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Friday Open Thread

By Jeralyn, Section Blog Related
Posted on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 06:43:00 AM EST
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How about another open thread today as I have court all morning and yesterday's is filling up.

To get you started (but feel free to pick other topics):

  • Hollywood writers say they will strike. TalkLeft has some readers who are Hollywood writers. We fully support you. Let us know how we can help. The Writers' Guild Site is here.

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    Friday Open Thread | 57 comments (57 topical)

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    hat tip to (5.00 / 2) (#44)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 09:43:20 AM EST
    Cernig @ The Newshoggers
    It Had To Happen Sometime
    A Swedish man is facing a libel case after falsely accusing his son-in-law of being a member of Al Qaeda in an email to the FBI.

    The 40-year-old son-in-law and his wife were in the process of divorcing when the husband had to travel to the United States for business.

    ...When the husband refused to stay home, his father-in-law wrote an email to the FBI saying the son-in-law had links to al-Qaeda in Sweden and that he was travelling to the US to meet his contacts.

    He provided information on the flight number and date of arrival in the US.

    The son-in-law was arrested upon landing in Florida. He was placed in handcuffs, interrogated and placed in a cell for 11 hours before being put on a flight back to Europe, the paper said.

    The FBI contacted Swedish intelligence agency Saepo, which discovered that the email tipping off the FBI had been sent from the father-in-law's computer.

    The father-in-law has been charged with aggravated libel.

    He has admitted sending the email, but said he didn't think "the authorities were so stupid that they would believe anything. But apparently they are."

    He said he "couldn't help the US authorities' paranoid reaction".

    The son-in-law is lucky he didn't end up at Gitmo for a few years of non-tortuous waterboarding, without habeas rights and awaiting a rigged military tribunal. Which is, according to Amnesty and HRW, why many of the Afghans there are detained - fingered by ill-wishers in return for a hefty US-paid bounty.

    This is your country on Republicanism.
    Must Be He's a Blonde (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by squeaky on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 10:37:40 AM EST
    The son-in-law is lucky he didn't end up at Gitmo....


    Parent
    It didn't turn out harmless (5.00 / 1) (#48)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 11:07:15 AM EST
    or without repercussions for the son-in-law either:

    The unsuspecting Lund man was given a terrorist's welcome when he landed at Orlanda International Airport in August last year. A computer technician by trade, he had traveled to the US to participate in a conference.

    But no sooner had he arrived at the US airport than he was hauled aside by armed security guards and taken in for questioning where he was grilled about his religious and political beliefs. When the interrogation was over he was thrown into a cell that he claimed was smeared with blood and excrement.

    Some eleven hours after the start of his ordeal, the hapless traveler was put on a plane back to Sweden.

    So he was deported and couldn't complete his trip, even though he was innocent of anything related to terrorism.

    I wouldn't be surprised to find that he's now on no-fly lists...

    Parent

    Blonde? (1.00 / 0) (#46)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 10:56:50 AM EST
    These terrists will try anything...

    Parent
    Crafty Devils (5.00 / 1) (#47)
    by squeaky on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 11:04:55 AM EST
    Al-Qaida in Sweden????  It would be funny if the US authorities were honest. They seem to care more about justifying the WOT than act stopping terror, their own acts of terror that is.

    Parent
    WOT = "War OF Terror" (5.00 / 1) (#49)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 11:08:13 AM EST


    Parent
    Huh??? (1.00 / 1) (#54)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 06:00:28 PM EST
    Now let us examine the facts.

    The FBI gets an email that says this man is a terrorist.

    They arrest him when he is entering the country.

    Question him for 12 hours.

    Send him home.

    And you have a problem with that?

    Uh... do you remember the last time the FBI was told someone was a terrorist???

    And they did nothing???

    For a reminder, go to NYC and see that big hole in the ground.

    Parent

    Chief Insp. Jacques Clouseau... (5.00 / 1) (#57)
    by Molly Bloom on Sun Nov 04, 2007 at 10:19:58 PM EST


    Parent
    Are you confusing (1.00 / 0) (#60)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Nov 05, 2007 at 08:53:36 AM EST
    the products of Gollywood with reality, again??

