FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2010

CONTACTS:

Senator Scott Jenkins
Chair of the Judicial Confirmation Committee
801-560-1295

Jerry D. Howe
Policy Analyst
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel
801-538-1032

UTAH SENATE INVITES PUBLIC COMMENT ON POTENTIAL NEW JUDGES
Confirmation committee to scrutinize Governor Herbert’s nominees

SALT LAKE CITY – Senator Scott Jenkins, Chair of the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee, announced today he will hold public meetings to consider five potential new judges. To assist in determining the scope of those hearings, he is seeking public comment on the nominees. 

The five new judicial appointments are as follows:

* Mr. David R. Hamilton, appointed as Judge of the Second District Court
* Ms. Michelle E. Heward, appointed as Judge of the Second District Juvenile Court
* Mr. Noel S. Hyde, appointed as Judge of the Second District Court
* Mr. Jeffrey J. Noland, appointed as Judge of the Second District Juvenile Court
* Ms. Karla Staheli, appointed as Judge of the Fifth District Juvenile Court

Those who desire to submit comment are invited to contact Mr. Jerry D. Howe at the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, Utah State Capitol Campus, House Building, Suite W210, P.O. Box 145210, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-5210, by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 20, 2010. All statements should include the presenter’s name, telephone number, and mailing address. The time and date of the upcoming Judicial Confirmation Committee hearings will be announced on the legislative web site.  The committee will issue a report to the full senate prior to a confirmation vote. The Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee consists of Senator K. Scott Jenkins, Chair (R-Plain City), Senator Jon J. Greiner (R-Ogden), Senator Lyle W. Hillyard (R-Logan), Senator Karen Mayne (D-West Valley City), and Senator Michael G. Waddoups (R-West Jordan).

# # #

NOTES:

1. Judicial Confirmation Committee schedule, agendas and audio archives are posted online at
http://www.le.utah.gov/asp/interim/Commit.asp?Year=2010&Com=SPESJC

2. The resumes of the new appointees are attached as PDF documents.

3. The procedures of the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee are established by Senate Rule 24.04.1.

[If anyone would like to review the PDF resumes mentioned in the notes above, leave a comment and I will email them to you]

Tonight:

A district court has placed an injunction hold on several key pieces of the Arizona immigration law.  Considering the excitement of some that Utah follow suit, we’ll discuss how this could (should!) change the rhetoric.  (Talking to you, Rep. Sandstrom!)

A new PEW survey on the “Bush Tax Cuts” is out, showing something surprising.  Not only do a majority support letting them expire, but that same majority is willing to put paying a little more out of their own pocket on the table to better the economy.  We’ll discuss.

Sighting the “absence of national leadership” on climate legislation, several states — all members of the WCI — are, like Arizona with immigration reform, taking the matter into their own hands.  The obvious question is those rallying behind Arizona also support this state based effort?  The next question is: Would it work?  Also, what does this say about the House and the Senate, and the lack of action on these two issues?

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

Tonight:

According to a new Harris poll, Americans are still cutting their daily expenses.  Everyone is looking for a way to save money and reduce their spending.  We want to know how Utahn’s are doing it.  What is the most creative cost cutting idea you’ve had?

The Feds rejected Utah’s ask for $175 million in “school money.” Home school for everyone this fall?  No more pencils in classrooms?  “Outdoor” classrooms in Mabelle’s chicken shack?  We’ll discuss.

Tuesday.  Mero Moment day.  Today, Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero will regale us with tales of (and the importance of) self-reliance.

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

Most of my chosen experience at Netroots Nation ’09 and ’10 has been in the form of campaign type training, and doesn’t make for an exciting post.  I did step outside of that more this year to catch panels on Social Security (more on that later, but for now: there is no crisis), immigration, and other policy issues, but due to conflicting panels, I had skipped all but the Q & A of this one.  Craig attended and will probably have more to say later at The SideTrack. From the Q & A alone I learned quite a bit, so I wanted to post the entire video of the discussion.

The Forgotten Foreclosure Crisis: Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Professor Elizabeth Warren (“Godmother” of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and CPA nominee, Genius), and Firedoglake financial blogger David Dayden (DDay).  Moderated by HuffPo’s Ryan Grimm.

