-correct aims. This seems to be confirmed by the case behind an upcoming trial in Wichita. Reginald...
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Who's a Republican? - About

Who's a Republican? - About twenty years ago, I was a committed far-left Democrat who was just starting to fray a bit about the edges. I was reading things that were challenging a lot of the assumptions I'd grown up...
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Slippery Slope - Gun

The Slippery Slope - Gun rights advocates talk about the slippery slope. Liberals deny it exists (unless one criticizes Mapplethorpe). Legal scholars - like Eugene Volokh, and David Kopel and Hamline's Joe Olson - refute this....
Posted by Mitch on October 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Caldicott was Right? - In

Caldicott was Right? - In the '80's, feminist anti-war hysteric Helen Caldicott said that computer games were training the next generation of techno-warriors to man anti-ballistic missile systems. This article - by Wagner Au, in Salon - confirms her thesis....
Posted by Mitch on October 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Women and Guns - Rachel

Women and Guns - Rachel Jurado is angry....
Posted by Mitch on October 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deja Vu - Zell Miller,

Deja Vu - Zell Miller, on the similarities between 1972 and today, at least for Democrats. The world threat at that time was communism, not terrorism, and this highly ambitious group of senators was sailing the ship and tacking hard...
Posted by Mitch on October 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gored - Spinsanity, on the

Gored - Spinsanity, on the lies in Algore's most recent speeches. I should start tracking this for later. In case there's a later for Algore....
Posted by Mitch on October 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Good German - Thomas

A Good German - Thomas von der Osten-Sacken is a leading German expert on Iraq. This article - in Ha'aretz - both criticizes our mistakes in dealing with Iraq in the eighties and during the first Gulf War:"American policy in...
Posted by Mitch on October 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wellstone's Remarks - Wellstone declined

Wellstone's Remarks - Wellstone declined to support action against Iraq, absent complete approval from the UN. I love Lileks' screed on the subject. Here's the best part:The opponents of military force always make the best argument for Saddam’s removal. They...
Posted by Mitch on October 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shootings - Five are dead

Shootings - Five are dead in shootings in the Maryland suburbs of DC. Interesting to note that while this part of Maryland is very close to Virginia, the shootings appear confined to Maryland. I'm sure it's unrelated, but Virginia has...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rice Doctrine - For all

Rice Doctrine - For all the prattle from the left - and the media, which is largely illiterate about things more then two new cycles in the future or past - Bush's foreign policy has been incredibly consistent, says the...
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Dumb Guy - Yesterday's

The Dumb Guy - Yesterday's resolution was a political maneuver worthy of Slick Willie. When will the Dems figure out "Dubya" isn't the idiot they...no, wait. Best that they continue with their delusion....
Posted by Mitch on October 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Balbra Steisanb - "The Star"

Balbra Steisanb - "The Star" seems to need an errata page. This is the "news" page from her website. Odd, isn't it? When the President makes a slipup, it's because he's an idiot (according to Streisand et al), but when...
Posted by Mitch on October 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fraud - As if the

Fraud - As if the war wasn't causing enough trouble for Democrats, Bill Luther's campaign has other problems. For those who haven't been following the situation, longtime DFL activist Sam Garst filed to run for Congress in the Second District,...
Posted by Mitch on October 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unintended Consequences - The moral

Unintended Consequences - The moral laxity of the Clinton years and the moral relativism of the Sixties have combined, since the weekend, to make war more, not less, likely. Robert Torricelli's abdication in New Jersey threatens to erase at one...
Posted by Mitch on October 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wellstone's Veterans - The Vietnam

Wellstone's Veterans - The Vietnam Veterans of America, which has endorsed Paul Wellstone, today condemned a Coleman ad which criticized Wellstone's voting record on defense issues."For Norm Coleman to come out and say that Senator Wellstone is unpatriotic is just...
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

One Stop Retort Shop -

One Stop Retort Shop - Jonah Goldberg does us all the public service of summarizing the retorts to most of the most well-worn anti-invasion tropes....
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Money War - Tom

The Money War - Tom Holsinger on a surreal idea - buying victory in Iraq. It's really not that surreal. Governments have been buying the support of factions within enemy governments and nations as long as there've been conquerors. It's...
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Clout - The most exclusive

Clout - The most exclusive club in New York City? Easy - people who can get concealed carry handgun permits. And as is often the case in areas with strict gun control laws, it's the celebrities and goverment apparatchiks who...
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Amazing - Lots to talk

Amazing - Lots to talk about - the elections, Alec Baldwin, and of course last night's Springsteen concert. I'll hit all that later this morning....
Posted by Mitch on October 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Furball - So on the

Furball - So on the one hand, local Republicans are crying "foul" over Alec Baldwin being in town to raise money for Paul Wellstone. He's engaged in anti-Republican hate speech, say Republicans. Democrats respond "But, it was all a joke!"....
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

I Don't Like Mondays... -

I Don't Like Mondays... - I'm in the midst of getting a big software design release packed up and off to our programmers in a third world country. Canada in this case. Very, very buried. But I'll make up for...
Posted by Mitch on September 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

WhoNeedsSpaces?-IneedtoruntoBestBuytogetanewkeyboard.Ican'tseemtofixmyspacekey.

WhoNeedsSpaces?-IneedtoruntoBestBuytogetanewkeyboard.Ican'tseemtofixmyspacekey....
Posted by Mitch on September 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Why Iraq? - People ask

Why Iraq? - People ask many questions about the apparently-looming invasion of Iraq. Perhaps the best one is "why Iraq at all?" There are many states in the region that are tied to terrorism. Syria, Iran and North Korea all...
Posted by Mitch on September 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Zogby + Ooops- Ugh, I

Zogby + Ooops- Ugh, I was wrong before - the new Zogby Poll of 500 Minnesotans shows Norm Coleman leading Paul Wellstone 47-41, with a plus/minus 4% margin of error. Must make sure brain is connected before typing... Zogby is...
Posted by Mitch on September 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

All About Saddam, Part IV

All About Saddam, Part IV - The British Government has released its official dossier on Saddam Hussein and his weapons of mass destruction. The part that Senator Wellstone should read? Paragraph 6 (scroll down):As a result of the intelligence we...
Posted by Mitch on September 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (5)

Unrelated? - Two stories that

Unrelated? - Two stories that seem at first blush to be unrelated - but maybe aren't. Cathy Young writes about the decline of feminism after 9/11 in Reason. The money quote: Maybe the real gender-related message to be gleaned from...
Posted by Mitch on September 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

From the Left - Kenneth

From the Left - Kenneth M. Pollack was Director for Gulf Affairs on Clinton's National Security Council. And he supports the invasion....
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Film at Eleven - Al-Jazeera

Film at Eleven - Al-Jazeera is beefing up the staff at its New York Bureau. Do they know something we don't?...
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Iranians - Iran's theocratic

The Iranians - Iran's theocratic dictatorship has funded much of the terrorism in the Middle East; they're behind Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, among others. The country's in immense flux - the people apparently are massively discontented with the rule...
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Best and Brightest - Amid

Best and Brightest - Amid anti-semitic incidents breaking out on our campuses, Harvard's president is nervous about what he sees....
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Comeback! - US census data

Comeback! - US census data shows that St. Paul rebounded in a big way in the 1990s. Thanks to changing demographics — including an influx of foreign-born residents, a growth in the educated population and a sharp rise in median...
Posted by Mitch on September 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Future? - This is

The Future? - This is a great article about San Francisco. Sounds a little like Minneapolis, doesn't it?...
Posted by Mitch on September 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Friedman - I listened to

Friedman - I listened to the New York Times' Thomas Friedman on MPR today, in a speech he gave at Temple Israel in Minneapolis last night. Friedman was pretty much as he comes across in the Times - a slightly-less-insane...
Posted by Mitch on September 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Czech, Please - Vaclav Havel

Czech, Please - Vaclav Havel is, after Tony Blair (and along with the Poles) our greatest ally in Europe....
Posted by Mitch on September 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Who'll Guard the Guards? -

Who'll Guard the Guards? - Hussein's elite "Republican Guards" are being kept out of Baghdad. The Guards - the hard core of the Iraqi Army, and Hussein's Praetorian Guard, are apparently of dubious loyalty, and might even turn against Hussein...
Posted by Mitch on September 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Your Government, "Protecting" You -

Your Government, "Protecting" You - Air Marshals run wild and begin acting like...well, Minneapolis cops. Read the story, and tell me what makes these people any different from East German cops....
Posted by Mitch on September 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

New Voting Machine - for

New Voting Machine - for Floridians....
Posted by Mitch on September 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

They'd Be the Experts -

They'd Be the Experts - German Justice Minister Herta Däubler-Gmelin (pronounced Doy-bler Gmay-lin) compared the President to Hitler. (translation is mine, as are any errors):Federal Justice Ministar Herta Däubler-Gmelin (SocialDemocrat) spoke directly about her explanation of US Iraq policy before...
Posted by Mitch on September 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gored - Some Floridians don't

Gored - Some Floridians don't like Algore. No, I'm talking about his supporters."How can a guy who ran for president and other offices be such a lousy people person?" wondered one Palm Beach County Democratic operative. "This is a guy...
Posted by Mitch on September 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rock. The Vote - John

Rock. The Vote - John Fund on why voter-turnout efforts lead to all sorts of problems....
Posted by Mitch on September 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

You say Uni, I say

You say Uni, I say Multi - One of the most irritating facets of the current debate is the insistence by some on the left that acting unilaterally is totally incompatible with acting multilaterally with regard to Iraq. Sullivan spells...
Posted by Mitch on September 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Meet the New Look, Same

Meet the New Look, Same as the Old Look - but I finally put the links to other blogs and media sites where I want them. Not exactly radical surgery, but hopefully it'll work for a while! Our Ongoing "Quagmire"...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Way of Empire - SciFi

Way of Empire - SciFi writer Jerry Pournelle, on how a genuine empire would handle the Iraq situation. Pournelle shares a lot of Heinlein's grandiloquence and wonkery, without the fascist overtones. He's always an interesting read....
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cracks - The always-tempestuous relationship

Cracks - The always-tempestuous relationship between Black and Jewish Democrats took another big hit during this past primary season, with Jewish PACs lining up to unseat Georgia's Cynthia McKinney and Alabama's Earl Hilliard for their support of Palestinian causes. "People...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Conditional - Virginia Postrel on

Conditional - Virginia Postrel on the Iraqi idea of "unconditional inspections." As the Japanese and the would-be Confederate States can testify, the U.S. government traditionally takes the idea of "unconditional" a bit more literally than the United Nations seems to....
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Boing - The President's job

Boing - The President's job approval rating is back up to 70%, according to Gallup. It seems the public approves of both the presentation to the UN and taking out the Iraq's WMDs and leader.the latest poll results also show...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Scratch One Scare - Remember

Scratch One Scare - Remember that ozone hole in the Antarctic that was going to eventually leave the whole earth open to UV radiation and give us all skin cancer? The one Woody Harrelson and Ted Danson and the enviromentalist...
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Ritter - Today's Lileks column

Ritter - Today's Lileks column in Newhouse is side-splittingly... ...scary....
Posted by Mitch on September 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

The Connection - Again -

The Connection - Again - The Sydney Morning Herald runs a connection between Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein....
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paranoia = Advanced Awareness -

Paranoia = Advanced Awareness - The NRA urges Americans to be on the watch for a "slippery slope" when it comes to gun rights; give up a little now, stand to lose it all later. "Paranoid Nonsense", we're told. Not...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another One - Vaclav Havel

Another One - Vaclav Havel is tentatively endorsing pre-emptive action against Hussein. So is Havel a right-wing tool, too?...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

RIP Bin Laden? - The

RIP Bin Laden? - The London Daily Mirror is carrying an Arab (United Arab Emirates) report that Bin Laden was killed on December 10 by an American cave-buster bomb during the intensive raids on Tora Bora. The Mirror quotes the...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Genuine - Peggy Noonan on

Genuine - Peggy Noonan on the difference between Bush and Clinton. I love this partDid you see him with the families of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, and then with the mourners in New York, at Ground Zero? He was a...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Jackbooted Liberalism - The New

Jackbooted Liberalism - The New York Times' Nick Kristoff is all for the First Amendment... ...for reporters. It's the rest of us he worries about. His op-ed today is about the various samizdat "cookbooks" for exotic weapons that are all...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Things My Parents Never Had

Things My Parents Never Had To Deal With - Last night, my kids dash up to me, as excited as Christmas morning. "Daddy! We can get thoroughbred fillies for just $800 apiece! On Horsetrader.com! Can we get two?"...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (6)

Rock is Dead, They Say

Rock is Dead, They Say - I'm going to start this with an invocation. "Lord - I'm starting this at 5AM. I hope it makes sense by the time I'm done". So it's 13 days until the Springsteen concert. So...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Winning the Peace - We

Winning the Peace - We won the war in Afghanistan with frightening speed. James Phillips adds to the recent worries about our ability to win the peace. Huh? - Doug Bando on Algore's selective amnesia. Like many on both sides...
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Leadership - Sullivan nails it;

Leadership - Sullivan nails it; Brit public opinion is swinging toward intervention. As Sullivan puts it: This is called leadership. Bush and Blair have done this. Without them, it would not have happened....
Posted by Mitch on September 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gulp - The Ukraine may

Gulp - The Ukraine may have lost 200 nukes....
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Somebody Call Ken Pentel -

Somebody Call Ken Pentel - The peace movement's newest incarnation. So look at the site, and then let me ask you - are the pictures at the top, especially the vic of attack choppers, supposed to be illustrations, or perhaps...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Technical Difficulties - The site

Technical Difficulties - The site I use for publishing this blog, www.blogger.com, is having difficulties. I'll try to catch things up this evening....
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Duh - Andrew Sullivan on

Duh - Andrew Sullivan on the Iraqi flim-flam. Da Bears! - Need I say more? Oh, maybe I do. I grew up in North Dakota, where Vikings fans are even worse than they are here in Minnesota. But I've been...
Posted by Mitch on September 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Penny-Foolish - Tim Penny has,

Penny-Foolish - Tim Penny has, in the past, voted both for and against the rights of gun owners. In 1998, Jesse Ventura's platform was foursquare in support of concealed carry reform. He did not deliver while in office, of course....
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

First Shots - As noted

First Shots - As noted in this space last week, a U of Hawaii research team found the wreckage of a Japanese midget submarine sunk by the USS Ward . As I noted, the gun that sank the sub was...
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Iraqi Bomb - According

The Iraqi Bomb - According to the London Times, Iraq will have the bomb shortly....
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Thank You, Jebus - Algore

Thank You, Jebus - Algore tells top aides he'll seek the Democrat nomination. Please, Dems, please, please nominate this hamster again....
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Link? - Tony Blair released

Link? - Tony Blair released a link between Al-Quaeda and Saddam Hussein....
Posted by Mitch on September 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Definition of Injustice -

The Definition of Injustice - Here it is:Warren Zevon has inoperable lung cancer.In the meantime, Hunter S. Thompson just keeps on ticking.Not that I want Thompson dead, don't get me wrong. I was listening to Jason Lewis yesterday, bemoaning that...
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Despondence - the New Republic

Despondence - the New Republic is depressed about the way the Democrats are acting. The money quote - no, one of several in this piece - is one I've been harping on in this space:The Democrats rationalize their efforts to...
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

