If A Tree Falls In The Forest...

If a tree falls in the forest but no one from the liberal media is there to blame Bush, then how did the Yankees do last night?

Sorry. The WaPo has a laugh-out-loud attempt to evaluate the Zimmerman 911 'Scream' tape which includes this headscratcher:

If you can’t hear the 45 seconds, how do you hear the 45 seconds?

Nobody can really hear anything on that tape, it's too loud.  But you can observe a lot just by watching, so maybe Yogi Berra can take over the prosecution.

OK, seriously.

Legal experts say the recording could be enormously important or disastrous for either side, depending on what a jury determines it can hear.

But what happens when a potentially crucial piece of evidence in one of the most explosive court cases in recent memory is a poor-quality recording of overlapping voices and unintelligible yells, essentially a wilderness of sound?

I think that expert testimony will confirm a juror's common sense - if the background screaming on the tape is unintelligible (my experience) and we don't have samples of Zimmerman, Martin and the 13 year old dogwalker screaming (we don't) then any attempt to draw a conclusion from that tape is unreasonable speculation and should not be admissible. The FBI experts brought in by the state prosecutors couldn't draw any conclusions, and plenty of voice experts explain why at their websites.

The WaPo finds one expert who hears Martin begging for his life. No scenario leading up to that is suggested; given Zimmerman's injuries I guess the theory would be that Zimmerman let Martin beat him for a while, then drew his gun, taunted him for nearly a minute, and executed him. I don't think that timing works with what witness 'John' saw (Zimmerman on bottom getting beaten ad screaming for help, and a gunshot very shortly thereafter), but who knows?

The WaPo also talks with the former head of the FBI audio lab:

Ryan is the retired head of the FBI forensic audio, video and image analysis unit. He said even the best audio forensic expert in the world using the most sophisticated equipment available would have a difficult time determining much at all from a recording of such degraded quality.

“I think it’s hard to scientifically say anything definitive with audio like this,” Ryan said. “. . . One person will come up with one scenario, one speech, one sentence, and some other well-meaning person, trying hard, unbiased in a controlled environment with headphones, will come up with another one.”

...

Ryan also questioned the basic idea that the age of the person or persons screaming during the 45 seconds — and thus whether it was 17-year-old Martin or 28-year-old Zimmerman or both — can be determined by measuring frequency, or pitch.

“To my knowledge, there are no scientific studies of pitch as an indicator or anything else in a scream that would give someone confidence to say how old somebody was,” Ryan said.

When it comes to emotionally charged situations, especially a life-or death situation, the range of the human voice is simply too wide and varied to correlate it accurately to age, Ryan said.

A 28-year-old might scream like a 17-year old. A 17-year old might yell like a 28-year-old.

“The science doesn’t help with a recording like this,” Ryan said. “There isn’t anything to hang your hat on.”

The WaPo concludes with a bit of broadly applicable wisdom:

Ultimately, the only answer to that question that will really matter, if the case goes to trial, is the jury’s. How it hears the 45 seconds, said Stephen A. Saltzburg, a law professor at George Washington University, will depend partly on the machinations and strategies deployed during the trial.

...

“Most trial lawyers believe, and most psychologists who study the way that people process information believe, that once people interpret something in a certain way, once they begin to believe something, they become committed to that,” he said. “And if they become committed, it’s hard to change their minds.”

That certainly explains the media coverage.

Comments

[daddy]

Dammit it all.

If another TM post pops up today will I ever catch up?

[jimmyk]

Ultimately, the only answer to that question that will really matter, if the case goes to trial, is the jury’s.

Once again, Zimmerman ought to waive the jury and have it decided by the judge. Just look at the comments section of any article on this case and ask if you want a random selection of these people deciding your fate.

I also look forward to the heads exploding on the left if GZ does opt for a judge. Their best (only?) hope for a conviction is a jury run amok.

[Paulo]

"Another Video of Trayvon Martin Fighting

Trayvon Martin in lighter colored T-Shirt.

