[star]The American Mind[star]

September 30, 2003

Week 4 Freaks of the Week

My latest Freaks of the Week column is now up at SportsBlog.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Sports at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)

The Paradox of Voting

Here's something interesting (and completely unrelated to Plame/Wilson) from Will Baude:

I've recently heard a comment to the tune that Libertarians who vote for a Libertarian presidential candidate are "throwing their vote away," or hurting the major party that they consider to be the lesser evil. This isn't so.

Voting Libertarian in last election (or next election) is no more throwing your vote away than voting Democrat or Republican would have been. This is because the election did not come down to one vote (and, given the nature of the recount, may not have come down to any votes at all). The statistical chance of any single vote having an outcome on the presidential election is 0.000%. It simply doesn't matter.


It doesn't matter if you vote because your single vote won't decide an election, but if everyone acted in a purely rational fashion then on election day no one would show up at the polls. But that would only happen one time because voter A would realize that if no one showed up at the polls besides himself his vote would be the most valuable. But voter A wouldn't be the only person to come to the same conclusion. They would vote thereby diminishing the value of their votes.

The question that comes out of this intellectual run-around is why people vote at all? Baude has an explanation:

That is, we vote for Candidate A over Candidate B (or abstain altogether) because we feel like it, not because we have marshalled some careful analysis of whose positions are more likely to make the world a better place.

Voters also go to the polls because they see it as their duty as citizens, as well as give them a foundation to gripe. I've told plenty of people, "He who doesn't vote shouldn't complain."

"Throwing it Away"

[Note the paradox here has little to do with the game theory puzzle.]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 05:06 PM | Comments (0)

Bush's Role in Plame/Wilson

John Cole's question about President Bush's role in the Plame/Wilson investigation is just so good:

Why does the left seem to think that Bush needs to get involved in this- my guess is so that anything he says can be scrutinized and distorted so later on they can treat it as a lie or as evidence of a cover-up?

If Bush did get personally involved in the investigation he could be asked by reporters or investigators as to what he knew and when. If he lied or said anything strange this affair would turn into a "coverup is worse than the crime" scandal. To protect the President, I'm guessing only lawyers in the White House Counsel's office is asking anything. As lawyers they have more protection with the attorney-client privilege. Ironically, those Bush critics who complain that Bush isn't involved enough to get to bottom of this have created an environment where the President can't get involved or risk further political and legal liability.

"Last Plame Post for a While"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 04:45 PM | Comments (0)

Reagan Books

This is the year for Ronald Reagan books. Lou Cannon has one on Reagan as governor of California. Peter Robinson came out with one a few months ago on How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life. Now, two collections of Reagan's letters will be available for Reagan fans this Christmas. Andrew Sullivan reviews Reagan: A Life in Letters.

"How Reagan Fooled Us"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Books at 04:32 PM | Comments (0)

Plame Questions

Matthew makes two good points on Plame/Wilson. First:

Am I alone in thinking that the CIA is withholding some information on Plame -- in particular, exact details of her "undercover" status -- not because it would reveal secrets, but because the CIA as an institution feels slighted by the administration's cherry-picking of intel from various sources, and so is allowing the Plame scandal to play out in a way that's as embarassing as possible to the administration and their hawk supporters, including those DOD apparatchiks who will inevitably fall on their sword if and when the administration decides to cut its losses and finger someone to blame?

And:

Here's another question that nobody seems to be asking: if Plame really was undercover at the time Novak's column was published, why would White House politicos/PR hacks know the identity of an undercover CIA agent? Does the CIA go around handing out booklets with the names of undercover agents to just anyone who works in the White House? The fact that leakers could so readily name Plame suggests either (a) that there are inter-administration leaks between the CIA and the White House, or (b) that her identity really was an "open secret," as some Beltway conservatives have alleged.

If it's the case that Plame was a former secret agent and a current WMD analyst -- something not said by Novak in his column -- then the entire story shifts into a debate on the fuzzy legality of protecting someone whose identity is not entirely secret, but not entirely public either.


George Tenet could answer a few questions, but since he fell on his sword over the 16 words he'll just let the White House flail away for a while.

A question that hasn't been answered is who are the other reporters who were told about Plame yet didn't report it? Who initiated contact? What was said? This is news that the public should know. It would help the investigation, and help President Bush hold people accountable. It would also make one blockbuster story sure to boost the reporters' careers. There may be some qualms about compromising a source, but if accurate, this source broke the law.

"Still a Lot of Smoke, and Justice Thinks there's a Fire"

UPDATE: Today's Howard Kurtz column tries to answer my question about why reporters haven't come forward:

All good questions. Reporters who got these calls are now in the uncomfortable situation of having to honor their confidentiality pledge to the administration officials, even as Justice looks into who the officials are and whether they committed a crime. Not since Ken Starr and his folks were accused of illegal leaks during the Clinton impeachment have journalists, and their willingness to grant high-level people anonymity, become part of the story in this fashion.

There are situations in which it might be useful for a journalist to take information from a prosecutor or grand juror -- say, involving a scandal that could affect public health or safety -- even though it is a crime for the leaker to reveal it. It is not a crime for a reporter to receive such information, and the reporter could be serving the public by getting it out. That does not always make it right for the journalist to publish information that could jeopardize, for example, a military operation or police investigation. Each situation has to be carefully weighed on its merits.


It really doesn't answer my question, but it does get into the mind of these reporters. But if the leaker would be hung out to dry or forced to do the perp walk, why should the reporter care about their confidentiality pledge? Suppose the pledge is broken and the reporter outs the leaker. Future leakers would be disinclined to talk to that reporter. Is that a bad thing? It stops the flow of information, but the flow would never happened anyway because the reporter keeps quiet. Also, the leaker intends to use that flow for anti-social purposes.

"One Heckuva Leak"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)

Third Translator Arrested

Another translator has been arrested for spying at Guantanamo. Once is a fluke. Twice problem. Three times is a conspiracy. Think I'm off my rocker? Well, two of the three arrested had ties to Syria.