The Longest Day - Robert

The Longest Day - Robert George on what 9/11/01 - and 9/11/02 - and 9/12/02 - all mean in the long term....
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bush at the UN -

Bush at the UN - A great compendium of reactions, courtesy of the National Review. Best line, from Edward Feulner: President Bush did more today than make a case for removing Saddam Hussein from power. He made a case for...
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Lunatic to the North

The Lunatic to the North - Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien has been lashing out at America. The Toronto Sun reacts. I love this part:Why on earth would Prime Minister Jean Chretien blame America for terrorist attacks on not only...
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

False Alarms - three wierd

False Alarms - three wierd incidents in the past three days:The freighter off the Jersey Shore yesterday turned out to be a false alarm. The three Middle Eastern guys who were caught shaving themselves in the bathroom of a NWA...
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Style, meet Substance - Liz

Style, meet Substance - Liz Smith in Sunday's New York Post's "Style" column, whined that the Bush Administration has been just murder on the Washington party scene. Good heavens - the "Bushies" as she calls them don't socialize much! No...
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bush at the UN -

Bush at the UN - What a performance. I liked the way Lileks put it: It’s of a piece with the administration’s behavior since 9/11: Let all the carpers and obstructionists gather on the tip of the thinnest branch, then...
Posted by Mitch on September 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Could Have Been Worse -

Could Have Been Worse - Tom Shales, on yesterday's wall-to-wall TV coverage....
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Radioactive Ship - US Special

Radioactive Ship - US Special Operations forces and a NEST team are searching a container ship off the New Jersey coast. Scanning apparently indicated an abnormal level of radioactivity on board the ship. Reports differ on whether the ship is...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wellstone Funds Slur Site -

Wellstone Funds Slur Site - Paul Wellstone has spent $3,000+ in advertising on a site that essentially slurs Republicans. First, his campaign is 2/3 out-of-state "soft money". Now, his railing about civil campaigning turns out to be a bunch of...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Khofi Annan's Message - I

Khofi Annan's Message - I listened to the first ten minutes of his speech at the UN this morning. The gist of the nub: We must act multilaterally, because...multilateralism is required. Unintentional hilarity - Annan ascribed the liberation of Kuwait...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The President - He steered,thank

The President - He steered,thank God, clear of pathos and went for the Churchillian lip-stiffener This nation has defeated tyrants and liberated death camps, raised this lamp of liberty to every captive land. We have no intention of ignoring or...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Favorite 9/12 Article So

My Favorite 9/12 Article So Far - although the day is three hours old... Lileks, of course, is great.By “drop your hankies” I mean ball it in your fist and squeeze it dry. I love that line. Of course, the...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

On Anger - I wrote

On Anger - I wrote about my continuing, unrequited anger yesterday. Andrew Sullivan writes about the anger we all share, today:It occurs to me that my somewhat insistent view that we need to fight back against the roots of this...
Posted by Mitch on September 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Have Mercy - The Pope

Have Mercy - The Pope prayed for mercy for those responsible for the 9/11 attacks. But - and this is important - he asked for something more:"We also want to interrogate the consciences of those who planned and carried out...
Posted by Mitch on September 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

The Death of -ism -

The Death of -ism - George Will on one of the more justifiable casualties from a year ago.The money quote?Sometimes gunpowder does smell good because civilization -- especially the highest, ours -- is not inevitable. So we fight....
Posted by Mitch on September 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wilding - As we approach

Wilding - As we approach the date of the signature crime (and act of war) of most of our lifetimes, it's worth looking back at a crime that defined the Bonfire of the Vanities era of the late eighties; the...
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Tomorrow - I have written

Tomorrow - I have written - and am still writing - a rather long involved post on 9/11, one year later. I realize this does not make me unique. I hope it works, in any case. Mmmmmm - Chicken, swiss...
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Blair - A story that's

Blair - A story that's gone largely unreported in the major media is Tony Blair's courageous break with the British political elite and much of the mainstream over Iraq....
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ridder Redux - George Dawson

Ridder Redux - George Dawson wrote this post on the Minnesota Politics/National listserv earlier today:The Wisconsin Project has numerous documents relevant to this issue, including Mr. Ritter's 1998 testimony before the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees. In that...
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tale of Two Spins -

Tale of Two Spins - Carla Passino on how two different papers spin identicial information on Hussein's nuclear capability, in two completely different ways....
Posted by Mitch on September 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tuesday - I may not

Tuesday - I may not post nearly as much tomorrow. I'll be getting the 9/11 edition of this blog ready....
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Birth of a Hawk -

Birth of a Hawk - James Cramer was a soft-core liberal - no Paul Wellstone, but certainly no Jack Kemp - until 9/11. He changed his mind....
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's the War, Stupid -

It's the War, Stupid - Jonah Goldberg on why the war is about politics - and why it should be....
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

Penny-Foolish - One of the

Penny-Foolish - One of the few things that ever attracted me to Independence-party neo-liberal Tim Penny was his rather broad (for a DFLer) worldview on many issues - to the point where he even worked for a while with the...
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

The Patriotic Left - I

The Patriotic Left - I always knew that there was such thing as a patriotic left - my parents lionized JFK and FDR, neither of whom could be mistaken for Berkeley grad students, and living in St. Paul, one meets...
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Panic

What 9/11 told us about Americans. At our best, we're a pack, not a herd.

Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Scott Ritter - "Scott Ritter

Scott Ritter - "Scott Ritter says the Iraqis have no weapons of mass destruction". That's the standard retort from most "peace" activists when the spectre of Iraqi nuclear weapons is broached. Scott Ritter - former weapons inspector who was ushered...
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (4)

Barry - Dave Barry is

Barry - Dave Barry is a very funny guy. He can also write, maybe once every couple years, some stunning things. This is his memorial to the passengers and crew of Flight 93. And What They Did... - According to...
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

In Contrast - London will

In Contrast - London will host a gathering of fundamentalist Islamofascists on Wednesday, celebrating September 11. Which isn't the big news - you'll find plenty of Americans, in Berkley, Madison and Dinkytown celebrating the date as well. Here's the money...
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More Reasons - why Hussein

More Reasons - why Hussein must go....
Posted by Mitch on September 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

La La Land - In

La La Land - In Madison - a place that battles Minneapolis for the title "Berkeley on the Prairie" - there's a great congressional race shaping up. A black conservative former firefighter is trying to get through the primary to...
Posted by Mitch on September 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hussein, Summarized - The standard

Hussein, Summarized - The standard bleat from the left is that "we don't have any evidence" that Hussein has Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs). I guess it figures that this summary doesn't come from any American paper. This is from...
Posted by Mitch on September 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Drivel Policy Institute - The

Drivel Policy Institute - The Violence Policy Center continues its descent into hilarious irrelevance with it's annual "Alexander Hamilton Second Amendment Student Writing Competition". Students (graduate and law,mostly) are to write "the best article, essay, or law review note critically...
Posted by Mitch on September 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

At Least They Remembered There's

At Least They Remembered There's a War On - Congress resolved not only to mourn - but to prosecute the war, in a special session in New York....
Posted by Mitch on September 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hussein's War on the US

Hussein's War on the US - Honestly, I'm never quite sure when to suspend my disbelief. Jason Lewis was all over a story last night which has been making the rounds of the conservative samizdat media (talkradio and the Internet)...
Posted by Mitch on September 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Much Ado about a 'Do

Much Ado about a 'Do - Hillary! Clinton's new hairdo - "in the style of Susan B. Anthony"... ...makes her look like Barney Fife....
Posted by Mitch on September 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bloggers Blogging about...Blogging - Andrew

Bloggers Blogging about...Blogging - Andrew Sullivan goes among the unbelievers....
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Outflanking to the Middle -

Outflanking to the Middle - the President today pledged to consult Congress before invading Iraq. Here's the part I love: Tom "Very Concerned" Daschle said:``We're hoping for more information and greater clarity in the days and weeks ahead,'' said Daschle,...
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Here at Home - While

Here at Home - While the rumors of war and the fallout from last year's attacks have been dominating this space, there is plenty of local news. In the next installment - disarray in the MN GOP's campaigns....
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Life is Rich - Regarding

Life is Rich - Regarding the New York Times' anti-war movement, check out this quote from Frank Rich, which seems to equate low public opinion polls with the likelihood of military success:"Like politicians' assertions that terrorism at home can be...
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Profile in Courage - Tony

Profile in Courage - Tony Blair bucks his own party's anti-American bigotry to support the potential invasion of Iraq. Ministry of Truth - while the New York Times, in trying to discredit Bush, demands we take action on Saudi Arabia......
Posted by Mitch on September 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cry Screed...- I'm working on

Cry Screed...- I'm working on my 9/11 edition of this blog. It could be one of my best screeds, or it could be a mawkish mess. Either way, it'll be on this site, a week from Wednesday....
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Let Slip the Dogs of

Let Slip the Dogs of Inaction - Victor Davis Hanson on the wisdom - and price - of playing it very safe - as well as on how the proponents of inaction keep recycling the same arguments. Death with No...
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fundamental Inability to Communicate -

Fundamental Inability to Communicate - We share the same planet with Europe. But little else. They think we're to blame for 9/11...
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Where's Waldo? - Some senior

Where's Waldo? - Some senior leaders within Joint Special Operations Command - the little-known fifth arm of service, gathering all special forces units on the same level as the Army, Navy or Air Force - contend that Bin Laden was...
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"No Evidence..." - the standard

"No Evidence..." - the standard bleat of those who don't want to pre-emptively attack Iraq is that "we have no evidence" Hussein has weapons of mass destruction. But apparently he does, and we do......
Posted by Mitch on September 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sign O The Times -

Sign O The Times - More on the decline of the New York Times into a slanted liberal broadsheet, courtesy Andrew Sullivan....
Posted by Mitch on September 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sig File Fodder - This

Sig File Fodder - This is from an old James Lileks screed, and it's wonderful on its own: Discontent: the sign of a Serious Person. If you’re Deep and Real and Concerned with the way things are, you’re pissed off....
Posted by Mitch on August 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Casus Belli - George Will

Casus Belli - George Will on the case for war and the need for Congress to be on board. While I'm with most conservatives on War Powers, I think that Will makes the point as well as anyone. Here's the...
Posted by Mitch on August 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Talkin' Baseball- There's a chance

Talkin' Baseball- There's a chance baseball's owners and players can avoid mutual suicide. Any bets?...
Posted by Mitch on August 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pearl Harbor - the Local

Pearl Harbor - the Local Connection- A U of Hawaii research team has apparently found the Japanese submarine long reputed to have been sunk by the American destroyer USS Aaron Ward, early on the morning of December 7, 1941. The...
Posted by Mitch on August 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Back in the Saddle? -

Back in the Saddle? - Al Quada is apparently again capable of conducting offensive operations against the US....
Posted by Mitch on August 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ask The Person who Is

Ask The Person who Is One - Camille Paglia on the moral and intellectual decline of the Left....
Posted by Mitch on August 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Saddam Bomb - Word

The Saddam Bomb - Word from the London Times - the "Times" that is actually up-front about its biases - about Hussein's nuke program. Apparently, they have all the expertise they need - they just lack fissile material. And those...
Posted by Mitch on August 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bush and Churchill - Donald

Bush and Churchill - Donald Rumsfeld is comparing Bush to Churchill, in re the upcoming war....
Posted by Mitch on August 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kudo! - Among the big

Kudo! - Among the big winners at the state fair Children's Art contest was 9 year old sculpture prodigy Zam Berg. We're related, yes. Why do you ask? OK. I'm proud of him!...
Posted by Mitch on August 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Why, oh Why? - I've

Why, oh Why? - I've been pondering the great immutable questions of life lately:Why does Katherine Lanpher have a big job at MPR? She's perhaps the most unlistenable talk show host since Jim Klobuchar. She handles calls badly (endless spaces...
Posted by Mitch on August 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Springsteen vs. Toby Keith -

Springsteen vs. Toby Keith - Two musical looks at September 11, according to Stanley Kurtz. This is a great article....
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tree-Huggers with Teeth- Jerry Taylor

Tree-Huggers with Teeth- Jerry Taylor reports from the Earth Summit on why the west is not the enemy of the Earth....
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Isn't the Real Problem, here...

Isn't the Real Problem, here... - that you're irrelevant? Phil Donahue hits the lowest Nielsen number possible - a .1. Lower even than CNN Headline News....
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Life is What Happens... -

Life is What Happens... - when you have no time to blog. Sick kids, crazy job - agh. Well, I'll try to get up to speed again today. Yes, yes - assuming that what I regularly do has "speed"....
Posted by Mitch on August 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Clearing the Air - MPR's

Clearing the Air - MPR's insufferable Katherine Lanpher devoted an hour to the Earth Summit - the great environmental Kangaroo Court - this morning. In the one-hour chat with "sustainable development" talking head Tom Tietenberg, one theme that kept popping...
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Case for War, Part IV

Case for War, Part IV - Cheney makes the case for a "pre-emptive strike"....
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Oldie but Goodie - The

Oldie but Goodie - The Wall Street Journal reruns a 1945 WSJ editorial about the liberal record of appeasing dictators. In light of the New York Times' ongoing campaign to sabotage the effort to depose Hussein, it seems all the...
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fair Weather Philanthropy? - Ted

Fair Weather Philanthropy? - Ted Turner has reneged on his pledge of a billion dollars to the UN, due to the stock market plunge....
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Live Long, and Poll Well

Live Long, and Poll Well - Trekkie nerds are no doubt going gaga over the entry of Kate Mulgrew's husband into the Ohio Gubernatorial race, with all the attendant appearances by other fossilized Star Trek casters. For those who care,...
Posted by Mitch on August 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

First to Fight - for

First to Fight - for diversity... - Ann Coulter has a theory - while liberalism is endemically hostile to the military, the left has no problem deploying troops all over the world... ...as long as there's no crucial US interest...
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Protection - A lawsuit by

Protection - A lawsuit by families of the September 11 terror attack victims alledge that the Saudi government has paid hundreds of millions of dollars to Al Queda....
Posted by Mitch on August 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Chasing the Greased Pig -

Chasing the Greased Pig - According to the Secretary of Defense, Al Quaeda has relocated... ...to Iraq....
Posted by Mitch on August 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pre-Emptive War - George Will

Pre-Emptive War - George Will on the debate over a pre-emptive attack on Iraq....
Posted by Mitch on August 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Meat Head - A correspondent

Meat Head - A correspondent referred me to this article, about the nearly-insufferable ultraliberal Rob Reiner - who along with Martin Sheen and Susan Sarandon is perhaps the very definition of Limousine Liberal - and his devotion to... ...well, meatheaded...
Posted by Mitch on August 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Doug Grow, PR Flack -

Doug Grow, PR Flack - Doug Grow continues to provide ammunition for opponents of campaign finance reform, using his Strib column as an unpaid promotonal vehicle for Paul Wellstone. Grow's column serves as the "point man" for Paul Wellstone's claims...
Posted by Mitch on August 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fighting the Next War -

Fighting the Next War - Bill Gertz, on how the military is a avoiding the classic military blunder - fighting the last war. Y'know - the one the media keeps doing (thinking Vietnam during the Gulf War, comparing the Gulf...
Posted by Mitch on August 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unbelieveable,Part III - Nobody home

Unbelieveable,Part III - Nobody home at my kids' school. Will update as warranted....
Posted by Mitch on August 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Family Feud - What's behind

