

We accept advertising through Blogads. If you're interested, click the "Advertise here" link above, or go here to place your ad through Blogads. For assistance, e-mail me here; I'd be glad to help. Reach lots of viewers -- we're up to about 3,800 unique visits a day, and more than 61,000 page views a week (as of November 4). Our rates are dirt cheap for the exposure you'll get! If you'd like to advertise without going through the Blogads system, that's do-able, too. Just e-mail us here for more information.
As a lawyer/blogger, I get
to be a member of:
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
Cameron, Chardonnay
B.R. Cohn, Cabernet, Silver Label 2006
Graffigna, Cabernet 2005
Palo Alto, Reserve Red 2008
Menguante, Garnacha 2008
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Felsina Berardenga, Vin Santo 1997
Anne Amie, Pinot Gris 2009
McKinley Springs, Bombing Ramge Red 2007
Vieux Papes Red
Dionysius Chardonnay 2009
Haden Fig, Pinot Noir 2009
Vega Montan, Mencia 2008
Chateau la Vernede, Coteaux du Languedoc 2007
Mount Defiance, Hellfire (White) 2008
Root: 1, Cabernet 2008
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Pinot Grigio 2009
Columbia Crest, Two Vines, Vineyard 10 White, 2008
Columbia Crest, Two Vines, Vineyard 10 Rose, 2007
Abacela, Grenache Rose 2009
Avia Cabernet 2004
Lemelson Pinot Noir, Thea's Selection 2007
Chateau de la Roulerie, Rose d'Anjou 2009
Casal Garcia, Vinho Verde Rose
La Ferme Julien, Rose 2008
Cana's Feast, Bricco Red, 2006
Hogue, Genesis Merlot, 2008
Owen Roe, Sharecropper's Cabernet, 2008
Kim Crawford, Unoaked Chardonnay 2008
J. Scott, Pinot Noir 2008
Edmunds St. John, White, Heart of Gold 2008
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2006
Stevenot, Cabernet, Sierra Foothills, "Stanford" 2000
Portuga, Vinho Rose 2009
Taylor Fladgate, First Estate Reserve Porto
Franciscan, Cabernet, Napa 2006
Chaparral de Vega Sindoa, Garnacha 2008
Quinta da Aveleda, Vinho Verde 2008
St. Francis, Chardonnay Sonoma 2008
E. Guigal, Cotes du Rhone Blanc, 2007
Edmunds St. John, Bone-Jolly, Gamay Noir 2008
St. Innocent, Pinot Noir 2006
Jigsaw, Pinot Noir 2007
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Merlot, Indian Wells 2007
Charles Shaw, Chardonnay 2008
Edmunds St. John, Bone-Jolly, Gamay Rosé 2009
Cameron, Willamette Valley Chardonnay
Il Valore, Sangiovese, Giovane, Puglia 2008
Duck Pond, Chardonnay, Wahluke Slope 2007
Kim Crawford, Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008
Domaine du Pesquier, Cotes du Rhone 2005
Cantina Zaccagnini, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2006
Domaine Matrot, Chardonnay, Bourgogne 2007
David Hill, Oregon Sparkling Wine, Brut
Chandler Reach, Monte Regalo 2006
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2008
Kirkland, Columbia Valley Merlot 2008
D'Aragon, Old Vine Garnacha 2008
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2005
Pavin & Riley, Merlot 2006
David Hill, Estate Pinot Noir, Barrel Select 2006
Castle Rock, Paso Robles Cabernet 2006
Magnificent, Cabernet, Steak House 2008
Conundrum 2008
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1998
Saint Cosme, Cotes-du-Rhone 2007
La Granja, Tempranillo 360, 2008
Santa Rita, Mendalla Real Cabernet 2006
Columbia Crest, Grand Estates Merlot 2006
Andezon, Cotes-du-Rhone 2007
Collegiata, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
Troon, Druid's Fluid 2008
La Granja, Tempranillo 2008
Monte Antico, Toscana 2006
Vieux Papes, Blanc de Blancs
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Miles run year to date: 54
At this date last year: 50
Total run in 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (18)
Agreed.
Posted by Cousin Jim | September 18, 2008 5:54 AM
The best paragraph from that article:
"The Secret Service contacted The Associated Press on Wednesday and asked for copies of the leaked e-mails, which circulated widely on the Internet. The AP did not comply."
Apparently the Secret Service hasn't yet heard of Gawker.
The real question is whether this is the end of the story, or if it will turn into a slow drip of troopergate emails.
Remember, the Pentagon Papers were illegal too -- but they were still kinda important.
