Best Picture nods going to Brokeback Mountain, Munich, Crash, Capote, & Goodnight, and Good Luck

Of these, I've seen all of them except Capote and Crash, though I've heard good things about each. I've also heard good things about Matchpoint, making it another movie I need to see.

Of the three I have seen, Brokeback was easily the best, and my money would be on it to win the Oscar. Plus, it did pick up the Golden Globe for a drama.

See the entire list of the nominations here...

It's got 5 blades on the front and one blade on the back. That's 6 blades overall. Six! It's powered by a battery. It has an aloe lube strip which changes colors when it's worn out. It is the Fusion--Gillette's newest razor.



I'll be honest. I want one. My Mach3 Power seems to shave just fine, but I still want the Fusion.

Samuel Alito was confirmed and sworn in to the Supreme Court of the United States today. The final vote in the Senate was 58-42.

Twenty years ago, Antonin Scalia was confirmed 98-0. The two abstentions were Republican senators who were unable to be in town for the vote.

Both were well-qualified and accomplished jurists, and yet, the disparity. Oh how times have changed.

It's a victory for everybody! Check out my thoughts over at IndyLaw Net.

As I finish up the audiobook version of Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton (a thorough but occasionally biased story of the "architect of the U.S. government"), I have already purchased my next reading project, Mao: The Unknown Story.



I first heard about this book when I was listening to its authors, Jung Change and Jon Halliday, being interviewed on NPR (there really was nothing else on the radio at the time...). The book, which takes a harsh view of Mao and attempts to counter some of the Mao apologies published in the last couple decades, gained attention when President Bush let is slip that he was reading it.

I'll probably post some of my thoughts on the book as I read it.

Guest post by Michael Manning

On Lucas's Friday post, he included a picture from the March For Life held this past weekend in Washington, D.C. The picture is very shocking, and intentionally so. It was posted (I assume) in an attempt to show the difference between "pro-choice" Americans and "pro-life" Americans.

However, as I looked at it more, it disturbed me more, and for a very different reason. The current political division over abortion in this country can be summed up by viewing this one picture. Weighing in for the "pro-lifers" are deeply devout religious (usually Christians) who view abortion as only more forgivable than genocide. The "pro-choicers" are nihilistic anarchists out to destroy the moral fabric of America. I know this is overly simplistic but nuance is somewhat lost in today's public discourse, so I think it's safe to say this is how one side views the other.

However, the large majority of Americans, no matter their political views, want to see the number of abortions decreased. How does this get accomplished?

Stop vilifying medicine, but don't abuse it either. Like it or not, abortion is a legitimate medical procedure, and in limited circumstances is an appropriate treatment option. However, health exceptions that a Mack truck can drive through only encourage more abortions. If abortion is only used as the absolutely last choice, it removes the procedure from the realm of intrinsically evil to unfortunate necessity.

Encourage behaviors that prevent unwanted pregnancies. While I was in Rome visiting my sister, I was stunned when she told me the content of a public service announcement. It encouraged contraceptive use and regular STD screening. What stunned me was this ad was on the subway. For many, abortion is the birthcontroll of last resort. This must stop. Educating people of all ages about how to prevent unwanted pregnancies, including abstinence but not excluding contraception, would make abortion rates nose-dive.

Encourage post-vitro alternatives to abortions. For every child that is "unwanted", there are scores of families that want children but cannot conceive them. Educating people about adoptive services should be a priority of all those who want to reduce abortion.

Provide real opportunities for parents. The 1990's saw the lowest abortion rates since the Roe decision. Maybe this is just coincidence, but this also marked the most prosperous economy in our nation's history. Since the economic slowdown of the first part of the 21st century, abortions increased again. If parents of unwanted pregnancies truly felt they had sufficient means to care for their child, they might be more likely to bring the child into the world.

If any political party could articulate these views (and much better than I did), they could hold power in this country for a long time. But here's the dirty little secret of both the left and the right: they need the abortion debate to stay exactly where it is. If the abortion question just disappeared, how could each vilify the other side? And practical methods to abortion wouldn't play with their base, either; could a Republican win if he or she favored increased contraceptive information? Or a Democrat if he or she favored limiting health exemptions?

