tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188132012-01-20T05:37:35.124-08:00Dagger in handA man of prodigious fortune, coming to add his opinion to some light discussion that was going on casually at his table, began precisely thus: "It can only be a liar or an ignoramus who will say otherwise than," and so on. Pursue that philosophical point, dagger in hand.<br>
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--Michel de Montaigne, Of the art of discussion.
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Stab back: cmnewman99-at-yahoo.com
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<a href="http://www.cmnewman.blogspot.com/">Home</a>CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.comBlogger3021100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1165629086890640982006-12-08T17:51:00.000-08:002006-12-08T17:51:26.906-08:00Your results:You are Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command) 70%Wash (Ship Pilot) 70%Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic) 60%Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic) 60%Malcolm Reynolds (Captain) 55%Inara Serra (Companion) 50%River (Stowaway) 50%Jayne Cobb (Mercenary) 40%Derrial Book (Shepherd) 40%Alliance 40%A Reaver (Cannibal) 20%Dependable and trustworthy. You love your significant other CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1150421944219028152006-06-15T18:36:00.000-07:002006-06-15T18:41:04.950-07:00Are their views on some points divergent? Shloss dissents openly from Joyce’s view on the legitimacy of academic and archival self help while Joyce dissents tacitly from Shloss’s views on suppresion of the influence of hebephrenic balletics on the paternal literature, citing both the existence of altenative methodologies for flaying felines and the dissheveled plumage of certain migratory CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1133215756972119472005-11-28T14:03:00.000-08:002005-11-28T14:09:16.983-08:00'Tis the season to excoriate bad Christmas songs.And as with so many similar pastimes, no-one does it better than Lileks.They’re playing Christmas songs at the coffee shop now; the staff informs me that the selection consists of the same four songs played over and over again, but by different artists. I wouldn’t doubt it. There are only four songs, really – religious, secular songs sung like CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1132770506952798662005-11-23T09:54:00.000-08:002005-11-23T14:39:51.006-08:00Of wands and trenchcoatsVia a commenter on Heidi's blog, I found this bit of Harry Potter fanfic, in which the premise is that John Constantine (if you associate that name with Keanu, I pity you) gets hired by Hogwarts to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Now one could easily imagine doing this sort of thing as a quickie pastiche joke. But the author Camwyn is far more ambitious, and has the CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1131050013739565852005-11-03T12:28:00.000-08:002005-11-03T12:37:35.576-08:00He comes by it honestly...So it was Halloween, and what did Lucas insist on dressing as? A monk. Of course, this was not just any random monk. It was a monk with a well-defined schtick. You see, on the hallowed eve he walked around the neighborhood accompanied by a friend of his who was also dressed as a monk. The two of them chanted Latin in unison...pie Iesu domine, dona eis requiem...CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1130029688824904332005-10-22T18:01:00.000-07:002005-10-22T18:08:08.830-07:00A Firefly/Serenity question.Yes, I'm a fan. Not to the point where I'm spending large amounts of time and money to become a volunteer member of Universal's marketing arm mind you, but a fan nonetheless. I do have this nagging question, though.Why don't the Reavers rape and kill each other until there's none (or, I suppose, only one) left? If they're that crazy aggressive, how can they even CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1129311549689579472005-10-14T10:28:00.000-07:002005-10-14T10:41:30.196-07:00Aristocratic OriginalismI was intrigued enough to go see this movie, but didn't find most of it as funny as I'd hoped. To make that joke work, you either need truly inspired details that go beyond mere shock value, or a style of delivery that makes it funny. (If anyone's keeping score, I think the best two recitals were Carlin's and Cartman's, for those respective reasons.) Also in the inspiredCMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1129249335768778912005-10-13T17:17:00.000-07:002005-10-13T17:22:15.776-07:00When judges have baggageFrom a case I had to read today:The Erlichs may have hoped to build their dream home and live happily ever after, but there is a reason that tag line belongs only in fairy tales. Building a house may turn out to be a stress-free project; it is much more likely to be the stuff of urban legends--the cause of bankruptcy, marital dissolution, hypertension and fleeting CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1129221965366718072005-10-13T09:42:00.000-07:002005-10-13T10:58:56.313-07:00Indisputably hilariousOpposing counsel has served a request for judicial notice of facts contained in a Wikipedia article. If you understand the operative terms in that sentence, you probably understand why I've been chuckling all morning.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1126283560190216512005-09-09T09:32:00.000-07:002005-09-09T09:32:40.196-07:00What he said.