U-Tube keeps knocking down the video… But you can always watch it HERE"

http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2012/05/20/another-video-of-trayvon-martin-fighting/

[Danube of Thought]

If no proffered expert can persuade the judge that he should be allowed to opine as to whse voice it is, on what basis can the prosecution offer it in evidence? Should a jury be permitted to guess?

On the other hand, I would think the defense could get it in if GZ takes the stand and says "that's me you hear yelling."

[sailor]

So, is GZ allowed to say I want a trial by a judge and not a jury trial?

[Ignatius J Donnelly]

Pseudo science. Why would Trayvon be screaming for help when he was on top winning. JOHN saw what turned out to be the closing seconds of the fight. BALCONY WITNESS seemed to be watching when the shot was fired. He thought TM was starting to disengage when the shot was fired.
That Fight video; how do we know that's TM?

[centralcal]

Completely off topic (since it is not Zimmerman related) and there are too many threads to catch up on, but I thought this was funny and revealing.

A University of Georgia professor and ex-CNN executive was caught by neighbor's security cameras depositing dog feces into their mailbox.

And, they wonder why their rating are in the toilet? Well, perhaps that isn't the right question...

[narciso]

Alright this has gotten rather absurd

http://news.yahoo.com/factbox-aqap-al-qaedas-yemen-based-wing-185528719--finance.html

[lyle]

So, is GZ allowed to say I want a trial by a judge and not a jury trial?

IANAL, but I believe that is within his constitutional rights.

[lyle]

Just going out on a limb here but what's the over/under on this UGA prof/CNN hack being a member of the oh-so-tolerant-left?

[lyle]

Ah, you say. But are I jumping to conclusions, here? Well, let me say that if he'd been a knuckle-dragging wingnut, he'd would have set the bag of dog crap on his neighbor's front porth and lit it on fire.

[lyle]

are -> aren't

[Jane]

Obama is giving a press conference and has just said that maximizing profits is not always good for the neighborhood and the president's job is to implement fairness. If your main argument for growing the economy is you know how to make money for your investors you are missing what being a president is about. This is not a distraction, this is what this campaign is about. "Mr Romney" not "Governor".

Breathtaking.

Next question: what will you do if Greece fails.

Answer: I pass.

[lyle]

Geez. porth -> porch

/slinksbacktomyroom

[Jane]

The question above was about Corey Booker's attack on Obama's attack on Private equity.

I'm pretty sure Obama has no idea what "Private equity" is.

Obama is a horrible studderer.

[jimmyk]

Those fight videos of Trayvon don't seem meaningful, just kids roughhousing. That boxing one ends with them laughing and giving a good-natured fist bump.

The video that would be interesting is one that has him speaking. If he sounds like Dennis Haysbert, it might deflate the claim that he was the one screaming for help.

[daddy]

I hope somebody else is listening to Dennis Miller today.

He had on Captain Sully, The US Air pilot who did that great job of safely deadsticking his plane into the Hudson a few years back.

Sully sounds great with a deep reassuring voice and was on to push his new book Making a Difference: Stories of Vision and Courage from America's Leaders by Chesley B. Sullenberger (May 15, 2012)

T'was a good interview until Sully started praising Robert Reich as the smartest and most unselfish, non-political guy in America.

Dennis was startled, and very straightforwardly responded that Robert Reich was horrible for the country, always whining about the 1% producers, and completely disagreeing civilly, as much as possible, with Sully.

Was a very interesting exchange. Sully said that he thought Dennis and he were talking past each other, but Dennis reiterated that Robert Reich was the problem and went off on a fine, heartfelt elaboration of the importance and greatness of the 1%'s in this country and completely disagreed with Sully.

I especially admired Dennis because you could tell that he really liked Sully, but he said that he could not be true to himself if he just sat back and nodded his head, instead of vocally saying why Sully was absolutely incorrect about Robert Reich.

Hope that tape comes available. Great job Dennis.

Now Thadeus McCotter is up. Hope he comments on the Sully Interview.

