Project Runway All-Stars (Season 2)!

Fresh off the heels of a Project Runway, season 10, we get Project Runway All-Stars, Season 2! Looking over the cast, it's not immediately apparent that every competitor on here meets the definition of an "all-star". I'm not saying they're all losers, but the ratio of Elisas to Mondos is not what one would hope. But hey -- people change, and underdogs emerge, and I'll have plenty of opportunities to snipe at these poor souls based on their work over the next few weeks.

So let's use the first episode to give a bit of a preview! The theme of last night's episode was people claiming they have more range than the one signature thing they're known for (e.g., Uli's flowing print dresses, Kayne's pageant wear), and then doing something that is scarcely different at all. The results were decidedly mixed, but some people definitely inspired more confidence than others.

Althea: Althea manages to beat even Wendy Pepper in the "bears no physical resemblance to her original appearance" competition. Based on past performance she is one of the stronger designers, and I think this look bore that out -- it was interesting, unique, and very sexy. Front was much better than the back, though.

Andrae: So, what's been happening to Andrae? I actually didn't hate this look -- it was a little garbled and sloppy, but there was a neat concept in there. I liked the crossing blue sashes, both on their own and as a cohesive tie to the rest of the collection. I would have been sad if he had gone home.

Anthony Ryan: A sleeper this season, I think. He made some beautiful clothes his season, and really I think left before his moment. This piece was very well-done -- simple and classic in the front, with a unexpected sexy pop in the back. I really liked it a lot, and have no complaints of it being given the win.

Casanova: Playing with fire, I think. Casanova was known on his season for extremely tight, often tacky pieces. This was an extremely tight leather dress that wasn't tacky at all and was actually quite nice. So good job! But it still raises a big alarm bell for me going forward. I don't have the confidence that if he keeps using those materials and that shape, he'll be able to thread the needle again.

Emilio: Another front-runner (I thought he should have won his season). I thought his dress was very cool. The bare midriff thing is a bit played out, but I thought the way he did it was novel and unexpected, which is doubly impressive given (a) the dress is pretty simple and (b) bra + sheer fabric over model's stomach = all of Season 10's Dmitry's fashion week collection.

Ivy: She's poised for a redemption arc. We'll see if that lasts. I thought the concept behind Ivy's look was really cool, which is fortunate for her, because an off-white base and dark circular splotches is universal language for "cow". It's forgiven this time because it was cool and innovative, but be more careful.

Joshua: I remember liking this look more on the runway. Looking at the photos -- I don't know. It looks pretty messy and I'm not sure what the idea is behind it. Fabric just seems gushing out from random spots without thought. The more I see of it, the less I like. And I thought Joshua was pretty hit-or-miss on his own season too. This makes me think he'll be exiting earlier than one might expect.

Kayne: Kayne wanted us to know that he doesn't just do pageant wear. He also can do swimsuits, and jewelry, and apparently he can do Goth pageant wear too. The lace top and the trailing gown and the pants and the neck -- if there were ever a time we needed Michael Kors on the show instead of Isaac Mizrahi to exclaim "it's a lot of look", this was it. Of course, we'd always be far better off if Isaac Mizrahi was replaced as a judge by Michael Kors. Or Michael Costello. Or Michael Vick.

Laura Kathleen: I didn't see what the judges saw in her in her season. I don't see it this time either. A boring top that maybe has a bit of architecture to it, mixed with a boring dress that has no interesting qualities at all. Best of the worst collection? Really? I guess I'm in for another 8 weeks of being utterly baffled by her continued success.

Peach: No, Peach doesn't got it. Look, Peach seems really nice. Everyone seems to like Peach. I like Peach. But I never saw anything in her own season that remotely impressed me. She finished 11th -- that's in the bottom half, not "all-star". This piece was sloppily made and not remotely bold. It also wasn't really ambitious -- if a garment like this is going to overwhelm you ... I mean, just how narrow is your range? She had to go after this.

