Things Getting Back to Normal

We're back in Ohio, just in time to enjoy the lovely weather you have been keeping to yourselves. Also, the blog seems to be back. I deleted some sidebar code (thanks to Lisa Renee for the tip in comments) which appears to have done the trick.

A few trims and ends.

Last night during Michael Phelps's (first) medal ceremony, the Star Spangled Banner recording was cut off. Prof. W noticed it happened just at the phrase "Land of the free." Yep, we're in China.

NY Times on how the DiMora/Russo scandal could affect Obama in November. The article quotes my friend and colleague Dave Cohen as well as Subodh Chandra and Dr. John Green.

It is literally a cold day in August. Maybe that explains why I agree with Bad American.

The gun control community is reeling from news that a longtime apparent activist was apparently an NRA spy.

Notes on the mortal coil: RIP Bernie Mac and Isaac Hays. Best wishes to Paul Newman and family.

The best of many law blawg posts about the legal implications of the Hamdan verdict.

I'm not doing this. I want to be second to know Obama's VP pick.

Over the week we spent a fair amount of time on the boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ. One of the cheesy souvenir stores sold signs. Notre Dame Fans Parking only, etc. The no parking signs tried to include a witty line about what would happen to violators. The signmakers missed the boat on the party signs. The violators get punished by the mascots -- people who park in the Democrat stop get "kicked" and violating Republican parking gets you "squashed."

Why not be really political? Why not invoke and/or mock the caricature of each party? Democrat Parking Only: All others will be taxed. Or Republican Parking Only: All others will be water boarded.

Feel free to improve on the effort in comments.