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  1. → Instapundit.com (v.2) | 8 Sep 2008 | 5:50 am MDT

    "MY MUSLIM FAITH:" WHEN SARAH PALIN MISSPEAKS ON SOMETHING and the press jumps on it -- as will happen -- just remember this slip from Obama, which will probably get a lot less attention. Everybody misspeaks, which is why I...

  2. Integrating Crime Victims into the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure

    → The Volokh Conspiracy | 8 Sep 2008 | 4:09 am MDT

    The Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure constitute the "playbook" for the federal criminal justice system. But crime victims have been largely absent from the rules, even though they have an expanding...

  3. Interviews of Sarah Palin — Watch Them Now!

    → Patterico's Pontifications | 8 Sep 2008 | 1:33 am MDT

    So you’re dying to see how Sarah Palin would handle an interview? You don’t have to wait. Simon at Stubborn Facts has some clips of past interviews. You’ll have to go to Simon’s post for the complete collection, but here’s one example — complete with a call from a Democratic fan of [...]

  4. L.A. Times Story on Sarah Palin’s Governing Style: A Mixed Bag

    → Patterico's Pontifications | 8 Sep 2008 | 1:17 am MDT

    The L.A. Times has this article coming out in this morning’s edition about Sarah Palin’s governing style. It portrays Palin as a mixed bag, with both admirers and detractors. But in reality, the story itself is something of a mixed bag — with some complimentary material, but other portions that only give half [...]

  5. McCain leads Obama in RCP composite.

    → The Volokh Conspiracy | 8 Sep 2008 | 1:09 am MDT

    In the Real Clear Politics composite, McCain now leads Obama for the first time since March: 46.7% to 45.7%....

  6. Pajamas Media Debunks Another False Obama Rumor.--

    → The Volokh Conspiracy | 8 Sep 2008 | 12:09 am MDT

    Pajamas Media has done the work shooting down another false Obama rumor, this one spread by the notorious pro-Hillary website, No Quarter. It questioned whether Obama had registered for the draft,...

  7. Hillary: I’m Not Obama’s . . . Surrogate

    → Patterico's Pontifications | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:56 pm MDT

    Via Ace comes word that Hillary isn’t going to be Obama’s . . . uh, surrogate. HILLARY Clinton may be the most obvious choice to throw into the ring against the new darling of American politics, Sarah Palin, but the failed Democratic presidential candidate is refusing the job. “We’re not going to be anybody’s attack dog against [...]

  8. Sarah Palin as Commander-in-Chief of the Alaska National Guard

    → Patterico's Pontifications | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:53 pm MDT

    I have to say, I found the “Commander in Chief of the National Guard” argument to be laughable — just like the “Alaska borders Russia” argument. My thinking was: why not just admit that she has no genuine foreign policy experience — like virtually every other Governor who ever tried to be President or [...]

  9. Xrlq Beats Up on Andrew Sullivan So I Don’t Have To

    → Patterico's Pontifications | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:28 pm MDT

    Go here and here.

  10. MSNBC Names David Gregory as New Anchor; Olbermann and Matthews Remain as Analysts

    → Patterico's Pontifications | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:20 pm MDT

    [Guest post by DRJ] MSNBC has called a halt to the bold experiment pairing Keith Olbermann and Chris Matthews in the anchor chairs to lead the coverage of the 2008 election: “After months of accusations of political bias and simmering animosity between MSNBC and its parent network NBC, the channel decided over the weekend that the NBC [...]

  11. Unusual Concurrence:

    → The Volokh Conspiracy | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:09 pm MDT

    From Chief Judge Edmondson of the Eleventh Circuit, concurring in the en banc Fourth Amendment decision in Powell v. Barrett:...

  12. The Wasilla Frontiersman Vs. Times (London):

    → The Volokh Conspiracy | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:09 pm MDT

    The Columbia Journalism Review has the story on the battle, which began with this paragraph from a Times story:...

  13. → Instapundit.com (v.2) | 7 Sep 2008 | 10:56 pm MDT

    REINING IN the insane clown posse. As a former MSNBC guy, I'm glad to see sanity reassert itself....

  14. → Instapundit.com (v.2) | 7 Sep 2008 | 10:44 pm MDT

    LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE EMAILING ME THAT BARACK OBAMA NEVER REGISTERED FOR THE DRAFT: Yes, he did....

  15. → Instapundit.com (v.2) | 7 Sep 2008 | 10:16 pm MDT

    TALKLEFT: "It is disingenuous to now pretend Oprah is not a big story this campaign season. Oprah has a perfect right to act in a partisan way, but please stop with the whining when that is pointed out. Oprah injected...

  16. "Many people will express sympathy, but you don’t want or need that, because Trig will be a joy."

    → Althouse | 7 Sep 2008 | 10:10 pm MDT

    Here's the big NYT story -- pre-touted on Drudge -- about Sarah Palin and her baby:
    No one has ever tried to combine presidential politics and motherhood in quite the way Ms. Palin is doing, and it is no simple task. In the last week, the criticism she feared in Alaska has exploded into a national debate. On blogs and at PTA meetings, voters alternately cheer and fault her balancing act, and although many are thrilled to see a child with special needs in the spotlight, some accuse her of exploiting Trig for political gain.

    But her son has given Ms. Palin, 44, a powerful message. Other candidates kiss strangers’ babies; Ms. Palin has one of her own. He is tangible proof of Ms. Palin’s anti-abortion convictions, which have rallied social conservatives, and her belief that women can balance family life with ambitious careers. And on Wednesday in St. Paul, she proclaimed herself a guardian of the nation’s disabled children.

    “Children with special needs inspire a special love,” Ms. Palin said....

    “Many people will express sympathy, but you don’t want or need that, because Trig will be a joy,” Ms. Palin wrote. She added, “Children are the most precious and promising ingredient in this mixed-up world you live in down there on Earth. Trig is no different, except he has one extra chromosome.”
    Is there really a public issue here to be discussed? What exactly is it?

    ADDED: Did the "belief that women can balance family life with ambitious careers" just become right wing? If so, wow! That is perhaps the most amazing political flip I've seen in my life.

  17. Obama Slip of the Tongue Reignites False Claims That He is a Muslim.

    → The Volokh Conspiracy | 7 Sep 2008 | 10:09 pm MDT

    According to the Washington Times, some anti-Obama people (not the McCain Campaign) are spreading the "Obama is a Muslim" falsehood — again (tip to Althouse)....

  18. → Instapundit.com (v.2) | 7 Sep 2008 | 10:05 pm MDT

    NEAL STEPHENSON'S ANATHEM COMES OUT ON TUESDAY, and I've got a review in the New York Post. A reader emailed me to ask if Anathem is more like Cryptonomicon or more like The Baroque Cycle. I'd say more like the...

  19. → Instapundit.com (v.2) | 7 Sep 2008 | 9:35 pm MDT

    BARACK OBAMA: I'm not going to take your guns away. "Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress."...

