Monday, February 28, 2005
In Russia, A Call To Become ‘One of Us’ (10:04 PM) - The flames that were lit by the bombing of Baghdad on March 20th, 2003, raged on to Ukraine. There, Vladimir Putin’s power-hungry grip was wicked when his assays at stealing the election, and then poisoning the opposition, failed. He now…
al-Qaqaa Gone From NYT’s Purview (09:03 PM) - In National Review, Byron York retrospects on the New York Times/CBS pre-election “breaking story” of disappearing weapons at Iraq’s al-Qaqaa weapons depot. It quickly was revealed that some of the weapons were gone by the time US troops arrived to…
The Truth About Wonkette (08:36 PM) - According to AOL Instant Messenger-based evidence, which is most veracious for debunkings of this type, Ana Marie Cox is actually a mean high-school girl who totally hates you….
In al-Assad’s Thrall No More (01:55 PM) - “Outside, fireworks and car horns greeted the news around the capital and in other towns. Tens of thousands of jubilant demonstrators, gathered in a sea of red and white Lebanese flags at the nearby Martyrs’ Square in central Beirut, broke…
On Syria (08:51 AM) - Syria gives up a handful of terrorists. Israel says it has proof the government was involved in the Tel Aviv bombing. A right and a wrong do not make a neutral….
Iraq Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 110 (08:29 AM) - HILLA, Iraq (AP) - A suicide bomber blasted a crowd of police and national guards recruits Monday as they gathered outside a clinic south of Baghdad, leaving at least 110 people dead and 133 injured - the single deadliest attack…
Sunday, February 27, 2005
Oh, No They Didn’t (08:32 PM) - Did the Oscars just appropriate Camille Saint-Saens’ wonderful Symphony No. 3 ‘Organ’ to open their silliness? Yuck. UPDATE: Girlfriend is ecstatic that Morgan Freeman won, and wanted me to say so. AND: Natalie Portman is wearing this. AND: This concludes…
A Cynical And Ornery Take On The Oscars (12:55 PM) - The Academy Awards are tonight. Fewer people than ever care, and with such a pale slate being served us, it is no wonder. The best movie of 2004? Shaun of the Dead, if you ask me. I saw Sideways, one…
Microsoft Marketing Dept: Run By EU Politicos (09:22 AM) - It was abhorrent enough that the E.U. took it upon itself to bring an American corporation to court and levy fines against it. That, simply because Windows includes Windows Media Player, an innocuous, eminently bypassable, and, frankly, good piece of…
On Putin’s Understanding of Freedom (08:11 AM) - I just found this at Roger L. Simon’s site. He links to a Newsweek piece that spins a fascinating yarn of Putin’s fundamental miscomprehension of just what ‘freedom’ means in America:When Bush confronted his Russian counterpart about the freedom of…
West Bank Detente Hobbles On (07:25 AM) - Israel’s response to the Tel Aviv terrorist attack has become bolder. Sharon specifically wants a crackdown on militant groups, and will not sustain the peace if Abbas continues to equivocate as in the past. But there is evidence that the…
Good News From Iraq (07:21 AM) - Another victory in Iraq, and again carried out under the banner of the Iraqi Security Force.BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi security forces captured Sabawi Ibrahim al-Hassan, Saddam Hussein’s half brother and former adviser who was suspected of financing insurgents after…
Singing The Praises of Arrogance (01:18 AM) - It is difficult, philosophically, to support a foreign policy that almost by its nature bucks diplomacy with America’s traditional allies, provides for pre-emptive warfare, and counts among its goals the overhaul of long-entrenched political interests in the world’s most tenuous…
More on WalMart (01:05 AM) - Amanda thinks I’m off-base in my earlier comments supporting the non-unionization of WalMart employees.Aside from brainwashing and propaganda (which both sides are probably semi-gulity of) WalMart has closed down departments that voted to unionize in the past. (Example: The Meat-Cutters…
The Conflagration In Central Park (12:29 AM) - Alan Bromley doesn’t like the Gates:I realized that Christo and his wife had hoodwinked us all and forced us into their monotone vision, one that is anti-American and certainly anti-New York. What we have here are a man and a…
Saturday, February 26, 2005
Palestinians Make Arrests; Accuse Hizbollah (12:19 PM) - RAMALLAH (Reuters) - Scrambling to save a battered truce, Palestinian officials arrested three West Bank suspects on Saturday after a suicide bombing that killed four Israelis, but pointed to Lebanon’s Hizbollah as mastermind of the attack. Friday’s bombing at a…
How The Left Fights (12:06 PM) - By using, ironically, gross generalizations and stereotypes. Cinnamon Stillwell had a good piece Thursday in SFGate, railing critics for turning her into “a conservative caricature that apparently makes opponents feel superior.” And Democrats are doing it to one of their…
Don’t Forget To Bring A Towel (10:36 AM) - Brand-new and highly entertaining Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy trailer is right here at UGO.com. This is the one preceding some films in release now. It’s quite good, though I suspect it gets even bigger laughs in a theater. Now…
Still No Unions At WalMart (01:26 AM) - For the second time this month, WalMart employees in Colorado have rejected the idea of unionizing. It must say at least something positive about the oft-maligned working conditions at the nation’s largest employer. MORE: Jay Nordlinger on WalMart:Wal-Mart is an…
Reaction From Abbas (01:18 AM) - Still no official word from Palestine, but this AP report has Abbas in emergency meetings with his security officials:RAMALLAH, West Bank — Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas convened an emergency meeting with his security chiefs early Saturday after a Palestinian suicide…
What Am I Doing Up? (12:40 AM) - It’s 12:40 on Saturday morning and I’m just getting ready to go to sleep. Why? Because of cascading style sheets, the bane of my existence. Internet Explorer just cannot render them properly. It took hours and hours of tweaking, but…
Friday, February 25, 2005
Non-Bushism (09:08 PM) - Volokh catches another mistake in Slate’s ‘Bushism’ feature. This time: the quote was from the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, not Bush….
Covering Churchill Against My Will (08:14 PM) - I’m sick of the Ward Churchill ordeal. But Bill O’Reilly just ran tape from a Denver TV station that shows a reporter ambushing Churchill on his stolen art right outside his office. Churchill tried to cover up the camera with…
Power Line: Afraid Of Unicorns (07:55 PM) - Well, according to a Kos poster, anyway. He doesn’t take kindly to this PL debunking of a possible argument from Senate Democrats against also-possible Supreme Court nominee Michael Luttig. I admit the topic is a bit of a reach, but…
Explosion in Israel (05:01 PM) - Was I right in my pessimism? I hope not, but these early reports don’t look good:TEL AVIV (Reuters) - An explosion rocked a nightclub in Tel Aviv on Friday, wounding more than 30 people, media and emergency services said. Israel…
More Trouble For Churchill (03:33 PM) - Whoa, man. Churchill would be a more effective “poster boy for academic freedom”, as he calls himself, if he didn’t have such an embarrassing past. After learning that the man is not really an Indian (merely 1/4 Keetoowah and thus…
Preserving US Economic Hegemony (02:46 PM) - Johnathan Pearce at Semizdata references this piece from the Foreign Affairs journal, which concludes that, despite popular talk of Social Security, debt, a weak dollar, inflation, et al., the US still leads and shall continue to do so. One warning:Only…
The Ladies Like The Boots (02:30 PM) - Ann Althouse- and her readers- like Condi’s boots. I still say they’re a bit much….
Blog Gems (11:03 AM) - Prof. Samwick at Vox Baby has a very neat (and flattering, because he mentioned me!) list of blogs whose ecosystem stats undervalue their content. Vox Baby, by the way, is where I go for Social Security commentary beyond “You hate…
French Finance Minister Resigns (10:42 AM) - For all of the French government’s troubles, this is what is called “embarrassing”?PARIS - French Finance Minister Herve Gaymard submitted his resignation Friday after he came under heavy criticism for using public funds to rent a luxury apartment and was…
One Long Distance Company? (10:26 AM) - It seems like, some day in the near future, there will only be one long distance phone company. Qwest, MCI, and Verizon all seem to be gelling together; as are SBC and ATT. Voice over IP, anyone? Who needs an…
Econ Update (10:24 AM) - GDP revised higher for Q4 ‘04 by .7% to +3.8%. [BEA Release]…
The Corporate Media? (10:03 AM) - Kos is angry that what he terms the corporate media- ABC, NBC, and CBS- have not been covering the Jeff Gannon story to his liking. Of course, he’s right to call the media ‘corporate’. They are. He’s wrong to presume…
Terror Cell Bust In Iraq (08:11 AM) - Another victory for Iraqi security forces: BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi forces captured the leader of an Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist cell allegedly responsible for carrying out a string of beheadings in Iraq, the government said, and 30 people were killed in…
SecState Garb (08:05 AM) - I’m not such a big fan of the dominatrix boots, which Robin Givhan in WaPo compares to those of Keanu Reeves in The Matrix….