Posted by Bob | September 18, 2008 6:14 AM
Aw come on Jack, are not these of the same mind-set of repugs that have abolished the laws of privacy? These creeps have jettisoned every right to privacy and the Bill of Rights. Telecoms and all agencies have absolution why not a hacker?
Posted by KISS | September 18, 2008 6:35 AM
"Fire!! Fire!!"
Has my right to free speech been abolished?
Posted by John Fairplay | September 18, 2008 6:40 AM
"into the **Yahoo!** email account" . . . "used for official state business."
I thought Alabama was backward. Can they not afford an "official" email server up there?
Posted by Beulah | September 18, 2008 8:41 AM
"Anonymous" has been pretty active for a couple years, mostly taking on the Scientology organization. I'm surprised to see them switch gears like this and engage in what seems to be political black-hat cracking. I hope they think the impending destruction of their organization is worth it, because they surely have brought an epic sh**-storm down on themselves.
Wikileaks, though, is just doing what it always does: Hosting interesting stuff provided to them by others. I hope they survive this mess.
Posted by Alan DeWitt | September 18, 2008 8:50 AM
Actually, the GOP has made an art teaching its troops to use back-channel commercial networks to avoid using government networks so as to avoid little things like FOIA and historical archiving/backups -- including in the White House itself. No surprise at all that Palin & Crew would be doing the same so that they could respond to inquiries by saying "We've searched the Governor's state e-mail system and no messages come under the request you made."
I think the value here is that the hacking demonstrated that she's doing state business outside the publicly run system.
Posted by George Seldes | September 18, 2008 8:53 AM
Look, I don't want to go tinfoil hat here, but from now 'til the election, I'd advise everyone to take everything
skeptically. Obviously the biggest fear is a false flag operation - a phony terrorist attack to scare the voters.
But this extends down to anything that stirs us up. I'm not saying this is a fake story, but if you know about Karl Rove you know he did the fake break-in early in his career back in Texas.
What would you want the voters to be mad about today? The way the Republicans have been minding the store with our money?
Or an unfair attack on that wonderful Sarah Palin who shot a moose and opposed the Bridge to Nowhere.
And anyone commenting on this should address that incident where Karl Rove faked a break-in and wiretapping to get sympathy for a candidate back in Texas.
Beware: There are forces at work to dupe you. Don't accept every little thing you hear these next two months at face value.
Posted by Bill McDonald | September 18, 2008 9:55 AM
We also need to be alert to fake stories about faking.
There are those who would fake a story about somone faking something.
Posted by Ben | September 18, 2008 10:08 AM
If you compare the Sarah Palin diversion to the movie "Wag the Dog" the initial story has come and gone.
Remember in the movie, when they sit around trying to think of a way to keep the story front and center?
They finally settle on the fake prisoner of war who sends a morse code message to his mom. God, that movie was brilliant.
And to think I once got to sit in a banquet room and watch Dustin Hoffman do his Hollywood producer impression live.
Anyway, imagine this GOP meeting:
"Look, the initial Sarah Palin story went great. How do we keep it going?"
"It's tough. They're challenging us on her talking points. Turns out she didn't always oppose the Bridge to Nowhere, she did accept earmarks, she didn't really visit Ireland or Iraq and Alaska is nowhere near the supplier of 20% of America's energy.
They say she's a bigger liar than Dick Cheney."
"Hey, watch how you talk. Cheney is the King. But what do we do?"
"We could have her shoot something live. No. She's got to be victimized.
The lipstick on a pig thing lasted one or two days but it has to be more this time. I know. They break into her house. No, what if they catch her daughter having sex? It's got to be cleaner than that. I've got it, they break into her email account!"
"That's perfect. Get our operatives on the phone now. It's time to wag the dog."
I don't know if that's what happened, but I do know those strategy meetings are taking place.
You can count on that, and the closer we get, the more outrageous the lies are going to be. We could even get another timely bin Ladin video. Remember that one?
Posted by Bill McDonald | September 18, 2008 10:17 AM
Hmmm. This alleged e-break-in has occurred at just the time that the GOP is busily trying to derail the Palin Troopergate investigation. The Rovian political black-ops interpretation is perhaps rather feasible.
Posted by joel dan walls | September 18, 2008 10:34 AM
Look, I don't want to go tinfoil hat here, but from now 'til the election, I'd advise everyone to take everything skeptically.
Surprising advice, coming from you, Bill.
I think you DO want to go "tinfoil hat" at any and every opportunity...
...unless it's the voices that are making you do it;-)
Posted by cc | September 18, 2008 11:02 AM
Folks, you have completely missed the back story on this one.
