Eloquent Incoherence

Research in Motion, maker of the popular Blackberry wireless handheld devices, has filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Samsung over the latter’s new Blackjack smartphone. I’m not quite sure what RIM is trying to accomplish here; their case is weak at best and seems to revolve around the fact that both products contain the word ‘black’. Perhaps the NTP debacle has driven RIM bat-shit crazy.

When Israel vacated its illegal settlements in the Gaza Strip last year as part of its “unilateral disengagement plan”, Western media commentators described the move as “historic” and generated a media frenzy reporting on every last detail of the settler evacuations. Lost in the hoopla over Israel’s “generosity” was the fact that the evacuated settlers would be resettled not within Israel proper, but within new and expanded illegal settlements in the West Bank. Last December, shortly after the Gaza Strip evacuation was completed, Israel approved a massive expansion of the Maale Adumim illegal settlement, already the largest in the West Bank. Today, Israel approved its first new illegal settlement since 1992 in the northern Jordan Valley specifically to accommodate families evacuated from the Gaza Strip. Both stories were completely absent from the front pages of CNN.com, MSNBC.com (which apparently finds unwanted Christmas presents a more fitting subject for a front page story), and FOXNews.com, and were mere bylines on BBC.com.

There’s an interesting article in the Washington Post today about a Saudi human rights lawyer who has made a career out of challenging the Kingdom’s powerful religious police, the mutawwa.

According to an article in today’s Detroit News, Alan Branch is still unsure about whether he’ll return to Michigan for his senior season or declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft. Branch had 23 tackles and forced 2 turnovers this past season, and was part of a defensive unit that lead the nation in rushing defense, allowing only 43 yards per game. At 6′6″, 331 lbs., he is a beast who would probably be a first- to second-round pick if he came out (and I’m sure the prospect of being a millionaire at age 21 is tempting). On the other hand, he would be the anchor of our defense if he returns and a front-runner for the Lombardi Award. With QB Chad Henne, RB Mike Hart, and OT Jake Long having already announced that they plan on returning for their senior seasons, our offense has the potential to be the best in the country in 2007. If Branch and LB Shawn Crable come back, our defense will be just as fearsome, and the National Championship will be ours to lose. Long would surely have been a first-round pick had he come out and his return was a bit of a surprise; let’s hope Crable and Branch follow in his footsteps.