"Another Guantanamo Base Translator Arrested"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Terrorism at 02:29 PM | Comments (0)

Luskin on Plame/Wilson

Donald Luskin writes,

Think about the sequence of events. Novak talks to administration officials who tell him about Plame. He has the integrity to call someone at CIA to confirm his risky story before he runs with it -- and they confirmed it! Instead of saying "Valerie who? We've never heard of anyone named Valerie" or simply that "We don't answer media inquiries about CIA personnel" -- the CIA itself confirmed it, and in so doing the CIA itself leaked it.

Now why would they do that? Well, maybe she wasn't really a covert operative, the revelation of whose name would create any particular danger for her (in which case the administration's leaks wouldn't be so scandalous). Or maybe she was covert, and the CIA was as pissed off at Wilson as the Bush administration, but for their own special reason: because Wilson had gone public with the findings of a CIA-sponsored study, thus effectively leaking himself. And who recommended him for the job? The little woman... Valerie Plame. So it looks like George Tenet ought to be asking for two investigations here.


We're three days into this and still no more real information. And I thought the Internet shortened news cycles.

[via JustOneMinute]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 04:04 AM | Comments (1)

The Demise of a Scandal

Matthew Yglesias writes,

At this point, though, the scandal (to my mind, at least) has become less about the wrongdoings of specific officials (whether senior or not) than it is about the president's lack of desire to get to the bottom of things.

If that's all this is then this will go away in a few days leaving Bush bashers praying for something to nail him on.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 02:55 AM | Comments (0)

Apply Now!

Say you want to tackle some major public policy problems. Maybe you want to work on intellectual property issues (downloading music and movies) and think the FCC would be your place. Or maybe you want to help Colin Powell in getting support to rebuild Iraq. Or maybe you want Donald Rumsfeld's job because you think he's a pansy. You could spend years working on building political contacts to get nominated, OR you can fill out an online application. My guess is no one has ever been discovered for an appointed position just by filling out a form. But don't let that deter you from your dream of a government job.

[via BushBlog]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Tech at 02:50 AM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2003

Iraq-Anthrax Connection

Blaster has a theory that Iraq may have hit the U.S. with a bio-weapon.

"The Real Bush Coverup"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Terrorism at 11:52 PM | Comments (0)

Plame/Wilson: DC Smoke and Mirrors

To use McGehee's words, "not only is there no 'there' there, there isn't even a 'there' for "there" to be there, or not be there. Uh, so there." Bob Novak, who started the whole story with a forgotten column back in July declares, "'Nobody in the Bush administration called me to leak this." [via Drudge] According to Novak's CIA source, Plame wasn't a spy or running a covert operation.

Since the CIA turned the Plame/Wilson incident into a scandal by releasing the letter asking the Justice Department to look into whether laws were broken, CIA chief George Tenet moves right into my crosshairs. Did he authorized the sent letter? Did he know about it? If so, what's his agenda? Is he ticked he had to take the rap for the African uranium mention in the State of the Union?

Much of this depends on what the Washington Post describes as "administration officials." Somehow the reader has to distinguish this from "White House officials." If you read these stories quickly (like 90% of readers do) you'll interchange them.

Let's look with a wider scope. Why did President Bush retain Tenet from the Clinton administration? Why didn't Tenet resign or get fired after the Sep. 11 attacks? (I know of no one who got fired at all.)

Then there's Joe Wilson's role. What was the thinking of Vice President Cheney's staff to send a man antagonistic to the administration to check out an intelligence lead? His "investigation" amounted to tea parties at the U.S. embassy in Niger. The key here is Wilson's wife. From what's known so far this guy wouldn't be able to find out whether the uranium story was true or not, but his wife would know much more. If she starts talking all of DC will be listening.

What we do know is someone wanted to bring attention onto Plume. Novak says the CIA didn't want her name mentioned but didn't tell him it would "endanger her or anybody else." What they may have told him (but not mentioned by Novak) is the information wasn't life or death. Telling the world Plume's true identity and occupation would damage the intelligence pipeline, but no one's life was on the line. That's just speculation. DC is world all to its own where the Machiavellian tactics would turn the greatest idealist into a cold cynic.

But Plume might not have the secret job we've been led to believe. If her identity was to be kept secret then why does Wilson's bio on the Middle East Institute website mention his wife by name? [via Pejmanesque] With a simple Google search her connection to a former U.S. government official could be assertained.

As for Bush bashers, they now have to wipe up a lot of drool. They must have thought they finally got that poor-talking, born again, Texas business dork.

"Bush Aides Say They'll Cooperate With Probe Into Intelligence Leak"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 11:37 PM | Comments (0)

Hit the Lecture Circuit

I think it was one of the writers at 2blowhards who said that only a few hundred people in the world made money just from writing books. Taking that as truth, then how do writers pay the bills while still writing books? To use Virginia Postrel and her latest, The Substance of Style, as an example you can have portions of books reprinted in magazines, you can free lance, or you can go on the speaking circuit. This recalls the 19th Century where intellectuals like Ralph Waldo Emerson made a living giving public lectures. Unlike his time, philosophical discourses won't earn a lot, but for Postrel, the ideas in her books can be applied to the business world. There businessmen actually pay to hear her and pick her brain.

So the lesson to be learned from Postrel is if you want to make a living as a writer, find an idea that can get you onto the business speaking circuit. It can still be full of policy stuff and somewhat philosophical (see her The Future and Its Enemies).

Too bad my book idea, a history of Islamic-American wars (it's not a recent phenomenon), seems to have little application to the business world. :-(


Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Books at 07:13 PM | Comments (0)

Plame/Wilson Appetizer

There's a lot to digest on this whole incident. I'm not calling it a scandal because Bob Novak's statement today complicates it. As a starter, here's Clifford May's take.

In a related aside, Jane Galt thinks this takes oxygen from Weasley Clark's embryonic campaign.