Callers are calling in saying "I was just about to buy the book until he came out with that Robert Reich stuff."

[Ranger]

maximizing profits is not always good for the neighborhood and the president's job is to implement fairness.

And people wonder why the economy has lost 2 million jobs under this guy.

If your main argument for growing the economy is you know how to make money for your investors you are missing what being a president is about.

The idea that companies making profits results in companies creating jobs is apparently lost on this administration.

[Paulo]

"Those fight videos of Trayvon don't seem meaningful, just kids roughhousing."

I guess it was just roughhousing GZ too? I chance to show off his fight club skills and high five GZ afterwards. Cool

[jimmyk]

the president's job is to implement fairness.

Sounds like a 2nd grader's reading of our political system.

[MJW]

If no proffered expert can persuade the judge that he should be allowed to opine as to whse voice it is, on what basis can the prosecution offer it in evidence? Should a jury be permitted to guess?

Aren't non-expert witnesses, such as Martin's mother or Zimmerman's father, generally allowed to testify whether a voice matches that of a person whose voice they are familiar with?

[jimmyk]

I guess

Guess again, employing logic.

[Ranger]

Guess again, employing logic.

I think he was being sarcastic...

[lyle]

maximizing profits is not always good for the neighborhood and the president's job is to implement fairness.

Doubtlessly referring to those "profit to earnings" ratios.

Smartest president EVAH.

[lyle]

Aren't non-expert witnesses, such as Martin's mother or Zimmerman's father, generally allowed to testify whether a voice matches that of a person whose voice they are familiar with?

Dunno about the legalities of this but, anecdotally, my mom couldn't tell the difference between my voice and my younger brother's for years over the phone or out of her sight.

[Danube of Thought]

Aren't non-expert witnesses, such as Martin's mother or Zimmerman's father, generally allowed to testify whether a voice matches that of a person whose voice they are familiar with?

Yes.

[pagar]

centralcal@04:33. You find the best links.

[matt]

daddy;

I find several of the ALPA members I know to be otherwise rational individuals until economics comes into play. At that point it becomes all about the airline's management and the evils perpetrated in the name of capitalism.

If one reflects upon much of what is at issue with the economic system we live under these days it's not so much about the merits of capitalism, but rather the abuse of the system by insiders and cronies and their enablers in the political class.

Unfortunately, too many people can only take one step and then stop out of either ignorance or apathy.

[Gus]

I listened to the tape BACKWARDS.

"I BURIED PAUL"

was all I could make out.

[Sue]

It seemed to me that the boxer with the pink gloves on was very aggressive. I never got a good look at his face but I don't think red gloved boxer was Martin.

[Redbrow]

BBC posted a short bit of the 7-11 video that included audio. You can hear Martin answer his phone and say 'hello' at 0:15 or so. His voice sounds deeper than Zimmerman's.

Why hasn't any other source released the full length video with audio included?

The BBC has since removed it from their youtube site but some other youtuber reposted it and the BBC stamp is still on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sgv6idS5Jc

[Gus]

FAIRNESS??

Wouldn't that describe Elizabeth Ward Churchill Warren's complexion.

[cool jewel]

"The Randy Johnson-Ampad video has landed, and that could be bad news for Mitt Romney."

Well, he created over 100.000 jobs with his financial engineering..
How could THAT be bad news?

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-05-21/mitt-romneys-private-equity-nightmare

[Ignatius J Donnelly]

The video does not star TM. The kid in the light shirt is named Trey so i guess the assumption is that he is TRAYVON MARTIN.

Now I know why eyewitness testimony can be considered unreliable.

[Jim,MtnView,Ca,USA]

"A University of Georgia professor and ex-CNN executive was caught by neighbor's security cameras depositing dog feces into their mailbox."
OMG, what a metaphor...

[Gus]

Ignatius, that video SOUNDED like Treyvon!!

[daddy]

Oh geez. Now on Miller they're discussing photo-shopping Nancy Pelosi's head on Kate Upton's body.

