Last time someone parked next to me so that I had to get in from the passenger side I left him a note on his windshield...in grease pencil.

Here's a bit from Bench Memos that argues for this decision, especially for the concurrence by Thomas and Scalia. The author notes the difference between the original understanding of the 5th and the misapplication created by Griffin v California. Essentially they argue that Griffin was wrongly decided and that juries can take a refusal to testify on the part of the defendant as an idicator of guilt.

My whole life has been lived in a post-Griffin world where refusal to testify or answer questions is just the smart thing to do to avoid traps and painting oneself into a corner. Now we're being told, essentially, that if we have nothing to hide we have nothing to worry about. Sounds eerily familiar to some other parts of government I'm currently unhappy with.

Ultimately, I think Thomas and Scalia are opining about a perfect world in which cops are honest and prosecutors want justice rather than convictions. The problem, however, is we don't live in that world.

Caveat: I haven't read the opinion yet, so this is second hand conjecture.

Here's Orin Kerr's take on it. I'm gonna chew on it and read some more history before I come down on one side or another.

Ricochet has become the filter for what I allow myself to dwell on. I evaluate news and goings on based on whether they'd make a spiffy post or not. If it's not worth talking about here, it's probably not worth spending a lot of mental energy on.

As to what Ricochet is doing for the party/movement, I know it is read at least somewhat by those in power, so hopefully they are hearing our voices. The amount of discussion of Ricochet at the NR summit bodes well for the site as well.

If someone can inform me of a higher point in Obama's life I'm willing to listen. His speech in Berlin where he was cheered by throngs of Europeans, much to the consternation of people in his own nation, just strikes me as the kind of event he would cherish. It has to have all been downhill from there, including winning the presidency.

Against McCain and Romney, hence the reason it's not a college football simile.

That's just him retelling the story of "the game" again to people who weren't that impressed with it the first 30 or so times they heard it.

Here's hoping Seattle gets a team some day, even if it's the Oilers.

Simile.

He's like a pudgy, balding, middle-aged man going back to the high school football stadium where he caught the game winning touchdown that is still the high point of his life. I'm getting a real Al Bundy vibe from him.

Now that this is "fixed" maybe they can get about finishing up the budget before state government shuts down in a couple of weeks.

As worn out as I was by the last election, I'm kind of looking forward to the next one.

He gets the moral case for conservatism. His message of independence vs. government dependence was spot on because that is our end game. And he did it without mentioning the programs by name. As soon as our candidate says medicaid or medicare the left jumps up and down screaming about us starving the poor. He rightly only spoke of the specific programs after they were reformed and had become success stories.

A couple of thoughts.

• We don't know what direction is being given to the technicians and analysts operating these programs. In this economy a secure government job is a big deal. I trust that under normal circumstances these workers hold as tightly to their responsibilities as they do to the jobs, but these are not normal circumstances.
• If sold as a legitimate means of protecting the people with assurances that the security/liberty scales were in balance, those operating the programs would accomplish their assigned tasks unless something really wrong popped up. This seems to be the case Snowden is making. I haven't read the full stories, watched the videos, and especially not looked at the supposed documents because I don't have the clearance or the need to know and have been directed to behave accordingly. (Side note: such direction gives the story some credibility.)
• I've not made my case against the program based on supposed or potential domestic spying. Rather, I find the amassing of data about me "just in case" to be repugnant. I'll hopefully sort the jumble of thoughts on this and provide a better explanation why soon.

Good post, thanks.

I think this is part of the problem. Our culture has all but eliminated that part of the process. There's very little drama to be had in the hook-up culture, at least not the good kind of drama.

Hmmm. Like was already mentioned, I always think "her dad must be so proud" when the gratuitous scenes come up.

I would have thought sex scenes incapable of adding to a character until I watched Borgia recently. The main character is so ruled by his passions that all the boot knocking seems pretty necessary.

The most erotic scene I can recall in a movie is the bedroom dance scene in My Stepmother is an Alien. Kim Bassinger kept her clothes on but really poured on the sensuality. Wrong movie for it probably, but she really got that one right.