"Spy Games"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Terrorism at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)

September 28, 2003

Plame/Wilson

AintNoBadDude has a link to the Washington Post story on Plame/Wilson (to use Glenn Reynolds' label) as well as blogosphere commentary. I didn't watch any Sunday yap-fests so I don't know how it's playing inside the Beltway. Outside the Beltway (like the transition?) James Joyner takes a wait-and-see approach.

To show how serious this scandal could be Daniel Drezner, once an unpaid Bush-Cheney advisor, mentioned the i-word if Bush had anything to do with this.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 03:01 PM | Comments (1)

German Firms Under Scrutiny

German companies are under investigation for violating the embargo with Saddam's Iraq.

"German Firms Face Iraq Arms Trade Probe"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Foreign Affairs at 02:28 PM | Comments (0)

Chaplain Checks

It's all well and good that the Pentagon will review it's chaplain policy, but I want to know how Capt. Yee, who was trained in Syria got his security clearance. Last time I checked, Syria was still considered a terrorist state. Sounds like a warning sign to me.

"Pentagon Says It Will Review Chaplain Policy" [via The Corner]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Terrorism at 01:59 PM | Comments (0)

September 27, 2003

TAM to Host Carnival

Mark your calendars for 01.28.04. That's when TAM will host the Carnival of the Vanities.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 06:17 PM | Comments (0)

Webloggers Out of Commission

With Kate out with illness and Stephen out because he was dreaming about weblogging, remember you can still cuddle up with TAM for your fix. I may be on vacation from my bill-paying job, but there is no let up planned for TAM.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 06:13 PM | Comments (0)

Architectural Comments

First, here are my thoughts on Chicago's new Soldier Field that I posted at SportsBlog:

I haven't seen the new Soldier Field in person. I can only rely on pictures. But from what I've seen, at most, I can only give it a C grade. The interior is spectacular. It has great sight lines, and the slices in the bowl allow fans to see Chicago's skyline. The asymmetry of the design is a good innovation without taking anything away from its function.

However, the exterior has a whole lot to be desired. Critics are correct. New Soldier Field is a space ship that landed around a 1920s exterior. There is too harsh a contrast between the 21st Century interior and the early 20th Century exterior. Stainless steel and glass don't mesh well with classical stone pillars.

"Bearing up Well so Far"

"Bears' 'Spaceship' Stirs Furor"

---

Next, Terry Teachout posts an experience from someone who spent some time living in a Frank Lloyd Wright house. How can architecture be considered "great" if it's so hard to live in? Buildings aren't just pretty things to be looked at. They have function and need to relate to those who occupy them.

[via 2blowhards]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Culture at 05:05 PM | Comments (0)

Compromised Agent

Putting the Africa uranium claim into the State of the Union speech may have been a mistake (the 16 words have never been shown to be inaccurate), but if White House officials broke laws and compromised an intelligence agent they must be fired and prosecuted. This could be serious scandal if the President doesn't act fast. None of the standard "wait for the investigation to proceed" business.

"CIA Seeks Probe of White House" [via Drudge]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 01:24 PM | Comments (0)

A SportsBlog Testimonial

In my fantasy football league I have Buffalo's Travis Henry. Last week he injured his ribs. All this week I didn't know if he would start. Thanks to the post by Kevin Pritchard I have enough information to bench him.

Thank you SportsBlog.

Football is in full swing, baseball playoffs will soon begin, and hockey and basketball will soon start. If you like sports and want to write about it, SportsBlog's here for you. Just e-mail Kevin (admin at sportsblog dot org) or myself (sean at theamericanmind dot com), and we'll get you set up.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Sports at 01:05 AM | Comments (0)

Stuff for Going to BloggerCon

I realized that if the mail gods like me and my notebook computer arrives in time next week I'll be dragging that with me to Boston. Since I'm bringing a computer, I can bring my digital camera and not worry about using up all the space on the smart media card. I'll also be bringing along a cell phone (haven't owned one in a few years). Along with all this tech junk I'll be bringing a travel book and map as well as an assortment of magazines and books (Quicksilver for sure) so I can catch up on my dead tree reading. I normally don't take music with me on airline trips but by loading a bunch of MP3s on my computer, I'll have stuff to listen to.

Then there will be the problem of staying in an area (Cambridge) that's home to some fine new and used bookstores [also click here]. If my experience there is like when I went to London I won't be buying much, but if the prices are right I don't know how I'll get my discoveries home.

I'm becoming a tech geek pack rat.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 12:55 AM | Comments (0)

The Clark Economic Plan

Steve Verdon on Weasley Clark's economic plan:

Lets also be clear here. What Clark is talking about is deficit spending. Sure, he can talk about repealing Bush's tax cuts, but there will still be a deficit and he wants to increase spending. So if the deficit is say $400 billion, and half of it is due to the tax cuts. Further, Clark wants to roll back the tax cut, but at the same time spend an additional $100 billion dollars, what he is saying is he finds a $300 billion deficit reasonable.

Now, what is the difference in terms of percentage of GDP between a $300 billion deficit and a $400 billion deficit? Not much. Assuming an $11.5 trillion GDP, the difference is .009. Is that something to get worked up over?


"He Has A Plan"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 12:10 AM | Comments (2)

September 26, 2003

Luther: A Review

Joseph Fiennes pulls off an Oscar-calibre performance as Martin Luther. His portrail of the conflict within was outstanding. We see the tortured soul dealing with salvation, damnation, and temptation. His thrashing and yelling at the devil reminds me of Smegal in the second Lord of the Rings movie. Peter Ustinov played Luther's benefactor, Prince Fredrick. He did a great job with great wit and a keen use of subtle facial features. The settings and costumes were gorgeous. The mud, dirt, and heavy clothing reminds you that this is set in the 16th Century

As a historical epic we do get to see what effect Luther's ideas had on Germany. Peasants took his rejection of Roman authority to heart and revolted. Luther was appalled and asked the ruling princes to put down the revolt. The princes also used Luther's Reformation as a means to oppose Charles, the Holy Roman Emperor. Roger Ebert does make a good point that there wasn't enough description of the political background of the time. Attempts were made by characters like Pope Leo X to mention the Turks were threatening Vienna, but more could have been done.