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1123021122319196162005-08-02T15:15:00.000-07:002005-08-02T15:18:42.330-07:00The watchmaker may be blind, but students should be taught to keep their eyes open.While on one level my gut reaction is to agree with Glenn and Rick, on the other hand I actually don't think it is a worthless exercise to expose kids to a debate like this as an exercise in critical thinking. Which is what science is supposed to be: a careful weighing of the evidence and reasoning that support CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1120595099494870992005-07-05T13:22:00.000-07:002005-07-05T13:24:59.496-07:00Oh pleaseLet this be good. Oh please oh please oh please. [Seen via the yuppies.]I dressed up as V for a Halloween party last year and had to spend all night explaining who the hell I was supposed to be. It appears that for once in my life I was ahead of the curve.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1120259051196904862005-07-01T15:53:00.000-07:002005-07-01T16:05:25.613-07:00Goodbye to Sandra D.Justice O'Connor is retiring. Effective, that is, upon the confirmation of her successor. How wonderfully in character! After all, we wouldn't want to decide now, definitively and for all time, whether she is retired. It's important to leave open lots of room for later facts to influence the result when the question is raised again: "Is Justice O'Connor retired?" "Well, CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1119558696956818332005-06-23T13:23:00.000-07:002005-06-23T13:31:36.960-07:00Interview with OrianaSuch words--"invaders," "invasion," "colony," "Eurabia"--are deeply, immensely, Politically Incorrect; and one is tempted to believe that it is her tone, her vocabulary, and not necessarily her substance or basic message, that has attracted the ire of the judge in Bergamo (and has made her so radioactive in the eyes of Europe's cultural elites). Just so. And it was so CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1119557033051624042005-06-23T12:26:00.000-07:002005-06-23T13:03:53.056-07:00Now he tells me...So I downloaded and read In the Beginning was the Command Line, Neal Stephenson's brilliant little (well, if 40,000 words is little) essay on the cultural and epistemological ramifications of operating systems. In junior high I actually took a "calculator/computer" class in which we programmed a computer (which even by the standards of that day seemed more like a glorified cash CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1117842793952457612005-06-03T16:39:00.000-07:002005-06-03T17:18:32.160-07:00Oriana's trial date setIn case you were wondering exactly how long Oriana has to wait for the worms to come, this article says the trial has been set for June 12, 2006, in Bergamo. (Thanks again to Signore Vige for the link).According to the article, the choice of venue is because the book was printed there. I'm not sufficiently familiar with Italian legal procedure to understand exactly what CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1117265471686227492005-05-28T00:26:00.000-07:002005-05-28T00:46:51.746-07:00And they say we’re nuts about religion in this country. Alright, I have the text of the Italian penal code provisions underlying Smith’s complaint against Fallaci. Are you ready for this? Here’s both the Italian and my translation. Suggestions for improving the latter are welcome from those in a position to offer them. Art. 402 Vilipendio della religione dello Stato Chiunque pubblicamente CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1117152732112247142005-05-26T17:01:00.000-07:002005-05-27T16:50:27.453-07:00One from the referral logs:Here's an interesting post that provides some links to more background on Adel Smith, one of which illustrates that this is not one of those situations where only the non-PC speech is subject to censure. Apparently Smith himself has faced charges for denigrating the Catholic church as a "criminal organization." And as I noted before, Fallaci herself has sued a CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1117138689666211142005-05-26T13:14:00.000-07:002005-05-27T10:30:08.373-07:00The 18 things you can't say about Muslims in Italy.Thanks to Ilario Vige, my indefatigable source of Oriana intel, I now have a pdf copy of an article from the Italian newspaper Libero, which reproduces the text of the complaint filed against Fallaci. How’s that for social capital in the internet age? (Ah, Prof. Putnam, there are more things in heaven and earth…) I don’t have time now to try CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com103tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1117097404295121722005-05-26T01:47:00.000-07:002005-05-26T13:23:53.840-07:00I’m trying to track down a copy of the actual complaint so I can find the 18 sentences Eugene is interested in. In the meantime, here’s a quick and dirty translation of a relevant passage from the book in question, The Force of Reason. Relevant both because it talks about the earlier legal process Fallaci was subjected to in France, and because it illustrates the general tone of her comments CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1117041251383844992005-05-25T09:48:00.000-07:002005-05-25T11:11:03.750-07:00Here we go again...So Adel Smith is finally getting his way, and now Oriana's to be tried in Italy. (For my take on an earlier Italian legal scuffle involving this character, see here.) That makes the third European country to entertain legal charges against her for writing a book. Remember that the next time you hear someone asserting the cultural and intellectual superiority of Europeans over CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1114931409982039742005-05-01T00:05:00.000-07:002005-05-01T00:10:09.983-07:00"You wouldn't really legalize heroin, would you?"Yes. Here's why. As usual, Jim does a great job of showing why what many assume to be an absurd, extreme libertarian position is merely a sensible cost-benefit analysis informed by principle.