    Parent
    No- just an apt description. (5.00 / 1) (#61)
    by Molly Bloom on Mon Nov 05, 2007 at 11:42:18 AM EST


    Parent
    Drooling For Terror (5.00 / 1) (#51)
    by squeaky on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 12:12:33 PM EST
    The Bush admin continues to F'up the world in its quest for global domination, aka control of oil resources. Obviously their dream is that the Kurds will have their own country and turn over their oil to BushCo.

    The PPK a terrorist group is AOK with the neocons. Turkey has been given lip service by the US in its call to restrain the terror group.

    Warren Stroebel reports

    WASHINGTON -- The retired general who served as President Bush's special envoy to deal with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said the United States has failed to keep its promises to Turkey to confront the Kurdish terrorist group, and Turkey may feel that it has no choice but to attack the PKK's sanctuary in northern Iraq.

    Retired Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston, in a brief interview, declined to say why he stepped down several weeks ago. But published reports have said that he was frustrated by the Bush administration's failure to act against the PKK.

    In his first extended comments since his departure, Ralston told McClatchy Newspapers that the United States is unwittingly "driving, strategically, the Turks and the Iranians together" because both nations share concerns about violent Kurdish separatist groups.

    Heckuva job Bush.

    I found a dead bird in my driveway (1.00 / 1) (#56)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Nov 04, 2007 at 08:30:59 AM EST
    this morning...

    That dirty Bush. I know he did it.

    Parent

    Update on Army of Dude (1.00 / 0) (#50)
    by Edger on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 12:05:46 PM EST
    Yesterday it looked like Iraq veteran Alex, who wrote The Real Deal as his response to Rush Limbaugh calling veterans opposed to the war "phony soldiers", had a pretty good shot at winning the 2007 Weblog Award for Best Military Blog.

    He's running neck and neck with Blackfive for second place right now, and the voting continues. We need to vote for him every day.

    Go Vote For Army Of Dude here.

    Why? He deserves it!

    You need to vote for him every day?? (1.00 / 1) (#55)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 06:10:25 PM EST
    I'm sure you'll tell me that everyone else cheats.

    And that'll tell me a lot about Internet "votes."

    Parent

    Your comment confirms (1.00 / 1) (#59)
    by jimakaPPJ on Mon Nov 05, 2007 at 08:52:22 AM EST
    You can vote once a day in each category.

    What I said.

    I'm sure you'll tell me that everyone else cheats.

    And that'll tell me a lot about Internet "votes."

    Allowing multiple votes can never yield accurate results.

    But I will say that if everyone else does it, it is not cheating in the context of these votes.


    Parent

    Hurm... Check your clock (none / 0) (#1)
    by Division on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:25:24 AM EST
    Seeing as how it's only 12:24am PST, I have to assume your time stamp is off somehow. You might wanna check that out.

    No I set it that way on purpose (none / 0) (#2)
    by Jeralyn on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:27:33 AM EST
    I often put my late night posts up to show first thing in the morning. Just a habit.

    Parent
    Writers (none / 0) (#3)
    by DA in LA on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:30:29 AM EST
    We are going to get murdered by the press because we are fighting against the studios, who happen to be companies like Time Warner, Fox, Viacom, etc.

    Expect to read a lot of stories about how much money writers makes, etc.  We ARE THE MIDDLE CLASS.  Most of us are not rich and go job to job.  Writers don't make a fortune.  We need residuals to get us through tough times - and many use that time to be creative and make money.  Right now I am living off of residuals, if I was not on them I would have to get a job and would kiss my writing career goodbye.

    The producers want to roll back years of advancements we have made.  They want to pay less for health care, pension and cut back residuals.

    Our negotiators made a proposal and in three months of negotiating, the producers have yet to address one of our demands.  What they are doing is absurd and disgusting.  I have been to many contract meetings and never seen the members as unified or as angry as they were tonight.

    This will be an ugly strike and we will be portrayed as spoiled brats.  That is not the case.

    Give 'em hell DA..... (none / 0) (#6)
    by kdog on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 08:14:22 AM EST
    kind of reminds me of how baseball players are portrayed as spoiled when they have a labor dispute.  Not saying writers make anywhere near what ballplayers make, but its the same b.s. portrayal.  