Is nothing sacred?

Arggggggggh!

[matt]

but Jim, did he light it on fire first?

[Ignatius J Donnelly]

Maguire could start a thread about Apple Pan Dowdy and 30 seconds later the thread would
be all day all night Barack Obama.

[jimmyk]

I think he was being sarcastic...

No, snarky, as if my point had been that the videos exonerate TM.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Try the fat thread, Donnelly.

[Ranger]

No, I meant that I thought Paulo was being sarcastic...

[GMAX]

"I BURIED PAUL"

You did not listen long enough. Further on it distinctly said " turn me, deadman."

Snort

[Strawman Cometh]

Pop your corn. Chrissy just finished a segment with, ironically, David Corn and Howard Fineman re: the latest under-the-bus man. I just caught the very end but I gathered that apoplexy reigns in the leftosphere. Chrissy, of recent jeopardy fame, is promising: "more on the horror of Corey"

[Beewock]

Reverse racism.

It's like 'I'm rubber. you're glue'.

Kid stuff

This notion isn't necessarily new to the right, which has long complained about stifling political correctness in the media and the rising tide of "reverse racism." But the race war narrative has gained renewed traction during the Obama years, as various factors — from liberals' efforts to paint the Tea Party as racist, to the widely-covered Trayvon Martin shooting — have left conservatives feeling unfairly maligned, and combative.
"I wouldn't call it political correctness, I would call it lying," said Tucker Carlson, editor-in-chief of The Daily Caller, describing what he considers to be the media's racial double-standard. "To the press, the only hate crimes are straight white men somehow committing acts of violence against people who are not straight white men. When in fact, the real world is a lot more complicated than that."
Conservatives have been fighting allegations of racism for years, regularly crying foul when liberals demonize them for opposing policies like affirmative action. But the catalyst for the latest pushback on the right was Democrats' attempts to brand the Tea Party "racist," said Abigail Thernstrom, a conservative scholar of race and George W. Bush appointee U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
"I think the 'R-word' is the worst, most damning word in our vocabulary now," she said. "So of course Morgan Freeman comes out and calls the whole Tea Party racist, and the media treats it like it's OK. This had been a source of annoyance for some time" — but the absurdity of the racist-Tea-Party narrative was enough to spark vocal dissent, she said.
"I think it's only recently that there have been outspoken voices, particularly on blogs, saying, 'Shut up Jesse Jackson, we're tired of you,'" she said. "There's been increasing impatience with the media's indulgence of people who have no moral legitimacy."
The conservative media's in-your-face reporting of black-on-white crime is a sort of demonstration project — a rebellious response to decades of fielding charges of racism from the cultural elites who run the mainstream press. And to many on the right, the Norfolk story is emblematic of the bias Carlson described.
Outraged that the national media didn't give this story the same extensive coverage as the Martin shooting, O'Reilly launched into a campaign that has stretched over several nights of Fox's top-rated show. Along the way, his team has uncovered an early police report that described the assault as a hate crime (authorities said it was a clerical error), and found neighborhood kids who speculated on camera that the assailants were exacting racial revenge for the death of Trayvon. O'Reilly has also publicly shamed the local newspaper for ignoring the story, and even called on Va. Gov. Bob McDonnell and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to intervene in the investigation.
"This is a major story," O'Reilly said on his show one night earlier this month. "We cannot have Americans of any color being set upon by violent mobs. That cannot stand in this country. The Factor will continue to demand justice in Virginia."
But while Norfolk may be the most high-profile chapter yet in the "race war," it's hardly the only one conservatives have highlighted. Over the past four years, the Drudge Report has run dozens of headlines chronicling acts of violence against white victims — often by black youths.

[Jim,MtnView,Ca,USA]

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/bob-furnad/10/790/327
CNN, Faithworks Christian Ministry and Kuwait consulting figure prominently.

