SOCIAL PROSTHESES? I know a few people who could use one or more of these. . . .

HERE’S SOME GOOD NEWS:

WASHINGTON D.C. – President George W. Bush signed into law the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 today, marking the first time the U.S. government has ever passed a law to deal with sexual assault behind bars.

“The passage of this law is a major milestone, finally bringing prisoner rape out of the shadows,” said Lara Stemple, executive director of Stop Prisoner Rape (SPR), a national human rights organization that has worked on the issue for more than two decades.

The law calls for the gathering of national statistics about the problem; the development of guidelines for states about how to address prisoner rape; the creation of a review panel to hold annual hearings; and the provision of grants to states to combat the problem.

It’s not like it’s going to solve the problem, but at least it puts it on the table.

MORE ACADEMIC TRIVIA: For my sins (which must have been considerable) I’m chairing the Faculty Appointments Committee this year. People who want to be law professors submit their resumes to a centralized clearinghouse run by the Association of American Law Schools. There were 627 resumes in the first distribution, which came out last weekend. I’ve still got a lot to read. This may lead to reduced blogging — or it may not, as I’m reading them on the computer, and it’s easy, and probably necessary, to switch screens every once in a while.

THE RECALL CAMPAIGN HAS ROGER SIMON MISSING JERRY BROWN. I agree. I didn’t see the debate, but I’ll bet he would have swept the floor with the others.

BLOGGER HAIKU? Why not?

KATE EXPLAINS why she hates them.

Why don’t we hear more of this kind of thing from feminists?

(Via Suburban Blight).

UPDATE: Meanwhile Amir Taheri points out why they hate us:

September 4, 2003 — ‘IT is not the American war machine that should be of the utmost concern to Muslims. What threatens the future of Islam, in fact its very survival, is American democracy.” This is the message of a new book, just published by al Qaeda in several Arab countries.

The author of “The Future of Iraq and The Arabian Peninsula After The Fall of Baghdad” is Yussuf al-Ayyeri, one of Osama bin Laden’s closest associates since the early ’90s. A Saudi citizen also known by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad, he was killed in a gun battle with security forces in Riyadh last June.

The book is published by The Centre for Islamic Research and Studies, a company set up by bin Laden in 1995 with branches in New York and London (now closed). Over the past eight years, it has published more than 40 books by al Qaeda “thinkers and researchers” including militants such as Ayman al-Zawahiri, bin Laden’s No. 2.

What Al-Ayyeri sees now is a “clean battlefield” in which Islam faces a new form of unbelief. This, he labels “secularist democracy.” This threat is “far more dangerous to Islam” than all its predecessors combined. The reasons, he explains in a whole chapter, must be sought in democracy’s “seductive capacities.”

This form of “unbelief” persuades the people that they are in charge of their destiny and that, using their collective reasoning, they can shape policies and pass laws as they see fit. That leads them into ignoring the “unalterable laws” promulgated by God for the whole of mankind, and codified in the Islamic shariah (jurisprudence) until the end of time. . . .

Al-Ayyeri says Iraq would become the graveyard of secular democracy, just as Afghanistan became the graveyard of communism. The idea is that the Americans, faced with mounting casualties in Iraq, will “just run away,” as did the Soviets in Afghanistan. This is because the Americans love this world and are concerned about nothing but their own comfort, while Muslims dream of the pleasures that martyrdom offers in paradise.

Calling them “the Klan with a Koran” is perhaps too kind. Or unfair to the Klan.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Buffy would know what to do with this guy.

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: On the “Klan with a Koran” front, Michael Ubaldi emails “You ain’t just whistlin’ Dixie!”

STILL MORE: Meryl Yourish says if I don’t hear feminists, it’s because I’m not listening.

Well, she’s right and wrong. When Martha Burk thinks that the threat to women by Islamic fundamentalism is as important as gender integration at Augusta National, then I’ll have what I was asking for. You see, I’m not listening to Martha Burk, et al., but I can’t help hearing them anyway. And that’s the sign of a movement in action.

