MAYBE THE ALARMISM IS JUSTIFIED AFTER ALL: Those “Christianists” seem to be everywhere — even, according to the June issue of Mixmag, at London’s Fiction, which advertises itself as the “birthplace of polysexual partying.” Excerpt:

The pretty brunette is hovering by the speaker stand explaining why she’s slightly worried about enjoying herself at Fiction. “I was gay for 13 years but I recently found Jesus,” she confides out of nowhere. “Yes, most of these people are going to hell.” Not much surprises us in clubs these days, but we buy her a drink for sheer originality.

Judging from the photo, however, she hasn’t exactly gone the full Falwell. . . .

At any rate, I wonder if this will inspire a new chapter in The Clubber’s Survival Guide? Perhaps one on fresh drink-cadging scams . . . .

UPDATE: Several readers complain that I’m dropping the ball on Blog Sweeps Week Month by not linking the photo. Alas, however, it’s not linkable — it’s only in the print issue, and while I guess I could scan it, I do try to maintain some respect for people’s intellectual property. Here’s a link to their rather rudimentary website (it’s got a blog, though).

INSIDE HIGHER ED has a story on the Frisch/Goldstein affair that seems to me to understate Frisch’s conduct somewhat. Jeff Goldstein — whose site still seems to be down — has posted a response in the comments. It’s a long way down, so I’m reproducing it here. Click “read more” to read it.

UPDATE: More background regarding threats on campus.

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ERIC SCHEIE: Bush should pardon Hillary now. Let bygones be bygones!

HERE’S VIDEO OF JOE BIDEN defending his remarks on Indian-Americans and Dunkin’ Donuts. Meanwhile, reader Sid Sharma emails:

As an Indian-American, ( I use this term, even though, I dont like hyphenated terms – I think we should think of ourselves as just Americans, period. Not playing identy-politics is what I like), I found Sen Biden’s comments rather funny. Heck, I am Indian, I and yet, I have to speak in Indian-accented English sometimes when I go into a gas-station or a 7-11, or a convenience store!!!!! Because, if I speak the way, I normally do, my local Indian grocer, for example, doesnt seem to understand me. I have to start discussing Bollywood movies and cricket in order to keep a conversation going.

I wonder what my other fellow-Indians are so offended about? Or have some of us decided to play the cynical game of pretending to be the newest “aggrieved” minority group? I have seen some leftist academics of Indian ethnicity trying to play the identity-politics game, and it would be sad if Indians in the US quit working hard, and just became a bunch of whiny complainers playing the “I am a minority” card at the drop of a hat.

As I noted before, the episode is mostly interesting as evidence of Biden’s tendency to talk first and think later.

IF I WERE THE CHINESE, I’D BE UNHAPPY ABOUT THIS: North Korea’s missile tests have Japan talking about remilitarizing.

MARKOS: “The media glare is not something I crave.”

An amusing response: “I suddenly recall the Onion headline: Woman tired of men staring at her breast implants.”

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IRAN: A debate at Cato Unbound.

THE CHRISTIANIST THREAT mushrooms.

EXPLOSION IN NEW YORK: Sounds accidental: “Con Edison was investigating the smell of gas in the area at the time of the explosion this morning.”

Stay tuned.

WELL, THIS SUCKS: “We can now say the the Orange Revolution is officially over. . . . A year and a half later, politically Ukraine is in the same place it was before.”

UPDATE: Nathan Hamm says that I shouldn’t be so depressed. Good point!

JIM GERAGHTY: “How could I entrust a Democratic lawmaker to stand up to al-Qaeda, Iran, North Korea or some other angry extremist, if he or she won’t stand up to Daily Kos?”

TWO DEMONSTRATIONS IN NEW YORK TODAY: One at the Syrian Embassy to demand the release of Gilad Shalit, at noon, and one in front of The New York Times offices, protesting publication of national security information, at 5 pm.

MORE BAD PRESS FOR THE IAEA: “The Nobel Peace Prize-winning chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency effectively fired his lead Iran investigator this spring at the request of the Iranians, according to a new report in the German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag. . . . The news could have explosive consequences for America’s policy of entrusting Mr. ElBaradei to negotiate an end to Iran’s uranium enrichment.”

Gee, do you think?

WHAT’S GOING ON IN IRAQ: StrategyPage reports:

The Shia terror against Sunni Arabs has a name, Abu Deraa. He’s being called the “Shia Zarqawi” for organizing death squads to take revenge after Sunni Arab suicide bombs kill Shia. . . .

But now, with Zarqawi dead, and most of the country at peace, more and more Sunni Arab tribal chiefs, politicians, business leaders and clerics are resigned to Shia domination. That means giving up the Sunni Arab warlords, gang leaders and terrorist chiefs, the people that make most of the violence happen. It’s not like the Sunni Arab leadership can just push a button, and make their bad guys go away. In Arab culture, the process moves a lot more slowly, and involves lots of talking, coffee, promises, deceit and drama. Apparently the drama has been convincing, because the Shia politicians running the country have persuaded Shia military and police units to go after Shia death squads. All of this is going to take months to play out. There will be cries of “Betrayal!” from the Shia community. Some Shia cops and soldiers will balk at busting fellow Shia, even if the perps are stone killers with dozens of bodies on them. However, the national leadership has agreed that peace with the Sunni Arabs, and an end to the vengeance killings, is necessary. Making this happen is the next crucial battle in the war.

There was more on this in Friday night’s podcast. Meanwhile, Iraq the Model reports on what Iraqis are saying.

N.Z. BEAR wonders what can be done about DoS attacks on bloggers. He has some ideas.

A LOOK AT POVERTY IN EUROPE and the uncertain success of the “French social model.”

DAVE KOPEL: “If a person likes Green Day’s sound, but not their politics, what other bands might the person enjoy?”

Not much of a fan myself, but even the hipsters have given up on Green Day’s politics.

UPDATE: Matt Sherman emails: “We should care about Green Day’s politics about as much as we care about Donald Rumsfeld’s guitar tone.”

I see Rumsfeld as a Super Reverb guy, but I’m sure he’d hotrod it with a Bassman transformer.