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/bfurnad
Among the "likes" LOLGOP, "frequent tweets on GOP perfidy"

I'd guess: faux Christian hater :)

[Ignatius J Donnelly]

My Gawd

I find myself agreeing with Tucker Carlson.

[Clarice]

"That certainly explains the media coverage."

A blessing on your head, YM.

Jane,
The best part of the egotistical dummy's performance this week is insisting NATO should do more to ensure womens economic empowerment when clearly the most powerful person in attendance at the meeting was Angela Merkel.

[daddy]

Paulo,

Thanks for the Trayvon Fight Club video. Very illuminating.

[Clarice]

"YM" should be "TM"--

[Dave (in MA)]

Oh geez. Now on Miller they're discussing photo-shopping Nancy Pelosi's head on Kate Upton's body.

Is nothing sacred?

Arggggggggh!

How about the other way around?

[Rick Ballard]

Clarice,

The misfire of the opening salvo in the Kendonesian Commie's war on capitalism may turn out even better. It looks like another Pinhead Troika/ACME Political Strategery joint venture.

I hope the Romney Campaign has an ad in the can on the "fairness" of Solyndra.

[daddy]

Sorry so much Dennis, but...

He just had a caller from some town near Chicago. The guy said he was in a T-Shirt store a few days back and some kid comes in and said he wanted a T-Shirt made with the following message printed on it very close to this:

"I came to protest NATO and all we get is this lousy economy."

Caller said that the guy behind the counter said, "Okay, that'll be a dollar a letter," so the kid pulls out 60 bucks to pay for a T-shirt he's going to wear for 2 hours about how lousy the economy is.

Some lousy economy.

I swear you couldn't make this stuff up:)

[Clarice]

What are the odds the kid wasn't paying for that T shirt out of his own money, daddy?

Pinhead isn't the word for it, Rick.
Let's see, the function of NASA is outreach to the Arabs.

The big task before NATO is the economic empowerment of women,

Obesity is te biggest threat we face, not terrorism.

I can stop any time.......

[Jay]

And of course some idiot at Gawker said today that Zimmerman chased down and beat Martin...

[Clarice]

George, debunked hours ago..Keep hope alive though. I know how much it bugs you guys to have a voice other than your own on the airwaves.

[lyle]

Really sorry to hear that Sully thinks highly of that commie dwarf, Reich. I still think Sully's a hero, but...criminy.

Also, count me as highly skeptical re anything coming from politico pertaining to Rush's ratings. Methinks he's doing just fine.

[Danube of Thought]

"NATO should do more to ensure womens economic empowerment"

I guess I'll have to check, but if memory serves that isn't included in their mission statement.

[pagar]

If a photo of Obama doing anything is doctored by the White House, does anyone notice?

I guess so!

http://www.punditpress.com/2012/05/did-white-house-doctor-photo-of.html

[Extraneus]

Obama is a horrible studderer.

Only when he's talking to average Americans. He didn't stutter during his "cling to guns and religion" or "flawed document of negative liberties" comments or in his discussion with Joe the Plumber. He's quite articulate when talking to his own kind.

Btw, it's easy to understand why Obama thinks profit is part of overhead. In his preferred system, the government owns the means of production, and while all of the costs of doing business would remain, there'd be no such thing as profit, so the goods would obviously be cheaper by that exact amount.

[narciso]

"Giant Horror Equities' as the Morons would put it, good god, Businessweek is stupider since Bloomberg bought it,

So the second 'spiked football' re the GID plot, is really paying dividends, did Tapper
bother to ask what that was about, rhetorical
question,

[Jim,MtnView,Ca,USA]

Way off topic, and a month old. Reunion for the WWII Doolittle mission. Wow, what a scary, desperate, brave mission that was.
http://hivets.com/dolittle-tokyo-raiders-70th-reunion/
"… I don’t know about you folks, but the Missing Man formation *always* chokes me up …"

[maryrose]

Chrissy was really in a lather about Booker's comments and called on Obama to send better surrogates. Why is Biden still running loose then?