  20. → Instapundit.com (v.2) | 7 Sep 2008 | 9:34 pm MDT

    YOU CAN'T TELL THE PLAYERS WITHOUT A SCORECARD: Biden Says Life Begins at Conception....

  21. Hugh Hewitt: Mr. Griffin, MSNBC's president, denies that it has an ideology. "I think ideology means we think one way, and we don't."

    → Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog | 7 Sep 2008 | 9:33 pm MDT

    Hilarious. Old Irish proverb: When everybody says you're drunk, you'd better sit down.NBC needed to sit down a long time ago. It didn't, and the brand built over decades has been broken beyond repair with a vast...

  22. Another Perspective on the Convention

    → Power Line | 7 Sep 2008 | 9:30 pm MDT

    Two or three years ago I was in Los Angeles trying a case, and my wife and I got to...

  23. No More Site Outages? (UPDATE: Answer = Yes. Yes More Site Outages)

    → Patterico's Pontifications | 7 Sep 2008 | 9:16 pm MDT

    Armed Liberal phones to say: “Your website is all better.” A tech guy looked at it today and found a bunch of runaway processes. Also, he said, the server wasn’t well configured for large traffic. The proof of the pudding is in the next big link. Keep your fingers crossed: the outages may [...]

  24. → Instapundit.com (v.2) | 7 Sep 2008 | 9:16 pm MDT

    SHIFTING RESOURCES TO FIGHT THE REAL ENEMY: Mainstream Media Diverting Terrorism Reporters Into Political Investigations. "At least three such reporters at three major papers are now chasing Sarah Palin stories."...

  25. Gallup Says McCain Leads Obama 54-44 Among Likely Voters

    → Patterico's Pontifications | 7 Sep 2008 | 9:05 pm MDT

    Holy cow. I wonder what kind of play this will get in the papers tomorrow? Can anyone say “bare majority”? UPDATE: Well, I suppose they could just ignore it entirely. In any event, the electoral vote projections still aren’t pretty.

  26. Why did Barack Obama say "my Muslim faith"?

    → Althouse | 7 Sep 2008 | 9:01 pm MDT

    I've seen so many mentions of this in the comments to various posts here today that I can see I need to break this story out into a separate post. Here's the video, from "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos:



    The Washington Times has the transcript and a description of how a snippet of the interview has caught fire on the internet:
    Within an hour of the interview's broadcast, anti-Obama groups were pushing the issue on blogs and via YouTube.

    Someone spliced together only his misstatement and was emailing it with the false claim Obama "admits" the Muslim faith.

    It's clear in the full context that he's giving the McCain campaign credit for not participating in spreading the rumor that he is a Muslim. He's not saying he is a Muslim. Quite apart from that, let's not stoop to portraying "Muslim" as the equivalent of evil. That's ugly and destructive.

  27. → Instapundit.com (v.2) | 7 Sep 2008 | 8:31 pm MDT

    HER FIRST INTERVIEW SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH THE GLENN AND HELEN SHOW: ABC News' Gibson lands first Palin interview. But hey, we're still available. Also to you, Barack! And Joe Biden, too! We've already done McCain....

  28. → Instapundit.com (v.2) | 7 Sep 2008 | 8:29 pm MDT

    BOUNCE: "In the new poll, taken Friday through Sunday, McCain leads Obama by 54%-44% among those seen as most likely to vote. The survey of 1,022 adults, including 959 registered voters, has a margin of error of +/— 3 points...

  29. In Praise of Two Pundits

    → Power Line | 7 Sep 2008 | 8:17 pm MDT

    Lots of commentators have done excellent work during this election cycle, but I want to single out two for special...

  30. Most Asian Stock Markets Up Sharply After Fannie/Freddie Takeover.

    → The Volokh Conspiracy | 7 Sep 2008 | 8:09 pm MDT

    Some VC readers were wondering what the US Stock Market is likely to do on Monday, the day after the federal takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac....

  31. Noooooooooo!

    → Althouse | 7 Sep 2008 | 8:07 pm MDT


    Photo by Hiroko Masuike.

    This is serious fashion by the seriously creepily named Obedient Sons.

    ADDED: But I love this street as the ultimate runway.

  32. Deport the Criminals First: Immigration Hold Placed on Killer of Three-Year-Old Martin in Denver

    → Patterico's Pontifications | 7 Sep 2008 | 8:02 pm MDT

    We may have another case of an illegal, arrested on multiple occasions and never deported, causing the death of a small child. The Denver Post has stories here, here, here, and here. The second link summarizes the tragic event: Three people — including a 2-year-old boy [he was actually three, according to a more [...]

  33. A happy contrast

    → Power Line | 7 Sep 2008 | 7:59 pm MDT

    I caught part of a replay of the 2006 debate of the three candidates for Alaska governor. The debate was...

  34. We're OK, You're Unqualified

    → Power Line | 7 Sep 2008 | 7:34 pm MDT

    The New York Times's Public Editor, Clark Hoyt, considers complaints that his paper has been unfair to Governor Palin, and...

  35. The Perils of Palin Blogging:

    → The Volokh Conspiracy | 7 Sep 2008 | 7:09 pm MDT

    I appreciate my co-blogger David P's post explaining why he won't be blogging about Sarah Palin. David suggests that the problem with Palin-blogging is that it's an unusual distraction. I...

  36. The gaffe machine rolls on

    → Power Line | 7 Sep 2008 | 6:59 pm MDT

    Barack Obama referred to "my Muslim faith" in a nationally televised interview today with ABC's George Stephanopoulus. Israel Insider,...

  37. Palin envy

    → Power Line | 7 Sep 2008 | 6:44 pm MDT

    Among British reporters and columnists are several observers interested in the Palin phenomenon. Gerard Baker of the Times (London) and...

  38. With A Straight Face And A Pure Heart

    → JustOneMinute | 7 Sep 2008 | 5:27 pm MDT

    NY Times Public Apologist Clark Hoyt explains the Times' role as an earnest servant of a curious public in these parlous times, with their coverage of Sarah Palin as a launch point: In our instant-news and celebrity- obsessed culture, Palin...

  39. You're In The Army Now!

    → JustOneMinute | 7 Sep 2008 | 4:44 pm MDT

    The eerily prescient Barack Obama remembers signing up for the draft when he graduated from high school in 1979; he also remembers giving serious thought to enlisting, telling George Stepanopoluos that "I have friends whose parents were in the military....

  40. On Sarah Palin avoiding interviews for now... and the dumbest things Obama and McCain have said.

    → Althouse | 7 Sep 2008 | 4:34 pm MDT

    I've been thinking about the way Sarah Palin is avoiding interviews. She can't keep doing that, but I think it's wise for her to take some time to bone up on things and to develop rhetorical strategies. She's going to be severely tested, and she's got to take some time to get ready. Her opponents are right to make a big deal out of every minute she delays, but the price of making a mistake is great. You know any dumb thing that slips out is going to be used to the hilt. And something dumb is inevitable.

