Oh, someone is liveblogging it! (UPDATE: Another bee blog here) (You can also get updates of the results of each round here). UPDATE: Come on, Joshua! The local boy is still in it, having correctly spelled "hybrid" in Round Two (not very tough, I admit) and "chattel" in Round Three. It should be noted that two Italian food-related words — … Read More
80th Annual (Not Putnam County) Spelling Bee
Starts today. Semifinals air on ESPN tomorrow from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Final round airs on primetime ABC — 8:00 to 10:00 pm — tomorrow night. If you get a chance to see it — even if it’s for ten minutes — do so. These kids are amazing, and the competition is nail-biting. Here’s some stats from the Scripps … Read More
Bug — The Movie Review
From Christian Answers: The movie has no lack of foul language, and the F-word is the most prevalent, being used more than 60 times. There are at least 60 other cuss words as well, including about 20 misuses of God’s name. The number of minutes spent on real or implied nudity seemed to far outweigh the time spent on horror … Read More
NC Witnesses Can Swear on Quran In Court
I’ve been following this story for a while, and frankly, I’m not sure why it was an issue to begin with: The issue surfaced when Muslims tried to donate copies of the Quran to Guilford County’s two courthouses. Two judges declined to accept the texts, saying that taking an oath on the Quran was illegal under state law. What exactly … Read More
On Jihadists
Like Glenn Greenwald, I am getting increasingly tired of the Malkin-types who make it their daily mission to try to scare everybody into thinking that Muslims — even American Muslins — are all hell-bent on committing acts of terrorists. If an imam prays to Mecca before boarding a plane in some remote airport, the right wing punditry — Rush, Malkin, … Read More
If I Had To Choose Between The Two…
Jordan Sparks.
File Under “Cool, But Unnecessary”
Proposed plans for a 68 story condo/hotel/office in Dubai — …where each floor will rotate independently. Read more.
There’s Modesty And Then There’s TOO Modest
If you got it, flaunt it, they say. But for some of us (myself included), bathing suit season makes us self-conscious. Well, now there’s a solution — www.wholesomewear.com: Our Waterwear is the first to be introduced because the need for modesty in swimwear is greatest and the supply is non-existent. Swimwear that "highlights the face, rather than the body" includes … Read More
History Repeats Itself
Thirty years ago today: Q: So what in a sense you’re saying is that there are certain situations…where the president can decide that it’s in the best interests of the nation or something, and do something illegal. NIXON: Well, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal. Q: By definition. NIXON: Exactly, exactly.
“We Became Friends”
An interesting eulogy of Jerry Falwell …by his nemesis, pornographer Larry Flynt: To my amazement, we won. It wasn’t until after I won the case and read the justices’ unanimous decision in my favor that I realized fully the significance of what had happened. The justices held that a parody of a public figure was protected under the 1st Amendment … Read More
Falwell’s The Ends Well
The post-mortem deification begins. So, in the interest of equal time, let’s also remember some of Falwell’s greatest hits, courtesy of the Carpetbagger: March 1980: Falwell tells an Anchorage rally about a conversation with President Carter at the White House. Commenting on a January breakfast meeting, Falwell claimed to have asked Carter why he had “practicing homosexuals” on the senior … Read More
Tammy Faye Death Watch
Jerry, then Tammy. These things happen in threes, right? Don’t know who’s the third.
Geico Cavemen: The TV Series
ABC is developing a comedy based on the cavemen from the Geico commercials Can anyone else think of a situation where a campaign spokescharacter proved so wildly popular that they a TV show was created for them? Not Clara Pell, Not Joe Izuzu… UPDATE: Max Headroom — there’s one. And Ernest (Jim Varney) went from commercials to movies.
Falwell Dead? [Update: Yes]
Breaking news Obviously, I’m no fan, but it’s always momentous when an influential man passes. His zenith was in the Reagan era, when he set this country on a path which dictates much of the social and political landscape today. UPDATE: Retrospective from the Carpetbagger. Also, the GOP ’08ers are having a debate tonight. Look for lots of lavish praise … Read More