[Captain Hate]

T'was a good interview until Sully started praising Robert Reich as the smartest and most unselfish, non-political guy in America.

Maybe he meant "shortest"

[Extraneus]

Obama stands by hits on Romney's Bain Capital days

"I think it's important to recognize that this issue is not a, quote, 'distraction,'" Obama said in Chicago. "This is part of the debate that we're going to be having in this election campaign about how do we create an economy where everybody from top to bottom, folks on Wall Street and folks on main street, have a shot at success."

[Porchlight]

Thanks for that link, Jim in MtnView. Great stuff.

[narciso]

They are profoundly stupid, I thought that Booker had made that concession, in order to discourage any counterpart vetting of Obama,
but they aren't even that smart.

[Captain Hate]

It takes a village http://weaselzippers.us/2012/05/21/planned-parenthood-encourages-parents-to-tell-elementary-age-children-to-masturbate/

[maryrose]

Obama and company are really out of their league and element when it comes to the business world. He doesn't know what the hell he is talking about and always resorts to the class war argument. It's old and tired and no one is buying it. Obama is beating a dead horse but will only realize his error in October when it will be too late. And yes Obama will be vetted thoroughly this time despite his calls of racism.

[Ignatz]

--If A Tree Falls In The Forest...--

...pick it up and put it on a truck or you won't get paid.

[narciso]

THey really are on 'ramming speed' with the death limo;

http://www.jammiewf.com/2012/ma-democrats-sticking-with-recipe-plagiarizing-fake-indian/

[Captain Hate]

"This is part of the debate that we're going to be having in this election campaign about how do we create an economy where everybody from top to bottom, folks on Wall Street and folks on main street, have a shot at success."

Was somebody screwing around with the 'Prompter feed again?

[Captain Hate]

THey really are on 'ramming speed' with the death limo

Road Warrior goes to Chappaquiddick

[Rick Ballard]

The Mayor of London extends a hearty Good For You! to the President for his marvelous work with the G8.

There are some very good comments among the more than 1,000 following regarding the Great OPM Famine. How long will it be before the EUtopian bank jog breaks into a full sprint?

[Ignatz]

Well, just filled out my absentee ballot. Hot Chick on a Bike just got her first write in vote. Be afraid Mittens, be very afraid. The groundswell has begun.

[narciso]

Why do they insist on statements that were never true in the first place;

http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/no-more-mister-nice-guy_645184.html?nopager=1

[Melinda Romanoff]

Rick-

Some are pegging the current "fly rate" as grossly underestimated. As for me, I'm watching the French banks for the tell.

[Captain Hate]

Barnes gets this exactly right:

Romney, by the way, has responded more deftly to criticism of his business career by the Obama campaign than he did to similar attacks by opponents during the Republican primaries.

Kudos to Sara for insisting that this would be the case despite my, and others, extreme skepticism months ago. I don't mind having been wrong on this although some of it has to be the extremely ham handed tactics of the JEF's minions, which they still show no sign of stopping.

[narciso]

When you've lost Morning Joe, well you have three free hours;

http://twitchy.com/2012/05/21/freecorybooker-live-coverage-of-the-cory-booker-hostage-crisis/

[DrJ]

Businessweek is stupider since Bloomberg bought it

Really? I've not subscribed in ages, but I always viewed it as the People magazine of the business world. How can it be more stupid?

[narciso]

Well Nigel Tufnel, might as well be their campaign manager, and the Post is actually
previewing the fall campaign,

[GMax]

What do you do when one of your campaign advisors trashes your only strategy? Why you send out Axlegrease to slim him. Could the Three Stooges be any funnier? Here:

The Obama campaign is in full damage-control mode one day after Newark Mayor Cory Booker publicly derided Democrats’ assault on presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney over his record at Bain Capital.

Chief Obama strategist David Axelrod today publicly rebuked Booker, a popular and high-profile surrogate for the campaign, saying he was “just wrong.”

Total incompetence top to bottom.