    With this in mind, I was wondering what is the single dumbest thing Obama and McCain have said? Something has to be the dumbest. I'm thinking, for Obama:



    For McCain:



    The remix:



  41. I’ll Be Danged: L.A. Times Hypes Voter’s Observation That Obama Mentioned the Cost of Gas First — But Not the Fact that Obama’s Speech Came First

    → Patterico's Pontifications | 7 Sep 2008 | 4:15 pm MDT

    Today the Los Angeles Times runs a front-page Sunday-edition story based on interviews with a couple dozen women in Pennsylvania. Here’s a typical passage: Even if they admire Palin’s attempt to juggle political ambition, an infant son with Down syndrome and a pregnant unwed daughter, these women say that maternal grit is not enough to [...]

  42. Palin on Creationism.

    → The Volokh Conspiracy | 7 Sep 2008 | 3:09 pm MDT

    About nine days ago, shortly after Sarah Palin was announced as the VP candidate, I mentioned in passing what I termed Palin’s “ridiculous and embarrassing approach to creationism.” At the...

  43. The proposed ban on gender stereotypes in advertising.

    → Althouse | 7 Sep 2008 | 2:31 pm MDT

    Don't get excited. Europe will be Europe.

  44. Obama doubles down on dishonesty

    → Power Line | 7 Sep 2008 | 1:40 pm MDT

    In his speech to the Democratic convention, Barack Obama claimed that John McCain considers people who make up to $5...

  45. Freudian slip?

    → Of Arms and the Law | 7 Sep 2008 | 1:12 pm MDT

    Obama may have made Freudian slip:

    "If you’ve got a gun in your house, I’m not taking it,’’ Obama said. But the Illinois senator could still see skeptics in the crowd, particularly on the faces of several men at the back of the room.

    So he tried again. “Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress,’’ he said."

    Hat tip to reader Jack Anderson....



  46. George Will Misses the Point:

    → The Volokh Conspiracy | 7 Sep 2008 | 1:09 pm MDT

    George Will critiques the now-ubiquitous election campaign question, "Are you better off" and concludes that it is short-sighted by failing to capture the full human experience as to what it...

  47. Robert Drew's great documentary "Primary" -- about JFK and Hubert Humphrey in the Wisconsin Primary -- free, tonight, at Cinematheque.

    → Althouse | 7 Sep 2008 | 1:07 pm MDT

    New students, old residents, you should know about Cinematheque. Drop by tonight at Vilas Hall at 7:30 for this fine 60 minute film.

    And make note of the rest of the films in the "Vote Cinema: American Politics on Film" series. There are various different series and special events this fall, including "Deviants, Delinquients, and Do-Gooders: Hollywood Social Problem Films of the 1950s."

    Here's the whole fall calendar.

    Cinematheque is one of the coolest things about UW-Madison. And again: It is free.

    ADDED: Here is an interview with Albert Maysles (the cinematographer) about the part of the film where we see Jackie Kennedy's gloved, fidgeting hands:



    And here's a long clip from [another] film that gives background on Richard Nixon. I love the charming retro "Stick with Dick" sign. And Richard Nixon, turning on the charm for Nikita Krushchev, just hilarious. Lots more too.



    ADDED: Sorry, I misread the label on the second video clip, which popped up in YouTube. It has a completely different documentary style, but some great historical clips. If I remember "Primary" correctly -- I've seen it but have loaned out my DVD -- it's entirely about Kennedy and Humphrey in Wisconsin. Here's some background on the style of "Primary":
    [C]inema verite -- choosing moments where action might occur instead of creating it -- ... was the brainchild of Robert Drew, an editor at Life magazine. He believed the magazine enjoyed its success because it brought into the home pictures of action in the midst of happening -- four soldiers struggling to plant the flag at Iwo Jima, for instance -- and he wanted to extend that concept to documentaries. "I thought all we had to do was put a Life photographer who valued candid photography behind a motion picture camera, and we could make a new kind of film." But thanks to an eight-man crew that had to stop and set heavy equipment on tripods, action eluded capture.

    Then Mr. Drew started to experiment with lightweight cameras and sound recorders. In 1959, under the banner of Drew Associates, he put together a film crew, all of whom went on to write their names on the pages of documentary history: Albert Maysles, Terence Filgate (a film maker well known in his native Canada), Richard Leacock ("Monterey Pop") and D. A. Pennebaker ("Don't Look Back," "The War Room").

    The film makers set out in the dark: they were making documentaries with no directors, no scripts, no sets, no lights, little or no narration and no interviews. To be at the right place at the right moment was everything. They considered themselves neutral observers who merely recorded ongoing events and had, as much as possible, no point of view. Their first important work was "Primary," which tracked Senators John F. Kennedy and Hubert H. Humphrey through the cold 1960 Wisconsin Democratic Presidential primarily...

    Their approach, says Mr. Filgate, offered an alternative to the Edward R. Murrow style of documentaries. "It was as if we were butterfly hunting. We knew there were butterflies in the woods, but we didn't know what kind, and we didn't know how we were going to catch them; whereas in the journalistic documentary, a reporter says, 'On my left, hidden in the bushes, are thousands of butterflies.' And then the camera cuts away to the bushes. Drew, with 'Primary,' broke that mold."


  48. Could McCainocrats Make the Difference?

    → Power Line | 7 Sep 2008 | 12:27 pm MDT

    A few months ago, the media loved to talk about "Obamicans," Republicans who may vote for Barack Obama. I always...

  49. Events in Maryland

    → Of Arms and the Law | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:59 am MDT

    Posting here. Description is a bit overwraught, but essentially, a collector buys ammo from an FFL who keeps ammo records (not required) and gives them to the State Police. They show up at his house past midnight, because he bought ammo for guns for which there was no dealer record of their purchase. He explains he has a curio and relic license, and thus could acquire them without going thru a dealer.



  50. Zogby has McCain/Palin pulling ahead and men, not women, favoring Palin; and I offer a poll about that.

    → Althouse | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:29 am MDT

    It's 49.7% to 45.9% for September 5-6. It was 47.1% (McCain/Palin) to 44.6% (Obama/Biden) for August 29-30.

    I'm surprised how few voters are undecided (or for someone other the major party candidates): only 4.4%. But maybe people are shiftable, and claiming to be undecided just isn't as cool as it used to be. Maybe I should stop doing it! Ha ha. But I am undecided. I insist that the candidates woo me until the bitter end.

    Now, an interesting thing is that the August 29-30 poll showed 8.3% undecided, which means that the conventions (or whatever else may have happened in the last few days) pushed 3.9% to take a position. If we were to assume that the change in the numbers represented only people moving out of the "others/not sure" category, then 2.6% went to McCain/Palin, and 1.3% went to Obama/Biden.

    Another interesting thing is that the polls come out different if you ask the question using only the names of the presidential candidates, with McCain at 48.8% and Obama at 45.7% (and "others/not sure" at 5.5%). So it seems that Palin helps McCain much more than Biden helps Obama.