Civil Liberties For Terrorists (07:53 AM) - TalkLeft feels bad for Abu Ali’s parents, who are being asked by the DOJ to sign some papers before they see their son, who conspired to assassinate President Bush and is a terrorist. Funny, I can’t muster much remorse. UPDATE:…
Bloggy Misogyny (07:51 AM) - I haven’t been following the Drum affair, but Althouse has. Evidently, men are better bloggers (or at least, link-getters) than women. Let’s ask Larry Summers!…
The Meaning of Calm (07:09 AM) - GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian officials will meet militant leaders in Cairo on March 5 to discuss whether the factions will formalize their de facto truce with Israel, officials and militants said Friday. The Palestinian Authority and Israel agreed a cease-fire…
Zywicki and Robinson in The D (07:06 AM) - The Dartmouth this morning profiles two petition write-in candidates for trustee: Peter Robinson ‘79 of The Corner and Todd Zywicki ‘88 of Volokh….
Thursday, February 24, 2005
A Conservative Foundation At Wellesley (10:42 PM) - I am duly impressed with the work going on at Wellesley. Rae Adams, president of the Wellesley College Republicans, e-mails:There’s a burgeoning group of Republican women at Wellesley — many social, fiscal conservatives like me — and over the last…
Counting Over; The Mourning Continues. (10:10 PM) - The digging has ceased in New York City. The medical examiner’s office is the quietest it’s been in four years. 1,161 innocent civillians could not be identified, despite the best efforts of officials. Every American, and especially those serving in…
Linking Moscow To Yushchenko’s Poisoning (10:02 PM) - KIEV, UKRAINE — Prosecutors are following a new lead that might shed more light on the dioxin poisoning of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, an official said Wednesday. Prosecutor General Svyatoslav Piskun has acquired audiotapes of what appeared to be a…
Inside the Oscars (09:55 PM) - Roger L. Simon lists how he voted in the Academy Awards and who will win. But more importantly, he puts the Oscars in perspective:I’m certainly with those suffering from the “award fatique” described by Sharon Waxman in tomorrow’s NYT. Enough…
Righteous ISP (09:18 PM) - Was forsakethetroops.info really kicked offline by their host? Neat. (…via ARS) UPDATE: Raven informs me that no, the site wasn’t kicked offline. In fact, the site’s owners also own the ISP. This whole thing was a ploy to drum up…
Advantage: Reader (09:02 PM) - In response to Kofi Annan’s WSJ op-ed, a Journal reader writes a letter to the editor today and makes a good point: Secretary General Annan’s agenda to make the world “fairer and safer” is a poor substitute for “freer and…
Audio of Ward Churchill Online (03:22 PM) - Very hard-to-listen-to audio of Ward Churchill’s academic ramblings are at Michelle Malkin’s site. …But this stuff is even worse….
Celebrate Reagan! (02:42 PM) - The Dartmouth Reagan Party is tonight in Collis 101 at 7p. Professor Jim Kuypers will be speaking about Reagan’s oratory. It’ll be great!…
It’s All In The Hips (02:08 PM) - This post on blog technique from Atrios is pretty good….
Zut Alors! (12:11 PM) - I just got into an argument with the French consul to New England, based in Boston. Thierry Vankerk-Hoven, I believe his name was, was at Dartmouth for something or other, but my French professor sent out an e-mail last night…
Rock the Vote Is Not Non-Partisan (09:16 AM) - This is all the evidence I need (besides RTV having fanned the draft-scare flames in front of Dartmouth Hall last year) that MTV’s Rock the Vote is a partisan group.Rock the Vote is hitting below the belt in its battle…
‘You Did Not Write From The Perspective Required’ (08:40 AM) - SCSU Scholars notes another instance of academic bias:When will professors ever stop trying to use their classrooms as places to force change. At Rhode Island College, a social work student who did not want to take part in an assignment…
Liberal Blogger Awards (07:40 AM) - The 2004 Koufax award winners are in. The top dog: Daily Kos….
Plaudits from ConservaDiva (07:38 AM) - Amanda is pleased with The Beacon and the new website. Check it out; the newest articles should be up soon….
Reporter’s Notebook: Slovakia (07:25 AM) - From FoxNews.com:We were on the last leg of our trans-European Odyssey, trying to find out what were the continental feelings about America and President Bush. The “hook,” as we say in the news biz, is that we were shadowing Bush’s…
More on the Sex Fest (07:15 AM) - I reported last week on Dartmouth’s vulgar and crude sex festival; where, while Planned Parenthood had glitzy signage and printed materials, pro-life groups were absent. Now, The Dartmouth reports that a certain fraternity was banned from participating because of “campus…
Did Somebody Say McDonald’s? (07:06 AM) - I’m famished. All the more so after witnessing this piece of “art” by Dartmouth senior Krista Oopik, which on a daily basis irks me into purchasing more beef and poultry for lunch than I normally would….
They’ve Got My Number (06:29 AM) - Tom Tomorrow, a sad little cartoonist too afraid to attach his real name to his work, seems to know all about how conservatives argue….
Hillary and God? Aux Armes! (06:17 AM) - Peggy Noonan in Opinion Journal today:Hillary. Forget her prepared speeches, put aside her moderate statements on Iraq and abortion. This is how you know she’s running for president in 2008. Ten days ago a reporter interviewed her in the halls…
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Schwarzenegger’s Numbers Down (10:57 PM) - Novelty wearing off, Californian contrariness setting in, or both?SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s job approval rating remains high, but his support has slipped from the lofty levels during his first year in office, according to a poll…
Inner Conflict Watch (09:43 PM) - Along with Sean Penn, Prince, master of ceremonies Christopher Rock, and countless others, the Dartblog’s token non-political fixation, Natalie Portman, will be presenting an Oscar this Sunday. With news that Chris Rock is limbering up to jape the President, and…
NYC2012? What’s NYC? (09:12 PM) - Does the International Olympic Committee really need to take a week-long tour of Manhattan?”So, we hear you have a large rectangular park right in the middle of the city. That must be nice… Do you have any large buildings? How…
‘A Grave Danger’ (08:58 PM) - U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty calls this man a ‘grave danger to the community — and to the nation,” and is attempting to have him held in custody as a flight risk. UPDATE: Also, linking Bush’s would-be killer Ali with this…
Yellow Reportage on Prisoner Abuse (07:36 PM) - I must apologize. I have been remiss in covering equally fallacious news reports of “abuse” in Iraq from British soldiers. These men deserve to be defended from left-wing sensationalism just as the Americans do. I discuss the latest case and…
I Never Thought… (06:10 PM) - That there would be protesters in America holding signs like these:But that is what the Ward Churchill debacle has wrought. Telling, isn’t it?…
More on Hunter S. Thompson (02:04 PM) - Last night I argued against the idea that Thompson was the forefather of blogs. Jamie Hunt e-mailed in this afternoon with a far better explication than I could ever offer:Calling HST the father of blogs is an encomium too far….
Wright on, Summers (01:40 PM) - In the continuing sonority of political correctness, Dartmouth’s President James Wright ‘distanced’ himself from Larry Summers’ comments on females in the hard sciences. The Dartmouth reports:College President James Wright distanced himself from Harvard University President Lawrence Summers’ controversial remarks about…
Portman Update: Can’t Kiss in Israel (01:31 PM) - JERUSALEM (AFP) - Hollywood star Natalie Portman, nominated for a best supporting actress award at this month’s Academy Awards, stirred a scandal over a kissing scene by Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall — the most sacred spot in Judaism, the top-selling Israeli…
T-Mobile: Slow on the Login Uptake (01:22 PM) - Sawyer e-mails in, pointing out that Paris Hilton’s server-side address book and text messages weren’t ‘hacked’, they were really socially reverse-engineered. Turns out that any teeny-bopper with the name of Hilton’s pet chihuahua, those horrid little things, could have gotten…
There’s A Bright Golden Haze On The Meadow (10:27 AM) - Deborah Wassel in The Dartmouth this morning:What was shocking, however, was when one peer [Me. -JM] told me “Monologues” is “stupid and inflammatory” — and he hadn’t even attended the performance. When I asked him why he thought that way,…
Harvard Employees Not Ready To Oust Summers (09:23 AM) - Via Democracy Project, I see that Harvard’s FAS isn’t quite as universally outraged as it seems: The Harvard Crimson, a student newspaper, polled every professor in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences over the past four days. A polling expert…
Not Quite Apropos (09:12 AM) - There’s nothing like discussing civil unions and gay marriage in French class. Ah, college….
