KATHRYN JEAN LOPEZ observes: “Can’t help but notice that this sniper(s) is loose in a county that is synonymous with gun control.” Apparently, though, the local authorities are beginning to mention the possibility that terrorism may be involved. Imagine.

I’VE GOT A REVIEW OF THE NEW GRAN TORINO CD up over at BlogCritics.

AN ARMY RECRUITING WEBLOG? Yep.

AFGHANISTAN DEJA VU:

Aid workers are increasingly concerned about a humanitarian catastrophe if a new war is launched against Iraq.

A recent statement by a number of charities warns of mass civilian deaths and an exacerbation of an existing humanitarian crisis.

Hey, haven’t I heard this before? Somebody cue up the Chomskybot –it’s almost time for the “silent genocide” routine — right after Jesse Jackson offers to mediate. . . .

I HAVEN’T FOLLOWED THIS, but if you’re interested Robert Prather has an update on the Ann Coulter wars.

JUST HEARD NPR on the Washington shootings. They didn’t breathe a word about the possibility that terrorism might be involved.

Weirdly, this was followed by a reviewer praising the Veggie Tales.

UPDATE: A reader writes:

It was indeed terrorism. We in Montgomery County were absolutely terrorized: kids locked into schools, people afraid to leave home, police everywhere. But terrorism doesn’t equal Al Qaeda, you know……we breed plenty of our own terrorists right here in the US (Oklahoma City, high school massacres, racist murders, and so on). In fact, this country has a long and proud history of domestic terrorism.

Yes. Though increasing links between Islamic fundamentalism and home-grown American terrorists (part of David Carr’s global convergence of idiocy) make the distinction less meaningful all the time.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Like I said.

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: Charles Austin emails:

As I was driving into work and listening to Morning Edition, they noted that, “authorities now believe the shootings may be related.” Isn’t it funny how selective that old aphorism of “Question Authority” can be at times? What better reason to question authority than when authority refuses to display a firm grasp of the bleeding obvious?

Yeah. That reminds me of the LAX shooting and the response to questions about terrorism. It’s one thing to say we don’t know. It’s another to make a big deal out of ignoring the obvious.

CATS AND DOGS LIVING TOGETHER: Andrew Sullivan says he agrees with almost all of Paul Krugman’s column.

And scroll down for this shameful example of antisemitism among the Euro-elite.

UNFAIR: Berkeley alumnus Isaac Clemens writes that ” After the Daily Cal did ‘Sex on Tuesday’ for years, suddenly Yale does it and it’s hip enough for the New York Times.”

“Hip enough for the New York Times” isn’t all that hip, but what’s worse is that this is a shamelessly Yale-centric reprise of a story from The Chronicle of Higher Education last spring. And the Times story doesn’t even try to answer my question on the phenomenon.

UPDATE: The Times may have dropped the ball, but Erin O’Connor is on top of things with an answer to my questions.

AMERICA’S MOST ELITE ANTI-TWIT COMMANDO is taking the war to the enemy as Christopher Hitchens tells British Labour they’re idiots for making a fuss over Bill Clinton — and telling them in the Mirror, no less:

Hardened as I am to Clintonian hypocrisy, I sucked in my breath when he went moist about Rwanda. On the eve of the genocide there, all the plans for the impending slaughter were conveyed to the UN by its commander on the ground.

He pleaded for a small increase in the protection force, and for a warning to the bloodthirsty authorities that they had been detected in their plan. This was vetoed by Clinton’s then-ambassador to the UN, Madeleine Albright. Thus, he comes before us as the man who acted rashly when in the wrong, and acted like a coward when he would have been in the right. And Labour ate it up and begged for more…

You want more? As Clinton modestly said, he knows what it’s like to order the bombing of Iraq. He ordered a pointless four-day bombing in December 1998, which started as his Senate trial for impeachment began and finished when it was over.

This action put an end to the inspection process. It takes nerve to bite the lip again and talk of the importance of inspections now. But then, it takes nerve to claim credit for bombing Kosovo without a UN mandate, while insisting his successor acquire a mandate for action in Iraq.

At least we can be sure of one thing – after yesterday’s abject performance, Labour forces who jeer at Bush and take a holy attitude to the UN must admit they do not do so consistently, or out of principle.

