GRAND ROUNDS IS UP!

HMM: Tesla Model S to spawn other derivatives including van, CUV, minivan.

SECOND AMENDMENT UPDATE: Supreme Court grants cert. in Chicago case. “It chose one of the Chicago cases — McDonald v. Chicago (08-1521) — a case brought to it by Alan Gura, the Alexandria, VA. lawyer who won the 2008 decision for the first time recognizing a constitutional right to have a gun for personal use, at least in self-defense in the home (District of Columbia v. Heller).” Interestingly, they’re asking about Privileges And Immunities, too. Some background here.

IN THE MAIL: From James Wesley Rawles, How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It: Tactics, Techniques, and Technologies for Uncertain Times.

NOTING THE HUFFINGTON POST’S DIFFERING TREATMENT of Roman Polanski and Mark Foley. “But unlike Foley, Polanski is not a Republican. He’s simply wanted in L.A. on a child rape charge.”

Related: Applebaum blames the victim for the rape. Plus, an interesting development: “The vast majority of French people feel the same way about Polanski as the vast majority of Americans. In both countries, sympathy for a child rapist seems isolated to the entertainment elite and the media sycophants who love them.” And the tax-and-financial advisors at ACORN, I suppose . . . .

UPDATE: Related thoughts here.

ANOTHER UPDATE: From Ann Althouse, a shred of sympathy for dumb celebrities:

I think these people are not really very politically savvy, though they want to look engaged and good. They’re surrounded by people who tell them what views to reflect and they got a clear message that made them think this was another easy one. And now, the backlash comes. Oh, poor celebrities! They just tried to say what their all-encompassing environment made them was good to say. Have a little compassion. It’s not like they raped a kid.

Nope, just excused it. Which tells us a lot about that “all-encompassing environment.”

WOODY ALLEN backs Roman Polanski. Well okay then.

SPACE TOURISM UPDATE: Cirque du Soleil founder, station crew blast off.

THAT WAS FAST: Byron York: Has the Liberal Moment come and gone?

JEWEL WONDERS what the hell is wrong with the arts community.

THE MUDVILLE GAZETTE: “The world loves us now. I’d like to believe that. I’d love to see it demonstrated some day. . . . And as attractive as a brief respite from all that soldiering on might seem – regardless of your political persuasion, exactly how much are you willing to bet on this?”

RESEARCH: Men And Women Both Care More About Pretty Faces Than Hot Bodies.

ALFONZO RACHEL: Battle Hymn of the Messiah.

REMEMBERING THE OLD DAYS: Gay Talese: New York Times Was Drunker Than Mad Men.

In a new video from Big Think, aptly titled “Getting Drunk at The New York Times,” Talese acknowledges that the old stereotype is true: many great writers were also very heavy drinkers. There was “a celebration of alcoholism almost within the creative arts, even in journalism,” he explains in the clip. The spirited old-timer goes on to describe his first time in the City Room at the Times, and watching a man “whose head fell on his typewriter” from a few too many midday trips to the cabinet. . . . That show Mad Men, Talese says, was nothing: “The drinking that went on in journalism was beyond that.”

I’d say find out what they were drinking, and send some to the Times’ current staff . . . .

SOON THEY’LL BE SERVING “FREEDOM FRIES” AT THE WHITE HOUSE AGAIN: Sarkozy Sees Obama As Incredibly Naive & Grossly Egotistical.

REP. ALAN GRAYSON (D-FL): The GOP “wants you to die.”

THE NEW SENATE DOCTORS’ SHOW: “Tom Coburn and John Barrasso Talk about the ‘Public Option’ and Medicare.” With a Huffington Post appearance.

STARBUCKS TAKES ON Town Hall Protesters.

L.A. TIMES: Former ACORN worker details blackjack voter registration bonuses. “On Tuesday, a judge began considering whether Edwards’ former supervisor, Amy Busefink, and the Assn. of Community Organizations for Reform Now will stand trial on 13 low-level felony charges of compensation for registration of voters. The evidentiary hearing will resume this morning.”

SARAH PALIN’S BOOK TITLE, Going Rogue, kind of reminds me of “I Aim To Misbehave.” I would’ve liked that one better. . . .

But she’s already #5 on Amazon, so I guess it’s working.

UPDATE: Er, make that #3 on Amazon, now.

OUCH: Brian Nutting, CQ Scapegoat.

HEH: HuffPo Goes All In to Defend Polanski, Readers Revolt. Good for them.

L.A. TIMES: What Obama won’t say about the Afghan war today, at least publicly. “Signs are growing that Obama will seek to change the war goals, to redefine what is success and divert the discussion away from the more-troops measure. It’s not defeat in Afghanistan; it’s victory of a different kind. . . . Here’s the entire Obama transcript. But notice anything missing here? No more mention of the original 9/11 bad guys, the Taliban. No mention either of defeating them. And no more mention of making it safe for democracy to flourish in Afghanistan. Through such overlooked omissions are the political goals and measures of American victory in Afghanistan being subtly shifted without any notice or announcement by the Obama administration.”

WELL, THIS SUCKS: Tsunamis Devastate Pacific Islands. “A series of tsunamis has caused widespread death and destruction in the South Pacific. The waves were triggered by a powerful deep sea earthquake between Samoa and American Samoa. Scores of people are reported to have been killed. “

ON ROMAN POLANSKI, Ann Althouse challenges Bernard-Henri Lévy:

Bernard-Henri Lévy, you present yourself as a philosopher. I would like to honor philosophy. Back up your petition with a philosophical argument that we can understand and critique.

Won’t happen, because the real argument is that as one of the creative elite, Polanski is supposed to enjoy a sort of droit de seigneur — but if you come right out and say that, the peasants will get angry.

Related item here.

JENNIFER RUBIN: Not Sufficient to Let Holder Investigate Holder.

When we last left the saga of the Obama administration’s dismissal of the default judgment in the New Black Panther voter-intimidation case, the Justice Department had finally consented to an internal investigation by the Office of Professional Responsibility while the independent U.S. Civil Rights Commission had decided to embark on a comprehensive study and produce a report on the decision and its implications for voting-rights policy. Attorney General Eric Holder to date has stiffed the commission—first ignoring its inquiries and then citing the OPR investigation as reason not to cooperate.

Rep. Frank Wolf, who was instrumental in raising the profile of the case and in demanding an explanation for the dismissal, isn’t satisfied. A spokesman in his office, Dan Scandling, explained to me that Wolf continues to press forward for a congressional hearing to get to the bottom of the issue.

Seems fair to me.