Happy Independence Day

This one goes out to my brothers and sisters downrange.

Iran to Try British Embassy Staff

It’s usually not a good sign when a country starts arresting embassy folks.

Ayatollah Jannati did not say how many employees would be tried or on what charges.

“In these incidents, their embassy had a presence, some people were arrested,” he told the thousands of worshippers at Friday prayers, according to news agencies.

Ayatollah Jannati said on Friday: “After the election, the enemy could not stand people’s joy. The enemy made an effort to poison the people. They had planned a velvet revolution before the election.”

He said the UK Foreign Office had warned of possible “street riots” around the 12 June election and had advised its nationals to avoid public places.

BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says Ayatollah Jannati’s speech marks a significant deterioration in the already bad relationship between London and Tehran.

West Bend Library Folks to Hold Panel “Discussion” at ALA Conference

This is too funny.

The fight over which books should be allowed in the young adult category of the West Bend library will be the subject of a panel discussion during the nation’s largest gathering of librarians this month in Chicago.

  West Bend Community Memorial Library Director Michael Tyree, Young Adult Librarian Kristin Pekoll, Library Board Chairman Barbara Deters, former library Board trustee Mary Reilly-Kliss and community organizer Maria Hanrahan, who started West Bend Parents for Free Speech, will conduct a panel discussion about the West Bend book controversy Monday, July 13, during the seven-day American Library Association (ALA) annual conference.

[...]

Hanrahan said she will participate on the panel as “someone who is involved in the situation from a library patron’s perspective.”

In other words, there was a big kerfuffle over some library books and all of the people who agree with each other will sit around and talk about it.  Yeah, that should be a balanced discussion of the issue

Not My Column

Here’s a question for you… if the paper publishes someone else’s column with my name on it, can I still get paid for it?

Neumann vs. Walker

So, what does everybody think about Mark Neumann and Scott Walker? Both seem to be good guys, both from the same part of the state, both conservative. Who do you prefer? And without being asswipe-ish, why? 

Dems, too. Which would you rather have your candidate run against? (Same non-asswipe-ish rules apply to you, too)

Courage

Dang it… I hate it when I end up linking to two lefties on one day, but this is too good to pass up.

UPDATE: According to a commenter, the picture is a fake.  Still… it’s a great image. 

I Wore Makeup Today

In a sure sign that all of the important people weren’t available, Folkbum and I taped a short segment for Mike Gousha’s Upfront.  Jay and I leg wrestle.  He got me the first time, but I won the next two rounds to take home the oversized championship belt.  We also managed to discuss politics, the budget, and the subtle art of pole dancing (that’s how Jay and I paid for college). 

Tune in! 

MJS and DHS Gang Up To Slam Walker

Mark Belling broke this story this afternoon.  He obtained a series of emails between state DHS employees and Steve Schultz, a reporter for the MJS.  In the emails, it is pretty clear that not only are DHS officials taking political considerations into account as they move to take over a Milwaukee County department, but they are also coordinating the effort with Steve Schultz to try to do it in a way to paint Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker in the worst light possible. 

Couple comments…

1) Steve Schultz has disgraced himself.

2) It’s very clear that the state’s actions have everything to do with politics - specifically the upcoming governor’s race - and not with serving the people of Wisconsin. 

Obama Comments on Skyrocketing Unemployment

Meh.

The president spoke enthusiastically of the White House pastry chef. “Whatever kind of pie you want, he will make it,” Obama said, adding ruefully that that was a problem for him and wife Michelle in regard to their weight.

New Offensive in Afghanistan

We pray for their safety and their success. 

U.S. Marines suffered their first casualties of a massive new military campaign Thursday as they engaged in sporadic gunbattles along 55 miles of Taliban-controlled heartland in southern Afghanistan.

One Marine was killed and several others were injured or wounded on the first full day of the assault, the largest military operation in Afghanistan since the fall of Taliban government in 2001.

Rick Perry

I’m not a huge fan of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, but I do think he has some good points in this interview with Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds.

And he gets bonus points for being an Aggie.

Guess That Geographical Location—2 July 2009

Photo via Google Maps.

Congrats to gelt.

See the extended entry for details.

Read the rest

Necessary Roughness

No, this isn’t a post about Iran…

Necessary Roughness is on television at the moment.  I was an extra in the stands for this movie.  I was also an extra in another movie.  Can you guess what the other one was?

Card Check Comes to UW

Nice. 

Research assistants at UW System campuses would form unions by signing authorization cards rather than using secret ballots under a provision in the new state budget.

This was a change wanted by the Teaching Assistants’ Association, a UW-Madison graduate workers union, said Peter Rickman, president of the group.

“The notion of free and fair elections with secret ballots is a myth,” Rickman said.

Um, perhaps Rickman should go to Iran or Eastern Europe and tell them that secret ballots are a bad idea. 

You Stay Classy, New York Democrats