Catholics probably won't be too fond of this movie. Rome is called a "sewer" where priests sleep with prostitutes and commerce (in the form of indulgences) was more important than spirituality.

I'd love this movie to get some Oscar consideration. Fiennes and Ustinov shine; and Jonathan Firth, who plays Cardinal Aleandro, makes for a sly, cunning adversary. I wouldn't go so far as to say Luther should get best-picture consideration. It's too much of a morality play where all the characters are either good or bad. What Luther is is a story of man challenging the most powerful institution of his time and winning. As that, this is a fine movie.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Culture at 11:35 PM | Comments (0)

Evening Plans

After catching some dinner and seeing Luther, I must clear out the dated links in my "possible links" folder in my browser. There's stuff that's been sitting there for months waiting for pithy commentary. Unfortunately most of it is going to be deleted.

"Martin Luther's Passion, Still Resonating Today"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 05:21 PM | Comments (0)

More Speakers at BloggerCon

Added to the BloggerCon lineup are Eric Folley, Democratic National Committee; James Taranto, Wall Street Journal; Len Apcar, New York Times; Jeff Jarvis, Advance Publications, Dan Gillmor, San Jose Mercury News. With some interesting stuff happening on Day 2 (the free day) it may cut into my Boston sight-seeing.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 05:06 PM | Comments (0)

Plimpton Dead at 76

George Plimpton had that blue-blood, East Coast accent (almost like Bill Buckley's) yet I remember him most for his talk on something that connects with the American everyman: sports. I never read any of his books, but I listened to him being interviewed about Muhammad Ali and baseball. He added poetic touch to a sweaty and dirty subject.

Paper Lion, Plimpton's story of his month-long stint in the Detroit Lions' training camp is being re-released in October.

Godspeed, George.

"Author George Plimpton Dies at 76" [via Wizbang]

UPDATE: ScrappleFace has the latest on Plimpton's current project.

"George Plimpton to Write Book on Death"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Books at 04:36 PM | Comments (0)

California Issue Quiz

If I were a California voter (poor me), a nifty new KQED website would be helpful. Their Vote By Issue Quiz forces you to pick an issue position without knowing which candidate it's from. I'm most closely aligned with Tom McClintock. If California McClintock supporters take this quiz will it just harden their support for him or throw them into another struggle of weighing electability versus ideology?

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)

Cynposium.com

New domain for Cynthia. Change all links accordingly.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 04:15 AM | Comments (0)

Weasley Used to Like GOP

Drudge reports that Weasley Clark used to be pretty good at praising Republicans, especially President Bush. Does that drive die-hard Dems towards the Duck because they seek party purity?

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 03:54 AM | Comments (0)

Thanks

Kudos to Blaster for adding TAM to his blogroll.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 03:43 AM | Comments (0)

Pape and the Logic of Suicide Attacks

There has been some scribbles on Robert Pape's research on suicide terrorism. He's written a paper (download pdf here) in the American Political Science Review and an op-ed for the NY Times. An important insight from Pape's work is that suicide (homicide) attacks are purposeful and effective. For people in Washington the latter is not good to read when they're waging a global war on terrorism.

A problem with Pape's findings is he claims religious extremism has little to do with suicide bombings. In his research he notes that "leading instigator of suicide attacks is the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, a Marxist-Leninist group whose members are from Hindu families but who are adamantly opposed to religion (they have have committed 75 of the 188 incidents)." The Tigers may be opposed to religion as commonly thought, but Marxist-Leninism is itself a faith an a worldview. Such an ideology is as full of unprovable assumptions and logical conclusions as Christianity, Judism, or Islam.

Instead of religion as the root cause Pape finds that suicide attacks are in response to military presence in homelands. Nationalism, not religion, is the foundation for suicide attacks.

Pape's policy prescriptions are beefing up homeland security and getting troops out of the Middle East. The former is appropriate, but by abandoning Iraq by leaving it in the hands of the U.N. destroys U.S. credibility with the freed Iraqis. Removing troops from the Middle East will satisfy some Cato types and a whole lot of paleoconservatives/libertarians, but the U.S. will end up looking weak and soft. Such action would prove bin Laden's view of America. It also emboldens other enemies that the U.S. will cut and run if a few suicide attacks occur. Adam Wolfson recommends that we deny terrorists the ends they seek. In other words, don't negotiate and don't give in to their demands. The best solution is to destroy the terrorist organizations before they can attack us. It's hard for them to kill if they're already dead.

[via Daniel Drezner and David Adesnik @ The Volokh Conspiracy]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Terrorism at 02:32 AM | Comments (2)

September 25, 2003

Said Dead at 67

Edward Said, author of Orientalism, is dead. As James Joyner writes, "[Said] represented most of what I've long thought wrong with that discipline: His ideology always trumped his scholarship." He also showed the intellectual bankruptcy of many in the academic Left:

He prompted a controversy in 2000 when he threw a rock toward an Israeli guardhouse on the Lebanese border. Columbia University did not censure him, saying that the stone was directed at no one, no law was broken and that his actions were protected by principles of academic freedom.

There is also questions about Said's life in Palestine/Israel brought up by Justus Reid Weiner.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Books at 02:10 PM | Comments (0)

Hobbs Speaks Truth

Bill Hobbs has some good evidence that President Bush didn't lie about his reasons for going to war in Iraq. It didn't have to do with Iraq sponsoring the Sep. 11th attacks. It was a pre-emptive war to oust a wicked man who was a threat to the U.S.

[via Balloon Juice]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 01:47 PM | Comments (0)

New JDAMS

The Air Force completed a test where one B-2 dropped 80 500-pound bombs in 22 seconds. Every bomb hit an individual target. Military advances have come to the point where we can literally rain down fire and brimstone on our enemies.