Cell Virii Are Coming (07:26 AM) - “America, Say Hello to the Cabir Mobile Phone virus”. Like a real virus, this cell phone virus spreads through proximity (bluetooth) and propagates itself mercilessly. Something tells me the next cell phone fashion will be retro. MicroTAC, anyone?…
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
The Blogfather? (11:35 PM) - Sawyer e-mails in about Hunter S. Thompson, referencing this post over at Jackson Specific: Many believe that his acerbic personal style fathered bastard children the world over, and that his potent prose breach birthed the freshest face in the extended…
Meet Ibrahim al-Jaafari (11:12 PM) - Ibrahim al-Jaafari is currently the Interim Vice President of Iraq. The AP is now reporting that Jaafari was selected as the plurality-winning Shiite slate’s candidate for prime minister- all but ensuring him the post. In the photo to the right…
Clowns To The Left Of Me, Jokers To The Right (06:16 PM) - …Bush is stuck in the middle of two Europeans. Which, PR-wise, isn’t a bad place to be. That photo goes along with this AP article: Friends Again, Europeans Offer Bush Support on Iraq…
When Campus Journalism Fails… (05:53 PM) - Students take to the blogs! The D Watch is a weblog at blogspot that exposes inaccurate and slanted reportage at Dartmouth’s only daily paper, The Dartmouth. Right now they are covering the D’s highly troubled op-ed department and a seemingly…
Hillary’s Poll Numbers (03:17 PM) - Markos:Hillary’s biggest knock against a 2008 presidential bid is that she would energize the Republican base to turn out against her. But if NY is any indication, perhaps she’s not as polarizing as [conventional widsom] would indicate.Thankfully, New York has…
Those Damn Kids (02:29 PM) - The Dartblog has gotten about a thousand hits today from people searching the internet for Paris Hilton’s phone numbers. Heh….
Would-Be Assassin Caught (11:36 AM) - Ahmed Omar Abu Ali is 23. He is a US citizen, and was the valedictorian of his high school in Virginia. Ali is also a terrorist. He conspired with another terrorist to kill President Bush. AP reports: Ahmed Omar Abu…
All 26 NATO Countries to Train Iraqis (09:51 AM) - BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - President Bush said Tuesday that the modest pledge from NATO to help train Iraqi security forces is important because the future of the wartorn nation depends upon it. “The success of Iraq depends upon the capacity…
Annan’s Plea (09:34 AM) - In today’s Journal, Kofi Annan has an op-ed titled: Our Mission Remains Vital. The title bugged me right off the bat. No one disputes how vital the UN’s mission is. Everyone with half a brain disputes that organization’s abilitity to…
Monday, February 21, 2005
Eternal Protesters (11:40 PM) - Are homosexuals actually protesting a new strain of AIDS? It seems that way, from this New York Times article. I blame Karl Rove! UPDATE: More at Moonbat Central….
The Problem of France (06:10 PM) - Hating France is as American as baseball. George Bush, I am confident, harbors an intense dislike for that country and its politics, as do I. A healthy majority of Americans do, too. But here we go again, with this news…
OBL In Custody? (10:31 AM) - C’est possible. Drudge: Iran denied Monday suggestions on some local Internet sites that it arrested Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, the Western world’s most wanted man, on the border with Pakistan. “This information is wrong and bin Laden has not…
Sexual Harassment at the UN (10:01 AM) - More skeevy activity at the United Nations:U.N. refugee chief Ruud Lubbers resigned in the face of sexual harassment charges yesterday, saying he was insulted at the way the case had been handled by his boss, Kofi Annan. Just two days…
Dartmouth’s Campaign Against Write-In Candidates (08:20 AM) - Todd Zywicki ‘88 informs me of a minor (but telling) indication that Dartmouth is actively campaigning against the two write-in candidates for trustee. In this post at The Volokh Conspiracy, Prof. Zywicki explains what’s going on and where things stand:Of…
NYT Stuck on Swifties (08:14 AM) - Not finding any Wall Street Journals this morning (or rather, having woken up too early to get one), and USA Today also missing, I was forced to read the Times this morning. Front page was a hit-piece on the Swift…
Squeaking Towards Peace (08:13 AM) - Isreal continues concessions by freeing 500 Palestinian prisoners, as AP reports:JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel freed 500 Palestinian prisoners in a good-will gesture Monday, a day after the government gave final approval to a pullout from Gaza and a revised route…
Sunday, February 20, 2005
Sunday Night Diversion (11:08 PM) - If you have been partaking of television lately, a childhood classic may recently have come back into your life: the manamana song from The Muppets- one of the best television programs ever. The song is featured in a spot for…
Weekend Satire: My Rove Theory (09:48 PM) - Here is my theory: Karl Rove floated the idea that he was really behind the TANG memos used by Rather in his fake-but-inaccurate report on President Bush, so that Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) could accuse him of such. Rove also…
Don’t Prank Paris (07:04 PM) - If you have found Paris Hilton’s phone numbers and text messages, you’d be well advised not to try to call any of them. Seems like most are forwarding to Palm Springs PD! Thank these two individuals for figuring it out…
New al-Qaeda Tape; No OBL (06:38 PM) - DUBAI (AFP) - Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri warned the West it faced defeat in what he termed its “new crusade” against the Islamic world, as well as thousands of dead and economic collapse, in a videotape aired by Al-Jazeera…
The ‘Logues (06:27 PM) - Let this be the last word on the V–— Monologues. And from a woman, no less:I am certainly not a feminist, but I attended the Tufts performance of the Monologues on [mostly] my own volition, with little or no coercing…
Travel Day (11:42 AM) - Making the voyage back up to Hanover today; I’ve been at the Dartblog not-so-southern command in Boston these past few days….
Moving Type (11:20 AM) - Ben and Mena Trott- husband and wife- were born six days apart in 1977. They started Six Apart during a tech-job lull in the 90s. Now, their star software- Movable Type- runs most blogs, including this one. Via an e-mail…
Saturday, February 19, 2005
Defending Gannon (06:27 PM) - I take issue with this Power Line defense of Jim Guckert, aka Jeff Gannon:Gannon is, apparently, a homosexual with a rather sordid past, including stints working as a gay escort. He is now trying to make a career for himself…
Mrs. Clinton’s Pet Holiday (06:07 PM) - WASHINGTON Feb 17, 2005 — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, a possible White House candidate in 2008, joined 2004 nominee John Kerry and other Democrats Thursday in urging that Election Day be made a federal holiday to encourage voting. She also…
The Fleecing of America (03:49 PM) - Jeff Jarvis points out more attorney general grandstanding on par with that of Eliot Spitzer. It comes from New Jersey’s Attorney General Peter Harvey, who has declared war on Blockbuster- for confusing late fee policies. NJ’s lawsuit against the company…
Rummy Explains That Things Change (12:17 PM) - This past Wednesday, Donald Rumsfeld testified before the House Armed Services Committee. It was a somewhat partisan affair, but Rummy did a good job reigning in the politiking:Sanchez (D-CA): …Unfortunately, as I said, this committee has had a hard time…
Friday, February 18, 2005
Iraqis At Harvard (09:33 PM) - Democracy Project: Why would anyone want to learn about the twenty-first century UN unless they’re planning on a career of money laundering, graft, or the diplomacy of dictatorship? Heh. Yet, the UN is exactly what 6 Iraqi exchange students will…
College Stupidity Digest (01:44 PM) - - Harvard students send out mass e-mail to organize protest with goal of “speaking out against sexism”. - Dartmouth girls advertise, but do not provide, nude haircutting experience. - Yale students protest administration’s lack of protest against Harvard’s president. -…
NHL Union On The Verge Of Folding (01:38 PM) - This report, and a few others, are suggesting that the NHL season is ‘not dead yet.’Ready for another Miracle on Ice? According to The Hockey News, there was a strong movement on Thursday by some veteran players and former players…
Lawsuit Legislation Through (07:34 AM) - The “Class Action Fairness Act” was passed by the House yesterday, and Bush is expected to sign it into law today.”After 10 years of tireless work on multiple fronts, our efforts are finally paying off, and the Republican Congress has…
Moving Toward One Voice Against Korea (07:33 AM) - Christopher Hill is making progress:SEOUL, South Korea Feb 18, 2005 — The United States and China agree that North Korea must end its nuclear ambitions and resolve the standoff through six-nation talks, Washington’s top envoy on the issue said Friday,…
Looking At Blogs From Atop A Soapbox (07:30 AM) - I should have an article on blogging in the upcoming issue of The Dartmouth Beacon. I will print it here when it comes out….