I find abortion to be very troubling. I would hope my girlfriend/sister/daughter would never be in a situation in which abortion was a consideration. However, most women who do get an abortion get one because they consider it the practical option available. If all Americans, left and right, "pro-life" and "pro-choice", could come together and make abortion alternatives truly viable, that would be something for which even I would march.

So Apple has switched part of its Macintosh line to Intel processors, and it will be switching the rest of its Macs later this year. Rather than bore you with the technical aspects of this switch, let me just say this: the new Intel-powered Macs will be quicker, but only with software which has been upgraded to run natively. The switch should also provide Apple with some cost savings.

The TV commercial for the new computers has garnered quite a bit of interest. You've probably seen it: it's the one with stern-looking Intel workers, with a Moby song in it (and also a song in the movie Heat). One Macworld writer aptly praised the commercial this way:

I like the ad. It's got a few too many shots of Very Serious Intel workers for my tastes, but it does a good job conveying the message that Macs now run on Intel and that this is a very good thing indeed without getting bogged down in the technical details. Face it--the vast majority of people don't care if the chips inside their computers are manufactured by IBM, Intel, or Pringles, and they certainly don't want to be pummeled with tech specs during commercial breaks for Will & Grace.

But the commercial also has created a little bit of controversy. It was noticed soon after the commercial aired that it bore a striking resemblance to the music video for the song "Such Great Heights" by the group The Postal Service (see the video grabs below). It turns out that the people that made the video for the band then made the commercial for Apple, without telling or asking the band. Since that time, Apple has posted the "Such Great Heights" music video on the iTunes Music Store. Either relations between the two parties are chipper, or the band does not have a say in the matter.



Watch the Apple commercial here...

Buy and watch The Postal Service video here...

This photo (from the AP) was taken at the annual March for Life, held on Monday of this week. I don't have to tell you which side of the abortion issue each of these guys is on.

Imagine, if you will, that in November, disgusted with the corruption of Republicans and Democrats, the KKK was elected to majorities in both houses of Congress.

As of around 2:30 this morning, Yahoo News is reporting that Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization that has consistently called for the destruction of Israel, has won a majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament.

Obviously, this says a lot about just how angry and frustrated the Palestinians felt about the ubiquitous corruption that personified the Fatah government for decades. But no matter how justifiable the outrage, Abbas has barely been in power a couple of years and needed to be given more time than this to change things.

Stupid, stupid people. You finally get a chance to have an election without Arafat, and you proceed to vote yourselves into international isolation. Even the Europeans won't support the Palestinians now.

And so, there will be no more trips to Camp David. No more Nobel Peace Prizes. No more sympathy for the Palestinian "cause". The Palestinians just made the case for the Israeli cause.

Apple Computer, for the first time since the 80s, is back in the driver's seat. The emergence of the iPod as the dominant digital music player and the iTunes Music Store (ITMS) as the dominant online music store, as provided Apple with leverage in the entertainment tech sector that it never could have dreamed up. Well, perhaps Steve Jobs had been dreaming of it for a long time.

The paradigm that Apple has created with its digital download and rights management scheme has the music industry across its knees and threatens to do the same to the TV and movie industries. I put that as if it's a bad thing for those industries, but of course, it's not. Look at the music industry. The labels win out because Apple has created a viable alternative to illegal song downloading. The consumer wins out because she can legally download music and for a cheaper price than what it can be purchased for in a brick-and-mortar store. And Apple wins out, making money hand over fist, by virtue of being the enabler.

Apple is now poised to move into the living room, and speculation that they have products planned to do so is rampant. Their iMacs now come with software and a remote that make browsing your computer's music, movies, and photos from the comfort of your couch easier than anything Microsoft has dreamed up. Apple's "media center" software still lacks many important features, and Apple has yet to include TV/DVR functionality, but most analysts agree that Apple is better poised than any other company to exploit this yet relatively unexploited market.

Imagine the new TV paradigm: you sit down on the couch, select a TV show from the online store, and download it. You can watch it whenever you want, and even watch it on the run on of your iPod. This is doubtfully likely to replace the current scheme of paying for programming by the month, but it will most certainly impact it.