"US Air Force B-2 Bomber Drops 80 JDAMS in Historic Test" [via Firefive]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Tech at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)

Can Now Focus, Focus, Focus

Nothing sucks out the weblogging energy quite like hunting for stuff on eBay. That's what's been diverting my attention for the past few days. I did get a deal on a notebook computer so I won't feel like a tech neophyte at BloggerCon.

Because of my eBay hunting, I missed my second Bonfire of the Vanities. I hold my head in shame again. Go check out the bad stuff. After that, go to the Carnival of the Vanities hosted by Pathetic Earthlings.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 01:26 PM | Comments (4)

Airports Seeding Growth

Just as railroads created (and destroyed) cities simply because of where they went, airports are driving the growth of cities. Sprouting up around the Denver International Airport and Washington's Dulles Airport are office parks and subdivisions.

"New 'Cities' Springing up Around Many U.S. Airports"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 01:04 PM | Comments (0)

Dems Bash Bias

When Democrats are critical of media coverage in Iraq, you know something is wrong with the press. Most notable was a comment by Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA) who said there were only 27 reporters left in Iraq.

"Press Slants Iraq News: Members" [via The Volokh Conspiracy]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 02:07 AM | Comments (0)

Miss America at Harvard

David Adesnik gets all witty:

Believe or not, Miss America will be enrolling next fall at Harvard Law School. I guess she was so used to being around superficial ego-driven overachievers that three more years of it didn't seem like much of a sacrifice. (Yes, Urman, that was a cheap shot.)

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 01:14 AM | Comments (0)

September 24, 2003

Lindsey on Iraq Costs

Larry Lindsey got fired from his White House job because he did a poor job talking about a sluggish economy that has finally started to perk up. It wasn't because he was stupid. His USA Today column shows he's a pretty bright guy. He predicted that the Iraq War would cost 1-2% of U.S. GDP. It turns out the cost could be about 0.8% for both Iraq and Afghanistan. Lindsey then puts this cost in perspective:

Each year American households spend about 1% of their income on alcoholic beverages and another 1% on tobacco products. We spend about 0.7% of our money on cosmetic products. In other words, our combined operations to combat terror in the Middle East cost a bit more than we spend on makeup and shampoo and a bit less than we spend on booze or tobacco.

For that relatively small sum, we ended the horrible reign of an evil man, and ended a threat to the Middle East and the West. That's not a bad return on investment.

"Iraq Costs Require Some Perspective" [via Balloon Juice]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 01:49 PM | Comments (0)

Defending the Duck

TAM isn't in the business of defending the Duck. He's fully capable of bloviating about his record and policy statements. What I have to point out is that this critical website of the Duck, Waffle Powered Howard (cleaver title) is intellectually dishonest. For instance, WPH quotes the Duck in 1993 as saying Medicare is "one of the worst federal programs ever." To "prove" the Duck waffled, there is a link to the candidate's position on healthcare. Medicare isn't mentioned on the page. Then there is the difference between the Duck's death penalty position in 1992 and 2003. That's 11 years. Anybody's mind can change on an issue during that time. What would it say about the Duck (or any candidate) if he hasn't changed his mind on any policy positions after living in the real world for 10+ years? It doesn't matter what party he comes from, I don't want leaders to have calcified minds incapable of excepting new ideas or opinions.

WPH does have some better examples of the Duck changing his mind for political purposes. In 10.02, he said it was possible the U.S. might have to invade Iraq unilaterally, but in March, the Duck complained about Democrats not attacking President Bush on the Iraq War. Also, the Duck said in June that the Social Security retirement age could possibly be raised to 68. In an August debate, the Duck said he didn't favor one.

[via Balloon Juice]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 01:40 PM | Comments (0)

Boss in Brew City

For those headed to Miller Park Saturday, a Bruce Springsteen concert should be a memorable experience. But the Boss had another unforgettable show in Milwaukee 28 years ago.

"The Night the Boss Bombed in Brew Town"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Music at 01:04 PM | Comments (0)

Freaks of the Week

My latest Freaks of the Week column is now up at SportsBlog.org.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Sports at 12:30 AM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2003

Weasley Clark

The White House has no record of Wesley Clark calling Karl Rove. Clark just got into the Presidential race, and he's already fibbing. But since when did lying ever stop and Arkansas Democrat from running for President?

"Clark Never Called Karl" [via BushCheney2004 weblog]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 05:42 PM | Comments (2)

The Purpose of College

James Joyner comments on my thoughts on the future of higher education:

I've long thought that if college is to exist primarily as a job training center for the business world, it not only will but should fail. That's never been the role of the academy and, frankly, it is amazingly unsuited for it. Professors are subject matter experts in their field but, at least in the "pure" academy, they are primarily theorists. Their job is to educate, not to train. Those are vastly different missions.

This distinction has become rather difficult to maintain in an era when, in order to be more "relevant" and compete for dollars, most colleges and universities have entered into the realm of vocational-technical training that was once reserved for trade schools and community colleges. Technical skills that were of a professional nature, notably engineering and architecture, have long been housed under the rubric of the academy. But, gradually, such things as nursing, criminal justice, marketing, hotel and restaurant management, and similar purely job training programs began to infiltrate.

They are simply not academic subjects. The problem with these fields, from the perspective of the academy, is that they are highly practical and best learned by hands-on experience. The sort of people who traditionally obtained a Ph.D. are almost certainly unqualified to teach most of these subjects, not only because of a different mindset but also a different career progression. The way to learn to manage a hotel is to work one's way up the food chain, not devote a decade to post-graduate education in theory. So, either the professoriate for these fields have to be non-academics--in which case their standing within the academy is that of a lower caste--or they will be people with a foot in both camps, usually with a rather dubious Ph.D. earned late in life and without the intellectual commitment usual in those committed to the life of the mind.


He's right. The purpose of the university is to expand our knowledge. The only training that should take place should be future researchers and scholars. Trades like accounting, business, marketing, nursing, and teaching should be left to trade schools. We used to have government colleges specifically for teachers, but a time passed, they grew (as all government programs do) beyond their initial purposes.

