Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Wonkette Does Froomkin (the other one)

Posted on December 4, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Oooh. Now my famous brother — yes, that's the one who got attacked on O'Reilly — is really famous: Wonkette lends her acid keyboard to a White House correspondent who doesn't like whippersnappers snapping at his heels. WH Correspondents: Lame and Vain, Maybe. Stupid? Let's See.

Wonkette's item is of course scathingly funny—as long as you don't think about it. When you do, it seems like a pity that the White House poodle on whom she relies thinks he's doing such an optimum job that he doesn't need to change. Lots of us out here in readerland kinda have a different view, you know? (Roll Over. Play Dead. Good doggie.)

Posted in Dan Froomkin | 3 Comments

‘Liquid Sky’–Still Controversial, But More Expensive

Posted on December 4, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

I remember going to see Liquid Sky in college, intrigued at what sort of indie art sex/drugs/rockNroll movie could get a rave review out of the Wall Street Journal. (I suppose that combination tells you something of what I was like then, and probably now.)

How bizarre to discover that DVDs of Liquid Sky now sell for $200! (Why so much? Why didn't / don't they print some more?) And how interesting to see the customer reviews at Amazon, including several saying 'best movie ever', and several saying 'worst movie ever'—notably the guy who suggested it would be cheaper and about as much fun to flush your head down the toilet, then cover yourself in peanut butter and sit near an anthill.

FWIW, I liked the movie.

Posted in Kultcha | 2 Comments

I Think I See A Pattern Here

Posted on December 3, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Purchasers of “Dr. Strangelove” also bought these.

Posted in Shopping | 1 Comment

Ogged On

Posted on December 3, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Unfogged:

Sometimes I get the sense that people are waiting for the skies to darken, as if the heavens will signal when we've become a repressive society; but that's not going to happen, and, in fact, it should already have happened. The difference between the U.S. now, and those repressive regimes is just one of degree: the policy, already implemented, of this government is for indefinite detention without charge; torture while in custody, and court proceedings which make use of information extracted by torture.

And more there too.

Posted in Civil Liberties | 1 Comment

Teresa Nielsen Hayden 1 Newspeak 0

Posted on December 3, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

In Making Light, Teresa Nielsen Hayden describes in detail how and why the astroturf organization 'Common Good' is in fact a Common Fraud.

TNH is also, in case you didn't know, the inventor of the disemvowelling concept (“The rule of thumb is that grossly offensive messages and drive-by trollpostings get deleted, but an excessively uncivil tone just makes your vowels disappear. Vigorous argument is appreciated, but a civil tone is required.”) Hmm. Maybe I should say “inventor or at least major popularizer, as apparently a [link fixed] related strategy has been around for a while. Online disemvoweller.

Posted in Readings | 6 Comments

Bush Admin Endorses Use of Evidence Derived from Torture

Posted on December 3, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

They have no shame at all, and no concept of due process or humanity.

I have to run to a meeting, but here's JURIST – Paper Chase with the info:

US military panels reviewing the detention of 550 prisoners at Guantanamo Bay may use evidence obtained by torture in deciding whether the detainees are enemy combatants, the US government has said. Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Brian Boyle said the practice was allowed during a Thursday hearing at a district court reviewing the detention of some foreigners at the US naval base in Cuba. Statements obtained by torture have been barred from admission in US courts for about 70 years. Attorneys for the detainees argued that the use of such evidence violated due process and fundamental fairness, but Boyle argued that the detainees were not protected under the constitution. The review panels are allowed to use evidence that is determined to be reliable, Boyle said. Earlier this week the International Committee of the Red Cross issued a report finding that the US had used tactics “tantamount to torture” on detainees at Guantanamo. The challenges to the detentions are being heard by District Judge Richard J. Leon of the US District Court for the District of Columbia. JURIST's Paper Chase has ongoing coverage of developments at Guantanamo Bay. AP has more.

Posted in Guantanamo | 1 Comment