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1114546528194238432005-04-26T13:06:00.000-07:002005-05-25T11:20:41.176-07:00A sad day.You know, I've long defended Justice Thomas against the offensive and baseless notion that he is nothing more than Scalia's lapdog. But why, oh why, did he have to demonstrate the point in this of all cases? At argument there were only two justices who didn't telegraph their views. The Chief, cause he wasn't there, and Thomas, cause he didn't speak. I was somewhat worried, because CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1114018920539331322005-04-20T10:37:00.000-07:002005-04-20T10:42:00.540-07:00Look, ma!After nearly three years of this, I finally took the time to work out how to enable comments. Stay tuned for more breathtaking leaps up the html learning curve. See, I'm what you call a late adopter.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1113417579146501452005-04-13T11:30:00.000-07:002005-04-13T11:39:39.146-07:00If I can't have her, no-one will!Not usually considered a noble position to take, is it? Unless you're an advocate for the handicapped, in which case it somehow becomes the epitome of righteousness. Look, I understand the laudable desire to help handicapped people not be excluded from society. But if you hated the handicapped and wanted to hatch a plot that would cause children and their CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1113189378760861182005-04-10T20:14:00.000-07:002005-04-10T20:16:18.760-07:00The $64,000 question.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1112294342953907392005-03-31T10:34:00.000-08:002005-04-10T20:18:00.916-07:00Lions and wires in the air! So high!Yesterday I read the Ninth Circus's latest three ring spectacle. Here’s the question: You own a copyright. Someone infringes it. Can you assign the claim to someone else, someone who owns no other interest in the copyright?Under the bigtop, we have a seven-judge majority making a big show of walking a strict statutory construction tightrope. The statute says CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1110309364687122492005-03-08T11:05:00.000-08:002005-03-08T11:16:04.690-08:00Born in Tijuana...I just bought tickets to take the family to see King Tut in June. I remember going to the exhibition as a kid the first time it came to SoCal in the late seventies. I guess it's kind of like Haley's comet: each generation gets a chance to go. Lucas just finished studying Egyptian civilization at school, so it's perfect timing. Another auspicious sign: the continued CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1110229452215043612005-03-07T13:00:00.000-08:002005-03-07T13:05:51.336-08:00I for one wouldn't be offended by this, if it were actually funny. Trouble is, it's not. Unless you're still able to channel that 12 year old part of you that once thought, for about 15 minutes, that dead baby jokes were funny. Even then. Well, #25 is kind of funny.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1109808299420360902005-03-02T16:00:00.000-08:002005-03-02T16:07:27.203-08:00Drudge is linking this article in the Harvard Crimson under the description: HARVARD NOW UPSET OVER JADA PINKETT SMITH COMMENTS...The article (which fails to explain even in summary what the lady actually said) contains the following sentence:According to the Foundation’s Student Advisory Committee (SAC) Co-Chair Yannis M. Paulus ’05, the two groups have already planned concrete ways to address CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1109807354173686332005-03-02T15:48:00.000-08:002005-03-02T15:49:14.176-08:00Boilerplate HeadlinesSudden Violence Derails Hopes For Peace In Middle EastDemocrats Criticize Republicans For Serving Interests Of RichKennedy Writes Opinion That Reaches Result In Line With Most People's Gut Reactions; Scalia Writes Scathing Dissent Demonstrating Its Lack Of Coherent Legal RationaleCMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1106343702697932942005-01-21T13:32:00.000-08:002005-01-21T13:49:39.736-08:00When the doodoo hits the Fanfan.Alright, I sent this query to some of my friends in academia and haven't received any enlightenment yet. Is there any to be had?Pages 13-14 of the Stevens majority opinion in part (not to be confused with the Stevens dissent in part) explains to us how the 6th am is about protecting us from "judicial despotism," and says I have the right, before being deprived of CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1102652196934894502004-12-09T20:14:00.000-08:002004-12-09T20:16:36.936-08:00Best. Book Report. Ever.
Except now I'm really pissed that back when I was in school somebody obviously gave me the abridged version. What a gyp.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1102203672821716602004-12-04T15:38:00.000-08:002004-12-06T10:35:16.270-08:00Ethril Part 2: A halfhearted ambush.