    Zogby analyzes:
    Clearly, Palin is helping the McCain ticket. She has high favorability numbers, and has unified the Republican Party. The striking thing here in this poll is that McCain has pulled ahead among Catholics by double-digits. On the other hand, Palin is not helping with likely voting women who are not aligned with either political party. The undecided independent women voters decreased this week from 15% to 7%, but those women went to Obama. Palin is also helping among men, conservatives, notably with suburban and rural voters, and with frequent Wal-Mart shoppers, who tend to be "values" voters who like a good value for their money.
    Fascinating. It's the men who are going for Palin and women aren't buying it? Can we still accuse men of sexism -- if they're fine with women candidates, even excited about them, so long as they support traditional family values? Meanwhile, the women voters stay put and are not swayed by the mere sex of the candidate. I'm trying to speculate about which sex does better at analyzing the candidates without taking gender into account. You could say it's the women, because Palin didn't move them, but they may be taking Palin's sex into account and rejecting her because she isn't hewing to the usual women's rights issues or because they are discriminating against her because of sex. And you could say the men are being gender-neutral and what they like about Palin is not her sex but her good, old-fashioned conservatism.

    Assuming it's true that it's men, not women, who are enthusiastically embracing Sarah Palin, why is it?
    Men love her womanly charms, and women are discriminating against her because of her sex.
    Men love her womanly charms, and women soberly judge her to be too conservative.
    Women are discriminating against her, and men soberly approve of her impressive conservatism.
    Both men and women are thinking rationally, but men are more conservative.
      
    pollcode.com free polls


  51. Tony Mauro wants to remind people that Joe Biden has treated a few Supreme Court nominees a little shabbily.

    → Althouse | 7 Sep 2008 | 11:00 am MDT

    He writes:
    [Clarence Thomas] has less than fond memories of his treatment by Biden, who chaired his stormy 1991 hearing. In his 2007 memoir "My Grandfather's Son," Thomas recalls that Biden initially kept Anita Hill's allegations of sexual harassment against Thomas private. Before the firestorm began, Biden called him at home and said, "Judge, I know you don't believe me," but if the allegations come up, "I will be your biggest defender." Wrote Thomas, "He was right about one thing. I didn't believe him."
    A bit more at the link. But it would be very easy to comb the old Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for loose talk that poured out of Joe Biden's mouth while an esteemed judge had to sit there and put up with it. I may go back and read the transcripts from the Reagan-Bush I era, but as for the the Roberts and Alito material, I've pre-blogged it, so let's see what I have.

    There's this description, from Elisabeth Bumiller, of Biden at Day 2 of the Alito hearings:
    "I understand, Judge, I am the only one standing between you and lunch, so I'll try to make this painless," he began, with some promise.

    Mr. Biden then dived into a soliloquy on Judge Alito's failure to recuse himself from cases involving the Vanguard mutual fund company, which managed the judge's investments. After 2 minutes 50 seconds - short for the senator - Mr. Biden did appear to veer toward a question, but abandoned it to cite Judge Alito's membership in a conservative Princeton alumni group. Mr. Biden discoursed on that for a moment, then interrupted himself with an aside about his son who "ended up going to that other university, the University of Pennsylvania."

    Judge Alito, who had been sitting without expression through Mr. Biden's musings, interrupted the senator midword, got out three sentences, then settled in for nearly 26 minutes more of Mr. Biden, with the senator doing most of the talking. With less than a minute to spare, Mr. Biden concluded, thanked Judge Alito for "being responsive," then said to Mr. Specter that "I want to note that for maybe the first time in history, Biden is 40 seconds under his time."
    To which I said:
    How appalling! And complimenting himself, in the third person, in the end, as if he's being charmingly self-deprecating?
    There's this from Day 3 of the Roberts hearings:
    Joe Biden is hamming it up big time, dramatizing the frustration of not getting Roberts to say how he'll decide specific cases. We've been through this so many times, but Biden seems to think that, if he just emotes more than the others, the American public will finally see the outrage of a judge not committing his vote before hearing the case. Yet every time Roberts explains why he won't answer, he sounds so eloquent and even inspiring about the role of the judge, that it ends up making the Senator look childish.
    None of this Roberts-Alito material is anywhere near as awful as what happened to Thomas (and Robert Bork). Biden was just talking too much, in love with the sound of his own voice, and frankly, that let the nominees off the hook.

  52. "You know, I actually did" -- Obama actually did consider serving in the military.

    → Althouse | 7 Sep 2008 | 10:55 am MDT

    So he said, when asked George Stephanopoulos today, on television.
    "And I actually always thought of the military as an ennobling and, you know, honorable option. But keep in mind that I graduated in 1979. The Vietnam War had come to an end. We weren't engaged in an active military conflict at that point. And so, it's not an option that I ever decided to pursue."
    Because, back in the Vietnam days, that's when young guys felt especially motivated to sign up to fight. Mmm hmmm.

    Do you think Barack Obama seriously considered joining the military?
    Yes.
    No.
    Hell no.
      
    pollcode.com free polls


  53. "Portraits of famous people tend to look like the painters because the artists were all simply depicting themselves..."

    → Althouse | 7 Sep 2008 | 10:33 am MDT

    A new study:
    Computer-aided comparisons made between a series of portraits of British monarchs and the self-portraits of the artists who painted them prove that there has always been a hidden agenda in top-level portraiture, argues the art historian Simon Abrahams.

    After lengthy research and the examination of hundreds of famous paintings from new angles, Abrahams has launched his contentious theory through his website, ArtScholar.org. He believes it is clear that many portraitists, painters who were often doing this kind of work just for money, chose to assert themselves by reproducing their own facial characteristics within those of their powerful sitters.
    Ah, we always knew those artists were big narcissists!



    Abrahams says:
    "In fact, of course, any art student can paint a pretty good likeness of someone and the truth is that everything that we see in the world, we only see in our minds anyway. We can only interpret what we see through what we already know. Great artists have known this instinctively and so have deliberately painted their own faces, even when they are supposed to be reproducing reality. It is rather like the way that when we look at our own children, all we can really see is little images of ourselves."
    Ah, it's not really just the artists, is it? We all see ourselves everywhere. Or am I only saying that because that's the way it is for me, and for me, it's all about me? What about you? Are you like me?

  54. The flag on Sarah Palin's wall

    → Power Line | 7 Sep 2008 | 9:35 am MDT

    One more perspective on Sarah Palin: that of former Israeli Air Force fighter pilot and current Los Angeles-based director...

  55. Pakistan's double game

    → Power Line | 7 Sep 2008 | 9:22 am MDT

    The long, intensely reported New York Times Magazine article by Times corresopndent Dexter Filkins on the resurgence of the Taliban...

  56. Why I Believe in Global Warming

    → StephenBainbridge.com | 6 Sep 2008 | 10:11 pm MDT

    As a good conservative, I guess I’m not supposed to believe in global warming. Commenter jt007 remarked in response to a recent post that: Prof. Bainbridge I can’t believe you made this assertion: “Bush was wrong about global warming and energy policy, McCain was right.” In my capacity as a wine guy, however, the evidence seems increasingly clear. Look at the news coming out of...