About 2 minutes swapping panelists mics, but at 19 minutes Warren is asked a question, and continues until about the 30 min mark with one of the most concise explanations of the crisis, how we got here, and what it means for the entire country going forward.

So you’re a Christian …

There has been some talk of late about mostly ALL Americans coming from immigrants and that public speech (Prayer as it were in Hyrum on Independence Day) in Spanish should be a welcome celebration of our American culture and Independent Sovereignty.

I was pondering the Tower of Babel from the Book of Genesis. Babel translates to ‘the Gate of God’. One of Noah’s great grandsons (the people we truly come from if you believe in that sort of thing) is thought to have lead a charge to build a tower so high they could just walk right up to Heaven and forgo God’s commanded law of righteousness on Earth. The people thought they could ignore the Law and simply and passively invade Heaven. Sound familiar?

God didn’t like the attitude so he confused their tongues (invented other languages) making communication very difficult.

So what happened next? Unity or segregation?

There is no need for pride in the color of one’s skin or one’s cultural heritage. If you’re a Christian such pride simply means you are proud of the changes on Earth brought on by Nimrod’s spirited charge to Heaven.

For Americans, especially on July 4th, pride belongs with one’s allegiance to the Red, White and Blue. Language isn’t a matter of pride, it’s about communication. In America we speak English whether our dialect be the Lingo associated with Jive, Yankee, Southern Drawl, Chicano or Valley Girl. If you move here, learn and use English when addressing strangers.

Those who move here and use pride as an excuse NOT to learn or use English are influencing segregation that will find us falling in division rather than standing proudly united.

Warchol:

Many would expect Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz to be one of the first conservatives to sign up for Rep. Michele Bachmann’s new House Tea Party Caucus, but that ain’t going to happen.

Chaffetz thinks a formal caucus will blunt the conservative movement that has energized Republican voters, though a number of his Republican colleagues are apparently eager to sign up.

“The more you try to put structure around the tea party, the more compromised it will be,” Chaffetz wrote on his Twitter page. “If any one person(s) tries to co-opt it, the tea party will lose its identity and effectiveness. Go tea party! But not with DC ‘leadership.’”

In contrast, Mike Lee, the Republican Senate candidate in Utah, hopes, if elected, to join a talked about Senate Tea Party Caucus with the likes of Kentucky candidate Rand Paul and sitting Sens. Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn.

“I would welcome that,” he said in a recent interview. “From the very beginning of my candidacy i’ve talked about the need to develop a coalition of like minded advocates for limited government in the Senate.”

I still can’t take the Tea Parties that seriously.  They appear to be just angry ultra-conservative Republicans, angry that Democrats can win elections too.  What’s unique about that?  But, if the various tea party manifestations are hoping to stick around and are serious about being a power in elections different from the agenda of the GOP, Chaffetz has a point.  A legitimate DC based caucus would inevitably co-opt the “movement,” and no surprise Lee is all for it, as co-opting the “movement” has been his MO all along.  And considering the “movement’s” origins, being co-opted is probably inevitable (think about it, how long will you hear about tea parties after the Republicans inevitably regain a majority?).

But if principle really drives the Tea Partiers, they should object to, or at least completely ignore Crazy Michelle’s move to incorporate the “movement” into the DC fold.

Press release from Congressman Rob Bishop:
Subject: House Takes Steps to Preserve Ares Rocket and Manned Space Flight
From: “Subbotin, Melissa” Melissa.Subbotin@mail.house.gov
Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

House Takes Steps to Preserve Ares Rocket and Manned Space Flight

WASHINGTON, D.C.— A stalwart of NASA’s manned space program and the Ares 1 rocket, Congressman Rob Bishop (UT-01) today announced that the House version of the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 officially includes language calling for the preservation of the Ares 1 rocket and the Orion space capsule.  The draft legislative language, backed by Bishop, was released today by the House Committee on Science and Technology.  If passed, the bill would help preserve thousands of jobs as well as key components of America’s missile defense capabilities.

The exact language citing the Ares rocket can be found here on page 6.