UPDATE: I've decided to segregate my D&D campaign narratives into a separate blog. If you have any interest in the exploits of the Ethril brothers and their companions, you can follow their adventures here. That way this site will remain uncluttered for my occasional random rants on matters pertaining to this world.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1101893944609754222004-12-01T01:34:00.000-08:002004-12-06T10:04:54.290-08:00Once a geek…
Lucas had been lobbying me for a while to teach him how to play pen & paper Dungeons & Dragons. He had played Baldur's Gate and Icewind Dale on the computer, and seen some of my artifacts in the basement from the ancient days when we did such things by hand. Stuff I had not touched since the early 80's. I knew that the rules had gone through several editions since the old AD&D CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1101788219127993722004-11-29T20:00:00.028-08:002004-11-29T20:55:59.663-08:00Tell that to Anna Nicole
Smirking aside, I think Randy deserves some kind of most cunning oralist award for this exchange in the Raich argument
Barnett: The point is that economic activity and personal liberty are two different categories.
Souter: That is not a very realistic premise.
Barnett: The premise is that it is possible to differentiate economic activity from personal activity. CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1101343201070101812004-11-24T16:38:00.000-08:002004-11-24T16:41:33.273-08:00I am the great and powerful UN!
Pay no attention to the petty bureaucratic fiefdom behind the curtain.
CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1101329168188347092004-11-24T13:32:00.000-08:002004-11-24T12:46:08.186-08:00Don't worry, things were always this bad.
So you're depressed that our democracy is going to hell in a handbasket? We've become hopelessly polarized and partisan? Media is scurrilous and manipulative? Politicians are engaged in character assassination, dredging up their opponents' war records, playing underhanded games with matters of state, and using prospects of war for personal and party CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1101263489033526852004-11-23T18:22:00.000-08:002004-11-23T18:31:29.033-08:00If a story occurs and no journalist is there to report it, does it still contain inaccuracies?
Justice Scalia spoke at Michigan. But as Heidi reports, the media heard only what they wanted to hear. Don't miss this hilarious account of her exchange with a nuance-challenged journalist.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1101256799611212622004-11-23T16:35:00.000-08:002004-11-23T16:51:52.006-08:00Critical Christian Studies
I received a link to this article from a law school friend of mine, along with the following comment:
I believe these schools are scary. Although it seems axiomatic that judges bring their personal moralities to bear on their decisions, and is likewise axiomatic that those morals shall often stem from religious precepts, I find quite disturbing the recent trend towardCMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1100116238789786492004-11-10T11:40:00.000-08:002004-11-10T11:50:38.790-08:00So what do I do with this quill?
Here's Dahlia's take on the Pasquantino argument, which was yesterday morning. She's pretty much got the gist of what happened. It is foolhardy to predict case outcomes from what one sees on the bench, but I'm feeling pretty optimistic.
CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1095912123551555872004-09-22T20:59:00.000-07:002004-09-22T21:03:56.573-07:00No need to explain, Eugene.
What you tell me three times is true.
(But what if you told me four times? Would it be even more true?)
CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1091120046009640932004-07-29T09:41:00.000-07:002004-07-29T10:08:18.190-07:00Dad, what's a UN pussy?
This is exactly what Judge Kozinski and I were addressing in this article. I don't think the copyright holders should be able to prevent Jibjab from using the song in its video (which is hilarious), but I do think they have a right to some share of any profits Jibjab is making.
And yes, I did have to come up with an answer to the above question. Lucas knows the wholeCMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1090046253250409972004-07-16T20:04:00.000-07:002004-07-27T11:58:48.496-07:00Mourning Moore's Movies
No, not that Moore. The one that matters. Alan. Terry Gilliam was going to do Watchmen, but then the Cold War ended. (Okay, maybe that was a decent trade off.) The Wachowskis were going to do V for Vendetta, but then 9/11 went and made the idea of someone blowing up Parliament a little too close for comfort. They made LXG, and turned it into trite Hollywood pabulum.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1089851664151651882004-07-14T17:25:00.000-07:002004-07-14T17:34:24.150-07:00Go into his parlor
Jim Henley has some great exegetical Spidey Deux posts up. Start here and work up.
He doesn't answer my big question, though: If Doc Ock was actually hoping to get information from PP, why does he hurl a car through the cafe window at him? That should have squashed Parker like a bug, in which case, no info.
I can think of two explanations: 1) He wasn't aiming for PP, justCMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1088795166343023782004-07-02T12:01:00.000-07:002004-07-02T12:09:56.276-07:00 A blast from my past.
Actually, several. In rapid succession. Pejman sent me a link to this, probably not realizing that I in fact spent the better part of my junior high career playing D&D.
Even I was never quite that nerdy, though.