    [continued on site]


  57. Hugh Hewitt: Chicago Rules: Defending Sarah Palin From The Chicago Machine

    → Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog | 6 Sep 2008 | 9:58 pm MDT

    The Obama thugs that tried to intimidate Stanley Kurtz are now busy sending e-mails alleging everything about Sarah Palin except an illegal polar bear hunt, and that may be in tomorrow's in-box. Teams of Obamians are...

  58. Dear Bidwells

    → StephenBainbridge.com | 6 Sep 2008 | 9:55 pm MDT

    To the owners and management of the Arizona Cardinals: As a fantasy football owner who has Anquan Boldin as his WR-2, I can’t help but be worried by this report: The contract extension signed by Giants receiver Plaxico Burress this week will have no impact on the Cardinals’ negotiations with receiver Anquan Boldin. That’s because there are no negotiations, Boldin’s...

    [continued on site]


  59. Breakfast with the Cooley’s

    → StephenBainbridge.com | 6 Sep 2008 | 9:47 pm MDT

    People who catch one pass for 7 yards should not be making cooking videos.

    [continued on site]


  60. Now, this is a bit embarrassing...

    → Of Arms and the Law | 6 Sep 2008 | 5:13 pm MDT

    Tho there was probably no other wise course of action:

    Police hear a woman crying for help from inside a house, knocks at the door yield only more cries for help, they break in to rescue her ....

    And find a cockatoo , giving the cries in its owner's voice. A while back it got her in trouble with Child Protective Services, while I was practicing an infant's cries while she was away.

    UPDATE: there is a fun type of embarrassment. (Just as friend asked if the stuff at Blackwater wasn't a bit crazy, I replied "yes, but the fun type of crazy..") I'm sure the officers involved will be sitting in an FOP hall ten years from now and be bringing their listeners to their knees with "we found nobody inside, and were wondering where she went when the parrot, I swear the ____ing parrot, yells out 'Help me!'" And they'll be carrying copies of their reports to answer guys who say this has got to be BS.



  61. Hugh Hewitt: The Flags of the DNCC

    → Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog | 6 Sep 2008 | 4:56 pm MDT

    Ed Morrissey has the details. Nice work by Team Obama. Sure to inspire the country. AP Photo.

  62. Sweetheart Deal

    → JustOneMinute | 6 Sep 2008 | 3:38 pm MDT

    Joe Biden is the first politician in the history of the sport to benefit from a sweetheart real estate deal. OK, make that the first I have noticed today: While their earnings probably would not be enough to purchase their...

  63. Seeing Is Not Believing

    → JustOneMinute | 6 Sep 2008 | 12:33 pm MDT

    Obama goes to Pennsylvania and cannot even convince a hand-picked crowd that he will respect the rights of gun owners: A woman in the crowd [in Duryea, PA] told Obama she had “heard a rumor” that he might be planning...

  64. Kristol Delivers Some Thanks

    → JustOneMinute | 6 Sep 2008 | 12:11 pm MDT

    Bill Kristol thanks the media for their role in boosting Sarah Palin: The astounding (even to me, after all these years!) smugness and mean-spiritedness of so many in the media engendered not just interest in but sympathy for Palin. It...

  65. Hugh Hewitt: Obama's Ayers' Gambit and The Questions It Should Raise

    → Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog | 6 Sep 2008 | 11:49 am MDT

    Yesterday I played the tape of Barack Obama telling a crowd that he was being accused of being a Muslim, and of associating with radicals. This was a weak attempt to asssociate the disreputable and unfair charge...

  66. Todd Jarrett shoots 1000 rounds in 10 minutes

    → Of Arms and the Law | 6 Sep 2008 | 11:04 am MDT

    YouTube here. By the end the gun is so hot that the trigger is burning his finger. That the gun keeps going is a tribute to the 1911 design, and to Para USA's execution of it.

    Hat tip to reader David McCleary....



  67. As They Stand Up We Will Stand Down

    → JustOneMinute | 6 Sep 2008 | 8:13 am MDT

    This advice on the way forward in Iraq appears as a guest op-ed in the Times and is ostensibly addressed to both candidates: The lesson of Basra is clear: a rapid withdrawal risks a resurgence of violence, but a responsible...

  68. The Smell Of Fear

    → JustOneMinute | 6 Sep 2008 | 7:37 am MDT

    The Captain is funny with this link to Barack whining about how he has a funny name and mean Republicans are going to attack him. Now, the Captain describes this as playing the race card. My thought - if a...

  69. Hugh Hewitt: Obama On Guns

    → Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog | 5 Sep 2008 | 10:48 pm MDT

    There was a lot of audio today, including Barack Obama's tutorial on the Second Amendment, which began with his declaration that he believed the Second Amendment was an "individual right," and which concluded with what...

  70. Fearless Football Forecast Part 3: Playoffs

    → StephenBainbridge.com | 5 Sep 2008 | 7:26 pm MDT

    NFC Champion: Dallas Cowboys (as much as it pains me to say so) NFC Champion Dark Horse: Seattle Seahawks AFC Champion: San Diego Chargers AFC Champion Dark Horse: Jacksonville Jaguars Super Bowl XLIII: San Diego Chargers Super Bowl XLIII Dark Horse: Seattle Seahawks

    [continued on site]


  71. Message from an Iraqi Veteran to Obama

    → Blog O'Stuff | 5 Sep 2008 | 6:25 pm MDT

    Watch this one all the way through.



  72. The Todd Jarrett grip

    → Of Arms and the Law | 5 Sep 2008 | 2:23 pm MDT

    Captain of a Crew of One has an excellent visual depiction of the hold that Todd Jarrett teaches at Blackwater. It's not Weaver, more Isoceles, and involves a more extensive weak hand grip over the strong hand. Considering that he's the world's practical pistol champion, there is much to be said for it.

    He taught it effectively, by forming our hands into the grip and then marking X on them, so that each hand had half the X. Then he'd show how you were unconsciously going back to Weaver, or letting the grip slip when firing a string.



  73. Hugh Hewitt: "Winning The Anti-Freeze Belt"

    → Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog | 5 Sep 2008 | 1:07 pm MDT

    My new Townhall.com column on another of the many "Palin pluses" is up.If you'd like to learn more about Sarah Palin, subscribe to Townhall Magazine and get a free copy of Sarah.UPDATE: The Times of London's Gerard...

  74. Friday Afternoon Chat

    → JustOneMinute | 5 Sep 2008 | 1:00 pm MDT

    Let's open-thread it.

  75. What doesn't work in Chicago won't work in Cheyenne

    → Of Arms and the Law | 5 Sep 2008 | 10:35 am MDT

    Chicago's handgun ban seems functioning as expected: 125 homicides over the summer, more than the KIAs in Iraq. Glenn Reynolds suggests that with escalating violence and a corrupt regime, maybe we should just pull out of Chicago.

    One of the latest: four gang members charged in murder of 10 year old girl.

    "Officials say a gang on Exchange Avenue typically fights with another on Escanaba. There's an alley in between.