“It is extremely encouraging that both the House and Senate, in a bipartisan manner, have recognized the importance of maintaining solid rocket motor technologies, such as the Ares 1 rocket.  The draft House version of this bill is a strong repudiation of the President’s flawed proposal – stronger even than the good developments we saw last week out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

“Building on the momentum generated by the recent Senate proposal, the House version takes a further step toward preserving the Ares 1 rocket and the future of manned space flight, but we still have a ways to go and legislative hurdles to cross.  I will continue to work with my House colleagues to ensure that the final version reconciled in the conference committee includes all components necessary to maintain superior national defense capabilities and the future of manned space flight,” said Congressman Bishop.

Specifically, the House NASA Authorization Act:

• Unlike the Senate legislation, reaffirms the U.S. Manned Spaceflight program and specifically mentions that both the Orion space capsule and the Ares 1 rocket should be preserved. (pg. 6)
• States that NASA will be required to develop the capability to provide low earth orbit (LEO) access, such as to the International Space Station, by no later than December 31, 2015. This represents a reaffirmation of Orion and Ares, since no private sector competitor to the Orion space capsule and Ares 1 rocket is currently capable of safe, human-rated flight.  (pg. 25)
• Ensures that key milestones of the original Constellation plan are maintained, including requiring NASA to have the separate heavy-lift capability “by the end of the decade” to be able to demonstrate ability to reach “challenging destinations” in space, including Lagrangian points, the Moon, near-Earth objects, as well as Mars and its moons. (pg. 27)
• States that NASA “shall take maximum benefit from the prior investments made in Orion and Ares 1 rocket…” (pg. 28)
• Takes approximately $850 million/year out of the new Obama science initiatives and puts that money into the Human Space Exploration Accounts.
• Leaves $50 million a year for commercial crew efforts and institutes a new $100 million business loan program for commercial crew manufacturers that can meet certain minimum standards of technical and scientific capability.  The loans would have to be repaid, but provides a source of capital upon which to develop private space capabilities for commercial gain.
• Addresses the termination liability issue by pointing out how the current NASA regime is inconsistent with past NASA practices on contract termination liability. (pg. 9)

The Science Committee intends to meet this Thursday, July 22nd at 10:00 AM to consider this legislation.

-30-

Tonight:

We’ll spend the entire first hour with Utah Minutemen Project’s Eli Cawley, who recently called for the impeachment of the Minutemen director, Alex Segura,  for appearing with immigration rights activist Tony Yapias, jointly calling for a “calmer” immigration debate.  Cawley has since backed down on his call for Segura’s impeachment.  We’ll here what he has to say about the dust-up and Gov. Herbert’s immigration roundtable today, which UMP reps were not invited to.

And it’s Tuesday.  Mero Moment time.  This week, Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero presents his own take on the immigration debate (one I would guess would send Eli Cawley through the roof!).

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Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

DNews:

The Utah Minuteman Project said Monday that it may oust its founder, Alex Segura, for appearing last week with Tony Yapias, an activist who is a voice for illegal immigrants, in a joint appeal for calm in the immigration debate.

However, after issuing a press conference announcing plans for impeachment, UMP chairman Eli Cawley later said he and Segura talked on the phone, made personal amends, and said he doubts Segura will be expelled now.

“But he will still need to appear at our meeting on Thursday and answer to others about his actions,” Cawley said. “Members will have to decide whether to reaffiliate with Alex.”

Cawley earlier issued a press release that said the group had decided to initiate impeachment of Segura not only for appearing with Yapias but also for criticizing the UMP in that appearance for describing state employees who helped compile a list of 1,300 alleged illegal immigrants from state databases as “patriots” who should be praised.

Cawley will be our guest today on For the People.

Tonight,

The fallout from the Immigration list has reached the Utah and National Minuteman Project. We will get your reactions to the list those who allegedly put it out.

Are Mormons using plastic surgery more than most? This article says so, what do you think?

Finally, we are joined by Author and Magazine publisher Jo Packham. She publishes a magazine called Where Women Create, and is hosting a crafting conference next month in Minneapolis, MN Sept 15-18th. They are giving away 3 free trips to the conference. Just follow the contest rules and enter to win.

Your calls are always welcome.

Podcasts of previous shows are available here.

Tonight:

Cache Valley’s Congressman Rob Bishop partook in a Q & A with the Tooele Transcript Bulletin (because, thanks to the Utah Legislature, he’s their Congressman too).  We’ll get your reaction to some of the questions and answers given.