Suede: This didn't look quite as wretched on the runway as it did in the workroom. I'm not saying it was good, but the skirt at least read a little more interesting as it walked, though I still wasn't wild about how it moved. Maybe it was interesting in how it didn't move? Anyway, the most interesting thing about Suede is the evolution of his signature third-person speech. When he talks to the camera, it's all "Suede is doing...." When he talks to Joanna Coles, or the judges? "I" "I" "I". Heh.

Uli: Uli, famous for flowing dresses with great prints, takes a step in a completely new direction by giving us a flowing dress without any print at all. Bold (or was it confident?)! Anyway, the dress was nice enough, and the stuff around the neck (well, really around the chest -- the stuff holding the dress up) was kind of interesting, but if the goal was demonstrate range or creativity, it did neither. Still, Uli is capable of such gorgeous clothes that I still think she has a great shot this season.

Wendy: "The word that springs to mind is hooker." I don't remember if it was Wendy to whom Joanna said that, but if not, it fits. Yikes.

I'm Your Wing, Vector One

One of the stranger things about my time in Champaign was the phonecalls I'd receive aimed at former denizens of my office. One of my colleagues, for example, had an apartment in Chicago, and so ADT was constantly calling me to say the alarm had gone off.

I'm not in Champaign anymore, but my voicemail is still linked to my email address and so I'm still forwarded the messages. Only now these emails come with an attempt to transcribe the message into text. The results are glorious.

Good afternoon this is ADT SECURITY everything is in regards to berg alarm we received only room ocean front [name, almost gotten right!] residents [phone number] yeah I got that they have provided to be sunset divide it up 40 they've and I wanted 3 foot notified them if you have any question please and take it easy vector one.

"Take it easy, Vector One" is my new AALS motto. It makes me feel like an X-Wing pilot going off on a mission.

Making Race an Issue

The Star-Tribune today reported on the election contest in my new district with the headline Fifth District rival makes race an issue. The incumbent is Rep. Keith Ellison (D), an African-American and the first Muslim elected to Congress. His opponent, Chris Fields, is also Black and is trying to argue that Ellison has failed his Black constituents (the 5th district is the most diverse in Minnesota, encompassing much of Minneapolis, ranging from urban professionals to impoverished slums).

Now, there is a large sense in which this is futile -- the 5th District is one of the most liberal in the country, and nobody thinks Fields has a prayer of unseating Ellison. But I don't object to Fields effort in theory. This, of course, is how politics works -- one tries to win by seeking to persuade key constituencies that your policies are better than your opponent's. There is nothing I find intrinsically objectionable about politicians seeking to appeal to Black voters, compared to the status quo amongst Republicans wherein it seems they think there is something illegitimate in a politician being liked by racial minorities.

To be sure, it hardly seems like Fields is making a particularly sophisticated appeal to Black voters (at least, the Strib doesn't give any examples of what his argument is other than a generic "he doesn't care about you"). If Republicans are going to appeal to Blacks, they'll have to do better than run Black candidates and make bare assertions that they care. It takes real legwork. But the ambition, itself, is a positive sign.

You Shell Me and I Shell You Back

Turkey struck at Syrian targets today in retaliation for Syria shelling a Turkish border town. The Syrian attack killed five civilians.

Honestly, how could Syria have known Turkey would be so barbaric as to fire back at an entity engaging in cross-border shelling? Who do they think they are -- Israelis?

Ethics Before Ethnics

This is an interesting, if banal, sum up of Ohio GOP Senate candidate Josh Mandel's utter failure to appeal to the Jewish vote. What it boils down to is that Jews, being liberal, ended up being none-too-keen about voting for Mandel, who is very conservative. Add on to that Mandel's reputation for being a bit of a skeeze on the campaign trail, and, well, why would you expect Jews to vote for him?

The presumed answer, as it always is, is "Mandel is Jewish". But ethnic affinity simply has not been demonstrated to trump ideological affiliation in the voting behavior of minority or other marginal groups. Women didn't flock to Sarah Palin despite their shared possession of breasts. Steve Cohen keeps easily turning back challenges in his majority-minority district because his opponents continue to assume that the only thing they need to do to win is remind voters that they're Black and Cohen is a White Jew.