What I really want to know is, how the hell did that guy have so freakin' many lightning bolts? I mean, it's a third-level spell, and he's firing them off CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1088644450580309112004-06-30T18:11:00.000-07:002004-06-30T18:14:10.580-07:00Filed
Alright Ted, bring it on. Oh yeah, I forgot...you're retiring. Didn't want to go up against us, eh? Smart move.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1086164130571612312004-06-02T01:05:00.000-07:002004-06-02T01:15:30.570-07:00Up to my eyeballs
You haven't been hearing much from me, because I'm burning the candle at both ends, and in the middle too, to get a draft of the Pasquantino brief done. The nature of the case makes the research an overwhelming array of common law (including English, Irish, Scottish, and Canadian cases), tax treaties, legislative history, and scholarly articles. At least I get to find quotes CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1086110699693656932004-06-01T10:23:00.000-07:002004-06-01T10:24:59.693-07:00Have to give Trudeau credit, though...
He anticipated this development years ago.
Do the hours of operation strike anyone else as somewhat odd?CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1084916712650187122004-05-18T14:28:00.000-07:002004-05-18T14:58:24.030-07:00I'd love to have been a fly on that wall...
Which wall? Why, the one in Malibu when Babs's lawyer told her she had to cough up $154,000 and change to pay my client's attorney's fees. Which sum, as I had pointed out, is less than 2% of the damages she was demanding.
P.S. Note to summer associates: the documents linked above should be a lesson to you. Your work counts, it gets billed to CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1083018942879991092004-04-26T15:35:00.000-07:002004-04-26T15:51:00.293-07:00But you will not believe a 13 year old can redesign a fashion magazine.
Oh, yeah. We also went to see 13 going on 30. (Not my idea, but I didn't resist, so I can't avoid all responsibility.) Jenny's cute, no denyin' it. She manages to make this--barely--palatable. And you know, in 1983 I probably knew the Thriller choreography by heart too--not that I ever would have tried to reproduce it. CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1083017292280447632004-04-26T15:08:00.000-07:002004-04-26T15:12:19.153-07:00You will believe a man can grip a soccer ball with his abs.
We went to see Shaolin Soccer this weekend. Lots of fun. Don't miss it.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1083000461638476012004-04-26T10:27:00.000-07:002004-04-26T13:32:13.793-07:00If you want to be snide and condescending, you also need to know what you're talking about.
I used to be a big fan of Doonesbury. I still occasionally see one that I enjoy. But this epitomizes why I often can't stand it these days. Look, I'm no fan of many of the directions in which this administration seems to want to take the law. And "strict constructionism" is not, in practice, a terriblyCMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1082494235251609472004-04-20T13:50:00.000-07:002004-04-20T13:55:11.856-07:00But wait!
I thought Columbine happened because the U.S. doesn't have enough gun control laws. Or was it because there was a factory in the neighborhood that had some military contracts? I forget. CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1081630005315078142004-04-10T13:46:00.000-07:002004-04-19T16:18:27.106-07:00...and Asparagirl is our queen
Lucas and I are going to have lots of fun working our way through this.
Update: SPOILER ALERT. Well, perhaps not technically so, because the people who wrote the essay Asparagirl links to don't really know whether they're right or not. But they've got me convinced. So if it would bother you to have the biggest surprise of the series possibly revealed to you in CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1081375861978088712004-04-07T15:11:00.000-07:002004-04-07T15:14:43.686-07:00Somebody should buy Babs a complimentary subscription...
When the 40,000 subscribers to Reason, the monthly libertarian magazine, receive a copy of the June issue, they will see on the cover a satellite photo of a neighborhood - their own neighborhood. And their house will be graphically circled. No joke, apparently. Check it out.
CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1081362269182127562004-04-07T11:24:00.000-07:002004-04-07T11:28:10.500-07:00Speaking of outspoken Italians...
With a penchant for self lionization...
CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1081358709228157862004-04-07T10:25:00.000-07:002004-04-10T14:14:47.950-07:00And now she knows how Joan of Arc felt...
Thanks to the generosity of one Ilario Vige, I have just received Oriana's latest by priority mail from Italy. It looks like this book is even longer than Rabbia. Here's what the quote on the back cover says: This time I do not appeal to rage, to pride, to passion. I appeal to Reason. And together with Mastro Cecco who is once again burned at the CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1081269993615840942004-04-06T09:46:00.000-07:002004-04-06T10:14:41.293-07:00In the news
Here's a story about the Pasquantino case. To read it, you would think there had been a hearing. But no, all that "telling" that Laura and Ted did was just in briefs on the cert petition.
And here's another one.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1081197623370493882004-04-05T13:40:00.000-07:002004-04-06T13:31:11.436-07:00Up to the Supremes
Just got word that the Court granted a petition for certiorari that I played a big role in drafting. So I'm actually going to be writing the briefs for a Supreme Court case, going up against Ted. Pretty wild. I won't be arguing it, of course. Unless something were to happen to the partner I'm working with....
Just kidding Laura. You know I love ya.