Thursday, February 17, 2005
Like a Horse and Carriage (10:57 PM) - Amanda notes ‘Relationships 101’ at Ball State University, a course about love, marriage, and presumably not about “hooking up”. Amanda: It wouldn’t fly in an Ivy League institution, I’m assuming, but given the divorce rate we can use all the…
Greenspan Stands With Bush (10:46 PM) - With a few reservations, Alan Greenspan, professional economist/latter-day legend, is behind Bush and his Social Security private accounts plan. Roger L. Simon: The world now knows what Greenspan hath decreed. Is he right? Beats me. But I’d trust him over…
Defending Harvard’s President (10:10 PM) - I’m not entirely certain, but I think that, as a Dartmouth student, I am supposed to hate Harvard. But the school’s president, Larry Summers, deserves to be defended. In the academy, where megalomaniacal calls for equality wuther incessantly, Summers stuck…
Yes, Please (08:20 PM) - This shirt is strangely appealing to me……
Good Economic News (03:22 PM) - Low on the wire today is news that jobless claims are at a four-year valley:The Labor Department reported that a total of 302,000 Americans filed applications for unemployment benefits last week, the lowest level since Oct. 28, 2000, when the…
‘Retain our Majority’ (02:31 PM) - The GOP has released a list of the 10 most “at risk” Congressional Republicans who “will be the lucky beneficiaries of this year’s first ROMP (Retain Our Majority Program) fundraiser.” Heh. The list: Reps. Bob Beauprez (Colo.), Mike Fitzpatrick (Pa.),…
Fox on Teddy (12:59 PM) - With the glorious headline, “Kennedy Fights Times, Fans Love It,” Fox News reports on how out of touch Ted Kennedy is:Sen. Ted Kennedy, a liberal’s liberal, is finding that the United States has moved to the right since he made…
More Broadcast News (12:52 PM) - Bush’s new budget seeks much more funding for VoA- the Voice of America, which broadcasts good, decent information all over the world. Good news. Mark Krikorian at NRO agrees:Simply piping information into the communist world was one of the most…
To Washington! (12:51 PM) - According to Patrick Ruffini, the word “blog” was said for the first time in the US Senate today. Neat….
Was Ben Affleck… (07:25 AM) - …among the enthusiastic voting Iraqis?…
Bush to Europe; Kerry Campaign Lie Referenced (07:20 AM) - WASHINGTON (AP) - The fence-mending trips, makeup meetings and friendly photo ops spread over the past two years have failed to repair problems between President Bush and European leaders. But the president’s visit to Europe next week holds the promise…
Pissed-Off Blogging (07:15 AM) - Raven is mad. In replying to some e-mail criticisms, she elaborates on why Marines are hotter than French people:Much to your dismay, I must inform you that yes, I am turned on by Marines. Especially bloody ones. They do more…
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Is President Bush Raising Taxes? (10:27 PM) - Yes, but he’s raising them in a good way, as Broadcast Engineering reports. The new Bush tax proposal features an “analog tax” for broadcasters still using up their 6mHz of ether for low-resolution NTSC broadcasts. This is a $500M tax…
Busy Busy (09:52 PM) - I didn’t blog today because I was busy all day doing work, going to classes, and building a new website from nothingness. Torrential clip shall resume, as always……
Don’t Panic! (09:49 PM) - April 29th, 2005. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy comes to theaters. If you haven’t yet taken a peek, see the first trailer here. Brilliant!…
Iran Goes Public On Spy Drones (07:59 AM) - As I predicted, the Washington Post article “revealing” that the United States is flying drones over Iran has spurred a silly reaction from that country, now superficially substantiated because of the aforementioned article. Here’s what Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi said:”Most…
Arg… mySQL Hosts! (07:52 AM) - Posting has been slow because I’ve been overseeing an install of Movable Type on another server… stand by….
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Dartmouth’s Sex Festival (04:24 PM) - I went to the Sex Festival in the Collis Student Center last night. It was sponsored by the Center for Women and Gender, a very well-funded College department. It was mostly a disgusting display- all the more because it took…
Kerry To Vote For New War Spending (03:51 PM) - …But that doesn’t mean he won’t vote against it. Reuters reports:WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic Sen. John Kerry, whose baffling explanation of votes on Iraq war funding hurt his 2004 White House bid, said on Tuesday he would back President Bush’s…
NYT: Unfamiliar With The Number 180 (12:00 PM) - Man, oh man. This is in the New York Times’ corrections section today: The Keeping Score column in SportsSunday on Jan. 23, about a mathematical formula for projecting the winner of the Super Bowl, misstated the application of the Pythagorean…
Voting More Accurate in 04; Bush Still Wins (11:19 AM) - An AP report on voting accuracy is being buried in many papers this morning, but it is a very good piece of news:Improvements to voting machines and election administration saved a million votes that otherwise would likely have gone uncounted…
Body of Hoffa Still Missing (11:14 AM) - A FoxNews investigation turned up blood under some floorboards in a Detroit home where Frank Sheeran supposedly shot Hoffa. Police went in to investigate last May. Bloomfield Township police got an FBI crime lab report back today. The result… not…
Predicting the Future (10:03 AM) - Over at our brother to the south, Princeton, emeritus researcher Dr. Roger Nelson looks at strings of random numbers coming in from ICs scattered throughout the world. It is his ‘Global Consciousness Project’, and he says it can predict the…
U.N. peacekeepers arrested for sex crimes (07:47 AM) - UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Moroccan mission to the United Nations has announced it arrested six U.N. peacekeeping soldiers in Congo accused of sexually abusing local girls and discharged the contingent’s commander.The United Nations is looking less and less worthy…
WaPo: Huzzah for Hezbollah (07:30 AM) - Hezbollah: Muslim terrorist organization or “armed political movement”? We know what the Washington Post thinks:Lebanese government officials linked Hariri’s killing to mounting international pressure on Syria to withdraw its troops from Lebanon and to end its sponsorship of Hezbollah, an…
UNSCAM Update (07:19 AM) - Our own Senate panel’s investigation of the UN Oil-for-Food program is proceeding swimmingly. Today, they are set to reveal some more evidence of corruption:FoxNews - New York — A Senate panel will announce Tuesday it has acquired new Iraqi documents…
Monday, February 14, 2005
Eason Ender (10:22 PM) - Because so many puns can be made with the man’s name, I am sad to see the story go. But, of course, Eason resigned two days ago. Reader Jared Smith e-mails in a good summation:Going back to Jordan’s CNN deal…
“Welcome InstaPundit Readers” (09:20 PM) - You’ve seen that phrase countless times, mostly on small and medium-traffic weblogs like mine (though I personally do not add welcome messages). But now Popular Mechanics is welcoming with open arms an InstaPundit link and the droves of readers that…
Steal This Graphic (07:39 PM) - I created the badge below for blogs and websites that want to express their support for the many College Republican groups working nationwide. Feel free to put it on your own site, and make it a link to where ever…
Peel Me a Grape (04:55 PM) - I’m starting to get into Diana Krall and her trio with these two albums. Recording quality is always impressive [save for a few instances of boomy close-micing on the latter album], the arrangements are clever and pleasing. And her voice…
Gmail (03:24 PM) - All of a sudden, I have fifty Gmail invites. And I realized that Gmail isn’t really in beta. They aren’t really conducting a small-scale test of the system. This is just a brilliant way to keep fake accounts off and…
A Dangerous Vigil (01:45 PM) - “After seeing the press release I thought to stop by and challenge the Alex P. Keaton-look-alike on the Green. He explained his position and I was persuaded to grab a candle. Unfortunately it was not a vigil candle but a…
The Times’ Dark Glasses (11:02 AM) - There is an odd report in today’s New York Times. In discussing the results of the Iraq Election, the Times reports:The verdict handed down by Iraqi voters in the Jan. 30 election appeared to be a divided one, with the…
A Useless Study (10:04 AM) - I have done a useless study. Post-election, all sorts of chain e-mails went around that said things like, “Republican voters have lower IQs” and such. I’ve decided to do my own and see what sort of broad generalizations I can…
Hudson Valley Mall Terror (07:07 AM) - The mall standoff ended relatively well, with no deaths and only two injuries. LAKE KATRINE - Poughkeepsie Journal — Two people were seriously hurt and hundreds of others were terrorized Sunday when a gunman charged into the Hudson Valley Mall…
Praising Ray (12:38 AM) - I’ll retract some of my negative comments about the Grammy Awards… they pulled out the stops for the late Ray Charles. Ray, posthumously, got to shake his tailfeather one last time. ABC NEWS: One Last Valentine For Ray Charles…
To My Favorite Work of Art (12:12 AM) - …my funny valentine, Lauren. Happy Valentine’s Day!…
Sunday, February 13, 2005
The Grammy Awards (08:50 PM) - I’m drifting in and out of the Grammy Awards on television. Since music is so terrible these days, there isn’t much need to watch. But I do wonder if Rene Jacobs’ new Le Nozze di Figaro will win. UPDATE: Yeah,…
Before Eason, There Was Amanpour (08:22 PM) - The Baron has a good post that aggregates the statements of CNN reporter Christiane Amanpour over two days in 2003 and reveals more anti-military sentiment within CNN’s ranks. Baron dug up some good reports, which would have drawn attention had…
Rangel: Gonna Dig Myself a Hole (01:57 PM) - Charlie Rangel (D-NY) was on Meet the Press this morning. He showboated the new post-Iraq election Democrat talking points. Executive summary: nothing has changed. From the transcript:Q: What’s your sense of what happened in Iraq? RANGEL: Well, of course it’s…
Karajan Not-so-Gold (01:43 PM) - I won’t slash the thing up here, but I just wanted to note that I am somewhat displeased with the re-released H.V. Karajan recordings of Beethoven’s symphonies on Deutsche Grammophon. The sound quality is quite nice, but the performance- at…
In America, We Watched on CRTs (01:36 PM) - Here is a photo from AP of two Iraqis watching the election returns on a nice flat-panel TV in an electronics store window….