It just doesn't work that way. If anything, it's White men who have historically displayed more ... reticence at casting a ballot for candidates outside their own group.

Dershowitz the Honest Broker

Some would find it laughable. But if this Ha'aretz report is to be believed, Dershowitz has just scored a major breakthrough with Palestinian PM Mahmoud Abbas: an agreement on a settlement freeze formula that would bring the PA back to the table. The agreement is based on Dershowitz's proposal in the Wall Street Journal back in June, so it's good that he's actually following up on that. Kudos there.

Of course, the next question is whether the Israeli government will agree. One hopes that Dershowitz still has enough sway with the current right-wing government to get them to listen; but given Bibi's track record one worries. To turn a phrase from Abba Eban, now it seems that he is the one who never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Dershowitz says his next stop is to pitch the proposal to the Israeli government. Obviously, I hope they say yes -- but I'm curious how Dershowitz will react if they say no.

The Right Argument for the Wrong Reason (and vice versa)

Hussein Ibish has an interesting piece up castigating the way in which the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab lands has recently emerged. Ibish does not deny that these people have valid claims, but he says that the Israeli government's recent embrace of the issue is being done in bad faith -- it isn't really about protecting these person's interests, but rather about neutralizing the potency of Palestinian refugees ("I'll see your refugee claims with one of my own!").

There isn't really any doubt that much of the Israeli usage of this issue has this tactical, political component. This is not really surprising: this is an issue that Mizrachi and Sephardic Jews have been trying to raise for years with little success, so it's hardly the case that the largely Ashkenazi Israeli political elite can claim to have always been possessed with a burning indignation over the issue. And Ibish is only helped by framing his piece in response to a Ben Cohen column which, as Ibish puts it, "systematically proves every point I make."

Nonetheless, I can't help but read Ibish's article and think "so what?" Ibish concedes that the Jewish refugees have valid claims; he only argues that the way the Israeli political elite is currently deploying these claims is cynical and not really calculated to actually vindicate these refugee's legitimate interests. The problem is that if one takes the set of legitimate issues Israelis and Palestinians might have, then subtract those which are deployed in a tactical fashion aimed primarily at scoring transient political advantage or otherwise making the other side look bad, you're left with ... zero issues. Every issue in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is deployed cynically for short-term tactical purposes. Does Ibish really think that most of the people talking about Palestinian refugee rights are primarily concerned with what rhetoric and stylings are most likely to actually give them some degree of recompense in their lifetime? Of course not. If we're going to commit ourselves to try and facilitate just outcomes to plethora of issues dissecting Israel and Palestine, the fact that these issues are often used by political elites in a cynical fashion simply can't be disqualifying. We'd be left with absolutely nothing. And what ends up happening is that arguments like this become ways of indefinitely shunting aside any discussion of these peoples' claims as "political".

But I'd tentatively go even a step further. I'm inclined to think that decision to use Jewish refugees as a counterweight to Palestinian refugees is not per se wrong. Part of compromise is recognizing that one's adversary, like oneself, has legitimate interests that deserve consideration and accommodation. If one doesn't believe that, the only reason one would compromise is because one is over the barrel. The issue of Palestinian refugees, for example, is important in part because of the tangible things they lost, but also in part because it cuts against the narrative of 1948 being about nothing more than a genocidal Arab pogrom that fortunately failed. Likewise, elevating the stature of Jewish refugees matters in part because they deserve compensation, but also because it checks the narrative of 1948 being about marauding Jews seizing land that previously was held in harmony by the indigenous people. In this way, the narrative of the underlying conflict is enriched and parties are less inclined to view compromise as akin to capitulation or an implicit guilty plea to the charge of being the villain.

Millionaire Quality Work

Jewish groups are, rightfully, upset at early credulous media reports claiming that the anti-Islam movie "Innocence of Muslims" was financed by Jewish donors (it turns out the chief producer appears to be Coptic Christian). But I had to smile when I read that its amateur stylings proved it "could not be backed by millionaires of any faith."