So what is the CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1081196349619822892004-04-05T13:19:00.000-07:002004-04-05T14:19:46.233-07:00I get by with a little help...
Yay! Many thanks to Lynn and Meryl for telling me how to fix my template. One of these days I really must take the time to actually learn html. And how my car engine works.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1080759808413582732004-03-31T11:03:00.000-08:002004-03-31T11:07:33.123-08:00SHEEEE'S BAAAAAACK....
Oriana's got a new book coming out April 5th in Italy. It's not the novel about her youth in Florence that she's supposed to be working on, but a sequel to La Rabbia e L'Orgoglio. This one is called La Forza della Ragione--The Force of Reason--and she says it was her "duty" to write it. Apparently it addresses (and defends) U.S. actions since 9/11, including the war in CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1080599041245704962004-03-29T14:24:00.000-08:002004-03-29T14:36:54.840-08:00Man, is this depressing. As is this. I've cut the administration a lot of slack in being willing to believe that going for democritization in Iraq is a good proactive move in the WOT. But it ain't gonna work if we can't do better than this. CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1079034920561533862004-03-11T11:55:00.000-08:002004-03-11T11:58:25.873-08:00OK, anybody know how to get rid of the annoying blank space at the top of my blog?
And don't just say "get off blogger."CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1079034787968745782004-03-11T11:53:00.000-08:002004-03-11T11:57:28.793-08:00Every Breath You Take
Indomitable soul, cold turkey sushi addict, and former cotenant of mine in the Book Review Office at Michigan Law Review, Rosemary Quigley, is guest diarist on Slate this week. She recently (on my birthday, in fact) had a double lung transplant. Go, and read, and marvel at her spirit, and at the miracle of modern medicine. You will never take breathing for granted again.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1079033297626932152004-03-11T11:28:00.000-08:002004-03-11T11:51:35.996-08:00West Side L.A. Story
They're doing a version of Bernstein's magnum opus in Lucas's music program at school. Of course, they had to make a few changes to render the material appropriate for fifth graders. It's okay to sing and dance about gang rivalry, but we wouldn't want anybody dying from it. We certainly wouldn't want any suggestion of racial or ethnic tension. No need for that Bernardo CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1078517914677192642004-03-05T12:18:00.000-08:002004-03-05T12:21:32.590-08:00Yes, I know my case got linked on Drudge
Both Drudge and Smoking Gun are reporting it slightly wrong, by the way. The court hasn't ordered her to pay us anything yet. That's what the motion we filed is for.
CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1078358355894170822004-03-03T15:59:00.000-08:002004-03-03T20:34:51.793-08:00More grist for the mill
Here comes Eugene with a post distinguishing same-sex from interracial marriage, and explaning why, while he supports same-sex marriage as a political matter, he doesn't think the Equal Protection Clause requires it to be made available. CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1077919700644356512004-02-27T14:08:00.000-08:002004-02-27T14:11:09.513-08:00Here's another essay well worth reading. Thanks to Stuart Buck for pointing it out to me.
Isn't the blogosphere wonderful? Ask, and you shall receive.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1077741443855555042004-02-25T12:37:00.000-08:002004-02-25T12:40:09.763-08:00What he said.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1077659854705184392004-02-24T13:57:00.000-08:002004-02-25T13:56:40.793-08:00Any takers?:
If you are one of the thoughtful opponents of same-sex marriage whose opposition is based on policy reasons having nothing to do with prejudice, I could really use your help. See, I'm open to the argument, or to the possibility that a compelling argument exists--I just honestly don't get what it is. This disturbs me, because I generally like to think I understand both sides of CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1077041660247584252004-02-17T10:14:00.000-08:002004-02-17T10:16:55.670-08:00Attack of the Zionist Yuppies
The long promised, never--till now--delivered blog with two backs has finally made its debut. Oh frabjous day! Caloo! Calay!CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1077041355537813052004-02-17T10:09:00.000-08:002004-02-17T10:11:51.013-08:00An idle thought. I've peripherally followed some of the hoopla over Charlize Theron's new movie, Monster. It sounds worth seeing. It sounds like she put in a great peformance. I can't help but wonder, though. Would people be quite so awestruck with it if she looked like that (or closer to it) in real life? CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1076468532661439522004-02-10T19:02:00.000-08:002004-02-10T19:04:39.373-08:00Why, oh why, couldn't we just have a president who could combine the resolve in action of our present one with the ability to articulate his views like this?
I can dream, can't I?
CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1075747786581436212004-02-02T10:49:00.000-08:002004-02-02T13:47:37.873-08:00Nel mezzo del cammin di mia vita
Well, I hope not. But today I reach the age that Dante so designated. I'm far from having followed la diritta via, but I certainly can't complain about where I've found myself.