[Captain Hate]

Countdown to Detox Part Infinity Plus Two: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/scott-whitlock/2012/05/21/furious-chris-matthews-fulminates-cory-booker-betrayed-and-sabotaged

[Ignatz]

But rest assured it is the Republicans who apply litmus tests and demand fealty to ideological purity.
Idiots.

[narciso]

It's got Coddington, and Jonathan Alter writing for it, case dismissed.

[Captain Hate]

The type of attention to detail that has been the slipknot of F Chuck's career: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/ken-shepherd/2012/05/21/msnbcs-chuck-todd-fails-ask-rev-jackson-if-naacp-should-put-same-sex-m

[Danube of Thought]

"how do we create an economy where everybody from top to bottom, folks on Wall Street and folks on main street, have a shot at success."

Right. Just ask Obama.

[DrJ]

And in other news:

A man has survived a plunge of at least 180 feet over Niagara Falls in an apparent suicide attempt.

He is only the third person known to have lived after going over the falls without a safety device.

The man was critically injured but was expected to survive.

[Jack is Back!]

Damn Iggy, didn't you know I have always had a spats fetish:)

What I wouldn't give for a debate between the JEF and Boris Johnson and to make it more interesting they do it on bikes. Boris is a biker - that is how he commutes to work. Not in a 16 ton ex-Cadillac from Hess-Eisenhauer but on 26" Trek urbanized mountain bike. Unlike Erkel he actually knows how to use the freeking thing. He probably even knows how to throw a baseball like a man.

[Jane]

They are profoundly stupid, I thought that Booker had made that concession, in order to discourage any counterpart vetting of Obama,

I suspect Booker is planning on life after Obama, and doesn't really want to be considered his surrogate when it comes to his next election.

[narciso]

Remember when they had to use that blinding flash to free Spock of the brain parasites;

http://babalublog.com/2012/05/indeed-alan-gross-case-moving-full-bore-into-cuba-expert-mode/

[Captain Hate]

narc, was that really Che's daughter? She looks just like him, give or take 5 chins.

[narciso]

Yep, Tim Blair's law is in effect, isn't it;

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2012/05/21/the-shonky-world-of-guardian-reporting-they-fakgate-themselves/

[Captain Hate]

Maybe he meant "the not so good war" http://weaselzippers.us/2012/05/21/nyt-obama-political-team-cut-military-commanders-out-of-afghan-war-draw-down-planning/

[Rick Ballard]

Mel,

It looks to me as if the central banks made a coordinated move to shore the dyke today. The price movement on the 10 year last week implied a bit of EUtopian capital flight, IMO.

[narciso]

Sanger's books have turned out to be better than his journalism, the Challenge, for instance, told me how wrong the 2007 NIE
even without Mousavian's confession of deceit.

[GMax]

Other dioceses filing lawsuits include, Rockville Centre, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Fort Worth, Jackson, Biloxi, Fort Wayne-South Bend, Joliet, and Springfield, Ill. -- all in their respective districts of federal court.

Happy to report my diocese has joined the party. Bishop Vann is a good man.

[Dave (in MA)]

Remember when they had to use that blinding flash to free Spock of the brain parasites

Those were the creatures I thought as a kid that they looked like flying fake vomit. Later on I found out how they made them. They used fake vomit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZgWBpWnxk4

[oldmancoyote22]

Can we please stop referring to the pro-Martin slant as "liberal media coverage"? That type of coverage is not motivated by any particular partisan concern. Outrage sells and the Preferred Media Script here has been completely and apparently irretrievably slanted by the Crump PR blitz that began with the release of the 911 tapes. For about a month, it was Crump's version and no other version dominating the nation's invitation into the story. For most of the media to cover it any other way at this point would be to admit having been snookered. It's CYA media bias. Just like Whitewater, I might add.

[narciso]

You got ahead of me, Captain;

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/05/sick-lib-ny-times-reporter-goes-to-romneys-church-to-dig-up-dirt-on-mitt/

Btw, how was Bruce's interview of Klein