U.S. District Judge Barry Moskowitz has just struck down Section 11382 of the California Election Code, which requires voters to vote “yes” or “no” on the recall in order to have their votes counted as to the replacement candidate (hat tip: Daniel Weintraub). This sounds like a Really Important Rule for Elections (RIRE). Don’t you sleep better at night knowing that your Right To Vote is so important that you can’t even deprive yourself of it by choosing not to vote? I know that I do.

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While on the topic of urban legends in general, and in particular those that make it into the “responsible” press, I note that Bryon Scott recently linked to an op-ed piece by Zay N. Smith of the Chicago Sun-Times on the topic of silly product warnings spawned by crazy lawsuits. The piece makes some valid points, but seriously misstates the facts on Stella Liebeck, the plaintiff in the infamous McDonalds coffee case. The rest of the cases cited by Mr. Smith have no names, dates, case names, etc., and basically haev “hoax” written all over them. Here’s hoping Snopes will look into some of them – as if these brave souls don’t have enough crap to debunk already.

Remember, folks, just because you read it in the mainstream press does not mean it is true! Maybe newspapers need to come with warnings, too, such as caveat lector, or let the reader beware.

UPDATE: Snopes has an impressive list of real and phony “Stella Award” type cases. I just alerted them to the Sun-Times article to see if they know anything about the cases discussed in it. Stay tuned!

The Oakland Tribune notes that if the recall is not successful, taxpayers may be stuck with the bill for Joe Davis’s campaign. Seeking a repsonse from the Davis camp, the paper noted that:

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Dan Weintraub reports that Bill Mulligan Simon is planning to run. Thanks, Bill, but no thanks. If you had run even a mediocre campaign in 2002, there would be no recall election now, no Taxpayers

As you know, the recent “Hunting for Bambi” hoax was initially covered by several mass media sources (e.g., KLAS-TV, MSNBC, FoxNews) as though the story were legit.

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Geoffrey Allen recently opined that Comcast, his ISP, sucks. As I have never used Comcast’s Internet service, I will have to take Geoffrey’s word on the quality of their service. I will note, however, that there are at least two other things about Comcast that truly suck, to wit:

1. While other ISPs are contesting the RIAA’s harassing subpoenas on various grounds, Comcast is rolling over and selling out its customers’ names without a fight.
2. Comcast pays employees a $1.50 bounty to spy on their neighbors and report any homes with satellite dishes that aren’t already in Comcast’s spam-list.

Anything else I missed?

First, Scott Ott predicted that Bill Clinton would inject himself into the recall election. Now, Matt Drudge is basically predicting the same thing. Say it ain’t so, Joe.

As far as I’m concerned, this is not happening. Until I hear it from the insider, it’s just an unfounded rumor, nothing more. Dammit.

Today’s Evening Standard reports that there 164 muggings per day in London. It sure is a good thing English people don’t get to carry guns, as Americans do. Imagine the huge occupational hazard an armed citizenry would pose to these 164 fine young men who are just trying to make a living the only way they know how.

At the same time, the news of 164 muggings per day can’t be all good, even by British standards. I mean, with that many people being mugged at random, the law of averages all but guarantees that sooner or later, someone is going to mug a burglar.

Jonah Goldberg gives those nutty Berserkeley “researchers” the level of consideration
they deserve.

Lessee. Democrats have controlled both houses of the Legislature since 1996, all three branches of the California government since 1999, and every single statewide office since this January. Meanwhile, our already abysmal bond rating has been lowered to near-junk bond status, resulted in additional interest in excess of the cost of holding a recall election every year, but the Senate’s top Democrat, John Burton, doesn’t care because “the money” (mine, for example), will be there to pay it. So of course letter writer Teri Markson blames the obvious culprits, the Republicans.