Following Through (01:29 PM) - JERUSALEM Feb 13, 2005 — Israel’s Cabinet on Sunday approved a list of 500 Palestinian prisoners to be released in coming days, and several hundred Palestinian workers returned to jobs in Israel in line with agreements reached at a Mideast…
Iraqi Election Results (09:54 AM) - The Shiite slate won 48% of the vote; a Kurdish slate bagged 26%; and Allawi’s candidates got 13.8%. These are not first-past-the-post elections, so the representation should be pretty fair- even compensatory for the Sunnis, I would say. More details…
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Dean: “Aw, Shucks! I’ll Do It!” (10:57 PM) - Terry McAuliffe is a brilliant actor. We saw his skills in full force during the post-debate spin sessions, but this just takes the cake. Also, note Dean. Does his gesture indicate his estimation of the party’s strength?…
Extending the Truce (10:42 PM) - When I was discussing the news of the Israeli-Palestinian cease fire with fellow College Republican Adil W. Ahmad, he underplayed its significance. But today, he e-mails in a link to this article, saying, “Now, this is progress.” The news:GAZA, Feb….
Undermining the Effort (10:34 PM) - The WaPo ‘scoop’ that Drudge is now previewing seems to me like a bad idea:The Bush administration has been flying surveillance drones over Iran to seek evidence of nuclear weapons programs and detect weaknesses in air defenses, the WASHINGTON POST…
Avast Ye Mateys (11:13 AM) - Dartmouth’s Winter Carnival is here; the sire of slow blogging all across the Dartmouth community. Here are some pictures that Lauren and I took:More photos in the extended… I’d post pics of what is going on in the fraternities, but…
Korrupt Kofi Speaks (01:31 AM) - Kofi Annan has an embarassing essay in WaPo this morning:The success of the Jan. 30 elections in Iraq has created an exciting moment of opportunity. It matters greatly that Iraq’s transition is a success. I am determined to make certain…
Eason Out (01:24 AM) - Before anyone outside the blogosphere got a real taste of the scandal, Eason Jordan called it quits on Friday.NEW YORK (AP) - CNN chief news executive Eason Jordan quit Friday amid a furor over remarks he made in Switzerland last…
Friday, February 11, 2005
CARNIVAL SATIRE: The Vigilant Vigil (06:26 PM) - Via e-mail…CSFTFOTDP To Hold Vigil Saturday In Memory Of Democratic Party For Immediate Release Friday, February 11, 2005 — Concerned Students for the Future of the Democratic Party (CSFTFOTDP), a group representing dozens of alienated Dartmouth Democrats and other fellow…
Blogging Update (06:36 AM) - Posting has been slow, I know. My girlfriend is over and I have an exam today. I’ll be back……
Thursday, February 10, 2005
Bucking Bushisms (07:45 PM) - Volokh debunks one of Slate’s incredibly base Bushisms. I wouldn’t be surprised if 50% of their quotes are this specious….
More On Nuclear Causality (05:04 PM) - Via e-mail, my contemporary Deborah Wassel agrees and disagrees with my earlier sarcasm-laced post [here]:Kos’s logic is a bit skewed, but I disagree on the more important point. I think other countries will begin to go nuclear based on what…
The No Franken Factor (04:46 PM) - In case you missed the collective sigh of relief [annoyance averted!] be informed that Al Franken is not, repeat not, running for Senate. Reuters confirms. Of course, this doesn’t mean he won’t run for Senate….
One Of Churchill’s Students? (03:13 PM) - Something tells me this guy and Prof. Churchill would get along famously:BUFFALO, N.Y. — A United Airlines pilot who also flew for the National Guard told a woman that he wanted to crash a plane into Wall Street because some…
Rove Nods Blogs (02:51 PM) - In a recent interview with Sean Hannity, Karl Rove gave a thumbs-up to bloggers’ work in Rathergate. The Daily Recycler has video here….
They Don’t Know That We Know They Know (12:44 PM) - What sort of synaptic disconnects produce words like these from liberals? Kos isn’t surprised at all by North Korea’s nuclear pronouncement. In fact, it’s Bush’s fault! Here’s the explanation:Seriously, with Bush/Cheney/Rice/Rumsfeld running around threatening war on any country that raises…
Whitman Redux (08:00 AM) - Jim Hopkins at USAT is one observant guy. He’s projecting a move to politics for Carly Fiorina, the HP CEO who got canned yesterday.She could run for California office or take a job in the Bush administration, where she has…
Trumpet Fanfare Before The Bull (07:05 AM) - Bret Stephens, in WSJ, on Easongate:There’s a reason the hounds are baying. Already they have feasted on the juicy entrails of Dan Rather. Mr. Jordan, whose previous offenses (other than the general tenor of CNN coverage) include a New York…
Il neige (06:58 AM) - Looks like we’ll have snow for Winter Carnival this weekend… 4-7 inches today and 1-3 this evening!…
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Rove, Halliburton, and Evangelicals In Cahoots! (08:28 PM) - Well, not quite. But there are those who see Karl Rove’s recent promotion as continued evidence of a weird conspiracy. Dan Froomkin in WaPo offers quotes from several individuals in his article The Rove Ascension. Heh. Says Froomkin, “Karl Rove…
Global Warming News (08:21 PM) - Evidence from NASA that the Earth is warming up….
