October Surprise - The Sarah Palin Halloween Mask

For anyone hoping to scare the 'puck' out of some peewee hockey players this Halloween, Amazon.com may have just the thing you're looking for...

How about the Deluxe Sarah Palin Halloween Mask? It's a steal at $25.98.

Yes, it's true. The world's most polarizing "hockey mom" is indeed making a big splash in the novelties market.

(Say it ain't so, Joe...)

If, however, the Palin look isn't quite what you had in mind (or if you just can't afford the authentic, $150,000.00 wardrobe needed to accessorize), take a look at these alternate, political dress-up options.

And for more on this year's Alaskan costume craze, see:

• Sarah Palin costumes in high demand for Halloween - NY Daily News
• Sarah Palin Halloween Masks Selling Out!!! - YouTube
• The 10 Worst Barack Obama, John McCain, and Sarah Palin Halloween Costumes - Comedy Central
• Hockey mom mask? Palin top pick for Halloween - CTV

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Video: "A Dr. Seuss-Style Cautionary Tale"

The Vet Who Did Not Vet:

(h/t: AMERICABlog)

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Obama, Japan

Welcome to Obama, Japan

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Palin v. McCain: "She is a Diva..." "Every Man for Himself..."

According to various reports, a fierce battle between the camps of the two Republican nominees is very publicly rising to the surface:

Kevin Drum:

LET THE DEFENESTRATIONS BEGIN....Politico reports on what's going on behind the scenes in Republican circles:

With despair rising even among many of John McCain’s own advisers, influential Republicans inside and outside his campaign are engaged in an intense round of blame-casting and rear-covering — much of it virtually conceding that an Election Day rout is likely.

....“If you really want to see what ‘going negative’ is in politics, just watch the back-stabbing and blame game that we’re starting to see,” said Mark McKinnon, the ad man who left the campaign after McCain wrapped up the GOP primary. “And there’s one common theme: Everyone who wasn’t part of the campaign could have done better.”

“The cake is baked,” agreed a former McCain strategist. “We’re entering the finger-pointing and positioning-for-history part of the campaign. It’s every man for himself now.”

The Politico report establishes the theme - senior Republicans "echoing" opposition attacks while blaming other senior Republicans for "echoing" opposition attacks:

A senior Republican strategist, speaking with authority about the view of the party’s establishment, issued a wide-ranging critique of the McCain high command: “Lashing out at past Republican Congresses, … echoing your opponent's attacks on you instead of attacking your opponent, and spending 150,000 hard dollars on designer clothes when congressional Republicans are struggling for money, and when your senior campaign staff are blaming each other for the loss in The New York Times [Magazine] 10 days before the election, you’re not doing much to energize your supporters.

Think Progress:

The Politico reports that tensions between the Palin and McCain camps are increasing in the waning days of the campaign. Palin reportedly “has decided increasingly to disregard the advice of the former Bush aides tasked to handle her,” blaming “her handlers for a botched rollout and a tarnished public image.” A McCain campaign source unloads on Palin in an interview with CNN:

“She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone,” said this McCain adviser, “she does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else. Also she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: divas trust only unto themselves as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom.”

“I think she’d like to go more rogue,” a Republican source said of Palin.

Huffington Post via TPM:

Now one of John McCain's actual advisers has switched sides:Charles Fried, a professor at Harvard Law School, has long been one of the most important conservative thinkers in the United States. Under President Reagan, he served, with great distinction, as Solicitor General of the United States. Since then, he has been prominently associated with several Republican leaders and candidates, most recently John McCain, for whom he expressed his enthusiastic support in January.

This week, Fried announced that he has voted for Obama-Biden by absentee ballot. In his letter to Trevor Potter, the General Counsel to the McCain-Palin campaign, he asked that his name be removed from the several campaign-related committees on which he serves. In that letter, he said that chief among the reasons for his decision "is the choice of Sarah Palin at a time of deep national crisis."

You might have expected they'd wait at least until November 4th to point fingers and air their dirty political laundry.

They haven't lost yet, after all.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Joe the...

Congressman...?

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Ontario Cell Phone Driving Ban Ahead?

City News reports that legislation will be introduced in Ontario's Provincial Legislature next week to ban cell phone use while driving in Ontario:

It's not clear yet what will be in the legislation, expected to be brought out for first reading by Transport Minister Jim Bradley, but there are reports it will prohibit all use of phones by drivers in this province, with the possible excepttion of hand's-free devices.

