Does This Bother Anyone Else

Am I the only one who thought the U.S. Secret Service did a pretty good job of handling the guy who jumped the fence and ran for the front door?I'm especially appalled at the suggestion that snipers should have shot him after he jumped the fence. It's reported that the only weapon on him was a small folding knife, so if the White House door had been locked, he would have … [Read more...] about Two Cheers for the Secret Service [Updated]

Let's go to the tape. Do watch the whole thing, from beginning to end, but after you do that, let's start watching it, again, starting at 3:40 into it. 3:50 MPD squad, lights and sirens on, screams to a stop, and two cops leap out and join the struggle. The one furthest from the camera brings his fist -- it's not clear if he's holding a small weapon in it -- up and down … [Read more...] about “This is not a democracy, sir.”

I just visited the Apple store in Old Orchard for some accessories for the new hotness, and I spotted something I've never seen before: License-plate-specific reserved parking? This must be reserved for one person, and including the plate number makes it easy for mall security to recognize the right car, but don't they have parking stickers or something? … [Read more...] about Reserved Parking, WTF?

I don't understand what the issue is when people talk about making English the official language. It was one of the questions at the presidential debates of both parties. Closer to home, Fran Eaton at Illinois Review links approvingly to an article by Phyllis Schlafly and to a report that Carpentersville has passed a symbolic resolution to make English its official language, … [Read more...] about What the Heck Is an Official Language?

In the bathroom at the hotel where we stayed last week: conserve As part of Hyatt's commitment to conserve the environment, we will change bed linens and towels as necessary or upon request. If you wish to have your linens and towels replaced daily, please contact the hotel operator. Yeah, I'm sure they're just very committed to the environment... … [Read more...] about Suspiciously Green