Bush v. Post (05:30 PM) - Is the White House driving the country’s second most liberal newspaper into irrelevance? It seems that way, when they forced Jonathan Weisman’s hand last week and he ate his words in an “I was wrong” article. [Original article here, correction…
A Not-So-Serious Test For Libertarians (03:04 PM) - The Washington Times reports on a fantastic piece of legislation in Virginia: Virginia lawmakers to the state’s youth: Pull up your pants or pay the price. Delegate Algie T. Howell Jr. doesn’t want to see underwear hanging out of the…
UNSCAMs? (10:53 AM) - Seems that $400,000 is missing from the UN’s weather agency due to rerouted checks……
Reading Between The [Scan] Lines (07:45 AM) - The Anheuser-Busch ‘Hero Salute’ ad from the Super Bowl:It was described as “moving” and “powerful” by the obsequious Fox critics, and “obscene” by my furious upstairs neighbour who called me straight after because he regarded the spot as incitement to…
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Sans Script, Awkward President (07:50 PM) - I agree that this is bad.The President comforted Mornin on the security of social security stating that ‘the promises made will be kept by the government.’ But without prompting Mornin began to elaborate on her life circumstances. MS. MORNIN: That’s…
An American in Paris (05:00 PM) - At 11a this morning, Condoleezza Rice was at l’Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris as a part of her diplomatic eurotrip. She took questions from the French audience- the transcript is here. Near the end of the session, she fielded a…
Well, That’s That (11:31 AM) - Easongate seems to be pretty much busted open, prompting Hugh Hewitt to confer upon CNN a new moniker: The Most Busted Name In News. He sees wide repercussions:In Blog I wrote about CNN’s massive effort to rebrand itself as “The…
Is Saddam Hussein President of Iraq? (09:59 AM) - It’s a serious question. Is he, in a technical sense, still the president? I’d argue no- largely because there is already a new government in place. Why, then, does Merriam-Webster obstinately define Hussein as “president of Iraq (1979- )”? MSN’s…
More French Love (09:19 AM) - As I noted yesterday, the French want a fresh start. More evidence came in the New York Times today: “I want to get to know Condi Rice, to establish a personal relationship with her,” says Michel Barnier, France’s foreign minister….
The New Google (08:01 AM) - Sawyer e-mails in, informing me of the aspiring world tyrant’s newest free product: Google Maps. Check it out: a simple, fast, easy-to-use, accurate mapping system. No ads. And a fantastic search function. I typed in, for example, ‘pizza near 03755’…
Euro Observations from Miniter (07:42 AM) - I enjoyed Brendan Miniter’s article in Opinion Journal this morning, called, “The Cows Come Home”.Thanks to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s recent trip to Europe, Germany is now promising to rejoin the herd migrating toward Iraqi democracy. This was not…
MSM Acknowledgement (07:18 AM) - Howard Kurtz at WaPo writes on the Eason affair. Not surprisingly, he is pretty sympathetic:Three CNN staffers have been killed in Iraq, two of them in January 2004 when the cars they were traveling in came under fire by insurgents….
Monday, February 07, 2005
Thunderdome! (11:21 PM) - Even Rangel is hinting at a Hillary run:NEW YORK (AP) - Congressman Charles Rangel, the lawmaker who urged Hillary Rodham Clinton to run for Senate in 2000, says the former first lady might want to return to the White House…
Uh-Oh (10:00 PM) - Here at Dartmouth, there are “Uh-Oh!” e-mails that go out a few days before major deadlines, such as course selection and term check-in. I think we need spending “uh-ohs” in Washington. This paragraph from an LATimes article scared me:No longer…
This Bud’s For You (06:38 PM) - The Anheuser-Busch ‘Hero Salute’ ad from the Super Bowl can be streamed here. Pretty emotional, if not a bit theatrical. But then again, those sorts of scenes aren’t unheard of….
Enter Howard Dean (04:43 PM) - Tim Roemer, Dean’s only remaining opponent for DNC chair, bowed out this afternoon. He was a pretty intelligent guy, and was probably the Dem’s best hope. In quitting, he said, “I got into this race five weeks ago to talk…
Once More, With Feeling (04:24 PM) - PARIS (Reuters) - France wants a fresh start in relations with the United States and both sides have much to contribute to a renewed transatlantic partnership, Foreign Minister Michel Barnier said in comments published Monday. He made the remarks before…
86,100,000 Watch Superbowl (04:21 PM) - The big game- and it was a great one- was Fox’s most watched programming ever. Pretty neat. Unfortunately, the episode of The Simpsons was really awful. (Shark.) No one does social commentary like these guys. Consistently smart, funny, and disgusting….
Democrats: Dean Baiters! (03:29 PM) - This opinion-editorial opposite the editorial page [Thanks, Jamie!] in The Dartmouth argues that Dean is “the right man for the DNC” because he’ll make all the Republicans hate him instead of the candidate. Dean-baiting, you might say.Any time the Republicans…
Follow the Money (01:01 PM) - The rush to the top of the UN begins… Benon Sevan is out… Suspended, actually. “Firing” doesn’t exist at the United Nations. Hurts people’s feelings.UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Benon Sevan, who was in charge of the $64 billion humanitarian program,…
Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off (12:59 PM) - Is Condi some sort of diplomatic savant?RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will announce a cease-fire at a summit in Egypt Tuesday, a Palestinian cabinet minister said. “We have agreed to…
Debating the Bush Doctrine (09:00 AM) - E-mail:”Is preemptive war in order to promote a free society justified?” Arguing for the Affirmative: Victor Davis Hanson For the Negative: Professor Ron Edsforth, Dartmouth Col. Moderator: Professor Allan Stam, Dartmouth Col. Where: 105 Dartmouth Hall When: 7:30 PM February…
Iraq News (07:18 AM) - There are more ‘believe-the-terrorists-first’ news reports coming from the Associated Press. Wizbang reports on the attack that didn’t “claim 22 Iraqis”….
Mud-Wrestling Chicks in Iraq (06:55 AM) - You know, when you really think about it, isn’t female mud-wrestling what liberty is all about? Sadly, the Associated Press doesn’t seem to get it. They are reporting quite negatively on this one night of carousing amidst months of dutiful…
Sunday, February 06, 2005
Whassup (07:28 PM) - Unfortunately, I am not going to be able to watch the game tonight because of this cursed game theory. I’m behind in the material and need to catch myself up for a midterm. Cheers, guys….
My Pipe is Bigger (02:18 PM) - Beat this. Roger L. Simon takes the CNET bandwidth test and his Earthlink DSL comes in at 2072.1kbps. I think a college connection can beat that… Pretty neat. Actually, Roger’s 2072.1kbps is extremely fast but, like my 18545.5kbps, that is…
Nuclear Terrorists (12:27 PM) - The next issue of TIME Magazine, according to a press release obtained by LGF, has two worrisome articles about Khan’s black market for nuclear equipment and Iran’s progress in developing the bomb:”U.S. officials are investigating whether Khan’s network might have…
Takedown (09:28 AM) - Mark Steyn, in The Telegraph:At tough times in my life, with the landlord tossing my clothes and record collection out on to the street, I could have used an aunt like Benon Sevan’s. Asked to account for the appearance in…
Rummy in the Journal (06:55 AM) - Donald Rumsfeld, in Opinion Journal this morning:New chapters in Iraqi history are being written… I believe they will record that a brave and determined people—with the help of the United States—rejected tyranny and courageously embarked on a new era for…
Charge Dropped in Abu Ghraib Case (06:42 AM) - FORT HOOD, Texas (Reuters) - The U.S. government dropped the main charge on Saturday against a female soldier who posed in front of a pyramid of naked Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison.Even casual readers here will know that I strongly…
Saturday, February 05, 2005
Let This Film Festival Remain Lost (08:19 PM) - I just came back from the “Lost Film” film festival here. It was one of those defining moments in my short time at Dartmouth. There is something awry here, I am convinced. I just wrote a post, but it was…
My Open Mind (06:07 PM) - I have decided to attend- if only for a few moments- the socialist film festival at Dartmouth tonight. Maybe I will become enlightened. Comments to follow later tonight. UPDATE: 8:08p- back in my room. I am a fairly loquacious fellow,…
Kennedy and the Troop Withdrawal (05:26 PM) - Andrew Sullivan shouldn’t leave this as his last post. He tries to draw a thread between Ted Kennedy’s 1/27 statement that, “At least 12,000 American troops and probably more should leave at once, to send a stronger signal about our…
“This is Terry McAuliffe, Signing Off.” (05:20 PM) - Political rhetoric doesn’t get much cheaper and useless than this address from outgoing DNC Chair McAuliffe. That said, it’s better than the Metallica-esque screaming we’ll hear when Dean takes over….
A Collaborative Democracy (05:14 PM) - An oppressive minority under Saddam, Sunni Muslims who had deplored their country’s first free elections are capitulating. While not, of course, surrendering to the Shiite majority- now decidedly the dominant political force- the minority is offering to aid in the…
A Post for My Girlfriend (09:06 AM) - A pair of Cheetah cubs are just about ready for display at the Smithsonian National Zoo. Aww…….