Family Feud - What's behind the Gore/Lieberman squabble....
Posted by Mitch on August 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Let Slip the Dogs of

Let Slip the Dogs of Gaming - Recent Wargames showed the US capable of wnning a war against an unnamed Persian Gulf power... ....but the "enemy" commander quit, complaining that the games were rigged....
Posted by Mitch on August 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Unbelieveable, Part II - A

Unbelieveable, Part II - A number of teachers say they plan on ignoring the NEA's guidelines for teaching about September 11. How many? Nobody knows. I plan on finding out about my kids' schools today. I'll let you know.....
Posted by Mitch on August 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nastier than Nasty - The

Nastier than Nasty - The Connecticut Democratic Convention opened with an "invocation" that asked for divine intervention against GOP governor Richard Rowland. Wait - isn't it the Republicans who are supposed to have wierd ideas about religion? No?...
Posted by Mitch on August 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Clinton and Enron - The

Clinton and Enron - The media hasn't really touched on Clinton's relationship to Enron, focusing on trying to build a damning one between them and the current administration. Yet the information is out there....
Posted by Mitch on August 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Glib - Susan Sarandon and

Glib - Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins are both very talented - and, in a place where smug sanctimony is the big substitute for religion, they one of Hollywood's most smug, sanctimonious couples. Their play about September 11 is getting...
Posted by Mitch on August 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nearly Every Day She Cried

Nearly Every Day She Cried - Today's the 25th anniversary of the death of Elvis. I shudder to think of the bender Diane, the mom of the bass player from my band in college, is going through today. She was...
Posted by Mitch on August 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Case for War, Part II

Case for War, Part II - Victor Davis Hanson on the case for attacking Iraq, and the one against the pacifists....
Posted by Mitch on August 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Credit where Credit is Due

Credit where Credit is Due - Winston Churchill is one of my heroes. It's hyperbolic to say he saved western civilization - but only a little. And yet, in 1942, with the Japanese advancing into Bengal (Bangladesh) from Burma, Churchill...
Posted by Mitch on August 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Next War -

The Next War - Last year's movies Enemy at the Gates and Black Hawk Down, illustrated the meatgrinder of urban warfare as well as any movies ever made. Some of our militarily-illiterate media have joined the hand-wringing left in...
Posted by Mitch on August 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Live in New York -

Live in New York - Kevin Cherry, on the road with Bruce Springsteen....
Posted by Mitch on August 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Room 101 - While elements

Room 101 - While elements of the left have been baying at the moon about some of Attorney General Ashcroft's more overreaching provisions, who is it that's led the fight to preserve civil liberties in the face of anti-terrorist pressure?...
Posted by Mitch on August 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Heston - The left's glee

Heston - The left's glee at the "ironic" contraction of Alzheimer's by Charleton Heston has been nothing short of disgusting. How many of the left have nudged each others' ribs and asked "Hey - is the state gonna get his...
Posted by Mitch on August 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The "World Court" Flexes -

The "World Court" Flexes - The Euro-Bureaucrats are urging prospective members of the EU not to sign any agreement that would exempt US peacekeepers from the jurisdiction of the new World Criminal Court. This is the same EU that negotiated...
Posted by Mitch on August 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Family Feud - Gore and

Family Feud - Gore and Lieberman - allegedly the front-runners for the Dem nomination in '02 - are mixing it up in public. Not that it makes me that hopeful - at this time 24 years ago, Reagan and Bush...
Posted by Mitch on August 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

World Housecleaning - James Lileks

World Housecleaning - James Lileks on the case for getting rid of Saddam Hussein, followed by the AP with the possibility that Castro could be a short-timer....
Posted by Mitch on August 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Never Mind - Baseball is

Never Mind - Baseball is not striking. Yet....
Posted by Mitch on August 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

On Baseball's Suicide- George Will

On Baseball's Suicide- George Will - who admits his role in the Blue Ribbon Panel on Baseball Economics - neatly sums up the issues leading to a strike that will very possibly kill Major League Baseball as we know it....
Posted by Mitch on August 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What Makes a Republican? -

What Makes a Republican? - As the Minnesota GOP struggles with the notion of what a Republican is, and whether a DFLer in Republican clothing should be called a "Republican", the Strib notes the "turmoil" moving toward primary time. In...
Posted by Mitch on August 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

You Are Thy Neighbor's Watcher

You Are Thy Neighbor's Watcher - The Homeland Security people, despite massive opposition, are going ahead with "Operation TIPS", the "Rat Out Your Neighbor" program. There's nothing I can say about it that this guy doesn't say better. Solipsistic Self-Absorption...
Posted by Mitch on August 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Women and Guns - The

Women and Guns - The governor of Louisiana has urged women to arm themselves against a serial killer currently roaming the state. The media - at least so far - hasn't called for Mike Foster's head on a plate, yet....
Posted by Mitch on August 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Money Changes Everything - Time

Money Changes Everything - Time Magazine on Algore's money woes. Here's the part I wonder about - the story is:Two years before the election about a couple of big donors who, well before the election (see previous) are sitting on...
Posted by Mitch on August 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ticketgate - OK, perhaps that's

Ticketgate - OK, perhaps that's an exaggeration - as may be Lloyd Grove's claim in this article that "Former vice president Al Gore's long and grueling comeback hit a speed bump yesterday -- well, more like an elephant abruptly crossing...
Posted by Mitch on August 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Green - like Camouflage -

Green - like Camouflage - Ed McGaa is such a very strange character. The Green party senatorial candidate is a former marine fighter pilot. In the Green party, this stands out like, say, Ted Nugent in the DFL Feminist caucus....
Posted by Mitch on August 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It's an OJ Thing -

It's an OJ Thing - We're on the brink of a war. We just finished burying the dead from September 11. The economy is reeling - possibly as much from the "cure" (Democrat baying at the moon for regulations) as...
Posted by Mitch on August 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Emily's B-List - When Becky

Emily's B-List - When Becky Lourey lost the DFL nomination to Roger Moe, some of her supporters protested bitterly. It was as if winning the governorship was less important than fielding a woman canidate. Any woman candidate. It's not a...
Posted by Mitch on August 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Words Fail Me - I

Words Fail Me - I don't know what's more depressing - that Woody Harrelson is such an idiot... ...or that the press eats it up so completely. What was the last thing he did, anywahy?...
Posted by Mitch on August 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Life Gets In the Way

Life Gets In the Way - Sorry about no entries yesterday. I've been buried at work, I have some kid trouble, and I'm flirting with the distant possibility of having a date one of these days. I'm sure it won't...
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More Iraq Taq - James

More Iraq Taq - James Lilek's screed on critics of invasion....
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Welcome to Missile Gap -

Welcome to Missile Gap - For decades, now, opponents of Missile Defense have claimed that the whole idea is obsolete even before it's built - because "the main threat is from terrorists who sneak suitcase bombs into the country". Leave...
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Let Slip the Dogs of

Let Slip the Dogs of Prosecution - I've always felt queasy about the way the terrorist attacks on the US have come to be called "Nine Eleven" by pretty much everyone. I've preferred (in conversation as well as in this...
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Price You (Don't) Pay

The Price You (Don't) Pay - Algore didn't want to pony up for the Springsteen concert. Speaking of which - see you on line down at the X Saturday morning at 10AM. (Assuming you're a Bruce fan...)...
Posted by Mitch on August 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Still Lying Through His Teeth

Still Lying Through His Teeth After All These Years - In an interview last week about the roots of the current corporate morality crisis during his adminstration, former President Clinton tried to compare the shenanigans with his supposed inheritance of...
Posted by Mitch on August 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sowing Misery - The fraud

Sowing Misery - The fraud behind the Democrat claims about the economy. They need us to be miserable, to have a chance in the fall elections. But it's the Republicans who are the heartless bastards, doncha know......
Posted by Mitch on August 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hardball - A Pentagon briefing

Hardball - A Pentagon briefing recommends turning Saudi Arabia's dependence on oil revenue back on them, should they reject the US ultimatum on ending support for terrorists. The plan would involve seizing their oil fields. Their military is tiny, and...
Posted by Mitch on August 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Come On Up for the

Come On Up for the Rising - I've posted my review of Springsteen's latest album. I've been marinading my brain in this record for the past six days. It may be his best ever. You be the judge. Media Bias...
Posted by Mitch on August 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Let's Call It "Building Suspense"

Let's Call It "Building Suspense" - Overslept today - gotta get the kids up and get going to work. Later today, though - my review of the new Springsteen album, The Rising, plus the usual stuff....
Posted by Mitch on August 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Friday - Slim pickins today

Friday - Slim pickins today - I'm taking my son to Cub Scout camp for the weekend. It amazes me sometimes - working as I do as a software designer, and having nine computers at home - how rare it...
Posted by Mitch on August 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pacifists for War - Well,

Pacifists for War - Well, not exactly. But this article nicely and realistically sums up the choice a thinking pacifist faces today....
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Opinion Sought - Jesse Ventura

Opinion Sought - Jesse Ventura more or less passed the Independence Party torch to Tim Penny last night. Now, here's now I see it: Tim Pawlenty (Motto: "The Other Tim") is a charismatic enough guy, but he's been mostly a...
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Misuse of Patriotism -

The Misuse of Patriotism - This is not a mushy-left screed, by the way....
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Contradiction - On the one

Contradiction - On the one hand, opponents of concealed-carry reform insist that shall-issue laws will create scenes of enraged vigilante "justice". No examples of legal permit-holders are ever produced, but the spin goes on. And yet episodes like this happen...
Posted by Mitch on August 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Schwoops - Governor Ventura, whose

Schwoops - Governor Ventura, whose animus toward religion is a matter of record... ...screwed up and proclaimed Oct. 13-19 "Christian Heritage Week". Poetic justice? I think I'll send him a velvet Jesus painting that week, just to rub it in....
Posted by Mitch on July 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Child Abduction Watch, Part II

Child Abduction Watch, Part II - A few days ago, we discussed the case of Bonnie Rubinstein, a Connecticut woman who abducted her and her ex-husband's child and fled to Belgium after custody of the boy was awarded to the...
Posted by Mitch on July 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bash Bush Not, Lest Ye

Bash Bush Not, Lest Ye Be Bashed - Jonah Goldberg in a rather even-handed piece on those who are trying to tie the market correction to Bush. The money quote, which I plan on adapting for some of my less-barnburningly-intelligent...
Posted by Mitch on July 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Condit Implodes? - Gary Condit

Condit Implodes? - Gary Condit seems to have gone completely mad. Call for Ron Eibensteiner - By the way, perhaps the more interesting article is the one below the piece on Condit. It's about Robert Evans - former clothing executive-turned-Hollywood...
Posted by Mitch on July 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hah - Larry Miller on

Hah - Larry Miller on the reflexive equivocation of the State Department....
Posted by Mitch on July 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Legal Excuse? - The

A Legal Excuse? - The Iraqi regime is looking for special steel - the kind used to build nukes....
Posted by Mitch on July 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

In Defense of Mediocrity -

In Defense of Mediocrity - Brett Stevens on one of the most overlooked reasons behind America's greatness - the chance we all have to jump between mediocrity and greatness - and, most importantly, the relative irrelevance of external "mediocre" labels....
Posted by Mitch on July 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Media Bias Watch - The

Media Bias Watch - The Jerusalem Post has a story on the lengths to which the New York Times will go to bowdlerlize any criticism of the UN or its other far-left sacred cows....
Posted by Mitch on July 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Carl Rowan Alert - A

Carl Rowan Alert - A band of Malibu limo liberals are sudden converts to the concept of Property Rights. As long as it's their property....
Posted by Mitch on July 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Spin Watch - Watch for

Spin Watch - Watch for the meathead press to start spinning the fact that the Bush campaign raised four times as much as the Gore campaign during the 2000 Florida Recount, and for speech rationing (campaign finance reform) advocates to...
Posted by Mitch on July 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Any Liberal you Want -

Any Liberal you Want - So Long As It's a Guy! - Smugly liberal New Yorker magazine has been caught cutting back the number of female bylines....
Posted by Mitch on July 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

War! (Huh, good God, y'all)

War! (Huh, good God, y'all) - Why Bush Junior is not the same as Bush Senior, and how the leftist press is playing the rumors of war....
Posted by Mitch on July 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Little Victory - One the

Little Victory - One the most sordid of the cockroaches behind the abandoned fridge in America's basement is the so-called "Children of the Underground" - a group based in Georgia that helps women who've lost custody cases to abduct their...
Posted by Mitch on July 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rising - Josh Tyrangiel interviewed

Rising - Josh Tyrangiel interviewed Bruce Springsteen about The Rising, and its links to September 11, in the current Time magazine. I've seen Springsteen twice - nothing compared to the dozens of times some of my friends have seen him....
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Doug Grow - Kingmaker?- Strib

Doug Grow - Kingmaker?- Strib columnist Doug Grow had this to say about the gubernatorial race - especially the Roger Moe stock car: "...in a race that features DFLer Roger Moe, Republican Tim Pawlenty, the Independence Party's Tim Penny and...
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wellstone on Defense, Again- Part

Wellstone on Defense, Again- Part IV - On the Minnesota Politics mailing list, a correspondent recently cited a remark by Paul Wellsone on the website for the Council for a Liveable World. This utopian-leftist organization has endorsed Minnesota's ultra-liberal senator....
Posted by Mitch on July 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Biff Bang Pow - Andrew

Biff Bang Pow - Andrew Sullivan nails the Rubin controversy - or, as it's referred to in the major media, "huh?"...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blahg - I'm going to

Blahg - I'm going to be mighty busy today - lot of work, then going to North Dakota to pick up my kids from my parents'. Hope you all have a great weekend, and I'll see you all on Monday....
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Conservative?-Read thefollowing quote, and tell

Conservative?-Read thefollowing quote, and tell me which gubernatorial candidate it's from: "The state may have to play a bigger role if the federal government doesn't go far enough," he said. Is this remark a quote from:Ken Pentel, Green socialist Roger...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Two Sides of his Mouth

Two Sides of his Mouth - As I pointed out yesterday, former President Clinton is telling people how, had he been president, there'd have been no business scandal (depsite the fact that most of the shenanigans took place on his...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Defame Game - Charles

The Defame Game - Charles Krauthammer pegs that thing between conservatives and liberals. In a nutshell; conservatives think liberals lack a brain, liberals think conservatives are short a heart. It's true. Oh, I know some liberals who can burn some...
Posted by Mitch on July 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Speaking of Hypocrisy - GOP

Speaking of Hypocrisy - GOP Senate candidate Norm Coleman criticized paleoliberal Senator Paul Wellstone's record on Defense. The real news, and conversational beef, was in Wellstone's response. It illustrates the paleo-liberals' contempt for defense and the military. It's really so...
Posted by Mitch on July 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Yet Another Tale of Hypocrisy

Yet Another Tale of Hypocrisy - The House expelled Rep. Traficant last night as predicted. Here's the part I loved; I listened to "All Things Considered" talking about Traficant last night, and over the past week. What did they call...
Posted by Mitch on July 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

On the Lindh Trial -

On the Lindh Trial - Linda Chavez on the more disturbing aspects of the Lindh plea-bargain....
Posted by Mitch on July 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More about Harken - and

More about Harken - and the liberal media's mania with smear by insinuation....
Posted by Mitch on July 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ex-President - First, Clinton would

