Alas, I’m not going to be around (and my limited discretionary funds for concert-going was already spent on R.E.M. tickets), but if you live in NYC and you’re looking to wash the taste of Masked and Anonymous out of your mouth, Dylan’s playing the Hammerstein Ballroom August 12-14. Should be grand.
Author: KcM
Read My Lips.
With New Hampshire continuing to heat up, Dean and Kerry spar over tax cut repeal. It’s at least comforting to see that the front-running Dems know the Dubya tax giveaway has to go.
American Scholars.
John Updike reviews the flood of new Emerson literature emerging in the wake of the Sage of Concord‘s bicentennial. Perhaps now would be a good time to revise my paper on Herbert Croly and Emersonian perfectionism while the getting’s good.
Who’s the Patriot?
The ACLU and six Muslim groups launch the first constitutional challenge against the Patriot Act. This should be one to watch. In related news, James Ridgeway examines the Clintonian antecedents of the Act.
The Buck Finally Stops.
In a tortured press conference in which he also came out firmly against gay marriage, Dubya finally admits he’s to blame for the Iraq-Niger claim in the State of the Union (while letting Condoleeza Rice cry “mea culpa” on Newshour.) Why on Earth did it take him so long to state the obvious? As President, he is in fact responsible for his own utterances.
The other franchises.
Lost in the hubbub over yesterday’s RotK footage were these two fanboy nuggets: the new Spiderman 2 poster and lots of new shots from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkhaban. Well, ok then.
Just a Fool’s Hope…
A special treat today…At long last, a Return of the King trailer! Judging from the lines and the lack of New Line stamp at the beginning, this looks to be the trailer included on the theatrical version of the Two Towers DVD, to be released August 26. And it looks GREAT!
Update: They’ve stolen the preciousss! Fortunately, I was one of the lucky ones who obtained a copy before New Line dropped the hammer. ‘Tis really a beauteous thing.
Update 2: I’m getting a number of e-mails from people asking me to send them the trailer. This won’t happen. My advice is (a) go here or here, (b) if they don’t work, check out the comments in this AICN thread for a new location (beware major spoilers), and/or (c) fire up Kazaa.
The Gray Davis Blues.
Via my friend Ben, try your hand at balancing a state budget…if you can.
Death-Dealing.
I know conservatives think free markets solve everything, but this is ridiculous. The Pentagon creates a futures market for terrorism in order to better predict possible attacks and assassinations. Um, somebody might want to tell the brass that these are basically called Dead Pools, and have been around for years now. Update: Well, that’s that, then.
Internecine Warfare.
As Dean scores another Internet coup and looks even more competitive in New Hampshire, the DLC tries to scare the left into submission with polls suggesting a mass defection of white males (veterans notwithstanding, I presume.) Perhaps it should be noted that Mark Penn is currently working for the Lieberman campaign. In related news, Jonathans Chait and Cohn debate Dean’s effect on the race in TNR. And, finally, John Edwards announces his health care plan in New Hampshire in Clintonesque fashion. (Veteran link via Follow Me Here.)