MoveOn.Rice (08:50 AM) - WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday that European allies have told her they’re ready to move on from the sometimes rocky relations brought on by the U.S.-led war in Iraq.These words ring hollow to me…
Kam Air Crash (08:36 AM) - Kam Air, Afghanistan’s first private airline, post-Taliban, is missing a Boeing 737-200 that was going from Herat to Kabul. It is expected to have crashed in the mountains:CHENARI, Afghanistan (AP) - NATO helicopters searching for an Afghan passenger jet that…
Friday, February 04, 2005
Free Speech in the Academy (11:31 PM) - Last week, Dartmouth hosted Daniel Pipes, a pro-Israel commentator with pragmatic views on key elements of the mid-east conflict. It took three years to have his visit approved. His speech was given amid threats of terror. His claim: The Oslo…
Conservative Scouting (10:35 PM) - Power Line invites you to Meet Michael Ellis, one of Dartmouth’s more active conservatives. Oddly, I don’t think I’ve met Ellis yet….
Seven Virgins and a Mule (09:35 PM) - Well, almost as batty as that. Have a look at Madame Janeane Garofalo as she flexes her Nazi muscle. She’s displeased at the purple-finger symbolism that some Republicans adopted at the State of the Union Address. What she’s doing here…
Shiite Ticket Has Big Lead in Iraq Vote (06:39 PM) - As expected, the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani slate of candidates has a big lead: around 30% at this point….
One of Us… One of Us (06:25 PM) - Nathaniel Ward reports that the commies are coming to town:The Evil Twin workers’ collective brings its film festival to Dartmouth tomorrow night. The “Lost Film Fest” will feature “social commentary,” “riot and protest footage from around the globe,” “political hi-jinks”…
A Suicidal Selection (01:26 PM) - Jonathan Chait in today’s LA Times: With Dean as party chairman, the Democrats wouldn’t need enemies….
The time has come for someone to put his foot down. (10:10 AM) - And that foot is me. Susan Noel e-mails in, informing me of the passing of John Vernon; the esteemed Dean Vernon Wormer of Dartmouth Faber College. May Delta now come off its 27-year double secret probation….
There Are Absolutes (06:54 AM) - The Ward Churchill affair has been a big hubbub in the blogosphere, and with the news that his dismissal from U. Colorado’s faculty is being considered, it has perhaps crescendoed. Sure, the guy is a moron. Many academics are. But,…
“Never,” Indeed (06:50 AM) - I liked Hugh Hewitt’s reaction to the State of the Union address:Sitting in a studio last night listening to various pundits talk on, I wasn’t in a hurry to jump in. The president is in complete command of the stage…
Portman Watch (12:18 AM) - Natalie Portman’s next movie is an Israeli one (Mon dieu, why is she a Democrat?) by Amos Gitai.He said last week that filming was about to begin on Free Zone, in which the Jerusalem-born Portman plays one of three women…
Thursday, February 03, 2005
Award-o-Rama (10:52 PM) - Oscars… Super Bowl… Nielsens… Yes, it’s self-aggrandizement season once again. R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. in the American Spectator:And, of course, there are the Pulitzers. The ones I follow most closely are the Pulitzers for fiction and for journalism, though the…
The More Things Change… (10:33 PM) - It’s still the same old John Kerry, as this e-mail from him, reprinted by TalkLeft, demonstrates. He tries to explain his ‘nay’ vote on Alberto Gonzales. For about four sentences or so, he talks of the Geneva Conventions as if…
Troop Withdrawal From Iraq (09:40 PM) - Here’s what’s going on: Wolfowitz said earlier today that, through 2006, the US force in Iraq will be at least 15,000 troops smaller. But…The U.S. presence will continue beyond next year as efforts to train Iraqi security forces continue, Wolfowitz…
Ouch. (09:08 PM) - A bit cruel and unusual, Charles, no? UPDATE: And in other weird blog news, the only person making money off the Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank, which “sells” for $19,999.95, is Glenn Reynolds….
Inaction at the UN (08:12 PM) - Even CBS rolled some heads when their internal investigation came out, so this non-news deserves the following sarcastic response. This just coming in from AP…UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan ordered disciplinary action against the head of the U.N….
UNSCAM Interim Report Out (04:06 PM) - The Volcker report is right here in PDF format. Just skimming conclusions, I get the sense that Volcker goes really light on the organization as a whole and indeed on some of the processes that allowed this. This is only…
Gay San Franciscans for Guns (04:04 PM) - Believe it or not, here come the Pink Pistols. Here. Queer. Shooting….
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra (03:47 PM) - I promised a review and here it is. Warning: very long. But if you are in the mood for a little music history and some snarky comments that aren’t about politics, I invite you to read on and, hopefully, enjoy….
Wonking Social Security (03:43 PM) - Prof. Samwick has an in-depth analysis of Bush’s Social Security explication in the State of the Union….
Smoke-Filled Cajun (03:37 PM) - James Carville is highly displeased, as he should be, with the DNC Chair process:”I think it’s pathetic.. It’s so indicative of the Democratic Party. Now we’re just playing into every stereotype: We’re weak, disorganized, flopping around…. Somebody should have fixed…
Reuters: Jobless Claims Dipped Unexpectedly (10:19 AM) - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The ranks of Americans lining up to file initial claims for jobless benefits thinned by 9,000 last week, the government said on Thursday in a surprisingly strong report that signaled healthy job growth. Don’t look for this…
The Grassy Knole 2.0 (07:33 AM) - WeekendPundit couldn’t watch the address last night because his power went off a few minutes into the speech… and only his house. [Cue Twilight Zone music]…
WaPo’s Take (07:11 AM) - The Washington Post has a horrendously strident article this morning, reviewing the President’s address. I have posted some highlights from Tom Shales’ piece below.Bush pulled out all the stops in exploiting the success of the recent election in U.S.-occupied Iraq……
Bush’s TripTik (07:07 AM) - Q: You just gave a State of the Union speech, what are you going to do now? A: I’m going to Disneyworld North Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Arkansas and Florida to pitch SocSec reform!…
UN Oil-for-Food Update (06:57 AM) - Paul Volcker is going to release his report today at 3p. It will target Benon Sevan. He described the evidence against him as “conclusive”.Sevan “placed himself in an irreconcilable conflict of interest, in violation both of specific United Nations rules…
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Better With Age (10:18 PM) - Michael Gerson’s tenor is consistently becoming more historic. And the President’s oratory is improving in inverse with his hair. While I don’t think this was the President’s best speech (that honor will forever belong to his gritty proclamation atop 9/11…
State of the Union (09:16 PM) - It is strong. Pat Ruffini is doing a great liveblog… I’m in Silsby with the College Republicans in the official “conservative-safe zone”. Amid the lurch-mocking (we worked hard for this moment!) there isn’t time for liveblogging. Blogs for Bush has…
For The TV-Less (08:17 PM) - You can view the address live from C-SPAN’s web stream….
Last-Minute Advice for the President (07:08 PM) - Althouse: Dems shouldn’t get into shoving match over purple fingers. Hillary should dip. Winfield Myers (via e-mail): Bush should use this story. John Miller: Bipartisan dip. Kevin Aylward: Say, “We stand with the people of Iraq in giving the finger…
SotU Advance Excerpts (06:23 PM) - Read the extended for quotes from tonight’s address, courtesy of The Raw Story….
