Monthly Archives: August 2006

Strange Priorities

Digby: “This is for real, apparently. The government is actually spending money doing simulations of potential terrorist attacks by peace activists.”

Posted in 9/11 & Aftermath | Comments Off on Strange Priorities

London Backpedals on Bomb Plot

Kevin Drum has the round up on The Incredible Shrinking Bomb Plot.

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Speaking Of 1Ls

Every new entering class brings with it new student bloggers. Pointers to U. Miami Law 1L bloggers (or 2Ls & 3 Ls missing from the left column) most welcome.

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Welcome Section ‘H’

I participated in the Law School’s orientation program today by moderating a discussion on the law relating to Guantanamo with the incoming students in section ‘H’. I don’t teach in the first year — haven’t in far too long — but the idea was that students having a teacher who won’t be grading them this year would make students more willing to talk.

I don’t know if that was the reason, but it was certainly a lively session, and gave me a great feeling for the strength of the incoming class. I saw my role in this session primarily as devil’s advocate, so I didn’t make any effort to give my opinions, although one or two may have bled through. I told the class that if they wanted to know what I think, they’d find it here. So, students wanting to know what I think about the issues will find a hint in my 105 postings on Guantanamo and in the 67 posts on Torture. Since the posts are in reverse chronological order, you should start at the bottom, where you’ll find Guantanamo: Our Collective Shame. Posted October 10, 2003 and still true.

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Avoiding Identity Theft With Stephen Colbert

Everyone is worried about identity theft these days.

Good thing that Stephen Colbert has some simple advice to help you stop worrying: Stephen’s Sound Advice: Protecting Identity, pt. 1 and the even funnier pt. 2.

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Sen. Allen Moves to Steps Three and Four

Having failed to defuse a media typhoon by first swearing at reporters, and then second claiming that the boss didn’t know what he was saying (see That’s a Defense?), Sen. Allen moved on to step three, the non-apology apology. (And also the non-denial denial.)

Since that didn’t work, we are now on to step four, the pathetically unpersuasive explanation:

I also made up a nickname for the cameraman, which was in no way intended to be racially derogatory. Any insinuations to the contrary are completely false.

It was just a nickname. See? Nothing vicious here. I just happened to pick a nickname for the sole dark face in a white crowd that just happens to be the same as a common racial epithet. Could happen to anyone, right?

Sounds like Step Two all over again to me.

Posted in Politics: US: 2006 Election | Comments Off on Sen. Allen Moves to Steps Three and Four