And decided to demolish a few assumptions the world had about them. Way to go.

Canadians should sit up and pay attention though: Obama may be anti-war, but his anti-*Iraq* war. His site makes clear that he wants to expand the US's involvement in Afghanistan, a country our Prime Minister has promised we're pulling out of by 2011.

He's also made plain he would like to renegotiate NAFTA, and with the US economy as it is, I think that spells protectionism which is really not at all in Canada's interest.

Still. The better man, the person that the world *clearly* felt they could establish an intelligent working relationship with, won. Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to make that possible.

I've followed the trial with moderate interest, but as far as I can tell, ReiserFS is out of Hans's hands. It's in the kernel source, and basically lives independently of any ideas he might have. That surely has been the case since he killed his wife, other things like trying to convince the world he's innocent occupying his time.

IMO, ReiserFS lives separately from the person Hans Reiser. Good riddance to him, but thanks for the software. It continues to be used on my production systems.

And gave up.

makes it very easy to imagine what the excerpt in this piece is talking about. Suffice it to say that it's magnificent tracking shot inside a factory that just keeps going and going and going and going....

It's a documentary about the work of a Canadian photographer, interested in how mankind shapes the landscape and themselves. It's a beautiful film and staggering in places, particularly in its discussion of the scale of Chinese manufacturing and transformations like the Three Gorges Dam.

Recommended.

I saw the preview for this film while waiting to watch "Babel". I felt at the end of the preview that I really had no reason to go see it. The major points of the plot are clearly delineated, and there's absolutely no sense taht there's any big draw or mystery there.

Aside from this being a Cuaron film, I wouldn't give it a second chance.

Attention hollywood: stop giving away the film in the previews. Think Star Wars "Breathe" trailer.

... then you are at greater risk of sexual assault by someone you know, than someone you don't know or just met. I cannot find my reference, but I am under the clear impression that, even after adulthood, "friends" still perpetrate the most assaults.

That's actually meant to be reassuring. I hope you read it as such.

The point about a self-defense course is a very good one. Many women I know are afraid to be out in parks or the city at night, when it's at its most beautiful, and I consider that kind of sad.

Be safe.

... please start busting some heads to allow Canadians to download BSG off iTunes. I want to make my support for the show known, and I'll be damned if I buy a TV and subscribe to cable for just one show. Every time I pirate this show off bittorrent, I feel guilty and want to mail Ron Moore a cheque for 10 bucks along with a handwritten apology.

I guess I will have to console myself by buying DVD's for my unenlightened friends.

Oh, and thank you to the writers for making Baltar interesting again. He was a delight early on, and a simpering irritant for a season and a half. Thank you thank you.

I've said it before -- just wait until The Bad Guys deploy some martial-arts-trained attackers, and kill a bunch of people. Then we'll get to spend the duration of the flight with our hands and legs strapped together with disposable nylon handcuffs. Won't that be great?

Patrick- love your column. Salon editors- bring us more people like him! Your non-US readership isn't terribly interested in all politics all the time.

... is 11 to 11 a "stunning rebuke"?

Doesn't anyone here remember that Ninjas, not muslim terrorists, used to be the quintessential stupendous badasses? I was scared to death of ninjas for the longest time, and used to fantasize about being a ninja so I could kick the ass of Gerry who used to make fun of me in grade school.

If the terrorists knew anything, they'd teach some of their suicidal types how to be ninjas, and turn them loose somewhere where lots of Americans hang out. That'd be great.

Then we'd all get to ride on the plane with our hands and feet safely cinched together, with a urinary catheter and vacuum cleaner under our seats to take care of our needs. The stewardess lady would come by and make sure we were hydrated, and they wouldn't have to spend all that money on bad coffee and tomato juice.