tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76387062024-03-13T13:28:25.578-04:00Jiminy Jilliker!<B>Not nearly as dumb as it could be!</B>jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-40074357936786066002008-12-18T23:08:00.003-05:002008-12-18T23:12:42.356-05:00Rick Warren, Schmick SchmarrenNo, I don't like him. Warren giving the invocation is an outrage, etc...<br />I'm serious, I really dislike him. <br />I dislike the idea of an "invocation" at a state event more. That's the kowtowing to the Christian right that I find most offensive. William Lloyd Garrison would wage secular jihad over such nincompoopery. <br /><br />So, yeah. I guess I have a problem with Rick Warren giving the invocation at Obama's inauguration. But to me that's like having a problem with the curtains on the Hindenburg. It's valid, but in the grand scheme, it misses the point by a pretty wide margin.jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-75528030906619149192008-12-03T23:20:00.003-05:002008-12-03T23:52:38.378-05:00DamnI learned today, from Crooks and Liars, that Odetta has died. That sucks. <br />I became familiar with Odetta after watching an otherwise unremarkable documentary about Ramblin' Jack Elliot. There was a lot of music by luminaries such as Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie, but all I really came away with was a need (yes, <span style="font-style:italic;">need</span>) to pick me up some Odetta CD's. In the intervening few years I've never gone more than a few weeks without firing up some Odetta on my iPod. In fact, she was one of my main sources of study-music while I was in law school. And I did all right. <br />So here's to Odetta, and here's to you getting to experience the magic of her voice and her delivery if you've never before had the pleasure:<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fhak2gNIn90&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fhak2gNIn90&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0HhIXff15Us&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0HhIXff15Us&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VSDeROnTq64&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VSDeROnTq64&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-74163887103320073872008-12-03T00:10:00.002-05:002008-12-03T00:21:49.836-05:00My Wonkette momentListening to <a href="http://www.nixonlibrary.gov/virtuallibrary/tapeexcerpts/35-51-court.mp3">this</a> newly released Nixon telephone tape, I was struck mostly by the fact that Warren Burger's response to cases involving pornography was to "come out hard." Awesome.<br /><br />But on a more serious note, I was actually astonished to hear Burger and Nixon chewing the fat, guffawing about first amendment jurisprudence, waxing wistful about the regrettable longevity of the liberals on the court. <br /><br />Maybe I've led a sheltered existence wherein I believed the story that the Justices were implicitly telling me as they sat on their hands during State of the Union addresses, but this just struck me as a little crazy. I've read "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brethren_(non-fiction)">The Brethren</a>," so I'm not <span style="font-style:italic;">that</span> naive (certainly not about Burger), but I have to admit, this recording kind of shocked me.jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-36291150342337606552008-11-26T00:37:00.000-05:002008-11-26T00:38:54.105-05:00Just shut up already!I'm actually not one of those dirty effin' hippy bloggers who got upset at the Democratic caucus for failing to punish Joe Lieberman. I don't like him, but I get it-I understand why it may be better not to punish Lieberman to the full extent possible. <br /><br />But if he's learned any lesson from all of this, it should be to shut the hell up for a little while. For god's sake: <br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fZvn2ZK9R0Y&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fZvn2ZK9R0Y&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />Shorter Joementum:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IjguG4iqa28/SSzg0Qq2hMI/AAAAAAAAACQ/-JVCrfOt-eA/s1600-h/groening.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 310px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_IjguG4iqa28/SSzg0Qq2hMI/AAAAAAAAACQ/-JVCrfOt-eA/s320/groening.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272836452176528578" /></a>jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-56033899018517742942008-11-18T23:53:00.002-05:002008-11-19T00:02:07.480-05:00Over"______ of rivals." <br /><br />That's right, it's over. Done. All of it. "Team of rivals," "cabinet of rivals," all of it. Over. <br /><br />The mind-blowingly unimaginative news media has drained that construction of all of its usefulness and left only meaningless catchphrase useful only for identifying those that use it as superhacks. <br /><br />The concept of staffing a cabinet with former adversaries is as good or bad an idea as it ever was. Nobody has done anything to the thing the now-dead phrase describes. But the phrase itself has been rendered lifeless by herd animal talking heads mouthing it somewhere around infinity times in the last two weeks. <br /><br />Doris Kearns Goodwin should sue.jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-66358654543332599142008-11-17T23:35:00.005-05:002008-11-17T23:57:03.069-05:00Gingrich on "gay and secular fascism."It'd be nice to have republican commentators who actually had a reasonable grasp of this whole "republican form of government" thing:<br /><object width="320" height="335"><param name="movie" value="http://mediamatters.org/static/flash/mmfaplayer.swf"></param><param