Because you’re looking for it — and because, hey, what better way to ring in the New Year — here’s the cell phone video that’s leaked with the full Saddam execution:
It is, of course, graphic.
And here’s an ABC News story on the video.
Archive for December, 2006
I’ve always had particularly fond memories of the arcade game Asteroids, mainly because my grandfather Abe (who was in the vending business in Connecticut) got me an arcade-style — that is giant, stand-up — version of the game when I was a kid. It was set up to not require quarters, so I’d play it for hours in our basement.
Anyway, someone had the brilliant idea to do a mash up of the game where you play not as the spaceship, but as the asteroid: Asteroids Revenge.
Awesome.
I’ve only played it a bit, so maybe I’ve missed it, but my one compliant is: Where are the flying saucers from the old game that come in with wailing sirens and shoot bullets (or whatever) all over the place? Those were always the most fun part (and worth a lot of points).
(via Geek Press)
I’ve had my problems in the past with polls from American Research Group.
Essentially, they refused to put Rudy in their polls (at least on the first round of questions) well past the period of time when that decision made sense.
Now, it seems they have started polling the GOP primary more appropriately. And the results are pretty encouraging for Rudy supporters:
Iowa: Rudy leads GOP caucus goers.
New Hampshire: Rudy is in second place, but within the margin of error.
Nevada: Rudy leads GOP caucus goers.
South Carolina: Rudy trails McCain by 7 points.
The Iowa numbers are fairly remarkable, given Rudy’s soft organization (OK, lack of organization) at the ground level in most states. His virtual tie in New Hampshire is also remarkable, given how popular Maverick McCain is in the Granite State. South Carolina is the most worrisome state for Giuliani in this set of polls. Voters are only going to learn more about his social liberalism coming into 2008, so a win in the Palmetto State would require some pieces falling into place.
Now, I think those pieces can fall into place. Wins in Iowa and/or New Hampshire could give Giuliani significant momentum coming into South Carolina. Also, I think the more voters see of him the more they’ll like him — even (perhaps especially) social conservatives. But it remains a close race.
Let’s just say, though, I’d rather be Rudy than McCain. I’d really hate to be Mitt Romney (IA: 7%, NH: 9%, NV: 4%, SC: 5%).
…to National Review for including The Elephant in the Room in its roundup of “Best Books, 2006.”
It also looks like I’ll be speaking at their Conservative Summit, in late January — most likely on a panel with Ralph Reed about the role of the Religious Right (somehow, I think he has more in-depth knowledge of this topic than me, but I’ll do what I can). More details on that when I have them.
Also, thanks to anyone who’s bought, read, or written thoughtfully about the book this year. It’s really quite an undertaking to write a book (so many words … and I’m a man of few of them). But it’s worth it when it can move a debate forward meaningfully. It’s been great to get feedback from so many of you, both on your blogs and in reader emails (there are a lot of you disaffected western libertarians out there, I have the inbox to prove it … stay strong!).
Anyway, it was a productive 2006. Onto a better 2007 and a time of rebuilding for both our parties and our country.
God bless National Review. Over at The Corner, Mark Krikorian is flogging that old collectivist-conservative chestnut, compulsory national service. The problem, of course, is that we have a little thing called “individual liberty” in this country, something that should only be violated to such a grievous extent in cases of, say, world, civil or revolutionary war. But Krikorian dismisses such concerns as “the usual libertarian cowflop about being enslaved by the State.”
Hey, I already work half the year to pay my taxes, thank you very much. Conservatives hungry for a father figure to instill meaning in their lives can join the Peace Corps or something. On behalf of the rest of us, however: Piss off.
Back from the land of Goldwater (and the land of Bill Richardson and the land of Ahnold — it was a lot of driving), I’m figuring out how to use this “Flickr” thing the kids are so crazy about.
Lots of pictures of southwestern scenery are uploaded here. Most of it is of Sedona, Arizona, which is really just beyond belief — that is, so long as you stick to the hiking … if you venture into town, they’ll try to sell you a time share.
The rest of my photo archives will be posted here. (That is, some popular old sets, such as from the protest scene outside the 2004 Republican National Convention.)
Permanent links to all of this will be added to the sidebar at some point.
In the meantime, do the people who made that tractor (?) in the bottom picture know what that phrase translates to? It doesn’t seem like a very sensible name.
Over at Andrew Sullivan’s site, a guest blogger makes the case for Rudy having “the resume” to be president. Of course, I’ve also been making the case for Rudy in the “power rankings.”