I'm sorry, but having seen ads trying to get Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA) reelected has permanently barred me from asserting a necessary connection between "lots of money to draw on" and "high quality production values."

No Daylight

Remember that whole thing about how, if Israel and America have differences, they should be expressed privately? Bibi doesn't. As Jeffrey Goldberg puts it "You just don't do that. Which is to say, you do it privately."

Building the Shining City

Honduras appears set to create a series of privately-run cities, complete with their own police, laws, government, tax systems, and immigration policy. They'll even be empowered to sign their own international economic agreements. Todd Zywicki is elated. I'm terrified.

It's not entirely clear who will be establishing and overseeing these new governmental institution but, if as appears likely, they are either formally or de facto under the control of the cities' investors, the possibility of abuse appears rampant. The body of government not only will be entirely unaccountable to the majority of its constituents (the persons working in the cities), but may have a duty of loyalty to the outside investors. Meanwhile, if anyone is expecting the project to refrain from abusing the little guy, it's off to a rough start -- local indigenous tribes are already alleging that the project is taking their land without their consent.

Akin's Return

Like Kevin Drum, when Todd Akin's "legitimate rape" brouhaha broke, I was of the opinion that it would eventually blow over and Akin would continue to be favored to win his Senate race in red-leaning Missouri. Simply put, between the folks who secretly (or not-so-secretly) agreed with Akin, and the folks who are just really good at rationalizing, Akin would undoubtedly suffer a short-term dip and eventually recover as Republicans rallied back to his side.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that, at first blush, the GOP seemed to be coming down much harder on Akin than I had anticipated. Maybe my cynicism was unwarranted?

Unfortunately, Akin appears to be making a comeback, and along precisely the lines Drum and I predicted. He'd ride the storm, Republicans would eventually start returning to him, and the state's red lean would assert itself. And now,, less than a month later, Missouri is back in toss-up territory.

Of course, there is still time to prove me wrong. So get on that, Missouri! Show me that I'm far, far too cynical for my own good.

Posner on Scalia's "Textualism"

This is a devastating review of Justice Scalia's rather inconsistent and meandering commitment to "textualism" (whatever that means -- and it appears to mean, "whatever Justice Scalia feels like").

Ban Ki-Moon Rebukes Iranian Leadership

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon sharply rebuked the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for delivering a speech at the non-Aligned Movement conference that lambasted Israel, the UN, the US, and the west. Ban, who was in attendance at the Tehran-hosted conference, accused Khamenei of describing Israel "in racist terms" after Khamenei, among other tidbits, said Israel was comprised of "bloodthirsty wolves".

Depending on one's view of things, folks are happy that Ban made the statement or unforgiving that he attended the conference in the first place (or, I suppose, angry that he dared criticize those who want to see Israel obliterated). As for me, I don't envy the sort of balancing that Ban has to do as part of his role as UN Secretary General, and I guess he does it about as well as one might hope. On the other hand, I don't actually find the UN as an institution to be all that useful except as a convenient forum for hearing the collective views of the community of nations. These views, more often than not, turn out to be repellant, but it's still useful information to know I guess -- so long as one does not make the mistake of actually according them normative weight as well.

Your Suffrage is Bad and You Should Feel Bad

That the GOP officially wants to keep DC a colony is unsurprising. What's more surprising is that they want Congress to mandate that DC "elect" Republicans. They say it's important to effectuate better governance in the district. And hey, maybe it is? You know how one does that in a democracy? By convincing the voters you're worth voting for! Or, apparently, by rigging the game so you have to win -- something that, more and more, is becoming the Republican modus operandi.

Body Swappers, Part II

Former Obama supporter ex-Rep. Artur Davis' (D-AL, though he's since switched parties) turn to Mitt Romney is well known. I noted at the time he seemed to be crossing the opposite path of former Florida Governor Charlie Crist (R, now I). And wouldn't you know it if Crist has just come out and endorsed Obama for re-election.

The switch is pretty much complete at this point, I'd say.