name="flashvars" value="config=http://mediamatters.org/tools/flash/config?id=464805"></param><embed src="http://mediamatters.org/static/flash/mmfaplayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="config=http://mediamatters.org/tools/flash/config?id=464805" width="320" height="335"></embed></object><br />Did you notice how Gingrich invoked the <span style="font-style:italic;">popular will</span> here? That's cute. <strike>Our</strike> My old friend, James Madison, had something to say about it: <br /><blockquote>When a majority is included in a faction, the form of popular government, on the other hand, enables it to sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens. To secure the public good and private rights against the danger of such a faction, and at the same time to preserve the spirit and the form of popular government, is then the great object to which our inquiries are directed...By what means is this object attainable? Evidently by one of two only. Either the existence of the same passion or interest in a majority at the same time must be prevented, or the majority, having such coexistent passion or interest, must be rendered, by their number and local situation, unable to concert and carry into effect schemes of oppression.</blockquote><a href="http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts/111fed.html">-Federalist #10</a><br /><br />Shorter Madison: Where fundamental rights are concerned, the popular will can pound sand.jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-85543049157812793162008-11-14T20:44:00.002-05:002008-11-14T20:46:10.956-05:00For those of you keeping score at homeI found out today that I passed the New York State Bar exam. Assuming I can keep my nose clean for a few months, I'm gonna be a real live lawyer!jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-54838028721478384532008-11-11T23:49:00.003-05:002008-11-11T23:55:06.211-05:00Strange music: The return!This is the very definition of strange music. The Sun City Girls are probably my favorite band. 90-95% of their output was utterly unlistenable. The other 5-10% was pure, mad brilliance. Even much of the unlistenable dreck was brilliant in its own way. A live Sun City Girls show could be infuriating or rapturous-or both. <br /><br />This song may be in the brilliant minority or it may be in the awful majority. I post, you decide. <br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/In3s7D_2obo&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/In3s7D_2obo&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-59759115078120589572008-11-09T18:52:00.001-05:002008-11-09T18:53:25.889-05:00You still celebrating?I am. I've been smiling all week. <br />We haven't undone the damage yet, but we have gone one step beyond the catastrophe that is the Bush years. And in that vein:<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N-uyWAe0NhQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/N-uyWAe0NhQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-57168041359320656192008-11-09T18:41:00.003-05:002008-11-09T18:42:42.086-05:00Yes, there is...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IjguG4iqa28/SRd1RjtJizI/AAAAAAAAACI/T-hIeL2VrpA/s1600-h/political-pictures-george-bush-revoke.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 221px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IjguG4iqa28/SRd1RjtJizI/AAAAAAAAACI/T-hIeL2VrpA/s320/political-pictures-george-bush-revoke.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5266807233735920434" /></a><br /><br />All you have to do is have a successor with some respect for the constitution. <br />Mission accomplished!jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-60213168606192270392008-11-08T00:23:00.003-05:002008-11-08T00:28:03.848-05:00Just in case you're wondering<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fu5hwy3JyIM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fu5hwy3JyIM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />We still live in a world where people ask Joe The Plumber&trade what he thinks about things. Fair warning.<br /><br />(H/t <a href="http://driftglass.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-wonder-what-ronald-reagan.html">Driftglass</a>)jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-77836479668750773532008-11-07T23:35:00.001-05:002008-11-07T23:37:13.927-05:00Seems appropriateI little music for the end of a week like no other that I can remember: <br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FS24Tv58dOY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FS24Tv58dOY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-69101258462334965982008-11-07T23:30:00.004-05:002008-11-07T23:35:55.113-05:00Uh...okTo the three of you who wound up here after googling "I'd rather vote for a dog than Obama" as well as anyone else who gets here later via the same route: Errrmmmm...welcome? <br /><br />It's worth pointing out that the way things are going in the Republican Party these days, you are likely to get your chance in a little under four years.jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-19773240002253164962008-11-05T22:23:00.003-05:002008-11-05T22:28:20.080-05:00I'm gonna go ahead and pat myself on the back hereOn September 3rd, I <a href="http://jilliker.blogspot.com/2008/09/quick-thought-about-palin-pick.html">wrote</a> this: <blockquote>Is it possible that the McCain campaign (and more likely, the RNC) chose Palin as a means to save the Alaska senate seat for the Republicans?