    When I buy a ticket to a ballgame, I want the players getting the lions share because they posess the talents I am paying to see.  Same with the writers...they should get the lions share, along with the actors and stagehands, because they posess the talent.

    Nobody buys a ticket to see an owner or a studio.

    Parent

    Something that wasn't on TV (none / 0) (#11)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 08:54:11 AM EST
    When the Rockies owners accepted the award for the team winning the NLC the fans booed them....

    or so says a friend who lives in Denver...

    Parent

    See.... (none / 0) (#23)
    by kdog on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 01:44:59 PM EST
    I doubt they booed when the manager or players held up the trophy.

    Nobody pays to see the owner.  

    Parent

    Better reserve judgment and see if (none / 0) (#24)
    by oculus on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 01:52:51 PM EST
    the Dodgers bring home a World Series trophy with Joe Torre at the helm.  Frank McCourt, the Dodgers owner, says he will.

    Parent
    Torres record (none / 0) (#26)
    by DA in LA on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:13:26 PM EST
    as an NL manager.  Not so good.  Turns out you have to understand the game a bit more with no DH.  Torre  is a player manager, not a tactical genius.  You need to be more tactical to win in the NL.  Don Zimmer was the tactical man for the Yanks.  That's why they never won after he left.

    Parent
    Absolutely right. (none / 0) (#32)
    by scribe on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 03:05:10 PM EST
    As a Yankee fan, I watch them closely.  There never was any doubt Torre did a masterful job of handling the massive egos rampant in and around the NYY clubhouse.  That he was able to keep his team together this year and get them into a position to get into the playoffs despite everything that went wrong is a great testament to his skill handling men.  But, in terms of managing the game, Zim was the real brains there.  And Torre has a bad, earned reputation for burning out relief pitchers through overuse.

    It will be interesting to see how he does in LA, if only because one of the relief pitchers he burnt out in NY, Scott Proctor, will be on his staff in LA. During this season, the Yanks traded Proctor to LA for 3B Wilson Betemit, who was widely seen as "A-Rod Insurance".  That trade took place about a month after Proctor, in a post-game fit of frustration after his overused-by-Torre right arm gave up another home game, took all his gear (starting from his jock on out through his spikes, but not his Yankee pinstripes or cap) from the clubhouse and went onto the grass in front of the Yankee dugout, piled it up, and lit it on fire in front of a number of reporters who'd set aside finishing their writeups and assembled to watch the luck-changing spectacle. This led to innumerable puns and jokes, even as the papers were declaring the Yankees done.  Torre dealt with it well. It made things go better, for a while.

    But, as a friend (Brooklyn Dodger fan turned Yankee hater) said to me today:  "Now, Torre has to manage.  He can't just mix and match pitchers like in the DH league.  And he'll never win the Series in LA."

    Parent

    The owners have (none / 0) (#35)
    by jimakaPPJ on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 03:28:19 PM EST
    been viewed as cheap. They tried to get rid of Helton this summer, but he refused the trade.

    I think it is also a given that a lot of guys will be gone this winter..

    Parent

    This morning on MSNBC... (none / 0) (#8)
    by garyb50 on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 08:29:50 AM EST
    I heard this:

    ... for the television producers this will be a good thing (the strike) because the fall season is so bad they can just forget about it while the writer's strike and start up again next spring.

    I don't know anything about all this... just wanted to pass on what I heard the 'expert pundits' put out there.

    Parent

    Well, (none / 0) (#20)
    by DA in LA on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 01:21:58 PM EST
    There is a bit of truth to that.  Some of the executives were certainly looked at unemployment, but now could be saved by the strike.

    But to claim that the studios are happy about the strike wiping out an entire season of new shows is just dumb.  All they care about is making money.  We taking about giant conglomerates here.

    Parent

    They should just compare audiences from reruns ... (none / 0) (#12)
    by Ellie on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 09:09:06 AM EST
    ... of America's Biggest Loser (and other crap "reality" shows that have no shelf life) to what they're guaranteed to get on reruns of The Sopranos.