    "The gangs often shoot at each other through gangways stemming from that alley," Assistant State's Attorney Maria McCarthy said. "

    The response: a group called CeaseFire held a prayer vigil and "urged lawmakers to increase funding for CeaseFire..."



  76. Not recommended to the prudent

    → Of Arms and the Law | 5 Sep 2008 | 9:27 am MDT

    Even if a perp has a shotgun, he shouldn't get between a mother and her kids. Fortunately, the perp couldn't comprehend that the safety was on, which enabled the mother to grab the barrel, and the father to get it away from him and blast him.

    Hat tip to Bernie Oliver...



  77. Maintaining Standards

    → JustOneMinute | 5 Sep 2008 | 9:01 am MDT

    Jim Treacher is pretty funny on proper topics of conversation. The Baseball Crank thinks that "John McCain is a great talker, but not a great speaker", but gives the speech passing marks.

  78. Hugh Hewitt: Flying With Wylie

    → Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog | 5 Sep 2008 | 8:03 am MDT

    I'm flying back to California in the company of Wylie Aitken, one of the country's preeminent trial lawyers, and, of course, a leading California Democrat who has been at the GOP convention blogging for the Orange...

  79. Now The Surge Is Succeeding?

    → JustOneMinute | 4 Sep 2008 | 9:46 pm MDT

    Reality has overtaken Obama at long last: The troop surge in Iraq has been more successful than anyone could have imagined, Barack Obama conceded Thursday in his first-ever interview on FOX News’ “The O’Reilly Factor.” As recently as July, the...

  80. Start or Sit: Week 1

    → StephenBainbridge.com | 4 Sep 2008 | 8:33 pm MDT

    LA Redskins--PB.com League--Yahoo--Standard Yahoo scoring plus PPR and PPC QB Brett Favre (NYJ - QB) WR Braylon Edwards (Cle - WR) WR Anquan Boldin (Ari - WR) RB Joseph Addai (Ind - RB) RB Thomas Jones (NYJ - RB) TE Owen Daniels (Hou - TE) W/R Jerricho Cotchery (NYJ - WR) K Josh Brown (StL - K) DEF Baltimore (Bal - DEF) BN Marvin Harrison...

    [continued on site]


  81. Hugh Hewitt: McCain's Moment: "Change Is Coming"

    → Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog | 4 Sep 2008 | 8:10 pm MDT

    "I am not in the habit of breaking my promises to my country, and neither is Governor Palin."In a strong speech that crescendoed to a stirring close, Senator McCain laid out a classically conservative series of policy...

  82. The McCain Speech

    → StephenBainbridge.com | 4 Sep 2008 | 7:49 pm MDT

    Glenn Reynolds has the full text. Excerpts: ...a word to Senator Obama and his supporters. We’ll go at it over the next two months. That’s the nature of these contests, and there are big differences between us. But you have my respect and admiration. Despite our differences, much more unites us than divides us. We are fellow Americans, an association that means more to me than any...

    [continued on site]


  83. I Guess Politics Really Ain’t Pattycake

    → StephenBainbridge.com | 4 Sep 2008 | 7:36 pm MDT

    Leftist protestors have disrupted John McCain’s speech twice so far. When was the last time conservative activists broke into a Democratic National Convention to disrupt the acceptance speech by their Presidential candidate? Ever? Just wondering. Update: I’m reliably told that at least on of the protestors was a Ron Paul paleolibertarian type. Fine. Of course, the Paulites are...

    [continued on site]


  84. Fearless Football Forecast Part 2: AFC

    → StephenBainbridge.com | 4 Sep 2008 | 7:22 pm MDT

    AFC East: New England Patriots AFC North: Cleveland Browns AFC South: Indianapolis Colts AFC West: San Diego Chargers AFC Wildcard: Jacksonville Jaguars AFC Wildcard: Pittsburgh Steelers

    [continued on site]


  85. ‘Skins versus Giants

    → StephenBainbridge.com | 4 Sep 2008 | 4:25 pm MDT

    At the 8:38 minute of the first quarter, I have to say that either the NY Giants are a lot better than I thought or the Washington Redskins are a lot worse than I hoped. The Giants opened up with a very efficient 84 yard drive in which Eli Manning looked like the Eli of the Super Bowl rather than the Eli of old. The Redskins opened with a 3 and out that included a sack and a penalty. It’s...

    [continued on site]


  86. Sarah Palin in the Eye of the Beholder

    → StephenBainbridge.com | 4 Sep 2008 | 4:19 pm MDT

    On the one hand, there’s Rod Dreher: A real Sam’s Club Republican—a dynamic and articulate young woman—is in position to take over the GOP when McCain passes from the scene. As Ross has put it somewhere, Sarah Palin is the kind of Republican young conservatives should want to rise in the party. On the other, there’s Joe Lauria: Sarah Palin is the enemy of...

    [continued on site]


  87. Hugh Hewitt: You Can Still Contribute To The McCain-Palin Compliance Fund

    → Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog | 4 Sep 2008 | 3:45 pm MDT

    Though John McCain kept his pledge to accept public financing for the campaign ahead (Obama broke his promise to do so), it is legal to contribute to the McCain-Palin Compliance Fund, which fields the army of lawyers...

  88. Sandy Froman interviewed

    → Of Arms and the Law | 4 Sep 2008 | 3:02 pm MDT

    Video here. Topic is the Palin nomination.



  89. Hugh Hewitt: "Democrats hate Republicans. Republicans dislike Democrats but hate the media."

    → Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog | 4 Sep 2008 | 1:29 pm MDT

    Michael Barone's take on the Palin speech. (HT: RobinsonandLong.com). More from MB: Obamania appears weird to Middle America. Even as far away as Wasilla, Alaska. This world of threats and dangers is not just a...

  90. Another Bloomberg Mayor becomes a prohibited person

    → Of Arms and the Law | 4 Sep 2008 | 12:10 pm MDT

    Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pleads to two felonies. He'll resign, turn over his pension to the city as restitution, serve 120 days.

    The charges are based on perjury during a civil police whistleblower trial, and in denying that he tried to fire a police official who was investigating corruption committed by his inner circle.

    He still faces felony assault charges relating to another incident.



  91. Upcoming law review articles on Heller

    → Of Arms and the Law | 3 Sep 2008 | 10:04 pm MDT

    Nelson Lund, Heller and Second Amendment Precedent argues that Heller erred in trying to reconcile its result with US v. Miller, when it should simply have recognized that Miller was wrongly decided.

    Nelson Lund, Anticipating the Second Amendment Incorporation: The Role of the Inferior Courts argues that the 2nd Amendment should be incorporated into the 14th, and applied to the States, and that lower courts should not rely upon anti-incorporation case law and upon "it's up to the Supremes to change things."

    Larry Chapman, Second Amendment Plumbing After Heller on the other hand, argues against 14th Amendment incorporation.

    The 2A is becoming the one interesting field of con law. The First Amendment has been mined for, what, forty years or so. Debates over what is obscenity, what are fighting words, and whatnot are really getting to be a bit boring. But the 2A can keep scholars busy for another few decades. And the courts, as well.

