All three Jewish Scots let out a “mazel tov!” at the news

A Scottish Jewish Tartan has been approved by the Scottish Tartans Authority.

Italy update and advice seeking

We fly into Rome on July 11. The current plan is to rent a car at the airport and drive to stay with our friends in Lucca for 3 nights. Then, we’re going to Venice for 2 nights, staying at a hotel on Lido Island.

Here’s where I can use some help: we then have 2 nights before we have to get to Rome. Any suggestions for towns between either Venice and Lucca or Lucca and Rome? Maybe a vineyard with a B&B? A restaurant that is good enough to detour to visit?

We arrive in Rome on the 18th and fly home on the 20th.

Update: Someone asked via email so to clarify, we’ve already booked hotels in Venice and Rome (here and here) and no longer need info on that. (Yes, we love the Starwood brand, in particular Westin).

Something for nothing

Israel has agreed to swap a murderous cretin for the return of two of its soldiers who are likely dead. Eric Trager at Commentary calls it a significant setback for the Jewish state and writes:

After all, in exchange for two captured soldiers who are likely dead, Israel has agreed to release Samir Kuntar, a notorious member of the Palestine Liberation Front who crushed a 4 year-old girl’s head on beach rocks after killing her young father in 1979. As Kuntar has long been among Hezbollah’s most coveted bargaining chips in previous prisoner swap negotiations, Israel is paying a high price for the bodies of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in releasing him.

Here’s what I don’t get: Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev were captured in July of 2006. Wikipedia notes “On 6 December 2006, a previously classified report released by Israel stated that the two soldiers were critically wounded during the abduction.” I don’t mean to get gruesome on y’all but what, exactly, is Israel getting for releasing this thug? Bodies? What bodies? Are we expected to believe that the bodies of these soldiers were somehow preserved for nearly 2 years? Or that the hair and bone that may remain after all this time is being kept somewhere? This just seems preposterous. Where is the Israel the world thinks is so badass? I’d like to see it.

Song of the Day

“Driftwood” by Travis.

I don’t know why I had this song in my head all weekend but when I finally pulled it up on youtube last night it was with straight wonder that Coldplay have made it as big as they have despite being a blatant Travis ripoff. And ok, Travis sounds a lot like early Radiohead but at least they are acknowledged as a 1 album wonder. Life isn’t fair.

Bill Clinton is all class

And he’s not ready to make nice with Obama:

“He’s saying he’s not going to reach out, that Obama has to come to him. One person told me that Bill said Obama would have to quote kiss my ass close quote, if he wants his support.

UPDATE: Obama and Bill Clinton finally speak

Just on the other side

I heard about this on Rush today (IC left talk radio on in the car and I couldn’t deal hearing the latest remix of that dumb million song) and AmSpec has the story:

“It would be generous to say we were stunned,” says a Republican House Judiciary Member, describing his response when Congressman and Obama Superdelegate William Delahunt (MA-10) yesterday asked the vice president’s chief of staff David Addington about water boarding of terrorists. Addington declined to comment, citing President Bush’s refusal to discuss techniques used to attain vital intelligence, and added that another reason not to respond was that Al Qaeda is probably watching.

Congressman Delahunt’s response: “I’m glad they finally have a chance to see you.” (Emphasis added.)

But the House Republican and Judiciary member was not so stunned to notice that no Republican rose to defend Addington, or to call out Delahunt for essentially inviting al Qaeda to impart physical harm to a senior member of the Bush Administration. “It was shameful that we didn’t do anything. I can’t explain it,” says the GOP member.

Delahunt claims he said that he was glad to finally have a chance to see Addington. Except Rush played the clip and that’s clearly not what he said.

A less funny Michael Scott

Sanks G-d this Dmitry is Greek and not Russian.

Via JP Freire’s gmail status.

Quote of the Day

“He better go back to the internet.”

-a Hillary donor on Obama’s efforts to reach out to Clinton donors.

Hat-tip Hot Air Headlines.

