first off, I was thinking about the amazon.com wishlist thing, and realized that it would be easiest to just have the stuff sent to dad's. if everyone else has already come to that conclusion, then good. that is what I will be doing. JP, I saw your wishlist, and we have some overlapping stuff. we both have the book "chronicles of tao," which I have read part of, and it's very good. if one of us gets a copy, we could conceivably just swap. keep in mind. we also both have the fear and loathing in lv collectors edition, one that C could burn a copy of, if only one of us got it. not be all practical or anything, just a thought.
C, last time I checked, you only had two books on yours. are you going to be adding anymore stuff? also, what to get for you, Dad?? to create an amazon wishlist you just go to the website, click on wishlist, which is at the top of the page. you can set up a list name and then look for items on teh website, adding ones you want by clicking the "add to wishlist" button. otherwise, do you have any ideas on what to get for you?
regarding the issue of journalists not revealing their sources...
I think that you can't really attack the theory of these kind of confidential arrangements. I don't think that adding addendi or qualifiers to these laws will necessarily solve anything. because politics are really the issue here, and the motive for the leaking of the woman's identity was an act of revenge, it is basically an ethical problem, not legal. it is unethical to do what was done. but we all know that ethics are such a grey category, and violating ethical principles is often applauded, or at least tolerated in our country (see letting companies avoid paying taxes through using off-shore accounts). if we were to clear our political air a little, and actually have a change in our government, these issues would not be such a problem.
so practically, what good will it do to have the journalists reveal their sources? because I am anti-bush and his adminstration, I of course want everything to happen that could possibly make their scandals undeniable. JP mentioned secrecy. this administration has become very secretive, more so than more recent administrations. during WW2 mouths and sources also clammed up, and very unethical things occured (rounding up japanese-americans, for example) , but afterwards there was a realization that this was bad. but since the war on terror is thought of as ongoing (long hard slog), there is no end in sight for this level of secrecy. hmmmm.
moving to canada, anyone?
I think that many people are so pissed off that this administration has gotten away with so much, that this valerie plame case signifies that frustration. if the judges want to make the journalists reveal their sources, and an exception is made in this isolated case, and it reveals at least a small piece of corruption, then so be it.
I am arriving at my decision sort of reluctantly. comments?
anyway, it's raining here in philly today, so no hiking.
also, jp, I didn't know that you were coming to the east coast and staying till new years. I don't really have that many days to take off. I think I might go back to work the 29th or something. we'll talk on the phone about it.
love,
H

- posted by H @ 12/11/2004 01:50:00 PM