VIK RUBENFELD ASKS:

Isn’t it just about time that the left was asked what its plans are for combating terrorism?

The left doesn’t want us in Iraq, where we are bringing the fight right to the terrorists’ own backyard? Okay – what’s their plan?

Yes. Given that what we’re up against is, essentially, “the Klan with a Koran,” you’d think they’d have some ideas. I don’t recall anyone suggesting that the FBI shouldn’t have been in Birmingham just because there was a bombing there. . . .

THE HORRORS OF AN ACADEMIC LIFE: I got back from my Administrative Law class, feeling like it’s finally on a roll now that Labor Day is behind us, and in my mailbox were the textbook order forms for next semester! Sheesh. Already? (And they had the notation “These are already late!”)

The class was good, though. We did two cases that I like a lot: the Benzene case (about administrative factfinding under conditions of uncertainty) and the airbag case (to oversimplify, it’s about the standard for judging agency about-faces for essentially political reasons).

I like those cases, which offer a nice look at the very difficult position in which agencies are often put by the intersection of legislation and politics. I also like this article by Malcolm Gladwell on airbags, which I recommended to the class.

I was a huge airbag fan back in the day. Now, for reasons that Gladwell spells out, I’m less of one. I’m still glad to have them in my car, where they provide a modest safety improvement. But they were sold, somewhat disingenously, as a substitute for seatbelts, which they certainly aren’t, and never were.

UPDATE: Clayton Cramer calls the Gladwell article “very compelling” and adds a story from his own experience.

ANOTHER UPDATE: I got several emails like this one from Gary Saffer:

I’ve been a paramedic for many years and I can tell you that seat belts are much more effective than air bags at protecting vehicle occupants. One thing that very few people ever mention and fewer people realize is that air bags are one shot devices. That is, they go off and deflate in milliseconds. Accidents however are generally much longer events, lasting hundreds of milliseconds. Many accidents also involve multiple impacts, as did the case of the late Mr. Day. Even if his vehicle had an airbag, most likely it would have inflated and deflated during the first impact leaving him unprotected during the second impact. Perhaps the most important statement in the article is that Mr Day was not wearing a seat belt and died, while his son was wearing a seat belt and survived.

I’ve also seen numerous people who were “thrown clear” of accidents. Most of them were dead, almost all of the remaining ones had serious injuries. Several people were “thrown clear” only to have their vehicle roll on top of them and kill them. I’ll take my chances belted in the car, thank you.

I’ve never been a proponent of airbags given the cost and limited protection that they give. They should be offered as an option, for those that want to spend the extra money.

I’m okay on them, but they’re no panacea. Seatbelts aren’t either, but they’re close.

DEPRIVING THE THIRD WORLD OF FLUSH TOILETS: These people will stop at nothing.

DON’T MISS THE WAR NEWS ROUNDUP over at Winds of Change. Lots of news — both good and bad — that you won’t get from Dan Rather!

JOSH CLAYBOURN joins those wondering at the absence of anti-death-penalty protests at the execution of pro-life murderer Paul Hill.

UPDATE: Kathy Kinsley emails that there were protesters, but that the press mostly ignored them. Wonder why?

ALAN OXLEY ON NEW-WAVE FARM SUBSIDIES:

There is a saying in politics that the last resort of rascals is to wrap themselves in the flag. The challenge to the EU to open food markets at the WTO conference next week at Cancun comes at an awkward time. It is an open secret that Europe’s businesses are losing global competitiveness. On cue, those chaps in Brussels have reached for the flag.

This flag is not the EU circle of gold stars on the blue background. While undoubtedly attractive, even visionary, no one waves that at football internationals. Go Europe: The true passion is not even reserved for the Tricolor or the Union Jack. It is the local icon. Barcelona, Manchester, Munich.

In a piece of political populist brilliance, some crafty guy in the European Commission picked up that there were food equivalents — Parma ham, Madeira port, Roqueforte cheese, just for starters — raw material for the perfect foil for some unpleasantness the EU was facing in the WTO.