Utah is one step closer to having a nuclear power plant with the approval of a $30 million financing plan.  Maybe.  We’ll recap the baby-steps so far, and revisit the same ol’ questions: Is this 1) even possible, or just theater, and 2) is this a good idea?

And taking a page from Reason Magazine, literally, we’ll get our political science on with the suggestion that it’s time for libertarians everywhere to dump, then trump, the Republican Party.

Tune in, or Log in.

Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

Tonight:

A list of 1300 names was sent to Utah officials, with a demand that authorities “stop making excuses” and “do their jobs,” calling for a crackdown on these alleged illegal immigrants.  Governor Herbert has called for an investigation in to the origins of the letter, which contains quite a bit of personal information about those listed.  What say you?  Vigilante wing-nuttery, or just “concerned citizens” demanding action?

Tuesday is Mero Moment day.  This week, Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero discusses Lebron James, the nature of “winning.”

And Logan is getting a Pet Hotel and Day Camp.  We’ll speak with Paul Mueller, longtime humane society volunteer, and organizer of the new facility.

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

Heh.  Firedoglake’s Attaturk explains “How It All Works” in a typical day of a cable network news cycle:

But one day, one typical day, in the cable news world.

Fox News decides to have two “themes” of the day all in the name of fair & balanced.

1. The Black Panthers elected Barack Obama President and Grand Mufti simultaneously — and we know it’s true because it comes from a political appointee of the Bush Justice Department and those people were nothing if not straight shooters … and they’ve got the holes in their feet to prove it.

2. MUSLIMS IN SPAAAAAAAAAAAAACE!

CNN, your source of Lindsay Lohan news, finds time for two additional stories.

1. Hey, that Fox News story about the Black Panthers sounds like it will kill time, let’s put Mr. Charisma, Wolf Blitzer, on that, he’s so smart.

2. OMG, somebody who knows the Middle East tweeted something about a Muslim-political figure dying that did not include condemning them to an eternity of hellfire and pork rinds — fire their terrorist appeasing [EDIT]!

MSNBC, certainly not your source for well-known sexual terms nor wisecracks about Joe Scarborough’s past — but they do have a secret plan to dominate.

Hey, can we just combine everything into one mass of stupidity and have Pat Buchanan discuss Lindsay Lohan?

…YES, WE CAN!

Let us just award ESPN all the various news Emmys because their World Cup Coverage has contained more journalism in one month than the last ten years of alleged Cable News?

Tonight:

Earthquakes everywhere!  Panic!  Or just listen tonight at 4pm when our guest will be Adrie Roberts of the USU Extension Office, discussing earthquake preparedness, and classes the Extension Office is offering to on being prepared for “The Big One.” (Register for the classes by calling 435-752-6263)

And a Federal Judge has rules the gay marriage “ban” portion of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional because of… wait for it… wait for it… THE TENTH AMENDMENT.  Ha!  Take that Utah County!  But seriously, this is a great example of how broad constitutional issues play out (i.e. sometimes the liberals win).  Will the 10th amendment advocacy groups applaud this ruling? Will the Patrick Henry Caucus cheer this victory for state rights? Your thoughts?

And… well, much more… about Lebron James of course.

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

Michael Reis.  Or, as I like to call him, Mr. Uber-Libertarian.  Let the arguments begin!

Tonight:

Utah Highway Patrol is drawing ire for their tactics in fighting illegal fireworks.  In Wyoming.  Mostly because the stakeouts are happening IN WYOMING, and have angered Wyoming residents and business owners.  The tactics include unmarked officers in parking lots writing down license plates, then radioing the info back across the border to waiting patrol cars.  Our own “Wyoming” Don, longtime friend of the show, was one of the leaders fighting back against UHP.  What say you?  Keeping us safe, or crossing a (state) line?

And the Jazz are… well, having a rough week.  Boozer’s gone.  Way gone.  And overshadowing it all for us is Lebron James.  Could this guy be the most pretentious player in history? We’ll report, you decide.