    UPDATE: Yep, in the 21st century we distinguish between "rights" and "privileges." But when the drafters of the 14th Amendment used the terms in 1868, they used "privileges and immunities" interchangeably with "rights." Sen. Jacob Howard, who introduced it in the Senate, gave a speech in which he listed the privileges and immunities of US citizens -- a list so long that the first eight amendments came at the end. (Remember the Constitution itself had some rights or protections, limits on suspending habeas corpus, enacting bills of attainder, etc.)



  92. NJ vs. PA Match at LRGC

    → Blog O'Stuff | 31 Aug 2008 | 8:05 am MDT

    I shot in the NJ vs. PA practical rifle match yesterday at Langhorne Rod & Gun Club. The course of fire included:

    1. From 10 yards, two rifle mags, 3 rounds each, followed by a transition to pistol, 2 mags of 3 rounds each. Timed.
    2. From 100 yards, three rifle mags, 5 rounds each, standing, kneeling, prone.
    3. From 200 yards, three rifle mags of 5 rounds each, rollover prone, prone, weak side prone.
    4. From 200 yards, 10 shots on three gongs, the smallest of which is hardly visible w/o magnification.
    5. From 200 yards behind a barricade, two mags of 8 rounds each on gongs, plus 15 rounds at the top half of an IPSC target. First 8 rounds on steel kneeling, then switch to a different position, i.e., sitting or prone. Alternatively, you could shoot at the same half IPSC target at 100 yards, but not from prone. 2 minute time limit.

    We had a large turnout and to get everyone through took about 6 hours.

    I did OK but need more practice, especially from rollover prone and weak side. When I switched to the right shoulder I had a hard time finding the exit pupil of my scope. I also need to break in my holster. I used a new Don Hume rig for my Springfield M1911 and it is still tight, which killed my time during the first evolution. (At least my raw score on that stage was 58/60.)

    The rifle I shot was my Colt AR-15A3 with an IOR-Valdada 3x25mm CQB scope. I used 30 round Magpul P-Mags and Federal American Eagle .223 55 grain FMJ loads. No malfs.

    Some pics here.

    Kudos to the staff at LRGC for putting on a safe, fun shoot.

  93. Range Report

    → Blog O'Stuff | 26 Aug 2008 | 1:32 pm MDT

    I'm on vacation this week and got to the range today with my Polish Tokarev pistol, Springfield 1911, and Remington 870.

    I got the Remington 870 last month and shot it for the first time today. I patterned it at 12 and 25 yards with Remington 00 buck and Federal Low Recoil 00 buck with Flite Control wads. I also put a box of Federal LR Tru Ball slugs through it. The Remington buck stays on a paper plate at 12 yards, but opens up a bit at 25. Most pellets would hit a torso, though. The Federal Flite Control load is impressive. Patterns at 12 yards were about as big as my hand, while at 25 they opened up to about the size of the plate. Assuming it performs as well in my Mossberg 500 Mariner, it'll become my load of choice. Both buckshot loads shoot right to POA at 12 yards, and a bit high at 25.

    The Tru Ball slugs shot well. I was able to keep them on the plate at 25 yards once I found the elevation.

    I'm happy with both the shotgun and all the ammo I tested today.

    I bought the Tokarev last Fall but every time I took it to the range, something happened so today was the first time I've actually fired it. The Tokarev digested 70 rounds of Yugo surplus 7.62x25 Ball without a hitch. It's more pleasant to shoot than my CZ-52, which has some trigger slap. Shooting the Tok feels like shooting a 9mm, but one that's a bit louder. At 12 yards I kept them on the plate, which is about as good as I can do with the Tok's heavy trigger and small sights. I have 70 more rounds of the Yugo ammo, and then it'll be time for me to crack open the spam can of Romanian Ball that I picked up last year.

    I've had the Springfield 1911 for several years. For the first 600 rounds or so through the gun it was extremely reliable. After swapping out the FLGR for a GI type setup I started getting stovepipes. After the last time I had it at the range I detail stripped it, paying special attention to ensuring that the extractor channel was clean. That was awhile ago and I finally shot it again today. In 84 rounds, I had one stovepipe with a Springfield brand magazine, one of the two which came with the gun. The other 83 rounds ran fine through 4 Chip McCormick and one other mag marked "NM 45," which came with the gun. I am pretty certain that the stovepipe was magazine induced (it's happened before with that mag), so I junked it. I plan to run more ammo through the Springer before I regard it as reliable, but I'm confident that I've diagnosed what was wrong.

  94. Powerline Ethernet

    → Blog O'Stuff | 23 Aug 2008 | 10:35 am MDT

    802.11 WiFi is still the most common means of creating home networks for sharing an Internet connection or files locally. However, WiFi frequently runs into problems due to interference from other devices using the 2.4 GHz wireless spectrum. Also, due to the low power output of WiFi devices, it sometimes has problems with distance and intervening structures.

    An alternative is powerline Ethernet. This uses your home's existing electrical wiring to extend Ethernet connections. Typically, it uses wall wart unit that plug into electrical sockets and which have an Ethernet port, working as Layer 2 devices.

    I installed a powerline Ethernet system this morning at a client's home. He has three machines: a G4 Mac Mini, and Intel iMac, and a Dell PC. His Internet connection is a Comcast cable modem. A Linksys WRT-54G router is plugged into the modem to share the connection and secure his network from the Internet. The Mini is connected to the router via Ethernet, while the iMac and PC were connected via WiFi.

    Unfortunately, the iMac's wireless connection has seriously degraded recently, probalby due to wireless interference from neighbors. We figured that a hard wired solution would be best.

    After looking around online and reading reviews, I recommend a Linksys PLK200 kit. The system requirements specify Windows, but that's only to run a setup utility which isn't really required in a typical home environment. I brought along my old Compaq Presario laptop running XP but wound up leaving the default settings on the Linksys units.

    Setup was pretty simple and the devices found each other quickly. They have built-in surge protection and for that reason Linksys recommends not plugging them into a surge protector. They are fairly blocky, so they'd take block more than one outlet on a surge protector anyway.

    The Linksys kit includes two Ethernet patch cords but they are only about 3 or 4 feet long. I had a hunch this might be the case so I brought a couple of longer cords with me, one of which I needed to use. The iMac's network connection looks like this:

    {Cable modem}-{Router}-{Powerline adapter 1}-{House wiring}-{PL adapter 2}-{iMac}

    After installing the Linksys units I ran a couple of Internet speed tests from the iMac and saw that they were comparable with tests run from the G4 Mini connected directly to the router.

    Powerline Ethernet isn't as common as WiFi but home and small office users who can't use WiFi, and who can't or don't want to run Ethernet should be aware of it as an option.

  95. Lacie 320 GB Quadra Hard Drive

    → Blog O'Stuff | 23 Aug 2008 | 7:19 am MDT

    Earlier this week a co-worker brought to my attention a good deal on Lacie 320 GB Quadra Hard Drives at eCost.com. I had prior, good experience with Lacie drives. He's previously bought from eCost.com. At $54 plus shipping and handling it was too good of a deal to pass up. I ordered the drive on Tuesday and received it Thursday via DHL Ground.