    Take it from one middle class bohemian who would be rich if we were paid what we were honestly owed by these pocket picking larcenous robber barons.

    Bah.


    Parent

    They say the last writers strike was in 88 (none / 0) (#17)
    by jerry on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 11:17:11 AM EST
    I had thought there was a writers strike in the mid-90s, and that was responsible for the reality show since it didn't require as many writers.  Do you know the history of that?

    And best wishes on your strike.  Give 'em hell.

    Parent

    No strike since '88 (none / 0) (#21)
    by DA in LA on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 01:29:22 PM EST
    Reality began when there was a threat of a strike in 2001, though I could be wrong about the year.  Studios were looking for a way to create shows without a writer.  They found one.  But as someone mentioned above, they don't sell DVDs, which is where the big money is right now.

    This is a big negotiation.  They seem to come every twenty years.  In the '40s writers formed the union though a strike threat.  In the '60s they walked for pension and health benefits, as well as residuals.  In the 80's it was about DVD/home video sales - and we got creamed.  The studios said it was too soon to come to an agreement because they were not sure if the medium would take off.  We took a deal that quickly became permanent and it turned out to be a big mistake.

    Here we are 20 years later and we are battling over downloads and streaming on the internet.  The studios are using the same reasoning as they did with DVDs.  They won't negotiate until we agree to the same deal for the internet.  But they probably do not understand the anger writers feel every time they look at a DVD.  This is 20 years of built up anger.

    Parent

    Thanks for the explanation (none / 0) (#25)
    by jerry on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 01:57:13 PM EST
    I don't watch much TV, so really hadn't understood the issues.

    Parent
    Kind of a weird set up, if you ask me. (none / 0) (#27)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:29:22 PM EST
    Unlike baseball, where all the players in the union (afaik) are working at the top-pro-earning-level, and thus really well payed, the WGA, like some other industry unions like SAG and AFTRA, has some (most, probably) members earning essentially nothing, some earning middle-class wages, and some making many millions/year.

    At the top there are way over scale (over the union minimum wage scale) members, ie, people who can demand salaries and residuals, etc., in the millions, far in excess of what the union minimums are, and for whom, financially, the union means very little. Say less than 1% of membership.

    Then there re the members who are middle-class, ie., they get paid the union minimum or so (for a sitcom, let's say $7500/episode, and if you don't piss anyone off, you can get a full season of 22 episodes). Say 5% of membership in any given year?

    And then the other, what, ~95% of the members who essentially don't make a dime in a particular year, ie., they're members, but they don't get hired to write anything.

    The 95% support the strike because, hey, it's no money out of their pocket since they're not making any money under the guild's auspices anyway, the top earners have relatively little reason to have much interest, and the middle income writers want the negotiations to be strong but since they also have mortgages to pay and mouths to feed they don't want to drag out the strike too long.

    Parent

    Those numbers a WAY OFF (none / 0) (#29)
    by DA in LA on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:40:59 PM EST
    Working members total around 7,000, which is about half of the membership.  There's your middle class.

    There are many who are not working, and most of those did not show up or vote.

    The people who voted for the strike (6,000) cast votes and attended the meeting last night (3,000) were mostly working members.

    The WGA cannot be compared to SAG.  I am a member of both, I work at both jobs equally.  Strikes like this are much more of a problem with SAG because 95% are not working.  The WGA is much different.

    Parent

    Fair enough regarding working members (none / 0) (#33)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 03:05:56 PM EST
    I was going from memory, 95% non-working members does sound more like SAG...

    Parent
    fwiw, the teamster I just talked to says (none / 0) (#39)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 05:01:33 PM EST
    their support of the strike is encouraged but not mandatory.

    Parent
    Yep (none / 0) (#40)
    by DA in LA on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 06:06:26 PM EST
    But better than nothing.  Some will, some won't.

    How many Teamsters do you know who would feel good about crossing a picket line?

    Parent

    None. (none / 0) (#41)
    by sarcastic unnamed one on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 06:28:28 PM EST


    Parent
    STRIKE IS OFFICIAL (none / 0) (#37)
    by DA in LA on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 03:56:21 PM EST
    Sunday night, midnight.

