A spokesman for Japan's Foreign Ministry says the man died due to "regrettable acts" by China:

A Japanese diplomat who committed suicide in May 2004 was being blackmailed to provide key intelligence to China, Japanese media reports say.

The unnamed engineer, in charge of communications for Japan's Shanghai consulate, left suicide notes saying he had been threatened by a Chinese man.

The threats concerned his relationship with a karaoke hostess, reports said.

Posted by: Ace at 11:07 PM | Comments (14)
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Pretty big news. This is from an advocacy group, so pardon the overheated tone of the writing.

In an astounding return to judicial interpretation of the actual text of the United States Constitution, a unanimous panel of the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has issued an historic decision declaring that “the First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state.” In upholding a Kentucky county’s right to display the Ten Commandments, the panel called the American Civil Liberties Union’s repeated claims to the contrary “extra-constitutional” and “tiresome.”

...

6th Circuit Judge Richard Suhrheinrich wrote in the unanimous decision: “The ACLU makes repeated reference to the ’separation of church and state.’ This extra-constitutional construct has grown tiresome. The First Amendment does not demand a wall of separation between church and state. Our nation’s history is replete with governmental acknowledgment and in some cases, accommodation of religion.”

In the Intelligent Design thread, "someone" asked me how my position on teaching religion in schools as science was different than evangelical-atheist Michael Newdow's. I said something about "de minimis" infractions.

The language from the decision above says it better. I don't mind acknowledgement of religion (mentioning God before a graduation) or accomodation of religion (schools off for Christmas), but the Constitution does forbid the establishment (or endorsement, as I read it)of religion, and I think teaching an expressly evangelical-Christian Biblical-literalist belief in science class falls into that category.

Posted by: Ace at 10:37 PM | Comments (37)
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Mmm... that new thread smell.

Okay, joke's over. Not sure why I trotted this one out again a second time.

Posted by: Ace at 09:10 PM | Comments (12)
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Kind of jumped the shark after they moved to Vegas, didn't it?

Rick wore a lot of tight jeans, and I never once saw him say "Damit, AJ, my rambunctous left testicle just got crushed by my crotch-seam again!"

I guess that's what makes you a cool detective. I don't remember Mannix ever saying that either.

Jake-- definitely not. The Fat Man might have said it once. But he obviously had a lot going on down there besides genitals.

Posted by: Ace at 09:07 PM | Comments (10)
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Not a fan.

He just always sort of rubbed me the wrong way.

Eh. Maybe it's partly my fault. Sometimes people just don't "get" each other.

Posted by: Ace at 09:03 PM | Comments (9)
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You may discuss otters, flumphs, and/or my aching left crotch-tit.

Posted by: Ace at 09:00 PM | Comments (5)
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...are the only creatures beside man to hunt their prey for the pure thrill of killing.

Or maybe it's tigers I'm thinking of. I can never keep the two straight.

(Thanks to Mac for the otter video.)

Posted by: Ace at 08:59 PM | Comments (20)
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Not good.

Posted by: Ace at 08:56 PM | Comments (8)
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Brian Ullery, a little shit who beat me up in third grade.

Posted by: Ace at 08:56 PM | Comments (3)
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Mind you, I'd prefer it if neither of the boys were throbbing in teeth-grinding pain.

Posted by: Ace at 08:55 PM | Comments (2)
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