    The Quadra series of external drives are fanless and have four interfaces for connecting to a PC or Mac:
    1. USB 2.0
    2. eSATA
    3. FireWire 400 (IEEE-1394a)
    4. FireWire 800 (IEEE-1394b)
    The case is substantial with the aluminum acting as a heat sink. Cables for all four types of connections were included. The drive can be rack mounted in a little desktop rack sold by Lacie, or it can use the included stand to stand vertically on your desk, which is how mine is setup.

    The power switch has three positions:
    1. On
    2. Off
    3. Auto, which automatically turns it on or off when the drive is connected or disconnected to a host, respectively. I left it on auto.
    Also included in the box was an AC power adapter. Unlike 2.5" external FireWire drives, typically the 3.5" drives are not bus powered.

    I connected the Quadra to Rohan, my MacBook Pro last night using the FireWire 800 port. Heretofore, that port has been unused, since my older backup drive has only USB and FW 400 ports. With 320 GB to work with, I decided to use the Quadra as a Time Machine backup disk.

    As soon as I connected the Quadra to Rohan a box popped up, asking me if I want to use it as a Time Machine backup disk. After I clicked yes, it took about an hour or so to backup everything on Rohan's drive, except for my Entourage profile. (I've read that using Time Machine to back up Entourage profiles can lead to corruption, if it's attempted when the program is running. I therefore excluded it from Time Machine.) For the time being I will continue to backup the Entourage database using Chronosync.

    FireWire 800 is fast. In my experience, FireWire 400 typically offers better sustained througput than USB 2.0, although the latter has a higher theoretical peak throughput (480 vs. 400 Mbps). FireWire 800 is noticeably fast than 400, but unfortunately never became as popular. It will be interesting to see how USB 3.0 does in the marketplace once it's released.

    I haven't used eSATA. To do so would, Rohan would need an ExpressCard adapter. For machines which do support it, eSATA looks like it will be the connection of choice for external disks, with a raw throughput of 3000 Mbps.

    As for Time Machine itself, it may be the best consumer level backup application I've seen. On Mac running Leopard, new disks are automatically recognized and the machine offers to setup Time Machine for you. It then performs a full backup, and automatically sets up hourly backups. Accessing your backed up files is virtually the same as accessing your working data in the Finder. By making it so simple Apple really encourages people to backup their data.

  96. Dealt With a Real Life Mac Trojan Horse Tonight

    → Blog O'Stuff | 18 Aug 2008 | 6:55 pm MDT

    We all know that Macs are more secure than Windows PCs by virtue of the design of the operating system. That said, the only computer that cannot be compromised is the one that's powered off, disconnected from any networks, and locked away in a box. Case in point: tonight I helped a colleague with a Mac that was infected with the OSX.RSPlug.A Trojan Horse.

    A Trojan Horse is different from a virus. Unlike viruses, Trojans aren't self-replicating, and require some user intervention to install. They frequently are designed so that they trick and unsuspecting user into installing them. For example, going to a website and being prompted to download a video codec from the site to play content.

    It started off with this email:

    "My brothers DNS on his mac keeps going to 85.225.113.131 for his DNS setting regardless of what is his his DHCP server."

    Googling that IP address didn't turn up anything. However, Googling for "mac dns trojan" came up with this gem, which described the symptoms perfectly. Doing a little more searching, this time for "remove mac dns trojan" led me to this.

    Lessons to be learned:

    1. Macs are generally very secure. That doesn't mean they are perfectly secure.
    2. Only install software from trusted sites. If you're surfing the web and a site prompts you to install something, take a moment to seriously consider whether you really need to do so, especially if it prompts you for your administrative password.


  97. Firefox for Mac PDF Plugin

    → Blog O'Stuff | 18 Aug 2008 | 5:38 pm MDT

    I just learned about this plugin for Firefox on Mac OS X, hosted by Google:

    http://code.google.com/p/firefox-mac-pdf/

    It uses OS X's native PDFkit to display PDFs inside of a Firefox tab, much like Safari does. Note that if you have the PDF Download Firefox extension, you'll need to disable or uninstall it for the Google PDF plugin to work.

  98. New Wireless Network at the House

    → Blog O'Stuff | 18 Aug 2008 | 2:19 pm MDT

    For the past few years I've been using a Netgear 802.11g WAP to provide the wireless portion of my home LAN. Up until recently it had been rock solid, However, it's been acting a bit flaky lately (e.g., dropped connections), requiring reboots to get it to work.

    I've been evaluating WiFi routers at work and last week received two SMCWBR14-N2 v2 Draft-N Barricade boxes. So far I've like what I've seen and in doing some tests this morning with one connected to a DOCSIS 3.0 modem, I was seeing good throughput on both the wired and wireless connections. Since I got two units in from SMC, I decided that I'll put one of them to a real world test. IOW, I'll be installing one at home to use for awhile. Currently, my LAN looks like this:

    [Internet]--[SMC8014 gateway]--[Netgear switch]--[Netgear WAP]

    My Brother HL-2070N is connected to the switch, as is my MacBook Pro when I'm working at my desk.

    The new version will look like:

    [Internet]--[SMC8014 gateway]--[Barricade]

    Note that I needed the switch because it and the WAP are in a different room than the gateway, and I ran only one piece of CAT5e between the two, so the switch built into the gateway doesn't do me a lot of good. The Barricade has four LAN ports, so I'll be able to take out the switch.

    One feature the SMC has is to put the WAN port in bridge mode. It will be connected to an SMC8014 cable modem gateway, so I do not need the wireless box to act as a router. (The 8014 has been extremely reliable, BTW. It just sits behind my TV, tossing packets back and forth.)

    Unfortunately, I will have to keep the Barricade in 802.11g mode, since Judith's iBook doesn't have an 802.11n adapter, and I'm not sure about her iPod Touch, either. Still, the bulk of data transferred on my LAN is going through my Internet connection, from one local host to another. So, the 802.11g speeds won't be a bottleneck.

    I'll post an update once I've pounded on the Barricade some more.

  99. Signed up for Red Hat Training

    → Blog O'Stuff | 11 Aug 2008 | 1:03 pm MDT

    I haven't taken any professional development training in a little while. I'd tried to get into my employer's Intro to Solaris course a couple time last year, but wasn't successful. In going through the training calendar on our intranet, I saw that we're having RHCT training in October. With my manager's approval, I signed up.

    The course is scheduled to run in two sessions, a 5-day and a 3-day. I figure it'll fill in some holes in my personal Linux knowledge base, after which I should be ready to take the certification exam. I haven't picked up any new certs since 2001, so this will be a good thing.

  100. Update to The Shooters' Bar

    → Blog O'Stuff | 3 Aug 2008 | 10:25 am MDT

    A couple of updates to The Shooters' Bar(SM):

    1. David Weinberg of Virginia is now also admitted in Maryland.
    2. I fixed Marc Berris of Minnesota's email address.




-- Finis --