Ex-President - First, Clinton would have won the 2000 election. Or so he said. Then - he would have reacted (according to him) better to September 11 than the President did. Now - he tried, oh so hard, to reform...
Posted by Mitch on July 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Making a Dog Sing Verdi

Making a Dog Sing Verdi - Following on the "success" of Paul "Richard Simmons" Wellstone's "Little Green Bus", Democrat consultant-at-large Pat Forceia has unleashed... ...The Roger Moe Stock Car. Pretty apt. I see a flaming crash this fall, spewing bits...
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

One Step Up, One Step

One Step Up, One Step Back - On the one hand, the Democrats' pharmaceutical plan - legalized theft - fell eight votes short in the Senate today, despite Paul "Richard Simmons" Wellstone's best efforts. On the other hand, the Republicans'...
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Witch Hunt in Blue- The

Witch Hunt in Blue- The civil liberties' fallout of the Abner Louima case, courtesy Nat Hentoff....
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Overpowered by Gore, Part II

Overpowered by Gore, Part II - Jonah Goldberg on why Algore is the left's Bob Dole. Although after Tipper and his' performance at the Democrat convention in 2000, I'm not sure Britney Spears will go near him......
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pot? Meet Kettle - Hillary

Pot? Meet Kettle - Hillary blasts the "activist" Supreme Court. As if activist court decisions weren't part and parcel of her entire career, and those of nearly every uber-liberal politician. And she's busy marching to the official tune, of course:...
Posted by Mitch on July 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Media Bias Watch - So

Media Bias Watch - So now, the media are finally twigging to the fact that Citibank floated Enron with a sweetheart, off the books loan. The word is, in fact, getting out. OK - so in how many stories has...
Posted by Mitch on July 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Good Dog - The Pioneer

Good Dog - The Pioneer Press acknowledges the existence of the Watchdog - a rough-n-tumble freebie tabloid that is a welcome addition to the Twin Cities' squalid, incestuous media scene....
Posted by Mitch on July 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Penny Stocks, Part II -

Penny Stocks, Part II - In yesterday's bit about the Broder Op-ed, there was one idea I wanted to develop, but missed in my hurry to get to work. As I said - the article is set, in the beginning,...
Posted by Mitch on July 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grrrr, Part II - So

Grrrr, Part II - So I wrote this big piece yesterday... ...and the Blogger software didn't publish it! Making me look, in the process, like I'd taken another day off from Shot in the Dark....
Posted by Mitch on July 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Penny Stocks - David Broder

Penny Stocks - David Broder in the Washington Post has issued a paeon to Minnesota Independence Party gubernatorial candidate Tim Penny. It's fascinating to note that the article is set, initially, at the birthday party of John Anderson, the pseudoRepublican...
Posted by Mitch on July 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grrrrrr! - So since the

Grrrrrr! - So since the Enron scandal broke, every other headline in the major media has been: How Corporate America is predominantly base and corrupt, Specious allegations of potential Bush Administration involvement (none of which has any legs, and it's...
Posted by Mitch on July 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

You Live, you Learn -

You Live, you Learn - It's not a secret - I was Democrat until I was about twenty or so. I wrote a party platform for 1980 North Dakota Boy's State that reads like a Leninist call to action. Reading...
Posted by Mitch on July 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Penny-Wise, Pound Foolish - Tim

Penny-Wise, Pound Foolish - Tim Penny, along with Dean Barkley, has always been one of the wizards behind the curtain in the Emerald Palace of the Ventura Administration. And once upon a time, his moderate-DFL ideas seemed intrigueing to me,...
Posted by Mitch on July 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

But Bush is Tainted... -

But Bush is Tainted... - Howard Kurtz, in the NY Post, on the NY Times' undisclosed interests in and involvement with Enron. As Andrew Sullivan said about this piece:Not only have New York Times columnists, like Paul Krugman, had sweet-heart...
Posted by Mitch on July 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Summertime, and the Living is

Summertime, and the Living is Off-Line - AT&T Broadband has screwed up my home connection. I'm a little reticent about blogging from work. And I'm going to be out of town until Friday. Which is when this blog will next...
Posted by Mitch on July 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Is Phyllis Kahn Involved? -

Is Phyllis Kahn Involved? - In Fort Lauderdale, Florida, you must get a license to prevent your bike from being stolen - or the police will steal it for you. 'It's a preventative measure," said Mayor Jim Naugle. "Instead of...
Posted by Mitch on July 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Is it Minnesota? Or is

Is it Minnesota? Or is it Europe? Who can tell, sometimes? The buro-wonks at the European Union continue their war on all that is wrong with the world with full frontal assault... ...on Happy Hour? That's right. The US is...
Posted by Mitch on July 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Harken Ye to the TV

Harken Ye to the TV - Byron York on the very suspicious timing of the Harken allegations against the President. Speaking of which - isn't it odd that, when Judicial Watch was launching lawsuits agaisnt President Clinton, they were minimized...
Posted by Mitch on July 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

European Morality - Victor Herbert

European Morality - Victor Herbert on why the International Criminal Court is a just-plain-bad idea. It's not just the third-world tinhorns. No, it's our European allies. The entire continent - or at least its entire ruling buro-wonk class - has...
Posted by Mitch on July 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

PC, Worldwide - The tendency

PC, Worldwide - The tendency of the PC Media to omit all reference to an offender's race or other information (unless the alleged offender is right-of-center politically) is irritating and dangerous. But it's not just an American phenomenon. In Sydney,...
Posted by Mitch on July 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Greens See Red - In

Greens See Red - In another example of how the Green Party is beating itself into irrelevance everywhere but Minneapolis, the Finnish government has opted to open a new nuclear power plant. Some of you who are my age may...
Posted by Mitch on July 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

OK, so... - I can

OK, so... - I can admit when I'm wrong. Yesterday, I asked, in effect, with "conservatives" like the President and Norm Coleman, who needed liberals? My initial take on the President's prescription drug plan, which he spelled out in yesterday's...
Posted by Mitch on July 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mas Arifiq - So if

Mas Arifiq - So if I have a prejudice, it's that I tend to be more trusting - tend, mind you, not some absolute knee-jerk reaction, just a tendency - toward people of faith. Christians and Jews, obviously, but also...
Posted by Mitch on July 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Food for a Bad Mood

Food for a Bad Mood - Sometimes only an Ann Coulter column will do....
Posted by Mitch on July 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bush Visit - So the

Bush Visit - So the President will visit the Cities today, to help Norm Coleman, by... ...talking about prescription drugs? With "conservatives" like this, who needs Paul Wellstone?...
Posted by Mitch on July 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bud? BUD! BUD!!!!! - Major

Bud? BUD! BUD!!!!! - Major League baseball is in dire, maybe terminal trouble. The extortion racket they run against their host cities is running out of steam, maybe, slowly. The players union is out of control. The owners are too...
Posted by Mitch on July 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bad Cop? - Nobody likes

Bad Cop? - Nobody likes a bad cop - a "thumper"- less than I. It's one of the worst common examples of government power run amok. And the latest putative outragein LA certainly looks bad. But former cop Jack Dunphy...
Posted by Mitch on July 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

How to Apportion Blame Correctly

How to Apportion Blame Correctly - Last week, two America West pilots were arrested for attempting to fly a plane while intoxicated. Now, a woman was thrown off a plane after questioning her own pilots' sobriety, and rerouted to a...
Posted by Mitch on July 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Is It Hilarious? Is It

Is It Hilarious? Is It Scary? - The FBI is trying to figure out the LAX shooter's motive. Or, as the author says:That left the police with no leads. Nothing to go on. The trail's stone cold. All the FBI...
Posted by Mitch on July 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Politics Imitates Life Imitates Entertainment

Politics Imitates Life Imitates Entertainment Imitates Art - It started as an SNL bit - one of few in the past five years that didn't get beaten immediately to death, turned into a lousy movie, or both. Now - the...
Posted by Mitch on July 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Brother, Can You Spare Me

Brother, Can You Spare Me a Billion- As predicted during the height of the gloom and doom over Amtrak's incipient demise, several local/regional railroads are breaking away, . But wait - wasn't rail transit supposed to dry up completely?...
Posted by Mitch on July 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Words Fail Me, Part 4

Words Fail Me, Part 4 - Louis Farrakhan travels to the Mideast to tell the tyrants that America's Moslems are praying... ...for an Iraqi victory. Perhaps if Farrakhan and Arafat were in a boat, together......
Posted by Mitch on July 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deja Vu, Part 4 -

Deja Vu, Part 4 - Adding commentary to this would be so painfully redundant....
Posted by Mitch on July 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shots Fired - Three people

Shots Fired - Three people were shot - apparently mistakenly - in a gang-related incident over the holiday on the West Side of St. Paul. Two of the victims (who were aged 14-17) are in critical condition. The theory is...
Posted by Mitch on July 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

No Fun Aloud - Australia

No Fun Aloud - Australia - the home of AC/DC, Australian Rules Football and more terms for vomiting after binge-drinking than all of the combined legion of the world's party fraternities - has banned the computer game Grand Theft Auto...
Posted by Mitch on July 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Was He, or Wasn't He?

Was He, or Wasn't He? - The big question today is: was the LAX El-Al shooter a terrorist, or just a deranged nutbar off the street? This Israeli site quotes an Arab newspaper indicating that Hadayet had ties to Al...
Posted by Mitch on July 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

VOA Out of Control -

VOA Out of Control - The Voice of America is supposed to "spread the gospel" about the USA to the rest of the world (note to the ACLU - in this case, "spread the gospel" is a metaphor. Hold the...
Posted by Mitch on July 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Apologies - Late in the

Apologies - Late in the day, July 4, Blogger.com (the site that I use to publish Shot in the Dark) started having technical difficulties. This is the first time I've been able to publish since then. This time, it's not...
Posted by Mitch on July 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Call for Paul Ehrlich -

Call for Paul Ehrlich - When I was a kid, I was scared out of my little mind by what I heard about the doommongering of professional hysterics like Paul Ehrlich. Remember Paul Ehrlich? In 1969, he wrote "the Population...
Posted by Mitch on July 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Everyone Have This? Any Questions?

Everyone Have This? Any Questions? - Remember the old SNL bit from during the Gulf War, when Mike Myers asks General Schwartzkopf "Please tell us the units involved in tomorrow's airstrikes, their targets, and the times they'll be attacking?". Today's...
Posted by Mitch on July 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Words Fail Me- Which is

Words Fail Me- Which is a rare thing indeed. Peter Singer - the "bioethicist" at Princeton who says that we should allow parents to retroactively abort infants up to a year after birth - says that Christianity hurts animals. I'm...
Posted by Mitch on July 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

At Least We're Independent From

At Least We're Independent From Them - "Legendary" foreign correspondent John Pilger eloquently states the Eurotrash case, showing why the Fourth of July is so very, very important. Idiots like this are why it's so important for the US to...
Posted by Mitch on July 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Oboy - When I was

Oboy - When I was a kid growing up in North Dakota, there was this guy, an unreconstructed hippie, that ran an organic farm (basically a weed research station) about 20 miles out of town. His name was Harley MacClain....
Posted by Mitch on July 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

One Standard for Him, One

One Standard for Him, One Standard for Her - Men who have sex with underage women are looking at hard time. Women who get jiggy with underage boys can expect perhaps probation, along with sympathy from the feminist establishment Cathy...
Posted by Mitch on July 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Up in Smoke - The

Up in Smoke - The role of the big, urban, Green interest in the current forest fires in the west needs to be examined. The forests - like much of the government-owned west (the fed owns something like half of...
Posted by Mitch on July 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

All Worry, All the Time

All Worry, All the Time - CNN's woes in the face of Fox News' steady rise have been a matter of both record, sycophantic butt-smooching, and even an attempt to re-tool the liberal-leaning network's image, which met with at least...
Posted by Mitch on July 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ray of Hope - 49%

Ray of Hope - 49% of Britons oppose adopting the Euro. How serious is it? Even Brit showbiz types are jumping on the lorry. Including, it should be noted, the generally socialistic former Boomtown Rat, Sir Bob Geldof. As a...
Posted by Mitch on July 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gubernatorial Smackdown!- I think Tim

Gubernatorial Smackdown!- I think Tim Pawlenty can win this. Stop me if I'm wrong. Here's my theory: Jesse Ventura won the governor's race on pure personality. I doubt that his political stances, except as related to car tabs and jet...
Posted by Mitch on July 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Swing to the Right, Part

Swing to the Right, Part IV - Deroy Murdock writes about the Pink Pistols - an organization of gay Second Amendment activists. The Pistols were formed for the same reason the Concealed Carry movement exists - to deter violence, in...
Posted by Mitch on July 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What if Napoleon had a

What if Napoleon had a B52 at Waterloo? - Modern technology - like "writing" and "books" - have degraded human memory. Since we don't have to remember things, but can put them in our diaries or tape recorders or Palm...
Posted by Mitch on July 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Just Don't Get It

I Just Don't Get It - During the nineties, every other week in Time magazine there'd be a feature about the current doings of Hollywood moguls Barry Diller and Michael Ovitz. The articles were long and involved, and obviously took...
Posted by Mitch on July 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Paging Alec Baldwin - Yet

Paging Alec Baldwin - Yet another Hollywood condo-pink - this time it's Tom Cruise - decides America is worse than the alternatives. Ever notice how many weasels are listing "corporate corruption" as one of America's big problems, as Cruise does...
Posted by Mitch on July 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Faith In Government - A

Faith In Government - A quarter of simulated weapons are getting by airport screeners, in the latest round of tests of the new federalized recruits....
Posted by Mitch on July 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Into the Breach - One

Into the Breach - One of the great stories of the Civil War is that of the First Minnesota Regiment, whose near-suicidal charge at the Battle of Gettysburg 139 years ago tomorrow may have saved the battle for the North,...
Posted by Mitch on July 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Patriotic Conflict - I've always

Patriotic Conflict - I've always been queasy about the Patriot Act - the law ushering in a raft of anti-terror provisions. On the one hand, as a military historian, I know that government can not run exactly the same in...
Posted by Mitch on July 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The SUV and We -

The SUV and We - In 1987, I bought a 1978 Jeep CJ7. It wasn't the best car I ever had - that'd be the Honda Accord I had next. But no car was ever more fun for me than...
Posted by Mitch on July 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shapes of Things to Come?