<br /><br />I just saw Chuck Todd and John Harwood on MSNBC saying that the McCain campaign is touting a post-Palin bump in the polls in Alaska. They wondered why the campaign would have spent money on a poll in a state as solidly red as Alaska. But it occurs to me that even if the presidential race isn't exactly tight there (and the polls have been tighter than anyone would have guessed), putting Palin on the ticket would get Alaskan Republicans out to the polls, and potentially create some coat-tails for Ted Stevens.<br /><br />Even if McCain loses, this could prevent the Democrat Mark Begich from capturing what before Senator Stevens's indictment, was considered a long shot victory in the Alaska senate race. I guess it makes some sense for the NRSC to stem the bleeding wherever possible.</blockquote><br />I know it's exceedingly gauche to link to yourself (especially at such length), but I'm thinking I may just have been on to <a href="http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/states/alaska.html">something</a> there.jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-86670499038921848382008-11-05T00:55:00.001-05:002008-11-05T00:55:56.077-05:00History's pivotRemember this? <br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rhPxSm9Es0w&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rhPxSm9Es0w&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-40442292561945009672008-11-05T00:11:00.002-05:002008-11-05T00:13:44.936-05:00RealizationEvery couple of minutes, I think "Obama's going to be President." And not in the hopeful, fingers-crossed way I have over the last year, but really, certainly. And I smile so big my face hurts. Holy hell. Barack Obama is going to be President of the United States of America.jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-56643940412019910062008-11-05T00:03:00.000-05:002008-11-05T00:04:23.353-05:00Further signs of sanityLooks like Marilyn Musgrave got <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/11/4/231817/487/498/653427">bounced</a>. Huzzah!jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-71452129343688141912008-11-04T23:48:00.002-05:002008-11-04T23:50:06.829-05:00Point of personal prideNevada just went blue. It's an Obama state. My parents were tireless Obama volunteers since the primaries. Today they were up at 5 to go monitor polls. As far as I'm concerned, my parents won Nevada for Obama. Thanks mom and dad!jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-8514974215523065642008-11-04T23:29:00.002-05:002008-11-04T23:31:38.907-05:00MeanwhileThey are showing the scene outside the White House on MSNBC. All it's missing is torches and pitchforks. <br /><br />Heave-ho, my man. We will shed no tears when you vacate the premises.<br /><br />(On that note, I'm drinking beer tonight, but on inauguration day, it's fine, fine champagne all the way...)jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-55994990165197930992008-11-04T23:15:00.001-05:002008-11-04T23:16:32.417-05:00I'm man enough to admit itWhen MSNBC showed the jubilation in Ebenezer Baptist Church, I fell apart. <br /><br /><br />(AND WE WON FLORIDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-17933598983887972122008-11-04T23:01:00.002-05:002008-11-04T23:02:19.587-05:00AAAAAAAnnnnnnd that's a wrap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<span style="font-weight:bold;">CNN, MSNBC call the whole shootin' match for Obama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span>jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-32626445451428795742008-11-04T22:59:00.002-05:002008-11-04T23:00:08.400-05:00CNN calls Virginia for Obama<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IjguG4iqa28/SREaQ1Uy5cI/AAAAAAAAABg/ldU0gDhVQMg/s1600-h/mccain-toast.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 189px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IjguG4iqa28/SREaQ1Uy5cI/AAAAAAAAABg/ldU0gDhVQMg/s320/mccain-toast.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265018315867350466" /></a>jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-88264419415002820972008-11-04T22:32:00.003-05:002008-11-05T01:21:52.286-05:00Let me pile on...It's been said in many, many places and probably more eloquently than I can manage, but I'm going to repeat it: <br /><br />Howard Dean is THE hero of the night. The strategy that got Obama the nomination, then won him the national election was Dean's (yes, I'm assuming California, Oregon and Washington will not go for McCain-I have a hunch). The 50 state strategy is Dean's jam and it won the presidency, the House, and the Senate for his party. <br /><br />Tonight should be 80% Obama-hype and 20% Dean-hype. And the people who supported Harold Ford for party chairman in 2004 should feel mighty sheepish.jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-38278987015446662212008-11-04T22:28:00.002-05:002008-11-04T22:31:22.788-05:00I'm an asshole, right?I can't help but think how lucky we are that we nominated the <a href="http://www.hillaryclinton.com/">electable candidate</a> who was the favorite of low-education Appalachian whites.<br /><br />Dodged that bullet.<br /><br />/snarkjiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7638706.post-34383317556438229492008-11-04T22:14:00.002-05:002008-11-04T22:17:21.061-05:00South Dakota: only partly crazy!Rachel Maddow on MSNBC just reported that South Dakota's second recent <a href="http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2008/11/south-dakota-vo.html">attempt</a> to run the clock back on abortion rights has failed. Couldn't have happened to a nastier ballot measure. <br /><br />(fingers still crossed on Prop. 8...)jiminy jillikerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03695672010597487313noreply@blogger.com0