Course, it helps a lot when your Beatrice actually sticks around. Grazie, amore.
Update:
Should I regard it as a bad sign that today's feature on my word origin desk calendar is "CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1071690735449513462003-12-17T11:52:00.000-08:002003-12-19T11:38:46.186-08:00No, I haven't seen it yet.
We have tickets this Saturday in the Arclight dome. And I've been so damn busy with other stuff that I haven't even managed to watch all of the extended TT yet. Aaargh!CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1070590116718671132003-12-04T18:08:00.000-08:002003-12-04T18:10:21.810-08:00Wow, I am impressed.
I've gotten well over a hundred hits in the past 24 hours from Pejman's link to that last post. Verily, the man has become a mover and shaker. It's like a mini-Instalanche. Clearly we need a name for this phenomenon. A rampej perhaps? CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1070489880422732912003-12-03T14:18:00.000-08:002003-12-03T14:20:06.153-08:00What was that noise?
Did you hear it? That sharp, percussive sound emanating from West Los Angeles? Why, it sounded rather like someone getting bitch-slapped.
Or, to be more precise, like a bitch getting anti-SLAPPed.
CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1069102988527865782003-11-17T13:03:00.000-08:002003-11-25T19:36:54.950-08:00Owl to Ms. Rowlings
I just finished Book 4. Good stuff, quite enjoyed it. But here's what I don't get. When Voldemort tried to kill Harry the first time, the curse rebounded and destroyed Voldemort's body. He remained alive in some vestigial spiritual form, but had no physical being for quite a while. Correct? I presume that when this happened, he must have dropped his wand, not having anyCMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1068767984678253232003-11-13T15:59:00.000-08:002003-11-13T16:08:51.763-08:00Vorrei esprimere al popolo italiano le mie condoglianze, ed anche ringraziarvi per la vostra alleanza. Da ieri in poi non raccontero' mai piu' barzellette sui carabinieri.
Translation: I want to express to the Italian people my condolences, and to thank you for your alliance. From yesterday on, I will no longer tell any jokes about carabinieri.
[For those not familiar with Italian culture, CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1068059170137357042003-11-05T11:06:00.000-08:002003-11-05T11:06:27.653-08:00Qualcuno mi vuole spiegare perche' tanti italiani cercano Mary Carey? Non la troverete qui, ragazzi.
E credetemi, non vale neanche la pena.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1068056443240862002003-11-05T10:20:00.000-08:002003-11-05T10:38:27.013-08:00Breaking eggs
Sully reposted for general opprobrium this eloquent post from Democratic Underground:
The only way to get rid of this slime bag WASP-Mafia, oil barron ridden cartel of a government, this assault on Americans and anything one could laughingly call "a democracy", relies heavily on what a shit hole Iraq turns into. They need to die so that we can be free. Soldiers usually did that CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1067985362197759572003-11-04T14:36:00.000-08:002003-11-04T14:36:18.186-08:00Everything that has a beginning...
Okay Pejman, before you get on a high horse and declare how you're not going to waste any time on the third Matrix movie, read this.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1067381267865103732003-10-28T14:47:00.000-08:002003-10-28T14:49:09.403-08:00The Cyberpamphlet
I've finally started reading Bernard Bailyn's The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution. Near the beginning he quotes George Orwell on the characteristics of pamphlets, which is the form of publishing through which the ideology of the American revolution was primarily developed:
The pamphlet is a one-man show. One has complete freedom of expression, including, if oneCMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1067149374392961912003-10-25T23:22:00.000-07:002003-10-25T23:22:57.856-07:00Here's a blog that's definitely worth checking out if you're interested in the state of the Italian political atmosphere. It's called Cose Turche. How this guy finds time to post in two languages I don't know. I barely ever post anything in one. Anyway, check it out.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1066790612896611732003-10-21T19:43:00.000-07:002003-10-21T19:43:32.503-07:00Rips
So Paola and I went to see Intolerable Cruelty. I went despite some misgivings, mainly because it was by the Coen Brothers. Well, they've squandered that trust. Next time I won't go unless I have good reason to think it will be worth it. This wasn't. Cathy ZJ is nice to look at, but that only gets you so far.
As a lawyer, I can't help but be amused by the talismanic significance CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1066778973760886132003-10-21T16:29:00.000-07:002003-10-21T19:23:51.393-07:00And I thought conservatives were supposed to favor freedom of contract.
