Overheard at Applebee’s, lunchtime, June 1. Young woman wearing black beret: “Je pense John Kerry

Can I change my plea to ‘partial birth      abortion’?*

Box of baking soda, half-full

From the Washington Post: Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen arrested in 2002 as he returned to the United States from Pakistan and accused of plotting to blow up radioactive “dirty bombs,” had been trained at an al Qaeda weapons camp in Afghanistan and had met repeatedly with top leaders of the terrorist network, who helped finance and equip his plans, a Justice Department official announced today. Among the key leaders

Here’s a feel good story: select Democrats and Republicans hope to bridge the partisan divide long enough to purchase some cheap grace with the jointly-sponsered Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. Offered in the name of the children™, of course. Which is all very lovely, because who needs personal choice and individual freedom when your betters are kind enough to legislate your options for you? See also: alcohol and

To:     Former Senator Gary Hart From:   Al Qaeda, Operations Division Re:     Attacking Denver, home of protein wisdom. Maps please, Gary. We need detailed maps. And don’t hesitate to forward along anything else you feel might be helpful. With kindest regards — Allahu Akbar, xxxxxxxx Al Qaeda senior staff and pawns cc: 72 virgins; operatives with no connection to Iraq, peace be upon them

1) Post-traumatic slave syndrome offered as murder defense. With a straight face. 2) Student plagiarist sues school for not warning him that passing off others’ work as his own was against the rules. 3) Al Gore

Dupea: “I said don’t point at her, you pompous celibate!”

Anybody interested in having a total stranger sleep over? He’ll be drunk and smelling of driver’s seat and tortilla chips. Hello…?

From Reuel Marc Gerecht’s “Who’s Afraid of Abu Ghraib,” comes this insightful bit: A very odd, very American notion about foreign affairs has now become gospel in certain quarters in Washington: Bin Ladenism will end and democracy spread throughout the Muslim Middle East only when a critical mass of Muslims like, respect, and trust us. Democracy cannot exist in the Muslim mind on its own merits but is judged overwhelmingly