Coming on DVD in 2003: Animatrix. That’s 7 directors (presumably anime directors) doing shorts in the world of the Matrix. Funky. I dig the trailer.

Jeff Cooper is an actual law professor, and so much more qualified than I to discuss the legalities (original) of declaring war on Iraq sans Congressional approval. He read the Security Council resolutions I referenced earlier and reports that their goals have been achieved. So there you go. Parenthetically, and I mention this because it’s been brought up from time to time, Clinton also used (original) the 1991 Security Council resolutions as justification for military action against Iraq. So it’s not as if Bush doesn’t have some precedent. Clinton’s stance was that enforcing the no-fly zones was a means of preventing further Iraqi aggression against neighboring states, which was in fact mandated by the UN. Although the UN didn’t approve the no-fly zones. Muddy waters.

KCRW has a live Aimee Mann performance (original) available via RealAudio; the date is 8/27/2002. It’ll probably stick around for a while — they’ve got a 3/4/1996 performance (original) archived as well.

Won’t you join me in my quest to convince WizKids Games (original) to release a Grant Morrison miniature for HeroClix DC (original)? Grant’s a legitimate character (with superpowers) in the current DC continuity, having appeared briefly in Suicide Squad Volume 1, issue 58. Thus, he’s appropriate fodder for a HeroClix minature. I encourage you to write support@wizkidsgames.com politely registering your interest in such a figure. It’s probably good to mention that Morrison exists in continuity, as per my geekish notes above. ...

Cory Doctorow’s got a story in Salon: “0wnz0red.” (original) Cute title, yes. A sort of amusing story, layered over with a political agenda. The Honorable Computing gimmick is pretty close to Microsoft’s Palladium technology.

Target demonstrated a remarkably clueless attitude recently by selling various white-supremacy branded clothing (original). Fortunately, they’ve since pulled the clothing from shelves (original). Good for them. I’d like to know who designed the stuff; apparently it was Target’s house brand.

I’m among the top ten Google results for google://aimee+mann+lost+in+space. I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear! But since it’s done, I suppose I ought to be providing the poor seekers some sort of a review. It is moody, even for an Aimee Mann album. Where Bachelor No. 2 was infused with a rather Paul Thomas Andersonesque sense of wistful hope, or at least the willingness to take chances, Lost in Space is sung from the perspective of someone who’s taken the chances and fallen hard. In that sense, it’s a return to the bitter pessimism of I’m With Stupid. ...

I always think I know so much. By way of Patricia Nielsen Hayden’s Making Light, I found an absolutely fascinating paper on a nineteenth century “online community.” It had all the features one expects from an online community, except of course the actual online-ness. But — flame wars, people masquerading as another gender, and identity slippage. Yeah, yeah, Bryant. It’s a new and unusual concept. Tell it to your ancestors.

Just tagging the BlogMD Initiative (original) for later contemplation. MD stands for metadata, not for doctor.

I don’t really have any objection to Bush announcing that his lawyers believe he has the authority to attack Iraq without a Congressional vote. I don’t know about the de jure, but I’d bet he has authority de facto. The legal argument rests primarily on this Congressional resolution, passed last year, which authorizes the use of armed forces against those responsible for 9/11. They’re also citing H.J. Res. 77, a Congressional resolution passed in January 1991 which authorized the invasion of Iraq. ...