Bolton: stirring up trouble or doing his job?

Seems to me the answer is pretty clear: doing his job.

Ace of Spades HQ

I am fan of Christopher Hitchens. His analysis is spot on, and he can turn a phrase.

Maimed for a Lie

This is disgusting.

Jane Galt-Economics of Oil

Basic economics for the those who don't understand the law of consequences.

At last, someone who understands me

And me. This sums up how I think about the war.

Religious Reasons for Lawmaking,

I was looking for this and I don't want to lose it again. I appreciate that Volokh keeps a list of related topics at the bottom of posts.

Lileks strikes again

This is hilarious. I love the riff on the people who think they are bringing up something you've never heard before. "Well, golly, I never thought of that. I guess you win this argument. I'm in your debt, sir."

First Day of School

Today was the first day, and not nearly as stress-free as I was hoping. I feel a little like I have a better handle on things, but maybe I'm just tired. I have changed back and forth but I am going to stick with Iago, because I've always liked the name, and no one else I know has it. If I had a boy, and my wife would let me, I'd name a son Iago. Cool.

My first link to a left-wing site

Just so I could say, this dude is wrong. Sheehan has made herself look really bad. Public sympathy only extends so far, and an implicit belief in her "moral authority" may be part of DD's make-up, and most left-wingers' make-up (although I don't think it is, they just like to say so when the situation is in their favor), but I don't think most people are thinking, "well, I supported the Iraq war, but now I hear that someone who has lost a son in Iraq is against the war. I guess that means the time for thinking is over, and now is the time for knee-jerk emotional reaction." I'm sorry for her loss. Apparently many in her family do not agree with her. Will the left elevate their opinions to the level of Cindy's? Is their loss not the same as hers? See this QandO post for a longer version of my point.

Angry Young Bloggers

This post at soxblog explains why I am reticent to throw my hat in the ring. Contention and I do not mix. I just can't handle it. I can take vigorous intellectual debate, and detailed criticism, but when the personal attacks start flying, and the cuss words show up, I'm out. I only discuss things with people to try to convince them, and if someone is personally attacking me, or cussing me out for thinking the way I do, there's not much point in talking, is there?

Quoted!!

The incomparable Jeff Harrell has quoted me. Yes, that's right, one of those letters to the editor is MINE.

Breyer on Giving Foreign Courts "A Little Boost Sometimes":

I gotta keep this post on a talk by Justice Breyer on Giving Foreign Courts "A Little Boost Sometimes": handy: the commenters have a pretty good handle on why it is just dumb, dumb, dumb to cite to foreign courts. Stretching to justify prior actions indeed.

American Indian Mascots

Just heard a radio segment on Eric Uh-silly-us, with him talking to the two people responsible for defending the NCAA's ban on post-season appearances of school mascots which depict Native Americans. My questions: 1) You say that you don't necessarily know better than the Seminole Tribal Council of Florida as to whether Florida St. is offending Seminoles, just that you know that some Seminoles somewhere are offended. Then why are you trying to coerce schools into doing what you have decided is right? 2) On a related note, you also mention that one of your guiding principles is letting the schools have institutional autonomy. That's why you've restricted your coercion to the post-season. Huh? The Fighting Illini is offensive, but only during the playoffs. If it's so important, important enough for you to fiddle with "institutional autonomy", why not go whole hog? Because of the amount of rebellion, I'm guessing. Cowards. 3) This is another example (and Eric mentioned it) of some nanny coming in and saying, you don't know best, I know best, me and the 15% who feel as I do, we know better than the unenlightened, unwashed 85%. And, since we've got the stick, we'll beat you with it till you conform.

Mess with the dynamics of the market and face the wrath of the law of unintended consequences

Keeping the poor poor. This is why I advocate a free market, and why the Mormons who accuse me of not caring about the poor are ignorant. It's fine and dandy to have good intentions (guess what? Republicans actually have them), but if your methods suck, your intentions aren't worth much. Intentions do not put the Triscuit in my belly, to paraphrase a bit.

Possibly Helpful Book

Volokh's Legal Writing Book.

Potentially Helpful Article

How to Read Cases

Inertia: Second Phase

Oh, yeah, somehow I managed to overcome the hill, and get stuff done, and guess what? It all took me YEARS less time to finish than I had anticipated. Of course, now I don't feel as bad about the time wasting, which in turn makes me feel bad. It's a vicious cycle.

Also, they stole my favorite line

Which is, if we had some ham, we could have a ham sandwich, if we had some bread.

"Deferred Success"

Look at this. I'm sorry. As polite as BC is, and how vehemently NS and the others protest, I just have a hard, hard time understanding why anyone can support the Democratic Party. It's just ridiculous. The outright spin and lying that goes on, the inability to give ANY credit to "the other side", the vacuum where rational, reasoned argument should be. I've heard that "budget cuts" one before, in the context of Arnold. The Democratic California Legislature wanted to increase funding for education by something like $4 million, and Arnold cut that proposed funding back to $2 million, and the LA Dog Trainer called it a "budget cut." An increase of $2 million is a budget cut? These are some messed up priorities and world views we are talking about here, people.

Inertia

An object in motion remains in motion and an object at rest remains at rest, unless acted on by some outside force. Right? That's the law, and we mustn't disobey the law. Well, how do I burst out of my lazy, casually interesting, light, supreficial conversation/learning phase, and jump into a think-it-through-and figure-out-the-damn-tax-code mode, where I could actually get some work done? How? I have no idea. I have slipped to the depths of actually contributing to my own piss-poor effort of a blog in order to avoid the work that must be done by Friday. Here we go, one, two, threeeeeeeee.....

9 OTHER "standard background check" investigations the New York Times is actively pursuing on SCOTUS nominee John Roberts, Jr and his family

Very Funny

Althouse: "Wait a minute! The guy is doing pro bono work and helping gay activists?"

I thought the last paragraph of this post, after referencing Jim Lindgren, was instructive. It immediately made me think, "When they are learned, they think they are wise, and they harken not to the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves."

Authors to Check Out

Bernard Cornwell, Shannon Hale,, Stephen Lawhead