And now that Disney has purchased Pixar, Steve Jobs is the largest shareholder in Disney. Do not think for a moment that he will not exploit this power to increase the presence of Disney's immense media programming on the ITMS.

Will Apple's digital music dominance continue forever? No, competitors will eventually gain traction and price advantage and the iPod may go the way of the Mac, or it may remain a strong market player. But if Apple plays its cards right, it'll be on to something else and something even more profitable by that time.

This Mac-fan is happy.

Let me be very clear: a person can be against the war (or other governmental policies) and not be anti-American. In fact, such is often the case. The title of this post, rather, is meant to apply to certain individuals undertaking certain actions.

With that clarification out of the way, here are a few people deserving of the label "anti-American."

Harry Belafonte. The singer has said that President Bush is "no better" than Osama and has called Bush the worst terrorist in the world. He also has compared the Department of Homeland Security with the Nazi Gestapo. To make such comparisons shows moral blindness regarding the evils of terrorism and Nazism. To do so while abroad, as Belafonte did, inflames anti-American sentiments. Under the terms of Godwin's Law, Belafonte has lost all credibility.

Cindy Sheehan. The so-called "peace mom" has also called Bush a terrorist in the past. Lately, she has been in Venezuela praising its president Hugo Chavez who has made his antipathy of America quite clear. While Cindy has a right to criticize the war in Iraq, and she has an unquestionable right to grief and to use the death of her son as inspiration in questioning U.S. policy, she has now dishonored him by supporting a foreign leader who would wish the U.S. harm.

Joel Stein, columnist for the LA Times. Stein proclaims that he is not just anti-war, but he also does not support the troops. In fact, he says that to support the troops but not the war is a position for "wusses." But Stein does not merely refuse to support the troops, he also completely disrespects them:

"I'm sure I'd like the troops. They seem gutsy, young and up for anything. If you're wandering into a recruiter's office and signing up for eight years of unknown danger, I want to hang with you in Vegas."

Is the zeal for adventure the only motive that Stein can imagine these young men possess? What cynicism! What about a sense of duty, or a love for this nation, or a passion for fighting what they believe in? No doubt these motivations are foreign to Mr. Stein. That he does not perceive them is telling--why be loyal to your country when you do not feel the country has any merit?

...

This brings me to a larger point. These three people are not alone, I am afraid. Their primary fault, though taken to an extreme in their cases, is present in many Americans, and that is they only picture this country as their place of residence or birth and little more. They live here, they work here (maybe), and they are fed and entertained here. But they do not appreciate that America stands and has always stood for certain values.

Our nation's inception was predicated on the liberty of man and the formation of a governing process that protects that liberty. Terrorism is the attempted tyranny by a disaffected few and our opposition to it is consistent with America's historical stand for liberty.

I wish more people would appreciate this.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito, and has sent the nomintation on to the full Senate.

The vote was 10-8, divided exactly down party lines.

Chairman Arlen Specter was reportedly "disappointed" that the vote was so partisan. Note to the Chairman: this is the reward for your wishy-washy moderation and accommodation of the Ted Kennedy Left.

I will state right now that I will just simply not tolerate any Canadian jokes on this post. Eh?

Well, I tried. In any event, Canadians last night toppled 13 years of Liberal Party control of government and elected Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party to power. However, the Conservatives will control only a plurality of the Canadian Parliament's seats, which means cooperation with other parties will be necessary to form a government.

Some liberals, and indeed, the CNN article itself, are hanging their hats on the Conservatives not winning an outright majority, and thus, not being able to "take any strong change in direction," but the change in direction has already passed them by.

Since the 9/11 attacks and the formation of the Bush policy, governments around the world that are sympathetic to that policy have now won or held control of power in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Australia, and I believe (though not sure on this one) Japan. The only country that has ousted a conservative government has been Spain.

What to make of this? Certainly, it can't be absolutely said that the people in these nations are in total agreement with Bush's foreign policy. But as far as what many on the Left would have us believe, that the world is united in opposition against American actions abroad, it seems that charge falls short of the truth. The cries of "unilateralism" are becoming harder to support.

Harper should do much to heal the unnecessarily antagonistic approach of former Prime Minister Paul Martin towards dealing with the U.S. For this, we should all be thankful.