    Parent
    Nice topics (none / 0) (#5)
    by MiddleOfTheRoad on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 07:58:28 AM EST
    Writing a letter to this administration means nothing, so I far prefer the Obama way.  But the Obama legislation will not get the required votes.

    I totally agree with Dodd on FISA and Mukasey.  I have been quite impressed with whatever little I know of Dodd, and in my opinion he is far better than the three frontrunners.

    I couldn't agree more with Arianna on the issue of Rudy.  A few years ago I thought that Rudy would be a moderate candidate who would be the best among Republicans.  Today I think he is among the worst.  If I had to vote R, I'd much rather pick someone like McCain or Romney than pick Rudy.

    I had not heard of that (none / 0) (#7)
    by Deconstructionist on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 08:29:25 AM EST
     until your post. It is sometimes astounding what the people who control public institutions believe they have a right to impose on those who wish to use those institutions.

      As best I can tell from a quick perusal,  the University's initial position was it was alright to shove ideas down people's throats because it couldn't force the ideas to be swallowed but merely punish people for expressing different ideas.

      At least upon reconsideration someone recognized that might be the smartest argument ever made.

    might NOT be (none / 0) (#9)
    by Deconstructionist on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 08:30:19 AM EST
     in the last sentence

    Parent
    I think it was bureaucratic arrogance and laziness (none / 0) (#16)
    by jerry on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 11:14:06 AM EST
    I think they shove so many things down the students throats in terms of every day annoyances and procedures they didn't think too much of making this mandatory.  And then I suspect they didn't review the materials or procedures for this program at all.

    Dr. Shakti Butler's "dictionary" is beyond the pale, and I suspect they hired her based on her resume and never examined her materials.

    I am often impressed with the level headedness I find at FARK.  In an atmosphere of almost complete free speech, FARK often demonstrates to me what "Joe Average" will end up thinking when presented with the information from all sorts of people.  And I think the FARK gestalt is often right on the money.  So I think most people were sympathetic to the notion of having a diversity program, and completely offended by the specifics of this particular one.  And that's why I think that seeing close to 90 right wing blogs including Malkin discussing this and absolutely not a single left wing blog discussing this was a disaster.

    When I tried to bring it up at Kos and at Political Animal, I was given the honor of being called a "concern troll" another way we liberal bloggers and commenters have of shutting down conversations we don't want to hear.

    So... thanks for reading (and not calling me a concern troll!)

    Parent

    The Obama legislation is light years better (none / 0) (#13)
    by Geekesque on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 09:17:47 AM EST
    than the Webb letter.

    First, Webb's letter is just that--a letter.  

    Second, Webb's letter only deals with clarifying Kyl-Lieberman.

    Third, Webb's letter contains several loopholes, as it implicitly accepts the notion that armed force may be used against Iran if it is multilateral and defensive in nature.  Which is a giant loophole, considering the fact-finding of Kyl-Lieberman.

    Obama's resolution is next to meaningless (none / 0) (#14)
    by Deconstructionist on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 09:33:00 AM EST
     because despite ambiguously refereing to "any other provision of law" it fails to address either the

    War Powers Act

    or a little thing such as Article II, section 2 of the Constitution.

      all it really would provide is that the series of acts and resolutions passed regarding the Iraq  War do not provide additional support for the President's  power to direct  military action against Iran.

      Neither the letter nor the resolution if is were to be passed are anything but symbolic.

    Parent

    The local authorities.... (none / 0) (#15)
    by kdog on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 10:41:03 AM EST
    seem proud of themselves after this bust.  Link

    They seem to bust a "major marijuana ring" in my neck of the woods every couple months, yet I never have a problem procuring reefer.  I'd say why bother, but we know why they bother...asset forfeiture.

    Police misconduct.... (none / 0) (#18)
    by kdog on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 11:58:25 AM EST
    Police counter a boy's halloween mischief with some of their own.  LINK

    I'm so glad I'm not a kid growing up in 21st century America.  In my day, if the cops caught you throwing eggs they scolded ya and drove you home.  Not no more.