Shapes of Things to Come? - Our military's base on Qatar is growing rapidly, even as we draw down our presence in Saudi Arabia. Qatar is in easy striking distance of Iraq - and its leadership is four square behind...
Posted by Mitch on July 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Trouble with Servers -

The Trouble with Servers - Whatever it is, I had some this past week. I'll make up for lost time this weekend, and next week. Nooooo problem....
Posted by Mitch on June 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Mixed Feelings - On the

Mixed Feelings - On the one hand, it's probably good that people in government are finally figuring out that people need to know what do to in case of an emergency. On the other hand, by the time any information...
Posted by Mitch on June 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Armed and Dangerous in New

Armed and Dangerous in New York - Citing the inability of the NYPD to protect Jewish institutions from the terrorist attacks the FBI says are possible, a Jewish defense group in Brooklyn has vowed to mount armed patrols in the...
Posted by Mitch on June 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Media Bias is Good? -

Media Bias is Good? - Thoughts on the accession of George Stephanopoulos....
Posted by Mitch on June 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Future Awk - Our college

Future Awk - Our college students are idiots. James Lileks' latest screed states my dismay, as usual, better than I do....
Posted by Mitch on June 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

And In Other News -

And In Other News - Barb McMahon. That is all....
Posted by Mitch on June 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ventura's Legacy, Part I -

Ventura's Legacy, Part I - Mike Lynch on what Ventura leaves behind. OK, so that's one thing I will miss about Ventura. He proved that not only is government not rocket science - it's barely even stovetop grilling. The endless...
Posted by Mitch on June 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Things I Won't Miss about

Things I Won't Miss about Jesse - I'm going to start my list. Everything's Personal - The mansion staff didn't exercise their right to complain about something. Oh, no. They "betrayed me", says the governor. And the media isn't reporting...
Posted by Mitch on June 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Didn't Know it was

Didn't Know it was a Law, Did You? - Me neither. I'm talking about the Iron Law of American Politics, wherein, as Terence Jeffrey says, "the rightward-most candidate in any federal election will be demonized as an extremist by...
Posted by Mitch on June 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Just...Plain...Wrong. - This is your

Just...Plain...Wrong. - This is your tax dollars at work. I've long held that the NEA, if it exists at all, should concentrate on teaching school kids about art. One of the current follies of the "back to basics" movement in...
Posted by Mitch on June 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ventura - He's not running.

Ventura - He's not running. Perhaps you've heard! The irritating part is watching the DFL, with the active complicity of the media, paint Tim Pawlenty as the second coming of Alan Quist, as if to imply that Pawlenty is some...
Posted by Mitch on June 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Warm Up That Credit Card

Warm Up That Credit Card - Forget Ventura - the big news is here. Well, for me, anyway. People write me and ask "Why are you such a Springsteen fan? He's a Democrat, you know?". True. And if I had...
Posted by Mitch on June 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Churchill - In light of

Churchill - In light of all the revisionism lately about one of the greatest leaders of all time, an excerpt from a review of an excellent book on the subject of great leaders....
Posted by Mitch on June 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Get Down and Cough it

Get Down and Cough it Up - Again, let me clarify: I've never been the most savage critic of public schools among my fellow Republicans. I was barely a critic at all, until recently. Save the cookie-cutter criticism. But there...
Posted by Mitch on June 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What is the Problem? -

What is the Problem? - Roger Moe is acting like Tim Pawlenty's move to the right is a bad thing. Roger Moe is going to make Skip Humphrey's showing look good. The way I see it, this is a win-win....
Posted by Mitch on June 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Your Tax Dollars at Work

Your Tax Dollars at Work - Apparently Tyrel Ventura used the Governor's Mansion the same way the Clinton staff used the White House. Jesse was a SEAL, ya know. A galloping sense of entitlement, the arrogance of power...why...could it be......
Posted by Mitch on June 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Big Government and the Environment

Big Government and the Environment - According to Greens, liberals, and Al Gore, the only answer to our world's environmental problem is more, bigger government intervention in the economy, from grandiloquent world-wide agreements like the Kyoto Accords, down to government...
Posted by Mitch on June 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

GOP Convention - I didn't

GOP Convention - I didn't make it this year - haven't had time to really be involved in party stuff. But I'd say it was a good one. The media coverage seems obsessed with the notion that the party can...
Posted by Mitch on June 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Norm! - At various

The Norm! - At various times in the history of this Blog, I've mentioned my love of good public speaking. Our Senate race between incumbent ultraliberal Paul Wellstone and neocon challenger Norm Coleman puts the contrast between the Haves and...
Posted by Mitch on June 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Heimat,Heim und Volk - that

Heimat,Heim und Volk - that was a Nazi phrase. It means "Homeland, Home and People", but its idiomatic meaning was far deeper than that (which is why the Nazis used it). It alludes to the German cultural connection with the...
Posted by Mitch on June 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Constitution 2002 - The current

Constitution 2002 - The current conflict promises plenty of wrangling about who gets what constitutional protections. Terrorists? Americans working for terrorists? Americans captured overseas fighting on the terrorists' behalf? Non-citizens engaged in attacks or planning for attacks? Many opinions on...
Posted by Mitch on June 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More about Rowley - What

More about Rowley - What the FBI agent's whistleblowing tells us about the media, by Ann Coulter....
Posted by Mitch on June 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Adios, Bill - Bill Maher

Adios, Bill - Bill Maher and Politically Incorrect were exasperatingly...well, politically correct. He invariably claimed "I'm a libertarian", while his rhetoric was pure liberal. But he is a pretty sharp comic, even if I disagree with him on most things...
Posted by Mitch on June 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Ties that Bind -

The Ties that Bind - Whatever else is going on, the heart quickens (well, mine does) to note that a new Bruce Springsteen album and tour are apparently on the way. I've seen Bruce twice, both times at pivotal periods...
Posted by Mitch on June 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Horns of a Dilemma -

Horns of a Dilemma - I'm honestly not sure who to support for the GOP nomination this year. The Reagan conservative and iconoclast in me is pulling for Brian Sullivan. His heart is in the right places on most issues,...
Posted by Mitch on June 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Take a Look at the

Take a Look at the Strib's piece on Norm Coleman. Here's the quote that gets me: But do his executive-style accomplishments sound like the stuff of the U.S. Senate or of the governor's office?. I don't recall if the Strib...
Posted by Mitch on June 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Kill the Keg - Claims

Kill the Keg - Claims that Clinton Administration staff vandalized the White House were written off as partisan political posturing in the days after Bush took office. Not so, says the GAO....
Posted by Mitch on June 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Back in the Eighties... -

Back in the Eighties... - the joke that went around was "Who'd win a knife fight between Tiffany and Debbie Gibson". Answer? "The Whole World". I'm not going to say another thing. Bad Profiler. Bad. No Treat - A New...
Posted by Mitch on June 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I've Often Wondered - what

I've Often Wondered - what it would be like to have interviewed, in 1946, someone who unwittingly sold Adolph Hitler his first tube of mustache wax in 1920. This woman is possibly the nearest we'll get....
Posted by Mitch on June 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Don't Loiter for Even a

Don't Loiter for Even a Second - The St. Paul Bomb Squad might pre-emptively detonate you. (Fourth article down on the page). Publishing Tips for Governor Meathead - The Governor's last few books haven't sold so well. He needs to...
Posted by Mitch on June 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Organic Scam - I'm

The Organic Scam - I'm a conservative - make sure we're all straight on that, OK? But I have to confess I lifelong preference for organic food. It just tastes better, OK? Don't be yapping about yanking my GOP card...
Posted by Mitch on June 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Missionaries Rescued - One of

Missionaries Rescued - One of the missionaries kidnapped 13 months ago in the Phillipines was killed a rescue mission by US-trained Philipino troops today. Martin Burnham died of gunshot wounds, while his wife Gracia was wounded but safe. It should...
Posted by Mitch on June 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Storm over Eagan - Mary

Storm over Eagan - Mary Jo Copeland passed the first hurdle in her attempt to build a group home - some call it an "orphanage" - in Eagan. Of course, she still has to get permits from the county and...
Posted by Mitch on June 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Whistleblower Speaks. Eventually -

The Whistleblower Speaks. Eventually - Congress is set to receive testimony from FBI whistleblower Colleen Rowley on the foulups inthe investigation of Zacharias "Kirby" Moussaoui. Watch for a partisan pile-on from Daschle and company....
Posted by Mitch on June 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

4 Out of 5 Terrorists

4 Out of 5 Terrorists - The usual suspects are queuing up to whack at Attorney General Ashcroft over his plan to fingerprint Arab aliens in the US. So let me get this straight - the Bush Administration is being...
Posted by Mitch on June 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

That Minneapolis Connection - One

That Minneapolis Connection - One of the fascinating things about September 11 is the involvement of the Minneapolis FBI office. The office generally had very little terrorism to deal with - and they came ever so close, apparently, to finding...
Posted by Mitch on June 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Sum of All Incompetents-

The Sum of All Incompetents- Norm Mineta - the Secretary of Transportation - is one of the more useless cabinet members. He's a holdover from the Clinton years. And he was the first major government figure to oppose the arming...
Posted by Mitch on June 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Latest from the Middle

The Latest from the Middle East - a Fatwa is the Moslem equivalent of a mafia "contract". Fatwas have been issues for Salmon Rushdie (by the Iranians), all Americans - and now... ...software pirates?...
Posted by Mitch on June 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

State GOP Brouhaha or What's

State GOP Brouhaha or What's a Republican, Part IV - The Strib is reporting a big brouhaha among the state GOP, regarding its threat not to give state GOP funds to the Senate Republican Caucus. The SRC wants to support...
Posted by Mitch on May 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Missile Alert - Again -

Missile Alert - Again - I wasn't being tongue-in-cheek with yesterday's "Missile Alert" post. But apparently it's more real even than that....
Posted by Mitch on May 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Missile Alert - be on

Missile Alert - be on the lookout, for now anyway, for Arab guys walking through Fort Snelling State Park carrying long tubes. Actually, there is precedent for this - Palestinian terrorists shot at a number of commercial airliners back in...
Posted by Mitch on May 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Irap - Yesterday, Bono. Today,

Irap - Yesterday, Bono. Today, Eminem. There's a certain trainwreck quality about watching stars give in to hubris. Marshall Mathers is doing it......
Posted by Mitch on May 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Iraq - Last week, I

Iraq - Last week, I wondered aloud on this site if Bush's prevarication to the Europeans about attacking Iraq was for show. William Safetan in Slate advances a similar thesis. Very interesting....
Posted by Mitch on May 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Know It Was a

I Know It Was a Long Cold Spring - but I hate heat and humidity. Waaah. That's part of the reason today's installment is so thin and late. I'll get on it earlier tomorrow... Meet the New Anchor, Same as...
Posted by Mitch on May 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

OPM - Y'know, I"ve been

OPM - Y'know, I"ve been a U2 fan since "Boy", in 1981. I may have been one of five people in North Dakota to have bought that album when it was released. And along with Springsteen, there is no better...
Posted by Mitch on May 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Money makes the World Go

Money makes the World Go Round - The Minnesota GOP has its own campaign finance debate going on. Brian Sullivan echoes the complaints most conservatives have against campaign spending limits - because they leave the liberal media as the ultimate...
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Stop Me If I'm Wrong

Stop Me If I'm Wrong - but Bush's Normandy speech was not what I'd hoped for. Granted, it did what Memorial Day speeches are supposed to do - honor those who died protecting our freedom, and bringing it back to...
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Lunacy International - According to

Lunacy International - According to a report by Amnesty International, the passengers of Flight 93, whose doomed uprising against their hijackers may have saved the White House, violated the hijackers' rights to Free Speech, Trial by Jury and Due Process....
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ugh - A significant part

Ugh - A significant part of the Moslem world is fairly inscrutable to Americans. A place and people that can generate dozens of suicide bombers is just too strange for many Americans to comprehend. But suicide bombers come in dime...
Posted by Mitch on May 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Memorial Day - With this,

Memorial Day - With this, I risk diving deep into bathos. Tough. It's my blog. If you're not in the mood, pop on over to nsync.com til it blows over. It's 4AM on Memorial Day. Memorial Day has always been...
Posted by Mitch on May 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Open Letter to the President

Open Letter to the President - President Bush - it's Mitch. I helped get you elected, two years ago. Do me a favor. Please. You'll be speaking at St.Mere Eglise, overlooking Omaha Beach, sometime later today, Memorial Day. Please, please,...
Posted by Mitch on May 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Left Gets Its Wish

The Left Gets Its Wish - The Professional Bellyaching Class yapped long and loud about the "treatment" Al-Quaeda prisoners were receiving at Camp X-Ray, at Guantanamo Bay. So - today, these butchers are treated better than drunk driving convicts in...
Posted by Mitch on May 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Institutional Culture - We've long

Institutional Culture - We've long known that the Minneapolis FBI office had a hint that Zacharias Moussaoui, the alleged "20th Hijacker" who was arrested in the suburbs of St. Paul a month before the terrorist attacks, had some inkling they...
Posted by Mitch on May 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Memorial Day - Everyone reminds

Memorial Day - Everyone reminds you of this - but take a few minutes to remember those who died for this country. Maybe even pass some of the facts along to our woefully-educated kids. In these days, when we fight...
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Senator Springsteen? - One of

Senator Springsteen? - One of my favorite Bloom County strips, back in 1985, was a trip to the future - complete with President Springsteen. This took an ironic turn toward (humorous) reality this week, as a former Jesse the Meathead...
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Vital Signs - I'm a

Vital Signs - I'm a serious student of political oratory. My father was a high school speech teacher, and I grew up with a deep appreciation of the art of moving people and nations with a well-crafted and perfectly-timed speech....
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pavlov's People - The idea

Pavlov's People - The idea started almost as a joke - right-wing wags and punditry thinking aloud "I wonder if the Democrats really care about doing anything about Social Security, or if they just like having it around for fear...
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Second Thoughts? - It's odd.

Second Thoughts? - It's odd. At work (at a local engineering company), there's a big, pre-9/11 poster of Manhattan - a big aerial photo taken from south of Battery Park. People walk by and look at the picture, and seem...
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

All About Accusations - Ann

All About Accusations - Ann Coulter on what the Democrats knew....
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Scary - We've long known

Scary - We've long known that the FBI office in Minneapolis may have had the key to breaking September 11 before it happened. you can feel the frustration Today - with the bureaucracy......
Posted by Mitch on May 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Try to Comprehend the Horror

Try to Comprehend the Horror - The Minneapolis Police Department has a reputation for thumping first and thinking later. The Minneapolis Public Schools are a mess. They have higher crime per capita than St. Paul, their city council and other...
Posted by Mitch on May 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ummm - Governor?... - This

Ummm - Governor?... - This story from Reason Magazine is interesting for its perspectives on mass transit, yadda yadda... But notice, a few paragraphs into it: "We're one of the few cities of our size without a mass transit system,...
Posted by Mitch on May 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It Was the White House

It Was the White House - People have long suggested that Flight 93 - which crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after the passengers tried to kill their hijackers - was intended for a target in DC. Today - evidence...
Posted by Mitch on May 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Stupid People - An Australian

Stupid People - An Australian company is selling a line of September 11 handbags. They're made in China, and apparently being exported to...you guessed it, Europe....
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Feeding Frenzy - Now

The Feeding Frenzy - Now that the legislature has shown its willingness to buckle under to Major League Baseball's demands, billionaire Red McCombs is bellying up to the trough. I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you. At least the Wild can't...
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Another Upside of Home Ownership

Another Upside of Home Ownership - The next terrorist attack may involve renting an apartment in a high-rise and packing full of explosives. Wonder if this will drive rents down, and thus solve the "Affordable Housing" crisis?...
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Gandhi Award - During WWII,

Gandhi Award - During WWII, Mahatma Gandhi urged Jews not to resists the Nazis, but to go to the gas chambers by way of shaming the Nazis with their non-violence. This year's award-winner - the Dalai Lama. Actually, I was...
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Benefit of Having No Social

Benefit of Having No Social Life - Walk-in Suicide Bombers termed "inevitable"....
Posted by Mitch on May 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

LA, It Is A-Splittin' -

LA, It Is A-Splittin' - The San Fernando Valley is trying to secede from Los Angeles. My favorite part: Nationally, urban affairs experts warn other cities not to be too smug. Los Angeles has exported everything from skateboards to facelifts,...
Posted by Mitch on May 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Times, They Are a-Fabricating...