Republican Rxns To SotU (06:14 PM) - Ana Cox has the [ostensibly] official Republican quotes for air after 9p tonight. I have reprinted them in the extended. And I hereby apologize for poking fun at her earlier. I would presume she has been sent the Democrats’ reactions…
Fidel Castro: Bush has “the face of a deranged person” (05:45 PM) - Mr. Castro, communist leader of Cuba, ‘doesn’t like Bush’s face’. But totalitarianism and crushing of dissidents is entirely in vogue this season. Here are some of the more wacky excerpts from the report:In his first public remarks since the United…
All That Jazz (05:02 PM) - All of the SotU gossip/drinking games are on Wonkette. Some of it is smirk-provoking. You could try to guess on which channel Andrew Sullivan will pop up. Or who Hillary will be wearing. Or how naughty Newsweek’s Baghdad Bureau chief…
Are Journalists Journalists? (04:07 PM) - Glenn Reynolds @ MSNBC:A story in today’s Christian Science Monitor asks, “Are bloggers journalists?” Perhaps we should start asking if journalists are journalists.I suppose this doesn’t get said to Prof. Reynolds too often, so I’ll say it: Read the whole…
Watch Out, 129.170.196.239! (02:56 PM) - The RIAA is set to subpoena six Dartmouth internet addresses for file-sharing. The letter from the College’s attorney describing the situation is here, courtesy of Dartlog. This is part of a wider marketing effort from the Recording Industry Association of…
Germany’s Many Woes (02:22 PM) - Things are not good in Germany. There are more than 5 million unemployed- 11.4%- the most since their 1932 Great Depression. The Economist delves into the cultural underpinnings here:Labour markets rarely function perfectly. But Germany’s labour market is not really…
Protecting Seniors’ SocSec (02:19 PM) - In a good bit of executive office leaking, the AP is running this story:WASHINGTON (AP) — Social Security benefits promised to workers 55 and older would remain unchanged under President Bush’s call for voluntary personal accounts for younger Americans, Republican…
From The Apple Grapevine (02:10 PM) - I wrote in January about the failings of the iPod shuffle. Lucky, we don’t to worry about that product anymore because the new iPod Silent is out!…
Dartmouth: Separate But Equal? (01:34 PM) - I doubt it. But Mike Belinsky thinks so. His article is worth a read. More accurately, Dartmouth is separate and unequal. When the acceptance rate for one skin color is 38 percentage points higher than another, that’s… all together now……
Roaring Silence From Iraq Naysayers (10:26 AM) - WashTimes reports on the silence of the Moores and Soros of the world. And Democracy Project asks, “Do the Iraq critics have shame?”…
More Pleas For Dean (10:15 AM) - Yesterday I said that the Dems deserve Dean. They do, and now National Review is pleading for him to become DNC chair:Now he’s back. And this time it isn’t the supposedly unsophisticated Democratic caucus and primary voters who are swooning…
From The Grassy Knole! (09:29 AM) - There is a hilarious mini-scandal going on within Dartmouth’s Student Assembly….
MSNBC: The Bowtie Network (09:14 AM) - Tucker Carlson, according to Ana Cox’s gossip wonks, is moving to MSNBC. Carlson is a good enough guy, but I don’t much care about this move. Primarily because blogs do the same thing as televised debate shows, but better. An…
Gay Marriage North of the Border (07:58 AM) - Canada looks ready to legalize marriage between two members of the same sex. It’s probably going to happen, and sooner rather than later. Many American gays seem to want to move north of the border. Will this perhaps let the…
Iraqi Cop Saves Hundreds (07:54 AM) - An amazing story that seems to be underreported this morning:BAGHDAD — Policemen guarding a polling station in Baghdad’s Mansour neighborhood Sunday recognized the suicide bomber immediately. The young man was wearing Chinese-made high-top tennis shoes, a leather jacket and a…
CBS’ New Anchor (07:21 AM) - Well, they didn’t listen to me. USAT:Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer is all but certain to be named interim anchor on The CBS Evening News when Dan Rather steps down next month, sources within CBS News say.And, the article adds, they…
The Plight of the Recruiter (07:08 AM) - In recent days, Yale Law has banned military recruiters, as has St. Paul and Harvard Law. The [very weak] argument is that the military’s don’t ask, don’t tell policy conflicts with diverty policies at most colleges. The Journal editorial today…
Where’s the Dunce Cap? (07:06 AM) - Bad grammar at the New York Times. It is a fact: liberals have poor grammar and conservatives good. I will formally postulate this theory at some undetermined time in the future. But it’s true, trust me….
A Little Context (07:02 AM) - Carl at No Oil For Pacifists gives an Oxford-concise summary of the context in which President Bush will give his SotU address tonight at 9p EST. (Which, in Bush-world, means 8:57p EST) It’s worth a read, and is highly clickable….
In The Backs Of Their Minds (06:59 AM) - Eric at Classical Values:Considering the ominous reports that some 70% of Iraqis voted, it won’t be a pretty picture. How dare these sellout Iraqis vote in such numbers? And right before Bush’s State of the Union address? (Obviously, it’s more…
Dean: Done Deal (06:53 AM) - With only one minor competitor, and the endorsements of all of the other contestants, Howard Dean looks like the man who will take the DNC into oblivion the next election….
Tuesday, February 01, 2005
The Real World: Little Rock (11:11 PM) - In October, I reported on Bill Clinton’s overtures at taking over Kofi Annan’s job when the latter’s term expires in 2006. It looked like a nice bedrock for Hillary’s POTUS run in 2008. The little theory gains some traction today,…
Squeezing Out The Death Benefit (10:13 PM) - It is displeasing that elements of both the left and the right are rebuking President Bush’s plan to increase the military’s tax-free “death gratuity” for families of fallen soldiers from $12,420 to $100k. It seems like folks on both sides…
Post 1000 (09:40 PM) - This is post number 1000 here on the Dartblog. So a quick thanks is in order to everyone who stops by regularly and gets something out of my writing here. Thanks! Now, in other news, Drudge is splashing “Dean! Dean!…
Terrorism or Mitnick-esque Social Engineering? (09:27 PM) - Power Line thinks the G.I. Joe story is “pretty significant.”The terrorists need, more than anything else, to be seen as awesome, terrible figures. If they stop inspiring fear, they are finished. So the one thing they cannot stand is ridicule….
Filibuster Vigilantly (05:36 PM) - The scuttlebutt is that Dems will not filibuster Gonzales’ nomination hearings. But, as USAT reports, they will spark “extensive debates”. So the question becomes, just how long will these debates take? Days or weeks? What will they be about? Alberto…
Too Many Voters (05:26 PM) - I wonder if people will be shouting “vote fraud” when they learn that tens of thousands of Iraqis may have been unable to vote because some polling places in Basra, Baghdad and Najaf ran out of ballots due to high…
AP: Videos Show Guantanamo “Abuse” (05:07 PM) - This just came off the AP wire. It’s another earth-shattering piece of apologetic liberal junk.SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) - Videotapes of riot squads subduing troublesome terror suspects at the U.S. prison camp at Guantanamo Bay show the guards punching…
“What If Bush Was Right?” (05:05 PM) - Two liberals: Jon Stewart and Mark Brown. One question: What if George Bush was right about Iraq? Glenn Reynolds has the details….
Breaking News! Must Credit Dartblog! (04:58 PM) - I have unimpeachable photo evidence that OBL has been caught:BACK TO MAIN PAGE(…via The Corner)…
Welcome, Mink! (04:42 PM) - Say hello to Mink, Louisiana. They got phone service yesterday, for the first time, and now the whole nation is on the grid. It just took lil’ old Mink. Contrast that to the mega phone deal with AT&T and SBC;…
AP Buys A Hoax (03:48 PM) - The Associated Press has put this piece of bunk on the wire in an attempt to get back to the “things are going horribly in Iraq” point. Have a look quickly because they will remove it soon. How’s that for…
Alberto Gonzales Will Be Confirmed (12:47 PM) - I am sure of it. But it will be a dirty fight, as Power Line projects.It seems clear that the Democrats will use the occasion to try to hang Abu Graibh around the administration’s neck, just as the used the…
Another Candidate (12:37 PM) - Jesse Roisin informs me that there is another write-in candidate in the race for Dartmouth Trustee: Peter Robinson ‘79. His platform appears to be very similar to that of Todd Zywicki and similarly opposed to some of the current administration’s…
Kos’ Righteous Indignation (09:33 AM) - Markos Moulitsas has a post called “No Dissent” that accuses conservatives of supporting the curbing of civil liberties in Iraq. He quotes Fred Barnes:Stronger countermeasures will be needed, including an unequivocal White House response to obstructionism, curbs on filibusters, and…
Inside TV News (07:22 AM) - Jeff Jarvis, media-man, gets to go on TV a lot. He tells the tale of his latest visit here. It’s interesting….
Flashback (07:18 AM) - When did John Kerry say this?I hope the guy would come out of the woodwork and say, “I’m the guy who went up with John Kerry. We delivered weapons to the Khmer Rouge on the coastline of Cambodia.” We went…
Redmond v. Google (07:14 AM) - With this letter, Bill Gates has unveiled the new MSN.com search. Some of its features… most, in fact, seem to duplicate the step-by-step advances Google has made in the past few years. Worse, the MSN search is quite difficult to…
A Quick Repudiation (07:00 AM) - A few days ago, George Bush made news by saying that he’d withdraw American troops from Iraq if asked. President Ghazi al-Yawer today said: “It’s only complete nonsense to ask the troops to leave in this chaos and this vacuum…