I can’t wait until the CW has completed its 180-degree turn and acknowledged the obvious: Giuliani is, and long has been, the frontrunner for 2008.
Man, it felt good to not blog or write anything for the last week-plus. I’ve especially enjoyed not discussing the future of the Republican Party. May it rest in pieces.
But, alas, all good things must come to an end. So, here’s more from Brink Lindsey on “liberaltarians.” Needless to say, I think there’s a lot to be said for his arguments — especially given the fact that the GOP seems to have learned nothing from its defeat in November. While a libertarian alliance with the Democrats remains a fairly shocking proposition, it seems increasingly plausible.
Most notable fact from Brink’s latest piece: Democrats gained with libertarian voters in 2006, without alienating other major voting blocs. This at least puts a dent in the idea that no one can offer anything to libertarians without sending the rest of the electorate screaming from the room like a call girl from Milton Berle.
(click to enlarge)
I’ll be on the road this week — until Saturday the 16th — so no posting is expected.
But, before I pack it in for the duration of my trip across the Southwest, let me just say that I am blogging from the Salt Lake City airport on a layover between NYC and New Mexico. And I am loving capitalism right now.
I needed to print a large document, so I checked into “Laptop Lane,” here at the airport — essentially, these are little offices with free phones and free printing that you can use for $0.65 a minute (after a $5 charge for the first five minutes).
Then, as pictured above, it turns out the airport here has these “charging station” kiosks, where you can charge your iPod, Treo, etc. I don’t need to use it this time, but what a fan-freakin’-tastic idea.
Bravo, capitalism. Bravo.
Comedy Central has picked up a show — originally created for Amp’d Mobile cell phones — called “Lil’ Bush: Resident of the United States.” It re-imagines the president, vice president, secretary of state and secretary of defense as grade schoolers. And, as you might imagine, it’s not exactly pro-lil’-Bush.
It’s a good thing, then, that Bush isn’t running for reelection, and that Cheney isn’t running to succeed Bush. Comedy Central and the company producing the show are certainly corporations. And the show definitely mentions the name of a candidate.
It has potential violation of McCain-Feingold written all over it. (Think I’m nuts? Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11″ had to curtail its advertising during the 2004 campaign season for just this reason.)
(via Darcy)
From the Washington Post today, an argument that libertarians should align themselves with the Democratic Party, and an argument that the Democratic Party should align itself with libertarians.
UPDATE: I should also link the underlying Brink Lindsey article from TNR to which the Washington Post column refers.
The New York Post is looking at what causes some schools in New York City to be good, while other schools — often just blocks away — are cesspools.
I offer some thoughts on the matter here [archived copy]:
The rich in New York City already have school choice. Parents with means can choose where they live based on the quality of the local public schools.They can choose to send their children to local private schools.
Heck, they can even send their children to any boarding school in the world, if they so choose.
And because these parents are educated consumers with lots of options, the schools that compete for their education dollars know they have to perform.
It’s called the free market, and we know it works - for cars, for clothes, for computers, for practically anything we buy or consume.
When companies have to compete, consumers win.
Yet when it comes to one of the most important products any of us will ever purchase - a child’s education - we treat parents (at least the nonrich) as prisoners instead of as consumers.
The culprit? Longtime readers won’t be surprised that teachers unions bear much (most) of the blame. But school administrators and a political class unwilling to break up the educational monopoly place a strong second.
The Economist asks whether the GOP is becoming a regional party of the South (or, OK, makes the argument that it is becoming that):
The problem for the Republicans is that a regional stronghold can become a prison. The South has one of the most distinctive cultures in the United States—far more jingoistic than the rest of the country and far more religious. Fifty-eight per cent of deep southerners identify themselves as either evangelical or born-again compared with a third of non-southerners (the figure in Mississippi is 73%). But for every non-southerner who waxes lyrical about southern charm there are many more who associate the South with racial bigotry and cultural backwardness. The 2006 election—which saw social conservatives such as Rick Santorum and Kenneth Blackwell go down to humiliating defeat—suggests that non-southerners have grown particularly impatient with the South’s brand of in-your-face religiosity.
The magazine also argues, as I have, that Mitt Romney, despite being from Massachusetts, is the “southern” candidate in the GOP field coming into 2008.
(Also, isn’t their graphic great?)
The Washington Post takes a look at the changing West: less resource extraction, more tree hugging.
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