Interesting piece by Frum on the WSJ opinion page the other day, taking up Sullivan's gauntlet to justify conservative opposition to same sex marriage. I believe the following accurately renders the logical structure of Frum's argument:
1) Our primary consideration in making laws governing marriage should be to make it CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1066339786999019962003-10-16T14:29:00.000-07:002003-10-16T14:47:30.340-07:00This hilarious recounting of a recent Supreme Court argument reminds of something I've thought for a long time. No, not that the 9th Circuit is wacky. I actually think its wackiness is largely overstated. It's that the "reasonableness" of a search should be decided by a jury. It's precisely the kind of context specific, sensibility-of-the-community kind of question that juries are supposed toCMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1063318876340728622003-09-11T15:12:00.000-07:002003-09-11T16:46:26.976-07:00What's next, the Apple Pie Act?
I haven't taken the time yet to parse through the various provisions of the Patriot Act to figure out how bad or justified I think they really are. But the more I think about it, the more that name pisses me off. If you're going to introduce legislation, give it a substantive title that conveys some minimal description of what the law is intended to do. Or wouldCMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1062702659386244902003-09-04T12:10:00.000-07:002003-09-04T12:12:25.163-07:00A civil rights crusade that deserves everyone's wholehearted support. (Via Howard Bashman.)CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1061109402740592542003-08-17T01:36:00.000-07:002003-08-17T01:36:42.700-07:00I'm outta here...
My family's going on vacation again, and this time I even get to go with them. It's up to northern Cal for granny's 80th. The extended family is converging for some RVing through Yosemite, Gold Country, etc., culminating in the Big Bash in Ferndale. You won't be hearing from me till September.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1060712251954237812003-08-12T11:17:00.000-07:002003-08-12T11:21:27.656-07:00Den Beste is gloating over France's tourism losses. Fun though this is to do, I feel compelled to report that Paola and Lucas stopped in Paris briefly on their way to Italy and say they experienced extremely helpful and generous treatment by the locals. Better than they did in Italy. It's obviously very silly to extrapolate individual experiences like this into global judgments, but we're CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1060363865561010372003-08-08T10:31:00.000-07:002003-08-12T15:05:45.636-07:00I hate to be fickle, but...
Pejman's got some serious competition now. I think he should try to join forces and get her to be his running mate. I'm sure the skills he's honed while hitting on every female blogger in sight will work on fellow gubernatorial candidates as well.
UPDATE: It figures that this would be my highest traffic-generating post in recent memory. By the way, has anyone CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1060277372982133912003-08-07T10:29:00.000-07:002003-08-07T10:29:32.886-07:00The more the merrier.
Pejman really doesn't want to run for governor. I think we should throw him in the briar patch.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1060205899863331772003-08-06T14:38:00.001-07:002003-08-06T14:41:29.000-07:00Volokh has an interesting rumination on the Supreme Court's citing of foreign legal authority in Lawrence.
I think there's another point worth making, though. In my view, a careful reading of Justice Kennedy's opinion shows that he was not citing the European authorities as persuasive precedent the way state courts sometimes cite decisions from other states. He was citing that authority for CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1060124692753083592003-08-05T16:04:00.000-07:002003-08-05T16:17:23.176-07:00Sounds like he oughta be named Flaming if you ask me...
Diane must be trying to get a rise out of me. On second thought, no--that would be flattering myself. In any case, she's getting one. A moderate, brief one. But a rise nonetheless. Here it is:
No thoughtful libertarian--and that includes the dogmatic Ms. Rand herself--claims that there is no such thing as "common good," that all CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1059523046166728532003-07-29T16:57:00.000-07:002003-07-30T10:46:02.030-07:00His loss. Our gain.
I remember when Eric Clapton lost his son in that tragic accident, and a friend of mine at college remarked, "Well, at least we know he's going to be putting out a kick-ass blues album soon." Which he did. Now, I certainly wouldn't put Stephan Jenkins' break up with Charlize Theron on anywhere near the same level of traumatic experience as what Eric went through. Still, I CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1059501614603712082003-07-29T11:00:00.000-07:002003-07-30T09:35:53.100-07:00How I know I must be old.
My son turns ten today. And what does he ask for for his birthday? The boardgame version of Civilization and some Art Tatum CD's. Poor kid. He never had a chance to grow up normal.
Update: As an extra surprise, I got him this too. He was way excited. Pejman would approve. As for the Civ game, it's got over 700 freakin' pieces and a board larger than many CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1059436111799753772003-07-28T16:48:00.000-07:002003-07-28T16:48:31.613-07:00Bunraku ping pong
Ever wonder what it would look like to play ping pong in the Matrix?
Here's an amazing live performance from some Japanese TV show.
CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3518813.post-1059189153984405902003-07-25T20:12:00.000-07:002003-07-25T20:13:39.030-07:00Think Pink.
I knew she'd be back.CMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05519735358416695058noreply@blogger.com1