The legislation, which will fall under the Highway Traffic Act, comes after the Premier issued a major reveral on the issue. In November 2007, the suggestion of a cell phone ban for those behind the wheel had beencompletely rejected by Dalton McGuinty. But he suddenly changed his mind in a public pronouncement last May, admitting he was mulling over the idea.

"I know what they've done in other provinces and other states: they've just dealt with one item, the cellphone," he mused back then. "I talk to the police and they say you could deal with one item, but there's more than just one item (distracting drivers). I've asked Bradley to take a look to see if there's something we might do, which deals with distractors generally, and I think in particular, electronic distractors."

(h/t - Tamara E.)

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Missouri 6th Graders Disciplined for "Hit A Jew Day"

This story from USA Today simply defies all rational commentary:

Several sixth-graders from suburban St. Louis are being disciplined for creating "Hit a Jew Day" and then hitting Jewish classmates.

Four or five students at Parkway West Middle School in Chesterfield could be suspended and undergo counseling for last week's incident, school officials told the Associated Press. Others who taunted Jewish students or encouraged others to participate face lesser punishment.

Officials said fewer than 10 of the school's 35 Jewish students were hit. One was slapped in the face and the others were hit mostly on the back of their shoulders. "There is a mix of sadness and outrage," said district spokesman Paul Tandy. "The concern is a lot of kids knew about it and they didn't take action or say anything."

AP explains:

It began with an unofficial "Spirit Week" among sixth-graders that started harmlessly enough with a "Hug a Friend Day." Then there was "High Five Day." Soon, though, the days moved from friendly to silly. Next there was "Hit a Tall Person Day" and, finally, "Hit a Jew Day."

This sort of conduct might be amusing on South Park. It is not when it comes to real-life American schoolyards.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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NY Times Endorses Obama for President

The New York Times endorsement of Barack Obama is no surprise, but as far as such editorial endorsements go, it is particularly well-argued and comprehensive.

See: Barack Obama for President

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Ex-Bushers Lining Up To Vote for for Obama

Last weekend, it was General Colin Powell.

Today, Scott McLellan, former White House Press Secretary, announced he will be voting for Senator Barack Obama in the November 4 U.S. election.

McLellan told CNN:

"...I will be voting for Barack Obama and clapping."

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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McCain Video: The Funniest Political Gaffe You Will Ever See

I am still laughing....

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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1000 Humble Opinions...

We've reached a milestone, of sorts.

This, apparently, is our 1,000th post at Wise Law Blog.

That's worth noting, I think.

'Nuff said. Now - back to work...

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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AP: Sarah Palin Charged Alaska for Kids' Expenses

I'm not too sure what to make of this Associated Press story:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Gov. Sarah Palin charged the state for her children to travel with her, including to events where they were not invited, and later amended expense reports to specify that they were on official business.

The charges included costs for hotel and commercial flights for three daughters to join Palin to watch their father in a snowmobile race, and a trip to New York, where the governor attended a five-hour conference and stayed with 17-year-old Bristol for five days and four nights in a luxury hotel.

In all, Palin has charged the state $21,012 for her three daughters' 64 one-way and 12 round-trip commercial flights since she took office in December 2006. In some other cases, she has charged the state for hotel rooms for the girls.

Alaska law does not specifically address expenses for a governor's children. The law allows for payment of expenses for anyone conducting official state business.

Is this just good, old-fashioned investigative journalism?

Or yet another chapter in one of the messiest, meanest, attack-laden elections I can recall?

And by the way, I'm getting really weary of hearing Republicans spouting the political theories of Joe the Plumber, as if he was the leader of their party.

The gimmicky, unrelenting reliance on the colourful Mr. Wurzelbacher as the McCain-Palin mascot does little to bring dignity or depth to a campaign sorely lacking in both.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Quote of the Day

Boris Johnson, the new Conservative mayor of London:

Democracy and capitalism are the two great pillars of the American idea.To have rocked one of those pillars may be regarded as a misfortune.

To have damaged the reputation of both, at home and abroad, is a pretty stunning achievement for an American president.

