August 18, 2004
State of delusion
AG King repeats message about state in crisis
St. Roy isn't showing up much right now, but his secret identity, Alabama Attorney General "Troy King", gave his standard speech in Huntsville yesterday. (Did he get to meet Rumsfeld?) You know the drill: he hates gays and John Kerry and he wants to kill more convicts faster.
Where's Rummy?
Why, he's hiding in Huntsville, or was at last report. He congratulated the people at the Space and Missile Defense Conference for wasting billions of dollars on a missile shield that isn't even close to working if it ever will doing what missile people do. He spoke fondly of the time in the sixties when he met aging Nazi Wehrner von Braun.
He got a 3.2 from the Romanian judge
nbc13.com - News - Man Wearing Tutu, Clown Shoes Dives In Pool At Olympics
Security is being stepped up so that this doesn't happen again. Whew, what a relief.
Now what rhymes with "duck"?
Alaska Researchers Try to Breed Rare Ducks
Seventeen ducks (ten male and seven female) from the species called "Steller's eider" were collected from the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutians last year. Scientists hope that the birds will get it on and make baby ducks (aw, baby ducks!) so the species will live on in Alaska, where there are now only about 500 pairs. Scientists don't know why the species has declined in recent years (by about half in the last three decades) but I'd guess that old culprit Homo sapiens has something to do with it.
(Congratulations to the Tuscaloosa News, by the way, which for once didn't read "Alaska" as "Alabama" and put this in the "State" section.)
It's a truly excellent system
Officers trained on missing child system
For instance, Monday it found a missing child even though there was no missing child! He just got on the wrong bus and went to the wrong school.
UPDATE: Well, it works fine, unless there's a busy signal. (Busy signal impedes search.)
That's Florida, all right
Herald.com | 08/18/2004 | State vows to punish frauds, gougers
Fraud and dishonesty are two of Florida's major products; why should a hurricane change that? So you have the guys who claim to be insurance adjusters showing up at damaged and destroyed homes and demanding payments up front to survey the damage. There are the hotels that have jacked up their prices by nearly 200 percent. And, of course, there are the "roofers" who take upfront payments for repairs they won't, and likely can't, make. Nothing new; they all showed up after Andrew 12 years ago.
What an odd headline
Anyway, the perjury charge against Phillip Bobo is probably going to go; Judge Clemon is asking for more information on the other charges against him, which defense attorneys say amount to double jeopardy. Personally, I disagree. Bobo was convicted on federal charges a few years ago; the convictions were later overturned on appeal. My belief is that you can still almost always refile charges under those circumstances. Without Bobo, the Feds don't have much of a case against Siegelman.
August 17, 2004
Josh Levin hates twins
The 2004 Olympics - Why the U.S. men's gymnastics team is un-American. By Josh Levin
Yes, I know it's supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but Slate since Kinsley left really doesn't do tongue-in-cheek nearly as well as it thinks it does. But all I have to say about the identical twins thing is:
By the way, this is my 8000th post. Sort of. There were posts on other versions of the site that didn't make it to the conversion. Whatever.
Watch this sport
Catch one of the Olympic matches on cable if you can. Wow. It's like a combination of the best elements of basketball and soccer, assuming soccer has any good elements. It's certainly much better suited to American viewing interests than soccer is, and easier to follow and televise than lacrosse, which it also resembles somewhat. (A US team member describes it as water polo on dry land, which is also pretty close -- but handball's faster.)
Anyway, the US Handball Team isn't all that good. But they did give instruction to Huntsville PE teachers this summer, and the teachers are planning to teach their students. Multiply by a couple hundred other cities, and maybe we've got something.
Told you he wouldn't
al.com: NewsFlash - Judge refuses to step aside from bid-rigging case against Siegelman
Let's leave aside the offensive prosecution attempt to smear Judge Clemon and their attempts to import a judge from outside in violation of normal operating procedures. (Next they'd probably want a jury from outside the state, too.) Judge Clemon couldn't step aside from the case on the grounds of bias against the government. He's a Federal judge! If he were to step aside, he'd basically be making himself incapable of serving on any case in which the government was a party.