    Just when you though libraries might be safe (none / 0) (#19)
    by scribe on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 12:06:25 PM EST
    from being co-opted by the Feds, the "New FISA" bill working its way through Congress puts them back under the Feds' loupe again.

    But, "Trust Us to Not Exceed Your Rights" is supposed to suffice.

    I think not.

    Jeralyn, will you be a doing a reqiuem to the (none / 0) (#22)
    by oculus on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 01:33:46 PM EST
    Rockies?  Boy, was I wrong, I thought they would tromp the Red Sox.

    True. Interesting Girardi, (none / 0) (#28)
    by oculus on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:36:06 PM EST
    who played for the Yankees and coached there also, plus being a YES broadcaster, is managing there, after success in FL (although, apparently not tact; wonder how that will work out with Steinbrenner?).

    Steinbrenner is half-way out of the picture... (none / 0) (#30)
    by kdog on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:58:52 PM EST
    his health is fading.  Officially, his sons are running the show now...not to say if Girardi pisses him off he won't come out of semi-retirement to can his arse:)

    Parent
    Steinbrenner is.... (none / 0) (#36)
    by desertswine on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 03:44:02 PM EST
    77 yrs old and its been widely speculated that he's suffering from Altzheimer's disease. But it's all very secretive.

    Of course who's to say that one day he won't turn up in Havana looking for some Cubans.

    Parent

    I also hear (none / 0) (#31)
    by Deconstructionist on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 02:59:49 PM EST
    that at least one of the sons is an acorn that didn't fall far from the tree.

    Oh, yeah. That's Hank, and (none / 0) (#34)
    by scribe on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 03:19:14 PM EST
    he also makes a point of making sure you know just how smart he is.  As in, he seems pretty insecure about how he got this great job.

    But, Girardi was not tactful to his owners in FL because they started trying to tell him how to manage the games, as in which players to play, when, how, etc.  That might go over in the minor leagues, where trading players often requires showcasing them to scouts or where the Big Club needs to know whether Prospect X can change from playing left to center because the center fielder's knee is barking again....  In the majors, that's a whole different thing.  And, Marlins Owner Loria, it needs be remembered, made his money in dealing art - not in baseball.  I've got strong opinions about art dealers to begin with.... (Disclosure:  I worked on a case involving him and a painting a few years back in which he was an unjoined adversary funding the joined adversaries.  He had his fingers in everything, mucking it up mainly.) Loria, remember, got the Marlins because he was buds with Selig and the Red Sox current owners, and because he had kept the Expos on life support supplying talent to the rest of the leagues.  When the current Sox ownership made the bid to but from the Yawkey family, Loria got the Marlins (which they had owned) (widely seen as a reward to Loria) and the owners bought out his ownership of the Expos, then transformed them into the Nationals after swinging a deal for the DC stadium.

    So, when you get a ramrod-spine guy like Girardi in the same room with Loria, trouble is inevitable.

    Parent

    Oh, and to make for a perfect Friday, (none / 0) (#38)
    by scribe on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 04:43:18 PM EST
    it turns out the FBI knew in advance of the OJ Recover-the-Stolen-Memorabilia Operation event.

    And, it appears from the article OJ was trying to turn it into a TV show.

    Markos on Bill Maher's Real Time tonight (none / 0) (#42)
    by Aaron on Fri Nov 02, 2007 at 10:06:11 PM EST
    Bill Maher's Real Time

    It's on HBO right now

    Putting the Past behind Us (none / 0) (#43)
    by Aaron on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 03:35:57 AM EST
    Excellent article by Andrew Sullivan, which offers hope for a future in which the United States of America may once again be United.  

    It highlights why some of us on the left and the right, Democrat and Republican, believe that Barack Obama and his candidacy for the president offer an opportunity to put this protracted and bitterly destructive culture war behind us.  I urge everyone to read it.

    Goodbye to All That

    Somebody tell (1.00 / 0) (#52)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Nov 03, 2007 at 12:51:01 PM EST
    Sullivan that it is called a Democracy, not a love in around a campfire singing Kumbaya...

    Parent
    Friday Open Thread | 57 comments (57 topical)

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