I’m going to call it Parmesan, even if it comes from Wisconsin. I’ll be striking a blow for freedom!

JAMES LILEKS IS GOING WOBBLY — on Target!

There were 26 check-out stands. Six were open. And I recollected the Instapundit’s remarks a few months ago about just such a Target moment: too many customers, not enough clerks. I thought back to the items I hadn’t bought because [of] shelves that hadn’t been stocked – rare for Target, very rare. I remembered that the yellow curbs outside needed a lick of paint. And I was reminded that there’s nothing as stupid as brand loyalty.

Sell your Dayton-Hudson stock. They’re goin’ down. But that “Samuel’s” place sounds pretty cool. Wi-fi in the cafe! And Hebrew National hotdogs!

UPDATE: Target’s shortage of cashiers is apparently becoming a standard joke.

HOLLOW VICTORY: Jeremy Lott reports that geeks have taken over the world, and don’t know what to do with it.

MATT WELCH WRITES ABOUT BLOGS — in the Columbia Journalism Review, no less.

The whole issue is on alternative media — I got the hardcopy the other day, and it’s pretty good.

UPDATE: Billy Beck says that bloggers are standing on the shoulders of giants from Usenet and elsewhere. He’s right, of course. (Heck, I remember FIDONET!) And don’t miss this piece by Jay Rosen from the same CJR issue.

SURPRISINGLY, a clever French novel about 9/11 isn’t a big hit with the Blogosphere. But The New York Times is giddy!

HERE’S A PIECE ON THE INFIGHTING ON THE SIXTH CIRCUIT, which isn’t pretty.

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY’S PROBLEM: Bad pricing decisions, according to Fritz Schranck:

I certainly don’t think I’m alone in deciding that $18 or so for a CD seems a bit steep, especially considering the quality of much of what passes for popular music lately. Knock the unit price down to $11 or so, however, and it’s much easier for me to decide to buy two or three of ‘em.

The industry continues to blame online and other forms of piracy, but seeing those Kemp Mill crowds readily parting with their cash for the bargain CD prices caused me to think there might be a better explanation.

Who have been the real pirates?

Arrrh!

UPDATE: Fritz Schranck gets results:

Universal Music Group, the world’s largest record company, on Wednesday said it will cut list prices on compact discs by as much as 30 percent in an effort to boost sales that have been stymied by free online music-sharing services such as Kazaa.

Starting in October, Universal, the home to such artists as Mary J. Blige (news), U2 and Elton John (news), will trim its prices on most of its CDs to $12.98 from its current $16.98-$18.98 range of prices.

“Our research shows that the sweet spot is to sell our records below $12.98,’ said Universal Music president Zach Horowitz. “We’re confident that when we implement this we will get a dramatic and sustained increase.”

“Research?” I’ll bet some marketing consultant charged them a lot more than it costs to read Fritz’s blog. . . .

THE CASUALTIES KEEP COMING: Stefan Sharkansky notes that the District of Columbia is a quagmire of violent resistance to peaceful government, despite the efforts of American authorities:

According to this week’s story from Scripps Howard News Service, there are 140,000 troops in Iraq, and there have been 286 fatalities from all causes since the war began in March (about 24 weeks ago). That gives us an annualized death rate of 443 per 100,000. Only about half of these deaths (147) were in combat, for a combat death rate of 228 per 100,000.

According to Center for Disease Control / National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, there were 21,836 young black men (age 18-30) in Washington DC in 2000, the latest year that mortality data is available. The total number of deaths in this group from all causes was 132, with 95 homicides. i.e. the death rate for this group was 604 per 100,000 and the murder rate was 435 per 100,000.

In other words, a young black male soldier from Washington DC would have been 36% more likely to die by staying at home than by serving in active duty in the Iraq war, and almost twice as likely to be murdered at home than to be killed in combat. Yes, that’s horribly sad, but it puts a few things in perspective.

I think we need regime change in the D.C. government, for starters. The death toll is just too high.