The Times, They Are a-Fabricating... - Yesterday's bit on the Anti-Gun Media (see below) was only the tip of the iceberg. Ann Coulter points out the flimsy academic and historical basis of the left's belief that the Second Amendment only...
Posted by Mitch on May 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cuba Libre - Jay Nordlinger

Cuba Libre - Jay Nordlinger writes about Carter's visit to Cuba last week. I'm not sure I agree entirely with Nordlinger. Oh, yes, Carter's become a drinking buddy of the world's Ortegas and Arafats since he left office. He equivocates...
Posted by Mitch on May 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Fight for the Right -

Fight for the Right - Heading into the GOP convention, Brian Sullivan and Tim Pawlenty are oh, so close. For me, it's all a matter of seeing how Ventura breaks on the stadium bill. I'm told a veto is not...
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

It Ain't Easy, Being Green

It Ain't Easy, Being Green - The Green party took another step on its slide to irrelevance outside Dinkytown today, at its state convention in St. Cloud. The party, built on its platform of hatred of achievement, envy of wealth,...
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Four More Years - The

Four More Years - The legislature has passed a stadium funding bill, thereby giving Jesse Ventura the political equivalent of the Atomic Bomb in the coming election. It's over. I've resigned myself to four more years of governor Meathead....
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Anti-Gun Media - Lawyers

The Anti-Gun Media - Lawyers for John Walker Lindh - AKA "The American Taliban" - have tried to get his charges dismissed on First Amendment grounds (free association) - as well as Second Amendment reasons, mainly to do with Attorney...
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Powell Among the Euroweenies -

Powell Among the Euroweenies - Powell gave selected left-wing European newspapers what-for yesterday. It's not only fun to see the Bush administration responding to European leftist pusillanimity in the face of terrorism - but it also begs the question; was...
Posted by Mitch on May 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Schwoops - I just had

Schwoops - I just had a two day haggle with my ISP. I won - hence, the site is on the air again. I'll post a bunch of make-up stuff over the weekend......
Posted by Mitch on May 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Metaphor Alert- The state budget

Metaphor Alert- The state budget passed the Legislature today. It basically deferred a lot of spending against the hope that tax collections (and thus the economy) will pick up in the next year. Way up. It also pilfs from the...
Posted by Mitch on May 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Timely Lesson - When

A Timely Lesson - When columnists and pundits as diverse as Ann Coulter and Jason Lewis hold forth on the incompatibility of the Moslem and Western worlds, they ignore one of the best examples of political moderation, interfaith coexistence, and...
Posted by Mitch on May 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Strange Bedfellows - When regular

Strange Bedfellows - When regular people get together to talk about gun owners' rights, they discuss the practical aspects of the issue; "do guns in the hands of the law-abiding make us all safer"? It's an argument that the gun-rights...
Posted by Mitch on May 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

All Tingly - In my

All Tingly - In my heart of hearts, I have always wanted to take a year off and write the ultimate documentary on theliberal bias of the media. Well, Hammerin' Ann Coulter has done it for us, in a book...
Posted by Mitch on May 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Doh - another crazy day,

Doh - another crazy day, will post more later. I'll leave you with this for now - the media's attempt to repackage Chelsea Clinton as the next JohnJohn. The girl has her father's vacuousness and her mother's conscience....
Posted by Mitch on May 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Screed not lest you be

Screed not lest you be Screeded - James Lileks attacks the leftist bigot...Patch Adams. Wonderful. Our Class Society- The list of issues where America's wonk class differs from the man and woman on the street is endless - gun control,...
Posted by Mitch on May 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

News Vs. Propaganda - As

News Vs. Propaganda - As rumors of impending war against Iraq quietly mount, 60 Minutes ran an article on tonight's broadcast about the aftermath of the post-Gulf-War gas attacks on Halabja. Saddam Hussein attacked this Kurdish village with nerve gas...
Posted by Mitch on May 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whee! We're Three! - Yow.

Whee! We're Three! - Yow. Time flies when you're having fun. The blog turns three today. Months, that is, which is a long time for something I started as a prank... I'm enjoying it, so look for many more months,...
Posted by Mitch on May 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grrrrrrr - Four years ago,

Grrrrrrr - Four years ago, I ran for Minnesota State Treasurer on the Libertarian ticket. The website from that bid is still floating around the 'net. Oh, I know. Quit laughing. My only campaign promise; abolish the office of state...
Posted by Mitch on May 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Iraq - The liberals, the

Iraq - The liberals, the Europeans, and those who think that deep down inside we really had September 11 coming, are all lined up against attacking genocidal nuclear-bio-chem weapon producer Iraq. Newsweek started last week with a big denial of...
Posted by Mitch on May 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Pork Pork Pork - Pete

Pork Pork Pork - Pete Du Pont on the stalinist travesty that is Farm Bill. With the President cuddling up to Ted Kennedy on education, adopting prescription drugs for seniors as well as ultraliberal Paul Wellstone's plan to force coverage...
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Woux Houx - Andrew Sullivan

Woux Houx - Andrew Sullivan nails the key to the cooling of US relations with France - and why we're getting closer to Israel. Method Acting Madness - Liberal actor James Brolin, husband of ultraliberal "singer/actress" Barbra "BS" Streisand, has...
Posted by Mitch on May 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Terror from the Left -

Terror from the Left - Both on and off the page, in this case. First - it turns out the Pim Fortuyn's assassin was an animal right's activist. He was murdered over fur. Fur. ALF and the ELF and their...
Posted by Mitch on May 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dey Fracture Loudly, Part II

Dey Fracture Loudly, Part II - Doug Grow's column in today's Strib captures some of the dismay and anger among DFL feminists over the endorsement of Roger Moe. And late word has it that ultra-left former candidate Becky Lourey will...
Posted by Mitch on May 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Hooray for Hollywood Limo Liberals

Hooray for Hollywood Limo Liberals - Paul "I'll only run for two terms" Wellstone has gone Hollywood in search of donations. Expect to see a parade of Hollywood's most execrable b-listers in the next six months. I'll lay ten bucks...
Posted by Mitch on May 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dey Fracture Loudly - The

Dey Fracture Loudly - The DFL' s show of post-convention unity fractures, as ultra-leftwing former gubernatorial candidateBecky Lourey takes her toys and leaves the sandbox. The DFL Feminists, especially the younger ones, seem to be (from the email traffic I've...
Posted by Mitch on May 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Moe Betta - Is Roger

Moe Betta - Is Roger Moe the best news Brian Sullivan ever had? If the GOP ran Tim Pawlenty, we'd be facing a career politician with...well, a good, interesting career politician who has conservative credentials (albeit a weaker record than...
Posted by Mitch on May 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Fame and Fortuyn - Why

Fame and Fortuyn - Why Fortuyn's death matters....
Posted by Mitch on May 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"Far Right" - Watch the

"Far Right" - Watch the liberal media start to spin the murder of Pim Fortuyn. They'll start by calling him "far right", comparing him to Le Pen. But by all accounts, he's not even as far right as Pat Buchanan....
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

US Dumps World Court -

US Dumps World Court - The US bailed out of the International Criminal Court today. Thank Goodness. Under no circumstances should the US turn over any of its legal sovereignty to any world body that includes such pioneers of freedom...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

European Politics Gets Nasty? -

European Politics Gets Nasty? - Pim Fortuyn was to the Netherlands what Pat Buchanan is to the US. He was a conservative rabble-rouser who ran for the prime ministership in the Netherlands. He was shot dead today outside the Dutch...
Posted by Mitch on May 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Moe - The DFL Feminist

Moe - The DFL Feminist crowd is already in full fume over Roger Moe beating out Judy Dutcher and Becky Loury for the DFL Gubernatorial nomination. But I have to wonder - why? And is it all it seems it...
Posted by Mitch on May 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Good Thing They Have Gun

Good Thing They Have Gun Control, Part IV - An NYC bus driver kills the man who stabbed him, with the attacker's own knife. If it'd happened in the Twin Cities, five'll get you get the bus driver would be...
Posted by Mitch on May 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Grrrr - Where did Molly

Grrrr - Where did Molly Ivins get her reputation among Democrats as...sentient? This woman is to thought what David Schwimmer is to Shakespeare....
Posted by Mitch on May 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Danger - Homeland Security director

Danger - Homeland Security director Tom Ridge announced yesterday that the feds are thinking about national drivers' license standards. The feds' strategery must be to wear us down. Every few years, some federal apparatchik tosses some sort of National ID...
Posted by Mitch on May 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Coming Soon - And I

Coming Soon - And I thought the idea of an Ellen Degeneres TV Show was a bad one; Former president Clinton is apparently entertaining offers. Granted, he does need to find a job, but......
Posted by Mitch on May 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

Them is Them - James

Them is Them - James Lileks has a great screed (at the end of the Daily Bleat) about the fallacy of "understanding" the other side in a war. You know the type - "if you only took some time to...
Posted by Mitch on May 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Open Minded Liberals - Blogger

Open Minded Liberals - Blogger Angry Clam notes the appearance of rancidly anti-semitic posters ("Kill Jews")... ...at UC Berkeley. And conservatives are supposed to be the bigots......
Posted by Mitch on May 02, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Smoked Out - It's not

Smoked Out - It's not often that I compliment Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch. In fact, I never actually have. But Hatch led the charge to strip the Minnesota Partnership for Action Against Tobacco (MPAAT) of its funding - $202...
Posted by Mitch on May 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Accessories - Rumor has it

Accessories - Rumor has it that that a number of DFL concealed-carry supporters are going to stage the quietest protest in DFL convention history. They'll be carrying their legally-permitted pistols in the convention, just to show the DFL - always...
Posted by Mitch on April 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Saud Off - Have you

Saud Off - Have you seen the billboards (one is on I-94 in Frogtown), or heard the radio ads from...Saudi Arabia? I heard them on KSTP the other afternoon - a sonorous talking head declaiming the need for us to...
Posted by Mitch on April 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

The Unravelling Legacy - I

The Unravelling Legacy - I squirm when I recall people referring to Bill Clinton as "the first black president". I thought it was joke at first - a take off on Steve Martin's line from The Jerk, "I was born...
Posted by Mitch on April 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

It's Not Easy, being a

It's Not Easy, being a Green with a Brain - Greens are outraged - and queuing up with plenty of lousy science,and worse - over Bjorn Lomborg's "The Skeptical Environmentalist". Lomborg, by the way, is a Danish Green who, in...
Posted by Mitch on April 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Due to Gun Control -

Due to Gun Control - An article in that notoriously conservative tool, the LA Times, begins to get it right. In noticing the effects of last week's massacre in Germany, the article begins to note the great truth that most...
Posted by Mitch on April 29, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

See no Bias, Hear no

See no Bias, Hear no Bias - According to Byron York, the American news establisment is funding liberal attack groups....
Posted by Mitch on April 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Schuleschiessenanschlacht - Germany's second school

Schuleschiessenanschlacht - Germany's second school massacre in two monthsclaims 18. Good thing they have strict gun control laws!...
Posted by Mitch on April 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Tale of Three Networks -

Tale of Three Networks - The Media Research Center tells the hilarious tale of the widely-varying treatment David Brock received on three network "news" shows - NBC, CNN and Fox. But there's noooooo liberal bias. Nossir....
Posted by Mitch on April 26, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What a Night - I'm

What a Night - I'm floored to report that the subscribers to the E-Democracy's Minnesota Politics discussion list voted me "Most Valuable Poster", while the St. Paul discussion group ranked me #3. I am, of course, one of small group...
Posted by Mitch on April 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Political Larnin' - I grew

Political Larnin' - I grew up in a family that valued education - where, near as I could tell, we were all equal, whatever our ideology, as long as what we packed into our skulls was good. I've come to...
Posted by Mitch on April 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

%#$%#$$@# Alarm Clock - OK,

%#$%#$$@# Alarm Clock - OK, Running very late. I'll put today's contributions up later today. ....
Posted by Mitch on April 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

All About Schools - I

All About Schools - I wasn't a big critic of public schools. From some perspectives, I'm still not - my kids still go to them. For now. My dad was a teacher, as were both of my mother's parents. It...
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

If I Were Only Green

If I Were Only Green - My Green friends love to talk about what a man of integrity Ralph Nader is. My reply, courtesy of Reason's Matt Welch. And While We're At It - Greens insist the private market can...
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Let the Bleating Begin -

Let the Bleating Begin - the Euro left is already whining about Le Pen. Hell, I'm upset about Le Pen. He's a fascist. However, a vote for Le Pen is not a vote for fascism, but rather a vote against...
Posted by Mitch on April 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Office Time-waster of the Day:

Office Time-waster of the Day: Find out which character from Monty Python and the Holy Grail you are. My results below: which "monty python and the holy grail" character are you? this quiz was made by colleen I'd have figured...
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Speaking of Diversified Votes... -

Speaking of Diversified Votes... - Mary Cheney, the Vice President's daughter and an open lesbian, is the latest in a series of high-profile gays to defect from what Andrew Sullivan (another one) calls "the plantation of the Democratic Party"....
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

The Native Dollar and Vote

The Native Dollar and Vote - With their casino earnings, Minnesota's Native American tribes have long been a cash cow for Democrat candidates. Now, it seems, the tribes are wising up and diversifying their spending. And, perhaps, their political outlook....
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ventura talks with Time again

Ventura talks with Time again - Every time he does an interview with a major weekly (or Playboy), I have visions of the mid-eighties Ventura, talking with the "interviewers" in the WWF shows (yes, I watched it -twice...). If only...
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Europe Swings to the Right,

Europe Swings to the Right, Part III - And the left - Britain's Guardian, which is to the UK what the Minnesota Daily is in Minneapolis - isn't at all happy about it. The most recent rounds of elections -...
Posted by Mitch on April 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Europe Swings to the Right

Europe Swings to the Right - Two big election upsets in Europe further mark the continent's swing to the right (by their standards). In the German Land, or State, of Sachsen-Anhalt, the industrial heart of the former East Germany (to...
Posted by Mitch on April 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Chief Olson - the Minneapolis

Chief Olson - the Minneapolis Police department has had an iffy reputation for years, not only among the sorts that never like any police (professional protesters, the perpetually concerned) but even among fellow law-enforcement officers. The parallels with the Darrell...
Posted by Mitch on April 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

If I were a Democrat

If I were a Democrat - and I'm not - I'd be really upset by Algore's showing of his true colors last week in Florida. Gone like yesterday's hip clothing fad is the centrist, "clintonian" rhetoric of the campaign. Out...
Posted by Mitch on April 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Incredible Shrinking Left -

The Incredible Shrinking Left - The left in Europe is pulling out all the stops to try to halt its decline. A very successful center-right government in Hungary is struggling to stay in power against a full-court press from the...
Posted by Mitch on April 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

RIP Thor Heyerdal - "Who?"