Right now, I see a college degree as useful to employers as a sorting mechanism. But if undergraduate scholarship continues to be watered down, employers will look for proof of training in specific skills. That's where innovative for-profit and non-profit schools could make a serious impact and change higher education.

"College of the Future"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 05:33 PM | Comments (0)

Another Guantanamo Arrest

There may be a big security problem down in Guantanamo Bay. An airman was arrested in July for spying and aiding the enemy.

"US Airman Charged with Espionage in Guantanamo Case"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Terrorism at 05:22 PM | Comments (0)

September 22, 2003

I'm Blushing

Just below PrestoPundit's title is a list of publications, websites, and weblogs that recommend it. Along with big newspapers, a cable network, and some major weblogs is TAM. I'm flattered. Read Greg. He's good and hyperactive, two qualities that make for a must-read weblog.

Greg even gets profound. In this post, he briefly argues that James Madison failed in his quest to set faction against faction in government. In California, he writes, "the faction driven legislature is killing the taxpayer and business in the interest of the trial lawyers, the government unions, and the countless spending lobbies and dependency constituencies. This is Madisonian government run amuck...." He then praises ballot intiative and recall as "effective tools for saving the people and the common good." I'm not so sure. From what little I know about California government, much of the state budget is out of the hands of the legislature because of ballot intiatives. Also, if Madisonian government has been such a failure how come other states haven't run into similar problems as California?

The topic of Madisonian government versus Progressive reforms within the context of California political history would make for a really good paper or dissertation. I know TAM has a few political science (oxymoron) PhDs and students. Has anything been written on this?

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 09:36 PM | Comments (0)

Fuel Cell Fantasy

Schwarzenegger played to Californians' environmental sympathies with a plan to build hydrogen fueling stations every 20 miles on California interstates. Arnold, you're state is suffering from a $38 billion hole in the budget. How are you going to pay for this? Then there's the problem of where the energy will come from to get the hydrogen. It will be hard to cut air pollution by 50% if the fuel that used to go into cars was used to get hydrogen. He should have pushed for nukes.

"Schwarzenegger Says He Will Push Fuel Cell Cars"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 09:17 PM | Comments (0)

Gaffney on Yee

Frank Gaffney comments on Chaplain Yee's arrest:

One can only hope that the surveillance that resulted in Yee’s arrest is part of a wider effort to ensure that chaplains ministering to Muslims in the U.S. military are promoting the sorts of moderate, pro-American views he purportedly held in 2001, rather than the sort of radical, intolerant and jihadist views of the so-called “Islamists.” Otherwise, the danger is very real that serving members of the armed forces could be subjected to ominous proselytizing intended to give rise to clandestine Fifth Column activities in this country and a whole new front in the War on Terror.

"Fifth Column II"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Terrorism at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)

Best Political Websites

To add to the latest John "VH1 of the blogosphere" Hawkins' list are my selections of the best political websites:


  1. Drudge
  2. Washington Post
  3. PoliBlog
  4. Outside the Beltway
  5. InstaPundit
  6. NY Times
  7. National Review
  8. Reason
  9. Tech Central Station
  10. Volokh Conspiracy
  11. TownHall's columnist site
  12. OpinionJournal.com
  13. Betsy's Page
  14. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

I've given you my list, discuss.

"Right-Of-Center Bloggers Select Their Favorite Political Websites"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 07:08 PM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2003

Weblog or Rock Band?

Lynn lists some weblog names that would also be good monikers for bands.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 06:49 PM | Comments (0)

Spying Chaplain

Here's a question about the Islamic chaplain who has been arrested for spying: shouldn't have red flags come up when Capt. Yee re-enlisted after living in Syria? Then they send him to Guantanamo where other Islamic radicals are housed. This makes no sense to me.

"Islamic Chaplain is Charged as Spy" [via InstaPundit]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Terrorism at 06:45 PM | Comments (1)

The Future of College

Arnold Kling has a vision of the college of the future:

Colleges today are in a position to continue to increase tuition charges. They have successfully met the demand for the aesthetic qualities desired by parents and students. They have achieved market dominance by becoming highly attractive holding pens.

On the other hand, the ability of college to provide educational substance at reasonable cost is diminishing. To me, this suggests that in the future colleges will turn increasingly to outsourcing. Rather than rely on an internally-selected faculty, a college might turn to a specialized supplier. That supplier might provide instructional videos and software in addition to live professors. Rather than enjoy the privilege of institutional tenure, professors might sell their lecture time through agencies that book popular speakers.

In the information age, many manufacturing companies have become supply-chain integrators. You might hire consultants to design a product, go to China to manufacture it, hire a logistics specialist to ship it, and rely on a value-added reseller to market it. I could see colleges going down the same path. A generation from now, the most successful colleges may be the ones that provide the best aesthetics, while outsourcing the actual function of education.


But if colleges can continue to increase tuition without losing students, then where is the incentive to outsource? Does anyone imagine top schools like Harvard and Stanford outsourcing? I can imagine lower-tier schools outsourcing to Harvard but not the other way around.

If anything, the future of higher education (beyond high school) will be for-profit businesses providing specific training. Firms would hire the companies to train their employees to use some new piece of technology or individuals will get certified so they have better chances in the job market. As time goes on and businesses view college life as "holding pen" the value of a four-year degree will diminish.

"The World's Nicest Holding Pen"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 06:25 PM | Comments (0)

September 20, 2003

What's Up Doc?

I'll be at my 10-year high school reunion, but I'll still be rooting for Tina Maria Sauerhammer in the Miss America pagent. If she wins she'd the first doctor Miss America.

"Green Bay Natives Contend for Big Things on Small Screen"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 03:19 PM | Comments (2)

Where are the Hits?

TAM made MSNBC's Weblog Central. Cool, but it's generated almost zilch for traffic. Does anybody read this weblog? Or do they read it and just don't bother clicking on anything? Jay Solo has a nice weblog with no connections to Big Media and he sends more traffic to TAM just with his blogroll.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 03:11 PM | Comments (1)

Badger: The Next Macarena

The badger song is now on CD. Buy it! Heck buy a t-shirt too.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Music at 01:29 AM | Comments (0)

Bird's the Word

I never would have thought a major news magazine would ever put an obscene gesture on their cover, but the breakdown of the WTO talks in Cancun really set The Economist off.