The alledged perpetrator has already spilled on the how he did it, the why he did it, and so on. The proxy site that was used for the access to the account is already known too, and the owner of said proxy site is cooperating.
When the /b/tards who frequent the board where this took place learned the details, one went "white hat" and took the steps necessary to start shuitting things down.
Posted by Mike (one of the many) | September 18, 2008 11:16 AM
I actually started as a skeptic who saw the fringe as out of touch. Now, I don't see a vast right wing conspiracy as much as I see compliant sheep who wouldn't have a doubting notion of authority if it took their liberty and trashed their Constitution. Wait, that happened. See what I mean?
One thing I know I don't believe is all these suicides. Especially by people who go on radio shows and say, "If I turn up dead, it wasn't a suicide."
The D.C. Madam - right before she was to testify at her trial, the anthrax guy, the writer the other day. Now we've had two deaths of the most credible, prominent 9/11 witnesses. Very similar to what happened to witnesses after JFK.
But don't think twice, it's all right. Sarah is hot, she can lie like Cheney, and President Bush is working hard on the economy. Everything is coming up roses.
Funny how history won't go away. The Gulf of Tonkin incident is now seen as a false flag operation propelling us into Vietnam. And who do we have running for President - someone who's biggest and most deserved honor is that he was a prisoner of that war. But that doesn't mean Vietnam wasn't a mistake. We've been duped before, so it's not tinfoil hat to wonder if we're being duped now. That's just being wise.
But don't wake up. I know it's hard to sleep with all your money crammed in your mattress, but don't wake up, whatever you do.
Posted by Bill McDonald | September 18, 2008 11:23 AM
Quite a co inky dink that 'vast rightwing conspiracy' reads up off the screen, as I just was thinking about it ... remember back ... { { ~ ~ cue the dreamy vaseline-lens flashback sequence } ~ }~ ...
It all came out there is a vast rottenwing conspiracy. But then it stopped. Before the ring in it was identified. Every conspiracy has a central organizing 'inner ring.' And ring-leading Ringmaster.
Modelled after the circus clowns conspiracy to make us laugh with our cupboards bare of bread.
So, I got to thinking, as the many innocents are now seen jumping ship and getting away from the vast rottenwing, having woken up to seeing themselves crewing on the ship of fools which they didn't realize was a consPIRACY ring, then the only ones left on-board are those who are knowingly devoted in the ring. And now the ringleader is easier to isolate on, as the one the rest of the ring runs 'round to.
... Rove held ... the College Republicans until early 1973. (Herbert Wingleader) Bush hired Rove as a special assistant in the Republican National Committee, a job Rove left in 1974 ... the summer Junior was abducted and quarantined to detox, at a CIA outpost beside the Alaskan oil pipeline being built.
---
The 'innocents' seen cutting and running are those who, having parrot-talked LIARS points saying 'the economic fundamentals are sound' for 7 years, unaware of what they were participants in, now TV-see the realworld monetary abyss, queue up in the unemployment soup line without a pension, and refuse to answer the reporter's question: How's that working for you?
I figure when we didn't look into the Florida 2000 ballots, where true tallies are our veritable identity in the election franchise, the American self-reflection mirror cracked and broke and heralded these seven years of bad luck.
Posted by Tenskwatawa | September 18, 2008 2:41 PM
In response to Jack's comment in another thread (where I brought up the e-mail issue), I'm on the fence about the e-mail hack.
I agree that it was a violation of law. But, I also believe that Palin's use of a personal e-mail account to conduct the official business of her office was likewise illegal. In combination with the oft-quoted "Rovian" tactic of using multiple, personal, alternative e-mails to thwart later investigation and public records research, I'm not sympathetic to Palin's claims of victimization. Like others, I oppose vigilantism, yet there is a certain measure of "street justice" in having illegal activities expose other illegal activities.
In the end, my preferred outcome would be that all parties suffer the consequences for their actions. The "hack"/privacy invasion has consequences; a true patriot suffers gladly for the sake of his/her cause. Palin, likewise, should suffer the consequences of her actions in subverting and obstructing the investigation pending against her; a responsible person takes responsibility for their actions.
Posted by Chris Coyle | September 18, 2008 6:11 PM
Using a certain e-mail provider is "illegal,' Chris? Only if you work for Microsoft.
Posted by Mike (the first one) | September 18, 2008 8:20 PM
Mark1:
Only in that it may be a violation of public records laws if e-mail conducting the public's business and transported through alternate means is not archived or disclosed in accordance with such law.
Posted by Alan DeWitt | September 19, 2008 9:21 AM