Finally, I must confess, I feel sorry for all those Americans who made a run for the (northern) border after the 2004 elections. Where are they supposed to go now? Iceland?

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/object/article?o=5&f=/c/a/2006/01/22/BAG5QGRAKC1.DTL

Surely, we've all asked this question when we encounter a bit of technology that we do not understand. Whether you're mystified by cell phones or by the first down line in football broadcasts, the site howstuffworks provides easy to understand answers.

Or, of course, you could just ask me. Just kidding, I've been stumped from time to time as well, and a recent event showed me how far behind on radio technology I had fallen.

I was in a car and I noticed that it's FM radio displayed the artist and song titles for songs that were currently playing. I had never seen that before and did not know it was possible. I figured, correctly, that part of the broadcaster's spectrum was being used for data transmission and that some car radios are capable of receiving that info, but I was unfamiliar with any such protocol for it.

After some Googling, I discovered that the system that makes this possible is called Radio Data System, and it has been available in the U.S. major markets since the 1980s, but it has only been utilized by the broadcasters to send artist and song info recently, in response to satellite radios which offer that feature standard.

Another possibility is that the radio I saw was an HD Radio. HD radios are capable of receiving digital broadcasts which are multicast alongside a station's normal broadcasts. These HD signals naturally include artist and song info. Emmis Communication's stations in Indianapolis are now multicasting in digital.

Go to hell, where you belong.

The puzzle game Sudoku has taken newspapers in America and Europe by storm. For those of you unfamiliar with this game involving numbers, logic, and virtually no math, I suggest trying out the site WebSudoku.

The Indianapolis Star has now decided to publish the game once a week and it has an interesting article on the game's history. Included in this history is the surprising fact that despite the game's Japanese name, it is actually thought to have been invented by Howard Garns, a retired architect who lived in Indianapolis. He submitted the puzzles to an American magazine under the name Number Place.

After that, a Japanese editor noticed the game and brought it to his home country, presumably where it picked up its present name. The game came "back" to America when the New York Post started publishing it in April of last year.

Play it if you dare.

The anniversary of the birth of British author A. A. Milne was yesterday. Milne was best known for his Winnie the Pooh series of books and poems. It is with that in mind that I proudly link you to this untold story of Winnie the Pooh: Pooh Goes Ape-S (.m4a)

I'm not usually into celebrity news, but I have to wonder what's happened to Eminem.

First of all, his last new album was released over a year ago. Secondly, he formed some stupid group called D12, which has done nothing spectacular, to say the least.

And now he's remarried Kim (make sure and check out the headline), his former wife who he had a bitter divorce from, and who he said vulgar things about on his albums.

Rather than opining on the intelligence of this move, I'd rather comment on Eminem from a musical perspective. He is no longer the rebellious musical artist that he once was. Now he seems like he's calmed down and is now focusing on the all-important business of making money.

You might say that I'm dwelling too much on the matter of Iran. But I would rebut by saying that it's an issue of utmost importance when a hostile nation is nuclearizing. And Iran is most certainly a hostile nation. It's new leader wants Israel wiped off the map and he has made quite aggressive comments in regards to the United States.

So, with Iran restarting its nuclear program and on a clear path towards producing a nuclear bomb, the time for action is now. In situations such as this, economic isolation tends to be the U.S. and U.N.'s first tactic. So what is Europe doing? They think sanctions would be too early.

It cannot be a coincidence that Europe has softened its stance on Iran immediately following Iran's threat regarding oil prices. Those of my readers who are up on their history would note that this is not the first time that a Muslim country has used oil prices to shove Europe around.

Russia and China, as well as France, now join the U.S., Britain, and Germany in clearly denouncing Iran's planned resumption of its nuclear program, although the former have not called for U.N. Security Council action on the matter, yet.

Oil prices are rising, indicating that the world is watching this affair and becoming increasingly concerned with Iran's direction.

As the world moves to isolate Iran, how will they respond. To turn theoretical for a moment, I will say the latest affair with Iran will provide a stark example or counterexample for the Global Civil Society theory of international relations. GCS proponents argue that there is a large weight created by global sentiments that guide the actions of nations.

"Surely God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country."

Pat Robertson? Jerry Falwell?