Via TPM and Andrew Sullivan

More on Boris Johnson here.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Mark Steyn Rallies the GOP Troops

Mark Steyn ralles MIA bloggers at The Corner:

I feel a bit like Comical Ali going ahead with the morning press conference to announce categorically there are no Americans in Baghdad, unaware that everyone in the presidential palace scrammed to Tikrit an hour before dawn.

Almost good enough for a quote of the day.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Sarah Palin and Tina Fey on SNL

Video is here.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Video: Colin Powell On His Endorsement of Obama

AP has additional comments from General Powell:

"It isn't easy for me to disappoint Sen. McCain in the way that I have this morning, and I regret that," Powell, interviewed on NBC's "Meet the Press," said of his longtime friend, the Arizona senator.

"But I firmly believe that at this point in America's history, we need a president that will not just continue, even with a new face and with the changes and with some maverick aspects, who will not just continue basically the policies that we have been following in recent years," Powell said.

"I think we need a transformational figure. I think we need a president who is a generational change and that's why I'm supporting Barack Obama, not out of any lack of respect or admiration for Sen. John McCain."

See: Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama for president - AP

Also see: Powell Backs Obama and Criticizes McCain Tactics - N.Y. Times

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Video: Anti Obama Racism Spills Over

More of the ugly underbelly, in this video from a Sarah Palin rally in Johnstown, Pennsylvania:

(h/t: TPM)

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Phrase of the Day: "Air Quotes"

As in: McCain Mocks Women's "Health" in debate using "air quotes".

Judy Muller at Huffington Post comments:

When it comes to dismissive finger gestures, there is nothing quite like the two-handed "air quote." For pure sarcastic appeal, it beats the much more obvious middle finger every time. But beware what words you put inside those little air quotes. John McCain used the gesture twice during his final debate with Barack Obama and each time it misfired. Actually, you can put "misfired" in air quotes. What I really mean is it blew up in his face.

Time's Jim Poniewozik summed it up:

"Um, Sen. McCain, women don't like it when you put 'health of the mother' in air quotes."

There you have it.

Air Quotes.

Our Phrase of the Day.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Leave 'Joe the Plumber' Alone...

I don't really care much about, or for, 'Joe the Plumber.'

John McCain's repeated references to him in last night's debate were grating, to say the very least.

Nonetheless, today's media assault on this individual's privacy is offensive and dangerous.

We have learned that he is unlicensed as a plumber and has owed back taxes. His political party registration has been publicized. Racism has been intimated. His family tree has been connected to Charles Keating (of Keating Five fame). We have even heard charges of inaccuracies on his Facebook page.

I am sure there will be more to come.

For goodness sake - all this average, Ohio man did was ask one tough question of Barack Obama. He is a private citizen who was entitled to do so - without any fear of reprisal or harm.

Instead, he's getting the Valerie Plame treatment.

Talk about a chilling effect on freedom of speech.

(Not that Joe has figured this out, mind you - he's happily riding his fifteen minutes of fame, so it seems)

Thumbs down to the various media sources and leading blogs who have run with this ill-conceived story.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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Facebook in the Workplace

I haven't written about Facebook for a while, probably because the novelty largely wore off quite some time ago.

Nonetheless, Facebook's place in the workplace remains a recurring theme in employment law circles.

A comprehensive article from Australian lawyer Nick Abrahams considers the risks of permissive workplace social networking policies, but nonethless, argues against Facebook bans.

He prefers "reasonable use" policies that emphasize employee responsibility:

• Note that the general HR policies (such as no harassment etc.) apply when the employee is using a social networking site
• Inform employees that they should only use such sites "reasonably", perhaps giving examples of what reasonable use might be
• Reinforce the employee's obligation to keep the organisation's information confidential
• Note that the employer may monitor the employee's use of the sites
• Importantly set out the potential consequences of failure to comply with the policy, which might include termination.

As you'll note from our previous entries on the topic, I largely agree with this approach.

Another snippet from the article touches on a surprising finding that many recruiters might find interesting:

Recruiting: 46 per cent of social network site users said that if faced with two competing job offers that were roughly equivalent but one organisation blocked Facebook, the employee would go for the organisation that did not block.

See the entire Abrahams article: The pain and potential of Facebook in the office

.......

'Friending' the Police

Another sign of the times.

A U.K. police force has set up its own Facebook page, in an outreach effort purportedly aimed at giving young people a way to help fight crime.

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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