RIP Thor Heyerdal - "Who?" Thor Heyderdahl was a Norwegian scientist who proved his theory - that South Americans crossed the Pacific on balsa-log rafts - by crossing the Pacific on a balsa-log raft. The story of the trip, Kon...
Posted by Mitch on April 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Potayto, potahto, pablooie - The

Potayto, potahto, pablooie - The media is currently debating whether to call the current wave of terrorists "Suicide Bombers" or "Homicide Bombers". James Lileks weighs in for Suicide... But my favorite is now Splodeydope....
Posted by Mitch on April 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Spoke too Soon - Last

Spoke too Soon - Last week, I jumped the gun and said that the legislature had legalized some fireworks. The bill had, of course, only passed the House, which, being populated by Republicans, has some faith that Minnesotan's aren't morons....
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (3)

The Beatings will Continue until

The Beatings will Continue until Morale Improves - Deroy Murdock writes in National Review about the growing realization that our nation's marijuana laws make no sense....
Posted by Mitch on April 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Targeting Target Market - Interesting

Targeting Target Market - Interesting article in the Strib today about the legislative battle over Target Market, which talked about a few days ago. The article is fairly balanced - but does manager to make the little hypstrz who work...
Posted by Mitch on April 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sign of the Impending Apocalypse

Sign of the Impending Apocalypse - Students protesting...nudity in a school play?...
Posted by Mitch on April 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

For Love of Chomsky -

For Love of Chomsky - I went out with a woman a while ago who was a breathless admirer of Noam Chomsky. And while it was only one of many things that doomed us to only one short date, it...
Posted by Mitch on April 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (2)

Is it just me, or

Is it just me, or is Governor Ventura coming across as completely incoherent in the Strib today? State GOP leaders criticized Target Market, a front for the state's anti-tobacco bureaucracy, and a rock concert that TM is promoting. For starters,...
Posted by Mitch on April 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Daily TV Jumps the Shark

Daily TV Jumps the Shark - Proving that daytime talk TV really is on the skids, Ellen Degeneres will be hosting a daily gabfest soon....
Posted by Mitch on April 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ohio Concealed Carry Ban is

Ohio Concealed Carry Ban is Unconstitutional - An Ohio appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that a Hamilton County ban on the carrying of concealed handguns is unconstitutional. The framers of the state constitution "put the citizens' rights...
Posted by Mitch on April 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Death to the Talivan! -

Death to the Talivan! - Hawaii abolishes radar-photography vans for speed enforcement on state roads. I'm always shocked that Minnesota never jumped on that one. Perhaps another sign that this state is edging toward conservatism....
Posted by Mitch on April 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Roger and...Who? - Salon and

Roger and...Who? - Salon and Spinsanity are breaking this story; ultrliberal Michael Moore has allegedly plagiarized parts of his latest racist screed, "Stupid White Men". As Andrew Sullivan asks - the Boston Globe suspended a conservative columnist for a vastly...
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Under the Weather - That's

Under the Weather - That's what I am. Hope to write something later today....
Posted by Mitch on April 10, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Waxy, Yellow Federal Buildup -

Waxy, Yellow Federal Buildup - Mike Lynch of Reason writes about how hard it is to kill a federal program....
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Yeaaaaaah, the Taxxxx-maaaaan - This

Yeaaaaaah, the Taxxxx-maaaaan - This is an interesting story on how people with relatively high incomes are paying the vast majority of our nation's taxes. The surpising part - it's from the Associated Press!...
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Post-Postism - A great essay

Post-Postism - A great essay today on life in the intellectual wasteland...of a typical university English department....
Posted by Mitch on April 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy - One

Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy - One of Tony Blair's policy wonks, Robert Cooper, is calling for "Liberal Imperialism". Granted, on one level Cooper is referring to a "small-l" liberalism - sort of. Cooper floats the theory that states are either pre-modern...
Posted by Mitch on April 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Clinton Legacy, Part II

The Clinton Legacy, Part II - Gallup released polls today that showed Clinton, today, has the third-worst post-presidency job-approval ratings of any president of the last forty years. Thirty points below the sainted John F. Kennedy - no big surprise....
Posted by Mitch on April 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Nanny's Retreat - the

Nanny's Retreat - the Legislature, after decades of serving as the scolding mom, finally okayed some fireworks. Not very important? Maybe. But this is the sort of bill that got nowhere in the last twenty years of absolute DFL...
Posted by Mitch on April 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Less about Moore - I've

Less about Moore - I've never liked Michael Moore. "Blood in the Face" was an interesting movie about American nazis and the Klan, but drew wider sociological conclusions that weren't supported by any rational evidence. His rants against corporate America...
Posted by Mitch on April 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

What's in a Domain Name?

What's in a Domain Name? - Local activists are playing dirty...with internet domain names....
Posted by Mitch on April 04, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Problem with Hate Crime

The Problem with Hate Crime Legislation - When justice is equal - when we are all equal before the law - then there is no real reason to abuse the law. It's when inequalities are introduced into the mix that...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Break - It occured to

Break - It occured to me that I haven't had a vacation in 13 years that didn't involve either job-hunting, painting my house, or visiting my parents in North Dakota. Not that there's anything wrong with any of those things,...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

A Blessed Easter - Lest

A Blessed Easter - Lest you forget amid the Hallmark (TM) hype that's nearly taken the day over, today's the observed anniversary of the day Christ died for your sins. (I'm not going to throw in any of the usual...
Posted by Mitch on March 31, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bring Out the Holy Hand

Bring Out the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch! - Attack Rabbits are now for real....
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Dull Sword swings Both

The Dull Sword swings Both Ways - The presidency of Bill Clinton may well have been saved by "scandal fatigue" - Americans' weariness with more and more news about scandals. Democrats crowed about it on the surface - and, I...
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blah - Started a new

Blah - Started a new job the week before last. That and my home life have constricted some of my time available for this sort of thing. Which really means I'll be doing more of this on the weekend than...
Posted by Mitch on March 30, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Berry, Redux - Anne Coulter

Berry, Redux - Anne Coulter dissects Halle Berry's self-serving Oscar acceptance speech....
Posted by Mitch on March 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Deep Kimchi - The coddling

Deep Kimchi - The coddling and pacification of the Clinton years may have finally borne fruit; North Korea apparently has nuclear weapons. Critics of the military, especially liberals, like to spout the simple bromide, "the military always trains to fight...
Posted by Mitch on March 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dawkins Retires - Frogtown's ultraliberal

Dawkins Retires - Frogtown's ultraliberal senator Andy Dawkins is finally retiring from the Senate, and will finally officially live in the same house with his wife, ultraliberal Ellen Anderson. I met Andy Dawkins on my old KSTP talk show in...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Start with the Baloney -

Start with the Baloney - DFL legislators began a short, painless "hunger strike" yesterday, over potential welfare cuts. This is worse than those idiotic squatter camps that well-to-do college students set up to "draw attention to homelessness". Now, not only...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Zero Brain - As part

Zero Brain - As part of the "drug war" - and especially after the Columbine massacre - "zero tolerance" became the latest cliche in the nation's bottomless library of catch phrases. My son was sent home from school last year...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Culture War, at your

The Culture War, at your local Bookstore - Stanley Kurtz writes an excellent article about how the culture wars are reflected on the best-seller lists.....
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Whew - Eight people were

Whew - Eight people were killed by a mad gunman in Paris yesterday. Good thing France has stiff gun control laws, huh? You never know WHAT might have happened!...
Posted by Mitch on March 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bush + Rice, 2004? -

Bush + Rice, 2004? - Andrew Sullivan speculates on a GOP ticket I've been dreaming about for 2004 - Bush with Condoleeza Rice....
Posted by Mitch on March 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Conservatives on Campus - I

Conservatives on Campus - I went to an exceedlingly sleepy little college out on the Great Plains, where students were generally too busy trying to learn how to earn a living that didn't involve repairing tractors to bother with politics...
Posted by Mitch on March 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Insanity Continues - The

The Insanity Continues - The national abomination that is "the war on drugs" continues, with a Supreme Court case with some awful implications....
Posted by Mitch on March 24, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sara Brady, Hypocrite - According

Sara Brady, Hypocrite - According to this New York Daily News article, anti-gun zealot Sara Brady...seems to have broken a gun law. Typical enough - it's par for the course for anti-gun activists. The list of anti-gun activists who themselves...
Posted by Mitch on March 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Donald Hall, RIP - My

Donald Hall, RIP - My grandfather passed away yesterday at 89. Had to catalog the influences he had on my life - but I'll try. Later today or this evening....
Posted by Mitch on March 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Today - First day at

Today - First day at a new job, so it's going to be a light one (at least until later tonight, Thursday). I'll leave you with this delightful screed from Lileks. Wish me luck!...
Posted by Mitch on March 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Was this mentioned at Kyoto?

Was this mentioned at Kyoto? - Beijing is being choked by dust storms. The dust storms are the result of erosion in the farmland between Beijing and the Gobi desert. That, in turn, is the result of harebrained socialist agriculture...
Posted by Mitch on March 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Redistricting - The Special Judicial

Redistricting - The Special Judicial Panel released its final redistricting report yesterday. With a big swath of Sixth District voters swapped into the Second (which Bill Luther barely held in 2000) looks like John Kline has a serious shot of...
Posted by Mitch on March 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Peace Through Rhetoric- What are

Peace Through Rhetoric- What are two things liberals always claim? a) That President Bush is an idiot, and that b) they don't want any wars with anyone anywhere (unless they're pro-life). Amid the wailings of the professional hand-wringing class here...
Posted by Mitch on March 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Geraldo - I've wanted to

Geraldo - I've wanted to write a good flame of Geraldo Rivera for years. Other people always do it better. James Lileks, in this case....
Posted by Mitch on March 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Iron Lady vs. The

The Iron Lady vs. The Continent - While Europeans sniff at America's foreign policy and leaders, it's worth noting what history shows us - that most of the harebrained-cum-evil ideas that made the last two centuries so utterly miserable had...
Posted by Mitch on March 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ambling Into Balance - Andrew

Ambling Into Balance - Andrew Sullivan posts a repeat of a great blog, in which he reassesses President Bush in light of Frank Bruni's new book, "Ambling Into History". While Bruni's a moderate liberal who works for the very liberal...
Posted by Mitch on March 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Russell Yates Redux - The

Russell Yates Redux - The Washington Post presents Russell Yates' side of the story. I'll reiterate my theory of the other day - Yates was a guy in a lousy situation, dealing with a mentally-ill wife. He was ill-equipped to...
Posted by Mitch on March 17, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Black, Meet White - Oliver

Black, Meet White - Oliver Willis is a black blogger with a few interesting ideas among all the rest. I stumbled on this one and found it interesting - noting the number of blacks who may or may not be...
Posted by Mitch on March 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Ooops - A billing error

Ooops - A billing error with my ISP caused some service interruption. Believe it or not, they admitted it was their error. Feel free to collect your extra viewing of Shot in the Dark, as part of the settlement! More...
Posted by Mitch on March 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Yates Guilty - The jury

Yates Guilty - The jury didn't buy the insanity defense, and Andrea Yates was convicted yesterday of murdering three of her five children. Two thoughts come to mind: first, the ongoing infantilization of women has taken two big setbacks in...
Posted by Mitch on March 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

American Jingoism - The current

American Jingoism - The current conflict has shown us a great example of blinkered American jingoism. No, not from the government, or most of your average Americans, but from the media. How many of you knew from the American media...
Posted by Mitch on March 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

When Cicero Spoke- Full disclosure

When Cicero Spoke- Full disclosure - my father was a speech teacher. I study oratory and its role in history. I was talking with a friend about the relative merits of President Bush and former president Clinton, especially Bush's merits...
Posted by Mitch on March 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Shooting, Part II - Concealed-carry

Shooting, Part II - Concealed-carry activists are frequently asked why we can't use pepper spray, or mace, or martial arts or stun guns instead of firearms. Yesterday's shooting of the mentally-ill Somali man shows where non-lethal forms of resistance to...
Posted by Mitch on March 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Six-Month Anniversary - Hard to

Six-Month Anniversary - Hard to believe it was six months ago today that the world seemed to turn on its ear. In many ways, life doesn't seem all that much different now. The day to day grind really isn't, honestly....
Posted by Mitch on March 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Accuse First, Ask Questions Later

Accuse First, Ask Questions Later - The left in Minneapolis is crying foul over the weekend shooting of a machete-wielding, mentally-illy Somali man by the Police - apparently after the officers on the scene exhausted all of their non-lethal options....
Posted by Mitch on March 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

One Wonders what Alec Baldwin

One Wonders what Alec Baldwin would do without President Bush and the fiasco of our last election. Granted, he has nothing to go on legally - he keeps repeating the Big Lie in hopes that the weak-minded and ill-informed will...
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Them Thar Yurpeens - This

Them Thar Yurpeens - This is actually a bit about writing. I play guitar. By most standards, I'm pretty good at it. Now, Richard Thompson is the world's most amazing guitarist. I've seen him three times. And every time I...
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Return of the Anti-War

The Return of the Anti-War Left - "Earth Times" talks about the resurgence of "The Nation". I'll be looking for further signs of this at our host of leftie wacko Twin Cities campuses....
Posted by Mitch on March 09, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Garage Illogic - My friends

Garage Illogic - My friends assume that, because I am a conservative, pragmatic Republican, I must love Joe Soucheray's Garage Logic, on KSTP-AM. Well, I used to work with Joe, and his show is occasionally side-splittingly funny, and his skewering...
Posted by Mitch on March 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

King of the Roads- The

King of the Roads- The never-ending war over the future of the Twin Cities traffic infrastructure just goes on and on, with the current word being that a referendum might be required. For those of you not familiar with the...
Posted by Mitch on March 08, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Anti-War Left - There's

The Anti-War Left - There's been plenty of anger about the resurgence of the anti-war left in recent weeks. Some of it's been here. I've personally interpreted much of their stance as an opportunistic combination of opportunistic triangulation and pandering...
Posted by Mitch on March 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Iraq and Roll - George

Iraq and Roll - George Will profiles the leader of the Iraqi opposition, on whom some of our hopes of unseating the dictator Hussein rest....
Posted by Mitch on March 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Enronned, Part II - In

Enronned, Part II - In the wake of the Enron crisis, the predictable cries arose from the predictable people - "We need government to make things safer/fairer/more stable". Government oversight of passenger rail service has done us all wonders. Rail...
Posted by Mitch on March 07, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Minnesota Caucuses - Minnesota went

Minnesota Caucuses - Minnesota went through its periodic "precinct caucus" ritual last night. As predicted, conservative Brian Sullivan beat Tim Pawlenty by a wide margin in the GOP straw poll. This will be widely extolled by the left as a...
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

History Repeats All Over Again?