Nope! It's New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin!

Nagin went on to say that, when rebuilt, New Orleans will be "chocolate" again, and this too was God's will.

Now let's sit back and wait for the MSM to call him on this. File under "Don't hold breath".



UPDATE: Mayor Nagin has apologized for his comments. Sort of.

File this in the 'not-so-good ideas' category. The teacher's intentions--to teach kids about the harmful aspects of pornography--were good, but the implementation could have been better.

Maybe the internet is not the best place to have kids poking around in for this topic.

With Chancellor Angie Merkel's decision to support the U.S.'s stance on Iran's nuclear program, continental Europe's anti-American front is being further eroded. This is a good thing. When America and Europe's foreign policy are substantially similar, the world benefits.

With Roncalli losing in the Indiana State Championship game and with ND losing its bowl game, the Indianapolis Colts now my football fan hopes on their shoulders. With that in mind:


GO Colts, beat Steelers!!!

Update: Meh... There's always next year.

It seems clear to me that these lyrics from Coldplay are not referring to a fellow human, but to a higher power:

Kingdom Come

Steal my heart and hold my tongue
I feel my time
My time has come
Let me in
Unlock the door
I never felt this way before

And the wheels just keep on turning
The drummer begins to drum
I don’t know which way I’m going
I don’t know which way I’ve come

Hold my head inside your hands
I need someone who understands
I need someone, someone who hears
For you I’ve waited all these years
For you I’d wait till kingdom come
Until my day, my day is done
And say you'll come and set me free
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me

In your tears and in your blood
In your fire and in your flood
I hear you laugh, I heard you sing
And I wouldn’t change a single thing
And the wheels just keep on turning
The drummers begin to drum
I don’t know which way I’m going
I don’t know what I’ve become

For you I’d wait till kingdom come
Until my days, my days are done
Say you'll come and set me free
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me
Just say you'll wait, you'll wait for me

-Coldplay, "Till Kingdom Come"

Watching the confirmation hearings of Judge Sam Alito has become an exercise in stupidity.

Not in reference to Alito, of course. He has more than answered most all the questions posed to him from both sides of the aisle, and has been far more forthcoming than now Chief Justice Roberts was at his hearings. It looks like the ABA agrees, as do a majority of Americans, that Judge Alito is well-qualified for the Supreme Court.

But the Senate Democrats, in typical fashion, are throwing civility and restraint to the wind.

Ted Kennedy accused Alito of lying and betraying his promise to recuse himself from a case of a possible conflict of interest, even though every ethics professor asked about the situation said that Alito did nothing wrong. Funny. I guess if Alito had lied about having an affair with his children's babysitter and leaving her to a watery death, Kennedy might have liked him better. As John Podhoretz remarked on NRO today, taking moral advice from Ted Kennedy is "kind of like taking childcare tips from Andrea Yates."

Diane Feinstein accused/implied/hinted/all-but-said that Alito was bigoted, misogynistic, and anti-immigrant. Apparently she missed the fact that Alito might want his daughter to go to college, or that his own parents are immigrants to this nation.

Charles Schumer, attempting to pick apart Alito's 1985 statement that he did not believe the Constitution contained a right to abortion, asked how the judge could make such a blanket statement with no exceptions. Alito responded by saying it was only one sentence, and the context it was used in was in reference to a specific case. Schumer, as if he hadn't he even heard Alito, responded, "Even if a woman was raped by her own father, you wouldn't permit an abortion?"

This is what we have come to. Well, this is what they have come to, more appropriately. There is no seriousness at all on the Democratic side; all that festers is a slavish desire to appease their ultra left-wing campaign donors in the crassest way possible. He has been seriously asked if he thinks Brown v. Board of Education is settled law. Or if he believes in one man, one vote. Or if he ever would consider siding with the plaintiff in an employment discrimination suit.

The Republicans, while admittedly prone to tossing softballs to Alito, are at least asking serious, relevant questions: When does the Supreme Court need to step in to resolve a circuit split? Do terrorist acts fall toward categorization as a crime or an act of war? When is it appropriate for the Court to overturn an act of a legislature?