But at the last, Hitchens is unfair. They’re being consistent, all right: American Republicans are always rash treated as cowboys. American Democrats, being closer to Labour, are not. Actions? Consequences? Who cares about those? This is politics.

HEH. My suggestion about Gary Hart, below, seems to have generated some interest. . . . Well, sort of.

MAYBE SOME GOOD NEWS: I’ve installed a bunch of new music-related software on my computer — Acid Pro. 4.0, Sound Forge, Vegas, Cool Edit Pro 2.0, and a bunch of VST softsynths — and everything seems to be coexisting happily. It wasn’t nearly so easy on the old machine. I’m not sure how much credit goes to Windows XP and how much to the individual programs (since they’re mostly new versions). But since I’m quick to complain when things don’t work, it’s worth mentioning that some folks seem to have done their jobs.

YESTERDAY, I asked who had registered Lautenberg2002.com. Now someone has the answer.

UPDATE: A reader writes:

HMMMM …

Its the name Schaefer Construction that gets my attention. As in ‘

Schaefer ‘ … the former Governer and current comptroller for the State of

Maryland …

Hmm.

YOU KNOW, the Democrats should run Gary Hart for President in 2004. No, I’m serious.

Sure, there was once a “zipper problem.” But it’s ancient history — and, post-Clinton, Hart’s issues look minor, for those few who can even remember them. He’s a smart guy, and he’s intellectually honest, especially for a politician. And he’s good on defense, he’s an excellent public speaker, and he’s been out long enough that he’s not in hock to special interest groups.

Heck, I might even vote for him.

HERE’S THE LATEST on the D.C. shootings. Not much real news, except that people heard the shots quite loudly, meaning that the shooter was nearby. That supports the theory that he was shooting from the truck, I suppose.

THE THAW: A German reader writes:

I’ve not seen it reported in the English-speaking media, but Bush sent a letter of congratulation to the president of Germany on the anniversary of reunification.

At the celebration in Berlin, which included the unveiling of the newly renovated Brandenburg Gate, German president Johannes Rau gave profuse thanks to America for it contributions to German reunification.

Spiegel is talking about a thaw…

Here’s a story that echoes the comments above. Yes, Bush seems to have calculated that Schroder has sweated enough, and that with his fragile coalition facing serious budget problems he’ll be ready to display a little cooperation. Schroder has seen that there’s a price to pay when you cross the United States, and Bush thinks he’s learned his lesson, and is extending the olive branch in a way that subtly reminds the Germans of the American role over the past many decades.

Pretty subtle stuff, for a dumb cowboy who doesn’t know anything about diplomacy.

HERE, VIA HOWARD BASHMAN, is a link to the Republicans’ petition for Supreme Court review of the New Jersey decision.

TALKLEFT AND LAWMEME seem to like my FoxNews column on robotic law enforcement. I’m glad; I think it’s going to be a big issue down the line.

THIS STORY has a picture of the “white van,” which is more like a moving truck.

THE OTHER SHOE: I suppose this explains why Torricelli finally decided to resign.

THE UNITED NATIONS HAS DEALT WITH THE SHOOTING THERE in its own, inimitable fashion:

Steve Kim, the man who allegedly fired five gunshots at the United Nations building in New York this morning, was released by U.N. security guards this afternoon. After a hasty vote by the Security Council, the U.N. also imposed sanctions upon Mr. Kim.

The sanctions include a ‘no-walk zone’ around the U.N. building, and Mr. Kim must allow weapons inspectors access to his home with appropriate advance notice.

“We feel certain that these sanctions will keep Mr. Kim from ever again threatening the U.N. building,” said General Secretary Kofi Annan. “He has also given us his word that he won’t attack us again.”

That’ll show him.

SCOTT KOENIG has some observations on the DC/Maryland shootings. And World Wide Rant says the reporting on the subject is unimpressive.

UPDATE: Susanna Cornett has a lengthy post that’s worth reading.

EUGENE VOLOKH RESPONDS TO JERRY FALWELL, whom longterm readers will recall was a prototype for the term “idiotarian.”

OLIVER WILLIS IS COVERING THE REAL SENATE RACE.

MORE ON YALE AND THE MILITARY: The Yale Law School blog Kitchen Cabinet has updates. Start here and scroll up.

DANIEL DREZNER points to some evidence that the war against Al Qaeda is going pretty well.