Jacoby relativism

So Jeff Jacoby's grand defense of the gay marriage ban is that Jim Crow was worse.

I'm truly amazed. I never thought to argue that something isn't an injustice unless you can prove it's the greatest injustice ever. Talk about setting the bar high. Or is that low?

Try this on for size. The afternoon of 9/11, suppose you went around saying, "Yeah, it sucks. But the Nanking massacre was really horrible, so how 'bout we let this one slide.

Yes, we can

You may or may not know this, but the bromance between Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable--dramatized in David Rees' Get Your War On--has gone animated. Semi-regular updates can be seen at 23/6, and this is an especially hilarious one. Oh, why did we not listen to those seers at National Review.

Random Ten: Back to Friday

Seems like it's been a big week, for some reason. Now I'm just chilling at the end of the day. Anyhoozle:

1. XTC--Deliver Us from the Elements
2. Ladytron--Deep Blue
3. Bonzo Dog Band--Hunting Tigers Out in "Indiah"
4. Jane Monheit--Dindi
5. Arcade Fire--Neighborhood #2 (Laika)
6. Barenaked Ladies--Call Me Calmly
7. Fats Domino--Whole Lotta Loving
8. Beach House--Lovelier Girl
9. Radiohead--In Limbo
10. Rasputina--If Your Kisses Can't Hold the Man You Love

4-evah is a long time

Ah, what to say about Sarah Palin? Well, she certainly did her part to make the McCain campaign memorable. This is especially the case if the towel story is true, but even if it isn't.

She's not good at playing it cagey. Her ambitions for the next presidential election are pretty close to the surface. But don't get your hopes/fears up. I'm not convinced she can rise within the GOP.

She was popular with the base this year. That was the whole point. And she did the job of dragging the ticket to the right. Cons who distrusted John McCain were much more intrigued by her.

But consider: there's no separate primary for Vice Presidential candidates. She was annointed, and then it was everyone else's job to support her. It wasn't in any Republican's interest to tear her down.

Running for president is a whole 'nother kettle of fish. You can count on at least four or five guys in addition to her chasing "the true conservative vote." And then it's no holds barred. Everything that was off-limits unless you were a liberal traitor will be back on-limits. Teenage daughter's active vagina? Check. Being a secessionist back when Obama wasn't even President? Check. Innuendo that hasn't been made up yet? Throw it in!

This thought doesn't bring me any great pleasure. I'm mostly turned off by Palin's public persona, and don't like what I think she'd want to do to the country. But there's a great chance she'll be shivved by someone as bad or worse. Eric Cantor is one possibility, and there are others. It wouldn't be too much of a surprise if those who carried her banner this time around introduced her to the bus. The monster must be fed.

... and I have the sticker to prove it

Did I vote? Yes, right after work. I can't brag too much. There was one couple ahead of me, so my trip to the polling place took a little over five minutes.

Thus far the news looks pretty good. Yeah, I'm still using qualifiers. If there's some wacky turnaround between now and the time I pour coffee down my gullet, I'll be disappointed, but not that surprised.

So fingers crossed. If the news stays good, it's only a shame Mrs Dunham wasn't able to see it.

Stay classy

With the polls opening in a matter of hours, good news has been somewhat scarce for John McCain. (This is me knocking on wood.) One rare triumph has been the candidate's November 1 appearance on Saturday Night Live. The performance isn't likely to get him votes, but it does show grace and good humor.

His entourage seems determined to ruin it though. Certain advisors and fauxletarian shills have been spreading a foolish brand of gossip.

MSNBC's Coutney Hazlett reports today that there were observations of "frosty" chemistry between Fey and McCain, and during the show I observed that she looked like she was having less fun than usual (though she looked like she relished "going rogue").

That's just the goodbyes though — GOP strategist Martin Eisenstadt, invited to join the McCain camp, wrote on his blog that both McCain and Cindy attended the after-party. He also noted another member of the McCain entourage: Joe the Plumber! That guy is DEFINITELY better off than he was four years ago.

Eisenstadt also noted two pieces of gossip about Joe the Plumber, one which I have debunked: That he "got some 'quality' alone time with a certain female cast member." Eisenstadt isn't "that familiar with the show" (um...following politics much these days?) and thought it was "the skinny brunette...Kirsten (sic) maybe?" (That would be Kristen Wiig, who has a boyfriend; fellow non-Fey non-Poehler female cast member Casey Wilson also has a boyfriend.) Eisenstadt didn't see "what time they left," wasn't sure of the people involved, and could not get a confirmation from Joe, but nonetheless said that he "wouldn't surprise me if someone got her drain snaked last night." Ew. Our sources — who were also at the after party, and the after-after party — DEFINITELY say that did NOT happen (per my source: "Fuck that guy!...Nothing is true.")

Saying, "I totally did her," when your contact with her is limited to standing in line for the punchbowl can only lead to embarassment. Most men learn this in high school, although some have to relearn it in college. But it's nice to know they've still got a sure aim at their feet.

And now for something completely... Saturday Random Ten!

Last night I had a Halloween party to go to. It was nice. Good food, good company, and a couple of neat macabre films. I brought the eerie no-budgeter Carnival of Souls while the host provided the Canadian-made black comedy Fido. That was fascinating and funny, because the zombie satire was grafted onto a look and sound that could be mistaken for the Douglas Sirk era. But anyway, good party.

And as I promised, we now have our first Saturday Random Ten. Little more time for it today.

1. Love--Maybe the People Would Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale
2. Tito Puente--China
3. The White Stripes--The Denial Twist
4. Brian Eno--Some of Them Are Old
5. Queen--Who Needs You
6. XTC--The Beating of Hearts*
7. Elvis Costello & the Attractions--You Belong to Me
8. Outkast--Ghettomusick
9. Tom Waits--Red Shoes by the Drugstore
10. The Kinks--Harry Rag

*Available here, of course.