Something I have thought for years.  Great to see it on the front page of one of the country’s most visited liberal political blogs.  From DailyKos:

Ask anyone on the street. They’ll tell you the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a liberal organization. During the dark days of the Bush Administration, membership doubled because so many Americans feared increasing restrictions on their civil liberties. If you were to ask liberals to list their top five complaints about the Bush Administration, and they would invariably say the words “shredding” and “Constitution” in the same sentence. They might also add “Fourth Amendment” and “due process.”  It’s possible they’ll talk about “free speech zones” and “habeus corpus.”

There’s a good chance they will mention, probably in combination with several FCC-prohibited adjectives, former Attorney Generals John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales.

And while liberals certainly do not argue for lawlessness, and will acknowledge the necessity of certain restrictions, it is generally understood that liberals fight to broadly interpret and expand our rights and to question the necessity and wisdom of any restrictions of them.

Liberals can quote legal precedent, news reports, and exhaustive studies. They can talk about the intentions of the Founders. They can argue at length against the tyranny of the government. And they will, almost without exception, conclude the necessity of respecting, and not restricting, civil liberties.

Except for one: the right to keep and bear arms.

When it comes to discussing the Second Amendment, liberals check rational thought at the door. They dismiss approximately 40% of American households that own one or more guns, and those who fight to protect the Second Amendment, as “gun nuts.” They argue for greater restrictions. And they pursue these policies at the risk of alienating voters who might otherwise vote for Democrats.

And they do so in a way that is wholly inconsistent with their approach to all of our other civil liberties.

Those who fight against Second Amendment rights cite statistics about gun violence, as if such numbers are evidence enough that our rights should be restricted. But Chicago and Washington DC, the two cities from which came the most recent Supreme Court decisions on Second Amendment rights, had some of the most restrictive laws in the nation, and also some of the highest rates of violent crime. Clearly, such restrictions do not correlate with preventing crime.

So rather than continuing to fight for greater restrictions on Second Amendment rights, it is time for liberals to defend Second Amendment rights as vigorously as they fight to protect all of our other rights. Because it is by fighting to protect each right that we protect all rights…

Read on.

Tonight:

Is there a need for drivers, as they age, to undergo a “re-education” course at regular intervals?  Laws and practices change — did you know it’s “4 and 8″ now, not “2 and 10″ for hand placement on the wheel?  See? — and a majority of accidents on Utah roads each day come from bad decisions from drivers.  Would something like this make roads safer?

Tuesday.  Mero Moment day.  Today Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero discusses the elusive, and often abused concept of “The Rule of Law.”

And “nullification.”  It was last threatened — seriously — after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling in the 1950′s and 60′s, with states hoping to “opt out” of federal laws.  Montana forced a sort of de facto nullification of Real ID laws by simply refusing to enforce them, and receiving no threat of consequence from federal bodies.  Some are saying those states who oppose the federal health care reform efforts should employ this seldom used (and possibly illegal) tactic in response to what they see as federal power encroaching on the states.  Good idea?  Bad idea?  Temper tantrum?  A local activist is raising money to spread the idea to Utah legislators.  We’ll speak to the founder today at 5pm.

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

We discussed this a few times this week, with Jonathan arguing that the Jones act and “red tape” were the hold ups in the Gulf cleanup effort, and me arguing “Nu-huh!”  We didn’t get time to finish the discussion.  So to wrap up my thoughts on the issue, here’s a little reading enjoyment from FactCheck.org:

FULL QUESTION

Is it true that Obama blocked foreign help with cleaning up the Gulf oil spill because he refused to waive the Jones Act, which requires all boats to be American made and crewed by Americans to work in U.S. waters, even though it has been routinely waived for similar events?

FULL ANSWER

We’ve received several questions about the federal government’s response to the oil spill. This one claims that a provision of the Merchant Marine Act, called the Jones Act, has prohibited foreign vessels from entering U.S. waters and assisting in the cleanup.

Some critics have charged — falsely — that Obama’s refusal to waive the Jones Act has kept foreign vessels from assisting in cleanup efforts. In a June 23 interview on “Fox & Friends,” Republican Rep. Charles Djou of Hawaii was asked by show host Gretchen Carlson about the Jones Act and why the administration was refusing foreign assistance. Djou answered:

Djou, June 23: It’s important that we take help from whomever and wherever they’re willing to offer it. … So why are we not waiving the Jones Act to allow international help to come in? … Why we’re not waiving it here … is baffling.