Alice Martin is making herself a slew of enemies in the Northern District. I know who I think should step aside.
Do they even name them anymore?
CNN.com - Cassini spies 2 new Saturn moons - Aug 16, 2004
Personally, I think an object needs a minimum size requirement before we call it a moon. Two miles across doesn't cut it.
Stupid American media!
SI.com - Olympics - Medal Tracker - Total
Sure, if you count the medal results by nation, you have China with the most, followed by a tie between the United States and Australia. But this is Cold War thinking! Look at it the modern way, by continents!
Europe: 59
Asia: 42
North America: 18
Australia: 13
South America: 3
Africa: 1
Antarctica: 0
(Russia is considered European, but Turkey, which must give up its pipe dream of EU membership, is Asian.)
Hello, breakfast!
Yahoo! News - New Bird Species Found in Philippines
The "Calayan Rail" is not, as you'd think, a train, but a flightless bird species. There are 100-200 pairs of the bird, and it's basically similar to another species found in Okinawa, though that one can fly a little... There are lots of flightless bird species on Pacific islands, albeit fewer than there were before people (and rats, cats, and dogs) came along. Since mammals generally can't reach these islands without human assistance, birds have tended to fill mammalian ecological niches.
No wonder, if they're ill...
Groups: Ill. Butterfly Population Falling
The Chicago area butterfly population has plummetted this summer; nobody's quite sure why. Maybe it's the weather. Maybe it's disease, or predation. My theory is that they heard that Alan Keyes was coming and flew off.
So much for that defense
Justices uphold judgment against Rudolph
If you're looking to avoid a massive civil judgment against you, you cannot hide in a hole in the ground to avoid being served and then claim that you weren't properly notified of the lawsuit.
He's not going to
The Federal prosecutors outlined a number of events where U.W. Clemon was treated shabbily by Federal investigators (investigating him, harassing leaders of his church, sending his sister to jail) and say that maybe, just maybe, he might not be too fond of Federal investigations. Unable to function without a judge who will roll over for any request they make, the Feds want him to step aside.
August 16, 2004
The pound will need a big truck for those
CNN.com - India: Don't kill stray elephants - Aug 16, 2004
100 or so wild elephants wandered across the border from India to Bangladesh. Elephants generally don't pay too much attention to borders unless there's a major river involved... 13 people are dead and dozens injured, and Bangladesh is asking India to take the damn things back. Otherwise, they'll have to take steps that they'd rather not.
Giblets in 2004
Fafblog! the whole worlds only source for Fafblog: Think Giblets or Think Small
Actually, I think this is already Bush's foreign policy for the next term.
In defense of Bill Pryor, sort-of
The New York Times > Opinion > Guest Columnist: Activist, Schmactivist
Dahlia Lithwick:
President Bush's recess appointment to the 11th Circuit, Bill Pryor, expended energy as attorney general of Alabama to support Judge Roy Moore in his quest to chisel the Ten Commandments directly into the wall between church and state. Pryor is entitled to be offended by case law barring government from establishing sectarian religion. But what re-activist judges may not do is use their government office to chip away at that doctrine.
It's true that Bill Pryor did support Roy Moore for a very long time, using state time to defend the Granite Calf. However, when the Federal courts ordered the GC removed, Pryor went along with them. When St. Roy came up on charges before the Court of the Judiciary, Pryor prosecuted him personally. Pryor is persona non grata among the theocratic extreme because of this.
I'm not saying that he isn't a bad pick, or that he's not a right-wing "Federalist" who will try to turn back the clock to the Plessy v. Ferguson era of jurisprudence. But don't condemn him when he actually did something right for a change.
(Via Cliopatria.)
Everything's better with Puerto Rico
To join in with my comrade below, everything would be much better if Puerto Rico were a state. Not only would the US have a real point guard, it would have a real President, because they'd have seven or eight electoral votes and would almost certainly have voted for Gore. The Democrats would probably have two more Senators as well.
It serves you right, America!