"And 100 Stood By and Watched"

Today's pet peeve comes in reporting of public acts of violence, and bystanders not intervening. Generally, some horrible act occurs in the public square, and the news accounts inform us that "one hundred people looked on but did not intervene" or something like that. The Kitty Genovese murder is the archetypical case, but you hear it pretty frequently. The implication is amazement at how many people could be so callous and uncaring -- could not one of them have the decency to stop the atrocity?

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce you to a social psychology phenomenon known, conveniently enough, as the Bystander Effect. The Bystander Effect tells us that people are less likely to render aid to those in need when there are many other people around than when they are alone, and the effect is compounded based on how many bystanders are present. So, if C observes A beating up B and C is the only other person present, C is far more likely to intercede than if C is there with a dozen other people present (and even more likely than that if there are a hundred witnesses). There are several reasons for the effect, mostly having to do with issues of conformity, but it is a pretty robust finding.

So the next time you see a story like this and conclude that "wow, one hundred people and not a halfway decent human among them", remember your psychology and think for a moment. Now you're more educated.

We've Got Spirit, Yes We Do!

Oklahoma City apparently bans wearing clothing that is not supportive of their state's college sports teams.

On the list of banned items, non-Oklahoma college dress falls directly in between gang symbol haircuts and "satanic cult dress, witchcraft and related symbols."

Uf-da.

Akin's Remaining Friends

In the wake of Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin's (R) comments that women who are victims of "legitimate" rape don't get pregnant, it's been gratifying to see a large number of GOPers looking to cut Akin loose (e.g., Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA), and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)). Sure a goodly portion of it is the belief that Akin's about to cost them a likely Senate pick-up in Missouri, but the bare recognition of the fact that sometimes lunatic craziness has electoral consequences is a big step for the GOP compared to 2010.

But don't shed too many tears for Akin. It's not like he's wholly without friends. The Family Research Council released a statement saying that while they "don’t know anything about the science" (... but I repeat myself), Akin is assuredly the real victim here of the dreaded "gotcha politics". Meanwhile, across the pond George Galloway wants you to know that even if Julian Assange is guilty of everything he's alleged to have done, it's clearly nothing more than "bad sexual etiquette." To call it "rape", Galloway claims, would " bankrupt the term rape of all meaning."

I sense a new group of besties forming....

Settler Terrorism is Terrorism

The US State Department has begun grouping in settler "price tag" attacks as a form of terrorism committed in Israel and Palestine. This is, of course, exactly right. And furthermore, when someone -- I don't care who -- commits a terrorist strike in territory under Israeli jurisdiction -- I don't care against whom -- they're threatening the security and stability of the Israeli state. They are threats to Israeli national security, and ought properly be seen as such.

In related news, a 19-year old suspect has been arrested in the "lynch" attack in Jerusalem that injured four Palestinians, one critically.

Lie Extermination

Garance Franke-Ruta has three suggestions for how the media can handle repeated campaign lies (such as Mitt Romney's claim that Obama has eliminated the work requirements from welfare).

1) Add boilerplate to every story indicating it is a lie (similar to how stories about "Obama is a Muslim" always included language informing the reader that this was false).

2) Always attribute the charge to campaign partisans, and immediately quote rebuttal from opposing partisans.

3) Turn repeated lying into its own story.

Of these, I dislike the second, because it's identical to he said/she said journalism, which actually allows the lie to get traction because independents will assume the truth lies somewhere in the middle. But the other two proposals are spot on. Franke-Ruta expects us to start seeing "repeated liar" stories, which would surprise me. It's hardly unprecedented -- remember Election 2000? -- but it seems like it takes balls the media tends to lack.

I'd be particularly intrigued if such a story didn't just attack the credibility of the instigating campaign, but also took on the think tanks providing a "source" for the charge (in the case of the "Obama gutted work requirements" lie, that would be the Heritage Foundation). Such organizations depend, in large part, on their ability to be taken as credible currency by the media -- providing an "independent" veneer to whatever claim they're making. I'd love to see some consequences when they abuse that privilege and act as simple hacks.