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, both Republicans, have also claimed that the Jones Act, which was temporarily lifted by President Bush after Hurricane Katrina, is now standing in the way of foreign vessels bringing assistance to the United States. They are both incorrect. Palin stated this in an interview with Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren:

Palin, June 11: For one, there needs to be a waiving of the Jones Act so that we could have had many, many days ago, weeks ago, some help with skimmers from elsewhere, besides just U.S. flagships, come over and help in this tragedy. And that order needs to be given to [Coast Guard] Admiral [Thad] Allen right now. It’s amazing to me and to so many others that though President Bush had been able to waive Jones Act provisions for Katrina, President Obama hasn’t thought to do that yet? And yet surely, that has been suggested by those experts around him.

In reality, the Jones Act has yet to be an issue in the response efforts. The Deepwater Horizon response team reported in a June 15 press release that there are 15 foreign flagged ships currently participating in the oil spill cleanup. None of them needed a waiver because the Jones Act does not apply. The Jones Act is a trade and commerce law that was enacted in 1920 as part of a larger Marine Merchant Act. It requires all trade delivered between U.S. ports to be carried in U.S. flagged vessels constructed in the United States and owned by American citizens. The law states its purpose is to develop a merchant marine for national defense and commerce.

Why was the Jones Act waived as part of the Hurricane Katrina response, and why hasn’t it been waived now? Katrina inflicted massive infrastructure damage, which restricted the availability of key resources. According to the Deepwater Horizon response team: “A Jones Act waiver was granted during Hurricane Katrina due to the significant disruption in the production and transportation of petroleum and/or refined petroleum products in the region during that emergency and the impact this had on national defense.” The Deepwater Horizon spill has yet to affect infrastructure or oil and gas availability; the damage is environmental, and foreign vessels are approved for delivering resources and conducting offshore skimming. Although the Jones Act is currently not applicable, the federal government has taken steps to expedite the waiver process should the oil spill response require a Jones Act waiver for trade and commerce.

Also, contrary to reports such as the one on “Fox & Friends,” international assistance has been accepted. To date, 25 countries and four international organizations have offered support in the form of skimming vessels, containment and fire boom, technical assistance and response solutions, among others. A chart provided by the State Department shows that as of June 23 offers from six foreign countries or entities had been accepted. Fifty more offers were under consideration — including multiple offers from a single country or entity. One offer had been declined: France offered a chemical dispersant that is not approved for use in the United States.

Lines are open at 4pm.  Need to vent?  Complain?  Something in the news not getting the attention you think it deserves?  Well, today’s your day.  1-800-369-5868 or 435-753-5868.  What’s on your mind?

Following open lines, it’s the KVNU movie show with Andy and Dan from Andyatthemovies.com.

And yeah, they saw “Twilight: Eclipse” this week.  Rumor has it, Andy didn’t hate it.

Making fun of Twilight fans and bemoaning Stephanie Meyer’s novels and the subsequent movies is almost as easy as drumming up sarcastic jabs about Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton or Miley Cyrus. There’s no effort required. It’s easy. And it’s also out of control. It’s almost as popular to dump on the vampire-werewolf franchise as it is all the rage to scoop up Team Jacob or Team Edward paraphernalia at Hot Topic. Every time I see a teen with a mouthful of braces squeal her affection for the furry-browed Edward, or some 40 year-old lady, with the mileage of a bad marriage and five kids written on her countenance, gush at Jacob’s sculpted abs, I am simply befuddled beyond belief. How can such a ridiculous story cause such frenzy amongst its fanbase, most of whom are women?

And then I think of Star Wars nerds.

And Lord of the Rings geeks.

And the worshipers of comic books.

And I realize they are absolutely no different from the so-called Twihards.

Wearing a Team Edward shirt is no different than wearing a shirt with Darth Vader, the Eye of Sauron, Batman, Harry Potter, or Optimus Prime. Fans are fans, and like it or not, Twilight is a phenomenon with a tremendous following. As such, it brings out the haters. And that’s fine, but the naysayers ought to think twice about skipping The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, because director David Slade (Hard Candy, 30 Days of Night) finally assembles all the wayward pieces of the last two films and leaves the audience with a fast-paced, action-filled soap opera that has both feet planted firmly in the realm of entertainment and less in the land of eye-rolling cheese.

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.