Song of the Day

“The Boy Is Mine” by Brandy & Monica

An old song but it seems to be on the radio all the time in the summer. This is my favorite, cheesy, R&B song, though as I say every time I hear it: if there’s a question over whether that boy is mine or yours, he’s yours.

Just don’t tell her mama

Dawn Summers played in the World Series of Poker:

He asked me to sign over the cashier’s check and a waiver for them to use my likeness.I cringed at this a little. I didn’t think my event was televised…which is good because as far as my mother is concerned, I’m out here to attend a four day long wedding, and then just staying to hang out for a couple of days after that.

“Four days for a wedding?” she had asked skeptically.

“Yeah. White people. Go figure,” I said giving the answer that has served me pretty well these last twenty years of immersion in white culture.

Being on TV, with cards in my hands and shades on my face…well, that could pose a problem.

No, really

What the hell is this?

Al Gore in the hood

Hat-tip Pokerwolf.

Song of the Day

“Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones.

I’ve been spending a lot of time in a car lately, and thus been listening to the radio, and I’m saddened to report that, so far, this year’s summer music a-sucks.

If I hear that retarded “million” song again I’m going to lose the freaking plot, and I really thought I was going to love Lil Wayne when he made it big. Headache inducing. Horrible.

“Love in this club“, “Bleeding Love“, “I kissed a girl“, “I luv your girl” are all utter crap, especially when compared to last summer’s awesome anthems (at this point in the summer we were already bumping “I Get Money”, “Stronger”, “Make Me Better” and a whole bunch of decent to great music. Even “Umbrella” was so much better than what we’ve got now. It remains a travesty that “American Boy” isn’t on high rotation; it is clearly the summer song). It’s a bad scene when my favorite song out right now is “Bust it Baby” by Plies. It’s a 5 on a scale of 1-10, at best (could be a 6 but that “wet wet” line just kills it), and yet it’s the only thing I’ve been turning up lately.

So, anyway, to get back to the Rolling Stones song: after listening to all this nonsense, I heard “Gimme Shelter” on the classic rock station and it sounded so amazing. Pure, beautiful, just a great sound with actual instruments and interesting lyrics. The dj almost killed the vibe after it was over when she said this was one of Obama’s favorite songs but it was still the best thing I had heard all day. By far.

Italia!

The trip to Italy has been booked, upping the possibility significantly that we are actually going to Italy (barring the IC’s job telling him otherwise).

Thanks for the advice all y’all have already given me and please keep it coming. We particularly welcome suggestions of restaurants and towns off the beaten path. We’re renting a car so pretty much anything in Tuscany or near Rome and Venice is possible.

Grazie!

Your Second Amendment Rights Upheld

Supreme Court overturns DC gun ban.

Turns out the right to bear arms is the right to bear arms. Imagine that!

Rachel Lucas writes:

The ruling has nothing to do with being “in favor of guns.” It’s to do with giving decent people the right to own tools with which they can defend themselves against scumbags and the government itself. It’s really not that hard to understand.

The more I read about this, the more I am actually disturbed by the fact this was a 5-4 decision. That means four of the most powerful people in the land truly don’t believe the 2nd Amendment applies to individuals, and it’s not going to be very fun when President Obama gets to work and flips that ratio hard the other way.

Alarming News-Contentions Blogger Party Tonight

And if you don’t know, now you know:

When: 7:30 pm, Thursday June 26th

Where: Drop Off Service, 211 Ave A (@13th St.) New York NY.

Open thread

I’m going to be in and out today so blogging may be lighter than usual. I figured you all like arguing with each other so much that I’d leave you an open thread in my absence. Go to it.

When you’ve solved all the country’s other problems

The greenest convention in history is having some issues:

The host committee for the Democratic National Convention wanted 15,000 fanny packs for volunteers. But they had to be made of organic cotton. By unionized labor. In the USA.

Official merchandiser Bob DeMasse scoured the country. His weary conclusion: “That just doesn’t exist.”

Ditto for the baseball caps. “We have a union cap or an organic cap,” Mr. DeMasse says. “But we don’t have a union-organic offering.”