Thanks to a longstanding reader for the signed copy of Jimmy Carter's latest book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid.

As always, the gift is much appreciated. Hey, controversial books are the most interesting!

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Oh, God. Here's a bit from today's New York Times.

The major cast (in order of appearance):

Mr. Gottlieb: New York attorney Robert Gottlieb;

Ms. Ono: Alleged musician and artist Yoko Ono; and

Mr. Karsan: Ms. Ono's driver, Koral Karsan.

The Times writes:

Mr. Gottlieb said that Ms. Ono had a history of problems with her employees, which contributed to an "unsettling insecurity and paranoia with respect to Mr. Karsan's employment." He told the judge, Michael R. Ambrecht, that Ms. Ono had kept Mr. Karsan on a very tight leash, requiring him to be available full time, even though her tax returns listed the driver as an independent contractor.

Mr. Karsan "was on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Mr. Gottlieb said. "He tucked her into bed."

Please, make it stop. Take it private. Get a room.

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This barely needs comment.

Judith Regan, the firebrand editor who stirred up decade-old passions last month with her plan for a book and television interview with O. J. Simpson, was fired on Friday by HarperCollins, the publishing company that oversaw her book business.

HarperCollins announced the firing, "effective immediately," in a two-sentence news release that was issued about 7 p.m. Eastern time.

"Firebrand." That's almost precious.

[Post-publication addendum (December 17): As always, when it comes to the media, and particularly when the subject is Regan, check out Gawker's coverage of this incident.]

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Thanks to reader Paul C. of Washington, D.C., for America Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order, by Stefan Halper and Jonathan Clarke.

(Note: This book is not the, um, "work" of the same name, at least the America Alone part, published at a significantly later date by the odious and obviously unoriginal Mark Steyn. Of course, Steyn's publisher is Regnery, the vanity publisher of the American, and Canadian, right wing, so maybe it doesn't really count at all in the end.)

I probably should have waited until Christmas to open the gift, but what the hell.

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Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld finally left office in disgrace today. About five years too late, if you were to ask any sentient being not already preprogrammed with a talking-points response.

Just wondering, has anyone stopped by the Podhoretz place to see if Miss Midge is okay? Given her misguided appreciation and affection for Mr. Rumsfeld (The vapors, anyone?), which she and her publisher thought worthy of committing to paper for posterity, she must be beside herself, yet again.

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Speaking of Daniel Faulkner, the Philadelphia police office killed by a since-convicted cab driver 25 years ago today, -- and we were, just five days ago -- tonight after work I went to meet a friend, and while waiting, who of all people was in the same establishment but Danny Faulkner's widow, Maureen Faulkner.

Mrs. Faulkner is, I'm guessing, a handful of years older than I am, but she looks, in person, considerably younger than she is, and she is more attractive and full of life, considering what she was put through, when she's standing a few feet away than she appears in most photographs, not that those snapshots are awful or anything.

We spoke for just a minute or so, a conversation I would prefer to keep private; thankfully, I caught her but five minutes before she was headed out the door.

Most people who know me well will say that I am a very quick and reliable judge of character. And so let me offer this, after our brief exchange: Maureen Faulkner is gracious, warm, and charming, and most grateful for the support of those of us who are certain that the truth with respect to Officer Faulkner's murder, which is still holding the upper hand despite all the noise and nonsense, and she is thankful that we, the same people, promise to ensure this continues to be the case in perpetuity, as long as it takes.

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Do you remember that guy, his name was something like Josh or Jon or Jeremy or Julian, and he's been around here in politics in Philadelphia for like forever, though you've never been really sure what his job is or was or what if anything he ever really accomplished in it, but you heard he was progressive and maybe sort of cool even though he had some really questionable allies including the type who sit on their seats in Congress forever and for no discernable reason, and while you knew he was a Democrat and white and maybe he was Jewish but you weren't sure, even though that was a little interesting given that this is Philadelphia and all, and then that a couple of weeks ago he said he was running for mayor and he hired a staff and opened an office and everything to do just that?

Well, that was Jonathan Saidel, and all that above is just no so much anymore, thanks, I think, if I'm getting it, to Rep. Robert Brady (D), my very own what-has-he-done-for-anyone-lately congressman, who, we're told, is going to run for mayor, adding to the existing and expected crop of incredibly disappointing prospects for that allegedly august office. As the race is shaping up so far, I may just sit this one out.

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Wow! Right now, outside my window, there are four police cars -- two with lights blazing, two dark -- and a helicopter overhead. This has got to be something.

Developing . . .

More later, if something this big, at least to me, warrants coverage in the local media.

Eh, probably not.

[Post-publication addendum December 4, 2006: It's as I figured. There is nothing in the local news today about the incident.]

[Post-publication addendum December 5, 2006: It's as I figured. There is nothing in the local news today about the incident.]

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Today's New York Times reports, in "Rumsfeld Memo Proposed 'Major Adjustment' in Iraq ," by Michael R. Gordon and David S. Cloud, that Secretary of Defense Smart Aleck, just two days before resigning in disgrace, wrote a memo in which he essentially distanced himself from nearly everything he stooped stood for during his latest tenure at the Pentagon.

The heavy coverage of the memo ensuing from the Times article is fully justified, but is there anyone, anywhere, who thinks this is anything more than Donald Rumsfeld trying to cover his ass should future historians dare to bare it?

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Earlier today I was walking around in Center City, and I happened upon the block of Locust Street between 13th and 12th, heading east, where I saw yet again the commemorative plaque on the south side of Locust, the one that always sends a chill up and down my spine.

It was kind of a surprise, then, to read in today's Philadelphia Inquirer, not even one hour later, reporter Joseph A. Gambardello's update of the infamous 1981 murder that is the reason the plaque is there for all to see and ponder ("Case Still Stirs Anger").

Gambardello's article begins, "Google [Ed.: Redacted; the name of a convicted murderer.] and you'll get more than 1 million hits for sites containing his name. For 'Police Officer Daniel Faulkner,' it's only 22,800."

Make that 22,801.

One more for Faulkner's side.

According to the article, Faulker's widow, Maureen Faulkner, will be in town this week for, among other things, a Mass in Danny's memory on Saturday, though Gambardello neglects to tell us where.

There will be some more ritualistic crap for the other side -- It never ends for that guy, does it? -- but, even though the Inquirer helpfully alerts readers to the locale, I know I'll pass.

(I'm going to get nasty e-mail for this post, I promise you. Though I didn't use the perp's name, so maybe I'll fly under the radar.)

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