The Democrats seem to care more about an alumni organization Alito joined 20 years ago, gave no money to, attended no meetings for, and never participated in. That, and the teat at which they will suck to their death: abortion on demand.

About an hour ago, Mrs. Alito, present for all three days of hearings this week, had to leave the hearing room in tears. Frankly, I admire her strength for lasting as long as she did. I can't imagine that ever before in our history a nominee's wife, children, and friends have had to sit in silence as his character and integrity are ripped to shreds on no basis at all.

During his opening statement to the committee, Alito remarked that during his years at Princeton, "I saw some very smart people and very privileged people behaving irresponsibly. And I couldn't help making a contrast between some of the worst of what I saw on the campus and the good sense and the decency of the people back in my own community." I'm sure that during these long hours of questioning, Judge Alito has drawn those same contrasts. After all, the people behaving irresponsibly are probably the same now as before.

This interview with a meteorologist from MIT comes courtesy of Kristine.

This guy says some interesting things. First, while no specific hurricane can be attributed to global warming (think: Katrina), he published a high profile article several months ago that strongly suggests that global warming is producing an increase in the number of hurricanes that develop over the Atlantic Ocean. Second, count him as one of the thousands of scientists that say global warming is not only a reality, but it also is the result of no known natural factors.

And finally, he says he is embarrassed that the United States is not concentrating on alternative energy sources as much as Europe is, including nuclear options.

If this quote from the CFO of GM, Fritz Henderson, exemplifies the quality of leadership of the U.S. automakers, I'd run away from them, and quickly:

"To be honest I am in crisis mode. I agree with him. You can't panic. That is not crisis mode. Crisis mode means taking serious action, decisively, quickly and addressing your problems as urgently as you possibly can. So I think I understand crisis mode and I am in it and have been for a while."


No comment.

"Unfortunately, in some states, even among those who can boast centuries-old cultural traditions, freedom of religion, far from being guaranteed, is seriously violated, especially where minorities are concerned." ...Read the article

From this article about the Adult Entertainment Expo taking place in Las Vegas, the following stat stood way out:

New technological advances in porn distribution, of course, have a broad impact. According to statistics gathered by Adult Video News, the adult industry did $12 billion in business in 2005, making it even bigger than video games--which itself has grown to be bigger than Hollywood.

A lot of people have been speculating why music and movie sales are down, and while video game sales may have explained prior years' drops, the same could not be said for this year, where video game sales also flattened. Could the ever-strengthening adult entertainment industry be to blame? I think our nation needs to take a long look at this.

This story isn't exactly that new, but it's still exciting. Even though Stewart's politics may be left of mine, I respect the critical eye he keeps towards people in power and I respect him as a hell of an entertainer.

Maybe the Oscars' ratings will pick up some this year. I know I'll be watching.

Pink Floyd, "The Thin Ice"

Momma loves her baby
And daddy loves you too.
And the sea may look warm to you babe
And the sky may look blue
But ooooh Baby
Ooooh baby blue
Oooooh babe.

If you should go skating
On the thin ice of modern life
Dragging behind you the silent reproach
Of a million tear-stained eyes
Don't be surprised when a crack in the ice
Appears under your feet.
You slip out of your depth and out of your mind
With your fear flowing out behind you
As you claw the thin ice.

I saw Munich last night and I felt it was a tremendous movie. Though its dialog was a bit contrived at times, particularly earlier in the film, it dealt with serious human issues in a realistic fashion with impressive depth.

Whether its message is subtle or tedious is up for you to decide. Most critics, though not all, are giving the movie high marks.

To learn more about the Christian feast of Epiphany, go here.

Ok, the photo album is up! It has photos from Phoenix and San Diego.

I'm back from my Fiesta Bowl trip and despite Notre Dame's loss, I still had a tremendous time. I will not say the game stunk, because Notre Dame showed quite a bit more in this bowl game than they have shown in a long time and Ohio State is a great football team this year. This time Notre Dame proved they actually belonged there.

Of course, there are quite a few negatives to be taken from the game, but I'll defer to Sean's game notes for the game analysis.

The day after the game, I visited San Diego with a friend whose home is there. The city was beautiful, as described, and I was blessed to see the USS Ronald Reagan's departure for its maiden voyage. I'll soon post from photos from the trip.