UPDATE: Greg Buete has an offensive suggestion.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Here’s an interesting comparison of casualty rates in Iraq with those in industry — suggesting that overall casualties (deaths + injuries) aren’t much worse in Iraq than in some industrial areas.

I realize, of course, that statistics are no answer to dramatic photos and hysterical news coverage, which live in a world of their own. But some perspective is useful given the ceaseless negativity in the press: I heard an NPR story the other day that said that a bombing in Baghdad proved that the U.S. effort was futile and that bombers could strike whenever they chose. The story was mostly over before they got around to admitting that nobody had been seriously hurt.

The trouble with that kind of reporting is that it makes it hard to identify real problems, or to get a clear sense of how things are actually going. So although people defend such reporting by pointing to the role of a free press, it’s not actually, you know, performing the role that a free press ought to perform.

UPDATE: Then there’s Robert Scheer . . . .

MORE EVIDENCE that reporting from Baghdad is, um, excessively negative:

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 2 (UPI) — I have been shocked at the difference between the Baghdad I found on my return and all the bad news from the city.

Despite the recent bombings, Baghdad looks dramatically different. The stores are full of supplies. The streets are crowded with people and cars. The buses are working and police are on the streets, directing traffic.

At night the streets are full of pedestrians, many families with children. I am at a loss to reconcile what we see on the ground with what is being reported.

The “regular people” are much better off than they were. Security has improved with Iraqi police everywhere, telephones are starting to work, electricity, while off and on, is relatively stable, the stores are full of food, and, little by little, people are getting jobs back.

The author, Ken Joseph, has written about Baghdad before — he’s the “human shield” who left when he realized what Saddam’s regime was all about. He continues:

Those who naysay everything are very interesting. The people are very clear on who they are — they all were connected to Saddam. For the first time in their lives, they are going to have to work; no more handouts. The easy life is over. But the numbers are staggering. People estimate nearly 20 percent or more of the population was in some form on Saddam’s gravy train, some by choice, others by force. And nearly all of the population had been getting free food, tea and sugar.

As for the crime, they emptied the prisons so nearly 50,000 hard-nosed criminals are on the streets.

Another problem is just as it was before the war — the outsiders. I cannot understand why the United States has not done two basic things: sealing the borders and setting up a TV station.

There is no border check so Iraq is becoming the magnet for every one that wants to get a chance to fight with Americans. This is a great puzzle to me.

It’s almost as if it were some sort of “flypaper” strategy. . . .

THE LEFT CONTINUES TO SELF-DESTRUCT. It’s not pretty.

UPDATE: Matthew: “Looking through the Anti-war.us posters, it becomes abundantly clear that the artists’ hatred isn’t reserved for George W. Bush or the “neocon cabal,” but rather, is directed at all of us.”

Yes. And we deserve it, for not appreciating their brilliance.

DANIEL DREZNER IS PRAISING GREGG EASTERBROOK’S ESPN COLUMN — and all I can say is, “indeed.” Er, that, and quote this line: “So it’s a highly realistic movie about being thirteen, starring girls who aren’t 13 and who have digitally-superimposed tongues.”

UPDATE: Bruce Rolston, on the other hand, thinks the column is a low point in Easterbrook’s career.

ARMED LIBERAL IS UNHAPPY with the Bush Administration’s efforts to get the U.N. involved in Iraq.

I’m not so sure that this effort isn’t meant to fail, actually. It’s likely to, and that will only underscore the irrelevance of the U.N.

UPDATE: John Cole, on the other hand, thinks the Administration is sincere.

THE HOWLER is still unimpressed with The Washington Monthly piece on Bush. (And an accompanying piece is “Pure High Piffle.”) First class all the way — no low piffle at WM!

[Hey, I thought Phil Carter said it would be the “neo-con media on the right” who were upset by this piece. . . . — Ed. Go figure! Next they’ll be saying that FDR promised not to get us into World War Two!]

ALPHECCA’S WEEKLY MEDIA GUN BIAS CHART IS UP.