no news on the baby front, but here’s some other stuff to keep you occupied

Thanks for stopping by MM.com to check in on the babys progress, but theres still nothing to report. I was half expecting that the stork might come last night, during the full moon, but Linette and I both slept through the night uninterrupted… When I woke up on my own this morning at six, I was kind of surprised.

So, Im sitting downstairs now, catching up on the news, eating breakfast, getting ready for work, and making a list of all the things that still need to be done before the baby comes. (I won’t bore you with that though.)

OK, here are a few links that I thought that you might be interested in. (I don’t want you to walk away from MM.com empty-handed.)

The first one is from Michael Moore. Its a pledge that hed like people to sign, promising that theyll get people to register for the vote, take people to vote if necessary, and spend some time campaigning in a swing state. It sounds very close to what I was planning before the baby came. My thought was that Id take two weeks of vacation time from work and head across the border into Ohio, to campaign on behalf of Bushs Democratic challenger. Now, Im going to be using my vacation time changing diapers, cleaning up vomit, and getting to know my son or daughter… Ill still try to do something for Kerry, but Ill probably be staying here in Michigan, and I may not be going out knocking on as many doors. Anyway, if you have the time and the interest, give Michaels pledge some thought. As we saw in Florida in 2,000, every vote counts and individual people can make a difference (especially when they sit on the Supreme Court).

(note: It hadn’t crossed my mind until this moment, but I wonder if any Supreme Court justices read this little site of mine… If you’re on the Supreme Court, and you see this message, please drop me a line.)

And then there was this piece on the threat of homegrown rightwing terrorism in the United States. Its essentially a continuation of the argument of Paul Krugmans that I linked to a week or so ago, suggesting that the biggest internal threats weve uncovered since 9-11 have been domestic in origin.

And an author in the NY Press calls Christopher Hitchens on his attack of Michael Moore (which I also linked to a few days ago). Heres a quick quote to give you the flavor of the piece:

Well, that’s rich, isn’t it? Christopher Hitchens crawling out of a bottle long enough to denounce Michael Moore as a coward. I can’t imagine anything more uplifting, except maybe a zoo baboon humping the foot of a medical school cadaver.

I didnt love the article, but I wanted to use that quote.

And, while were on the subject of Michael Moore, heres something from the Village Voice on why certain broadcast television networks have been attacking him while others that you wouldn’t expect, like Fox News, have seemed almost supportive. Id been wondering about this since I read the first, positive review of Fahrenheit 9-11 at the Fox News site, and this Village Voice explanation makes sense to me. Heres a clip.

Why did NBC and ABC take the administration’s line? Well, NBC is owned by General Electric, a prime defense contractor. ABC is owned by Disney, which has no need of Pentagon largessebut Disney is dependent on the kindness of federal regulators, and to the Bush administration those mouse ears have a lot to answer for. After all, it was Disney subsidiary Miramax that initially planned to distribute Fahrenheit 9/11, and even after the studio pulled out under pressure from the parent company, Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein formed a consortium of companies to release the film. Last Thursday’s Wall Street Journal reported that Disney may sever its ties with Miramax next year. And Disney is about to release a feel-good documentary called America’s Heart and Soul. With its theme parks under siege for allowing desecrations of family values, such as Gay Day, Disney has much to gain by joining the attack on Moore’s movie, which is regarded in certain congregations as the Great R-Rated Satan.

But how to account for Fox’s relatively merciful coverage (or the exceedingly odd editorial in Monday’s New York Post defending Moore from the Federal Election Commission’s attempt to muzzle his ads)? Here’s my explanation: Rupert Murdoch is covering his ass in case John Kerry wins. For that matter, his news machine doesn’t have to prove itself to the Bushiesand besides, an attack from Fox would have easily been dismissed as partisan. Better to let NBC and ABC lend the imprimatur of their “objectivity.” I’m not saying these networks acted in cahoots; they merely expressed their interests.

OK, I have to get to work now. Ill let you know if anything happens with the baby though… Thank you, as always, for your positive thoughts.