Monthly Archives: September 2006

TWAT: Thomas Jefferson on habeas corpus

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 So much for the founding fathers

via Jesus’ General:

Why suspend the habeas corpus in insurrections and rebellions? The parties who may be arrested may be charged instantly with a well defined crime; of course, the judge will remand them. If the public safety requires that the government should have a man imprisoned on less probable testimony in those than in other emergencies, let him be taken and tried, retaken and retried, while the necessity continues, only giving him redress against the government for damages.

Examine the history of England. See how few of the cases of the suspension of the habeas corpus law have been worthy of that suspension. They have been either real treasons, wherein the parties might as well have been charged at once, or sham plots, where it was shameful they should ever have been suspected. Yet for the few cases wherein the suspension of the habeas corpus has done real good, that operation is now become habitual and the minds of the nation almost prepared to live under its constant suspension.

—Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1788

podcast 1.0: Canuckistani

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God, I hope I don’t get to liking this succeeding at this; I’m already online so damned much I’m thinking of getting a “Hubba Hubba Heinie” mold for my computer chair. No time for yoga, dammit! Don’t worry, it’s not as if I have anything to say anyway.

This is the South-West passage, but you get the idea

[odeo=http://odeo.com/audio/2001676/view]

Steve Irwin death video will not be broadcast

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That about sums it up.

In an interview with Baba Wawa on 20/20, Terri Irwin has said that she will not release the video footage of her husband’s death by stingray. This article comes from the BBC, via Trenchcoat Chronicles.

“What purpose would that serve?” she asked presenter Barbara Walters in an interview with US programme 20/20…

His wife … insisted his death was just a “stupid” accident – “like running with a pencil”…

The 42-year-old mother of two said her late husband knew he would not live a long life.

“He’d talk about it often,” she said. “But it wasn’t because of any danger from wildlife. He just felt life could be dangerous.”

As I said before, the wishes of the dead are to be respected, but not neccessarily obeyed. The film belongs to Terri Irwin and the film company, and it is their right to decide what happens to it.

Here is the tribute speech to Irwin by his daughter, Bindi Sue, who has her own television show. He was actually getting footage of the stingray for her when he died. She’s already stated that she has no intention of giving up on the show, but considers it carrying on the family legacy. Those are big boots to fill, kid, but judging from this it looks like you’re off to a good start.

eh! to zed: a Canadian podcast

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Does Odeo have a fast forward button? I’m really not feeling the iTunes monologue, but am desperate to try this Odeo thang, and me luves me some Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie, good Canadian content, so here it is.

Gee, am I CRTC approvable now? If I can figure out how to do this and liberate a microphone in the name of the people, maybe I’ll make my own.

[odeo=http://odeo.com/audio/388089/view]

provincial celebrity

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Was it Oscar Wilde or GBS who said, “There is nothing so provincial as a provincial celebrity”?

Well  le voilà:

Malcolm Gladwell, the Kate Moss of the Arctic Circle

and Gawker is all over it:

Gladwell did the ad for charity, so we’re going to let it go this time, but, uh, wow, they really have a different idea of celebrity up north, don’t they? Also, we want to know if they used a hairstylist for the shoot or if that’s just the way he showed up.