History Repeats All Over Again? - William F. Buckley writes on historical precedents in the Middle East....
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Big Box - My liberal

Big Box - My liberal friends all bought "Nickeled and Dimed - on Not Getting By in America", by the generally-incoherent Barbara Ehrenreich, and acted like they'd caught all of us conservatives pilfing from the fridge at night. The book,...
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Our Unbiased Media - Liberal

Our Unbiased Media - Liberal pundits swear that if the media is biased at all, it's toward the right. My Green friends insist that the media is really utterly a great conservative cabal (and compared to most of my Green...
Posted by Mitch on March 06, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Diversity means Lots of People

Diversity means Lots of People Like Us - A conservative student at Berkeley has been getting death threats for criticizing racist propaganda by a hispanic separatist group on campus. The big surprise is that there is a conservative at Berkeley...
Posted by Mitch on March 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Doh! - Yes, I missed

Doh! - Yes, I missed writing yesterday - and my hit count showed it. My life has re-acquired some of the chaos I was missing. More later. But I'll be keeping a more regular schedule!...
Posted by Mitch on March 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Raise the Voting Age to

Raise the Voting Age to 30!- Years ago, I used to work at a software company with this pinhead kid. He'd just graduated from Macalester (aka "Berkeley on the Prairie"), and it showed; he had the same loopy-left retro-sixties naivete...
Posted by Mitch on March 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

President Visits - The Strib

President Visits - The Strib took note of some of the idiots who were out in Eden Prairie protesting President Bush's visit. The usual throng of handout-mongers and America-lasters were out in some force. Many were waving pretzels - a...
Posted by Mitch on March 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Daschle: Political Suicide? - Many

Daschle: Political Suicide? - Many of us on the right are wondering what's with Daschle's nascent anti-war slant. Andrew Sullivan sums up one view - nothing that Daschle's doing has anything to do with being a loyal opposition....
Posted by Mitch on March 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Duuuude, Where's the Sense? -

Duuuude, Where's the Sense? - The "War on Drugs" has just gotten too absurd....
Posted by Mitch on March 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Rumors of the end of

Rumors of the end of the war are premature. The world just gets scarier and scarier. In light of the gravity of the threats that we're only now beginning to comprehend, the "anti-war" faction in this country just seems more...
Posted by Mitch on March 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

His Justice, Her Justice -

His Justice, Her Justice - The feminist left's usual rant is that "the system" is irredeemably slanted against women. Women earn drastically less (untrue with men and women of equal education), women are unfairly denied custody of "their" children (statistically...
Posted by Mitch on March 03, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Police On My Back(pack)- A

Police On My Back(pack)- A few days ago, Tom Swift posted this item from the LA Times on the Minnesota Politics website. It seems famous Dakota County prosecutor Jim Backstrom is pressing to bring the full weight of the law...
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Multiculturalism in Action - Liberals

Multiculturalism in Action - Liberals like the Vacuous Eleven, when talking about Education, stress the need for multiculturalism. I won't say that this kind of thing is the inevitable end result of multiculturalism taught without the sort of cultural grounding...
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Vacuous Eleven's Idea of

The Vacuous Eleven's Idea of a Perfect School - U of California at Berkeley has reinstated their controversial, not-necessarily-for-credit sex ed classes. Perhaps this is what Karen Clark (S Central Mpls) Steve Dehler (St Cloud) Mindy Greiling (Roseville) Phillis Kahn...
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Waxy Sixties Buildup - Eleven

Waxy Sixties Buildup - Eleven of our Representatives (including mine, Alice "The Phantom" Hausman) voted against the Pledge of Allegiance bill in the House yesterday: Karen Clark (S Central Mpls) Steve Dehler (St Cloud) Mindy Greiling (Roseville) Phillis Kahn (U...
Posted by Mitch on March 01, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Peace In Our Time, Part

Peace In Our Time, Part 3 - Robert Pollock writes about something I've been thinking for most of the past decade; Bill Clinton was the Neville Chamberlain of our era. The mantra - no, the cliche - of the era...
Posted by Mitch on February 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Adios, Jesse? - Will Ventura

Adios, Jesse? - Will Ventura recover from the big override? Let's connect the dots; he has one fellow party member in the legislature. He's just had his head handed to him by the legislature on the budget. His star power...
Posted by Mitch on February 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Bombay Calling to the Faraway

Bombay Calling to the Faraway Towns - Critics of America's system of government rarely deign to show better alternatives. Perhaps because there aren't any. As we see now in India. This is scary....
Posted by Mitch on February 28, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Devil and Bono Vox

The Devil and Bono Vox - I've been playing in rock and punk bands since I was a kid. I've also been a Christian pretty much my entire cognitive life. It's a given that a lot of my rocker friends...
Posted by Mitch on February 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The System - Here in

The System - Here in St. Paul: A local businesswoman with deep ties to the DFL, the Hamline/Midway Community Coalition, and DFL councilman Jay Benanav is buying a piece of city-owned property at 60% under market value - under the...
Posted by Mitch on February 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Free Market Versus Islamic

The Free Market Versus Islamic Extremism - Reason Magazine points out why the market - not sanctimonious posturing - might hold part of the answer to Islamic Extremism....
Posted by Mitch on February 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Oops - Yes, I ended

Oops - Yes, I ended up taking yesterday off. Work called. Drat the luck. Hopefully bigger and "better" today....
Posted by Mitch on February 27, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sorkin it up, Toughin' it

Sorkin it up, Toughin' it Out - Liberal drug addict and TV producer Aaron Sorkin is in trouble for ripping on the president. So in the interest of kicking a dog when it's down - "West Wing" is almost as...
Posted by Mitch on February 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Councilman and the Coffeepusher

The Councilman and the Coffeepusher - The story of Jay Benanav, and the sweetheart deal given to St. Paul businesswoman and Benanav supporter Kathy Sundberg, tomorrow....
Posted by Mitch on February 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

A Tale of Two Politicians

A Tale of Two Politicians - When Ronald Reagan contracted Alzheimers, he kept his ailment to himself until he couldn't any longer - and then gracefully withdrew from public life, to protect his family's privacy and, one might presume, not...
Posted by Mitch on February 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

I Blog, Therefore I Am

I Blog, Therefore I Am - I've had people ask me how this site is done, and what I use to do it. It's a good question - and the tip of a new web-society iceberg, as explained by Andrew...
Posted by Mitch on February 25, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Other World Alert - My

Other World Alert - My kids watch a bit of "The Disney Channel". Tonight, they were promoting a made-for-Disney-Cable movie ("Cadet Kelly", not that it matters), where a young hippie girl is sent to a military school. In a scene...
Posted by Mitch on February 23, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Weekend - I'll be spending

Weekend - I'll be spending the weekend at that most glorious of American institutions - an elementary school girls' basketball tourney. My daughter kicks butt, by the way. At any rate, although I've promised to take the last two weekends...
Posted by Mitch on February 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Stop the Sketch! - In

Stop the Sketch! - In a state that gave us Rudy Perpich, Phyllis Kahn and Jesse The Mind Ventura, sometimes it helps to remember that there are states out there who are just as silly and trite and profligate with...
Posted by Mitch on February 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Iraq 'n Roll - James

Iraq 'n Roll - James Robbins discusses a possible endgame in Iraq....
Posted by Mitch on February 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

More on the "Clinton Military"

More on the "Clinton Military" - Apparently after eight years of neglect and downsizing, the National Guard isn't as ready for action as we thought....
Posted by Mitch on February 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

EuroAlert - Further proof, were

EuroAlert - Further proof, were any needed, that after 200-odd years, Europeans still haven't gotten this democracy thing figured out. The EU has all the makings of a bureaucratic police state. And I never thought I'd say it, but -...
Posted by Mitch on February 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Cold Lampin' with Diddy -

Cold Lampin' with Diddy - Slate addresses the would-be Don King of the 21st century, Puff Dad...er, P-Diddy...er, Sean John...er, Sean "Puffy" Combs. It - and the stories about similar hip-hop megacapitalist Master P - explain less about hip-hop culture...
Posted by Mitch on February 22, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My New Screen Saver! -

My New Screen Saver! - This, from Germany's "Der Spiegel". The issues is titled, in English, "The Bush Warriors". Spiegel is hilariously liberal - but in Europe, news outlets are at least honest about their biases....
Posted by Mitch on February 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Slavery is Freedom Act

The Slavery is Freedom Act - Sam McDonald writes in Reason Magazine that the Democrats have at least learned one important lesson from John Aschcroft; are you pushing legislation that is sure to assault civil liberties? Give it a warm,...
Posted by Mitch on February 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Why I Love Ann Coulter

Why I Love Ann Coulter - Sure, she's as subtle as an M1 tank in a feminist caucus meeting, but Ann Coulter sometimes fires off a line that sums things up better than the rest of the landed punditry put...
Posted by Mitch on February 21, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)

How's that? - The Politics

How's that? - The Politics section of the Star/Tribune online today includes one of those quickie polls about same-sex benefits. The poll asks: "Should the state support same-sex employee benefits? Of course it should Absolutely not Only if opposite-sex employees...
Posted by Mitch on February 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Wonk Power - How Speech

Wonk Power - How Speech Rationing (aka Campaign Finance Reform) helps the ultimate special interest - politicians....
Posted by Mitch on February 20, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Treehugger Has No Clothes?

The Treehugger Has No Clothes? - Scientists who break from the ranks of environmental activists find themselves being attacked for the darnedest things. Danish scientist Bjorn Lomborg started writing a book attacking Julian Simon - a scientist who questioned the...
Posted by Mitch on February 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Too Sad to Joke About

Too Sad to Joke About - September 11 all but wiped out what had been for me, up to then, the saddest story of the year - the Andrea Yates case, which went to trial yesterday. It brought up an...
Posted by Mitch on February 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Distorted Priorities - William Safire

Distorted Priorities - William Safire wrote a great article yesterday about the distortion in security priorities in Washington since the start fo the war, and the danger that poses to our freedom....
Posted by Mitch on February 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Talk Talk - The concealed

Talk Talk - The concealed carry debate begins on Politalk today. In theory, my article "The Top Three Myths about Concealed Carry Reform" should appear. Again, I've posted it on my articles site a day in advance of the debate...
Posted by Mitch on February 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

First, I Take Your Leg

First, I Take Your Leg - Fascinating article in the Strib that puts a name to something conservative talk-radio has been noting for years - the tendency of bureaucrats, when "cutting budgets", to slash the things that'll get the most...
Posted by Mitch on February 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fraying About the Edges -

Fraying About the Edges - One more sign that life in the Twin Cities just isn't as good as it was. This was one thing about the greater Twin Cities that always astounded my friends from Chicago and LA. Sorry...
Posted by Mitch on February 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Now 75% Less Vacuous! -

Now 75% Less Vacuous! - Great article in Reason Magazine about how the press is - or at least sees itself as - being a whole lot less frivolous now than before the war....
Posted by Mitch on February 19, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Blah - The worst kind

Blah - The worst kind of hangover is the one where you haven't had a thing to drink in weeks. I've got the same upper-respiratory crud that everyone else has. Hacking cough, headache, general Mencken-ish dyspepsia... So this might be...
Posted by Mitch on February 18, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Liberals and Defense - We

Liberals and Defense - We talked last week (see the Archives) about liberals' exaggerated faith in "the Clinton Military". Another idea popped to mind this week along those lines. Liberals are criticizing President Bush's defense budget, lambasting "programs left over...
Posted by Mitch on February 16, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Reminder - if you haven't

Reminder - if you haven't signed up for the Politalk debate on Concealed Carry reform, do. The array of contributors promises to be excellent and well-informed. And the forum - unlike some others we could name - is impartial and...
Posted by Mitch on February 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

OK... - This weekend, I'm

OK... - This weekend, I'm really not going to post anything. Honest. I'm taking two days off. For real. No takebacks....
Posted by Mitch on February 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Freedom as Commodity - Why

Freedom as Commodity - Why the free market is a better answer than Speech Rationing...er, Campaign Finance Reform....
Posted by Mitch on February 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

French, Toast - The National

French, Toast - The National Review's Victor Davis Hanson parodies the European response to our actions since September 11. Hilarious....
Posted by Mitch on February 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

And the Luge They Rode

And the Luge They Rode In On - International Olympic officials, upset about the intensely nationalistic fervor and intense security at the Salt Lake City games, are pondering never staging an Olympics in the US again. I have also groaned,...
Posted by Mitch on February 15, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Incumbancy Protection Act Passes -

Incumbancy Protection Act Passes - John Fund, as is frequently the case, nails the Shays-Meehan bill on the head....
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The American Empire? - Andrew

The American Empire? - Andrew Sullivan's site is in quite a discussion about the dawning of America as an Empire. He also refers to this article by Paul Kennedy. More to come....
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Happy Valentine's Day! - For

Happy Valentine's Day! - For the first time in 13 years, I'm not giving out any valentines! Do you have any idea how much money I'm saving?...
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Concealed Carry Online Discussion -

Concealed Carry Online Discussion - Politalk.com , a local political debate site, will be hosting a two-week-long debate about Minnesota's proposed Concealed Carry Reform bill. I'll be writing a piece - "Top Three Myths about Concealed Carry Reform", which will...
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Sorry - Running a bit

Sorry - Running a bit late today. Life calls. Bleah....
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Even More Shocked - Judi

Even More Shocked - Judi Dutcher throws her hat in the ring for Governor. She was a stealth democrat when she was elected State Auditor, before Jeffordsing the MN GOP. Now, she'll provide the teacher-union-coddling "alternative" to...Pawlenty? Good thing this...
Posted by Mitch on February 14, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Promises, Promises - The stars

Promises, Promises - The stars that promised to move to Europe if President Bush won the election...haven't....
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Through the Past, Dankly -

Through the Past, Dankly - My archives are now available. See the menu on the right....
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

"We Meet Again - but

"We Meet Again - but this time, I Have Control! - I remember all the way back to high school, hearing radical feminists saying - no, treating as an article of hope and faith, the notion that eventually we'd develop...
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

My Predictions - As I

My Predictions - As I predicted, the Personal Protection Act is on rocky ground - but only ever-so slightly. The Star Tribune continues to astound with its relatively balanced coverage, by the way. The bill may be back - but...
Posted by Mitch on February 13, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

The Foul-Mouthed Sandy Pappas is

The Foul-Mouthed Sandy Pappas is hard at work in St. Paul, making Minnesota safer for illegal immigrants, orphanage-bashers, big porkbarrel projects and the teachers' union - but making it a crime to talk on your cell phone in your car....
Posted by Mitch on February 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Speech Rationing Moves Forward -

Speech Rationing Moves Forward - the Shays/Meehan Speech Rationing bill (aka "Campaign Finance Reform") may come to a vote in the House today. Call your congressperson. This is the most cynical bill of goods I can recall anyone trying to...
Posted by Mitch on February 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Good Sign, Bad Sign? -

Good Sign, Bad Sign? - In these days of creeping war, terror alerts and economic stress, it's so good that America's most vacuous diversion is going to be back....
Posted by Mitch on February 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fortune Favors the Innocuous- The

Fortune Favors the Innocuous- The United Nations has banned child soldiers. "The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson, and campaigners, will mark the treaty's enforcement with a special ceremony in the grounds of the UN's European headquarters...
Posted by Mitch on February 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Fortune Favors the Blunt -

Fortune Favors the Blunt - When Ronald Reagan gave his definitive speech at the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, his advisors were shaking in their shoes. Yet he pressed ahead - and the message got across, and history changed sooner than...
Posted by Mitch on February 12, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Public Campaign Financing - The

Public Campaign Financing - The notion of making elections "fairer" by financing them with tax dollars keeps popping up. John Fund addresses this issue in this week's Opinion Journal. The supporters' notion is that elections will be fairer and more...
Posted by Mitch on February 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Dispatches from the Drug War

Dispatches from the Drug War - the Pioneer Press' Ruben Rosario notes that many states are finally seeing the fiscal and moral light, and abolishing mandatory minimum sentences, especially for first drug offenses. The conservative case for ending the "Drug...
Posted by Mitch on February 11, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Welcome to Shot in the

Welcome to Shot in the Dark! I'm Mitch Berg. I'm a divorced father of two kids, living in St. Paul. I'm as politically active as time permits - which is to say, not very much. My bio is not really...
Posted by Mitch on February 05, 2002 | Read Whole Post | Comments (0)

Amazing - it's five years

Amazing - it's five years ago!...
Posted by Mitch on February 10, 1999 | Read Whole Post | Comments (1)