[via Jane Galt and Daniel Drezner]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 12:43 AM | Comments (0)

September 19, 2003

Poor Blaster

I won't complain about the average IQ of the customers I dealt with today (less than my belt size) because my day was nothing like Blaster's "adventures" in the air and road. I will also not make fun of Blaster's experience in any way since I'll be off to Boston in a few weeks.

"Worst. Episode. Ever.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 10:50 PM | Comments (0)

Pretty Things

Since I'm reading the monster-sized Quicksilver, I don't when I'll get to Virginia Postrel's The Substance of Style. But to tide all us dynamist fans, here's a review by Jackson Murphy.

"It's the Style, Stupid"

UPDATE: Glenn Reynolds understands Build-a-Bear's success. He called it a "Virginia Postrel moment". This is a meme I can't wait to use. (HINT HINT If you want an Instalanche.)

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Books at 10:43 PM | Comments (0)

French Aren't Our Friends

Thomas Friedman was a little slow this time, but he's finally come around:

It's time we Americans came to terms with something: France is not just our annoying ally. It is not just our jealous rival. France is becoming our enemy.

It's now acceptible in liberal circles to admit that France isn't very helpful. Does that mean they'll lay off President Bush for not working with the Gallic half of the Axis of Weasles? I doubt it.
"Our War With France" [via Blaster's Blog]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Foreign Affairs at 10:29 PM | Comments (0)

Worst Science Jobs

Popular Science has a list of the worst science jobs. PS may rank flatulence sniffer as number one, but I have to think animal masturbator has to be worse. Then there's the most worthless science job: "metric system advocate." The Metric Program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology motto is "Toward a Metric America." Not if I can clock them with a 1/2" wrench.

"Worse Jobs In Science" [via Betsy's Page]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)

Food, Beer, Yum!

Food a beer pairings from local brewpubs are making me hungry. I don't care if it's after bar time. Give me something cold and crisp with a plate of spicy buffalo chicken wings.

"Tapping into Food-Beer Combos"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 02:10 AM | Comments (0)

Glenn's a Swell Guy

One reason so many people like and respect Glenn Reynolds is his humility. On Instalanches he writes,

My advice is keep blogging, get noticed by other bloggers at varying traffic levels, and you'll build an audience. The vaunted "Instalanche" looks impressive on your counter for a day, but most of those readers won't stick around. Readers you build on your own will.

I hope he's a nice in real life at BloggerCon as he is on the Web.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 01:55 AM | Comments (0)

Economist vs. Krugman

Ambit responds to Paul Krugman's arguments about income inequality in his interview with Kevin Drum.

"The Economist Fisks Paul Krugman"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 01:43 AM | Comments (0)

September 18, 2003

Stephenson's Big New Book

quicksilver.jpg

Eugene Volokh will hate me, but thanks to my connections in the book world, I've already started Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver. I've just begun and already well-known people and places have already appeared.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Books at 02:15 PM | Comments (1)

France Wants U.S. Out of Iraq

Want to assure failure in Iraq? Listen to the French and hand over power to Iraqis in a few months. Such a quick transistion would require neglecting work on a constitution. Democracy isn't enough for Iraq. A limited government that respects the rights of its citizens is needed. Otherwise that place has a good chance to splinter along ethnic and religious lines. David Phillips of the Council on Foreign Relations sees this transition taking at least one year.

If you haven't already, read Fareed Zakaria's column in the Washington Post.

"France Wants Transfer of Power to Iraqis in Months"

"Iraq: Washington Sees Complex Process To Restore Sovereignty"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in War at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)

Islamic World Has One Arm Tied Behind Its Back

Kate posts on how the lack of women's rights hurts the economies of Islamic countries. Let me add a thought from Islam scholar Bernard Lewis, author of What Went Wrong?:

Another approach has been to view the main culprit as the relegation of women to an inferior position in Muslim society, which deprives the Islamic world of the talents and energies of half its people and entrusts the other half's crucial early years of upbringing to illiterate and downtrodden mothers. The products of such an education, it has been said, are likely to grow up either arrogant or submissive, and unfit for a free, open society. However one evaluates the views of secularists and feminists, their success or failure will be a major factor in shaping the Middle Eastern future.

I also believe in WWW Lewis quotes a Turkish official that not giving women equal rights was like cutting off one's arm. I don't have the book so I'm paraphrasing.

"What Went Wrong?"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Foreign Affairs at 03:09 AM | Comments (0)

Java Tax Rejected

There's at least one tax people of the Left Coast don't like.

"Espresso Tax Rejected by Voters" [via Starhawk]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 01:30 AM | Comments (0)

Cheerleading Mode On

To all Packers fans:

Vote for Nick Barnett as last week's Rookie of the Week. He had 14 tackles, an interception, and one pass defended. Be like Chicago (the city, not da Bears): vote early, vote often.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Sports at 01:14 AM | Comments (4)

Instalanche Advice

Kevin gives some good advice to best get Glenn Reynolds' attention. Based on my two Instalanches (that I can remember), Glenn likes music posts and posts that covers an event (a car accident in my case) faster than big media and just as accurate.

What I want to know is how to get on Glenn's blogroll. I don't know how much traffic one generates (especially if near the bottom), but it would be a great badge of honor. If anyone wants to start an e-mail campaign to get TAM on Glenn's blogroll, I won't get in the way. ;-)

"How to Get an Instalanche"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 01:04 AM | Comments (2)

What Money Won't Get You

Jim of Unix, Music, and Politics posts on the fact that foreign aid doesn't buy votes at the U.N. If it did, a lot more countries would be on the U.S.'s side. No campaign finance law needed there.

