Calling Coyotes by Cross-Country Communication in all Counties

Saturday, July 24, 2004

Grab Bag Post

I think there are really only four archetypes of dogs.

There is the Mutt, which doesn't mean mixed breed in this context. Mutts are dogs that stand out only by their very ordinariness, or because they look like no other breed on the planet and don't share traits with other archetypes. They are somewhat lacking in utility unless thoroughly trained. I think Mutts make the best pets, because they will bond very srongly with their owners, are amicable with strangers, and almost never show any aggression towards people. The prototypical mutt is the Labrador Retriever. I'm quite fond of Mutts. Their only real flaw is that some of the specimens I've seen were somewhat, well, lacking in intelligence. (I'm serious. My lab once chased a hot air balloon!)

Another archetype is the Hound. The prototype for the Hound is...any sort of hound. Hounds are known for their athleticism, diligence, and loyalty. They can be very obedient and will behave with great focus if it is required. By and large, these dogs are the only ones trained to assist hunters. Workdogs such as Siberian Huskies also fall under this archetype.

The Pooch is another archetype. Pooches are likable, friendly dogs with lovably ugly faces. They range from big to small. The Pooch prototype is the Bulldog.

The final archetype is the Poodle. Guess what the prototype for the Poodle is. Poodles are small, yappy, and hyperactive. In pure Poodles, there fur is atrociously overwrought. As a side-note, there is one poodle that is not a Poodle; the full-sized poodle, as seen in Travels with Charlie.

Pure dog breeds can be mixes of these archetypes. Terriers are Hound-Poodles, Newfoundlands are Mutt-Hounds.



Abu Merang returns
Abu Merang quits.
Arafat refuses to accept it.
Abu Merang is "convinced" not to quit, and stays on as a temp.
Now, Kofi tells Arafat to listen to him.

Five players have Kofi, Sixty-two players have Arafat, and one player has Abu Merang.

You can count on Laurence to pick out the diamonds in the rough of Kofi Annan's press meetings.

Q: Sir, would you be concerned that Arafat may actually survive this particular crisis? Do you think it would be a good thing for the Palestinians that he does or does not survive?
SG: I think that is an issue for the Palestinians to decide.

He says it so often he sounds like a broken record, but..."Sixty-two players gets points if the Palestinians decide 'No.'"

Yeah that would be me too. Now if only I could find some way to get Bashar Assad to kick the bucket. Except that violates the rules of the Dead Pool. Damn.



To all those who have been waiting patiently for my many long-promised posts--I'm a slacker. Why don't you go read Cryptonomicon. It is an excellent novel, and I may actually have some of the posts done by the time you finish it.

Tuesday, July 06, 2004

Notes on Hamdi v. Rumsfeld

Stuart Benjamin at The Volokh Conspiracy explains the interesting split within the liberal and conservative blocs in Hamdi. It's actually pragmatism vs. formalism. I will write more on this case and the other two soon.


Links: Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 2003-2004 Term SCOTUS opinions

Sunday, July 04, 2004

Meanderings

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the detainees in the Guantanamo cases. I'm okay with this, as it merely gives them the ability to sue to get a court to release them or give them a trial. I am all in favor of letting the courts decide if they are being held in a legal manner. An interesting note on the whole matter is that the ADL submitted Amicus briefs in the cases.

On the side of the defendants. The antisemitic Muslim terrorist defendants.

I wonder if IMAO did anything on this subject.
I'm back!

Coming up; some writing about my vacation in Cape Cod to dodge five days of rain at home, the introduction to my long-promised report on the Maine State Democratic Convention, and some assorted items. And no, I did not actually go to Cape Cod to dodge the rain; the trip was pre-planned.



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