ESPN.com - OLY/SUMMER04/BASKETBALL - Puerto Rico stuns Team USA with decisive win
Greetings from Athens! While the talk here is mostly of the magnificent showing so far of the powerhouse French women's fencers, who took two medals yesterday, I have been asked to comment on the complete and utter humiliation of the United States Men's Basketball Team -- and by implication, all 280 million Americans -- by oppressed colonial outpost Puerto Rico.
To me, this result is an indicator -- nay, a symbol! -- of the utter failure of United States colonial policy. By neither fully embracing Puerto Rico, and making it an integral part of the United States, nor fully oppressing it and making it too downtrodden to compete, the USA has doomed itself. Do you think France would allow itself to be humiliated by Tahiti?
That's weird
Woman with disease so rare in Alabama no local help found
An Alabama woman and her son somehow have Lyme Disease even though it doesn't seem to exist in Alabama and apparently they didn't leave the state any time around when they contracted the disease. They have now; they had to go to New York state to get treatment.
Roy Moore Beach Party!
Moore supporter backs candidates
Dean Young, a former Roy Moore supporter and (presumably still current) anti-gay bigot, has started a PAC to take over the government of the town of Orange Beach. Why, he isn't saying. Why is Young a former Roy Moore supporter? Because he broke with St. Roy over the Ten Commandments -- he was upset that Roy didn't put them up sooner.
Yes, that's what we do
Libraries find answers for public
For instance, people here seem to think that the library doubles as the college's directory assistance and switchboard.
August 15, 2004
Olympic Volleyball, Boo
They've screwed with the rules. You used to only be able to score points when on serve, but now every turn is a point. This is just wrong. Yes, that's me, the volleyball purist.
Let's keep in mind what's really important
Herald.com | 08/15/2004 | Damage control extends to state's battered image
Hey, sixteen people are dead (that we know of), an entire town has been destroyed, hundreds of millions of dollars in damage... So come to Disney World! The state of Florida has a special fund for such emergencies. No, not for disaster relief. To assure tourists that Epcot is still open.
"I think owning an airline would be fun."
Miracle man Bronner may taste rare defeat
The Retirement Systems of Alabama (the state employees pension fund) bought US Airways in March of last year. Now it's "50/50" that the airline will declare bankruptcy in the next thirty days. Their only hope is to completely restructure the airline as a low-cost carrier. The fund will lose a huge amount of money on this. On the other hand, they got to run an airline for a year and a half!
You might want to stay away from "attack"
Rudolph lawyers attack anonymous jury for 2005 trial
Eric Rudolph's terror lawyers want to know the names of the members of the jury in his trial. Yeah, that's a really good idea. Give out identifying information of the people who are going to possibly convict Rudolph; it's not like he's supported by a movement of religious fanatics who have been known to blow up buildings or anything.
One problem
Baxley's political future rosy in pollsters' results
Lucy Baxley, the Lieutenant Governor and Democratic frontrunner for Governor in two years, beats Bob Riley in a head-to-head poll. The only problem is that Riley almost certainly won't win the Republican nomination next time.
Baxley's lived a fascinating life. Read the details in the story.
August 14, 2004
Ah, the Republican Defense Act
Same-sex wedding foes push petition
The Christian Coalition is trying to get even more bigotry written into the Alabama Constitution by putting an anti-gay marriage amendment on the ballot. Or that's what they say. What it's really about is all sorts of ways of supporting Republican candidates, especially for the state Supreme Court.
Will they ever learn?
Herald.com | 08/14/2004 | Weak codes make Gulf Coast homes vulnerable
Does every single square foot of the state of Florida have to be ravaged by a Category 4 or 5 hurricane before they figure out that they might, just might, want to stiffen the building code? They have in the Miami area (though my understanding is that inspections aren't all they should be) but surely a monster hurricane would never hit the peninsula's Gulf coast, right?
John & John need money
That's why Edwards is visiting Birmingham. They can't win the state, but they do have a chance to raise some cash here. Gore & Lieberman didn't even try to get money out of Alabama.
Is that a good thing?
Alabama cities rank among the most sober
Supposedly, Montgomery is the most sober city in the country, and Birmingham is fourth-most. Denver is the drunkest. I ask you, would you rather your city was Montgomery or Denver? I rest my case.
