Author Archives: Michael Froomkin

Have I Met ‘Laplace’s Demon’?

Posted on March 23, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

A Technorati link tickle to my culinary commentary via the new discourse.net links feed clues me into a new blog entitled Laplace's Demon.

Here's some of what the proprietor has to say about him/herself:

Well, here it is. I've been following weblogs of various kinds for years because of my work. In fact, I would venture to guess that I have one of the longer reading-to-writing ratios among bloggers. The reasons for not keeping a blog have been easy.

I am a freelance purveyor of difficult to locate and valuable information. I know that is not exactly precise. One of the things I will need to do is work out how vague I must remain in terms of the kind of work I do. I don't break laws unless I really have to, and I try to remain ethical in the jobs I take, though once I agree to a job, I feel obligated to do almost whatever it takes to maintain my obligation to my client. I would say that I am a “troubleshooter” or maybe simply a “process consultant” (I've used both of these titles in the past.) But basically my job is to provide a client with the means to make a decision, and sometimes to help coordinate the solution.

Anyway, since my work involves providing an informational advantage to clients, a public blog doesn't mesh well with that. I don't advertise: my clients come to me because of a very strong reputation within various circles. I do have business cards, but that's about it.

And the person has a sport, probably a martial art. And s/he's seriously into crypotgraphy (“I've always liked to think about information through the lense of crypto.”)

Add to this s/he reads my blog, and I figure it's someone I know, at least vaguely, back from the cypherpunks list or CFP days.

I'm guessing male, maybe a little younger than me, just going on the braggadicio. And has lived somewhere where croc was on the menu…

Give me time, I could walk this cat. But that wouldn't be nice, would it?

Posted in Discourse.net | Comments Off on Have I Met ‘Laplace’s Demon’?

Clarke Ripples

Posted on March 22, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

So far the best comment on the Clarke fallout I've seen is Billmon, who points out how bad it looks for Dr. Rice to refuse to testify to the 9/11 commission. Even if there is a valid separation of powers argument, isn't it the case the “9/11 changes everything”? Or so we've been told… [A commentator on the Billmon site says that not only did the NYT assign Judith Miller to the story, a very weird choice indeed, but it apparently buried the story on page 17! Surely not? The Post, at least, front-paged it.]

Apparently there's also a great 9/11 article in the Wall St. Journal, showing all the inconsistencies in the administration's story about what it did on 9/11, but that's subscription only online so I'll have to chase up a hardcopy…

And, White House Reels From Insider Expose.

And, today's event, the Center for American Progress website publishes newly revealed internal FBI and Justice Department documents that it says substantiate several of Clarke's charges of Bush administration inattention to terrorism in the face of “repeated warnings”.

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Want to Know What’s Wrong With US Intelligence?

Posted on March 22, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Here's a little item deep inside Barton Gellman's story on Richard Clarke that encapsulates so much of what's wrong with the Bush administration:

On the same broadcast, deputy national security adviser Stephen J. Hadley said, “We cannot find evidence that this conversation between Mr. Clarke and the president ever occurred.” In interviews for this story, two people who were present confirmed Clarke's account. They said national security adviser Condoleezza Rice witnessed the exchange.

So either unless Clarke and two other anonymous witnesses are lying, the folks in charge of our intelligence and national security apparatus are either (A) completely incompetent, or (B) complete liars. Does it really matter which?

Posted in National Security, Politics: US: GW Bush Scandals | 3 Comments

Richard Clarke Goes for the Bush Jugular

Posted on March 22, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Richard Clarke is going to get his 15 minutes, and more, before he either falls into the Memory Hole, or holes the Bush Administration below the waterline.

In reading him, and about him, please keep a few things in mind:

  1. Clarke's a Scoop Jackson Democrcat — that is, the right-wing kind;
  2. He's served both Deomcratic and Republican Presidents, and very ably by all accounts
  3. He's a smart man, and a patriot, and widely considered one of the best nuts and bolts guys around on national security.

That doesn't make what he says true, but it ought to buy him a respectful hearing.

Correction: According to this Washington Post article by Barton Gellman, Clarke says he was registered as a Republican in 2000. Relevant only to Republican claims that he's 'auditioning for the Kerry campaign'.

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Crocodile Medallions French Style

Posted on March 21, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

I am not ordinarily given to recounting my personal life here, much less to restaurant reviews, but I can't resist mentioning the place I went to dinner last night, “Las Culebrinas.” We wanted to go somewhere new, so we were trawling the Miami Herald restaurant review archive in the minutes before the babysitter arrived, looking for places that were not too far away, not too pricey, and interesting sounding. Then we found this.

I began to think that this might make for an interesting night out when I got to this part in the review, especially because I was pretty hungry:

Our waiter, a fellow with a merry twinkle in his eye and a deft hand with a blowtorch (more on that later), advised us not to order anything beyond the giant tapas. “TOO MUCH FOOD,'' he declared. We pressed on. Great rewards awaited.

But the next two paragraphs really sealed the deal:

There is a regular entree menu underneath the glass tabletop, but you need not look at it. Each night, a sheet bearing some 25 specials is circulated, and it is there that the truly interesting stuff can be found.

It is there that we spotted what no Spanish restaurant ought to be doing without, an entree called “Crocodile Medallions French Style'' ($12.95). This is a must-order, filet after filet of thinly sliced, pearly white, slightly chewy but delicious and virtually fat-free meat. Compare it to a good veal. The “French style'' involves a light egg wash and a bit of white wine and butter in the saute. Julia Child, meet Wally Gator. Served with a nice little row of tasty potatoes and a side salad made of mixed field greens, not the typical pallid iceberg.

Julia Child meets Wally Gator! How could I resist?

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I Hate It When She’s Right

Posted on March 20, 2004 by Michael Froomkin

Most of the time I think Maureen Down’s column varies between vacuous and an insult to our collective intelligence. But I have to admit that about twice a year she hits one out of the park. Sunday’s paper has one one of those power slams: Quid Pro Quack, about Justice Scalia's apologia pro anas:

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Posted in Law: Ethics | Comments Off on I Hate It When She’s Right