"Foreign Folly"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Foreign Affairs at 12:59 AM | Comments (0)

September 17, 2003

Carnival B-Day

It's the 52nd Carnival of the Vanities. It's grown from 15 entries to 70. None from TAM. I always seem for forget to submit until just after the deadline has passed.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 02:16 PM | Comments (1)

Another Economist Interview

CalPundit's interview with Paul Krugman isn't as full of virulent condemnations of the Bush administration as his columns (which I haven't bothered to read for a long, long time). Krugman sounded calm yet kooky. He thinks the Bush administration hates Government, wants to slash Social Security and Medicare, and wipe out the New Deal. He's also worried that budget deficits could create an Argentina-type financial crisis.

I say he's only a little kooky because with the U.S. having the largest economy in the world, other countries look to her to lift the world out of the economic doldrums.

As for the anti-government philosophy of the Bush administration, I have to laugh. You don't get record-setting budget deficits by tearing down government. If Bush, Grover Norquist (whom Krugman seems to be mildly obsessed with), et. al. really hate the social safety net, then how come the GOP is working on a prescription drug plan, the largest new entitlement created since Medicare? And if the Right was doing such a good job destroying the government, how come Jonah Goldberg has declared our time as an age of Big Government Conservatism?

"An Interview with Paul Krugman" [via Dean's World]

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Economics at 02:10 PM | Comments (0)

Michele: Next CIA Chief?

When not living her "normal" life, Michele operates a global, underground network. For what, only she knows. It's just found a Saddam tape.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Miscellaneous at 01:48 PM | Comments (2)

Good Stuff at RWN

First, the weblogger symposium on California's recall election wasn't very insightful. However, ScrappleFace's Scott Ott just made me laugh and laugh and laugh. [via AtlanticBlog]

Then there's John Hawkins' interview with Nobel Prize-winner Milton Friedman. It's full of insights from a man who doesn't sound like he's 90+ years old.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 12:18 AM | Comments (0)

September 16, 2003

Don't Jamal Lewis to Democracy

No wonder Stephen Green considers this Fareed Zakaria piece "required reading." It's a sensible argument why we shouldn't give into France, Germany, and the U.N. and get an elected Iraqi government running ASAP. Zakaria writes,

Popular sovereignty is a great thing, but a constitutional process is greater still. The French know this. The French Revolution emphasized popular sovereignty with little regard to limitations on state power. The American founding, by contrast, was obsessed with constitution-making. Both countries got to genuine democracy. But in France it took two centuries, five republics, two empires and one dictatorship to get there. Surely we want to do it better in Iraq.

A problem I have with the Bush administration over Iraq is the constant talk about an democratic Iraq. Just a democracy is not what's needed there. What's needed is a government that respects its citizens' rights and allows them to live free and productive lives. Democracy is arguably a necessary condition* to that but it isn't sufficient. A limited, functioning government is what Iraqis and the region needs.

"Don't Rush to Disaster"

*Hong Kong had no democracy while under British rule. Yet, it was one of the most free places on earth.

P.S. I hope someone gets this post's title. I have a feeling it's too cleaver by half.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 11:22 PM | Comments (2)

A D.C. Lesson

Here's what should be learned from the Senate's gutting of DARPA's budget: when you hire a person, John Poindexter, who has had really bad relations with the Congress, expect Capitol Hill to hang him when he tosses out even the tiniest piece of rope.

"Darpa's Ditziness Dents Budget"

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Politics at 10:59 PM | Comments (0)

Some Lessons of My Own

Kate lists ten things she's learned since she started her weblog six months ago. I'll add a few more since compared to her, I'm an old fogy. (I've been posting since 12.99.)

  1. Accept the fact that "blog" and "blogging" are words. They're ugly, but you don't have to use them ("weblog," "weblogging," "post," and "posting" are acceptible substitutes on TAM). Don't get all worked up over them.

  2. Understand that weblogging isn't necessarily a path to fame and fortune. Despite all the media hub-bub about weblogs, they're still have a small audience compared to other media. There are a few million weblogs read by a few million people. Although I think webloggers and their readers are more influential and trend-setting, they're still only a tiny part of the population. Being a famous weblogger (Glenn, Andrew) means you can still walk down a street and have no one recognize you. As for fortune, if you're really lucky, you'll get enough donations to cover your web hosting costs.

  3. As a corollary, understand why you're weblogging. Are you doing it to release all the rantings you used to direct at your television while watching cable news talking heads? Do you just want to keep your family and friends informed about your personal events? Do you want to change the world one mind at a time? Or, like me, is this your motivation to write daily hoping that such discipline leads to bigger and better things?

  4. Don't emote about your lack of visitors and links. Hits, links, and trackbacks are signs of respect in the blogosphere. The more you get the more others think you and your ideas are interesting and important. Not getting much of either means exactly what you think. When your down remember to examine why you post in the first place. One reason we all do it is for egoboo, but that can't keep you going when you get a sharp drop in readers. Complaining about visitors and links makes you look small. Getting attention requires adding value to the blogosphere. That means writing or creating something interesting or linking to something interesting. Complaining is boring.

  5. Don't be surprised when your weblog suddenly takes off. People may start linking to you, or your weblog might start getting lots of traffic from Google. You won't know what you did (if anything) to cause it. Just savor it and keep chuggin' away.

  6. Finally, feel free to edit your posts. Get rid of those unnecessary words. It's all about time here, people. We have oodles of weblogs to read and only 24 hours in a day to do it.

Wow, that was longer than I planned. I hope that my little bits of wisdom help you with your weblogging.

"10 Things I've Learned About Blogging"

---

James has some comments about Kate's list.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 10:22 PM | Comments (2)

Week 2 Freaks

My Freaks of the Week column is up at SportsBlog.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Sports at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)

New Bonfire

Summer may be over, but there's still one good reason to break out the marshmellows. This week's Bonfire of the Vanities is here.

Posted by Sean Hackbarth in Weblogging at 05:11 PM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2003

Good Old Paper and Pencil

Here's Iain Murray's suggestion on the Ninth Circuit court'